Additionally, successes by RIO (or by UKTI preceding the establishment of RIO) include the following:
1) Greater London: RIO worked in partnership with London & Partners and the Greater London Authority to encourage investment from new participants in markets including China, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, USA, Canada. UKTI was involved in attracting international investment in to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms alongside L&P and the GLA.2) Outside Greater London: UKTI, working with local partners, helped in the successful introduction of a Chinese investor to Manchester City Airport, an £800m scheme. It also secured investment for residential schemes in Manchester and Solihull. RIO is focused on ensuring that there is a very strong longer-term pipeline of investable projects outside London – currently 90% are outside the capital. RIO works with all parts of the UK, whether or not there are projects in that area that are included in the National Infrastructure Plan. Details remain confidential at this stage but RIO will shortly announce a major project outside of London.
Free Schools: Disability
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications to establish a free school with a focus on inclusion of disabled learners, with or without
Special Educational Needs, have been agreed to, and how many refused, by the Secretary of State.[HL3777]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): Since 2010 we have received over 1500 applications to open a free school, all of which will have had some focus on the inclusion of disabled learners. Within this number we have received 89 applications to establish special free schools, 22 of which have been approved to proceed to the pre-opening stage and 67 rejected. The 67 applications were rejected because they failed to meet our quality threshold.
Three of the 11 open special free schools have been inspected by Ofsted, (with two being rated as ‘Good’ and one as ‘Outstanding’). Once open, all free schools have a statutory duty to make sure disabled students are not discriminated against and to promote their interests.
Fuels: Prices
Question
Asked by Lord Browne of Belmont
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect of the cost of fuel on the well-being of older people.[HL3505]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma) (Con): We provide specific support for pensioner households through the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payments. Furthermore, this winter some 1.4 million of the poorest pensioners across Great Britain will receive £140 off their electricity bill under the Warm Home Discount scheme. This is an increase of 200,000 compared to last year, and around twice as many households as were helped in 2010/11, the first year of the scheme. The value of the discount has also increased each year since 2010/11.
In addition, we have issued guidance for all households and consumers, including older people, on how they can prepare for winter and save energy and money in the document Keep Warm This Winter which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-this-winter.
This Written Answer contained the following attachment: Keep Warm This Winter (DECC_Getting_ready_for_Winter__web.pdf)
Future of the Home Care Workforce Commission
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to respond to the assessment of the standards of domiciliary care in the report from the Burstow Commission on the future of the home care workforce.[HL3507]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government is taking a variety of actions to drive up the quality of home care services and improve the working conditions of staff.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has introduced a new system of inspection of social care providers. The new inspections are structured around five key questions that matter most to people – are services safe, caring, effective, well-led and responsive to people’s needs?
From 1 April 2015, providers will be under a legal duty to meet a new set of registration requirements that include new fundamental standards. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers it can employ to ensure providers comply with these standards, including the ability to prosecute both providers and directors that are responsible for unacceptable standards of care. We are also introducing a “fit and proper person” test for directors. Where a director is deemed by the CQC to be unfit for the role, it will be able to insist upon his/her removal.
The Department worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham to develop a set of commissioning standards for local authorities. The standards were launched successfully at the National Children’s and Adults’ Services conference in October 2014 and will now be piloted by a number of local authorities.
Local authorities will be encouraged to use them to support improvement in their commissioning practices, including those which impact on the social care workforce, such as provider compliance with National Minimum Wage requirements and fair employee contracting terms.
The Government is also naming and shaming employers that break National Minimum Wage laws and helping staff to recover the pay owed to them.
General Practitioners
Questions
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to ensure that general practitioner risk data are correct.[HL3465]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements.
The CQC has advised the following:
Following feedback from national and local stakeholders, and working with NHS England, the CQC last week completed a comprehensive review of the general practitioner intelligent monitoring data and, as a result, made a number of changes to the intelligent monitoring tool.
The CQC uses nationally available published data and will continue to work with the data providers to ensure that robust data are used.
The CQC is also reviewing the quality assurance of all of its outward facing analyses to ensure any necessary actions are taken to deliver quality data analysis in the future.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the withdrawal of Personal Medical Services payments on practices with a large number of deprived patients.[HL3786]
Earl Howe: The Department has made no such analysis.
NHS England is in the process of reviewing Personal Medical Services (PMS) contracts to ensure fair funding for all general practices. Area teams will work with PMS practices to assess the impact of any reduction in payments on its registered patients.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the proposed changes to the funding formula for general practices take account of the pressures on practices with a high level of deprivation amongst their patients. [HL3788]
Earl Howe: Typically, at least half of the money that a General Medical Services practice receives is in the form of ‘Global Sum’ derived through the Carr-Hill formula. The Carr-Hill formula, as agreed with the British Medical Association, is used to allocate the Global Sum and related payments on the basis of the practice population, weighted for factors that influence relative needs and costs.
Currently, the Carr-Hill formula includes a weighting for deprivation factors. It includes adjustments for levels of chronic disease and premature mortality, both of which are highly correlated with social deprivation. This was based on academic research to establish which factors – in addition to age and sex – best predict variations in workload between GP practices. A national review of the Carr-Hill formula is ongoing.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the account NHS England takes in its approach to the deregistering of “ghost” patients of those general practitioner practices which experience a high degree of mobility amongst their patients.[HL3789]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary medical services in England. NHS England issues guidance, Tackling list inflation for primary medical services, to help general practitioner practices manage their patient lists. This can be found at:
http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tack-infla.pdf
It is good practice for NHS England to undertake regular ‘list cleansing’ exercises to ensure that their patient lists are up-to-date in order to promote fairness and efficiency.
This Answer included the following attachment: Tackling list inflation (Tackling list inflation for primary medical services.pdf)
General Practitioners: Peterborough
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have undertaken of the impact of the phasing out of Personal Medical Services payments on the viability of the Millfield Medical Centre, Peterborough.[HL3787]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England is in the process of reviewing Personal Medical Services (PMS) contracts to ensure fair funding for all general practices and its East Anglia Area Team will be carrying out a full review of the Millfield Medical Centre’s PMS contract in early 2015.
Gibraltar
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how old are the two Royal Navy vessels providing security in British waters at Gibraltar; what is their maximum potential speed in knots; and what is the estimated speed of the Spanish naval vessels which have made incursions in those waters.[HL3697]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): HMS SCIMITAR is 21 years old; HMS SABRE is 22 years old. Both are capable of travelling in excess of 25 knots, which enables them to fulfil their assigned role.
