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6 Mar 2012 : Column WA399
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA399
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA399
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Abdel Hakim Belhadj
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether British intelligence officials were involved in the rendition of Abdel Hakim Belhadj to Tripoli in 2004.[HL15976]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): This issue is the subject of an ongoing police investigation. It is also government policy not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security
Afghanistan
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the numbers of British troops fighting in Afghanistan, they are directly involved in peace talks between the Taliban, the United States and the Government of Afghanistan; and, if not, why not.[HL15969]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK has always supported an Afghan-led political process to help bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. At the start of the year, the Taliban issued a statement expressing a willingness to participate in a political office in Qatar. President Karzai recently publicly endorsed the idea of an office in Qatar. We are supporting the Government of Afghanistan in their efforts to take this process forward.
Armed Forces: Medals
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider proposing that the Military Cross awarded to Captain John Hamilton during the 1982 Falklands conflict should be upgraded to a Victoria Cross.[HL15894]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): No. At this distance from the event it would be wrong to question the assessments made at the time by the commanders intimately involved in reaching the decisions as to what honour Captain Hamilton should be awarded.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA400
CAFCASS
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including an assessment of whether children have been seen by an officer of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) in the key performance indicators for CAFCASS.[HL15979]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Secretary of State for Education does not plan to set such a measure as part of the key performance indicators for CAFCASS as it is for the CAFCASS board to make decisions about the most effective social work practice to deliver the service's statutory duties.
Coastal Pathways
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 8 February (WA 65), why the lengths of coastal paths were given in kilometres rather than in miles. [HL15757]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): It has been accepted practice to use kilometres for such matters since 1965. The length of England's coastline is 2,748 miles.
Egypt
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they have raised with the Government of Egypt access in that country to fair reviews and justice for those in administrative detention, held without charge or brought before a military court.[HL15896]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and the Deputy Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Sheffield Hallam (Mr Clegg) all called upon the Egyptian authorities to end the state of emergency during their visits to Egypt in 2011. Through discussions with Egyptian counterparts and in public statements, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have urged the authorities to end the use of military courts in trials against civilians, and raised their concerns about the treatment of those detained for peacefully expressing their views.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA401
We will continue to urge the Egyptian authorities to put in place legislation that complies with international standards on human rights and fundamental freedoms including in dealing with public order issues. We will also continue to advocate for the right to a fair trial for all suspects.
Energy Act 2011
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the statutory instrument to implement the private rented sector compulsion provisions for energy efficiency under the Energy Act 2011. [HL16128]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): Our emphasis is currently on finalising the details of the Green Deal in time for its launch later this year, and we intend to turn our attention to the private rented sector regulations after we have put the Green Deal framework in place.
Energy: Fracking
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make a decision on whether or not to resume fracking tests.[HL15907]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): Following the seismic tremors experienced in Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire in April and May last year, DECC asked Cuadrilla to carry out a geomechanical study. The study, which confirms a connection between the hydraulic fracturing at the Preese Hall-1 well and the seismic activity which took place on 1 April and 27 May 2011, was submitted to DECC, and published by the company, on 2 November 2011. It is currently being reviewed by DECC, in consultation with the British Geological Survey and other independent experts.
No decision on the resumption of these hydraulic fracture operations will be made until the implications of this report, together with further information which has been submitted by the company, has been fully considered, and appropriate practical measures have been approved by Ministers to minimise the risk of such events occurring again. Other key regulators will be consulted before any such decision is taken. We expect to be in a position to make a decision within the next few months.
Energy: Oil
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the production figures for North Sea oil in each year from 1974.[HL16031]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): Data on UK production of oil from 1970 to 2010 are available in DUKES table 3.1.1 on the DECC website at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/oil/oil.aspx.
The provisional figure for 2011 was 51,980 thousand tonnes. The data cover all UK oil production. They thus cover production of crude oil and natural gas liquids and include oil fields onshore, in the Irish Sea and west of Shetland as well as in the UK sector of the North Sea.
