Written Answers
Monday 8 December 2014
A1
Question
Asked by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of proposals to improve the A1 by making it all dual-carriageway.[HL3110]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): As part of the Government’s £15 billion investment commitment for the strategic road network announced on the 1st December, the Department for Transport’s Road Investment Strategy includes committed funding to dual the single carriageway sections of the A1 from Morpeth to Ellingham, providing 13 more miles of dual carriageway and tripling the amount of continuous dual carriageway north of Newcastle.
The Government will continue to consider the case for improvements to the remaining single carriageway sections of the A1 between Ellingham and the Scottish border - the only elements of the 330 mile A1 outside London that is not dual carriageway or motorway standard.
Afghanistan
Question
Asked by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the level of equipment available to British military personnel who served in Afghanistan to enable them to detect or neutralise improvised explosive devices.[HL3127]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): During the Afghanistan campaign the capability of our counter-Improvised Explosive Device equipment evolved significantly. It is now amongst the best available of its type in the world.
Air Travel Organisers’ Licence
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will take a decision on including airlines within the ATOL scheme for Flight-Plus transactions in line with powers contained in the Civil Aviation Act 2012.[HL3114]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering phasing Flight-Plus out of the ATOL scheme in the context of ATOL reform and the new European Union Package Travel Directive.[HL3115]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The European Commission’s proposal for a new Package Travel Directive expands the scope of the definitions to potentially include a range of holidays currently covered as flight-plus arrangements under the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme, and some holidays sold by airlines.
On 18 March 2013, the European Commission published a Communication on Passenger Protection in the Event of Airline Insolvency. The Commission committed to closely monitor the application of a range of measures, and after two years, review their performance and effectiveness and assess whether a legislative initiative is needed to guarantee the protection of passengers in the case of airline insolvency. We anticipate that the Commission’s review will commence next year.
We will carefully consider the outcome of these matters as part of our review of ATOL reform.
Army: Northern Ireland
Question
Asked by Lord Browne of Belmont
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people from Northern Ireland were recruited to the Army in each of the last five years.[HL3357]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): Annual recruitment to the Army from Northern Ireland over the last five years is as follows:
| Northern Ireland | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 (to 31 October) |
Figures have been rounded to 10. Numbers ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias.
Autism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they plan to increase the opportunity for young autistic people of school leaving age to continue learning and to access work activities in their local communities.[HL3185]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people is currently being reformed in England. These reforms place a far greater emphasis on supporting young people with SEND to progress successfully to adulthood, including support to find employment. Supported internships have specifically been developed for young people, including young people with autism, with education, health and care (EHC) plans, SEN statements
or Learning Difficulty Assessments who want to work but need additional support to make the transition from education to employment.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires all local authorities to publish a local offer setting out all the support available locally for young people with SEND, including support for transition into employment, supported internships, apprenticeships and traineeships. The Act also brings the post-16 sector into the strategic planning arrangements for SEND provision in the local area. The reforms enable support to be provided for young people with EHC plans up to 25 years of age in further education or training where it is needed.
From April 2013 to March 2015 the Department for Education is funding Ambitious about Autism to work with the Association of Colleges, Nasen and four college hubs and associated schools on a “Finished at School” project looking at innovative ways of helping young people with autism make the transition from school to college. Learning from the project will be made available nationally.
The Department also funds the Autism Education Trust to provide tiered training for education staff. Over the last two years the Trust, with its partners, has been developing and arranging training for staff in early years and further education settings as well as staff in schools.
British Nationals Abroad: Armed Conflict
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the number of United Kingdom based jihadists travelling to the Middle East and North Africa has increased following the decision by Parliament to authorize the use of military force against ISIS in Iraq; and if so, what additional measures they are taking to halt the flow.[HL3102]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): There is no evidence that the number of UK individuals travelling to the region has increased since the decision by Parliament to join the International Coalition action against ISIL in Iraq.
Children in Care
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to secure more stable placements for girls at risk of child sexual exploitation, in the light of the recent Children in Care report by the National Audit Office.[HL3248]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): Secure Children’s Homes provide specialist care in a secure environment for some of the
most vulnerable young children in England to protect them, and others around them from harm, including girls at risk of child sexual exploitation.
In light of the growing demand for placements of children considered vulnerable, it is important that the system of provision sufficiently meets the changing needs of children that need to be placed in a secure setting.
