p a r l i a m e n t a r y d e b a t e s (hansard) house of...

Wednesday

24 January 2018

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

(HANSARD)

HOUSE OF LORDS

WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND

WRITTEN ANSWERS

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

Written Answers ..................................................... 2

Session 2017-19

No. 56

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minister Responsibilities

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

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

Lord Agnew of Oulton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Lord Ashton of Hyde Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Lord Bates Minister of State, Department for International Development

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local

Government and Wales Office

Baroness Buscombe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions

Lord Callanan Minister of State, Department for Exiting the European Union

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen Whip

Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip

Lord Duncan of Springbank Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office and Scotland Office

Baroness Fairhead Minister of State, Department for International Trade

Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural

Affairs

Baroness Goldie Whip

Lord Henley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial

Strategy

Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson

Lord O'Shaughnessy Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care

Baroness Stedman-Scott Whip

Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Whip

Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip

Baroness Vere of Norbiton Whip

Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office

Lord Young of Cookham Whip

Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip

© Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2018

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

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



http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Written Statements 24 January 2018 Page 1

Written Statements Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Overseas Entity Beneficial Ownership: UK

Public Register

[HLWS417]

Lord Henley: My hon friend Andrew Griffiths, the

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business,

Energy and Industrial Strategy has made the following

written ministerial statement:

I am today confirming to Parliament the Government’s

timetable for implementation of its policy to achieve

greater transparency around foreign entities that own or

buy property in the UK or participate in UK Government

procurement. This will set down in legislation the

commitment made at the 2016 Anti-Corruption Summit

and reaffirmed in the UK’s Anti-Corruption Strategy,

published in December.

The Government intends to legislate to establish a

public register of beneficial owners of non-UK entities

that own or buy UK property, or which participate in UK

Government procurement. It will publish a draft Bill

before the summer recess this year. This will be a

significant piece of legislation that delivers a streamlined

policy, consistent across the UK, where currently the

Land Registries for England and Wales, for Scotland and

for Northern Ireland have taken different approaches to

land registration and registration of overseas entities.

The Government intends to introduce the Bill to

Parliament early in the second session. Following Royal

Assent and the making of secondary legislation, the

Government intends that the register will be operational in

2021.

Separately, I will be publishing a response to my

Department’s call for evidence last year on this policy

very shortly that will provide more detail on responses

received and our proposed approach.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2018-01-24/HLWS417/

24 January 2018 Written Answers

Written Answers Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Aviation: Safety

Asked by Lord Razzall

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they

plan to negotiate continued membership of the

European Aviation Safety Agency after Brexit.

[HL4603]

Asked by Lord Razzall

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they

intend to put in place after Brexit to ensure equivalent

air safety standards with the EU in the event of

discontinuation of membership of the European

Aviation Safety Agency. [HL4604]

Baroness Sugg: The Government is considering

carefully all the potential implications arising from the

UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for

continued or discontinued participation in the European

Aviation Safety Agency.

It is the Government’s intention to maintain

consistently high standards of aviation safety once we

have left the EU.

As part of the exit negotiations the Government will

discuss with the EU and Member States how best to

continue cooperation in the field of aviation safety and

standards.

Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease

Asked by The Marquess of Lothian

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are

taking to support research and drug development for

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease; and what

assessment they have made of Pfizer’s recent decision

to end funding for research into both diseases. [HL4684]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Government’s 2020

Dementia Challenge is galvanising dementia and

neurodegeneration research including into Alzheimer’s

and Parkinson’s disease. The National Institute for Health

Research, which is funded through the Department, is

playing a central role in ensuring the success of this

strategy. The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia

2020 Implementation Plan, sets out how funding partners,

including from Government, the life sciences industry and

charities, will make this the best country in the world for

dementia and neurodegeneration research. A copy of the

Implementation Plan is attached. Researchers need targets

to develop drugs and treatments. Whilst it is inevitable

that companies such as Pfizer will disinvest from

unpromising approaches, research to better understand

disease processes will lead to identification of new targets

for the development of drugs and other treatments.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia 2020 [PM_Dementia-

main_acc (1).pdf]

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

answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-01-15/HL4684

Asylum

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty's Government what efforts are

being made to organise safe routes for asylum seekers,

avoiding dangerous sea crossings. [HL4845]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We operate four

resettlement schemes, working closely with the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide safe

and legal routes to the UK for the most vulnerable

refugees: Gateway, Mandate, the Vulnerable Persons

Resettlement scheme and the Vulnerable Children’s

Resettlement scheme.

The UK supports the principle that those in need of

international protection should claim in the first safe

country they arrive. The UK Government has committed

more than £2.46 billion in response to the conflict in

Syria. We have also allocated more than £100 million

assistance in response to the Mediterranean migration

crisis, mostly within Europe. The Prime Minister

announced a further £75 million for the Central

Mediterranean migration fund in July 2017

We have a comprehensive framework for refugees and

their families to be safely reunited in the UK. Our family

reunion policy allows immediate family members of those

granted protection here to reunite with them. The

Immigration Rules also provide for relatives with

protection in the UK to sponsor children in serious and

compelling circumstances. This policy is designed to

provide a safe and legal route for close, dependent family

members to join their refugee family in the UK, avoiding

the need for them to make dangerous journeys to seek

protection.

The UK continues to actively support the UN

negotiations on the Migration and Refugee Compacts; our

aim is to ensure these focus on supporting refugees and

migrants closer to home, preventing dangerous journeys,

tackling smuggling, as well as encouraging more

resettlement globally.

