Written Answers
Tuesday 6 January 2015
Abortion
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 16 December (HL Deb, col 103), that “noble Lords around the House will form their own conclusions on the information provided by the noble Lord, Lord Alton” concerning the relative numbers of males and females and the prevalence of gender selection abortions in China, what conclusion they draw.[HL3840]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): As stated in my response to the noble Lord on 16 December (HL Deb, Col 103), I shall undertake the commitment to contact the Department for International Development.
Academies: Special Educational Needs
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many tribunal appeals there have been in relation to (1) academy schools’ admission processes for Special Educational Needs (SEN), and (2) academy schools’ education of pupils with SEN; of these how many tribunal outcomes went against the academy; and, in those instances, on how many occasions there were issues with compliance.[HL3772]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): HM Courts & Tribunals Service, First-tier Tribunal Special Educational Needs and Disability (FtT SEND) considers appeals from the parents of children with special educational needs or from young people with special educational needs, against the decisions of Local Authorities where the parent or the young person cannot reach agreement with the Local Authority about how those needs will be met. FtT SEND also considers parents’ or young persons’ claims of disability discrimination in schools. The Ministry of Justice has recently published FtT SEND statistics for the 2013-14 academic year and these can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385777/sen-tables-2014.xls.
Although the tribunal deals with appeals against local authority placements it does not deal with appeals relating to the admission processes for children with SEN in any schools nor does it deal with appeals relating to the education within schools of children with SEN. HMCTS is therefore unable to provide the specific information that has been requested and has no role in compliance.
Appeals to the FtT SEND are against Local Authorities rather than the individual school or educational establishment. Appeals can be made for a number of reasons including, for example, where the Local Authority has refused to undertake an assessment of the child’s or young person’s needs or where a parent disagrees with the school named in the Education, Health and Social Care Plan provided by the Local Authority. The tribunal may, in this latter group of cases, require the local authority to amend the name of the school or other institution to that preferred by the parent or young person. That preferred school may be an academy.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints they have received regarding (1) the admission decisions in relation to children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and (2) the teaching of children with SEN, by academy schools.[HL3775]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there have been any cases where an academy has refused to admit a Special Educational Needs pupil owing to budgetary constraints; and, if so, how many. [HL3776]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): On behalf of the Secretary of State, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) deals with academy special educational needs (SEN) admission determination requests involving pupils in receipt of a statement of SEN or Education, Health and Care plan. Between January 2013 and November 2014 the EFA handled 56 admission determination requests.
The EFA does not categorise complaints about the teaching of children with SEN by academy schools, or whether a request for an SEN admission determination was received because an academy refused to admit a child owing to budgetary constraints.
Accident and Emergency Departments
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many doctor and nursing vacancies there were in emergency medicine in 2012, 2013 and 2014.[HL3717]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many general practitioner and nursing vacancies there were in general practice in 2012, 2013 and 2014. [HL3718]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The information is not collected by the Department. The last annual National Health Service vacancy surveys in England were undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2010. These surveys were suspended in 2011 and then discontinued in 2013 following the publication of the Fundamental Review of Data Returns, which aimed to reduce the burden of the collection of data from National Health Service organisations.
Aggregates
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the availability of aggregates for the construction industry.[HL3711]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills publish data on the aggregates industry, in their statistical bulletin ‘Monthly Statistics of Building Materials and Components’. This does not include any measure of availability (such as stock levels), but does include sales of; sand for building; sand for concreting; gravel for concreting, and other uses; sand and gravel for coating; sand, gravel, and hoggin for fill; and marine dredged sand and gravel.
P – provisional
.. - not available
Source: BIS
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom aggregates industry can compete fairly against overseas suppliers.[HL3712]
Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Returning the UK to balanced and sustainable growth is a key priority and Industrial Strategy is a key part of the plan. Improving the UK’s trade position is central to much of Industrial Strategy.
The trade position in UK aggregates is positive. In the most recent quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills show that UK exports of aggregates outstripped exports by 5,958 thousand tonnes (6,904 thousand tonnes of exports, compared to 946 thousand tonnes of imports).
The level of imports and exports in non-specialist aggregates to the UK is relatively low. For instance, over the same quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures for UK sales of sand for building and concreting totalled 6,951 thousand tonnes, compared to UK imports of 370 thousand tonnes of sand for construction and exports of 165 thousand tonnes.
The Aggregates Levy – an environmental tax levied on commercially exploited aggregates – has been frozen for the last four years to support the construction industry. The tax is levied on imported aggregate, but not on that exported by UK producers, enabling them to compete fairly with overseas suppliers. The Government remains committed to reinstating the Aggregate Levy Credit Scheme in Northern Ireland following a positive decision by the European Commission earlier this year. The credit scheme helped mitigate the different market conditions the aggregates industry in Northern Ireland faces due to sharing a land boundary with another EU Member State.
Aircraft Carriers
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence-based analysis they have conducted to establish the vulnerability of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to modern submarine threats.[HL3747]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence-based analysis they have conducted to establish the vulnerability of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to modern anti-ship missile threats.[HL3748]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): Comprehensive threat and survivability analysis was conducted by Defence Science and Technology Laboratories during the design phase of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers. The output of this analysis is periodically reviewed and updated with input from Defence Intelligence Services and the Maritime Warfare Centre, and used to inform continued development of the operating procedures and war-fighting doctrine for the QEC.
I am withholding further details of this analysis and its conclusions as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.
Alcoholic Drinks
Questions
Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision of five states in the United States to ban the sale of Palcahol.[HL3819]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Government is aware of powdered alcohol from media reports and the banning of the product in five states of the United States of America. The Government is not aware of powdered alcohol being marketed or made available to buy in England and Wales.
Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with partners in the Responsibility Deal about the import, production and sale in the United Kingdom of Palcahol and its European equivalents; and what were the outcomes of such discussions.[HL3820]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Department has not discussed the import, production and sale in the United Kingdom of Palcahol and its European equivalents with partners in the Responsibility Deal.
Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will report the results of the Chief Medical Officer's review of the unit measuring system for alcoholic drinks.[HL3821]
Earl Howe: The review is currently underway and we expect to be able to consult on any new guidelines by summer 2015.
Alcoholic Drinks: Taxation
Question
Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how HM Revenue and Customs classify powdered alcohol for tax purposes.[HL3843]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): HMRC classifies powdered alcohol as being liable to excise duty, chargeable at the equivalent rate to spirits drinks.
This reflects a ruling by the European Commission in 2005 which concluded that there are no grounds for exempting alcohol powder products from excise duty under Article 27 of Directive 92/83/EEC’ (the ‘alcohol structures directive’).
Ambulance Services: City of Westminster
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 5 December (HL3203), why the percentage of ambulances arriving within the target response time of the London Ambulance Service in the City of Westminster is below 70 per cent.[HL3817]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): We understand that London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is facing the same challenges in responding to calls within the City of Westminster that it is facing across the capital. This year the service has been experiencing a significant increase in demand whilst at the same time having to contend with a high level of frontline staff vacancies.
To enable it to manage the increasing pressure on the service, the Trust has launched a major national and international recruitment campaign to ensure it fills the vacancies that it is currently carrying.
