Written Answers
Tuesday 15 July 2014
Access to Work Programme
Question
Asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when their forthcoming review of Access to Work will be completed; and what its purpose is.[HL888]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): Access to Work is an important part of the employment support we provide for disabled people who need additional help to take up and remain in employment. I want to build on the success of this programme, which is why the Minister of State for Disabled People has said that we will look into Access to Work to focus on how we can support more disabled people within the resources available and further improve the service we offer to customers. We will set out further details shortly, which will include timescales for taking this work forward.
Borders: Personal Records
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total cumulative cost to public funds to date of the introduction of the e-borders system in the United Kingdom; and when they expect the system to be fully operational.[HL825]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Home Office is currently unable to confirm the total cumulative cost to public funds to date of the e-borders system, but we will be able to do this once the binding arbitration following the termination of the contract with Raytheon Systems Limited is complete.
The work of e-borders has been absorbed into the Border Systems Programme. By the end of this Parliament, Border Systems will:
• Develop replacement primary border security systems • Deliver exit checks• Improve resilience of all current business critical systems• Increase Advance Passenger Information coverage• Complete implementation of second generation e-Gates.
Bovine Tuberculosis
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many separate contractors were employed in (1) Somerset, and (2) Gloucestershire in the recent badger culls; and how many people were actively engaged in culling in each county.[HL689]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): During the pilot badger culls of 2013, the number of contractors employed in Somerset was 107, and 95 in Gloucestershire.
As set out in the licences issued by Natural England to each area, the licensees were required to submit details of the persons they wished to be authorised to take or kill badgers. As such, a list of 107 such persons was provided for West Somerset and 95 provided for West Goucestershire. How many of these contractors were deployed or actively engaged in culling operations was and remains an operational matter for the licensees and, as such, this information is not available.
Doctors: Tax Allowances
Question
Asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why tax relief is not available for essential professional expenses such as registration, defence fees and continued professional development incurred, or for unpaid professional work undertaken, by a doctor in receipt of a National Health Service pension.[HL863]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Some of an employee’s professional expenses may qualify for tax relief against the earnings from that employment. However an individual cannot set expenses against their other sources of income such as a pension. This is the case even where the individual continues to do voluntary unpaid work in a connected field.
Ferries: Safety
Question
Asked by Lord MacKenzie of Culkein
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea, whether they will reconsider plans to scrap a number of maritime safety regulations applying to roll-on roll-off passenger vessels which were introduced following the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987.[HL949]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is satisfied that the measures contained in the regulations proposed for revocation have been superseded by more modern and effective measures,
including improved stability standards, and would not cause a deterioration of safety requirements. In addition, there is close oversight of the UK ferry industry by MCA Marine Surveyors to ensure that the circumstances leading to such an accident, such as the Sewol, would be extremely unlikely on a ferry on the UK flag.
The MCA is currently consulting on their proposal to revoke two sets of maritime safety regulations applying to roll-on roll-off passenger vessels which were introduced following the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987. That consultation will end on 10 August 2014.
It would be inappropriate to comment on whether the MCA will reconsider the proposal until that consultation has ended and they have analysed all responses.
Homosexuality
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 25 June (WA 160–61) concerning reparative or conversion therapy on homosexual men and women, whether they will ensure that no such treatment will be available through the National Health Service or any other taxpayer-funded organisation.[HL748]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): This Government does not believe that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is an illness to be treated or cured. We are therefore strongly against the practice of so called “reparative” or “conversion” therapy. Both the Department and NHS England have made it clear that monies from the public purse should not be used to fund such therapy.
