tuesdayvol. 786 12 december 2017no....

Tuesday

12 December 2017

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 ..................................................... 5

Vol. 786

No. 38

[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

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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 and Treasury Spokesman

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for 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, Whip

Baroness Stedman-Scott Whip

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

Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip

Baroness Vere of Norbiton Whip

Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office and Women and Equalities Spokesperson

Lord Young of Cookham Whip

Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip and Wales and Scotland Office Spokesperson

© Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2017

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

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http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

Written Statements 12 December 2017 Page 1

Written Statements Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Afghanistan - Locally Employed Staff

[HLWS334]

Earl Howe: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for

Armed Forces (The Rt Hon Mark Lancaster) has made the

following Written Ministerial Statement.

In June 2013, the Government decided that it would

draw down employment of its Locally Employed Staff in

Afghanistan by the end of 2017 and put policies in place

to support those affected. I am responsible for overseeing

and assuring the delivery of these policies on behalf of the

interested Government Departments.

In terms of the implementation of these policies, the

Ministry of Defence will have made the last of its local

staff redundant by the end of the year, allowing them to

access one of the three generous packages under our Ex-

Gratia Redundancy scheme: these comprise financial

support for 18 months, training and financial support for

five years, or, for those in eligible roles, relocation to the

UK.

So far, over 800 former staff have benefitted from one

of our redundancy options. Under the training offer some

of our local staff are studying to be doctors or lawyers,

completing their high school education, or improving

their English language skills. In some cases, former staff

members have chosen to gift their training to a family

member, which has in many cases provided wives and

daughters with the opportunity for further education or

upskilling. These individuals will be better placed to play

their part in working for a brighter future for their

country.

The scheme has relocated more than 385 former staff

and their families to the UK, and we expect around

another 60 families to relocate over the next year or so. Of

the 385, 12 individuals received Ex-Gratia compensation

payments for injuries they sustained whilst working with

UK forces. These were paid before they had decided to

relocate to the UK and, some months ago, we initiated

work to review the payments to adjust them for the

different economic conditions of life in the UK. These

were extremely brave people who worked alongside our

soldiers on patrol, and who in some cases suffered

profoundly life-changing injuries as a result of improvised

explosive devices or small arms fire. The UK

Government recognises that it has a special debt of

gratitude to these individuals and we aim to complete this

review by the spring of next year, giving priority to the

more severely disabled cases.

Additionally, our Intimidation Policy continues to

support all former staff who experience intimidation

within Afghanistan as a result of their employment with

the UK. This policy is delivered by an expert team based

in Kabul, including a member of either the Home Office

Constabulary or MOD Police to investigate the claims.

This dedicated team has now assisted over 400 staff by

providing bespoke security advice and, in over 30 cases,

funding relocations to safe areas within Afghanistan. The

level of intimidation faced has not so far been such that an

individual has had to be relocated to the UK in order to

ensure their safety. However, the changing security

position in Afghanistan is kept under careful review.

The Government remains confident that the UK’s

arrangements for addressing intimidation concerns meet

our commitment to protect our former locally employed

staff and we have taken a number of steps to assure these

arrangements. Notably, I chair a cross-Government

Locally Employed Civilian Assurance Committee. This

plays a valuable role in scrutinising the application of the

Intimidation Policy and ensuring that it is effectively

administered and that Afghan staff who feel threatened

due to their employment by the UK are properly

supported. Members include peers from the House of

Lords, a suitably experienced Police detective, and a

former local staff member who provides invaluable

insight and advice. More recently, we have also

welcomed the former Chief of Defence Staff, Lord

Stirrup, and the Bishop of Colchester into our ranks. The

Committee has met five times, most recently looking at

the line between what justifies relocation within

Afghanistan and to the UK, and at whether our

Intimidation Investigation Unit makes a reasonable

assessment of the danger to an individual when the

intimidation concern is first raised with the Unit. The 14

cases that have been reviewed by the Committee to date

demonstrate that the intimidation policy was effectively

applied on these occasions. We recognise that this is a

relatively small sample and will continue to review cases

until we are confident that we have reasonable evidence

that the policy is being properly applied. The Department

has accepted a number of areas where arrangements need

to be fine-tuned and has taken action accordingly. The

Committee has also kept under review the security

situation in Afghanistan as it relates to the risk of

intimidation and the viability of mitigation measures. No

issues have so far been raised in this respect.

As an additional layer of assurance, a barrister from

outside the Department, and more recently a member of

the Government Legal Service, have continued to conduct

regular reviews of at least 20% of closed intimidation

cases to ensure that the decisions are robust. The most

recent review took place in November this year and

concluded that the decisions taken by the investigation

unit are fair and appropriate.

It is the Government’s belief that our Ex-Gratia

Redundancy Scheme and Intimidation Policy remain fit

for purpose and properly meet our responsibilities to men

and women who played such an important part in our

efforts to bring peace and security to Afghanistan.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2017-12-12/HLWS334/

12 December 2017 Written Statements

Animal Welfare

[HLWS335]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: My Right Hon Friend the

Secretary of State (Michael Gove) has today made the

following statement.

I am delighted to publish today a draft Animal Welfare

(Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill which

will reflect the principle of animal sentience in domestic

law and increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty

tenfold, from six months to five years in England and

Wales.

This draft Bill will embed the principle that animals are

sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and pleasure,

more clearly than ever before in domestic law. There was

never any question that our policies on animal welfare are

driven by the fact that animals are sentient beings, and I

am keen to reinforce this in legislation as we leave the

EU.

The Government is committed to raising animal welfare

standards, and to ensuring animals will not lose any

recognitions or protections once we leave the EU. The

draft Bill I am publishing makes our recognition of

animal sentience clear. It contains an obligation, directed

towards government, to pay regard to the welfare needs of

animals when formulating and implementing government

policy.

This provision does not apply to Ministers in the

devolved governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern

Ireland. I look forward to working closely with my

devolved colleagues and I will be exploring with them the

best way forward on this important matter, including

whether they wish to take a similar or different approach.

In addition we will not tolerate cruelty against animals

and we will give the courts the tools they need to deal

with abhorrent acts of animal cruelty. This draft Bill

increases the maximum penalty for animal welfare

offences in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from six months

to five years’ imprisonment.

This applies to the most serious offences under the Act

– causing unnecessary suffering, illegally mutilating an

animal, illegally docking a dog’s tail, illegal poisoning

and encouraging an animal fight. My proposed increased

maximum penalties will also apply to convictions relating

to attacks on service animals, including guide dogs, police

and military dogs. This provision will apply in England

and Wales.

The draft Bill that I am publishing today is subject to a

seven week consultation, ending on 31st January. It is part

of a wider programme to deliver world-leading standards

of animal welfare in the years ahead. We are making

CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses, banning plastic

microbeads which harm marine life, and have set out

proposals for a total ban on ivory sales which contribute

to the poaching of elephants. This is the start of our

ambition to set a global gold standard for animal welfare

as we leave the EU.