Anguilla
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to provide assistance to Anguilla to improve air access in order to enhance its ability to develop the local economy through tourism. [HL3619]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): We are working with the Government of Anguilla to identify what UK funded technical assistance can best help to boost its economic development, including improvements in access to Anguilla. The British Government is committed to supporting the economic sustainability and development of the Overseas Territories.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the scale of corruption in Anguilla; and what measures they intend to take to counter it.[HL3620]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The British Government has responsibility for the overall good governance of all the Overseas Territories (OTs) and believes that that the same basic standards of good governance should apply in the OTs as in the UK. It is important that public concerns about corruption are addressed. Operational responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption lies with the Royal Anguillan Police Force, which reports directly to the Governor. The Home Office is currently working with the Government of Anguilla to extend the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime to Anguilla. Combating bribery, money laundering and corruption of public officials is a key component.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they have given to Anguilla in each of the last five years for which figures are available.[HL3621]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: In the last five years, the Government has provided specific financial assistance to Anguilla in the following areas:
2014/15 (to date)—£65,000 from delegated and Jubilee funding (funds administered by the Governor’s office, to support local projects, technical exchanges and secondments). £114,000 for police training and equipment;
2013/14—£3m grant provided for capital development projects, including the renovation of local primary schools, a new fire station, road improvements and the purchase of new police vehicles. £100,000 from delegated and Jubilee funding;
2012/13—£120,000 for the establishment of a vocational training centre at the Anguilla Community College, £300,000 for a prison expansion project and £35,000 for support on public expenditure management.
2011/12—£129,000 to assist the Government of Anguilla to identify expenditure savings in the civil service and the health sector and to develop and implement tax reforms. £60,000 from delegated funding; and
2010/11—£55,000 for a review of Anguilla’s public financial management. £25,000 from delegated funding.
In addition, Anguilla benefits from ongoing UK technical support and assistance across the full range of policy areas, including regular Royal Navy deployments to the region, eligibility for Chevening scholarships, investment in capacity building for the police, prison and probation services and disaster management (approximately £98,000 over the last five years), environmental management support (including a share of the £713,690 Darwin Plus environmental management programme) and ad hoc support on financial management, renewable energy, education, early childhood development, health and domestic violence. Anguilla also receives development assistance from the EU and the Caribbean Development Bank, to which the UK is a major contributor.
Antibiotics
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the annual progress report on the United Kingdom 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, how they plan to handle newly launched or soon-to-be launched antibiotics in a way that is compatible with the broad goals of the strategy.[HL3762]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Department is in the process of convening a group involving industry to explore how to address interim issues pending the conclusion of the review on antimicrobial resistance. Among these will be how to treat new antimicrobial products which are close to launch.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered excluding newly launched antibiotics or soon-to-be launched antibiotics from the payment-by-results tariff.[HL3763]
Earl Howe: All known new drugs, which include new antibiotics, coming onto the United Kingdom market are considered as part of the process for determining whether they can be added to the list of high cost drugs that are reimbursed outside of national prices. This process takes a forward look for drugs likely to come onto the market when the National Tariff comes into effect, to ensure that the high cost list remains clinically relevant.
We are commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for National Health Service patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what alternative pricing and reimbursement arrangements they are considering for newly launched or soon-to-be launched antibiotics in advance of the independent antimicrobial resistance review.[HL3764]
Earl Howe: The Department is in the process of convening a group involving industry to explore how to address interim issues pending the conclusion of the review on antimicrobial resistance. Among these will be the pricing and reimbursement of new antimicrobial products.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of the triennial review into the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and ongoing discussions relating to the institute's appraisal methods, they will consider creating modifiers or a special priority designation for qualified antibiotics. [HL3765]
Earl Howe: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Triennial Review was announced on 30 October 2014 to review the form and functions of NICE. NICE’s methods for the development of its technology appraisal guidance are outside the scope of the review.
As an independent body, NICE is responsible for the methods it uses to develop its technology appraisal guidance and we have no plans at present to ask NICE to create modifiers or a special priority designation for qualified antibiotics. We continue to keep NICE’s work programme under review.
We are commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for National Health Service patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.
The development of new antimicrobial drugs is also the subject of the review on antimicrobial resistance announced on 2 July by the Prime Minister. The review will explore what actions may be taken by governments around the world to stimulate investment in new antimicrobial drugs. The review will present its initial findings during 2015 with a final report and recommendations to follow during 2016.
Antisubmarine Warfare
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the United Kingdom’s anti-submarine detection capability is adequate to meet current threat levels.[HL3670]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): We have acknowledged that we have a maritime surveillance capability gap following the decision not to bring the Nimrod MRA4 into service. However we have also made it clear that it is one that we have chosen to accept and to mitigate through employment of other assets, as well as through co-operation with allies, who have deployed Maritime Patrol Aircraft on several occasions.
A decision on whether to take further steps to mitigate the gap is planned as part of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Armed Forces: Logos
Question
Asked by Lord Clark of Windermere
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they provide to Members of Parliament regarding the use of the United Kingdom Armed Forces logos in political literature.[HL3810]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not permit the use of United Kingdom Armed Forces logos in political literature. Information on MOD copyright licensing is attached and is available on the Department's website at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311992/20140515_MOD_Copyright_Licensing_Information.pdf
This Answer included the following attachment
MOD Copyright Licensing Information (20140515_MOD_Copyright_Licensing_Information.pdf)
Asylum
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements to the procedures of the Detained Fast Track for the better protection of applicants they have introduced since the decision of the High Court on 9 July 2014.[HL3483]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): In July 2014 the High Court upheld the principle of a Detained Fast Track (DFT) process as lawful. However, the Court found that the DFT process as operated carried an “unacceptable risk of unfairness” with regard to vulnerable applicants within the system. This was primarily because they were not guaranteed access to lawyers sufficiently soon after induction to enable instructions to be taken and advice to be given before the substantive interview. The Home Office took immediate steps to address this and other criticisms of the process.
The judgment observed that the current asylum screening process did not do enough to identify and exclude from DFT vulnerable people or those with particularly complex claims. We have since changed the questions asked in the screening interview to help address this issue and there is an ongoing review of the screening process that incorporates discussions and input from external stakeholders.
Detention Centre Rule 35 requires doctors in immigration removal centres to issue reports to Home Office officials with responsibility for authorising, maintaining and reviewing detention, if they have concerns about issues of particular vulnerability. Those issues include particular ill-health, suicide risk and concerns that the detainee may have been a victim of torture. Whilst acknowledging that a Rule 35 report issued by a medical practitioner relating to possible torture concerns may sometimes reflect only the detainee’s own claim and so not require automatic release, the judgment nonetheless concluded that the evidence did not show the process to operate as well as it should.
Releases can and do result from Rule 35 reports and a recent sampling exercise has reconfirmed this position and identified some other issues for improvement. We have already taken steps to improve awareness of existing process requirements. We have consulted external partners on improvements to the operation of Rule 35 and further measures will introduced in the coming months to ensure that the process operates as effectively as possible.
Access to legal representation:
The judgment stated that in some cases, legal representatives were allocated to asylum applicants too late in the DFT process, which was considered significant enough to carry a high risk of unfairness for those who may be vulnerable. On the 14th and 15th of July the Home Office implemented new arrangements, that ensured that legal representatives were are allocated to asylum claimants that require them (around 50% of
asylum claimants arrive with a lawyer already) on the day of induction to DFT or, where that is not possible, no later than 2 working days after induction. In addition we are now ensuring that there are 4 clear working days between the allocation of a lawyer and the asylum interview except where the asylum claimant and lawyer advise that they want an earlier interview.
