Written Answers
Tuesday 1 April 2014
Alcohol
Question
Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom to increase as a result of changes to alcohol duty in the 2014 budget; and if so, by how much.[HL6186]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The tables below provide estimates of changes in consumption in both percentage and volume terms for each type of alcohol consumed, relative to the previous alcohol duty rates policy.
| Estimated change in consumption (%): | |||||
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | |
| Estimated change in consumption (thousand hectolitres of alcohol): | |||||
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | |
Annuities
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they expect to be the impact on (1) the take up of annuities, and (2) rates for new annuities, of the proposed changes to pension annuities.[HL6205]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): For many people, purchasing an annuity will remain the best way to secure an income in retirement.
This new flexibility will help consumers choosing to buy an annuity to get a better deal in a much more competitive market place. The shape of the market will now be driven by the choices consumers make, placing power back into the hands of savers.
As retirement changes, many people may opt to buy an annuity later in life, allowing them to benefit from higher annuity rates or at a time that better suits their individual circumstances.
Atos Healthcare
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints about Atos Healthcare have been submitted or received through the Department for Work and Pensions, per year, since the commencement of the service provision contract.[HL6388]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The Department does not hold central records on the number of complaints received in regards to Atos Healthcare, this information could only be collated at disproportionate cost.
Autism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering how to increase research into autism spectrum disorders to improve the lifetime prospects of individuals affected; and what assessment they have made of the steps taken by the government of Australia in that area.[HL6188]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a range of research on autism spectrum conditions (ASC) across the lifespan.
The NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is currently inviting research proposals on guided self-help for depression in adults with ASC. The programme is also funding a team led by the University of Newcastle to conduct an evidence synthesis in measurement in ASC under review. This is due to report in January 2015. In addition, the programme is funding a £0.5 million study aiming to develop a manualised social stories intervention for use with children with ASC in mainstream schools that has the effect of reducing challenging behaviour. The report of the study is expected to be published in April 2015.
The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health has a £2.5 million, five-year research theme on neurodevelopmental disorders. This is focussed mainly on ASC and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aims to enable more rapid diagnosis and improve treatment of individuals with these disorders.
Since June 2013, the NIHR has been funding a clinical doctoral research fellowship at King’s College London studying treatment with adapted cognitive behaviour therapy of co-morbid social anxiety disorder in ASC.
The Government is aware that a new Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders has recently been launched in Australia. This centre is based at the University of Queensland.
Bank of England
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they would support the Bank of England initiating a public consultation on its current policy of destroying audio recordings of Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Policy Committee meetings.[HL6055]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Bank of England is required to publish records of meetings of the Financial Policy Committee, and minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee under the Bank of England Act 1998. However, the Bank of England is responsible for determining what records they need to keep to satisfy these obligations, and for any decision to consult on its management procedures.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Bank of England has the authority to reinvest the proceeds of maturing gilt-edged securities purchased under the quantitative easing programme; and whether they intend to invite the Bank of England to publish a paper on that aspect of quantitative easing policy.[HL6056]
Lord Deighton: The UK’s monetary policy framework, set out in the Bank of England Act 1998, gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Decisions on the use of monetary policy tools, including quantitative easing (QE) are a matter for the MPC.
Bank of England Act 1998
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Newby to Lord Barnett’s supplementary oral question on 18 March (HL Deb, col 73), under what circumstances they consider that HM Treasury would not have the power to act as they think fit, under section 19(1) of the Bank of England Act 1998.[HL6126]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Newby to Lord Barnett’s supplementary oral question on 18 March (HL Deb, col 73), how they define “extreme financial circumstances” under section 19(1) of the Bank of England Act 1998.[HL6127]
Lord Newby (LD): The UK’s monetary policy framework set out in the Bank of England Act 1998 (the Act), gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC sets monetary policy in order to meet the 2 per cent inflation target over the medium term.
As the Act states: “the Treasury, after consultation with the Governor of the Bank, may by order give the Bank directions with respect to monetary policy if they are satisfied that the directions are required in the public interest and by extreme economic circumstances.” Further “unless an order is approved by resolution of each House of Parliament before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the day on which it is made, it shall cease to have effect at the end of that period.” An order “which does not cease to have effect before the end of the period of 3 months beginning with the day on which it is made shall cease to have effect at the end of that period.”
