| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
12 July 2011 : Column WA151
12 July 2011 : Column WA151
12 July 2011 : Column WA151
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Abusive Language
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of advice recently issued to the police not to arrest anyone for using obscene and abusive language towards members of the police force, what guidance they have issued to teachers, hospital and emergency workers, the disabled, and organisations working with them, in respect of such language being used against them; and what advice they intend to issue under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to the rights of those using abusive language towards teachers, hospital and emergency workers, the disabled, and organisations working with them. [HL10611]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In 2010, the National Policing Improvement Agency published guidance on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland to assist policing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The guidance to police was issued as part of the Public Order Act 1986. The Public Order Act introduced a number of new offences relating to public order including harassment, intentional harassment and alarm or distress.
The Equality Act 2010 does not cover the types of conduct which constitute harassment under the Public Order Act. The Government Equalities Office has published general guidance on the Equality Act 2010 which includes harassment as a form of prohibited conduct under the Act.
There are currently no plans to publish guidance specifically on harassment under the Equality Act for specific sectors.
Some sectors publish their own guidance and codes of conduct, outside of the Equality Act, in relation to harassment. For example, the NHS Constitution states that:
"Every organisation should have in place a bullying and harassment policy that is easily accessible to staff and managers. This should be monitored on a regular basis by senior managers. It should include details on how such issues will be investigated in a fair and timely way".
Airports: Security
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 23 June (WA 319), how the Department for Transport aviation security inspectors are appointed, supervised and monitored.[HL10634]
12 July 2011 : Column WA152
Earl Attlee: Department for Transport aviation security inspectors are civil servants appointed through Civil Service recruitment campaigns. They are subject to security vetting.
All inspectors participate in a comprehensive induction training programme and regular refresher training. They are subject to an EC certification process and are qualified as national auditors under European Commission regulations.
The supervision and monitoring of inspectors is in line with the departmental management structure which includes regular observations, reviews and annual performance assessments.
Armed Services: Compensation
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the settlement of the claim for compensation by veterans of British nuclear tests staged in the Pacific and in Western Australia during the 1950s.[HL10910]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Compensation claims received by the Ministry of Defence, including those from the nuclear test veterans, are considered in accordance with the department's legal liability. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so.
This and previous Governments' consistent position is that there is no evidence of excess illness or mortality among the veterans as a group which could be linked to their participation in the tests. This is borne out by three studies conducted by the independent National Radiological Protection Board. In such circumstances, there are no grounds for compensation to be paid to British nuclear test veterans.
Aviation: Passenger Duty
Question
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The recent consultation on air passenger duty made clear that the Government's objectives for air passenger duty are that it should:
be a simple tax system for air transport in the UK;not hamper growth;ensure a fair contribution toward the public finances from the sector; andbe consistent with the Government's determination to reduce emissions across all parts of the economy.12 July 2011 : Column WA153
Bahrain
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of political prisoners currently held in Bahrain.[HL10550]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We have made no assessment of the exact number of political prisoners currently held in Bahraini detention centres.
We remain deeply concerned by the imprisonment of leading moderate politicians and the alleged mistreatment of detainees. We continue to press the Government of Bahrain to meet all their human rights obligations.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the military trials of doctors in Bahrain; and what representations they have made to the Government of Bahrain regarding this. [HL10551]
Lord Howell of Guildford: Our embassy has been able to attend some of the many trials currently taking place in the National Safety Courts, including the trials of the 48 medical staff. Our primary concerns in the legal process have been the methods of arrest, early access to legal counsel, allegations of abuse in detention, methods of interrogation, alleged coerced confessions, the charges brought against defendants, and the implications that medical professionals may not be allowed to carry out their duties without fear of recrimination.
