Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total number of staff employed by NHS England, their grades and their total cost.[HL3812]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The total number of whole time equivalent (WTE) staff employed by NHS England as of November 2014 is 5605.47 and their total cost for 2014-15 is £312,897,165. The split by grade can be seen in the following table.
| Salary Band | Worked WTE paid in Nov-14 | Actual Apr to Nov and estimate Dec 14 to Mar 15 £ |
NHS England Specialised Commissioning Task Force
Questions
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the full terms of reference of the NHS England specialised commissioning task force review, particularly in respect of its work relating to the funding and commissioning of treatments for rare diseases.[HL3735]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The aim of the specialised commissioning taskforce is to improve ways of working and to ensure that specialised commissioning is undertaken in the most efficient and effective way possible.
Within the task force work programme there are specific projects. A number of the work streams are relevant to the funding of all specialised services, of which rare diseases will be an element.
NHS England provides regular updates on the work of the taskforce to external and internal stakeholders every 3-4 weeks. There are also briefings given at key
meetings and to key groups - for example the Patient and Public Voice Assurance Group. Updates can be found on the NHS England website.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the NHS England specialised commissioning task force will take into account the outcome of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence review of the process for evaluating highly specialised technologies.[HL3736]
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.
RDAG makes recommendations to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group about how highly specialised services should be commissioned.
RDAG receives recommendations from Clinical Reference Groups set up by NHS England, and in addition formulates its advice by calling on sources of sound evidence from outside the National Health Service, such as professional bodies and patient groups.
RDAG will respond to consultations issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Highly Specialised Technology Programme, and 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.
NHS: Negligence
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been paid out by the National Health Service in settlement of clinical negligence claims both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the NHS budget in each of the last ten years for which data are available.[HL3519]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Department does not hold complete information on this centrally, as each National Health Service body is responsible for handling its own litigation except where they have the claims processed under the statutory NHS indemnity schemes, which are administered by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHS LA) on behalf of the Secretary of State. However, the vast majority of litigation claims against the NHS are handled by the NHS LA, and costs met from its schemes.
The following table shows the payments paid out by the NHS LA in settlement of clinical negligence claims both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the Department’s total departmental expenditure limit (TDEL) in each of the last ten years for which data are available.
Payments made by NHS LA in respect of clinical negligence claims against the NHS:
| Year | Total Payments | (TDEL) Outturn | Percentage |
| £’000 | £’000 | ||
Note:
1. Numbers taken from the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts
2. During the Spending Review 2010 period (i.e. 2011-12 to 2014-15), there have been two significant Machinery of Government changes to transfer functions and spending from DH to the Department for Communities and Local Government. These changes were only backdated to 2007-08 and therefore the TDEL figures for financial years before this date are not directly comparable.
Non-domestic Rates
Question
Asked by Lord Browne of Belmont
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to bring forward proposals to enable small businesses to claim a rates reduction to help them retain staff.[HL3501]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): At Autumn Statement 2014, the government announced it would double Small Business Rate Relief in England for one year from April 2015, reducing business rates for 575,000 small businesses, with 385,000 paying no rates at all.
Further, businesses throughout the UK are entitled to a £2,000 Employment Allowance to reduce their employer National Insurance Contributions bill every year. 97 per cent of claimants for the Employment Allowance have been small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
North Korea
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of disabled people in North Korea.[HL3708]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): As set out in the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Annual Report, there was no evidence of
improvement in the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2013, with the possible exception of a marginal improvement in disability rights.
The DPRK signed the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in July 2013. We understand that, following revision of its relevant legislation, the DPRK government is aiming to ratify the Convention by the end of 2016.
During 2014, our Embassy in Pyongyang has worked where possible with international and domestic organisations in the DPRK to promote disability rights and improve the treatment of disabled people. This included supporting a sports and cultural event for disabled children on the “National Day of People with Disability” to raise awareness of disability issues.
Internationally, we are keeping the spotlight on the DPRK on the range of human rights issues. We strongly supported the recent country resolution on human rights in the UN General Assembly Third Committee.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the safety of the families of North Korean refugees who remain in North Korea was considered before the United Kingdom designated South Korea as a safe country of origin for refugees.[HL3709]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The legal test for designation of a State (or part of a State) is set out in section 94(5) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. A country can be designated if it is “generally safe”, i.e. that persecution or other serious human rights abuses are not widespread and that removal of a person to that State would not in general contravene the UK’s obligations under European Convention on Human Rights. The treatment faced outside of the state (or part of state) by those entitled to reside in it is not a relevant consideration. Any risk faced by the families of refugees would be the same whether the person gets protection in the UK or in South Korea. Even if that risk were different, designation of South Korea is still appropriate because there is, in general, no risk to nationals or residents of that country.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded organisations in North Korea pay their in-country partners in North Korean Won or in foreign currency; and how the British Embassy pays its North Korean staff. [HL3755]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office projects in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are usually delivered through international partners, such as the British Council, International Committee of the Red Cross or the Royal United Service Institute. Where we or partners make payments in-country for specific goods or services, this is usually done in euros. Our Embassy in Pyongyang does not pay for project costs in North Korean won.
The local staff who work at our Embassy in Pyongyang are not directly employed by the Embassy, but employed and assigned by the DPRK government. This arrangement is common to all Embassies and international organisations working in the DPRK. Basic salaries are paid to the DPRK’s General Services Bureau, while allowances, overtime and bonuses are paid directly to individuals. All payments are made in euros.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what anti-bribery measures are in place for Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded organisations working in North Korea in the light of the assessment in Transparency International’s 2014 Corruption Index of corruption among North Korean public officials.[HL3756]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) projects in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are usually delivered through international partners such as the British Council, International Committee of the Red Cross or the Royal United Services Institute. Before we select an implementing partner we carry out relevant due diligence checks, which include, but are not limited to, obtaining assurances about: training provided to staff in relation to reporting bribery and corruption; how those concerns are shared with donors; and what policies and principles and/or procedures the organisation has in place to regulate its own conduct.
In line with standard FCO project requirements, detailed budgets are required for all projects and these are carefully checked to ensure both in-country and other costs are reasonable. Project implementers are required to provide quarterly financial reports and originals or copies of all invoices and receipts, as well as a Project Completion Report containing a detailed breakdown of all expenditure during the project period. The final payment on any project is only released after submission of a satisfactory Project Completion Report.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea, in particular the recommendation that those responsible should be tried for crimes against humanity.[HL3828]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Following the publication of the Commission’s report in February 2014, the UK has worked with the EU and like-minded partners to ensure strong resolutions on DPRK human rights at both the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly, including language condemning the ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in the DPRK, commending the work of the Commission of Inquiry and encouraging the UN Security Council to consider the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Commission and take appropriate action to ensure accountability.
