Written Answers
Wednesday 4 December 2013
Animals in Scientific Procedures
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process will be adopted by Ministers to ensure that applications for the use of animals in the testing of potential new medicines will be evaluated fairly and impartially. [HL3506]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): Applications for the use of animals in scientific research are fairly evaluated by inspectors and are subject to the satisfactory application of a harm-benefit analysis. The Coalition Government is working to reduce the use of animal testing of new medicines where there are practical alternatives which have been validated and accepted by regulators.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what impact they consider that their new plans to reduce the use of animals in the testing of potential new medicines will have on research and development investment in the United Kingdom.[HL3537]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): We expect to shortly publish a Delivery Plan setting out how, through a science led approach, we will meet our commitment to the replacement, reduction and refinement in the use of animals in research. This Delivery Plan explicitly supports this Government’s wider Life Sciences strategy which aims to make the UK a global hub for health life sciences through attracting inward investment, including research and development investment.
Benefits
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the number of citizens of European Union countries (1) living in the United Kingdom, and (2) claiming benefits, according to country of citizenship.[HL3726]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the proportion of total benefit payments paid to citizens of other European Union countries residing in the United Kingdom.[HL3727]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The latest estimate of the number of citizens of European Union
countries (1) living in the United Kingdom for the period January to December 2012 is in the table below.
| Estimate (thousands) | |
The other information you requested is not held by this Department.
Currently we check the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud. While this information is used, it is not recorded as part of the payment administrative systems.
Looking forward, the Government is looking at ways to record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim to Universal Credit so that we have more robust management information about our claimants.
Data source: The Office for National Statistics collects data on residents of the UK from the Annual Population Survey (APS), which is the Labour Force Survey (LFS) plus various sample boosts. It is a household survey and so does not include people living in most types of communal establishment.
The latest estimates that are available are derived from the APS for the 12 month period of January to December 2012.
Brazil
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Brazil regarding environmental campaigner Laisa Santos Sampaio.[HL3622]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have not raised the case of Laisa Santos Sampaio directly with the government of Brazil.
Our Embassy in Brasilia maintains a dialogue with the Brazilian government on the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the local communities that are dependent on it. The UK has urged Brazil to enhance protection of human rights defenders and its indigenous population, and human rights was raised during the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) Mr Hague’s visit to Brazil in January 2012.
British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any estimate of the value of assets originating in Africa that are held, administered or managed in each of the British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories; and, if so, what are those figures. [HL3585]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government does not hold this information.
Britons Living Abroad
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the number of United Kingdom citizens living in other European Union countries. [HL3725]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not collect statistics relating to the number of United Kingdom citizens living in other European Union countries. EUROSTAT, the statistical office of the European Union publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries and these are available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-SF-12-031/EN/KS-SF-12-031-EN.PDF
Companies: Beneficial Ownership
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will introduce a public registry of the beneficial ownership of companies.[HL3647]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what data, beyond the name of the beneficial owner, will be used to record the identity of the beneficial owner on the public register of the beneficial ownership of companies.[HL3648]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether data recorded will include on the public register of the beneficial ownership of companies a means of contacting the beneficial owner.[HL3649]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): Following the UK commitment at the 2013 G8 Summit to establish a central registry of company beneficial ownership information, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published a discussion paper (Transparency and Trust; July 15th) seeking views on a range of questions including the public nature of that registry, and the information to be provided to and available on it. The Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills have announced (October 31st) that the registry will be publicly accessible. We will respond fully to the discussion paper in early 2014. We will move to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows, and to implement promptly following that.
Cyclists: Safety
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they plan to implement to increase the safety of cyclists, particularly in relation to heavy goods vehicles, buses and dangerous junctions.[HL3554]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The safety of cyclists is very important to the Government. In August, the Prime Minister announced that cycling will be considered at the design stage of all new trunk road schemes which, where possible, will be ‘cycle-proofed’ so they can be navigated confidently by the average cyclist. This is part of an overall commitment to support more and safer cycling with £278m committed directly for cycling improvements over this Parliament and £535m investment from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund on projects which include cycling. The cycle funding includes £35m that delivers junction improvements to improve the safety of cyclists. In October we launched our first paid-for THINK! Campaign: ‘THINK CYCLIST’ “Let’s Look Out For Each Other”, which highlighted mutual respect amongst all road users, both motorised and non-motorised.
