Written Answers
Monday 7 July 2014
Academies
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that local authorities prevent free schools and academies from adopting unfair and arbitrary admissions procedures.[HL722]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): Academy schools, including free schools, are required by their funding agreements to comply with the School Admissions Code when setting their admission arrangements. The Code is clear that the criteria they use to decide the allocation of school places must be ‘fair, clear and objective’.
Anyone who considers that these schools’ admission arrangements are unlawful or do not comply with the Code can object to the Schools Adjudicator. An adjudicator’s determination of an objection is binding and enforceable on the school concerned.
The Code requires local authorities to object to any non-compliant admission arrangements.
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has made a charging decision not to proceed on the use of sections 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in each of the past five years.[HL617]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has made a charging decision not to proceed on the use of sections 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 in each of the past five years where the victim was under 18 at the time of commission of the offence.[HL618]
The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness) (LD): The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold figures centrally for the number of cases where a decision was made not to proceed under sections 4(1), 4(2), and 4(3) of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.), including cases where the victim was under 18 at the time of commission of the offence. To obtain such information would require a manual examination of records which would incur a disproportionate cost.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to report on the effect of the current badger culling trials on other wildlife and the general ecology in those areas.[HL621]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Defra has published the Food and Environment Research Agency’s evaluation of the potential consequences for wildlife of a badger control policy in England.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wildlife-of-a-badger-control-policy-in-england-evaluation-of-the-potential-consequences
We are not planning any further work on this at the present time.
Central African Republic
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, alongside the current international intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR), they are ready to assist in the growth of economic activity and in building an effective public governance system that serves all CAR citizens, both Muslim and Christian. [HL653]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Together with other partners, our immediate priorities are to help de-escalate the levels of violence and ensure life-saving assistance is delivered to those in acute need. At the same time, we are working with international organisations such as the World Bank and the UN so that a longer-term strategy of economic recovery and effective governance is developed by these organisations to address the needs of all communities in the Central African Republic.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will assist in the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for diamonds coming from the Central African Republic.[HL655]
Baroness Warsi: The Government implements its commitments under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in full. In order to maintain the integrity of the KPCS, the Central African Republic (CAR) was temporarily suspended from the KPCS in May 2013, preventing the possible introduction of rough diamonds produced in CAR into the legitimate diamond trade. This suspension was upheld in June 2014. It is likely to remain in place until the security situation in CAR improves significantly and the government of CAR is able to re-establish compliance with the KPCS.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to deploy Stabilisation Unit experts to work as counterparts to the Central African Republic’s civil servants, to assist in financial, taxation and budgeting reform in that country.[HL656]
Baroness Warsi: The UK will continue to work with and through international organisations, such as the World Bank and the UN, to ensure a coherent strategy for the Central African Republic, including on public financial management and public sector reform. We would be happy to consider the deployment of Stabilisation Unit experts to support the work of these international organisations, as necessary.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to deploy the Stabilisation Unit to assist the G5 countries in providing capacity-building assistance to civil society organisations so that they can monitor public sector financial management in the Central African Republic.[HL657]
Baroness Warsi: The UK will continue to work with and through international organisations, such as the World Bank and the UN, to ensure a coherent strategy for the Central African Republic, including on public financial management and public sector reform. We would be happy to consider the deployment of Stabilisation Unit experts to support the work of these international organisations, as necessary.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to consider (1) supporting the European Union and United Nations Development Programme in creating an operational and democratic justice system of police and judiciary in the Central African Republic, and (2) providing technical assistance to the police force, prosecution service and judiciary in that country.[HL658]
Baroness Warsi: We continue to support the UN and other major international partners, to develop a coherent and effective strategy to improve security and justice in the Central African Republic. We will consider what support the UK might be able to provide on the basis of this strategy.
Civil Servants: Recruitment
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 18 June (WA 75), what impact they consider that equality legislation has had on their policy of recruiting the best civil servants regardless of background. [HL543]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government wants to recruit and retain the best civil servants, on the basis of merit, regardless of who they are and what their background is. The process allows decisions to be made based on an individual's skills and experience, meeting the requirements of the equality legislation.
