The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Cabinet Office website.
Gypsies and Travellers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to address the significant disparity between the educational attainment of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at secondary schools and that of the general population; and what evidence they have as to the effectiveness of those steps.[HL6518]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): In 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government published a ministerial working group progress report on Gypsies and Travellers on tackling the inequalities they face around education, health, criminal justice, planning and access to benefits and financial services. Six of these were education commitments.
Three of the education commitments have been met. The virtual head teachers’ pilots and the exclusions trials are both in progress and are due to report in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The consultation on whether to repeal Section 444(6) of the Education Act 1996 ended on 22 February and the results are currently being analysed.
Health: Microbiology
Question
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the new inspector of microbiology will be in post.[HL6581]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): We recognise the need for expert advice at national level on microbiological issue and are now reviewing the optimum means of ensuring this within the new public health structures. Discussions focusing on the inspector of microbiology’s functions will take place later this month. In the mean time, microbiological advice will be provided by experts at Public Health England.
House of Commons: Legislation
Question
Asked by Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Report of the McKay Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons.[HL6678]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government established the McKay Commission to consider how the House of Commons might deal with legislation which affects only part of the UK.
The Government are grateful to the commission for its work. This is a very important issue, which is why the Government asked this expert commission to consider it. We are giving the report serious consideration before we respond.
House of Lords: Offices
Question
To ask the Chairman of Committees how many offices for use (1) by peers, (2) by peers’ personal staff, and (3) as (a) study rooms, and (b) researchers’ rooms, are allocated to (i) the Crossbench group, and (ii) each political party group, within the Palace of Westminster.[HL6632]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Sewel): The allocation of offices within the House of Lords part of the Parliamentary Estate is shown below, broken down by political party or group. Offices across the estate vary in size considerably, as do the number of desks in each office. The allocation of desks within offices is managed by the relevant political party or group.
There are only seven offices allocated specifically to Peers' personal staff, all of which are in the outbuildings. Peers' staff may also sit at the desk of the Peer for which they work, with the Peer's permission.
Apart from the party rooms mentioned below, there are no other study rooms or researchers' rooms allocated to particular parties or groups.
| Palace of Westminster | |
| Description of type of office | Number of offices |
| Millbank House | |
| Description of type of office | Number of offices |
| Fielden House | |
| Description of type of office | Number of offices |
| Old Palace Yard | |
| Description of type of office | Number of offices |
Human Rights
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the rights under the European Convention of Human Rights to freedom of expression and respect for private life, home and correspondence are applied equally across the United Kingdom.[HL6448]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): As made clear in the coalition agreement, the Government are committed to the European Convention on Human Rights and to ensuring that rights of freedom of expression and respect for private life, home and correspondence continue to be applied equally across the whole of the United Kingdom.
It is unlawful for any public authority, including local, regional and national Government, to act in a way which is incompatible with a convention right, including the rights of freedom of expression and respect for private life, home and correspondence.
Human Trafficking
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the children referred by the UK Border Agency in 2012 to the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking first arrived in the United Kingdom on a document with a visa.[HL6264]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): Of the 98 potential child-trafficking cases referred into the National Referral Mechanism by the UK Border Agency and Border Force in 2012, 29 can be matched to a UK visa.
Figures relate to cases where the applicant was under 18 years old at the time of referral. This data is based on UK Border Agency and Serious Organised Crime Agency management information and as such has not been quality-assured as part of the production of National Statistics outputs. It is provisional and subject to change.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the children referred by the UK Border Agency in 2012 to the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking have had their cases referred to the police for child abuse or human trafficking-related investigations.[HL6266]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Ninety-eight potential child-trafficking cases were referred into the National Referral Mechanism by the UK Border Agency and Border Force in 2012. All 98 cases were referred to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and in 60 cases an additional referral was made to a local police team.
Figures relate to cases where the applicant was deemed to be under 18 years old at the time of referral. This data is based on UK Border Agency and Serious Organised Crime Agency management information and as such has not been quality-assured as part of the production of National Statistics outputs. It is provisional and subject to change.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Vietnamese, (2) Nigerian, and (3) Chinese, children have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism since it was launched in 2009.[HL6363]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: A breakdown of Vietnamese, Nigerian and Chinese minors referred to the National Referral Mechanism since April 2009 can be found in the following table. This information has been compiled by the UK Human Trafficking Centre.
| 2009* | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Total | |
* Data provided from April to December 2009.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many calls have been made to the UK Border Agency hotline since it was launched in October 2011 regarding human trafficking concerns about individuals on aeroplanes before they have landed in the United Kingdom.[HL6364]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Border Force operates a discreet internal reporting line to enable external law enforcement partner agencies to pass border-related intelligence into Border Force. This line has been made available to two trusted partners in the airline industry to help them report human trafficking concerns and we are working with others in the industry to extend this.
Since the launch of the human trafficking airline initiative in October 2011, the line has received three calls from airlines that have identified trafficking concerns onboard flights bound for the UK. By its nature, human trafficking is a covert crime and difficult to spot. However, the training provided to cabin crew to date has increased awareness and the likelihood that any indicators evident during flight will be recognised.
