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10 Dec 2009 : Column WA143
Written Answers
Thursday 10 December 2009
Armed Forces: Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the role and establishment of (a) the FV430, and (b) the Bulldog, range of armoured vehicles in the British Army. [HL355]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the combat effectiveness of a British armoured or mechanised brigade if it had no FV430 or Bulldog range of armoured vehicles. [HL356]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The role of the FV430/Bulldog is to provide protected transport for up to 10 soldiers, with weapons and equipment in battlefield conditions. Vehicles have also been adapted to provide engineer support, communications, recovery and repair and ambulances. The FV430 is being phased out to meet automotive legislation and a proportion of the fleet is being converted into Bulldog. The intention is to convert 900 FV430 into Bulldog. To date we have completed 744 conversions.
Bulldog is an important part of the vehicle inventory. Without it all Mechanised Brigades would be ineffective, and all Armoured Brigades would be without combat support.
Bulldog is not currently deployed in Afghanistan, but it performed well in Iraq. Land operations in Afghanistan mainly require light role forces, hence the temporary re-roling of four infantry battalions from the mechanised and armoured roles. Bulldog's utility on operations is continually considered but it is currently not the best solution for the specific protection and mobility requirements of operations in Afghanistan.
Carers
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the report by Oxfam entitled Who Cares? about protecting United Kingdom care workers from exploitation; and whether they will extend the responsibilities of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to cover the care sector. [HL541]
Baroness Thornton: Workers in the care sector, as elsewhere, benefit from a legal framework of minimum workplace protections including the right to the national minimum wage, the right not to have to work more than an average of 48 hours each week, and health and safety safeguards. Employment agencies also have to comply with employment agency regulations, which
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Last year, the Government launched a £6 million, three-year information campaign to make sure that vulnerable workers are aware of their rights and of how to report abuses. As part of this work, BIS recently launched the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368. It combines the functions of five previous helplines, making it easier for vulnerable workers to report bad treatment at work, and for government to respond. Where there is evidence of care workers suffering abuse, it should be reported to the new helpline.
The Government have no current plans to extend the responsibilities of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
Children, Schools and Families Bill
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the impact assessment for the Children, Schools and Families Bill does not include a disability impact assessment or a race impact assessment. [HL411]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): As is standard practice, race and disability are covered as part of the equalities impact assessment for the Bill. It is published on the DCSF website at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ childrenschoolsandfamiliesbill.
Climate Change: Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the acidification of waters around the United Kingdom coastline on maritime carbon dioxide emissions. [HL493]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): We share the growing concern over ocean acidification, caused by the ocean's uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by human activities, and the vulnerability of marine ecosystems to these changes. Ocean acidification provides yet further impetus to the case for urgent action on tackling and adapting to climate change because of the rapid rate of change already being measured. These issues are key to the delivery of a broad range of Defra's
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The wider impacts of ocean acidification are not well understood at present. The recently announced UK Ocean Acidification Programme where Defra has joined together with the Natural Environment Research Council and the Department of Energy and Climate Change aims to drive forward this area of research. This £12 million, five year research programme will address the policy and societal need for a greater understanding of the implications of ocean acidification and its risks to marine biogeochemistry and biodiversity and impact on the whole earth system. Ocean acidification is also an issue highlighted in the latest Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) report launched last April (see www.mccip.org.uk/elr/default.htm).
Climate Change: Sea Temperatures
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what increases in sea surface temperatures they anticipate in (a) 2015-20, and (b) 2020-25. [HL496]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Climate model predictions made by the Met Office Hadley Centre suggest that, relative to the 1971-2000 average and based on 5-95 per cent confidence intervals, global mean sea surface temperatures will be between 0.36 and 0.53°C warmer in 2015-20 and between 0.48 and 0.64°C warmer in 2020-25.
Coastal Erosion
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the recent public consultation on coastal protection schemes will be extended to cover all localities where the public has made suggestions. [HL497]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): High-level strategies for managing coastal flood and erosion risk are set out in shoreline management plans (SMPs), with detailed consideration of different options for managing the coast provided in coastal strategies.
A rolling review of SMPs covering the whole of England and Wales is currently underway. Local authorities and the Environment Agency are reviewing each of the 22 SMPs and a significant part of this process is a three-month public consultation.
Coastal strategies are the next stage and look at shorter sections of coast in more detail than the SMPs. The strategies consider different options for managing the coast and are subject to significant public consultation. This provides the public with the opportunity to make suggestions and discuss the issues and proposals in more detail.
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Counterterrorism
Question
Asked by Baroness Neville-Jones
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the implications on spending on counter-terrorism of the reduction of the national terrorism threat level on 20 July. [HL539]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The change in the threat level to substantial, meaning an attack is a strong possibility, does not mean the overall threat has gone away-there remains a real and serious threat against the United Kingdom and we would ask that the public remain vigilant. Substantial continues to indicate a high level of threat and that an attack might well occur without further warning.
The decision to change the threat level is taken by JTAC independently of Ministers and is based on the very latest intelligence, considering factors such as current capability, intent and timescale.
As substantial continues to represent a high level of threat there have been no significant change to policing arrangements, and security procedures at airports and other public places remain in place.