We have also worked to ensure formal discussion of DPRK human rights by the UN Security Council. On 5 December the UK, along with nine other members
of the Security Council, sent a joint letter to the President of the Security Council, requesting that the situation in the DPRK be placed on the Council’s agenda. A meeting to discuss this new agenda item took place on 22 December. During this first discussion the UK used our intervention to express our concern at the human rights situation in the DPRK and our belief that if the DPRK will not hold human rights violators to account, the international community must be ready to do so. We also underlined that the DPRK authorities bear primary responsibility for protecting human rights and expressed our regret that they have withdrawn the offers of engagement made in the run up to the Third Committee vote.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (214687) on 21 November, how many North Korean citizens were able to access United Kingdom-funded small-scale projects focused on human rights, rather than humanitarian goals, throughout 2013.[HL3831]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law forms a core part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s work. We aim to make a difference to people’s lives by helping to build the capacity of governments and civil society to promote and protect human rights across the globe, including where possible within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The nature of human rights projects means it is difficult to define them in terms of how many people were able to “access” them. For example, in 2013 one project in support of human rights in the DPRK was the funding of the UN Commission of Inquiry to visit London and hear testimony from refugees. No North Korean citizens participated in this project and very few will have heard of the Commission’s report, but this does not mean the project was not a meaningful contribution to human rights in the DPRK.
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what change will be delivered in North Korea by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded Thomson Foundation project "Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world", in respect of the unavailability of the internet in that country and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry’s findings on freedom of expression and freedom of information in that country; and what assessment they have made of concerns that North Korean journalists benefiting from the project are members of the Workers’ Party of Korea.[HL3832]
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) maintains extremely tight control over media and restricts access to foreign broadcasting. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded project ‘Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world’ is an on-going media project which intends to increase interaction between the DPRK and international media
organisations. The objective is to promote a more open culture of news reporting in line with internationally accepted journalistic norms and technical standards, by encouraging greater discussion and dialogue within DPRK broadcasting. Rather than benefitting the Workers’ Party of Korea, the project seeks to encourage greater interaction between the participants and the outside world.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Questions
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that sufficient progress was made at the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; and what progress they can report on identified follow-on actions.[HL3608]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Government believes the Action Plan that resulted from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2010 Review Conference, which was agreed by all NPT States Parties, was a success, encompassing over sixty actions related to disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Since the 2010 Review Conference, the UK has taken a variety of steps in support of progress against that Action Plan. Many of these steps were set out in our statements to the 2014 NPT Preparatory Committee, which are available on the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs website at the following link: http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/en/secretariat/unoda/npt/third-session-of¬the-preparatory-committee-2014/statements-(10)/. The UK also published a national report on progress against the Action Plan at the Preparatory Committee; a copy is available in the Library of the House and attached to this response.
This Answer included the following attachment: UK National Report (UK's national report to the 2014 PrepCom.docx)
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take give a political lead at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to be held from 28 April to 9 May 2015 in New York, in the light of that conference taking place during the election period.[HL3609]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The UK takes all of its international obligations seriously. We are still developing our approach to next year’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, taking account of international developments and consultations with other States Parties. We are also considering the implications for the UK’s approach, given the Review Conference’s concurrent timing with the general election.
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priorities they identified at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty preparatory committee earlier this year that they will pursue at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review itself.[HL3610]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Our officials actively participated in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2014 Preparatory Committee, which provided a valuable opportunity to engage with NPT States Parties on priorities for the Review Conference. The Government’s objectives reflect our overall approach to the NPT: we want to agree further progress towards a world free from nuclear weapons and to highlight our actions in support of this; encourage action that will help to contain any threat of proliferation or non-compliance with the NPT; and support the responsible global expansion of civil nuclear industries. We believe that the NPT is the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and we therefore hope that NPT States Parties will be able to agree a consensual outcome balanced across all three mutually-reinforcing pillars to strengthen that position.
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they hope to make on Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty next year; and what obstacles they anticipate.[HL3611]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government will continue to implement the commitment announced in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, to reduce the number of operationally available nuclear warheads to no more than 120 and to reduce our overall nuclear weapon stockpile to no more than 180 by the mid 2020s. We will continue our efforts to build confidence between the Nuclear Weapons States (a fundamental foundation for disarmament). As one of those steps to foster mutual trust and confidence, the UK will host the next conference of P5 Nuclear Weapon States in London in February 2015.
We will also continue to push for entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and for negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty to start in the Conference on Disarmament. In addition, we will take forward our pioneering research into disarmament verification. We have made clear that our goal is a world without nuclear weapons. This goal has to be approached step by step through further reductions by the two States holding the majority of nuclear weapons and through increased confidence between the Nuclear Weapon States.
We remain fully committed to these efforts, despite the challenges of the current global security environment.
Nuclear Weapons
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what positive outcomes they can report from the 3rd International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons which they attended in Vienna.[HL3607]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The UK’s participation in the Conference was welcomed by many states, non-governmental organisations and parliamentarians. At the Conference, officials listened carefully to the participants, who expressed a very wide range of views. Some argued that the way to achieve the goal of a world without nuclear weapons was to ban weapons now or to fix a
timetable for their elimination. This approach fails to take account of the stability and security which nuclear weapons can help to secure. None of us would gain from a loss of that stability. The UK believes that the UN Disarmament Machinery and the Non-Proliferation Treaty provide the right forum for working towards a world without nuclear weapons.
Our Ambassador to Austria restated our concern at the humanitarian consequences which could result from the use of nuclear weapons. That is why the UK works extremely hard to prevent the use of nuclear weapons; to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons; and to keep our own nuclear weapons safe and secure. We are also committed to working towards a world without nuclear weapons. In our Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, the Government undertook to reduce the number of warheads we have by the mid-2020s. However, we shall retain a continuous submarine based deterrent, for as long as the global security situation makes it necessary.
A copy of the UK intervention at the Conference has been placed in the Library of the House and is attached to this response.
This Answer included the following attachment:UK intervention at International Conference (HL3607-UK Intervention Vienna HINW.docx)
Nurses
Questions
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students graduated as registered nurses in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.[HL3804]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Department does not hold information on the number of students who have graduated as registered nurses.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is responsible for registering nurses. The following table shows the number of nurses who trained in England and registered for the first time with the NMC in each of the last four years.
