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16 Dec 2010 : Column WA205
Written Answers
Thursday 16 December 2010
Airports: Security
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security risk associated with the timetable for full implementation of embarkation controls at United Kingdom ports.[HL4831]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): Targeted embarkation checks are currently carried out on an intelligence-led basis. The UK Border Agency, however, retains capability to introduce full embarkation controls at short notice in case of an urgent operational need at most ports, including in response to specific security alerts at the request of the police or other agencies.
Our programme for government sets out our support for e-Borders and our intention to re-introduce exit checks and we are committed to do this by 2015.
We are currently exploring options about how future exit checks may operate and how the e-Borders system, a key element of our overarching border security strategy, can support this.
e-Borders enables us to target the most harmful individuals and supports our ability to undertake effective exit checks as passengers leave the UK. The system is already screening electronically over 55 per cent of passenger movements into and out of the UK and we are committed to enhancing its capabilities to ensure we can progress this project in a timely and cost-effective way.
Apprenticeships
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are currently engaged in apprenticeships in the United Kingdom.[HL5151]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): There were 273,900 apprenticeship programme starts in England in 2009-10, based on information for the year to date. Apprenticeships are a devolved matter therefore only figures for England are available.
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts in England is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 16 November 2010-www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/ statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current.
16 Dec 2010 : Column WA206
Armed Forces: Reserve Forces
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the terms of reference of the review of the reserve forces.[HL5048]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): A copy of the terms of reference for the Futures Reserves 2020 study, which is being led by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and the honourable Member for Canterbury (Julian Brazier), has been placed in the Library of the House.
Armed Forces: Retired Officers
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 1 December (WA 449-50), how many of the 128 regimental secretaries are retired military officers; how many are retired or serving civil servants from the Ministry of Defence; and whether civil servants and retired military officers have an equal opportunity of appointment to those posts.[HL4878]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): As military support function posts in the Civil Service, all those in regimental secretary posts are civil servants.
Data held centrally on post holders are not comprehensive, but of the 117 current post holders for which data are centrally available 110 are retired military officers, three are retired other ranks, and four are civil servants who have not served in the Armed Forces.
All applications for regimental secretary posts are subject to fair and open competition within the Civil Service. Civil servants who are also retired officers have the same opportunity of appointment to these posts as civil servants who are not retired military officers. The need for in-depth military experience means that these posts tend to be filled by retired military personnel.
Asylum Seekers: Sexual Orientation
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum claims based on sexual orientation have been made by (a) men, and (b) women, in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years; and what steps they are taking to improve the accuracy of UK Border Agency operational guidance notes and country of origin information with regard to the persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.[HL4993]
16 Dec 2010 : Column WA207
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The figures requested cannot be provided as the basis of asylum claims is not recorded on the UK Border Agency's case information database (CID).
UK Border Agency's Country of Origin Information (COI) Service has developed internal guidance on research and coverage of LGBT persons. External stakeholders, including the UNHCR, Stonewall and the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG), were invited to comment on the guidance. The COI Service has also met Stonewall and the UKLGIG to discuss how it could improve its coverage on LGBT persons, including how to identify additional sources and increased sharing of information. Additionally, the COI Service's products are regularly reviewed by the independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency, including the assessment of information on LGBT persons.
Buses: Concessionary Fares
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the English concessionary travel scheme guidance issued to local authorities will ensure that operators are properly reimbursed for concessionary travel journeys where operators have successfully increased the number of all types of passenger on their local bus services.[HL5095]
Earl Attlee: Travel concession authorities have a statutory objective to reimburse bus operators so they are left no better or worse off as a result of carrying concessionary passengers. Under the concessionary travel reimbursement guidance, bus operators are reimbursed for all journeys made by concessionary pass-holders on their local bus services. In particular operators who have successfully increased the number of concessionary passengers on their services will receive more reimbursement revenue. Where the number of journeys made by non-concessionary passengers has increased, operators will receive more commercial revenue.
Cabinet Office: Manual
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the production of a Cabinet manual, they will consider the arguments for a written constitution for the United Kingdom.[HL5193]
Baroness Rawlings: The Government have no current plans to bring forward proposals for the adoption of a codified constitution for the United Kingdom. The Cabinet manual is not the first step towards a codified constitution: rather, it is an overview of the rules and conventions that relate to the work of Ministers and the role of the Cabinet.
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Caste Discrimination
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the report from the National Institute for Economic and Social Research on caste discrimination in Britain, in order to allow stakeholders adequate time to study the report and formulate their advice to the Government before Ministers announce their own conclusions.[HL4672]
Baroness Verma: The Government have today published the National Institute for Economic and Social Research report on caste prejudice and discrimination in Great Britain.