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many oil exploration wells have been established in the North Sea in each year since 1974.[HL16032]
Lord Marland: The number of offshore oil and gas exploration wells drilled in the UK each year since 1974 can be found on DECC's website via the following link: http://og.decc.uk/en/olgs/cms/explorationpro/wells/ dril_activity/dril_activity.aspx and is also set out below. The low level of exploration drilling during 2011 was due to a number of factors including complex geology (which meant longer drilling timescales for particular wells-affecting rig availability), a number of rigs concentrating on development rather than exploration drilling, and very bad weather during the latter part of the year. We hope to see improvements in exploration drilling levels during this year.
| Year | Exploration | Appraisal |
Energy: Smart Meters
Question
Asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what role they foresee for local authorities in the roll-out of smart metering.[HL16118]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The smart meter programme is backed by the Government, but it is the energy suppliers who will be responsible for supplying and installing the estimated 53 million gas and electricity meters for domestic and smaller non-domestic properties.
The rollout will be supported by a consumer engagement strategy, which is likely to use third parties such as community groups, charities and local authorities to reassure consumers and to help households use smart meters to reduce their energy consumption. There is therefore potentially a role for local authorities in consumer engagement. We are planning to consult on our approach to consumer engagement shortly.
Energy: Wind Farms
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of how many gigawatts of power will be generated by wind farms in the United Kingdom in 2020.[HL15905]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): Our central scenario in the Renewable Energy Roadmap, published in July 2011, suggests that onshore wind could generate 24 to 32 terawatt hours (TWh) and offshore wind 33 to 58 TWh in 2020. These ranges represent respectively approximately 7% to 9% from onshore wind and 9% to 16% from offshore wind of the estimated 364TWh of total electricity generated in the UK in 2020.
The renewables roadmap sets out a targeted plan of actions for eight key technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, in order to meet our 15% renewable energy target. The roadmap includes illustrative "central ranges" for these key technologies and while they do not represent technology specific targets or the level of our ambition, they do show what could be deployed by 2020.
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Finance: Guarantee Schemes
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Conwy
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loans, with what total value, have been made to small and medium-sized enterprises in Wales under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.[HL15923]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): As of January 2012, 727 small and medium-sized businesses in Wales had been offered loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme with a total value of £64.74 million. Of these, 637 loans have been drawn down, with a total value of £56.53 million.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Conwy
To ask Her Majesty's Government to what extent the Export Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme and the continuation of the Enterprise Capital Funds programme have been applied to Wales, and have promoted investments there.[HL15924]
Baroness Wilcox: The pilot Export Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme and the Enterprise Capital Funds programme are available to eligible businesses throughout the UK.
The Export Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme was introduced in April 2011 to facilitate short-term export finance to viable businesses lacking collateral or track record to secure commercial facilities. As of February 2012, no business in Wales has used the scheme.
The Government have committed £200 million to the Enterprise Capital Funds programme over the next four years. As of September 2011, there have been three investments in businesses in Wales since 2006, with a total value of £3.7 million.
Government Departments: Running Costs
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of running the Department for Education in each of the past three years.[HL15190]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The cost of running the department for the past three financial years is as follows:
| Financial Year | Outturn (£m) |
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA405
Government Departments: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the management structure of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and each of its agencies; how many managers are at each level in each body; and what is the cost per year of their salaries and expenses.[HL16043]
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA406
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The management structure for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and each of its non-departmental public bodies (NDPB) are published on data.gov.uk and their own individual websites as part of the coalition Government's transparency agenda. The data are reviewed and updated on a six-monthly basis. The next review is due in May 2012. The structure, which is in organigram form, can be viewed by following the links in the table below.
Managerial grades are executive officer grade (or equivalent) or above. Not all people working in these grades will be a line manager. The data on individuals in those grades are published and updated for DECC and all of its NDPBs on a monthly basis on the department's website and can be viewed at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/media/viewfile.ashx?filetype= 4&filepath=11/access-information/3344-decc-workforce-management-information.xls& minwidth=true.
In the case of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the number of people working at executive officer grade (or equivalent) or above as at 30 September 2011 is 300.