Number of nurses who trained in England and registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council for the first time:
| Year | Number of initial registrations from nurses who have trained in England |
Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many registered nurses were enlisted on the General Medical Council register in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.[HL3805]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Nurses are not required to register with the General Medical Council (GMC), but are required to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in order to practise as a nurse in the United Kingdom. Both the GMC and the NMC are independent bodies and are responsible for ensuring that their own registers are appropriately maintained.
The NMC does not collect information on dual registration. The following data, obtained from the NMC, shows the number of entries on the NMC register on 31 March each year since 2010:
| Date | Nurse | Midwife | Nurse & SCPHN1 | Nurse and Midwife | Nurse, Midwife & SCPHN | Midwife & SCPHN | SCPHN | Total |
Notes:
1. Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN)
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many registered nurses were employed by the National Health Service in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.[HL3806]
Earl Howe: The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes provisional monthly workforce statistics. The latest available data for September 2014 shows that there are now 313,514 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the nursing, midwifery and health visiting group.
The number of registered nurses employed by the National Health Service in each of the years from 2010 to 2014 is included in the following table.
| Hospital and Community Health Services: Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting staff | |||||
| England as at 30 September each year | FTE | ||||
| Staff Group | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics for September 2014
Notes:
These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave.
In 2011, the bank staff return was ceased. All data (for all years) in these tables excludes bank staff.
Nurses: North East
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address any shortage of nurses in the North East of England; and whether they have considered the implications of the possible failure to renew the contract currently held by Northumbria University for nurse and other related training. [HL3844]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Health Education North East (HENE) is working closely with the nurse leaders across the region to develop a Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy to address the shortage of nurses. The development of the strategy was agreed by HENE’s governing body at its meeting in September 2014.
HENE has a successful history of working with two high quality providers of nursing education, Northumbria and Teesside Universities, and there is no current intention to terminate either of these annual nursing contracts. Additionally, HENE has begun working with the Open University (OU) to develop future flexible routes into nursing by commissioning extra adult nurse places through the OU programme.
Health Education England has reached agreement with Universities UK and the Council of Deans on contracts with universities, including Northumbria, for the provision of nurse and other related training.
Nurses: Training
Question
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost of training a graduate registered nurse, including on-costs and the student bursary. [HL3807]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent estimates that the average cost of training a nurse in 2013 was £78,604. This figure reflects the total cost of training and therefore includes costs funded through the public purse, including the National Health Service bursary, and by the student.
Nutrition
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), which eight supermarkets are currently signed up to the calorie reduction pledge.[HL3544]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), what is the calorie reduction pledge signed up to by eight supermarket chains; whether they have a sugar reduction goal in mind in reference to the pledge; and if so, what it is.[HL3545]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), who is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the supermarkets’ action either to cut sugar or to provide sugar-free or sugar-reduced products.[HL3546]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), in the light of their commitment to reducing obesity, why the partnership with supermarkets in relation to their provision of sugar-free or sugar-reduced products is voluntary and not mandatory.[HL3547]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The voluntary approach of working with industry is achieving real reductions in calories, including sugar. Examples include:
- the Co-operative Group taking out added sugar from its high juices, removing 1.5 billion kcals per year; - Tesco removing two billion calories from its juices, following on from the one billion removed in 2012; and
- Sainsbury’s reducing sugar in its Own Brand chilled juices by 83.5 tonnes a year.The eight supermarkets currently signed up to the calorie reduction pledge are: - Aldi Stores;- ASDA;- the Co-operative Group;- Marks and Spencer;- Morrisons;- Sainsbury’s;- Tesco; and- Waitrose.
Companies signed up to the calorie reduction pledge have committed to support and enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories through a range of actions, including product/menu reformulation, reviewing portion sizes, education and information, and actions to shift the marketing mix towards lower calorie options. The emphasis of the pledge is on overall calorie reduction; however, cutting sugar forms an important part of that strategy.
Companies report each year on their activities to reduce calories, including sugar, and these returns are published on the Responsibility Deal website along with their Delivery Plans. An independent evaluation of the Responsibility Deal is under way and due to report early 2016.
Occupied Territories
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to place restrictions on United Kingdom trade with Israeli settlements.[HL3684]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): There are currently no plans to place restrictions on UK trade with Israeli settlements. The Government has, however, placed advice online to raise awareness of the key security and political risks that UK businesses may face when operating abroad, including in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This includes guidance on Israeli settlements. We are advising British businesses to bear in mind the Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to prohibit the importation of goods from Israeli settlements to the United Kingdom unless they are certified by the Palestinian Authority under the European Union–Palestine Liberation Organisation Association Agreement.[HL3685]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There are currently no plans for EU or domestic legislation to ban the import of settlement products. The issue of settlement produce is a subject of ongoing work with our EU partners. This work includes steps to ensure that settlement
products are correctly labelled to enable consumers to make informed decisions concerning the products they buy.
Offences against Children: Rotherham
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the protection of vulnerable children, particularly in Rotherham, in the face of recent cuts in the budget of South Yorkshire Police.[HL3368]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have analysed the Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham; and whether the total number of victims cited in that report is based on verifiable data or is an estimate.[HL3370]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bates) (Con): The Government is clear that there is more to be done for victims and to minimise the risk of such terrible events occurring in Rotherham or anywhere else in the future. What happened in Rotherham was a complete dereliction of duty.
This is why the Home Secretary has been chairing a series of Secretaries of State meetings alongside colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Communities and Local Government and Department of Health, and the Attorney General and Solicitor General to analyse the failures identified in the Jay report and consider how all parties, including the police and local government, can work together more effectively on the issue of child sexual exploitation to protect vulnerable children and bring offenders to justice.
This will build on the existing work of the Home Office-led National Group to tackle sexual violence against children and vulnerable people, which is ensuring agencies are working together to better identify those at risk.
The Jay report made a ‘conservative estimate’ that there were over 1400 victims of CSE during the 15-year period. The 1400 figure was based on a reading of 66 case files, out of a total of 988, and includes some who were forced to watch others being assaulted and abused as well as those who were physically harmed.