Asylum: Fees and Charges


To ask Her Majesty's Government what application

fees, if any, give potential asylum seekers more rapid

progress through the UK's asylum process. [HL4848]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are no fees for

asylum applications and no provision to pay for an

expedited service.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-01-10/HL4603









Written Answers 24 January 2018 Page 3

Aviation: Northern Cyprus

Asked by Lord Ahmed

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will

consider reinstating touchdown-only flights from the

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the UK.

[HL4729]

Baroness Sugg: The UK requests that additional

security measures are applied to all flights from Turkey to

the UK, including to transit flights from the northern part

of Cyprus. We continue to consider that this is a

proportionate security measure to ensure the safety and

security of the travelling public.

Axle Weights: Weighing Equipment

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the

Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 9 January

(HL4413), what information they have on how often the

weighbridges referred to are used. [HL4584]

Baroness Sugg: In 2017, 51 weighbridge sites were

used to carry out enforcement action. The combined

number of days that each weighbridge site was used was

3,762.

Bahrain: Detainees

Asked by Lord Scriven


Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9

January (HL4382), on the basis of what information

other than the structure of the oversight bodies in

Bahrain they have made the assessment that the

Ombudsman service in Bahrain is independent.

[HL4611]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Embassy in

Bahrain has a continuing dialogue with both the

Government of Bahrain and all human rights oversight

bodies. The Ministry of Interior Ombudsman was

established as an independent oversight body by Royal

Decree in 2012. In 2013 the International Ombudsman

Institute acknowledged that the Ministry of Interior

Ombudsman fulfils its criteria for voting membership

stating that the organisation "is functionally independent

of any public authority over which jurisdiction is held." It

was the first organisation of its kind in the region and

remains unique. In 2014 the Ministry of Interior

Ombudsman's Office won the EU's Chaillot Prize for the

promotion of human rights in the Gulf Cooperation

Council region.

We understand that investigations are carried out on

receipt of a complaint and we continue to encourage these

to be swift, thorough and transparent.

Bahrain: Finance




January (HL 4423), what is the process for signing off

each individual programme; and what assessment they

carry out on each individual programme to ensure that it

complies with domestic and international human rights

obligations. [HL4612]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Each programme and

project funded by the British Government in Bahrain goes

through a rigorous compliance process before

commencement. This includes an Overseas Security &

Justice Assistance process where appropriate. All projects

are regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that

training provided by or on behalf of the British

Government complies with our domestic and international

human rights obligations.




January (HL 4423), what assessment they have carried

out on the effectiveness of each programme they have

funded; and whether this information is publicly

available. [HL4613]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Our programmes

undergo continual assessment throughout their

implementation to ensure that they are on track for

delivery, as well as upon completion of each individual

project. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has

provided numerous updates on its programme work in its

annual Human Rights reports, as well as through Freedom

of Information Act requests. This information can be

found on the gov.uk website. Many of our projects focus

on capacity building and the impact of our work has been,

and continues to be, positive.

Charities: Finance

Asked by Lord Farmer

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to

disburse the £330 million of funding made available

from dormant bank and building society accounts,

which was announced on 4 January. [HL4587]


To ask Her Majesty's Government by what specific

process charitable organisations should apply for funds

to be disbursed from the £330 million fund drawn from

dormant bank and building society accounts, which was

announced on 4 January. [HL4588]



intend to use the £330 million fund drawn from

dormant bank and building society accounts, announced











on 4 January, to provide emergency funding to well-

governed charitable organisations which find

themselves in financial difficulty as a result of changes

to local authority funding structures. [HL4589]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The release of £330m of

dormant accounts announced on 4 January will be used to

help the homeless, disadvantaged young people, financial

inclusion initiatives and other good causes in the UK over

the next four years. The government will work closely

with the Big Lottery Fund, as well as a range of social

sector and private sector partners to develop these

initiatives over the coming months, and further details on

how these funds will be distributed will be announced this

year. The government remains committed to a thriving

and sustainable voluntary, community and social

enterprise sector.

Children in Care: Refugees

Asked by Baroness Stroud

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many

unaccompanied refugee children were transferred to

local authority care under section 67 of the Immigration

Act 2016 in each quarter of 2017; what were the

countries of origin of those children; and how many

unaccompanied refugee children transferred to local

authority care in this way (1) are still in local authority

care, (2) have aged out of the care system, (3) have

subsequently been reunited with family, or (4) have

gone missing. [HL4855]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In 2016, we

transferred over 900 unaccompanied children to the UK

from Europe, including more than 750 from France. On

30 November, the Government published data on the

numbers of children transferred to the UK from the Calais

camp clearance. The data can be accessed

here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfe

rs-of-children-to-the-uk-from-the-calais-operation-

november-2017

We are fully committed to delivering our commitment

to transfer the specified number of 480 children under

section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and are working

very closely with Member States, as well as the UN High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International

Organization for Migration (IOM) and NGO partners to

identify and transfer children to the UK in line with each

individual Member State’s national laws. Over 220

children are already here and transfers are ongoing.

