Written Answers
Thursday 27 March 2014
Agriculture: Genetically Modified Crops
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulations covered the export of seeds to Canada from transgenic tomatoes grown under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000 at the John Innes Centre; how they were consigned; and how any transgenic tomato juice will be imported into the United Kingdom and stored.[HL6168]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The export of the seeds was subject to the requirements at Article 12.1 and 12.3 of EU Regulation No.1946/2003 on the transboundary movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The seeds were consigned to the importer on that basis, in appropriately sealed packaging. The tomato juice is being sterilised before export to the UK and will not contain any seeds. The import is therefore not subject to any GMO-related requirements. The juice will be stored in an appropriate manner at the John Innes Centre.
Alcohol: Pregnant Women
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing to educate pregnant women about the dangers of alcohol for unborn babies.[HL6028]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Public Health England's (PHE) Start4life campaign provides advice to pregnant women on establishing healthy habits to give their babies the best start in life and reduce the risk of poor health in the future. Alcohol and the reasons why it is best avoided in pregnancy is one of the five key behaviours covered in the campaign and these are promoted via the campaign website and to subscribers to the Start4Life Information Service for Parents.
PHE launched a leaflet that includes information on alcohol and the reasons why it is best avoided in pregnancy which is widely distributed to pregnant women via general practitioners and midwives.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's 2008 guideline includes recommendations for doctors and midwives on the advice they should give to pregnant women about drinking alcohol.
The Government is also committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks, including a warning for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers have a responsibility to help raise this awareness and committed to putting
an agreed warning or a pregnancy warning logo on 80% of labels on bottles and cans by the end of 2013. An independent market survey is underway to measure compliance.
Bahrain
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in respect of the case of four men accused of killing policemen on 3 March in Bahrain; and whether they will seek to prevent their execution.[HL6089]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): An investigation into the bomb explosion on 3 March is underway. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due legal process is followed in any court case that results.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Bahrain concerning allegations of the use of torture to extract confessions.[HL6090]
Baroness Warsi: The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs. The UK has not received any specific evidence of the use of torture to extract confessions but it continues to work with the Bahraini authorities to share best practice on torture prevention measures and address allegations of torture and mistreatment.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had internally and with their European partners concerning the imposition of sanctions against the government of Bahrain until it complies with international human rights law.[HL6091]
Baroness Warsi: The British Government has not held any discussions internally, or with European partners, on imposing sanctions against the Government of Bahrain.
BBC World Service
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by the Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March (HC Deb, cols 315–6) concerning proposals to initiate BBC World Service transmissions to the Korean peninsula, whether they will consider introducing a new BBC World Service transmission to the Korean peninsula; and if so, what their criteria would be. [HL6005]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): I refer the noble Lord to my answer in this House on 12 March (Official record 12 March 2014, col 1753), where I made clear that the BBC World Service is editorially, managerially and operationally independent. It is therefore for the BBC World Service, as they do now, to review options and criteria and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on the opening and closing of any individual World Service language service.
Citizens Advice
Question
Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Citizens' Advice is now classified by the Office for National Statistics as a public body; and whether its Chief Executive is an Accounting Officer.[HL6015]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): The Office for National Statistics has recently confirmed that Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland are classified as “Non-profit Institutions Serving Households” (NPISH). The charitable status of Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland remains unchanged.
In November 2013, having reviewed the framework under which the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) manages its relationship with both organisations, BIS’s Principal Accounting Officer wrote to both Chief Executives revoking their Accounting Officers designations as these were anomalous with funding through an annual grant agreement arrangement.
Commonwealth: Judicial Processes
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the judicial process in Commonwealth countries; if so, whether they have concerns about any of the countries; and, if so, which countries. [HL6058]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have not completed a specific assessment of the judicial process in Commonwealth countries. However, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights report, we do look at access to justice and rule of law as part of our assessment of the overall human rights situation in countries of concern. Out of the 26 countries of human rights concern three are Commonwealth members: Fiji, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
We are also in contact with Commonwealth organisations which specialise in legal affairs and the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division to encourage them to ensure that all
Commonwealth members are afforded the support they need to adhere to the legal responsibilities they have agreed to in the Commonwealth Charter. We also use Commonwealth fora, such as the Commonwealth Law Ministers’ meetings (CLMM), to raise our concerns. The next CLMM is in Botswana on 5-8 May. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara) will represent the UK.