The Government are considering the report carefully and will announce its conclusions in due course.
Climate Change
Question
Asked by Lord Stevens of Ludgate
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the carbon footprint created by the travel of United Kingdom delegates to the climate change conference in Cancún.[HL5084]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The carbon footprint created by the travel of United Kingdom delegates to the climate change conference in Cancun has been kept to a minimum through limiting the number of delegates who attended. All emissions resulting from their flights will be offset by the relevant government department using the government carbon-offsetting facility.
Diplomatic Missions: State Recognition
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 23 November (WA 296), which of the criteria listed for recognition of a state are met by the Vatican City.[HL4856]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We have recognised the Vatican City State as a state as it meets all the normal criteria for recognition as a state as set out in the Written Answer by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Sainsbury, Official Report of 16 November 1989, col. 494.
16 Dec 2010 : Column WA209
Disabled People: Work Capability Assessments
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what legislative requirements are needed to implement the recommendations of the Harrington review, broken down by recommendation.[HL5039]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): We are fully committed to implementing the recommendations of the Harrington review, so that we can make the system fairer and more effective. The recommendations made within the review relate to procedural rather than legislative changes to the work capability assessment, so current implementation proposals do not include the requirement of additional legislation.
However, the proposed programme of work that Professor Harrington is taking forward as part of the second independent review includes the following recommendations:
Mind, Mencap and the National Autistic Society to provide recommendations on refining the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors. The review looks forward to receiving these recommendations in late November and will make any recommendations it sees fit to Ministers; andexamine the descriptors, in particular how they account for other fluctuating conditions and, possibly, generalised pain and provide any recommendations necessary.As a result of this work, there may be a requirement to revise the existing work capability assessment descriptors. Should this be the case, secondary legislation would be required to achieve this.
Drugs
Question
Asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
To ask Her Majesty's Government why publication of Sir David Omand's review of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has been delayed.[HL4995]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The Home Office, in line with Cabinet Office guidelines, is committed to reviewing its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). The review of the two statutory advisory NDPBs, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and the Animal Procedures Committee (APC), commenced simultaneously in autumn 2009.
Following the dismissal of the ACMD's chairman and the subsequent resignations in 2009, the work on the APC was prioritised and the ACMD review was suspended whilst the new interim chairman was appointed. This also allowed the new interim chairman time to establish new working practices and the membership of the council's working groups. After the publication of the review of the APC, work on the ACMD review recommenced. It will be completed in early 2011.
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Embryology
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Young of Norwood Green on 7 April 2010 (WA 433-34), what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of ongoing advances with induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells compared with attempts to acquire human embryonic stem cells by cloning; what is the correlation between the number of research publications describing the use of human stem cells derived by either direct reprogramming or nuclear transfer and the total funds to date provided by the Medical Research Council for each of these two approaches; and which non-reproductive applications would benefit from nuclear transfer that could not be addressed by the use of iPS cells.[HL4966]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it maintains a Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee, which regularly reviews research regarding the creation of human embryonic stem cells or embryonic-like stem cells, including induced pluripotent stem cells. The most recent meeting at which the committee considered this issue took place on 9 September 2010. The minutes of this meeting are available on the authority's website.
The Government do not routinely collate or analyse information on the total number of research publications worldwide on approaches used in stem cell research, including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) or embryo-derived stem cells. However, details of current published medical research are available on UK PubMed Central and on the US website PubMed Central.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research. The MRC supports research into all approaches to harness the potential of stem cells to treat human disease. While the MRC has not yet awarded any proposals to pursue the induced pluripotent stem cell approach to treat human disease, three projects that directly related to efforts to reprogramme differentiated adult stem cells have been supported. The total value of these awards is £4.2 million. The MRC has supported one project relating to human somatic cell nuclear transfer, and the value of this award was £500,000.
It is not evident at present which area of stem cell research may deliver the most effective treatments for particular conditions and more research is needed on all types of stem cells to determine which routes should be pursued in the development of cell-based therapies.
In June 2010 the MRC and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine held a workshop to examine human somatic cell nuclear transfer and its role in stem cell research. Participants, who included preeminent
16 Dec 2010 : Column WA211
Energy: Wind Farms
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the maximum electricity demand met (in megawatts) in November; and what proportion of that was met from onshore wind farms.[HL5100]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The maximum electricity demand met in Great Britain in November 2010 was 57,171 megawatts, on 29 November 2010, between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Using half-hourly generation data provided by National Grid covering wind power that is operationally metered (around half of UK onshore wind capacity and around a third of offshore wind), operationally metered wind contributed 0.8 per cent of total peak demand during this time. It is not possible to split this between on and offshore wind.