The Home Office publishes a range of data on asylum

claims from unaccompanied children which can be found

at the following link. This data relates to all

unaccompanied children who have claimed asylum in the

UK and does not provide a breakdown depending on the

child’s method of entry.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigrati

on-statistics-july-to-september-2017/how-many-people-

do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-to

Clinical Trials: EU Law

Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment

they have made of the consequences of failing to align

with the forthcoming EU Clinical Trials Regulation on

(1) the UK medical research sector, and (2) patient

access to cross-border clinical trials. [HL4668]

Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town


intend that the EU Clinical Trials Regulation 536/2014,

which is not due to come into effect until after the UK

has left the EU, will have direct effect in UK law.

[HL4670]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Government values the

strong collaborative partnerships that we have across the

European Union in the areas of science, research and

innovation, and as part of exit negotiations is working to

ensure that we have the best possible environment in

which to support the United Kingdom medical research

sector and patient access to cross-border clinical trials

after we leave the EU.

In the United Kingdom, the Medicines and Healthcare

products Regulatory Agency, Health Research Authority,

ethics services, National Institute for Health Research and

the National Health Service have been working towards

implementation of the new European Clinical Trials

Regulation (CTR) since it was agreed in 2014. The

application date of the CTR across the EU is yet to be set

by the European Commission, but is expected to be in

2019.

Whatever the outcome of the UK’s EU exit

negotiations, the current regulatory approval legislation

will stay in place until such time as any changes are

needed, so there will be no interruption in UK clinical

trials approval. The EU Withdrawal Bill will make the

current UK clinical trials regulations (2004 2001/1031)

that implement the clinical trials directive (2001/20/EC)

operable on exit day and this is not contingent on any

decision about whether the CTR will apply in the future.

Dental Services

Asked by Lord Colwyn

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total

number of (1) primary care courses of treatment that

contained tooth extractions, and (2) teeth extracted in

primary care, in each year from 2010–11 to 2016–17,

for children aged 0–17. [HL4745]

Asked by Lord Colwyn

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total

number of (1) primary care courses of treatment that

contained tooth extractions, and (2) teeth extracted in

primary care, in each year from 2010–11 to 2016–17,

for adults aged 18 and over. [HL4746]



https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/how-many-people-do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-to










Lord O'Shaughnessy: The following table shows the

total number of primary care courses of treatment that

contained tooth extractions, and teeth extracted in primary

care, in each year from 2010–11 to 2016–17, for children

aged 0–17.

Year Course of Treatment Teeth

2016-17 513,646 909,745

2015-16 514,576 917,346

2014-15 524,163 946,142

2013-14 539,908 976,794

2012-13 533,694 963,514

2011-12 540,626 964,856

2010-11 540,689 964,841

Source: NHS Digital

The following table shows the total number of primary

care courses of treatment that contained tooth extractions,

and teeth extracted in primary care, in each year from

2010–11 to 2016–17, for adults aged 18 and over.

Year Course of Treatment Teeth

2016-17 2,147,135 3,120,812

2015-16 2,156,023 3,125,999

2014-15 2,185,518 3,150,456

2013-14 2,226,054 3,217,552

2012-13 2,214,974 3,194,509

2011-12 2,190,245 3,164,881

2010-11 2,125,120 3,061,914

Source: NHS Digital

Department of Health and Social Care:

Reorganisation

Asked by Lord Greaves

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the

change of name of the Department of Health to the

Department of Health and Social Care, whether there

have been any changes in (1) the responsibilities of that

Department, and (2) the arrangements in place between

HM Government and local authorities with social care

responsibilities in relation to health and social care; and

if not, whether any such changes are planned. [HL4643]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Department has taken

responsibility for the Green Paper on Care and Support

but there are no changes, neither are there any such

changes planned, to the arrangements the Government has

in place with local authorities in terms of their duties

under the Care Act 2014.

Deportation



Immigration Removal Orders were executed in (1)

2005, (2) 2010, (3) 2012, and (4) 2015. [HL4699]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office

does not hold the information you have requested in a

reportable format. The Government publishes

Immigration Statistics which details the number of

enforced removals by year. This can be found at:

Removals and Voluntary Departures data tables

Immigration Statistics October – December 2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-

statistics-october-to-december-2015-data-tables


To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial and

other assistance they give to those due to be removed

on immigration grounds during the seven day

period when those individuals are allowed to appeal.

[HL4702]


provides accommodation and support to migrants only in

specific circumstances during the appeal period. These are

for asylum seekers under section 95 of the Immigration

and Asylum Act 1999 if they do not have adequate

accommodation or the means of obtaining it, and some

persons granted immigration bail if they are subject to a

residence condition, are unable to support themselves at

the specified address and exceptional circumstances

apply. The Home Office also provides assistance and

advice to facilitate voluntary returns.

Deportation: Appeals


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many appeals

against Immigration Removal Orders were successful in

(1) 2005, (2) 2010, (3) 2012, and (4) 2015; and what

percentage of the total number of Notices those appeals

were in each of those years. [HL4700]


does not hold the data requested in a reportable format.

Dominica: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett


Written Answer by Lord Bates on 21 December 2017

(HL4321), what level of support they will provide for

reconstruction in Dominica following the hurricane

damage. [HL4756]

Lord Bates: Dominica was devastated by Hurricanes

Irma and Maria. The UK provided £7m in emergency

support, including shelter, food and other essential



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015-data-tables








supplies. We have also committed £25m to support

reconstruction. These funds will be delivered through the

UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, in partnership with the

Caribbean Development Bank. A Post Disaster Needs

Assessment and discussions with the government of

Dominica are informing spending priorities, with a likely

focus on repairing the island’s water supply system.

The UK will also provide a further £8m to strengthen

regional and national level disaster response mechanisms.