EU Transport Council

[HLWS331]

Baroness Sugg: My Right Honourable friend, the

Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling), has

made the following Ministerial Statement.

I attended the only formal Transport Council under the

Estonian Presidency (the Presidency) in Brussels on

Tuesday 5th December.

First, the Council noted the Presidency’s progress

report, summarising discussions to date at official level,

on Phase One of the Mobility Package. Work has focused

on proposals designed to improve the clarity and

enforcement of the EU road transport market (the 'market

pillar') and proposals on the application of social

legislation in road transport (the 'social pillar'). I broadly

supported the progress made, emphasised the UK’s

commitment to a constructive safety-first approach to

updating the rules, but also registered concerns over the

proposed extension of scope of part of the regulations to

small vans.

Following this, the Council adopted three sets of

Council Conclusions: on progress in Trans-European

Network-Transport (TEN-T) and Connecting Europe

Facility (CEF), the Digitalisation of Transport, and the

mid-term evaluation of Galileo, EGNOS and European

GNSS Agency.

Next, the Presidency held a policy debate on the “road

charging pillar” of the Mobility Package. The proposals to

amend the existing Directives on HGV road tolls and user

charges ('Eurovignette') and the interoperability of

electronic road toll systems ('EETS') set out rules for

charging vehicles using the road (but do not mandate such

charging) and promote better functioning of charging

across national barriers. The UK broadly welcomed

provisions on improving the functioning and enforcement

of electronic road tolling systems. However, the UK said

we were opposed to proposals to broaden the scope of EU

charging rules to include cars, and had concerns about the

proposed phasing-out of time-based road charging and

measures mandating hypothecation of revenues from

congestion charging.

Following this, the Council noted the Presidency’s

progress report on official level discussions on

Safeguarding Competition in Air Transport. The UK did

not dispute the need for fair competition but urged caution

on proposals for regulatory measures; it was important to

avoid potential negative impacts on the liberalised

aviation market, connectivity, consumers, and Member

States’ bilateral aviation agreements with third countries.

Under Any Other Business, several items were

discussed. Notably, Commissioner Bulc presented the

Commission’s recently published second phase of the

Mobility Package, provided an update on the

implementation of the extensive Aviation Strategy,

alongside a Communication on Military Mobility, and

noted progress on rail passenger rights negotiations;

Finland called for reconsideration of the Summertime

Directive; Germany updated on the second high-level



Written Statements 12 December 2017 Page 3

group on automated and connected cars; Poland drew

attention to the 2018 International Maritime Days; France

promoted her proposed declaration at the upcoming “one

planet” summit calling on the IMO to adopt an ambitious

strategy for the decarbonisation of international shipping;

and Bulgaria presented transport plans for her incoming

Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

General Affairs Council

[HLWS333]

Lord Callanan: I will be attending the General Affairs

Council in Brussels on 12 December 2017 to represent the

UK’s interests. Until we leave the European Union, we

remain committed to fulfilling our rights and obligations

as a full member.

The provisional agenda includes:

Preparation of the European Council, 14 to 15

December 2017: Draft conclusions

The Estonian Presidency will present the final draft

conclusions on the agenda for the December European

Council.

European Council follow-up

The Presidency will provide an update on the

implementation of the October European Council (OEC)

Conclusions. The OEC agenda included: Migration;

Digital; Defence; and External Relations, which involved

discussions on Turkey, the Democratic People's Republic

of Korea and Iran.

Legislative programming - Joint declaration on

interinstitutional programming

Following the exchange of views on the 2018

Commission Work Programme at the November General

Affairs Council, the Presidency will present the ‘Joint

Declaration’ of the European Parliament, European

Commission and Council of Ministers, which sets out the

priorities for 2018.

European Semester 2018 - Annual Growth Survey

The Commission launched this year’s European

Semester on 22 November and is due to present this

year’s Annual Growth Survey.

Telecoms, Transport and Energy Council

[HLWS336]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: My Right Honourable Friend,

the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and

Sport (Karen Bradley) has made the following Statement:

The Telecoms, Transport and Energy (TTE) Council

took place in Brussels on 4 and 5 December 2017. The

UK’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU

represented the interests of the UK at the Telecoms

session of this Council, which took place on 4 December.

Telecoms

The Member States unanimously agreed a General

Approach on the proposals laying down the renegotiated

regulatory framework for the Body of European

Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

This was the only item put forward by the Presidency for

which a formal agreement was required. A scrutiny

waiver was secured from the European Scrutiny

Committee (House of Commons), and the European

Union Committee (House of Lords) had cleared this item

from scrutiny ahead of the Council.

The main policy debate at the Council centred on the

Commission's Initiative on the Free Flow of Data

proposal. The Commission’s aim is for this file to be

completed by mid-2018, and there was significant support

from most member states for work to be expedited, with

the expectation that an informal mandate for trilogue

discussions could be agreed at Coreper on 20 December.

The Council agreed a 5G Spectrum Roadmap, a non-

binding document which sets out milestones for the

release of Spectrum necessary for enabling 5G

technologies. The UK agreed with the proposed timetable.

The Presidency also provided a progress update on the

e-Privacy regulation information on the progress of the

European Electronic Communications Code (EECC).

Council conclusions were adopted on the review of the

EU Cybersecurity Strategy and draft Council Action Plan

for their implementation. The UK supported their

adoption.

Other

The Council received information from the Bulgarian

delegation, as the incoming presidency for the first half of

2018, setting out their work programme for the next six

months. They highlighted a number of priorities for their

presidency, aimed primarily at moving the Digital Single

Market agenda forward during 2018 including:

• Proceeding with informal trilogue discussions with the

European Parliament on the proposal for EECC;

• Reaching political agreement on BEREC, advancing

the discussions at this Council

• Continue to progress both Free Flow of Fata,

e-Privacy and Cybersecurity.

The next Council is scheduled for 7-8 June 2018 with

Telecoms expected to take place on 8 June.

Update on Organ Donation in England

[HLWS332]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: My hon. Friend, the

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Jackie

Doyle-Price) has made the following written statement:

In October 2017, the Prime Minister announced the

Government’s intention to change the law on organ

donation in England by introducing the principle of “opt-

out consent”, in a bid to save the lives of the 6,500 people

currently waiting for an organ transplant.

Today the Government has launched a consultation to

begin an open conversation about this change to opt-out

organ donation, including how to encourage more

conversations about personal decisions and what role




12 December 2017 Written Statements

families should have when their relative has consented to

donate.

Currently, 80 percent of people say they would be

willing to donate their organs but only 36 percent register

to become an organ donor. Three people die every day in

need of a suitable organ. Figures from NHS Blood and

Transplant show that around 1100 families in the UK

decided not to allow organ donation because they were

unsure, or did not know whether their relatives would

have wanted to donate an organ or not. The Government’s

intention is that changing the system to an opt-out model

of consent will mean more viable organs become

available for use in the NHS, potentially saving thousands

of lives.

The consultation is open for the next three months,

providing an opportunity for as many people as possible

in England to give their views, including people from

religious groups, patient groups, the clinical transplant

community, and black, Asian and other minority

communities.