Claims Management Services
Question
Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their response to the consultation on the framework to enable complaints about claims management companies to be heard by the Legal Services Ombudsman, as provided for in the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013.[HL445]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 provides the necessary enabling powers to put in place the funding arrangements for the Legal Ombudsman to deal with complaints against claims management companies. These provisions were commenced on 21 March 2014. They include a power for the Lord Chancellor to make Regulations to charge fees to recover the costs he has incurred in meeting the expenditure of the Legal Ombudsman in relation to claims management complaints.
The Government consultation on the proposed structure of the Lord Chancellor’s cost recovery fee ended on 6 June and the responses are being analysed. Once the fee structure is finalised, the Fee Regulations will be laid in Parliament for approval and the consultation response will be published at that time.
Coroners and Justice Act 2009
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has made a charging decision not to proceed on the use of section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the last five years.[HL615]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the Crown Prosecution Service has made a charging decision not to proceed on the use of section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the last five years where the victim was under 18 at the time of commission of the offence. [HL616]
The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness) (LD): The Crown Prosecution Service does not hold figures centrally for the number of cases where a decision was made not to charge under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, including those cases where the victim was under 18 at the time of commission of the offence. To obtain such information would require a manual examination of records which would incur a disproportionate cost.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have taken place under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 in each of the past five years.[HL620]
Lord Wallace of Tankerness: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds figures of the number of offences charged under section 71 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 that reached a first hearing in a magistrates’ court and data for the past three financial years is contained in the following table. No charges are recorded before financial year 2011/2012.
| 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | ||
|
Knowingly require another person to perform forced /compulsory labour |
CPS offence based data is not held by defendant or outcome so it is not possible to ascertain the number of individual prosecutions that concluded.
Counter-terrorism
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposed cuts in counter-terrorism funding and personnel in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.[HL664]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by the FCO Counter Terrorism Department. This is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 24 June 2014, Official Report, column WS107-108. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes. It is not the case that important activities have ceased or are now under-funded.
The FCO’s work on counter-terrorism goes well beyond CTPF - it is at the heart of our diplomacy across our overseas network, particularly in areas of
instability. We have, for example, recently: opened an embassy in Mogadishu to support our work on stability and security in Somalia; brought together key players on Nigeria to secure much needed assistance to tackle the threat from Boko Haram; and continued our work to stop terrorists getting their hands on money to fund their activities through leading efforts on disrupting financial flows from sources such as ‘Kidnap for Ransom’.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the government of Iraq has accepted their offer to send counter-terrorism officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist against the current jihadi insurgency; if so how many personnel will be sent to Iraq; and how the recent decision to cut the number of counter-terrorism personnel in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will affect future deployments of that nature.[HL665]
Baroness Warsi: We are currently reviewing a number of specific counter-terrorism options to assist the Iraqi government. However, any assistance can only be truly effective alongside an urgent show of unity by Iraq’s leaders. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), reinforced this message when he met with leaders across Iraq’s communities during his visit to Baghdad and Erbil at the end of June.
The Counter-Terrorism Department is one of the largest policy departments in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.
Debts
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the ratio of the aggregated value of sovereign, corporate and personal debt to gross domestic product is higher in the United Kingdom than in other leading economies.[HL686]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The aggregate value of general government, non-financial corporations and household sector debt (as a proportion of GDP) for all G7 countries are shown below:
| Country | Debt as a proportion of GDP in 2012 |
Egypt
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the position of free media in Egypt.[HL679]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The British Government is appalled by the sentences given to Egyptian and international journalists in Cairo on 23 June, including to two British nationals being tried in absentia. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement on 23 June expressing his concerns and urging the Egyptian government to demonstrate its commitment to freedom of expression by reviewing this case as a matter of urgency.
The Egyptian Ambassador, Ashraf el-Kholy, was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 23 June. FCO Political Director, Simon Gass, told the Egyptian Ambassador that the Government was deeply concerned by the verdicts, along with the procedural shortcomings seen during the trials. Our Ambassador to Egypt raised this issue in Cairo with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 June. We will continue to monitor the situation of these journalists very closely, and raise the issue with the Egyptian authorities. The UK believes that a free and robust media is a bedrock of democracy.
