MondayVol. 769 8 February 2016No. 18qnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadailyreportxml/... ·...

Monday

8 February 2016

P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S

(HANSARD)

HOUSE OF LORDS

WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND

WRITTEN ANSWERS

Written Statements ................................................. 1

Written Answers ..................................................... 3

Vol. 769

No. 18

[I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/

Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office.

This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet

at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/.

Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or

other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows.

Minister Responsibilities

Baroness Stowell of Beeston Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

Earl Howe Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office and Department for

Transport

Baroness Anelay of St Johns Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Baroness Altmann Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

Lord Ashton of Hyde Whip

Lord Bates Minister of State, Home Office

Lord Bridges of Headley Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate

Change, Wales Office and Whip

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen Whip

Earl of Courtown Whip

Lord Dunlop Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Scotland Office

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Whip

Lord Faulks Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Lord Freud Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

Lord Gardiner of Kimble Deputy Chief Whip and Spokesman for Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs

Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland

Lord Maude of Horsham Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Foreign

and Commonwealth Office

Lord Nash Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education

Baroness Neville-Rolfe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation

and Skills and Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Lord O’Neill of Gatley Commercial Secretary to the Treasury

Lord Prior of Brampton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health

Baroness Shields Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture Media and

Sport

Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip

Baroness Verma Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International

Development

Baroness Williams of Trafford Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local

Government

Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip

© Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2016

This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence,

which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Written Statements 8 February 2016 Page 1

Written Statements Monday, 8 February 2016

Government Grant Agreements: Guidance

[HLWS502]

Lord Bridges of Headley: My Right Honourable

friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster

General (Matthew Hancock) has made the following

Written Ministerial Statement:

Today I have announced a new policy to restrict

inappropriate use of taxpayers’ money for lobbying

purposes. From 1st May, or before where feasible, the

following standard clause will now be applied to new and

renewed grants:

“The following costs are not Eligible Expenditure:-

Payments that support activity intended to influence or

attempt to influence Parliament, Government or political

parties, or attempting to influence the awarding or

renewal of contracts and grants, or attempting to influence

legislative or regulatory action”.

This clause will not prevent organisations from using

their own privately-raised funds to campaign as they see

fit. This will ensure that freedom of speech is protected,

whilst stopping taxpayers’ money being diverted away

from good causes.

Departments will engage with organisations most likely

to be affected by the clause. Implementation guidelines

are available on Gov.uk.

Informal Competitiveness Council

[HLWS504]

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The following statement

supercedes the earlier statement submitted today

(HLWS502).

The Informal Competitiveness Council took place in

Amsterdam on 27th and 28th January. The UK was

represented by Minister of State for Universities and

Science (Joseph Johnson) on day one (Research) and

myself on day two (Internal Market and Industry)

The Research Day began with Bill Gates giving a

keynote speech on the importance of public research and

development in overcoming global societal challenges.

He gave examples of work by the Gates Foundation,

including the recently announced work with the UK to

expand research into malaria that will see £3bn committed

over the next five years. Mr Gates highlighted that clear

policies on open access to research could help stimulate

innovation.

This was followed by a discussion on the current

environment for innovation; there was a debate about the

need for a visible return for taxpayers and a focus on

funding excellence in research.

The discussion turned to how the current research

funding programme (Horizon 2020) could be improved. A

number of suggestions were put forward, including:

simplification of the programme process, leading to faster

decisions; simplification of state aid rules; encouragement

of open innovation; better communication; and better

skills support for businesses (for example in marketing) to

allow successful innovation.

In the afternoon, the debate focussed on how legislation

can facilitate research and innovation. The digital

revolution and aging populations were noted paradigm

shifts that will create both opportunities and threats. To

allow opportunities to be grasped the EU must both

reduce the amount of regulation and improve the quality

of the regulation that remains. Ultimately, EU rules need

to be as flexible as, or more flexible than, those of our

global competitors.

The Commission confirmed that the number of

initiatives in the EU research programme has reduced

from 130 in 2014, to 23 this year and that state aid rules

have been updated and are more flexible than before. It

agreed that efficiency and innovation are the means to

create jobs, and that the real challenge for the EU is to

develop legislation that can create new opportunities from

disruptive technology and innovation.

The Internal Market and Industry Council meeting

started with an evening event that brought together

Ministers and entrepreneurs who had been invited to the

Council by each Member State (the UK invited Mr

Riccardo Zacconi, the CEO of King, the computer games

developer behind games such as Candy Crush Saga).

Gunther Oettinger, Commissioner for the Digital

Economy and Society opened the discussion with a

speech on the digitising of industry and noted that he

would shortly be bringing forward a strategy on this issue

in April. During the discussion a number of themes were

explored including the wide range of different business

models that were being disrupted or created by

digitisation. A number of entrepreneurs emphasised the

need to make it easier for start-ups to access markets in

other Member States. Many of the entrepreneurs also

discussed the importance of a skilled workforce, noting

that the diversity of talent within Europe was a significant

advantage.

The plenary programme started with short speeches by

two businesses leaders: Herna Verhagen (CEO, PostNL)

and Corinne Vigreux (co-founder of TomTom). They

highlighted the importance of digitisation in driving

innovation and expansion into new business models,

which in turn led to new jobs.

Ministers then held two breakout sessions in small

groups focussed on upcoming Commission proposals

related to the single market. In the first, on geoblocking

(discrimination based on grounds of country of

residence), Ministers agreed that it was important to make

clear that discrimination has no place but there should not

be extra burdens on businesses, and there was broad

agreement that the Commission’s proposals should cover

business-to-business transactions. Vice President Andrus

Ansip, responsible for the Digital Single Market, made

clear that the proposal was not intended to lead to uniform

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2016-02-08/HLWS502/

http://gov.uk/


Page 2 8 February 2016 Written Statements

pricing nor to an obligation for businesses to deliver

goods throughout the EU.

The second breakout session focussed on the proposed

services passport. The chairs noted that there was

consensus that the passport could be useful in reducing

barriers to businesses wanting to trade across borders but

that it should not lead to additional burdens. There needed

to be analysis of the existing barriers and a suggestion that

the passport could then be introduced in stages. While it

was appropriate to have national rules in some areas, there

was a need to increase transparency about different

national requirements and potentially to undertake some

further harmonisation in certain areas. The UK noted the

importance of tackling regulatory barriers as well as

administrative ones via the passport initiative. Others

noted the relationship between the passport and the

proposed analytical framework for assessing the

proportionality of regulations on professionals.

Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska responsible for

Internal Market and Industry noted that she expected to be

able to share more detail of the Commission’s thinking on

the passport soon.

The final agenda item was a plenary discussion on the

collaborative economy. The Chair of OuiShare Fest,

Francesca Pick, in an invited speech, highlighted the

prevalence of cross-border business models in the

collaborative economy, but noted that there were

challenges of regulatory uncertainty in respect to

consumer rights, liability, labour rules, and tax. Many

Member States noted the consumer benefits from the new

and innovative services being offered. The UK agreed

that the collaborative economy could deliver significant

benefits to consumers and workers, and could play an

important role in opening the labour market to those who

might otherwise be excluded. It noted that there was still a

need to regulate these businesses, but that regulations may

need to be updated so as to enable these new business

models. It highlighted the best practice work done by the

UK body, sharing economy UK and their Trustmark

initiative, which Vice-President Katainen asked to explore

further.

Public Sector Exit Payments

[HLWS501]

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: My right honourable friend

the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Greg Hands) has

today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

On 25 November 2015 the government announced in

the Spending Review that it would consult on cross-

public sector action on exit payment terms, to reduce the

costs of redundancy pay-outs and ensure greater

consistency between workforces.

Today I have launched this consultation. The

consultation document invites views on the range of

options the government is looking at, including:

i) Setting a maximum tariff to calculate exit payments

at three weeks’ pay per year of service

ii) Capping the maximum number of months’ salary

that can be used to calculate redundancy payments to 15

months

iii) Reducing the cost of employer-funded pension top-

ups to early retirement as part of redundancy packages

iv) Introducing a tapering element the closer individuals

get to their retirement age

v) Introducing a salary cap on which exit calculations

can be based The consultation is available at: Consultation on reforms to public sector

exit payments


https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/further-consultation-on-limiting-public-sector-exit-payments

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/further-consultation-on-limiting-public-sector-exit-payments

Written Answers 8 February 2016 Page 3

Written Answers Monday, 8 February 2016

Aircraft Carriers

Asked by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most

up-to-date estimate of the in-service date of the first of

the two aircraft carriers currently being constructed for

the Royal Navy. [HL5568]

Earl Howe: The forecast in-service date of the first

Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, HMS Queen

Elizabeth, is 2018.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Asked by Lord Touhig

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment

they have made of the number of regulars leaving the

(1) army, (2) Royal Navy, and (3) Royal Air Force, in

2015. [HL5441]

Earl Howe: Trained Regular outflow in 2015 has fallen

when compared with previous years, and across all

Services. This is in line with Strategic Defence and

Security Review 2010 (SDSR10) manpower targets that

mandated reductions in Trained Regular Strength across

all Services. In order to meet the targets set out in

SDSR10 and the Three-Month Exercise a redundancy

programme was set up, enabling the Armed Forces to

maintain the right balance of skills across the rank

structures into the future. With the redundancy

programme now complete, trained Regular outflow has

reduced year on year as the Services seek to balance force

levels against their 2020 targets.