Asylum: Homosexuality
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report in The Guardian on 8 February, what steps they are taking to ensure that homosexual asylum seekers are not asked “degrading” questions related to their sexuality.[HL3860]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): It has never been the policy of the Government to allow its asylum case owners to ask “degrading” questions. As was indicated to the Noble Lord in the Government’s response to his previous question on this issue (15 December 2014: WA2), existing guidance, which was drawn up in consultation with Stonewall, the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is clear that questions of a sexually explicit nature should not usually be asked. The Government is currently revising its guidance further and will be making it clear that there are no circumstances in which such questions should be asked.
Since February 2014, all interviews and decisions in sexuality-based claims have been subject to a 'second pair of eyes' check by a senior caseworker who provides constructive feedback to the decision maker. Senior caseworkers also provide ad hoc support and guidance to decision makers during the course of the asylum process.
Asylum: Syria
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Syrian refugees are expected to resettle in the United Kingdom via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme in the next three months, the next six months and the next 12 months.[HL3833]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme is designed to complement our humanitarian aid efforts and is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota; however, we have said we expect the scheme to help several hundred people over three years, and we remain on track to deliver that commitment.
This is in addition to our consideration of asylum claims lodged in the UK under our normal rules. Since the crisis began, we have given sanctuary to more than 3,400 Syrian nationals and their dependants. In addition,
the UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, having pledged £700m, making us the second largest bilateral donor.
We strongly believe that we should continue to focus on aid rather than resettlement as the best way for the UK to maximise our impact, and we therefore have no current plans to expand the VPR scheme.
Autism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have been held with NHS England about the formulation of the draft statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy in the light of the current consultation.[HL3795]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage health and wellbeing boards to follow the current statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy; and what plans there are to encourage them to do so when new statutory guidance is published.[HL3796]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Department and NHS England have discussed the draft statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy. NHS England is a partner in the Autism Strategy and a member of the Autism Programme Board and has been involved in producing the guidance.
Information about the requirements of the strategy has been disseminated through National Health Service bulletins to clinical commissioning groups and area teams to support Health and Wellbeing Boards to follow guidance. The Autism Self-Assessment Framework enables Health and Wellbeing Boards to benchmark their services against other areas.
Azerbaijan
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the Government of Azerbaijan with regard to the alleged forcible closure of mosques there, including the Fatima Zahra mosque in Baku, and mosques in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.[HL3638]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The UK is aware of concerns about mosque closures in Azerbaijan. We have not made representations on these specific cases. However, we continue to monitor the situation, and we raise human rights concerns with the Government of Azerbaijan at every appropriate opportunity.
Bahrain
Question
Asked by The Marquess of Lothian
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the total cost of establishing a new naval base in Bahrain.[HL3631]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): Negotiations to further enhance and improve the existing facilities with the Government of Bahrain are ongoing.
Bank Cards
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of retailers who are seeking to pass on the merchant charges to their customers when they pay for goods or services using debit or credit cards.[HL3470]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government is clear that merchants should not pass on a charge to a customer that is higher than the cost that merchants themselves incur for processing that payment.
This is why the Government brought in the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 in April 2013, which state that if a business wishes to charge a customer for using their credit or debit card, then that surcharge must not be higher than the cost the business has to pay for processing that method of payment.
Banks: Pay
Question
Asked by Baroness Williams of Crosby
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to strip traders who disregard banking standards, such as by engaging in insider trading, of any bonuses they may have received. [HL3565]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Senior and highly paid bank employees in the UK are subject to the Remuneration Code, which has been strengthened under this Government. The Code requires that at least 40% of any bonuses they receive must be deferred over at least three years, and can be reduced or cancelled if poor performance or conduct issues subsequently come to light.
Furthermore, from 2015 the Prudential Regulation Authority is requiring that all variable pay for senior bankers can be clawed back for seven years following award by employers where there is evidence of employee misbehaviour or a material failure of risk management.
BBC World Service: North Korea
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Chairman of the BBC and the Director General of BBC World Service about investigating ways in which BBC World Service radio transmissions might be commenced on the Korean Peninsula; and what assessment they have made of what the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea has described as the importance of breaking the information blockade which surrounds North Korea.[HL3829]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): The World Service is editorially, managerially and operationally independent of government, which means that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not seek to steer operational decisions. I am aware, though, that the World Service have examined the case for a Korean language service in detail. They have concluded that it is not currently possible to provide a meaningful, impactful and cost-effective service. The BBC Trust has responsibility for setting the World Service’s budget. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Philip Hammond), must, however, agree the objectives, priorities and targets for the World Service, as well as the languages in which the World Service is provided, on the basis of proposals made by the BBC.
The UK does not disagree with the interpretation of the UN Commission of Inquiry, paragraph 1224, which suggests more support for the work of civil society organisations to improve the human rights situation, document violations and broadcast accessible information. However, it is clear that different parties will take different roles on individual recommendations.
The UK has previously funded projects related to the documentation of violations. These projects have been implemented by civil society organisations based in South Korea. We remain open to funding similar projects in the future. We have also worked with international non-governmental organisations, as well as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD), to improve the treatment of disabled people in the DPRK. This complements wider international efforts, like those of the US, which does support broadcasts into the DPRK.
Blue Badge Scheme
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of concerns regarding the recently published guidance for local authorities in England on the Blue Badge Scheme.[HL3797]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): We recently revised the guidance to local authorities in England making it clear that any permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking may qualify for a badge regardless of the particular condition, and that each application should be considered against this criterion. We have not been made aware of any concerns with the new guidance.
Boko Haram
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the main source of Boko Haram's weapons; and what is their assessment of the strategy adopted by the government of Nigeria in respect of that organisation.[HL3726]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): Reliable assessments of the source of Boko Haram’s weapons are not available. However, reports indicate that Boko Haram obtain weapons from a variety of sources, including illegal arms smuggling and theft from the Nigerian military.
On the military side, the Government of Nigeria has increased the number of forces in the North East. However, tackling the threat of Boko Haram requires a comprehensive response, including economic development, led by the Nigerian government, with the support of its neighbours and other international partners.
The UK’s package of support includes training and advice to Nigerian military units, deployed against Boko Haram; support to the Nigerian government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; and a commitment to draw one million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020.
British Council
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to raise awareness of the work of the British Council, and the Erasmus+ scheme. [HL3769]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The National Agency (a consortium of the British Council and Ecorys UK) deliver the Erasmus+ programme in the UK. The National Agency has a communications team that is dedicated to raising awareness of the Erasmus+ programme. The UK Government does not duplicate this work.