It is important to ensure that moving to an opt-out

system of consent will honour a person’s decision on

what happens to their body after death, and the

consultation seeks views on how we can make sure this is

the case.

The consultation also seeks views on a number of

related issues, including ways in which it can be made

easier for people to register their decision on organ and

tissue donation. The consultation invites views on the

potential impact proposals could have on certain groups

who have protected characteristics in law such as

disability, race, religion or belief. Questions are asked to

help determine how family members should be involved

in confirming decisions in future. The Government also

proposes a number of exclusions and safeguards to the

general rule of consent under the proposed new system.

This includes the position of children, people with limited

mental capacity, the armed forces and temporary

residents.

The consultation is available at

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducin

g-opt-out-consent-for-organ-and-tissue-donation-in-

england. An Impact Assessment has been published

alongside the consultation and can be accessed in the

same place as the link above on gov.uk and is also

attached.

The outcome of the consultation will inform the

Government’s next steps and its proposals for legislation

to bring the new system of consent into effect.

The Statement includes the following attached material:

Impact Assessment [Organ Donation Opt-Out Consultation Impact

Assessment.pdf]

The material can be viewed online at:

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

answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2017-12-12/HLWS332/

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-opt-out-consent-for-organ-and-tissue-donation-in-england






Written Answers 12 December 2017 Page 5

Written Answers Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, prior to

the suspension of the alcohol duty escalator announced

in the Budget Statement, they conducted a risk

assessment of the effects and consequences for the

NHS; and if so, what that risk assessment showed.

[HL3651]

Lord Bates: The government ended the alcohol duty

escalator for beer in 2013, and for cider, wine and spirits

in 2014.

A Tax Impact and Information Note (TIIN) was

published alongside these measures which set out the

government’s assessment of the impacts of ending the

beer duty escalator. The relevant TIINs for the 2013

changes are attached.

For the 2014 changes please see Section A63 of the

Overview of Tax Legislation and Rates document which

is also attached.

A separate assessment of the specific impact on the

NHS was not undertaken.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

Beer duty rates [beer duty rates .pdf]

Tax and legislation rules [tax and legislation rules .pdf]

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

answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2017-11-28/HL3651

Alcoholic Drinks: Older People

Asked by Lord Chadlington

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration

they have given to measures to help older generations in

England cut down alcohol consumption. [HL3656]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Local authorities (LAs) are

responsible for commissioning effective drug and alcohol

prevention and treatment services based on an assessment

of local need. Public Health England supports LAs in this

work, by providing bespoke data, value for money tools,

topical briefings, and advice on good practice to help LAs

meet the needs of their local population, including older

people. In addition, the UK Chief Medical Officers have

produced new low risk drinking guidelines which provide

the public with the latest information about the health

risks of different levels and patterns of drinking. The

guidelines enable people to make informed choices about

their drinking. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk

Drinking Guidelines are attached.


UK Chief Medical Officers' Guidelines [UKCMOs Low Risk

Drinking Guidelines.pdf]

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


Armed Forces

Asked by Lord Judd

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment

they have made of the relationship between morale and

overstretched resources in the armed services; and what

steps they intend to take to remedy this situation.

[HL3700]

Earl Howe: The management of morale in the Armed

Forces is a high priority for Defence. The Department

seeks to measure morale in a robust, consistent and

scientific manner, through forums such as the Armed

Forces Continuous Attitude Survey. Morale is influenced

by many variables and the Department has made no

specific assessment of a relationship with resourcing.

We have launched the Armed Forces Families Strategy

and the Armed Forces Covenant to improve the Service

Offer and lived experience of Service personnel.

We are also developing a number of other initiatives

under the Armed Forces People Programme which is

focused on modernising the employment offer for Service

personnel to allow us to attract and retain the right mix of

people and skills.

Armed Forces: Officers

Asked by Lord West of Spithead

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the

Written Answer by Earl Howe on 30 November

(HL3468), whether any honorary five-star officers are

in regular service. [HL3864]

Earl Howe: There are no honorary five-star officers in

Regular Service in the UK Armed Forces.

Arts: Commonwealth

Asked by Lord Luce

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are

taking to encourage performing arts organisations,

museums and galleries to celebrate the Commonwealth

prior to the Commonwealth Summit in London in April

2018. [HL3894]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The Secretary of State for

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to the

Department's Arms Length Bodies to increase and

encourage participation in the Commonwealth Summit

celebrations. Departmental officials are continuing to

work with the Commonwealth Summit Unit to put

together a national package.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2017-11-28/HL3651













12 December 2017 Written Answers

Bahrain: Detainees

Asked by Lord Scriven

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their

policy to advise those with concerns about treatment of

persons in detention in Bahrain to report those incidents

to that country’s Ombudsman Office, the Ombudsman

of the Ministery of Interior, and the Special

Investigations Unit, given those bodies alleged role in

the convictions of (1) Hajer Mansoor Hassan, (2) Sayed

Nizar Nimaa Alwadaei, and (3) Mahmood Marzooq

Mansoor on 30 October. [HL3727]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The oversight bodies in

Bahrain are independent organisations whose duty it is to

investigate claims of mistreatment in detention. We

continue to encourage those with such concerns to report

them to the appropriate oversight body, and we encourage

the oversight bodies to carry out their investigations

swiftly and thoroughly.

Bath University: Pay

Asked by Lord Adonis

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers

and the Higher Education Funding Council for England

plan to investigate the decision-making process at the

University of Bath which led to an "exit package" being

paid to the Vice-Chancellor; what was the total value of

that package; and whether they consider this was

consistent with the proper and efficient use of public

funds. [HL3683]

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The government expects

the Higher Education Funding Council for England

(HEFCE) to look into issues related to value for money

with regard to English higher education institutions.

HEFCE has investigated the governance process at the

University of Bath which led to the Vice-Chancellor

being awarded their most recent salary increase. On the

20 November 2017 it published a report, containing

recommendations relating to that governance process. The

university has agreed to respond to those

recommendations by 15 December 2017.

Separately, the university’s governing body has agreed

the retirement arrangements for the Vice-Chancellor. The

university issued a press release on 28 November,

confirming the details of the exit package.

We understand that HEFCE is currently considering

whether it should investigate the governance processes

concerned with the Vice-Chancellor’s retirement.

The government’s determination to ensure that students

and the taxpayer receive value for money from the higher

education sector underpin the reforms we are making

through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

The Office for Students (OfS) will become the regulator

for the sector in 2018. The OfS has a statutory duty to

have regard to the need to promote value for money in the

provision of higher education by English higher education

providers.

