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Licensing: Live Music
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
What meetings were held or are scheduled by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2009 in which draft exemptions from the Licensing Act 2003 for small-scale performances of live music were, or are to be, discussed; and who attended, or is scheduled to attend. [HL6007]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting (Lord Carter of Barnes): Meetings scheduled between the department and outside bodies which included discussion of exemptions from the Licensing Act 2003 for small-scale performances, of live music as their main subject agenda during the period 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2009 were:
DCMS attendance at Camden Inner London Licensees Association (CILLA)—1 October 2008. Attended by DCMS and CILLA representatives;Licensing Advisory Group Meeting—22 September 2008. Attended by DCMS and representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), British Hospitality Association, Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL), Working Men's Club and Institute Union and Committee of Registered Clubs Associations, Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, London Borough of Havering, London Councils, Magistrates Association, Musicians' Union, Noctis and Patersons;meeting between DCMS and Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS)—19 September 2008. Also attended by representative of Borough of Kensington and Chelsea;17 Nov 2008 : Column WA170
It is likely there will be further meetings on this topic in the near future, but none has yet been arranged.
Northern Ireland Office: Official Drivers
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Northern Ireland Office has oversight of the arrangements for providing Ministers in the Northern Ireland Assembly with official motor vehicles and drivers; and if so, how it exercises that oversight. [HL6213]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office plays no role in the arrangements for the provision of motor vehicles and drivers for Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.
Northern Ireland: Parity of Esteem
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What importance they place on the assurance of equality and parity of esteem for the two communities in Northern Ireland; how that is measured; and by whom. [HL6087]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is nothing further I can add to the Answer given on 5 November 2008 (Official Report, col. WA 69).
Orange Halls
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The following figures have been provided by the PSNI and record attacks on both Orange halls and apprentice boys' halls.
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17 Nov 2008 : Column WA171
People Trafficking
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent measures to prevent the trafficking of people to and within Scotland differ from those in England; and whether any safe houses for victims of trafficking are available in Scotland. [HL6096]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking is a document jointly published by the Home Office and the Scotland Government. The issues concerning trafficking are common across the UK. However, where there are Scottish specific actions—such as the need to minimise opportunities for trafficking for forced labour during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games—the Scottish Government lead on efforts to tackle this (under the ambit of the UK action plan).
The TARA project based in Glasgow provides support to women who have been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. This project has access to a range of social housing providers and has recently received pilot funding from the Scottish Government to extend the service to other parts of Scotland.
Piracy
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make representations to the Government of the United States concerning the rescue of the Ukrainian freighter, loaded with armaments for Kenya, currently held by pirates off Somalia. [HL5676]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): We share the concerns of the international community regarding the increase in piracy off the coast of Somalia. The US, as a close strategic partner and a fellow member of the Combined Task Force 150 multinational coalition, has kept us informed of progress and we hope for an early resolution to this issue.
RAF: Nimrod
Lord Moonie asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 13 October (Official Report, col. WA28), to the noble Lord, Lord Lee of Trafford.
RAF: Typhoon Aircraft
Lord Moonie asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect Paveway IV bombs to enter service on the Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft. [HL6116]
17 Nov 2008 : Column WA172
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The Paveway IV weapon system is expected to enter service on Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft from early in the next decade.
Railways Act 1993
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 10 November (WA 107), why they used the powers under Section 54 of the Railways Act 1993 in the cases of South West Trains, Cross Country, West Midland and InterCity East Coast. [HL6335]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): These powers were used in order to deliver better value for money to the taxpayer.
Railways: First Great Western
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the 40 additional vehicles which First Great Western will receive for Paddington suburban services will be new vehicles, as stated in the Department for Transport's Rolling Stock Plan of January 2008. [HL6209]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government’s Rolling Stock Plan of January 2008 stated that the assumed actions and numbers of vehicles were not prescriptive. The update to the plan, published in July 2008 and available on the Department for Transport website at www.dft.gov.uk, stated that different numbers would be announced only when the Government contracted with the operator for more or fewer vehicles. Discussions with First Great Western on detailed plans are in progress.
Railways: Open Access Operators
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Open-access operators do not make available either their loading data or details of their ticket sales, presumably for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
Railways: Performance
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why two organisations monitor the performance of train operators; and whether there is scope for economy in the use of such resources. [HL6339]
17 Nov 2008 : Column WA173
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Network Rail is responsible for monitoring the day-to-day operational performance of the national network. The Department for Transport monitors the performance of train operators to whom it has awarded franchises.
These activities are complementary in ensuring that passengers benefit from continuing good performance.
Sport: Cycling
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will propose the relationship between British Cycling and Cycling England as a model to be followed in other sporting areas. [HL6081]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting (Lord Carter of Barnes): UK Sport and Sport England support British Cycling to deliver elite success and increased participation in sport. Cycling England is the body established by the Department for Transport to get more people cycling, more safely, more often.
We support the relationship between British Cycling and Cycling England, but the Government would not seek to prescribe which governance arrangements should apply to recreational activity and competitive sports in the same field.
Sport: Swimming
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have consulted or intend to consult the Swimming Forum on their free swimming initiative. [HL6079]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting (Lord Carter of Barnes): The Government designed the free swimming programme in close consultation with a range of stakeholders including the Amateur Swimming Association and Sport England, both of which are members of the Swimming Forum.
The Government have not consulted the Swimming Forum itself. However, the forum has written to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, giving its support to the programme.
Sudan: Asylum Seekers
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the evidence collected by Waging Peace that suggests that some Darfuri asylum seekers who were interviewed in the redocumentation interviews in March and April 2007 had an active asylum claim at that time. [HL5863]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): I can confirm that all Darfuri asylum applicants interviewed for the purposes of redocumentation between March and April 2007 had received an initial adverse decision to their asylum application.
17 Nov 2008 : Column WA174
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What constitutes a safe and secure environment for a redocumentation interview for asylum seekers, as mentioned in the letter of the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, Lin Homer, to Waging Peace on 26 September; and how they monitor the provision of such an environment. [HL5864]
Lord West of Spithead: When an applicant is interviewed by a representative from an embassy or high commission, the United Kingdom Border Agency will endeavour to ensure that interviews are conducted in a private and secure location. Whenever possible interviews are conducted in the presence of a United Kingdom Border Agency official and, when required, an independent interpreter.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information was passed to the Sudanese official present in the redocumentation interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers in March and April 2007. [HL5865]
Lord West of Spithead: Disclosure of information during the period between March and April 2007 was limited to that necessary for the redocumentation process. This might include the transfer of basic information about the applicant’s identity as well as fingerprints, photographs and any other documentary evidence that supports identity and nationality.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What record was made of any disclaimers signed by Darfuri asylum seekers who were interviewed in the redocumentation interviews in March and April 2007, saying they agreed to be interviewed by the Sudanese official. [HL5866]
Lord West of Spithead: No disclaimers were signed by Sudanese nationals taking part in the redocumentation interviews between March and April 2007. The applicants did, however, sign forms that contained the bio-data details necessary for their redocumentation.
Viper Venom
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Department of Health has advised the Veterinary Medicines Directorate that it can no longer import viper venom antiserum for sale to veterinary surgeons; and, if so, why. [HL6242]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): The department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have agreed that the department would import European viper venom antiserum for human use only and Defra would have responsibility for importing this product for veterinary use.
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