Some of this funding will be used to provide expertise and

oversight of the island’s reconstruction programme so that

funds are used in the most effective way. All UK funded

reconstruction will support the key principle of building

back better, so that Caribbean countries and territories are

better able to withstand future hurricanes and natural

disasters.

Driving Tests

Asked by Lord Mawson

To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of

the fee for the DVLA theory test is allocated to the

contractor responsible for delivering those tests; and

what is their estimate of the proportion of those fees

that represents profit for the contractor. [HL4598]

Baroness Sugg: The Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA) cannot disclose what percentage of fee is

allocated to the contractor as this information is

commercial in confidence.

DVSA does not hold any data on the proportion of fees

that represents profit for the contractor.

Asked by Lord Mawson

To ask Her Majesty's Government why those who fail

the DVLA theory test are not provided with a read out

of which questions they failed and what the correct

answers to those questions were. [HL4599]

Baroness Sugg: After a candidate has completed their

theory test, they are given a summary of their

performance by topic area. This tells them how many

questions they answered incorrectly in each topic area.

They can then concentrate their revision on the areas they

require more practice. The Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA) provides learning materials (books, apps

and online support) which are organised by topic area,

making it easier for focused revision.

If DVSA identified the questions which a candidate

answered incorrectly, it would allow candidates to learn

the answers by rote, without necessarily gaining the

required knowledge and understanding needed to drive

safely.

East Coast Railway Line

Asked by Baroness Randerson

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Virgin

Trains, and (2) Stagecoach, will be permitted to bid for

any future franchise or partnership arrangements

established for train services on the East Coast Main

Line. [HL4652]

Baroness Sugg: All passport holders at the time will be

offered the opportunity to bid. Like others, Virgin and

Stagecoach will need to meet all relevant requirements.

Asked by Baroness Randerson

To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes have

been (1) announced, and (2) made, to Network Rail’s

plans for improvements to the infrastructure of the East

Coast Main Line, since Virgin Trains and Stagecoach

were awarded the franchise in November 2014.

[HL4653]

Baroness Sugg: This government set out ambitious

outcomes for connectivity and capacity on the East Coast

Main Line as part of the 2012 High Level Output

Specification. The East Coast Main Line infrastructure

enhancements will enable capacity for an additional two

trains per hour between King’s Cross and Doncaster and

an additional train per hour between York and Newcastle.

The enhancements will also enable the introduction of the

new Intercity Express Programme trains which will

increase reliability, seating capacity and reduce journey

times, allowing the fastest services to achieve 4 hours

from London to Edinburgh and 2 hours from London to

Leeds. The first of these enhancements, the opening of a

new platform at Doncaster, has already been delivered.

From the start of this franchise to date, all infrastructure

upgrades planned for the East Coast have been delivered.

Further upgrades for this route are planned but are not due

to be completed at this stage.

Ethiopia: Political Prisoners

Asked by Lord Ahmed

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are

aware of any British citizens being held as political

prisoners in Ethiopia; and what representations they

have made to the government of Ethiopia regarding

their release. [HL4578]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign and

Commonwealth Office records the charges, or category of

charge, on which individuals are detained, where that

information is provided to consular staff. We are currently

aware of a small number of British nationals detained in

Ethiopia, but not necessarily as political prisoners. The

UK has repeatedly raised human rights concerns with the

Ethiopian Government, including around the arrest and

imprisonment of people for their political views. The

Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular

support to detainees as usual.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Asked by Lord Framlingham

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest

estimate of the final total cost of HS2. [HL4639]









Baroness Sugg: At the 2015 Spending Review (SR15),

the Government restated the long-term Funding Envelope

for delivery of the full HS2 scheme of £55.7bn (Quarter 1

2015 prices), of which £27.18bn has been set for Phase

One and £28.55bn for Phase Two.

We are determined to deliver HS2 within its total

Funding Envelope of £55.7bn and have set HS2 Ltd cost

targets which would deliver the programme below this

amount.

Asked by Lord Framlingham

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have

any plans to scrap HS2; and if so, on what they intend

to spend the money saved. [HL4640]

Baroness Sugg: The Government is committed to

delivering HS2 which remains on track, with strong cross-

party support. The case for HS2 rests on strong

foundations. It will be the new backbone of our national

rail network and will help build an economy that works

for all.

Immigration: Greece


To ask Her Majesty's Government what co-operation

on immigration matters exists between the UK and

Greece. [HL4846]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government

continues to work closely with all European partners,

including Greece, to address migration issues. The EU-

Turkey deal, along with border closures in the Western

Balkans, has contributed to a significant reduction in the

flow of migrants and loss of life in the Aegean. The UK

has played a leading role in supporting Greece and

Turkey to implement the EU-Turkey Statement.

We continue our long-running specialist deployments to

the EU Commission team in Athens and are providing

further expert support to the European Asylum Support

Office (EASO) in the Greek hotspots in line with the

particular needs identified.

In addition, we have a Border Force cutter, HMC

VALIANT, based in the Aegean and the provision of

debriefers, screeners and interpreters to support the

Hellenic Coastguard and Frontex Operation Poseidon and

tackle Organised Immigration Crime (OIC).