EU Justice and Home Affairs
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Deighton on 19 June (WA 95), whether the decision to opt into the justice and home affairs provisions will transfer additional powers to the European Union; and whether they consider that the decision requires parliamentary consent and a referendum under the provisions of the European Union Act 2011. [HL541]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Under the European Union Act 2011, a referendum would be required before ministers could support treaty change that led to a transfer of power or an area of competence from the UK to the EU. The Act also specifies a number of decisions that would also amount to a transfer of power or competence and so require a referendum. These include giving up certain vetoes, joining the euro or giving up border controls.
As detailed in the Written Ministerial Statement of the 19th June on the UK’s opt in to the justice and home affairs provisions of two EU regulation proposals, the Governments decision will commit authorities in the UK to enter into information sharing engagements with their counterparts in other member states on
criminal sanctions relating to specific financial activities. This decision does not entail the transferring of any additional powers or areas of competency to the European Union. As this is the case, neither parliamentary consent nor a referendum is required.
The written ministerial statement is available at this web address:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm140619/wmstext/140619m0001. htm#14061945000004
Fracking
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on NATO–Russian relations of the comments attributed to Anders Fogh Rasmussen in The Guardian about Russian involvement in anti-fracking protests; and whether they have asked him to produce evidence that Russia is funding British non-governmental organisations opposed to fracking in the United Kingdom. [HL542]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have made no assessment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General’s reported comments on Russian funding of British non-governmental organisations and anti-fracking protests. We have not requested evidence from NATO to substantiate these claims.
Grammar Schools
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for grammar schools to change their admissions procedures to increase the uptake of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.[HL723]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Government is committed to closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. Grammar schools and the highest performing non-selective schools currently have some of the lowest representations of children eligible for free school meals in England. We want to encourage all high performing schools, including grammar schools to do more to attract and support disadvantaged children.
The Department for Education is working with the Grammar Schools Heads Association to develop a programme to:
a. support those grammar schools that are academies and that are considering giving admissions priority to pupils eligible for free school meals;b. introduce entrance tests that more accurately measure a child’s potential and thus avoid the need for prior coaching; andc. work with local primary schools to raise standards for deprived children and increase parental engagement.
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, under the exceptional hardship scheme for HS2 Phase One, how many applications to acquire properties have been (1) made, (2) refused, and (3) granted.[HL516]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The number of applications to acquire properties as at 1 June 2014 which had been (1) made, (2) refused, and (3) granted under the Exceptional Hardship Scheme for HS2 Phase One are indicated in the table below:
*
24 applications were pending a decision and 28 applications were withdrawn by the applicant.
The information above is available on the HS2 Ltd website at the following link
http://www.hs2.org.uk/developing-hs2/property/exceptional-hardship-scheme
In addition, on 9 April 2014, the Government announced a package of long-term discretionary property compensation measures for Phase One of HS2. The Express Purchase and Rent-back approach are available now and we intend to launch the Need to Sell and Voluntary Purchase schemes by the end of the year.
Hong Kong
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of China regarding the Basic Law and democratic elections in Hong Kong.[HL675]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We maintain a good dialogue both with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Chinese authorities, with whom we discuss Hong Kong regularly at senior levels. We did so most recently during the UK-China Summit in June, when the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and Premier Li discussed prospects for universal suffrage in 2017, alongside a variety of other issues. During his visit to Beijing in May, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met with Wang Guangya, Director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office to discuss the transition to universal suffrage, as well as Hong Kong’s continuing prosperity.
The Six Monthly Reports to Parliament demonstrate our commitment to closely monitor Hong Kong’s development. The latest Six Monthly Report is due to be published in mid-July.
Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have been double flagged by the Crown Prosecution Service over the past three years using the flag for monitoring human trafficking and the flag for monitoring child abuse.[HL619]
The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Wallace of Tankerness) (LD): The Crown Prosecution Service identifies both human trafficking and child abuse cases by way of a database monitoring flag applied to the electronic case record.