Brexit: Wales

Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will

respond to the Welsh Government’s document, Brexit

and Devolution, sent to them in June; and whether they

will publish that response. [HL3616]

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government continues

to respond to the Welsh Government’s document, Brexit

and Devolution, through bilateral meetings between the

First Minister of Wales and the First Secretary of State

and also through multilateral meetings such as the Joint

Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Asked by Lord Tebbit

To ask Her Majesty's Government upon which

departmental budget the costs of UK aid given to

persons and institutions damaged in the recent

hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and South-

Western United States has been allocated. [HL3737]

Asked by Lord Tebbit

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total

cost to the UK of aid given in connection with the

recent hurricanes and storms in the Caribbean and

South-Western United States. [HL3738]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has provided

£92 million of funding in response to the damage inflicted

by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and is matching public

donations to the British Red Cross Appeal up to £3

million. On 27 November the Prime Minister announced a

further £70 million package of recovery and

reconstruction support for the affected Overseas

Territories. This will be delivered over the next three

years and will be supplemented by up to £300 million of

loan guarantees.

£72 million of the immediate response and early

recovery funding has been allocated to the UK Overseas

Territories. This is being managed through the cross-

Whitehall Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF)

and is being delivered by the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office, the Department for International Development

(DFID), the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice,

Home Office and the Department of Health. In addition

£20 million of official development assistance has also

been allocated from the DFID budget for the response to

the impact in Barbuda and Dominica.

The £70 million long term recovery and reconstruction

package will also be governed by the CSSF.

Crimes of Violence

Asked by Lord Ouseley

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following

recent moped-related snatch crimes and acid attacks,







they intend to introduce special measures to tackle

those crimes. [HL3850]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In July 2017, the

Home Secretary announced an action plan to tackle the

use of acid and other corrosives substances in violent

attacks. The action plan is based on four key strands:

ensuring effective support for victims and survivors;

effective policing; ensuring that relevant legislation is

understood and consistently applied; and working with

retailers to restrict access to acids and other harmful

corrosive substances.

We are also consulting on new legislative proposals on

new offences in respect of selling the most harmful

corrosive substances to under 18s and possession of a

corrosive substance in a public place.

On moped related crime, the Government is working

with motorcycle and insurance industry leaders, the

police, the Local Government Association, charities and

representatives from the motorcycle riding community to

identify a set of actions so that more can be done to

prevent these crimes. This work sits alongside the review

we have announced into the law, guidance and practice in

relation to police pursuits and response driving.

Officials have met representatives from Uber and

UberEats to discuss this issue. We have ensured they are

in contact with the Metropolitan Police Service so that

they are aware of these concerns and to discuss what

practical advice can be provided to their couriers and

drivers.

Dental Health

Asked by Baroness Benjamin


publish the next Adult Dental Health Survey. [HL3689]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: No decisions have been taken

yet on the timing of the next Adult Dental Health Survey.

Dental Health: Children



publiish the next Child Dental Health Survey. [HL3688]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The national Child Dental

Health Surveys are undertaken every 10 years and the

next survey is due to be undertaken in 2023. The last

survey for England, Wales and Northern Ireland took

place in 2013 and the findings were published in March

2015. A copy of the Children’s Dental Health Survey

2013: Executive Summary is attached.


Children's Dental Health Survey 2013 [Childrens Dental Health

Survey 2013-Executive Summary.pdf]



Dental Services: Children


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan

to extend NHS England's new Starting Well: A

Smile4Life Initiative beyond the 13 areas in which it is

initially being dleivered. [HL3685]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: NHS England’s Starting Well

programme will work in 13 high needs areas to reach

children most at risk of tooth decay who are not currently

seeing a dentist. Alongside this, NHS England is also

developing a complementary Starting Well Core offer, a

commissioning approach designed to facilitate increased

access and early preventive care for young children.

The offer will be made available in 2018, with NHS

England commissioners making local decisions on use

based on their assessment of need locally.

Employment and Support Allowance

Asked by Baroness Altmann

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money

has been spent in (1) the past 12 months, and (2) each

year since 2014, on the administration of Employment

and Support Allowance mandatory reconsiderations in

(a) England, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales. [HL3795]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money

has been spent in (1) the past 12 months, and (2) each

year since 2014, on the process of administering

Employment and Support Allowance tribunals in (a)

England, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales. [HL3796]

Baroness Buscombe: The information requested is not

readily available and could only be obtained at

disproportionate cost.

EU Staff: Pensions

Asked by Baroness Deech


they have made of their liability to continue to

contribute towards the pensions of retired EU officials

after Brexit; and what is their estimate of the cost of any

such liability. [HL3659]

Lord Bates: Following on from the Prime Minister’s

speech in Florence, the Joint report on progress during

phase 1 of negotiations under Article 50 TEU on the UK’s

orderly withdrawal from the EU lays down the

methodology agreed for calculating the financial

settlement.

The UK will contribute its share of the financing of the

Union’s liabilities incurred before 31 December 2020,

including pensions, as they fall due.

The current liability associated with pensions is given

in the Annual Accounts of the European Union 2016. As

the Joint Report states, this liability has a long time-span












and the forecast of its net present value depends on a

number of assumptions and is sensitive to, in particular,

the real discount rate, which has a historically low value

at the time of drafting of the report.

Government Departments: Data Processing

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


they have made of the impact of the Framework for

Data Processing by Government provisions in the Data

Protection Bill on the Cabinet Office strategy to make

better use of data. [HL3885]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: We have already engaged with

the Cabinet Office Better Use of Data team and will

continue to do so in the development of the Framework.

Government Departments: Legatum Institute

Asked by Lord Radice

To ask Her Majesty's Government what contacts each

Government department has had with the Legatum

Institute over the last 12 months. [HL3903]

Lord Callanan: Ministers and officials from the

Department for Exiting the European Union are speaking

with stakeholders from a variety of sectors, to understand

their concerns and priorities regarding our exit from the

EU. As part of this process, the Department has engaged

with a range of domestic and EU-facing think tanks.

These organisations have contributed to the dialogue

around our EU withdrawal with a range of insights and

opinions on proposed future arrangements, as well as on

areas of impact for stakeholders across industry and

society.

Details of ministerial meetings are published in the

Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are

publicly available on GOV.UK.

Home Education

Asked by Baroness Morgan of Huyton

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their

estimate of the number of children who are

excluded and subsequently home-schooled. [HL3839]



estimate of the number of pupils who were taken out of

school to visit families abroad, in (1) Pakistan, and (2)

elsewhere, and who are subsequently home-schooled

following their return in the last five years; and what

proportion of those students were teenage girls.

[HL3840]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pupils

in the last academic year were taken out of school to be

home-schooled. [HL3841]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The department does not

collect information on the number of children that are

home educated. Parents are not under any duty to register

with their local council when they home educate and so

there is no reliable basis on which to collect statistics.

International Assistance

Asked by The Earl of Dundee


they have made of the extent to which sanctions have

harmed humanitarian efforts to help civilian

populations in countries such as Iraq and Syria; and

whether they intend to report to Parliament on that

matter on a regular basis. [HL3765]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government

pursues a policy of targeted sanctions aimed at

maximising the desired political effect while minimising

unintended consequences. This includes working with

international and domestic partners to protect

humanitarian efforts as far as possible from the impact of

EU sanctions against Syria, UN sanctions against Iraq,

and UN sanctions against Daesh and Al'Qaida. We

engage regularly with charities and other implementing

partners to minimise the impact of sanctions on these

humanitarian efforts, for example through the guidance

published on 19 October by Her Majesty's Treasury's

Official of Financial Sanctions Implementation. The EU

carries out regular reviews of its sanctions and the UN

Security Council receives monitoring reports from panels

of experts. The UK participates actively in these review

processes and reports to Parliament on the EU's regular

reviews of its sanctions regimes through the agreed

scrutiny process for EU legislation.