British Nationality: Assessments
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people took the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test in each month from January 2013 until November 2014 inclusive.[HL3759]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): Information is not published in this format. However, statistics relating to the number of Life in the UK tests taken are already published quarterly on the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-november-2014
Table LUK1 refers, which provides data up to and including September 2014. Data relating to October and November 2014 will be published in due course.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have taken the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test for a second time after passing the test previously because they lost the certificate confirming they had passed.[HL3761]
Lord Bates: No statistical information is available showing how many people have re-taken the test for this purpose. It would not be necessary to re-take the test in these circumstances as each test result is transferred to Home Office systems for reference purposes and would therefore be available to the caseworker considering any subsequent application for settlement or citizenship.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Life in the United Kingdom citizenship tests were taken and were passed in Welsh and in Scots Gaelic in each year since 2005.[HL3824]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): No Life in the UK tests have been taken in Welsh since 2005. One test was taken in Scots Gaelic in 2010.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why in England applicants have been unable to sit the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test in Welsh or Scots Gaelic since 2013.[HL3825]
Lord Bates: We introduced a new version of the Life in the UK test in 2013, but there was no change to our policy on offering the test in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. Demand for tests in these languages is very low and we have no record of any requests outside Wales or Scotland.
British Overseas Territories
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules govern the ability of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories to raise finance from the private sector and from international governments and organisations to fund infrastructure improvements.[HL3622]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Overseas territory constitutions and laws set clear responsibilities for public financial matters in each territory. Rules on public procurement in the Overseas Territories (OTs) are also set out in local legislation. In addition, the British Government and a number of OTs have agreed Fiscal Frameworks that establish prudent limits and robust definitions of public debt. They also establish key principles and procedures for public procurement. Fiscal Frameworks are in place with Anguilla, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of unemployment and poverty levels in the Overseas Territories.[HL3655]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Overseas Territory governments have devolved powers for self government and are responsible for economic policy. However, the UK works to support them in partnership in line with the 2012 Government White Paper.
Most of the UK Overseas Territories are defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as High Income Territories. But the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita levels in St Helena (including Tristan da Cunha) and Montserrat mean they are defined as Upper Middle Income Territories, and therefore eligible for Official Development Assistance under OECD rules. St Helena (including Tristan da Cunha) with a population of around 4261, Montserrat with a population of around 4922, plus Pitcairn (whose population of around 50 means it is too small to feature in the OECD rankings) are in receipt of assistance from the Department for International Development.
Data on unemployment and per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for the inhabited UK Overseas Territories are in the attached table. This information comes from a variety of public sources.
This Answer included the following attachment: Overseas Territories GDP per capita (3655 table.docx)
Burma
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of illicit jade and drug trading in Burma and the actions of the government of that country in respect of tackling the trade of such goods into China.[HL3725]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): Burma remains the main source of drugs in the region and is the world’s second largest producer of opium poppy, which along with illicit trade of jade, provides significant sources of income that have helped fuel Burma’s internal conflicts. The production of methamphetamine is also a growing concern, with the majority of the production in Burma exported to neighbouring countries.
We are aware of plans for improved cooperation between the nations of the Mekong region, including Burma, to tackle the illicit drugs trade. This includes the recent establishment of a regional centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, staffed by drugs enforcement officers from Burma, Thailand, China and Laos. The UK welcomes these efforts and encourages coordination with the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.
Cannabis
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy in regard to the use of cannabis for medical purposes.[HL3518]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): No assessment has been made by the Government of the potential medicinal benefits of cannabis. Cannabis in its raw form is not authorised as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom.
Sativex Oromucosal Spray, which contains extracts of cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol as the major active components), is the only medicine produced from the cannabis plant that is approved as a medicinal product in the UK. Sativex is licensed for use in treating spasticity in multiple sclerosis and was approved on 16 June 2010.
Sativex is being investigated in a small number of clinical trials in the UK for the treatment of a range of conditions including cancer related pain, spasticity due to multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, ulcerative colitis and impacted tooth extraction. Other clinical trials – using different compounds (cannabinoids) are also ongoing for different conditions.
The Government has not turned down any application for cannabis to be used as a medicine in the UK, but no application to obtain a licence for cannabis or a related product other than Sativex has been made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Care Homes: Fees and Charges
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what adjustment they intend to make to the £23,250 non-housing capital asset limit for the deferred payment scheme when the capital limit for means-tested care benefits rises from £23,250 to £118,000 in April 2016. [HL3695]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): We intend to raise the capital-related eligibility criterion, which currently requires a person to have less than £23,250 in non-housing assets, to £27,000 from April 2016. This mirrors the increased upper capital limit which will apply when a person’s property is disregarded from April 2016.
Local authorities will retain discretionary powers to offer deferred payments to people who do not meet the eligibility criteria but might otherwise benefit.
Central African Republic
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the new International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in the Central African Republic.[HL3728]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The UK notes the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s decision to open a second investigation into the situation in the Central African Republic with respect to alleged crimes committed since 2012. Her Office’s investigation is ongoing and the Prosecutor will decide whether to bring any charges based on its findings. The Prosecutor released a statement on 24 September which sets out the Prosecutor’s belief that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both the Séléka and the anti-balaka groups have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes.
China
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what help they are providing to Uighur refugees.[HL3600]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): We remain concerned by all restrictions placed on ethnic minority rights in China, including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. We are also troubled by reports which suggest that large numbers of Chinese Uyghurs are arriving in neighbouring South East Asian countries and claiming asylum. We regularly raise our concerns with Chinese officials, such as during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014, and with officials from neighbouring countries. We highlight our broader concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.
Clinical Priorities Advisory Group
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England regarding delays in the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group's consideration
of specialised treatments and the impact on people who cannot currently access treatments recommended by their clinician.[HL3849]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England has advised that a meeting of its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group has been delayed whilst further work is undertaken to refine the overall decision making process. NHS England remains committed however, to ensuring that a timely decision is made about a range of investment proposals that have been put forward for the 2015-16 financial year.
At the November public meeting of the NHS England Board it was agreed to create a new Specialised Services Committee of the Board, and as a consequence to review the current governance arrangements covering this aspect of NHS England’s work.
It was decided to undertake a public consultation on the future approach to prioritising new treatments and interventions within specialised commissioning. This was considered at the December NHS England Board meeting and it was agreed that a 90 day consultation will be carried out in early 2015.
NHS England has advised that the short postponement of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group meeting will have no impact on the decision making timetable for commissioning NHS services from April 2015 onwards.
Existing treatments will continue to be commissioned in the meantime, ensuring that support for patients is maintained.
Asked by Baroness Howells of St Davids
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group operates in a transparent manner. [HL3853]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the work of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group is communicated to the public.[HL3854]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England has advised that discussion at executive level has taken place. A consultation will be launched early in the new year on how NHS England carries out its considerations on the commissioning of new treatments and interventions as part of a prioritisation process. Once the proposals have been consulted on and a final decision has been published regarding the NHS England operations and decision making process to be used, the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will operate under these terms.
NHS England has advised that the work of CPAG has been communicated through various public meetings and presentations. Current terms of reference are on the NHS England website. Any CPAG recommendations which are approved by the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group are published on the NHS England website. A newsletter is also circulated to patient groups and relevant networks.
Coastal Areas: Access
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made on creating the coastal path in England.[HL3716]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): We are making good progress with coastal access. It has been implemented on four stretches of the coast in Cumbria, Dorset and Norfolk, and in Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland. We have also announced that additional funding will be made available to complete the coastal path around England by 2020.
Congenital Abnormalities
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many births have been affected by neural tube defects in the past five years.[HL3793]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pregnancies have been terminated in the past five years because of neural tube defects.[HL3794]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Based on HSA4 notifications to the Chief Medical Officer, the numbers of abortions for neural tube defect reported as the primary medical condition of the fetus, residents of England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 are:
ICD_10 Codes included are: Q00 Anencephaly, Q01 Encephalocele and Q05 Spina Bifida.