The salaries for those in management grades (or equivalent) working in DECC and its NDPBs is shown in the table below and represents the annualised salary costs as at 30 September 2011. These data are consistent with the organiogram structure referred to in the first paragraph.
| Department | Salary costs |
The expenses claimed by managers are recorded electronically by the type of expense and the team or group to which they are assigned and not to each individual person or grade. Therefore, to identify which expenses relate to managers would involve searching all paper records and would incur disproportionate costs. Details of all expenses in excess of £500 are published on a monthly basis and can be viewed at: http://www. decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/expenditure /spend_over_500/spend_over_500.aspx.
Iraq: Camp Liberty
Questions
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the memorandum of understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty infrastructure and facilities.[HL15981]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The memorandum of understanding governing the voluntary transfer of residents of Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty is a document between the United Nations (UN) and the Government of Iraq. It has not been made publicly available and I regret that the Government are not in a position to place a copy of this memorandum in the Library of the House.
The UN has said publicly, however, that under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, conditions at Camp Liberty would meet basic humanitarian standards including: adequate accommodation; dining and food preparation facilities; hygiene infrastructure (water and sanitation); medical care; community spaces; separate accommodation and spaces for women; and facilities for religious observance. The UN conducted a thorough assessment of the conditions at the camp before the relocation of the first residents from Ashraf to Liberty. The residents can also use contractors to further improve conditions at Camp Liberty.
Regarding access to lawyers and families, we would hope that the Government of Iraq would adhere to the undertakings we understand they have made to allow such access. With regard to personal belongings, we understand that those transferring from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty would be able to take personal belongings with them. Iraqi authorities and representatives of the residents have discussed what this includes.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA407
The UN continues to monitor the situation at Camp Liberty on a daily basis, and officials at our embassy in Baghdad are in close touch with the UN. We continue to support the UN in its efforts to find a durable and peaceful solution to the issue of the future of the residents of Camp Ashraf.
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty, it was agreed that there should be a fresh water supply available to those who moved from Camp Ashraf.[HL15982]
Lord Howell of Guildford: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Parliamentary Question HL15981
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty, it was agreed that there should be free movement and communication between the refugees' families and lawyers within the Camp.[HL15983]
Lord Howell of Guildford: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Parliamentary Question HL15981.
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty, there are to be reasonable medical services provided; and what has been achieved in this respect.[HL15984]
Lord Howell of Guildford: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Parliamentary Question HL15981.
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty, there were arrangements for United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representatives (1) to be accommodated within the Camp, or (2) to be able to visit the Camp freely.[HL15985]
Lord Howell of Guildford: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Parliamentary Question HL15981.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA408
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 27 February (HL15532), whether, under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Iraq in respect of Camp Liberty, it was agreed that refugees transferring from Camp Ashraf would have access to their property and belongings.[HL15986]
Lord Howell of Guildford: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to Parliamentary Question HL15981.
Israel and Palestine
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they have raised with the Government of Israel access in that country to fair reviews and justice for those in administrative detention, held without charge or brought before a military court.[HL15898]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised Israel's extensive use of administrative detention with the Israeli ambassador on 23 February. Our ambassador to Israel also raised these issues with the Israeli Attorney-General on 24 February.
Our officials in Tel Aviv have raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities about the broader questions of administrative detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including in the context of the Khader Adnan case. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law, including in their own policies on detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
We are in regular touch with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which monitors the situation closely.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they evaluate the success of their ongoing representations to the Government of Israel with regard to securing a two-state solution; and whether talks with other European Union member states have produced any different approaches to negotiation.[HL15918]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK continues to make high-level representations to the Government of Israel and to the Palestinians on the urgency of making progress towards a two-state solution. In pursuit of this aim, we view as a positive development the efforts of King Abdullah of Jordan and the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Nasser Judeh, to bring the parties together under the framework of the quartet statement of 23 September 2011.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA409
There is European Union consensus on the need for both parties to engage in actions that build confidence and create the environment of trust necessary to ensure meaningful negotiations, leading to a comprehensive and lasting peace. The UK fully supports the conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council on the Middle East Peace Process on 23 January 2012: http://www. consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/127466.pdf.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they and the quartet are making representations to the Government of Israel about recent uprootings of olive trees on land at Turmus Aya, north of Ramallah.[HL15989]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government fully appreciate that attacks on olive groves are particularly painful to Palestinians, as the olive tree is both a national symbol and the sole source of income for many subsistence farmers. We have raised our concerns about the impact of this type of action by Israeli settlers with the Israeli Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and with the Israeli Defence Force. Staff at our consulate-general in Jerusalem and our embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to raise these issues as appropriate.