The levels of outflow are monitored very carefully by

the individual Services and the Defence Board to ensure

they do not impact on operational capability or the future

sustainability of Armed Forces manning structures.

The following table provides detailed information on

trained Regular Forces outflow since 2012.

UK Trained Regular Forces Outflow

Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)

12 Months Ending

2012

31 December

2013

31 December

2014

31 December

2015

30 November

All Services 21,450 20,580 16,300 15,130

of which:

Royal

Navy/Royal

Marines

4,270 3,240 2,830 2,650

Army 12,800 14,000 10,440 9,740

Royal Air

Force

4,380 3,350 3,020 2,730

Notes: Figures show outflow from UK Trained Regular Forces. They

do not include promotion from Ranks to Officers or flows between Services. Figures on Trained Regular Outflow for the 12 months up to

31 December 2015 are not yet available, and will be published on 11

February 2016.

Bangladesh: Elections

Asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they

are taking following the release of their report on the

Bangladesh elections to address what the author,

Hannah Roberts called a "high level of shortcomings"

in the election process. [HL5426]

Baroness Verma: The UK wants to see credible,

inclusive elections in Bangladesh with full participation,

and remains committed to supporting initiatives or

projects that will improve the prospects for those to

happen. Following the report, DFID and the other donors

scaled back our technical support to the Election

Commission. This is consistent with the recommendations

of the independent expert. We also sought to focus our

support on the shortcomings identified in the report.

When it became clear that the project providing support

was not going to make further progress in those areas, we

agreed with the other donors to suspend and ultimately

close the project.

Any further work on electoral processes in the future

will be subject to Ministerial approval.

Bangladesh: Human Rights

Asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they

are taking in the light of the Resolution adopted by the

European Parliament on 24 November 2015 (P8-

TA(2015)0414) regarding human rights abuses and

press freedom infringements in Bangladesh. [HL5425]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We closely follow

human rights issues in Bangladesh, raising concerns when

there are credible allegations.

British Ministers have been unequivocal in their

condemnation of the murders of five secular writers and a

publisher in Bangladesh in 2015, and in calling for the

Government of Bangladesh to protect those who face

threats to their lives because of the views they have

expressed. Project support from our Human Rights and

Democracy Programme has provided safety training to

bloggers in Bangladesh and a review of the Information

and Communication Technology Act 2006, to bring it into

line with international standards.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or

Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, visited Bangladesh from 31

August to 9 September. We will encourage the

Bangladesh government to consider carefully all of the

recommendations in his report when it is released at the

UN Human Rights Council in March 2016.

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Page 4 8 February 2016 Written Answers

British Nationals Abroad: Voting Rights

Asked by Lord Lexden

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect

to bring forward a Bill to enfranchise British citizens

living overseas for more than 15 years. [HL5391]

Lord Bridges of Headley: As set out in its manifesto,

the Government is committed to removing the 15 year

time limit on the voting rights of British citizens living

overseas. The Government believes that the current 15

year time limit is arbitrary and that if British citizens want

to vote in the UK Parliamentary elections, then they

should be able to do so. The Government intends to bring

forward a Bill to make a permanent change on overseas

voting rights as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Business: Procurement

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick


they have made of the recent report by the Sheffield

Political Economy Research Institute of the University

of Sheffield which claims that supply chain audits fail

to detect labour and environmental abuses. [HL5139]

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has made no

assessment of this report. There is no requirement for any

UK business to audit its supply chain or what such an

audit should include – this is a matter for individual

businesses. UK businesses are, however, required to

comply with all applicable laws, including those relating

to labour and environmental matters. In addition,

company law requires eligible businesses to report on

social, environmental and human rights matters where this

is necessary for an understanding of their business.

Cabinet Office: Equality

Asked by Baroness Jenkin of Kennington

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the

Cabinet Office has to improve gender balance on its

board. [HL5432]

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Cabinet Office Board is

composed of Cabinet Office Ministers, senior officials

and non-executives in line with the cross-government

code of governance good practice and the Ministerial

Code

The department has recently completed a round of non-

executive recruitment, and diversity was taken into

account as part of that process. Catherine Brown, Paul

Kirby and Mark Price joined Amy Stirling (who chairs

the Audit and Risk Subcommittee), Ian Davis and Sir Ian

Cheshire as the Board's non-executive members. Of the

current non-executives, 33% are female. This will rise to

40% when Ian Davis leaves the Board later in the year.

Gender balance and diversity will also be taken into

account in any future non-executive recruitment rounds

Her Majesty’s Government is also working to improve

diversity at senior levels of the Civil Service. In

September 2014 we published the Hay Group's 'Women

in Whitehall: culture, leadership, talent' report which

investigated the barriers faced by talented women

developing their careers as Senior Civil Servants. Our

response, the Talent Action Plan, introduced a series of

new measures to ensure the Civil Service is among the

most female-friendly employers in the country, and the

most talented people succeed and reach the top positions,

regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability.

Cancer

Asked by Lord Freyberg

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they

received from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

during the set-up phase of Genomics England regarding

the appropriateness in cases of cancer of using

comparisons of tumour to normal whole genome

sequencing at moderate sequence coverage, as opposed

to focused actionable gene panel testing at deep

sequence coverage; and what current technology is used

by Genomics England. [HL5373]

Lord Prior of Brampton: The set up phase of the

100,00 Genomes Project was based on advice from

Expert Working Groups which included experts from

across the United Kingdom, including the Sanger Centre.

The Working Group concluded that a more fundamental

understanding of cancer would be delivered by whole

genome sequencing compared to gene panels. This

approach is part of the wider aim of the 100,000 Genomes

Project to transform the National Health Service

diagnostic pathway for patients and to build a dataset

which will enable new scientific research. Adopting

whole genome sequencing has already catalysed a fall in

the costs which was also anticipated by the Expert

Working Group.

Asked by Baroness Redfern


are taking through early diagnosis and screening

programmes to reduce the risk of cancer. [HL5403]

Lord Prior of Brampton: On the advice of the UK

National Screening Committee, breast cancer screening,

bowel cancer screening and cervical cancer screening are

offered to eligible people to help them reduce their risk of

dying from cancer.

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer but for

abnormalities which, if left undetected and untreated, may

develop into cancer. The NHS Cervical Screening

Programme in England offers screening to women aged

25 to 49 every three years, and women aged 50 to 64

every five years. Experts estimate the programme saves

up to 5,000 lives per year in the United Kingdom.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women

aged 50 to 70 for breast screening every three years.

Women over 70 can request free three yearly screening.







The 2012 UK independent review of breast cancer

screening (Marmot review) estimated that inviting women

between the ages of 50 to 70 reduces mortality from

breast cancer in the invited population invited by 20% and

saves an estimated 1,300 lives a year in the UK.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers

screening using a self-sampling kit, the guaiac Faecal

Occult Blood test (FOB), every two years to men and

women aged 60 to 74.

The UK National Screening Committee has

recommended that the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)

be used as the primary test for bowel cancer instead of the

currently used FOB test. Ministers are now considering

the UK NSC’s recommendation.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is

currently rolling out Bowel Scope Screening (BSS), an

additional one off examination which will play a

significant role in preventing bowel cancer. Both men and

women are being invited for BSS around the time of their

55th birthday with the aim of detecting and removing any

adenomas (polyps) at an early stage to prevent bowel

cancer from developing. Evidence shows that men and

women aged 55-64 attending a one-off bowel scope

screening test for bowel cancer could reduce their

individual mortality from the disease by 43% (31% on a

whole population basis) and reduce their individual

incidence of bowel cancer by 33% (23% on a whole

population basis).

Central Africa: Armed Conflict

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead


they have made of the 2015 Global Hunger Index, in

particular regarding the connection between conflict

and hunger in the Central African Republic and Chad.

[HL5528]

Baroness Verma: The Department for International

Development regularly tracks a range of nutrition and

hunger assessments to assess the situation in Africa,

including the Global Hunger index, and we are concerned

by the situation in Chad, where over 3 million people are

food insecure, and in Central African Republic, where

over 2.5 million people are food insecure. Food insecurity

has been significantly exacerbated by conflict in Central

African Republic and around Lake Chad, which has

caused the destruction of harvests, forced displacement,

and the blockage of trade routes. This year DFID has

spent £7m on humanitarian assistance in Chad, with a

focus on preventing and treating malnutrition and

supporting displaced people, and £18m on humanitarian

assistance in the Central African Republic, with a focus

on providing essential healthcare, livelihoods assistance

and emergency support to the most vulnerable.