My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised UK concerns about the trial of medical staff when he met the Crown Prince of Bahrain on 25 May. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Mr Burt, also raised the issue in his public statement of 1 June. Our ambassador continues to raise our concerns at the highest level with the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due process is followed in all cases and that human rights are fully respected.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sentences handed down to Bahraini protesters following demonstrations; and what relevant discussions they have had with the Government of Bahrain.[HL10552]
Lord Howell of Guildford: We are deeply concerned by the nature of the charges and we continue to raise our concerns over the conduct of the trials. We repeatedly urge the Bahrainis that due process should be carefully and transparently followed in the National Safety Trials. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised UK concerns about the arrests of protesters and medical staff when he met the Crown Prince of
12 July 2011 : Column WA154
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 16 June (WA 206), what is meant by the term "real and meaningful reform" in the case of Bahrain.[HL10553]
Lord Howell of Guildford: By the term "real and meaningful reform" the UK Government mean that the reforms which result from the national dialogue must be enough to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Bahraini people. It is not for the UK Government to dictate the exact nature of these reforms. These should be determined by the participants.
Bank of England
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HM Treasury has reviewed the performance of the Bank of England before and during the financial crisis; if so, what form that review took and what the key lesson was from it; and whether that review informed the proposed increase in the Bank of England's regulatory responsibility.[HL10676]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Bank of England contributed substantially to the analysis of the lessons from the financial crisis, both for the regulators and for central banks, in speeches and in public evidence to parliamentary committees from the start of the crisis. It also contributed to the previous Government's review during 2008.
The Bank highlighted, in particular, the need for a resolution regime for banks, for a better regulation of bank liquidity and for revised liquidity insurance arrangements that could be drawn without risk of stigmatising the beneficiaries.
The 2009 Banking Act gave the Bank responsibility for bank resolution. Temporary arrangements for liquidity insurance, introduced in 2008, were replaced by a permanent liquidity insurance facility in the Bank's 2010 sterling market framework (the Red Book).
The Government are committed to reform of the financial regulation framework to address the failings of the tripartite system. Under these reforms, the Bank will be responsible for macro-prudential regulation, through a new Financial Policy Committee within the Bank. It will also have oversight of micro-prudential regulation, through the new Prudential Regulation Authority, a subsidiary of the Bank.
The Treasury published its latest policy and legislative proposals in a White Paper, A New Approach to Financial Regulation: the Blueprint for Reform, on 16 June 2011.
12 July 2011 : Column WA155
Bank of England Act 1998
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 29 June (WA 421), to what extent the Monetary Policy Committee's objective of targeting two per cent inflation contributes to (a) maintaining price stability, and (b) supporting the economic policy of Her Majesty's Government, including its objectives for growth and employment; and which consideration is given priority when setting the target.[HL10806]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Monetary Policy Committee's objectives are laid out in Section 11 of the Bank of England Act 1998:
"In relation to monetary policy, the objectives of the Bank of England shall be
(a) to maintain price stability, and
(b) subject to that, to support the economic policy of Her Majesty's Government, including its objectives for growth and employment".
Further to this, Section 12 of the Bank of England Act 1998 states that the Treasury shall specify:
"(a) what price stability is to be taken to consist of, or
(b) what the economic policy of Her Majesty's Government is to be taken to be".
The Chancellor confirmed at Budget 2011 that price stability shall be defined as 2 per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the consumer prices index. The Government also confirmed that their economic policy objective is to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries.
Banking
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they propose to ensure that bank pay under Project Merlin is linked to lending when lending targets are expressed in aggregate for five banks rather than individual targets agreed for each bank.[HL10623]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Merlin statement commits the banks to give more weight to the expectations, capacity and willingness relating to lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the performance metrics of each bank's chief executive and of those senior managers responsible for lending to SMEs. More weight will be given to these aspects than the SME lending contribution to each bank's profits might otherwise imply.