Israel: Asylum

Asked by Baroness Tonge


they have made of the proposal announced by the

government of Israel to encourage large numbers of

African migrants to self-deport to third countries; and

what representations they have made to (1) the

government of Israel, and (2) international partners,

concerning Israel’s international obligations in this

regard. [HL3674]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have not made any

assessment on this issue, nor have we raised the issue

with the Israeli authorities and international partners.

Lipodystrophy

Asked by Baroness Masham of Ilton


taking to ensure early diagnosis and referrals to

specialist care for patients with lipodystrophy.

[HL3664]



http://gov.uk/










Lord O'Shaughnessy: In 2012, Cambridge University

Hospital was commissioned as a single Highly

Specialised Service for Severe Insulin Resistance service

which can assess, provide assistance with diagnosis, and

treat patients with generalised or partial lipodystrophy.

Based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, the

National Severe Insulin Resistance Service provides a

multidisciplinary NHS service for patients with severe

insulin resistance and / or lipodystrophy from across

England. The service supports both adult and paediatric

patients.

Patients who meet the relevant criteria can be referred

to the service by their treating clinician. A copy of

Information for referring clinicians, including details of

the referral criteria, is attached.


Information for referring clinicians [Cambridge University

Hospitals - national severe insulin resistance service.pdf]




To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the

premature mortality rates for patients diagnosed with

lipodystrophy in each of the last five years for which

figures are available. [HL3665]

Lord Young of Cookham: The information requested

falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics

Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will

place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.


UKSA response [HL3665 Baroness Masham.pdf]


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




estimate of the total costs of treating lipodystrophy in

each of the last five years for which figures are

available. [HL3714]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: No assessment or estimate has

been made by NHS England of the total costs of treating

lipodystrophy, as there are many different types and

causes of lipodystrophy, including inherited cases or those

caused by HIV treatments.

NHS England commissions the National Severe Insulin

Resistance Service to provide a multidisciplinary NHS

service for patients with severe insulin resistance and/or

lipodystrophy from across England. The service supports

both adult and paediatric patients and is available to

assess, help diagnose, and treat patients with generalised

or partial lipodystrophy.

Magistrates' Courts

Asked by Lord Beecham


Written Answer by Shailesh Vara MP on 25 February

2015 (HC 224618), what proportion of the total work

undertaken in magistrates' courts was presided over by

(1) lay magistrates, and (2) district judges, on 1 April in

each year from 2015 to 2017. [HL3807]

Lord Keen of Elie: For 1st April 2015 and 2017 the

data are set out in the following table[1]:

Date Judiciary Cases by number Cases in %

01 April 2015 Magistrates 10,150 89.90%

District Judges 1143 10.10%



01 April 2017[2] Magistrates 517 92.30%


31 March 2017 Magistrates 5,687 91.80%




Magistrates and District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts)

bring different but equally valuable skills to our justice

system and the magistrates’ courts. We continue to work

with magistrates to ensure they have as full a role as

possible.

[1] ‘Cases’ provide a count of cases that have a hearing

listed on the specified hearing date. It is possible for a

single defendant to have more than one case listed at the

same time. The data include Criminal, Civil, and

Enforcement cases, but will exclude any work in the

single family court. It is possible to have Magistrates

sitting with District Judges in the same session; where this

occurs the case will be counted under both.

[2] 1st April 2017 was a Saturday so the data has also

been provided for 31st March 2017 (the working day

before) and 3rd April 2017 (the working day afterwards).

Marines: Plymouth

Asked by Baroness Crawley

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they

intend to make any changes to the size and location of

the Royal Marine garrisons in Plymouth. [HL3693]

Earl Howe: As part of the Service's Structural

Rebalancing Plan earlier this year, 200 Royal Marines

positions will be reassigned to the wider Royal Navy by

2020.












As announced in November 2016, the Ministry of

Defence intends to dispose of Royal Marines Stonehouse

in 2023 and The Royal Citadel in 2024, and re-provide for

Units from them in the Plymouth and Torpoint area. Exact

locations are subject to on-going assessment. Parliament

and staff within the impacted Units will be informed

when a decision on reprovision has been made.

Marriage: Humanism

Asked by Lord Warner


they have made of the impact of Scotland and the

Republic of Ireland having legal humanist marriages on

the case for such recognition in England and Wales.

[HL3741]

Lord Keen of Elie: The Government has noted the use

of humanist marriages in Scotland and has not carried out

a specific assessment. The existing law on how and where

people may marry in England and Wales presents

different issues from other jurisdictions for the

Government to consider.

Asked by Lord Warner

To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the

fact that there are now more humanist marriages in

Scotland than Church of Scotland marriages, what

assessment they have made of the impact of extending

legal recognition to humanist marriage on the number

of people getting married overall. [HL3742]

Lord Keen of Elie: The Government has noted the use

of humanist marriages in Scotland and has not carried out

a specific assessment. The existing law on how and where

people may marry in England and Wales presents

different issues from other jurisdictions for the

Government to consider.

Mental Health

Asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they

remain committed to meeting the targets set out in the

Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. [HL3654]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Delivering parity of esteem for

mental health remains a priority for this Government and

we are committed to achieving the vision set out in the

Five Year Forward View for Mental Health in 2016 in

full. We published the Government’s response to the Five

Year Forward View for Mental Health in January 2017

and alongside this the Prime Minister set out a wide range

of mental health reforms. We are working across

Government, its agencies and with stakeholders to

implement this ambitious agenda to transform mental

health services.

Since the publication of the Five Year Forward View

for Mental Health, NHS England has been working across

the National Health Service and its arm’s length bodies to

implement the NHS recommendations. NHS England

published Implementing the Five Year Forward View for

Mental Health earlier this year to show progress one year

on. NHS England monitors progress on implementing

these recommendations through the national Mental

Health and Dementia Programme Board, which regularly

reports progress to Ministers. We hold NHS England to

account for delivery through the NHS Mandate.

The Government’s Inter-Ministerial Group for Mental

Health, led by the Department, oversees delivery of the

Government’s ambitious agenda on mental health across

Government Departments.

Mental Health Services: Finance


To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the

additional £2.8 billion resource funding announced for

the NHS in the Budget will go to mental health.

[HL3655]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Government is already

committed to backing the National Health Service with an

additional £8 billion, in real terms, by 2020/21. As part of

the Budget announcement on 22 November, we have now

committed to backing the NHS in England further so that

by 2019/20 it will have received an additional £2.8 billion

of revenue funding for frontline services than previously

planned over the period. This includes £335 million this

winter to help trusts to increase capacity. We have also

committed £3.5 billion of new capital investment by

2022/23 to transform its estate and drive further efficiency

savings.

