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(f) There have been no recorded incidents of bats hitting cars since the bridges were built.
Bigamy
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much is paid annually to members of bigamous Islamic families in housing benefit and other social security payments. [HL5149]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The social security system only recognises relationships that have been lawfully contracted in the UK or in other jurisdictions.
Businesses: Overseas Relocation
Question
Asked by Lord Baker of Dorking
To ask Her Majesty's Government which British companies have moved their domicile to other countries in each of the last three years; and what is the estimated loss of tax revenue from those moves. [HL5139]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The Government are aware of a small number of British companies moving the tax residence of their parent company out of the UK over the past three years. The Government estimate that loss of UK tax as a consequence of these moves will be minimal.
The Government remain committed to enhancing the competitiveness of the UK, and recently announced a reform to the way that the UK taxes foreign corporate profits. From the first of this month, a wide-ranging dividend exemption was introduced which enhances the UK's competitive position, allowing companies, including UK headquarters, to bring profits back to the UK tax-free.
The Government have also committed to reforming the controlled foreign company regime in consultation with business, to enhance the UK's competitive position while maintaining protection of the UK tax base.
Channel Islands: Food Supplements
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Medicines (Human and Veterinary) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2008 has come into force in Guernsey; and whether the Government of Guernsey have given a timetable for its implementation. [HL5269]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): The Medicines Law is not yet in force in Guernsey. It remains the intention of Guernsey's Administration that the Law will commence with effect
5 Oct 2009 : Column WA394
Children: Children's Commissioner
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the post of Children's Commissioner for England is compliant with the United Nations principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights (the Paris principles). [HL5087]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The role and functions of the Children's Commissioner for England were debated in Parliament at length during the passage of the Children Act 2004.
As set out in the Children Act 2004, the Children's Commissioner for England must have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The commissioner attends meetings of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children (ENOC), the association of independent children's rights institutions. ENOC's mandate is to facilitate the promotion and protection of the rights of children, as formulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Government's priority is to support the Children's Commissioner in making the most of his current powers. We have no plans to review these powers.
Children: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to communicate to Parliament for consideration and further action the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and their response. [HL5065]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to communicate to children the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and their response. [HL5066]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child provide an extremely helpful framework and we are working with key stakeholders such as NGOs and children and young people to take them forward.
In response to the UN committee's concluding observations, through a Written Statement to the House of Commons in October 2008, the Government committed to consider the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations with
5 Oct 2009 : Column WA395
When I gave evidence on children's rights to the Joint Committee on Human Rights, in March 2009, I proposed to meet Ministers from devolved Administrations to discuss what a clear articulation of the UK's response to the concluding recommendations should look like.
In June, I met Ministers from the devolved Administrations and agreed that the Government will publish a UK-wide action plan this year, which sets out how the UK is responding to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations and how each of the devolved Administrations are considering the recommendations within the context of their own national requirements.
Copies of the UK-wide action plan will be placed in both House Libraries.
The action plan will be easy to access and understand by children and young people. In England, we are involving children and young people in the development of the plan and will be seeking their views on action and how we communicate it.
Children: UN Convention
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have in place to ensure that all legislation is compliant with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; and how those arrangements are implemented. [HL5170]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The UK is fully committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Government implement the convention through a combination of legislation and policy initiatives. As set out, for example in the Government's Children Plan for England, the ambitions for children and young people and the policies to deliver these, reflect and are informed by the general principles and the articles of the UNCRC.
Legislation is subject to scrutiny by a range of bodies including the Joint Committee on Human Rights and interested parties such as the Children's Commissioner and NGOs concerned with children's rights.
All of these bodies can and do play a very important role in scrutinising and commenting on the degree to which new legislative proposals would be consistent with the UK's obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
City of London
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Myners on 2 July (HL Deb, col. 328), what is their estimate of the contribution
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The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Total tax and national insurance contributions collected from the financial sector are estimated to be £32.5 billion in 2008-09. Estimates are not available for the different sub-sectors requested.
Education: Overseas Students
Question
Asked by Lord King of West Bromwich
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many private students from (a) India, (b) Pakistan, and (c) Bangladesh came to the United Kingdom to study in (1) universities, and (2) colleges of further and higher education, in each of the last five years. [HL5267]
The Minister for Trade and Investment (Lord Davies of Abersoch): The department does not hold information separating private from non-private overseas students attending UK higher education institutions (HEIs) or English further education colleges.
Table 1 contains figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on entrants to UK HEIs from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
| Table 1: Entrants (1) Domiciled in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh UK Higher Education Institutions (2) Academic Years 2003/04 to 2007/08 | |||
| Academic Year | India | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
Notes: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. (1) Covers entrants to all levels of study and both full-time and part-time courses. (2) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series.
Table 2 shows the number of learners participating in further education provision in 2003-04 to 2007-08 whose country of domicile is India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.
| Table 2: Learners participating in Further Education provision in England from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Academic Years 2003/04 to 2007/08 | |||
| Academic Year | India | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
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Source: FE Individualised Learner Record.
1) Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2) Further Education Provision includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges, Special Colleges-Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions.
3) Data include both LSC funded and non-LSC funded learners for whom providers have made returns on the Individualised Learner Record.
4) This information is based on Country of Domicile-institutions are advised that the Country of Domicile should be treated as a self-assessment field and reflect the country where the learner was ordinarily resident for the three years preceding the start of their programme.
Energy: Prices
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to protect the United Kingdom from volatile energy prices, in the light of their plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 34 per cent. [HL5222]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government are taking a number of measures to promote security of supply and thus reduce price volatility, including: updating the planning and consenting regimes for gas supply infrastructure to facilitate capacity investment, continuing to push for liberalisation of EU energy markets, and promoting energy efficiency. Greater reliance on renewable energy sources will also reduce the UK's exposure to fluctuations in global energy prices.
EU: Financial Institutions
Questions
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have estimated the amount of tax which may be lost as a result of United Kingdom financial companies relocating outside the United Kingdom in order to avoid the European Union's proposed directive on alternative investment fund managers and other European Union regulatory and supervisory proposals which may affect them. [HL5315]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The Government are working closely with the European Commission, other member states and the European Parliament to ensure that the legislation, when finalised, enhances the single market and is proportionate. No estimate has been made of its potential effect on tax.
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 20 July (WA 278), how many firms have relocated to
5 Oct 2009 : Column WA398
Lord Myners: The Government are aware of one UK group that has announced it will move the tax residence of its parent company from the UK to Switzerland in 2009 and none in 2008.
The Government are unable to release information on individual taxpayers.
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Myners on 2 July (HL Deb, col. 328), when they expect to receive the European Commission's impact assessments on its draft Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and its proposed financial supervisory powers; and whether they will place them in the Library of the House. [HL5319]
Lord Myners: A copy of the Commission's impact assessment on its 30 April 2009 proposals for an alternative investment fund managers directive was deposited in both Houses on 6 May 2009.
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