Human Trafficking
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many organisations they invited to tender for the human trafficking hotline to be launched later this month by the NSPCC.[HL801]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what annual budget the NSPCC will receive to run the human trafficking hotline to be launched later this month.[HL802]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the terms of reference for the contract to provide the human trafficking hotline.[HL803]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many non-governmental organisations they consulted prior to approaching the NSPCC to run a human trafficking hotline.[HL804]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): We are working with the NSPCC to pilot a Modern Slavery Helpline as part of a wider communications and marketing
campaign, to raise awareness of modern slavery. The NSPCC will be given funding of up to £50,000 for one year to host the helpline. We have engaged NSPCC by means of a formal Grant Agreement, not a Contract, which will be managed using standard Home Office grant terms and conditions in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money. On this occasion, no other organisations were invited to submit delivery proposals.
The helpline will be established by the end of July 2014. We will work with a number of non-governmental organisations, prior to the launch of the helpline, to ensure that callers to the helpline have access to a range of organisations that can provide additional help, advice and support.
Our longer term requirements for a helpline will be considered as part of the National Referral Mechanism review, which will conclude later this year.
Iraq Committee of Inquiry
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the report of the Chilcot inquiry is likely to be published before the next General Election.[HL682]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Inquiry is independent of Government, and the timing of the delivery of its report to the Prime Minister is a matter for the Inquiry. Sir John Chilcot said in May that it was the Inquiry’s intention to do so as soon as possible. Government is doing everything it can to ensure this is possible.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Israeli government concerning the destruction of homes in the West Bank belonging to people who have no connection with the recent kidnappings of Israeli students.[HL752]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have raised the number of raids on houses with Israeli authorities as part of our broader discussions. On 23 June the Secretary for State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond, (Yorks) (Mr Hague), said it is vital that all security operations are conducted with due care and proportionate use of force.
Land
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest estimate of the proportion of land in England designated as (1) green belt, (2) areas of outstanding natural beauty, (3) National Parks, and (4) urban or developed.[HL865]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): 1) Around 13% of England was designated as Green Belt in 2012/13.
2) There are 33 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) designations wholly within England, along with the Wye Valley which spans the English-Welsh border. AONB designation covers approximately 15% of the land area of England.3) There are 10 National Parks in England covering approximately 9% of the land area.4) According to the Land Cover Map 2007, produced by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in 2011, around 9% of England is classed as built-up (including gardens).
Legal Aid Scheme
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reductions in funding to legal aid and advice, what steps they are taking to review the number of cases now being conducted by litigants in person. [HL869]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): We are closely monitoring the impact of the legal aid changes. The number of family cases showing self representing parties is published in Courts Statistics Quarterly (www.gov.uk/government/collections/court-statistics-quarterly).
We are working towards publishing data on self representation in civil cases more widely and will include this in future publications.
Litigants in person have always been a feature of the justice system.
Judges are used to helping persons with no legal representation, including explaining procedures and what is expected of them. We have taken steps to help people who either want or have to represent themselves in court, including publishing a revised guide for separating parents and increased training for judges. The link to the guide is:
http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756
Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many public officials are invited to attend meetings of the Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum.[HL759]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many advisers or experts paid for by public funds are invited to attend meetings of the Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum.[HL760]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many representatives of non-governmental organisations
or civil society are invited to attend meetings of the Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum; and what funding arrangements are made for them to attend.[HL761]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when was the last meeting of the Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum, how many public officials attended, how many attendees were from the non-statutory sector, and what were the proportions of public and private sector representation.[HL762]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum meetings have taken place since April 2013; and whether they will place in the Library of the House the minutes of those meetings.[HL763]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the purpose and value of the Modern Slavery Stakeholders Forum (1) to the Home Office, and (2) to the non-statutory sector and non-governmental organisations involved; and when and why it was originally established.[HL764]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Modern Slavery Stakeholder Forum was set up in February 2014 and has met three times. Its precursor, the Joint Strategic Group, was set up in early 2013 and also met three times. The Modern Slavery Stakeholder Forum provides an opportunity for the Home Office to engage with partners, understand what is happening on the front-line, and develop policy collaboratively. Non-Governmental attendees have the opportunity to engage with officials and Ministers, and to influence policy making.
The minutes of these meetings are made available to all attendees and are public documents available to anyone who requests them. However, it is not considered appropriate to place the minutes of each meeting in Library of the House.
