19 Oct 2011 : Column WA67

Written Answers

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Apprenticeships

Question

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Wilcox on 12 May (WA 226), and in the light of the move by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust to offer degree-level apprenticeships resulting in the training of nurses outside the university system, what progress they have made in the development of work-based apprenticeships resulting in the gaining of a professional qualification and membership of a professional body such as the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Electrical Engineers or the Royal College of Nursing.[HL12270]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The Government have continued to work to extend advanced and higher apprenticeships opportunities and to strengthen links with professional qualifications and bodies since the Written Answer on 12 May.

In summer 2011, we launched the higher apprenticeship fund, with £25 million to support the creation of up to 10,000 advanced and higher apprenticeships over the next four years, giving firms in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, information technology and engineering the hi-tech skills they need to grow. Professional bodies were amongst those encouraged to respond. The deadline for proposals closed on 16 September and these are now being evaluated. The outcome will be announced in November.

In addition, we have asked the Technician Council to look at the issue of professional registration for people graduating from apprenticeships, and anticipate its advice in the new year. This will include examining the extent to which apprenticeship frameworks currently lead towards registration, and if there are further steps that professional bodies or others might take to offer more help to people to attain this goal.

It is important that professional bodies are involved from the outset in the development of apprenticeship frameworks, in particular at the higher level, to ensure that these lead towards eligibility for membership and professional status. Apprenticeship framework developers have considerable experience of working with professional bodies within their sectors.

Armed Forces: Under-18s

Question

Asked by Lord Judd

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the past five years, (a) how many people under the age of 18 were recruited into the armed services, (b) how many recruits under the age of 18 started army apprenticeships, (c) how many recruits under the age of 18 completed army apprenticeships, and

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(d) what were the categories of army apprenticeships in each case.[HL12178]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The number of people under the age of 18 recruited into the armed services in the past five years is as follows:

Year

Royal Navy

Army

Royal Air Force

Total

2010-11

280

2,390

90

2,760

2009-10

610

3,700

470

4,780

2008-09

840

4,340

770

5,940

2007-08

840

4,720

390

5,950

2006-07

820

4,990

150

5,960

All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

The number of Army recruits under the age of 18 who started and completed Army apprenticeships in the past five years are as follows:

Year

Number of recruits starting the course

Number of recruits who completed the course

2010-11

1,261

954

2009-10

1,418

1,089

2008-09

1,407

963

2007-08

1,346

968

2006-07

1,317

940

These Army recruits undertake a vocational apprenticeship which enables them to prepare for military training and life. In addition, they undertake academic qualifications in information technology (IT), mathematics and English; soldiers are enrolled on a level 2 apprenticeship for IT users which consists of the level 2 IT diploma for IT users along with functional skills (FS) in English and mathematics at level 1. All those who achieve level 1 FS in English and mathematics during the programme have the additional opportunity to achieve those skills at level 2.

Colombia

Questions

Asked by Viscount Waverley

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will sign any agreements during President Santos’s forthcoming official visit to the United Kingdom in support of programmes and reforms for social prosperity in Colombia.[HL12272]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): President Santos of Colombia will be visiting Britain next month. His visit will further broaden our strong relationship with Colombia.

The British Government want the visit to deliver ambitious and sustainable goals that benefit both Britain and Colombia. Although it is too early to comment on what agreements may be signed during

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA69

his visit, discussions will cover a range of issues, including trade, prosperity, human rights, international co-operation and counter-narcotics.

Asked by Viscount Waverley

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote United Kingdom economic interests in Colombia.[HL12273]

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are working with the Colombian Government to support their programme of socioeconomic reforms, which aim to lay the basis for increased UK/Colombia trade and investment in the future. This includes specific projects to promote best practice in public contracting, developing the regulatory framework for renewable energies and sharing experience on public private partnerships.

UK Trade and Investment supports companies seeking to enter the market through the range of services that it offers, including identifying and communicating specific opportunities and linking UK companies with partners and customers in the market.

We raise specific issues affecting UK economic interests with the Colombian Government. This includes the continued presence of non-tariff barriers in the liquor sector, which have an impact on UK spirits.

Compensation

Question

Asked by Lord Sheikh

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address any growth of a compensation culture in the United Kingdom. [HL12187]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The Government are implementing a fundamental reform of no-win no-fee conditional fee agreements. Under these changes, meritorious claims will be resolved at more proportionate cost, while unnecessary or unavoidable claims will be deterred from progressing to court.