The data is based on management information and as such has not been quality-assured as part of the production of National Statistics outputs. It is provisional and subject to change.
Asked by Lord Harris of Haringey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 21 March (Official Report, col. 669–72), how many people were referred to the National Referral Mechanism in each of the last three years; and of those, how many were (1) women, (2) children or (3) deported to their country of origin.[HL6512]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The table below details the number of referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in the past three calendar years and how many of them were subsequently removed from the United Kingdom.
| Year | Total Referrals | Women | Children | Enforced Removal |
The majority of those subject to enforced removal were found not to be victims of trafficking after consideration in the NRM. In the three year period there were less than five enforced removals where there was a NRM conclusive decision that the individual was a victim of trafficking.
The annual removals figures are not directly comparable with NRM annual referral figures, as the former relate to the year of removal, whereas the latter relate to the number of National Referral Mechanism referrals received in that year. All enforced removal figures provided have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to implement a central system to record data on what happens to trafficked children after referral to the National Referral Mechanism, in particular whether they are a victim or a witness or subsequently go missing.[HL6586]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Government are committed to safeguarding victims of child trafficking. Those that come into care are allocated a social worker who will assess their needs and draw up a care plan which sets out how the authority intends to respond to these. Local authorities hold a range of data locally on their looked after children, and there are currently no plans to implement a central system of recording with regard to trafficked children.
The Government are committed to understanding the experiences of trafficking children while in local authority care. We are funding a scoping study to get a better understanding of how child trafficking policies are operating in practice. We are also taking steps to improve the quality and consistency of data on when and why children go missing from care.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect a child trafficking strategic threat assessment report to be published by the UK Human Trafficking Centre.[HL6587]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The UK Human Trafficking Centre is compiling the 2012 strategic threat assessment for human trafficking to be published in the summer. This will cover both adults and children.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will hold responsibility for the prevention of child trafficking when the National Crime Agency starts operations in October 2013.[HL6589]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Human Trafficking will remain the responsibility of the UK Human Trafficking Centre, which will be part of the National Crime Agency. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will continue to lead on all cases involving sexual exploitation of children, including where elements of trafficking may be present, within the UK.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the problem of trafficking of Vietnamese children, in the light of no convictions for the trafficking of Vietnamese children since 2009 despite Vietnamese children accounting for a quarter of all referrals of child trafficking.[HL6590]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The first report of the inter-departmental ministerial group (IDMG) on human trafficking, published as a Command Paper (Cm 8421) on 18 October 2012, recognised Vietnam as a key source country. The UK actively supports and participates in international efforts to disrupt human trafficking networks that can lead to investigations and prosecutions overseas. The UK will continue to monitor Vietnam.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Nigerian children have been referred to the National Referral Mechanism since April 2009; and what percentage of those children have received a positive conclusive grounds decision.[HL6591]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Data from the UK Human Trafficking Centre show that, as of 27 March 2013, 160 potential child victims of trafficking with a declared country of origin of Nigeria had been referred to the National Referral Mechanism since April 2009. 44 individuals (27.5%) have received a positive conclusive grounds decision.
Fifty-seven cases are awaiting positive reasonable grounds or conclusive grounds decisions.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to end human trafficking following the first annual report of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking.[HL6691]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Government continue to strengthen the UK’s efforts to combat human trafficking, through their human trafficking strategy and with direction and oversight from the inter-departmental ministerial group (IDMG) on human trafficking. Through its annual report, the IDMG will assess trends, work with civil society organisations and make recommendations continually to test, reinforce and strengthen the UK's approach to tackling this crime.
International Day for Street Children
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will support the International Day for Street Children on 12 April.[HL6452]
Baroness Northover: The UK Government recognise that street children throughout the world face difficult conditions every day. We are working closely with other governments, the United Nations Children’s Fund and charities to tackle the issues that affect all vulnerable people across the world. The International Day for Street Children on 12 April, launched by the Consortium for Street Children, is an excellent initiative. It draws attention to the plight of some of the most at-risk children, girls and boys across the world. The UK Government will emphasise the importance of the day asking governments and others to do everything in their power to improve the lives of these children.
Iraq
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 18 March (WA116), why they have not produced any estimate for the number of Iraqis killed as a result of terrorist and war-related violence since the invasion of that country in 2003.[HL6688]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Government do not collate or publish numbers for civilians killed during conflicts. This is because it is immensely difficult to collect robust, accurate data. There are a number of publicly available sources that estimate such numbers. The Government
do publish official numbers of UK service personnel and civilians employed by the Government who are killed during conflict. The continuing violence and loss of life in Iraq is deplorable, and we have urged all political groups to work together to tackle terrorism and secure Iraq’s future.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning the reported spraying of foul smelling liquid known as “skunk” on residents and homes in the village of Nabi Saleh by the Israeli Defence Staff.[HL6528]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): We have repeatedly raised concerns regarding Israeli handling of non-violent protest in Nabi Saleh, as in other areas of the West Bank, and will continue to do so.
