Written Answers
Tuesday 4 December 2012
Afghanistan
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 13 November (WA 261–2), how many times they have investigated the circumstances of deaths caused by United Kingdom drones in Afghanistan; what conclusions they have drawn about deaths or injuries to civilians; what steps they will take in the light of those conclusions to improve the safety of future operations; and whether they will share that information with their allies.[HL3500]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my honourable friend, the previous Minister for the Armed Forces, the member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), in the other place on 26 June 2012 (Official Report, col. 187W) to the honourable Member for Birmingham Hall Green (Mr Godsiff).
There are strict procedures, frequently updated in light of experience, intended to both minimise the risk of casualties occurring and to investigate any incidents that do happen. Any occasion on which a precision-guided weapon is released by an aircraft, whether manned or remotely piloted, is reviewed and where appropriate further investigations are initiated, including all instances in which a possible civilian casualty is reported.
The incident of 25 March 2011 is the only one in which civilian fatalities are known to have resulted from a UK remotely piloted aircraft strike. In this case, a joint International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)-Afghan investigation was initiated and therefore its report was automatically shared with allies. This report concluded that the actions of the crew had been in accordance with ISAF procedures and the rules of engagement. I am withholding further details as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Apprenticeships
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new apprenticeships have been created since 2010 in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (3) North West England.[HL3730]
Baroness Garden of Frognal: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West regions. Final data are shown for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years and provisional data are shown for the 2011-12 academic year.
Provisional data for the 2011-12 academic year provide an early view of performance and will change as further data returns are received from further education colleges and providers. They should not be directly compared with final year data from previous years. Figures for 2011-12 will be finalised in January 2013.
| Table 1: Apprenticeship Programme Starts in North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and North West Regions, 2009-10 to 2011-12 (Provisional) | |||
| Region | 2009-10 (Final) | 2010-11 (Final) | 2011-12 (Provisional) |
Source:
Individualised Learner Record
Notes
1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Geographic breakdowns are based upon the home postcode of the learner.
3. Figures are based on the geographic boundaries as of May 2010.
4. Provisional data for 2011-12 should not be directly compared with data for earlier years.
Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by geography is published in a supplementary table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 11 October 2012:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_currenthttp://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/
Armed Forces: 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 14 November (WA 289), as they have not listed the criteria the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers failed to meet, leading to its disbandment, whether they will reconsider their decision to disband the battalion in the light of unemployment in its recruitment area.[HL3748]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The criteria used to assess which battalions would be withdrawn from the Army's order of battle and the reason for the selection of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were detailed during the Backbench Business committee debate by my right honourable friend the Member for South Leicestershire, Minister for the Armed Forces (Andrew Robathan) in the other place on 18 October 2012 (Official Report, col. 557-560). In addition, the Ministry of Defence has placed in the Library of the House the detailed data the Army used in reaching its decision on which battalions to remove, which includes its criteria and how these were applied.
We remain committed to implementing Army 2020 as announced in July 2012, including the decision to withdraw the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. While the loss of any battalion is regretted, I am assured that the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers accept the Army board decision on this matter and is now working towards a successful merger of the two battalions.
I should emphasise that the withdrawal or merger of units is completely separate from the redundancy process. An individual in a unit which is withdrawn or merged is no more or less likely that any other individual with similar skills and service record to be selected for future redundancy.
Bahrain
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 14 November (WA 290), what issues they intend to raise with the Bahraini Minister of State for Human Rights. [HL3588]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Attorney-General, my right honourable friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve QC), met the Bahraini Minister of State for Human Rights on 7 November.
They discussed steps taken so far based on the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report, including improvements in forensic capabilities and the work of the Special Investigations Unit.
The Attorney-General raised the ban on protests and urged for it to be lifted as soon as possible. He also urged for more progress to be made in implementing reforms and for greater steps to be taken on reconciliation and political dialogue.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the Government of Bahrain about human rights.[HL3616]
Baroness Warsi: We regularly raise human rights with the Government of Bahrain.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I each recently met the Bahraini Foreign Minister.
In both meetings we discussed human rights openly and frankly, including our concern about the ban on protests. We urged the Government to live up to their commitments made at the Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review.
We continue to follow the situation in Bahrain closely and we are engaging with the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels to ensure our concerns are registered.
BBC: Licence Fee
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was raised by the BBC licence fee in each of the past five years; how many such fees were collected each year; what was the total collection cost, the average cost of collection per fee and the percentage of the fee involved each year; and what was the level of government funding to the BBC each year. [HL3216]
Viscount Younger of Leckie: The application of the legislation on TV licensing is the responsibility of the BBC, which operates independently of Government.
| Level of BBC licence fee income | |||||
| 2011/2012 (£m) | 2010/2011 (£m) | 2009/2010 (£m) | 2008/2009 (£m) | 2007/2008 (£m) | |
| Total licences issued | |||||
| 2011/2012 '000 | 2010/2011 '000 | 2009/2010 '000 | 2008/2009 '000 | 2007/2008 '000 | |
| Total collection cost | |||||
| 2011/2012 (£m) | 2010/2011 (£m) | 2009/2010 (£m) | 2008/2009 (£m) | 2007/2008 (£m) | |
Collection costs as a percentage of total licence fee income
The average cost of collection per licence fee is not recorded by the BBC. However, when using the figures provided, average costs can be estimated.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding to the BBC
DCMS funding to the BBC differs from the level of BBC licence fee income. This is due to the department having to make the last grant instalment payment before the final tranche of licence fees are received. Therefore, they may not be exactly as forecast.
| 2011/2012 (£m) | 2010/2011 (£m) | 2009/2010 (£m) | 2008/2009 (£m) | 2007/2008 (£m) | |
Data do not include funding the BBC may receive from other government departments.
Burma
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the application of universal jurisdiction relating to the use of torture
in relation to the proposed visits to the United Kingdom by President Thein Sein and other officials from Burma.[HL3479]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The proposed visit of President Thein Sein will be at the invitation of the Government for the purpose of carrying out official government to government business. In particular, it would be an opportunity to engage the president on our issues of concern, to share our own knowledge and experience and support the reforms taking place in Burma.
The conditions for the exercise of universal jurisdiction for torture by the UK courts are set out in Sections 134 and 135 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and further provision is made in respect of arrest warrants in Section 153 of the Police and Social Responsibility Act 2011. The UK is obliged under international law to accord relevant privileges and immunities to certain categories of official visitors, and this is reflected in UK law.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Hugo Swire, on 30 October (Official Report, col. 156), how they monitor the ability of the Government of Burma to protect human rights.[HL3526]
Baroness Warsi: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) draws on a wide variety of sources to assess objectively the ability of the Burmese Government to protect the human rights of all the people of Burma. This includes assessments and regular reporting from our embassy in Rangoon. Our embassy officials travel around the country on a regular basis, often to ethnic minority areas. Our ambassador has visited Rakhine state twice since the beginning of October. We also meet regularly with members of local civil society, drawing on eye-witness reporting. We engage with the Burmese Government directly on human rights. Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) have visited Burma to see the situation for themselves. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) will travel to Burma shortly.