Construction: Cabling
Questions
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to assess the risk posed to households by non-conforming or sub-standard cabling. [HL6180]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): I have been made aware of the concerns of the cable industry. To help address these concerns, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken an assessment of the state of the UK market and determined that although there was lack of awareness of the existing product safety legislation, there was not significant evidence of unsafe cables.
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff work in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the issue of unsafe cabling being imported into and installed in the United Kingdom. [HL6181]
Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Product Regulation team in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have two people that work on electrical product safety; they also work on a number of other product safety areas. While BIS has responsibility for the legislation, enforcement is carried out by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) with regard to business products and Trading Standards Services for consumer products.
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulation exists in respect of unsafe cabling being imported into the United Kingdom for use in construction projects.[HL6182]
Viscount Younger of Leckie: Cabling is considered to be electrical equipment and aspects of safety are regulated by the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations which transpose European Directive 2006/95/EC relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits. Enforcement is the responsibility of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) with regard to business products and Trading Standards Services for consumer products.
Energy: Wind Farms
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to ensure that when the East Anglia One wind farm is constructed the ducting for the underground cables from the land point at Bawdsey to the inverter at Bramford are of a dimension also able to accommodate the cables from the proposed three subsequent North Sea wind farms landing at the same point.[HL6192]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering the report and recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate into the application for development consent for onshore and offshore works that would comprise the East Anglia One offshore wind farm. The Secretary of State will consider all material considerations in reaching his decision. He has three months from 18 March 2014 to announce his decision and it would be inappropriate to comment on any material issues at this time.
EU: National Parliaments
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which policy areas are entirely under the control of the national parliaments of European Union member states; and which are subject to (1) unanimity, and (2) qualified majority voting, in the Council of Ministers. [HL6026]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): On the subject of national parliaments, different Member States have different constitutional structures. Although the UK does not have a single, written constitution, the constitutional relationship between the UK and EU is perfectly clear and it is that the UK Parliament is sovereign in the UK. The EU Act of 2011 also makes clear that directly effective and directly applicable EU law only takes effect in the UK legal order by virtue of the will of Parliament – through the European Communities Act 1972 and through other Acts of Parliament.
On the question of voting arrangements in the Council of Ministers, I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Sir Richard Shepherd), on 16 July 2013, HC Hansard, Official report, column 644W.
Finance: Investment
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes they have made in the proportion of national income devoted to investment.[HL5997]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Office for Budget Responsibility published its forecast for Public Sector Gross Investment as a per cent of GDP in table 4.12 of the March 2014 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
The Government is going to be investing more as a share of GDP on average over this parliament — and over this whole decade — than over the whole period of the last government.
At Autumn Statement 2011 and Autumn Statement 2012, the Government increased its capital spending plans by £10 billion, funded through permanent reductions in wasteful spending. At Budget 2013 the Government committed to make those increases permanent — raising capital spending plans by £3 billion per annum.
Autumn Statement 2013 set out that from 2018-19 Public Sector Gross Investment (PSGI) will increase in line with GDP.
Flooding
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the recent and ongoing flooding, they plan to reconsider their 2010 decision to remove the duty on local authorities to produce climate adaptation plans.[HL6022]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): It is not the case that the Government has abolished any requirement for councils to plan against flooding. Rather, in 2010, the Coalition Government abolished the bureaucratic and ineffective National Indicator Set, which was a series of Whitehall requirements for councils to report reams of data to central government. The National Indicator Set comprised 198 different indicators, as part of a wider set of 4,700 Local Area Agreement targets. The indicator which I suspect the right reverend Prelate is referring to (National Indicator 188), in turn, was accompanied by a 49 page guidance document to councils on how to fill it in. The whole process wasted time and money, and diverted attention away from the frontline.
National planning policy is quite clear that local planning authorities should adopt proactive strategies to adapt to climate change taking full account of flood risk and coastal change. This is underpinned by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 which requires local planning authorities to include in their Local Plans “policies designed to secure that the development and use of land in the local planning authority's area contribute to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change”.
Additionally, under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 all local authorities have a duty to:
• assess risks in their local area (including those driven by adverse weather conditions) and to work with other emergency responders to develop a Community Risk Register• to plan and prepare for emergencies that might arise from these risks, including plans for preventing emergencies; for reducing, controlling or mitigating
their effects in both the response and recovery phases; and for taking other action in the event of emergencies.
