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The updating of cost assumptions for a range of generation technologies is also ongoing to take account of developments over the past year. The costs of most generation technologies have increased over the past 18 months, primarily due to increases in input prices. Work is ongoing to update the Government's cost assumptions for different forms of generation.
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made or will make representations to the Government of Eritrea about (a) the non-implementation of the constitution approved in 1997, (b) the lack of elections and sittings of the interim parliament since 2002, (c) the imprisonment of returned refugees, (d) the level of freedom of the press and media, and (e) the level of freedom of religion and the expulsion of 14 Roman Catholic missionaries; and what position they will take in considering Eritrea's periodic review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in December. [HL4822]
The Minister for Europe (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): Our ambassador in Asmara has raised the imprisonment of returned refugees with the Eritrean Government and was told that they would be treated in accordance with Eritrean law in the same way as other citizens.
Eritrea
14 July 2009 : Column WA200
As part of the Article 8 Political Dialogue, our ambassador, along with other EU Heads of Mission, raised both the freedom of the press and freedom of religion at their meeting with the Eritrean Government earlier this year. Both these subjects are scheduled to be on the agenda for the next Article 8 meeting in September. In view of the Eritrean Government's request to discuss human rights at the next Article 8 Political Dialogue meeting in September, we will consider Eritrea's periodic review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in light of these and any subsequent discussions.
We have not made and currently have no plans to make representations to the Eritrean Government about: (a) the non-implementation of the Eritrean constitution approved in 1997; and (b) the lack of elections and sittings of the interim parliament since 2002 because we judge that such representations would be unlikely to be productive at this time.
Extremist Organisations
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to take to counter the level of racially biased materials being disseminated by extremist organisations with the aim of increasing prejudice, hatred and violence. [HL4771]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): In February 2009, a ministerial seminar agreed a cross-governmental action plan to address community concerns about anti-Semitic and other hate material circulated on the internet. It recognised the challenges and need to balance freedom of speech with a responsibility to tackle illegal material whose purpose is incitement.
The plan is being overseen by the Home Office Minister Alan Campbell and has been incorporated into the cross-governmental Hate Crime Action Plan which is to be launched Autumn 2009.
More broadly, the police and, where necessary, the security services, already monitor and evaluate the words and actions of individuals and organisations preaching racially and religiously inflammatory messages and take action where appropriate.
Financial Services Authority
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the expected time commitment of the chair of the Financial Services Authority. [HL4867]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Lord Turner's contractual requirement is "...that the time commitment entailed by his role shall be open-ended but shall average not less than three days per week...".
14 July 2009 : Column WA201
Food: Labelling
Question
Asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposals to clarify the "best before", "sell by" and "use by" recommendations on food products in retail outlets require the permission of the European Commission. [HL4399]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Permission of the European Commission is not required as we are working within existing European Union law.
Gaza
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the latest report from the International Committee of the Red Cross on the situation in Gaza. [HL4693]
Lord Brett: This short report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides a stark and honest account of the current situation in Gaza. The situation remains extremely serious, and although some basic humanitarian assistance is getting into Gaza, access constraints are severely impeding aid efforts and wider recovery. The UK continues to press the Israeli Government to provide full and unhindered access for humanitarian aid, aid workers, and the materials needed for reconstruction.
Health: Contaminated Blood Products
Questions
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 June (WA 14), what action Lord Darzi of Denham as a Minister has taken, in addition to his department contacting the Whips' Office, to secure a debate on their response to the Archer report. [HL4724]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 3 June (Official Report, col. WA 92). The decision on whether to hold a debate on the government response to the Archer report remains a matter for the House business managers.
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 June (WA 14), whether they will review the point at which the widow of a patient infected with hepatitis C by contaminated NHS blood products becomes eligible for financial assistance. [HL4725]
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Lord Darzi of Denham: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer of 15 June 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 179).
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government what figures the Department of Health has on the number of haemophilia patients who died of hepatitis C infection from contaminated NHS blood products in each of the past five years; and, on the basis of those figures, what they anticipate could be the number of such deaths by 2014. [HL4726]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many haemophilia patients infected with HIV by contaminated NHS blood products have died in each of the past five years; and, on the basis of those figures, what they anticipate could be the number of such deaths by 2014. [HL4768]
Lord Darzi of Denham: Information in the form requested is not available, and the department has made no estimates of future rates of death in this patient group.
The Macfarlane Trust, set up in 1988 to administer a fund for haemophiliacs infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), provides the following data on deaths of infected patients, but these cannot necessarily be attributed to HIV as the cause of death is not recorded.
There are no comparable data on hepatitis C. However the UK Haemophilia Doctors' Organisation Annual Report 2008 and Bleeding Disorder Statistics for 2007 records two deaths attributable directly to HIV and six to hepatitis C in bleeding disorder patients in 2007. The same report states that deaths from hepatitis C in this group of patients run at between six and eight each year, but does not provide similar information on deaths from HIV.