As part of our commitment to curb the compensation culture, the Government have also announced their intention to ban referral fees in personal injury cases.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Question

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they intend to make to the request of the Episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo to increase the number of international observers monitoring the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to disarm and neutralise armed groups threatening to destabilise the elections and initiate dialogue with Rwanda and Uganda to seek their assistance in

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA70

neutralising militias, and to ensure that minerals and resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo are not used for illicit purposes.[HL12321]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK is one of the major donors to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) election process. We have already provided £26.1 million with a further £5 million committed by end of 2012 for the 2007-13 electoral cycle. While we are not funding election observation directly, we pushed strongly for the EU election observation mission. This is deployed for a period of three and a half months, from the end of September 2011 until mid-January 2012. The first long-term observers are now in the country. We also remain in close contact with partners, including the Carter Center, African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Catholic Church, and the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa (EISA) about their observation missions.

We are funding disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, resettlement, and reintegration (DDRRR) programmes to encourage the surrender of members of the armed groups in eastern DRC. These programmes combined with the continued military pressure from the Congolese army (FARDC) are helping to reduce the threat of armed groups, substantially reducing their number over the past two years. We welcome the improved relationships between DRC, Rwanda and Uganda and the strengthened co-operation this signifies. We will continue to engage with these countries to encourage greater co-ordination on regional security issues.

We, alongside international partners, are working to ensure that the DRC’s mineral wealth is brought under legitimate control, as a source of revenue for the state and the local population, and to restrict financial support to armed groups. Further information about our work on conflict minerals is available online at ww.fco.gov.uk/conflictminerals.

Drugs: Pyridostigmine Bromide

Question

Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal advice they have taken in regard to their legal responsibility in having funded the use of pyridostigmine bromide prescribed to NHS patients and any illnesses this has caused.[HL12378]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Government have not taken legal advice on the prescribing of pyridostigmine bromide to National Health Service patients. Pyridostigmine bromide is licensed, in the community, for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, paralytic ileus and post-operative urinary retention, and, as for all licensed medicines, its safety in clinical use is monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (a process known as pharmacovigilance).

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA71

Embryology

Questions

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what breaches there have been of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) regulations concerning the number of children who may be fathered by one man; whether a sperm donor has fathered 17 families; and what measures are being taken by the HFEA to ensure that the law is upheld.[HL12316]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the answers to the noble Lord’s questions are contained in the authority’s paper Family Limit:Implementation, presented on 14 September 2011, which is published on the HFEA’s website at: www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/Authority_papers_for_publication_without_ research_report.pdf.

The minutes of the meeting will be considered for approval at the authority’s next meeting on the 19 December 2011 and then published on the website.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 3 October (WA 105), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority can confirm that research licence R0122 did not involve any human embryos. [HL12317]

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has confirmed that research licence R0122 permitted the use of human embryos for research purposes.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 3 October (WA 105), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority would always notify patients of the possibility that their eggs or embryos had been used in research without their consent if there was good reason to believe that this might have been the case; and, if not, how might patients discover this for themselves.[HL12318]

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that were it to be made aware of human embryos being used for research purposes without the gamete providers’ consent, it would take steps to ensure that the gamete providers were informed of this.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 3 October (WA 106), in what ways the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority considers somatic cell nuclear transfer to be an IVF-based technique. [HL12369]

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA72

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that "IVF-based technique" is not terminology used by the authority in exercise of its licensing powers.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 3 October (WA 106), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority now considers research licences R0152 and R0153 to be the same licence; and, if so, why they are still listed separately on the authority’s website.[HL12370]

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that research licence R0153 expired on the 31 August 2011. Research licence R0152 continues to be active and now encompasses R0153′s activities.

The HFEA has also advised that the pages referred to by the noble Lord are expected to be refreshed in the near future.

Employment: Agency Workers

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 3 October (WA 106), what are the various qualifying periods they understand are proposed or in effect in other European Union countries under Article 5(4) of the European Union agency workers directive before which equal treatment does not apply on an assignment.[HL12194]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The Government understand that day 1 rights apply in the majority of member states. However the Netherlands has a qualification period of 26 weeks for workers that are subject to certain collective agreements and Ireland has yet to transpose the directive.

