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Under Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council is conferred with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is not, therefore, the appropriate forum for discussing slavery and forced labour.
Health: Contraception
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the provision of free contraceptive devices to children under the age of 16 in state secondary schools would constitute aiding and abetting the criminal offence of having sexual relations with a minor under 16 years of age. [HL855]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): No. The Sexual Offences Act does not prevent the provision of confidential advice and treatment to young people under 16. Those who provide sexual health services to young people are not committing an offence if they act for the purpose of:
protecting the child from sexually transmitted infection;protecting the physical safety of the child;preventing the child from becoming pregnant, orpromoting the child's emotional well-being by the giving of advice.27 Jan 2009 : Column WA37
The exception covers not only health professionals, but also anyone who acts to protect a child—for example, teachers, Connexions personal advisers, teenage magazine advice columnists, parents, other relatives and friends.
The purpose behind the Sexual Offences Act is to enable the prosecution of abusive and exploitative sexual activity. This will not lead to the prosecution of mutually agreed sexual activity within normal adolescent behaviour, where there is no evidence of exploitation.
House of Lords: Cross-Bench Peers
Question
Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 15 January (WA 167), how many new Cross-Bench Peers have been appointed since 13 September 2007. [HL860]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): Since 13 September 2007, eight Cross- Bench Peers have been appointed.
Housing: Waiting Lists
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households in England and Wales are on waiting lists of local authorities for housing accommodation. [HL826]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The number of households on local authority housing waiting lists in England was 1.77 million as at 1 April 2008. Information for Wales is not held by the department, as Wales is a devolved region.
Further information on local authority housing waiting lists can be found in the statistical release Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) & Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing200708.
Natural Environment Research Council
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will increase funding for the Natural Environment Research Council. [HL888]
The Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Lord Drayson): The Department for Innovation Universities and Skills published its CSR 2007 allocations in December 2007. This included £1,236 million to the Natural Environment Research Council to cover the spending period 2008-09 to 2010-11. Funding has risen from £259 million in 2003-04 to
27 Jan 2009 : Column WA38
Northern Ireland Assembly: Policing and Justice
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will release details to all members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the public of the agreement to devolve policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly and plans to implement it. [HL652]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Government published a discussion paper on the proposed framework for the devolution of policing and justice in February 2006. This was followed in March 2008 by the publication of illustrative draft legislation, which sought to show how the devolution of policing and justice would work in practice. The timing of devolution remains a matter for the Assembly.
Pollution
Questions
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many states have deposited an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, laid before Parliament in August 2008 (Cm 7328); whether the United Kingdom intends to do so; and, if so, when. [HL762]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): At the October 2008 Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Working Group, it was announced that 12 countries had ratified the protocol. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) website, five more countries are needed to bring the protocol into force. The United Kingdom expects to implement the protocol fully in the spring, whereupon we shall be able to ratify it.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they will make to the international community to achieve wider take-up of the European Union's measures on ground-level ozone pollution. [HL890]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government are fully engaged with international efforts to reduce ground-level ozone and the associated harmful effects on ecosystems and public health. As signatories to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
27 Jan 2009 : Column WA39
The Gothenburg protocol aims to address acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone by setting emission ceilings, to be met by 2010, for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. Technical annexes to the protocol and supporting guidance documents provide information on how to meet those ceilings. Within the EU, the main obligations of the protocol have since been given effect through several measures that help to tackle ground-level ozone pollution, notably the national emission ceilings directive (2001/81/EC). The Government support action to promote ratification of the Gothenburg protocol by non-EU countries.
Racism
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the assessment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission that institutional racism is no longer a feature of British society but that systemic bias exists, requiring different responses. [HL827]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government agree with the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission that institutional racism has not been eliminated but that there has been much progress since the Macpherson report was published 10 years ago. The Government's new equality Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech in December, will help to address the issue by creating a single new equality duty on public bodies to tackle discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and encourage good community relations. The new duty will cover race, disability, and gender, as now, but will also include age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and religion or belief, replacing the three existing, separate duties with a single more effective framework. The equality Bill will also contain provisions on positive action that go further than ever before, to the limits of what is permissible under European law. Any use of these provisions will remain voluntary, but we believe that there are sound and compelling business arguments for organisations to take positive action steps to ensure that they employ a diverse workforce. Diverse workforces ensure that organisations such as the police services better reflect the make-up of the society that they serve.
Schools: Support Staff
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 12 December 2008 (WA 14) and on 13 January (WA 138-39), whether they would set targets for the
27 Jan 2009 : Column WA40
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The recruitment and deployment of support staff are the responsibility of schools and local authorities taking into account local priorities and needs. There are currently no plans to introduce targets for the number of male and female support staff in schools.
Shipping: Irish Lights
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government following the publication of the Review of Funding for the Commissioners of Irish Lights, what is the current subsidy paid by ships entering United Kingdom ports for maintaining maritime lights in the Republic of Ireland; and what is the estimated subsidy for 2009, 2010 and 2011. [HL347]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much subsidy has been paid to the Government of the Republic of Ireland to operate and maintain navigation aids in the Republic (a) since the creation of the Irish Free State; and (b) since the last agreement was reached in 1985; and whether the ending of this subsidy can be achieved by an even distribution of costs rather than ending the service providing integrated aids to navigation. [HL348]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The approximate contribution from the General Lighthouse Fund to the provision of aids to navigation off and around the coast of the Republic of Ireland in each year since 1985 is set out below. Data prior to 1985 are not readily available.
| Year | £ million |
Her Majesty’s Government have undertaken to review the current funding arrangements for the Commissioners of Irish Lights with the Government of the Republic of Ireland. Maintaining an integrated aids-to-navigation service around our coasts benefits both our countries. The two Governments are reviewing the benefits enjoyed by each country from this integrated approach, which will inform our continuing work to ensure that a more sustainable funding solution for Irish Lights is put in place.
Slovakia: Euro
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will seek advice from the Government of Slovakia on the process of joining the euro. [HL775]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The Government's policy on membership of the single currency is unchanged. It remains as set out by the previous Chancellor in his Statement to the House of Commons in October 1997, and again in the Chancellor's Statement on the five tests assessment in June 2003. The determining factor underpinning any
27 Jan 2009 : Column WA42
Tax Credits
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the current economic circumstances, they will extend working tax credits to single persons, couples without children and carers. [HL692]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The working tax credit is already available to single people, couples without children and carers. Anyone who fulfils the qualifying work conditions can apply. Full details of eligibility criteria are available on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/.
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