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There are no records of payments being made to Baker Tilly, Tenon Group or PKF.
To monitor and assess the compliance and performance of individual contracts against a defined requirement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) incorporates milestones, critical success factors, performance indicators, and contract completion conditions, and conducts project evaluations.
MoD is not required to report this spend data to Buying Solutions.
Climate Change
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will pursue bilateral agreements on climate change with other countries, following the lack of a full agreement at the Copenhagen climate change conference in December 2009. [HL2564]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The UK Government remain committed to achieving an international legally binding agreement through the UNFCCC. The Copenhagen Accord provides a strong platform on which to build. We will continue to work bilaterally and through multilateral institutions both to support practical action on the ground to address climate change and to work towards a legally binding agreement.
Cyprus: Property
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they regard the European Court of Human Rights ruling on 5 March that the Immovable Property Commission in Northern Cyprus provides appropriate redress for Greek Cypriot complaints about deprivation of property following the 1974 Turkish intervention as de facto recognition of the enabling Government in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. [HL2935]
Lord Brett: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling is not a de facto recognition of the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC). The ECHR ruling stated clearly that,
- "to the extent that any domestic remedy is made available by acts of 'TRNC' authorities or institutions, it may be regarded as a 'domestic remedy' or 'national' remedy vis-a-vis Turkey... the overall control exercised by Turkey over the territory of northern Cyprus entails her responsibility for the policies and actions of the 'TRNC'".
Accordingly, the Government do not regard this ruling as a de facto recognition of the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus".
The full judgment of the ECHR in this case is available at http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item =7&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=&sessionid= 49443179&skin=hudoc-en.
Debt Management Schemes
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have introduced a telephone campaign offering to assume responsibility for all the debts of qualifying individuals applying before 6 April; and what assessment they have made of the effects of the campaign on heavily indebted persons. [HL2838]
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the funds at the disposal of the promoters of a telephone campaign, claiming to be made by the Government and offering to assume responsibility for all the debts of qualifying individuals applying before 6 April, are derived from HM Treasury; if so, how much is available; on what terms; and for how long. [HL2839]
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To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the terms under which, in a telephone campaign claiming to be made by them, qualifying individuals applying before 6 April are offered to be relieved of all of their personal debt. [HL2840]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): There is no government telephone campaign offering to assume responsibility for all debts of qualifying individuals. Any government scheme would not involve cold calling consumers, nor would it encourage consumers to seek to evade their debts.
The Government are aware that there have been some instances of misleading and unlawful cold calling practices. In some cases, consumers have been misled into believing that they were one of the "few chosen individuals" contacted as part of a government scheme to help wipe out consumer debt. The Office of Fair Trading last year ordered six debt management businesses and four cold calling companies to stop using unsolicited and misleading calls to advertise their services. Follow-up formal enforcement action has been taken against some of those companies.
Energy: Light Bulbs
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to monitor the number of eco-friendly light bulbs that fail after less than four years. [HL2914]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): Through Commission Regulation (244/2009/EC), requirements are set on lumen maintenance and survival factors for non-directional household lamps placed on the European market, as well as energy efficiency requirements.
The National Measurement Office has the enforcement responsibility for this regulation and will be carrying out a programme of product testing. The tests will be targeted on products that are known to have a higher risk of non-compliance.
Estate Agents: Regulation
Question
Asked by Baroness Harris of Richmond
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Norwood Green on 16 March (WA 158), what response they made to the report of January 2009 by Professor Colin Jones Government Review of Regulation and Redress in the UK Housing Market, prepared for the then Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which recommended the regulation of estate agents. [HL3013]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): The Government welcomed Professor Jones' report. It is an important contribution to the ongoing debate about improving service standards among property professionals, for the benefit of consumers.
EU: Internal Market Scoreboard
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operation of the European Union internal market in the light of the Internal Market Scoreboard published in March; and what their priorities are for further developing the internal market. [HL3080]
The Minister for Trade and Investment (Lord Davies of Abersoch): The March scoreboard demonstrates that the record of member states in transposing EU legislation correctly and on time continues to improve. However, further improvement is still needed, not only on the measures contained in the scoreboard but also in the way in which legislation is implemented in practice, to make sure the anticipated benefits are really delivered to businesses and citizens.
The Government's EU Compact for Jobs and Growth, published in October 2009, identifies a number of priorities for further development of the single market including: a focus on barriers in high growth sectors such as services, the digital economy and low-carbon technologies, as well as barriers preventing cross-border trade by small and medium enterprises; further steps to reduce the burden of EU legislation on businesses; improved co-operation between national enforcement authorities; more accessible problem-solving mechanisms; and measures to facilitate the free movement of workers.
European Court of Human Rights
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have given to the European Court of Human Rights' invitation to submit written observations on the admissibility and merits of Application No 31965/07 Hardy & Maile v the United Kingdom for which a response was initially required by 17 February, subsequently extended by the court to 5 March at the request of Her Majesty's Government. [HL2910]
Lord Brett: The Government have submitted written observations as requested by the European Court of Human Rights, setting out the Government's position that this application is inadmissible for non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, alternatively that there is no violation of the convention.