The threat level is kept under constant review and can change-up or down-at any time in the future. Short-term changes in the threat level are therefore not a sound basis for making long-term strategic decisions about resourcing.
Digital Economy
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have sought the advice of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the adviser to the Minister for the Cabinet Office on public information delivery, on clauses 4 to 20 of the Digital Economy Bill and on any impact on access to the internet; and, if so, what was his advice. [HL441]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): While we are always interested in the views of acknowledged experts, we have not directly sought the advice of Sir Tim Berners-Lee in relation to Clauses 4 to 20 of the Digital Economy Bill. The policies that these clauses implement were proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper, published in June of this year.
We have consulted fully in relation to online copyright infringement, most recently in June 2009 with an additional government statement on 25 August. We received over 200 responses by the time the consultation closed on 29 September, many of them from individual experts, and all of which we have taken into account.
In relation to internet domain names, the Bill takes reserve powers where there is a failure which is likely adversely to affect the reputation or availability of
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Sir Tim Berners-Lee is advising the Government on the Making Public Data Public project.
Education: Home Schooling
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any campaign to harass Graham Badman or other officials or ministers associated with his Review of Elective Home Education in England. [HL431]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The department has drawn the Information Commissioner's attention to an apparent campaign to vilify and harass Mr Graham Badman and others. It released a letter sent by the department to the Information Commissioner explaining the nature of the campaign in response to an FOI request. This is available on the department's freedom of information disclosure log at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/foischeme/subPage.cfm?action=disclosures.display&;i_subcategorvyID =31&i_collectionID=345. The department recently reviewed the position and noted that the apparent campaign is continuing and that the scope has been extended to cover both Ministers and officials in both DCSF and local authorities. It will review the position again in the new year.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, under the Children, Schools and Families Bill, a local authority will have the right to refuse permission to home educate if a parent refuses to allow the local authority unaccompanied access to his or her child. [HL432]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The Children, Schools and Families Bill will give local authorities the power to make arrangements for monitoring the education being provided to home educated children in their area. These arrangements can only include seeing the child unaccompanied if the parents and child agree.
The Bill also sets out the circumstances in which a local authority can remove a child from the register and so, in effect, prevent them from being home educated. One of the circumstances is where parents refuse to co-operate with the arrangements made by the LA. LAs may be able to satisfy themselves that a child's education is adequate without seeing the child alone, but in some cases an interview with the child may be needed.
The Bill provides for regulations to make provision for the steps to be taken by an authority when they are considering removing a child from the register and about the matters that are or are not to be taken into account when making that decision. One of the purposes of these regulations will be to set out to local authorities how they can be satisfied that a child is receiving a suitable education, which may be achieved in many
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To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the responses by Birmingham City Council to the questionnaires sent out by the Badman Review of Elective Home Education in England. [HL433]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The detailed evidence collected from Birmingham City Council will not be made available in the Library of the House as responses by local authorities contain information which might lead to individual children being identified if the data released were combined with other data that are publicly available, or which could be obtained by other means, including Freedom of Information Act requests. We are also concerned that release of the questionnaire could make local authorities reluctant to co-operate with departmental surveys in the future. In the context of the review of elective home education the department takes the view that release of such information could lead to harassment and vilification of individuals in the authority who were known to, or suspected to, have contributed to completion of the questionnaire.
Education: Post-16 Funding
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government with reference to press notice 2009/0230 issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families on 30 November, whether they expect local authorities to ensure sixth form colleges can access Building Schools for the Future funding. [HL463]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2009 (Official Report, col. 1403W), I restate that we have made our intention clear to bring sixth-form colleges within the scope of the Building Schools for the Future programme. That remains our position. We will make the details clear as soon as we are able.
My officials are working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Partnerships for Schools to establish the arrangements, which we will consult upon with local authorities, through the LGA, in due course. They will be up and running to be used for any new expenditure from April 2011. The only projects that the LSC is currently approving are those which colleges fund themselves.
To ask Her Majesty's Government which (a) schools, and (b) colleges, received funding from the 16-19 capital fund in each of the past four years for which figures are available; and what funding will be available from this source in (1) 2010-11, and (2) 2011-12. [HL465]
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Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Details of which schools and colleges received capital funding are an operational matter and, as such, details are held by the Learning and Skills Council. I have passed the Question to the chief executive and asked that he write to the noble Baroness and place a copy of his reply in the Library of the House.
DCSF and LSC are currently reviewing the precise level of current and possible commitments against the budget for 2010-11. To ensure affordability within the current spending review any projects that can be funded must be able to complete by 31 March 2011. Funding for 2011-12 will be subject to the next spending review.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes have been made in the past three years to the guidance provided to local authorities when considering whether to approve an application from a school to establish a sixth form; and whether the guidance covers whether such approval should be predicated on the availability of capital funding for such a sixth form. [HL466]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The department's Expanding a Maintained Mainstream School by Enlargement or Adding a Sixth Form guidance is available from the department's school organisation website, and this also lists a history of changes to the guidance. While most changes have been minor and technical, we have made two significant and relevant changes. First, we have extended the period in which suitable schools may rely on the presumption to add a sixth form from one to two years; and, secondly, while reaffirming the right of high performing secondary schools to add post-16 provision, stressing the need for them to consider wider provision in their area and to collaborate with other 16-19 partners in drawing up plans.
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