The invite list for these meetings is subject to regular review and attendance varies depending on the availability of those invited and the topics for discussion. At the last meeting of 10 June 2014, 16 public officials attended which included officials from the Home Office, other government departments, law enforcement agencies and the devolved administrations. 20 representatives of non-governmental organisations were invited of whom 15 attended. Separate meetings are held with private sector representatives.
No advisors or experts, paid for by public funds, are ordinarily invited to the stakeholder forum meetings.
NATO
Question
Asked by The Marquess of Lothian
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the NATO Baltic air policing mission, what future British armed forces deployments are planned to reaffirm the United Kingdom's commitment to the collective security of NATO member states. [HL536]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): As a leading member of NATO, the UK continues to play a central role in NATO reaffirming our constant commitment to collective defence and to reassure our Eastern Allies following the recent events in Ukraine.
The four RAF Typhoon aircraft deployed to Lithuania in support of NATO’s peacetime Baltic Air Policing mission are expected to return at the end of August and the E3D Sentry flights in Polish airspace will continue until at least the end of the year.
There are at present no plans to extend this commitment further, as future mission rotations are filled by Allies for the foreseeable future. However, we keep the situation under constant review and any potential future UK participation would be dictated by the regional situation and NATO requirements.
The UK has also committed to participate in a number of exercises in the Baltic Region (including Exercise STEADFAST JAVELIN, Exercise BALTOPS and Exercise RAMSTEIN GUARD) which demonstrates our commitment to NATO, collective defence and reassuring our Eastern Allies.
Nuclear Weapons
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Trident Commission’s concluding report on United Kingdom nuclear weapons policy.[HL773]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): Recognising the value of informed debate, the Government notes with interest this contribution to the debate on the important issues surrounding the UK’s nuclear deterrent policy and posture.
Passports
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce routine electronic scanning of passports of passengers departing the United Kingdom; and when they expect to have this system completed.[HL826]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Government is committed to reintroducing exit checks. By April 2015, comprehensive exit checks will apply on scheduled, commercial air, sea and rail routes.
We are working collaboratively with carriers and port operators to identify the least burdensome way of delivering exit checks—we aim to use existing arrangements, including Advance Passenger Information, where possible, supplemented with embarkation checks at ports where necessary.
Pension Funds
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total value of United Kingdom pension funds. [HL980]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): All information is published within the TPR Corporate Plan 2014-2017, on page 18.
http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/corporate-plan-2014-2017.pdf
This table shows the total assets held within pension funds governed by The Pensions Regulator (TPR), broken down by the four main types of private work-based pension products where TPR’s powers apply.
Self-harm
Question
Asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing to support those, in particular teenagers, who are self-harming or at risk of self-harming.[HL780]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Spotting the signs of mental health problems early in children and young people is essential to prevent problems from escalating and continuing into adulthood.
On 25 March the Minister of State for Care and Support (Norman Lamb) launched MindEd, an interactive e-learning programme on mental health designed to help any adult working with children and young people. Funded by the department, the learning and resources provided by the MindEd e-portal are designed to extend the skills and knowledge of National Health Service clinicians and professionals such as teachers, social workers, counsellors and supervisors working in a range of educational and youth settings.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is there to support children of school age with mental health problems, including those who are found to be self-harming.
On 16 June 2014, the Department for Education issued advice for school staff on mental health and behaviour. This new advice links to existing advice on behaviour and discipline, which indicates that schools should consider whether continuing disruptive behaviour arises from unmet mental health needs.