Data from DECC providing a more complete coverage of wind farms is available on a two to three-month lagged basis. Peak demand data are also from National Grid, using the initial demand outturn measure.
EU: Tobacco
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the European Union makes grants to tobacco farmers or cigarette companies in any member state.[HL4979]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Agreement was reached on the reform of the common agricultural policy's tobacco regime at the Council of Ministers in April 2004. The reforms introduced decoupling into the tobacco sector, which means that the direct link between production and support is now broken. The last direct subsidies for the production of tobacco were paid in 2009.
Finance: Company Directors
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many directors of (a) banks, and (b) other financial institutions, were disqualified from being a company director in (1) 2008, (2) 2009, and (c) 2010 to date.[HL5015]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): Information held by the Insolvency Service and Companies House on disqualifications is not broken down into trading activity. This information is therefore not available.
Food: Kosher and Halal Meat
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 30 November (WA 433-34) concerning kosher and halal slaughtered meat, whether, in their discussions with the food industry, they will raise the right of the majority of people to be informed about whether meat has been slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs.[HL5101]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 30 November (Official Report, col. WA433-34). I can again confirm that we believe people should know what they are buying in shops and when they are eating out and that this includes those who wish to know whether meat has been obtained from an animal slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs. Our discussions with the food industry have looked at the need to inform all consumers, regardless of whether they have a religious requirement for meat to be prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs or not.
Forestry Commission
Questions
Asked by Lord Clark of Windermere
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from banks concerning the sale or lease of Forestry Commission land since 5 May 2010.[HL5060]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): As per Cabinet Office guidance, any representations that a government department receives on issues not within its remit are transferred to the relevant department to deal with. Defra and the Forestry Commission have not received any approaches by banks concerning the sale or lease of Forestry Commission land.
Asked by Lord Clark of Windermere
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what occasions since 5 May Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministers have met (a) Forestry Commissioners, and (b) representatives of the Confederation of Forest Industries (UK) Ltd.[HL5061]
16 Dec 2010 : Column WA213
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The Minister of State for Forestry has had regular meetings with the chair of the Forestry Commissioners. He also receives regular briefings from Forestry Commission officials on forestry matters. The Secretary of State has met the chair and will meet again early in the new year.
The Minister of State regularly meets stakeholders who have an interest in forestry. The Minister of State has met the Confederation of Forestry Industries twice.
Higher Education: Funding
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider the proposed 80 per cent cuts in university teaching budgets.[HL5070]
Lord Henley: We have accepted the broad thrust of Lord Browne's proposals on higher education, including that the balance of public funds for teaching should be switched from direct grant to institutions to funding that follows the choices made by individual students. We do not intend to reconsider that policy. We do not expect the overall income of the sector to reduce and we expect improved teaching quality and better informed students to have a positive impact on the economy.
Higher Education: Overseas Students
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what education providers have had their licence to accept foreign students revoked since May; for what reasons; and whether they publish those names on the appropriate website to guide student applicants from abroad. [HL4649]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The UK Border Agency's Register of tier 4 sponsors currently contains 2,269 education providers that are licensed to bring overseas students to the UK. From May until 18 November 2010, 24 sponsors have had their licences revoked.
The UK Border Agency does not publicise the reasons or names of colleges that have had their licences revoked.
Once a college has had its licence suspended or revoked, its name is removed from the published register of licensed sponsors. Foreign students are advised to review the published register before applying for a course to study in the UK.
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 24 November (WA 362), what is the annual number of confirmation of acceptance of studies for non-European Union foreign students assigned to each
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Baroness Neville-Jones: It is not possible to provide information on the annual allocation of certificates of acceptance for studies (CaS) because there is no set allocation period. Allocation periods are specific to individual sponsors. Some sponsors may request an additional allocation of CaS in year, which will extend beyond the end date of the original allocation, and some sponsors may apply and join the register part way through a year.
Higher Education: Student Loans
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to charge market rates of interest on student loans.[HL5139]
Lord Henley: The Government have no plans to charge commercial or market rates of interest on existing or future income contingent repayment student loans.
As part of the recently announced reforms of higher education funding and student finance the Government intend, subject to parliamentary approval, to introduce a real rate of interest. This rate will vary according to earnings only; starting at RPI for borrowers who earn £21,000 or less per annum, the rate will increase gradually until a borrower's earnings reach £41,000 or more per annum, at which point a maximum interest rate of 3 per cent above RPI will be charged.