We also meet independent experts in the field of human rights, including the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana. We consider credible and impartial reporting from, and regularly meet with, relevant human rights organisations, many of whom are based in the UK.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the credibility of the Joint Action Plan between the United Nations and
the Government of Burma, in the light of the refusal by the Burmese military of access to all military bases.[HL3528]
Baroness Warsi: The conclusion of an agreed joint action plan (JAP) between the UN and Burmese Government this year was another important milestone on Burma's path towards democracy. It consists of specific commitments including strengthening identification, registration and vetting procedures to prevent and end the recruitment of children. This marks the most significant development in the international community's efforts to bring an end to the use of child soldiers once and for all in Burma.
We are aware that this remains the beginning of a longer term process. It will be important for the Burmese Government to implement the JAP in a robust manner for it to be effective. We are concerned that in some cases the Burmese military is still refusing access to some of its military bases on the grounds of national security. In other cases, access to military sites where child soldiers may be present is contingent on a notice period of up to 72 hours. It is imperative for the Burmese Government to facilitate UN access to affected children. We have seen progress in the implementation of the JAP through the recent release and reintegration of 45 children back into the community as a result of efforts by the Burmese Government. We welcome this achievement and will continue to support the implementation of the JAP.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Burma regarding the proposal to expel all ethnic Rohingya from that country.[HL3530]
Baroness Warsi: We are aware of the reports in July that President Thein Sein told a visiting delegation from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that the Burmese Government would not recognise the Rohingya and that his Government were considering handing over the ethnic group to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We are extremely concerned by these comments.
We have continued to lobby the Burmese Government to put in place long term solutions to the issues affecting the Rohingya. We also continue to raise the issue of Rohigya refugees and the humanitarian situation in the Bangladesh-Burma border area with the Bangladeshi Government. Encouragingly, in his speech to the UN General Assembly in September, President Thein Sein recognised that “all people in Myanmar have a right to live in peace and with security. We need a solution in the Rakhine State that is both just and consistent with international standards”. The international community will be holding Burma to this commitment.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to obtain the release of Brang Shawng and other civilians held in prison in Burma.[HL3577]
Baroness Warsi: While we welcome the most recent release of a number of political prisoners on the 19 November, we believe that Brang Shawng remains in detention.
The Government continue to call for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Burma at every opportunity. In September the Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), met Burmese Foreign Minister, U Wunna Maung Lwin, during a UN General Assembly session in New York. He pressed for unconditional release of all political prisoners and urged the Burmese Government to set up an independent, non-political process to define the number of political detainees that remain detained. He also urged the Burmese Government to lift restrictions on those who had been released, including on their travel.
During President Obama's recent visit, the Burmese Government pledged to devise, by the end of the year, a transparent mechanism to review the cases of those political prisoners that remain detained in line with international standards. The Burmese Government also announced that they would grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to assess the welfare and living conditions inside detention centres, and to facilitate medical treatment. We will continue to urge the Burmese Government to keep to these commitments, including during the forthcoming visit to Burma by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the member for East Devon (Mr Swire).
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the Government of Burma about the situation of Rohingya Muslims in the state of Rakhine.[HL3617]
Baroness Warsi: We continue to urge the Burmese Government to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, in particular to ensure security in, and to guarantee humanitarian access to, the state and to address the underlying causes of the unrest. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised these concerns with Burmese President Thein Sein at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Laos on 5 November. This followed his meeting with the Burmese Foreign Minister, Munna Waung Lwin, at the UN General Assembly in September and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for East Devon's (Mr Swire) meeting with Burmese Minister Soe Thane where both made similar points about the need to resolve the issues affecting the Rohingya community, including the issue of citizenship.
The forthcoming visit to Burma later this month by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), will provide another valuable opportunity to raise our concerns directly with senior members of the Burmese Government.
Businesses: New Start-ups
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new business start-ups there have been since 2010 in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (3) North West England.[HL3725]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, Director General for Office for National Statistics, to Lord Bates, dated November 2012
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new business start-ups there have been since 2010 in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber and (3) North West England. [HL 3725]
Annual statistics on the number of new business start-ups (we refer to these as enterprise births) are available in the ONS release on Business Demography at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/business-demography/index.html.
The latest data available are for 2010. Data for 2011 will be released by ONS on 13 December 2012. The table below shows the count of enterprise births for 2010 in North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber and North West England.
| Count of enterprise births, 2010 | ||
| North East England | Yorkshire and the Humber | North West England |
Note—The above figures have been rounded to the nearest 5, to avoid disclosure.
Cayman Islands
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the reasons for the delay in agreeing the Cayman Islands Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR); and whether they propose to take any further action on the matter now that the FFR has been agreed by the Cayman Islands Government.[HL3698]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Cayman Islands Government agreed a framework for fiscal responsibility (FFR) in November 2011 and that it would be transposed into local law by 1 July. There were some delays in effecting the transposition but the FFR was put into Cayman Islands law in early November.
The Government are committed to ensuring good governance is upheld in the Cayman Islands. Implementation of the FFR demonstrates the Cayman
Islands Government's commitment to modernising local financial management legislation, including on procurement, establishes prudent debt limits and confirms a commitment to the following key policy principles: effective medium-term planning, to ensure that the full impact of fiscal decisions is understood;putting value for money considerations at the heart of the decision-making process;effective management of risk; anddelivering improved accountability in all public sector operations.
Effective implementation will be important.
Child Abuse: North Wales
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which accusations led to the establishment of the review by the honourable Mrs Justice Macur into whether any specific allegations of child abuse within the terms of reference of the Waterhouse inquiry were not investigated; and how many of those accusations were first checked to see whether they had been previously levelled and assessed.[HL3565]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the forecast cost of the two inquiries they have set up in relation to accusations of inadequacies in the investigation of allegations of child abuse in North Wales.[HL3566]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The Prime Minister announced a review of Sir Ronald Waterhouse's inquiry into child abuse in care homes in North Wales following recent serious allegations about child abuse in North Wales. The seriousness of the allegations merits a thorough investigation into events at the time. Mrs Justice Macur's review will proceed with the terms of reference laid before this House on 8 November.
We do not yet have a cost forecast for either Mrs Justice Macur's review of the Waterhouse inquiry or Keith Bristow's review of historic police investigations and fresh investigations of alleged abuse.
Child Soldiers: UN Action Plan
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries, in addition to Burma, the United Nations has agreed action plans on child soldiers which do not include the right of access to military bases. [HL3573]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): All action plans on child soldiers agreed between the UN and parties to a conflict include the right of access to military bases.
