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No. 39 18 NOVEMBER 2008
Tabled on the dates in bold and due for answer by the dates in brackets.
The Government Department responsible for answering each Question is shown in square brackets.
17 June 2008 (1 July)
Lord Patten to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 17 June (HL3750), whether, in the light of evidence of the treatment and poor health care of political prisoners in Cuba, they will now make formal representations to the government of Cuba on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. [FCO] HL4300
2 July 2008 (16 July)
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Malloch-Brown on 30 June (WA 22-3) about the role of international peacekeepers in Sudan, what is the total annual cost of peacekeeping there. [FCO] HL4584
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent on Eurostar rail travel in each of the last five years by (a) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) the Home Office, (c) the Department of Health, and (d) HM Treasury. [FCO] HL4599
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will discuss the future of the Treaty of Lisbon with the French Presidency of the European Union; and, if so, whether they will suggest taking any joint action with them and other European Union member state governments to resolve the current situation. [FCO] HL4622
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose increases in European Union-funded synthetic biology programmes, including the expansion of bio-sensor investigations into new uses, at forthcoming meetings of the Council of Ministers. [FCO] HL4624
17 July 2008 (31 July)
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in discussions with the French European Union Presidency to achieve a reclassification of nuclear energy as a quasi-renewable power source. [FCO] HL5068
1 September 2008 (15 September)
Lord Tebbit to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in view of the proposed settlement concerning crimes committed against United States citizens with Libyan support, they will assist British nationals seeking compensation from Libya in the courts of the United States in respect of crimes committed by terrorists trained or armed by Libya. [FCO] HL5305
29 September 2008 (13 October)
Lord Bradshaw to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest forecast of the future level of oil prices. [DfBERR] HL5348
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many judgments of the European Court of Human Rights given against Russia remain unimplemented; and how much compensation awarded to Russian persons is outstanding. [FCO] HL5375
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 4 December 2006 (HL 92-3), what has been achieved as a result of the €38.1 million provided by the European Union Commission and the second tranche of €120 million, as approved by the PHARE committee; how these funds and related schemes were administered; and by whom. [FCO] HL5385
6 October 2008 (20 October)
Lord Chadlington to ask Her Majesty’s Government what special measures they are putting in place to help entrepreneurs and small businesses secure loans in the present economic climate. [DfBERR]
HL5424
Lord Browne of Madingley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support lifting the ban on forest carbon credits in the European Emissions Trading System. [DECC] HL5430
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in relation to the report and accounts of the Crown Estate for 2007-08, which said that a 1.2 MW tidal energy scheme at Strangford Lough will provide renewable energy for 1,000 homes, what equivalent renewable energy output will come from a further 25 GW of offshore wind turbine capacity, as forecast in December 2007 by the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. [DECC] HL5434
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to encourage householders to use the derogation allowing them to manufacture up to 2,500 litres of biodiesel annually for use in their own vehicles. [HMT] HL5437
8 October 2008 (22 October)
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent biofuel crops are subsidised in Britain; what is the value of such subsidies; and what is their impact on the poorest consumers and farmers. [DECC] HL5516
Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to the Treasury of contingent liabilities to each Overseas Territory in each of the last ten years for which figures are available; and how much of this has been due to damage caused by climate incidents and other natural phenomena. [FCO] HL5520
13 October 2008 (27 October)
Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the security situation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq for the purposes of considering whether to extend visa issuing facilities to Erbil. [FCO] HL5589
14 October 2008 (28 October)
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to reduce the staff of the Northern Ireland Office; how many staff will be lost; and by when. [NIO] HL5638
15 October 2008 (29 October)
Lord Roberts of Conwy to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will reconsider the terms of their bank recapitalisation scheme (a) to enable assisted banks to pay dividends on ordinary shares before the redemption of Government preference shares is complete; and (b) to encourage private participation in the anticipated ordinary share issues. [HMT] HL5655
Lord Vinson to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans the National Grid has to cope with the projected 30,000 megawatts of intermittent wind turbine energy, equating to approximately half the national peak demand of electricity. [DECC] HL5666
20 October 2008 (3 November)
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what contracts have been awarded to black and ethnic minority contractors and consultants for work related to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and what is the value of those contracts. [DCMS] HL5745
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many post offices were active in Northern Ireland on (a) 1 October 2008; and (b) 1 October 1997. [DfBERR] HL5760
Lord Roberts of Conwy to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to reply to the Question for Written Answer tabled by Lord Morris of Manchester on 29 September (HL5324) on the decision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to stop pipers from the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the Royal Irish Guards from honouring their commitment to perform in Moscow in September. [FCO] HL5761
Lord Patten to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have or will discuss with the government of India allegations that certain Hindu organisations are seeking the religious cleansing of those following other faiths in Orissa state. [FCO] HL5765
21 October 2008 (4 November)
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to ensure that credit card companies clearly inform their clients of the due payment date on their monthly statement. [DfBERR]
HL5790
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are discussing with fuel companies the profits made as a result of the increase in oil prices; and, if so, with which companies. [DECC] HL5792
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what incentives they propose for companies to reduce the cost of natural gas. [DECC] HL5793
22 October 2008 (5 November)
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they collect data from off-shore and on-shore wind turbines to determine the efficiency of models and their downtime due to breakdowns and maintenance requirements. [DECC] HL5810
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to assist the United Kingdom manufacturing industry in the current economic circumstances. [DfBERR] HL5823
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any farmer in the European Union has been prosecuted for failing to observe soil quality under the cross compliance regulations. [DEFRA]
HL5831
23 October 2008 (6 November)
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 8 November 2006 (WA 194-5) and 21 May 2007 (WA 79), whether they have established means of collating and making available information about recommendations from the Parliamentary Ombudsman following her investigations. [HO] HL5871
27 October 2008 (10 November)
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether compensation paid to convicted prisoners can be withheld until the prisoners’ victims are informed; whether they provide assistance such that such victims can seek recompense where the convicted person subsequently acquires assets; and whether they will deduct from such compensation the costs involved in imprisoning the individuals. [MoJ]
HL5885
28 October 2008 (11 November)
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 22 October (WA 108), how the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme allowances for the cement, food, drink and tobacco and offshore sectors in 2007 compared with the emissions produced in those sectors; and, if the allowances were greater than the emissions, whether they were allocated at the expense of other sectors; and whether any balance can be carried forward to 2008. [DECC] HL5945
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they will make at the European Union General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 November about current and future relations with Russia. [FCO] HL5956
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the comments of the International Bar Association, the International Commission of Jurists, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the State Department about the independence of Russia’s justice and legal system and influences on its prosecution service. [FCO] HL5957
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last raised with the government of Russia (a) the detention in psychiatric hospitals of members of opposition parties and their treatment without proper consent; (b) the use of invented criminal charges against opposition members; (c) arrests and beatings of non-violent demonstrators; (d) the unexplained deaths of 47 journalists since 1992; and (e) the new offences of “extremism” and “humiliating national pride”. [FCO] HL5959
29 October 2008 (12 November)
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to providing temporary visas and emergency accommodation for Iraq’s Christian and Mandaean families expelled from their homes in Mosul. [FCO] HL5992
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Information Commissioner’s remarks about the increased loss of confidential information on databases and the danger of abuses arising therefrom. [CO] HL5996
Lord Dear to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 25 March (WA 78-9) regarding the impact on salmon stocks of privileged fixed engines operating on the River Severn, what discussions they have since had with Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales and the European Commission on the effect of these fisheries on the conservation status of salmon in the Wye and Usk Special Areas of Conservation. [DEFRA] HL6024
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to make the bluetongue vaccination scheme compulsory. [DEFRA] HL6029
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase the number of permits to work in the United Kingdom issued under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. [HO]
HL6030
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the possible ending of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme in 2010. [HO] HL6031
30 October 2008 (13 November)
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether possessing a copy of Legal Action for Women’s Self-Help Guide against detention and deportation is contrary to the interests of safety or security within the meaning of the Detention Centre Rules; and, if so, whether they will place a copy of the Guide in the Library of the House, identifying the passages in it which are contrary to safety or security. [HO] HL6037