The advice will help schools identify and support pupils with an unmet mental health condition. It will give teachers the confidence to:
differentiate between poor behaviour linked to potential mental health problems and poor behaviour which cannot be explained in this way;identify those with less severe problems at an early stage and build their resilience through the school’s pastoral system, using external agencies where necessary;
identify those with more severe mental health needs and make timely referrals to statutory and/or voluntary agencies, including CAMHS.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines make it clear that anyone who attends an emergency department for self-harm should be offered a comprehensive assessment of their physical, psychological and social needs. Self-harm has been identified as a priority for action in the Mental Health Action Plan, Closing the Gap: Priorities for essential change in mental health, published January 2014.A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Preventing suicide in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives was published on 10 September 2012. The suicide prevention strategy is backed by up to £1.5 million funding through the Policy Research Programme, to help us better understand key aspects of suicide and self-harm, including looking at self-harm in young people and the role of the internet and social media.
Shipping: Exhaust Emissions
Question
Asked by Lord MacKenzie of Culkein
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support a delay to the operative date of the implementation of measures to reduce sulphur emissions to allow the shipping industry to retrofit engines with sulphur extracting technology.[HL950]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): There is no exemption in the EU Directive on sulphur content of marine fuels (Directive 2012/33/EU) that would allow the UK or other EU Member States to delay implementation. The timetable for applying the sulphur limits is also an integral part of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (commonly known as MARPOL) and is therefore a binding obligation on states, such as the UK, which are parties to Annexe VI.
In any event, introducing a delay at this stage could be extremely damaging for those shipowners and equipment manufacturers who have invested heavily on the basis that the new limit will come into force in January 2015. Moreover, a delay in implementation would mean a delay in obtaining the benefits to the UK, notably in terms of improved air quality, which will result from the new limit.
Steria
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps were taken by the Ministry of Justice to check with other departments what programmes for staffing, procurement and payroll services were already planned or in use before entering into a contract with Steria
for such services; and whether they will confirm that the contract was subsequently terminated and at what cost.[HL702]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): In early 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) started a programme to design and deliver a new, single system to meet all MoJ needs.
The Government’s Next Generation Shared Services (NGSS) Strategy was published in December 2012 and commenced the establishment of two Independent Shared Service Centres (ISSC1 and ISSC2). In the NGSS Strategy, MoJ was to remain an in-house, standalone centre. However, a change to the delivery approach meant that the MoJ Shared Services Programme was discontinued in early 2013. This provided an opportunity to consider whether ISSC1 or ISSC2 might be more efficient and effective options for the department. To align with the NGSS Strategic Plan, the MoJ are now proceeding into detailed discussions with Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) with a view to joining ISSC2. SSCL is a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Steria Ltd.
This decision means that some elements of expenditure under the old Shared Services programme have now become redundant and a constructive loss of £56.3m has been disclosed accordingly in the 2013-14 financial statements to reflect this. The majority of the total investment was spent on assets and infrastructure, which can be used by the new shared services scheme.
Vulnerable Adults: Abuse
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the risk of ill-treatment or neglect of vulnerable people by volunteers in the care sector. [HL791]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government is committed to protecting those at risk of abuse and neglect. We want to see a focused and effective safeguarding system, where harm or risk of harm is identified, acted upon effectively and ultimately prevented.
Any organisation that uses volunteers must ensure that appropriate checks and assessments of risk are carried out when deciding who to employ and that appropriate supervision is provided for volunteers. Employers, including voluntary organisations may, subject to eligibility, obtain criminal records checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Vigilance on a day-to-day basis is crucial in order that unusual behaviour or behaviour that causes concern is picked up at the earliest opportunity.
Employers should also ensure that they provide training for staff and volunteers on the policy, procedures and professional practices that are in place locally, which reflects their roles and responsibilities in respect of adult safeguarding.
Waste Disposal
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the new waste and recycling targets proposed by the European Union and their impact on the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to oppose them on the grounds of vital national interest.[HL878]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The Commission’s proposal for a Directive to amend EU waste legislation—including increased recycling targets—was published on 2 July. We are currently reviewing the proposals and will be consulting across Government, with the Devolved Administrations, and with interested parties that may be impacted by these proposals when developing the Government response.
We need to understand the costs and benefits of the proposals fully to be able to judge which can be supported and which opposed.