Higher Education: Tuition Fees
Questions
Asked by Lord Patel of Blackburn
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to end the difference between the levels of tuition fees paid by English students and those paid by Welsh, Scottish or European Union students.[HL4875]
Lord Henley: Responsibility for higher education, including financial support for students, is devolved. It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to decide how they wish to fund Welsh-domiciled students; and similarly for the Scottish Government and Scottish-domiciled students.
It is a long-standing principle of EU law that member states cannot discriminate on grounds of nationality against people from other member states in the conditions of access to vocational training, which includes higher education. The Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 provide that eligibility for home fee status, with the same tuition charges as UK nationals, for EC nationals and their family members is based on a combination of residency conditions and nationality. Where these are met,
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To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, under the proposed changes to university fees, students from European Union countries will be charged the same as those from the United Kingdom; whether any European Union rules require that students of different nationalities are charged identical fees; and how many European Union students from outside the United Kingdom have enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.[HL4902]
Lord Henley: It is a long-standing principle of EU law that member states cannot discriminate on grounds of nationality against people from other member states in the conditions of access to vocational training, which includes higher education. The Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 provide that eligibility for home fee status, with the same tuition charges as UK nationals, for EC nationals and their family members is based on a combination of residency conditions and nationality. Where these are met, EC nationals and their family members qualify for home fee status, and will therefore be treated the same for tuition as UK nationals who also satisfy the residency conditions.
The number of European Union students from outside the United Kingdom who have enrolled in universities in the United Kingdom in each of the past three years is set out below. Figures for the 2009-10 academic year will be available in January 2011.
| EU Domiciled Enrolments1 | |
| UK Higher Education Institutions | |
| Academic Years 2006-07 to 2008-09 | |
| Academic year | EU Domiciled Enrolments |
- Notes: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the rise in tuition fees on part-time students.[HL4923]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage young people from low-income families to enrol in part-time studies.[HL4924]
Lord Henley: The Government published an interim impact assessment of the reforms to higher education funding and student finance on 29 November 2010, which included some analysis of the potential impact
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The Government propose that, from 2012-13 onwards, new part-time students will be eligible for up-front loans for their tuition costs, as is already the case for full-time students.
Part-time students will be able to take out non-means tested loans for tuition costs if they are studying at a rate of at least one-quarter of the intensity of a full-time course. This is an extension on the original proposal-of one-third intensity-and will extend the availability of the loan to a greater number of students, and better reflect the way that many part-time courses are structured.
New part-time students will be able to defer repaying their loans until they are employed and earning at least £21,000 a year. We will also improve the advice and guidance available to young people so that they are aware of the support available.
Asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the Browne report recommendation that maximum tuition fees rise to £9,000, what assessments or impact studies they have conducted on the number of students likely to attend higher education institutions who come from lower-income households; and what assessment they have made of the financial impact on universities' teaching budgets and financial viability if the numbers of university students reduces by 10 per cent, 20 per cent or 25 per cent over the next four years.[HL4941]
Lord Henley: The independent review of higher education funding and student finance led by Lord Browne recommended that there should be no upper limit on the amount universities are able to charge their full-time undergraduates. The Government, however, believe that there should be a defined absolute maximum on the graduate contribution which universities can charge, and have therefore proposed a higher amount maximum of £9,000 in exceptional circumstances, with a basic amount maximum of £6,000 unless universities agree a specific access plan for their institution with the Office for Fair Access.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published on the 29 November 2010 an interim impact assessment on urgent reforms to higher education funding and student finance, available at http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/higher-education/docs/i/10-1309-interim-impact-assessment-he-funding-and-student-finance.pdf.
The assessment highlighted that a number of factors can influence participation and made reference to research carried out on the 2006-07 HE finance reforms, which found that while a £1,000 increase in fees could be expected to result in a 4.4 per cent decrease in participation, this would be offset by increases resulting from provision of loans and grants (3.2 per cent and 2.1 per cent increases). We expect the number of students to be broadly maintained at current levels.
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The assessment also indicated that the financial viability of HE institutions is affected by three major factors: individual institutions' ability to charge graduate contributions at different levels, the response from students to individual institutions, and the impact of broader funding changes. The Higher Education Funding Council for England will monitor the financial health and sustainability of institutions to protect the public investment in higher education, but higher education institutions are autonomous institutions and, if a university mismanages its affairs, we cannot offer a guarantee of protection.