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they and the Quartet have made of the legal status of Israel’s restrictions on land access to Gaza and its not allowing supplies and access by sea; and what is their assessment of the two visits this year to Gaza by the SS Dignity, which delivered humanitarian aid. [FCO] HL6058
3 November 2008 (17 November)
Lord Steel of Aikwood to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the upholding of their appeal on 22 October by the House of Lords in the case of R (on the application of Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, they will allow the Chagos Islanders to return to their homelands other than Diego Garcia. [FCO] HL6065
Lord Steel of Aikwood to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in view of attempts to rename the President of Malawi “Life President”, what steps they will take to make upholding democracy in that country, in particular the staging of free and fair elections in May 2009, a condition of United Kingdom aid to Malawi. [FCO] HL6066
Lord Glentoran to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much each public inquiry in progress in Northern Ireland has cost; and what is the average monthly cost of running inquiries in Northern Ireland. [NIO] HL6071
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bach on 29 October (WA 166), what is their assessment of the impact of the savings agreed by Her Majesty’s Court Service and the Tribunals Service on access to justice; and what is the basis of that assessment. [MoJ] HL6072
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the proposed Upland Entry Level Scheme due to replace the Hill Farm Allowance requires a five-year commitment from tenant farmers renting land on an annual basis; and what area of the countryside will, thereby, receive no environmental upkeep. [DEFRA] HL6074
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered designing a legally binding agreement allowing tenant farmers access to the proposed Upland Entry Level Scheme on the basis that annual renewal of rent for the land in question will denote continuing in the Scheme for the full five-year term. [DEFRA] HL6075
Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Swimming Forum represents a cross-section of interests in swimming-related matters. [DCMS] HL6077
Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Swimming Forum’s business is conducted so as to ensure that the Amateur Swimming Association only exercises appropriate influence. [DCMS] HL6078
Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they and Sport England place the same weight in their consultations on swimming-related matters on the learning and teaching of swimming as on the competitive element. [DCMS] HL6080
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have proposals to improve monitoring of standards of decency within which the BBC should operate. [DCMS] HL6085
Baroness Uddin to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to send representatives to monitor the forthcoming elections in Bangladesh. [FCO] HL6088
Baroness Uddin to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to send parliamentary representatives to monitor the forthcoming elections in Bangladesh. [FCO] HL6089
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Hill Farm Allowance claimants were overpaid for 2006; and what was the total cost of the overpayment. [DEFRA] HL6091
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the Hill Farm Allowance claimants live on common land; and what assessment has been made of the implications of the proposed overpayment clawback. [DEFRA] HL6092
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Rural Payments Agency first discovered that overpayments of the 2006 Hill Farm Allowance had been made; and why the overpayments were not corrected at that time. [DEFRA] HL6093
Baroness Byford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Hill Farm Allowance team in the Rural Payments Agency have checked with other sections of the Rural Payments Agency to discover whether there are underpayments that could be offset against overpayments. [DEFRA] HL6094
4 November 2008 (18 November)
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the decision of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in the case of R v O on 2 September and of their intention to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, they will alter the existing protocols relating to immigration offences and ensure that they are fully implemented. [HO]
HL6095
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will raise the issue of carbon dioxide emissions from flaring at oil or gas wells and refineries in all appropriate international fora; and whether progress is being made towards eliminating such emissions. [DECC] HL6097
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens have faced proceedings under the European Arrest Warrant. [HO] HL6101
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 8 October (WA 15), whether the provisions in the Treaty of Lisbon governing the European Union’s legal personality and the use of the Passerelle clause can be enacted under the Treaty of Nice. [FCO] HL6102
Lord Bates to ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets have been set for the ONE North East Regional Development Agency for (a) 2009-10, and (b) 2010-11; and how these budgets compare to the budgets for 2007-08 and 2008-09. [DfBERR] HL6105
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they placed any restrictions on the use of flags and weapons by the members of Her Majesty’s armed forces who took part in the homecoming parade in Belfast on 2 November; and, if so, what they were. [MoD] HL6113
5 November 2008 (19 November)
Lord Rana to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reduce the number of women in prison for minor offences, as highlighted by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its concluding observations in respect of the United Kingdom on 18 July. [MoJ] HL6114
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government how soon they expect to include aviation in the European Emissions Trading Scheme after the directive on the subject, approved by the Council of Ministers, is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. [DECC] HL6115
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government when Typhoon aircraft will be deployed to Iceland on NATO Quick Reaction Alert duty; how many will be deployed; and for how long. [MoD] HL6118
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of United Nations reports of Rwandan tanks firing across the border at Congolese troops and providing military support to Laurent Nkunda’s rebel forces; and what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda about this matter. [FCO] HL6120
Lord Cotter to ask Her Majesty’s Government which contractors of the Ministry of Justice do not pay their suppliers within 30 days; and what representations they will make to these contractors about withholding retentions from sub-contractors, in accordance with the Office of Government Commerce’s Fair Payment Charter. [MoJ] HL6122
Lord Cotter to ask Her Majesty’s Government which contractors of the Department for Children, Schools and Families do not pay their suppliers within 30 days; and what representations they will make to these contractors about withholding retentions from sub-contractors, in accordance with the Office of Government Commerce’s Fair Payment Charter. [DfCSF] HL6123
Lord Cotter to ask Her Majesty’s Government which contractors of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform do not pay their suppliers within 30 days; and what representations they will make to these contractors about withholding retentions from sub-contractors, in accordance with the Office of Government Commerce’s Fair Payment Charter. [DfBERR] HL6124
Lord Cotter to ask Her Majesty’s Government which contractors of the Department of Health do not pay their suppliers within 30 days; and what representations they will make to these contractors about withholding retentions from sub-contractors, in accordance with the Office of Government Commerce’s Fair Payment Charter. [DoH] HL6125
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional security resources have been made available in areas of Northern Ireland that are experiencing high levels of dissident republican activity; and whether such activity has led to any reconsideration of plans to close police stations. [NIO] HL6132
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 30 October (WA 181) concerning the expenditure of the Northern Ireland Office on taxis, why the cost of taxis has risen by 121 per cent in four years. [NIO] HL6139
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the Central Office of Information’s total expenditure on public relations, marketing and advertising in 1996-97, using figures comparable with the figures cited in the Central Office of Information’s latest annual report and accounts. [CO] HL6141
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government which advertiser-funded programming agreements the Central Office of Information has facilitated; and what was the cost to the public purse of each of the programmes. [CO] HL6142
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Central Office of Information has spent on the Frank drugs awareness campaign. [HO] HL6143
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Central Office of Information has spent on the NHS Choice campaign. [DoH] HL6144
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what payments the Government youth volunteering organisation “V” has made, or is contracted to make, to public relations consultants; and for what purposes. [CO] HL6145
Lord Tebbit to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 3 November (WA 17), whether, in order to grant Christianity equal status with other religions whose festivals were marked on the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2007, they will mark the festival of Christmas in December 2008 with a suitable message. [CLG] HL6147
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the budget for setting up the Homes and Communities Agency; and what proportion of this budget is assigned for publicity and branding. [CLG] HL6148
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much aid they have given the Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last five years. [DfID] HL6149
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the advice offered by the Kuwaiti Community Association on the identification of persons claiming Bidoon status seeking political asylum in the United Kingdom. [HO] HL6150
Lord Patten to ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not answered the Question for Written Answer tabled on 17 June by Lord Patten (HL4300); and when they will answer it. [FCO] HL6151
6 November 2008 (20 November)
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 16 October (WA 70), whether the rejection of projects by the East Midlands Development Agency because they are not of suitable standard or merit is affected by the way the Agency works with potential applicants. [DEFRA] HL6152
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 21 October (WA 97), why they abstained in the June vote in the Council on European Union proposals on plant protection products; and what was the tactical or other effect of that abstention. [DEFRA] HL6156
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether farms, horticultural enterprises and smallholdings that comply with the definition of a small business in the United Kingdom are so considered for all purposes. [DfBERR] HL6157
Lord Bates to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many judgments and possession orders have been granted by each County Court in England in 2008; and what the figures were for 2005, 2006 and 2007. [MoJ] HL6158
Lord Bates to ask Her Majesty’s Government who has sponsored each educational Academy since its formation; and, in each case, who was the lead sponsor and what were their financial contributions. [DfCSF] HL6159
Baroness Scott of Needham Market to ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take in response to the fall in prices for recycled materials and the resultant stock piles of plastic, paper and steel. [DEFRA] HL6162