India: Mining

Asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth


they have made of reports that mining companies listed

on the London Stock Exchange are engaging in illegal

land grabs in protected tribal lands in India. [HL4595]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCO has not made

an assessment. Nor has the FCO received any recent

representation on this issue. The Government expects

multinational enterprises to operate responsibly abroad,

and encourages them to do so, in line with the domestic

laws of the countries in which they operate, in the spirit of

the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and

international standards including the UN Guiding

Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD

Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Leigh Day

Asked by Lord Blencathra


Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on

18 July 2017 (HL423), whether the Home Office will

now refer Leigh Day to the National Crime Agency for

investigation of any possible misconduct. [HL4582]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The National Crime

Agency (NCA) is operationally independent of the Home

Office. As set out in Section four of the Crime and Courts

Act 2013, and the ‘Revised Framework Document for the

NCA’, published in May 2015, the Director General of

the Agency is responsible for all decisions about which

operations to conduct and how they should be conducted.

It is therefore not for the Home Office to refer matters for

investigation.

Liverpool Prison

Asked by Lord Lee of Trafford


Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 5 January

(HL4312), when was the most recent ministerial visit to

HM Prison Liverpool. [HL4477]

Lord Keen of Elie: The Prisons Minister Rory Stewart

visited HMP Liverpool on the 22nd January.

Migrant Workers

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to

address reported concerns among business leaders that

the current net migration target risks leaving the UK

labour market short of critical skills. [HL4710]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is

clear that the UK is open for business. We recognise that

the UK benefits from immigration, but not uncontrolled

immigration. Reducing net migration is not incompatible

with continuing to attract international talent to come here

to study and work here. There are a range of options for

the future immigration system and it is important that we

understand the impacts on the different sectors of the

economy and the labour market. We will ensure that

decisions on the long-term system are based on evidence.

On 27 July 2017, we commissioned the independent

Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather

evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of

migration in the wider economy. The MAC will advise on

the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the

EU and also on how the UK’s immigration system should








be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. It will report

in September 2018.

NHS: Bullying

Asked by Lord Clark of Windermere

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the level

of bullying reported in the latest NHS Staff Survey; and

what were the comparable figures for each of the last 20

years. [HL4631]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Employers are responsible for

tackling bullying and harassment of staff. The Department

is not complacent and Ministers are committed to meeting

their manifesto commitment in tackling rates of bullying

and harassment which are far too high. To that end, the

Department is working with employers and unions in

partnership to prioritise actions including the importance

of line manager training, continuing to raise the profile of

the issue and using Care Quality Commission inspections

to assess progress, as we enter the second year of the

national Social Partnership Forum’s Tackling Bullying in

the NHS: A collective call to action published in

December 2016. A copy of Tackling Bullying in the NHS

is attached.

NHS England has provided the information and

statistics which are attached due to the size of the data.

The NHS Staff Survey was first undertaken in 2003.

Questions about harassment, bullying and abuse have

been included each year since then although it is not

always possible to compare results from different years

due to amendments to questions or survey method. We

have, therefore, put together figures from the Staff Survey

in different groups i.e. figures for 2012 – 2016 are

comparable but not with other groupings; similarly, those

for 2010/11, 2004-9 and 2003. The results from 2012 to

2016 are comparable.


NHS Staff Survey tables [HL4631 Staff Survey tables.docx]

Tackling Bullying in the NHS [spf-tackling-bullying-final-v2-for-

pubs-16217.pdf]

The material can be viewed online at:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-


NHS: Negligence

Asked by Lord Sharkey

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many actions

for clinical negligence were filed against NHS England

institutions in each of the last ten years; how many of

those actions were (1) brought to trial, and

(2) withdrawn; and what was the average length of time

between filing and conclusion. [HL4706]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: General practitioners’ (GPs)

and dentists’ indemnity to cover clinical negligence

payments is currently provided privately by Medical

Defence Organisations. The Department does not have

access to this information regarding primary care and

dentistry.

NHS Resolution has provided the following

information:

NHS Resolution has included all clinical negligence

claims, excluding those against independent sector

organisations.

NHS Resolution has advised that many of these claims

have not been settled yet and so the number of claims that

have been taken to trial and the number of claims that

have closed with nil damages will increase over time.

Likewise the time to resolution, i.e. notification to

settlement of damages, is based on claims that have

settled so far. This figure will change when further claims

have been resolved, especially in the more recent years.

The following table shows clinical negligence claims

notified 2007/08 to 2016/17 as at 31/03/2017 excluding

claims against independent sector organisations.

Year of Notification

Number of Claims

Received

Number of Claims

Settled with

Nil Damages

Number of Claims that

have gone to

Trial

Average Time from

Notification

to Settlement of Damages

(years)

2007/08 5,468 1,933 24 1.47

2008/09 6,092 2,121 37 1.44

2009/10 6,656 1,897 39 1.30

2010/11 8,642 2,651 48 1.26

2011/12 9,132 2,840 83 1.32

2012/13 10,117 3,343 68 1.33

2013/14 11,908 3,968 52 1.25

2014/15 11,404 3,758 28 1.08

2015/16 10,841 3,231 1 0.80

2016/17 10,441 1,314 1 0.48

NHS: Sick Leave

Asked by Lord Clark of Windermere

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the latest

rate of absence through sickness of NHS staff; and what

were the comparable figures for each of the last 20

years. [HL4630]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The latest rate of sickness of

National Health Service staff is 4.16% (2016/17).

Comparable figures from 2009/10, extracted from the

Electronic Staff Record (ESR), are shown in the

following table and is information collected from ESR by

NHS Digital. Sickness absence data collected by the

Department before 2009 used a different methodology

and are not comparable. Sickness absence figures for

2017/18 will be published in July 2018.