The Government is determined that appalling cases of child abuse should be exposed so that perpetrators face justice and the vulnerable are protected. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are able to apply for Special Grant if the police force they are responsible for faces an unexpected and exceptional event that places a significant financial burden on the force.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that South Yorkshire Police carry out the recommendations in the report by Professor Alexis Jay Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997–2013).[HL3413]
Lord Bates: The Home Secretary has written to all chief constables to ask them to take on board the lessons from the Jay report into the failings in Rotherham, and from the rolling HMIC inspections into how forces are protecting children. HMIC’s South Yorkshire Police child protection inspection report was published on 30 September.
The National Policing Lead for child protection and abuse investigation has taken action to revise the national policing child sexual exploitation action plan to take account of the learning from the Jay report and other recent publications. A series of briefings to police managers across England and Wales, including South Yorkshire Police, have been completed so that the key findings of the Jay Inquiry are shared with frontline leaders across the police service.
Furthermore, on 13 October it was announced that the Chief Constable for South Yorkshire requested that the National Crime Agency leads an independent investigation into outstanding allegations of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, raised in the Professor Jay Report.
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Ministerial Council Meeting held in Basel on 4 and 5 December; and what progress was made in the Helsinki +40 process. [HL3702]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2014 on the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) Basel Ministerial Council, made by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), which I repeated in the House of Lords (Official Report, cols. WS5-6). In the Statement, it was noted that a further declaration was agreed on the continuation of the Helsinki +40 process. However, the process in 2014 has largely stalled due to the Ukraine crisis, with only limited discussion of possible efficiency measures. The incoming Serbian OSCE chairmanship has a mandate to continue discussions. But it remains unclear how they can take the process forward while Russia continues to violate core OSCE principles. We continue to focus in the first place on restoring respect for, and implementation of, those commitments.
Outdoor Education
Question
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the main barriers for schools in developing wider learning outside the classroom programmes.[HL3542]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): All schools can choose to include teaching which takes place beyond the school’s premises into their curriculum. The Government does not prescribe to schools how they should teach; instead, it provides them with the freedom to design their own curriculum activities which best support the needs of their pupils.
When activities are structured and organised effectively, they can provide young people with stimulating experiences which build on the knowledge and understanding they gain through lessons. Learning outside the classroom can also help to build pupils’ character and interpersonal skills.
Ofsted’s report ‘Learning outside the classroom: How far should you go?’ (2008) reported on barriers to schools’ provision of such activities. The barriers included concerns about health and safety, financial costs, concerns about pupils’ behaviour, and staff workload. The report outlines successful strategies and approaches adopted by schools to overcome such barriers.
Pakistan
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to ensuring that international aid for the purposes of education in Pakistan is not used to further the discrimination of minorities; and whether conditional aid programmes will be implemented in the region.[HL3602]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): DFID has strong monitoring and third party validation arrangements in place across our education programmes to ensure UK aid is not used in ways that promote prejudice and discrimination against religious or other minorities.
Palestinians
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have held discussions with the European Union concerning the case for reversing its policy of trying to isolate and topple Hamas, in the light of the analysis of the International Crisis Group. [HL3627]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The EU and the UK have not changed their position on Hamas. The military wing of Hamas has been proscribed since 2001 under UK legislation. On Wednesday 17 December the EU General Court annulled the EU listing of Hamas on procedural grounds. However, the effects of the EU Hamas listing, including asset freezes, remain in place and we will work with partners to ensure that the Hamas listing at the EU is maintained.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Christians in Gaza.[HL3722]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We understand that there are around 1,300 Christians in Gaza, who are allowed to practise freely, including observing religious holidays.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what temporary arrangements have been made for the homeless in Gaza over this and succeeding winters.[HL3733]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): The UK was one of the biggest donors to Gaza following the recent conflict, providing more than £17 million in emergency assistance to deliver lifesaving food, clean water, shelter and medical assistance. At the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in October, the UK pledged a further £20 million which includes the provision of shelter and basic services for people displaced from their homes. We have disbursed a quarter of this pledge already to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable this winter. DFID is also funding the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism for the import of construction materials into Gaza so that people are able to repair their homes.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value to the Palestinian economy of the employment of Palestinians by Israeli companies in the West Bank.[HL3814]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): The Palestinian Central Bureau for Statistics reports that 23,100 Palestinians from the West Bank are employed in Israeli settlements (statistics for Q2, 2014). We do not have any estimation of the value of this employment to the Palestinian economy. We consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, regardless of whether Palestinians are employed in companies there or not.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to encourage Hamas to co-operate with international aid agencies in the reconstruction of civilian property.[HL3815]
Baroness Northover: Reconstruction in Gaza will require political commitment by all parties, technical capacities for crossings and equipment, the smooth functioning of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and adequate financial resources. The UK is providing £0.5 million to the mechanism as part of our pledge for Gaza early recovery and reconstruction. By 10 December, more than 6,000 people had been able to buy building materials. Ultimately, we need to see a
sustainable solution for Gaza that addresses the underlying issues, and we continue to urge the parties to resume negotiations to that end.
Parkinson’s Disease: Drugs
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease have access to a full range of treatment options.[HL3850]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2006 sets out a range of treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.
Treatments for Parkinson’s disease are largely drug based. The NICE guidance states that patient preference should be taken into account, once they have been informed of the short and long-term benefits and drawbacks of the different types of drugs available. The guidance makes it clear that other supportive treatments may also be appropriate. These can include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about access to Duodopa for people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease; and what responses they have made.[HL3851]
Earl Howe: We have received a number of representations from hon. Members, noble Lords, patient groups and members of the public about access to Duodopa for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease on the National Health Service.
Our responses have made clear that NHS England has responsibility for commissioning adult specialist neurosciences services, including the majority of services for patients with Parkinson’s disease and have set out NHS England’s position on this issue at the time of writing.
Asked by Baroness Howells of St Davids
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect NHS England to take a decision regarding the draft clinical commissioning policy for Duodopa.[HL3855]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how NHS England's decision regarding the draft clinical commissioning policy for Duodopa will be communicated to (1) the public, (2) patient organisations, and (3) healthcare professionals. [HL3856]
Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group recommended that Levodopa-Carbidopa intestinal gel (Duodopa) for advanced Parkinson’s disease should not be routinely commissioned by NHS England at this time. NHS England’s Directly Commissioned Services Committee endorsed this recommendation in June 2014 and agreed that this technology should be considered further through NHS England’s prioritisation process. The decisions of the committee were communicated via a stakeholder newsletter which is accessible both via direct mail, and through the NHS England website.
Further work has been completed on NHS England’s draft clinical commissioning policy and this is now included in the prioritisation process alongside other new treatments for consideration for 2015-16.