Bribery Act 2010
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government in what circumstances ticket holders to sporting events at which the donor of the tickets is not also present may breach the Bribery Act 2010.[HL10645]
12 July 2011 : Column WA156
To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances the offer of tickets for the London Olympic Games is "a relevant function or activity" for the purposes of the Bribery Act 2010; and in what circumstances corporate hospitality at the Olympic Games could be considered a bribe under the legislation.[HL10646]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): We have made it clear that we do not intend that normal corporate hospitality which seeks to improve the image of a commercial organisation, better to present products and services, or establish cordial relations, will be caught by the Bribery Act. But there are circumstances in which hospitality is intended as a cover for bribery and the Act will catch such cases. The presence or otherwise of the donor of a ticket would not, in itself, indicate whether a bribery offence has been committed. A relevant function or activity for the purposes of the general bribery offences is defined in Section 3 of the Act.
We issued guidance about commercial organisations preventing bribery on 30 March this year which provides further information about hospitality and promotional expenditure under the Act and some practical examples. This is available at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/making-and-reviewing-the-law/bribery.htm.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are confident that all corporate sponsors of the London Olympic Games have in place the policies, procedures and budgets for corporate entertaining to ensure employees comply with the Bribery Act 2010.[HL10647]
Baroness Garden of Frognal: Every company must comply with the law. The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) selects its domestic commercial partners and has worked with them to ensure they are aware of the Bribery Act and its implications. The Government are confident that LOCOG's commercial partners understand that they must comply with their statutory responsibilities.
China
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, during their talks with the Prime Minister of China, Wen Jiabao, they raised the case of the human rights activist, Chen Guangchen; and what is known about Chen's current condition and whereabouts. [HL10565]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): During his summit discussions with Premier Wen, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister raised his concerns about human rights in China. In doing so he mentioned a number of high profile individual cases. No subjects were off limits.
12 July 2011 : Column WA157
We are aware of recent reports of the mistreatment of Chen Guangcheng and his family and remain concerned about his well-being. We will continue to monitor his situation and are working with EU partners to maintain the profile of his case.
Civil Partnerships
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 24 May (WA 401), what they understand by the expression "equal civil marriage and partnership".[HL9835]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I refer my noble friend to my Answer of 24 May 2011 (Official Report, col. WA 401). A definition of equal civil marriage and partnerships will be one of the key issues to be considered during the further consultation with all those who have an interest in this area.
Commonwealth
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government which foreign states have been admitted to the Commonwealth in the past five years.[HL10817]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): Rwanda is the only country that has been admitted to the Commonwealth in the past five years. Rwanda joined in 2009 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the criteria for the admission of foreign states to the Commonwealth.[HL10818]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The 2007 Kampala Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting agreed on the following Commonwealth membership criteria:
an applicant country should, as a general rule, have had a historic constitutional association with an existing Commonwealth member, save in exceptional circumstances;in exceptional circumstances, applications should be considered on a case-by-case basis;an applicant country should accept and comply with Commonwealth fundamental values, principles, and priorities as set out in the 1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles and contained in other subsequent declarations;an applicant country must demonstrate commitment to: democracy and democratic processes, including free and fair elections and representative legislatures; the rule of law and independence of the judiciary; good governance, including a well-trained public12 July 2011 : Column WA158
EU: Budget
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to proposals to increase the United Kingdom contribution to the European Union budget by an amount greater than current inflation levels. [HL10625]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Prime Minister wrote jointly (with Germany, France, the Netherlands and Finland) in December 2010 stating that payment appropriations should increase by no more than inflation over the next financial perspective.
The European Commission made its proposals for the next financial perspective covering European Union spend from 2014 to 2020 on 29 June 2011, including an increase of over 100 billion euros over the period, representing growth of 10 per cent.
The proposal is completely unrealistic. It is too large and is not the restrained budget the Commission claims. It is also incompatible with the tough decisions being taken in countries across Europe to bring deficits under control.
The Government will continue to work with other member states to deliver the best possible outcome for UK taxpayers in future negotiations.
