Written Answers
Answers received between Tuesday 24 Septemberand Monday 30 September 2013
Caste Discrimination
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Government Equalities Office document Caste legislation introduction—programme and timetable allows time for the draft affirmative order outlawing caste discrimination referred to therein to be debated before the General Election of 2015.[HL2166]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The timetable for the introduction of caste legislation published by the Government on 29 July (https://wwwgov.uk/government/ publications/caste-discrimination-legislation-timetable) makes clear that the Affirmative Order referred to in my noble Friend's Question is expected to be introduced for debate in Parliament during summer 2015. Following the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 the date of the next general election has been set at 7 May 2015, which means that the current Parliament will be dissolved during the spring of 2015.
Prior to the debates on the Order, Parliamentarians will of course, if they wish, have the opportunity to respond to either or both of the public consultations on the prospective legislation (expected to issue in February or March 2014) and on the draft of the Order (expected to issue in autumn 2014).
Energy: Fuel Poverty
Question
Asked by Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have commissioned research on the issue of fuel poverty across the United Kingdom; and, if so, what are the details of that research.[HL2217]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma): The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has commissioned a number of fuel poverty research projects over the recent past. These include:
a project to estimate and monetise the negative health impacts of living in cold and poorly insulated homes;research on the impact of efficiency and heating measures on household energy efficiency. This project produced a household energy efficiency cost curve, which showed the ‘merit order’ of different efficiency and heating measures; and a review of the academic literature into the level of ‘comfort taking’ among low income and vulnerable households.
In addition, DECC is currently commissioning a project to help us to better understand the behaviours and attitudes of fuel poor households with respect to energy use.
Energy: Prices
Questions
Asked by Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps they plan to take to mitigate the effect of increased domestic fuel costs on low-income households.[HL2215]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma): We have a strong package of policies which are already delivering assistance to those in need. These include the Energy Company Obligation and the Warm Home Discount. ECO is expected to provide efficient boilers and insulation measures to some 230,000 low income and vulnerable households each year. The Warm Home Discount scheme will provides annual assistance to around 2 million fuel poor and vulnerable households this coming winter. In addition, the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather payments support many vulnerable and low income households.
As we approach winter, my officials will be seeking opportunities to maximise the use of the Energy Saving Advice Service (ESAS), which provides a referral service for ECO Affordable Warmth. Plans are already in place to promote it through existing correspondence to qualifying benefit recipients from the Department for Work and Pensions, and DECC’s communications to Warm Home Discount Core Group recipients. The Big Energy Saving Network will also be encouraging vulnerable consumers to call ESAS to see if they are eligible for the support.
Looking longer term, we have published a framework for future action on fuel poverty. We have also made legal proposals to put our efforts on a more sustainable footing. This includes proposals to put in place a new fuel poverty target supported by a statutory strategy setting out how it will be achieved. This overall approach, dependent on decisions yet to be taken by Parliament in relation to the Energy Bills, represents a major recommitment to tackling the major, structural problem of fuel poverty.
Asked by Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what central government schemes are available throughout the United Kingdom to provide advice and assistance to low-income households about managing domestic fuel costs.[HL2216]
Baroness Verma: We have put in place the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation which we expect to provide support for at least 230,000 low income and vulnerable households each year.
We have also set up the Energy Saving Advice Service (or ESAS) on 0300 123 1234. Among other forms of advice and assistance, ESAS offers a referral
service for ECO Affordable Warmth which leads to the installation of heating and insulation measures for low income vulnerable consumers.
Furthermore, we have introduced the Warm Home Discount scheme. This supports some 2 million households in total. This coming winter, support includes automatic electricity bill discounts of £135 being paid to more than 1.1 million of the poorest pensioners.
In addition, the Government has provided £900,000 to fund the creation of the ‘Big Energy Saving Network’ which will focus on helping consumers understand tariffs and switching options as well as how they could benefit from energy efficiency programmes available to them.
Energy policy is a devolved issue. These policies and services apply in Great Britain but not Northern Ireland.
We also make Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments to people in all areas of the UK.
Asked by Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they plan to have with the devolved administrations about reducing the incidence and the consequences of increased fuel costs for low-income families.[HL2218]
Baroness Verma: Ministerial colleagues, officials and I meet regularly with the devolved administrations to discuss a wide range of issues, including energy prices and fuel poverty.
Government Departments: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many officials or full-time equivalents work in the tourism section of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.[HL2029]
Baroness Stowell of Beeston: There are currently 6.5 full-time equivalent officials working in the tourism section of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In addition to this, the average headcount full-time equivalent figure in 2012/13 for our two Arms-Length Bodies, VisitBritain and VisitEngland, was 235*.
*Source: 2012-13 British Tourist Authority (trading as VisitBritain and VisitEngland) annual report and accounts.
http://www.visitbritain.org/Images/Annual%20Accounts% 202012-13_tcm29-38084.pdf
Immigration
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to tackle the backlog of immigration cases.[HL1860]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach): Since 2010 the Government has been getting to grips with the immigration system including the legacy of volumes of casework and historical backlogs in the UK Border Agency (UKBA). On 28 March my Rt. hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced the splitting up of the
UKBA and the creation of two new entities within the Home Office reporting to Ministers; an immigration and visa service and an immigration enforcement organisation. The immigration and visa service will provide a high volume service that makes high quality decisions about who comes here, with a culture of customer satisfaction for businessmen and visitors who want to come here legally. This new service has already started making encouraging progress in reducing substantially the stock of permanent and temporary migration applications awaiting decision. The Government is determined that this progress should be maintained but given the deep seated problems which beset the former UKBA, as described in the Home Secretary’s statement on 26 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1500-1510, it is likely to be some years before the system is functioning smoothly with all forms of backlog completely eliminated.
Answers received between Tuesday 1 October and Tuesday 8 October 2013
Agriculture: Hill Farm Allowance
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to revise the policy of making payments every six months as set out in Higher Level Stewardship Operation and Aims, published on 13 June; and if not, what arrangements they have made to assist farmers with little or no access to credit during the subsequent six months.[HL2315]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The Higher Level Stewardship operations and aims state that "Higher Level Stewardship agreements last for 10 years with the option of a five year break clause. Payments are made every six months and relate to the options that have been chosen." There are no current plans to revise Higher Level Stewardship policy. Natural England, which delivers the scheme for Defra, has no specific arrangements to assist farmers with credit difficulties. Where cases of specific hardship exist Natural England would ensure they are handled promptly and might direct them to alternative sources of help such as the Farm Community Network.
Animals in Scientific Procedures
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes have taken place in the levels of bureaucracy involved in regulation of scientific research using animals since the publication of the Report of the Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures (HL Paper 150, Session 2001–02).[HL2335]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes was implemented in the United Kingdom and other Member States on 1 January 2013. The implementation allowed us to maintain high standards of welfare and animal protection without the imposition of unnecessary bureaucracy.
Since the publication of the Report of the Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures the Home Office has simplified the personal and project licence applications and the authority for importing and exporting genetically altered rodents in order to reduce the administration for licence holders whilst still maintaining controls and the drive for the 3Rs—replacement, refinement and reduction.
The Home Office will be introducing an e-licensing system that aims to simplify and expedite the process for licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of regulatory obligations relating to the use of animals in scientific research on levels of research taking place in the United Kingdom.[HL2336]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The purpose of the regulatory regime is to uphold the obligations of establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 through a risk-based programme of inspector visits.
There is no evidence to suggest that the impact of regulatory obligations relating to the use of animals in scientific research has had any impact on the levels of research taking place in the United Kingdom.
European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes was implemented in the United Kingdom and other Member States on 1 January 2013. We provided a full regulatory impact assessment prior to amending the 1986 Act to implement the Directive. This had an overall assessment of “green” from the Regulatory Policy Committee and as we have not made any substantive changes since then I currently have no plans to make further assessments.
Banking: Quantitative Easing
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have estimated the impact of quantitative easing by income and wealth deciles or quintiles; and, if so, whether they will publish their findings.[HL2232]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The independent Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) policy tools, including Bank Rate and quantitative easing (QE), are macroeconomic policy tools designed to affect the economy as a whole, in order to meet the 2 per cent inflation target over the medium term.
The Bank of England paper, titled “The Distributional Effects of Asset Purchases” published on 23 August 2012, considers the impact of QE across different groups in society. The paper concludes that:
“Without the Bank's asset purchases, most people in the United Kingdom would have been worse off. Economic growth would have been lower. Unemployment would have been higher. Many more companies would have gone out of business. This would have had a significant detrimental impact on ... every ... group in our society”.
Central African Republic
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other European Union governments and the African Union regarding human rights abuses in the Central African Republic that have taken place since March.[HL2072]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have discussed the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) with the EU, African Union (AU), UN and other key partners on a number of occasions; at the UN in March and May, with Margaret Vogt, the then United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General (UNSPSG) to CAR, in April and July and with EU partners in May and July. Most recently, we have had discussions with the African Union (AU) on 19 July.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, and in which forums, to encourage the government of the Central African Republic to investigate and prosecute all persons deemed responsible for recent human rights abuses, including members of the Seleka Coalition, in fair and credible trials that comply with international standards.[HL2073]
Baroness Warsi: We do not have resident diplomatic representation in the Central African Republic (CAR).Our relations are handled remotely by our High Commission in Yaoundé. We continue to work with partners, both outside and in the region, to remind all parties that there should be no impunity for those responsible for human rights violations.
In March this year, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) made a statement highlighting the importance the UK attaches to stability in the Central African Republic and the safety and security of civilians. He called on all sides to make every effort to show restraint and to respect human rights’.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the United Kingdom and the European Union are taking to monitor radical Islamist elements in the Central African Republic.[HL2074]
Baroness Warsi: Although we do not have resident diplomatic representation in the Central African Republic (CAR), we are working with our international partners on the issues that CAR faces, including the possibility of the presence of active radical Islamist elements. We are aware of reports of radical Islamist groups in the country and that some components of the Seleka coalition which took over in March have pursued an Islamist agenda. However, we have no direct evidence of the presence of any terrorist group in the country. We welcome the work done by religious organisations and non-governmental organisations, to diffuse the tensions. We are looking into the possibility of EU funding to support this work.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent warning by Catholic groups and other civic organisations in the Central African Republic that the country could soon become “a haven for terrorist groups”.[HL2076]
Baroness Warsi: Although we do not have resident diplomatic representation in the Central African Republic (CAR), we are working with international partners on the issues that CAR faces, including the possibility that extremist or terrorist groups could exploit the instability in the country to seek a safe haven. We have no direct indication of the presence of any terrorist group in CAR. However, the situation remains concerning. We know that some of the actions of the Seleka group which took over in April this year may have inflamed communal and religious tensions. We welcome the work of religious organisations and non-governmental organisations, to diffuse the tensions.
Climate Change
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the policies of the new government of Australia to save significant public expenditure by reducing bureaucracy relating to climate change; and whether they have any plans to reduce public expenditure in similar ways in the United Kingdom. [HL2297]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): We will be assessing the climate and energy policies of the new Australian government over the next few months, including seeking reassurance that its policies can help deliver its international emissions reduction commitments and set them on a low carbon pathway to meet future emissions reductions consistent with contributing to the global goal of avoiding dangerous climate change.
We are pleased the new Government remains committed to meeting their target of a 5% emissions reduction by 2020. We have no plans to amend our approach of driving a cost-effective pathway to our clear climate commitments. Our vision of a low carbon future is supporting jobs and creating new investment in the economy, stimulating 'Green Growth' and helping to build a new sustainable future.
To ask Her Majesty’sGovernment, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 27 March (WA 237–8) which stated that the development of climate change policy took account of "the peer-reviewed literature", which peer-reviewed literature was taken into account in developing the Met Office general circulation models; and what assessment they have made of peer-reviewed literature which claims to doubt the validity of those models. [HL2299]
Baroness Verma: The Met Office's general circulation models are constructed using well-established laws of physics and are compared carefully with observations of the climate system. They are developed and evaluated not only through the use of peer-reviewed literature, but also as part of the global Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). Met Office scientists who build and improve these models take into account a vast range of peer-reviewed papers covering the complete spectrum of views on every aspect of climate modelling including those which are critical of model performance. The Met Office does not maintain a list of this extensive literature—I understand this would run to several thousands of journal articles covering several decades of research from across the globe.
The development of Met Office climate models is documented in the peer-reviewed literature, references to which can be found on the Met Office's website at:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/modelling-systems/unified-model/climate-models
Employment: Pay
Question
Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 29 August (WA 417), what proportion of jobs in the lowest pay quintile are paid (1) weekly, (2) fortnightly, (3) four weekly, and (4) monthly.[HL2279]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Caron Walker, Director, Collection and Production, Office for National Statistics, to Baroness Lister, dated October 2013.
In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 29 August (WA 417), what proportion of jobs in the lowest pay quintile are paid (1) weekly, (2) fortnightly, (3) four weekly, and (4) monthly. (HL2279)
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Weekly levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose earnings for the survey pay period were not affected by absence. ASHE also collects information about employees’ pay periods.
I attach tables showing the proportion of jobs with weekly, fortnightly, four weekly and monthly pay periods for jobs in the lowest pay quintile in April 2012, the latest period for which results are available. Figures have been provided separately for all jobs and full-time jobs.
| Proportion of jobsa in the lowest pay quintileb with weekly, fortnightly, four weekly and monthly pay periods in April 2012. | ||
| Per cent of bottom quintile | ||
| Pay period | All employeesc | Full-time employeesd |
a. Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
b. Earnings quintiles are defined on the basis of gross weekly earnings. ASHE data for jobs that do not have weekly pay periods are converted into weekly figures.
c. For all employees, those in the bottom quintile have gross weekly earnings of less than £206.20
d. For full-time employees, those in the bottom quintile have gross weekly earnings of less than £334.60
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics
Employment: Private Sector
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of new private sector jobs created since May 2010 are (1) part-time, and (2) replacements for public sector jobs.[HL2101]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): 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 ONS, to Lord Beecham, dated September 2013.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of new private sector jobs created since May 2010 are (1) part-time, and (2) replacements for public sector jobs. HL2101
Statistics on the number of private sector jobs created are not produced. As an alternative, estimates of the number of people in employment in the private sector are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and can be used to show changes between different time periods.
Information regarding the replacement of public sector jobs with private sector jobs is not available from the LFS or any other ONS data source.
The table provided contains private sector employment statistics, by full- and part-time status, for the three-month periods April to June 2010 to April to June 2013. In the LFS the distinction between the public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The estimates do not correspond directly to the official statistics for private sector employment published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. Those statistics, which are derived partly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions, do not provide an estimate of full- and part-time employment.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated in the table.
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)
1 Individuals in the LFS are classified to private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the LFS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The private sector estimates provided do not correspond to official estimates published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts definition and cannot be broken down into full- and part-time employment.
2 Includes those that did not state their full- or part-time status.
3 Includes those that did not state their sector status.
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.
| KEY | Coefficient of | Statistical Robustness |
|
Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes |
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the increased number of private sector jobs created in the North East since 2010 are (1) part-time, and (2) due to the transfer of jobs from the public sector.[HL2260]
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 Caron Walker, Director, Collection and Production, Office for National Statistics, to Lord Beecham, dated October 2013.
In the absence of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many of the increased number of private sector jobs
created in the North East since 2010 are (1) part-time, and (2) due to the transfer of jobs from the public sector. HL2260
Estimates of the number of private sector jobs created are not produced. As an alternative, estimates of the number of people in employment in the private sector are available from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and can be used to show changes between different time periods.
Information regarding the transfer of public sector jobs to the private sector is not available from the APS or any other ONS data source.
The table provided shows private sector employment statistics for the North East, by full- & part-time status, for the 12 month periods July 2009 to June 2010 and April 2012 to March 2013, the latest available period. In the APS the distinction between the public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The estimates do not correspond directly to the official statistics for private sector employment published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. Those statistics which are derived partly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions, do not provide an estimate of full- & part-time employment.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated in the table.
| Full- & part-time employment in the private sector1 in the North East | ||||||||||||
| thousands | ||||||||||||
| Total in employment | Private Sector | |||||||||||
| Total2 | Full-time | Part-time | Total2 | Full-time | Part-time | |||||||
Source: Annual Population Survey (APS)
1 Individuals in the APS are classified to private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The private sector estimates provided do not correspond to official estimates published in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on a National Accounts’ definition and cannot be broken down into full- & part-time employment.
2 Includes those that did not state their full- or part-time status.
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.
| KEY | Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) | Statistical Robustness |
|
Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes |
Energy: Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Energy and Climate Change has made any calculations of (1) the actual savings already made in carbon dioxide emissions, and (2) the estimated savings by 2030 in carbon dioxide emissions, as a result of wind-generated electricity; if so, what those calculations show; and if not, why not.[HL2294]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): Such estimates have not been made. This is because it is not possible to determine what mix of technologies increased wind-generation has displaced or will displace in the future. It is therefore not possible to separate out the impact of increased generation from wind from the impact of increased generation from other forms of renewable or low-carbon generation such as nuclear and carbon capture and storage.
The government's latest greenhouse gas emissions projections, published in Annexe A of DECC's Updated Energy and Emissions Projections published in September 2013
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/240310/Annex-a-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-source-2013.xls project a combined impact of power sector policies on energy supply emissions in 2030 of approximately 100 MtCO2e in the reference scenario1 .
1 Estimated as the difference in emissions between the reference and baseline policies scenarios.
Energy: Carbon Emissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 19 July (WA 153), what is in numerical terms the United Kingdom’s emissions reduction target for 2050. [HL2298]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): The Climate Change Act places a Duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline. On the basis of the last confirmed inventory, this is equivalent to net UK emissions in 2050 of 154.9 MTCO2e.
Energy: Electricity
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the provision of off-peak electricity by energy companies under the same terms and conditions to all parts of the United Kingdom.[HL2307]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): It is the Government's policy to encourage a competitive retail energy market that works for consumers, including the provision of cheaper tariffs for consumers using energy at off-times during the night. In a competitive market it is for suppliers to determine the terms and conditions of tariffs within the regulatory framework set by Ofgem.
Tariffs may vary from region to region as the charges that suppliers must pay the owners of the electricity distribution networks are different in each region.
Energy: Renewable Energy
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will finance the costs of renewable energy in their proposed energy investment programme; and in what proportions. [HL2296]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): The Coalition Government has made clear its commitment to increasing the deployment of renewable energy across the UK. This will make the UK more energy secure, will help protect consumers from fossil fuel price fluctuations, is driving investment in new jobs and businesses in the renewable energy sector, as well as keeping us on track to meet the 2020 Renewable Energy Target and our longer term carbon reduction objectives. The required renewable energy investment will be delivered by the private sector, but the Government has a number of policies in place to help support this investment.
Investment in renewable electricity is currently supported by the Renewables Obligation (RO), the small-scale Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) scheme, and in future by Contracts for Difference (CfDs) which place costs and obligations on energy suppliers. Electricity suppliers can recover the costs they incur by meeting their obligations under these schemes by passing through this cost to their consumers—DECC does not dictate how they should do this. Suppliers will determine the share of these costs recovered from different types of consumers. The assumption used for DECC's analysis is that costs will be spread evenly over each unit of energy consumed. Given the respective shares of electricity consumption, this implies households will face approximately one-third of the costs and non-domestic consumers (including businesses, industry and the public sector) the remaining two-thirds.
Investment in renewable heat is currently supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Renewable Heat Premium Payments (RHPP) schemes, which are funded through general taxation.
Energy: Wind Turbines
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest estimates of the total lifetime maintenance costs, and the lifetime maintenance costs as a proportion of total costs, of the proposed programme for offshore wind turbines; and how much maintenance costs are forecast to add to the average consumer costs of energy.[HL2295]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): DECC publishes levelised costs estimates of various generation technologies including offshore wind on the DECC website. The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total costs of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected
to be generated over the plant's lifetime (per megawatt hour). Levelised costs include pre-development and installation costs, infrastructure costs, operating costs, connection costs and where appropriate carbon and fuel costs. The latest published figures are available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/decc-electricity-generation-costs-2013.
Table 2 of this report shows central estimates of the levelised costs of various technologies for projects starting in 2013 using a 10% discount rate, broken down into various estimates. These are copied below for offshore wind Round 2 and 3. Operating costs represent approximately 30% of the total levelised cost of offshore wind. This proportion is likely to change depending on the overall cost of the project and overtime.
| £/MWh, 2012 prices | Offshore R2 | Offshore R3 |
Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is uncertainty around these estimates. It is perhaps more appropriate to consider a range of cost estimates as pipeline projects show a large range around these central values.
Total support for renewable electricity projects through the Renewables Obligation is estimated to account, on average, for around £30 (in real 2012 prices) or 2% of the household energy bill in 2013. An estimate has not been made as to how much of this is a result of offshore wind maintenance costs.
EU: Balance of Competences Review
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries were invited to express an opinion on, and which of those countries responded to, the Review of the balance of competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union.[HL1902]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Balance of Competences Review is designed to examine the impact of EU membership on the UK national interest, and the focus has therefore been on ensuring a wide range of contributions from across the UK. However, the calls
for evidence are published online and make clear that all evidence relevant to the reports is welcome. In addition, the Foreign Secretary wrote specifically to EU Foreign Ministers at the launch of the Review to explain its purpose and scope, and in these letters made clear that we would welcome contributions from Member States if they so wished. We have also raised the Review in similar terms with other international partners, through a variety of different means. We received specific written contributions from Australia, Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Malawi and Switzerland, as well as from EU institutions and other international organisations. These have been published online alongside the reports themselves.
Fishing: Sea Bass
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies they are implementing to preserve stocks of sea bass in United Kingdom waters.[HL2303]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Government is pushing for effective EU-wide conservation measures that will ensure the stock recovers and becomes sustainable. Government is also considering the need for domestic management of bass in context of these discussions.
Any proposals for bass conservation measures will take account of the relevant science and the socio-economic impact of any such proposals, for the benefit of all marine users. Defra officials will aim to notify stakeholders of any significant developments as soon as possible.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered designating sea bass as a species for recreational angling alone.[HL2304]
Lord De Mauley: Government is committed to managing the marine environment for the benefit of all users, including both recreational and commercial fishermen. As we are currently pushing for action to be taken at a European level, we are considering all possible conservation measures as part of our on-going work in this area.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to other European Union governments and the European Commission about protecting sea bass stocks in European Union waters.[HL2305]
Lord De Mauley: The UK Government has played an active role in EU discussions about sea bass stocks, involving the European Commission and interested Member States. In these discussions the UK, supported by the majority of Member States concerned, has advocated a package of technical measures, which are focused on protecting spawning stocks and reducing annual catches to a level recommended in scientific advice.
Georgia
Question
Asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Georgia about religious freedom for Muslims in the Samatskaro area of Eastern Georgia, in the light of reports of Muslims being prevented from worshipping on Fridays.[HL1953]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The UK raises human rights issues on a regular basis with the Georgian government both bilaterally and through multilateral institutions such as the EU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe. While we have not yet had discussions with the government on this specific issue, we continue to follow minority rights closely, including through our Embassy’s work in Tbilisi and its regional travel. We fund a local non-governmental organisation to maintain an inter-faith working group which involves representatives of a number of religious denominations, including Muslims, and which is contributing to an improvement in communication between religious minority groups, the Orthodox Church and government.
Government Departments: Procurement
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 19 July (HL1389), when the new procurement policy was introduced; whether it was published by way of a press notice; and whether they have made sure that each person responsible for procurement in every Government Department is aware of the policy. [HL1801]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The new policy was announced in the Budget on 20 March 2013.
Detailed guidance was published on 28 March 2013 in Procurement Policy Note 4/13, which was issued to public sector bodies and published online:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-03-13-measures-to-promote-tax-compliance.
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the procurement processes in central government and the value for money that such processes deliver.[HL2196]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: On coming to power in 2010, this Government found that public sector procurement was fragmented, bureaucratic, protracted and expensive for both bidders and procurers. This
closed and transactional approach discouraged small and innovative suppliers from bidding and did not always deliver value for money.
As a result of this Government's procurement reforms we have made the way we do business more competitive, more transparent, better value and far simpler than ever before.
We have simplified procurement, centralised spend on common commodities, renegotiated contracts with major suppliers and reduced non-essential discretionary spend. Through these measures, along with better management of major projects, ICT, property and estates, and reducing the size of the Civil Service, we have delivered savings of £3.75bn in 2010-11, a further £5.5bn in 2011-12, and an additional £l0bn in 2012-13.
Nevertheless, we recognise that we can do more, and so we have announced that we will create the Crown Commercial Service this Autumn to ensure that maximum value for the taxpayer is extracted from every commercial relationship by maximising public sector buying power and generating yet more savings.
Government: Government Certificates
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Patel of Bradford on 29 October 2008 (WA 169), whether any United Kingdom government certificates are stored in the United States or South Africa; if so, whether the security arrangements pertaining to them are satisfactory; and whether they have made representations to the government of the United States about the applicability of the Patriot Acts to United Kingdom government certificates.[HL1505]
Lord Popat (Con): Some public key certificates issued by the Government can be expected to be held overseas. For example, certificates relating to verifications of passports need to be held overseas in order to check the authenticity of UK passports. Certificates issued to departments or their agencies contain no reference to individuals or their personal information. There is no requirement for these certificates to be treated confidentially. Some certificates are issued to individuals and could contain personal information. In such instances, the handling of these certificates would need to comply with the relevant data protection principles. In line with the practice for previous administrations, details of such discussions are not normally disclosed.
House of Lords: Members
Question
Asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
To ask the Chairman of Committees what additional provision will be made in the 2013–14 budget of the House of Lords to take account of the 30 additional life peers recently announced. [HL2146]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Sewel): In December, the House Committee will consider whether to make any additional provision for any net increase in the membership of the House as part of its consideration of the forecast outturn for the current financial year.
The Committee will do so in the context of the savings target for the House of Lords Administration for the period 2011-2015, which the Committee agreed in December 2010, as follows: “We will aim not to increase our resource costs, in real terms [compared with 2010/11], throughout the period of the plan, despite the increased size of the House”.
Immigration
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what languages the mobile “Go home or face arrest” billboards have been printed.[HL1988]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The mobile billboards have been printed in English. However, other campaign material such as leaflets, posters, advertisements in newspapers and in local newsagents and internet cafes have been produced in a range of languages.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government with which communities they expect the “Go home or face arrest” billboard campaign to be most successful; and what assessment they have made of the languages spoken in those communities.[HL1989]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: This is a pilot and part of the evaluation will be to determine which nationalities of immigration offenders this is likely to have an effect on.
Management information was used on the boroughs targeted to allow for different languages to be available for the leaflets, advertisements in newspapers and posters that support the billboard campaign.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when and by what criteria they plan to evaluate the piloting of the billboard scheme aimed at illegal immigrants.[HL2008]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The pilot, part of which included billboards on vans is being fully evaluated. There are a number of criteria, the primary one being whether or not it has increased the ability for immigration offenders to approach the Home Office for assistance in voluntarily departing from the United Kingdom.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who prepared the written brief used by the advertising agency instigating the “Go home or face arrest” billboard campaign.[HL2013]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Home Office commissioned the use of the advertising vans and billboards, and prepared all the written material.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost of the “Go home or face arrest” billboard campaign.[HL2014]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The total cost of the entire pilot was just under £10,000. This amount includes the cost of the advertising vans, communication materials, including translation fees, the text message service, adverts in newspapers and shop windows, posters and leaflets. The total cost for the billboard element of the pilot was £4734. Even one immigration offender voluntarily departing from the United Kingdom as a result of this pilot would pay for the cost of the pilot in comparison to the same individual being subject to an enforced removal—which can cost the taxpayer up to approximately £15,000.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the source for the claim in their “Go home or face arrest” advertising campaign that 106 people were arrested in the previous seven days in the London boroughs in which the campaign was piloted. [HL2044]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how “your area” was defined in the “Go home or face arrest” advertising campaign piloted in several London boroughs in July 2013.[HL2045]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The data used were the most reliable and most recent management information. The 106 arrests referred to on the AdVans include arrests for immigration offences made in the Metropolitan Police custody suites of the six pilot boroughs and the work of the West, North and East London Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) teams. The relevant police custody suites are Acton, Chiswick, Colindale, Fresh Wharf, Hounslow, Ilford and Wembley. These arrests are usually conducted by immigration officers already present in those police stations or called to them for the purpose of serving immigration papers. The ICE teams are responsible for tackling immigration offences in the relevant geographical boundaries of London.
It should be noted that this figure of 106 arrests reflected a typical week and was not significantly higher than usual. The number of arrests on the AdVans does not include those refused entry at port or those arrested at Heathrow airport.
“Your area” was defined as the six boroughs referred to and identified on the bottom left hand corner of the advertisement.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many working hours were expended in the development and implementation of the “Go home or face arrest” advertising campaign pilot.[HL2055]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The pilot is part of wider work by the Home Office to encourage voluntary departures from the United Kingdom. It is not possible to calculate the exact number of working hours spent developing this specific pilot.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish their assessment of the “Go home or face arrest” advertising campaign before rolling out the scheme nationally.[HL2056]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Home Office will evaluate fully the results of this pilot and the Government will make a decision on whether it is to be extended in any form.
Such evaluation documents are not usually published.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the criteria used for the selection of London boroughs to be targeted by the "Go home or face arrest" advertising campaign pilot; and what assessment they made prior to its implementation of its projected impact on (1) public order, (2) community relations, and (3) the number of illegal immigrants likely to seek voluntary repatriation as a result of the pilot.[HL2058]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The vans were targeted to six London boroughs which had either significantly above average, or very low, uptake of the voluntary departure route for illegal immigrants; the pilot was designed to test the media used and to identify which areas produced the highest response rate. Operational intelligence was used to target specific areas within those boroughs, such as locations where illegal immigrants or people seeking work illegally were known to congregate, and high streets.
The Home Office considered all aspects of the pilot before its launch, including public order and community relations, and we have kept this situation under review. An evaluation of the impacts from the pilot will be published in due course however the Metropolitan Police Service have confirmed that there was no increase in community tension during the period of the pilot.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments of a spokesman from the Prime Minister’s office, on what basis they claim that the pilot Home Office advertising campaign encouraging migrants to “go home or face arrest” is already working.[HL2081]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Home Office has received a great deal of interest in response to this pilot. Individual cases will be vetted and considered in due course and a full evaluation is being undertaken.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was their justification for the recent spot check searches for illegal immigrants; which powers were used by which officers in the searches; whether similar searches
had taken place previously; and, if so, where they were undertaken, who undertook them, and what was the justification.[HL2135]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: All Immigration operations are intelligence based. Home Office Immigration Enforcement street operations have been conducted by Immigration officials since 2008, including under the last Labour Government, using their powers under Paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 which allows Immigration Officers to examine people in order to determine their immigration status in certain circumstances. Similar street operations have been conducted by Immigration officials nationally.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to use the “Go home or face arrest” billboard campaign more widely; if so, where such campaigns will take place; and how, in advance of any future campaign, local people and any interested parties will be consulted.[HL2138]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The AdVans referred to were used in six London Boroughs from 22 to 28 July. The AdVans are part of a wider pilot to improve awareness and take up of voluntary departures and the effectiveness of this pilot will be evaluated before any decisions on future deployment are taken.
Insurance
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have reviewed the implications of blind insurance underwriting on the soundness of insurance practices and capitalisation of Lloyd’s and the London insurance market.[HL2233]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government recognises that delegated underwriting authorities (DUAs) are a long-standing feature of the London insurance market. UK-regulated insurers retain responsibility for overseeing risks underwritten on their behalf through DUAs. The implications of DUAs on the soundness of insurance practices and capitalisation of Lloyd's and the London insurance market is a matter for the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Internet: Broadband
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 29 August (HL1868), when the detailed surveys leading to improved broadband provision for Bruton, Castle Cary and Wincanton will be completed. [HL2189]
Lord Popat (Con): The timetable for undertaking survey work in each part of the intervention area to be covered by the project will be determined by agreement between Somerset County Council and their supplier. DCMS does not hold this information.
Kosovo
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reforms have been carried out to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo programme in Kosovo since the European Union Court of Auditors report in 2012; and how those changes were reflected in the recent United Kingdom contribution to that programme.[HL1784]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): There are six recommendations of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) report, four of which concern the EU's Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) in particular. These are: stronger benchmarking; better coordination; that Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions operate at maximum capacity; that CSDP missions have a legal personality. Many of these recommendations have been implemented following the 2012 strategic review of EULEX.
a) On stronger benchmarking: the UK has led the drive for stronger benchmarking for EULEX, and the mission is now monitored according to these benchmarks every month. The UK has pushed for benchmarking across all CSDP missions. b) On better coordination: The Joint Rule of Law Coordination Board established in 2012, has enhanced communication between EULEX and the EU Office. The double-hatting of Samuel Zbogar, as Head of the EU Office and EU Special Representative (EUSR), means that the EUSR can now provide political guidance to EULEX. c) On CSDP missions operating at maximum capacity: Staffing issues have been improved by allowing Member States longer to recruit, and through more strategic planning for EULEX’s longer term staffing needs. This allows for unmanned posts to be cut where there is no demand for them. There is more work to be done. For example, EULEX still has too many unoccupied positions and the rate of staff turnover within other Member State secondees is too high.
d) That CSDP missions have a legal personality: We understand that the European Commission and External Action Service (EAS) intend to make a change to the legal identity of missions. This would ensure that Heads of Mission are not personally responsible for the mission itself, particularly in terms of EULEX expenditure and staffing. This is a proposal that the UK is broadly in favour of, but which we need to consider carefully because of competence issues.
The UK has sought to support these recommendations in our contribution to EULEX. For instance, the ECA report criticized EULEX for an unhelpfully high turnover of staff. The UK actively supports the extension of contracts for high-quality secondees, and UK staff (excluding police) often deploy for three years or more. The UK continues to push for more streamlining of the EULEX mission in Brussels, and we have lobbied for benchmarks, end states and exit strategies in all CSDP missions. We have also insisted that CSDP missions are coordinated with the wider range of EU instruments.
Legislation
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what expenditure they have incurred, and what actions taken, in anticipation of the passage of each bill introduced into Parliament since May 2010; and, in each case, before which stage of consideration.[HL2106]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): No central record is held in relation to the actions taken in anticipation of the passage of each bill introduced into Parliament. Nor does a full record exist of the expenditure incurred specifically relating to Primary Legislation.
HM Treasury however does operate a small cash fund known as the ‘Contingencies Fund’ which can be used to make repayable cash advances to departments for urgent services, in anticipation of provision for those services by Parliament. This is consistent with the principle that no provision may be utilised by a department on a service until Parliament has provided the necessary authorisation. The following list itemises the advances made from the Contingencies Fund ahead of enabling legislation coming into force since 2011-12. No such advances were made in 2010-11.
| Estimate | Financial year | £ | Written Ministerial Statement Hansard Ref | Paid | Relevant Bill/Act |
Nuclear Waste
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis they now propose to exclude Cumbria County Council from the authorities whose consent will be essential for any renewed development of a major nuclear waste repository within the county.[HL2317]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they have made for consultations with parish councils in Cumbria concerning any renewed development of a major nuclear waste repository within the county.[HL2318]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): There are no proposals to develop a geological disposal facility in Cumbria. Since the process set out in the 2008 Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) White Paper came to a close in west Cumbria in January 2013, the Government has been reviewing the site selection aspects of the MRWS programme. This review included a public Call for Evidence that ran in May and June and has now led to a public consultation on proposals for a revised national site selection process. This consultation sets out an analysis of key issues, such as how and when decisions should be taken in a site selection process. The consultation opened on 12 September and will run until 5 December 2013. I recommend anyone with an interest in this subject reads the document in full.
This is a national consultation and covers all areas of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The consultation document is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/geological-disposal-facility-siting-process-review
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken following their recent consultations in Cumbria to establish the safest site in the United Kingdom on grounds of geological and security suitability for the long-term storage of nuclear waste. [HL2319]
Baroness Verma: Since the process set out in the 2008 Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) White Paper came to a close in west Cumbria in January 2013, the Government has been reviewing the site selection aspects of the MRWS programme. This review included a public Call for Evidence that ran in May and June and has now led to a public consultation on proposals for a revised national site selection process. This consultation sets out an analysis of key issues, including geological assessments. The consultation opened on 12 September and will run until 5 December 2013. I recommend anyone with an interest in this subject reads the document in full.
This is a national consultation and covers all areas of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The consultation document is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/geological-disposal-facility-siting-process-review
No geological disposal facility could ever operate without authorisation from the independent regulators, who will consider issues of safety, security and environmental impact. The Environment Agency have published their detailed Guidance on Requirements for Authorisation of Geological Disposal Facilities, available at:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/sectors/99322.aspx
Pensions
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 16 July (WA 112), why the figure of those joining the Civil Service Pension Scheme rose from 12,967 in 2011 to 23,310 in 2012 while the number of members leaving went down.[HL2066]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The rise in Civil Service Pension Scheme joiners recorded between 2011 and 2012 is mostly as the result of organisations joining the Scheme from elsewhere in the public sector as the result of machinery of government changes. There are several factors that can influence numbers leaving active membership, including individual choice and departmental planning, and these numbers will therefore vary from year to year as will the number of joiners.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 23 July (WA 188), how many staff members of (1) the Crown Prosecution Service, and (2) the UK Border Agency, have been convicted of work-related offences in the last five years; how many of the cases were referred to the Cabinet Office under the advisory guidance to employing departments; whether there have been any cases of forfeiture of pensions in any of the last five years; and why they do not make public details of any loss of pension incurred by those who have brought the civil service into disrepute through conviction in open court of work-related crimes.[HL2117]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Three Crown Prosecution Service and Thirty-Three UK Border Agency, including UK Border Force, staff were convicted of an offence related to their employment in the last 5 years. On the issue of forfeiture of pensions I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 23 July 2012 (Official Report, col. WA 188) and the answer from Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 10 March 2011 (Official Report, col. WAusb 434). The forfeiture, or possible forfeiture, of an individual pension is a confidential matter; as such the Cabinet Office is not in a position to publish details.
Public Bodies
Questions
Asked by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top
To ask Her Majesty’s Government to which public bodies the Cabinet Office has appointed a chairperson since May 2010; and who was appointed in each case. [HL1768]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Since May 2010, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has appointed Sir David Normington as the First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioner for Public Appointments, Peter Ainsworth to the Big Lottery Fund and William Shawcross to the Charity Commission.
In addition, Lord Bew has been appointed Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and will take up appointment on 1 September 2013 and Lord Kakkar has been appointed Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, with effect from 1 October 2013.
Asked by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether changes have been made to the selection process for chairs of public bodies since May 2010.[HL1799]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Commissioner for Public Appointments published a revised Code of Practice in April 2012. The new Code of Practice focuses on the principles that departments and Ministers need to take into account when making Chair and Non-Executive appointments to public bodies.
A copy of the revised Code of Practice is available in the libraries of the House and it can be accessed at—http://publicappointmentscommissioner. independent.gov.uk/the-code-of-practice/
Roma
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the 25 July Statement on Roma, issued by the United States Mission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); whether they intend to issue any similar statement; and whether they intend to send a senior representative to the November Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting to propose or support any action through the OSCE to address the causes and manifestations of anti-Roma sentiment.[HL2115]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We are concerned about the reports of incidents of anti-Roma sentiment highlighted by the United States Mission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We do not intend to issue a similar statement. Through our Embassies in Central and Eastern Europe and through international organisations such as the OSCE we seek to address both the causes and manifestations of anti-Roma sentiment. For example, our Embassy in Prague has been engaging with the government, non-governmental organisations and civil society in developing projects, visits, meetings, seminars and conferences to tackle discrimination in education. These highlight role models from Roma communities and seek to overcome other barriers to integration.
We will attend the November Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting. We also work through the EU, Council of Europe and the UN, for example using the Universal Periodic Review process, to address the ongoing social exclusion of Roma communities.
United Nations
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which United Nations member states the European Union has established an embassy.[HL2094]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The European Union does not have Embassies. However, there are 139 EU Delegations around the world. A full list of EU Delegations, including those in Member States of the United Nations, can be found on the website of the European External Action Service (EEAS) at http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ index_en.htm.