Judicial Execution
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the use of crucifixion as a form of judicial execution, and (2) the practice of displaying on a cross the bodies of those executed as the result of a judicial sentence.[HL6710]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Government consider the use of crucifixion as a form of judicial execution to be abhorrent. It is contrary to international law as a form of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
We consider the display on a cross of the bodies of those executed to also constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. These appalling practices should have no place in any society.
Kenya
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of refugees who have fled Kenya since the Government of Kenya announced its plan to relocate all urban refugees to refugee camps, (2) the actions of the Kenyan security services following that announcement and (3) the impact of the announcement on the peace process in Somalia.[HL6491]
Baroness Northover: The Kenyan Government issued a directive to relocate all urban refugees to refugee camps on 16 January 2013.
(1) In their report of January 2013, the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) estimates the number of refugees who have left Kenya as approximately 6,300 and attributes some of these to the Kenya Government’s directive.
(2) There were reports of harassment, extortion and abuse of the rights of Somali refugees by security services in the period immediately after the directive was issued. However, the directive has not been implemented following a legal challenge by a non-governmental organisation. This resulted in an injunction issued by the High Court of Kenya on 23 January and the case is due to be heard on 4 April 2013.
(3) A direct impact on the peace process in Somalia has not been established by the British Office for Somalia at this stage.
Litter
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the success of the power granted to local authorities in the London Authorities Act 2012 to make littering a civil offence; how many penalty charge notices have been issued by each local authority to date; and what plans they have to extend those powers to other areas in England. [HL6645]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley): Littering from vehicles is an issue that requires a specific focus. One solution is the approach adopted in the London Local Authorities Act 2012 which enables London boroughs to issue a civil penalty against the registered keeper of a vehicle if littering is witnessed. This power is relatively new, and we do not routinely collect data on the number of penalty charge notices issued by London boroughs, and have not yet received information on how widely it has been used. This Act has now been in force for nearly a year and officials will shortly be working with London councils to review the effectiveness of these powers. Once we have that information, we will be better placed to judge whether the approach could usefully be adopted throughout the country.
Music Companies: Finance
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many music companies in the past year have obtained loans under (1) the Funding for Lending Scheme, (2) the National Loan Guarantee Scheme, (3) Community Development Finance, (4) Enterprise Finance Guarantee, (5) Business Finance Partnership, (6) Business Finance Partnership: Small Business Tranche, and (7) Government- backed start-up loans. [HL6402]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): Details of loans made to music companies are available for the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and Start-Up Loans. Enterprise finance guarantee is a scheme that guarantees loans to businesses that would not otherwise qualify for a commercial loan. Sixty-five music businesses have been offered loan facilities of £5.5 million since January 2009. Start-Up Loans, which provides advice and start-up finance for 18 to 30 year-olds looking to start and grow their own businesses, has supported 25 music businesses with £83,000 since September 2012.
The Funding for Lending Scheme, national loan guarantee scheme and Business Finance Partnership are schemes that aim to ease the flow of credit to the real economy. Thirty-nine banks have signed up to the Funding for Lending Scheme so far. It is too early to judge the impact of the scheme on lending due to the time it takes for loans to be processed and drawn down by customers. However, we have already started to see loans becoming more easily available and at cheaper rates. The national loan guarantee scheme has resulted in over 28,000 reduced rate loans being offered to small businesses, with a value of £4.8 billion. We have committed £1.2 billion through the Business Finance Partnership of which almost £800 million has now been made available to lenders along with over £1 billion of co-investment from private sector investors.
Community development finance institutions are organisations that provide lending to individuals and businesses which find it difficult to access funds from the commercial banks. The Government have supported these institutions via tax relief for investors and by making £30 million available, through the regional growth fund which enabled a £60 million scheme for onward lending to businesses.
We do not hold a sector breakdown and therefore cannot say how many music companies have benefited from the later schemes as the funds or guarantees are made to enable lending more broadly and not in response to a specific loan application.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many music companies have in the past year obtained investment under (1) the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, (2) the Enterprise Investment Scheme, (3) the Venture Capital Trusts Scheme, (4) the Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, (5) the Enterprise Capital Funds, and (6) the UK Innovation Investment Fund. [HL6403]
Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), do not hold data in a format that shows investment specifically in music companies under (1) the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, (2) the Enterprise Investment Scheme, (3) the Venture Capital Trusts Scheme, (4) the Business Angel Co-Investment Fund, (5) the Enterprise Capital Funds, and (6) the UK Innovation Investment Fund.
National Institute for Economic and Social Research
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding they have provided to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) in the past three years, and for what purposes; when that body was first registered as a charity and on what grounds; and under what criteria NIESR staff are permitted to become members of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.[HL6657]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) is an independent institute. NIESR receives funding for specific research projects from a number of government sources, including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as well as the private sector, usually via competitive tenders or calls for research proposals. It has no single government sponsor, hence, the following government funding figures, drawn up in consultation with the NIESR, are indicative:
| Funder | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
Funding has been used for research on a wide variety of economic issues, including for example labour markets, productivity, immigration, macroeconomic analysis, education, and regional economic performance. All such research is eventually published by NIESR, the responsible government department, or both.