The decision-making framework for NHS England’s prioritisation process was discussed at its Board meeting on 17 December 2014. The Board agreed the high level principles of the framework and NHS England plans to launch a public consultation about the principles and approach to decision-making from January 2015. Members of the public, patient organisations and healthcare professionals will be able to feed their comments in via this route.
NHS England continues to keep the range of services and treatments available to patients under review as new evidence and expert guidance becomes available.
Pay
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent report of the International Labour Organisation on changes in real wages in the United Kingdom compared to those in other G20 countries.[HL3476]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Wage flexibility in the UK has helped support employment levels and household income. The government’s strategy for delivering sustainable increases in living standards is to support economic growth and get more people into work. Since the election the UK has had the fastest employment growth in the G7 (plus Australia). Employment has increased by 1.7 million since the Coalition came to power and this Government has taken decisive action to support working families, by raising the personal allowance, freezing fuel duty, and introducing tax-free childcare.
Pedestrian Crossings
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have given guidance to local authorities regarding the installation of shared space pedestrian crossings. [HL3699]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any representations regarding the installation of shared space pedestrian crossings. [HL3700]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what statistics they have on the number of accidents where a shared space pedestrian crossing has been installed; and whether those statistics indicate an increase in such accidents.[HL3701]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The design of traffic management schemes, including whether to install a shared space scheme, is the responsibility of local authorities. Shared space may incorporate what are sometimes called ‘courtesy crossings’, but these have no formal definition. They are similar in principle to informal dropped kerb crossings, which can be used to provide a crossing place where a controlled crossing is not justified.
The Department for Transport’s guidance on shared space schemes is given in the attached Local Transport Note 1/11: Shared Space.
The Department has also circulated to local authorities guidance produced by the National Federation for the Blind on ‘Access for Blind People in Towns’.
The Department receives correspondence on issues relating to all aspects of traffic management, including shared space. The correspondents range from individual members of the public to local authorities, engineering practitioners, and campaign groups.
The Department’s road safety statistics do not record whether an incident took place on a courtesy crossing, as these are not defined.
This answer contained the following attachment: Local Transport Note 1/11 (HL3699 - Local Transport Note 1-11.pdf)
Peers
Question
To ask the Chairman of Committees (1) how many Members of the House of Lords are over 70 years of age in each of the following categories: Conservative; Labour; Liberal Democrat; other, and (2) on average, how many Members attend the House each week.[HL3818]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Sewel): There are 128 Conservative Peers, 122 Labour Peers, 45 Liberal Democrat Peers, 101 Crossbench Peers and 19 other Peers over 70 years of age.
The Administration does not collect average weekly attendance figures but the average daily attendance in this Session is 479.
Pensions: Tax Allowances
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current annual cost to the Exchequer of tax relief at the standard and higher rates of tax respectively on contributions to private pensions.[HL3424]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Tax relief on pension contributions is the primary means by which the Government incentivises saving for retirement. The estimated exchequer cost arising from income tax relief on contributions made to private pensions and relief on the investment returns to private pensions in 2012-13 was £34.8bn[1]. Income tax on pensions in payment in the same year was £12.0bn, resulting in a net cost of pensions tax relief of £22.8bn in 2012-13.
[1] This is published in HMRC National Statistics table PEN6, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ registered-pension-schemes-cost-of-tax-relief Figures for 2012-13 are the latest available.
Post Offices
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in the Post Office network on its ability to meet its obligation to provide a universal postal service. [HL3758]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): This Government has committed to there being no programme of Post Office closures. Furthermore since October 2014, and the launch of Post Office’s home shopping returns pilot which has seen approximately 150 new postal access points open across the UK, the network is now growing for the first time in more than 50 years.
Royal Mail and the Post Office are separate independent businesses and it is Royal Mail, not the Post Office, which is the company that has been designated as the UK’s universal postal service provider.
The Post Office acts as an agent of Royal Mail, providing access to its mail products and services through its national network under commercial contract. The Post Office provides access to a wide range of other services including Government, financial and telephony.
The Government understands the important role that post offices play in communities across the country and since 2010 has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect a network of at least 11,500 branches that continues to meet strict access criteria that see, for example, 95% of the urban population living within one mile of a post office outlet.
Prison Sentences
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the budget for providing courses for indeterminate sentence prisoners convicted of (1) sex offences, and (2) other offences, in each of the last three years. [HL3404]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The National Offender Management Service’s central accounting system does not separately identify details of budgets allocated for the provision of courses for all prisoners serving indeterminate sentence, or by conviction categories. Budgets associated with such expenditure are primarily met through establishment baseline funding and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by examining locally held records at each establishment, disaggregating and then collating the costs that relate to the relevant categories of offenders and courses.
There is no set departmental guidance on the proportional allocation of individual budgets. Prison budgets are compiled annually based on an assessment of operational business needs and may vary from year to year according to changes in departmental priorities.
Prisons: Publications
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to comply with the High Court ruling that the ban on sending books to prisoners in England and Wales is unlawful.[HL3475]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): We need to await the terms of the Court Order before we can decide how best to fulfil the ruling of the Court.
The judgment in this case was surprising, as there was never a specific ban on books. The restrictions on parcels have been in existence across most of the prison estate for many years and for very good reasons. Prisoners have access to the same library service as the rest of us, and can buy books through the prison shop.
Private Equity
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements for companies owned or substantially owned by private equity funds.[HL3554]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): Measures to create a central, public register of people with significant control over UK companies
are contained within the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. Where a private equity fund owns more than 25% of a UK company’s shares or voting rights – or otherwise exercises significant control over that company - the company will need to disclose information on the control of the fund in line with the requirements in Schedule 3 of the Bill.
The Government does not have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements on such companies.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any representations from investors in private equity funds on the increase in fees paid by portfolio companies to the operators of the funds and not to the funds where investors would benefit.[HL3555]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Treasury Ministers and officials receive regular correspondence on a wide range of issues. We cannot disclose details of specific representations.
Public Expenditure
Question
Asked by Lord Davies of Stamford
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the underspend of the Ministry of Defence in the financial years 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 and prospectively in 2014–15; and how much of the underspend in each of those years has been rolled forward and made available for additional spending by the Ministry of Defence in subsequent years. [HL3656]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): Comparable figures for financial year 2010-11 are not available as the Government had not, at that time, introduced The Clear of Line Sight initiative, which precludes analysis on a near cash basis for that financial year.
