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7 Nov 2006 : Column WA101
Written Answers
Tuesday 7 November 2006
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Asylum and Immigration Tribunal hearings concerning conducive deportation of foreign nationals have been conducted since April 2005; how many appeals were successful; and how many deportations have been successfully completed.[HL7649]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal is in the early stages of collating statistical information on appeals against notices of intention to deport, including the outcomes of such appeals. Reconciled information is not currently available.
Asylum and Immigration Tribunal: Visit to Ghana
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the purpose of the recent visit of the president of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal to Ghana; by which officials he was accompanied; whom he met; and what was the total cost to the taxpayer.[HL8103]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The visit to Ghana was undertaken by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Bridget Prentice MP). The president of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) accompanied the Minister, as did the director of asylum and immigration and the operational support manager of the AIT, the Minister's private secretary and a policy official of UKvisas.
The visit was to improve understanding of the issues faced by entry clearance posts, to assess the impact of the revised overseas appeals process and to identify the potential for further improvements for the benefit of the AIT, UKvisas and customers.
The visit included meetings with the acting British high commissioner; front-line entry clearance and appeals staff; visa, appeals and entry clearance managers; compliance and risk assessment teams; local commercial partners of UKvisas; Ghanaian police and banking officials; and Ministers in the Ghanaian Government.
The majority of the visit costs were funded by UKvisas, which is not funded through the public purse. The DCA contributed an estimated £8,500 to the visit costs.
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Aviation: Automatic Directional Finding Equipment
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why Schedule 5 to the Air Navigation Order 2005 (SI 2005/1970) requires automatic directional finding equipment to be fitted in aircraft flying in airways within United Kingdom airspace.[HL8085]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Air Navigation Order 2005 details the equipment carriage requirements for aircraft to navigate safely in UK airspace below flight level (FL) 95 (9500 feet), without the need for air traffic controllers to provide navigational assistance.
The UK Air Traffic Services (ATS) route structure is a complex system of airways and upper ATS routes enabling operators to flight-plan and safely fly en route under instrument flight rules (IRF) through UK airspace.
Above FL95 the ATS route structure is based on area navigation (RNAV) whereby aircraft can navigate without having to fly from one ground-based navigation beacon to the next. Below FL95 the ATS structure is predominantly based on conventional navigation, which requires the fitment of ADF equipment in aircraft to safely navigate between ground-based beacons.
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many automatic direction-finding waypoints are required for the airways of the United Kingdom airspace above flight level 100; and [HL8117]
How many global positioning system RNAV MNP5 waypoints are required for the airways of the United Kingdom airspace above flight level 100.[HL8118]
Lord Davies of Oldham: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I have given today (HL 8085).
Above flight level (FL) 95 (9,500 feet) basic area navigation (BRNAV) rules apply and no automatic direction finding (ADF) waypoints are technically required. However, ADF information may form part of the navigation solution, dependent upon its availability.
The UK's RNAV waypoints are set out in the en route section of the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), pages 4-3-1 to 4-3-15, with five-letter designator codes identifying individual navigation waypoints. The AIP is available free of charge from the UK Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) website at www.ais.org.uk. The AIP information does not differentiate between waypoints at particular flight levels.
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Belfast Agreement
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the promise of equality and parity of esteem for the two traditions in Northern Ireland contained in the 1998 Belfast agreement was included in the St Andrews agreement or its follow-up discussions; and, if so, how this promise will be manifested.[HL7962]
Lord Rooker: The St Andrews agreement in no way dilutes the promise of equality and parity of esteem contained in the Belfast agreement. This promise remains and is enhanced by the St Andrews agreement, which puts in place new processes and procedures. Annexe B to the agreement sets out the Government's commitment to actively promote the advancement of human rights, equality and mutual respect.
Benefits
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to their response (HC 1187) to recommendation 19 of the House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions Second Report (HC 834—I), whether it is possible to calculate the net fiscal cost to the Exchequer of not moving a person off welfare and into employment, given that it is possible to calculate the net fiscal benefit of doing so.[HL7487]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): It is possible to estimate the net fiscal loss associated with not moving a person off welfare and into employment. This was not done separately in the previous analysis referred to in our response (HC 1187) to recommendation 19 of the House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions Second Report (HC 834-I) because the emphasis was to examine the effectiveness of policies in helping people leave benefits and enter work.
Benefits: Polygamy
Baroness Cox asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether welfare benefits are paid in respect of more than one wife in a polygamous marriage in the case of (a) wives in this country; and (b) wives abroad; and, if so, how many recipients there are in each category.[HL6862]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Regulations to address claimants who are in a polygamous marriage have been in force for some time. For instance, in relation to income support, current regulations were introduced in 1987.
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For contributory benefits, no dependants’ increases are payable for any wives where a polygamous household exists, and British law recognises those marriages. Where we recognise one of the marriages, any dependants’ increases in contributory benefits would be paid only in respect of that one marriage.
Income-related benefits can be paid for more than one wife in a polygamous marriage where British law recognises the marriage and where the general conditions of entitlement for those benefits are met. This would apply where the marriages were conducted in a country that recognises polygamy and in which the parties to each marriage were domiciled at the time of their marriage. The amount of benefit payable includes personal allowances for the male spouse and one partner at the appropriate couple rate. For each other partner, benefit is payable at the difference between the couple rate and the higher rate for a single person. In general, therefore, there is no financial advantage to claiming for those in polygamous marriages.
Increases in income-related benefits are not payable for wives who do not reside in Great Britain.
Any member of a polygamous marriage can claim a contributory or non-contributory social security benefit in his or her own right where he or she satisfies the relevant conditions of entitlement.
No figures are available for the number of claimants in polygamous marriages where income-related benefits are in payment.
Bloody Sunday: Inquiry
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: The timetable for completion of the report of the Bloody Sunday inquiry is a matter for the inquiry itself. The report will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who will be responsible for its publication. Detailed arrangements for the publication will be made in due course.
Bovine Tuberculosis
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many cases of bovine tuberculosis have occurred in humans in the United Kingdom for each year since 1995; what were the age groups of those infected; how many of the cases were attributed to drinking raw milk from cows infected with bovine tuberculosis from farms in the United Kingdom; in how many cases the disease was believed to have been acquired from sources outside the United Kingdom; and what has been the outcome of treatment. [HL7890]
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The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The number of cases of bovine tuberculosis which have occurred in humans in the United Kingdom for each year since 1995:
| UK | |
| 0-14 | 15-44 | 45-64 | 65+ | N/K | Total | |
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