In July 2013, the Government published the first National Adaptation Programme. This identifies policies and actions for addressing future risks, and recognises that local government plays a central role in leading and supporting local places to become more resilient to such risks.
Food: Meat
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publish guidance in the short term to advise consumers about the provenance of meat sold for human consumption and the method of slaughter used.[HL6112]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The Government is committed to honesty in food labelling and has supported more and better country of origin labelling of fresh and frozen meat. Defra facilitated the creation of a set of industry principles on origin labelling, which has resulted in most meat carrying a voluntary indication of its origin.
The Government is firmly of the view that consumers should have the necessary information available to them to make an informed choice about their food. Any method of slaughter labelling system needs to cover more than just the UK. We are awaiting the results of an EU Commission study on method-of-slaughter labelling, which is due this summer. We will look at possible options in the light of that report.
Gaza
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the European Union’s recent warning that Gaza’s economic and humanitarian conditions will affect regional security in the Middle East, what action they intend to take to insist that the blockade of Gaza be lifted.[HL6092]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Minister of State for International Development, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Merton (Mr Duncan), held detailed discussions on issues concerning Gaza with Israeli and Palestinian officials during his visit to the region on 12-15 January. We continue to call on Israel to ease its restrictions, including on import of fuel and medical supplies, on movement of goods to the West Bank and Israel.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Egypt in respect of the opening of crossing points from Egypt into Gaza for pedestrians and vehicles. [HL6097]
Baroness Warsi: We remain concerned by the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We are pressing Israel, as the Occupying Power, to ease its restrictions on Gaza, stressing the damage that those restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians and how supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel’s long-term interests.
We remain concerned at the frequent closures of the Rafah crossing, and the additional pressure that this puts on the fragile humanitarian situation. Egypt is facilitating humanitarian deliveries through Rafah, although the difficult security situation in Sinai is a limiting factor on quantities. We continue to encourage the Egyptian authorities to ease the movement of bona fide travellers and increase the delivery of humanitarian aid through Rafah while expressing our hope that legal trade can also be introduced in the future.
Both the National Security Adviser and the British Consul-General in Jerusalem discussed the situation in Gaza with the Egyptian authorities during visits to Cairo in November 2013 and we continue to raise this issue in our contacts with the Egyptian authorities. On 18 March the British Ambassador in Cairo raised our concerns about humanitarian assistance to Gaza with the Egyptian authorities.
Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom was a party to the 2006 Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development; what progress has been made in implementing it; and whether the retention of nuclear weapons by the United Kingdom and France is compatible with the aims of that Declaration.[HL6098]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The United Kingdom signed the Geneva Declaration in 2006 and is also a member of the Core Group which is responsible for guiding implementation of the Declaration.
The Geneva Declaration makes no mention of nuclear weapons, and the United Kingdom sees no incompatibility between maintenance of the deterrent and the Declaration.
Government Departments: Budgets
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the percentage cost over-run established by the management board for any budget in the Department of Energy and Climate Change to merit being tabled at the departmental management board; and how many times in the last 12 months that has occurred.[HL6283]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): The departmental management board review the
Department’s expenditure forecasts against Parliamentary control totals. No cost over-runs have been forecast in the last 12 months.
Government Departments: Expenditure
Question
Asked by Lord Selkirk of Douglas
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, in reserved areas, per capita in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years.[HL6165]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): The expenditure in reserved areas, per capita, of the Department of Energy and Climate Change is published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2012-13 (HC18) .
Available figures may be found on page 264 of the Report (Table 7: Total identifiable expenditure on services by country and region, per head 2007-08 to 2011-12).
Figures for 2012-13 will be published in the Annual Report for 2013-14 which is due to be laid before Parliament in June 2014 for publication in July 2014.
Government Departments: Surveys
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what customer, user and satisfaction surveys were conducted in the last 12 months in the Department for Education and the agencies that report to it; which of them have been reported to the management board in the last 12 months; and which were commissioned by the management board.[HL6034]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Department for Education uses a range of feedback mechanisms across policy and delivery work to improve the experience of users and customers. Feedback is commissioned by the relevant teams; there is no central coordination of this activity. To collect details of this would incur disproportionate cost. The Department’s management board considers papers covering the range of the Department’s responsibilities, which reflect the results of the Department’s feedback mechanisms.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what customer, user and satisfaction surveys were conducted in the last 12 months in the Department of Health and the agencies that report to it; which of them have been reported to the management board in the last 12 months; and which were commissioned by the management board.[HL6209]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): This information is not held centrally. Surveys undertaken by the Department's arm's length bodies are a matter for those organisations.