China
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 13 November (WA 271), whether they will raise the position of Catholics in China at the proposed United Kingdom–China Human Rights Dialogue to take place in 2013.[HL3587]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We strongly support freedom of religion for all, including in China as stated in my previous Answer to the noble Lord. We will raise freedom of religion at the next UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the activities of the M23 militia in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what evidence they have about support for M23 from Rwanda; and whether they will seek international sanctions against any individual or government found to be providing support for M23.[HL3598]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Secretary of State for International Development, my right honourable friend the member for Putney (Ms Greening), issued a statement on 22 November in response to the UN Group of Experts report:
“The Security Council discussed on 21 November the new UN Group of Experts report, which presented evidence of the Government of Rwanda and individuals within Uganda supporting the rebel group M23. All such support is unacceptable, damaging to the security of the region, and in direct contravention of UN Security Council 2076, which demands that any and all outside support to the M23 cease immediately.
We judge the overall body of evidence of Rwandan involvement with M23 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be credible and compelling. We will be studying the implications of this report in full, but these allegations will necessarily be a key factor in future aid decisions to the Government of Rwanda.
We note that alleged Ugandan involvement is assessed to be of a lower intensity and less systemic than Rwanda's. We call on both countries to respond in full to the report's findings, and to engage openly and constructively with the UN process.
The UK is greatly concerned about the escalating situation in eastern DRC and the plight of its civilian population. We repeat our calls for the immediate withdrawal of the M23 from Goma, the restoration of State authority of the Government of the DRC in Goma and in North-Kivu, and the end to attacks on the civilian population.
We welcome the efforts of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) chaired by the Government of Uganda in bringing together regional countries in an attempt to find a way forward. We welcome the meeting yesterday of the
ICGLR Foreign Ministers and urge them to continue to take every opportunity to find a swift and sustainable solution. Mr Simmonds, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa, arrived in the region yesterday to ensure the UK is doing everything it can to support a solution”.
The UN Security Council (UNSC), through its resolution 2076 which was debated by the UNSC on 20 November, directed the UN Sanctions Committee to review, as a matter of urgency, the activities of two Senior M23 leaders, Innocent Kaina and Baudouin Ngaruye, and the activities of any other individuals who meet the criteria for designation under the current sanctions regime.
Two other leaders of M23, Bosco Ntaganda and Sultani Makenga, are already listed.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the origin of weapons and support provided to the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[HL3682]
Baroness Warsi: We strongly condemn any external support for armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 21 June the UN Group of Experts published an interim report, which included evidence that Rwanda had provided weapons and other support to M23. The Group of Experts annual report was published on 21 November. This presented further evidence that the Rwandan Government and individuals within Uganda were supporting M23. The overall body of evidence of Rwandan involvement with the DRC appears to be credible and compelling. We note that alleged Ugandan involvement is of a lower intensity and less systemic than Rwanda's.
Education: Careers Advice
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the findings of their consultation on careers guidance for schools, sixth form colleges and further education institutions.[HL3671]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The results of the Government's consultation on extending access to independent and impartial careers guidance were published on Tuesday 27 November on the DfE website at: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeoplelyoungpeople/participation/a00217489/extending-independent-careers-guidance. A copy of the consultation report has also been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Education: Sex Education
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 22 November, whether they will prioritise the provision
of sex education for children with learning difficulties and learning disabilities, in the light of the greater incidence of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of those children.[HL3669]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): All schools should ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and learning disabilities are properly included in sex education.
When any school provides sex education they must have regard to the Secretary of State's Guidance on Sex and Relationship Education. This document makes clear that children with learning difficulties and learning disabilities may need help to develop skills to reduce the risks of being abused and exploited, and to learn what sorts of behaviour are, and are not, acceptable.
Elections: Police and Crime Commissioners
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many postal votes were (1) issued, and (2) returned, in each of the police authority areas in the recent police and crime commissioner elections.[HL3559]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): The returning officer for each police force area is responsible for calculating the results and publishing this material, as is the case in all elections. The details of postal votes issued and returned are available in the certificates of the results published by each of the 41 police area returning officers, but are not held centrally. The Electoral Commission will publish national figures in due course. The Government should not pre-empt this work by producing our own estimates.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many postal votes were issued to serving members of the Armed Forces in the recent police and crime commissioner elections; and how many were returned. [HL3560]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: All service personnel, their spouses or civil partners have the option to register as service voters by completing a service registration form. They may also choose instead to register as overseas voters, or ordinarily, like other UK electors. It is therefore not possible to identify how many postal votes were issued specifically to service personnel in the PCC elections.
Embryology
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to implement the recommendations of the 2011 Academy of Medical Sciences’ report Animals containing human material in the regulation of the use of animals in scientific procedures, and
in particular the Academy’s suggested prohibitions on development of any embryo comprising non-human primate and human embryonic or pluripotent stem cells; and what regulations would cover the use of primate embryos obtained ex vivo, subsequent to humane killing of females under Schedule 1 to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.[HL3599]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Responsibility for the regulation on use of animals in research lies with the Home Office. We have been advised that the government response to the public consultation on the options for the transposition of European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, published by the Home Office in May 2012, gave an undertaking to take account of the recommendations from the Academy of Medical Sciences when agreeing the functions of the committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes required under Article 49 of that directive.
Transposition of directive 2010/63/EU is nearing completion and the Home Office will shortly be starting the process of setting up the committee and agreeing its terms of reference. In doing so, consideration will be given to the role the committee might play in the authorisation of projects involving animals containing human material.
Separately, the Home Office, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority are developing advice for investigators on the regulations on the use of human material in animals.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 5 November (WA 168) and by Lord Marland on 20 November (WA 340–41), when the journal article “detailing further findings on the therapeutic potential and efficiency” of somatic cell nuclear transfer was first submitted for publication; to which open-access journals it has already been submitted; and whether the authors of the unpublished article are California Institute for Regenerative Medicine staff or those who had been recipients of Medical Research Council funding in order to obtain eggs for research from women.[HL3685]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Marland): The journal article which will detail further findings on the therapeutic potential and efficiency, referred to in the previous response from Baroness Garden of Frognal on 5 November 2012, relates to the findings of the MRC funded grant and will be authored by the grant recipients.
The paper has yet to be published and so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. However, we will advise the noble Lord when the article has been published.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many organisations provide services on behalf of the Government to adults affected by donor conception. [HL3702]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they have spent annually on services for adults affected by donor conception in each of the past five years.[HL3703]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of services to adults affected by donor conception.[HL3704]
Earl Howe: Over the past five years the Government have supported three third sector organisations to provide a range of services specifically for adults affected by donor conception. These are After Adoption Yorkshire, the Donor Conception Network and the National Gamete Donation Trust.
