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27 Oct 2009 : Column 256W—continued
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter dated 20 July 2009 from the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee in respect of legal matters pertaining to the Lisbon Treaty. [292954]
Chris Bryant [holding answer 14 October 2009]: Ministers were considering how best to reply to the letter and the reply was sent on 13 October 2009.
Middle East: Peace Negotiations
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the threat to peace in the Middle East posed by Israel's possession of nuclear weapons. [295257]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear on 20 October 2009, Official Report, column 757, the UK has voted consistently in support of a nuclear-free Middle East as part of a drive for nuclear disarmament around the world.
We continue to believe that a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, delivering a viable Palestinian State alongside a secure Israel, is a critical part of achieving peace and security in the region.
Mordechai Vanunu
Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the situation of Mordechai Vanunu. [295258]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We raised Mr Vanunu's case with the Israeli Government on a number of occasions during his detention. After Mr Vanunu was released, we then raised the conditions of his release with the Israeli Government.
We will continue to follow the case and should we judge that the circumstances have changed to mean that an intervention by the UK is likely to achieve significant movement than we will consider making further representations.
Party Conferences
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his Department's non-departmental public bodies sent representatives to attend one or more political party conferences in 2009. [293475]
Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no record of its non-departmental public bodies having sent representatives to attend any political party conferences in their professional capacity in 2009.
Passports: Embassies
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many emergency passports have been issued through consular services in each of the last five years. [294384]
Chris Bryant: The number of Emergency Passports issued for each of the last five financial years is provided in the following table:
| Number | |
Thailand: Prisoners
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth (1) Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Thailand on the trial of Utain Dungnoi for the murder of Richard Collins; [295767]
(2) whether he has made representations to the Government of Thailand on the release of Utain Dungnoi on bail pending appeal; and if he will make a statement. [295768]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our officials at our Embassy in Bangkok have passed on a letter from Yvonne Hart, Richard Collins' mother, outlining her concerns about the ongoing process.
However, as the hon. Member knows, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot interfere in the Thai legal system, just as we would not allow a foreign state's interference in British legal proceedings.
Turkey
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Turkey on its non-compliance with the Ankara Protocol; and if he will make a statement. [293718]
Chris Bryant: Ministers and officials across Government have frequent contact with Turkish counterparts on all aspects of Turkey's EU accession process, including discussion of the Additional Ankara Protocol, where we urge Turkey to take forward its implementation. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did so most recently with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on 25 September 2009.
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the implications for the proposals for Turkish accession to the EU at the 2009 review of Turkey's non-compliance with the Ankara protocol; and if he will make a statement. [293719]
Chris Bryant: The European Commission's 2009 Progress Report notes that Turkey has not fully implemented the Additional Ankara Protocol, and states it is now urgent that Turkey fulfils its obligation to ensure implementation of the Protocol. The Government agree it is important that Turkey takes forward the protocol's implementation.
Visits Abroad
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries (a) he has and (b) his Department's Ministers have visited on official capacity since November 2008; on what dates each such visit took place; and if he will make a statement. [294545]
Chris Bryant: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual list of overseas travel by Ministers costing in excess of £500.
A list of all overseas visits undertaken by Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 was published in July 2009. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
A list of overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 will be published in due course. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Western Sahara: Human Rights
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Moroccan counterpart on alleged human rights violations in Western Sahara. [295879]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the human dimension of the Western Sahara conflict with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mr. Fassi Fihri, when they met in June this year. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have continued this dialogue with their Moroccan counterparts, encouraging the need for openness and transparency as a way of building confidence between the parties to the conflict.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Children
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years have been treated for alcohol-related health problems in the Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years. [295889]
Gillian Merron: The number of children under the age of 18 years resident in Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust who were admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related condition in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.
Appointment Reminder Schemes
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts operate appointment reminder schemes. [295600]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect information centrally on which primary care trusts operate appointment reminder schemes.
Local national health service organisations make their own arrangements for operating appointment reminder schemes such as text messages to remind patients of upcoming appointments.
Blood: Contamination
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department next plans to review the level of payments made to people who have received contaminated blood supplies. [295500]
Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to reviewing the Skipton Fund, which makes payments to individuals infected with hepatitis-C as a result of receiving contaminated blood and blood products, in 2014. The Department announced an increase in payments to those infected with HIV as a result of receiving contaminated blood and blood products with effect from 20 May 2009, and there are no current plans to review those payments.
Care Homes: Food
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 25 June 2008, Official Report, columns 368-69W, on nutrition, for what reasons the final report of the National Action Plan Delivery Board was not published by the end of 2008; when he expects that report to be published; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the difference in such dates upon patient care. [295649]
Phil Hope: The Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board is independent of Government. The Department therefore had no input into the writing of the board's report. The report took longer to produce than envisaged and was finally submitted to the Department in July 2009. It is now being considered by ministers. We expect the report will be published later this year.
The delay in publishing the report has no impact on patient care. The report outlines the progress made in implementing the actions identified in the nutrition action plan.
Care Homes: Standards
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of care homes for (a) younger adults and (b) older people met or exceeded (i) National Minimum Standard 8, (ii) National Minimum Standard 15 and (iii) both standards in each year since 2002-03. [295609]
Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that the percentages of care homes meeting or exceeding the requested national minimum standards in each year between 2002-03 and 2008-09-the latest year for which information is available-were as shown in the following tables.
| Percentages of services meeting or exceeding individual national minimum standards (NMS)-care homes for younger adults-since 2002-03 | |||||||
| NMS | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Note: Percentages are based on the most recent score for each standard as at 31 March in each year. The year shown is not necessarily the year of inspection; not every standard is inspected every year and not every service is inspected annually. Source: CQC database | |||||||
| Percentages of services meeting or exceeding individual national minimum standards (NMS)-care homes for older people-since 2002-03 | |||||||
| NMS | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| Note: Percentages are based on the most recent score for each standard as at 31 March in each year. The year shown is not necessarily the year of inspection; not every standard is inspected every year and not every service is inspected annually. Source: CQC database | |||||||
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