Company Accounts: Audit

Asked by Lord Smith of Clifton


they have made of the number of FTSE 100 companies

whose annual accounts have been qualified by their

auditors in the last 10 financial years. [HL5246]

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No such assessment has been

made by the Department. However this information is

part of the audit report that is filed by all relevant UK

companies at Companies House. We are aware that a

number of commercial information providers are able to

use Companies House data to derive information of this

nature. One example of such a provider is the Bureau Van

Dijk Fame Database.

Council Tax

Asked by Lord Greaves

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions

the Autumn Spending Review and the local government

finance settlement make about the revenue that will be

raised by (1) allowing local authorities the flexibility to

raise council tax by up to two per cent without a

referendum, (2) the additional two per cent allowed for

purposes of social care, and (3) the additional amount

allowed for measures in relation to flooding, and by

what percentage council taxes will rise on average as a

result of those increases. [HL5619]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The provisional local

government finance settlement was presented to

Parliament in December 2015. Following consultation on

the provisional settlement, the final settlement will be

published shortly and will be subject to approval of the

House of Commons. On the assumption that all

authorities will take advantage of the full council tax

flexibilities available to them announced in the Autumn

Statement and the provisional settlement, council tax bills

in England would rise by an average of 3.7 percent in

2016/17.

It is important to note that this compares to an annual

increase of 6.2 percent to council tax under the Labour

administrations of 1997 to 2010. Average council tax is

expected to be lower in real terms in 2019/20 than it was

in 2010/11.

The projections of revenue raised under these

flexibilities assumes that each local authority’s council

tax base will continue to grow at the average rate reported

since 2013-14.

Dedicated Schools Grant

Asked by Lord Storey

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they

intend to increase the dedicated schools grant funding

across all three blocks in order to meet the needs of all

schools. [HL5411]







Lord Nash: At the Spending Review, we announced

that we would protect the core schools budget in real

terms through this Parliament. We are also protecting the

£390 million of additional funding that was given to the

69 lowest funded local authorities in 2015-16 and the

pupil premium at current per pupil rates. Between 2015-

16 and 2016-17, the schools block will increase by an

estimated £481 million, and the high needs block by

£92.5 million.

Investment through the early years block is also set to

increase. Following the funding announced at the Summer

Budget and the Spending Review, we will be investing

over £1 billion per year of new funding by 2019-20 to

fund our commitment to 30 hours of childcare for

working parents of three and four year olds. The funding

includes £300 million per year for a significant uplift to

the rate paid for the two, three and four year old

entitlements.

We will come forward with our proposals for funding

for 2017-18 and beyond in due course. We are committed

to making funding fairer and intend to introduce national

funding formulae for schools, high needs and early years,

so that funding is transparently and fairly matched to

need. We will be consulting formally on the formulae

later this year.

Deportation

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what

considerations are involved when deciding whether to

return non-UK citizens to countries with a different

legal system that might result in them being prosecuted

for actions not regarded as criminal offences in the UK.

[HL5602]

Lord Bates: The fact that another country’s laws

criminalise acts which are not regarded as criminal

offences in the UK would not alone justify an individual’s

non-return.

However, we would not enforce the removal of a non-

UK citizen contrary to our international obligations under

the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on

Human Rights.

Development Aid

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead


they have made of recent reports by the OECD that the

least developed countries received a smaller share of

aid in 2014 than at any time in the last 10 years.

[HL5529]

Baroness Verma: The least developed countries

(LDCs) received a smaller share of total Official

Development Assistance (ODA) in 2014 than in eight of

the previous ten years. It is important to note that the

overall ODA figure includes contributions that cannot be

attributed to a specific benefitting country (e.g. core

contributions to multilateral organisations) even though

LDCs will have benefitted.

The UK played a leading role in securing a

Development Assistance Committee commitment to

reverse the declining trend of ODA to the poorest

countries and for this commitment to be referenced in the

June 2015 G7 Leaders’ Summit communique.

The UK’s ODA is focused on countries in most need.

The Department for International Development uses a

range of criteria to inform how aid is allocated across

countries, including current and projected future poverty

levels, the country’s ability to self-finance its own

development needs and the likely effectiveness of UK aid.

Diseases

Asked by Lord Freyberg

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they

have made of how many (1) definitive, and (2)

actionable, diagnoses in rare diseases can be made on

the existing rare disease sequencing budget of Genomic

England in 2016; whether Genomic England used (a)

whole genome sequencing, (b) whole exome

sequencing, or (c) medical exome sequencing; and if

those estimates are not available, why not. [HL5374]

Lord Prior of Brampton: The 100,000 Genomes

Project is not intended to provide definitive or actionable

findings from whole genome sequencing. This is the

responsibility of the National Health Service Genomic

Medicine Centres based on interpretation reports provided

by Genomics England. To date approximately 20 reports

have been issued based on the initial interpretation of the

pilot phase genome data. It is not possible to estimate the

comparison between whole genome and exome methods

for these patients. That is because the eligibility criteria

for patients to be invited to participate in the 100,000

Genomes Project require that they remain undiagnosed

after standard NHS diagnostic tests.

Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans to they

have to assess the effectiveness of the Domestic Fire

Safety (Wales) Measure 2011 after it comes into force

in Wales on 1 January 2016. [I] [HL4735]

Lord Bates: Responsibility for Building Regulations in

Wales, including fire safety provisions, is a devolved

matter and the Government has no plans to assess the

effectiveness of this measure, which is a matter for the

Welsh Government.

Electronic Surveillance

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


the Department of Health has made of recommendation

YY.e of the report of the Intelligence and Security








Committee of Parliament, Privacy and Security: A

modern and transparent legal framework, published in

March 2015. [HL5377]

Lord Prior of Brampton: The 2015 Report by

Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee:

Privacy and Security: A modern and transparent legal

framework makes recommendations about consolidating

the legal powers of the three United Kingdom intelligence

and security agencies.

The Department was asked to comment on the Draft

Investigatory Powers Bill presented to Parliament in

November 2015 and, at that time, did not consider that

this would create any new powers that would require or

permit the disclosure of confidential personal information

by health and care bodies (on the basis that this is

consolidating security agencies’ existing powers).

EU Immigration

Asked by Lord Patten

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their

assessment of the workings of the EU–Turkish joint

action plan to stem migrant flows, agreed in October

2015. [HL5485]

Lord Bates: The UK supports the Turkey-EU Action

Plan which was signed on 29 November during a broader

summit between the EU and Turkey.

Implementation will not be straightforward given the

volume of numbers and the determination of individuals

to cross land and sea borders. The Action Plan is just one

aspect of efforts to respond to the migration crisis seen in

the Mediterranean last year. We have a strong relationship

with Turkey on many security issues (especially

migration) and this Action Plan will complement bilateral

activity, not impinge on it.

EU Staff

Asked by Lord Moonie

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK

citizens work for (1) the European Commission, and (2)

the European Parliament. [HL5482]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The latest figures from

October 2015 published by the European Commission

state that there are 1000 British citizens working in the

European Commission as Permanent Officials and

Temporary Agents, and 142 as Contract Agents. There are

194 British citizens working in the European Parliament,

excluding political staff.

Fisheries: Quotas

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many

inspection and monitoring vessels regularly patrol

British waters to ensure the enforcement of EU fishing

quotas. [HL5433]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Royal Navy provides

up to three vessels for the purposes of fisheries control,

including the enforcement of EU fishing quotas in waters

off England, and off-shore waters of Wales and Northern

Ireland. Fisheries control in Welsh and Northern Irish

inshore waters and all Scottish waters is the responsibility

of the relevant Devolved Administrations.

Flour: Folic Acid

Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they

support adding folic acid to flour. [HL5389]

Lord Prior of Brampton: We want children to have

the best possible start in life and ensuring optimal

maternal health is a key part of this. This is why we are

considering all aspects of preconception health as a

priority, including the uptake of folic acid.

Fringe Benefits: Tax Allowances

Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe


they have made of whether HMRC helplines are

sufficiently resourced to deal with both employers and

employees who may have queries regarding the new

bespoke flat scale rate approval notices or the

application of tax and national insurance contributions

where a notice is not obtained. [HL5419]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HMRC

officers will take into consideration the need for

employers to familiarise themselves with the new

approval notice system, particularly in the first year,

and will apply a light touch approach to compliance.

[HL5420]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are

sufficient resources in HMRC to deal with employers'

applications for a flat scale rate approval notice before

the end of 2015–16. [HL5421]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government when HMRC will

have available the online application system for

obtaining bespoke flat scale rate approval notices.