Since the MPC was given operational independence in 1997, covering the worst financial crisis in generations leading to the deepest recession since the Second World War, these powers have never been used.
Banking: European Central Bank
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that London’s role as a centre for international banking and derivative trading is not disadvantaged by pressure from the European Central Bank on eurozone-based banks to conduct and manage business through domestic entities. [HL6140]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The UK Government is challenging the European Central Bank’s location policy at the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Banking: Polymer Banknotes
Question
Asked by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the costs to the private sector of the proposed switch to polymer banknotes in 2016. [HL6101]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Banknotes are the responsibility of the Bank of England. Polymer banknotes are cleaner, more secure against counterfeiting, more environmentally friendly and more durable than their paper equivalents.
The Bank has held discussions with a number of key stakeholders in the cash industry. Feedback suggested the impact of switching to a polymer substrate would result in implementation costs but there were no absolute barriers to change.
Lessons learned from polymer switchovers in other countries will help the Bank to substantially reduce the implementation costs to industry, therefore long-term cost savings will be realised a lot sooner.
Broadcasting: S4C
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions took place between Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ministers and the S4C Authority before S4C took their decision to relocate their headquarters from Cardiff to Carmarthen.[HL6059]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): Ministers and officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly have discussions with the S4C Authority on a number of issues, and were aware of the relocation options being considered by the Authority. As an independent broadcaster, such operational decisions are ultimately a matter for the S4C Authority.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the transfer of funding responsibility for S4C from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the Welsh Government, in the light of the Silk Commission report.[HL6109]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: I have noted that the Silk Commission has made recommendations in relation to the transfer of funding responsibility for S4C. We will carefully consider the Silk Commission’s recommendations and their implications in full and respond in due course.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will arrange for the names of each member of the S4C Authority, as at 1 March, together with the date of their appointment and the term of office of each such member, to be published in the Official Report.[HL6111]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The names of S4C Authority members, date of appointment and term of office are published in S4C’s annual report and accounts. A list of current S4C members including term dates is outlined in the table:
| Name | Role | Start Date | End Date |
Captain Scott
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to preserve Captain Scott’s photographs of the expedition to the South Pole.[HL6048]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Government has no powers to intervene in private sales between parties. However, there are procedures in place to seek to prevent the loss of historic items from the UK. Under the UK system of export controls, any cultural objects manufactured or produced more than 50 years before the date of export and valued above certain thresholds require an export licence (unless they were imported to the UK less than 50 years ago). If an object is considered by an expert adviser to be of outstanding importance, it is referred to the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee may then recommend to Ministers that the issuing of an export licence is deferred to allow time for a UK institution to make an offer to acquire it. If at the end of the deferral period a serious offer to acquire the object has not been received, an export licence would be granted.
In this case, I understand that the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge has purchased the 113 negatives taken by Captain Scott. They will be housed in the Institute’s Polar Museum, whose collection includes the camera with which the pictures were taken.
Citizens Advice and Consumer Focus
Question
Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation’s grant-in-aid for consumer policy activity was provided to (1) Citizens’ Advice, and (2) Consumer Focus, in each year from 2009–10 to the present date. [HL6096]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Viscount Younger of Leckie) (Con): Historic funding levels for Citizens Advice, Citizens Advice Scotland and Consumer Focus (the National Consumer Council) are set out below.
| Citizens Advice (CitA) | |||||
| Funding type/year (£’000) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) | |||||
| Funding type/year (£’000) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
| Consumer Futures (Consumer Focus prior to April 2013) | |||||
| Funding type/year (£’000) | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Direct grant funding for face to face debt advice by Central Government ended in 2011-12 with responsibility for this provision moving to the Money Advice Service.
2For which costs are recoverable from energy licence holders
3For which costs are recoverable from postal licence holders
4Costs borne by BIS
5Costs borne by BIS
Civil Servants: Classified Documents
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 20 March (WA 49), what steps they are taking to prevent civil servants from exposing to public view in the street classified government documents in their possession.[HL6276]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Cabinet Office Security Policy Framework (SPF) provides guidance on all security matters.