We view any attempts to change the facts on the ground as a serious provocation likely to raise tensions and cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, as well as being harmful to the peace process and in contravention of international law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they and the quartet are making representations to the Government of Israel about the arrest by Israeli soldiers in January 2011 of Islam Dar Ayyoub from the village of Nabi Saleh, and his treatment and interrogation; and whether they are co-operating with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment regarding this case.[HL15990]
Lord Howell of Guildford: Our officials in Tel Aviv are aware of this case, but they have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities or had discussions with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised Israel's extensive use of administrative detention with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 23 February and Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon on 27 February. Our ambassador to Tel Aviv also raised these issues with the Israeli Attorney-General on 24 February.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA410
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they and the quartet are making representations to the Government of Israel about recent alleged attempts by settlers to storm the al-Haram al-Sharif compound.[HL15991]
Lord Howell of Guildford: Our officials in Tel Aviv discussed the violence that happened in, and around, Jerusalem during 24 February with the Israeli authorities on 27 February. We are in touch with the office of the quartet representative on this issue.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they and the quartet are making representations to the Government of Israel about any encroachment by the outpost of Amona, near Ofra, onto land in Zone B.[HL15992]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), most recently raised our concerns over settlement building with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister on 27 February. Our ambassador and officials in Tel Aviv have also raised our concerns on these issues recently with the Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We are clear that the existence of Israeli outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and their expansion including in Area B, is illegal under international law and Israel's commitments under the road map.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning its treatment of detainees in prisons, in the light of the report by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.[HL16038]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised Israel's extensive use of administrative detention with the Israeli ambassador to London on 23 February and Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon on 27 February. Our ambassador also raised these issues with the Israeli Attorney-General on 24 February.
Our officials in Tel Aviv have raised our concerns with the Israeli authorities about the broader questions of the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including in the context of the case of Mr Khader Adnan. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law, including in their own policies on detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
We are in regular touch with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which monitors the situation closely.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA411
Libya
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they have raised with the Government of Libya access in that country to fair reviews and justice for those in administrative detention, held without charge or brought before a military court.[HL15899]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We have raised consistently with the Libyan authorities the importance of providing fair treatment to all those held in detention. Immediately following the reports of mistreatment in Misrata in January, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised our concerns with the Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister in early February. The Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for Taunton Dean (Mr Browne), reiterated these concerns to the Libyan Interior Minister. Wider transitional justice issues, including the need for fair trials and due process for those held without charge, remain a regular feature of our dialogue with the Libyans. Our ambassador is in close contact with Libyan officials on these issues.
The Libyan Deputy Prime Minister announced on 31 January that officials from the Ministries of Justice and Interior would visit detention centres and begin the process of bringing all detention facilities under central government control. The UK has already provided training to Libyan judges and legal professionals and is providing further support, including on prison reform. The UK will continue to follow closely the situation and provide support and assistance to the transitional Government to help the Libyan authorities ensure justice for all members of Libyan society
Railways: Electrification
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to the business case for (1) electrification of the line between Swansea and Cardiff, and of the Cardiff Valley network, with electric Intercity Express Programme trains, and (2) electrification of the Cardiff Valley network and bimodal Intercity Express Programme trains; and what are the differences between each business case.[HL15626]
Earl Attlee: The Government's assessment is set out in the document Railway Investment on the Great Western Main Line and in Wales, which has been deposited in the House of Commons Library.