The speed of Spanish naval vessels is a matter for them.
Government Departments: Disclosure of Information
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 13 January (HL Deb, cols 19–20), what progress they have made in fulfilling their commitments to make further improvements to the accessibility of government transparency information by (1) ensuring greater co-ordination of the publication of data sets so that all returns within a quarter can be found on one page, (2) improving the access to and presentation of those data, including by improving
the consistency of presentation and titling, (3) ensuring greater consistency in the content of departmental reporting, particularly in including the subject of meetings, and (4) ensuring that the gov.uk transparency pages contain a link to the statutory register of lobbyists so that the data can be easily cross-referenced.[HL3474]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Cabinet Office regularly monitors adherence to departmental open data commitments, as well as timeliness of their publication across government. We are making regular efforts to improve access to and presentation of the data, including by improving the consistency of presentation and titling.
Steps have already been taken to improve the consistency of Ministers’, Senior Officials’ and Special Advisers’ transparency returns and technical improvements to the presentation of this data will be introduced for information published in 2015. The recently established independent Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists now has a web presence on gov.uk and the Government will ensure that the transparency pages of gov.uk provide a link to the statutory register once launched.
Government Departments: Pensions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the Government Employee Pension liability.[HL3478]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Whole of Government Accounts for 2012-13 showed that the value of public service pension liabilities was £1,171.6 billion.
Government Departments: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will update the table in the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 10 January 2012 (HL14312) showing how many members of Home Office staff have been convicted of criminal offences in connection with their official activities in each of the last five years, showing in each case the name of the offender, the date of conviction and the sentence received.[HL3693]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates): Since June 2013, there have been three additional cases of members of Home Office staff that have been convicted of criminal offences in connection with their official activities. The nature of the offences are in the table provided.
This Answer included the following attachment Table 1 (Table v1.doc)
Health: Screening
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to evaluate the NHS Check programme.[HL3513]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Commons Science and Technology Select Committee recently recommended a review of the Health Check programme in its report on the National Screening Committee. The Government will publish its response to the Committee’s report, including the recommendation on the NHS Health Check programme, in the new year.
Hearing Impairment: Children
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they are currently making available to parents of deaf children about the quality of paediatric audiology services.[HL3548]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of paediatric audiology services, and how they will be monitored in the future.[HL3549]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider mandating NHS England to ensure that all children’s audiology services both undertake the Improving Quality In Physiological Services process and sign waivers of confidentiality so that all information about the quality of children’s audiology services is available to families of deaf children. [HL3550]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): We are advised by NHS England that the Improving Quality in Physiological Services programme, run jointly by the United Kingdom of Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is raising the profile of accreditation and quality assurance schemes for physiological diagnostic services. A mapping exercise is underway to identify those services which are accredited or working towards accreditation which is an integral improvement step on the pathway to full accreditation as a mark of quality. To date audiology services are making good progress towards accreditation.
Commissioning of accredited services is considered good practice and should be encouraged. UKAS and RCP are supporting the NHS England business objective to increase the use of accreditation. Information about those services which have achieved accreditation is publicly available on the UKAS website.
All hospital providers of audiology services are registered with the Care Quality Commission and information on their monitoring and inspections is freely available online. Local authorities and clinical
commissioning groups should also be providing details of services for deaf children as part of their published offer under the new statutory framework for special educational needs and disability.
Higher Education: Admissions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students (1) from the United Kingdom, and (2) from other countries, were admitted to Higher Education Institutions in England for each of the five years to August 2014; and for each of those years, how many of each of those groups of students were admitted as (a) full-time undergraduates, (b) part-time undergraduates, (c) full-time postgraduates, (d) part-time postgraduates, (e) full-time mature students, and (f) part-time mature students.[HL3809]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects data on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Providers.
Statistics on entrants by mode of study, level of study and domicile were published by HESA in Table 2 of their Statistical First Release “Higher Education Student Enrolments and Qualifications obtained at Higher Education Providers in the United Kingdom. (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/component/content/article?id=3103)
Statistics on the number of entrants by age, mode and domicile is shown in the attached table.
Figures for 2013/14 will become available when HESA publish their annual Statistical First Release on 15 January 2015.
This Answer included the following attachment:
Entrants by domicile1, level, mode of study and ag (HL3809 (28837).xlsx)
HIV Infection
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans are in place for the national HIV prevention programme beyond April 2016.[HL3790]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): We are looking to be more ambitious and innovative in the way we deliver the HIV prevention programme in 2015-16 and beyond. This programme will be part of our longer-term strategy for sexual and reproductive health which we plan to announce in the New Year.
Honour Based Violence
Questions
Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure uniform police reporting, in forces across the United Kingdom, of honour killings.[HL3489]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens are the victims of honour killings each year.[HL3490]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings.[HL3491]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the safety of those who testify against their relatives in honour killing cases can be better protected.[HL3492]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.
While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.
To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.
Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the
most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.
House of Lords: Catering
Question
To ask the Chairman of Committees what has been (1) the expenditure, and (2) the profit or deficit, for the years 2012–13 and 2013–14 of each catering outlet in the House of Lords.[HL3837]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Sewel): The turnover, expenditure and profit or loss of each Catering and Retail Service outlet in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are set out in the tables below.
| 2012-13 | |||
| Outlet | Turnover (£) | Expenditure (£) | Profit/loss (£) |
| 2013-14 | |||
| Outlet | Turnover (£) | Expenditure (£) | Profit/loss (£) |
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Questions
Asked by The Lord Bishop of Truro
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will encourage the personalisation of oxygen services specifically for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and ensure that users are thoroughly trained to avoid incorrect oxygen techniques.[HL3870]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make sure that all patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are assessed for and offered access to appropriate courses of pulmonary rehabilitation.[HL3871]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will guarantee that all people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are assessed for appropriate and personalised oxygen therapy after diagnosis.[HL3872]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Clinicians are responsible for prescribing home oxygen and robust oxygen assessment services are in place across the country.
In terms of personalisation, there is little specific evidence to suggest that prescribing of oxygen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis should be any different from that of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other causes of respiratory failure. Oxygen therapy is the treatment for the lack of oxygen whatever the specific disease.
Commissioning of home oxygen services should be overseen by clinical commissioning groups except where an individual requires specialised services. In these circumstances, oxygen therapy is covered in the service specification for specialised commissioning of interstitial lung disease. Where oxygen is prescribed at home, NHS England would expect that training is given by the provider on the correct use of the equipment.
