Written Answers
Monday 17 March 2014
Apprenticeships
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 February (WA 224) and the Skills Study Statement 2013–16, what role is played by the accreditation of prior experience in assessing the readiness of students from Gypsy and Traveller backgrounds for traineeships or apprenticeships.[HL5882]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): It is for individual training providers and employers to decide how to assess an individual’s readiness for an apprenticeship or traineeship. Prior work experience is assessed to help determine whether a young person is eligible for a traineeship. In addition prior experience can help determine an individual’s current skills level and is often taken into account as part of an assessment of readiness for an apprenticeship.
Ascension Island
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total tonnage of each target species which was permitted to be caught in the Ascension Island commercial long-lining fishery in each of the last four years.[HL5746]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The total tonnage of each target species permitted to be caught in the Ascension Island commercial long-line fishery is as follows:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was (1) the total number of accompanied job posts, and (2) the total number of unaccompanied job posts, in the government of Ascension Island in each of the last five years.[HL5747]
Baroness Warsi: The Ascension Island government has three categories of contract. In addition to accompanied and unaccompanied (single status) contracts, the government, like other employers on Ascension, uses “Household” contracts for those employees who are dependents of holders of accompanied status employment contracts with other employers. The figures for 2009-2013 are:
These figures do not include the Administrator of Ascension Island, nor those carrying out part-time employment (who would hold a hybrid version of household status contract).
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the financial value of the Ascension Island commercial charter fishery in each of the last four years.[HL5748]
Baroness Warsi: The Ascension Island government is legally responsible for administering the marine fishery in the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Fishing Zone centred on the island.
There are fewer than a dozen privately owned small boats occasionally chartered for taking small numbers of tourists out for fishing primarily at weekends or public holidays. No income tax is generated from this activity. No information is held on the financial value of these charter services.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what income the government of Ascension Island received from the Ascension Island commercial charter fishery in each of the last four years.[HL5749]
Baroness Warsi: The Ascension Island government is legally responsible for administering the marine fishery in the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Fishing Zone centred on the island.
The Ascension Island government derived no income from commercially chartered fishing boats operating from Georgetown between 2010-12. These boats are privately owned and operated occasionally for passing tourists. In 2013, the government granted permission for a company, Ascension Island Fishing Charters, to operate using a part-share in one Georgetown based fishing boat. The income in 2013 derived from that company and its activities are:
Income Tax: Zero Entry Permits: £980Rent on Property: £1440Property Tax: £840
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what tonnage of marlin was caught in the Ascension Island commercial charter fishery in each of the last four years.[HL5750]
Baroness Warsi: The Ascension Island government is legally responsible for administering the marine fishery in the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Fishing Zone (EFZ) centred on the island.
The Government of Ascension Island does not keep records of marlin caught by charter fishing boats in its EFZ. Given that fewer than a dozen small craft provide this service, primarily to tourists during weekends and public holidays, the tonnage is thought to be low.
Banks: Headquarters
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to European Union Directive 95/26/EC regarding the location of banks’ headquarters; and when any such consideration was made public.[HL5866]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): At the time the legislation was passed, Her Majesty’s Government gave due consideration to European Union Directive 95/26/EC, regarding the location of banks’ headquarters. If necessary, enforcement of the Directive would have been carried out through regulatory action taken by the UK banking supervisor at the time i.e. the Bank of England. However as the requirement reflected the structural arrangements already in place for UK banks, no specific action was needed.
Benefits
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to start charging claimants who appeal against a decision by Jobcentre Plus to sanction their Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment Support Allowance.[HL5622]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The Government has no plans to introduce fees to bring an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support).
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to charge benefit claimants for appeals against sanctions or other applications in relation to benefits; and, if so, what studies they have carried out of the impact of such proposals.[HL5645]
Lord Faulks: The Government has no plans to introduce fees to bring an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support).