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students would be eligible to receive the proposed one-year free tuition grant.[HL4949]
Lord Henley: The new £150 million National Scholarship Programme (NSP) is being introduced from autumn 2012 to help improve access to higher education and social mobility.
The details of the initiative have not yet been determined. We are not being prescriptive and want first to draw on the wealth of expertise from students and others with a proven track record in widening access. The NSP steering group has been invited to look at options and to come up with its own suggestions. The number of students who can benefit from the new programme will depend on the menu of options that are recommended by the steering group and the mix that institutions opt to deliver. We have suggested that an option of a first free year for disadvantaged students or a foundation year to attract young talented people into the professions could help to support 18,000 students. In addition, we will look to increase the leverage of government funding by getting matched contributions from universities.
House of Lords: Members
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportions of the persons on the new list of working peers announced recently have their main residences in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, each region of England, and elsewhere.[HL4957]
Baroness Rawlings: The Government do not collect information about the main residences of members of the House of Lords.
House of Lords: Working Practices
Question
To ask the Chairman of Committees whether he will consider organising a compulsory one-hour seminar to remind all members of the House of its working practices and customs.[HL5205]
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The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): There are no means by which Members can be compelled to attend a seminar. However, the Administration will repeat the series of briefing sessions for Members on working practices and customs, among other things, in the new year. All Members are encouraged to attend.
Housing Benefit
Question
Asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of working households in receipt of housing benefit who will no longer be eligible for assistance under the means test as a result of the decision to reduce local housing allowance to the 30th percentile.[HL4921]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The information is not available; however the number of households is expected to be small.
The average loss in benefit due to the local housing allowance changes due to be introduced in 2011 is £12 per week. In September 2010, our records show that out of 1,122,300 households in receipt of housing benefit assessed under the local housing arrangements, 10,570 households received a payment of £12 or less.
Immigration: Children in Detention
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government in which establishments children are detained for immigration and asylum purposes.[HL4846]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): One immigration removal centre in the UK will be used to accommodate families with children. Tinsley House accommodates family groups for approximately 24 hours.
The Government have committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes as part of its coalition agreement and as a first step we stopped their overnight detention at Dungavel House. Today, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the immediate closure of Yarl's Wood's family unit. I refer my noble Lord to the statement made earlier today on ending the detention of children for immigration purposes.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their review into alternatives to the detention of children for immigration purposes includes a deadline for comparisons of alternatives; and whether they will publish a description of the pilot schemes being conducted.[HL4951]
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Baroness Neville-Jones: I refer my noble Lord to the statement made earlier today on ending the detention of children for immigration purposes.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the government of Israel regarding the hunger strike in Ramleh Prison by Shaykh Jamal Abu-al-Hayja and Amid Ghulma.[HL5136]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK will continue to monitor the situation with regard to all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. We call on the Israeli Government to take immediate action to ensure that all cases are reviewed by a court in accordance with fair procedures, and that detainees' rights are upheld. All Palestinian prisoners should have access to a fair trial, and Israel should ensure that it acts always in accordance with international law. We shall continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities and issue statements when appropriate.
We also continue to call for the release of Gilad Shalit, detained by Hamas in Gaza for over four years now, without access to the Red Cross or his family.
Kosovo
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of exports to, and imports from, Kosovo in the most recent year for which figures are available; and by what percentage the total trade has increased since 2004.[HL5081]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): HM Revenue and Customs' overseas trade statistics (OTS) recorded UK exports of goods worth £4,568,000 to Kosovo and UK imports of goods from Kosovo worth £165,000 in 2009.
The OTS started treating Kosovo separately in July 2005. In 2006 the OTS data showed £1,743,000 of UK exports of goods to Kosovo and £36,000 of imports; the 2009 data therefore represent increases of 162 per cent and 352 per cent respectively since 2006.
Monetary Policy Committee
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Sassoon on 30 November (WA 437) to a question asking whether the Bank of England or HM Treasury monitors trends in public confidence in the ability of the Monetary Policy Committee to
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The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): As previously explained, the Bank of England assesses public expectations for the rate of inflation by monitoring independent surveys. The latest Bank assessments of a range of surveys including by YouGov and Citigroup can be found on page 37 of the November 2010 inflation report, which can be found at: Bank of England/Publications/MainPublications/InflationReport /Latest-November 2010. The Monetary Policy Committee's most recent assessment can be found on page 5 of the minutes of its meeting in November on the Bank of England website: Bank of England/Publications/Minutes/Monetary Policy Committee 2010.