NHS England expects commissioners and providers to take account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on oxygen and rehabilitation in commissioning and providing these services. A NICE Quality Standard is also being developed in this area.
In addition, the British Thoracic Society (which is NICE accredited) is due to launch its home oxygen clinical guidelines in February 2015.
Immigration
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 5 December (HL3055), whether they have published an impact assessment on the fiscal impact of immigration into the United Kingdom since 2008.[HL3816]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The government has not published an impact assessment on the fiscal impact of immigration into the United Kingdom since 2008. The fiscal impacts of migration are considered in impact assessments published by the government where appropriate.
Immigration: Poland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 2 December (HL3119), which department would have the authority to carry out an assessment of the contribution of Polish immigrants to the United Kingdom. [HL3587]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): No assessment of immigrants’ contribution to the United Kingdom on the basis of nationality has been conducted by Her Majesty's Government, but it would be open to a number of departments to do so.
Imports
Questions
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the split of the total imports of goods from outside the European Union, between (1) industrial goods, and (2) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products; and what were the corresponding aggregate gross (before handling charge) values of the Common External Tariff charged by HM Revenue and Customs on (a) industrial goods, and (b) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products.[HL3678]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): In 2013 total imports of goods by volume from outside the EU was split 96.6% industrial goods and 3.4% agricultural and fish products.
The split by customs duty paid was 84.3% (£2,406,874,076) for industrial goods and 15.7% (£448,545,528) for agricultural products.
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs charged a positive Common External Tariff (CET); and what was the corresponding aggregate value of the CET so charged.[HL3679]
Lord Deighton: In 2013, goods subject to a positive duty charge with an aggregate value of £46,801,238,041 were imported from outside the EU. Customs duty totalling £2,855,517,901 was charged and collected on these goods.
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs effectively charged zero Common External Tariff (CET), whether this was because the product in question was not liable to CET or because it was zero-rated.[HL3680]
Lord Deighton: During 2013, the aggregate value of goods imported from outside the EU on which no customs duty was charged was £216,685,828,867.
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 28 May 2012 (WA 112–3), what were the top 20 categories
(as defined by HM Revenue and Customs) of goods imported from outside the European Union in 2013 according to value of imports; and how much was collected by HMRC in gross customs duties in each of those categories in 2013.[HL3681]
Lord Deighton: The top 20 categories of goods imported from outside the European Union in 2013 by value are detailed in the table below. The table also provides details of the customs duties collected for each category as defined by the integrated tariff of the United Kingdom.
|
Toys, games and sports requisites, parts and accessories thereof | |||
In Vitro Fertilisation
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 3 December 2013 (WA 36) and 3 December 2014 (HL3158), which were the relevant experts or international authorities with whom the Chief Medical Officer “had a lot of discussions”; which international authorities agreed with the Chief Medical Officer’s own assessment that no-one “has come up with a better definition”; how the new definition is being accordingly incorporated into the syllabus for biology students; and what are their views on the ontological propriety of the proposed redefinition of genetic modification on the basis that it “is not that that is what it is”.[HL3422]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): As stated in my Written Answer of 3 December 2014 (Official Report, Column WA270), the development of a working definition for genetic modification in humans was undertaken in order to bring clarity to the discussion around mitochondrial donation and is solely intended to be used in this context. There is no universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans and the working definition devised for the debate on mitochondrial donation did not aim to establish one. The Chief Medical Officer was clear in her evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on 22 October 2014 that the definition’s purpose is to clarify discussion of this issue.
With regard to the discussions that took place in developing the working definition, in developing its position the Department, in consultation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, also had discussions with the Wellcome Trust and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 15 December (HL3301), how many foetal reductions performed following in vitro fertilisation over the past decade were performed between (1) weeks 0–5, (2) weeks 6–13, and (3) weeks 14–16.[HL3753]
Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that in the decade preceding 31 December 2012, the Authority’s register records the following incidences of foetal reductions performed following in vitro fertilisation:
| Foetal reduction in weeks 0-5 | Foetal reduction in weeks 6-13 | Foetal reduction in weeks 14-16 |
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 15 December (HL3302), how exhaustively the POLG gene at chromosomal locus 15q25 has been sequenced in all individuals known to be affected by the mitochondrial diseases listed in Annex D of the mitochondrial donation consultation document in order to establish the evidence base described in that answer; and whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority would routinely require sequencing of the POLG gene in order to ensure that pronuclear transfer or spindle-chromosomal transfer should only be used for patients who have an inherited mitochondrial DNA mutation and not where faulty mitochondria may have arisen from a nuclear gene mutation.[HL3754]
Earl Howe: We are advised by the Wellcome Trust that diagnosis of mitochondrial DNA disease is performed within the National Health Service Highly Specialised Service diagnostic laboratory using well established diagnostic algorithms and Practice Guidelines for the Molecular Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Diseases published by the Clinical Molecular Genetics Society at:
http://www.acgs.uk.com/media/774654/mito_2008.pdf
Mitochondrial defects that arise due to nuclear gene mutations, such as DNA polymerase gamma, routinely give rise to multiple different mutations of mitochondrial DNA within patient tissues or depletion of mitochondrial DNA. This is apparent upon genetic testing and would then lead to analysis of the DNA polymerase gamma gene to identify the nuclear gene defect.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it will design the regulatory process following the passage of any regulations to allow mitochondrial donation. Should Parliament pass the mitochondrial donation regulations, the technique could only be licensed for the avoidance of diseases caused by inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA, not nuclear DNA.
This Answer included the following attachment: CMGS Practice Guidelines (CMGS Practice Guidelines for the Molecular Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Diseases.pdf)
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 30 October 2013 (WA 259), 26 November 2013 (WA 263), 3 December 2013 (WA 36), 3 December 2014 (HL3158) and 16 December 2014 (HL3461), whether they consider there to be any barriers to a universally agreed definition of genetic modification, in the light of the Chief Medical Officer’s views on the matter; if so, what are the “rather mixed and odd ways” in which others have used terms like “genetic modification,” “GM” and “germline”; and how the statements by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics are consistent with their view that “this process is not genetic modification”.[HL3839]
Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority refers to the proposed mitochondrial donation techniques as “germ-line modification” and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics as “germ line gene therapy”. As I stated in my Written Answer of 16 December 2014 (HL3461), we agree with this and believe it to be consistent with our view that the proposed mitochondrial donation techniques are not genetic modification.