Employment: Work Programme

Question

Asked by Lord Christopher

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what data they require from private sector providers to the Work Programme for the purpose of establishing (a) the nature and incidence of problems encountered, and (b) successful and unsuccessful approaches to these problems.[HL12409]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The performance of all Work Programme providers, including those from the private sector, is monitored through formal performance management information (MI) and performance information is reported to Ministers and performance

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA73

managers and also used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. This information identifies whether providers are achieving their contractual job outcomes and enables improvement action to be taken.

In addition, a range of issues such as performance levels, attachment of participants, minimum service standards and complaints and other feedback to support effective delivery of provision are discussed at monthly contract performance reviews.

issues are generally resolved at a local level as we have strong relationships between providers, Jobcentre Plus and DWP performance managers; andapproaches to resolve these issues are as follows:

Robust protection for subcontractors has been established through the Merlin Standard which all Work Programme providers must attain (and maintain). The Merlin Standard aims to encourage excellent supply chain management and fair treatment of sub-contractors by prime providers. Primes are required to be Merlin-accredited within 12 months, and to maintain accreditation through biannual reassessment with penalties for non compliance. The intention is for the Merlin process to be transparent with assessment reports published on the Merlin web portal.

Energy: Efficiency

Question

Asked by Baroness Randerson

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total Barnett consequential for Wales of the funding allocated for the enterprise zones already announced for England.[HL12260]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): At Budget 2011 the Welsh Assembly Government received Barnett consequentials of £6 million over the spending review period as a result of increased provision in England on enterprise zones.

Energy: Gas Safety

Question

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that gas engineers on the gas safety register use flue gas analysers.[HL12210]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, Regulation 26(9), include a requirement that gas engineers comply with manufacturers’ instructions. This will include carrying out a combustion gas analysis using a flue gas analyser if specified by the manufacturer.

Following an industry initiative, aimed at improving the testing of combustion performance during the commissioning of appliances, the Gas Safe Register (the statutory registration scheme for gas engineers)

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA74

has introduced a new requirement, the CPA1 qualification. This will assess the competency of engineers in the analysis of combustion performance, including the use of an electronic combustion gas analyser. From April 2012, possession of the CPA1 qualification will be mandatory for all engineers before they can register as competent to install central heating systems and gas fires.

Energy: Wind Turbines

Question

Asked by Lord Greaves

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many accidents have been associated with the construction and operation of wind turbines in the United Kingdom in each of the past 10 years; how many of these were fatal; how many related to terrestrial wind farms and how many to maritime wind farms; and in each case how many were to persons employed or otherwise involved in the wind power industry and how many were to other persons.[HL12230]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): HSE does not record data in the form requested for wind farm accidents.

However, we can confirm from records of HSE investigations that there have been four fatal accidents since 2001 within the wind energy sector (two in 2007-08, one in 2009-10 and one in 2010-11).

All four fatalities were on shore and involved people at work (ie employees and self-employed working at wind farms).

Finance: Credit Easing

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether proposals to introduce credit easing will require state aid clearance from the European Union. [HL12222]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the criteria they will use to identify businesses they will support through credit easing, and where responsibility will rest for assessing, pricing and managing commercial risks.[HL12223]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether credit easing will have to be conducted on commercial terms if it is to comply with European Union restrictions on state aid; and, if this is the case, why the funding needs of small and medium-sized enterprise are not already being met by the commercial banking and financial sectors.[HL12326]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): HM Treasury is currently considering a range of options for credit easing, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 October 2011 The Chancellor will provide more details regarding credit easing at the autumn statement on 29 November.

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA75

Finance: Exchange Traded Funds

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have investigated the management of gold bullion exchange traded funds, and in particular whether such funds are managed in a way that ensures redemptions can be met in a timely and proper manner without risk to the stability of the financial system.[HL12185]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take action to establish governance requirements for exchange traded funds to address the risks for investors of abuse of conflicts of interests.[HL12325]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to examine if banks are using exchange traded funds under their management as a funding mechanism by pledging collateral that is not subject to independent scrutiny.[HL12363]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government are aware of the recent developments in the exchange traded funds industry. We are working closely with the Financial Services Authority and Bank of England to analyse the risks associated with these products and consider what regulatory responses may be necessary.