NIESR was registered as a charity on 27 August 1962 on the basis of its object to advance education in the social sciences. The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is a private scheme and the USS sets its own criteria. Full sets of accounts including information on public benefit are available at the Charity Commission and Companies House websites. NIESR’s charity number is 306083.
Northern Cyprus
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has co-operated with the United Kingdom police in returning wanted and on-the-run criminals; and what assessment they have made of the impact United Kingdom non-recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has had on fugitives being returned. [HL6623]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): The UK does not recognise the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This means that no formal relationship exists for anti-criminal operations or extradition. However,
the UK maintains a constructive dialogue with Turkish Cypriots on many issues of immediate concern. The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities use the bi-communal sub-committee on crime and criminal matters to exchange information on these important issues.
Northern Ireland: Schools
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not designated Northern Ireland schools in relation to the statutory equality duties under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and whether they will bring such provision into line with those applying to schools under the Equality Act 2010 in England and Wales.[HL6658]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson): Section 75 of the 1998 Act imposes a statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity on public authorities. Section 75(3) lists a number of public authorities to which the statutory duty applies and contains powers (but not any obligation) for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to designate by order other persons or bodies as public authorities for that purpose. Currently, the power under Section 75 only allows the Secretary of State to make a “full” designation—that is, for all of a person’s functions and without exceptions. The effect of the current law is that even where it might be sensible to designate a person for certain functions only, that option is not available in the same way that it is under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in England and Wales.
Clause 11 of the draft Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill would permit such designation, if it becomes law. However, any decisions regarding which additional bodies might become partially designated under Section 75 by secondary legislation will be taken at a later date, following due consideration and consultation where appropriate.
Ofwat
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the duties of Ofwat with respect to (1) water industry consumers, and (2) the regulation of the financial health and structure of water companies with respect to their ability to finance enhancements to their infrastructure.[HL6506]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley): Ofwat has been given clear statutory duties to protect the interests of consumers while ensuring that efficient water companies can carry out and finance their functions, and to exercise its powers in a way best calculated to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.
The duties for most of Ofwat’s work, as the economic regulator, are laid down in Section 2 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA91), as updated by Section 39 of the Water Act 2003. Ofwat’s main duties include:
protecting the interests of consumers, wherever appropriate by promoting effective competition;ensuring that the functions of each undertaker (ie water company) are properly carried out and that they are able to finance their functions, in particular by securing reasonable returns on their capital; andensuring that companies with water supply licences (ie those selling water to large business customers, known as licensees) properly carry out their functions.
Ofwat also has secondary duties to:
promote economy and efficiency by companies in their work; and
contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.
Olympic Supplier Recognition Scheme
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what definition of “audio, video and audio-visual equipment, recording devices, navigation equipment, and cameras” has been used in the establishment of the Olympic Supplier Recognition Scheme.[HL6440]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The provision of audio, video and audio-visual equipment falls within one of the excluded categories. These categories exist to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors, whose investment makes the Games possible. Within this particular category, there is a distinction between the provision of equipment and the provision of services, such as installation, relating to that equipment. Businesses that supplied audio, video or audio-visual equipment are excluded from the scheme as the rights for such services are limited to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) worldwide sponsors. This restriction includes the supply of hardware equipment including cameras, CCTV security equipment and navigation equipment. On the other hand, companies whose supply focused on providing audio-visual services—for example, installation, production or engineering services—may be eligible, and these suppliers are encouraged to refer to the British Olympic Association for further guidance.
The new scheme, launched in January 2013, allows greater freedom for approved 2012 suppliers to promote the goods and services they supplied to the Games than was permitted under the previous protocol published by LOCOG in December 2007 and updated in September 2010. Those suppliers that are not eligible for the supplier recognition scheme continue to be able to make simple, factual statements relating to their work on the Games.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend further to refine the definitions of (1) “audio, video and audio-visual equipment, recording devices,
navigation equipment, and cameras”, and (2) “commercial, residential and industrial lighting fixtures and systems”, in the Olympic Supplier Recognition Scheme in order to ensure that United Kingdom companies that produced services for the London 2012 Games can publicise their involvement. [HL6441]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Definitions of each of the excluded categories can be viewed in the FAQ section on the supplier recognition scheme website at www.srs2012.com. These exclusions exist to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors, whose investment makes the Games possible. I would encourage any supplier who is uncertain about whether they may be eligible for a licence under the new scheme to seek clarification from the British Olympic Association (BOA).
The BOA takes decisions on individual applications on a case-by-case basis, taking account of whether the eligibility criteria are met, the nature of the goods or services provided and the core business of the supplier concerned.