Income Tax
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the increases in income tax personal allowance have had an impact on the data on income levels available to them; and if so, what action they intend to take as a result.[HL3593]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Increases to the amount of income tax personal allowance do not affect the amount of income data available to HM Revenue and Customs.
India
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent attacks on religious minorities in India, notably Christians; and when they next intend to raise this issue with the government of India.[HL3827]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies
and programmes to support religious minorities. However, incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur.
Our High Commissioner in New Delhi met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.
We also support religious and other minorities in India through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reports of an attack on 13 December by Hindu radicals on a Christian pastor and his church members singing Christmas carols in Hyderabad.[HL3847]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies and programmes to support religious minorities. However, incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur. We are aware of the recent attack on a pastor in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister of Telangana Sri K Chandrashekar Rao made clear publicly that such attacks would not be tolerated.
The British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to, or discussions they have had with, the government of India regarding freedom of religion or belief in that country since the election of Prime Minister Modi.[HL3848]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights
were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.
We also support religious and other minorities in India through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.
Influenza: Vaccination
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Public Health England’s recommendation that children and adults with a learning disability should routinely be offered influenza vaccination on uptake among people with a learning disability.[HL3666]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The measures that have been introduced to promote the offer of influenza vaccination to people with a learning disability should result in increased uptake among this group. It is not possible accurately to predict or quantify the scale of the change.
Internment: Northern Ireland
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of allegations that information on alleged torture by United Kingdom forces in Northern Ireland was withheld from the European Court of Human Rights by the United Kingdom Government in 1971.[HL3459]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): The request will now be considered by the Court in line with the arrangements laid down in its rules of procedure. In accordance with those rules, if it does not decide to refuse the request the Court will refer it to the United Kingdom and invite written comments within a time-limit set by the Court.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the request made to the European Court on Human Rights by the government of the Republic of Ireland for a review of the 1978 judgment in the case Ireland v the United Kingdom.[HL3543]
Lord Astor of Hever: The request will now be considered by the Court in line with the arrangements laid down in its rules of procedure. In accordance with those rules, if it does not decide to refuse the request the Court will refer it to the United Kingdom and invite written comments within a time-limit set by the Court.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the appointment of General Eisenkot as Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Force; and what discussions they have had with the Government of Israel concerning his Dahiyya Doctrine.[HL3624]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): We are aware of Major General Eisenkot’s nomination to succeed Lieutenant General Gantz as the Chief of Staff for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). As he is the current Deputy Chief of Staff, we would therefore expect a degree of continuity. While we have not had any discussions with the IDF over the “Dahiyya” Doctrine, we would have expectations of Israeli military conduct being in full compliance with international law and therefore meeting the tests of military necessity, distinction and proportionality.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning (1) the arrest of fishermen on 6 December, (2) reported targeting of fishing boats with machine gun fire, and (3) deaths and wounding of fishermen since 26 August.[HL3625]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities over the issues concerning fishermen in Gaza. However, our officials in Tel Aviv are looking into the situation faced by Gazan fishermen and will consider whether to take any action on this issue.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Israel's proposed “nation-state” bill.[HL3731]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): While we have not made an assessment on this issue, we have raised with the Israeli authorities the importance of maintaining equal rights for all of Israel’s citizens.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of the Israeli Civil Administration’s confiscation of wet weather tarpaulin sheets on 27 November from the Samen Bedouin Community in East Jerusalem.[HL3732]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, the Government believes that Israel has legal obligations as an Occupying Power with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, under applicable international law. We have a regular dialogue with the Government
of Israel, with regards to the implementation of those obligations, and raise our serious concerns regarding such issues as demolitions of Palestinian property, as well as permitting and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
Questions
Asked by Lord West of Spithead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the harmony rules for RAF personnel serving in the new F35B squadrons will be brought into line with their Royal Navy equivalents.[HL3590]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): RAF personnel serving in the new F35B squadrons will follow RAF harmony guidelines. They will not be brought into line with their Navy equivalents.
Asked by Lord West of Spithead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the primary factor in the choice of F35B variant as the United Kingdom’s new attack aircraft was the requirement for the aircraft to be operated from the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.[HL3591]
Lord Astor of Hever: The F35B meets the UK's Combat Air capability requirements, contributing a 5th Generation capability alongside the Typhoon. The F35B provides flexibility to be equally capable of operating from bases ashore or from the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers as the operational scenario dictates.
Jordan
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any additional plans to provide further support to the government of Jordan to assist with displaced Syrian refugees.[HL3557]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): By the end of March 2015, the UK will have provided almost £220 million of assistance to Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis. In 2014/15, UKAid spending in Jordan is forecast to be around £66 million. Since the onset of the Syria crisis the UK has committed £700 million for humanitarian activities in Syria and neighbouring states. This includes £82 million to date in support of UNICEF’s ‘No Lost Generation’ initiative, which provides protection, trauma care and education for children affected by the crisis.
Kenya
Question
Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence provided by Human Rights Watch in respect of the availability of justice for those who experienced mass killings and rape associated with the 2007 presidential election in Kenya.[HL3727]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): Pursuing transitional justice is important for long-term peace and stability in Kenya. We acknowledge the steps taken by the Government of Kenya to address the needs of some victims of post-election violence. The UK encourages greater efforts by the Government of Kenya to promote reconciliation and make further substantial progress on this agenda. It is therefore essential that the needs of the victims continue to be placed at the centre of efforts to deliver justice.
Learning Disability and Autism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in working with Health Education England, Skills for Health and partners to develop a national workforce academy to improve the knowledge and skills of health and social care professionals working with people with a learning disability or autism whose behaviour challenges. [HL3667]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Sir Stephen Bubb’s report, Winterbourne View – Time for Change, which was published in November recommended that a national workforce academy should be established. A cross-system response to the report is expected early in the new year and will be coordinated by NHS England.
Learning Disability: Health Services
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address variations in uptake and quality of annual health checks for people with a learning disability.[HL3665]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): General Practitioners are supported to deliver annual health checks for people with learning disabilities from the age of 14 through the Designated Enhanced Service payment scheme. The promotion of and increased access to annual health checks is a priority for NHS England.
NHS England is working in partnership with the Improving Health and Lives team in Public Health England to deliver workshops for stakeholders, and to improve information to people with learning disabilities and their families and carers to support them to access the services.