Fluoridation

Questions

Asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 19 July (WA 266) and 14 September (WA 64), whether they now intend to commission an organisation without significant links to the dental profession to prepare and publish periodic systematic reviews updating the worldwide evidence on water fluoridation following the York review in 2000, rather than to monitor and evaluate specific effects of fluoridation or conduct government-commissioned research projects.[HL12348]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): We are aware that the Australian Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council published a further systematic review in 2007. The department constantly reviews what work it will commission. The department’s National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including water fluoridation. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

Asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why vaccination, which confers a degree of immunity on adults other than those vaccinated, requires individual informed consent, whereas fluoridation, which confers no such benefit beyond the individual, does not. [HL12351]

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA76

Earl Howe: Vaccination is a medical treatment using a medicinal product, while drinking fluoridated water is not a medical treatment involving a medicinal product.

Fuel Prices

Question

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much extra revenue they have estimated they will receive each year from fuel duty raised by the extra fuel consumed through raising the motorway speed limit from 70 miles per hour to 80 miles per hour. [HL12191]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): Forecasts of fuel duty revenue are published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The forecasts take into account a range of factors, including economic conditions, pump prices and the efficiency of vehicles, as well as the impact of policies.

Should the policy to increase motorway speed limits be confirmed following public consultation, the OBR would take a view as to whether and how the impact should be reflected in fuel duty forecasts.

Gaza

Question

Asked by Lord Warner

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the aid they have committed to help rebuild homes and public buildings in Gaza, including schools and hospitals, which have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli military forces, cannot be used because of the restrictions on the importation of building materials to Gaza imposed by Israel’s blockade.[HL11585]

Baroness Verma: DfID does not provide aid directly for reconstruction in Gaza. We do, however, provide funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) including for the reconstruction of homes and public buildings. We are therefore concerned that only 28 per cent of UNRWA’s programme of work for Gaza has been approved by Israel and that difficulties in securing materials for reconstruction projects continues to delay progress.

Gulf War Illnesses

Question

Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations the Secretary of State for Defence has received from Mr Shaun Rusling, of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, on the illnesses of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War; and what reply has been sent.[HL12165]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): It would not be appropriate to disclose the nature of correspondence without the permission of the individual to do so.

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Housing

Question

Asked by Lord Christopher

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to bring forward a Bill once the consultations on the national planning framework are concluded; and, if not, what means of implementation will be used.[HL12410]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The draft national planning policy framework brings together in a single concise document a broad range of national planning policy currently set out in planning policy guidance and statements. The framework sets out national planning policy and, in line with previous procedures for issuing new or amended national planning guidance, does not require legislation to implement it. Given the importance of national planning policy, the Government have secured time to debate the content of the draft framework in both Houses.

Immigration: Deportation

Questions

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that UK Border Agency staff travelling to Kenya accompanying deportees do not inflict pain on them, including through using different forms of lock restraints.[HL12228]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what disciplinary action they have taken against any UK Border Agency staff who have inflicted inappropriate levels of pain on deportees on journeys from the United Kingdom to Kenya.[HL12229]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): The UK Border Agency expects the highest standards from its staff and contractors and will take appropriate robust action against those who fail to adhere to them.

The UK Border Agency has a team of eight contract monitors who monitor and report on the performance of the escorting service provider. Members of the Independent Monitoring Board regularly report to the contract monitors and the chief inspector of prisons also carries out announced and unannounced inspections.

The UK Border Agency operates a comprehensive complaints system as part of its monitoring arrangements. All detainees are told how to complain on arrival at a removal centre and upon escort, and forms are widely available in a range of different languages. Complaints about the use of force are referred to the UK Border Agency’s Professional Standards Unit for investigation and are also referred automatically to the police for their own parallel investigation. The Professional Standards Unit uses a team of dedicated investigators who are all professionally trained to police standards.

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA78

The contract monitor will consider whether an allegation is such that it is appropriate to suspend the accreditation of any officers involved in that incident. The management of the escorting service will also commission an internal investigation.

Any investigation substantiated by the UK Border Agency will lead to some form of disciplinary action. This could ultimately include the revocation of an individual’s accreditation to work for the agency. The individual may also face criminal charges if the police decide that an offence has been committed.

Where detainees are not satisfied with the outcome of their complaints, they may refer the matter to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and are told at the time how to do so.

Immigration: Rayat London College

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Rayat London College remains a UK Border Agency highly trusted sponsor; and which education oversight body last inspected, audited and approved the college, and when.[HL12302]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): Rayat London College does not hold highly trusted sponsor (HTS) status. The college’s website shows that it is accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC). The inspection regime is the responsibility of BAC.