Lord Colwyn to ask Her Majesty’s Government what area is covered by the cycle parking exclusion zone around the Palace of Westminster (excluding buildings owned by the Parliamentary Estate). [HO] HL6163
Lord Colwyn to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the risk posed by cycle bombs in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster; and whether they are aware of any fatalities or serious injuries caused by cycle bombs in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. [HO] HL6164
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have proposals to restrict the level of salaries and fees paid by the BBC to its staff and performers. [DCMS] HL6165
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the government of the Republic of Ireland have been consulted in the appointment of people from Northern Ireland to the House of Lords since 1997; and, if so, why. [CO] HL6170
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Oxford University Environmental Change Institute’s Low Carbon Strategy. [DECC] HL6172
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to promote the filling of cavity walls in United Kingdom homes, in order to reduce the costs of heating and promote energy efficiency. [DECC] HL6173
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to address fuel poverty in the light of rising energy prices. [DECC] HL6175
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will hold a public consultation on the number and different types of representatives of faith or belief organisations as part of their proposals for reform of the House of Lords. [MoJ] HL6177
Lord Sheikh to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord West of Spithead on 28 October (HL Deb, col 1469), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the assessment of the recruitment, retention and progression of minority ethnic staff of police forces. [HO]
HL6183
Lord Sheikh to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the targets set for black and minority ethnic police officer recruitment for each police force for each of the last five calendar years. [HO] HL6184
Lord Sheikh to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many black minority ethnic police officers have been recruited by each police force in each of the last five calendar years. [HO] HL6185
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the future of the Post Office network. [DfBERR] HL6186
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the number of Post Offices which may close if Paypoint was contracted to run the Post Office card account. [DfBERR]
HL6187
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will make an announcement regarding the future of the Post Office Card Account; and whether they intend to make this announcement to Parliament. [DfBERR] HL6188
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they will provide to support the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [FCO] HL6189
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the implications for the United Kingdom’s Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda of the cross-border fire from Rwanda on Congolese troops and other allegations of support for Congolese rebels. [FCO] HL6190
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Rwanda (a) to achieve a solution to Congolese-Rwandan relations; and (b) to create models for mineral exploitation that benefit the indigenous populations and help build sustainable civil societies. [FCO] HL6191
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they will make (a) to support security sector reform in Congo and to encourage the Congolese authorities to take steps to achieve it; and (b) to encourage a coordinated security sector reform policy in the Congo within the European Union and internationally. [FCO] HL6192
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to expedite the appointment, and establishment in post, of an independent special adviser on human rights for eastern Congo. [FCO] HL6193
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take steps to strengthen the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines for British and other European companies deriving income from Congo’s natural resources; and whether they will make adherence to the guidelines a condition for all companies that receive United Kingdom export guarantees or Government contracts. [DfBERR] HL6194
Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) whether they plan to include clinical physiology in a system of statutory regulation; and (b) whether they will publish an implementation timetable for the inclusion of clinical physiology in a system of statutory regulation. [DoH] HL6195
Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the Health Professions Council with regard to the inclusion of clinical physiologists in a system of statutory regulation. [DoH] HL6196
Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they use when considering whether to bring new groups of healthcare professionals into a system of statutory regulation. [DoH]
HL6197
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Ms Tessa Jowell, on 8 October (HC Deb, 635W) on departmental public relations, what expenditure has been incurred by the Cabinet Office on external public relations and marketing companies not included in the Central Office of Information’s Public Relations Framework. [CO] HL6200
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 October (WA 177), whether individual case records were examined during the investigation by the Home Office into the interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers in March and April 2007. [HO] HL6202
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 October (WA 177), how that answer relates to a statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, Meg Hillier, in a letter of 19 September 2008 that all Darfuri asylum seekers interviewed had “signed a disclaimer agreeing to be interviewed by the Sudanese official”. [HO] HL6203
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Home Department, Mr Phil Woolas, on 28 October (HC Deb, 815W), whether the statement that no Darfuri failed asylum seekers would be returned to Sudan excluded the two people referred to in the answer who were forced to return. [HO] HL6204
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for the Home Department, Mr Phil Woolas, on 28 October (HC Deb, 815W), what consideration was given to arranging for independent interpreters to be present during interviews between Sudanese officials and asylum seekers before 22 March 2007. [HO] HL6205
10 November 2008 (24 November)
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide primary care trusts and strategic health authorities with guidance on the implications of the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence for their commissioning plans for prison mental health services, in the light of the Sainsbury Centre report In the Dark. [DoH] HL6206
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that primary care trusts and mental health trusts can commission and provide mental health care for people released on life licence from imprisonment for public protection. [DoH] HL6207
Baroness Ludford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have published guidance on whether the use of body scanners at airports and other security check points complies with provisions relating to the taking of indecent photographs of children in the Protection of Children Act 1978 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and what representations they have received from operators of these scanners on this matter. [DfT] HL6208
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they have spent in total on the new pet owners’ code of practice; and what was spent on (a) consultation, (b) production and publication, and (c) Civil Service staff time. [DEFRA] HL6215
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation they have undertaken with United Kingdom animal charities on the new pet owners’ code of practice. [DEFRA] HL6216
Lord Hanningfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps the Planning Inspectorate has taken to ensure no party is disadvantaged by the Stansted G2 Inquiry. [CLG] HL6217
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 6 November (WA 82-83), (a) whether the Housing Corporation has an equality scheme, as required for all public bodies; (b) whether it complies with the guidance for public authorities on ethnic monitoring; (c) why they are not aware of the ethnic identity of the three individuals appointed to the governing body of the black and minority ethnic-led Presentation Housing Association; and (d) how the corporation determines progress made when undertaking equality impact assessments and reviewing performance. [CLG] HL6219
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether ethnic monitoring is necessary for measuring equality outcomes. [CLG] HL6222
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether institutional racism in the United Kingdom’s political bodies is preventing Black and Asian individuals from reaching high office. [MoJ] HL6223
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take positive action to tackle any institutional racism in the United Kingdom’s political bodies. [DWP] HL6224
Lord Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Olympic Delivery Authority charges £6 per tonne of spoil removed from the Stratford Olympic site by rail. [DCMS] HL6225
Lord Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much spoil is planned to be removed from the Stratford Olympic site (a) by rail, (b) by road, and (c) by water. [DCMS] HL6226
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the request of 13 September 2007 (3810ICO) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by Mr Thomas Yates to the Department of Health for the submissions to its consultation “Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services” and the statement by the Department in its letter to Mr Yates of 16 October 2008 that the information is not exempt from disclosure under the exemption it has claimed, why there has been a further delay in disclosure. [DoH] HL6229
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any request for help from the authorities in Somaliland in the investigation of recent terrorist offences in Somaliland; and if not, whether they will offer such help. [FCO] HL6230
Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms and guidance they have issued to general practitioners to encourage them to offer blood glucose tests to patients not diagnosed with diabetes who have established risk factors. [DoH] HL6231
Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the deployment of the new vascular checks will include plans to provide priority access for people not diagnosed with diabetes who have established diabetes risk factors and to ensure such people are tested for diabetes as part of the checks. [DoH] HL6232
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask Lord Saville of Newdigate to publish the reasons for not completing the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry for a further year. [NIO] HL6237
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask Lord Saville of Newdigate to include in the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry a summary of findings and recommendations. [NIO] HL6238
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 6 November (WA 80-821), whether English courts may refuse to give effect to a consent order embodying the terms of an agreement reached by the parties to a family dispute in a Sharia council, Rabbinical court or other religious body, on grounds of public policy. [MoJ] HL6239
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 6 November (WA 80-81), whether they will consider requiring applicants seeking to enforce a consent order under the Arbitration Act 1996 to inform the court where the order has been made under the auspices of a Sharia council or other religious body. [MoJ] HL6240