Year Sickness absence rate (%)

2009-10 4.40

2010-11 4.16

2011-12 4.12

2012-13 4.24

2013-14 4.06

2014-15 4.25

2015-16 4.15

2016-17 4.16

NHS: Standards

Asked by Lord Warner

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan

to incorporate access targets from the NHS Constitution

into the performance ratings of NHS Trusts that are

produced by the Care Quality Commission. [HL4658]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Care Quality Commission

(CQC) has provided the following response:

The CQC already reports on access targets under the

key inspection question: ‘are they responsive to people’s

needs’. The CQC runs analysis on these indicators to

support its monitoring, inspection and ratings of this key

question.

Out-of-school Education



Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 5 January

(HL4335), what evidence they have for the statement

that “there are far fewer unregistered schools than many

had believed to be the case”, in the light of a recent

report by the London Borough of Hackney Scrutiny

Commission which stated that between 1,000 and 1,500

Charedi boys were in unregistered schools in that

Borough; and what assessment they have made of

Hackney Council’s findings in this regard. [HL4622]


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will

consider extending the definition of a school to cover

part-time religious settings and expand the powers of

entry, inspection and enforcement for local authorities

to deal with unregistered schools in the light of recent

findings in the London Borough of Hackney of the

problems caused by such schools. [HL4624]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The evidence for the

government’s statement is in Her Majesty’s Chief

Inspector’s annual report, attached, published in

December 2017, which includes statistics about the work

of Ofsted’s unregistered schools team. Over an 18 month

period, the Ofsted team looked into many possible

settings but determined that only 38 of them had been

operating as unregistered schools, and secured that, as at

August 2017, 34 of those 38 settings ceased operating

illegally.

We are aware of the recent findings in the Borough of

Hackney, which refer to between 1,000 – 1,500 Charedi

boys in out-of-school settings in that borough. The report

made clear that these were yeshivas, offering religious

teaching, in settings that do not meet the criteria to

register as independent schools, but were operating as

out-of-school settings.

The government’s Counter Extremism Strategy,

published in 2015, set out plans to introduce a new system

of oversight for out-of-school settings which teach

children intensively, including part-time religious

settings. We undertook a call for evidence to learn more

about the range of settings, and to determine the potential

scope and impact of introducing a regulatory system.

As well as considering the views of those that

responded to the call for evidence, the department has

been working with a range of stakeholders to strengthen

our understanding of these settings, which vary

considerably in their characteristics and the activities and

education they offer. We will make an announcement on

the outcome shortly.

It is Ofsted, rather than local authorities, that have

powers in relation to unregistered schools, to collect

evidence to support prosecutions. The department and

Ofsted operate a joint team on unregistered schools and

work together closely on all relevant issues, including on

the extent of Ofsted’s powers, which are always kept in

view.


Ofsted Annual Report 2016/17 [Ofsted_Annual_Report_2016-

17_Accessible.pdf]

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




Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 5 January

(HL4335), what steps they are taking to ensure that the

34 unregistered schools that ceased to operate as a

result of Ofsted action will not re-establish themselves

elsewhere, given that no operators of the illegal closed

schools were prosecuted. [HL4623]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: In most cases, proprietors

voluntarily complied with the law following the

inspection by Ofsted, either by closing completely or by

reducing their operation to a lawful part time provision.

Some settings also went on to register as independent

schools, so that they could legitimately re-open or

increase their hours to full-time. Ofsted carries out further

inspections without notice where it has reasonable cause

to believe that an unregistered independent school

continues to operate, either at the same premises or if it

has re-established elsewhere. The Ofsted team draws

significantly on local knowledge, from the local authority









and other sources, on where such settings may be

operating. The Department for Education/Ofsted joint

team works together closely on all these issues. This

remains a high priority for both the government and

Ofsted.

Overseas Aid

Asked by Lord Carlile of Berriew

To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures

and checks are in place to ensure that payments made

by the Department for International Development

cannot be used for terrorism purposes; and whether any

payments have been (1) withdrawn, (2) refused, and

(3) prohibited, since the beginning of 2015 on grounds

connected with actual, suspected or potential terrorism.

[HL4876]

Lord Bates: The Department for International

Development has a zero tolerance approach to UK aid

funds being diverted to fund terrorist activities and the

UK Government publishes a list of prescribed extremist

groups or organisations banned under UK law. The

Department has robust measures in place to protect,

prevent, and detect the diversion of aid. We have controls

embedded through-out the programme cycle including a

rigorous due diligence process and a comprehensive risk

management framework which requires risks to be

identified prior to any disbursement of aid.

All organisations that receive funding from the

Department are required to provide evidence about the

use of funds, including audited financial statements which

are examined as we monitor programme performance and

delivery. All of our funding mechanisms allow the

Department to terminate project funding early.

Where there are allegations of misuse of aid funds,

these are investigated fully by the Department’s specialist

Counter Fraud Unit, and funds are always recovered to

the fullest extent possible. Funds subject to such diversion

have been stopped in the past and will continue to be

stopped should there be substantive evidence of UK aid

being connected in any way to terrorist activities. The

Department’s procedure is to inform the relevant UK

security agencies in such circumstances and, given the

sensitivity of such cases and the fact that active criminal

investigations are ongoing, we cannot release further

details.