The use of this funding allocation is a matter for NHS

England. Decisions on funding have yet to be made, but

the Mental Health Investment Standard makes clear that

mental health investment must increase as a proportion of

each clinical commissioning group’s spend each year.

The Government is committed to parity of esteem

between mental health and physical health and delivering

the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. We have

backed this with a significant increase in funding –

spending on mental health has increased to a record £11.6

billion, with a further £1 billion on top of this by 2020/21.

We are also investing an additional £1.4 billion in mental

health services for children and young people.

Mental Health Services: Staff


To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next

Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

Workforce Census Report will be published. [HL3652]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Health Education England is

due to publish its 2016 Adult Improving Access to

Psychological Therapies Workforce Census Report in

spring 2018.









Middle East: International Assistance


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are

planning to assist the actions of NGOs in relation to

vulnerable populations by leading an international

initiative to establish secure and protected licensed

financial routes in order to finance humanitarian and

reconstruction work in sanctioned areas, such as Syria.

[HL3763]


To ask Her Majesty's Government which measures

they intend to adopt to support the efforts in Syria and

surrounding countries of small NGOs, particularly in

relation to (1) the holding of bank accounts in the UK,

and (2) the receipt or transfer of funds. [HL3764]

Lord Bates: The Government is supporting NGOs to

provide vital humanitarian services in Syria. The

Government is also working domestically and

internationally, with both the banking sector and NGOs,

to ensure payment channels are available and secure.

The Government recognises the difficulties some NGOs

are facing in accessing banking services in the UK.

Indeed, the Government has received representations

from a wide range of organisations and individuals who

have been affected by bank account closures, including

from the charitable sector.

This is a global problem, with the Government taking

steps to address this internationally and domestically. The

UK put the issue on the G20 agenda in 2015, which led to

an Action Plan being undertaken by the Financial

Stability Board, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

on Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing

(AML/CTF), the International Monetary Fund and other

relevant bodies. As a result of this initiative, FATF has

amended the global AML/CTF standard relating to non-

profit organisations, to ensure that banks take a risk-based

approach to managing the risk of criminal and terrorist

exploitation of this sector. In addition, FATF has

produced guidance to support the effective and

proportionate management of money laundering/terrorism

financing risks by correspondent banks and money

service businesses providing similar services.

Domestically, the Government has encouraged the

banking sector to develop new due diligence guidance

specifically for smaller NGOs in the charitable sector and

will support the banks in the development of a common

understanding of the due diligence requirements to help

minimise the impact on smaller NGOs.

HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions

Implementation also published guidance on 19 October

2017 for charities and NGOs to raise awareness and

promote compliance with financial sanctions. [1]

For the longer term, in order to continue dialogue with

the NGO community on banking access and payments in

high risk jurisdictions, including Syria, a Government-

NGO Working Group has been established to better

understand concerns and explore possible solutions. The

group is currently examining the specific challenges faced

in getting aid into hard-to-reach communities.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-

guidance-to-help-charities-comply-with-financial-

sanctions ;

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upload

s/attachment_data/file/653168/OFSI_Charity_FAQ_web.

pdf

Offenders: Females

Asked by Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to

publish their strategy for female offenders in England

and Wales. [HL3661]

Lord Keen of Elie: We are committed to doing all we

can to address the issues around female offending so we

can better protect the public and deliver more effective

rehabilitation.

Considering how we can best address the needs of

female offenders, to improve outcomes for them, their

families and their communities, is a complex issue that we

want to get right.

We are developing a strategy for female offenders to

improve outcomes for women in the community and

custody. This will be published in due course.


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the cross-

government suicide prevention strategy, including

action on self-harm, will form part of their strategy on

female offenders in England and Wales. [HL3662]

Lord Keen of Elie: We are committed to improving the

safety of female offenders to reduce rates of self-harm

and prevent deaths.

The cross-government suicide prevention strategy

recognises the importance of working across criminal

justice settings to reduce suicide and self-harm. This

approach will be reflected in our female offender strategy,

alongside our work with the Independent Advisory Panel

on Deaths in Custody on the results of their rapid

information gathering exercise on Preventing the Deaths

of Women in Prison.

Office for Students: Business Interests

Asked by Lord Adonis

To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of

the board of the Office for Students are (1) employed

by, and (2) in receipt of remuneration from, a university

in England; and what was the total amount of that

remuneration in the 2016–17 tax year. [HL3650]

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Board for the Office

for Students (OfS) currently exists in shadow form and

will be legally constituted on 1 January 2018. The Board

will be constituted with a mixture of executive and non-




https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-to-help-charities-comply-with-financial-sanctions



https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653168/OFSI_Charity_FAQ_web.pdf







executive members that reflect the skills and experiences

specified in Schedule 1 of the Higher Education and

Research Act (2017). This includes a need for the

Secretary of State to have explicit regard when appointing

members for them to have experience of providing higher

education on behalf of English higher education

providers.

In recognition of this, two of the members of the OfS

shadow board are currently employed by a university in

England. Professor Steve West, is employed and

remunerated by the University of the West of England

and David Palfreyman, is employed and remunerated by a

college of the University of Oxford. Both are also

currently members of the Higher Education Funding

Council for England’s (HEFCE) board and have been

appointed onto the OfS Board to maintain continuity and

manage a smooth transition to the new regulatory regime.

As is common amongst regulators, including HEFCE,

we will expect the OfS to operate an internal governance

code, once established, that provides a clear declaration of

the interests of members and ensures that individuals

recuse themselves from any Board discussion where there

is the potential for a conflict of interest. The declaration

of interests of public appointees does not include the

amount of remuneration from employment beyond the

remuneration they receive from the public body of which

they are members.

Out-of-school Education



estimate of the number of children in unregistered

schools who are notionally home-schooled. [HL3844]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: National statistics are not

centrally collected for the number of children being taught

at unregistered schools who are notionally home

schooled.

Pension Credit


To ask Her Majesty's Government what is was the

value of Pension Credit in each year since it was

introduced from 2010–11; and what is their estimate of

what that value would be from April 2018 if Pension

Credit had been increased by the triple lock which has

applied to the Basic State Pension. [HL3797]

Baroness Buscombe: Pension Credit was introduced in

October 2003 and has a number of elements, including

additional amounts for severe disability for example.

Table 1 below shows the value of the Pension Credit

Standard Minimum Guarantee (PC SMG) for single

claimants in weekly terms, between 2010/11 and 2017/18.

Table 1: Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee for single

claimants, 2010/11 to 2017/18

Year Rate

2010/11 £132.60

2011/12 £137.35

2012/13 £142.70

2013/14 £145.40

2014/15 £148.35

2015/16 £151.20

2016/17 £155.60

2017/18 £159.35

In 2018/19, the PC SMG will be £163.00 per week for

single claimants. It is estimated that, if from 2010/11 the

PC SMG had been uprated in the same way that the basic

State Pension was uprated; then the PC SMG for single

claimants would be £171.20 per week in 2018/19.