EU: Taxation
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to proposals that the European Union should have the power to levy and collect taxes in order to fund its activities.[HL10624]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government have made it clear that the UK is opposed to any new European Union (EU) tax to finance the EU budget.
The UK attaches considerable importance to the principle of tax sovereignty and believes that tax policy is primarily a matter for member states to determine at a national level.
12 July 2011 : Column WA159
Food: Policy
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to Looking Back, Looking Forward, the report of the Sustainable Development Commission of 23 March, which reviews United Kingdom food policy from 2000 to 2011; and what assessment they have made of the priorities for action in the report. [HL10857]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The report's analysis and conclusions are of interest to the Government but there are no plans to produce a formal response.
G20: Agriculture Ministers
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of Exeter
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the results on the G20 Agriculture Minister's meeting on 20 to 22 June; and how they intend to implement the action plan agreed at that meeting.[HL10780]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): I refer the right reverend Prelate to the Written Ministerial Statement laid before the House on 28 June by Lord Henley about the recent meeting of G20 agricultural ministers (Official Report, col. WS 147).
George Padmore
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what papers they hold relating to George Padmore and his activities as a Pan-Africanist and campaigner for colonial freedom.[HL10606]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): In addition to any material already released to the National Archives (TNA), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has identified two Colonial Office files on George Padmore which are currently retained due to their sensitivity. In line with standard practice, these files would be re-reviewed for release if requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
Other records held by the FCO may also contain documents relating to George Padmore. This includes the records of former colonial administrations which are currently being reviewed for transfer to the TNA, as my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary explained in his Written Ministerial Statement of 5 May 2011 (Official Report, col. WS 28). No records relating to George Padmore have yet been identified during this review.
12 July 2011 : Column WA160
Government Departments: Expenditure
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has spent on redundancy costs since May 2010. [HL10733]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The department ran a voluntary exit scheme in September-October 2010, at a total cost of £27,169,651. In February 2011 the department launched a voluntary redundancy scheme that is still ongoing, in respect of which the 2010-11 accounts contained an accrual of £9 million for costs that were incurred in the financial year and, in addition, a provision of £5.9 million against expected future costs.
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has spent since May 2010 on the creation of local enterprise partnerships.[HL10734]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): Local enterprise partnerships have been developed from the bottom up and as such the costs of establishing them to date have been incurred by the partnerships themselves. The only costs incurred by this department to date have been the administrative costs of the officials working on this policy.
The department has also set up two funds to support partnerships in their development; the capacity fund (£1 million per year for four years) and Start-up Fund (£5 million for this financial year only). To date no payments have been made to partnerships from these funds.
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much HM Treasury has spent on laptop computers and information technology training for staff since May 2010.[HL10789]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): HM Treasury's laptop computers are provided as part of its Public Sector Flex IT service and remain the property of the service provider Fujitsu. Since March 2010, we estimate that Fujitsu has deployed laptops to the value of £1,694,338.20.
Since March 2010, HM Treasury has spent £72,839 on information technology training.
Health: Orthopaedics
Questions
Asked by Lord Black of Brentwood
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve outcomes for patients in the prevention of fragility fractures.[HL10636]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the provision of fracture prevention services in England following the 2010 national audit of falls and bone health in older people.[HL10638]
12 July 2011 : Column WA161
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The department has taken a number of actions to improve outcomes on fragility fractures including issuing guidance in the form of a commissioning toolkit to support organisations' establishment of effective falls and fracture prevention and management. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued clinical guidelines for hip fractures in June 2011 that were commissioned by the department. The department has also introduced a best practice tariff which offers financial incentives to hospitals meeting quality standards for hip fracture patients (including a fracture prevention assessment).
The department's Fragility Fractures Programme, established by the National Clinical Director for Trauma Care, seeks to improve the outcome for patients suffering fragility fractures by driving a consistent approach to fracture prevention services that will lead to a reduction in falls and future incidences. It is working to align services across the sector to deliver high-quality, cost- effective integrated care, with the ambition of discharging people to their last place of residence through good recovery, rehabilitation and reablement.