The purpose of the new recognition scheme is to allow 2012 suppliers additional scope to promote their involvement in the 2012 Games, over and above the arrangements that were put in place by LOCOG in the marketing protocol which they published in 2007 and which were extended in 2010. Under the previous and the new arrangements, all 2012 suppliers can make factual statements about their work on the Games by, for example, including references to their work in client lists and in pitch and tender documents. Suppliers wishing to undertake this activity should seek guidance from the BOA. The new recognition scheme gives licensed suppliers greater scope to actively promote their goods and services—for example, at trade fairs in the UK and overseas, and by describing themselves on their website and elsewhere as a supplier of goods or services to the 2012 Games.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why entertainment lighting suppliers to the London 2012 Games are excluded from the Olympic Supplier Recognition Scheme.[HL6442]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The provision of lighting systems falls within one of the scheme’s excluded categories. These exclusions exist to protect the rights of worldwide Olympic sponsors, whose investment makes the Games possible. Companies whose supply includes lighting services—for example, installation and design—may be eligible, and I encourage them to contact the British Olympic Association (BOA) for further guidance.
Companies that supplied lighting equipment and are excluded from the scheme are still permitted to make factual statements about their work on the London 2012 Games and are advised to seek guidance from the BOA on what is permitted.
Pitcairn
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing to honey producers in Pitcairn to develop and expand that industry.[HL6666]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): Pitcairn honey is an excellent product and we have supported its export from Pitcairn through hosting events at the governor’s residence and more recently promoting it at the UK booth at the Pacific Island Forum in the Cook Islands. In addition, the British Government provide the shipping service to and from the island which allows the export of the product and the satellite phone/internet link which enables producers to advertise and conduct business around the world.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 27 March (WA 251), what are their differences of opinion with Pitcairn’s locally elected Government.[HL6668]
Baroness Warsi: Governance on Pitcairn consists of an elected Island Council which works with, and advises, the Governor, who exercises executive authority. These arrangements are clearly set out in the Pitcairn constitution. It is entirely appropriate, and healthy, for there to be different views on different issues within the Government of Pitcairn and between the Island Council and the British Government. It would be inappropriate, however, to detail those individual issues which form a frank but productive dialogue.
Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry Regiment
Question
Asked by The Earl of Shrewsbury
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the future structure and possible redeployment of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry Regiment.[HL6593]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Work to decide the future structure of the Territorial Army is ongoing. A ministerial announcement will be made in due course.
Schools: Careers Advice
Question
Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research is being carried out into the effectiveness of the school-based careers advice service introduced in September 2012.[HL6074]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): The new duty on schools to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance only began in September 2012. It is important that we allow sufficient time for the duty to bed in before we draw any firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the new arrangements. We are evaluating the impact of the new duty in a range of formal and informal ways.
Government have commissioned Ofsted to carry out a thematic review of careers guidance, which will report this summer.
We are publishing education destination measures to show the percentage of students progressing to further education or training in a school, further education or sixth form college, apprenticeship, employment or higher education institution. The measures provide us with evidence of how effective schools are in supporting pupils to move successfully into the next phase or their education or into sustainable work, including through the provision of independent careers guidance.
Ministers and officials meet and correspond regularly with a range of stakeholders on issues relating to the delivery of careers provision in schools.
Taken together, these sources will provide us with detailed evidence relating to the effectiveness of school-based careers guidance and inform future improvements in the quality of provision.
Schools: Design and Technology
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparison they have made between academic achievement and technical skill levels attained in the United Kingdom manufacturing and industrial workforce in the periods 1950 to 1975 and 1975 to 2000.[HL6561]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie): There are no available data that would allow a comparison for the period requested.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to reactions from industry and the education community to their proposal “schools curriculum for design and technology, programmes for study for key stages 1–3” following the presentation of the proposals at the Westminster Education Forum on 13 February.[HL6559]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to concerns expressed by the Design and Technology Association, the Design Council, Education 4 Engineering, the Dyson secondary schools project and Seymourpowell, that proposals for revision of the design and technology curriculum, which focus on basic craft and household maintenance skills, will place at risk creative challenging, learning in design, engineering and technology that is part of the present curriculum.[HL6560]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how proposals relating to design technology as a convenient, broad, low-skill and low academic level educational facility are intended to address the societal issue of those young people who are not in employment, education or training.[HL6563]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): We published our proposals for the reform of the national curriculum on 7 February and are currently conducting a full public consultation, which ends on 16 April. We will conduct a full analysis of the responses we receive during the consultation period, including submissions on the content of the new programmes of study for design and technology, before final decisions are taken. We will also take account of views expressed at events such as the Westminster Education Forum.
We are committed to high quality design and technology teaching in schools, and recognise the importance of the subject to the country's future economic success. We are listening carefully to the views of key stakeholders, including those whom the noble Lord mentions, and will work with subject experts to ensure that the finalised design and technology curriculum will deliver a rigorous and challenging technological education, which fully matches the level of ambition and challenge that we have set for the new national curriculum as a whole.