The Department commissions Ipsos MORI to conduct a public perceptions survey, which tracks the public's views relating to the National Health Service and social care. The results are available at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/survey-published-on-public-perceptions-of-the-nhs
The Department's senior leaders take a close interest in the results of this research, and use it to inform the development of policy advice to Ministers.
Health: Elderly People
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that National Health Service carers for the elderly are providing an effective service.[HL6030]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) all providers of regulated activities, including National Health Service and independent providers, have to register with the CQC and meet a set of requirements of safety and quality.
The CQC has introduced the roles of Chief Inspectors for Hospitals, Adult Social Care and Primary Care. The new Chief Inspectors will:
Make authoritative judgments about the quality of care and recommend that action is taken when they identify failing providers;Spearhead inspections based on risk, not frequency and more in-depth where quality is poor;Be the public face of CQC to their respective professions or sectors and the lead communicator with the media; andProduce a single rating of providers.
To get to the heart of patients' experiences of care, under its new inspection regime, the CQC will ask five questions of every service and provider:
Are they safe?Are they effective?Are they caring?Are they well led?Are they responsive to people's needs?
The CQC started piloting its new inspection model in September 2013 in 18 NHS trusts and has subsequently published the results. The CQC's initial findings from the wave 1 pilot inspections are available at:
www.cqc.org.uk/sitesidefault/files/media/documents/20140305_acute_wave_1_report_-_final_for_publishing_2_formatted.pdf
Health: Respiratory Disease
Question
Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to set up a funded Strategic Clinical Network for respiratory conditions; and what other steps they are taking to ensure that the Outcomes Strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma is implemented fully across England. [HL6062]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government's mandate to NHS England sets out the requirement for the National Health Service to demonstrate progress on preventing people from dying prematurely from respiratory disease. NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have responsibility for determining the overall national approach to achieve this and improve clinical outcomes from healthcare services for people with respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
NHS England advises that it has no current plans nationally to establish or fund respiratory strategic clinical networks.
In December 2013, NHS England published Our Ambition to Reduce Premature Mortality: A resource to support commissioners in setting a level of ambition. This resource sets out the high-impact interventions that CCGs can commission to improve outcomes for people with physical health conditions such as COPD and asthma. This resource currently has sections on the treatment and management of COPD and refers and links to the Outcomes Strategy for COPD and Asthma and its Companion Document. The resource can be found at:
www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/sop/red-prem-mort/
Israel
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about upholding the United Nations Basic Principles on the use of force and firearms.[HL6012]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have not made any representations to the Government of Israel about upholding the United Nations Basic Principles on the use of force and firearms. I refer the noble Lord to my response to his previous question of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column WA79.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister discussed human rights and international law issues during his recent visit to Israel; and, if so, with what result.[HL6052]
Baroness Warsi: I refer the noble Lord to the response given by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), to the right hon. member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr Kaufman) on 19 March 2014, Commons Hansard, Official Report, column 773.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about incursions into Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem, by members of the Israel Defence Force. [HL6100]
Baroness Warsi: The Government has not made representation on this particular incident although we have regularly raised Israel Defence Force incursions into Area A with the Israeli authorities.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take in respect of the proposed displacement of Bedouin from the Negev desert under the Prawer-Begin plan.[HL6114]
Baroness Warsi: The UK will continue to follow closely the Israeli government's plans with respect to Bedouin villages in the Negev. We have made clear our view about the need to avoid forced displacement. We have continually encouraged the Israeli government and Bedouin communities to engage in dialogue to agree a lasting, satisfactory solution to this long-standing and complex issue.
Israel and Palestine
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking (1) to prevent the displacement and transfer to other areas of Palestinian Bedouin from the E1 section of East Jerusalem, and (2) to prevent further evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes in Sheikh Farah.[HL6099]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Government regularly makes clear to Israel, both publicly and privately, our serious concerns about the actual or threatened demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure and the forced transfer of population in Area C and East Jerusalem.