The number of defendants prosecuted who were flagged for human trafficking offences and where the child abuse flag was applied are outlined in the table below. During the past year there has been an increase in the numbers of such cases investigated by law enforcement agencies and referred to the CPS for prosecution.
| 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 |
Income Tax
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much income tax was collected in the last financial year, broken down by sector.[HL632]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The latest available information on the industry distribution of PAYE income tax deducted from pay is published here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/306815/table2-10-0414.pdf
Inland Waterways
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards inland waterways and their contribution to tourism.[HL726]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many inland waterways are open to the general public; and how access by ramblers to such waterways is facilitated.[HL727]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Canals and rivers are an important asset for tourism and recreation, which the Government aims to protect and promote. According to The Association of Inland Navigation Authorities (AINA), in 2011 there were 873.8 million visits to waterways around Britain, 23.4 million of which were to visit a specific attraction. There were 293.2 million visits for leisure walking and 234.5 million visits for dog walking, making walking by far the most popular activity participated in.
The majority of Britain’s waterways are managed by the Canal and River Trust (CRT) which is funded by Defra. One of the key objectives on which this funding depends is ensuring public access, including for recreation and tourism. The land managed by the CRT includes 3148km of towpaths, all of which are open to the public, and a number of monuments and historic sites including 5 UNESCO world heritage sites.
Interest Rates
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions the Chancellor of the Exchequer has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on possible increases in interest rates; and what was the outcome of those discussions.[HL639]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): 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). The Chancellor of the Exchequer has frequent discussions with the Governor of the Bank of England on a wide range of issues on the UK economy.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning its reported recent authorisation of the use of force during interrogations.[HL524]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised this issue with the Israeli National Security Council. They denied that Israel used force during interrogations as part of the operation to locate the three kidnapped teenagers.
Legal Aid Scheme
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many cases the Legal Aid Agency granted funding for legal representation (full legal aid certificates) in the discrimination category in each of the years (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14.[HL508]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): Discrimination only became an extant category of law covered by the Civil Legal Aid Mandatory Gateway following the introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. As such, the only figures available relate to the financial year 2013/14 when 4 certificates for legal representation funding were granted. However, discrimination cases may not always be captured in this record as an alleged contravention of the Equality Act can be recorded in other categories of law, for example, mental health.
The Legal Aid Agency routinely publishes legal aid statistics; this information can be found using the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-aid-statistics-april-2013-to-march-2014
Mass Media
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any improvement in the balance and fairness of media reports of incidents of hate-motivated offences and of prejudice against religious and ethnic groups since the Leveson report was published.[HL683]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): No such assessment has been made. In the Royal Charter we have introduced a new system of independent press self-regulation that protects press freedom whilst offering real redress when mistakes are made. Importantly, the Government recognises the importance of a free press and does not interfere with what it does and does not publish.
Nigeria
Questions
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that the support being given to the Nigerian authorities for defence and security priorities is underpinned by human rights standards. [HL666]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon.
Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement about the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) guidance on 15 December 2011.
Since this date all funding and assistance provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to Nigeria, which falls under the criteria set out in OSJA guidance, is examined in compliance with OSJA requirements. This includes strict stipulation on human rights standards and compliance. The OSJA process reflects the determination of the British Government to ensure that such assistance is provided in a manner that promotes, rather than undermines, human rights and democracy in Nigeria.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Nigerian authorities about access for detainees to lawyers and to their families whilst they are in detention.[HL667]
Baroness Warsi: The UK remains committed to supporting efforts to help enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the Nigerian police and judicial system. We regularly raise human rights concerns, including access to lawyers, with senior members of the Nigerian government at State and Federal level and will continue to do so. We raised specific concerns on the treatment of detainees at military-run detention centres at the UN Universal Periodic Review of Nigeria in Geneva on 22 October 2013.