British Indian Ocean Territory
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they accept the findings of the study of the sea level in the British Indian Ocean Territory “Contemporary sea level in the Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean” published in the journal Global and Planetary Change in 2012.[HL5760]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We welcome scientific debate on environmental issues affecting British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), particularly as we begin our factual assessment of the feasibility of returning a civilian population to these islands. Though we welcome the scientific debate about this aspect of environmental change, both globally and for BIOT specifically, it would be inappropriate for the British Government to endorse any single piece of scientific analysis. We look forward to the resettlement feasibility study further assessing this question, although it may not be possible to come to a conclusive answer on a question on which there is a great deal of inherent uncertainty
Charities
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what penalties can be applied to charities that break charitable law by publishing party political advertisements or making misleading claims; and whether they have plans to introduce further penalties for such breaches of charitable law.[HL5721]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Charity Commission guidance makes clear that charities must never engage in any party political activity, and that it is for charity trustees to ensure that their charity does not engage in any party political activity.
Where a charity’s trustees fail to do this it is for the Charity Commission for England and Wales to investigate and take proportionate action. Depending on the circumstances, the Charity Commission’s response could range from seeking assurances from the trustees, through to removing and replacing the charity’s trustees.
Finance: Bitcoins
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of any United Kingdom losses as a result of Bitcoin exchange theft.[HL5912]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government has not made an estimate of any United Kingdom losses as a result of Bitcoin exchange theft.
Finance: Lending
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to prevent the Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed periodic fees for high cost, short-term credit companies from penalising social businesses operating in that market.[HL5711]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The FCA has confirmed that social lenders should not be subject to its specific new rules for high-cost short-term lenders. This recognises the important role that social lenders can play in the consumer lending market.
The FCA has proposed that periodic fees will be differentiated according to the consumer credit income generated by a firm, rather than the type of lending it carries out. The FCA has not yet consulted formally on periodic fees for consumer credit firms, but sought initial views on this approach in its fees consultation paper published in October. It is currently considering responses to that consultation and will publish a further consultation paper on periodic fees later this month.
Finance: Sukuk
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the announcement by the Prime Minister at the World Islamic Economic Forum in London on 29 October 2013 that HM Treasury was working on the practicalities of issuing a bond-like sukuk worth around £200 million, what will be the issuance schedule for that sukuk.[HL5814]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government is on course to issue in the forthcoming financial year, as planned. Following an open and competitive process, HM Treasury has appointed HSBC and Linklaters LLP as advisors to assist it bringing the Sukuk to market.
Government Departments: Ministerial Meetings
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will be sending officials from the Department for International Development to the tuberculosis and mining summit in South Africa on 25 March. [HL5920]
Baroness Northover (LD): DFID officials will attend the tuberculosis and mining summit in South Africa on 25 March.
Government Departments: Staff
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities and Local Government in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.[HL5805]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): No staff are tasked specifically to support the Accounting Officer function but a wide range of staff across the Department ensure that systems and controls are in place and monitored to support the Permanent Secretary in this function.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in her role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.[HL5810]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Managing Public Money, HM Treasury’s handbook on how to handle public funds, describes the role and responsibilities of the Accounting Officer. All employees of the Department support her in this.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.[HL5811]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Permanent Under Secretary (PUS) is assisted in the discharge of his duties as Accounting Officer by experienced senior managers such as the Chief Operating Officer, the Finance Director (who is a qualified accountant), and the Head of Internal Audit. The PUS also benefits from the advice of the Chairman of the Departmental Audit and Risk Committee, who is a non-executive member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Board and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and of the Institute of Corporate Treasurers.
No officials are specifically employed for 50% or more of their time to support the PUS as Accounting Officer.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.[HL5860]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson) (LD): The Northern Ireland Office does not employ any members of staff who spend more than 50 percent of their working week specifically supporting the Director General in his role as Accounting Officer as distinct from conducting general finance responsibilities.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff are currently employed for more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Director of the Wales Office in his role as Accounting Officer; and what are their job titles.[HL5905]
Baroness Randerson: No staff at the Wales Office spend more than 50 per cent of their working week to support the Director of the Wales Office in his role as Accounting Officer.