NHS England’s work in 2014-15 has focused on analysing the variation in uptake at the level of its Area Teams, including engaging with a range of stakeholders to assess the barriers and obstacles to improving uptake. This early engagement and analysis has highlighted the importance that local clinical leadership has had in driving up uptake in areas where there is higher uptake.
Learning Disability: Nurses
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that every acute hospital employs a learning disability liaison nurse.[HL3662]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Equality Act 2010 exists to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. All National Health Service providers including acute hospitals have a duty to promote disability equality.
The requirement for acute hospitals to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for people with learning disabilities is normally included in commissioner contracts and compliance measured as part of the contract management role/process. Trusts are held to account through this mechanism.
Learning Disability Liaison Nurses are proven to improve the quality of services for people with learning disabilities in acute hospitals, and are an important way of demonstrating compliance with the requirement.
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) approach to inspecting trusts ensures that the trust has made appropriate adjustments to meet the needs of service users, as outlined in the Key Line Of Enquiry for ‘Responsive’ in the appendix to the acute hospital handbook, available on the CQC’s website. Appropriate adjustments specifically include provision for the care of patients with learning disabilities.
The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out our ambitions for the health service, which include an objective that NHS England ensures clinical commissioning groups work with local authorities to ensure that vulnerable people, particularly those with learning disabilities and autism, receive safe, appropriate, high quality care. NHS England sets out how it will achieve the objectives in the Mandate in its 2014-15 – 2016-17 business plan. The Government will hold NHS England to account for its achievement.
Leasehold
Question
Asked by Baroness Gardner of Parkes
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the division of responsibilities in leasehold property between (1) lead lessees, (2) landlords, and (3) long-term residents who are either tenants or leaseholders. [HL3863]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): The responsibilities of each party with a legal and/or financial interest in a leasehold property will be determined by the terms of the lease. This is the contractual agreement between the parties, and which may vary depending on the property concerned and other requirements.
Libya
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose a resolution of the United Nations Security Council following the referral to that body by the International Criminal Court of the finding of non-compliance by the government of Libya in respect of failure to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the Court and failure to return seized documents to the defence.[HL3734]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): On 10 December the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber dealing with Saif Qadhafi’s case issued a decision, which found that Libya had failed to comply with the Court’s request to surrender Qadhafi. It decided to refer Libya’s non-compliance to the United Nations Security Council. The United Kingdom fully supports the ICC’s decision and urges Libya to surrender Qadhafi to the Court. We will work within the Security Council for an effective response to the ICC.
Loans
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the size of peer-to-peer consumer and business finance.[HL3417]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to regulate the peer-to-peer lending market.[HL3418]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Peer-to-peer lending is an innovative new form of finance and the Government is keen to see this sector continue to grow and evolve.
Following representations from the peer-to-peer sector, the Government announced in November 2012 its intention to bring peer-to-peer lending within the regulatory scope of the Financial Conduct Authority from April 2014. Proportionate regulation will allow the sector to continue to grow.
The Government has not made an assessment of the size of the peer-to-peer consumer and business finance markets.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority about whether to allow the securitisation of peer-to-peer consumer or business loans.[HL3415]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they, the Bank of England or the Financial Conduct Authority have held any discussions with the credit rating agencies about the securitisation of peer-to-peer consumer or business loans.[HL3416]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what risks they consider need to be prepared for in the expansion of the peer-to-peer lending market; and whether the potential securitisation of such lending would require additional regulation.[HL3419]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England are looking at modelling what level of institutional investment in peer-to-peer (P2P) collaterised loan obligations, or at what level funds established to buy P2P collaterised loans, would present a systemic risk to the financial system; and if not, whether they have done so or plan to.[HL3420]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Her Majesty’s Government have not had any discussions with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or credit rating agencies about the securitisation of peer-to-peer loans.
However, since April 2014, the peer-to-peer lending sector has been supervised and regulated by the FCA. The FCA monitors risks in any regulated sector on an ongoing basis.
Loans: Republic of Ireland
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the arrangements for the government of the Republic of Ireland to repay loans provided during the recent banking crisis.[HL3572]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Republic of Ireland owes the United Kingdom as a result of loans made during the recent banking crisis.[HL3573]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the discussions which preceded the loan of funds to the Republic of Ireland as a result of the recent banking crisis, what restrictions were placed on their use.[HL3574]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The UK provided a bilateral loan to Ireland as part of an international assistance package, designed to stabilise the Irish economy and public finances. The UK bilateral loan was not limited to specific purposes but contributed to Ireland's general government financing.
In accordance with the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, HM Treasury reports to Parliament every six months including information on principal and interest payments.
I refer the noble Lord to the report laid on 13 October 2014 which is also available online, alongside all previous reports submitted by HM Treasury[1].
[1]These reports are available in the Library of the House and can be accessed on the following site: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bilateral-loan-to-ireland
Malaysia
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the ill-treatment and death of North Korean workers at a mine in Sarawak; and whether they have raised those reports with the government of Malaysia.[HL3707]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): We are aware of reports of fatalities at a mine in Sarawak and wider concerns about labour rights in Malaysia, in particular for foreign workers. Our High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is in close touch with civil society and regularly hears their concerns.
Marine Protected Areas
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Marine Protected Areas will be established around the coast of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland during each year from 2015 to 2020; what restrictions on fishing, transport, and extraction of oil, gas and minerals will be required for each area; and which organisations will be responsible for regulating those areas and reporting on those developments.[HL3696]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Each Administration in the UK has responsibility for designating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in its inshore waters. Offshore waters adjacent to England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the UK Government. The Scottish Government is responsible for the designation of MPAs for offshore waters adjacent to Scotland. Responsibility for reporting on any plans for future Marine Protected Areas within their areas rests with the appropriate administration in the UK.
The UK Government aims to consult on a second tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) early next year. This will include details of all the proposed sites and an Impact Assessment containing estimates
of the cost implications for marine industries. A third tranche of MCZs is expected to follow. Natural England has recently consulted on proposals for two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in English inshore waters in accordance with the EU Wildbirds Directive. Proposals for further SPAs in the waters for which the UK Government is responsible will be published in due course. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is analysing evidence to determine whether there are any further potential Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise in accordance with the criteria in the EU Habitats Directive, and will report in due course.