Houses of Parliament: Select Committees
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 24 June (WA 290), in the absence of a centralised system of record-keeping, by what means members of each House of Parliament and the public will have access to information of future instances where Ministers or officials decline to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees. [HL4635]
Baroness Crawley: This is a matter for the relevant Parliamentary Select Committee. Where a Minister declines to give evidence, either personally, or for an official to give evidence on their behalf, it is a matter for the relevant Select Committee to decide on further action.
14 July 2009 : Column WA203
Immigration
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were (a) arrested, and (b) convicted, in each of the past three years for assisting unlawful immigration. [HL4420]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Due to changes in the nature of the system used to record details of arrests made by the UK Border Agency, complete data are only available for the past two financial years.
In 2007-08, a total of 73 individuals were arrested by UK Border Agency staff on suspicion of an offence relating to the facilitation of unlawful entry into the UK (including trafficking); in 2008-09, 127 individuals were arrested for the same reason.
These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
With regards to actual convictions, the Home Office publishes statistics on persons proceeded against for offences under immigration Acts, including offences relating to the facilitation of unlawful entry, in England and Wales annually. These National Statistics on immigration and asylum are placed in the Library of the House and are available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many changes have been made to the UK Border Agency's visas website regarding application to enter the United Kingdom by overseas students since the new points-based system started on 31 March. [HL4534]
Lord West of Spithead: We have made three substantive changes to the UK Border Agency's visa services website regarding entry as a student under tier four of the points-based system since it was implemented on 31 March 2009.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review immigration rules in order to deal with skill shortages facing the curry industry. [HL4747]
Lord West of Spithead: The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advises Government on shortage occupations. Skilled chefs, including those in the curry industry, are currently on the shortage occupation list for tier two of the points-based system.
The Government have asked the MAC to review this entry by September 2009 and recommend whether it is sensible to continue to fill shortages of skilled chefs through migration. The Government will consider the MAC's recommendations carefully in due course.
14 July 2009 : Column WA204
Immigration: Deportation
Questions
Asked by Baroness Neville-Jones
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 1 June (WA 42-3), how many people they have tried to deport to (a) Jordan, (b) Libya, (c) Lebanon, (d) Ethiopia and (e) Algeria on the ground of national security; how many of those deportations have succeeded; how many have not; and what was the reason for each case which did not succeed. [HL4707]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Her Majesty's Government have undertaken deportation proceedings against (a) five Jordanian, (b) 12 Libyan, (c) no Lebanese, (d) one Ethiopian and (e) 18 Algerian nationals on the ground of national security. Eight of these individuals have been deported and 14 are at various stages of the appeals process.
There are 14 cases where deportation on national security grounds has been discontinued and these comprise: 12 Libyan cases following a court judgment; one case where the court found the individual concerned did not pose a threat to national security; and one case where the Secretary of State withdrew the deportation decision as it was considered the individual no longer posed a current threat to national security.
Asked by Baroness Neville-Jones
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 1 June (WA 42-3), whether the memoranda of understanding on deportation with assurances they have signed with Jordan, Libya, Lebanon and Ethiopia allow legal deportation on the ground of national security; and, if so, why there have been appeals. [HL4708]
Lord West of Spithead: The Memoranda of Understanding referred to in my previous Answer formalise the arrangements for seeking assurances in respect of individuals whom the UK wishes to deport to one of these four countries or whom one of those countries wishes to deport to the UK.
A deportation from the United Kingdom is governed by the provisions of the immigration Acts. Under that legislation, a decision to make a deportation order attracts a right of appeal under either Section 82 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 or Section 2 of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997.
Kenya
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent reports they have received concerning the human rights situation in Kenya. [HL4790]
14 July 2009 : Column WA205
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): We have noted the recent report by Human Rights Watch on the October 2008 disarmament operation by the Kenyan military in north-eastern Kenya and the report to the Human Rights Council in June 2009 by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston on extrajudicial killings. As with previous reports alleging human rights violations, we have urged the Kenyan Government to instigate independent investigations into the allegations raised.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Kenya concerning the treatment of internally displaced persons. [HL4792]
Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK, with others in the international community, has regularly urged the Kenyan Government to ensure that all internally displaced persons are treated in accordance with international humanitarian principles.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote political stability in Kenya. [HL4793]
Lord Malloch-Brown: The UK has provided support to civil society organisations to assist communities to reconcile and engage in the peace process following the disputed 2007 elections. In the past two financial years, civil society support amounted to £1.2 million.
We have provided a further £1.4 million over the past two years to support the Annan process and the National Accord. We will continue to offer our full support to Kofi Annan and his leadership role in the reform process.
All support has been jointly managed by the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, through the Africa Conflict Prevention Programme.
We continue to urge Kenya's leaders to work together to ensure that the key reforms needed in Kenya are made in order to prevent a return to the violence and instability seen at the start of 2008.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress towards judicial reform in Kenya. [HL4794]
Lord Malloch-Brown: There has been little action on judicial reform in Kenya, although a reform group has been set up to look at the judicial services commission.
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