The assessment concluded that electrification to Cardiff with bi-mode trains to Swansea delivered a benefit-cost ratio of two. Electrification from Cardiff to Swansea remains under consideration but the benefit-cost ratio was much lower.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA412
The Welsh Government have submitted a business case to the Department for Transport on the electrification of the Cardiff Valley lines, which is under consideration by the department. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales has also made representations to the department on this matter.
Railways: Fares
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Atlee on 28 February (WA 347), how many times they have found breaches in the price of regulated fares in each of the past five years; and what enforcement action was taken in each instance.[HL16073]
Earl Attlee: There has been one breach identified involving the price of regulated fares in the past five years on Southeastern in 2010. This, and a number of other issues, led to Southeastern introducing a new passenger's charter including Delay Repay compensation in 2011.
Railways: Procurement
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timetable for the delivery of new carriages for rail franchises based outside London and the south-east which are suffering from overcrowding.[HL15605]
Earl Attlee: The 106 new-build Pendolino carriages which are planned for the InterCity West Coast franchise are on schedule to be delivered by 31 December 2012 (with some already in use).
The Department for Transport announced on 29 February 2012 that an agreement has been reached with London Midland and First TransPennine Express for the procurement of new-build electric multiple carriages. This procurement will help address crowding on routes into Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle as well as London Euston. It is intended that these new-build carriages will be in service by December 2014.
The department is also expecting to introduce around 600 new-build carriages through the Intercity Express Programme, where additional capacity will be provided into south Wales, the west of England, Yorkshire, the north-east and Scotland. These carriages are expected to be introduced between 2017 and 2019.
In addition, major orders will be placed for Thameslink and Crossrail in the coming years.
We are also negotiating with another train operator in relation to additional carriages cascaded from other routes.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA413
Renewable Heat Incentive
Questions
Asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the second stage of the Renewable Heat Incentive to be implemented.[HL16121]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): We are developing options for longer-term support for renewable heat in the domestic sector and details on timing for development and introduction of support will be published in the near future.
Asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the potential contribution of the second phase of the Renewable Heat Incentive to reducing fuel poverty in rural households.[HL16123]
Lord Marland: Rural areas lacking access to the gas grid face higher heating costs through their use of more expensive fuels and consequently are likely to have the greatest potential to benefit from changing their heating source to renewable sources.
We are developing options for longer term support for renewable heat in the domestic sector and details on timing for development and introduction of support will be published in the near future.
Somalia
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of the recent London conference on Somalia; what were the positive results; and which of their objectives were not met.[HL15962]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The London conference on Somalia was primarily aimed at reinvigorating the international approach to Somalia. As the Prime Minister set out in his speech of 14 November announcing the conference, our aims were:
- "to tackle the underlying causes of these issues [of piracy and terrorism] and deliver a new international approach to Somalia. It will form the basis for co-ordinated and sustained international leadership on Somalia, bringing together international partners and key institutions like the United Nations and the African Union. It aims to generate agreement on how to tackle the shared threats, and support a broader, more inclusive political process to bring security and stability to Somalia".
We believe that we have met all of these objectives. Britain and the international community agreed at the conference: to inject new momentum into the political process, and ensure an inclusive process to end the transition in August; to strengthen AMISOM (the African Union Mission in Somalia) and help Somalia develop its own security forces; to help build stability at a local level; and to step up action to tackle pirates and terrorists. These are all positive results. For the full details of the agreements reached I refer you to
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA414
Turkey
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will discuss with the Government of Turkey the arrest on 20 February of Ms Arzu Mucu and Ms Çimen Altürk, both members of the Peace and Democracy Party, and the arrests in Istanbul of 10 persons connected with the Kurdistan Communities Union.[HL15988]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government do not plan to discuss the arrests of Ms Arzu Mucu and Ms Çimen Altürk, or the arrests in Istanbul of 10 persons connected with the Kurdistan Communities Union with the Government of Turkey.
We expect high legal and judicial standards to be observed in line with Turkey's responsibilities as a member of the Council of Europe, the Office for Security and Co-operation in Europe and also in line with international law. Our embassy in Ankara will continue to monitor the situation.