[HL5422]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what publicity

they have put in place to notify employers of the change

in legislation to require approval notices for any

bespoke flat scale rate payments to be paid tax free after

6 April, including for those employers that wish to use

industry agreed rates such as the Road Haulage

Association rates. [HL5423]
















they have made of whether all those employers that

currently hold a P11D dispensation containing tax-free

bespoke flat scale rate payments are aware that they

must obtain an approval notice from HMRC in order

that they may continue to pay such rates free of tax and

national insurance contributions after 6 April. [HL5424]

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Revenue and Customs’

(HMRC) assessment is that there will be sufficient

resources to deal with employers’ applications for

bespoke scale rate approval notices which are made in

good time ahead of the end of the 2015-16 tax year.

HMRC also believes that there will be sufficient

available resources to answer queries that employers may

have regarding the application process of the application

of tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) where

a notice is not granted.

The applications for bespoke scale rate approval notices

will be made using an interactive online form which, once

completed, the employer will print and post to HMRC for

processing. This application form is now live and

employers may find it by going to www.gov.uk and

searching for ‘bespoke scale rates’.

HMRC has published guidance on the GOV.UK

website to help employers understand the new rules for

reimbursing business expenses to employees, including

bespoke scale rates and industry agreed scale rates.

Messages about the change have also been included in

HMRC’s regular ‘Employer Bulletin’ publication.

HMRC are planning further communications to remind

employers about the change over the coming weeks.

HMRC always takes into account all relevant factors

when dealing with employers who have made a mistake

in complying with their PAYE and NICs obligations, and

will help employers to move to the correct position where

an error is discovered.

Gambling

Asked by Lord Smith of Hindhead

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many arrests

were made in 2015 in (1) licensed betting shops, (2)

adult gaming centres, (3) casino premises, and (4)

licensed bingo premises. [HL5958]

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold data

centrally on the number of arrests made in licensed

premises such as betting shops, adult gaming centres,

casinos and bingo premises.

The Home Office collect data on the number of arrests

broken down by offence group and police force area, but

these do not include the specific location.

General Election 2015

Asked by Lord Rennard

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total

cost to the public purse of conducting the 2015 General

Election. [HL5490]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost

of additional security provided during the course of the

2015 General Election. [HL5491]


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total

cost of conducting the 2014 European Parliament

elections. [HL5492]



of the deliveries of election material by the Royal Mail

for all prospective parliamentary candidates across the

UK in the 2015 General Election, and how the delivery

charges were calculated. [HL5493]



of the delivery of poll cards by the Royal Mail for all

prospective parliamentary candidates across the UK in

the 2015 General Election. [HL5494]



of the deliveries of election material by the Royal Mail

for all prospective parliamentary candidates across the

UK in the 2014 European Parliamentary elections.

[HL5495]

Lord Bridges of Headley: The total cost to the public

purse of elections held nationally comprises two main

elements: the costs incurred by Returning Officers in

running the poll; and the cost of delivering election

mailings produced by candidates. Returning Officers have

submitted their expenses claims for running the 2015 UK

Parliamentary election and the 2014 European

Parliamentary election, and these are subject to scrutiny

before being settled. This process is underway, and the

final and exact cost of each election will not be known

until all of the claims have been paid

The amount initially drawn down from the

Consolidated Fund for the conduct of the 2015 UK

Parliamentary election was £81.4M. While the final cost

will differ from this figure, depending on the actual level

of Returning Officers’ expenses, it provides an indication

of the cost of running the poll. The total cost of delivering

election mailings for the candidates who stood at the 2015

UK Parliamentary election was £41.7M.

Expenditure on delivering poll cards is one of the costs

incurred by Returning Officers in running the election. It

is therefore subject to the aforementioned scrutiny of


http://www.gov.uk/










Returning Officers’ expenses claims, and is not yet

known

The amount initially drawn down from the

Consolidated Fund for the conduct of the 2014 European

Parliamentary election was £69.0M. While the final cost

will differ from this figure, depending on the actual level

of Returning Officers’ expenses, it provides an indication

of the cost of running the poll. The total cost of delivering

election mailings for the candidates and parties who stood

at the 2014 European Parliamentary election was £40.6M.

The Government is not aware of any particular

additional security costs associated with the UK

Parliamentary election in May 2015.

Health Services: Older People


To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the

Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 19

January (HL4840), why the independent review of the

contract between Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Clinical Commissioning Group and UnitingCare

Partnership will only focus on the commissioner

perspective. [HL5378]

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are advised that NHS

England’s review of the contract between Cambridgeshire

and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and

UnitingCare Partnership will focus on the commissioner

perspective. Monitor, as the sector regulator for health

services in England, will also be conducting a review.

However, Monitor’s review will assess the contract

from the perspective of the providers involved and

consider how relevant issues might be mitigated in the

future. Monitor and NHS England will share their

respective findings with each other.

Hepatitis

Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the

Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 July

2015 (HL783), whether all partners developing the

national improvement framework for hepatitis C will

need to sign off that framework before it is published,

and what agencies have already approved that

framework. [HL5438]

Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their

intention to reduce premature mortality and health

inequalities, as set out in Living Well for Longer: One

year on, published in March 2015, will be reflected in

the contents of a national improvement framework for

hepatitis C services. [HL5439]

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England and

NHS England are currently working to assess the focus of

this work and no date for publication has yet been set.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Asked by Lord Truscott

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether

Infrastructure UK has attached a BB+ non-investment

grade rating to the Hinkley Point nuclear project in

Somerset. [HL5489]

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: The European Commission’s

Closing Decision of October 2014 records that, as a result

of the protections for debt built into the financing

agreements, Infrastructure UK believed the Hinkley Point

project should be able to achieve a rating equivalent to

BB+/Ba1 during the construction period. It was not

possible to conclude the originally envisaged guarantee

for £16 billion but the Chancellor announced in

September 2015 an initial guarantee for debt of £2 billion

which will be repaid in December 2020 by the

shareholders, EDF and CGN. There is no obligation to

issue further guarantees for the project thereafter.

Households

Asked by Lord Empey

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new

households they estimate will be created in 2016–17,

2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20; of those in each year,

how many will require public housing support; and of

the total new households created in all four years that

require public housing support, how many will

comprise persons other than UK citizens. [HL5455]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The latest household

projections for the United Kingdom estimate household

growth from 2016 to 2017 at 261,000 households; from

2017 to 2018 at 260,000 households; from 2018 to 2019

at 259,000 households; and from 2019 to 2020 at 256,000

households. The household projections are (attached)

published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-

data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections. DCLG is

responsible for producing the portion of these projections

which cover England.

DCLG does not publish estimates of the number of

households that are expected to need public housing

support in future; nor the proportion of these that are UK

citizens.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

Live table Household projection [160208 Live table Household

projection. (HL5455).xls]

The material can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-

answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2016-01-26/HL5455

Housing: Prices


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the median

price of (1) housing, and (2) newly built housing, in (a)






https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-household-projections





England, and (b) each local authority in England.

[HL5376]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Information on house

prices is available from the Office for National Statistics.

The ‘Housing Summary Measures Analysis’ published on

5 August provides median house prices for all dwellings

by local authority area and is available (attached) at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-

tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-411659 under the

Summary Measures data in Table one.

The ONS ‘House Price Index’ includes average prices

for new build and other dwellings for England and

regions and is available (attached) at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hpi/house-price-

index/november-2015/stb.html


House price index [160202 House Price index HL5376.pdf]

Table 1 [16025 summarymeasuresreferencetable_tcm77-412663

(1) HL5376.xls]



Immigrants: Detainees


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest

assessment of safety and welfare in immigrant detention

centres in the UK. [HL5600]



assessment of the suitability of conditions at

immigration detention units at airports in the UK.

[HL5601]

Lord Bates: The regulation of safety arrangements in

Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) is through the

Detention Centre Rules 2001, the Operating Standards for

IRCs, Detention Services Orders relating to security

arrangements and the relevant sections of the contracts

and service level agreements relating to security. Each

IRC has a Home Office Immigration Enforcement

Manager to monitor ongoing service provision.

Independent scrutiny is an important part of assurance

that our removal centres are safe, secure and humane.

Assessments of IRCs and holding rooms are published by

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) and in

the annual reports of Independent Monitoring Boards

(IMB).

Home Office service improvement plans contribute to

delivering continuing improvement of services in

response to independent recommendations. Service

improvement plans in response to HMCIP inspection

reports have been publicly available on the HMCIP

website for all reports published after 1 April 2015.

On 9 February 2015 my Right Honourable Friend, the

Home Secretary, announced an independent review of the

welfare in detention of vulnerable persons by Stephen

Shaw, which included consideration of the conditions at

IRCs and airport holding rooms. The Government’s

position on the review was set out in the Written

Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.