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single

(1) women, and (2) men, over 80 years old are in

receipt of Pension Credit. [HL3798]

Baroness Buscombe: In May 2017, there were 445,302

single women aged over 80 that were claiming Pension

Credit, and 97,080 single men aged over 80 that were

claiming Pension Credit.

Planning

Asked by Lord Birt

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are

planning to require local authorities to conduct planning

and conservation processes speedily and within set

timeframes. [HL3815]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The performance of

local planning authorities in deciding all types of

applications for planning permission is crucial to

achieving our objective of building the homes this country

needs.

That is why we continuously monitor the performance

of local planning authorities in determining planning

applications for major and non-major development,

through our designation regime.

Local planning authorities are required to determine

more than 60 per cent of major applications and 70 per

cent of non-major applications within the statutory

timescales. If a local planning authority falls below this

figure within a defined 24 month period then they risk

being designated as under-performing.

Should an authority be designated as under-performing,

applicants will have the option of submitting applications






directly to the Planning Inspectorate (who act on behalf of

the Secretary of State) for determination.

Poverty

Asked by Lord Bird


Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 28 July

(HL954), in what ways, and by which means, (1)

ministers, and (2) departments, work together to tackle

the root causes of poverty, including through (a)

committees, (b) units, (c) taskforces, and (d) forums.

[HL3812]

Baroness Buscombe: Improving Lives: Helping

Workless Families, published on 4 April, set out a

framework for improving outcomes for disadvantaged

children, now and in the future. The Department for Work

and Pensions continues to work with key stakeholders and

with other Departments to take forward the four policies

set out in the paper. Further announcements will be made

in due course.

This paper also set out national statutory and non-

statutory indicators to track progress in tackling

worklessness and associated disadvantages that can affect

families’ and children’s lives. We made available the

latest analysis and an evidence base to enable local

authorities, local partners and others to understand, and

act on, the complex factors of disadvantage in their local

area. This includes local-level data on the factors of

disadvantage that are available through a local

government data tool (LG Inform).

The Department for Work and Pensions works across

government and is represented at a ministerial level at a

number of groups and forums which focus on supporting

those who are most disadvantaged, including the Social

Reform Committee, Inter Ministerial Groups on

Homelessness, Gangs and Violence against Women and

Girls and the Drugs Strategy Group. In the future DWP

will co-chair the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum with

the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Asked by Lord Bird

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions,

if any, they have had with the devolved administrations

since 2010 about possible coordinated actions across

the UK to reduce (1) poverty, and (2) child poverty;

whether they have learned any lessons from specific

initiatives introduced by those administrations that

may now be applied in England; and if so, what.

[HL3814]

Baroness Buscombe: This Government is committed

to an approach to tackling poverty that goes beyond a

focus on the safety net of the welfare system. Work is the

best route out of poverty and our welfare reforms are

designed to incentivise employment and support people to

progress in work. There are now 954,000 fewer workless

households and 608,000 fewer children in workless

households across the UK compared with 2010. Through

Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families we have set

out a framework for a continued focus for improving

outcomes for workless families, now and in the future.

The Scottish Government has powers in the Scotland

Act 2016 to introduce new provision in areas where

responsibility is devolved and the Devolved Government

in Wales and Scotland are also free to develop their own

approaches to tackling child poverty.

Officials in DWP continue to have regular engagement

with devolved administrations on a wide range of welfare

issues, including constructive discussions about the

Improving Lives evidence base and approaches to

tackling poverty.

Asked by Lord Ouseley

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to

respond to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's finding

that 400,000 more children and 300,000 more

pensioners have fallen into relative poverty since 2012–

13; and what assessment they have made of (1) when,

and (2) at what level, that trend will peak. [HL3944]

Baroness Buscombe: The figures quoted in the Joseph

Rowntree Foundation’s report are taken directly from the

Department’s Households Below Average Income

(HBAI) series, which was published in March 2017. This

publication also shows on an after housing costs basis

over the same period 2012/13 to 2015/16, the number of

people in absolute low income (where the poverty line

moves with inflation), fell by 1.1m individuals, including

200,000 children and 100,000 pensioners. This shows that

real incomes are increasing at the lower end of the

distribution.

However we are not complacent. For children we are

committed to action that tackles the root causes of child

poverty and disadvantage, with policies that incentivise

employment being the best route out of poverty and

ultimately improving children’s long-term outcomes.

Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, includes

nine national indicators to track progress in tackling the

disadvantages that affect families and children. Four of

these measures are set out in Primary legislation and place

a duty on the Government to report annually to

Parliament on the parental worklessness and educational

attainment indicators. Data on the non-statutory indicators

will also be published each year.

For pensioners, we are committed to protecting up to

the full amounts of the basic and new State Pensions

through the Triple Lock and to supporting vulnerable

pensioner households with pension credit. Pensioners are

also supported with Winter Fuel Payments, free TV

licences for those aged 75 and over and the free bus pass.

The Department does not forecast estimates of low

income, but the next HBAI publication for 2016/17 data

has been pre-announced in line with National Statistics

protocols and will be published by the end of March

2018. The government is committed to continue

publishing this series on an annual basis.







Prisoners: Parents


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many

children in England and Wales have had a parent in

prison in the last seven years. [HL3663]

Lord Keen of Elie: The government is committed to

supporting prisoners to establish or maintain relationships

with their families and significant others where

appropriate. My Noble Friend, Lord Farmer, published his

report in August, produced on behalf of the Government,

which we have warmly welcomed. Work has already

commenced on taking forward some of the important

recommendations from this review.

The Ministry of Justice does not collect data on the

number of children who have a parent in prison. An MoJ

longitudinal study of adult prisoners estimated that there

were around 200,000 children who had a parent in prison

at some point during 2009.

In 2015, MoJ published estimates of the proportions of

adult female offenders in 2012 who had one or more

dependent children in their care at the time of their

disposal. This analysis estimated that between 13-19% of

women serving an immediate custodial sentence had at

least one dependent child in their care. On average, this

group of women had 1.8 children each.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upload

s/attachment_data/file/465916/female-offenders-child-

dependents-statistics.pdf


Female Offenders and child dependent statistics [Female Offenders

and child dependent statistics.pdf]



Sayed Alwadaei



they have made of the trial in Bahrain of Sayed Nizar

Alwadaei which resulted in an additional three-year

prison sentence on 29 November; and whether

representatives of the UK Government attended his

trial. [HL3728]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign and

Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Bahrain

continue to monitor this case and we have raised it with

the Government of Bahrain. British officials regularly

attend the hearings of high profile cases in which we have

an interest. We understand there is a right of appeal to this

sentence.

Sheikh Isa Qassim


To ask Her Majesty's Government what

representations they have made to the government of

Bahrain about (1) the house arrest, and (2)

deteriorations in health, of Sheikh Isa Qassim since

May. [HL3725]


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have

made representations to the government of Bahrain

about Sheikh Isa Qassim’s access to medical care since

26 November 2017, with particular regard to

interference with his medical care by the police.