HM Treasury publishes a monthly compilation of independent forecasts of inflation. The December edition of Forecasts for the UK Economy: a Comparison of Independent Forecasts can be found on the Treasury website: Forecasts_for_the_UK_economy-HM Treasury.
National Insurance
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 27 September (WA 546), how many of the 4,585,000 national insurance numbers registered to overseas nationals from 2002 to 2009 they estimate to have been issued to non-European Economic Area students; and whether they will commence maintaining statistics on the number of National Insurance numbers issued to self-employed overseas nationals.[HL5249]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The proportion of national insurance numbers registered to non-EEA students is not available. These data are not collected.
With regard to whether applicants are employed or self-employed, such information does form part of the national insurance number allocation decision-making process but is not held centrally on IT systems. There are currently no plans to do so as to implement this change on IT systems would be disproportionate to requirements.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether foreign students registering for national insurance purposes who are only permitted to work part-time have that marked on their national insurance papers; and how employers are made aware of such restrictions. [HL5252]
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Lord Freud: There is no reference to part time working restrictions made in the national insurance number notification that is issued to foreign students who qualify for a national insurance number.
Controls on the employment of migrant workers are set out in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Ensuring compliance with these controls is the responsibility of the UK Border Agency, which is committed to working with employers to help them to establish the right to work of individuals in the UK. Guidance for employers issued by the UK Border Agency sets out the steps employers should take to comply with the legislation.
These specify that employers should check, copy and retain documents that prove the right to work of persons subject to immigration control, including non-EEA students.
Office for Budget Responsibility
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers, special advisers or officials in HM Treasury were given an opportunity to comment upon and suggest amendments to drafts of the recent report by the Office for Budget Responsibility before the report was published .[HL4961]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) economic and fiscal outlook document published on 29 November is an OBR document and is the responsibility of the OBR. I have asked the OBR to reply.
Letter from Robert Chote, Chairman, Office for Budget Responsibility, to Lord Myners, dated 10 December 2010.
As chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility, I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers, special advisers or officials in HM Treasury were given an opportunity to comment upon and suggest amendments to drafts of the recent report by the Office for Budget Responsibility before the report was published. [HL4961]
As set out in the foreword to the economic and fiscal outlook, the Treasury received a draft of the final document on the Friday afternoon prior to publication, in line with pre-release access arrangements for data releases from the Office for National Statistics (in other words, 24 hours' pre-release access excluding non-working days). The OBR came under no pressure from Ministers, advisers or officials to change any of our conclusions.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Office for Budget Responsibility has its own freedom of information officer and procedures; and, if not, whether it makes use of the procedures and staff of HM Treasury.[HL4996]
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Lord Sassoon: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). I have asked the OBR to reply.
Letter from Robert Chote, Chairman, Office for Budget Responsibility, to Lord Myners, dated 10 December 2010
As chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Office for Budget Responsibility has its own Freedom of Information Officer and procedures; and, if not, whether it makes use of the procedures and staff of HM Treasury. [HL49961
As a public authority the OBR is subject to all of the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. Requests that are relevant to the OBR are processed and answered by OBR staff. This includes the consideration and interpretation of exemptions. As chairman, I will be responsible for the oversight of the process and will give final clearance for replies.
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Office for Budget Responsibility considers that the present economic cycle began; and when it expects it to end.[HL5104]
Lord Sassoon: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.
Letter from Robert Chote, Chairman, Office for Budget Responsibility, to Lord Higgins, dated 10 December 2010.
As chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Office for Budget Responsibility considers that the present economic cycle began; and when it expects it to end (HL5104).
Like the interim OBR, we have not estimated a historical series for the output gap, and therefore the cyclical position of the economy, prior to 2009. We have therefore not made an assessment of the start of the current economic cycle. However, we plan to return to this issue in future work, taking into consideration a variety of different approaches.
For our November forecast we judged that there was an output gap of around 3.25 per cent in the second quarter of 2010. Our forecast assumes that the output gap will narrow by approximately 0.7 percentage points a year from 2013-14, which would imply that it closes in 2016-17. This would be consistent with the current economic cycle ending in 2016-17.