The Government has been working in partnership with local authorities and Transport for London to trial innovative schemes at junctions to improve cycle safety and reduce the conflicts between HGV vehicles and bicycles. We have made it simpler for councils to use Trixi mirrors, a safety feature to improve lorry driver visibility at junctions. The Government has supported the European Union to improve lorry design to reduce cycle casualties. The Department for Transport has a Cycle Safety Forum which has a shared goal of improving cycle safety, the forum includes freight bodies.
This said, the past few weeks have shown there is absolutely no room for complacency. We have to continue working with our partners and continue delivering the
investment. We must focus on key areas of threat to continue raising safety standards for cyclists. That is something we’re committed to as a government.
EU: Committee of the Regions
Question
Asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to make formal nominations of the United Kingdom delegates to the European Union Committee of the Regions.[HL3570]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Government is currently in the process of finalising formal nominations of UK delegates to the Committee of the Regions.
European Convention on Human Rights
Question
Asked by Baroness Scotland of Asthal
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Home Secretary on 24 April (HC Deb, col 893), what is their position on the United Kingdom’s present and future relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL3655]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally) (LD): The Government has agreed in the context of the Coalition Agreement that the obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights will continue to be enshrined in British Law. While political parties have expressed views on policy directions they may wish to consider in the future, the Coalition Agreement makes it clear there will be no major changes to the human rights framework before the election.
Face Coverings
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on face coverings in public places.[HL3678]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): Face coverings can be worn in public places for a variety of legitimate reasons.
In the context of crime, particularly public order situations, the police have the power to remove face coverings under section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. This provision allows a police officer, following an authorisation relating to a specified area for a specified time (up to 24 hours initially), to remove anything that he or she considers is being worn wholly or mainly for the purposes of concealing identity. This would include all types of face coverings.
In the context of counter-terrorism, section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 provides for a police officer to stop and search a person where there is reasonable suspicion that the person is a terrorist and in order to
discover whether he or she is in possession of anything which may be evidence that he or she is a terrorist. The searching police officer would be able to remove face coverings when using this power.
In the context of port and border enforcement, schedule seven of the Terrorism Act 2000 would also allow a police officer to remove face coverings.
First World War: Debt
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the government of the United States has raised the issue of the unpaid First World War debt and interest of the United Kingdom in the last three years; and, if so, what was the outcome.[HL3602]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Liabilities and assets arising from World War I have not been listed on the UK Government’s balance sheet since 1944-45. The Government of the United States has not raised the issue of World War I debt or interest with the UK Government in the last three years.
Gaza
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the humanitarian and public health consequences of cutting off fuel supplies to Gaza; and whether they will make proposals for overcoming such disruption and preventing any consequent violence.[HL3599]
Baroness Northover (LD): The Government is extremely concerned by the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by tunnel closures and associated fuel shortages. According to recent UN reports, the Gaza Power Plant has been forced to close due to a lack of fuel, untreated sewage has been released onto the streets as a result, and only 15% of Gazans have daily access to clean water. We are working closely with international partners and Palestinian and Israeli officials to assess the most productive actions we can take to alleviate the situation.
Health: Mitochondrial Disease
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 15 July (WA 86), 11 November (WA 97) and 18 November (WA 145), whether they categorise the identities of individuals with the same nuclear genome; if so, how; how they propose to apply such categorisation practically to the legal identities of monozygotic twins; to which entities, in the case of the proposed mitochondria replacement technique the statement that the treatment “could save 10 lives each year” refers; and what is their forecast of the ratio of lives saved to embryos destroyed resulting from the application of pronuclear transfer.[HL3540]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government does not categorise the identities of individuals with the same nuclear genome.
The statement that the mitochondria replacement technique could save 10 lives each year refers to people who would otherwise die, not entities.
It is impossible to forecast how many embryos might be used in mitochondrial donation procedures.
Housing: Help to Buy
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of housing affordability in London; and whether they will consider adjusting the Help to Buy scheme to address this.[HL3661]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home, regardless of where they live.
We have significantly widened the eligibility criteria for the Help to Buy equity loan scheme to ensure as many people as possible are able to benefit. There is no income limit and the maximum home value has been set at £600,000, thus encompassing over 90 per cent of the new build housing market in England.