Grants were awarded to these three organisations as set out in the following table:
| Organisation | Year | Grant |
Up to December 2012 only pending award of new contract
The Government have received reports from these bodies about the work the funding has supported. The Government have taken the view that services related to gamete donation remain important but should be streamlined. An integrated national gamete donation programme is therefore currently being procured through a competitive tender process and is nearing a conclusion. All the above organisations were eligible to apply and were involved in discussions with the department.
In addition the department provides grant-in-aid to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which collects and provides information about donor conceived people and their donors under the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended).
Energy: Nuclear Industry
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to work with other members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, including China, Russia and the United States, to expand studies into technologies that could enable future nuclear
energy options, including those for dealing with long-lived radioactive wastes or that would enable more rapid development of fusion energy.[HL3739]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma): As we set out in the Government's response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee's report on Nuclear R&D Capabilities, we have been taking forward a programme of work with industry, academia and other key organisations, looking at the longer term perspective of the nuclear sector to 2050 and beyond.
This has included consideration of a number of areas including: the scope for international engagement and collaboration, the long-term management and disposal of wastes, the potential synergies between fusion and fission and the R&D skills requirements for the sector.
Taken as a whole, the programme will form the basis of a comprehensive and integrated industrial strategy for the UK's long-term use of this source of energy.
The main focus of UK fusion research is helping to ensure the success of the ITER project, which is an
international scientific collaboration involving partners in the EU, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States, and is the vital next step towards practical fusion power stations.
Energy: Wind Turbines
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the generating capacity of onshore wind turbines in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland, (a) installed, (b) approved but not built, and (c) with submitted planning applications; and what is their target in each case for 2020.[HL3736]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma): DECC's renewable energy planning database (REPD) tracks the progress of renewable electricity projects from inception, through planning, construction and operational phases, and is updated on a monthly basis. The latest REPD capacity data (October 2012) for onshore wind are:
| Figures in megawatts (rounded). | Installed: | Under construction: | Awaiting construction: | Planning application submitted: | Total: |
Not everything consented will be built, and not everything in the planning system will be consented. There will also probably be new project proposals to come.
Although the UK has a target of generating 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020, there are no generation targets specific to onshore wind.
Exports
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of United Kingdom businesses exporting goods and services to other European Union countries.[HL3837]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint): In 2010, around 110,000 UK enterprises exported goods to other countries in the European Union. There are currently no available figures for enterprises exporting services, or goods and services combined.
Source:
Eurostat—UK estimates based on data provided by HMRC.
Gaza
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning the shelling of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.[HL3597]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to his Israeli counterpart about the recent escalation of violence in and around Gaza on 17 and 21 November. We have consistently called on those involved to avoid any action which risked civilian casualties.
We welcome the agreement reached on 21 November to end hostilities. We have urged all sides to uphold their commitments, and paid tribute to President Mursi and the Egyptian Government for their intensive efforts and the leadership they have shown, as well as to US Secretary of State Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the role they have played.
This ceasefire is an important step towards a lasting peace. The priority now must be to build on the ceasefire and to address the underlying causes of the
conflict, including more open access to and from Gaza for trade as well as humanitarian assistance, and an end to the smuggling of weapons. Above all, the loss of life over the past week has shown the urgent need for a return to negotiations on a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UK will work urgently with the USA, the EU, our other international partners and with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, calling for a new initiative to restart the peace process before the window for a two-state solution closes.
Gibraltar
Question
Asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incursions by Spanish vessels into Gibraltar's waters between November 2011 and October 2012.[HL3607]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): There were 178 unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters (BGTW) by Spanish state vessels between 1 November 2011 and 31 October 2012. Many of these incursions were related to the dispute about fishing within BGTW which started in March 2012. Prior to the dispute limited fishing had been allowed within BGTW under an informal agreement between the former Government of Gibraltar and local Spanish fishermen. Since March this year Spanish Guardia Civil vessels have regularly escorted Spanish fishing vessels into BGTW or have joined Spanish fishing vessels within BGTW. Guardia Civil and other Spanish state vessels have also sometimes attempted to patrol within BGTW even when there have been no Spanish fishing vessels present.
The UK has sovereignty over BGTW under international law. We oppose any attempt to challenge our sovereignty. The Royal Navy challenges all unlawful incursions into BGTW by Spanish state vessels. We also make formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid about all such incursions. Although unlawful incursions are a violation of our sovereignty, they are not a threat to it. Unlawful incursions do not change the fact of UK sovereignty over Gibraltar and BGTW.
Government Departments: Staff
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what surveys of staff employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are conducted; at what cost; at what time of year; and whether they will place in the Library of the House the results of each such survey held in each of the past five years.[HL3318]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employs over 14,000 people in nearly
270 diplomatic offices, with almost 10,000 members of staff employed from the 170 countries in which we operate.
The FCO has participated in the annual Civil Service wide People Survey since 2009. In 2008 it conducted its own survey. The People Survey seeks staff's opinions, attitudes to and experiences of work. The survey is carried out each autumn. The results enable the FCO to identify areas of strength and weakness. It allows us to prioritise where action is required to increase employee engagement, so that staff are motivated to deliver the FCO's objectives.
The financial cost (not including VAT) to the FCO of the annual survey in each of the past five years is as follows:
The costs encompass surveys for FCO, FCO Services and Wilton Park. The costs cover the annual set-up and management of the survey (by an independent market research company), translations and the inclusion of FCO specific questions. The increase in cost of the survey over the time period reflects the inclusion of more FCO specific questions.
Cabinet Office will publish the results of the 2012 survey on 1 February 2013. I have now placed copies of the survey results for each year from 2008 to 2011 in the Libraries of both Houses. Results for 2010 and 2011 are also available on the Cabinet Office web-site at: www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/improving/employee-engagement-in-the-civil-service/people-survey-2011.
Business areas across the FCO carry out other surveys throughout the year to ensure that decisions are informed by the views and comments of a wide range of staff across our network. That information is not held centrally.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work at least one day per week from home, broken down by (1) directorate, and (2) grade.[HL3795]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley): Working from home arrangements are one part of core Defra's flexible working policy arrangements.
However, information on the number of staff who work from home for at least one day per week is not held centrally and could be provided only by incurring disproportionate cost.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff at each grade were employed in the Parliamentary Branch of the Department for Education and its predecessor departments in each of the past 10 years.[HL3561]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Department for Education is taking to ensure it answers Questions for Written Answer within ten working days.[HL3563]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): Data on staffing at team level can only be provided from 2009, when a new corporate management information system was introduced. In 2009-10 and 2010-11, the parliamentary team comprised five staff: one higher executive officer; two executive officers; and two executive assistants. In June 2012, the team increased to a total of six staff with the addition of one senior executive officer. From September 2012, the team grew again to seven staff: one grade 7; one higher executive officer; three executive officers; and two executive assistants. A further higher executive officer post has recently been created, and recruitment is underway.
