| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA297
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA297
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA297
Thursday 25 June 2009
Cybercrime
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes are required to domestic legislation in order to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. [HL4192]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Government are fully committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention. We are currently working through the formal UK process of ratification, during which we will lay the required Explanatory Memorandum before Parliament to obtain approval for ratification. If Parliament agrees to ratification, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will then commence the formal ratification process with the Council of Europe.
The Government had hoped to complete this process earlier in the year, but due to extended discussions with the devolved Administrations and with legal advisers this has not been possible. We do not believe that further legislation will be necessary before we can proceed. We now hope to complete the parliamentary process before the Summer Recess, and the Council of Europe process within two months of that.
Cycling
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the police concerning the enforcement of the law against cyclists using the footpath in the area around Westminster. [HL4222]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The enforcement of cycling offences is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. We fully support any action the police decide is appropriate to deter and reduce offending of this sort. To assist enforcement we have made it possible for police community support officers to issue £30 fixed penalty notices for the offence of riding on the footway.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the rates for the wearing of cycle helmets were in each of the past five years among children aged (a) 8—10, (b) 11—13, (c) 14—16, and (d) 17—18. [HL4441]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): Observational surveys were undertaken in 2004 and 2006. The data are as follows:
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA298
| Comparison of cycle helmet wearing rate by age group for 2004 and 2006 on major built up roads. | ||
| 2004 Wearing rate percentage | 2006 Wearing rate percentage | |
| Comparison of cycle helmet wearing rate by age group for 2004 and 2006 on minor built up roads. | |||||||
| 2004 Wearing rate percentage | 2006Wearingratepercentage | ||||||
| Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | ||
Elections: European Parliament
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government in which member states of the European Union voting was compulsory at the recent elections for the European Parliament. [HL4218]
Lord Brett: The UK Government understand that compulsory voting systems operate in Greece, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
Equality Bill
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the facility in Northern Ireland for all-women shortlists which they propose to extend to Northern Ireland in the Equality Bill from 2015 to 2030 has been utilised by political parties. [HL3880]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: These voluntary provisions, that were first introduced through the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act 2002 which amended both the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 to allow for women-only electoral shortlists to be lawful, offer political parties the facility to address the under-representation of women in elected political office.
We are not aware that the political parties in Northern Ireland have utilised the facility so far. The extension of the current expiry date for the provisions from 2015 to 2030 will approximately double the period, and the minimum number of general elections, during which the use of women-only electoral shortlists would be permissible.
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA299
EU: Legislation
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 4 June (WA 107), why he did not mention that European Union regulations have direct effect in the United Kingdom; and whether, in the light of the United Kingdom's results in the European Parliamentary elections, they will reconsider their decision not to undertake research into the proportion of United Kingdom legislation originating in the European Union. [HL4240]
Lord Brett: The Answer given by my noble friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, did not mention EC regulations as the Question did not ask about the legal effect of specific Community instruments. It has always been clear that EC regulations are directly applicable in the UK. The Government reaffirm the Answer to the previous Question.
Health: Contaminated Blood Products
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Darzi of Denham on 20 May (WS 121—22), whether all payments made to beneficiaries of the Macfarlane Trust in consequence of the Written Statement will be increased in line with inflation. [HL4133]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): This will be kept under review in the light of prevailing priorities for public expenditure.
Health: Diabetes
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure increased research into the causes and treatment of Type 1 diabetes, in the light of the report in the Lancet on the number of cases of childhood diabetes. [HL4270]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Both the department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) invest in diabetes research. Their combined total expenditure on the topic in 2007-08 amounted to some £51 million. That investment continues: the department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for example is currently providing infrastructure support for 21 studies specifically concerned with type 1 diabetes via the diabetes clinical research network formed in May 2006.
25 Jun 2009 : Column WA300
The usual practice of the NIHR and of the MRC is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Future levels of expenditure on diabetes research will be determined by the success of relevant bids for funding.
Houses of Parliament: Select Committees
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will answer Question HL3139 tabled on 24 April about the occasions and circumstances when Ministers of the Government Equalities Office and its predecessors have refused to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees during the past five years; and what is the reason for the delay in answering it. [HL4195]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 17 June 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 211-12).
Immigration
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the figures for (a) inward immigration, and (b) net immigration, in each of the past 12 years. [HL4386]
Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Baroness Warsi, dated June 2009.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning the most recent estimate for a) inward immigration and b) net immigration, in each of the last 12 years. (HL4386)
Official estimates of long-term immigration and net migration into the UK for 1996-2007 are given in Table 1 attached. The data are consistent with published figures.
| Table 1: Long-term International Migration1 time series, 1996 to 2007 | ||
| United Kingdom | ||
| Thousands | ||
| Immigration to the UK | Net Migration | |
1. Long-term International Migration (LTIM) is the most comprehensive measure of long-term international migration, and is based mainly on data from the IPS, supplemented with data on flows to and from the Republic of Ireland. Other data sources are used to make adjustments for asylum seekers and their dependants not counted by the IPS and for switchers (people who change their intentions and, therefore, their migratory status). LTIM was previously referred to as Total International Migration or TIM.
National Parks Authority
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the full report of the review team's work on the National Parks Authority will be published. [HL4426]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The date of publication of the peer review report is a matter for the New Forest National Park Authority to determine. I understand that it intends to release information on the findings and an action plan for implementing any recommendations arising from the assessment at the same time.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |