1. Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. In pupil referral units also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges.
2. Includes middle schools as deemed.
3. Includes all primary academies, including free schools.
4. Includes city technology colleges and all secondary academies, including free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools.
5. Includes general hospital schools and special academies.
6. Includes academy and free school alternative provision. From 2010 onwards data was collected at pupil level and dual subsiduary registrations could be removed.
7. Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5 therefore totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts.
Smoking
Questions
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they spend annually on deterring young people from smoking.[HL3127]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): A specific answer to this question is not held centrally.
A range of action is being taken by the Government to reduce the number of young people starting to smoke. We need to influence the adult world in which children grow up to stop the perpetuation of smoking from one generation to the next. The Tobacco Control Plan includes encouragement for communities across England to reshape social norms, so that tobacco becomes less desirable, less acceptable and less accessible. A copy of the plan has already been placed in the Library.
The Government has stopped tobacco sales from vending machines, once an easily accessible and often unsupervised source of tobacco for children. Eye-catching displays of cigarettes, which can promote smoking by young people, have been covered in supermarkets and other large stores since April 2012 and will be covered in small shops in April 2015. A number of national marketing campaigns have been run to support smokers to quit.
In 2012-13 the Department adopted a holistic approach for its Youth Marketing Programme, communicating to young people about a range of issues rather than specific topics in turn. A number of risky behaviours, including smoking, were identified which caused a significant impact on the development of young people and had serious implications for their future health and wellbeing. The Programme sought to prevent the uptake of smoking and drug use and delay the age of first alcoholic drink and sexual experience by equipping young people with the skills and resilience required to meet these challenges.
This holistic approach and the campaign's focus on developing decision-making skills means that it is impossible to determine how much has been spent specifically on preventing young people from smoking in 2012-13. In total £1.66 million was spent in 2012-13; this figure includes all media, production, public relations, website development and the cost of evaluation. This programme is now led by Public Health England.
With responsibility for public health now devolved to local level, local authorities will also be taking their own action to reduce the amount of smoking by young people. We continue to encourage local authorities to also take a comprehensive approach to reducing rates of smoking.
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) what proportion of under 16 year-olds, and (2) what proportion of 16-18 year-olds, were recorded as smokers (a) in the latest available year for which figures are available, and (b) in each of the previous four decades.[HL3128]
Earl Howe: Information is not available in the format requested.
Information on smoking among children (11-15) in England is available for 1982-2012. Information is also available for children (8-15) in England for 1997-2011. These data are obtained via different sources, detailed as follows:
Information on adult smoking (16-19) in England is available for 1948, and 1980 to 2011. Information is also available for adults (16 and over) in England for 1993 to 2011.
Table 2.1a of the Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2012 provides information on pupils’ (aged 11-15) smoking behaviour (including “regular smoker” and “ever smoked”), by sex for England: 1982-2000. Table 2.1b shows the same information for the period 2001-2012.
Table 5 of the Health Survey for England—2011: Children trend tables provides information on Children aged (8-15) self-reported cigarette smoking status, by survey year, age and sex in England, 1997-2011. Note, this shows data for those who have ‘ever smoked'.
Information on Prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults, by age and gender, 1948, and 1980 to 2011 is contained within Table 2.1 of the Statistics on Smoking—England, 2013: Additional tables. The source of this information is the General Lifestyle Survey 2011. The Office for National Statistics.
Table 7 of the Health Survey for England—2011: Adult trend tables provides information on Adults aged 16 and over self-reported cigarette smoking status, by survey year and sex in England.
These tables are available at the following links:
Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2012:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=12096&q=title%3a%22Smoking %2c+Drinking+and+Drug+Use+Among+Young+People +in+England%22&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=l#top
Statistics on Smoking - England, 2013:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=12212&q=title%3a%22Statistics +on+Smoking%22&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1 #top
Health Survey for England—2011, Trend tables.
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB09302
Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2012, Statistics on Smoking—England, 2013 and Health Survey for England—2011, Trend tables have been placed in the Library.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has spent on economic modelling of the price impact of medicinal regulation on consumption of e-cigarettes and tobacco products.[HL3230]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what forecast the Department of Health has made of the percentage change in (1) the average price, and (2) the level of consumption, of e-cigarettes, as a result of the introduction of medicinal regulation; and how they have derived those figures.[HL3231]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any estimate of the cost of building a manufacturing plant for e-cigarettes that is compliant with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's definition of good manufacturing practice; and, if so, what is that estimate.[HL3233]
Earl Howe: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published on its website an impact assessment (IA) on the regulation of nicotine containing products (NCPs), including electronic cigarettes, on 12 June 2013 which provided estimates of the costs associated with medicinal regulation of NCPs. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
The IA was prepared by the MHRA and the cost of its production has not been calculated.
The IA does not estimate the cost of achieving Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Manufacturing in this sector is almost exclusively conducted outside the European Union and the IA makes the assumption that in the first instance, the foreign manufacturers would bear the costs of achieving GMP. The IA also makes the assumption that any production that might be established within the EU in the future would bear similar costs of achieving relevant manufacturing standards regardless of whether the unlicensed NCPs come into the scope of medicines regulations or not.
The IA makes the assumption that it is likely that manufacturers, EU marketing authorisation holders, and all other participants in the supply chain would seek to pass their incremental costs onto their buyers, and ultimately to consumers. The extent to which United Kingdom consumers would bear the incremental costs is unclear. Pricing of NCPs seems to be constrained at the upper bound by the pricing of tobacco products. The IA suggests that NCP consumers would be unlikely to suffer from substantial price increases if these products were regulated as medicines.
The intention of regulating NCPs under the medicines framework is to ensure that products which meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy are available to support reducing the harms of smoking to smokers and those around them. The value of the health gains associated with a single successful quit attempt is very substantial — the Department estimates it to be £74,000. The orders of magnitude of estimated compliance costs suggests that a policy of licensing e-cigarettes would have to create very few additional successful quit attempts for the benefits to justify its costs. It is estimated that implementing policies to reduce smoking prevalence by 1% per year for 10 years in the UK would prevent over 57,000 deaths in that period.
St Helena: Airport
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Air Access solution for St Helena will be announced.[HL3258]
Baroness Northover (LD): No such date has yet been set.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a direct link to London will be specified within the Air Access solution for St Helena.[HL3259]
Baroness Northover: Work is underway to evaluate all route options for air service provision for St Helena. This work will include a review of the commercial and technical viability of flights to London.
Syria
Questions
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to consider providing admission, above the United Kingdom annual quota, to refugees from Syria.[HL3140]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom will join the scheme administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the resettlement of Syrian refugees. [HL3141]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Government shares the deep concerns regarding the continuing humanitarian crisis in Syria. However, the Government has no current plans to resettle Syrian refugees either as part of, or in addition to, its annual resettlement quota. We continue to believe that the priority should be to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in partnership with neighbouring countries and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The UK has now increased its pledge for the Syrian relief effort to £500 million. This represents the UK’s largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis.
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the funding they are providing for humanitarian assistance in Syria and other countries in the Middle East, they have taken steps to encourage rebel groups in Syria to attend the Geneva II conference.[HL3186]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The UK has worked hard to encourage the Syrian Opposition to attend the Geneva II conference. On 22 October the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) hosted a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the 11 countries of the Core Group of the Friends of Syria, as well as the President and senior leadership of the Syrian National Coalition. The meeting gave united support to the UN-led Geneva II process, which should establish a transitional governing body with full executive powers, formed by mutual consent.
On 10 November the members of the National Coalition agreed by consensus at a General Assembly to attend the Geneva II talks. In his statement to Parliament on 11 November, the Foreign Secretary strongly welcomed the National Coalition’s agreement to attend the conference and its call for improved humanitarian access. We continue to push for a date for a peace conference to be agreed, and UN and Arab League Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is trying to convene a conference before the end of the year.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that humanitarian supplies reach areas held by insurgents in Syria.[HL3308]
Baroness Northover (LD): At the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the UK called for action to implement the UN’s proposals for unfettered humanitarian access inside Syria. This resulted in a Presidential Statement on the humanitarian situation in Syria which called for a humanitarian ceasefire as well as unhindered humanitarian access, lifting bureaucratic obstacles, granting visas/permits, assisting cross-border delivery and demilitarising schools and medical centres. This must now be implemented and a UN High Level Group led by Baroness Amos is being established to oversee this.
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to seek approval in Parliament for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if so, how.[HL3208]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint) (Con): If, as is expected, the final agreement of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is mixed (i.e. contains areas of both EU and Member State competence), then each member state will be party to the agreement and therefore ratify the agreement according to their own domestic processes. Prior to provisional application of the agreement it must be approved by the European Parliament. Prior to full application all twenty-eight member states must ratify the agreement. As part of the UK ratification process the agreement will be discussed in the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Lords Committee on Secondary Legislation, before being debated in both Houses.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the United Kingdom of the provisions of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership relating to investor-state dispute resolution.[HL3209]
Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has commissioned academic research into the impact of investor-state dispute settlement within the context of wider investment protection treaties. This research is intended to inform the UK position with regard to the upcoming investment treaties being negotiated by the EU.
The research commissioned included a framework to analyse the costs and benefits of investment protection treaties as a whole and use of the framework to assess the inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement provisions within the proposed EU agreements with China and with the US (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). A copy of this research has recently been placed in the Libraries of the House.
UK Trade and Investment
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint on 30 October (WA 272), whether they will publish details of the most recent independent monitoring survey, The performance and impact monitoring survey into the performance of UKTI.[HL3226]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint) (Con): The latest results of the Performance and Impact Monitoring Survey relating to interviews between October 2012 and September 2013 and services delivered between April 2012 and March 2013 are now on the website: http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti/ourperformance/performanceimpactandmonitoringsurvey/quarterlysurveys.html.
Unemployment: 18-24 Year-olds
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 18-24 year-olds are currently unemployed in the north east of England; and what proportion of them have been sanctioned.[HL3313]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): Information on the claimant count for Jobseeker’s Allowance for 18-24 year olds in the North East Region can be found at:
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp
The other information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Unemployment: Young People
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on public health of the number of young adults not in education, employment or training.[HL3168]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Public Health England (PHE) recognises the challenges for young adults who are not in education, employment or training. PHE has made no formal assessment of the impact on public health, but recognises that young adults who are not in education, employment or training are at risk of poor health caused by a wide range of determinants.
PHE is collaborating with other stakeholders and taking both preventative and early intervention action to reduce the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. PHE is also working on key issues that contribute including teenage pregnancy and domestic violence, and will be sustaining its early focus on health and worklessness.
In particular, PHE is working with the Association of Young People's Services to develop a resource for local authorities to improve how vulnerable groups of young people have their health and wellbeing needs met more effectively. This will be published in the spring of 2014.
United Nations Commission on Population and Development
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that the United Nations review of the International Conference on Population and Development will inform the new millennium development framework.[HL3339]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will represent them at the 2014 Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.[HL3340]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 2014 Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development will result in a negotiated outcome document; and, if so, what are their priority areas to be included in such a document.[HL3341]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to invite parliamentarians to join the United Kingdom delegation to the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in 2014.[HL3342]
Baroness Northover (LD): The UK Government regards the twentieth anniversary of the landmark Cairo Consensus in 1994 as an opportunity to progress the International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action.
The UK will work hard to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights are reflected in the post-2015 development agenda, and has called for a standalone post-2015 goal on girls and women, and ICPD+20 is an important milestone in this regard. We therefore consider a progressive outcome, reflecting new evidence and developments in sexual and reproductive health and rights, to be the priority from the ICPD+20 process. We will be working closely with both Government and civil society partners to achieve this aim.
A decision on whether there will be a negotiated outcome is yet to be taken by the Bureau of the Commission on Population and Development. The composition of the UK delegation will be agreed, with DfID as the leading Department, following this decision.
Visas
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to re-examine the procedures for granting visas to visiting academics and other professionals in the light of the refusal of admission to the United Kingdom of Mr Sid-Ahmed Kerzabi. [HL3038]
Lord Taylor of Holbeach: There are no plans to re-examine the procedures for granting visit visas, which are well established and understood by millions of visa applicants every year. Visa applicants have to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that they meet the requirements of the immigration rules, and provide evidence to show that they do so. We publish guidance on our website for applicants to help them choose the evidence to submit, including suggested supporting documents that they could submit. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/business/documents/
We do not comment on individual cases. But visit visa applicants need to ensure that they submit evidence to show (amongst other things) that they can support themselves whilst in the UK without working or having recourse to public funds; and that they intend to leave the UK upon the completion of their trip.
Water Industry: Competition
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of competition in the water supply industry; and whether they have considered whether it should remain in the private sector.[HL3197]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Since privatisation in 1989, the stable regulatory framework for the water sector has enabled companies to attract over £111 billion in low cost investment to upgrade water and sewerage infrastructure, and improve customer service and environmental standards. The Water Bill, which was introduced in June this year, will increase competition in the retail market by allowing all business, charity and public sector customers to switch their water and sewerage supplier. It will also make it much easier for new businesses to enter the water market to provide new sources of water or sewerage treatment services, known as "upstream" services. These reforms will drive efficiency, better services and benefit the environment.
Welsh Government
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government concerning the interface between policing responsibilities and devolved functions, including social care, community policies and roads, over the first 12 months of the operation of police commissioners in Wales. [HL3297]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson) (LD): While policing and criminal justice are non-devolved matters they do interact, to varying degrees, with those matters for which the Welsh Government has responsibility. Ministers from the Wales Office have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a variety of issues that affect Wales, including the interface between policing responsibilities and devolved functions.
The quarterly Home Office Wales Advisory Board also provides a forum to discuss such issues.
Young Offender Institutions: Staff
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of staff employed in each young offender institution and secure training centre (1) are qualified psychologists, and (2) are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.[HL2940]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): Young people in custody require a range of support to ensure their safety and help prevent them reoffending on release.
Information on staff qualifications in under-18 Young Offender Institutions is not collated centrally. This information could only be collected at disproportionate cost.
All Secure Training Centres (STCs) meet contractual requirements that psychologist provision is in place, comprising of at least one member of staff, to facilitate assessments and inductions should a new young person arrive at the establishment. This provision is allowed to be covered by either a psychologist or assistant psychologist. There is one qualified and registered psychologist at Hassockfield STC. Medway, Rainsbrook and Oakhill STCs each have two Assistant Psychologists who are registered with the British Psychological Association. These psychological staff amount to 1% of staff at each STC. This is based on the entire STC staffing group to deliver 24 hour services at the centre (includes kitchen and maintenance staff, as well as those who work directly with young people).
In addition to on site psychologist or assistant psychologist provision, both operators of STCs, (Serco and G4S) have contracts with specialist mental health
providers to whom young people with complex needs can be referred. The contract held with G4S also provides clinical psychological support which can be accessed by the assistant psychologists employed in Medway, Oakhill and Rainsbrook.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of staff employed in each young offender institution and secure training centre (1) are qualified speech and language therapists, and (2) are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.[HL2941]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Young people in custody require a range of support to ensure their safety and help prevent them re-offending on release.
Information on staff qualifications in under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) is not collated centrally. This information could only be collected at disproportionate cost. There are no qualified speech and language therapists in Secure Training Centres (STCs).
Young People in STCs and YOIs with speech and language issues are assessed upon entering custody and during their induction period by education staff. If a young person is identified as requiring specific assistance with speech and language issues the training plan put in place will be tailored to meet this need. Support includes access to an educational psychologist in STCs. In YOIs, young people will have additional contact time with the education provider, and access to an educational psychologist where such provision is in place.