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, Ann McKechin, on 29 October (HC Deb, cols 877-78), what would have been the cost of maintaining the pension payment system within the Post Office between 1999 and 2007; and what would be the cost between 2008 and 2011. [DWP] HL6241
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each of the last three years and for each wind farm containing more than two turbines, what is (a) the capacity; (b) the expected annual output, maintenance time and downtime for other reasons; and (c) the actual annual output, maintenance time and downtime for other reasons. [DECC] HL6243
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) what is the estimated value of pollination by bees in the United Kingdom; (b) how many beekeepers and bee colonies there are in the United Kingdom; (c) what is the average annual harvest per hive; and (d) what is the average annual income for beekeepers. [DEFRA] HL6244
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider funding research to ascertain why bees are dying in the numbers they are. [DEFRA] HL6245
Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not replied to letters from Lord Marlesford of 12 and 28 August to the Director of Visa and Border Policy at the Home Office; and when they will reply. [HO] HL6246
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the Middle East peace negotiations since the last Quartet meeting on 9 November. [FCO] HL6247
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 4 November (WA 48) concerning the St Andrews Agreement, what progress has been made on the implementation of the St Andrews Agreement. [NIO] HL6248
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 4 November (WA 41) concerning Irish prisoners in prison in Northern Ireland, why the Belfast Agreement of 1998 does not allow prisoners in Northern Ireland to be identified as Irish. [NIO] HL6249
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 4 November (WA 42) which said that 55 per cent of Questions for Written Answer asked of the Northern Ireland Office were answered within 14 days, whether the speed of answering questions is satisfactory ; and, if not, what course of action do they propose. [NIO]
HL6250
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 21 July (WA 217) concerning the ownership of former paramilitary weapons in Northern Ireland, why ownership by the Police Service of Northern Ireland is not the same as ownership by Her Majesty’s Government. [NIO] HL6251
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 21 July (WA 216) concerning equality and parity of esteem in Northern Ireland, what progress they are making using section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. [NIO] HL6252
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 21 July (WA 217) concerning the promotion of the Irish Language in Northern Ireland, whether the Irish Broadcasting Fund operates under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; if so, who monitors it; and what assessment they have made of its performance to date. [NIO] HL6253
11 November 2008 (25 November)
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government who issued an instruction to staff in the British Passport Office in Belfast that it was forbidden to wear a poppy in the week before Remembrance Day; and what were the circumstances of the matter. [HO] HL6254
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review any security implications relating to first and second phase sub-contracting of administrative duties in the British Passport Office in Belfast. [HO] HL6255
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many police forces in the United Kingdom operate a bonus payment scheme for officers at senior command level; and what authorisation is required in each instance. [HO] HL6256
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of recent statements by Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde about dissident IRA activity, how many dissident incidents have occurred in the past three years in Northern Ireland; how many people have been charged in relation to these incidents; and how many convicted. [NIO] HL6257
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government how the 2008-09 budget for policing in Northern Ireland was negotiated; by whom; what effect the budget shortfall announced by Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde will have on recruitment; and what will be the medium- and long-term effects on policing. [NIO] HL6258
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many independent members of the Northern Ireland Police Board have experience of policing or police budgeting and accounting. [NIO] HL6259
Earl of Caithness to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many representations they have received since the passing of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 about the presence of law lords in the House of Lords; and from which individuals or organisations. [MoJ] HL6260
Earl of Caithness to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the presence of (a) judges, and (b) ministers in the House of Lords on the principle of the separation of powers. [MoJ] HL6261
Lord Selsdon to ask Her Majesty’s Government what new courts are under construction in London; and in each case (a) when construction was ordered; (b) how many courtrooms are being built; (c) what will be its purpose; (d) what is the estimated date of completion; (e) what was the estimated cost at the date of the announcement of the project; and (f) what is the current estimated cost of completion. [MoJ] HL6262
Lord Selsdon to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the House of Lords of exclusion of those persons appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 who become Justices of the Supreme Court. [MoJ] HL6263
Lord Selsdon to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current estimated capital cost, including fitting out and provision of library, visitor and dining facilities, and the revenue costs, including security, of the Supreme Court; and when it is expected to open. [MoJ] HL6264
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any institutional racism in United Kingdom media organisations that may prevent black and minority ethnic individuals from reaching senior positions; and whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission has taken action against any United Kingdom media organisations on such matters or intends to do so. [DCMS] HL6266
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of levels of homelessness and unemployment and the consequences for race relations, what role they expect local Race Equality Councils to play. [CLG] HL6269
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many posts there are in the Equality and Human Rights Commission; how many vacancies there are at present; how many vacancies are being temporarily filled by consultants, temporary staff and interim appointees; how many staff have not accepted their terms and conditions of employment since the establishment of the Commission; why such staff have not accepted their terms and conditions; and what the impact is on staff morale, performance and effectiveness. [DWP] HL6270
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the review of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’s budget for 2008-09, what the effect will be of reducing the Joint Nature Conservation Committee budget by £5.86 million; how many people were employed on 6 April in each grade by the Committee; and how many were employed on 1 October. [DEFRA]
HL6271
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 27 October (WA 149), whether they will commission a feasibility study into the construction of a battery recycling plant in an area of the United Kingdom suffering from high unemployment. [DEFRA] HL6272
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the current economic situation, they will offer financial incentives to companies for developing facilities for recycling and for devising alternative energy sources for small, independent applications. [DECC]
HL6273
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will intervene to adjudicate on those parts of the New Forest National Park Management Plan that may contravene the Animal Welfare Act 2006, particularly in regard to prohibiting the supplementing of equines’ diets and the rules concerning stocking densities. [DEFRA] HL6274
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the New Forest National Park Management Plan on the amount of cycling allowed in the Forest. [DEFRA] HL6275
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Mandelson on 22 October (HL Deb, cols 1143-45), whether the terms they have stipulated for underwriting banks prevent those banks from making a service charge that exceeds the cost of providing the service or charging for implementing changes to service agreements which are at the behest of the bank. [HMT] HL6276
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of Metropolitan Open Land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, what ministerial consideration was given to the proposal, given that the letter of consent was dated 8 August, four days after the consultation period closed; and whether any independent expert advice was sought, or information requested from the London Borough of Lambeth or any objector. [CLG] HL6277
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of Metropolitan Open Land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, what action has been taken, as required by paragraph 17 of the Schedule to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967, to ensure that any London parkland taken under these provisions is replaced. [CLG] HL6278
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in relation to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres of Metropolitan Open Land from Brockwell Park, Lambeth, whether they will consider an alternative scheme drawn up by IMA Transport Planning on behalf of the Friends of Brockwell Park which takes half as much parkland; and whether they will reconsider their consent to the proposal to take 1,072 square metres. [CLG] HL6279
Lord Trefgarne to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many official meetings have taken place between Cabinet Ministers and the following Government advisers and which Cabinet Ministers have been involved—
(a) Lord Lester of Herne Hill;
(b) Baroness Williams of Crosby;
(c) Baroness Neuberger; and
(d) Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington;
and whether there has been any support from public funds for any of these advisers. [CO] HL6284
Lord Roberts of Conwy to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for determining war pensions appeals will be part of in the Social Entitlement Chamber of the new tribunals system, rather than continuing as a separate jurisdiction. [MoJ] HL6285
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 November (HL Deb, cols 431-33), what assumptions were made in calculating the cost of introducing a lower rate of value added tax on repairs to buildings. [HMT] HL6286
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 November (HL Deb, cols 431-33), whether, in calculating the cost to the Exchequer of introducing a lower rate of value added tax on repairs to buildings, they considered the effects on the revenues of the Isle of Man government when a similar change was made there. [HMT] HL6287
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 November (HL Deb, cols 431-33), whether, in calculating the cost to the Exchequer of introducing a lower rate of value added tax on repairs to buildings, they took account of the effects on the revenues of France, Italy and Portugal when those countries made a similar change. [HMT]
HL6288
Lord Cope of Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Davies of Oldham on 10 November (HL Deb, cols 431-33), whether, in the light of the increase in employment in France, Italy and Portugal following the introduction of a lower rate of value added tax on repairs to buildings, they have estimated the increase in employment in the construction industry were such a change to be introduced in the United Kingdom. [HMT] HL6289