Insurance: Fraud

Question

Asked by Lord Sheikh

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received about the estimated costs to insurers of false claims.[HL12186]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The National Fraud Authority estimates that insurance fraud costs £2.1 billion every year.

The Association of British Insurers has said that 133,000 false general insurance claims were detected in 2010, worth £919 million. They estimate that, overall, general insurance claims fraud adds £44 to the premiums paid by the average policyholder.

The Government continue to work with the insurance industry to tackle fraud. The industry has agreed to fund a specialist insurance fraud police unit which will focus on enforcement and prevention strategies to tackle current fraud issues.

The Government are also working with the industry with a view to allowing them access to the driver details held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. This will help prevent fraud by allowing insurers to check the motoring convictions (disqualifications/penalty points) provided by those applying for motor insurance.

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA79

Justice: Criminal Records

Question

Asked by Baroness Randerson

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to implement any further recommendations from Sunita Mason’s report A Balanced Approach-Safeguarding the Public through the Fair and Proportionate Use of Accurate Criminal Record Information.[HL12264]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): Work is continuing on the implementation of a number of the recommendations from A Balanced Approach.

The recommended arrangements for auditing non-police organisations’ use of the police national computer are under development.

Work is under way to consider the merits and practicalities of filtering out old and minor records from Criminal Records Bureau disclosures. Mrs Mason chairs a panel of experts which provides advice on this issue.

The Government are continuing to reconsider the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act as part of its broader review of sentencing.

Provision for guidance on the disclosure of soft intelligence to employers is contained in the Protection of Freedoms Bill, as is provision for bringing functions of the Criminal Records Bureau and the Independent Safeguarding Authority together to form the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Guidance for employers and individuals on the disclosure process and the broader handling of criminal records continues to be developed and improved.

Justice: Sentencing

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the verdicts and details of those convicted of crimes in the United Kingdom on a regular basis.[HL12198]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): Sentencing outcomes are a matter of public record and local criminal justice partners are able to publicise outcomes in cases of public interest, subject to legal considerations and reporting restrictions. Revised guidance on publicising sentencing outcomes was published to this effect in June. The Ministry of Justice publishes routinely statistical information on the operation of the courts, including sentencing practices.

Kosovo

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to propose that Kosovo be given observer status at the Council of Europe and be represented in the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly.[HL12243]

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The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government are a long-standing supporter of Kosovo’s continued integration into the international community, including through membership of international organisations. In the context of the Council of Europe, an application for observer status must be sent to the Secretary-General by the Government of Kosovo. The Kosovo Government have yet to make such a request. The Government will continue to support the Kosovo Government as they seek to guarantee the fundamental values of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Mahmoud Abu Rideh

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 3 October (WA 178-79), whether they will instruct a civil servant in the course of his official duty to release publicly details of the social security benefits paid to the late Mahmoud Abu Rideh.[HL12304]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): While for the purposes of Section 123 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 a disclosure made by a civil servant in the course of his official duties is made with "lawful authority", the department’s policy on the disclosure of personal data is as described in my previous answer. I do not intend to instruct officials to make a disclosure which is contrary to this policy.

Marriage: Same-sex Civil Marriage

Question

Asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to legislate for gay marriage; and, if so, when.[HL12279]

Baroness Verma: On 17 September the Government announced their intention to publish a formal consultation on equal civil marriage in March 2012. This would allow us to make any legislative changes before the end of this Parliament.

Middle East Peace Process

Question

Asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the progress of the Middle East peace process.[HL12280]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We continue to believe that the best way to achieve a lasting solution is through negotiations. Our focus is on doing all we can to achieve this-putting pressure on both sides.

We welcome the statement issued by the quartet on 23 September. Getting the parties back to genuine negotiations is our primary objective. The statement

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA81

refers to the parameters set out by President Obama in May, with which we agree. It also sets a clear timetable for talks. Both parties stated their willingness to talk in their speeches to the UN General Assembly-we are urging both parties to respond positively to the quartet’s invitation.

Palestinian President Abbas has lodged an application for full Palestinian membership of the UN. We do not anticipate an imminent vote in the UN Security Council on this request. Whether the membership committee returns the issue to the Security Council, or whether President Abbas decides to turn to the General Assembly, the UK will use its vote in a way that increases the likelihood of a return to meaningful negotiations.