Israel and Palestine
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current status of the government of Israel’s commitment to investigate fully the settler attack on the Deir Istiya Mosque.[HL5772]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv are currently seeking information from the Israeli authorities about the status of their investigation into this incident.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the case for an open inquiry into the deaths of Palestinian prisoners whose death in hospital follows immediately on their release from custody.[HL5773]
Baroness Warsi: The Government has not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent Amnesty International report Trigger Happy, what discussions they have held with their European partners concerning accountability within the Israeli Defence Force.[HL5775]
Baroness Warsi: The Government has regular discussions with our European partners on human rights concerns in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including on Israel’s implementation of its obligations under international humanitarian law and the issue of accountability.
London Stock Exchange
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Prime Minister’s announcement on 29 October 2013 that the London Stock Exchange Group was creating a new Islamic Market Index of Shariah-compliant products, how that project is progressing; and whether the HM Treasury Islamic Finance Task Force are involved in it.[HL5815]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): This Government welcomes the introduction of a new Islamic index of shariah-compliant products by the London Stock Exchange, which was announced at the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in October 2013. This is an initiative being run by the London Stock Exchange (LSE), and not the Government. We have requested that the LSE provide you with an update on their progress.
Non-departmental Government Bodies: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many employees were recruited by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2013; and, of that number, how many were graduates.[HL5852]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The Higher Education Funding Council for England recruited 39 employees between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013, 9 were appointed on fixed term contracts and 30 were recruited as permanent employees. Out of the total 39 appointments made in that year, 34 were graduates.
Northern Ireland: On-the-Runs Scheme
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department prepared the first-day briefing provided to the incoming Northern Ireland Executive Justice Minister in April 2010.[HL5797]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any reference was made to the issuing, by the Northern Ireland Office, of letters to “on the run” persons in the first-day briefing provided to the incoming Northern Ireland Justice Minister in April 2010.[HL5798]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson) (LD): This is a matter for the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland.
Overseas Aid
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to amend their policy on provision of funding to the Palestinian Authority in order to facilitate direct funding of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital; and if not, why not.[HL5693]
Baroness Northover (LD): DFID has no plans to amend the way in which UK financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is directed. Our contribution is used to pay the salaries of PA employees such as health workers. This enabled, for example, 2,276 Palestinian children under the age of 5 to receive the MMR vaccination in 2013. In addition, the UK’s national contribution to the EU budget enabled the EU to contribute €23 million to the PA in 2012-13 to cover referral costs for patients in East Jerusalem hospitals. This support allowed hospitals to remain open and medical staff to continue working, despite severe financial constraints.
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what overseas aid they have provided and to which countries, by type and financial amount in each year since 2010.[HL5822]
Baroness Northover: Official UK spend on international development by country, type and year up to 2012 is published in DFID’s National Statistics publication Statistics on International Development 2013, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics.
Information for 2013 will be published in autumn 2014.
Police: Black and Ethnic Minority Officers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many black and minority ethnic police officers are on the current Strategic Command Course.[HL5743]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): There are no black and minority ethnic (BME) police officers on the current Strategic Command Course. The College of Policing BME 2018 Programme which has been put in place to improve equality and diversity in policing includes a specific focus on increasing BME representation on the Strategic Command Course (SCC).
Police: Convictions, Cautions and Offences
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police officers had previous convictions or cautions before they joined the police service; and what offences gave rise to those convictions and cautions. [HL5744]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.
RSPCA
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many private prosecutions were undertaken by the RSPCA during 2010 to 2013; what were the three bodies undertaking the highest number of private prosecutions over that period; and how many prosecutions were undertaken over that period by the Crown Prosecution Service .[HL5718]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The number of private prosecutions undertaken is not available from information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice. In order to provide you with this information would involve the manual checking of case files and to do so would be disproportionate to costs.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the estimated public expenditure involved in the pursuit of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA during 2010 to 2013.[HL5719]
Lord Faulks: The cost to the public purse of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA is not available from information held centrally and would involve manual checking to collect fully and to do so would involve disproportionate costs. Although the RSPCA prosecute some cases themselves, others they investigate are prosecuted by the CPS and the Ministry of Justice does not hold the costs information they incur.