Schools: Free Schools
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what new free schools have opened since 2010 in the English regions of (1) the North West, (2) Yorkshire and Humber, and (3) the North East.[HL6325]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): To date, 16 free schools have opened in these three English regions. They are as follows:
Schools: Funding
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take in pursuance of the finding in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Capital funding for new school places, that 256,000 new primary and secondary school places will be needed in England by 2014.[HL6353]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): On 1 March, the Secretary of State announced a two year (2013-15) capital allocation totalling £1.6 billion to support local authorities to provide additional pupil places, taking the level of investment in basic need capital in the current spending review period to £4.3 billion. The £1.6 billion was allocated using planning area level data, which has provided the department with a greater understanding of pupil place pressures within local authorities.
In his Autumn Statement on 5 December, the Chancellor announced that the Government will provide additional investment of £982 million for schools in England over the remainder of this Parliament. With this additional money, we have launched the targeted basic need programme to fund the provision of new, high-quality school places in the areas that need it most. The programme will offer additional support to those local authorities experiencing the greatest pressure on places and will help them to prepare for further rises in pupil numbers.
It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage the supply of pupil places in their area. However, we have set out our expectation of greater transparency so that local authorities’ decisions about where to add places are more transparent and accessible to the public. Local authorities will be required to make available details of how they have used capital funding to create additional places and in which schools.
Schools: Sixth Forms
Question
Asked by Lord Knight of Weymouth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is possible for a secondary school to receive a good or outstanding grade from Ofsted if its sixth form is not judged to be good or outstanding.[HL6616]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the noble Lord, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to Lord Knight of Weymouth, dated 2 April 2013.
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for reply.
Under the current school inspection framework, inspectors make four graded judgements on: the achievement of pupils at the school; the quality of
teaching in the school; the quality of leadership in and management of the school; and the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school.
Taking into account the full range of evidence gathered by inspectors, including their evaluation of the quality of education provided in a school’s sixth form, the inspection team make a graded judgement on the overall effectiveness of the school. For a school to be judged at least good, the learning and progress of groups of pupils need to be at least good. As pupils in a sixth form would represent such a group, and if the sixth form was judged to be less than good because achievement in the sixth form required improvement or was inadequate, then the school would not be judged overall to be good or better.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Serious Fraud Office
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their evaluation of the funding and staffing needs of the Serious Fraud Office in combating bribery.[HL6532]
The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness): The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and prosecutes cases of serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption. It is not the only organisation to combat bribery in the UK.
Parliament votes on the SFO’s budget as part of the supply estimates process, along with other government departments. The SFO’s main estimate supply for 2012-13 was £34,800,000.
Some SFO cases are exceptionally resource-intensive and, where this is the case, the SFO will apply for additional funding from HM Treasury. The Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act of 26 March 2013 provided additional funds of £12,733,000 for 2012-13.
The SFO currently has a core of 303 (293.46 FTE) staff on the payroll. The SFO adapts to unusually resource-intensive investigations by supplementing permanent staffing with short-term specialist resourcing. Currently, there are 29 temporary contract workers at the SFO.
It is not possible to break down the funding and staffing requirements specifically relating to bribery. However, the SFO has four casework divisions, two of which focus on bribery and corruption. For 2012-13, the estimated spend for the two divisions is £6,356,791 (subject to audit of the 2012-13 resource accounts).
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are investigating the possible mis-selling of fixed-rate loans to small and medium-sized enterprises. [HL6459]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton): The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is currently undertaking a review into the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products. The banks concerned have committed to completing these reviews within six months. However, the FCA does not regulate business lending and fixed rate loans cannot, therefore, be part of the review.
Somalia
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, notwithstanding the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 21 March (WA 183), how they will ensure that women will be meaningfully represented at the International Conference on Somalia in London.[HL6552]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): Preventing sexual violence in conflict is a theme of the Somalia conference. The issue will be raised prominently and we will seek commitments to tackle the challenges of sexual violence in Somalia. The steps we will take to do this were outlined in the previous Answer to which you have referred. Since then, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, has visited Somalia and started a dialogue with the Federal Government of Somalia on combating sexual violence.
On 11 April, SRSG Bangura addressed G8 Foreign Ministers in London at the invitation of the Government. We support the work of SRSG Bangura's office and will continue to work with her and the Federal Government of Somalia to facilitate efforts to combat sexual violence and build international support behind this.
Stateless People
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have for improving the situation of stateless people, including those in Europe; and what representations they have made to other governments on that issue.[HL6684]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): On 6 April the Government introduced, through changes to the Immigration Rules, a new procedure by which stateless persons in the UK can be formally recognised as stateless and granted leave to remain. This is primarily intended to provide the small number of stateless people who qualify for no other type of leave and have nowhere else to go an avenue to regularise their stay.
In addition, the UK is a signatory and remains committed to the principles set out in two UN resolutions on statelessness: the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes bilateral representations to Governments, where appropriate, to ensure persons are not rendered stateless for political reasons and to regularise the status of those who are disadvantaged or suffering because they are stateless.