The Department for Education is conducting a review of Secure Children’s Homes to examine the current and likely future need of places and what changes, improvements or new forms of provision may be required to ensure those needs are met. We have also announced steps to improve practice, such as better data collection on children who go missing.
Through the Innovation Programme we have also invited proposals for new ways of supporting vulnerable adolescents, including a number of bids that seek to prevent Child Sexual Exploitation.
The Department has recently consulted on changes to children’s homes regulations to introduce new Quality Standards. This includes a specific standard setting out that children are to be protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.
We are also undertaking wider reforms to social work practice, including the development of new assessment and accreditation system which will provide a practice based career pathway for children’s social workers in England, announced by the Secretary of State at the recent NCAS conference and an expansion of schemes like Frontline – which will improve the quality of social work.
Children: Poverty
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Lord Freud in the Grand Committee debate on the Child Poverty Act 2010 (Persistent Poverty Targets) Regulations 2014, that the facts Lord McAvoy had quoted were “simply not true” (HL Deb, 25 November, col GC 263), how they were not true.[HL3387]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): I wrote to the Noble Peer on this issue on 4th December 2014. I have placed a copy of this letter in the library of the House and have also attached it to this response.
This Answer included the following attachment: Letter to Lord McAvoy 4th Dec 2014 (Letter to Lord McAvoy 4.12.14.PDF)
Civil Service: Dyslexia
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to inform staff in the civil service about dyslexia.[HL3201]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government is committed to developing inclusive policies and delivering services which are accessible to all citizens as well. Departments are responsible for developing policies and guidance on disability, including dyslexia. This guidance is available to staff on departmental intranet pages.
As an example, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) employs 120 “neuro-diverse” intelligence officers for code breaking and counter-espionage.
In addition, Civil Service Learning provides equality and diversity e-learning for all civil servants. Managers have access to disability awareness learning.
Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what date they expect that departments and the devolved administrations will have completed their consideration of extra-territorial jurisdiction in respect of offences established in accordance with the Istanbul Convention.[HL3233]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): This government takes its international obligations very seriously. That is why we signed the Istanbul Convention on 8 June 2012, to show our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.
The UK has some of the most robust laws in the world against violence towards women and girls. We have criminalised forced marriage but primary legislation will also be needed to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before it can be ratified.
Justice Ministers are currently considering the extent to which we need to amend the criminal law of England and Wales for compliance with Article 44 prior to ratification of the Convention.
Any changes necessary to the criminal law in Scotland and Northern Ireland prior to ratification are matters for the devolved administrations. We will consult Ministers in the devolved administrations about whether legislative changes in England and Wales should extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Council Tax: Greater Manchester
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of local authority income was raised by Council Tax in each of the 10 districts of Greater Manchester for each of the last five years.[HL2963]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): The table below shows the proportion of local authority income raised from council tax by the metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester for each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14. Income is defined as the sum of council tax, specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance, Revenue Support Grant, and for the relevant years, redistributed business rates, retained business rates, Local Services Support Grant and Area Based Grant. Council tax amounts are gross of payments of council tax benefit for years up to 2012-13.
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Source
: Revenue Outturn returns
The figures have fallen in 2013-14 due to a technical, accounting consequence of the localisation of council tax benefit. Councils now apply local council tax support in the form of a council tax discount and receive a DCLG grant through Revenue Support Grant. Previously, councils received a grant from the Department for Work and Pensions, which refunded the tax revenue that was ‘paid’ by the council through council tax benefit.
Developing Countries: HIV Infection
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the Department for International Development's bilateral HIV programmes actively incorporate (1) screening for, and (2) diagnosis of, tuberculosis. [HL3306]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the Department for International Development's bilateral HIV programmes seek to prevent tuberculosis among people living with HIV through (1) infection control, (2) active case finding, and (3) initiation of preventative therapies.[HL3307]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the HIV and tuberculosis co-ordinating bodies in countries where the Department for International Development has a bilateral HIV programme are (1) developing integrated tuberculosis and HIV services, and (2) carrying out joint tuberculosis and HIV planning.[HL3308]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for International Development on 5 March (HC Deb, col 879), what is the timeframe for integrating collaborative tuberculosis and HIV activities into all Department for International Development HIV programmes.[HL3309]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): Last year’s review of our 2011 HIV Position Paper highlighted integrated responses to tackling HIV and tuberculosis co-infection as a key area of current and on-going work.