Current policy is clear that a number of groups of

individuals, including pregnant women, the elderly,

victims of torture and the mentally ill, should be detained

only in very exceptional circumstances. The Government

accepts Stephen Shaw’s recommendations that there

should be a wider definition of those at risk, and will

introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-

making on immigration detention, with a clear

presumption that people who are at risk should not be

detained, building on the existing legal framework.

Iraq: Kurds

Asked by Baroness Helic


they have made of the implications for the sovereignty

and territorial integrity of Iraq of the reported

construction by Kurdish forces of a trench dividing

Iraqi territory, and what discussions they have had with

(1) the government of Iraq, (2) the Kurdistan Regional

Government, (3) the United States, and (4) Turkey,

about that development. [HL5657]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware that Iraqi

Kurdish forces are in the process of constructing a trench

at sections of the frontline with Daesh. The Kurdistan

Regional government has stated that the trench, in

addition to other fortifications, is required to deter Daesh

suicide attacks, which frequently involve assaults using

multiple vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. We

are monitoring the situation closely.

The Government is committed to a united Iraq. We

continue to encourage the Government of Iraq and

Kurdistan Regional government to resolve any

disagreements over internal boundaries in a way that is

transparent and in line with the provisions of the Iraqi

constitution. We regularly discuss issues relating to the

Iraqi Kurds with our Global Coalition partners, including

the US and Turkey.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Asked by Lord West of Spithead

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Fleet

Air Arm pilots of F35B Sea Lightnings are currently

fully trained; how many are undergoing training; and

how many will be fully qualified when (1) HMS Queen

Elizabeth, and (2) HMS Prince of Wales, commissions.

[HL5553]

Earl Howe: There is currently one Fleet Air Arm pilot

fully trained on the F-35B Lighting II aircraft, with two

undergoing training, and this is exactly where we



http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-411659

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-411659

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hpi/house-price-index/november-2015/stb.html

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expected to be at this stage of the programme. Over the

next 3-4 years, as jointly agreed by the Royal Navy and

the RAF, the F-35B programme will train sufficient RAF

and Fleet Air Arm Lightning II pilots to deliver a carrier

strike initial operating capability in 2020.

The noble Lord will wish to be aware that 'F-35B

Lightning II' is the designation jointly agreed by the First

Sea Lord and the Chief of the Air Staff.

Kosovo: Unemployment

Asked by Lord Hylton

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures

they have participated in to reduce unemployment in

Kosovo, in particular among young people; and what

assessment they have made of whether the recently

ratified EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement

will have a significant impact on unemployment in that

country, and if so, how. [HL5664]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are very concerned

about the high level of unemployment in Kosovo and its

impact, particularly on young people. We have been

working with the Kosovo government to help support job

creation, including through their 2016-2020 National

Development Strategy, which will promote economic

growth in Kosovo. The UK has recently funded a number

of projects to tackle unemployment across all

communities in Kosovo, including young people and

women. These include creation of a Business Hub and

Career Counselling Centre for young people, growing

Information and Communications Technology companies,

and providing career services to students in Vocational

and Educational Training schools.

We very much welcome the adoption and subsequent

ratification of Kosovo’s EU Stabilisation and Association

Agreement (SAA). This represents a significant step for

Kosovo along the country’s EU path. The SAA will

support the objectives of the National Development

Strategy, and help promote the right environment for job

creation. It will bring added EU scrutiny and assistance,

reinforcing co-operation in areas such as the rule of law,

Kosovo’s transition to a functioning market economy, and

the gradual development of a free trade area between

Kosovo and the EU. We are encouraging Kosovo’s

leaders to use the SAA to improve the rule of law and to

implement the political and economic reforms needed to

improve the business environment and economic

opportunity in Kosovo.

Magistrates

Asked by Lord Beecham

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are (1) the

mean, and (2) the median, number of full days lay

magistrates sit per year. [HL5366]

Lord Faulks: In the year for which the most recent

data is available (2014/15), the mean number of full day

sittings undertaken by magistrates was 19. The

information necessary to provide the median number

could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.


To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lay

magistrates sit more than 50 full days per year.

[HL5367]

Lord Faulks: In the year ending December 2015, 210

magistrates in England and Wales sat for more than 50

full days.



they have made of the impact of the introduction in

April 2015 of trial by single justice on the number of

lay magistrates required. [HL5368]

Lord Faulks: Every year the Judiciary and HM Courts

and Tribunals Service review how many magistrates are

required in each local justice area; many factors influence

this and it is not possible to isolate the impact of

individual changes. The Single Justice Procedure applies

only to cases involving adults charged with summary

only, non-imprisonable offences, and aims to free-up time

in magistrates' courtrooms to enable them to focus on

more serious and contested cases. The government is

committed to magistrates playing the strongest possible

role in the delivery of justice.

Maldives: Terrorism



assessment of the suggestion by the UN rapporteur on

human rights and terrorism that the Maldives are "a

hotbed of fundamentalism and terrorism". [HL5487]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government’s

Foreign Travel Advice states that there is a general threat

from terrorism in the Maldives. We regularly review this

advice, taking into account information from a range of

sources. Over 90,000 British nationals visited the

Maldives in 2015. It is in the UK’s interests, as well as

those of the people of the Maldives, that the country is

stable and secure.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon

(Mr Swire) visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January. He

met key members of the Maldives government, including

President Yameen and discussed many issues including

counter terrorism and radicalisation.



assessment of the numbers of Muslims who have left

the Maldives to fight in the Near and Middle East.

[HL5488]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Maldives

government has said that at least 40 of its citizens have










travelled to fight in Iraq and Syria. However, other reports

suggest that up to 200 Maldivians have done so. We have

requested the government to provide clarification and

share with us their latest assessment.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs, my right hon Friend the Member for East Devon

(Mr Swire) discussed joint work to counter terrorism and

tackle extremism with the Maldives government,

including with President Yameen, during his visit on 17

and 18 January.

NHS: Innovation

Asked by Lord Scriven

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they had

sight of the views expressed by the Chief Executive of

NHS England at Davos in January before he made

them. [HL5409]

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department was made

aware of what would be covered in the talk given by the

Chief Executive of NHS England at Davos in January.

NHS: Negligence


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they

have made of the potential use of alternative dispute

resolution schemes in lieu of current clinical litigation

procedures. [HL5379]

Lord Prior of Brampton: Alternative dispute

resolution takes various forms. The NHS Litigation

Authority (NHS LA) has looked at a number of these and

recently piloted a mediation programme for clinical

negligence cases. As analysed the results have been very

positive (81% of mediations in the pilot resulted in

settlements) and as a result, NHS LA will be developing a

formal mediation scheme.

Non-domestic Rates


To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent,

and how, they have taken account of future rateable

value revaluations and refunds of business rates

following revaluations in their assessment of the

spending levels of local authorities in the next four

years. [HL5522]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The next business

rates revaluation takes effect from 1 April 2017 and will

result in changes to business rates income at the local

authority level. The Government will consider

adjustments to the rates retention scheme at revaluation to

ensure, as far as possible, that local authority income from

business rates retention is unaffected by the revaluation.

My officials will be discussing this matter with local

government over the coming months.

Non-governmental Organisations: Finance

Asked by Lord Empey

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funds have

been allocated to non-governmental organisations by

each department for the last three years for which

figures are available. [HL5454]

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: HM Treasury do not hold

the amount of funds that have been allocated to non-

governmental organisations by departments. However,

information is published in Public Expenditure

Statistical Analyses, table 2.1, on budgetary expenditure

by economic category of spend, which is available on

Gov.uk.

This includes categories such as:

Current and capital grants to persons and non-profit

bodies

Current and capital grants abroad

Capital grants and subsidies to private sector companies

Capital support and subsidies to public corporations

Information is published for the last five outturn years.

North Korea: EU External Relations

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they

have to implement the resolution of the European

Parliament of 21 January regarding Europe’s

relationship with North Korea. [HL5362]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have noted the

European Parliament’s resolution of 21 January regarding

Europe’s relationship with North Korea. The UK and EU

work together to ensure international pressure on the

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is

maintained, co-sponsoring the annual resolution on

DPRK human rights at the UN General Assembly Third

Committee. Following the nuclear test of 6 January, we

are working closely with members of the UN Security

Council, and EU Member States on a robust, and united,

international response to the DPRK’s latest violation of

UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and

2094. These negotiations are on-going and we expect any

new resolution to contain further significant measures that

send a clear signal that North Korea’s actions will not be

tolerated.

North Korea: Human Rights



they have made of the statement by the UN Special

Rapporteur on 22 January about the situation of human

rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,

and what steps they are taking in response to the call by

the UN Special Rapporteur to further all efforts to

improve the human rights situation in that country.