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Global Fund
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of their contribution to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and what steps they are taking to ensure the Fund receives adequate future funding during this year's replenishment process. [HL2937]
Lord Brett: In its recent annual report on innovation and impact, the Global Fund Secretariat estimates that fund-supported programmes have saved 4.9 million lives; provided 2.5 million people with antiretroviral treatments for AIDS; provided 6 million people with TB treatments; and distributed 104 million insecticide-treated bed nets. However, the UK Government acknowledge that the fund can and should do more to streamline its operations; work better with partner country systems and other donors; deliver better value for money; and improve its communications.
The UK made a long-term pledge at the Global Fund's 2007 replenishment of £1 billion from 2008 to 2015. The UK will continue to encourage others to honour their pledges and new donors to step up to the table, as well as support new efforts on innovative financing for health systems.
Government Departments: Websites
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the "fact files" page of the website of the government office for the North East to carry data on unemployment in the north east region after August 2009. [HL2666]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): Government offices ceased to publish the fact files for all the government office regions from 3 March 2010 as an efficiency measure as it duplicated information that was already available from other sources. Information, such as data on unemployment, can be obtained directly from the Office for National Statistics website.
Haiti: Law and Administration
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what part they are playing in establishing open, accountable and effective Government in Haiti. [HL2953]
Lord Brett: The UK has contributed a community engagement expert to the team which has now produced a post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA). The PDNA
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The UK believes that follow up to the PDNA is best supported by multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, European Commission and Inter-American Development Bank. The UK's share of the reconstruction funding already announced by these organisations amounts to around $50 million. The UK will use its position as major stakeholder in the multilateral bodies to ensure the priorities and principles they set for their allocations in Haiti address the most pressing needs-informed by the recommendations of the PDNA and the Government of Haiti's strategy for reconstruction and development.
In addition, in 2008-09 the UK contributed US$42 million to the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) through our assessed contributions to UN Peacekeeping. The UK, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, also politically supports MINUSTAH through the Security Council mandate process. MINUSTAH has played a critical role in providing support to the Haitian Government for a number of years, including for free and fair elections such as the presidential elections in 2006. It will continue to do so for the next presidential elections, which we hope will take place as soon as conditions allow, and at the latest before the end of the current president's mandate.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution they are making towards developing the rule of law and the administration of justice in Haiti. [HL2954]
Lord Brett: In 2008-09, the UK contributed US$42 million to the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) through our assessed contributions to UN peacekeeping. The UK, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, politically supports MINUSTAH through the Security Council mandate process. MINUSTAH plays a critical role within Haiti in training and supporting the Haitian National Police, providing the skills required to effectively and fairly maintain law and order within the country.
Following the earthquake of 12 January, the UK contributed a community engagement expert to an international team which has now produced a post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA). The PDNA identifies important recommendations to develop the rule of law and the administration of justice in Haiti, including: to restore and enhance the operational capacities of actors in the justice and public safety system; and to modernise the justice and public safety system and expand services at the territorial level.
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The UK believes that follow-up to the PDNA is best supported by multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, European Commission and Inter-American Development Bank. The UK's share of the reconstruction funding already announced by these organisations amounts to around $50 million. The UK will use our position as a major shareholder in the multilateral bodies to ensure the priorities and principles the institutions set for their allocations in Haiti address the most pressing needs-informed by the recommendations of the PDNA and the Government of Haiti's strategy for reconstruction and development.
Additionally, experts from the UK Government's Stabilisation Unit are advising the Haitian Ministry of Justice on a programme of prison rebuilding. This is part of an international donor effort to rebuild and improve the prison sector in Haiti. Improving prison conditions had also been a priority before the earthquake. The work is now continuing, and the team are also providing advice to the Haitian Ministry of Justice on introducing international standards on prison management, as well as better security management and contingency planning.
Homelessness
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty's Government in what circumstances the Crown Prosecution Service would prosecute a young person begging. [HL2969]
The Attorney-General (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would prosecute a youth for begging only if there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and if a prosecution was in the public interest.
The public interest would not usually require a prosecution if the youth admitted the offence and had not previously been convicted of an offence or received a warning from the police. In these circumstances, the police would usually issue a reprimand or warning for the offence.
Youths are usually only referred to the CPS for prosecution if the youth denies the offence or if the youth has already received a final warning or has been convicted of an offence. The CPS will consider each case on its merits and would take into account the interests of the youth and factors such as the reasons for begging, the prevalence of the offence in the area, whether the begging was aggressive and whether members of the public had complained.
House of Lords: Sittings
Questions
Asked by Lord Campbell-Savours
To ask the Chairman of Committees what assessment has been made of the additional costs to Parliamentary works projects arising out of any sittings of the House of Lords in September 2010. [HL2800]
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The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): It is estimated that a September sitting would, in total, add approximately £1.3 million to the cost of shared and Lords-only major works projects taking place over the summer, largely because of the need to accelerate or delay them. This does not include Commons-only projects.
Asked by Lord Campbell-Savours
To ask the Chairman of Committees what consultation has been undertaken with contractors regarding any disruption arising from or delays to Parliamentary works projects as a result of any sittings of the House of Lords in August or September 2010. [HL2802]
The Chairman of Committees: Discussions on this matter have been held with the contractor currently undertaking the cast iron roofs project. Contractors have not yet been appointed to the other major projects likely to be affected by an August or September sitting (the mechanical and electrical project and the fire safety works) but the tender documents will reflect these considerations.
Income
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the average weekly incomes in each region and country in the United Kingdom in (a) 1997, (b) 2006, and (c) 2009. [HL2750]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): Specific information regarding household income for the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2007-08.
The information where available is presented in the table.
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