DFID health advisers are aware of the package of collaborative TB and HIV activities recommended by WHO and are able to discuss these with the TB and HIV control programmes in the countries we support. However due to our current financial and management information systems we are unable to report on the specific interventions requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
Increasingly the Global Fund is the main financing mechanism for the UK’s support to TB and HIV. DFID has been strongly involved in the recent Global Fund requirement for countries burdened by the two diseases to put forward a unified and integrated application for joint TB-HIV programmes.
Devolution: England
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will introduce legislation to create an English parliament; and if not, why not.[HL3166]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government is considering the various constitutional issues that arise from further devolution, including the so-called West Lothian question.
Discussions on this issue and other proposals relating to 'the English question' are ongoing. The Government does not believe at present there is public support for a separate English Parliament which would increase the cost of politics and the number of politicians.
EU Internal Trade
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the European Union annual budget is involved in administering the Single Market.[HL3132]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The adopted EU Annual Budget for 2014 allocates €63.5 million to ‘Administrative expenditure of the ‘Internal Market and Services’ policy area’. This amounts to around 0.05% of the total adopted EU Annual Budget for 2014.
This information is available in Chapter 12 of the EU Annual Budget 2014.
European Arrest Warrants
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the proposals by Fair Trials International for reform of the European Arrest Warrant; and what is their assessment of the prospect for reaching agreement on those reforms in Brussels.[HL3056]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Government agrees with the proposals of Fair Trials International (FTI) in their May 2011 report on the Arrest Warrant insofar as it agrees that appropriate safeguards should be in place for those subject to extradition proceedings.
In particular, the Government agrees with FTI that both the issuing and the executing authorities should consider seriously the question of proportionality as it relates to the Arrest Warrant. That is why this year the Government made significant reforms to the Extradition Act 2003 in the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 to ensure that a UK judge must consider whether the alleged conduct and likely sentence a person will receive if extradited and convicted is sufficiently serious to make the person’s extradition proportionate. This is complemented by an administrative proportionality check, undertaken by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which identifies the most trivial requests when they are first received and refuses to certify them.
Since the measures were commenced on 21 July 2014, 21 Arrest Warrants have been refused by the NCA on proportionality grounds.
These changes are all designed to ensure that UK citizens benefit from adequate protections whilst allowing our police and prosecutors to benefit from the Arrest Warrant in the fight against crime.
It should also be noted that the Second Generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II) requires Member States to consider the question of proportionality before uploading an Arrest Warrant to that system for transmission. Therefore, when the UK connects to SIS II there will be a legal requirement on all other Member States operating SIS II to consider proportionality before transmitting an Arrest Warrant to the UK. The Government expects to connect to SIS II in the coming months.
The Government also agrees with FTI that, in general, where an executing authority has refused an Arrest Warrant the issuing authority should withdraw the Arrest Warrant if it has also been sent to other Member States. SIS II will allow refused Arrest Warrants to be ‘flagged’ on this system, notifying other Member States that a case has been refused. Thus, if a UK court refuses an Arrest Warrant all other Member States using SIS II will be made aware of this fact.
The Government also agrees with FTI that the executing States should seek from issuing States further information and guarantees, before deciding whether to execute Arrest Warrants in cases where evidence has been adduced of a serious risk of infringement of fundamental rights. UK courts can and do seek such guarantees (e.g. assurances as to prison conditions).
The Government also agrees with FTI that those subject to Arrest Warrants should receive legal representation in the executing State, if they so wish. Where the individual concerned seeks legal advice and representation for proceedings in the issuing State, any application should be made in accordance with the rules governing the provision of such services in the issuing State.
On 6 October 2014, new EU Justice Commissioner, Vera Jourová, said, “re-opening the [Arrest Warrant] at this point in time could be counter-productive, given the divergent views which could be expressed in the Council. I am of the opinion that we should focus on implementing already adopted legislation, on getting the instruments still on the table adopted as soon as possible and on improving cooperation between national authorities”. As such, it seems unlikely the Commission intends to bring forward any proposals in the short-term.
That is why we have put in place new safeguards in UK law.
Floods: Somerset
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the number of roads crossing the Somerset Levels that may need raising against flooding.[HL3122]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The local highway network within the Somerset Levels and Moors is the responsibility of Somerset County Council as local highway authority. No assessment of the number of roads which may require raising has been undertaken by the Department for Transport.