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Declaration of Budapest Conference on 7 November. [FCO] HL6294
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current economic situation will affect their emissions reduction targets for 2020. [DECC] HL6295
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the United Kingdom biodiversity Research Advisory Group in investigating empirical eco-systems. [DEFRA] HL6296
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to prevent accidental loss of data sticks, CD-roms and documents by public officials. [CO] HL6297
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 21 July (WA 219), whether the Northern Ireland Parades Commission is covered by section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and, if so, how that affects the appointment of parade monitors. [NIO]
HL6298
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether bonuses paid to officials in the Northern Ireland Office are based on the volume of work undertaken or the quality of that work; and, if the latter, how that is calculated and monitored. [NIO] HL6302
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 5 November (WA 69) concerning bonuses paid to officials of the Northern Ireland Office, what are the objectives against which bonuses are awarded. [NIO] HL6303
Baroness Murphy to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many discharges from medium secure forensic mental health services there have been each year in the last five years, categorised by (a) strategic health authority, and (b) primary care trust. [DoH] HL6304
12 November 2008 (26 November)
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Cabinet Office removed its webpage listing all open consultations being conducted by departments; and what plans they have to reintroduce such a webpage. [DfBERR] HL6305
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that departments follow the practice of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in making consultation papers available to third parties in machine-readable form. [DfBERR] HL6306
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that consultation papers are published in a manner that allows them to be integrated in third-sector surfaces. [DfBERR] HL6307
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are taken to ensure that departments comply with the Code of Practice on Consultation. [DfBERR] HL6308
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many consultation exercises have been undertaken by Government departments since October 2007; and how many of them lasted or are due to last for the recommended period of at least 12 weeks. [DfBERR] HL6309
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many consultation documents produced by departments since July have been published in alternative formats, in line with recommendation 4.4 of the Code of Practice on Consultation. [DfBERR] HL6310
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Valencian government’s decision to withdraw free health care for British residents who have retired there and are too young to receive a state pension or cannot take out private health care owing to existing health problems or both. [FCO] HL6311
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the Valencian government’s decision to withdraw free health care for British residents who have retired there complies with the concept of European Union citizenship and of a “Europe without frontiers”. [FCO] HL6312
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to help British non-residents with bank accounts in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, following the Icelandic financial situation. [HMT] HL6313
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Myners on 11 November (HL Deb, col 550), how they intend to ensure that the initiative for new financial regulations will come from Her Majesty’s Government and not the European Union. [HMT] HL6315
Lord Judd to ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the process and timetable for deciding any changes to existing National Park boundaries following the forthcoming designation of the South Downs National Park. [DEFRA] HL6316
Lord Bates to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they will make to the government of Algeria about the introduction of Ordinance 06-03, which limits the practice of faiths other than Islam, including public assembly for the purpose of worship and under which half the country’s Protestant churches have received verbal or written orders to close. [FCO] HL6317
Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the availability of social housing to rent, they will discontinue or suspend the right to buy scheme. [CLG] HL6318
Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many associations based on race, colour, gender or religion exist in (a) the Metropolitan Police, and (b) other United Kingdom police forces; and what they are. [HO] HL6319
Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any associations based on race, colour, gender or religion operating in the Metropolitan Police or other United Kingdom police forces receive grants from public funds; and, if so, what they are. [HO] HL6320
Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are legal or other impediments to the formation of a white policemen’s association. [HO] HL6321
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 10 November (HL Deb, col 521), what guidance they have issued to local authorities on monitoring applications to backdate housing and council tax benefit for periods of between three and six months. [DWP] HL6323
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have allocated resources to local authorities to monitor the impact of reducing the backdating period for housing and council tax benefits. [DWP] HL6324
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to commission independent research to assess the impact of the reduction of the backdating period for pension credit, housing and council tax benefit, which took place on 6 October, before making further policy decisions on that issue. [DWP] HL6325
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Explanatory Note to the Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/2424) states that “A full impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as no impact on private or voluntary sectors is foreseen”. [DWP] HL6326
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government what weight they give to evidence from advice agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureaux and Shelter in making decisions on housing and council tax benefit reform. [DWP] HL6327
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the authorities in the United States have informed them of the detention since January in south Texas of Pól Brennan, an IRA member and Maze escapee; if so, what information they received; and whether they have sought to begin extradition proceedings. [FCO] HL6328
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make it a condition of selling their shares in British Energy to Electricité de France that nuclear power stations in the United Kingdom due for closure are shut down as soon as possible. [DECC] HL6331
Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes in policy they have made to take account of the United Nations 2005 Millennium eco-system assessment duties. [DEFRA] HL6332
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pitches there were on local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites in England and Wales in May 1997; and how many there were on the latest date for which figures are available. [CLG] HL6333
Lord Bradshaw to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 10 November (WA 110), what plans they have to regulate the performance of satellite navigation devices. [DfT] HL6334
Lord Lee of Trafford to ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions the Ministry of Defence fraud hotline has been used in the last 12 months; and how much is spent on publicising it. [MoD] HL6340
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, on 17 October (HC Deb, 1579W), whether county, district or borough, metropolitan and unitary councils will be required to use carbon allowances; and whether they will have to purchase further allowances at an annual sale or auction. [DECC] HL6341
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, on 17 October (HC Deb, 1579W), what assessment they have made of the impact of carbon allowance purchases on local authority budgets; what is the largest sum they envisage a local authority paying; and what was the average estimated cost to each council type. [DECC] HL6342
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the 6th Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Waste Reduction, whether the funding for 2008-09 for Envirowise, the Market Transformation Programme, the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme and the Waste and Resources Action Programme will come from other sources; and, if so, which. [DEFRA] HL6343
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the 6th Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Waste Reduction, whether the 57.9 per cent cut in the Envirowise budget for 2008-09 reflects an assessment of the work of Envirowise; and, if not, what factors determined the size of the budget reduction. [DEFRA] HL6344
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the 6th Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Waste Reduction, what range of businesses, in terms of turnover, the Carbon Trust deals with; how many businesses it deals with; and what is the average payment made to the Trust for their services. [DECC] HL6345
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, with reference to the 6th Report of the Science and Technology Committee on Waste Reduction, what is their response to the recommendation to “once again ring-fence a proportion of the landfill tax revenue to fund waste reduction initiatives”. [DEFRA] HL6346
Baroness Warsi to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of Single Group Funding on community cohesion. [CLG] HL6347
Baroness Warsi to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the administration costs of the Local Government Pension Scheme. [CLG] HL6348
Baroness Warsi to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a permanent tree house within the curtilage of a domestic dwelling is taken into account by the Valuation Office Agency when a property is valued for council tax. [CLG] HL6350
Baroness Warsi to ask Her Majesty’s Government which recommendations of the Pitt Review have been implemented. [DEFRA] HL6351
Baroness Warsi to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the minimum income or turnover that a charity or voluntary group must have in order to be eligible to bid for Empowerment Fund grants. [CLG] HL6352
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money, property and other realisable assets were recovered from (a) the 595 persons found guilty in all courts in England and Wales in 2005 of money laundering offences; and (b) the 1,271 defendants found guilty of those offences in 2006. [HO] HL6353
Baroness Seccombe to ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each year since 1997, what was the overall annual cost to public funds and the annual cost per member of (a) the House of Commons; (b) the House of Lords; (c) the Scottish Parliament; (d) the National Assembly for Wales; and (e) the European Parliament. [HMT] HL6354
Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) how many children in England were on the At Risk Register in each of the last 10 years; (b) how many of these children were in the care of one or two natural parents, foster parents, or in care. [DoH] HL6355
Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) how many children died as a result of abuse in each of the last 10 years; (b) at the time of their death how many of these children were on the At Risk Register; (c) how many were in the care of one or two natural parents; and (d) how many were with foster parents or in care homes. [DoH] HL6356
Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children on the At Risk Register were physically injured in each of the last 10 years (a) by their natural parents; (b) by foster parents; or (c) in care homes. [DoH] HL6357
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), why the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Office is not recorded in a way that would make it available to the House. [NIO] HL6358
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), how data concerning the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Office are recorded. [NIO] HL6359
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), who approves taxi journeys in the Northern Ireland Office; and against what criteria. [NIO] HL6360
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), who decided that the information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost; and what was the basis for the decision. [NIO] HL6361
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), what instructions have been issued in the last five years to staff of the Northern Ireland Office about the use of taxis. [NIO] HL6362
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123), what consideration the Northern Ireland Office has given to encouraging the sharing of private cars and the use of public transport. [NIO]
HL6363
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken to understand the reasons for, and reduce, the numbers of black and ethnic minority staff working in the National Health Service South East Coast Strategic Health Authority who are experiencing disciplinary actions and expressing grievances on the grounds of discrimination. [DoH] HL6365
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask the Equality and Human Rights Commission to initiate action against the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust and West Kent Primary Care Trust for non-compliance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 following the Race Equality Service Review published by the NHS South East Coast BME Network. [DoH] HL6366
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes have been made by NHS Trusts since the Healthcare Commission’s survey in 2007, which found fewer than one in 10 trusts had honoured their statutory duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2007. [DoH] HL6367
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the National Health Service is free of racism; and what steps they will take to ensure this. [DoH] HL6368
13 November 2008 (27 November)
Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice is provided to departments on the design and content of their websites; who is responsible within Government for giving that advice; and what steps are being taken to ensure consistency across websites. [CO] HL6369
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 November (WS 40), what is the difference between “age discrimination” and “unfair treatment based on age”. [DoH] HL6370
Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what Criminal Records Bureau checks are required of hosts when offering accommodation to visiting pupils from other schools. [DfCSF] HL6371
Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what Criminal Records Bureau checks are required of families in the United Kingdom offering accommodation to children from overseas before those children can obtain visas to enter the United Kingdom. [HO] HL6372
Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure of the passport personal interview project to September 2008. [HO] HL6373
Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many full-time and part-time staff are employed to run the passport personal interview project. [HO] HL6374
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government which officials in the Northern Ireland Office received a bonus in the last two years; what rank they are; how much they received; and for what. [NIO]
HL6375
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what regard is paid in calculating bonus figures for officials in the Northern Ireland Office to officials’ attitude to identity, ethos, the aspirations of both communities and parity of esteem. [NIO] HL6377
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 10 November (WA 101) concerning the cost of taxis for the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, what is the breakdown of the £2,401.40 spent on taxis. [NIO]
HL6378
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the Northern Ireland Office’s pay settlements for each of the last two years. [NIO] HL6379
Lord Roberts of Conwy to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their view that the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for determining war pension appeals should be part of the Social Entitlement Chamber of the new tribunals system, rather than continuing as a discrete specialised jurisdiction. [MoJ] HL6381
Lord Wallace of Tankerness to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to engage the devolved administrations in the Global Science and Innovation Forum. [DfIUS] HL6382
Earl of Sandwich to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made with the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Southern Sudan, in particular with the return of displaced Southerners, disarmament and resolving the Abyei border dispute. [FCO] HL6383
Earl of Sandwich to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they and the international community have to expedite the sharing of oil resources in Southern Sudan and to benefit people in the provinces where oil is located. [FCO] HL6384
Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they are offering to United Kingdom citizens who have bought property in Cyprus but have not received their title deeds. [FCO]
HL6385
Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Cyprus over the practice of allowing developers to use title deeds of completed houses as collateral for future loans, with reference to Article 23 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. [FCO] HL6386
Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of changes in the number of community public houses; and what measures they intend to take. [DCMS]
HL6387
Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following Hurricane Ike, they plan to install a meteorological station in the Turks and Caicos Islands to give more comprehensive weather forecasts. [MoD] HL6388
Lord Hunt of Chesterton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will introduce road traffic speed limits with the objective of reducing the United Kingdom’s carbon emissions and oil imports; if so, what savings they envisage arising; what the speed limits will be; and whether they will make representations to the European Commission to introduce such a policy across Europe. [DECC]
HL6389
Lord Hunt of Chesterton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of road traffic speed limits in demonstrating the United Kingdom’s action on climate change, the number of road accidents, the quality of air, the noise emitted by cars and the cost of cars. [DECC]
HL6390
Lord Hunt of Chesterton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will follow the government of Japan in introducing stricter guidelines on the temperatures to be maintained in public buildings, so as to reduce carbon emissions associated with the use of energy for heating in winter and cooling in summer. [DECC] HL6391
Lord Hunt of Chesterton to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in respect of the international aspects of their climate change policies, how their involvement in the United Nations and other international agencies is co-ordinated; and how they communicate their involvement to Parliament. [DECC] HL6392
14 November 2008
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided that the relevant third party provisions of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 should be applied (with necessary safeguards) to local authorities but not to Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and other voluntary sector organisations. [MoJ] HL6393
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government when the relevant third party provisions of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 will be applied to local authorities. [MoJ] HL6394
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government (a) which local Independent Domestic Violence Adviser has been chosen as a relevant third party for the purposes of their piloting a scheme in relation to the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007; (b) what are the terms of the scheme; and (c) when they envisage that the scheme will begin and end. [MoJ] HL6395
Baroness D’Souza to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Longer Separation Allowance (LSA), in force since April 2007, is subject to taxation. [HMT] HL6396
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total annual cost to (a) the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and (b) the Northern Ireland Police Board, of cooperation and liaison with the Northern Ireland District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) since their inception. [NIO] HL6397
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass to ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the total annual administrative and associated costs of the Police Board for Northern Ireland since the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [NIO] HL6398
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current planned in-service date of each of the first three vessels in the Future Surface Combatant programme. [MoD] HL6399
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the contracted and out-turn prices and duration of refit for each of the Type 42 destroyers completed since 1997. [MoD] HL6400
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the contracted and out-turn prices and duration of refit for each of the Type 22 and Type 23 frigates completed since 1997. [MoD] HL6401
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the anticipated intervals for major refits of surface warships and minor surface warships. [MoD] HL6402
Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the anticipated intervals for major refits of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships which directly support major warships. [MoD] HL6403
Lord Quirk to ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each year since 2000, what has been their budget for supporting the five per cent of primary school pupils identified as most talented at Key Stage 2. [DfCSF] HL6404
Lord Quirk to ask Her Majesty’s Government, for each year since 2000, how many primary school pupils at Key Stage 2 have been eligible for free school meals; and of these how many were among the five per cent identified as most talented. [DfCSF] HL6405
Lord Quirk to ask Her Majesty’s Government, with respect to the three most recent years for which figures are available, what percentage of the primary school pupils identified as most talented at Key Stage 2 (a) were entered in due course for A-Level examinations; (b) achieved two or more A grades at A-Level; and (c) were accepted for places in higher education. [DfCSF] HL6406
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 22 July (WA 277) concerning political funding for Northern Ireland, whether the difference in treatment between Irish and British citizens living in the Republic of Ireland is compatible with the principle of parity of esteem specified in the Belfast Agreement of 1998. [NIO] HL6407
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 5 November (WA 69) concerning anti-discrimination law in Northern Ireland, what is meant by “class of person”; and whether they can give examples. [NIO]
HL6408
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 29 September (WA 317) concerning staffing in the Northern Ireland Office, why the number employed has risen from 1,909 to 2,088 since 2005. [NIO] HL6409