Health: Reciprocal Agreements
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 16 June (WA 209-10), why the Pension Service healthcare costs questionnaire sent to United Kingdom pensioners in the Republic of Ireland asked whether pensioners were in receipt of pensions from the Republic of Ireland authorities and for the names and addresses of previous Irish employers; and what percentage of respondents had such pensions.[HL10506]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): Under European Union regulations, liability for healthcare for state pensioners is determined by which member state pays an individual's pension. Therefore, the questionnaire sought to establish cases where an individual may have been in receipt of both a United Kingdom and Irish pension. In such case, it is likely that the responsibility for healthcare would fall on the member state of residence.
The Department for Work and Pensions has not retained the questionnaires and is therefore unable to calculate the percentage of respondents.
Health: Sport and Exercise Medicine
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to revise the number of NHS consultant posts in sport and exercise medicine.[HL10801]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): While the Government recognise the value and importance of consultant posts in sport and exercise medicine, the appropriate number of such
12 July 2011 : Column WA162
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support European recognition for the speciality of sport and exercise medicine.[HL10802]
Earl Howe: As sport and exercise medicine is a recognised medical specialty in the United Kingdom, the Government have no objections in principle about European recognition for the specialty, but would need to understand the views of the General Medical Council, as the UK Competent Authority for medicine, on such a decision.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the registrars in training for sport and exercise medicine will be employed as volunteers during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012; and how many have full-time jobs in their speciality to return to thereafter.[HL10803]
Earl Howe: This information is not held centrally although it is understood most trainees in sport and exercise medicine-around 45-will be involved as volunteers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and all will return to their training slots.
It is a decision for the individuals concerned whether they apply to volunteer. Arrangements for securing temporary periods out of training are detailed in A Reference Guide for Postgraduate Specialty Training in the UK and managed locally. A copy is available at: www.mmc.nhs.uk/specialty_training/specialty_training_2011_final/gold_guide.aspx.
HM Revenue and Customs: Staff
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional resources were provided to HM Revenue and Customs to deal with queries from members of the public regarding changes to tax, benefits and tax credits in April 2011.[HL10713]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) resources for the spending review period (2011 to 2015) were set out in the spending review 2010, announced on 20 October 2010.
No additional resources were made available to HMRC to deal specifically with queries from members of the public regarding changes to tax, benefits and tax credits in April 2011.
12 July 2011 : Column WA163
Homelessness
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of disclosures concerning the potential impact on homelessness of current proposals to impose a benefits cap, what assessments have been made by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government respectively of (a) the numbers likely to be rendered homeless; (b) the number of children under the age of 18 likely to be affected; (c) the cost to local authorities likely to be occasioned thereby including the cost of temporary accommodation; and (d) other measures relevant to the issue; and the basis upon which any such estimates have been made. [HL10731]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The benefit cap will mean that people on benefit will face choices about housing costs similar to those faced by people in work. But it will not necessarily mean that they will need to move from their home. Even within the limits of this cap, households will still be able to receive significant amounts of financial assistance from state welfare payments and if a member of the household moves into work and becomes eligible for working tax credit they will be exempt from the impacts of the cap.
There is a range of help local authorities can offer to households at risk of becoming homeless including the provision of discretionary housing payments. We have already made an additional £190 million available over the spending review period for this purpose as a result of the changes we have made to housing benefit.
The Government published their impact assessment of the benefit cap in February alongside the introduction of the Welfare Reform Bill. This made clear that it is not possible to estimate the number of additional homelessness applications that might arise as a consequence of the overall benefit cap because this would have to be based on behavioural changes. The impact assessment can be found via the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/household-benefit-cap-wr2011-ia.pdf.