The data below has been captured from EUROCAT, a European network of population-based registries for the epidemiologic surveillance of congenital anomalies. The data covers approximately 30% of the population. The table below represents data from seven registries that are based in England.
Number of cases of neural tube defects, for the following registries:
East Midlands and South Yorkshire (UK),
| From 2008-2012 | |||||
| Number of cases | |||||
| Registries | Anomaly2 | Year | Live Births | Fetal Deaths/Still Births from Fetal Anomaly | Total |
Notes:
1Data is not available for the following years/registries:
UK Merseyside and Cheshire (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
North West Thames (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
The years data is available for each registry and can be found here:
http://www.eurocat-network.eu/content/EUROCAT-Population-Table-I.pdf
2The number of cases in each congenital anomaly subgroup is not the number of isolated cases. In particular the outcome, such as fetal deaths for seemingly less severe anomalies, may have occurred as the case had other more severe major anomalies.
Source:
EUROCAT Website Database:
http://www.eurocat-network.eu/ACCESSPREVALENCE DATA/PrevalenceTables
(data uploaded 24 November 2014)
Construction: Recruitment
Question
to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the levels of employment in the construction industry, what plans they have to enhance opportunities for school leavers intending to enter the construction industry.[HL3603]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The Government is committed to driving up apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the construction sector. New industry designed apprenticeships and employer led training will give construction firms, both large and small, the power to develop the workforce they need. Significant funding and support is available to employers through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), through support from the Construction Industry Training Board, and from April 2016 employers will no longer be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.
On 10 December the Government announced the creation of a new careers and enterprise company for schools to transform the provision of careers education
and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work. Separately, the Construction Leadership Council is examining the image of the sector and looking at the barriers to providing young people with work experience and developing an understanding of the opportunities in the construction industry.
Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Hallmarking Convention in protecting the British precious metals industry.[HL3714]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The International Hallmarking Convention provides the opportunity for the British precious metals industry to have precious metal articles hallmarked with the Convention hallmarks by the UK Assay Offices. This allows British business direct access to all other Convention country markets. No formal assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Convention in protecting British industry. However, 37% of all UK hallmarked articles in 2013 were Convention marked and these represent 60% of the total of all Convention hallmarked articles.
Co-operatives
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration have they given to moving the legislative function for co-operative and community benefit societies from HM Treasury to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.[HL3635]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of and ease of access to official data on co-operatives.[HL3636]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the legal and regulatory frameworks in supporting innovation in co-operative capital.[HL3637]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government does not hold official statistics on co-operatives. Relevant data is held by the Financial Conduct Authority, some of which they publish online.
The legislative function for co-operative and community benefit societies resides with HM Treasury; there are currently no plans to change this.
The Financial Conduct Authority is the registrar for co-operatives and community benefit societies. It has no regulatory functions over societies which are not also authorised to carry out financial services activities.
The Government is content that the legislative framework in place supports innovation in co-operative capital. The government has implemented a package of measures this year to strengthen the co-operative sector. This includes increasing the amount of withdrawable share capital an individual can invest in a society from £20,000 to £100,000, making it easier and cheaper for co-operative societies to raise capital.
Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publish impact and risk assessments on the devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland.[HL3592]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): At Autumn Statement, the Government set out that it recognises the strongly held arguments for devolving corporation tax rate-setting powers to Northern Ireland, including its land border with the very low corporation tax environment in the Republic of Ireland, and the shared goal of the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive of rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy and securing the peaceful economic progress made since the Good Friday Agreement. Work by HMRC and HM Treasury has concluded that this proposal could be implemented provided that the Northern Ireland Executive is able to manage the financial implications. If this legislation is introduced, a Tax Information and Impact Note will be published alongside the Bill as part of the usual legislative process.
Counterfeit Manufacturing
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the performance of Trading Standards in the United Kingdom in securing convictions for (1) the production, (2) the sale, (3) the distribution, and (4) the importation of counterfeit goods.[HL3556]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): Trading Standards services, including tackling counterfeit goods, are provided by local authorities. Local authorities operate independently from central government and are accountable to their own electorate, allocating resources according to local priorities.
Local authorities do not report regulatory outputs to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Therefore, the Department does not hold this information.
Credit Rating
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had talks with the credit rating agencies with a view to restoring the United Kingdom’s AAA credit rating.[HL3421]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The current European credit rating regulation 1060/2009 stipulates that rating agencies monitor and review credit ratings on an ongoing basis and at least annually. Furthermore, the regulation states that:
“The credit rating agency shall inform the rated entity at least 12 hours before publication of the credit rating and of the principal grounds on which the rating is based in order to give the entity an opportunity to draw attention of the credit rating agency to any factual errors”.
The Government’s long term economic plan has secured the UK’s strong credit rating, which has contributed to lower borrowing costs and helped protect frontline services. In June 2014, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) revised the outlook on their UK AAA rating to stable, from negative. The key driver cited by S&P was ‘Amid further progress in consolidating public finances, the UK’s economic recovery is broadening.’
S&P have assigned the UK sovereign the top triple AAA rating since they first published a UK rating in 1978. Moody’s and Fitch have assigned the UK the second highest rating Aa1 and AA+ respectively, with a stable outlook.
Curriculum
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 27 November (HL3031), whether they consider that parents who learn that their children are being taught by a school that young earth creationism or intelligent design is scientifically valid are entitled to regard it as evidence that that school is not offering a broad and balanced curriculum under the terms of section 78 of the Education Act 2002.[HL3779]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): Maintained schools are obliged to comply with section 78 of the Education Act 2002. Maintained schools that teach young earth creationism or intelligent design as valid science undermine the teaching of established evolutionary theory and are therefore not complying with the national curriculum or providing a broad and balanced curriculum as required by section 78. If parents have concerns about this they should raise the matter through the school’s complaints procedure in the first instance.
Cycling England
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the annual budget of Cycling England in 2010/11 or the last financial year for which figures are available. [HL3688]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The annual budget provided by the Department for Transport to Cycling England in 2010-11 was £63 million.
Cycling: Training
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual Bikeability budget for the current and next financial year.[HL3687]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The annual budget set by the Department for Transport for its Bikeability programme is: £11.7 million in 2014-15; and £11.9m in 2015-16.
Defence: Procurement
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which platforms they expect will be able to fill any capability gaps at an acceptable level of technical risk following the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review; and how long they expect it will take to integrate United Kingdom complex weapons into the solutions. [HL3800]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): The information requested is not available.
Developing Countries: Trade
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that trade is understood to have a role in facilitating the post–2015 development objectives.[HL3729]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): Poverty eradication is at the forefront of the post-2015 development agenda and we propose to tackle this by promoting inclusive economic growth, social development and tackling climate change, in a way that leaves no one behind. Trade plays a central role in achieving the ambitious agenda and the UK will work to ensure that there are strong trade-related targets in the final post-2015 framework.
Diabetes
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps National Health Service clinical commissioning groups have taken to investigate the reported progress of recent research in the United States regarding the development of an artificial pancreas; whether there have been any interchanges between government-funded researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States; and what assessment they have made of the level of resources available to United Kingdom researchers in that area.[HL3525]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Artificial pancreas research continues to progress in the United States, the United Kingdom and worldwide. Clinical studies have shown that artificial pancreas systems can improve blood sugar control, especially overnight, and reduce the number of episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Systems have been successfully used at home for the overnight period in adolescents and young adults but significant challenges arise from 24 hour use that remain to be solved, particularly around exercise, food and physical activity.