The Framework can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-policy-framework
Compensation: Mesothelioma
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the recovery of benefits through the Mesothelioma Support Scheme will yield; and what assurances they can give that some of this money will be spent on research for a cure for mesothelioma.[HL6255]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): Benefit and lump sum payments that were made in respect of mesothelioma will be recovered from the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) payment in the same way as they would be recovered from other compensation payments. The latest Impact Assessment for the DMPS dated 10 March 2014 estimates that the recovery of benefits in the first 10 years of the Scheme, to 31 March 2024, will be £72m.
The issue of research is not directly a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions; however we have worked closely with the Department of Health to make progress in this area. This work has included setting up a partnership to identify mesothelioma research priorities which will lead to the National Institute for Health Research turning priorities into fundable research questions and to encourage applications from the research community. In addition the National Cancer Research Institute has a workshop planned on 02 May 2014 to discuss and develop new proposals for mesothelioma studies. The Government has established robust systems to ensure that funding is provided to the highest quality research bids. The work that the Department of Health is taking forward will support researchers in producing these bids and ensure that funding is allocated in a way that best supports sufferers of this terrible condition.
Disabled People
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that disabled people who live in care facilities can maintain their liberty. [HL6198]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): No one can be deprived of their liberty without proper authorisation. Where there is a need to deprive an individual of their liberty, if it is essential in order to protect their best interests, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) provide legal protections that ensure that any deprivation of liberty is and continues to be appropriate.
The DoLS were introduced to stop the arbitrary detention of people in care homes and hospitals. Where deprivation is considered necessary, the DoLS protect people through the opportunity to challenge in Court, a series of assessments and a process of appeals and regular reviews by qualified professionals. All local authorities have a DoLS office, which acts to promote liberty and to provide safeguards where deprivation is thought to be necessary.
Energy: Carbon Capture and Storage Plants
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect a demonstration plant for carbon capture and storage to be in operation in the United Kingdom.[HL6260]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): The first commercial scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Plants in the UK are being brought forward through the Government’s CCS Commercialisation Programme. The Government has set aside £1 billion to support the first CCS projects in the UK, and is investing around £100m now to take two innovative projects forward into the detailed engineering and design phase known as FEED.
The Peterhead and White Rose FEED studies have now commenced. We have taken time to develop a detailed FEED programme that will deliver the outputs necessary to take a final investment decision with confidence. The companies involved will take investment decisions in late 2015, with Government taking decisions shortly after. We expect projects to be under construction as soon as possible after the necessary consents and financing are in place.
Finance: Bonds
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they expect to raise from the proposed new pensioner bonds; and what they intend to use the funds for. [HL6206]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): At Budget 2014 the Chancellor announced that in January 2015 National Savings and Investments (NS&I) will launch a choice of savings bonds for people aged 65 or over and that he would allow for up to £10 billion of inflows into the products. Funds raised through these products will be used to finance general expenditure in the normal way.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they expect to be the impact of the proposed new pensioner bonds on the ability of banks and building societies to lend.[HL6207]
Lord Deighton:: The Budget set an upper limit of £10 billion for the level of inflows that National Savings and Investments (NS&I) should attract into the fixed-rate savings bonds for people aged 65 or over. This is less than 1% of the total UK retail savings market.
The NS&I savings bonds announced at Budget should therefore not stop other institutions from attracting deposits or increasing lending. Furthermore, the introduction of New ISAs with an annual subscription limit of f15,000 will provide additional opportunities for banks and building societies to attract retail deposits.
Finance: Foreign Exchange Rates
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current regulatory investigation into the fixing of foreign exchange reference rates includes the ISDAfix dollar interest rate swap reference rate.[HL6054]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): This question has been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will reply to directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Food: Fried Food
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to publicise the health impact of eating fried food.[HL6148]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Public Health England’s flagship health marketing programme, Change4Life aims to help everyone in England to eat well, move more and live longer. One of the key healthy eating behaviours the campaign promotes is: ‘cut back fat’ and this message is promoted with a wealth of tips and ideas on the Change4Life website and in campaign literature. It is also advertised throughout the year via a series of Change4Life radio fillers.