All regulatory authorities are obliged to exercise their functions, including licensing and development consents, in a manner consistent with their legal obligations to protect MPAs in the relevant national legislation. The main regulatory authorities are the Department for Energy and Climate Change, with respect to significant energy projects and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for most other marine licencing consents. Inshore fisheries are managed by the relevant Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the MMO. Fisheries management for offshore sites will be achieved through EU Regulation under the Common Fisheries Policy.
Mass Media: Competition
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure that there is a diverse range of independent news media voices across all platforms.[HL3601]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Government consulted on the scope of a measurement framework for media plurality in July 2013. We published our response to that consultation in August 2014; our response also addressed the recommendations of the Lords' Communications Committee report into plurality. In our response, we set out the scope of a measurement framework for media plurality and subsequently commissioned Ofcom to develop this, informed by a suitable set of indicators. The Government has been clear that it will not consider changing the existing regulatory framework for media plurality until the measurement framework and a baseline assessment have been delivered. I understand that Ofcom plans to consult on their proposals for a measurement framework early in the New Year and hopes to publish its conclusions in summer 2015.
Medicine: Postgraduate Education
Questions
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Masters students, and (2) PhD students were supported via the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in nursing or allied care disciplines in each of the last three years.[HL3521]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Department supports postgraduate study in nursing and allied care disciplines through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), except where courses are sponsored directly by National Health Service (NHS) bodies.
HEFCE funding is provided via two different routes:
i) Taught Programmes, which are typically Masters qualifications such as Masters of Arts or Masters of Sciences, but also include courses such as postgraduate diplomas;
ii) Research Programmes, which are typically Doctorates in Philosophy (PhDs), but can include some Masters programmes such as Masters of Philosophy or Masters of Research courses. Research programmes are funded through ‘Quality-Related (QR) Research Degree Programme (RDP) supervision funding’.
Information on the number of full-time equivalents funded on each of these programmes is provided in the tables.
Funding for Postgraduate Taught Programmes
| Students funded by HEFCE on Taught Programmes in nursing and subjects allied to medicine1 | |||
| 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 students.
1. Figures are based on the ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ principal subject area, defined by the Joint Academic Coding System, and exclude those studying ‘Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology’ and ‘Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy’.
2. Taught Masters Programmes are defined by HESA course aims E00, M00, M01, M02, M10, M11, M16 and M50. The full definitions for these course aims are published at www.hesa.ac.uk
3. Source of data: HESA/ILR data for the period 2010-11 to 2012-13.
Funding for Postgraduate Research Programmes
| Students counting towards HEFCE’s Quality Related Research Degree Programme supervision funding1, 2 | |||
| 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 students.
1 Eligible UK- and EU-domiciled postgraduate research students are counted in this allocation.
2 Research Students include both those studying towards PhDs and those studying towards a research masters (such as an MRes or MPhil).
3 Nursing and allied care studies have been defined in this table on the basis of Units of Assessment used in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
4 FTE Figures on QR RDP supervision funding are based on Post-Graduate Research Data reported to HESA for the years shown.
5 Funding is confined to those Higher Education Provider Departments that attained a rating of at least a 2* in the 2008 RAE.
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Masters students, and (2) PhD students were supported via the Department of Health in nursing or allied care disciplines in each of the last three years. [HL3522]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Health Education England (HEE) fund higher education institutions (HEIs) to provide Masters in Clinical Research places to nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals (AHPs) who work in the National Health Service. HEIs have reported 125 Masters studentships in the 2011-12 academic year (all HEIs) and 152 in 2012-13 (11 out of 12 HEIs). Full data for 2012-13 is expected shortly. Data for 2013-14 is expected by early 2015.
NIHR and NIHR/HEE doctoral fellowships for nurses, midwives and AHPs totalled nine awarded in 2012, 32 in 2013 and 15 in 2014.
Mental Health Services
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to determine how the legal requirement in relation to parity of esteem is to be followed by NHS England.[HL3514]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies have been implemented by NHS England to implement the legal requirement in relation to parity of esteem.[HL3515]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to monitor the performance of NHS England in ensuring that parity of esteem is fully implemented in the National Health Service.[HL3516]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government holds the National Health Service to account for achieving parity of esteem by setting objectives in the NHS England Mandate and monitoring their delivery through the NHS Outcomes Framework. If NHS England is failing to deliver against its objectives, Ministers can ask NHS England to report on what action it has taken, or to set out a plan for improvement.
The NHS Mandate 2015-16 makes clear that by March 2016 we expect NHS England to have made further measurable progress towards achieving true parity of esteem where everyone who needs it has timely access to evidenced based services that are better integrated with physical health services.
In January 2014 the Government set out its priorities for mental health in Closing the Gap that sets out the steps that the government, NHS England and their partners will take to make progress towards parity of esteem for mental health. This is complemented by the Department and NHS England’s new five-year plan for mental health, Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services by 2020 that was published in October 2014.
To make progress towards delivering parity of esteem the Department and NHS England have:
- worked together to ensure that there are consistent messages to commissioners and providers about the importance of delivering parity of esteem for mental health service users;- extended the legal rights to choice in mental health so people with mental health problems will have the same choice for their care as they do for their physical health;- invested £400 million in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy for adults and £54m over the four year period from 2011-2015 in the children and young people’s IAPT programme to transform child and adolescent mental health services;- set two new waiting time targets to make sure that, by 2016, at least 50% of young people referred for early intervention in psychosis services will start treatment within two weeks and treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks;- identified £40 million additional spending this year and freed up a further £80 million for 2015-16, to support the implementation of the new waiting time standards; and- invested £2 million in nine street triage pilots where police and mental health professionals work together to support people in mental health crisis access safe, appropriate care and we have committed £25 million in 2014-15 to commission 10 trial sites delivering on a new standard service specification for liaison and diversion services in England.
Monitor and NHS England are responsible for setting the national tariff arrangements and are working together to develop a national payment system for mental health which promotes improving outcomes and recovery.
We will also be investing £30 million a year over the next five years in England to improve services for young people with mental health problems. This will place particular emphasis on eating disorders.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms they have set up to consider complaints from patients who consider that parity of esteem has not been established in relation to their own treatment. [HL3517]
Earl Howe: Where a patient is dissatisfied with the service provided by the National Health Service, it is right that they should make a complaint. The appropriate mechanism for such a complaint is the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. This would include a complaint about parity of esteem.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people experiencing mental health problems, including those with an
additional learning disability, do not have to wait for longer than 18 weeks to receive appropriate treatment.[HL3663]
Earl Howe: Mental health and well-being is a priority for this Government. We have legislated for parity of esteem between mental and physical health and included it in our Mandate to NHS England. This makes it clear that “everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence-based services”. This will involve extending and ensuring more open access to programmes.