The Somerset Levels and Moors Action Plan, published in March 2014, drawn up by local partners in the area, including local councils, Members of Parliament, businesses and local residents, recommended a number of initiatives to ensure better protection against floods within the Levels and Moors in the future.
In recognition of the Action Plan, the Department for Transport allocated £10 million to Somerset County Council to help fund the installation of culverts at Beer Wall and raising a section of road between Muchelney and Drayton. In addition this funding will also allow the Council to carry out further feasibility and assessment work to identify other key priorities for future local road resilience schemes.
Higher Education: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department in which administration based where is responsible for all aspects of the funding and operations of the two universities in Northern Ireland.[HL3178]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning has responsibility for higher education in Northern Ireland, including providing institutional funding for research.
In addition, as the UK operates a dual support system for funding research in universities, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, through Research Councils UK, competitively provides grants for individual research projects and programmes across the UK.
Immigration Controls
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 20 November (HL2506), on how many occasions persons have been refused entrance to the United Kingdom due to a previous conviction, in each of the last four years.[HL3297]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 20 November (HL2506), how many people were permitted to enter the United Kingdom after declaring previous convictions in each of the last four years; and what specific offences or penalties result in an automatic bar to entry.[HL3299]
Lord Bates: To obtain the number of people who were permitted to enter the UK after declaring a previous conviction, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
A non-EEA national who is sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 4 years or more in the UK or overseas will automatically be refused entry indefinitely. Those sentenced to less than 4 years will be refused entry for a period of 5 or 10 years, depending on the length of their sentence. There are also discretionary grounds for refusal for anyone who is considered to be non-conducive to the public good based on character, conduct or associations, persistent offenders or those who have committed offences causing serious harm.
Islam
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of those Muslim imams admitted to the United Kingdom who cannot speak English; and what assessment they have made of the content of their teachings.[HL3209]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): There are three routes of entry to the UK for religious workers and ministers of religion. Those coming for longer term roles under Tier 2 of the Points Based System are required to demonstrate that that are proficient in English at level B2 (upper intermediate level) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
No assessment of English language is required for religious workers coming to fill temporary positions under Tier 5 of the Points Based System. Similarly those entering at short term visitors are not required to demonstrate proficiency in English language. We are actively reviewing the Immigration Rules for religious routes of entry including English language requirements.
This Government is committed to preventing the entry into the UK of individuals whose behaviours and views are not conducive to shared values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. Since May 2010, the Home Secretary has excluded 84 preachers of hate. The Home Secretary uses these powers when justified and based on all available evidence. Where appropriate, this may include public statements and written material.
Marriage
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 18 November (HL2550), whether their definition of domestic violence and abuse includes demanding a dowry.[HL2978]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Government’s definition of domestic violence and abuse does not explicitly include demanding a dowry. As set out in Written Answer (HL2550), the Government is clear that domestic violence and abuse can involve coercive and controlling behaviour, including dowry abuse and other forms of financial abuse.
Nigeria
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in freeing the Nigerian girls abducted by Boko Haram; what information they have about their wellbeing and fate; and what has been done to seek the referral of Boko Haram to the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity.[HL3087]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): The UK is supporting the Nigerian authorities in trying to establish the girls’ location through the provision of surveillance assets and intelligence expertise. We do not comment on the results of ongoing intelligence operations.
Nigeria is a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Nigeria. It has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed, namely acts of murder and persecution attributed to Boko Haram.
The Prosecutor is assessing the gravity of these crimes and is liaising with the Nigerian authorities on their domestic efforts to hold individuals accountable.
Occupational Pensions
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are measuring the impact of auto-enrolment on fees charged by the investment management industry; and what plans they have to track any changes. [HL3145]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The Government’s Command Paper, ‘Better Workplace Pensions: Further measures for savers’, published in March, set out a range of measures including a cap on charges in default fund arrangements, a ban on inappropriate charges and proposals to introduce minimum governance standards and improve transparency across workplace defined contribution schemes.
Following this, Government launched its consultation on draft regulations on governance and charges in occupational pension schemes in October 2014. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the majority of this legislation will come into force from April 2015, alongside Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules in relation to workplace personal pension schemes where appropriate. From April 2015, the Government intends to introduce a charge cap on the default funds of qualifying schemes, set at 0.75 per cent of funds under management and the first phase of enhanced transparency with trustees and Independent Governance Committees (IGCs) being required to report on costs and charges for the first time.