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of

the UK's overseas development assistance can be spent

by departments other than the Department for

International Development according to the rules and

regulations of the OECD. [HL4898]

Lord Bates: All ODA spent by the Department for

International Development, and by other government

departments and contributors is in line with the rules set

out by the OECD DAC.

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of

the UK overseas development assistance was not spent

by the Department for International Development in the

following years (1) 2013–14, (2) 2014–15, (3) 2015–16,

and (4) 2016–17. [HL4899]

Lord Bates: Information on the amount of ODA spent

by the UK Government can be found in the Statistics on

International Development publication on gov.uk website

For ease of reference the table below sets out ODA

spend by the Department for International Development

and by other UK contributors.

Table of UK ODA1 by contributor and proportion of total: 2013 to 2016

ODA contributor

2013 2014 2015 2016

£ millions % of total £ millions % of total £ millions % of total £ millions % of total

DFID 10,016 87.80% 10,084 86.20% 9,772 80.50% 9,874 73.80%

Non—DFID 1,391 12.20% 1,616 13.80% 2,364 19.50% 3,507 26.20%

Of which2

Other HMG

Department

1,162 10.20% 1,076 9.20% 1,595 13.10% 2,455 18.30%

Non-

Departmental ODA 3

229 2.00% 540 4.60% 768 6.30% 1,052 7.90%

Total UK ODA

11,407 11,700 12,136 13,381

Source: Statistics on International Development.

1. ODA is measured on a calendar year basis.

2. Figures may not sum to total due to rounding

3. Non-departmental ODA includes EU Attribution (Non-DFID), IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, Gift Aid, BBC World Service, Scottish Government, Colonial Pensions and Welsh Assembly.






Personal, Social, Health and Economic

Education

Asked by Lord Northbourne

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are

taking to ensure that all state funded schools adequately

prepare their pupils for the responsibilities of probable

future parenthood. [HL4601]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Teachers are able to cover

topics relating to parenting skills in their wider school

curriculum, including in their personal, social, health and

economic (PSHE) education lessons. The non-statutory

programme of study for PSHE includes the roles and

responsibilities of parents, parenting skills, the value of

family relationships, and the impact of separation, divorce

and bereavement on families.

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 placed a duty

on the Secretary of State for Education to make

Relationships Education at primary and Relationships and

Sex Education at secondary, mandatory through

regulations. The Act also provides a power to make PSHE

mandatory in all schools.

To ensure age appropriate and inclusive subject content

for all key stages, the department is actively engaging

with a wide range of stakeholders. As part of this work

the department has launched a call for evidence, which

will help inform the development of the regulations and

guidance, and the types of support schools need for

effective teaching of the subjects. The call for evidence,

which closes on 12 February, is also seeking views on the

future of PSHE. It can be accessed via this link:

https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-

for-evidence/.

Prescriptions

Asked by Lord Blencathra

To ask Her Majesty's Government which medicines

and foods that are readily available over the counter, or

in shops, can be prescribed by GPs, and whether they

intend to ban all such prescriptions. [HL4742]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Some medicines and foods

which are available to buy over the counter can be made

available on prescription where they have a role in

managing a patient’s clinical condition. A general

practitioner is able to prescribe any product on the

National Health Service they consider necessary for the

treatment of their patient unless it is listed in Schedule 1

to the NHS (General Medical Services Contracts)

(Prescription of Drugs etc.) Regulations 2004. However,

the Department encourages prescribing in line with

clinical and cost effective guidance from the National

Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE

provides national guidance on the promotion of good

health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.

The Department has no plans to ban the prescribing of

all over the counter medicines and medical foods on

prescription.

Railways

Asked by Lord Greaves

To ask Her Majesty's Government what the criteria

were for choosing the list of potential rail reopenings in

paragraph 2.43 of the policy paper Connecting People:

a strategic vision for rail (Cm 9519); and why the

reopening of the Colne to Skipton portion of the Preston

to Leeds line via Blackburn and Burnley was not

included. [HL4642]

Baroness Sugg: The schemes mentioned in paragraph

2.43 of ‘Connecting people: a strategic vision for rail’

were provided as illustrative examples only. All schemes

will need to demonstrate a strong business case when

seeking any available government funding, and will be

considered on their merits whether they are mentioned in

the strategy or not.

Refugees: Children


To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures

they intend to put in place better to track displaced

children across Europe. [HL4847]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Unless they are on

UK territory, migrant children remain the responsibility

and under the jurisdiction of the European Member State

in which they are present. The Government notes the

European Commission’s proposal from 2016 on a new

Eurodac Regulation. Eurodac is the EU fingerprint

database of asylum seekers and certain illegal migrants.

This is entirely subject to negotiations, but it is interesting

to see the Commission’s proposal to reduce the age of

stored fingerprints for children from 14 years, to six years

of age. As noted in the Government’s Explanatory

Memorandum in 2016 on this proposal, we welcome this

proposed change as it may help improve monitoring

migrant children on the move.



unaccompanied refugee children have been brought to

the UK under the Dublin III Regulation in each quarter

of 2017; and what were the countries of origin of those

children. [HL4856]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Dublin III

Regulation is a long-standing mechanism between EU

Member States to determine responsibility for examining

asylum claims. It is not an application route for transfer to

the UK. Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, regularly

publishes Member State figures, which can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/index.php/Asylum_quarterly_report.


https://consult.education.gov.uk/life-skills/pshe-rse-call-for-evidence/







http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_quarterly_report





To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average

waiting time from submission of application to arrival

in the UK for unaccompanied refugee children whose

asylum applications are lodged in (1) France, and (2)

Greece. [HL4857]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Dublin III

Regulation is a long-standing EU agreement to determine

responsibility for examining an asylum application. It

does not cover those who have been determined as

refugees. We are committed to ensuring transfers take

place quickly. As per the Regulation, Member States are

obliged to transfer individuals as soon as possible, and at

least within 6 months of accepting the transfer.