[HL5359]









Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain actively

aware of the human rights situation in the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as described by the

UN Special Rapporteur as well as in the Commission of

Inquiry report. We exert international pressure through

multilateral fora, such as the UN General Assembly and

UN Security Council, and through our critical

engagement with DPRK officials in Pyongyang and

London. We also continue to stress the importance of free

and unfettered access to the DPRK by UN officials to

properly investigate the reports.

In December 2015, the Minister of State for Foreign

and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon Friend the

Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), urged senior DPRK

diplomats to implement the recommendations made in the

UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR).



are taking in response to the recommendation by the

UN Special Rapporteur about human rights in the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that

"in addition to continuing political pressure to exhort

the DPRK to improve human rights, it is also now

imperative to pursue criminal responsibility of the

DPRK leadership". [HL5360]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply

concerned about the human rights situation in the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The

Commission of Inquiry report highlighted the horrific

human rights violations perpetrated by the regime. The

British Government supports the principle that there must

be no impunity for those accused of human rights

violations, such as those documented in the Commission

of Inquiry report. In the absence of progress in the DPRK,

our focus must be on accountability – not least by

ensuring that possible crimes against humanity are

appropriately investigated.

The UK has actively raised the issue of accountability

on DPRK human rights violations, most recently at a

meeting of the UN Security Council on DPRK in

December 2015. In addition, as a current member of the

UN Human Rights Council the UK is working closely

with international partners, including the UN Special

Rapporteur, to ensure DPRK – and accountability of the

regime for its human rights violations – is a key feature at

the March session of the Human Rights Council,

including through ensuring a tough Resolution focused on

the human rights situation.



are taking to ensure that the recommendations in the

report of February 2014 by the UN Commission of

Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's

Republic of Korea are implemented. [HL5361]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK has strongly

supported the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry on

Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of

Korea (DPRK), and we remain deeply concerned about

the human rights situation in the DPRK the report

outlined. We have urged DPRK authorities to respond in

detail to the contents of the report and to address the

human rights violations that it documents. We also

maintain pressure on the DPRK on human rights through

multilateral fora, such as the UN General Assembly and

UN Security Council, and through our critical

engagement with DPRK officials in Pyongyang and

London. We continue to stress the importance of free and

unfettered access to the DPRK by UN officials to

investigate the reports of widespread and systemic human

rights violations as documented in the Commission of

Inquiry report. In addition, through our bilateral

programme fund we are able to support projects and

initiatives that help to improve the lives of North Korean

people.

Prisoners: Age

Asked by Lord Bradley


they have made of the upper age limit for adult

imprisonment in each EU member state. [HL5427]

Lord Faulks: The Government is aware that some EU

member states have policies designed to divert, rather

than prohibit, elderly offenders from receiving immediate

custodial sentences. The Government remains of the view

that sentencing is a matter for the courts, which – in

deciding whether an offence merits a custodial term –

take into account the particular circumstances of the case

and of the offender; including factors such as age and

health.

Proof of Identity

Asked by Earl Attlee

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what classes of

person can (1) verify identity in relation to a passport

application; (2) verify the identity of a driving licence

applicant; and (3) certify the character of an applicant

for a firearms certificate. [HL5556]

Lord Bates: The passport application and issuing

process is subject to a number of checks to confirm

identity, including the requirement on the applicant to

provide a countersignatory. The criteria for a

countersignatory are set out in the guidance published at

www.gov.uk and lists examples for recognised

professions.

Information on who may act as a referee for an

applicant for a firearms certificate is detailed in

paragraphs 10.9-10.19 of the Guide on Firearms

Licensing Law 2015. Information on those whom may act

as a referee for an applicant for a shotgun certificate is

detailed at paragraphs 11.7-11.15 of the same guide.

The person signing the driving license application form

and photo must be resident in the UK, know the applicant

personally, not be a relative and not live at the same






address as the applicant. This might include civil servant,

bank or building society staff, local business person or

shopkeeper, teacher, lawyer or engineer.

Public Sector: Ethics


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response

they have made to the report of the Committee on

Standards in Public Life on ethical standards for

providers of public services submitted to the Cabinet

Office in June 2014. [HL5369]

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government welcomed

the Committee's consideration of ethical procurement

issues in its report "Ethical standards for public services".

In our response of June 2015 we accepted a large

number of the Committee's recommendations, including

championing high ethical standards in our relationships

with strategic suppliers and implementing ethical

awareness.

Refuges: Northamptonshire

Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town


they have made of the possible closure of the Eve

Refuge in Northamptonshire due to funding cuts, and

what steps they are taking to provide replacement

support for women and children who are victims of

domestic abuse and who are supported by that refuge.

[HL5430]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Domestic Abuse is a

devastating crime that shatters lives. That is why we are

committed to ensuring that no victim is turned away from

the support they need. To support this ambition, we have

committed long term fund of £40 million over the next

four years which will offer support to victims of domestic

abuse. This increased funding, which triples our funding

in the last spending period, complements Government's

wider approach and support for violence against women

and children's services, which will be set out in the

forthcoming refresh of the Violence Against Women and

Girls Strategy.

It is for local areas to fully assess their local needs for

domestic abuse services and to make decisions on the

provision of safe accommodation and support for victims

of domestic abuse. There is a range of accommodation

and support available to victims of domestic abuse. Some

will be accommodated in refuges, but dispersed housing

or sanctuary schemes with support may be a preferred

option for others. Some victims will pursue independent

solutions with the appropriate support. We would urge all

areas to recognise the importance of ensuring that victims

have a safe place to go in a crisis.

Reserve Forces: Training


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what military

training is given to reservists throughout the duration of

their tenure as a reservist, and how that training

compares to the military training given to those serving

in the regular forces. [HL5551]

Earl Howe: The Military training given to Reservists

throughout their Service as a Reservist is specific to each

Service and this is detailed below:

ROYAL NAVY

On completion of initial (Phase 1) training, Maritime

Reservists will undertake training specific to their Branch

or Specialisation. This training has been developed

through the Defence Systems Approach to Training using

Operational Performance Statements which identify the

duties and tasks required to be operationally capable.

Reservists also undertake CMS/MATTS and (military)

Command, Leadership and Management courses to

prepare them for promotion and higher ranks.

Specialisation training is usually tailored to the Reserve

requirement for blended delivery at Unit training nights,

weekends and two-week continuous packages, or if the

Reservist has time, then they can attend the equivalent

and often longer Regular Service courses. Reservists will

also undertake On-Job training attending exercises or

working in various Naval Service employment areas

ashore or afloat.

ARMY

In the Army a Reservist, having completed basic

military and trade training, which broadly covers the same

content as the regular equivalent training - with

recognised areas which are enhanced during Mission

Specific Training (MST), will undertake continuation

training to maintain and improve their military and trade

skills. For most Reservists, training is augmented by

periods of on-the-job experience where their trade skills

are put to good use in delivering military outputs.

Further training on professional or development courses

maps exactly those courses offered to Regulars but are

delivered to fit with the Reservist’s levels of availability

and commitment, potentially using a blended learning

mechanism with distanced learning, computer based

learning and shorter residential training courses designed

to fit in with the Reservist’s civilian employment. All

courses are designed, delivered and accredited in the same

way as Regular trade training and career development.

Different training categories are utilised to differentiate

between the depth to which Reserves and Regular training

will be delivered. Integrated training will be conducted

where appropriate and achievable. A specific example is

the mandated course for qualification for promotion to

Captain, with Reserve students attending the Junior

Officers Tactical Awareness Course alongside Regular

students.






Training and education opportunities include

developing trade skills, preparation for promotion and

also physical and adventurous training.

Many military courses are accredited to civilian bodies,

bringing benefit to both the individual and employer.

Where Reservists are deployed in support of operations,

a period of MST will be undertaken to ensure individuals

are suitably prepared to undertake that mission (this

training is delivered to Reserve and Regular alike).

Historical examples include deployments to Afghanistan

and Iraq, flood relief work, activity in support of the foot

and mouth outbreak and support to the Olympics.

Royal Air Force (RAF)

An RAF Reservist will attend for training to maintain or

improve both their military and trade skills. Normal

attendance in any given year is around 35 days including

a period of continuous training. For most, training is

augmented by periods of on-the-job experience where

their trade skills are put to good use in delivering military

outputs. Further training on professional or development

courses maps exactly those courses offered to Regulars

but are delivered in a Reservist friendly way with distance

learning, computer based learning and shorter residential

training courses designed to fit in with the Reservist’s

civilian employment. Again all courses are designed,

delivered and accredited in the same way as Regular trade

training.


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what leave from

employment reservists are entitled to in order to fulfil

both compulsory and optional training programmes.

[HL5552]

Earl Howe: Reservists can be unemployed, in

education or in civilian employment as self-employed,

casual, part or full time. The amount of leave Reservists

receive from their employer in order to fulfil their training

programmes is a matter between them and their employer.

Through our employer engagement we provide employers

with better information about the Reservists they employ,

including their annual training commitment and notice of

mobilisation. This helps employers to plan better for staff

absences.