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the decision of the House of Lords in In Re E (a child) (Northern Ireland) (2008) UKHL 66, how much the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has spent on this case since 2001; how much the Police Service of Northern Ireland has spent defending it; and what action they will take in response to the criticism by Lord Hoffmann, of the intervention of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [NIO] HL6410
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 28 October (WA 157), which Northern Ireland Office agencies acquired more staff after the 2004 spending review; how many frontline staff were recruited in each agency and in what jobs; what was the net reduction in central administrative posts within the core Northern Ireland Office; and what improvements in public services occurred as a consequence. [NIO]
HL6411
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff have received redundancy or severance payments in the Northern Ireland Office in the last three years; what were the grades of those staff and the reasons involved; how much was paid; and in how many cases have the posts since been filled. [NIO] HL6412
Lord Vinson to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in view of the risk of overstating United Kingdom exports to the European Union by failing to take into account that some are in trans-shipment to other non-EU countries (the Rotterdam effect), they will take steps to ensure that this is made explicit in statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics. [CO] HL6413
Lord Morris of Manchester to ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the report Rights Not Write Off from Age Concern, Mencap and Scope; and whether there is any action they will be taking in response to its findings. [DoH] HL6414
Baroness Northover to ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements train operators must make for accommodating wheelchair users who use their stations. [DfT] HL6415
Baroness Northover to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will call for an immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza to allow in urgent humanitarian supplies. [DfID] HL6416
Baroness Northover to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they regard the blockade in Gaza as a collective punishment of Gazans; whether they view it as disproportionate; and whether they regard it as a violation of international law. [FCO] HL6417
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 263), what investigations are being carried out by the United Kingdom Border Agency into the identity of the person known as Teona; and when the investigation will be complete. [HO] HL6418
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 263), what investigations are being carried out by the United Kingdom Border Agency into allegations of contact between the embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia and the person known as Teona. [HO] HL6419
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 263), what investigations are being carried out into the availability of evidence of involvement of organisations in Georgia in the handling of illegal visa applications. [HO] HL6420
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 264), what action they are taking following the reports by Zuram Kachlishvili on alleged illegal activity in United Kingdom entry visa applications in Tbilisi, Georgia. [HO] HL6421
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 264), what action they have taken to ensure that decisions by entry clearance officers of the United Kingdom Border Agency in Georgia comply with United Kingdom immigration law. [HO] HL6422
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 July (WA 264), following the immigration and asylum tribunal decision in the case of Anna Zurabishvili, what assurances are to be provided to applicants for entry visas to the United Kingdom that action taken by them to exercise their rights under immigration law are not used by entry clearance officers in Georgia as grounds for refusal of entry into the United Kingdom. [HO]
HL6423
17 November 2008
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will press the United Nations Security Council to approve a reinforcement of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo force in eastern Congo before the December mandate discussions. [FCO] HL6424
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of reinforcements reaching the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the next few weeks; and what considerations led the Prime Minister to state that 3,000 extra troops are required. [FCO] HL6425
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any countries have offered a specific number of troops for the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the number offered, how well-equipped they are, and how soon they could be in place. [FCO] HL6426
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the timeframe needed for reinforcements to reach the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [FCO] HL6427
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sufficient capacity until any reinforcements have been deployed; and whether a European Union force could be deployed until such reinforcements are forthcoming. [FCO] HL6428
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to encourage other states (a) to contribute troops to the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) if its mandate is revised; and (b) to secure short-term reinforcements of MONUC. [FCO] HL6429
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many appeals there were against refusal of planning permission for Gypsy and Traveller sites in the two years before and after the Department for Communities and Local Government issued Circular 1/2006; how many were granted; how many refused; and how many pitches there were in each case. [CLG] HL6430
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take regarding supermarkets selling wine or beer at less than cost price. [DCMS] HL6431
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of clinical physiologists performing high risk procedures, both invasive and non-invasive, on patients; and what guidance they have issued to primary care trusts on clinical physiologists performing high risk procedures on patients. [DoH] HL6432
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Modernising Scientific Careers programme on the voluntary registration system for clinical physiology. [DoH] HL6433
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 October (WA 171), what is the timetable for the publication of the next steps document and consultation on Modernising Scientific Careers. [DoH] HL6434
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff in the Northern Ireland Office received redundancy or severance payments in the last three years; what the grades of those staff were; what the grounds were for the redundancies; how much was paid; and whether any such posts have since been filled. [NIO] HL6435
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 12 November (WA 130-31), what is the maximum annual payment that can be made to a Disability Living Allowance recipient; what information they collate on the types of illness suffered by Disability Living Allowance recipients; and why alcohol dependency is not included. [DWP]
HL6436
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 12 November (WA 130-31), whether they conduct any research on the health consequences of awarding benefits to those experiencing long-term excess alcohol consumption. [DWP] HL6437
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 3 November (WA 20), whether carriers are to be paid for checking the identities of passengers and crew following a police request on domestic air or sea journeys on Northern Ireland-Great Britain routes. [HO] HL6438
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 14 November (WA 155-56) concerning the membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, what is the basis for saying that the Secretary of State has complied with the obligation to secure, so far as is practical, that the Commissioners as a group are representative of the community in Northern Ireland; who made the judgment that he had so complied; and when this judgment was reached. [NIO] HL6439
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123) concerning expenditure of the Northern Ireland Office on taxis, by whom each journey in the first four weeks of financial year 2007-08 was made; when it was made; to where; at what cost; and for what purpose. [NIO] HL6440
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will institute independent investigations into the Hertfordshire Probation Area and the East of England Probation Training Consortium, following allegations of institutional discrimination, bullying and harassment. [MoJ]
HL6441
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints of discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation there were in each area of the National Probation Service since 2004. [MoJ] HL6442
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Probation Service has a race equality scheme; and whether such a scheme has been approved and monitored by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. [MoJ] HL6443
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission has raised concerns about any institutional discrimination in the National Probation Service; what complaints it received about the National Probation Service in the past year; how it responded thereto; and whether it will undertake any formal investigations into the National Probation Service. [DWP] HL6444
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether ethnic monitoring takes place in the National Probation Service; and whether this is part of any equality impact assessments. [MoJ]
HL6445
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the equality data for the Hertfordshire Probation Area on staff recruitment, probation and leavers over the past three years. [MoJ] HL6446
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jane Kennedy, on 23 October (HC Deb, cols 535-39), whether the lessons learned in Morpeth about the operation of the early flood warning system will be applied to the rest of the United Kingdom. [DEFRA] HL6447
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, Michael Wills, on 23 October (HC Deb, 559-560W), what the impetus for the development of a Co-ordinated Online Record of Electors was; who will benefit from its existence; how it will be kept up-to-date; who will maintain it; what will be the annual running cost of the project; and how it will be funded. [MoJ] HL6448
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 5 November (WA 62), whether the consideration of the Mersey, Wyre and Thames estuaries indicated that any of those sites may be suitable for a tidal barrage or tidal lagoon; and when they intend to examine further the feasibility and cost of such a project. [DECC] HL6449
Lord Taylor of Holbeach to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 5 November (WA 62), whether the consideration of the Mersey, Wyre and Thames estuaries indicated that any of those sites may be suitable for a tidal barrage that could generate electricity and provide flood defences. [DECC] HL6450
Lord Bradshaw to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 12 November (WA 140) on the capacity of trains serving Bristol and the west of England, how long the process will take until an order for new rolling stock is placed. [DfT] HL6451
Lord Bradshaw to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 29 October (WA 178), whether they are planning to conduct a campaign to persuade the owners of the 100,000 heavy goods vehicles registered prior to 1 January 2000, which will not be required to comply with the new rules about the fitting of rear view mirrors, to fit such equipment voluntarily. [DfT]
HL6452
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what tax advantages accrue to a person residing in the United Kingdom who deposits monies in a sterling account on the Isle of Man or Guernsey. [HMT] HL6453