In our new five-year plan for mental health, Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services by 2020, we identified £40 million additional spending this year and freed up a further £80 million for 2015-16. This will, for the first time ever, enable the setting of access and waiting time standards in mental health services, including for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. The standards will include:
- treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks;- treatment within two weeks for more than 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis; and- £30 million targeted investment will help people in crisis to access effective support in accident and emergency.
Starting this year, the Department and NHS England will work together with mental health system partners to develop detailed proposals for the introduction of further access and waiting time standards from 2016 onwards.
Mental Illness: Police Custody
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to eliminate the use of police cells as a place of safety for children and adults experiencing a mental health crisis.[HL3664]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government is taking action to prevent the inappropriate use of police cells as a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983.
The Government has an ambition to reduce this practice by 50% this year – and to see how police and health colleagues can work together so that it does not happen at all to children and young people.
Last year the number of people taken to police cells as places of safety fell significantly, from 8,667 in 2011-12 to 6,028 in 2013-14. The police have told us that between the six months of April and September this year there have been 2,282 such cases – which, if maintained over the rest of the year, would result in a further 24% decrease in use of cells over last year. At the same time the use of health-based places of safety increased by 3,019 uses between 2012-13 and 2013-14.
This puts us well on track to achieve our aim of reducing the 2011-12 figure of 8,667 uses of police cells by half in 2014-15.
There was a small reduction of 10% in the numbers of children who were taken to a police cell as a place of safety – for 2013-14 this happened in 236 cases, and for 2012-13 this happened in 263 cases.
In February, we published a Crisis Care Concordat to make sure people in crisis get the help they need. All localities are working together to complete local crisis declarations agreed by all the local relevant agencies, by the end of the year.
The concordat states a clear expectation that “police custody is never used as a place of safety” for under-18s, except in very exceptional circumstances where a police officer makes the decision that immediate safety of a child or young person requires it.
In conjunction with the Home Office, the Department of Health has conducted a review of Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. This was published on 18 December 2014.
The new Children and Young People's Mental Health and Well-Being Taskforce will also be looking at the issue of under 18s being detained in police custody as part of its Access and Prevention work.
Mesothelioma
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Faulks on 9 December (HL Deb, col 1710), what evidence they have for the assertion that a lack of good research proposals is deterring research into mesothelioma and that there are no problems concerning availability of funding. [HL3669]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have been receiving high quality research applications in mesothelioma. The Government is implementing a package of measures to stimulate an increase in the volume of applications and funded research in mesothelioma.
In the last five financial years (2009-10 to 2013-14) the MRC has received 10 applications for grants or fellowships that relate to research on mesothelioma. Of these 10 applications four were successful resulting in a success rate of 40%. This is higher than the overall success rate for applications to the MRC which during the same period has been between 20% and 25%.
In the last five financial years, 11 applications relating to mesothelioma have been submitted to research programmes managed by the NIHR. Of these 11 applications four were successful resulting in a success rate of 36%. Success rates for NIHR-managed programmes are available on the NIHR website and are typically lower than 36%.
Middle East
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they assess the effectiveness of the various United Nations agencies trying to meet the urgent needs of refugees and displaced people in northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria; and in particular whether they consider that enough authority is locally devolved.[HL3598]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): DFID closely monitors the effectiveness of UN agencies in meeting the urgent needs of displaced people in Northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria, including through our field team. The UK is supporting the UN to scale up operations – including through funding key staff positions in agency field offices – to strengthen the UN’s presence at a local level.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they are giving to negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.[HL3626]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): There remains an urgent need for negotiations to agree a durable ceasefire agreement, which tackles the underlying problems of the conflict in Gaza. We were disappointed that it was not possible for the Cairo negotiations to resume as planned on 27 October, due to the terrorist attack in the Sinai. We are urging the parties to ensure that these resume quickly.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take regarding Israel’s occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.[HL3682]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Middle East Peace Process continues to be one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s principal foreign policy priorities. Only a negotiated two-state solution will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all and end the occupation. The UK stands ready to do all it can to support this goal.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the viability of the two state solution, in the light of Israel’s plans on settlement expansions.[HL3683]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Discussions are underway in Brussels on what further measures the EU could take to discourage further settlement expansion. As the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 17 November made clear, the UK and other EU Member States are deeply concerned by recent developments, are closely monitoring the situation and its broader implications, and remain ready to take further action in order to protect the viability of the two state solution.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of civilian casualties caused by air strikes against ISIS by Western forces. [HL3721]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The coalition, which includes a number of regional partners, as well as “western” nations, takes every possible precaution to avoid civilian casualties, unlike the ISIL terrorists who show no respect for human rights or human life within the territory they control. Coalition targets are selected with the utmost care, the times of attack are carefully chosen and precision guided weapons are used. We are not aware of UK strikes causing civilian casualties.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the treatment of homosexuals in Middle East countries, in particular in (1) Israel, (2) the Palestinian Territories, and (3) Gaza.[HL3723]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): The Government's clear message is that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people.
We believe that the international community must address all forms of discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and we must also promote respect for diversity. Work in combating violence and discrimination against LGBT people forms an important part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's wider international human rights work.
The British Embassy in Tel Aviv has marched in the Gay Pride parades in Tel Aviv over recent years. At this year's march, Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel spoke at the large public gathering and referred to Israel becoming a more tolerant society over the past decade.
We are deeply concerned about the treatment of the LGBT community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in Gaza where they are subject to widespread social discrimination for cultural and religious reasons. Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in the OPTs. In some places, such as Ramallah, these taboos are relaxed, but in more conservative areas the situation is very challenging. There are no laws protecting LGBT people, however, we are not aware of any recent legal cases being prosecuted against LGBT people.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the viability of the two-state solution, in the light of the statement by the Hamas leadership on 14 December that they are intent on the destruction of Israel.[HL3813]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We condemn the statement by senior Hamas leader, Khalil al-Hayya, on 14 December claiming that “the illusion of Israel will be removed” by Hamas' military wing.
The Government's policy on Hamas has not changed and is clear: Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We believe that only a negotiated two-state solution will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all and end the occupation.