In addition, the Employer Recognition Scheme was

launched by the Prime Minister in July 2014 and this

seeks to recognise employers through a tiered scheme

(bronze, silver and gold) on a range of personnel

objectives. More than 400 Silver awards have been

presented since the scheme was launched. As an example,

Reservists in the Public Sector are entitled to 15 days'

special paid leave each year for training purposes.

Royal Regiment of Scotland


To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people

are currently serving in The Royal Regiment of

Scotland, broken down by battalion; and for each

battalion what shortfall there is, if any. [HL5631]

Earl Howe: The information requested is provided in

the following table.

Establishment and Strength of the Royal Regiment of Scotland as at 1 January 2016

Battalion A2020 Establishment

Strength Difference (+/-)

1 SCOTS 501 476 -25

2 SCOTS 501 483 -18

3 SCOTS 505 465 -40

4 SCOTS 606 546 -60

Balaklava Company,

5 SCOTS

99 96 -3

6 SCOTS

*

394 258 -136

7 SCOTS

*

394 264 -130

* Denotes Reserve Battalion

Figures provided are for officers and soldiers. They are

single service estimates only and they have not been

produced by Defence Statistics.

Slavery

Asked by Baroness Doocey

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many modern

slavery cases have been assessed in the past three

months by the multi-disciplinary panels appointed in

the National Referral Mechanism pilots in (1) West

Yorkshire, and (2) the South West. [HL5476]

Lord Bates: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

pilot commenced in August 2015 and in the period up to

40 cases have been considered by the multi-disciplinary

panels. 33 of these cases were from potential victims

identified in West Yorkshire, and 7 from potential victims

identified in the South West.

We anticipate the pilot will run for 12 months following

which decisions will be made about the future of the

NRM to better identify and support all victims of modern

slavery. In reaching these decisions we will consult with

key partners including the police, local authorities and the

NHS.

The names of the independent chairs of the multi-

disciplinary panels have been published and can be found

at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-

of-the-national-referral-mechanism-for-victims-of-

human-trafficking/pilot-evaluating-the-proposed-reforms-

to-the-national-referral-mechanism







Proposed Reforms to National Referral Mechanism [Pilot to

evaluate the proposed reforms to the National Referral Mechanism

(2).pdf]



Asked by Baroness Doocey

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress

they have made in implementing the reforms to the

National Referral Mechanism; and whether they will

publish the names of the independent chairs of the

multi-disciplinary panels. [HL5477]

Lord Bates: The National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

pilot commenced in August 2015 and in the period up to

40 cases have been considered by the multi-disciplinary

panels. 33 of these cases were from potential victims

identified in West Yorkshire, and 7 from potential victims

identified in the South West.

We anticipate the pilot will run for 12 months following

which decisions will be made about the future of the

NRM to better identify and support all victims of modern

slavery. In reaching these decisions we will consult with

key partners including the police, local authorities and the

NHS.

The names of the independent chairs of the multi-

disciplinary panels have been published and can be found

at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-

of-the-national-referral-mechanism-for-victims-of-

human-trafficking/pilot-evaluating-the-proposed-reforms-

to-the-national-referral-mechanism


Proposed Reforms to National Referral Mechanism [Pilot to

evaluate the proposed reforms to the National Referral Mechanism

(2).pdf]



Sugar: Taxation


To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they were

consulted about the NHS sugar tax, to be introduced in

2020; and if so, when and what view they gave.

[HL5407]



they have made of the Chief Executive of NHS

England's plan to introduce a sugar tax in the NHS in

2020. [HL5408]

Lord Prior of Brampton: Urgent action is needed to

tackle obesity, particularly in children, which is why we

will shortly be setting out a comprehensive new strategy

to tackle the problem. It will set out what more can be

done by all sides.

We are interested to see the results of the consultation

on these proposals.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are

doing to relieve Syrians at risk of death by starvation

and lack of medical supplies and care; and whether they

will insist that all UN requests for immediate access to

besieged civilians be accepted, for example to

Yarmouk, Madaya. [HL5383]

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the

Region London 2016" Conference was held on 4

February last week, and more than US$11 billion was

pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected

by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a

humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the

Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and

provide education to an additional 1 million children. The

UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in

Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment

and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our

largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and

in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered

almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a

month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief

items for 4.6 million people. We have given ongoing

support to the UN and international NGOs since the start

of the conflict to deliver aid to hard to reach and besieged

areas.

However, in the past year, only 10% of all requests

submitted by the UN to the regime to access besieged and

hard-to-reach areas have been approved and delivered.

That’s why it is vital we keep up the pressure on the

regime to let aid convoys in and to provide sustained,

permanent and safe humanitarian access, as provided for

in UN Security Council Resolution 2258. Russia in

particular, must match its words to its actions and do

more to press the regime for full humanitarian access.

We will continue to use our position in the UN Security

Council to draw attention to the atrocities being carried

out in Syria and press for robust action, while maintaining

the pressure for a political settlement to bring the

suffering of the Syrian people to an end. The UK is

working to bring about a political settlement to the Syria

crisis through the International Syria Support Group, with

the UN Special Envoy for Syria, and with the Syrian

Opposition.

The desperate situation in besieged and hard to reach

areas shows why we needed the international community

to come together at the London Conference for Syria and

the Region on 4 February to support immediate needs and

identify longer-term solutions to address the needs of

those affected by the crisis.














To ask Her Majesty’s Government what

consideration they have given to air-dropping relief

supplies to the besieged population of Deir Ezzor.

[HL5385]













By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and

in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered

almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a

month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief

items for 4.6 million people. We have provided ongoing

support to the UN and international NGOs (INGOs) since

the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and

besieged areas of Syria.

When it comes to helping Syrians in besieged and hard-

to-reach areas, we do not rule anything out but, right now,

air drops are not a viable way of getting help to those in

need.

Use of air drops to deliver aid is high risk and should

only be considered as a last resort when all other means

have failed. Air drops require certain conditions to be met

for successful delivery that are unlikely to be present on

the ground in Syria. There is a requirement to identify

clear drop zones, ensure safe access for the intended

recipients, and to co-ordinate with authorities on the

ground. Crucially, air drops do not provide the sustained

access that humanitarian actors normally need to conduct

needs assessments, oversee distribution, provide medical

treatment and conduct evacuations. They are also limited

in capability: for example, water cannot be dropped on the

scale required and there is no way of ensuring items

dropped will reach the most vulnerable.

Instead, the UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO

partners are best placed to deliver aid to vulnerable people

in besieged and hard to reach areas.

We will not stop in our efforts, whether through hard

work on a political solution that will deal with the root

cause of the problem or through humanitarian efforts,

which provide immediate, life-saving relief. This

shocking situation underlines the vital work of aid

agencies and shows how important it is that they have the

assurance of knowing that they have the resources to keep

going. It also underlines the importance of February’s

Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London,

which we will co-host.

Syria: International Assistance

Asked by Baroness Northover

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they

are pressing to be agreed at the Supporting Syria and

the Region Conference in February. [HL5400]













Asked by The Earl of Sandwich

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what outcomes

they aim to achieve at the Supporting Syria and the

Region Conference in February. [HL5404]


Region London 2016)" Conference was held on 4











Syria: Refugees

Asked by Baroness Northover

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action the

Department for International Development is taking to

ensure that teachers, including refugee teachers, are

paid appropriate wages and receive appropriate training

and support in countries hosting Syrian refugees in the

region. [HL5402]

Baroness Verma: The UK remains at the forefront of

the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have

doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of

over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single

humanitarian crisis.

DFID is not currently financing public sector teachers’

salaries directly in Lebanon or Jordan. However, we

helped launch and mobilise international support for the

No Lost Generation Initiative (NLGI). As part of this

support, the UK has allocated £115 million to provide

protection, psychosocial support and education for

children affected by the crisis in Syria and the region. As

a result over 251,000 children have received formal and







informal education inside Syria and in the region. We are

working to ensure that each host government considers

where and when they can employ and fairly compensate

Syrian teachers under their national legal and policy

frameworks for both education and jobs.

In Lebanon, DFID is investing £21m in the World Bank

managed Emergency Education System Stabilisation

Programme and an additional £1.3m for the Research for

Results: Lebanon Education System Improvement

Programme. These programmes support the Government

of Lebanon to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of

its education system including their public expenditure on

teachers.

At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference we

co-hosted in London, leaders came together to pledge

more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one

day for a humanitarian crisis. On education, the UK and

co-hosts worked with donors and other partners to secure

increased funding for education under the UN-led appeals

for 2016 and longer term, multi-year education funding

commitments to ensure sustainability. Commitments

made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million

jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million

children.

We continue to work with refugee hosting

governments, in particular, to agree the policy

commitments necessary to turn increased funding into

delivery on the ground. This includes a regional policy

dialogue on integrating refugee teachers into national

education systems, where possible.