Migrant Workers: Bulgarians and Romanians

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 20 June (WA 254-55) and by Baroness Browning on 14 July (WA 211), what is the explanation for the difference between the 135,740 national insurance numbers issued to Bulgarian and Romanian adult nationals entering the United Kingdom since 1 January 2007 and the 240,840 work permits of various types issued to such nationals in that time.[HL12195]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): We would in general expect the number of national insurance numbers issued to be less than the number of work permits issued. An individual worker will be issued with only one national insurance number, but some EU2 nationals will receive more than one work permit, as they are required to hold a new work permit in respect of each job they undertake. Some other EU2 workers will receive a work permit but not, in the end, take up employment in this country.

The difference in volumes of work permits and national insurance numbers issued is increased in this instance because the data compared are drawn from different time periods: January 2007 to December 2010 for the national insurance numbers; January 2007 to 30 June 2011 for the work permits.

Mobile Communications

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will bring forward the auction of the fourth generation long-term evolution mobile spectrum, and take action to promote competition in the auction.[HL12055]

Baroness Rawlings: The design and timing of the auction is a matter for Ofcom, following a direction from the Government in December 2010. In the light of the detailed responses to an earlier consultation dealing with the design of the combined auction and

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competition issues in the mobile sector, Ofcom is planning to consult again based on a revised analysis with, as before, a range of options dealing with auction design and competition. The consultation will be issued towards the end of this year with the auction expected to take place in the last quarter of 2012. It is important to note that the bands would not be available for new use until 2013 in any case as they are still being cleared of existing users so this delay is unlikely to have an impact on the availability of new services to the consumer.

NHS: Quality Standards

Question

Asked by Lord Evans of Watford

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the development of quality standards and patient care are being delayed; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the delay on the quality of care the National Health Service can provide. [HL12338]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): We are not aware of any such delay. Providers of healthcare are required to register with the Care Quality Commission and to comply with 16 registration requirements that set essential levels of safety and quality. Authoritative guidance is also available on many important aspects of health care quality in the form of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

NICE has already published 12 quality standards and a further 34 topics have been referred to it for development. The Health and Social Care Bill creates a role for the re-established NICE to develop quality standards that will contribute towards improved outcomes for patients. The intention remains to develop a comprehensive library of quality standards, prepared by NICE, to support improvements in key areas of care.

Pensions

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have revised their estimates for the number of eligible workers who will exercise their right to opt out of personal pension accounts in the light of the increase in the rate of termination of existing pension plans. [HL12323]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The department estimates that between 2 million to 4 million workers eligible for automatic enrolment will exercise their right to opt out of pension saving. This estimate was last updated in January 2011 in response to a nationally representative survey commissioned by the department in 2009, to measure the intended response to the reforms

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA83

of individuals eligible for automatic-enrolment. The results from the survey on expected opt-out are presented below:

Participation

Proportion (%)

Definitely stay in

31

Probably stay in

34

Probably choose to opt out

12

Definitely choose to opt out

9

It depends

15

Police: Operational Policing

Question

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what decisions were taken by Ministers in relation to operational policing during the recent riots.[HL11640]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): The Home Secretary set out her clear expectations to chief officers on the police response to the disorder, and offered her support to ensure that they had the necessary resources and powers to deal with the disorder. Operational policing decisions were taken by the chief officers of police.

Population

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they estimate the population of the United Kingdom will be in 2050.[HL12455]

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Laird, dated October 2011.

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question to Her Majesty’s Government regarding estimation of the population of the United Kingdom for 2050.

The most recent national population projections, based on the resident population in mid-2008, were published by the Office for National Statistics on 21 October 2009 The projected total population for the UK in 2050 is 76.8 million people.

The next set of national population projections, based on the mid-2010 population estimates, are due for publication by the Office for National Statistics on 26 October 2011.

The assumptions underlying national population projections are demographic trend-based. They are not forecasts and do not attempt to predict the impact that factors such as future government policies or changing economic circumstances might have on the population. The projections also become increasingly uncertain the further they are carried forward in time

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA84

Public Bodies Bill

Questions

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the circumstances in which consultation responses on the Public Bodies Bill were lost by the Ministry of Justice.[HL12226]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the consultation on the Public Bodies Bill has been extended as a result of the loss of consultation responses.[HL12227]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): Ministry of Justice officials became aware in mid-September of a technical fault with the inbox that was set up to receive e-mailed responses to the consultation on reforms proposed in the Public Bodies Bill. The fault meant that some e-mails may not have been received before 20 September, when the fault was fixed. E-mail was not the only available method of submitting responses to the consultation and the fault did not affect the receipt of hard copy responses or the use of the questionnaire that could be completed on the Ministry of Justice website.