Israel and Palestine: West Bank
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Palestinian capitalism in Ramallah on economic conditions in the wider West Bank and on the peace process.[HL6093]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Economic development in Ramallah is not representative of the overall situation in the West Bank, where only sustained, inclusive private sector growth can ease pressure on public debt and dependence on aid, create jobs and reduce poverty. Growth must be inclusive and reach outside Ramallah, both geographically and demographically.
We have not made an assessment of the impact of Palestinian capitalism in Ramallah on the peace process.
Legal Aid
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people were supported by legal aid in courts during 2012–13; and how many of those people were subsequently imprisoned.[HL6139]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The information requested is not readily available; it involves matching data in different formats from several databases held by different agencies within the Ministry of Justice and therefore the information could be extracted only at disproportionate cost.
Libya
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current situation in Libya in the light of the eastern part of the country being held by rebels.[HL6084]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The British Government is concerned at the growing instability in the East of Libya and the threat this poses to Libya’s democratic transition. It is essential that Libyans agree a single and inclusive national dialogue process to overcome the political divisions hampering progress overall, and to refrain from destabilising action that would further set back the political transition. The UK and our international partners remain committed to supporting Libya during these difficult times. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Roberston), recently attended the Rome Ministerial Conference on Libya on 6 March where the international community gathered to reaffirm our support.
The UK is assisting the Libyan people in building a secure country. At the G8 meeting in Lough Erne in June 2013, the UK led international efforts to agree a Security Compact with Libya, which includes an offer to train more than 7,000 Libyan troops to help the Libyan government disarm and integrate militias and improve the security and stability of the country. This package adds to existing UK support, including provision
of strategic level assistance to the Libyan armed forces and police, and forms part of the broader international effort to ensure that Libya’s democratic transition continues against the threat of violence. In addition the UK has 19 long-term military and civilian advisers including a Defence Advisory Training Team, as well as a number of short-term experts, working with the Libyan authorities across the fields of security, justice and defence. The assistance provided by the advisers includes helping to build civil service capacity; strengthening civilian oversight of their armed forces; disposal of arms and ammunition; improving access to justice; and helping to build the professionalism and capacity of the police force.
Manufacturing: Chemicals
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any proposals to require manufacturers of chemicals to give full disclosure of all of their research results in line with those for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals.[HL6169]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The duties and responsibilities of chemicals manufacturers and importers are set out in the EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). By 2018 any producer of a chemical substance in quantities above one tonne a year must register it with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The technical dossier must include study summaries of relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information. ECHA is then required to make publicly available information on each registered substance, including physicochemical data and the results of each toxicological and ecotoxicological study. This information is published on ECHA’s website.
The Government does not propose to seek any increases in the registration or information duties under REACH.
NHS: Complaints
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the National Health Service complaints system in providing patients with the tools to obtain the support they require. [HL6201]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): In line with the recommendations made by Rt hon. Ann Clwyd and Tricia Hart, and the Francis Inquiry, the Government wants to see every Trust make clear to every patient from their first encounter with the hospital:
— who they can turn to for independent local support if they want to complain, and where to contact them; and— details of how to contact their local Healthwatch, which in some areas may provide advocacy services, but in all areas can provide general advice and information on health and care issues.
Since April 2013, individual local authorities have been responsible for the commissioning of National Health Service complaints advocacy services for their areas. As we indicated in Hard Truths, the Department will begin an evaluation of the current commissioning arrangements in 2014.
NHS: Redundancy
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people who have received redundancy payments from the National Health Service since the reorganisation in April 2013 have been re-employed by the National Health Service as either consultants or permanent staff; and what has been the cost to public funds of those redundancy repayments. [HL6081]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The number of National Health Service staff made redundant since 31 March 2013 and re-employed on a permanent basis after more than four weeks, up until 30 November 2013, is estimated to be 310. A further 200 have been re-employed on a fixed term basis.
Not all of these will have been eligible for a redundancy payment. Under NHS redundancy rules, if employees obtain suitable alternative employment within four weeks of the termination of their contract, they would not be entitled to their redundancy payment.
The total value of all redundancy payments made are required to be disclosed in each individual NHS organisation's annual accounts. However, it will not be possible to identify what value relates to re-employed staff.
We do not hold information relating to people providing consultancy services to the NHS.
By reducing managers and administrators by over 21,100, we are freeing up extra resources for patient care - £5.5 billion in this parliament and £1.5 billion every year thereafter.