The Help to Buy: equity loan scheme is fully available in London and in the first seven months alone it has already helped over 1,200 hard working Londoners reserve a newly built property.
Housing: Shared Ownership
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the residency restriction operated by the Greater London Authority on the take-up of shared ownership schemes.[HL3660]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): Since 1 April 2012 strategic oversight of housing in London, along with housing and regeneration budgets, has been fully devolved to the Mayor of London. The Greater London Authority applies no specific residency restrictions on shared ownership schemes. Eligibility for shared ownership within London is dependant on household income being below the £66,000 a year threshold for one or two bedroom homes, increasing to £80,000 for three or four bedroom homes. Purchasers must be unable to purchase a property suitable to meet their needs on the open market.
Human Rights
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define the term “human right”.[HL3572]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally) (LD): There is no Government definition of the term “human right”. There is also no comprehensive statutory definition of “human right” in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom is party to a number of international instruments and agreements concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Human Rights Act 1998 gives domestic effect to a number of rights in the European Convention on Human Rights. described as “the Convention rights” in the Act. The Convention rights are listed in Schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union also contains a number of rights that are directly enforceable, but only when the UK is acting within the scope of EU law.
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce legislation in the light of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Soderman v Sweden (Application number 5786/08).[HL3644]
Lord McNally: The Government has no plans to introduce legislation in consequence of this judgment.
Insurance: Whiplash Claims
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to implement a time-limited assessment period within which whiplash claims can be made.[HL3588]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received reports of claims made by car crash victims for stress; and, if so, what plans they have to prevent the proliferation of fraudulent claims for stress.[HL3590]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to impose a minimum injury threshold on the whiplash symptoms for which a claim can be made.[HL3591]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally) (LD): A three-year limitation period applies to all personal injury actions arising from negligence or breach of duty. This period is intended to strike a fair balance between allowing the claimant time to bring an action and ensuring that the defendant does not have to defend claims where it is difficult to obtain accurate evidence of the events. The Government does
not consider it necessary to differentiate between types of personal injury claim and has no plans to introduce a different time limit for whiplash cases.
The Ministry of Justice has received data from the Department for Work and Pensions on the number of registered motor liability claims since 2009. The data shows that over this period claims arising from psychological or post traumatic stress disorder have remained at less than 1% of all registered motor liability claims.
We will continue to monitor for any evidence of new trends or anomalies.
All options—including whether it would be proportionate and appropriate to impose injury thresholds—were considered as part of the Government’s recent whiplash consultation. To limit the levels or types of injury for which claims can be made could result in people who are genuinely injured as a result of another’s negligence being unable to claim the compensation to which they are entitled.
The Government has not ruled out further reform to the personal injury sector if it proves necessary; but the current primary focus is the effective implementation of the reforms it announced on 23 October.
Iraq: Chilcot Inquiry
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to date of the Chilcot Inquiry; and what are the fees paid to each member per day. [HL3562]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Hill of Oareford) (Con): In my previous answer to Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2 December (Official Report, column WA 16) I said that the total cost of the Iraq Inquiry to 31 March 2013 was £7.4 million. The precise figure up to the end of the 2012-13 financial year, which is the most recent period for which figures are available, was £7,479,400, rounded to the nearest hundred pounds. This information, broken down by financial year, is already in the public domain at www.iraqinquiry.org.uk.
Members of the Iraq Inquiry are paid at the following rates: Chairman—£790 per day; Committee members—£565 per day. The rates, which have been in the public domain since January 2010, have not changed since the beginning of the Inquiry.
Ivory Trade
Question
Asked by The Earl of Shrewsbury
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they apply the CITES Convention definition of “worked ivory” proven to be worked prior to 1947; and whether that has changed recently.[HL3497]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Applications for the commercial use of worked ivory are considered by the UK Management Authority for the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES). The UK Management Authority considers each application on its own merits. When considering applications the UK Management Authority refers to the definition of “worked ivory” contained in the relevant CITES Conference Resolution, which was amended at the 16
thConference of the Parties in March 2013. The Resolution defines worked ivory as that which has been carved, shaped or processed, either fully or partially, but should not include whole tusks in any form, except where the whole surface has been carved.