Schools: Admissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they regulate, or intend to regulate, selective admissions systems in secondary education settings with specific regard to (1) lottery, and (2) banding by ability, systems.[HL5825]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The School Admissions Code (the Code) exists to ensure that places in all state-funded schools are allocated in a fair and transparent manner. It is the responsibility of the admission authority for each school to ensure that they comply with the Code and related admissions law when setting its admission arrangements. The School Admissions Code is available online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code
The Code sets out the requirements for those admission authorities who decide to use random allocation for allocating places, and those who use banding to select a proportionate spread of children of different abilities.
Any person or body who considers that these particular arrangements are unfair or unlawful can make an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. The Adjudicator’s role is to consider whether these arrangements comply with the Code and admissions law. The Adjudicator’s decisions are binding and enforceable; if found to be unlawful the admission authority must revise their admission arrangements as soon as possible, and no later than 15 April following the Adjudicator’s decision. Further information on the Office of the Schools Adjudicator can be found here:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schoolsadjudicator/about/a0076128/the-office-of-the-schools-adjudicator
Small Businesses
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which regulations and legislation applicable to small businesses they have revoked or repealed since 2010.[HL5823]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): Through the Red Tape Challenge programme, the Government has committed to scrap or improve over 3,000 regulations. Many of these reforms will also help small businesses. To date we have implemented 806 reforms, of which about 40% have resulted in regulations being scrapped.
Sri Lanka
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Warsi on 26 February (HL Deb, col 920), what assessment they have made of the authorship and sponsorship of the book Corrupted Journalism: Channel 4 and Sri Lanka in their analysis of human rights in Sri Lanka.[HL5690]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): “Corrupted Journalism: Channel 4 and Sri Lanka” was written as a collective work by ‘Engage Sri Lanka’ and published by them. According to their website, ‘Engage Sri Lanka’ was established “to make the case for the United Kingdom engaging more closely with Sri Lanka”. We are not aware of the source of their funding, and this is a matter for ‘Engage Sri Lanka’. The book argues that Channel 4 documentaries on Sri Lanka are inaccurate and prejudiced.
As the British Government has made clear, the footage from Channel 4 documentaries is disturbing and brings to international attention important information to support allegations of grave abuses. Independent experts engaged by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions have verified some Channel 4 footage, specifically relating to the summary executions of Tamils by Sri Lankan forces. We believe that credible allegations of violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law, including those resulting from Channel 4 footage, merit proper investigation. As a result, we will be using our position on the UN Human Rights Council to actively press for an international investigation given the lack of a credible domestic accountability process to date.
Sudan
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conduct of the 2010 elections in Sudan; whether they consider that those elections were a driver for violence; and what assessment they have made of the prospects for the conduct of the elections to be held in 2015.[HL5835]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The 2010 elections were part of a roadmap which allowed for the referendum on South Sudanese secession which was at the heart of
the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). They were conducted largely peacefully, although there were a range of technical and political concerns during the process.
Our current assessment is that free, fair and credible elections in 2015 are unlikely without significant reforms. Many of the restrictions highlighted by observers during the 2010 election remain. Ongoing conflict will prevent significant numbers of people from participating.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to establish where the resources
used by the government of Sudan to purchase a new generation of weapons came from; and if not, whether they plan to.[HL5836]
Baroness Warsi: We have not discussed this with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank but we are confident that IMF and World Bank resources have not been used by the Government of Sudan to purchase weapons. The IMF has not lent money to Sudan since 1984. The World Bank has continued to manage some poverty reduction projects on behalf of donors, including a £54.6 million contribution from the UK to its Multi-Donor Trust Fund over eight years (2005-2014). The programme was subject to strict procurement and fiduciary controls to ensure money was used as intended.