Teachers: Specialist Teachers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of specialist, accredited dyslexia teachers within the education system. [HL6489]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): There is not a centrally recognised specialist accreditation for teachers of dyslexic pupils. It is for schools to ensure that their staff have the relevant skills for teaching their pupils. There is a range of materials and programmes which support them to do so in relation to dyslexia.
Government funds, from this and the previous Administration, have supported 3,200 teachers to take specialist dyslexia training courses approved by the British Dyslexia Association. The Government also have awarded grants to the Dyslexia-Specific Learning Difficulty Trust to raise awareness and to support parents and schools, including an intervention for literacy website (www.interventionsforliteracy.org.uk).
The Government also supported the development of advanced-level training materials on a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia. These can be used with students, teachers and other staff working with pupils. Arrangements are in hand for these to be updated and maintained by the sector to provide an up-to-date source of development materials.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership is also collecting data on the numbers of qualified teachers and support staff undertaking scholarships in specific areas. In 2012-13, 233 teachers and 274 support staff undertook specific training in special educational needs.
Teachers: Training
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that teacher training institutions are adequately staffed to produce teachers who are competent to teach the new national curriculum in respect of (1) the core subjects, (2) foreign languages, and (3) the other foundation subjects.[HL6300]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): Accredited teacher training providers, including the increasing number of school-led providers of initial teacher training (ITT), are all subject to the Secretary of State’s criteria for ITT. The criteria set out the clear expectation that training is structured
and delivered to ensure that no trainee teachers are recommended for the award of QTS until they have met all of the Teachers’ Standards. The standards require trainee teachers to demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge in the subjects and curricula that they teach. This includes, where relevant, the core and foundation subjects of the national curriculum. It is an accredited provider’s responsibility to ensure that it has sufficiently well qualified staff to deliver high-quality training. Ofsted regularly inspects ITT providers to assure the quality of their provision. If a provider repeatedly receives grades that are less than good, the Teaching Agency will commence withdrawal of accreditation procedures.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to ensure that sufficient staff in teacher training institutions acquire the requisite competence in lexicology, semantic structures, and grammar to train future teachers of the English language as a core subject in schools; and, if so, what are those plans.[HL6301]
Lord Nash: Teacher training institutions, including the increasing number of school-led providers of initial teacher training (ITT), are all subject to the Secretary of State’s criteria for ITT. The criteria set out the clear expectation that training is structured and delivered to ensure that no trainee teachers are recommended for the award of QTS until they have met all of the Teachers’ Standards. The standards require trainee teachers to demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge in the subjects and curricula that they teach. This includes, where relevant, the core and foundation subjects of the national curriculum. It is an accredited provider’s responsibility to ensure that it has sufficiently well qualified staff to deliver high-quality training. Ofsted regularly inspects ITT providers to assure the quality of their provision. If a provider repeatedly receives grades that are less than good, the Teaching Agency will commence withdrawal of accreditation procedures.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what change there has been in the number of initial teacher training placements in (1) special schools, and (2) specialist settings within mainstream schools, between 2011-12 and 2013-14.[HL6488]
Lord Nash: There is no mandatory requirement for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers to supply information to the department about specific placements undertaken as part of a trainee’s individual ITT course. Therefore it is not possible to provide a response relating to the number and nature of placements. ITT providers determine the content of ITT courses locally to meet school and specific trainee need and, in doing this, ensure that trainees meet the Teachers Standards to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Turkey
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of freedom of the press in Turkey.[HL6711]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi): The Government share the concerns of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Commission about press freedoms in Turkey, including the arrest and lengthy detention without trial of a number of journalists.
The Deputy Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Clegg), raised concerns about human rights, and particularly freedom of expression, with the Prime Minister of Turkey on a visit to Turkey in October 2012. The Minister for Europe, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), regularly raises the issue, most recently in February, with Egemen Bagis, the Turkish European Affairs Minister.
We welcome the recent judicial reform package adopted by the Turkish Parliament as an important step towards improving freedom of expression in Turkey. We are also encouraged by two further developments; the creation of a national human rights institution and an ombudsman in 2012. Along with our European partners, we continue to urge Turkey to make further progress in meeting its international commitments on human rights.
UK Border Agency
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 21 March (WA 185–6), what steps they have taken to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency (HC 124, 2008–09).[HL6546]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): In 2009, the Comptroller and Auditor-General published Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency. This document assessed the performance of the UK Border Agency and, specifically, the performance of the New Asylum Model, which had been in place since 2007.
The document made 10 broad recommendations for change, supported by over 20 specific recommendations to the process, including better quality auditing of decisions; establishing targets for 12 and 24 month conclusions; improving removals; developing and establishing targets for average costs. At the time of publication these recommendations were evaluated by the UK Border Agency and implemented where appropriate.