Parliament Square
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 22 November (HL4033-5), by what authority the Metropolitan Police grants permission to individuals
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To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 22 November (HL4033-5), what organisations each of the six individuals who have been given permission by the Metropolitan Police to demonstrate on the pavements of Parliament Square represent; and whether the permission granted includes the right to erect tents on the pavements.[HL4424]
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 22 November (HL4033-5), how many applications the Metropolitan Police have had from individuals seeking permission to demonstrate on the pavements in Parliament Square; what are the criteria for granting such permission; and what are the conditions on which such permission is granted.[HL4425]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): Section 132(1) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 makes it an offence for anyone who organises a demonstration, or takes part in a demonstration or carries on a demonstration by himself, in the designated area around Parliament, to do so if when their demonstration starts, authorisation for it has not been given by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Under Section 134 the Commissioner must authorise any demonstration that is notified to him, although he can impose conditions where necessary. The designated area to which the provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act apply covers the whole of Parliament Square and an area up to 1 kilometre from Parliament Square.
The Home Office does not hold information about which organisations the six individuals represent nor details of their current authorisations or conditions. The Home Office does not hold information on the number of notifications of demonstrations to the Metropolitan Police.
Protests
Question
Asked by The Earl of Clancarty
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to confirm the right to protest in quasi-public spaces, such as privately owned town-centre shopping malls.[HL4323]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The Government are committed to restoring rights to non-violent protest. Those rights need to be balanced with the rights of wider communities to go about their lawful business.
The Government are keeping the legal framework that affects protest including protests in quasi-public space under review to ensure this balance is upheld.
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Rights of Way
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of whether the law governing bulls in fields containing a public right of way is generally observed by farmers and enforced by the police. [HL5036]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): No formal assessment has been carried out. However, the evidence we have does not show any significant increase in reported serious incidents in relation to bulls in fields with a public right of way.
Royal Mail: Adverse Weather
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance has been issued to Royal Mail staff by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or managerial staff advising them against delivering mail in rural areas during the current cold weather; and whether this guidance is in accordance with the universal service obligation.[HL5149]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The delivery of mail in adverse weather conditions is an operational matter for Royal Mail's senior management team. The Government do not play a role in such matters. It is the responsibility of the company, working in conjunction with the regulator, to ensure that any advice given is in accordance with its universal service obligations and the prevailing weather conditions. Royal Mail has recently announced that it has committed an additional £20 million to deal with severe weather.
I have however asked Moya Greene, the chief executive of Royal Mail, to respond directly to the noble Lord's Question and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Library of the House.
Schools: Special Educational Needs
Question
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children with special educational needs and learning difficulties are taught by teachers with all relevant qualifications.[HL4989]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Government want to continue to improve the quality of teachers and teaching, and to raise the status of the teaching profession.
We are supporting teacher training institutions to develop the skills and knowledge of those entering the profession with regard to special educational needs and disabilities through a special educational needs component within initial teacher training (ITT).
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This will enable teachers new to the profession to adapt their approach to teach pupils with particular special needs and disabilities, making effective personalised provision for these pupils. Teachers need to have qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in mainstream schools.
The Government are also supporting specialist qualifications in dyslexia and sensory impairment and for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs). This training is designed to prepare SENCOs for a strategic role supporting the development of teaching expertise, in these areas, of all teachers within their school.
We are reviewing existing policies and programmes to make sure that they support the commitment to special educational needs set out in the schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching.
South America: Produce
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Union's negotiations with the Mercosur countries; and what steps they are taking to ensure that produce imported from South America is of adequate quality.[HL5103]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The UK strongly supports the negotiations of an ambitious free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and Mercosur. All FTAs incorporate produce quality standards that the parties to the agreement need to implement. The UK can also raise any issues it has with quality standards at the Council Working Group on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS).
St Andrews Agreement
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the St Andrews agreement included an agreement to build a motorway from the border to Londonderry. [HL5233]
Lord Shutt of Greetland: The St Andrews agreement did not include an agreement about building such a motorway.
Taxation: Code of Practice
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how HM Treasury will monitor compliance with the United Kingdom code of practice on taxation; and who will certify compliance on behalf of the banks. [HL4999]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will monitor compliance with the code of practice on taxation for banks.
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HMRC's strategy is to invest in a resource-intensive relationship with large business customers, including banks, and has appointed customer relationship managers. HMRC will use this relationship to monitor the effectiveness of the code. The code does not provide for certification
Transport: Appraisals
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many transport appraisals have been completed in the past 12 months using the new approach to appraisal (NATA); how many of those have been approved and how many unapproved; and what was the cost of each appraisal.[HL5092]
Earl Attlee: Appraisal is a continuous process, with NATA assessments being completed for each stage of the approvals process. Sixty proposals have been given some form of approval in the past 12 months, either as commitments to funding or to continue through the approvals process.
As part of the appraisal process, scheme promoters develop an early view of the value for money of each scheme. Those of poor value for money tend not to be put forward for approval and can often be suspended by the promoter or descoped, for example to lower cost alternatives.