The Smart Recipes mobile app which supports the campaign includes healthier recipe ideas and alternatives to fried food and takeaways. The app has had more than a million downloads so far.
Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what preparations the Gambling Commission has made for its new role as a regulator for online gambling operators based anywhere in the world without the requirement for any presence in the United Kingdom after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill.[HL6130]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the context of United Kingdom experience with the operator Canbet, how the Gambling Commission intends to enforce high standards by other online gaming operators based in distant jurisdictions after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill.[HL6131]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Gambling Commission has considerable experience of regulating remote gambling operators, including in the past nearly all of the largest operators in the British market. It has recently added to its existing strengths in enforcement, intelligence and player protection by recruiting additional remote gambling industry expertise. The Commission is also developing its arrangements for working with overseas regulators and third parties such as forensic accountants and compliance auditors.
The Commission is strengthening its licence requirements, including in relation to the protection of customer funds, which is relevant to the Canbet case.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the Gambling Commission intends to protect United Kingdom consumers from unlicensed online gaming operators after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill.[HL6132]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to carry out enforcement measures against online gambling operators based in distant jurisdictions, including non-European Union jurisdictions, after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill.[HL6133]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to carry out site blocking after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill. [HL6134]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill does not include powers to block access to websites. Where illegal operators do attempt to target British consumers, the Government and the Gambling Commission are confident that action can be taken as appropriate, through existing enforcement mechanisms, to disrupt and stop unlawful gambling. These include action on illegal advertising, player education, and ultimately the potential prosecution of the illegal operator and/or those third parties benefiting commercially from the illegal activity. The Commission is strengthening its existing arrangements with international regulators, advertising carriers, payment processors and HM Revenue and Customs as part of its preparations to enforce effectively the new law.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what preparations the Gambling Commission has made for licensing and regulating non-Great Britain based operators after the enactment of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill.[HL6135]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Gambling Commission has considerable experience of regulating remote gambling operators, including in the past nearly all of the largest
operators in the British market. It has recently added to its existing strengths in enforcement, intelligence and player protection by recruiting additional remote gambling industry expertise. The Commission is also developing its arrangements for working with overseas regulators and third parties such as forensic accountants and compliance auditors.
The Commission is strengthening its licence requirements, including in relation to the protection of customer funds, which is relevant to the Canbet case.
Genetic Modification
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 4 March (WA 304) and 12 March (WA 382–3), whether there are any germ-line modifications of nuclear DNA that can be passed on to future generations that would not constitute genetic modification due to the nature of the transgene, the precise methodology used and the type of change in sequence that would be introduced; and if so, which examples they have of such exceptions.[HL6105]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): There are naturally occurring germ-line modifications of nuclear DNA in humans that are passed on to future generations. These include spontaneous point mutations, deletions, duplications, chromosomal translocations and transpositions of retroviral elements. The modification of nuclear DNA in humans involving the deliberate introduction of a transgene, or use of homologous recombination or other DNA- editing techniques, in the germ-line and in a way that they could be passed on to offspring is illegal in the United Kingdom.
We are not aware of any research to create germ-line modifications of nuclear DNA in humans, in a way that these could be passed on to future generations, having been conducted anywhere. It is the use of the methods that is illegal in the UK, therefore the nature of the methodology used and the type of change in sequence is not relevant.
Gift Aid
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions were held with small charities that submit gift aid claims only on an annual basis about the new Charities Online service operated by HM Revenue and Customs.[HL6245]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): HM Revenue &Customs (HMRC) worked with over 50 small charities to help design the claim forms for the Charities Online service. A sub-group
of these charities attended special sessions in HMRC’s operational office to test and provide feedback on the new process.
HMRC held monthly meetings with charity representative bodies during the development of the new service to provide wider communications to charities about the new service.
HMRC wrote twice to every charity that had claimed Gift Aid within the previous three years, in February and August 2013, before the new service became mandatory from October 2013. The letters reminded charities of the need to prepare for the new process and offered help to claim Gift Aid using the new service.