In 2015 Government will consult on regulations under duties in the Pensions Act 2014 requiring information about transaction costs to be disclosed to members and others, and the publication of costs and charges information. The FCA also intends to consult on amending their own rules to introduce equivalent enhanced transparency provisions for workplace personal pension schemes during 2015. The Government has also set out its plans to review the level of the default fund charge cap, to see if it should be lowered, and also whether it should include some or all of the transaction costs that are ultimately borne by members within a cap. This review will take place in 2017.
Taken together the combined effect of these measures on charges, governance and transparency and the Government’s commitment to a review should ensure that savers are being enrolled into workplace schemes that are well run and in members’ interests.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the basis on which projections of potential returns are used by the investment management industry in communications with pension holders.[HL3147]
Lord Freud: Since 6 April 2003, certain money purchase pension arrangements have been required to provide members with Statutory Money Purchase Illustrations (SMPIs). Legislation requires that statutory illustrations are produced in accordance with guidance prepared by a prescribed body approved by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and by the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the prescribed body and has been since 6 April 2007. The FRC fulfils its obligations through the publication of Actuarial Standard Technical Memorandum AS TM1: Statutory Money Purchase Illustrations (AS TM1). It reviews AS TM1 regularly and the last completed review was carried out in 2013 following the introduction of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2734) which came into force on 6 April 2014. The AS TM1 specifies that the investment return should take into account the current and anticipated future investment strategy of the member’s funds over the period to retirement and be consistent from year to year, with the rationale documented and made available to members on request.
In addition, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require a projection at point of sale for contract based pensions. The investment return must reflect the investment potential of the (expected) underlying assets, subject to an overall cap of 5%pa. Flanking projections must be provided using returns which vary by +/- 3%. The FCA has a public commitment to review the basis every 4 years and the next review is due in 2015. The FCA do not require further projections during the lifetime of the contract as pension scheme members will receive statutory statements prepared under DWP legislation. However, where a provider chooses to provide additional projections, they must follow the same basis as point of sale projections.
Overseas Students: Nepal
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 27 September (HL2847), whether students from Nepal must have their applications to study in the United Kingdom vetted in Delhi?; and if so, whether in assessing students from Nepal consideration is given as to whether Nepal needs students with the degrees the students wish to pursue.[HL3326]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): Since March 2008, all Entry Clearance applications made in Nepal have been
considered by UK Entry Clearance Officers based at the visa section in New Delhi. This includes applications to study in the UK. Entry Clearance Officers consider student applications in accordance with the Immigration Rules. These rules do not include any consideration of whether Nepal needs students with the degrees that the students wish to pursue.
Package Holidays: EU Action
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Package Travel Directive and what is their definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements.[HL3116]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): Negotiations in the European Council are nearing completion. The proposal was discussed at the Competitiveness Council of Ministers on 4 December and a General Approach was agreed by Member States’ Ministers. We expect final agreement to be achieved in the New Year following the completion of the next stage in the negotiation; discussions between the Presidency of the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission.
The definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements in the text agreed at Council is:
'assisted travel arrangement' means at least two different types of travel services purchased for the purpose of the same trip or holiday, not constituting a package within the meaning of paragraph 2(b), resulting in the conclusion of separate contracts with the individual travel service providers, if a trader facilitates:
(a) on the occasion of a single visit or contact with its point of sale, the separate selection and separate payment of each travel service by travellers, or(b) in a targeted manner, the procurement of additional travel services from other traders where contracts with such other traders are concluded not more than 48 hours after the confirmation of the first travel service.
Poland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment for the last full year of the balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Poland. [HL3123]
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Livingston of Parkhead) (Con): In 2013 the UK had a trade deficit with Poland of £4.3 billion. This consists of UK exports to Poland of £5.2 billion and UK imports from Poland of £9.5 billion in 2013. These data are taken from The United Kingdom Balance of Payments 2014 (The Pink Book).
HMG is actively seeking to encourage more exports to Poland, including through six UKTI regional strategic campaigns in key sectors designed to match Polish opportunities with UK capabilities. There is also a new British Business Centre run by the British-Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw, which provides a broader range of support to small and medium sized companies wanting to export to Poland.
Post Offices
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many post offices and sub-post offices have closed in the United Kingdom since 2005.[HL3221]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): In November 2010, this Government published its policy statement “Securing the Post Office network in the digital age”, which made a clear commitment that this Government would end the programmes of closure of the previous administration, and instead invest in the Post Office to secure a network of at least 11,500 branches with a sustainable long-term future.