In 2011-12 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) underspent by £300 million and there was no budget exchange.
In 2012-13 the MOD underspent by £2.3 billion; £590 million was rolled forward into 2013-14, £1,706 million into 2014-15 and £21 million in 2015-16.
In 2013-14 the MOD underspent by £900 million, £100 million was rolled forward into 2014-15 and £700 million in 2015-16.
The MOD's final outturn for 2014-15 will not be available until the end of the financial year.
Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of Barnett consequentials paid to the Northern Ireland Executive for the last three years for which figures are available.[HL3520]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): Since Spending Review 2010, the Northern Ireland Executive has received additional allocations following the application of the Barnett Formula. The cumulative amounts are set out in the table below.
| 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
| £m | £m | £m |
Public Footpaths
Question
Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect footpaths and rights of way in England.[HL3715]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): Local highway authorities are responsible for protecting the rights of the public to use footpaths and other rights of way. They are also responsible for determining their own local spending priorities. However, we have recently completed the £2 million Paths for Communities Programme, creating 53.28 kilometres of new bridleway and 21.42 kilometres of new footpath—in total over 74 kilometres of new public rights of way.
We are also introducing a balanced package of rights of way reforms as part of the Deregulation Bill. Those reforms will significantly improve the processes for recording and altering the public rights of way network. The reforms make the procedures more streamlined and will help complete the definitive map and statement by the 2026 cut-off date, thereby protecting historical public rights of way from extinguishment.
Public Sector: Car Allowances
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which groups of employees in the public sector are reimbursed for official use of private cars at a higher rate than 45 pence per mile and why.[HL3694]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): The Cabinet Office does not hold the information requested.
In the Civil Service, departments and agencies have delegated authority to determine their own policy on the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by their staff on official business, subject to the rules in Chapter 8 of the Civil Service Management Code: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions
Public Sector: Pay
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of paying the Living Wage across the public sector.[HL3689]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The Government does not have an estimate of the cost of applying the living wage across the public sector.
The Government supports all employers who choose to pay the living wage and encourages businesses to pay the living wage where it is affordable.
For the pay review body workforces and central government the majority of pay scale points are above the living wage.
Public Sector: Pensions
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the total United Kingdom public pension liability.[HL3477]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The 2012-13 Whole of Government Accounts show that the annual spend on public state pensions was £83.8bn, up from £78.1bn in 2011-12.
Pupil Exclusions: Disability
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government , for each year since 2010, what percentage of exclusions from (1) maintained schools, and (2) academy schools, related to disabled pupils with or without statements.[HL3773]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Department for Education does not publish information on exclusions of pupils with special education needs (SEN) for academies.
Information for state-funded schools is published in the “Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England: 2012 to 2013” Statistical First Release. This information is published online at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2012-to-2013
Table 9 gives a time series of the number of permanent exclusions of pupils with SEN. Tables 10a and 10b show the number of fixed-period exclusions of pupils with SEN and the number of pupils with SEN with one or more fixed- period exclusion, respectively. Data for earlier years can be found in the “Statistics: exclusions”
series. This information is published online at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-exclusions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government , for each year since 2010 what was the average time for (1) a permanently excluded disabled pupil with a Special Educational Need (SEN), and (2) a permanently excluded disabled pupil without SEN, to be accepted at another school.[HL3774]
Lord Nash: The Department for Education does not collect information regarding the length of time it takes for an excluded pupil to be accepted at another school.
Qatar
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the ill-treatment of North Korean labourers working in building World Cup facilities in Qatar; and whether they have raised those reports with the government of Qatar.[HL3706]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): We are aware of reports of the ill-treatment of North Korean labourers working in Qatar. We take the issue of the treatment of migrant workers very seriously. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), recently raised human rights issues with the Qatari Government during his visit to Doha on 15 October, and the issue of migrant workers was raised with the Emir of Qatar during his visit to the UK on 28 to 30 October. We support Qatar’s intention to reform the current labour law and we continue to encourage the Qatari Government to address human rights concerns and stand ready to support those efforts where we can.
Rare Diseases Advisory Group
Questions
Asked by Lord Walton of Detchant
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a report on the work of the Rare Diseases Advisory Group, indicating the extent to which its recommendations have influenced the decisions of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England.[HL3640]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) was established by NHS England to provide it 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 is
directly accountable to the NHS England Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. The group’s terms of reference state that the agendas and minutes from their meetings are available on the NHS England website. The Department has no plans to publish any further reports on RDAG’s work.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently, based on the available evidence and in consultation with stakeholders. NICE is a full member of RDAG. NHS England is a stakeholder in all NICE’s highly specialised technology guidance and may seek advice from the RDAG in engaging with NICE’s guidance development processes.
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have received from NHS England’s Rare Diseases Advisory Group.[HL3737]
Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group 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 Department has not received any advice from the group.
Regeneration Investment Organisation
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for further development of the Regeneration Investment Organisation over (1) the next two years, (2) the next five years, and (3) the next 10 years. [HL3633]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): UKTI’s Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) was established a year ago to help international investors identify and fund regeneration opportunities in the UK. RIO was established to address the delays and the fragmentation of the current offer for international investors, acting as a “one stop shop”.
In its first year, RIO has identified a pipeline of 41 ‘shovel ready’ projects requiring £33bn of investment and actively markets this pipeline to international investors. Over the next two years, this pipeline will be developed further and RIO will identify additional international investors to match to the pipeline of opportunities.
Success for RIO over the next five to ten years will be to have established a track record of successful investment in regeneration projects, enabling sustainable jobs and growth across the UK.
Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland
Question
Asked by Lord Browne of Belmont
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the cost to the Exchequer incurred in training HM Revenue and Customs officers in Northern Ireland in the use of vehicle stop and search powers in each of the last five years. [HL3503]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): A cadre of officers has been trained to use vehicle stop and search powers. There is no estimate available of the cost.