Palestinians
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to improve the availability of food in Gaza.[HL525]
Baroness Northover (LD): The UK supports UN agencies and International NGOs get aid and goods into Gaza through our support to the UN Access Co-ordination Unit. We also help vulnerable families to buy the food and basic items they need through support to the World Food Programme in Gaza. Ultimately, however, the availability of food will only change in a sustainable way through the easing of Israeli movement and access restrictions on Gaza. We continue to press the Government of Israel, in close coordination with our EU partners, to ease these restrictions.
Prisons: Standards
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to correct failings at HMP Winchester identified in reports from HM Inspectorate of Prisons.[HL581]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what system is in place between the Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service to monitor progress in implementing improvements identified in reports of HM Inspector of Prisons.[HL582]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): HMP Winchester has improved its performance since the last inspection, but the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) accepts there is more to do. NOMS will use the recommendations from HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ (HMIP) report published on 24 June to drive forward further improvements within the next 12 months. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations made in the report.
I will therefore write to the noble Lord with details of the response to HMIP’s recommendations once the action plan has been sent to the Chief Inspector.
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) carefully considers the findings of all HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports. Action plans responding to the recommendations made in each report are provided to HMIP within six months of publication. NOMS Deputy Directors of Custody are then responsible for overseeing the progress of implementing accepted recommendations within the prisons in their region, with heads of policy monitoring the progress of nationally agreed actions.
Probation
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lords Faulks on 18 June (WA 71), how much of the 2014–15 probation budget has been allocated to the provision of services to support the new operating model.[HL505]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The probation service, under the new operating model from 1 June, continues to operate in line with the agreed probation service budget. This budget includes provision for corporate services, information technology, estates and community payback, which continue to be provided centrally, as they were up to 31 May.
South Sudan
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of Worcester
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of sexual violence in the conflict in South Sudan; whether they are planning to deploy suitable experts from the Stabilisation Unit to strengthen and support efforts in South Sudan to respond; and, if so, when. [HL528]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We are deeply concerned by reports of human rights violations and abuses in South Sudan, including the widespread use of sexual violence. We fully support the work of the Africa Union Commission of Inquiry and echo the call in the recent UN Human Rights Council resolution for thorough and genuine investigations into all human rights violations and abuses and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
The UK is funding a project with non-governmental organisation Non Violent Peaceforce to establish women’s protection teams in Northern Bahr El Ghazal. This project aims to tackle sexual violence in communities affected by insecurity around the border with Sudan by establishing and training women’s peacekeeping teams to work within communities. We continue to raise the issue of human rights, and of sexual violence specifically, with South Sudanese Ministers. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), discussed the issue with the Foreign Minister of South Sudan at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict on 11 June. Our Ambassador also raises these issues regularly with the Government of South Sudan.
There are currently no plans to send additional experts from the Stabilisation Unit to South Sudan. However, we keep all such plans under constant review.
Sri Lanka
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support reparations for victims of conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka. [HL478]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We welcomed the February 2014 report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka and its recommendation that the Sri Lankan government ‘establish a truth-seeking mechanism and national reparations policy in accordance with international standards as an integral part of a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to transitional justice’.
As noted in the Chairman’s Summary of the Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict held in London 11-13 June, and in line with the UN High Commissioner’s recommendations, reparations are one of the most valuable ways of supporting survivors of sexual violence in conflict, often cited by victims and survivors of sexual violence as key to their recovery.
The UK was a main co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka passed on 27 March 2014, which establishes an international investigation into alleged violations and abuses of international law on both sides of the military conflict in Sri Lanka, in addition to calling for progress
on human rights and reconciliation. The resolution expresses serious concern at continuing reports of sexual and gender based violence. We continue to offer our full support to the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in establishing an international investigation as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.
Sudan
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to reports that the government of Sudan has reconstituted the Janjaweed militias and that they are operating under its command and control. [HL670]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The latest report of the UN Secretary General on Darfur states that the Sudanese government’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), that use similar tactics to militia groups previously armed by government known as Janjaweed, have been responsible for widespread abuses against civilians, which include rape, looting and the burning of houses. The report also makes it clear that the armed opposition groups, in particular the Sudanese Liberation Army Minni Minnawi faction, bear heavy responsibility for civilian displacement.