The consultation closed on 11 October and has not been extended. A message was sent to some 7,000 stakeholders on 23 September advising them of the fault and requesting that any responses submitted via e-mail were re-sent. A similar message was placed on the consultation page on the Ministry of Justice website.

The department has received approximately 2,750 responses to its consultation and these will inform Ministers’ final decisions in respect of those bodies that are subject to the Public Bodies Bill. The department intends to publish its response to the consultation by the end of this year.

Details of the consultation can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/reform-public-bodies.htm.

Asked by The Earl of Listowel

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish in full the responses they have received to their consultation on the Public Bodies Bill regarding the Youth Justice Board immediately after the consultation closes, and in time for the Report stage on that Bill in the House of Commons.[HL12274]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the names of those who responded to their consultation on the Public Bodies Bill regarding the Youth Justice Board.[HL12275]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (a) individual members of the public, (b) charities, (c) public bodies, and (d) other bodies, responded to their consultation on the Public Bodies Bill regarding the Youth Justice Board.[HL12276]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many responses to their consultation on the Public Bodies Bill were (a) in favour of, and (b) against, the abolition of the Youth Justice Board.[HL12277]

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA85

Lord McNally: The Ministry of Justice consultation on reforms proposed in the Public Bodies Bill closed on 11 October. Approximately 2,750 responses were received in total. Seventy responses have been received concerning the Youth Justice Board.

The department intends to publish its response to the consultation by the end of this year. As required by the Government’s Code of Practice on Consultation, the consultation response will provide a summary of who responded to the consultation exercise, the number of responses that were in favour of against the Government’s proposals, and a summary of the views expressed in response to each question.

In addition, clause 11 of the Public Bodies Bill requires a summary of representations received in the consultation to be contained within the explanatory document that must accompany each Order laid by Ministers when using the powers provided by the Bill.

Details of the consultation can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/reform-public-bodies.htm.

Public Toilets

Question

Asked by Baroness Randerson

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will improve the availability and standard of public toilets.[HL12218]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): The Government believe that decentralisation is the way to ensure that public services and amenities better reflect local needs. Public toilets are provided by a range of organisations including local councils, transport operators and the private sector. In addition, many local authorities are taking positive steps to enhance public access to toilets in their area through approaches like community toilet schemes, where local shops and businesses receive a small fee for allowing free access to their toilets.

Sri Lanka

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Tamils they have returned from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka since 5 May 2010; and what assurances as to their safety have been received from the Sri Lankan authorities.[HL12256]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): The UK Border Agency does not record specific data regarding an individual’s ethnicity.

The information can only be provided at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of individual case files.

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA86

The UK Border Agency can identify that since 5 May 2010 1,175 individuals have been returned to Sri Lanka.

There is no evidence that those previously removed to Sri Lanka have been mistreated by the Sri Lankan authorities.

The UK Border Agency does not routinely monitor the treatment of individual failed asylum seekers who return to their home country. We believe that the best way to avoid ill-treatment is to make sure that we do not return those who are at risk. We do this by ensuring that trained caseworkers make the right decisions based on the circumstances of each individual case, and by providing a right of appeal to the independent courts.

State Recognition

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 3 October (WA 190) concerning the recognition of a country, how they define a "clearly defined territory with a population".[HL12238]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): This is a question of fact that will be determined after considering all the circumstances in each case.

Sudan

Question

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any pressure is being put by the United Kingdom on the negotiating teams from Sudan and South Sudan to agree a transparent and independently verified new oil export arrangement.[HL12298]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We continue to urge both Sudan and South Sudan to come to an agreement on oil, and regularly stress the need for accountability, inclusivity and transparency in our contacts with both Governments.

We welcome the meeting between President Bashir and President Kiir in Khartoum on 8 and 9 October, and urge them to continue to work together on this and other issues, drawing where needed on the mediation work of President Mbeki and the African Union High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan in negotiating a settlement.