Human Rights
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the European Union-Gulf Cooperation Council joint council held on 20 April, and paragraph 11 of the joint communiqué issued afterward, they will ask the Gulf Co-operation Council to remind its members who have ratified the International Covenants (a) on Civil and Political Rights, and (b) against torture, of their obligations under those covenants.[HL10607]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): Human rights, including those related to the two conventions cited, feature in discussions with all our partners, including
12 July 2011 : Column WA164
Legal Aid
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following implementation of their plans for legal aid, what proportion of litigants in family cases they estimate will be left with legal representation in hearings dealing with (a) ancillary relief, and (b) access and custody of children.[HL10721]
Baroness Northover: The impact assessment published alongside the Government's response to the legal aid reform consultation shows that we estimate 17 per cent, or 2,100, ancillary relief cases will remain in scope and 25 per cent, or around 11,000, private law children cases will remain in scope. In addition there are approximately a further 8,000 cases that are currently classed as domestic violence cases but which also cover ancillary relief and/or child contact matters and which would remain in scope. We expect that over 40 per cent of all private family law cases (including domestic violence) will remain in scope.
Live Music
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to streamline the paperwork which allows businesses to play music in public spaces.[HL10903]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The collecting societies are privately-run entities, and their administrative processes are not directly regulated by the Government. The recently published Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth has made recommendations about simplifying the licensing process and possible regulation of collecting societies. The Government are currently considering the recommendations in the report and will issue their response shortly.
Livestock: Antibiotics
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the categories and quantities of antibiotics permitted in the rearing of livestock and fish; what records they hold of antibiotics used for various species; and what quantities of which antibiotics were used for each species.[HL10605]
12 July 2011 : Column WA165
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Antimicrobials which have a maximum residue limit (MRL) may be used to treat food-producing species, including livestock and farmed fish. Veterinary medicines which are authorised for use in the UK are listed on the product information database on the VMD website http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/.
The details include the name of the active substance, target species and the therapeutic group eg antimicrobial. From this information, the categories of antibiotics authorised for use in different food species can be established.
Amounts of antimicrobials sold in the UK are reported by class of active ingredient and published annually in arrears on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate website at www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/public/antimicrobial_pubs.aspx.
It is not possible to present the sales quantity of each antimicrobial per food-producing species because products may be authorised for a number of different species and the indicated species may be a mix of food species and companion animals. The tables below set out data from 2009 drawn from the 2010 sales report, expressed as tonnes of active ingredient, to show:
sales for products authorised for use only in food species, only in non-food species and combined food and non-food species use;total sales according to class of the antimicrobial; andtotal sales according to the food species.| Total sales according to class of the antimicrobial (from tables 3, 4, 6 and 8 in the 2010 report) | |
| Therapeutic antimicrobials | |
| Total sales according to the food species (from table 12 in the 2010 report) | |
Data for 2010 are currently being collected prior to publication later this year.
Milly Dowler
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a transcript of the trial of Levi Bellfield in connection with the murder of Milly Dowler.[HL10753]
Baroness Northover: The Government have no plans to place a transcript of the trial of Levi Bellfield in the Library of the House. Placing a full transcript of this trial in the Library would potentially cause significant further distress to the family of Milly Dowler and could be provided only at significant cost. The Government are, however, considering the report from the Victims' Commissioner, Louise Casey, which proposes that sentencing remarks and trial transcripts should be provided to bereaved families in homicide cases.
Offenders: Unpaid Work
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the London Probation Trust has entered into a partnership for the provision of unpaid work with the private sector.[HL10773]
Baroness Northover: London Probation Trust has informed its staff that the LPT approach to the national Community Payback competition will be to pursue the opportunity of acting as a sub-contractor to Serco within a partnership agreement.