Overseas Territories
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the pilot initiative on multilateral automatic tax information exchange with the Overseas Territories.[HL3583]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): All of the British Overseas Territories have committed to the pilot initiative on automatic tax information exchange and the Government is working with them on the implementation of this commitment. The new global standard for automatic information exchange, on which the pilot will be based, is expected to be agreed in the first quarter on 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Treasury, or any other Government department, will submit a response to the recent consultations announced by the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands on the beneficial ownership of companies; and whether the response will advocate a public registry of beneficial ownership.[HL3584]
Lord Deighton: The Government is working closely with the Overseas Territories on beneficial ownership. The issue was discussed at the Joint Ministerial Council on 26 November. At that meeting the Exchequer Secretary explained why the UK firmly believes that a public registry of company beneficial ownership provides the best outcome for sound corporate behaviour; more effective law and tax enforcement; and helping authorities prevent misuse of companies for illicit purposes. We will continue to work with them as we implement our action plans and further develop policy.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the issue of public registries of beneficial ownership will be discussed at the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in London on 26 and 27 November. [HL3586]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the British Overseas Territories will be encouraged to adopt public registries of the beneficial ownership of companies at the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council in London on 26 and 27 November. [HL3645]
Lord Deighton: The Government is in regular dialogue with the Overseas Territories regarding tax and transparency, including most recently at the Joint Ministerial Council on 26 November. As outlined in the communique, each of the Territories with a financial centre has published an action plan setting out the steps that they will take to ensure the collection and availability of complete company ownership information and are launching or have launched consultations on the question of establishing a central registry of beneficial ownership and whether this information should be publicly available. The UK continues to encourage all its international partners to join the UK in leading from the front on this issue, including through publicly accessible registries of company beneficial ownership.
The communique can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261234/131126JMC_ 2013_communiqueFINAL.pdf
Planning
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to local authorities on the production of schemes of delegation to planning officers; whether details of such schemes should be published; and what safeguards local authorities put in place (1) to limit the democratic deficit due to elected councillors being excluded from such planing decisions, and (2) to prevent such schemes facilitating improper or corrupt decision-making by council officers. [HL3664]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): The exercise of the power to delegate planning functions is a matter for local planning authority to decide, as set out in the council’s constitution. Unlike the last Administration, we have not imposed Whitehall targets on councils requiring the delegation of a specific percentage of planning decisions.
Councils will want to consider the best way of promptly processing uncontroversial planning applications, whilst ensuring elected councillors have the ability to scrutinise and debate contentious applications and applications with a significant impact.
Our national planning practice guidance, currently in draft, states: ‘It is in the public interest for the local planning authority to have effective delegation arrangements in place to ensure that decisions on planning applications that raise no significant planning issues are made quickly and that resources are appropriately concentrated on the applications of greatest significance to the local area. Local planning authority delegation arrangements may include conditions or limitations as to the extent of the delegation, or the circumstances in which it may be exercised.’
The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency, published by my department, asks councils to publish information on the constitution and decision-making processes of the council.
The Local Government Association and the Planning Advisory Service have collectively published guidance for councillors and officers on probity in planning. Councils, as employers, should have guidelines on the appropriate conduct of their employees.
Corruption by public officials is a criminal offence under common law and the Bribery Act 2010.
Police: Pay
Question
Asked by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the daily rate of pay of lay members of police disciplinary panels.[HL3756]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): Under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2012 the local policing body is required to appoint a member from a list of candidates to sit on panels for misconduct proceedings. Their daily rates of pay are a matter for the local policing body and the Home Office does not hold this information centrally.
RAF Menwith Hill
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament last visited RAF Menwith Hill.[HL3548]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The ISC does not comment on the detail of its work programme. Details of visits undertaken are provided in the Committee’s Annual Reports, where appropriate.
Royal Charters
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), which other Royal Charters come within the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive and do not currently operate in Northern Ireland.[HL3698]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): This information is not held.
Social Mobility
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of changes in social mobility since May 2010.[HL3552]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Improving Social Mobility is the principal goal of this government’s social policy, as set out in Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, published in 2011. That is why we have introduced polices such as early education for two year olds from lower income families, the Pupil Premium and the £1 billion Youth Contract. We have committed to regularly reporting
on a set of key indicators to closely track whether we are moving in the right direction on social mobility. These indicators were most recently updated on 17 November and show that while progress is being made in some areas there is still work to be done.