Since 2010, this Government has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect the Post Office network, and this is clearly reflected in the network figures that show the size of the network is now stabilised. It is important to note that within a network of over 11,500 branches that is overwhelmingly operated by independent agents, there will be fluctuations in the number of open branches as subpostmasters leave the network for a number of reasons, such as retirement. Where a replacement is not immediately available, the Post Office works hard to restore access to services in the community.
The Post Office makes details of the size of its network available to Parliament on a regular basis. These show that at on 31 March 2005, there were 14,609 post offices. The comparative figure at the end of the 2013-14 reporting year showed there were 11,697 branches. The following table sets out changes to the network size for the years between 2005 and 2014:
| Reporting date | Post Office network size |
Prisoners: Bahrain
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports the Chief Inspector of Prisons has received about deaths in custody in Bahrain in the course of his or his staff’s dealings with that country; and, in particular, whether he has received any reports about the death of Hassan Majeed al-Sheikh in Jaw prison on 6 November.[HL3073]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) conducts no inspections in Bahrain itself and receives no privileged information about custodial facilities. HMIP is however engaged in a project to help establish and promote independent human rights based inspection of Bahraini custodial facilities. This is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office sponsored project and has been developed in liaison with international human rights bodies. A new Bahraini prisoner and detainee rights commission (PDRC) has been formed and HMIP has provided training to its staff in both the UK and Bahrain and has hosted visits from its staff on inspections in the UK. The PDRC is in the early stages of its work. Most places of custody, including Jaw Prison, have not yet been inspected. HMIP has no information about the death of Hassan Majeed al-Sheikh other than what has been reported in the media.
Regional Schools Commissioners
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will put in place to support regional schools commissioners in their oversight of under-performing academy chains.[HL3383]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible for monitoring academy performance and prescribing intervention in underperforming academies and free schools.
RSCs have authority to act on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education to fulfil this function. To support them we have created headteacher boards which provide additional local context and educational expertise to the decision making process.
Schools: Admissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to ensure that transparent criteria are set out in advance of admissions processes for all schools, including academies.[HL3384]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): All state-funded schools must comply with the School Admissions Code. The Code requires that the criteria which are used to decide the allocation of school places must be ‘fair, clear and objective’. Parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated.
The Code also requires all schools to publish their admission arrangements significantly in advance of parents applying for a place. Ministers permit specific derogations from compliance with the Code within the funding agreements of free schools and academies where to do so would support fairness.
Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect they expect the Prime Minister’s proposals for curbs on welfare benefits for European Union migrants to have if implemented.[HL3269]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): In his speech on 28 November, the Prime Minister announced a number of proposals to restrict EU migrants’ access to welfare benefits. He made clear that the intention of his proposals was to make the immigration system fairer and reduce the current high level of migration from within the EU into the UK.
Taxation: EU Action
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the European Commission President Mr Jean-Claude Juncker's statement on 12 November that he supports greater tax harmonisation in the European Union.[HL3133]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Protecting the UK’s tax sovereignty in the EU, by ensuring that all tax decisions by the Member States are agreed by unanimity, is a red line
for the UK. This ensures that EU tax policy takes into account Member States’ individual economic circumstances, and that the UK can veto proposals that would, for example, damage economic growth.
That said, we are keen to support those proposals that take forward the UK’s G8 legacy, to tackle cross-border tax avoidance and evasion. These include aligning EU law with the new global rules agreed at the G20-OECD. For example, the OECD’s Global Standard will be implemented within the EU through the amended Directive for Administrative Cooperation.
UK Membership of EU
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in a referendum on the United Kingdom membership of the European Union, those United Kingdom citizens who live in other European Union countries will be allowed a vote.[HL3179]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The franchise for any referendum is set out in primary legislation which establishes that referendum. It will therefore be for Parliament to agree the franchise to be used in any future referendum on UK membership of the European Union.
Wind Power: Planning Permission
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Verma on 15 October (HL Deb, col. 267), whether the debate on onshore wind farms that day has been brought to the attention of the planning appeals inspectorate of the Department for Communities and Local Government.[HL3251]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): I can confirm that the debate held on 15 October (Official Report, column 267) regarding onshore wind farms has been brought to the attention of the Planning Inspectorate.