[HL3726]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have raised this

issue with the Bahraini authorities, as recently as

December 10th. These authorities have issued public

statements making clear that Isa Qassim has access to

healthcare with no impediment, and is not under house

arrest. He is currently undergoing treatment in hospital.

Social Security Benefits: Wales

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty's Government which ten local

authorities in Wales had (1) the lowest number, (2) the

lowest percentage, (3) the highest number, and (4) the

highest percentage, of individuals in receipt of social

security payments, in the last year for which figures are

available. [HL3724]

Baroness Buscombe: The information requested is not

readily available and to provide it would incur

disproportionate cost. Such information that is available

for Wales is published by the Welsh Government on

gov.wales

Social Services: Children

Asked by Lord Porter of Spalding

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any

assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the

operating models of social care trusts in relation to

improving local children’s services. [HL3672]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: A small proportion of local

councils have arrangements whereby some or the entirety

of their service is run at arms’ length from the council,

through a children’s services trust, including some that

are in intervention. In two of these councils, Doncaster

and Slough, the department established an independent

trust after children’s social care services were found to be

systemically and persistently inadequate.


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465916/female-offenders-child-dependents-statistics.pdf













An evaluation of Doncaster Children’s Services Trust

shows it was viewed favourably by its staff and has had a

positive affect on culture and practice: the investment in

staff, quality assurance and the way that the Trust

communicates its work has led to a shift in culture. This

has led to improved staff morale, workforce stability and

some practice improvements. For example, the use of

agency workers and staff turnover has reduced; and staff

reported spending more time with children and families.

However, it is too early to determine whether these

changes will result in sustained improvements for

children and families. An evaluation of Slough Children’s

Services Trust is in progress.

Other alternative operating models are being tested by

councils who are not in intervention. For example,

‘Achieving for Children’ (AfC) is a social enterprise

company, set up and jointly owned by two councils,

Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames. It

has recently been funded by the Department for Education

to expand to three more councils, the first of which is

Windsor and Maidenhead, who joined in August 2017. A

Department for Education review, published in 2016, into

the establishment of AfC suggested that the main benefits

of its creation were: better service quality; better staff

engagement; higher levels of innovation; better

recruitment and retention; and savings from the

combining of services across the two local councils and

the development of alternative revenue streams.

The department is keen to broaden the developing

evidence base on the potential of alternative delivery

models to bring better outcomes for local councils. We

are funding four projects to explore this through its

‘Innovation Programme’, and will be evaluating their

efficacy.

Sugar: Sales Promotions


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan

to limit the availability of high sugar products (1) in

supermarket price promotions, and (2) at the point of

sale. [HL3687]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Key measures in our world-

leading childhood obesity plan, launched in August 2016,

include the soft drinks industry levy and sugar reduction

and wider reformulation programme, which will

encourage the food and drink industry to reduce the

amount of sugar in products popular with children.

Monitoring of progress by Public Health England

(PHE) towards achieving the 20% sugar reduction by

2020 will be achieved through the use of sales weighted

average sugar levels and reviewing changes in product

sales towards lower or no added sugar products. If

businesses over-promote high sugar products, they will be

less likely to achieve the sales weighted average sugar

level per 100 grams for the 20% reduction.

PHE will publish a detailed assessment of progress

against delivering the 5% sugar reduction for the first year

of the programme in March 2018. We will use this to

determine whether sufficient progress has been made and

whether alternative levers need to be considered.

Television: Smoking

Asked by Lord Storey

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy

in relation to smoking on reality TV shows, particularly

in regard to the risk that smoking amongst young

people might be glamourised. [HL3734]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: Broadcasting regulation is a

matter for Ofcom, the independent regulator. Ofcom takes

the protection of children and young people very seriously

- and that is why there are already specific restrictions on

the portrayal of smoking on television. The government

does not interfere in editorial decisions and it is for

content makers to decide what to include in their

programmes, provided that they comply with the

Broadcasting Code.

Unemployment: Wales

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people

were registered as unemployed in each Welsh local

authority in (1) 1990, (2) 2000, (3) 2005, (4) 2010, and

(5) 2015. [HL3721]

Lord Young of Cookham: The information requested

falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics

Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will

place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.


UKSA response [HL3721 Lord Roberts .pdf]



Veterans: Mefloquine

Asked by Lord Stirrup


taking to (1) identify, (2) monitor, and (3) assist, those

veterans who were prescribed mefloquine while in the

military before the introduction of recent safeguards.

[HL3673]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Any veteran presenting to his or

her National Health Service general practitioner (GP)

with side effects of any medication will receive care in

line with national guidelines.

In making a clinical judgement about any patient, the

GP will consider a number of factors, including relevant

medical history, and will be treated appropriately. GP

registration forms include a section to complete if a

patient has served in the armed forces. Armed forces’

medical records can be accessed by NHS clinicians.









Index to Statements and Answers

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

Afghanistan - Locally Employed Staff ................. 1

Animal Welfare .................................................... 2

EU Transport Council........................................... 2

General Affairs Council ....................................... 3

Telecoms, Transport and Energy Council ............ 3

Update on Organ Donation in England ................ 3

Written Answers ..................................................... 5

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties .......................... 5

Alcoholic Drinks: Older People ........................... 5

Armed Forces ....................................................... 5

Armed Forces: Officers ........................................ 5

Arts: Commonwealth............................................ 5

Bahrain: Detainees................................................ 6

Bath University: Pay............................................. 6

Brexit: Wales ........................................................ 6

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes ................. 6

Crimes of Violence ............................................... 6

Dental Health ........................................................ 7

Dental Health: Children ........................................ 7

Dental Services: Children ..................................... 7

Employment and Support Allowance ................... 7

EU Staff: Pensions ................................................ 7

Government Departments: Data Processing ......... 8

Government Departments: Legatum Institute ...... 8

Home Education ................................................... 8

International Assistance ........................................ 8

Israel: Asylum ...................................................... 8

Lipodystrophy ...................................................... 8

Magistrates' Courts ............................................... 9

Marines: Plymouth ............................................... 9

Marriage: Humanism .......................................... 10

Mental Health ..................................................... 10

Mental Health Services: Finance ........................ 10

Mental Health Services: Staff ............................. 10

Middle East: International Assistance ................ 11

Offenders: Females ............................................ 11

Office for Students: Business Interests .............. 11

Out-of-school Education .................................... 12

Pension Credit .................................................... 12

Planning ............................................................. 12

Poverty ............................................................... 13

Prisoners: Parents .............................................. 14

Sayed Alwadaei ................................................. 14

Sheikh Isa Qassim ............................................. 14

Social Security Benefits: Wales......................... 14

Social Services: Children ................................... 14

Sugar: Sales Promotions .................................... 15

Television: Smoking .......................................... 15

Unemployment: Wales ...................................... 15

Veterans: Mefloquine ........................................ 15

tuesdayvol. 786 12 december 2017no....

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