HMRC continues to engage with charity representative bodies to ensure all charities understand how to claim Gift Aid using the new service.
In addition, Budget 2014 announced that HMRC would establish a special outreach team, particularly to help small charities understand and claim all the tax reliefs to which they are entitled, including Gift Aid.
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 Cabinet Office to merit being tabled at the departmental management board; and how many times in the last 12 months that has occurred.[HL6220]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Cabinet Office Board and the Executive Management Committee review the department’s financial position on a regular basis.
Government Departments: Expenditure
Question
Asked by Lord Selkirk of Douglas
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure of the Home Office, in reserved areas, per capita in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years.[HL6162]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The information is published in the Annual Report and Accounts for the Home Office under Country and Regional Analysis Data Tables on page 39 to 41 of the report and can be found on the gov.uk website under Home Office Annual report and accounts 2012 to 2013.
Government Departments: Procurement
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the breakdown of departmental spending on Government Procurement Cards in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2009-10, including the name, merchant type, purchase date and transaction value.[HL6302]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Officials’ spending on Government Procurement Cards (GPCs) in 2009-10 generated nearly 47,000 transactions totalling £3.9m.
The breakdown requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
However, details of all GPC transactions with a value of £500 or above, incurred from 1 April 2010 onwards, are published online at http://data.gov.uk/dataset/defra-gpc-spend-over-500-pounds.
Government Departments: Surveys
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what customer, user and satisfaction surveys were conducted in the last 12 months in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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.[HL6032]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Department has undertaken a range of surveys over the last 12 months, but does not hold information on user, customer and satisfaction surveys conducted by its Arms-Length Bodies centrally. The Executive Board has oversight of the range of departmental Evidence and Analysis work, which is used in its assessment of Departmental Performance. The Department runs the Taking Part Survey, which measures engagement with culture and its enjoyment in England. Findings from Taking Part are reported to members of The Board each quarter. In monitoring agreed Key Performance Indicators, the Department also asks for data from its sponsored museums (e.g. the proportion of visitors who would recommend a visit based on their experience). The Board has also given specific consideration to the Staff Engagement Survey. The Board has not in this period directly commissioned any surveys itself.
Government: Ministerial Offices
Question
Asked by Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Extended Ministerial Offices have been established; in which departments; and what is the number and
provenance of advisers in each, broken down by (1) advisers with specialist knowledge, (2) special advisers, (3) career officials, and (4) others.[HL6118]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government will provide an update on Civil Service Reform, including on Extended Ministerial Offices, in the Two Year On Report expected later this year.
Health: Mitochondrial Disease
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 4 December 2013 (WA 48–9) and 6 February (WA 76), what was the justification for the statement that a proposed treatment “could save 10 lives each year”; and how that statement can be reconciled with the statement “it would not be appropriate to speculate on which enucleated embryo might result in the birth of a child”.[HL6103]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 7 January (WA 271), 22 January (WA 124–5), 6 February (WA 76) and 24 February (WA 175–6), whether they will place in the Library of the House a printed copy of the diagrams published by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority with appropriate annotation to indicate unambiguously which of the two embryos involved in the pronuclear transfer technique as portrayed in those diagrams might correspond to the 10 people they consider would otherwise die and whose lives would be saved but who are not replacements; and if not, why that would not be possible.[HL6104]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) recognises the special status of the human embryo and correspondingly contains a range of safeguards in that respect. These include the prohibition of the creation of human embryos outside the body without a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, a description of the human embryos that are permitted to be placed in a woman, and a provision that human embryos can only be used in research where the research is necessary or desirable and the use of human embryos necessary. It also provides that some human embryos can be selected in certain situations above other human embryos in order to avoid serious disease or
The Act does not, however, provide for or recognise a direct correlation between those human embryos that are transferred to a woman and those that are not, and consequently perish. It would be inappropriate therefore to attempt to draw a direct correlation between children born free of serious mitochondrial disease as a result of mitochondrial donation and the embryos that are created to achieve that purpose but are not transferred to the patient.
The Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University recently updated their estimate
and now consider that, initially, 10-20 families per year might be assisted by the mitochondrial donation techniques.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 8 July 2013 (WA 9) and by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 10 March (HC Deb, col 97W), which are the forms of muscular dystrophy listed in Annex D of the consultation document entitled “Mitochondrial Donation” that are distinct from the mitochondrial myopathies already separately listed therein; how muscular dystrophy is covered by diabetes as described in Annex D; to which congenital form of diabetes that refers; which proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome are known to be mutated in recognised clinical cases of muscular dystrophy and diabetes; and on how many separate instances they have stated in correspondence that muscular dystrophy is caused by mitochondrial disease.[HL6106]
Earl Howe: The table of disorders caused by unhealthy mitochondrial DNA attached as Annex D in the consultation document ‘Mitochondrial Donation’ was derived from existing published tables, such as the 2011 report by the Expert Panel convened by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to review safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques. More detail about all the polymorphisms and mutations in human mitochondrial DNA is available at:
A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified 128 Departmental responses to correspondence received between January 2013 and September 2013, which mentioned muscular dystrophy as a condition that could be caused by mitochondrial DNA disease.
We have been consistently clear that the estimated number of cases of families at risk of serious mitochondrial disease, who might benefit from mitochondrial donation treatment, is relatively small.
The latest estimate from the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University is that, initially, 10-20 families per year might be assisted by the mitochondrial donation techniques. These might include those with muscular dystrophy myopathies caused by faulty mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial donation would not have any impact on the 70,000 cases of muscular dystrophy that arise in the general population, that have no connection to mitochondrial disease.
Health: Parkinson’s Disease
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what agreements have been put in place with the Care Quality Commission about measuring how many people with Parkinson’s get their medication on time in
hospitals and care homes; and what action they intend to take following that exercise to ensure that people with Parkinson’s receive their medication on time in hospitals and care homes.[HL6159]
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 in England. All providers of regulated activities must be registered and continue to meet registration requirements setting out levels of safety and quality. The CQC is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements.
The CQC has provided the following information.
The CQC does not collect this data. Under the CQC’s current inspection programme, inspectors may speak to people who use medication for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease as part of its assessment of whether a provider is providing safe and effective care, though this is not routinely undertaken on every inspection visit.
Housing
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider working together with local authorities in establishing a limit on the number of new build properties, off-plan and readily available, that foreign investors can buy each year.[HL6138]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con): No. The Government has no plans to establish a state limit on the number of new build properties that foreign investors can buy.
Following the last Administration’s recession, foreign investment in new housing has been helping to provide the finance needed to build it, particularly in a global city like London. Without upfront investment, financiers would not have released the cash needed for development to go ahead, and building would have stalled. These new developments not only provide homes for people to live and work, they also unlock associated affordable housing development. Even where property is foreign-owned, much of it is rented out, generating an ongoing return for the investor.
A good example is the Battersea Power Station redevelopment which, having laid derelict for thirty years, is now being taken forward thanks to the combination of private investment from Malaysia and public infrastructure support from the UK Government. Both were essential to move the project forward.
The Bank of England recently estimated that foreign buyers represent just 3% of total residential property transactions in London (Bank of England, Financial Stability Report, November 2013). Knight Frank have estimated that between 85% and 90% of new-build sales in Greater London are sold to domestic buyers, and there is no indication of a shift towards higher
non-resident purchases in the last two years (Knight Frank, International Buyers in London, October 2013). Savills have reported that the proportion of sales to overseas buyers in ‘prime’ London markets is no higher than it was in 1990. But they also estimate that, in 2012, foreign investment helped to finance 3,000 new affordable homes and added a further 3,000 much needed new homes to the market-rented sector (Savills, Spotlight: The World in London, 2013).
I would observe that the noble Lord’s suggestion would be illegal within the European Economic Area, as the free movement of capital is at the heart of the Single Market, and explicitly includes foreign direct investment and real estate investment. Short of withdrawal from the European Union, it would be perverse to allow foreign investment in housing from, say, Bulgaria or Greece, but prohibit it from Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Canada or India.