Artificial pancreas device systems and technologies could be made available through National Health Service commissioning once they have gone through the appropriate regulatory process to demonstrate safety and efficacy.
UK research in this field is supported by funders including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Wellcome Trust, Diabetes UK and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), in collaboration with industry. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including artificial pancreas systems. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The NIHR biomedical research centres at Cambridge and Imperial College London are making a significant contribution to international research in this field. Dr Roman Hovorka, University of Cambridge, and Dr Nick Oliver, Imperial College London are members of the Artificial Pancreas Consortium organised by the JDRF. This consortium meets annually with monthly conference calls providing a forum for discussions between researchers from the US, UK and Australia. There have been no formal interchanges between government-funded researchers in the UK and the US.
Directors: Equal Opportunities
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have in place to monitor the diversity of (1) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and (2) LGBT, persons serving as directors of public companies. [HL3644]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): Under the Companies Act listed companies are required to report on diversity, including gender, in their annual reports. Company reporting is overseen by the Financial Reporting Council and companies are required to follow the UK Corporate Governance Code on a comply-or-explain basis.
In September 2014 FRC published an updated Code, including changes to the preface reinforcing the importance of diversity in all its forms on the board. This includes, but is not limited to, gender and race.
At the launch on 15th December 2014, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills welcomed a new private sector-led campaign which will look to address the lack of ethnic diversity in boardrooms, based in part on research that indicates the proportion of Black & Ethnic Minority people in leadership positions is lower than expected compared to the wider population (estimated at 5.1% and 14% respectively). Measuring progress is a key part of the campaign.
Diseases
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the process by which NHS England makes decisions on whether to support the funding of treatments for rare diseases.[HL3552]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England specialised commissioning is supported by devolved clinical leadership. Specialised services are grouped into five programmes of care:
- Internal Medicine;- Cancer and Blood;- Mental Health;- Trauma; and- Women and Children.
Within the programmes of care, 75 Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) are responsible for preparing national specialised service-level strategy and developing specialised service contract products such as specifications and policies.
In addition, the Specialised Commissioning Medicines Optimisation CRG works across all 75 service-specific CRGs.
The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) advises the Specialised Commissioning Committee on commissioning of new treatments for rare diseases in England. CPAG’s membership includes clinicians, patient representatives and commissioners of health services. Recommendations are made by following the principles and criteria of a decision-making framework.
The Specialised Commissioning Committee advises the NHS England Board on development and implementation of strategy for specialised commissioning, agreeing specialised commissioning priorities and work programmes, and receiving assurance that these are delivered.
The NHS England Board recommendations from the Specialised Commissioning Committee and deliberates accordingly.
This Written Answer contains the following attachment: CPAG Decision-Making Framework (CPAG Decision- Making Framework.pdf)
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria have been established by NHS England to guide the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group in its evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of treatments for rare diseases.[HL3553]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Rare Diseases Advisory Group considers the evaluation of all treatments for rare diseases and advises the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG). The evidence base for treatments of rare diseases is often more limited than for more common conditions. Therefore, allowances are made for greater uncertainty. In some cases, formal evaluation of cost effectiveness may not be possible or helpful.
The decision making framework published on the NHS England website guides CPAG in assessing and making a commissioning position recommendation.
This Written Answer contained the following attachment: CPAG Decision-Making Framework (CPAG Decision-Making Framework.pdf)
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budget NHS England has established to fund treatments for rare diseases.[HL3738]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England holds a budget of £13 billion with which to commission 145 specialised services. NHS England does not separately identify the costs of the treatment of rare diseases because many of the specialised services – for example neurosciences – include treatments for patients who have both rare diseases and traumatic injuries.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the potential cost of treatments for rare diseases over the next five years.[HL3739]
Earl Howe: No forecast by NHS England of aggregate future expenditure on rare diseases is available.
NHS England uses a number of methodologies to estimate the potential costs of any new treatment for rare diseases. This includes working with the horizon scanning team from the National Institute for Health Research as well as with industry representatives and other stakeholders such as patient groups and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the process by which NHS England makes decisions on whether to support the funding of (1) National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highly specialised technologies (HST) approved rare disease treatments, (2) non-NICE HST approved rare disease treatments, and (3) rare disease treatments that are not selected for HST evaluation.[HL3740]
Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) was established in March 2014 by NHS England. It was set up to provide NHS England and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with consistent advice on developing and implementing the strategy for rare diseases and highly specialised services. The RDAG will also provide advice to NHS England and the devolved administrations to enable it to respond to consultations issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Highly Specialised Technology Programme and to provide advice to NHS England and the devolved administrations on the most appropriate services to deliver those highly specialised technologies that receive a positive technology appraisal determination from NICE.
At the three meetings held by RDAG in 2014 the group has addressed proposals for some new treatments to be considered for provision in the National Health Service. It has also considered a number of services, currently provided within the NHS, that meet the criteria of Highly Specialised Services (HSS) and should be considered as highly specialised and re-configured to be provided in expert centres. The group has also considered a number of service specifications for HSS. Recommendations have been made to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group based on these decisions. Any recommendations agreed by NHS England will go out for a full three month consultation.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what prioritisation criteria are used by NHS England to commission approved treatments for rare diseases. [HL3785]
Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) makes recommendations to NHS England and the devolved administrations of NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and NHS Northern Ireland on issues related to highly specialised services (HSS). These services are provided to a smaller number of patients compared to specialised services; usually no more than 500 patients per year. For this reason they are typically best delivered nationally through a very small number of centres of excellence.
Examples of highly specialised services include liver transplant services, enzyme replacement therapy, and secure forensic mental health services for young people. It is also the role of RDAG to have an overview, across the four countries of the United Kingdom, on the development and implementation of the strategy for rare diseases and HSS.
The Group makes recommendations to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) about how highly specialised services should be commissioned. This includes recommending which expert centres should be nominated (or should no longer be nominated) to deliver highly specialised services.
The decision making framework published on the NHS England website guides CPAG in assessing and making a commissioning decision recommendation. A copy of the CPAG Decision-Making Framework is attached.
However, NHS England is now reviewing the appropriate approach to prioritising new treatments and interventions within specialised commissioning. At the NHS England Board meeting held on 17 December 2014 it was decided that a 90-day consultation will be carried out in early 2015 on the prioritisation framework and decision-making process that NHS England should use to make commissioning decisions on new treatments and interventions.
This Answer included the following attachment: CPAG Decision Making Framework (CPAG Decision Making Framework.pdf)
Domestic Violence
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 November (HL Deb, col 772), when the national oversight group chaired by the Home Secretary will report its findings, to whom it will report, and whether its findings will be published.[HL3457]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): In response to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary's (HMIC’s)report (March 2014) which exposed significant failings in the police response to domestic violence and abuse, the Home Secretary has established a National Oversight Group, which she is chairing, to drive delivery against all of the recommendations of the HMIC review.
To date, the Group has met three times. The Government has committed to publishing updates on the work of the National Oversight Group. The first report will be published shortly. A copy of the report will be placed in the libraries of both Houses.