RSPCA
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the legal aid budget in 2012, 2013 and 2014 has been spent reimbursing the RSPCA.[HL3579]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the legal aid budget has been spent on reimbursing defendants in RSPCA private prosecutions in 2012, 2013 and 2014.[HL3580]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has no record of any payments being made relating to the RSPCA in the years in question.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times in 2012, 2013 and 2014 the Crown Prosecution Service has either taken over or forced discontinuation of a private prosecution brought by the RSCPA.[HL3581]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain an authoritative central record of the number of private prosecutions taken over. To identify the exact number of times the CPS took over or forced the discontinuation of a private prosecution brought by the RSPCA would require a manual exercise to review individual files which would incur a disproportionate cost.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have met RSPCA representatives in 2012, 2013 and 2014. [HL3582]
Lord Faulks: All meetings that take place between Ministers and external organisations are recorded in quarterly transparency statistics, published at the link below; https://www.gov.uk/
Russia
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss with the government of Russia the issues of freedom of expression and variety of opinions in the media there, in the light of the proposed closure of the last independent television station in that country.[HL3599]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): A law banning commercial advertising on paid cable and satellite television channels in Russia will come into force on 1 January 2015. Commentators have suggested that this law will make it difficult for independent television station, Dozhd, to survive. Increasing pressure on independent journalists and news outlets in Russia, including Dozhd, is of great concern. We regularly make our concerns clear in bilateral interactions at all levels. Most recently, I raised concerns about restrictions on the freedom of expression in Russia with the Russian Ambassador on 25 November. In October, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) also raised concerns about this issue with the Russian Ambassador, highlighting the negative impact of restrictive legislation on the freedom of the media.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report from Human Rights Watch on the effect of the 2013 law banning gay “propaganda” in Russia on the incidence of homophobic attacks and on the reaction to crimes against LGBT citizens, what representations they have made to the government of Russia about the status of LGBT citizens of that country.[HL3757]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): We have raised concerns about LGBT rights in Russia bilaterally at a number of levels since the law banning the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations” among minors was passed in June 2013. Most recently, the Minister for Europe discussed concerns about the protection of LGBT people in Russia with the Russian Ambassador on 18 December. He expressed deep disquiet at the findings of the Human Rights Watch report and the impact of the law on the LGBT community in Russia. FCO officials also raised the safety of participants at LGBT events with the Russian authorities in November.
FCO officials in Russia meet regularly with LGBT activists and attend LGBT events, such a Queerfest and the Side-by-Side Film Festival, to provide support. This year we are supporting the operation of a counselling hotline for the LGBT community in Russia, as well as a capacity building project for Russian LGBT campaigners. We also supported the Russian Open Games in February, a five day international sporting event organised by the Russian LGBT Sports Federation.
Schools: Drinks
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health and behavioural effects of the sale of sugar-based drinks in schools. [HL3604]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash) (Con): The Department for Education has made no formal assessment of the health and behavioural effects of the sale of sugar-based drinks in schools.
Widely available public health evidence is used to underpin statutory school food standards, which bar the provision of drinks with significant quantities of sugar.
Revised standards come into force from January 2015 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food).
Schools: Registration
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of unregistered schools in England; in which local authority area or areas they are primarily located; how many unregistered schools have been compelled to register in each of the past three years; and what action can be taken to close non-compliant schools and place those pupils affected in more appropriate learning environments.[HL3811]
Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD): The Department for Education does not have a fixed estimate of the number of unregistered schools in England or the areas in which they are primarily located. The number of institutions that the Department is aware of and working with fluctuates on a continual basis as they open, close or become registered.
In the last three years the Department has asked 33 unregistered schools to register. There were 9 requests in 2012; 16 in 2013 and 8 in 2014.
It is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered school. Where a school refuses to register, the Department works with the police and Ofsted to pursue a prosecution. The Department also works with the local authority to ensure that children are placed in more appropriate settings.
Social Security Benefits
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many and what proportion of those affected by the benefit cap since its introduction are in receipt of (1) Employment Support Allowance, (2) Income Support, and (3) Carer’s Allowance.[HL3876]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The latest official statistics on the benefit cap can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2014
These statistics do not contain benefit type information. A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. This evaluation made estimates of the proportion of capped households in scope for the cap who were in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or other benefit types over time. The evaluation uses a different methodology to the Official Statistics and does not provide a cumulative count of numbers which is in line with Official Statistics. In July 2014 (the most recent data used in the evaluation), estimates found 23 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of ESA; 45 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of IS; and 9 per cent were in receipt of another benefit type, of which modelling suggests around 1,400 households had at least one Carer’s Allowance claimant.
Further information can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year
Social Services: Training
Question
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total budget allocated by each appropriate department to support the education and training of non-regulated care staff in each of the last three years.[HL3523]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Information on the total expenditure on education and training of the adult social care workforce is not available centrally.
It is the responsibility of individual social care employers to ensure their staff are appropriately trained and competent to carry out their role. The Department of Health has supported employers to train their staff through the sponsorship of Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the National Skills Academy for Social Care.
Funding to develop the social care workforce (both regulated and non-regulated) has been made available to these organisations as follows:
| Financial Year | £ million |
Notes:
Figures include some social work programmes and in the case of SCIE are funding for e-learning only. The Department does not hold figures for non-regulated care staff only.
Sports: Tickets
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in the Consumer Rights Bill to ensure that sports fans buying tickets through secondary markets have a right to basic information about the seat and row they have on their ticket for a sporting event; whether they consider that fans should have a right to know the original face value of a ticket; and whether they consider that they should have an opportunity to ascertain whether the ticket is genuine by being able to review essential details on the ticket with the box office.[HL3650]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): As the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and associated guidance make clear. The provision of certain information on tickets offered for sale to the public is an existing requirement for traders (including “for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number”).
However, since Report Stage I have been discussing these issues with Ministerial colleagues and interested parties, and will continue to do so, in order to ensure the genuine concerns of fans and ticket sellers are addressed.
St Helena
Question
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in securing direct air access to St Helena.[HL3623]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): The UK Government is providing support to the air service procurement process that is currently underway and run by the St Helena Government.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the changes in the rate of the stamp duty on the prices of houses worth less than £1 million.[HL3595]
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The reform to Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential properties will have a limited impact on house prices overall and this effect will be small compared to overall fluctuations in house prices.
Stem Cells
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 4 December (HL3090), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee and its Licence Committee will provide their own assessment of the journal articles concerned in order to ensure that the continued use of embryos is necessary or desirable for the specified principal purposes; how they consider the feasibility of treating degenerative conditions such as those listed in Annex D of the mitochondrial donation consultation document might be affected by the findings in the aforementioned journal articles; for how long the research project concerned has been investigating the use of embryonic stem cells “to improve the outcome of infertility treatments”; and in what ways their possible clinical use in treating infertility might impel the Secretary of State to include things specified in the regulations which would not otherwise fall within the definitions of “embryo”, “eggs”, “sperm” or “gametes”.[HL3462]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): We are advised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (SCAAC) regularly reviews the literature regarding alternative methods to derive human embryonic stem cells so that the HFEA Licence Committee can bear it in mind when considering research licence applications and renewals of licences, in order to ensure that the continued use of embryos is necessary or desirable for the specified principal purposes. SCAAC last considered a literature review on this topic on 4 June 2014 and the paper is available on the HFEA website at: http://www.hfea.gov.uk/9152.html
We are advised that the journal articles referred to by the noble Lord will be considered in the next review process.