However, as a result of the spending review, seven Highways Agency road schemes have been cancelled, with four pending review. The spending review also selected a number of other local major scheme proposals that will be subject to further economic appraisal before they can proceed through the approval process.
The information requested on the cost of appraisal could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Transport: Traffic Enforcement
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 7 December (WA 50), whether local authority appointed wardens are able to enforce penalties for offences other than those relating to road traffic offences set out in Schedule 7 to the Traffic Management Act 2004 such as litter and dog fouling, and whether their duties extend to issues such as cycling in pedestrian areas.[HL5090]
Earl Attlee: I presume the noble Lord is referring to my Answer of 7 December (Official Report, cols. WA 44-45).
Authorised officers of a local authority are able to give fixed penalty notices for minor environmental offences, including those relating to litter and dog fouling. My previous answer related to the contraventions set out in Schedule 7 to the Traffic Management Act 2004, and the power to enforce them is given to the enforcement authority, rather than an official. A penalty charge relating to those contraventions shall not be imposed except on the basis of a record produced
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Trees
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been a risk assessment of the dangers posed to trees in the United Kingdom by the current outbreak of Phytopthora ramorum; and what options there are to mitigate the risk.[HL5014]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): A formal pest risk assessment was prepared and emergency measures were put in place following the initial detection of Phytophthora ramorum in 2003. This was quickly followed by the adoption of EU emergency measures which are still in force.
A five-year programme of action was launched on 1 April 2009 after a public consultation by Defra and the Forestry Commission on options for tackling the disease. The principal way to reduce the risk of infection is to reduce the level of inoculum to epidemiologically insignificant levels by removal of infected sporulating hosts in woodlands and the wider environment.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what protection standards they have set for saplings in the proposed Big Tree Plant; what assessment they have made of the survival rate of previous urban tree planting schemes; and how many and what proportion of new planted trees were destroyed by vandals.[HL5031]
Lord Henley: The organisations involved in the Big Tree Plant are experienced and are aware that community engagement and involvement in planting are key to reducing potential damage. Applicants will be required to show what community support there is for planting and how trees will be looked after. A proper evaluation of risk, aimed at achieving the right tree in the right place, for example using small inconspicuous trees in some locations or large well-guarded trees in others, has often been found effective against damage.
No data are available on the overall number or proportion of newly planted trees being vandalised, however evidence from schemes in London and Manchester suggests that vandalism rates are around 5 per cent.
Unemployment
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the monthly rate of economic inactivity among 16 to 24 year-olds from 1997 to the latest month available, by those (a) unemployed and seeking work, (b) on
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Baroness Rawlings: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Liddle, dated December 2010.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what was the monthly rate of economic inactivity among 16 24 year-olds from 1997 to the latest month available, by those (a) unemployed and seeking work, (b) on sickness or incapacity benefit, and (c) not in education or employment or in categories (a) or (b), presented (1) as absolute numbers, (2) as a percentage of that age group, and (3) as a proportion of the total population of working age, and on a (i) national, (ii) regional, and (iii) county, level. [HL4974]
The available estimates are provided in the attached tables. Estimates of labour market status and receipt of benefits are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The limitations of the survey's sample size mean that estimates of the number of people on benefits and of those not in education or employment, not unemployed and not receiving benefits are unavailable below UK level. Also, reliable unemployment estimates are available only for the UK and government office regions.
The estimates are in accordance with the agreed definitions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO definition of economic inactivity relates to people who are not in work and not unemployed. Consequently the number of unemployed people requested in part (a) are regarded as economically active. The numbers receiving sickness or disability benefits requested in part (b) can be either economically active or inactive. Those in part (c) are all economically inactive.
Table 1 provides estimates of unemployment for people aged 16 to 24 in the UK and for each government office region. The definition of unemployment includes those who are seeking work. Figures are provided for the July-September quarter each year from 1997 onwards.
Table 2 provides estimates of the number of 16 to 24 year-olds reported as receiving sickness or disability benefits, for the UK as a whole. Table 3 provides estimates of the number of 16 24 year-olds not in education or employment, not unemployed and not receiving sickness and disability benefits, again for the UK as a whole. The benefits estimates are not available from the LFS for 1997, therefore the figures in tables 2 and 3 are just provided from 1998 onwards.
Table 1: Unemployment for people aged 16 to 24 for UK and by government office region-Three months ending September, 1997 to 2010-Not seasonally adjusted
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| Thousands and percent | |||
| UK | |||
| Number | Percentage of people aged 16-24 | Percentage of people aged 16-64 | |
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