UK Trade and Investment
Questions
Asked by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint on 29 November 2011 (WA 65-6), whether they will publish the analysis undertaken by UK Trade and Investment and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to identify their 20 priority high-growth markets in Britain Open for Business.[HL16015]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint): UKTI, working with the FCO, deployed a range of criteria to prioritise its focus on emerging and high growth markets, including:
market size and potential for growth; the Government's assessment of their strategic political and economic importance; an assessment of the security situation; strength of scientific, technical and research base; performance of UK businesses relative to competitors; market match with UK capability; and the presence of active local partners keen to strengthen trading links with the UK.These criteria enabled us to assess the importance of specific markets, their potential for growth, and the need for the Government to help British business interests.
6 Mar 2012 : Column WA415
Further details of the economic analysis that underpinned the selection of markets identified in Britain Open for Business can be found in the following Department for Business Economics papers:
BIS Economics paper No. 8: UK Trade Performance: Patterns in UK and Global Trade Growth (November 2010); BIS Economics paper No. 13: International Trade and Investment-the Economic Rationale for Government Support (May 2011); and BIS Economics paper No. 17: UK Trade Performance across Markets and Sectors (February 2012).Available at: http://www.bis.gov.uk/analysis/economics /main-economics-papers.
Asked by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint on 29 November 2011 (WA 65-6), how they ascertain and evaluate the demand from United Kingdom businesses for the services of UK Trade and Investment abroad.[HL16017]
Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: Evidence about the potential demand from UK businesses for the services of UK Trade and Investment abroad is obtained from regular independent surveys of UK businesses which are either currently internationalising, or thinking of doing so in the near future, both users and non-users of UKTI trade services. Results from these surveys are published in full on the UKTI web site at: http://www.ukti. gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/ourperformance/research/barrierstointernationalisation.html.
The surveys provide evidence both about the nature and extent of business need for services of this type, and about the characteristics of businesses which are most likely to benefit from using the services. The surveys identify the different types of issues, including potential barriers to entering new markets, which are faced by different types of businesses in different circumstances and markets.
Evidence about the demand from UK businesses for these services is also available from UKTI's Performance and Impact Monitoring Survey (PIMS), which tracks take-up by UK businesses with different characteristics, as well as quality and impact of the services, and the benefits which result. Full reports are available at: http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti /ourperformance/performanceimpactandmonitorings urvey.html.
In addition to these surveys, UKTI draws on a wide range of other research to inform its assessment of business need. This evidence is reviewed in two recent BIS economics papers, which also draw out policy implications of the evidence:
BIS Economics Paper No 5: Internationalisation of Innovative and High Growth SMEs (March 2010); andBIS Economics Paper No 13: International Trade and Investment-the Economic Rationale for Government Support (May 2011).6 Mar 2012 : Column WA416
Both papers are available on the BIS website at: http://www.bis.gov.uk/analysis/economics/main-economics-papers.
Water Supply: Waste Water
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which were the tidal combined sewer overflows which released over 900,000 tonnes of storm sewage into the River Thames on 5 and 6 June 2011, as noted in paragraph 2.6.18 of the National Policy Statement for Waste Water; and what are their estimates of the tonnage attributable to each tidal combined sewer overflow. [HL15908]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): Below are the figures for the tidal combined sewer overflows on 5 and 6 June 2011, derived from data submitted by Thames Water to the Environment Agency:
| Date | Outfall | Volume (m3) |
Waterways: Canals
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 13 February (WA 142), why canal lengths were given in kilometres rather than in miles.[HL15756]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): It has been accepted practice to use kilometres as a measure since 1965.
It may be helpful to clarify that British Waterways is responsible for about 1,485 miles of navigable canals in England, all of which are open for tourism except when closed for maintenance and repairs. The Environment Agency has one canal, and that is open to tourists. There are at least 143 miles of navigable canals managed by a wide range of other bodies, including local authorities, port authorities and charitable trusts. Some canals under restoration by canal trusts/societies may still be open to tourists.
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