The department's IT system for handling Parliamentary Questions (PQs) failed in June 2012. A temporary manual system was put in place but it has meant that performance has been adversely affected, with many PQs being answered late.
Officials have a recovery plan in place, including: increasing the size, and raising the staff grade profile, of the parliamentary team; improving internal handling processes; work to provide better management information with which to monitor performance; and procurement of a new IT system.
Government: Special Advisers
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a Cabinet Minister may recruit to the post of special adviser through open competition; and, if not, why not.[HL3551]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister will fill future vacancies for special adviser posts in 10 Downing Street by open competition; and whether he will instruct or encourage other Cabinet Ministers to do so.[HL3552]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in recent years, any special adviser posts have been filled by open competition.[HL3553]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Special advisers are temporary civil servants and are personal appointments made by Ministers. As was the case under previous Administrations, they are excepted from the requirement that selection is through fair and open competition.
Health: Autism Spectrum Disorder
Questions
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 22 November (WA 410–12), what variations there are in the
assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder throughout the United Kingdom; and what steps they are taking to implement best practice from one region in others.[HL3700]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): There will be variations in the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum conditions throughout the United Kingdom. In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) writes clinical guidelines and makes recommendations on treating and caring for people with specific conditions. These guidelines describe best practice to help reduce variations in service provision. In June 2012, NICE published a clinical guideline and associated implementation tools on Autism: Recognition, Referral, Diagnosis and Management of Adults on the Autism Spectrum. This followed the September 2011 publication of its clinical guideline and associated implementation tools on Autism: Recognition, Referral and Diagnosis of Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum. NICE is also developing guidance on managing autism in children and young people, which is due for publication in November 2013.
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 22 November (WA 410–11), whether they have compared autism provision in Northern Ireland with that in health regions in England; and, if so, what were their conclusions.[HL3701]
Earl Howe: No such comparison has been made of provision of services for autism spectrum conditions in Northern Ireland with that in England.
Health: End of Life Care
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to encourage clinical commissioning groups to develop and implement electronic palliative care co-ordination systems.[HL3585]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The department, in conjunction with the National End of Life Care Programme, is supporting implementation of electronic palliative care co-ordination systems (EPaCCS) in a number of ways, though any decision to develop an EPaCCS is ultimately for local determination.
The rollout of EPaCCS is supported through the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) end of life care workstream. EPaCCS are identified in the workstream as a key tool to record the wishes and preferences for care identified through care planning, including advance care planning, discussions with patients and carers, and to support effective communication between professionals thereby ensuring that these wishes and preferences are met.
An information standard, End of Life Care Co-Ordination: Core Content (ISB 1580), has also been developed to underpin the implementation and use of EPaCCS through defining a core data set that supports effective co-ordination of care. This can be found at: www.isb.nhs.uk/library/standard/236. To support this, national interoperability specifications are being developed which information technology systems suppliers can then adopt (and be accredited against) to provide a common code of connection for the sharing of palliative care information. The department has also launched an information sharing challenge fund to support organisations to fund development and adoption of these (and other) interoperability specifications.
An implementation group has also been established to provide ongoing guidance and support, both in terms of business change and adoption of the ISB specification, and in terms of the use of technology, supported by the QIPP Digital Technology team within the department's Informatics Directorate.
A number of tools have also been developed to support wider adoption. These include the provision of an information sharing and networking portal for EPaCCS on NHS Networks, and the dissemination of a case for change paper, setting out key information to support commissioners and others in developing business cases for the development of an EPaCCS system. More details are available at: www.endoflife careforadults.nhs.uk/strategy/strategy/coordination-of-care/end-of-life-care-information-standard.
Health: In-vitro Diagnostic Tests
Question
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of in vitro diagnostics in achieving efficiency savings in the National Health Service.[HL3775]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): We have made no assessment of the role of in-vitro diagnostics in achieving efficiencies in the National Health Service.
In-vitro diagnostic tests play a key role in the NHS through rapid diagnoses, disease screening and identifying, monitoring and managing treatment.
Isles of Scilly: Transport Services
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many medical clinics on the Isles of Scilly were cancelled during 2011 due to transport problems experienced by clinicians travelling to the islands.[HL3694]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The information is not held centrally. The noble Lord may wish to contact Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust which commissions services for those who live on the Isles of Scilly.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to implement the recommendations of the report by LINk4Scilly Medical travel to the Isles of Scilly.[HL3740]
Earl Howe: This is a matter for the National Health Service locally. The department has not received the report by LINk4Scilly. The noble Lord may wish to contact Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, which I understand is working with LINk4Scilly on responding to the recommendations made in the report.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Israel regarding access to medical and surgical treatment in Israel for injured Gazans.[HL3596]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We have not held any recent discussions with the Israeli authorities regarding access to medical supplies for injured Gazans. However, we are aware that the Israeli Government allowed trucks containing medical supplies to enter Gaza during the recent conflict.
The UK supports the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Access Co-ordination Unit, which works proactively with all partners to help facilitate the access of humanitarian staff and supplies into Gaza.
Israel and Palestine: West Bank
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) the Israeli settlement programme on the West Bank, and (2) the blockade of Gaza, on the achievement of a viable Palestinian state and a secure Israel.[HL3580]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The UK's goal is a negotiated two-state solution, resulting in a sovereign and viable Palestinian state living alongside a secure and universally recognised Israel.
We have repeatedly condemned Israel's announcements to accelerate settlement building in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and called on Israel to reverse these. As well as being illegal under international law, settlements undermine the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and those working for a sustainable peace. We look to the Government of Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent settlement construction.
We have been clear that there is a need for Israel further to ease its restrictions on Gaza. These restrictions have been estimated as costing the Palestinian economy up to 85% of its gross domestic product every year.
While we will never underestimate the security needs of Israel, with unemployment in Gaza at 26%, private sector business there at risk of collapse and Hamas profiting from smuggled goods through the tunnels, there is an urgent need to reopen Gaza's access to its traditional markets in the West Bank and Israel. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests.
We are clear that more needs to be done, including on easing restrictions on exports, construction material imports and the movement of people. The UK will continue to work alongside our EU partners with Israel to achieve real change on the ground.
Lead Shot
Question
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the Food Standards Agency’s assessment of the level of lead in chocolate compared to that in pheasant shot using lead.[HL3717]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the European Food Safety Authority reported in its exposure assessment of 11 July 2012 that the mean level of lead in the overall chocolate category is 55 pg/kg (micrograms per kilogram). The mean level of lead in pheasant in the same report is given as 344 pg/kg (micrograms per kilogram), although it is not known if it was all shot with lead. These levels were compiled from data from across all European Union member states.