Syria

Questions

Asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the crackdowns on dissidents in Syria.[HL12281]

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA87

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows closely developments in the situation in Syria. We are deeply concerned at the continuing violent repression of civilians by the Syrian regime. The United Nation’s latest estimate is that more than 2,900 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011. The UK is at the forefront of international action to put pressure on President Assad and his regime to immediately end the violence, release all prisoners of conscience and allow free, unhindered and immediate access to the UN for an independent assessment of the situation on the ground.

Asked by Lord Janner of Braunstone

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take further measures against the Government of Syria.[HL12282]

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK has been very active in increasing international pressure on President Assad and his regime to stop its violent repression of civilians. This has included EU sanctions including an oil embargo. We continue to work with EU partners to consider what further sanctions are appropriate. We seek to avoid as far as possible any negative impact on the civilian population. We will continue to use these principles to guide our assessment on further EU sanctions.

Taxation

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of respondents to their recent consultation on HM Revenue and Customs real-time information PAYE considered that the proposed timetable for being ready for universal credit was realistic.[HL12200]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): HM Revenue and Customs’ consultation on real-time information (RTI) ran between December 2010 and February 2011 and received 187 formal responses.

Of those who expressed a view on the original timetable for the introduction of RTI, as set out in that consultation, 25 per cent thought it was achievable. In response to that consultation, HMRC announced a new timetable in May 2011.

Visas

Questions

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many confirmations of acceptance for studies for foreign students under tier 4 of the points-based system were filed with the UK Border Agency in 2010 by (a) privately funded institutions, and (b) publicly funded institutions; and how many of each were accepted.[HL12303]

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA88

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Henley): The number of confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) assigned and used by privately and publicly funded institutions in 2010 is as follows:

Institutions

Assigned

Used

Privately funded

200,230

173,795

Public funded

241,245

196,070

Not stated

3,720

3,065

Total

445,190

372,925

An application for a tier 4 licence asks for the number of CAS required by the sponsor for a 12 month period. The total number of CAS applied for by all tier 4 sponsors in 2010 is not centrally held and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To note:

figures are rounded to the nearest five;

the rounding of figures may not add up to the totals shown;

this information is based on how sponsors clarify themselves when submitting an application to become a sponsor; and

not stated means that the sponsor has not indicated that they are publicly or privately funded.

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Browning on 6 July (WA 86) and 20 July (WA 355-6), whether, for the purposes of Appendix A Section 75 of the Immigration Rules for tier 2 (Intra company transfer) visas, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) use the same legal definition of business expenses as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC); and whether the UKBA counts as business expenses payments which a sponsor states are to cover the cost of living in the United Kingdom but which the sponsor also informs HMRC are for the purpose of reimbursing business expenses incurred by employees in performing their duties.[HL12419]

Lord Henley: The UK Border Agency does not use the same definition of business expenses as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The agency assesses salary packages in order to compare a migrant worker’s pay with what would be paid to a resident worker doing the same job. For this purpose, the agency considers payments to cover the cost of living in the UK to be remuneration and not business expenses, irrespective of whether they are treated as business expenses by HMRC.

Asked by Lord Laird

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many immigrants from other European Union (EU) countries, who were nationals of non-EU countries and had been granted passports or other visas and travel documents by those countries, came to the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; what are the United Kingdom entry requirements for third country nationals resident in other EU countries; and what estimate they have made of the number of Dutch Somalis entering the United Kingdom for residence purposes.[HL12421]

Lord Henley: The UK Border Agency can not provide statistics on the number of immigrants from other EU countries who were nationals of non-EU

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA89

countries and had been granted passports or other visas and travel documents by those countries and who have since come to the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.

Directive 2004/38, known as the free movement directive, establishes a right of entry and residence in the United Kingdom for EEA nationals. An initial right of residence of up to three months can be extended if the EEA national is, or becomes, a qualified person under the directive as implemented by the United Kingdom by the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.

19 Oct 2011 : Column WA90

Permanent residence can be acquired after five years of residence in a qualified capacity.

Third country nationals resident in other EU countries who are not EEA nationals are subject in the same way as all other third country nationals to the Immigration Rules unless they are able to acquire a right to enter or reside in the United Kingdom under the directive as the family member of an EEA national.

The UK Border Agency cannot estimate the number of Dutch Somalis entering the United Kingdom for residence purposes. However, Dutch nationals clearly enjoy the same free movement rights as all other European nationals

.