Military Aircraft
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long they estimate it will take to procure an armed long-range anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance capability, based on a manned aircraft, after the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review has been completed.[HL3749]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): The time it would take to acquire such an aircraft would depend on the platform selected, the availability of funding, and commercial arrangements. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific timeline.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Air ISTAR Optimisation Study included any evidence-based analysis of any capability gap left by the scrapping of the Nimrod replacement programme. [HL3751]
Lord Astor of Hever: Yes. The evidence gathered by the study will permit informed decisions to be made during the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis has been conducted to establish the potential systems and cost benefits of including a long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the United Kingdom strategic deterrent system or systems.[HL3802]
Lord Astor of Hever: We have performed a number of assessments of the potential impact that a maritime patrol aircraft might have on the security of the strategic deterrent system. The potential contribution of such aircraft to the maintenance of continuous at-sea deterrence is well understood.
I am withholding further information as its disclosure would or would likely prejudice national security.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what platforms they consider could fill any anti-submarine warfare manned aircraft gap at an acceptable level of technical risk within the timeframe available after the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review; and what assessment they have made of how long it would take to integrate United Kingdom complex weapons into such platforms.[HL3750]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Air ISTAR Optimisation Study included any analysis of the comparative whole-life costs across all Defence Lines of Development of deploying the different solutions to any maritime surveillance and long-range anti-submarine warfare capability gap.[HL3752]
Lord Astor of Hever: The information requested is not available, as typically such questions are addressed at a later stage in a procurement cycle. A decision on whether to acquire a new capability will not be made until the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Minimum Wage
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many visits were made to employers in each year from 2010 to 2013 and in the first nine months of 2014 to check that the minimum wage was being properly paid; and what were the results of those checks in each of those years.[HL3596]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously and has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.
HMRC reviews every complaint that is referred to it, investigating the complaint and, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where we identify a high risk of non-payment of NMW.
HMRC record completed investigations but these do not include details of the numbers of visits. Some investigations may require several visits and others may be completed without any. HMRC completed 1455 investigations last year identifying record arrears of over £4.6 million. Full details for 2010 to 2014 are contained in the table below. We do not typically disclose results mid-way through a year; this is because the results have not been internally verified.
| Year | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 |
Money Laundering: EU Action
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress of current negotiations on the proposed 4th European Union Directive on
money laundering as regards risk assessment and consequent enhanced due diligence for United Kingdom Politically Exposed Persons.[HL3724]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government has advocated a risk-based approach to “politically exposed persons” domestically, through negotiations on the Directive.
In the UK, this would require treating UK PEPs, such as UK Parliamentarians, on the basis of risk when undertaking customer due diligence. Enhanced due diligence would only apply if the business relationship is assessed as high risk.
Political agreement between the Presidency, the European Parliament and the Commission on the Directive was reached on 16 December. We expect the Italian Presidency to provide further details shortly.
Muscular Dystrophy: Drugs
Question
Asked by Lord Walton of Detchant
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have withdrawn approval of the drug Translarna, introduced for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, despite the preliminary results achieved in some patients in trials in Newcastle upon Tyne.[HL3639]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government has not withdrawn any approvals for Translarna (ataluren).
We understand that a draft clinical commissioning policy to cover the use of Translarna for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is currently going through NHS England's standard development and decision making processes.
NHS England remains committed to ensuring that a timely decision is made about this treatment as one of a range of investment proposals that has been put forward for the 2015-16 financial year.
NHS England continues to keep the range of services and treatments available to patients under review as new evidence and expert guidance becomes available.
National Insurance Contributions
Question
Asked by Baroness Hollis of Heigham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many additional part-time workers, by gender, currently earning between £3,000 a year and the current lower earnings limit they estimate would, by virtue of their earnings, fall within the National Insurance system should the lower earnings limit be reduced to £3,000 and at what gross cost to the Exchequer; how many of those additional part-time workers, by gender, earning between £3,000 a year and the lower earnings limit would currently be credited into the National Insurance system; and what, taking into account existing crediting arrangements, would be the net cost of reducing the lower earnings limit to £3,000.[HL3866]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The information is not available.
Naturalisation
Questions
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants for naturalisation demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the English language because they had obtained an academic qualification (not being a professional or vocational qualification), which is deemed by the United Kingdom National Recognition Information Centre to meet the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the United Kingdom.[HL3823]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): Information on how many applicants for naturalisation demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of English by providing an academic qualification which is deemed by UK NARIC to meet the standard of a UK degree is not aggregated in national reporting systems. This information could only be obtained by a disproportionately expensive manual case by case search to collate the data.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an applicant for naturalisation is exempt from satisfying the English language requirement if the applicant can prove a knowledge of Welsh or Scots Gaelic at a minimum level of Bachelor of Arts on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. [HL3826]
Lord Bates: An individual applying for naturalisation is required to demonstrate their knowledge of language and life in the UK. The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 specify how that requirement may be satisfied, which does not include demonstrating proficiency in either Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. The ability to speak to and understand the wider community is key to integration. As English is the language spoken throughout the UK, an ability to speak English enables interaction wherever an individual chooses to live. Therefore, a person can only meet this part of the knowledge of language and life requirement by demonstrating speaking and listening proficiency in English.
Neurology
Question
Asked by Lord Walton of Detchant
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to respond to the survey of Acute Neurology Services issued by the Association of British Neurologists in December; and what action they plan to take to ensure that clearly defined quality standards in acute neurology are achieved evenly throughout the United Kingdom in the near future.[HL3720]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): NHS England recognises that, as this report from the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) shows, there is room for improvement in the way neurology services are delivered in acute settings. It has been working with the ABN, the Neurological Alliance, the National Clinical Director for Neurological Conditions and representatives from the Strategic Clinical Networks to develop a framework for improving neurology standards within acute settings.
The aim of this framework, which is in the process of being developed, is to help patients and their carers understand what standard of care they should expect, and to support clinicians, National Health Service staff, commissioners and others in the NHS and elsewhere that are responsible for the care of people with neurological conditions to understand how Acute services can be better delivered.
Neurological care in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is matter for the devolved administrations of those countries.
New Towns
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their plans for new Garden Cities differ in comparison to the original concept.[HL3690]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): There is no difference. Our locally-led Garden Cities prospectus, published in April, offered a package of support to localities wishing to bring forward new high quality, well designed new communities which put the resident at the heart of planning. As stated in that prospectus, the Government does not wish to impose a set of detailed development principles on localities taking forward new garden cities, but will instead work with localities to support them in developing and delivering their own vision.