Of course, it is important that overseas owners of property pay their way. That is why this Government has taken action to tackle tax avoidance by reforming taxation of higher-value UK residential property held by non-natural persons, and also levelling the playing field by introducing capital gains tax on future gains made by non-residents disposing of UK residential property. Last month’s Budget took further steps to discourage the use of corporate envelopes to invest in high value housing which may be left empty or under-used to avoid paying tax.
The Government has actively encouraged the property industry to ensure that homes for sale are marketed in the United Kingdom, and not solely overseas. In response, the Home Builders Federation announced in December 2013 a new industry initiative which commits signatories to ensure that housing developments in London are marketed in the UK either at the same time as, or in advance of, any overseas launch. The Mayor of London has also recently launched a Mayoral Concordat on new homes in the capital, writing to key developers across the UK, asking them to sign up to commit to selling new homes on every development to Londoners before, or at the same time as they are available to overseas buyers. The Concordat is already supported by the Major Developer Group, London First, the London Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Federation and signed by fifty developers in London.
The Government’s pragmatic approach is helping deliver more housing for UK residents and support jobs and long-term economic growth; by contrast, illiberal protectionism and state regulation would mean the reverse.
NHS: General Practitioners
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many general practitioners there are per head of the population in England; and what assessment they have made of how that number compares with the situation in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland.[HL6242]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics show the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 10,000 population in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at 30 September each
year. The latest available statistics are as at 30 September 2013 and were published on 25 March 2014.
The number of headcount GPs per 10,000 population in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is shown in the following table.
| United Kingdom comparisons of GP workforce, 2004-2013 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
| GPs per 10,000 population | ||||||||||
Sources:
GMS Census (ex NHAIS/‘Exeter’), ISD, HSCNI
Notes
:
(1)Wales: as at 1 October 2009 (following LHB reorganisation) otherwise as at 30 September
(2)New headcount methodology for 2010 onwards is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute numbers. Previous years represent a count of contracts held by GPs
(3)GPs excluding Registrars and Retainers
(4)Scotland: as at 1 October: comprising Performer, Performer Provider, Performer Salaried, Performer Locum Salaried, Performer Locum, Performer Rural Fellow and Performer Returner contracted GPs
(5)Data only includes what would have been Unrestricted Principals or Equivalents (UPEs) and Restricted GPs under old contracting terminology
(6)Rate per 10,000 population updated to reflect the most up to date population estimates
(7)Administrative errors have been identified relating to the 2011 and 2012 figures for Wales. Figures have been revised
GP workforce data for UK countries can be found at the following links:
England: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/
Scotland: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/GPs-and-Other-Practice-Workforce/
Wales: http://www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/ReportFolders/ReportFolders.aspx?If_ActivePath=P,280,1200
Northern Ireland: Not available.
South Sudan
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk of famine in South Sudan and the case for providing more funds to meet that risk.[HL6288]
Baroness Northover (LD): The conflict which erupted in South Sudan on 15 December 2013 has resulted in 708,900 people being displaced inside the country and 249,000 into neighbouring countries. The conflict has sharply exacerbated an already fragile food security situation and 3.2 million people are now at immediate risk of food insecurity, and up to 7.2 million people estimated to be at some risk. There is growing concern around a potential famine in 2015 if livelihood and food security support is not provided before the rainy season begins.
The UK has just announced £8.3 million of urgent funding to the Food and Agriculture Organisation in South Sudan. This will help 390,000 people feed themselves for 12 months. 40,000 families will be provided with either seeds to grow staple crops, nutrient rich vegetables or hooks and lines to catch fish for themselves and others. It will also provide vaccinations to keep 80 families’ cattle healthy for a month. Securing the health of livestock in South Sudan is important to improving nutrition, particularly for children and infants who rely on milk as a core part of their diet. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and are considering how the UK, along with other donors and the Government of South Sudan, can strengthen the response.