We have made it clear to the Sudanese government in the strongest terms that such behaviour is wholly unacceptable. On 7 April the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), publicly condemned attacks against civilians, and specifically raised the actions of the RSF with Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti on 28 April.
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many paramilitary prisoners were released on licence after the Belfast Agreement of 1998.[HL636]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales Office (Baroness Randerson) (LD): Northern Ireland Office officials are currently undertaking a consolidation exercise with officials in the Northern Ireland Prison Service to confirm the answer to this question. I will write to the Noble Lord once this exercise has been completed.
Thames Tideway Tunnel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, under the exceptional hardship scheme for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, how many applications to acquire properties have been (1) made, (2) refused, and (3) granted. [HL515]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Thames Water Utilities Ltd established the Thames Tideway Tunnel Exceptional Hardship Procedure in August 2011. Since then Thames Water has received requests for 19 application packs and nine of these have been returned as completed applications. Of these, five have been refused for not meeting the required criteria, three have been withdrawn by the applicant, and one application is currently going through the process.
Thames Water’s Exceptional Hardship Procedure follows closely those schemes adopted by the Department for Transport for major road and rail projects, such as Crossrail and HS2 which built on the experience from HS1. It is not a statutory requirement and it seeks to balance the interests of Thames Water customers, who would pay for the Thames Tideway Tunnel project through their wastewater bills, and those whose properties may be affected by the project.
UK Border Force
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current numerical strength of the UK Border Force; and whether they consider that the present strength is sufficient to meet the demands placed upon it. [HL607]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): Border Force has a full time equivalent workforce of 7,907 and we believe this is sufficient to meet demand.
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Questions
Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the financial and time costs of running an election campaign for a United Kingdom expert candidate to be elected to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and when that assessment was last undertaken. [HL519]
Baroness Northover (LD): The Government last undertook an assessment of the financial and time costs of running an election campaign for an independent UK expert to be elected to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in December 2013.
It was estimated at the time that the equivalent of 108 days of work would be needed to identify a suitable candidate and support them throughout the campaign process. This estimate included running a process to identify a suitable candidate and running a campaign to support the successful candidate. In addition, financial costs would be incurred, including expenses for brochures, campaign events, and paying for the candidate’s campaign travel.
Other financial costs would include expenses for brochures, campaign events, and paying for the candidate’s campaign travel. Previous campaigns for similar bodies have incurred costs of between £10,000 and £33,000.
Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current membership of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; and which members and candidates for election in 2014 they consider to be able to represent United Kingdom interests. [HL520]
Baroness Northover: Assessments of the current membership of and the candidates for election to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are made jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
All members and candidates for election to the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are assessed against a number of criteria, including their moral standing, competence in the field, and ability to exercise their functions independently of the government they have been nominated by. Consideration is also given to fair representation of geographical regions, gender, and different legal systems. Candidates are elected by the 193 UN member states.
HMG is confident that the members of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women are able to discharge their mandate.
USA
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that any extension of the mutual defence agreement with the United States is designed to assist the fulfilment of the purposes of the non-proliferation treaty and to fulfil the undertaking in that context given by the existing nuclear powers. [HL648]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We are committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons and firmly believe that the best way to achieve this is through gradual disarmament negotiated through a step-by-step approach within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The UK has a strong record on nuclear disarmament and continues to be at the forefront of international efforts to control proliferation, and to make progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament. The UK-USA Mutual Defence Agreement is, and will continue to be, in full compliance with our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Uzbekistan
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether concerns about the use of torture have been raised in Uzbekistan under the European Union Human Rights Dialogue; and if so, when.[HL668]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): Concerns about torture were raised in the last EU-Uzbekistan human rights dialogue which took place in November 2013. Specifically, concerns were raised about reports of torture of detainees and there was discussion focused on encouraging progress towards establishing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) on torture.
The UK has significant concerns about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan, as reflected in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights report. Torture is one of the issues which we continue to raise both in multilateral contexts such as the EU Human Rights Dialogue and through our bilateral contacts with the Government of Uzbekistan. I had wide ranging discussions, including on human rights, during my recent visit to Uzbekistan in April, and more recently during a meeting in London with the Uzbek Ambassador here.