Educational Exchanges
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans formally to recognise international high school exchanges.[HL3767]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Government recognises that school links and exchanges can provide valuable opportunities to learn about other countries and to improve language skills. It is, however, for individual schools to decide whether or not they wish to participate in such exchanges.
For those who do, there are many opportunities available, for example through the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme, the Global Learning
Programme, which is jointly funded by the Department for International Development and the British Council, and the EU’s Erasmus + programme. The British Council also offers an International School Award which enables schools to have their international work recognised.
Elizabeth Cross
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions the Queen Elizabeth Cross and Scroll has been posthumously awarded to former soldiers whose death was not the result of being killed in action. [HL3511]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): The number of instances where the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll has been awarded to the next of kin of Armed Forces personnel, whose death was not the result of being killed in action, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Embassies
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many foreign states and commonwealth countries have embassies, High Commissions or other diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom.[HL3337]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): According to our records a total of 175 foreign States and Commonwealth countries have embassies, High Commissions or other diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom. Further information can be found on the “Foreign embassies in the UK” page on the Government website at: https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. Copies of the current lists of diplomatic missions and consular offices outside London are attached.
This Answer included the following attachment: London Diplomatic List as at 17 December 2014 (London_Diplomatic_List_-November_2014.pdf)
Energy
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of local authorities setting up energy companies to provide cheaper energy to their residents.[HL3634]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): This Government is keen to understand the re-emergence
of local authorities as energy companies and the potential benefits to their residents. In order to tackle the barriers surrounding this we launched the UK’s first Community Energy Strategy in January 2014 and we take views from a Local Supply Working Group.
Our Strategy recognises that local authorities are crucial to community energy activities and sets out how Government intends to help communities build strong and productive partnerships with the public sector. One of the commitments is to carry out a sector survey in 2016, including a local authority section.
We welcome recent developments in local authority engagement in the energy sector, for example, Cheshire East Council is the first local authority to have entered into a partnership with Ovo Energy under their new ‘Communities’ tariff. It is too early to make an assessment of these developments as the details are still being finalised.
In addition we expect to know the outcome early next year of the application by the Greater London Authority for a “Licence Lite”– if successful, the GLA will be the first authority to take advantage of Ofgem’s streamlined arrangements for supplying electricity.
Entry Clearances: Nepal
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 December (HL3326), whether the staff who actually carry out the application reviews for entry clearance applications made in Nepal are aware of that policy, and whether checks are carried out to ensure that is so.[HL3645]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): All visa applications are considered under the Immigration Rules. As the Immigration Rules do not state that there needs to be a demand for specific graduates in the students’ home country, the degree subject is not a consideration for the Entry Clearance Officer.
Any student application refused under PBS Tier 4 of the Immigration Rules can be subject to an Administrative Review (AR). The AR is conducted by an official at a more senior grade than the original decision maker.
Eritrea
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of refugees and displaced people who have left Eritrea over the past twelve months; what they consider to be the factors involved in their decision to leave; what they consider to be their primary destinations; and what is their assessment of future conditions in Eritrea.[HL3705]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): We remain deeply concerned by the political situation in Eritrea; the UN estimates that around 200 migrants leave Eritrea daily, with Sudan and Ethiopia as their primary destinations. Those who choose to leave Eritrea do so for a variety of reasons, including a desire to avoid performing national service for an indeterminate length of time and to seek greater economic opportunity than currently available in Eritrea. Our Ambassador in Asmara regularly monitors events in Eritrea and works closely with the UNHCR, through whom we receive monthly updates on migration. The UK Government has made representations to the Government of Eritrea to improve its observance of human rights, and works with European partners on the implementation of the Eritrea Country Programme under the Eleventh European Development Fund to help provide greater economic growth and opportunities.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether negotiations are taking place with the government of Eritrea about the number of refugees from that country coming to the European Union and, in particular, to the United Kingdom.[HL3730]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): There is an ongoing dialogue on migration related issues between representatives of the UK and Eritrean governments, including a recent meeting with my Hon. Friend, the Immigration and Security Minister (James Brokenshire)and the Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on 27 November in Rome. This took place in the margins of a conference to launch the new European Union - African Union ‘Khartoum Process’.
The UK is playing an active role in this initiative which is bringing together EU countries and those in the Horn of Africa, including Eritrea, to support dialogue and cooperation to tackle people smuggling and human trafficking in the region. More recently, there has been a visit to Eritrea by a joint delegation of senior Home Office and Foreign Office officials on 9-11 December to discuss a range of migration topics, including the current drivers of irregular migration and ways to mitigate it, asylum and returns, and potential areas for joint co-operation.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether human rights issues will remain a firm condition for the granting of development aid to the Government of Eritrea.[HL3781]
Baroness Northover: DfID does not have a bilateral development programme in Eritrea, but makes a humanitarian contribution through UNICEF, until June 2015, for health, nutrition, water and sanitation.
Across our humanitarian programmes we consider key human rights issues including issues of impartiality, protection, principles of do no harm, conflict sensitivity, access to vulnerable groups and the needs of women and girls. In countries where DfID does have, or is
planning to have, bilateral development programmes, the extent of partner Governments’ commitment to respecting human rights and other international obligations is one of four Partnership Principles assessed by country offices. The Government has made representations to the Government of Eritrea to improve its observance of human rights, and works with European partners on the implementation of the Eritrea Country Programme under the Eleventh European Development Fund to help provide for greater economic growth and opportunity.
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether consideration has been given to changing European Union policies on Eritrea as part of an attempt to reduce the number of refugees from that country. [HL3782]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains concerned by increasing numbers of irregular migrants from Eritrea to Western Europe. The UK and EU partners will continue to work with Eritrea through the new EU - Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (‘Khartoum Process’) to advance cooperation on human trafficking and irregular migration.
EU Budget: Contributions
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their present projection of the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions to the European Union budget for the whole of the seven year budget agreement 2014–20.[HL3534]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The independent Office for Budget Responsibility is responsible for forecasting UK gross and net contributions to the EU Budget. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts can be found in Table 2.19 of its Economic and Fiscal Outlook supplementary and fiscal tables – December 2014.[1]
[1]This table can be found at the following link:
http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-december-2014/
European Arrest Warrants
Question
Asked by Lord Wade of Chorlton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the European Arrest Warrant on the application of habeas corpus.[HL3703]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates): Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 implemented the European Arrest Warrant. We are clear that the remedy of Habeas Corpus still exists in cases involving the European Arrest Warrant.
The issue of Habeas Corpus was discussed during the passage of the Act through Parliament in 2003 and has been ruled on by the courts, with both making it clear that the remedy remains available in EAW cases.
For example, Lord Justice Baker concluded in the matter of Nikonovs v Governor of Brixton Prison [2006] that “In my view the passages from Hansard that I have cited make the answer clear beyond a peradventure ... In my judgment the remedy is available”.
European Commission
Question
Asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the statement on 10 December by the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union that “The European Commission is more than ever a political body” is compatible with the Commission’s role as set out in the Maastricht Treaty.[HL3675]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government is clear that the European Commission’s role is as set out in the relevant Treaties. Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) specifies that the European Commission’s role includes, inter alia, ensuring the application of the Treaties and overseeing the application of Union law under the control of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Article 17 of the TEU also provides that, in carrying out its responsibilities, the Commission shall be completely independent.