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether agreements between the Manx authorities and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs provide for the disclosure of the names of all persons residing in the United Kingdom who have deposited money in sterling accounts in banks and building societies in the Isle of Man. [HMT] HL6454
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations took place on what dates between representatives of the government of Iceland and its banking industry and persons representing the interests of United Kingdom depositors in Icelandic banks on impending difficulties in the Icelandic banking sector; and whether they will place transcripts or reports of those conversations in the Library of the House. [HMT] HL6455
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (KSF) Bank Isle of Man or KSF Bank United Kingdom first informed United Kingdom banking regulatory authorities of their concerns about the KSF parent’s banking operations in Iceland. [HMT] HL6456
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the requirement on bank and building society operators in the United Kingdom for prospective depositors to maintain an address in the United Kingdom so as to comply with anti-terrorism and money laundering legislation on British citizens and residents of the United Kingdom making deposits in offshore accounts. [HMT] HL6457
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place, are taking place, and are planned with representatives of Iceland on financial support that can be given to Iceland to help that country during its period of difficulty in the banking sector. [HMT] HL6458
18 November 2008
Lord Tyler to ask Her Majesty’s Government what implications they anticipate for United Kingdom troops who suffered ill-health caused by service in the 1990-91 Gulf War from the report of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, mandated by the United States Congress and published on 17 November. HL6459
Lord Tyler to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review their policy for research on and redress for United Kingdom Gulf War veterans following the report of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, mandated by the United States Congress and published on 17 November. HL6460
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the requirement on banks and building societies in the United Kingdom to require prospective depositors who are British citizens temporarily living abroad to maintain an address in the United Kingdom so as to comply with anti-terrorism and money laundering legislation. HL6461
Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements were in place for monitoring the ability of Icelandic banks operating in the United Kingdom to draw on compensation from the Icelandic compensation scheme in the event of a banking default. HL6462
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they propose to improve the well-being of children, having regard to the United Nations’ classification of the United Kingdom as regards the care of children. HL6463
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide guidance to maintained primary schools to stop excluding children from primary education, following the exclusion of over 8,000 children aged six or under in 2006-07. HL6464
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on children and the education system of the exclusion of children in the maintained primary school sector and early years settings from education, having regard to the 20 children aged two and under who were excluded during 2006-07. HL6465
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s staff and what percentage of the total staff (a) are aged under 30; (b) are aged over 60; (c) were recruited since October 2007; and (d) have disabilities. HL6466
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many grievances have been raised formally by staff in the Equality and Human Rights Commission since October 2007; and how many employment tribunal cases against the Commission have been lodged since October 2007. HL6467
Lord Ouseley to ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Equality and Human Rights Commission expects to publish the results of its staff attitude survey; and whether the survey will contain an analysis of the views of staff from the perspective of the six equality and human rights standards.
HL6468
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 11 November (WA 119), how many of the cases considered by the war crimes team in the UK Border Agency have resulted in (a) refusal of entry into the United Kingdom, (b) deportation or removal to another country, (c) referral for police enquiry, (d) no further action because the person was cleared of involvement in any crime, and (e) other action. HL6469
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Howard League for Penal Reform social enterprise inside HM Prison Coldingley was closed; and whether the Prison Service plans to implement lessons from the scheme about employment for long-term prisoners, including their ability to support their families and to pay tax. HL6470
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review the decision of the Prison Service that prisoners inside prisons may not be employed by outside employers because such employment would curtail the prison governor’s powers, given that prisoners in open prisons who are employed outside are subject to the Prison Rules. HL6471
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans for prisoners serving long sentences to become engaged in genuine, paid and taxed work. HL6472
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will meet representatives of the Howard League for Penal Reform to discuss the findings of the recent independent evaluation into the social enterprise experiment employing prisoners at HM Prison Coldingley. HL6473
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the death of Baby P, they will review the level of court fees required of local authorities to take cases before the family proceedings court and the Family Division of the High Court, so as to remove any discouragement created by the fees from presenting cases of potentially endangered children for decision by judges.
HL6474
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for setting maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals under Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; what consultation the Food Standards Agency will hold on any such proposed maximum permitted levels; and what steps they will take to ensure that Parliament is involved in considering those levels prior to their finalisation and transposition into domestic law. HL6475
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government when Ministers will next meet Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou; what subjects they will raise at that meeting; and whether they will discuss the implications for consumer choice in the United Kingdom of setting restrictive maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements. HL6476
Earl Howe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of achieving in negotiations in the European Union their objectives for the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements; and whether the resources devoted to the negotiations by the Food Standards Agency are sufficient. HL6477
Lord Howell of Guildford to ask Her Majesty’s Government why, of the 11 questions for Written Answer tabled before or during the summer recess that were still unanswered on 18 November, nine were due for answer by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; which Ministers are responsible for the policy areas concerned; and whether there has been a reduction in the number of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 17 June. HL6478
Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the European Union Heads of Mission in Kuwait have discussed the Bidoon peoples, as foreshadowed in a letter from the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Kim Howells MP (ref 64406); and, if so, with what results.
HL6479
Baroness Hanham to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to institute closure proceedings for the railway line which from 14 December will no longer be used for passenger services in the Willesden, Acton and Clapham areas, as a result of the decision to withdraw those services previously provided by the Arriva Cross Country franchise. HL6480
Baroness Hanham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered replacement services for the Factory Junction to Latchmere No. 1 Junction, West London Junctions (Willesden No. 1) to Acton Wells Junction, and Acton Wells Junction to (Poplar Junction) Acton East Junction, such as a new Greenford to Clapham Junction service stopping at all stations. HL6481
Baroness Hanham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, given the effect on road congestion of the opening of the Westfield development, they will consider providing a rail service between the Great Western Main Line and the West London Line using the tracks formerly used by Arriva, to provide an alternative way of getting to Westfield and the exhibition centres at Olympia and Earl’s Court. HL6482
Lord Addington to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received or commissioned a report on the costs of including provision for a return path in the core receiver requirements for the targeted help scheme for digital switchover. HL6483
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they take to ensure that images used for visual impact assessment in building planning applications are accurate. HL6484
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that images used for visual impact assessment in building planning applications comply with the Landscape Institute’s guidelines. HL6485
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Ministry of Defence has any contracts with Starbucks for the supply of materials or services. HL6486
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to make an area around the street doors of each of their properties non-smoking. HL6487
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 11 November (WA 123) concerning expenditure by the Northern Ireland Office on taxis, by whom each journey in the second four weeks of financial year 2007-08 was made; when it was made; to where; at what cost; and for what purpose. HL6488
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 30 June (WA 5) concerning the Rosemary Nelson inquiry, when the Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation into loss of the disk concluded; and what action it has taken as a result. HL6489
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have established the purpose of a prison sentence. HL6490
Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the payment of bonuses to some officials of the Northern Ireland Office was approved by the relevant trade unions. HL6491
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent announcement by the Prime Minister of Israel about releasing Palestinian prisoners and detainees, whether they will make representations to the government of Israel to release all elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Assembly and elected mayors held without charge or trial. HL6492
Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors were involved in moving Mr Peter Chester from HM Prison Frankland to HM Prison Wakefield; and whether they took into account the interests of justice. HL6493
Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Maria Eagle, on 11 November (HC Deb, col 241WH) that the legal position on assisted dying is “clear”, whether a doctor may lawfully administer what she reasonably believes to be appropriate medical treatment to her terminally ill patient, in accordance with the patient’s wish to avoid extreme suffering, even though its probable effect will be to shorten the patient’s life. HL6494
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