In a bilateral context, our Embassy in Tashkent funds a range of projects in support of good governance, human rights and the development of civil society. In relation to torture prevention, we have promoted British experience of criminal justice reform and have shared UK expertise to support the development of Uzbekistan’s NPM against torture. Our Embassy also contributes to discussions between the Uzbek authorities and its international partners to encourage criminal justice reform.
Veterans: Health Services
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Astor of Hever on 23 June (HL Deb, col 1059), how many general practitioners they plan to train to respond to the physical and mental health needs of veterans in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland. [HL584]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The NHS Mandate from the Government to Health Education England includes an objective to raise awareness of psychological and physical issues which are commonly faced by veterans and their families and the resources which are available to help them.
Health Education England are working to ensure that there is training available so that there can be a specialist general practitioners in all 211 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) trained in the physical
and mental health needs of armed forces veterans by summer 2015. Health Education England are working with the Royal College of General Practitioners to ensure that the learning is taken up and used to support the development of care and services to veterans.
NHS England is exploring how CCGs and other local networks can best support general practitioners in using the available learning and developing the knowledge and skills needed to support this important group of patients who may have particular mental and physical health needs.
Health and social care is a devolved matter and the responsibility of individual devolved administrations and therefore we cannot respond to this question in relation to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Veterans: Mental Health Services
Question
Asked by Lord Patel of Blackburn
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to help war veterans with mental illness.[HL578]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): All of the recommendations put forward by the hon Member for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison in his report on Armed Forces and veterans’ mental health—‘Fighting Fit’—in 2010 have been implemented by the Department and the National Health Service in England in relation to services for veterans and by the Ministry of Defence for serving personnel.
Funding of £7.2 million is providing 10 veteran mental health teams across England. Each team provides mental health services that are specifically tailored to meet their local veteran population’s needs and requirements. A National Veteran Mental Health Network has been established to identify and disseminate good practice across England and a national 24-hour veteran mental health helpline has been put in place.
An online, mental health well-being and counselling service for Armed Forces, their families and veterans—the Big White Wall—has also been developed. Working with the Royal College of General Practitioners we have put in place an e-learning training package for general practitioners (GPs). Health Education England has been mandated to provide training that will be available from summer 2015 to ensure that there will be a specialist GP in every local area trained in both the physical and mental health needs of veterans.
NHS England has commissioned Combat Stress to provide an acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder services for veterans.
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they have in the programme to contain the spread of Ebola.[HL678]
Baroness Northover (LD): To date, the UK government has contributed £897,324 to the Ebola Virus Disease response in the three affected countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia through multilateral partners and the DFID bilateral programme. In addition, DFID is finalizing arrangements to send out three Public Health England disease control specialists to Sierra Leone to support the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response.
In Sierra Leone, DFID funds are being used to support improved coordination at the national level; training and equipping of health workers competently to manage Ebola cases; improving EVD case detection and supporting appropriate radio messaging and community mobilisation activities on EVD prevention in affected districts. In Liberia, DFID has provided chlorine and other materials for hygiene and sanitising; and training in their appropriate use. Along with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we are closely monitoring the outbreak from Sierra Leone and Liberia (where we have DFID country offices) and internationally through Whitehall. We are working with WHO and national government agencies to improve our understanding of the outbreak and help to guide the response in-country and regionally.
War Memorials
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance is available to communities that seek to improve their First and Second World War memorials. [HL728]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The DCMS-run Memorial Grant Scheme can be used by charities and faith groups to reclaim the VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to war memorials.
War Memorials Trust website offers a wealth of information on available grants and advice for communities planning to repair and conserve their war memorials.
The Government has just announced that it will give the War Memorials Trust up to £3 million over the First World War centenary period to boost the funds available to local communities for the repair and conservation of war memorials. English Heritage, Imperial War Museums and Civic Voice will together be given £1.5 million over the same period to deliver better protection through Listing, a greater pool of specialist skills, a national register of war memorials, and a network of trained volunteers.