Statutory Instruments
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why their response to a request by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee on 15 October for the replacement of the Explanatory Memoranda to the Extraditions Appeals (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (SI 2013/2384) and the Extraditions Act 2003 (Designation of Prosecutors) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Order 2013 (SI 2013/2388) took six weeks to be made; and what consideration they gave to the expiry of the praying period for the two instruments before they had done so.[HL3679]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): As the Noble Lord will be aware, I wrote to him on 25 November about this matter. I wish to apologise to him and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee again for the delay in sending the revised memoranda. This was due to an oversight on the part of my officials. I can assure the Noble Lord that no offence was meant to the Committee by this. The mistake also meant that the memoranda were not in place during the praying period. I fully agree with the Noble Lord that this is unacceptable and I have made this clear to officials. My officials have apologised to me, and to the Committee, and have assured me that appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure that this does not happen again.
Syria
Questions
Asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Amnesty International’s report of 31 October on Growing Restrictions, Tough Conditions: The plight of those fleeing Syria to Jordan.[HL3601]
Baroness Northover (LD): The Government is committed to ensuring those affected by the crisis in Syria can get assistance wherever they seek refuge. We are providing multi-year financial and technical support to neighbouring countries, and for them to keep borders open. To date the UK has allocated £105.1 million to Jordan to support refugees and host communities. DFID also recently announced £12 million of development funding over the next two years to help local Jordanian municipal governments maintain and improve public services. Neighbouring countries have been extremely generous in hosting Syrian refugees, and we urge them to continue to show that generosity by welcoming those seeking safety keep their borders open.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report of the Oxford Research Group Stolen Futures: The Hidden Toll of Child Casualties in Syria; what estimate they have made of how many children have been killed in Syria since the conflict began; and what estimate they have made of how many children have been executed. [HL3688]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The situation in Syria is dire with over 100,000 killed, 9.3 million in need of aid and 6.5 million internally displaced people. Furthermore, over 2.2 million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries and more than half of them are children. As part of our £800 million of humanitarian support, we have created a £30 million ‘Lost Generation Initiative’ to help protect, care for and counsel those children affected by the crisis. As the authors of the report acknowledge, the security situation in Syria means that all attempts to determine casualty levels “should be treated with caution”. It is clear, though, that children bear much of the burden of the ongoing brutality of the war.
Women: Peace and Security
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the United Nations Women Global Technical Review Meeting, Building Accountability for the Implementation of Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security; and what was the level of United Kingdom representation at that meeting.[HL3636]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The United Nations Global Technical Review meeting was held earlier this month as part of a series of events to mark the 13th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The Review looked at current approaches and explored more effective strategies for implementing UN resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.
The UK welcomes the attention events such as the UN Women Global Technical Review bring to national commitments to Women, Peace and Security.
Unfortunately the British Government was not represented at the Review, given dual commitments at the time on producing the third and final review of the UK’s own National Action Plan. However, the organisers of the event advised countries that were unable to formally participate to instead feed information/points/views through Civil Society groups that were attending the Review. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office therefore engaged with Womankind, who were sending a representative, and provided information on how the UK is implementing UN resolutions on Women,
Peace and Security. Officials will be meeting with Womankind shortly to discuss the findings of the Review and share any lessons learned that can be incorporated into UK policy on this important agenda.
Young Offender Institutions: Education and Training
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 18 November (WA 136–6), to what extent the range of options listed for 14 to 16 year-olds are available in young offender institutions.[HL3640]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): ANSWER: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Young people in under-18 Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) have access to a range of courses and qualifications, including vocational and academic learning.
For 16-18 year-olds, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) requires education providers in public sector YOIs to offer a broad curriculum, covering both academic
and vocational subjects, which reflects the offer to young people in the mainstream post-16 sector as far as possible within the constraints of the custodial estate.
For the small proportion of young people of compulsory school age in public sector YOIs, the EFA contracts with education providers to follow and deliver the national curriculum up to the end of the academic year in which they attain their 16th birthday.
In the only privately run under-18 YOI, Parc, the Youth Justice Board commissions an integrated service that includes the provision of structured learning skills, vocational training and personal development activity.
The Transforming Youth Custody Green Paper set out the Government’s vision to place education at the heart of youth custody. We believe that young offenders need to be equipped with the skills, qualifications and self-discipline they need to engage in education, training or employment on release and turn their backs on offending. We will be responding to the consultation shortly.