Within the United Kingdom, data from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate statutory surveillance indicate a mean level of lead in pheasant of 1870 pg/kg (micrograms per kilogram) over a seven year period, 2004-11. This was the figure used in the FSA published risk assessment.
Therefore, the FSA's assessment is that the level of lead in pheasant shot with lead is higher than the level of lead in chocolate, both within the EU and the UK.
NHS: Hospices
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many National Health Service hospices determine a maximum period that terminally ill people can spend in their premises before being asked to make other arrangements; and whether instructions to leave are given directly to patients rather than their families.[HL3756]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Such information is not held centrally. Whether it is appropriate for a person to be discharged from in-patient care is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned. Such decisions should involve discussion with individual patients, their family and carers and should take into account their health and social care needs.
NHS: Infection Control
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the World Health Organisation's 2009 report Natural ventilation for infection control in health-care settings, whether they have assessed the merits for health and finance of the installation of ventilation systems in NHS hospitals.[HL3738]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The department currently has extant guidance on natural ventilation in healthcare premises contained within Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises, Chapter 2 provision of ventilation in healthcare buildings. This guidance was published in November 2007. This is best practice guidance and is implemented at local level.
The department has previously commissioned two research projects on natural ventilation:
Title:
Natural ventilation provision in hospital B(02)08
The organisation commissioned to carry out the research in 2002 was the Building Research Establishment (BRE). Its peer reviewed report was published in 2007 and is available through Space for Health www.spaceforhealth.nhs.uk.Title:
Design strategy for low energy ventilation and cooling of health buildings B(06)03
The organisation commissioned to carry out the research in 2006 was the University of Cambridge. The report is published as two peer-reviewed papers in two international research journals:Short C.A., Al-Maiyah S. (2009) ‘Design Strategy for low energy ventilation and cooling of hospitals' Building Research and Information, (2009) 37(3), 1-29.doi: 10.1080/09613210902885156; andShort, C.A., Cook, M., Cropper, P.C. and Al-Maiyah, S. (2009) 'Low Energy refurbishment strategies for health buildings' Journal of Building Performance Simulation.
The papers can be found at: www-edc.eng.cam.ac.uk/robusthospitals/publications.html.
Pensions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 19 November (WA 323), whether employers based in the Channel Islands of teachers working in the United Kingdom
are required to pay employers' superannuation contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme; and whether they collect and pass employee contributions to that scheme.[HL3721]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): In order to have access to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), which covers England and Wales, teachers must be employed under a contract of employment in an education establishment that is eligible to participate in the scheme, such as a maintained school. There are no educational establishments in the Channel Islands that participate in the TPS.
Teachers supplied by an agency, under a contract for services, are not eligible to participate in the TPS, irrespective of where their employment is based. Therefore, if a teacher were working in a school in England and Wales but engaged by an agency based in the Channel Islands, he or she would not be eligible to participate in the TPS. As is the case for agencies based in the United Kingdom, there would be no requirement to pay contributions to the TPS.
Separate pension arrangements exist for teachers in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and my counterparts in those Administrations will be able to confirm the position for those countries.
Planning
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policy they intend to adopt regarding granting planning consents which would obstruct closed railway formations which, if re-opened, would be likely to have strategic value.[HL3807]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that where there is robust evidence, local councils should identify and protect sites and routes which would be critical in developing infrastructure. They should work with neighbouring authorities and transport providers to develop strategies for the provision of viable infrastructure necessary to support sustainable development. National planning policy must be taken into account in preparing local plans and in individual applications.
The Department for Transport is also currently developing the Government's transport strategy. This will inform the National Networks National Policy Statement, which will set out the Government's objectives for the development of nationally significant rail infrastructure.
Police: Riot Police
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they issue on the deployment of armed riot police to deal with mental health patients in locked-in settings; and whether that guidance takes account of the ethnicity and gender of the patients.[HL3670]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The lead government department for policing is the Home Office and it has not issued any guidance as deployment of officers is an operational matter for chief officers of police.
The Department of Health has responsibility for patients in secure mental hospital settings. Under Section 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983, a police officer may use powers of entry when it is necessary to gain access to premises to remove a person who is believed to have a mental disorder and is not receiving proper care. This requires a magistrate's warrant which gives any police officer the right to enter premises by force if necessary. It is important to ensure that a jointly agreed local policy is in place governing all aspects of the use of Section 135.
A national protocol on Section 135 has been approved by the National Policing Improvement Agency and endorsed by the Association of Chief Police Officers as well as the department. It was distributed electronically to all police forces in England and Wales in early 2011. The protocol's approach is based on the degree of risk a person is believed to pose, not their gender or ethnicity.
Any protocol between a hospital and the local police will be a matter for local services, but it should be clear in what circumstances police may be called to a hospital and, at that point, whose jurisdiction applies to the patients in that hospital.
Racism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made as to whether there is a link between severe austerity periods and an increase in racial abuse and attacks.[HL3749]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): No assessment has been made of the relationship between the economy and racial abuse and attacks. Many factors influence crime rates and it is not possible to make simple links.
There is no evidence from official statistics to suggest that there has been an increase in racial abuse and attacks in recent years. For example, the latest figures for the number of racist incidents (any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race) reported to the police forces in England and Wales show a decrease of 8% between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Railways: Fares
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take measures to ensure that rail users in the greater London and south-east commuter zones pay train fares similar to those in other zones. [HL3750]
Earl Attlee: The balance of rail fares around the country is one of the areas being considered as part of the Government’s fares and ticketing review. The consultation closed in March and the review will report in May next year.
Railways: Freight Charges
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect that the Office of Rail Regulation will publish the conclusion of their consultation Periodic Review 13 concerning the variable usage charge and a freight-specific charge.[HL3808]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to paragraph 34 of the Secretary of State for Transport's Guidance to the Office of Rail Regulation, whether they consider that a 15% increase in the variable access charge payable by freight traffic constitutes a material measure or policy which the Office of Rail Regulation must discuss with the Secretary of State.[HL3809]
Earl Attlee: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has discussed, and continues to discuss, this matter with the department in line with the guidance issued to the ORR by the Secretary of State. The ORR expects to publish its conclusions by Christmas.
Railways: Public Holidays
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why franchised train operators are not required to operate services on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.[HL3764]
Earl Attlee: The UK rail industry has in recent years used the Christmas period to undertake major disruptive engineering work on the rail network. If a franchised train operator can agree access to the rail network, while avoiding engineering blockages, and fund the enhanced payments to staff that are likely to be required, then there is no reason why they cannot operate train services on 25 December or 26 December. Although the Department for Transport does not specify that train operators should run trains on 25 December, it has specified a limited number of services on 26 December on some franchises.