Railways: West Coast Main Line
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their Rail Modernisation Strategy includes improving the condition of the Reading-Basingstoke stretch of the Southampton-Basingstoke-Birmingham-Manchester line.[HL10792]
Earl Attlee: In March 2011 the work to upgrade the route from Southampton to the west coast main line at Nuneaton including the section from Basingstoke to Reading, allowing the efficient passage of freight trains carrying large, 9'6" containers, was completed.
12 July 2011 : Column WA167
Regional Development Agencies
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the cost to public funds has been of winding down the regional development agencies (RDAs) since May 2010; and what estimate they have made of the total cost to public funds of winding down the RDAs completely.[HL10716]
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has spent on redundancy costs associated with winding down the regional development agencies.[HL10717]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The cost of running the RDAs in 2010-11 will be published in their annual accounts, which are expected to be laid before Parliament shortly. It is not possible at this point to estimate the total cost of closing the RDAs which, subject to passage of legislation, are expected to close by 31 March 2012. The spending review settlement for RDAs, including the London Development Agency, provides up to £464 million over the four-year period to March 2015, to cover variously salaries, redundancies, transition/closure costs, pension liabilities and residual activity. Of this up to £100 million in 2011-12 is available to cover the costs of redundancies.
Schools: Race Equality
Question
Asked by Baroness Howells of St Davids
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers are of Black or Caribbean ethnic origin; and whether they have any plans to increase the numbers of such teachers.[HL10517]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): Information on the ethnic origin of teachers is collected in the School Workforce Census and the latest available information is for November 2010. The categories of ethnic origin collected were those used in the national census and there are five that include the terms Black or Caribbean. The following table provides the headcount number of teachers that were in service in publicly funded schools for each of these categories.
In total ethnicity details were provided for 472,100 teachers out of a total in service of 493, 400, (95.7 per cent).
Progress has already been made in raising the number of people of black and minority (BME) origin who are training to teach from 3,797 in 2008-09 to 4,180 in 2010-11. In line with the strategy set out in Training Our Next Generation Of Outstanding Teachers, we are seeking to attract and retain high-quality BME trainees through tailored marketing and communication activity, guidance to training providers and working with representative bodies.
12 July 2011 : Column WA168
The Training Our Next Generation Of Outstanding Teachers report is available at the following web link: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/a0078019/training-outstanding-teachers.
| Head count number of teachers of Black and Caribbean ethnic origin in service in publicly funded schools. | |
| Coverage: England | |
| Year: November 2010 | |
| Ethnic Group | Number |
Source: School Workforce census.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Teachers in Black or Caribbean ethnic groups made up 2.1 per cent of the total, for whom information had been received, in November 2010.
Shipping: Maritime Labour Convention
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.[HL10919]
Earl Attlee: Implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 is ongoing, with development of the draft regulations well advanced. However, reducing regulation is a key priority for this Government, who are committed to ensuring that UK industries are not unnecessarily burdened with regulations. To that end, we require all regulations to be subject to evidence-based impact and risk assessments and cleared through the Reducing Regulation Committee.
The Government's target is to ensure that UK ratification will not lag behind the international coming into force of the convention so that any competitive disadvantage to UK shipping is avoided or minimised.
Shipping: Seafarers' Welfare
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken since May 2010 concerning matters that affect the welfare of seafarers.[HL10920]
Earl Attlee: In May of this year the Government introduced draft regulations which, if approved, will ensure that, as far as possible, the level of protection afforded to land based workers under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 is extended to those working at sea.
Two sets of regulations introduced in January seek to ensure the safety of workers at sea. These are the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and
12 July 2011 : Column WA169
Implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 is ongoing.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency continues to review its processes relating to seafarers' welfare; this year has seen a greater focus on the handling of seafarer complaints as well as revised guidance on inspection of hours of rest on board UK and non-UK ships.