Teachers: Qualifications



they have made of how many schools in England are

using unqualified staff to teach lessons. [HL5382]

Lord Nash: The information requested is not available.

Ninety six per cent of teachers in all state funded

schools have qualified teacher status.

Turkey: Council of Europe



they have made of whether Turkey remains a suitable

member of the Council of Europe. [HL5576]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: All Council of Europe

members undertake to meet the standards to which they

commit. The monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe

assess Turkey against those standards and make

recommendations for improvements, as they do for all

member States. The UK strongly supports Turkey’s

membership of the Council of Europe.

Turkey: Human Rights



they have made of (1) how many complaints against the

government of Turkey have been upheld by the

European Court of Human Rights during the last 10

years; and (2) how much in fines or awards of

compensation is outstanding from Turkey. [HL5575]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As we do not hold the

information requested, we have not made an assessment

of the number of complaints against the Government of

Turkey that have been upheld by the European Court of

Human Rights during the last ten years, nor the amount of

fines or awards of compensation outstanding from

Turkey. Information regarding the number of applications

made to and violations found by the European Court of

Human Rights, as well as whether payments have been

made, is available from the Council of Europe.

Turkey: Kurds


To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have

discussed with the government of Turkey the welfare of

Kurds and the damage to historic mosques and

Armenian churches in the city of Diyarbakir in south-

eastern Turkey. [HL5486]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The ongoing violence in

the city of Diyarbakir and other predominantly Kurdish

areas of south east Turkey is extremely concerning. The

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede

and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our ambassador in

Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the

need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and

return to the peace process. We have not specifically

discussed the damage to historic mosques and Armenian

churches in the city of Diyarbakir.



they have made of the situation in Cizre, Turkey, and of

recent military curfews in other towns in Turkey; and in

particular whether they have gathered any evidence of

war crimes. [HL5574]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Security operations,

including military curfews, are continuing in Cizre and

other towns in south-east Turkey against the Kurdistan

Workers’ Party (PKK) and its youth wing, the YPS (Civil

Protection Units, formerly the YDG-H). One soldier and

two police officers were killed on 31 January. It is also

reported that around 30 people, some of them seriously

injured, are sheltering in a basement in Cizre and in need

of medical assistance. The Turkish authorities have said

they have tried to provide access to medical care but that

PKK attacks prevented their efforts. Our condolences are

with the families of the soldiers and police who have been







killed, and with civilians caught up in the violence. We

are closely monitoring human rights issues in south-east

Turkey. We have not gathered any evidence of war

crimes.

Type 45 Destroyers


To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend

to commence the necessary remedial work on the

propulsion systems of the fleet of Type 45 destroyers;

what estimate they have made of how long that work

will take; and what estimate they have made of the cost

of the unit and the total cost of that remedial work.

[HL5630]

Earl Howe: A number of measures to improve the

reliability of the Type 45 Power and Propulsion systems

have been identified. A programme was established in

2014 to implement these changes and continues to deliver

positive results. In addition, and as announced in Strategic

Defence and Security Review 2015, we are planning to

improve system resilience by adding upgraded diesel

generators to provide further electrical generation

capacity. Alternative technical options and a variety of

delivery models are currently being explored with

competing industrial partners.

To reveal our current estimates of the cost and timetable

for implementation of the Diesel Generator upgrade

would be prejudicial to the commercial interests of the

Department.

Uganda: Elections


To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical

support they are providing to civil society organisations

and international agencies in Uganda to ensure that the

elections in February are as free and fair as possible.

[HL5605]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK is working with

Ugandan civil society and international partners to

improve democratic governance and support the electoral

process ahead of the Ugandan elections on 18 February.

The UK is the largest contributor to the multi-donor

funded Democratic Governance Facility contributing

£28million over a seven year period up to December

2016. This facility works with around 70 Ugandan

partners through the provision of funding, technical

advice and capacity development assistance. Amongst

other initiatives, our funding is promoting the discussion

and adoption of meaningful electoral reforms; improving

citizen participation and engagement in the electoral

process; and identifying and mitigating risks of violence

related to the electoral process.



they have made of the likelihood of violence in Uganda

during the election period, and of its effect on business

and trade, in the light of the fact that the UK is the

largest foreign direct investor to that country. [HL5606]

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Free, fair and peaceful

elections are important for business confidence in

investing in any country. Ahead of the 2016 elections in

Uganda, the UK, along with EU partners, has engaged in

an open and frank dialogue with the government, political

parties and other stakeholders on all aspects of the

electoral process. During this dialogue we have urged all

sides to refrain from activity or language that could lead

to violence during the election period. Through our

contribution to the multi-donor Democratic Governance

Facility we are also supporting activity by the government

and civil society to identify and mitigate risks of violence

during the elections.

During his visit to Uganda on 15 December, the

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and

Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for

Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge),

underlined that it is vital for Uganda’s future that the

elections in 2016 are credible, inclusive and transparent,

and that they are underpinned by a respect for human

rights. Our travel advice for British nationals travelling to

Uganda warns of the possibility of heightened tension and

unrest during the election period. We will keep the

situation under close review.

UK Membership of EU

Asked by Lord Allen of Kensington


have to engage with leaders of businesses of all sizes in

every sector to ensure that they have information about

the pros and cons of the UK remaining a full member of

the EU. [HL5357]

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: No such assessment has been

made.

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of

our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the

UK - so we get a better deal for our country and secure

our future. We are confident that the right agreement can

be reached.

Asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering


they have made of the impact on farm incomes in

England and Wales for (1) all farmers, and (2) hill

farmers, of a British exit from the EU. [HL5392]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government is

fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that

cause so much frustration in the UK, so that we get a

better deal for our country and secure our future. We are

confident that the right agreement can be reached.

Based on the latest set of published figures,

approximately 130,000 beneficiaries receive support

under EU Common Agricultural Policy schemes each









year in England and Wales. The average payment is

£18,500 or €21,000 a year per beneficiary.

UN High-level Panel on Women's Economic

Empowerment

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick


have to support the UN Secretary-General’s first high-

level panel on women’s economic empowerment.

[HL5548]

Baroness Verma: The High Level Panel on women’s

economic empowerment, convened by the UN Secretary

General, will bring together leading politicians, expert

economists, leaders from business and civil society to

lead a step change in improving economic opportunities

and choices for women and girls globally.

The Secretary of State for International Development,

Justine Greening, is a founding member of the Panel. In

addition to our policy and technical inputs, DFID will

also provide support for the Panel’s independent

Secretariat to conduct a global consultation process,

produce a research synthesis, and build momentum

around tangible actions to unleash the full global potential

of women’s economic power.

Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons

Review

Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they

received Stephen Shaw's report Review into the

Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons. [HL5791]

Lord Bates: Mr Shaw submitted his report on 24

September 2015. It was published on 14 January 2016.




Index to Statements and Answers

Written Statements ................................................. 1

Government Grant Agreements: Guidance .......... 1

Informal Competitiveness Council ....................... 1

Written Answers ..................................................... 3

Aircraft Carriers.................................................... 3

Armed Forces: Discharges ................................... 3

British Nationals Abroad: Voting Rights ............. 4

Company Accounts: Audit ................................... 5

Dedicated Schools Grant ...................................... 5

Deportation ........................................................... 6

Development Aid.................................................. 6

Diseases ................................................................ 6

Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011 ....... 6

Electronic Surveillance ......................................... 6

EU Immigration .................................................... 7

EU Staff ................................................................ 7

Fisheries: Quotas .................................................. 7

Flour: Folic Acid .................................................. 7

Fringe Benefits: Tax Allowances ......................... 7

General Election 2015 .......................................... 8

Health Services: Older People .............................. 9

Hepatitis ................................................................ 9

Hinkley Point C Power Station ............................. 9

Households ........................................................... 9

Housing: Prices ..................................................... 9

Immigrants: Detainees ........................................ 10

Iraq: Kurds .......................................................... 10

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft ................................ 10

Kosovo: Unemployment ..................................... 11

Magistrates ......................................................... 11

Maldives: Terrorism ........................................... 11

Non-governmental Organisations: Finance ........ 12

North Korea: EU External Relations .................. 12

North Korea: Human Rights ............................... 12

Prisoners: Age .................................................... 13

Proof of Identity ................................................. 13

Reserve Forces: Training ................................... 14

Royal Regiment of Scotland .............................. 15

Syria: Humanitarian Aid .................................... 16

Syria: International Assistance .......................... 17

Turkey: Human Rights ...................................... 18

Turkey: Kurds .................................................... 18

Type 45 Destroyers ............................................ 19

Uganda: Elections .............................................. 19

UK Membership of EU ...................................... 19

Welfare in Detention of Vulnerable Persons

Review ............................................................... 20

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