We are also advised that the research project to which the noble Lord refers first expressly used the phrase “to improve the outcome of infertility treatments” in May 2013.
As the noble Lord is aware, the regulation making power in section 3ZA of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, is limited to enabling regulations to be made to allow an egg or embryo to which a mitochondrial donation technique has been applied to be recognised as a permitted egg or embryo and, therefore, suitable to be placed in a woman. There is no cure for mitochondrial disease. The intended purpose of the draft regulations is to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child in the first instance.
Student Wastage
Question
Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to Written Answer by Earl Howe on 16 December (HL3361), what was the projected attrition rate for each Higher Education Institution expressed as a percentage of starters for student nurses in each of the last three years for which information is available.[HL3808]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Health Education England does not hold the information in the format requested.
Sudan
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor about her announcement on 12 December that she was halting the Court’s investigations into war crimes in Darfur due to a lack of meaningful progress; and what assessment they have made of the implications this may have about the conduct the Sudanese authorities and about the reputation, standing and effectiveness of the International Criminal Court.[HL3830]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Anelay of St Johns) (Con): The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that she is left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur. Although we have not made any direct representations to the Prosecutor on this announcement, the UK continues to call on the Government of Sudan to meet its legal obligations to cooperate with the ICC: the arrest warrants remain outstanding. With respect to the implications of this announcement for the ICC, we continue to assess that State cooperation, in particular with respect to enforcement of arrest warrants, is vital for the ICC to be effective in fulfilling its mandate to achieve justice for the victims of atrocities. I reinforced the UK’s support for the ICC when I met the Prosecutor at the Assembly of States Parties in New York on 12 December.
Syria
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of an embargo against relief aid and supplies for the Kurdish majority cantons of northern Syria; and what steps they are taking to ensure aid supplies reach those in need. [HL3577]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Northover) (LD): Delivering humanitarian assistance in Syria continues to pose significant challenges. The UK is working closely with our partners on contingency planning and is continuing to push all parties to allow the safe, unhindered delivery of aid.
Tanks
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many main battle tanks, either serviceable or useable at short notice, are presently available to the British Army.[HL3838]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever) (Con): We do not routinely comment on availability and levels of readiness for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security or disclose information which could be of use to our adversaries. The Army has sufficient levels of main battle tanks to meet the levels of readiness required under Defence Strategic Direction and as set out in the Defence Plan.
Temporary Accommodation
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why there has been an increase between September 2013 and September 2014 in the number of statutorily homeless households placed in temporary accommodation in another local authority area.[HL3874]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) (Con): This Government has invested over £500 million since 2010 to tackle all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own. Until settled accommodation is available households will be placed in suitable temporary accommodation. In considering suitability housing authorities must, by law, consider whether the accommodation is affordable for the applicant, its size, its condition, its accessibility and also its location. We have made it clear that no council should be sending tenants en masse to a different part of the country.
The numbers of households in temporary accommodation is well below the peak under the previous administration, when they hit 101,000 in 2004. Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible. That is why we changed the law so that councils can place families in decent and affordable private rented homes more quickly. This will mean
homeless households will not have to wait as long for settled accommodation, spending less time in temporary accommodation. Households now spend on average seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.
London Boroughs account for 93% of households provided with temporary accommodation in another district. London Councils have previously said that the vast majority of out of borough placements are within London, or where that is not the case, are local to the placing Borough.
Temporary Accommodation: Greater London
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to uprate the Housing Benefit Subsidy regime for temporary accommodation to address any difficulties experienced by London boroughs in procuring accommodation for statutorily homeless households at or below 90 per cent of the 2011 rate of Local Housing Allowance.[HL3875]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): There are no current plans to uprate the Local Housing Allowance rate applicable to Temporary Accommodation in Housing Benefit.
Terrorism
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injuries as a result of terrorist activity in Great Britain for claims lodged between 1970 and 1998.[HL3862]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not hold this information. Before 2012, CICA did not record the specific crime of which their applicants had been a victim. This was because payments are based primarily on the injuries sustained rather than the crime of which they were a victim.
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injury claims lodged between 1970 and 1998 as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.[HL3861]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks) (Con): This matter is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Compensation Services (formerly known as the Compensation Agency), within the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Compensation Services administers five statutory compensation schemes in Northern Ireland including criminal injuries and criminal damage.
Tickets
Questions
Asked by Baroness Heyhoe Flint
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Metropolitan Police in their February 2013 Report “Ticket Crime”, and in particular the suggestion that “the lack of legislation outlawing the unauthorised resale of tickets and the absence of regulation of the primary and secondary markets encourages unscrupulous practices, a lack of transparency and fraud”. [HL3649]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): The Metropolitan Police’s 2013 report “Ticket Crime” highlights that many of the methods that touts use to acquire tickets are already illegal, as is the act of fraudulently selling fake or non-existent tickets.
I will continue to discuss the secondary ticket market with ministerial colleagues and the relevant stakeholders, this includes discussion of options that will help consumers to make informed ticket purchases in a safe and secure environment.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to achieve the core Department for Business, Innovation and Skills mission statement objective of increasing transparency and empowering customers in respect of sports fans, theatre-goers and concert-goers seeking to secure reasonably priced tickets from secondary ticket markets.[HL3651]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Neville-Rolfe) (Con): The Government has issued guidance relating to online ticket sales in the context of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance establishes how the requirements of these Regulations regarding transparency are interpreted for this market. This ensures that consumers purchasing tickets online from a trader are made aware of “their total price (including delivery costs and other charges)” and the “main characteristics” of the tickets, where “main characteristics” includes “the date and time of the event and the content of the event (e.g. who is performing)” and “for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number”.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to investigate the number of tickets available for sale on the secondary market for the Ashes Test at Lords in 2015 which comply with the Consumer
Contracts Information Cancellation and Additional Charges Regulations 2013; and what action they intend to take in respect of the findings of any such investigation.[HL3652]
Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has no plans specifically to investigate the number of tickets available on the secondary market for the Ashes test at Lords in 2015.