Road Traffic Offences

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they

estimate it would cost a local authority, or local

authorities acting together, in England to implement

civil enforcement powers under the Traffic

Management Act 2004, covering 100,000 people.

[HL4583]

Baroness Sugg: The Department for Transport does not

produce estimates of this kind. Local authorities are

responsible for considering the financial implications of

civil enforcement when deciding whether to apply for

these powers. Their estimates will reflect a range of local

factors, such as geography, road use, parking demand,

specific traffic issues and the proposed intensity of

enforcement.

Roads: Accidents

Asked by Lord Robertson of Port Ellen

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have

made any assessment of the UK meeting the

Sustainable Development Goal target of halving the

number of road traffic fatalities by 2020. [HL4610]

Baroness Sugg: The UK has one of the lowest road

traffic fatality rates of all European countries, but we are

not complacent. The British Road Safety Statement sets

out the Government’s commitment to improve road safety

further and reduce the number of people killed or injured

on the roads every year and can be viewed on gov.uk and

available in the libraries of the House.

Southern Africa: Education

Asked by Lord German


education projects have been supported by the British

Council in (1) Swaziland, (2) Botswana and (3)

Lesotho, in each of the last five years. [HL4591]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Council

have advised that in each of the last five years the number

of education projects the British Council has supported in

each country is:

Country 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Swaziland 1 1 2 2 2

Botswana 3 3 3 3 2

Lesotho 1 1 2 2 2

Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation

Trust

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


they have made of whether the Yeovil District Hospital

NHS Foundation Trust has fully engaged with staff in

accordance with the NHS constitution when

considering major changes in the way services are

provided. [HL4671]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Yeovil District Hospital

NHS Foundation Trust have informed NHS Improvement

they carried out informal staff engagement about the

proposed changes during October 2017, in addition to a

formal 30-day staff consultation during November 2017.




NHS Foundation Trust fully consulted with partners in

their local Sustainability and Transformation

Partnerships over proposals to establish a wholly-

owned company to run estates and other support

services. [HL4673]




NHS Foundation Trust fully consulted with staff over

the full details of proposals to establish a wholly-owned

company to run estates and other support services.

[HL4674]


To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions,

if any, they had with the Yeovil District Hospital NHS

Foundation Trust about options for the Trust to make

major savings, before the Trust proposed to establish a

wholly-owned company to run estates and other support

services; and what options were considered. [HL4675]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Yeovil District Hospital NHS

Foundation Trust briefed all members of the Somerset

Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprint

(Somerset and Taunton Foundation Trust, Somerset

Partnership Foundation Trust, Somerset Clinical

Comissioning Group and Somerset County Council)

about its plans to establish a wholly-owned company to

run its estates and other support services. As required by












the National NHS Standard Contract, the Trust sought and

received permission from Somerset CCG, Dorset CCG

and NHS England Specialist Commissioning for some of

the estates services previously delivered by the Trust to be

delivered by the new wholly-owned subsidiary.

NHS Improvement has advised that following legal

advice sought by the Trust, informal staff consultation

took place in October 2017 and that a further formal

consultation took place in November 2017.

National Health Service organisations are responsible

for deciding locally the most appropriate structures they

need to deliver services to their patients within available

resources.

Index to Statements and Answers

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

Overseas Entity Beneficial Ownership: UK Public

Register ................................................................. 1

Written Answers ..................................................... 2

Aviation: Safety .................................................... 2

Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease ...... 2

Asylum ................................................................. 2

Asylum: Fees and Charges ................................... 2

Aviation: Northern Cyprus ................................... 3

Axle Weights: Weighing Equipment .................... 3

Bahrain: Detainees................................................ 3

Bahrain: Finance ................................................... 3

Charities: Finance ................................................. 3

Children in Care: Refugees .................................. 4

Clinical Trials: EU Law ........................................ 4

Dental Services ..................................................... 4

Department of Health and Social Care:

Reorganisation ...................................................... 5

Deportation ........................................................... 5

Deportation: Appeals ............................................ 5

Dominica: Hurricanes and Tornadoes .................. 5

Driving Tests ........................................................ 6

East Coast Railway Line ...................................... 6

Ethiopia: Political Prisoners ................................. 6

High Speed 2 Railway Line .................................. 6

Immigration: Greece ............................................. 7

India: Mining ........................................................ 7

Leigh Day ............................................................. 7

Liverpool Prison ................................................... 7

Migrant Workers .................................................. 7

NHS: Bullying ...................................................... 8

NHS: Negligence .................................................. 8

NHS: Sick Leave .................................................. 8

NHS: Standards .................................................... 9

Out-of-school Education ...................................... 9

Overseas Aid ...................................................... 10

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

........................................................................... 11

Prescriptions ...................................................... 11

Railways ............................................................ 11

Refugees: Children ............................................ 11

Road Traffic Offences ....................................... 12

Roads: Accidents ............................................... 12

Southern Africa: Education ............................... 12

Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 12

p a r l i a m e n t a r y d e b a t e s (hansard) house of...

Documents