North Korea
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korea has ordered the deaths of people because of their alleged association with South Korean missionary Kim Jung-wook.[HL6001]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): We are aware of media reports that as many as 33 people have been sentenced to death for alleged contact with Kim Jung-wook (aka Kim Jong-uk), a South Korean arrested by Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) authorities last year on suspicion of trying to establish underground churches. We have been unable to establish if these reports are accurate but we have raised our concerns with the DPRK authorities and requested official confirmation of what has happened to the individuals concerned. We have also called on the DPRK to respect the provision in its constitution guaranteeing “freedom of belief in religion”.
We continue to be deeply concerned by the reports of the persecution of Christians detailed by the UN Commission of Enquiry. We are working to ensure a resolution at the Human Rights Council which makes clear there can be no impunity for human rights violators.
Petrol Filling Stations
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ensure that petrol filling stations are not too far apart.[HL6244]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): DECC published a report from Deloitte LLP in December 2012, which considered long term changes to the retail market for road fuels in the UK, and the implications of these changes to our energy resilience. This market has changed significantly over the last decade. However, the findings of this report do not suggest that the changes to the size and shape of the retail market for road fuels have had significant impacts on the UK’s ability to be able to respond to supply disruptions or that these have significantly reduced the access of UK motorists to a local supply of fuel. The report found that in 2011, 98% of postcode sectors had a petrol filling station within 10 minutes drive, and 92% had more than two within the same travel time.
Decisions on the location of individual petrol filling stations are for local planning authorities.
Railways: Electrification
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their plans to introduce new electrified railway lines between Manchester and Liverpool in December, whether they have taken into account the availability of electric trains as part of their negotiations to procure rolling stock.[HL6000]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): As announced today (27 March) the Department for Transport has granted a Direct Award to Northern for 22 months and is working with them to ensure rolling stock is available for a phased rollout of electric services between Liverpool and Manchester from the December 2014 timetable.
The Department takes account of availability of electric rolling stock in its decisions and the stock for this route will be modern, cascaded stock from other routes.
Railways: Wales
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to re-establish railway lines between Bangor and Carmarthen, via Caernarfon and Aberystwyth, to facilitate the proposed decentralisation of All-Wales Services from Cardiff to those four centres.[HL6184]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): There are no UK Government plans to re-establish railway lines between Bangor and Carmarthen, via Caernarfon and Aberystwyth.
Regional Growth Fund
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many small businesses have been helped by the Regional Growth Fund, broken down by (1) size, and (2) region.[HL6160]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): Support to business via the Regional Growth Fund is provided by both direct projects and wider programmes which are run by intermediaries to distribute funds to businesses.
In addition to the locally run programmes we have 13 programmes that have national coverage. In total, over 3,500 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have to date, been supported by these programmes
The table below shows the regional breakdown of such support.
| Region | Number of businesses supported |
Teachers: Head Teachers
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many head teachers in state-funded schools were removed from their positions in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2011–12, (3) 2012–13, and (4) to date in 2013–14.[HL6172]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The information requested is not held centrally.
Turkey
Questions
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the political situation in Turkey in the light of recent violent protests in Istanbul following the death of Berkin Elvan who was injured in clashes at the end of 2013.[HL6085]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Turkey is a multi-party democracy with an elected government. The Turkish people exercised their legitimate right to protest in recent months and, as a Candidate Country for EU membership, the Turkish government is aware of the importance of respecting the right to peaceful protest and all fundamental freedoms.
We and our EU partners are following events in Turkey very closely and were concerned about the violent incidents that occurred during the protests.
We are clear however that the EU accession process has enabled Turkey to move forward with their reform agenda, which has helped to strengthen political stability and economic development in the country over the past decade. We remain fully supportive of that continuing process, which remains the most effective mechanism for encouraging Turkey to ensure that they continue to make progress in accordance with EU standards.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with the government of Turkey concerning reports that Turkish Airlines was used to ship weapons to the Nigerian terrorist organisation Boko Haram.[HL6202]
Baroness Warsi: We are aware of allegations by some media outlets and certain members of the Turkish opposition suggesting that Turkish Airlines shipped lethal material to Nigeria. We have not discussed the allegations with the Turkish government, but our officials regularly meet their Turkish counterparts to discuss counter terrorism issues.