The Home Office recognises that through listening to feedback we may improve our processes further. Indeed, since this report, the asylum system has been assessed by various other groups—most notably the independent chief inspector, John Vine. His 2011 report (link below) made several additional recommendations—the majority of which were accepted and implemented by the UK Border Agency.
http://icinspector.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011 /02/Use-of-country-of-origin- information-in-deciding-asylum-applications.pdf.
Further, our performance is published every year against 15 key performance indicators (KPIs)—link below. These cover a wide variety of factors, including many of the recommendations from the 2009 report. Specifically:
asylum intake;work in Progress (WiP) cases;intake;asylum support costs;productivity;asylum unit cost;initial decisions in 30 days;cases concluded in six months;cases concluded in 12 months;cases concluded in 35 months;cases removed in 12 months;decision quality;appeal representation rate;appeal win rate; andasylum grant rate.http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/further-key-data/.
Overall, the published statistics show a system improving, with the majority of KPIs either exceeding or matching the previous year's figures. We are confident this trend will be repeated in this year's publication.
Going forward, the Asylum Casework Directorate is implementing several changes to simplify and standardise the asylum system—allowing for better, earlier identification of the needs of the claimant, including the most vulnerable, and enabling appropriate consideration by the correct team who specialise in their case type. This specialisation will then enable the development of country and subject expertise by decision-makers, resulting in faster, higher quality decisions.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they are moving the remit of the UK Border Agency back to the Home Office.[HL6596]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My right honourable friend the Home Secretary set out the reasons in her Statement on 26 March 2013 (Official Report, cols. 1500-10).
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 14 March (WA 92), what guidance and training in counselling is received by those UK Border Agency caseworkers who conduct interviews with applicants. [HL6599]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: No specific training or guidance on counselling is provided to caseworkers who conduct interviews with applicants. The training and guidance provided depends on the purpose of the interview the caseworker will be conducting. Where appropriate, this can include provisions for people who may be vulnerable. For example, training and guidance on interviewing techniques is provided to those who conduct interviews in order to help vulnerable asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors present their evidence and make them feel more at ease during the interview process.
UK Border Agency: Staff
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 14 March (WA 92), what assessments, appraisals and reviews are carried out following UK Border Agency case-workers’ (1) initial training, and (2) continued professional development courses. [HL6692]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): The Home Office (formerly UK Border Agency) case owners are subject to the Home Office performance management process.
The following principles underpin the performance management policy:
performance will be managed in line with Civil Service values and the Civil Service Code of Conduct;performance will be managed with a focus on continuous improvement and individual development. Poor performance will be managed to ensure efficient business delivery; andperformance will be managed in a fair and transparent way. This policy complies with employment legislation, ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) best practice, the Equality Act 2010 and the Civil Service Management Code.
Driving up individual and organisational performance is a key factor in providing greater value for money and delivering high quality public services.
The performance management policy provides a framework for managing performance throughout the year, laying the foundations of expected standards of performance and facilitating employee engagement.
Performance is evaluated against both the what (delivery of objectives) and the how (demonstration of skills, knowledge, behaviours and values, as described in the Civil Service competency framework, professional frameworks and Civil Service Code) with equal weighting. Case owners performance is reviewed with line managers at one to one meetings during the year. Objectives are
set at the start of the year and reviewed during the year. Depending on performance this could be more or less often.
These discussions provide the basis for a personal development plan to support performance improvements. At the end of the reporting year the case owner and line manager agree an appraisal which is checked against a group of their peers to confirm the appropriate distribution of performance ratings.
Violence against Women
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the announcement on 4 March that the next Department for International Development plan for Afghanistan will include violence against women as a strategic priority, whether Afghanistan will become one of the 10 focus countries of that department's new research initiative to help prevent violence against women and girls.[HL6492]
Baroness Northover: No decisions have yet been taken on the focus countries for DfID’s new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Research and Innovation Fund, although they will reflect departmental priorities.
Visas
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what statistics they keep on visitors and other categories of people staying beyond the time allowed on their visa; how many visitors were estimated to have overstayed in the last year for which figures are available; what action they are taking to return those who do overstay; and whether they will introduce a security bond system for those from high-risk countries to reduce the level of such illegal immigration. [HL6521]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): We do not collect the data requested. Overstayers who come to our attention are put through a removals process. Where appropriate, we promote voluntary departure. Capita have been contracted to assist with contact management and delivering more voluntary departure case outcomes. Otherwise we will enforce removal. With fingerprints now recorded with every visa application, establishing identity for the purpose of removal is becoming simpler. We have also changed the Immigration Rules to make it clear where the balance lies between family life and the public interest in removal. We have split the UK Border Agency to create a new, dedicated immigration enforcement directorate within the Home Office which will strengthen enforcement action.
We are taking further action to protect public benefits and services from overstayers. Additionally, the details of identified overstayers are shared with CIFAS, the UK’s fraud prevention service, to deny them access to financial services.
As the Deputy Prime Minister referenced in his immigration speech on 22 March 2013, and the Home Secretary has previously announced, we are considering
the possibility of a bonds scheme to incentivise compliance, particularly by visa applicants who might overstay their visa.