Sport: Horseracing
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which entities of the horseracing industry will receive the remaining share of receipts from the sale of the Horserace Totalisator Board.[HL6124]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Government will pass on to the Horseracing industry its remaining share of receipts from the sale of the Horserace Totalisator Board (Tote) in 2014-15. In line with the payment last year, the final amount provided by Government to Racing will be split between The British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) Grant scheme and Racings Independent Charity—the Racing Foundation.
Syria
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they and their international partners are taking to lessen the hardship suffered by Palestinian refugees in Syria, especially in the Yarmouk camp.[HL6261]
Baroness Northover (LD): The UK pushed hard for the UN Security Council Resolution on humanitarian assistance which demands that the Syrian regime lift its sieges and allows free access for humanitarian relief. To date we have allocated £25.5 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). UNRWA has distributed just over 9,000 food packages inside Yarmouk since 18 January.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have consulted the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Organisation for Migration following the refusal of states to accept Palestinian refugees who have fled or who seek to flee from Syria; and whether they can foresee any solutions to their problems of irregular status or possible refoulement.[HL6262]
Baroness Northover: The Department for International Development works closely with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Organisation for Migration. We are in frequent discussion with them regarding our support for Palestinian refugees and difficulties they may experience fleeing from Syria.
Taxation
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 22 January (WA 144), whether they will provide the answer in the form requested and using the new estimates published on 7 February.[HL5850]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Estimated numbers of income tax payers with total income exceeding the thresholds previously requested in 2013-14 are shown in the table below.
| Taxpayers by range of total income, 2013-14 | |
| Total Income (lower limit) | Number of taxpayers (thousands) |
Breakdowns of incomes above £2 million are not published.
These estimates are based on the 2011-12 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2013-14 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s December 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they expect to be the impact on the amount of annual tax revenue to be realised by the changes to the private pensions and annuities.[HL6204]
Lord Deighton:: The expected impact over the forecast period of the changes made to private pensions taxation as announced at Budget 2014 can be found in Table 2.1 (p.56) of the Budget document here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/293759/37630_Budget_2014_Web_Accessible.pdf
The estimated long run income tax impact may also be found in Chart 1.11(p.45) in the Budget document.
Ukraine
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are currently giving to Ukraine in the form of loans, or to support structural reforms; and what additional financial package they propose following recent events.[HL6189]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK Government is providing a package of technical assistance of up to £10 million to support economic and political stability in Ukraine. DFID is assessing needs in Ukraine, and has had a team in Kyiv in discussion with Ukrainian authorities and other international partners to plan how the UK can support the reform efforts.
The UK is also working with international partners on what assistance could be provided to Ukraine through the IMF and the EU. The IMF is already engaging with the Ukrainian authorities following their request for support and have sent a team to Kyiv in order to assess Ukraine’s economic and financial needs. The latest press release from the IMF sets out the progress they have made:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2014/pr14116.htm
In addition, the European Commission has proposed a package of EU assistance to Ukraine totalling €11 billion over the years 2014 to 2020. Details of the Commission’s proposal are set out at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-159_en.htm
Unemployment: Young People
Questions
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to help young adults who are unemployed, working part-time or are in jobs for which they are overqualified to use the skills that they possess. [HL6151]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The youth claimant count has fallen for 21 consecutive months and youth unemployment has fallen for the past six months.
For people who are unemployed, our work experience programmes have proved to be effective at helping young people into work. Over 145,000 have started a work experience placement and over 46,000 have started a sector based work academy that provides work experience and pre-employment training. Surveys show that over 40 percent of young people have reported having had a job since going into a work experience placement or on a sector-based work academy.
Our new Help to Work Scheme will offer further tailored in-depth support for the very long term unemployed, and in-work claimants will receive support to progress within the workplace. Universal Credit will provide support for working-age people who are in or out of work.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration has been given to local authorities and their partners having more responsibilities and commensurate finance to work with local employers to tackle unemployment and underemployment of young people.[HL6309]
Lord Freud: Through the City Deals, the Government has invited Local Authorities to develop proposals to tackle unemployment and worklessness in their areas. Several of these proposals have entailed working closely with local employers to enhance employment opportunities for young people, for example, Greater Manchester have developed a local employer-led jobs campaign to co-ordinate and simplify local and national employment schemes so that business can access young talent easily.