Regional Growth Fund
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Regional Growth Fund grants and loans have been made to firms or organisations in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (3) North West England.[HL3726]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Marland): The table attached details Regional Growth Fund allocations made to firms or organisations in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (3) North West England from the three bidding rounds.
| Region | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | |||
| Individual awards | Total value | Individual awards | Total value | Individual awards | Total value | |
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of jobs created or safeguarded by Regional Growth Fund grants or loans in (1) North East England, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, and (3) North West England.[HL3727]
Lord Marland: On the basis of information provided by applicants up to (1) 72,000, (2) 40,000 and (3) 83,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created or safeguarded by the first three rounds of successful bids to the Regional Growth Fund in the North Fast England, Yorkshire and the Humber and North West respectively. Progress towards the job target specified in the grant offer letter will be monitored quarterly.
Roads: M4
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 14 November (WA 298) concerning the M4 bus lane, whether they will state who made the two objections to the permanent removal of the bus lane; and whether all users of the facility have been consulted.[HL3761]
Earl Attlee: The two objections to the permanent removal of the M4 bus lane were made by the London Borough of Hounslow and Clean Air for London. All users of the facility were given the opportunity to comment during the statutory consultation for the permanent removal of the bus lane, held between 29 March and 18 May 2012.
Rwanda
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development on 22 November, what was the “credible and compelling” evidence linking the Government of Rwanda to the M23 rebels; and when that evidence became available.[HL3681]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The statement made by the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development, my right honourable friends the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and the Member for Putney (Ms Greening), on 22 November refers to evidence from the UN Group of Experts' interim report published on 21 June and their final report published on 15 November. Both are available on the LIN website: http://www.un.org/sc/committees/l533/egroup.shtml.
This is in addition to other information, including reporting by non-governmental organisations.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and the Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, on 22 November, that the Government “judge the overall body of evidence of Rwandan involvement with M23 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be credible and compelling”, what are the implications for the provision of development aid to Rwanda.[HL3651]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to make a decision on the provision of aid to Rwanda.[HL3680]
Baroness Northover: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on Friday 30 November (Official Report, Col. 38WS) that explains that she has decided not to release the £21 million of general budget support to Rwanda due to be paid in December.
Schools: Diabetes and Epilepsy
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts are being made to ensure that both staff and pupils are aware of (1) the nature of diabetic and epileptic attacks that take place in schools, and (2) the best ways to assist sufferers in emergencies.[HL3556]
Baroness Northover: The Department for Education has produced Medical Conditions at School: A Policy Resource Pack to complement its guidance Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings.
We want relevant school staff to be competent in managing pupils' health needs, and to feel confident in doing so. Schools should ensure that staff understand the school's responsibilities, have appropriate training and are able to access continuing support. Paediatric diabetes specialist nurses from local health services are able to give guidance and training on care of children with diabetes in the school environment for staff and pupils.
We also welcome the resources produced by the Medical Conditions at School Partnership, of which Diabetes UK and Epilepsy Action are members.
The Diabetes UK website holds specialist advice about pupils with type 1 diabetes to help schools and school healthcare professionals to support such pupils. Diabetes UK has information on diabetes in school, which discusses insulin injections, diet, snacks, hypoglycaemia reaction and how to treat it. It contains a downloadable version of its school pack, Children with Diabetes at School—What all Staff Need to Know. Copies of this can also be ordered from Diabetes UK Distribution, telephone 0800 585088. Further information is available from Diabetes UK care line, telephone 0845 120 2960 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm) or on the Diabetes UK website.
Epilepsy Action (British Epilepsy Association) has specific information for education professionals on its website. This looks at classroom first aid, emergency care, medication and school activities. Further information is available from the freephone helpline on 0808 800 5050 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00 am to 4.30 pm, Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm) or via email enquiry form. Epilepsy Action recommends that all pupils with epilepsy should have an individual healthcare plan, even if their seizures are well controlled and that general awareness training to help school staff understand epilepsy and specific training on the administration of medication are provided if staff are to feel properly equipped to support pupils with epilepsy.
Schools: National Curriculum
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the final version of the new curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 will be made available to teachers and the public.[HL3512]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made with the new curriculum for Key Stage 4; and when proposals will be going out for public consultation.[HL3513]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): Our new national curriculum for key stages 1 to 2 will be made available to teachers and the public in the autumn of 2013, with first teaching from September 2014. We will publish our plans for the secondary curriculum and consult on the proposed new programmes of study for all key stages in due course.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the relevance to the United Kingdom of the latest school curriculum and examination system in Hong Kong.[HL3514]
Lord Hill of Oareford: The Government's reforms of the national curriculum and key stage 4 qualifications in England aim to ensure that our expectations match
the best in the world. The most recent international PISA survey (2009) shows that 15 year-old students in Hong Kong have significantly better results than our students in subjects such as mathematics and science.
The Government made an assessment of the Hong Kong curriculum and the evidence is clear that expectations in mathematics are higher than in England. The Government therefore plan to reform our curriculum so that it matches the same high expectations. The consultation on the new national curriculum in England will be launched in the new year.
The Government are always interested in the latest curriculum and qualification changes in Hong Kong—alongside other high performing jurisdictions—and officials are in touch with experts involved in these reforms.
With regard to the other nations of the United Kingdom, education policy is a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland and Scotland Office.
Schools: Sport
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that parents receive regular updates about the range of physical education and school sport within their catchment areas.[HL3708]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): All schools are required to publish details of their curriculum, broken down by academic year and content. This should include details of their provision for physical education and sport. The Secretary of State for Education is considering a range of measures to improve school sport as part of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy. He will be making an announcement shortly.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to build on the legacy of the Olympic Games in primary schools.[HL3720]
Lord Hill of Oareford: The Secretary of State for Education is considering a range of measures to improve school sport as part of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy. He will be making an announcement shortly.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new inter-school competitive sports leagues have been introduced since 2012, broken down by sport.[HL3755]
Lord Hill of Oareford: The department does not collect this information. Schools participating in the School Games are asked to upload to the School Games database details of their involvement in the programme, though they are not required to do so. This includes information about inter-school sport
competitions approved by national governing bodies of sport, which they have provided to their pupils. The latest, cumulative information provided by participating schools is set out below. These figures do not include events taking place that are not connected to the School Games. All the figures are events that have been added to the website since 2012. Level two refers to competitions that occur between schools.
| Sport | No. of schools providing NGB approved competitions in the following sports at Level 2 |
Turkey
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the implications for human rights in Turkey of the present hunger strikes by imprisoned Kurds.[HL3592]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Government welcome the news that the hunger strikes ended on 17 November and believe this will have positive implications for a resolution to the Kurdish issue.
We continue to encourage Turkey to make further progress on the protection of language, culture and fundamental rights for all minorities in Turkey, including the Kurds, and welcome the Turkish Government's recent announcement of provisions for Kurdish to be
taught in schools and of a planned amendment to the code of criminal procedure to allow for the use of Kurdish in courts.