European Protection Orders
Question
Asked by Lord Harris of Haringey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to implement the European Protection Order (EU Directive 2011/99/EU) that requires member states to introduce procedures whereby the victims of domestic violence can get a non-molestation order from the courts in one member state which will then be automatically recognised in other member states.[HL3509]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): EU Directive 2011/99/EU on the European Protection Order comes into force on 11 January 2015 and the Government plans to implement it by way of statutory instrument made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, on the same day. At the same time, the Government will also implement the related EU Regulation on the mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters, (606/3013) which comes into force on the same day.
European Union
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the electorate in a referendum on a new European Union treaty or an amendment to an existing treaty will include electors registered in Gibraltar.[HL3803]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): Electors registered in Gibraltar vote in European Parliament elections and would vote in any referenda held on EU treaty change, whether the adoption of a new treaty or amendments to an existing treaty, where that would affect Gibraltar, as set out by the European Union Act 2011.
Exclusion Orders
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 15 December (HL3642), whether they consider the public advocacy of rape to be a ground for excluding a person from entering the United Kingdom.[HL3867]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Home Secretary has the power to personally exclude foreign nationals from the UK if the person’s presence in the UK is considered not to be conducive to the public good. The power to exclude is broad, but is normally used in circumstances involving national security, unacceptable behaviours, international relations/foreign policy, and serious organised crime.
The unacceptable behaviours policy covers a list of non-exhaustive indicators, including where individuals express views which foment serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to commit serious criminal acts.
Exclusion decisions are very serious and no decision to exclude is taken lightly. These powers are only used when justified and based on all available evidence. These decisions are made according to the individual circumstances of each case.
Female Genital Mutilation
Question
Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are resourcing the provision of training and education in communities in the United Kingdom in which female genital mutilation is practised.[HL3454]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): Long-term and systematic eradication of female genital mutilation in the UK will require practising communities to abandon the
practice themselves. To keep girls safe we need to work directly with local people who know what will work in their areas.
Faith has an important role to play. At the Girl Summit we launched declarations for faith leaders to sign against female genital mutilation and forced marriage. These have now been signed by over 350 leaders from all major faiths. These declarations make it clear that no religion condones the practice.
The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Government Equalities Office have also committed £270,000 to community projects to prevent female genital mutilation and other forms of so-called honour based violence. We recently announced the projects that successfully secured this funding. We will fund 17 community projects which include three organisations that will set up networks of community champions against female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Many of these projects will work with young people. Brave young women and men have been at the forefront of campaigning against female genital mutilation and their courage and determination inspire us all to do more. Videos of the projects can be found at http://www.thinglink.com/scene/597214845217013762.
This funding is in addition to £100,000 committed by the Home Office to run a female genital mutilation community engagement initiative. The Home Office is funding 12 voluntary and community sector organisations to carry out community work to raise awareness of female genital mutilation amongst women already affected by this and young girls at-risk, as well as men in the community.
On 5 December 2014 the Government also launched a new female genital mutilation unit to drive a step change in nationwide outreach on female genital mutilation with criminal justice partners, children's services, healthcare professionals and affected communities.
The unit will deliver outreach support to local areas to assist them in developing their local response to tackling female genital mutilation and to raise awareness of the unit. The first phase of this work will be carried out in a series of training workshops which Forward UK are delivering to Local Safeguarding Children's Boards in high prevalence female genital mutilation areas.
The unit will also offer bespoke targeted peer support to local areas who want to strengthen their ability to tackle female genital mutilation. Organisations interested in receiving peer support or an outreach presentation can email the unit at FGMenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.
Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure better co-ordination of guidance given to medical practitioners, teachers, and faith leaders on reporting and protecting girls from female genital mutilation.[HL3452]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.[HL3453]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to collate statistics centrally on cases of female genital mutilation, both in the United Kingdom and involving British citizens extra-territorially. [HL3455]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the recommendations of peer studies on female genital mutilation, such as the Bristol PEER Study.[HL3456]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): At the Girl Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister, in July 2014, the Government set out a clear commitment to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and announced a comprehensive package of domestic measures to achieve this. The Government published update multi-agency guidelines to support better co-ordination of guidance on protecting girls from FGM. On 5 December the Government published a public consultation which seeks views on how to put these guidelines on a statutory basis to increase awareness of FGM and improve compliance with good practice.
The Government also set out a range of measures to improve the law enforcement response and increase prosecution rates for FGM including the introduction of new legislation, the publication of new police guidance on FGM, and a review by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary into ‘so called’ honour based violence with a focus on FGM to commence in 2015. In addition, 42 forces have signed joint protocols with the Crown Prosecution Service on the investigation and prosecution of FGM, and the Government published a consultation on 5 December on how to introduce a mandatory reporting duty to increase referrals to the police in order to support more prosecutions.
A prevalence study on FGM was also published by Equality Now and City University on 22 July, part-funded by the Home Office, identifying that approximately 60, 000 girls aged 0-14 have been born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone FGM. Further data disaggregated to a local level will be published in early 2015. In addition, the Health and Social Care Information Centre published the first ever NHS FGM data on 16 October. This is a critical first step in understanding the extent of FGM in England as reported to health professionals.
The Government works in close partnership with stakeholders in reviewing peer studies on FGM, and is committed to identifying and sharing good practice. On 22 July, the Government published a FGM resource pack on gov.uk including examples of good local practice in Bristol informed by the Bristol Peer study.
Flour
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the fortification of flour; and whether this cost is shared with the devolved administrations.[HL3792]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The cost of fortifying flour is borne by the milling industry rather than by central government departments or devolved administrations. It is estimated that, in 2013, UK production of those types of flour which the law requires to be fortified with iron, calcium, thiamine and niacin was approximately 3.5 million tonnes, and the cost to the industry of purchasing the four mandatory fortificants for that tonnage of flour would have been £2.5 million.
| Nutrient | £ Cost (per tonne of flour) |
Forced Marriage Protection Orders
Questions
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for a Forced Marriage Protection Order have been made since the coming into force of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007; and how many have been successful.[HL3646]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications have been made for a Forced Marriage Protection Order since the coming into force of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. [HL3647]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): Forced marriage is an appalling practice and should not be tolerated. That is why the Government has criminalised forced marriage to ensure that victims are protected by the law. The new offences of forced marriage in section 121 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 came into force on 16 June.
Since the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 came into force on 25 November 2008 and up to the end of September 2014, 762 applications for a forced marriage protection order have been made, and 785 forced marriage protection orders have been issued. The number of orders made generally exceeds the number of applications as forced marriage protection orders are sometimes made during the course of applications for other family orders, and there is no differentiation between interim orders and final orders.
Section 120 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which also came into force on 16 June 2014, made it a criminal offence to breach a forced marriage protection order. There were 63 applications for a forced marriage protection order in the period 1 July to 30 September 2014.
Foreign Investment in UK
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what success has thus far been achieved by the Regeneration Investment Organisation in securing investment from overseas investors for projects in (1) Greater London, and (2) parts of the United Kingdom outside Greater London that are not included in the National Investment Plan.[HL3632]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): UKTI has been focused on securing investment in UK regeneration projects for three years. The Regeneration Investment Organisation was established within UKTI a year ago to strengthen this support for regeneration projects nationwide.
RIO currently has more than ten active commercial dialogues between investors and regeneration projects following introductions.