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- 10. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The Households Below Average Income series and the Family Resources Survey is available in the Library.
- 11. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.
- 12. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey year averages are given for regional statistics as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility.
- 13. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
- 14. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equivalisation factors.
- 15. Median incomes have been provided rather than mean incomes because the income distribution is skewed with some outliers with high incomes.
- 17. Figures have been presented on a Before Housing Cost and an After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Costs, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are.
- 18. ".." indicates figures are not available. Figures are only available for the Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards.
Iran
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are making representations to the Government of Iran about the arrests of the Rev Wilson Issavi, Mr Hamid Shafiee and his wife Reyhaneh Aghajary and their conditions in custody. [HL2851]
Lord Brett: We are aware of these arrests and remain concerned at the treatment of religious minorities in Iran. We have raised our concerns over the human rights situation in Iran, including the treatment of religious minorities, with the Iranian authorities both bilaterally and via the EU. My honourable friend the
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Israel and East Jerusalem: Property
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the government of Israel requesting that all property claims in Israel and east Jerusalem be treated on a basis of equality, in particular those dating from 1948; and whether they will raise the matter in the European Union in the context of the human rights clause of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement. [HL2817]
Lord Brett: The UK does not recognise the illegal Israeli annexation of east Jerusalem. We have consistently raised concerns about actions taken directly by the Israeli Government or by private organisations with the support of the Israeli legal system (such as the absentee property law and the enforcement of pre-1948 property claims by Jewish litigants to Palestinian land where no such parallel right exists for Palestinian litigants) that have the effect of altering the demographic balance of Jerusalem. This includes the building of settlements on occupied land, the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes and the demolition of Palestinian housing.
Justice: Arrest Warrants
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government which United Kingdom citizens have been extradited under the European arrest warrant; for which alleged crimes; to which European countries; and how long they have spent in custody awaiting trial. [HL2940]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Serious Organised Crime Agency and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (for Scotland) are the designated authorities in the UK responsible for processing European arrest warrants (EAWs). It is not possible from current systems to break down the number of EAWs received by the UK into nationality, alleged offence type and requesting EU member state. To do so would require a manual examination of all files and incur disproportionate cost. Once a person has been extradited from the UK to another jurisdiction, the designated authorities' involvement in the EAW process ceases.
How long a person is held on remand awaiting trial, whether in custody or on bail, is governed by the law of the requesting state and this can vary from country to country. Internationally accepted standards usually allow for a two-year period of detention before trial, depending on the circumstances of the case. While the UK is unable to interfere in the legal processes of another country, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, if appropriate, will consider making inquiries with
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Local Authorities: Fixed Penalty Notices
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers local authorities have been given since May 2005 which increase their ability to levy fixed penalty notices. [HL2662]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The Government do not hold a central register of the fixed penalty notices introduced by their various departments. They are responsible for legislative proposals affecting local government in those policy areas for which they have responsibility.
Since May 2005, my department has provided local authorities with powers to issue fixed penalty notices in the following areas: breach of duties in relation to the provision of home information packs under Part 5 of the Housing Act 2004; and breach of duty in relation to energy performance certificates, display energy certificates or air conditioning inspections or reports under Regulations 40 and 43 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
Northern Ireland Office: Opinion Polls
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Northern Ireland Office has approved suppliers for conducting opinion polls; if so, who are the approved suppliers; how they were chosen; by whom; and when. [HL2829]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 22 March 2010 (Official Report, col. WA249).
Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, in deciding not to prosecute two students accused of being involved in the attack on a south Belfast church where Romanians were sheltering, took account of the social status of their parents. [HL2927]
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland reconsidered its decision not to prosecute Nigel Brown and
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To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland has prosecuted for murder in each of the past five years; how many prosecutions have resulted in an acquittal; and how many have resulted in a conviction. [HL2929]
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service is advertising for temporary prosecuting staff; and whether they propose to increase the number of permanent prosecuting staff. [HL2930]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: These are operational matters for the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions. I have asked him to reply directly to the noble Lord and will arrange for copies of the letters to be placed in the Library of the House.
Passports
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many forged or stolen United Kingdom passports have been detected at the United Kingdom border in each of the last 12 months. [HL2958]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The following table details the detections of forged and stolen United Kingdom passports at UK Border Force offices for each month in 2009, the most recent period for which figures are available.
| Forgeries | Lost/Stolen | |
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