Uganda
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Uganda regarding the Anti-Homosexuality Bill introduced into the Ugandan Parliament.[HL3673]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Government are committed to ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people around the world are free to live their lives in a safe and just environment. We are therefore concerned about the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill being considered by the Ugandan Parliament. We have raised our concerns regularly. Most recently, the Minister for Africa and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for Boston and Skegness, (Mr Simmonds), raised this issue with President Museveni during his visit to Uganda on 21 November.
Young Offenders
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were placed in custody (1) on remand, and (2) on sentence, at (a) the Magistrate's Court, and (b) the Crown Court, during the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, and during the preceding 12-month periods.[HL3534]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The number of children (defined as those aged between 10 and 17) who were remanded in custody at magistrates' courts and at the Crown Court, in England and Wales, during 2010 and 2011 (latest currently available), can be viewed in Table 1.
The number of children who were sentenced to immediate custody at magistrates' courts and at the Crown Court, in England and Wales, during 2010 and 2011 (latest currently available), can be viewed in Table 2.
Table 2 includes all children who were sentenced to immediate custody, irrespective of whether or not they were at any point remanded in custody. Similarly, not all defendants who are remanded in custody, and therefore counted in table 1, will subsequently receive-custodial sentences.
(1) Juveniles are defined as those defendants who were aged 10 - 17 years old at the date of appearance in court.
(2) Including those remanded in custody at any stage of proceedings at magistrates courts and the Crown Court who may also have been given bail at some stage of those proceedings. 10-11 year olds cannot be remanded to secure accommodation in the criminal courts under either the old or new remand frameworks. Under the new remand framework a remand to “custody” could result in a remand to local authority accommodation (not secure) or a remand to youth detention accommodation (secure).
(3) Some of the juveniles who were remanded in custody at magistrates' courts who subsequently went on to be committed for trial or sentence at the Crown Court may have been remanded in custody during proceedings at the Crown Court. Such defendants will therefore be counted twice in this table
(e) Data for magistrates' courts are estimated.
Note:
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Source:
Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. [Ref. PQ HL 3534
(1)Juveniles are defined as those defendants who were aged 10 - 17 years old at the date of appearance in court.
(2)Includes detention in a young offender institution and detention and training orders. Includes all juveniles sentenced to immediate custody irrespective of their remand status throughout proceedings.
Note:
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Source:
Justice Statistics Analytical Services within the Ministry of Justice. [Ref. PQ HL 3534].
Young Offenders: Restraint
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times (1) handcuffs, and (2) escort chains, were used on children by (a) escort providers transporting children to or from custodial settings, and (b) staff in custodial settings, during the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, and during the three preceding 12-month periods.[HL3532]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): Handcuffs in the under-18 secure estate can be used:
by escort providers when transporting young people to custody from courts;in custody when managing an incident of restraint;when young people are being escorted outside of custody (for example, attending a hospital appointment).
Secure children’s homes (SCHs) do not use handcuffs as part of restraint or when young people are being escorted outside of custody. Therefore no data are available to report for this sector.
All secure training centres (STCs) can use handcuffs during restraint and this is shown in the table below. STCs are also permitted to use handcuffs when young people are escorted outside the centre, based on an assessment of risk. However, these data are not collected by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and would not be available without disproportionate cost by looking at individual case files and therefore not reported here.
| Use of handcuffs | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
Under-18 young offender institutions (YOIs) can use handcuffs during restraint and this is shown in the table below with relevant notes. YOIs are also permitted to use handcuffs when young people are being escorted outside of the YOI. However, these data are not collected centrally by the YJB or National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and could be collated only at disproportionate cost by scrutinising individual young people records.
| Under-18 YOI | Nov 09 - Oct 10 | Nov 10 - Oct 11 | Nov 11 - Oct 12 |
|
|
| ||
|
|
| ||
1 YJB decommissioned spaces April 2010
2 YJB decommissioned spaces July 2010
3 Data are incomplete, one month not supplied
4 Data are incomplete, two months not supplied
The following establishments either hold or have held young people during the period in question. However, they are establishments that also accommodate older prisoners separately from young people.
HMP/YOI Foston Hall (YJB decommissioned young people spaces in January 2011)
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath (YJB decommissioned young people spaces in July 2011)
It is not possible to provide details prior to August 2012 of the number of times handcuffs have been used on young people held in these establishments due to the way data are collected. However, figures that are available since August 2012 (for the use of handcuffs on under-18s in YOIs as part of restraint) are shown in the table below.
| Establishment | Aug 12 - Oct 12 |
data are incomplete, one month not supplied.
The Prison Escort and Custody Service (PECS) transports young people from court to under-18 YOIs. Neither the YJB nor NOMS collect any data from PECS regarding their handcuff use. As these data are not centrally recorded, they could be collated only at disproportionate cost by scrutinising individual young people records and are therefore not provided.
Reliance operated the contract for escorting sentenced young people to and from courts to SCHs and STCs until 29 August (now provided by Serco). The use of handcuffs by Reliance is outlined in the table below.
| Reliance Escort Providers | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
Central data collection by the YJB on Reliance’s use of handcuffs during escorts began in April 2010. Data were available on the use of handcuffs during 2007-08 and included in the table above. However, the
escort provider did not submit data on the use of handcuffs in the intervening period between which has been marked as ‘N/A’.
Prior to September 2010 Reliance was only submitting uses of handcuffs which occurred during the escort (ie in the vehicle). From September 2010 Reliance has also reported the uses of handcuffs within the court or establishment. The use of handcuffs is very low during the escorting of young people in the vehicle. However, Reliance often has to handcuff the young person from the vehicle into the court or establishment if the area is insecure or if this is the policy requirement of the court or establishment (this varies depending on the security requirements of the court or establishment).
Escort arrangements for young people remanded to STCs and SCHs are currently managed by local authorities. No data are centrally available for these escort providers during this period.
Escort chains are lengths of chain that can be used to attach two sets of handcuffs. Escort chains are not
used by SCHs, STCs or by Reliance (when they held the contract for SCH and STC escorts). However, the present SCH and STC escort provider, Serco, is permitted to use escort chains in certain risk assessed circumstances, such as for reasons of comfort or decency during a bedwatch (defined as the custody of a young person in hospital receiving in-patient treatment involving an overnight (or a number of nights) stay). There have been no uses of escort chains since the beginning of the contract from 29 August 2012.
Both PECS and under-18 YOIs can use escort chains in limited circumstances following individual risk assessments. Escort chains are not used in every instance where handcuffs are assessed as necessary. No data are collected centrally on the use of escort chains by PECS or by NOMS and therefore are not available to report without disproportionate cost.
The data provided in this answer have been based on information provided by the YJB and NOMS. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.