Sudan
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of (a) the continuing fighting and displacement of people in southern Kordofan and Abyei, (b) any role in these attacks of Peter Gatdet's forces in Turalei, and (c) the role of the northern Sudanese military both in combat and through the provision of arms and munitions to militia groups.[HL10564]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We are deeply concerned at the fighting and displacement of people in southern Kordofan and Abyei. Latest estimates are that 113,000 people have been displaced because of fighting in Abyei, and 76,000 in Southern Kordofan. We welcome the forthcoming deployment of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei. We also welcome the 28 June framework agreement on southern Kordofan, and urge the parties to establish a ceasefire there immediately.
We are concerned at reports of support for proxies by both the Government of Sudan and Government of Southern Sudan. We continue to urge both Governments to stop supporting proxy forces in each other's territories.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to assist the international community in reinforcing the framework agreement of 28 June between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (North) and a ceasefire in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile before South Sudan becomes independent on 9 July; and what is their assessment of the access to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile achieved by the relief agencies. [HL10703]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The framework agreement on Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile is a significant step in the right direction. We call on both parties now to continue to work with implementing a ceasefire without delay, working with the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel and the international community.
12 July 2011 : Column WA170
Access by aid agencies to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile remains restricted. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to allow unhindered access to these areas, so those civilians who have been most affected by the conflict get the help they need.
Sure Start
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families in the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London have benefited from Sure Start in each year since its introduction up until the last year for which figures are available.[HL10674]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Department for Education does not collect these data. Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient children's centres in their area to meet local need, so far as is reasonably practicable. It is for local authorities to commission Sure Start children's centres and to monitor and evaluate the use and impact of their services.
Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the manager of an Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities established in another European Union country and passported into the United Kingdom for distribution will be required to contribute to levies under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme as a result of failures or customer losses for which it was not responsible; whether similar obligations apply to United Kingdom managers of Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities marketed elsewhere in the European Union; and what action they are taking to ensure that non-European Union managers have the financial capacity to comply.[HL10622]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): Under Financial Services Authority rules, European Economic Area (EEA) Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) management companies, which are passporting into the UK in order to operate a UK-authorised UCITS fund, are required to contribute to Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) levies. This is to ensure that they are treated equivalently to UK authorised firms that carry out the same activity. It is up to individual member states to decide whether to apply their compensation arrangements to United Kingdom UCITS managers operating UCITS funds in their jurisdiction.
Only managers within EEA member states are eligible to passport into the UK in order to operate a UK-authorised UCITS fund. It is the responsibility of
12 July 2011 : Column WA171
Wales Office: Funding
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the establishment of a Commission to review the funding for the Welsh Assembly Government; and whether they plan to include within such a review the reform of the Barnett Formula, borrowing powers and powers over some forms of taxation.[HL10668]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The 2011 Budget announced that the Government are committed to fair and accountable funding for Wales, including taking forward discussions on all aspects of the final Holtham report. The Government will make a further announcement on taking this forward in due course.
White Rose Resistance Movement
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask schools, universities and other appropriate bodies to commemorate the White Rose resistance movement.[HL10809]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Department for Education has not made any arrangements for schools
12 July 2011 : Column WA172
Universities are independent organisations and able to make their own decisions about which groups and movements to commemorate. The Government do not determine universities' decisions in this area.
Youth Justice
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the practical experience of the administration of youth justice of Dame Sue Street.[HL10775]
Baroness Northover: Dame Sue Street has considerable practical experience of the administration of youth justice. As director general of the Home Office's Criminal Policy Group from 1999-2001 Dame Sue oversaw the initial years of the Youth Justice Board. During this period Dame Sue also led the delivery of the then Government's persistent young offender pledge which succeeded in halving the time between arrest and trial for young people who had offended. As part of her leadership role, Dame Sue visited the youth secure estate, youth courts, youth offending practitioners, the police and met with young offenders themselves.
This experience led to Ministers in the previous Government asking her to chair the review of the Youth Justice Board which reported in 2010. As part of the review Dame Sue met, or spoke with, a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in youth justice and made a number of visits to secure establishments and youth offending teams.
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |