P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S (HANSARD ...qnadailyreport.blob.core.windows.net/qnadailyreportxml/...Page 2 26 March 2018 Written Statements requirements for additional land

Monday

26 March 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 ..................................................... 5

Session 2017-19

No. 88

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minister Responsibilities

Baroness 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 26 March 2018 Page 1

Written Statements Monday, 26 March 2018

Energy Policy

[HLWS566]

Lord Henley: My hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-

Secretary of State (Richard Harrington) has today made

the following statement.

In a Written Ministerial Statement of 11 January, the

Government set out its two-fold strategy for Euratom

Exit. This strategy included a commitment to put in place

all the necessary measures to ensure that the UK can

operate as an independent and responsible nuclear state

upon the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom, at which point

the UK will be legally responsible for its own nuclear

safeguards regime.

These measures include the negotiation of bilateral

safeguards agreements with the International Atomic

Energy Agency (IAEA). These new agreements – a

Voluntary Offer Agreement and an Additional Protocol –

will replace the current, trilateral, safeguards agreements

between UK, the IAEA and Euratom.

We have made good progress in these negotiations.

Both the UK and IAEA are clear that the new agreements

should follow the same principles and scope as the current

trilateral agreements. We will continue to offer a

comprehensive facilities list to the IAEA, enabling them

to designate and inspect their chosen sites for the

purposes of international verification.

In order to ensure continuity for the nuclear sector, on

22 March the Government notified the IAEA that the UK

will be taking legal responsibility for its own nuclear

safeguards regime in the long term and started the process

of seeking formal IAEA agreement to a new Voluntary

Offer Agreement and accompanying Additional Protocol

for the UK. We expect these agreements to undergo UK

ratification later this year. The agreements will only come

into force once existing agreements no longer apply.

We will continue to seek a close association with

Euratom, including the possibility of future co-operation

on nuclear non-proliferation and safeguards, and any

potential role for Euratom in supporting the establishment

of the UK’s own domestic safeguards regime.

The Written Ministerial Statement of 11 January

included a commitment to report back every three months

about overall progress on Euratom to keep Parliament

updated. I am pleased to confirm that the first such update

has today been provided to Parliament. The paper is being

placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The next update

on progress is scheduled for June 2018.

Fire Reform

[HLWS565]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: My rt hon Friend the

Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber

Rudd) has today made the following Written Ministerial

Statement:

I am pleased to announce that I have approved

proposals from the Police and Crime Commissioners

(PCC) for Cambridgeshire (Jason Ablewhite),

Staffordshire (Matthew Ellis) and West Mercia (John

Campion) to take on governance of their local fire and

rescue service(s).

I have carefully considered each proposal, taking into

account representations made by the public, police and

fire personnel, and relevant local authorities in response

to each PCC’s local consultation. In each case I obtained

an Independent Assessment of the PCCs’ proposal,

carried out by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance

and Accounting (CIPFA), which I have had regard to and

today publish in the interests of transparency. A copy of

each of the Independent Assessments will be placed in the

House Library and published on Gov.UK shortly.

Having had regard to this material, I am of the view that

in each case, a transfer of fire governance to the PCC is in

the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness,

and that there is no adverse effect on public safety.

These PCCs will join Roger Hirst of Essex, who

became the country’s first Police, Fire and Crime

Commissioner in October 2017. My officials will now

prepare the necessary statutory instrument to give effect

to these proposals in the coming months.

As directly accountable leaders overseeing both fire and

policing, each PCC can increase efficiency and

effectiveness, maximise available resources and improve

the service delivered to the public. I look forward to

seeing the benefits this will bring to each area.

High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe)

Bill: Additional Provision

[HLWS562]

Baroness Sugg: My Honourable Friend, the

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

(Nusrat Ghani) has made the following Ministerial

Statement.

I would like to inform the House about the introduction

of an Additional Provision to the High Speed Rail (West

Midlands – Crewe) Bill, which is currently before the

Select Committee.

The Additional Provision proposes a number of changes

to the powers in the Bill for the Select Committee’s

consideration. Those directly and specially affected by

these changes may petition against them, and once any

petitioners have been heard, the Committee will decide

whether the amendments to the Bill should be made. The

petition period, set by the Chairman of Ways and Means,

finishes on 27 April.

One of the changes in the Additional Provision relates

to a minor change in the alignment of the Phase 2a route

near Stone. Other changes relate to ongoing design

discussions with utility companies, to highway works on

junctions to address traffic and safety issues, and

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2018-03-26/HLWS566/



Page 2 26 March 2018 Written Statements

requirements for additional land for environmental

mitigation works. In some cases, these changes affect land

some distance from the line of route.

Full details are shown in the plans and sections

deposited alongside the Additional Provision. Affected

landowners will receive formal notification this week,

including information on how to petition against the

changes if they should decide to do so.

Standing Orders require that an Estimate of Expense be

prepared, to a prescribed format. This sets out the gross

costs of the land and works in the Additional Provision.

However, the costs of works and land avoided through

these amendments is expected to produce an overall

reduction in the costs of the scheme.

I am also publishing an Environmental Statement

setting out any likely significant effects from the changes

in the Additional Provision, alongside a supplementary

environmental statement reporting new environmental

information relating to the scheme. In accordance with

Standing Orders, there is a public consultation on these

documents which will run until 14 May. The documents

will be put in the libraries of both Houses, and will also

be made available in locations open to the public in all

local authorities and parishes affected by changes.

Justice Update

[HLWS567]

Lord Keen of Elie: My right honourable friend the

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (David

Gauke) has made the following Written Statement.

"I have today signed a Justice Devolution

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with London

Councils and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime

(MOPAC).

This agreement will fundamentally change the way the

criminal justice and offender management systems

interact with local partners in London. We are moving

towards a model where greater local influence is seen in a

number of key delivery areas, including victims and

witness services, future probation services, innovative use

of electronic monitoring technologies, and specialist

services for young offenders and women in the criminal

justice system. We have also committed to explore jointly

more ambitious options, such as budget devolution for

certain groups of offenders in custody.

This is a crucial area of focus for the government.

Spending on criminal justice in London is significant,

estimated at £3.3bn per annum across at least 14 different

organisations at a national, regional and local level.

Reoffending costs £2.2bn in criminal justice costs alone.

London accounts for almost 20% of offenders and

reoffenders, at 76,000 and 19,000 respectively, and has a

prison population accounting for a similar proportion but

which is spread across 40 institutions nationally. Crime

and the impact of crime is not felt equally across London,

with the most vulnerable wards having three times as

many victims of burglary, robbery and sexual offences as

the least vulnerable wards.

In summary, the MoU covers the following areas:

Victims and witnesses

Work will aim to improve the experience for victims

and witnesses from the point a crime is reported to the

criminal conviction and beyond. Our ambition is to

establish a more integrated service for victims and

witnesses in London where victim support would be

provided by a single person rather than several agencies.

To help ensure a more seamless service for victims and

witnesses before trial, we will devolve commissioning of

support for witnesses at the pre-trial stage to MOPAC by

April 2019.

We will also use the findings from the MOPAC-

commissioned review of compliance with the Victims'

Code of Practice and the provision of victim services in

London to improve accountability and to inform local,

regional and national policy and commissioning.

Reducing reoffending

This section of the MoU commits my department to

working with local partners to ensure that the right

interventions are in place to reduce reoffending in the

capital. This will include delivery of a joint review of

probation services in London, and testing the co-

commissioning of ‘Through the Gate’ services.

Further to this, the MoJ, MOPAC and London Councils

will undertake a joint programme of work around robust

community sentence options, including considering

opportunities to co-commission and better integrate

services for the most complex, violent and persistent

offenders, and developing a London strategy to make the

most effective use of electronic monitoring.

A new approach to managing vulnerable cohorts

More women are sentenced to short custodial sentences

in London than in the rest of the country, and the overall

London youth reoffending rate of 47.5% remains

stubbornly higher than the rate for England and Wales,

which is currently 42.6%. This section sets out how we

will work in partnership to address the complex needs of

these vulnerable cohorts.

The MoU sets out a specific commitment to work

collaboratively to align priorities and budgets on female

offenders within London, exploring the scope for co-

designing credible alternatives to custody. On young

offenders, the MoJ will facilitate joint analysis with an

aim of improving outcomes, with particular focus on

addressing BAME disproportionality across the system.

MoJ, MOPAC and London boroughs will pursue joint

work programmes in relation to resettlement provision,

transition to the adult estate, and the opportunities to co-

commission a Secure School for London.

Financial devolution

Finally, we are seeking, in the longer term, to foster a

whole-system approach to offender management where

powers, resources and decisions are better aligned and

early intervention and prevention is incentivised. The

MoU sets out our intention to work with MOPAC and

London Councils to explore ways in which financial


Written Statements 26 March 2018 Page 3

models can incentivise greater investment in preventative

services which reduce demand on the CJS, particularly

considering opportunities with specific cohorts, including

female offenders and 18-25-year-old offenders.

This summary covers the main commitments of the

MoU, which is available in full at

https://www.london.gov.uk/mopac-publications-

0/memorandum-understanding-london-cjs. Work will

begin now to ensure we jointly deliver these commitments

as quickly as possible."

Local Plan Intervention

[HLWS561]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: My Rt Hon. Friend, the

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local

Government (Sajid Javid) has today made the following

Written Ministerial Statement.

On 16 November 2017 I made a statement to the House

with an update on local plan progress. Up to date plans,

including local plans, are essential because they provide

clarity to communities and developers about where homes

should be built and where not, so that development is

planned rather than the result of speculative applications.

I made clear that a lack of progress will no longer be

tolerated.

The Government has abolished top-down regional

planning. But a locally-led planning system requires

elected local representatives to take the lead, listen to

local residents and business, and set out a clear

framework to build new homes, support the local

economy and protect the environment. Local Plans also

provide the framework within which groups can prepare

Neighbourhood Plans to shape development at local level.

Most councils have seized the opportunity that localism

provides; a small minority have not.

I wrote to fifteen local planning authorities to

commence the formal process of intervention in areas that

had either recently failed the duty to cooperate or failed to

meet the deadline set out in their Local Development

Schemes, the public timetable that all local planning

authorities are required to put in place.

Local Authorities had until 31 January 2018 to put

forward any exceptional circumstances, which, in their

view, justifies their failure to produce a Local Plan under

the local planning regime, as amended by the Localism

Act 2011 and Housing and Planning Act 2016.

I have now considered these responses. I am pleased

that since my letter of 16 November, four Local

Authorities, Liverpool, North East Derbyshire,

Runnymede, and York have published their draft Local

Plans. In Basildon, Bolsover, Brentwood, Calderdale,

Eastleigh, Mansfield, St Albans whilst I have not been

persuaded that there are exceptional circumstances to

justify the failure to get a plan in place, I note some

progress has been made to get their plans in place and at

this time do not consider that intervention would have the

greatest impact in accelerating their plan production. We

will monitor these areas closely and any further

significant delays in meeting their published timetables

will inevitably give rise to considerable doubt over the

ability of these authorities to make the necessary progress

on their local plans. If there are further significant delays I

will reconsider my decision not to intervene. In

Northumberland I am asking the Council to produce a

clearer timetable and to accelerate plan production.

In three areas, Castle Point, Thanet and Wirral, I am

now particularly concerned at the consistent failure and

lack of progress to get a plan in place and have not been

persuaded by the exceptional circumstances set out by the

Council or the proposals they have put forward to get a

plan in place. We will therefore step up the intervention

process in these three areas. I will be sending in a team of

planning experts, led by the Government’s Chief Planner,

into these three areas to advise me on the next steps in my

intervention.

I have a number of intervention options available to me

which I will now actively examine. As it may prove

necessary to take over plan production, subject to

decisions taken after the expert advice I have

commissioned, my Department has started the

procurement process to secure planning consultants and

specialists to undertake that work so it can commence as

quickly as possible. My Department will also be speaking

to the County Councils and Combined authority with a

view to inviting those bodies to prepare the local plan in

these three areas as well as exploring the possibility with

neighbouring authorities of directing the preparation of

joint plans.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency Business

Plan 2018-19

[HLWS564]



(Nusrat Ghani) has made the following Ministerial

Statement.

I am proud to announce the publication of the Maritime

and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) business plan for 2018-

19. The MCA does vital work to save lives at sea,

regulate ship standards and protect the marine

environment. The Agency affects not just those working

on the coast or at sea, it upholds the legacy of our great

maritime nation.

The business plan sets out:

i) the services that the agency will deliver and any

significant changes it plans to make;

ii) the resources the agency requires; and

iii) the key performance indicators, by which its

performance will be assessed.

This plan allows service users and members of the

public to assess how the agency is performing in

operating its key services, managing reforms and the

agency finances.

https://www.london.gov.uk/mopac-publications-0/memorandum-understanding-london-cjs





Page 4 26 March 2018 Written Statements

The business plan will be available electronically on

GOV.UK and copies will be placed in the libraries of both

houses.

Motoring Agency Business Plans 2018-19

[HLWS563]



(Jesse Norman), has made the following Ministerial

Statement.

I am pleased to announce the publication of the 2018-19

business plans for the Department for Transport’s

Motoring Agencies - the Driver and Vehicle Licensing

Agency (DVLA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA) and the Vehicle Certification Agency

(VCA).

The business plans set out:

1) the services each agency will deliver and any

significant changes they plan to make;

2) the resources they require; and,

3) the key performance indicators, by which their

performance will be assessed.

These plans allow service users and members of the

public to assess how the agencies are performing in

operating their key services, managing reforms and the

agency finances.

The business plans will be available electronically on

GOV.UK and copies will be placed in the libraries of both

Houses.


Written Answers 26 March 2018 Page 5

Written Answers Monday, 26 March 2018

Air Pollution: Brighton

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the national

monitor for air pollution in the Brighton and Hove area

is placed in Preston Park, rather than near the more

polluting city centre roads; and whether they will

consider using the data collected by Brighton and Hove

City Council when assessing pollution levels in the area

in future. [HL6245]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Preston Park

monitoring site was chosen to measure background

pollution concentrations within reporting zone 10

(Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton) and is sited in

accordance with EU requirements for compliance

purposes.

Defra uses pollution data from this monitoring site to

report compliance to the EU against the air quality limit

values. Monitoring data is supplemented by national

modelling which ‘fills the gaps’ between monitoring

stations.

Data collected by Brighton and Hove Council will not

be used for compliance purposes, as it does not meet the

strict requirements of the air quality directive. The data is

used to measure progress for local air quality management

purposes and supports the actions Brighton and Hove

Council is taking to reduce emissions and improve air

quality.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Asked by Lord Chadlington

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment

they have made of (1) the extent to which people aged

55 or over are increasingly experiencing harm caused

by alcohol, and (2) the need to introduce a different

intervention strategy to address the needs of those

people. [HL6227]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Data on those experiencing

alcohol harm, broken down by age, is not collected

centrally. However, national estimates of the number of

alcohol dependent adults in 2014-15 were published by

the University of Sheffield in March 2017. They

estimated that the number of adults aged 55 or over

dependent on alcohol was 73,280.

The Government has no plans to introduce a different

intervention strategy aimed at older people. Local

authorities are responsible for commissioning effective

drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services based

on an assessment of local need. Public Health England

(PHE) supports local authorities in this work, by

providing bespoke data, value for money tools, topical

briefings, and advice on good practice to help local

authorities meet the needs of their local population,

including older people.

PHE is engaged in a series of work programmes which

aim to reduce the incidence of substance addiction and

help provide support to older people, such as advocating

the national roll out of an alcohol misuse screening

question that has been part of the NHS Health Check

since 2013. The NHS Health Check is offered to around

three million 40-74 year olds per year.

In addition, the United Kingdom 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.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

UK Chief Medical Officers Low Drinking Guidelines

[UK_CMOs__report.pdf]

The material can be viewed online at:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-03-12/HL6227

Asylum

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

To ask Her Majesty's Government which local

authorities have accepted asylum seekers in each of the

last five years. [HL6264]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: I refer the noble Lord

to the response I gave to him on 24 January 2018, UIN

HL5042.



they have made of the number of qualified staff

required to ensure that asylum seekers' claims are

properly assessed; and how many qualified staff are

currently employed to make such assessments.

[HL6268]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office

currently has a published service standard to make an

asylum decision on 98% of straightforward claims within

6 months of the date of the claim being lodged.

The Home Office has rolling recruitment campaigns to

maintain the number of Decision Makers at levels which

allow cases to be progressed in line with service

standards.

Asylum: Appeals


To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of

asylum appeals were successful in each of the years

2005 to 2015. [HL6263]










Page 6 26 March 2018 Written Answers

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office

publishes data on the number of Asylum appeal

applications and determinations, in the quarterly

Immigration Statistics release. The latest figures are

available at the following link:

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

statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables.

Table as_14 in the Asylum tables (volume 4) contains

annual breakdowns of the number of appeals; figures for

the years 2007 to 2017 are available.

Data prior to 2007 can be found in the national

archives:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/2011021814

3229/http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbarchive.html

Year % allowed appeals

2005 17%

2006 22%

2007 22%

2008 23%

2009 29%

2010 27%

2011 26%

2012 27%

2013 25%

2014 28%

2015 35%

2016 40%

2017 35%

Asylum: Calais


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they

intend to establish an asylum processing centre in

Calais. [HL6267]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK has a strong

track record of cooperating with France to manage illegal

migration and to protect our shared border. However, the

primary responsibility for asylum seekers lies with the

authorities of the Member State in which they are present;

the UK Government does not have the authority to

operate on the territory of another sovereign state without

permission. We are also under no obligation to consider

asylum claims lodged outside UK territory.

As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK

and France on 18 January 2018, both parties agreed to

further enhance cooperation in a number of areas,

including illegal migration and asylum. This includes a

number of measures in respect of unaccompanied asylum-

seeking and children, and a commitment to support

France in its provision of accommodation facilities

located outside the Calais and Dunkirk areas. Further

information on the treaty can be found here:

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

questions-answers-statements/written-

statement/Commons/2018-01-19/HCWS415/.

Asylum: Interviews


To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they

provide to asylum seekers to ensure that those

individuals can travel to their immigration interviews.

[HL6265]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum seekers who

are supported by the Home Office under Section 95 or

Section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 may

apply for travel tickets when they need to travel to certain

appointments. For those required to attend a substantive

asylum interview travel tickets are normally sent to the

asylum seeker with details of the interview.

Asylum: Pregnancy


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will

consider extending the period during which pregnant

asylum seekers cannot be moved before their due date

from six to 12 weeks. [HL6321]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum seekers who

are destitute and have an immediate need for

accommodation can apply to be admitted to an initial

accommodation centre. In normal circumstances, they

remain in the centre for only such time as it takes to

arrange longer term “dispersal” accommodation.

If, however, the asylum seeker is heavily pregnant the

move to the dispersal accommodation is usually deferred

until around 6 weeks after the birth of the child or until

the clinician has signed off the postnatal checks.

There are no plans to change these arrangements.

Average Earnings

Asked by Baroness Primarolo

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the

percentage change in average earnings between (1)

1987 and 1992, (2) 1992 and 1997, (3) 1998 and 2003,

and (4) 2004 and 2009. [HL6310]

Lord Young of Cookham: The information requested

falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics

Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Letter from John Pullinger CB, National Statistician, to

Baroness Primarolo, dated 20 March 2018

Dear Baroness Primarolo,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK

Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218143229/http:/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbarchive.html




http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-01-19/HCWS415/









Question asking what was the percentage change in

average earnings between (1) 1987 and 1992, (2) 1992

and 1997, (3) 1998 and 2003, and (4) 2004 and 2009

(HL6310 ).

Table 1 provides estimates of median gross weekly

earnings for adult full time employees in Great Britain for

April each year. The estimates from 1997 onwards are

drawn from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

and prior to that from its predecessor, the New Earnings

Survey. Although the methodologies between the two

surveys created some discontinuities in the published

results, the differences are tolerable and the resulting

series will be of benefit to those interested in changes in

earnings statistics over a long period.

Table 1: Median gross weekly earnings, full time

employees in Great Britain whose pay was unaffected

during the reference period [1], [2], [3], [4]

Median gross weekly earnings,

April of each years

Percentage change in gross weekly

earnings between the two quoted years

1987 - £175.1 1992 - £264.6 51.1%

1992 - £264.6 1997 - £321.5 21.5%

1998 - £335.8 2003 - £405.2 20.7%

2004 - £420.3 2009 - £489.9 16.6%

Yours sincerely,

John Pullinger

[1] Estimates prior to 1997 are drawn from the New Earnings Survey

[2] From 2004 there was improved coverage added to the Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings. This had some impact on estimates: the

median gross weekly earnings estimate for 2004 excluding that

improved coverage was £424.2 (compared with £420.3 including it).

[3] Estimates in Table 1 are drawn from:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/ear

ningsandworkinghours/adhocs/006302annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashetimeseriesofmediangrossweeklyearningsfrom1968to2016

[4] Percentage changes are calculated from the median gross weekly

earnings figures in the table, which are rounded to one decimal place. This may result in percentage changes being under or overstated, by up

to one decimal % point.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick


they have made of the comments by Donald Tusk that

the Irish border issue must be addressed before the

Brexit negotiations can address other issues; and

whether this will affect the progress of the negotiations.

[HL6274]

Lord Callanan: The Prime Minister reaffirmed her

commitments to the Northern Ireland and Ireland border

in her speech at Mansion House, recognising the unique

circumstances in Northern Ireland, and our shared

commitments to avoiding a hard border.

The UK and the EU negotiating teams reached another

important milestone in the Brexit process by agreeing the

terms of a time-limited implementation period.

Significant progress has also been made to turn the Joint

Report from December into the legal text of the

Withdrawal Agreement, which we will conclude in full by

October.

The negotiating teams remain committed to the Joint

Report in its entirety including guaranteeing the future

integrity of the United Kingdom’s internal market. In this

context, we are agreed on the need to include a legally

operative version of the "backstop" solution for the border

between Northern Ireland and Ireland in the Withdrawal

Agreement that is acceptable to both sides while

continuing to work up the other options.

The UK has always seen Northern Ireland issues as a

key priority for the UK Government and we remain

firmly committed to that objective. We have always been

clear from the outset that the best way to achieve this is

through the overall relationship between the UK and the

EU.

Brexit

Asked by Viscount Waverley

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much time

they expect there will be between the publication of the

final Brexit agreement and the vote in the House of

Commons. [HL6473]


To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend

to present the final Brexit agreement to select

committees of Parliament; and how long they expect

that to be before a vote in either House of Parliament.

[HL6474]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how much time

they expect there will be between the vote in the House

of Commons on the Brexit agreement and exit day.

[HL6475]

Lord Callanan: It is our intention to conclude the

Withdrawal Agreement and the terms for our future

relationship in good time before we leave the EU in

March 2019. It remains our shared aim with the EU to

reach agreement on the Withdrawal Agreement by

October. This would allow both the UK Parliament and

the European Parliament time to scrutinise and debate the

agreement reached between both sides. We expect and

intend that the vote will take place before the European

Parliament debates and votes on the final agreement.


To ask Her Majesty's Government how the resolution

presented to the House on the final Brexit agreement

will be worded. [HL6477]

Lord Callanan: The Government has committed to

hold a vote on the final deal in Parliament as soon as

possible after the negotiations have concluded. This vote

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/adhocs/006302annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashetimeseriesofmediangrossweeklyearningsfrom1968to2016













will take the form of a resolution in both Houses of

Parliament and will cover both the Withdrawal

Agreement and the terms for our future relationship. We

have been clear that Parliament will be able to vote to

accept the deal, or move forward without one.

The exact wording of any motion is yet to be

determined.

Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the

Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 20 February

(HL5494), whether they will now answer the question

asked, namely whether, prior to the Prime Minister’s

letter of 29 March 2017 notifying the European

Council, in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty

on European Union, of the UK’s intention to withdraw

from the EU, they gave any consideration to the

possibility of withdrawing from the EU in accordance

with Article 50(1) without being bound by Articles

50(2) and 50(3); and if not, why not. [HL6551]

Lord Callanan: As stated in the answer to HL5494, the

UK is a law abiding country and remains a Member State,

with full rights and obligations under the Treaties. We do

not want or expect to leave without a deal. Negotiating

and concluding a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU is

in the interests of both sides.

Burma: Arms Trade

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are

taking, if any, to build international support for a UN

mandated global arms embargo against Burma.

[HL6253]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Regardless of broader

international support, a UN arms embargo would require

majority support in the Security Council and the absence

of a veto from any Permanent Members. It is our

assessment that there is insufficient support among

Permanent Members for such a measure at this time.


To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions

they have had with other EU governments on

expanding the EU arms embargo to cover the sale of all

equipment to the military in Burma. [HL6255]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to

support and comply with the EU arms embargo, which

prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any

training that might strengthen the Burmese military's

combat capability. At the EU Foreign Affairs Council on

26 February Council conclusions were adopted on Burma.

The UK was instrumental in securing agreement that the

embargo should be renewed and strengthened.

Burma: International Criminal Court



they have had with other members of the UN Security

Council regarding support, in principle, for a referral of

the situation in Burma to the International Criminal

Court. [HL6254]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We will work to ensure

the UN Security Council remains focused on the

Rohingya crisis and will consider how best to use the

various tools, including resolutions, at the Council's

disposal. This involves regular discussions with all

Security Council members. There is no consensus within

the UN Security Council at this time to refer Burma to the

International Criminal Court.

Bus Services: Brighton

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will

reconsider the rejection of a grant application to deliver

buses with lower emissions in Brighton and Hove,

given that City Council’s evidence of high

concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and airborne fine

particles in the city centre. [HL6246]

Baroness Sugg: The Government recently announced

the allocation of £40m from the Clean Bus Technology

Fund and does not plan to reconsider that decision. As the

volume of bids received exceeded the available budget we

had to prioritise those projects expected to make the

greatest contribution to bringing local NO2 concentrations

within statutory limits within the shortest possible time.

Channel Four Television: Location

Asked by Lord Storey

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the

decision to establish a second headquarters for Channel

Four outside London was taken solely by the

broadcaster; if not, what input Government ministers

and officials had into that decision; whether Channel

Four will be solely responsible for the decision where to

establish that new headquarters; and if not, whether that

decision must be signed off by a minister, and by

whom. [HL6331]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The government has long been

committed to Channel 4 moving outside of London, and

has worked closely with Channel 4 to find a solution that

worked for Channel 4 and the country that owns it.

Channel 4's proposal was put forward by Channel 4, and

will be implemented by Channel 4. Channel 4 will launch

a process in April in which cities and regions across the

UK can pitch to become the home of Channel 4's new

National HQ and creative hubs. The decision on location

will be taken by Channel 4 not by government, and

Channel 4 has said it will take this decision in Q3 2018.









Asked by Lord Storey


they have made of the opportunity arising from the

establishment by Channel Four of a second

headquarters outside London to develop their regional

policy and to promote less affluent parts of the UK; and

what discussions they have had with Channel Four in

this regard. [HL6332]

Lord Ashton of Hyde: We are committed to spreading

jobs, prosperity and opportunity around the UK, and

Channel 4, as a publicly-owned public service

broadcaster, can play an important part in this. The

government commissioned external economic analysis

which found that there could be significant regional

economic benefits from Channel 4 relocating staff and

moving spending out of London. The government

welcomes Channel 4's agreement to increase its regional

impact, and in doing so it will better reflect and provide

for the country that owns it.

Crimes against Humanity: Prosecutions

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to

the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on

9 March (HL5861), how many years elapsed between

the atrocities committed by Ratko Mladić and his

conviction; and what assessment they have made of the

options for introducing more expeditious and timely

ways of bring to justice those who perpetrate genocide

or crimes against humanity. [HL6219]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: After 16 years as a

fugitive from justice, Ratko Mladić was arrested in May

2011 for crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina

from 1992 until 1995. His trial commenced a year later

and considered testimony from almost 600 witnesses and

just under 10,000 exhibits. He was convicted and

sentenced to life in prison for genocide, crimes against

humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war in

November 2017, six and a half years after his arrest. We

agree that justice should be dispensed as expeditiously as

possible while ensuring defendants' receive a fair trial.

The UK participates in regular meetings of the Security

Council's Informal Working Group on International

Tribunals, which deals with a range of issues relating to

the functioning of the UN Tribunals, including

considering evaluation reports, exchanging views with

Tribunal Principals and reviewing potential efficiencies in

the operation of the Tribunals.

Devolution



they have made of how the competences currently held

at the EU level will be distributed between the various

countries in the UK after Brexit; and what impact this

will have on the management of the devolution

settlement and on relations between those countries.

[HL6275]

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government has

committed that EU exit will result in a significant increase

in the decision making powers of each of the devolved

legislatures. The Government’s provisional frameworks

analysis, published on 9 March, sets out where

frameworks may and may not be needed in respect of the

153 policy areas where EU law intersects with devolved

competence. It indicates that legislative frameworks will

only be needed in a minority of areas. Moreover, our

ongoing discussions with the devolved administrations

suggest that within these areas, legislation may only be

required in relation to specific elements, rather than the

entire policy area. Constructive discussions with the

devolved administrations continue.

Doctors and Nurses: Disciplinary

Proceedings

Asked by Lord Dobbs

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many doctors

employed by the NHS were (1) suspended for, and (2)

convicted of, malpractice, in each year between 2007

and 2017. [HL6230]

Asked by Lord Dobbs

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nurses

employed by the NHS were (1) suspended for, and (2)

convicted of, malpractice, in each year between 2007

and 2017. [HL6231]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The information is not available

in the format requested. NHS Digital publishes data on

dismissals under reasons for leaving. These include

capability, conduct, statutory and for some other

substantial reason. However, NHS Digital does not

specifically record data on convictions or suspensions as a

result of malpractice.

Europol


To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration

they have given to the comments by the Executive

Director of Europol that the UK will face

“impediments” to receiving high-quality information

after Brexit; and how they will ensure that high levels

of cooperation with EU law enforcement are

maintained. [HL6273]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government’s

future partnership paper on security, law enforcement and

criminal justice published on 18 September 2017 set out

how the UK is seeking a future relationship with the EU

and its Member States that provides for practical

operational cooperation; facilitates data driven law

enforcement; and supports multilateral cooperation

through EU agencies.









We continue to value our cooperation and information

sharing through measures such as the European Arrest

Warrant (EAW), Europol, the European Criminal Record

Information System (ECRIS) and the Schengen

Information System (SIS II) in our efforts to fight cross-

border crime and terrorism.

The UK has been instrumental in developing the tools

which the EU now has at its disposal and in working

together with international partners on these issues. We

want this to continue in a way that works for the UK and

for Europe.

We are confident that continued, practical cooperation

between the UK and EU on law enforcement and security

is in the interests of both sides. This includes cooperation

through Europol, and is consistent with the Europol

Executive Director’s observation that the UK is in the top

three Member States that contribute intelligence each day

to the different Europol databases, and exchanges five

times as much information with Europol as the US, and

seven times more than Denmark.

We therefore approach negotiations anticipating that an

agreement in this area can be reached, and agree with the

Executive Director of Europol as regards the desirability

of preserving as much operational cooperation as

possible.

First4Adoption

Asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie

To ask Her Majesty's Government what

assessment they have made of the impact on the

statutory provision of adoption of the closure of

First4Adoption on 31 March; and how they plan to fund

adoption services thereafter. [HL6277]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: First4Adoption has operated

under the department’s National Gateway for Adoption

contract since its launch in 2012. The contract ends on 31

March 2018.

First4Adoption is an information service for

prospective adopters. The government does not expect the

contract’s end to impact the statutory provision of

adoption. The department intends to ensure that materials

developed under the contract remain accessible and free

to access so that prospective adopters can still benefit

from this information.

Local authorities, Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs)

and Voluntary Adoption Agencies will continue to

provide further advice and information to prospective

adopters.

The government funds local authority children’s

services, including adoption, through the local

government finance settlement. In addition, the

government continues to invest in adoption through the

development of RAAs, the funding of 16 new Practice

Improvement Fund projects and the Adoption Support

Fund, which has provided more than £66 million to

support thousands of families since launching in May

2015.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian

Language

Asked by The Marquess of Lothian

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fluent

Russian speakers have been trained or recruited by

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) since

November 2016; and how many fluent Russian

speakers are employed by the FCO. [HL6307]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Russian is a priority

language for the FCO. Where required, officers undertake

up to 14 months full time language training to reach C1

Operational level as defined in the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an

international standard to describe language ability. Since

November 2016 a total of 64 officers have undertaken or

are undergoing Russian language training. The FCO has

212 employees registered with some level of Russian, 83

of which have reached C1 or above (as of December

2017).

Hate Crime

Asked by Baroness Deech


they have made of the strategy of the Equality and

Human Rights Commission in combating rising levels

of antisemitism and hate crime. [HL6443]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government

deplores all forms of hate crime and is committed to

tackling it. We treat all hate crime with equal seriousness;

there is no place for treating victims differently regardless

of their race, religion, age, gender identity, sexuality or

disability.

Our response to anti-Semitism has been built on the

solid work of the Cross-Government working group on

tackling anti-Semitism which includes Jewish communal

stakeholders, ensuring that we are alive to any issues and

concerns of the Jewish community and can respond

quickly. The Government supports the Community

Security Trust (CST) to provide security for Jewish

communal buildings, as well as a range of projects to

tackle anti-Semitism on campus such as the Union of

Jewish Student's Bridges Not Boycotts programme, and

the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons From

Auschwitz.

In 2016, the Government published the Hate Crime

Action Plan. The Plan includes a range of actions,

including funding for security for places of worship, and

the disaggregation of religion-based hate crime data. We

have taken further action in education, equipping teachers

to have difficult conversations and funding programmes

through the Anne Frank Trust and Streetwise. The Plan

also brings together the work of a wider range of

departments and agencies, including Fire and Rescue

Services for the first time. We are now refreshing the plan

to ensure that we remain able to respond to all forms of

hatred effectively and appropriately.





The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an

independent public body. I have therefore asked the

Commission’s Chief Executive Officer to write to the

Hon Member with the information requested. I will place

a copy of the letter in the libraries of both Houses.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Asked by Lord German

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the

expected total number of tons of waste material arising

from the construction of the new Hinkley Point power

station to be deposited in the Cardiff Grounds.

[HL6235]

Lord Henley: The amount of dredge material requested

by the applicant in the marine licence application is for a

maximum of 280,000 tonnes. The original figure was

higher than this, however the licence holder now requires

dredging from a smaller area.


To ask Her Majesty's Government why Cardiff

Grounds was chosen for the deposit of waste material

arising from the construction of the new Hinkley Point

power station. [HL6236]

Lord Henley: We understand that in pre-application

discussions, it was recommended to the applicant by

English and Welsh Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies

that the sediment from the proposed dredging site should

remain within the Severn Estuary Special Area of

Conservation (SAC) so as not to affect the overall

sediment amounts of the SAC. It was decided that

disposal in the immediate vicinity of the dredge site may

adversely affect some of the SAC feature in the wider

area and so it was considered that an established disposal

site within the same estuary would be preferential. Cardiff

Grounds was chosen as the preferred site. The Licence

application was presented with this location as the

applicant’s choice and the application was assessed by the

licensing authority on this basis.


To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the precise

nature of the waste material to be removed from the

construction site for the new Hinkley Point power

station; what contaminants are expected to be found

within that material; and whether they have evidence

that that material might include irradiated material.

[HL6237]

Lord Henley: The material to be removed from the

dredge site is sediment, consisting of clay, silt, sand and

gravel. A range of chemical and radiological materials

were tested for, which included gamma emitting

radionuclides and chemicals. These tests, carried out by

an accredited laboratory, showed that the levels of

chemicals and radionuclides were within acceptable levels

under international guidelines and considered to be safe.


To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect

the process of depositing waste material arising from

the construction of the new Hinkley Point power station

in the Cardiff Grounds to begin. [HL6238]

Lord Henley: The dredge disposal will not commence

until permission has been granted by the licencing

authority. It is expected that work will begin summer

2018, once the permission has been granted.


To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks will

be undertaken to ensure that no contaminated waste

material arising from the construction of the new

Hinkley Point power station will be shipped for

depositing in the Cardiff Grounds; and who will

conduct those checks. [HL6239]

Lord Henley: The sediment has been sampled and

tested for chemical and radiological substances. An

accredited laboratory, Centre for Environment, Fisheries

and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), has undertaken the

testing and analysis in accordance with international

guidelines. Permission is only granted to dispose of

material that is deemed safe according to these

internationally established guidelines.

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland

Asked by Lord Bowness

To ask Her Majesty's Government where non-UK

citizens travelling to the UK from the Republic of

Ireland will have their travel documents checked after

the UK leaves the EU; whether citizens of the Republic

of Ireland will be subject to the same checks; and what

effect such checks will have on (1) the Common Travel

Area, and (2) control of the UK's border. [HL6288]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Common Travel

Area (CTA) is an existing special travel area which

facilitates the long-standing principle of free movement

for British and Irish nationals and the enjoyment of

reciprocal rights enjoyed in the UK and Ireland.

The CTA arrangements mean there are no routine

immigration controls on journeys from Ireland to the UK,

including over the land border. The Government is

committed to maintaining these arrangements with Ireland

after the UK leaves the EU, protecting the ability to move

freely between Ireland and the UK. The December Joint

Report includes recognition from the EU that the CTA

with Ireland is protected after the UK has left the EU. As

will all the commitments made in the December Joint

Report we are determined to ensure that this is turned into

legally binding text in the Withdrawal Agreement.

Maintaining these arrangements also means the protection

of Irish citizens’ rights to enter and remain in the UK.

Immigration control is not, and never has been, solely

about the ability to prevent and control entry at the UK’s

physical border. There is a high level of collaboration










between the UK and Ireland on border security, with a

joint programme of work focused on strengthening the

external border of the CTA.

Immigration Officers


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff

were employed as immigration officers on 1 May in (1)

2006, (2) 2012, and (3) 2016. [HL6266]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Security of the border

cannot be measured by numbers of staff. Border Force

uses a sophisticated combination of experienced officers,

intelligence, data, technology and partnership working.

People employed in Border Force for 2012 and 2016

can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts, links to

which are shown below. Border Force was established in

its current form in March 2012 and since that time the

workforce has ranged from approximately 7800 – 8100 in

full-time equivalents.

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The ‘Comparative’ figures in the table for 2012/13 and

2013/14 do not include IT and Estates budgets, which

were included in previously released figures. The IT and

Estates budgets were taken under central Home Office

control after 2013/14.

The figures are not available for 2006 UKBA staffing

or Immigration staffing as in 2006 Home Office HQ and

UKBA employment statistics were reported as one figure.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

Annual Report

[Annual_Report_and_Accounts_FINAL_updated_logo.pdf]

HO Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17

[ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf]

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

answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-03-12/HL6266

India: Religious Freedom

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool


they have made of (1) reported restrictions on the

ability to celebrate Christian holidays in India, and (2)

the diminution of religious freedom in India; and what

representations they have made to the government of

India on those matters. [HL6283]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: India has a strong

democratic framework, which guarantees human rights

within its constitution. However, it also faces numerous

challenges relating to its size, social and economic

development.

The British Government remains committed to

promoting and defending freedom of religion or belief

(FoRB) for Christians, and indeed individuals of all faiths

or beliefs, and to support this we engage with the Indian

government to build capacity and share expertise to tackle

challenges, including the promotion and protection of

human rights. Our High Commission in New Delhi, our

network of Deputy High Commissions, as well as Foreign

and Commonwealth Office officials in London, maintain

a continuous assessment of the human rights situation

across India, including with civil society groups in India.

Officials regularly meet with minority representatives to

discuss minority issues and freedom of religious belief.

More widely our project work has benefited a variety of

minority groups in India, including promoting minority

rights.

Local Government: Buckinghamshire

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the

timescale for the proposed changes to local government

structures in Buckinghamshire. [HL6407]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: In his written statement

(HCWS535) the Secretary of State explained that before

he takes his final decision on the Buckinghamshire

unitary proposals, there is a period until 25 May 2018

during which those interested may make further

representations. Thereafter having regard to all relevant

information then available to him, he intends as soon as

practicable to take his final decision, and if that decision

is to implement one of the proposals, to seek

Parliamentary approval to the necessary secondary

legislation. If Parliament were to approve any such

legislation, the expectation is that the earliest any new

unitary authorities could be established is April 2020.

Local Government: Northamptonshire

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they

intend to take any steps to reorganise local government

in Northamptonshire. [HL6366]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Secretary of State

is now considering the report of the independent

inspection of Northamptonshire County Council,

including the proposals it makes for the future of local

government in Northamptonshire. He has undertaken to

make a statement in due course in the Other Place setting

out his proposals for next steps.

Mental Health Services: Homelessness

Asked by Lord Bird


Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 18

December 2017 (HL3813), what assessment, if any,


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2012

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they have made of the impact of cuts by clinical

commissioning groups to homeless and rough sleeping

mental health teams, including the decision by Camden

NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to reduce its

financial support for the Focus Homeless Outreach.

[HL6222]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The Department has not made

any such assessment. It is the responsibility of

commissioners and health and wellbeing boards to ensure

services meet local need as part of the Joint Service Needs

Assessments.

The Government has set an aim to halve rough sleeping

by 2022 and eliminate it entirely by 2027. The

Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 introduces new duties

for specified public services, including the National

Health Service, to refer service users they consider may

be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local

housing authority.

Muslim Council of Britain

Asked by Lord Blencathra


Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on

12 March (HL6001), who were the representatives from

the Muslim Council of Britain who attended the most

recent meeting with Home Office officials. [HL6285]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Pursuant to our

Written Answer of 12 March (HL6001), the Government

will not comment on the private meetings it holds or the

participants of these meetings.

Nuclear Weapons: Treaties

Asked by Lord Judd


they have had with the government of the United States

on (1) extending or negotiating a successor treaty to

New START, and (2) attempting to resolve existing

disputes with Russia over the Intermediate-range

Nuclear Force Treaty. [HL6252]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Ministers and senior

officials discuss nuclear issues often with US

counterparts. The US set out in the Nuclear Posture

Review published on 1 February its continuing

commitment to implement New START. We support

dialogue between the US and other signatories about the

possibility of extending the Treaty. The Intermediate-

range Nuclear Force Treaty has made a valuable

contribution to Euro-Atlantic security for over 30 years.

We welcome US efforts to preserve the Treaty and

continue to encourage Russia to resolve the serious

concern of the UK and other NATO Allies about their

new missile systems.

Occupational Pensions

Asked by Baroness Drake

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they

have made of the number of small pension savings pots

held by individuals; whether that number has increased

in the last five years and by how much; what

assessment they have made of the problems arising

from any such increase; what plans they have to address

those problems; and what assessment they have made

of the impact of that increase on workers in low paid

high turnover jobs. [HL6292]

Baroness Buscombe: So far, the Government’s

automatic enrolment (AE) programme has led to more

than 9.4 million employees being automatically enrolled

in a workplace pension, with more than 1.1 million

employers meeting their duties as of the end of February.

We do not routinely collect data on the number or size of

individuals’ pension pots, but it is clear that many of these

pots will be small at this early stage. However, the

proposals announced in the 2017 Review of Automatic

Enrolment will mean pension saving starting from a

younger age, which we know makes a real difference. A

National Minimum Wage earner who starts saving from

22 could build a pot of £82,000 (in today’s earnings

terms) by state pension age. Had they started saving at 18,

that pot could be £92,000 (12 per cent larger). We will

keep the issue of small pots under review now that the

roll-out of AE is almost complete.

As of March 2017, 94 per cent of eligible jobholders

automatically enrolled in an occupational defined

contribution scheme were enrolled in a Master Trust. The

authorisation and supervision regime introduced by the

Pension Schemes Act 2017 will ensure that members of

Master Trust schemes, who will often have small pension

pots, have equivalent protection to people saving in other

types of pension schemes.

Dormant pots can be eroded over time by costs and

charges, and the smaller the dormant pot, the greater the

impact. Members have the right to know all the costs and

charges they are paying. The Government consulted last

year on regulations requiring charges and transaction

costs to be given to defined contribution occupational

pension scheme members and to be published. We laid

regulations to achieve this on 26 February, and they will

come into force on 6 April. The Financial Conduct

Authority plan to consult on corresponding rules for

workplace personal pension schemes in the second

quarter of this year.

Members could also benefit from the introduction of the

pensions dashboard, which should make it easier to see all

their pots in one place when they choose to do so. This

would enable them to feel in control and take ownership

of their pensions. We are currently conducting a

feasibility study looking at how we can make the pensions

dashboard a reality, and will publish our findings later in

the spring.







Patients: Death

Asked by Lord Dobbs

To ask Her Majesty's Government how

many avoidable deaths occurred in NHS hospitals in

each year between 2007 and 2017. [HL6233]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: This information is not

collected centrally. However, in 2017-18, the National

Health Service became the first healthcare system to

publish estimates by individual trusts of how many of

their patients may have died because of problems in their

care. Trusts have begun to publish their estimates on a

quarterly basis and must include evidence of learning and

improvements made to prevent such deaths in their

Quality Accounts from June 2018. This new level of

transparency is fundamentally about generating learning

to ensure the safety of NHS services.

Pupils: Walking

Asked by Lord Lucas

To ask Her Majesty's Government which primary

schools have used their PE and Sport Premium to

successfully encourage substantially more children to

walk to school. [HL6256]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The information requested is

not held centrally.

Through the primary PE and sport premium, the

government has invested over £600 million of cross-

government ring-fenced funding direct to primary schools

to be spent on the improvement of PE and sport for all

pupils. The government has doubled the premium to £320

million a year from September 2017 using revenue from

the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Head teachers have the

freedom to decide how the funding should best be used to

improve their PE and sports. The department’s guidance

to schools on the use of the premium indicates that they

can use it to embed physical activity into the school day

through active travel to and from school. Schools need to

publish how they spend the funding and report the impact

on their website by 4 April 2018.

National Walk to School Week takes place from 21-25

May, and the department expects schools will use this

opportunity to further promote active lifestyles outside of

school.

Russia: Nuclear Weapons

Asked by Lord Judd


they have made of whether Russia's threshold for the

use of nuclear weapons has been lowered, following the

speech by President Putin to the Russian Federal

Assembly on 1 March. [HL6302]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regret President

Putin's decision to develop new types of destabilising

nuclear weapons systems, rather than working towards

strategic stability. Russia's aggressive nuclear strategy

poses a challenge to the UK and NATO Allies, which is

why we will continue to keep our nuclear posture under

constant review. We remain confident in our ability to

deter all threats.

Russia: Sanctions

Asked by Baroness Deech


they have made of the effectiveness of current EU

sanctions against Russia. [HL6290]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK plays a leading

role in continuing EU sanctions against Russia to effect a

change in its Ukraine policy and end its illegal annexation

of Crimea. Sanctions have demonstrated a clear united

Western position and will remain in place until Russia

fully meets its commitments under the Minsk

Agreements. Beyond the Kremlin’s bravado, sanctions are

biting in Russia. Of Russia’s 3.7 percent overall Gross

Domestic Product decline in 2015, Citibank assess

sanctions caused nearly 0.4 percent. Financial sanctions

are particularly effective, making it expensive and hard

for Russia to secure western finance.

Slaughterhouses

Asked by Baroness Byford

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many small

and medium-sized abattoirs were in operation in the UK

in each year from 2001 to 2017. [HL6224]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: For each year between

2001 and 2017 the number of small and medium sized

abattoirs fell. The data provided only covers Great Britain

which account for the majority of abattoirs.

Abattoir numbers by size in Great Britain

Small Medium Large Total Total

Small and

medium

2001 264 199 32 495 463

2002 249 189 33 471 438

2003 253 178 35 466 431

2004 241 176 35 452 417

2005 231 166 34 431 397

2006 217 154 39 410 371

2007 209 146 37 392 355

2008 199 139 41 379 338

2009 208 126 37 371 334

2010 199 126 35 360 325

2011 192 123 40 355 315

2012 192 126 36 354 318

2013 188 120 36 344 308







Small Medium Large Total Total

Small and

medium

2014 176 117 39 332 293

2015 174 115 38 327 289

2016 182 110 39 331 292

2017 174 102 44 320 276

Source: Food Standards Agency

The data was sourced from the Food Standards Agency.

The number of abattoirs in Scotland and Northern Ireland

are held by Food Standards Scotland and the Food

Standards Agency Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland do

not hold data prior to 2008 so the figures provided are just

for Great Britain.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

Asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry


taking to safeguard religious pluralism and to defend

and promote freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.

[HL6228]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are currently

funding a range of projects through a multi-year Conflict

Stability and Security Fund programme to promote inter-

faith and inter-communal dialogue and dispute resolution

at local level in eastern Sri Lanka, one of the most diverse

regions. Our High Commission regularly raise issues of

concern with their Sri Lankan counterparts.

Asked by The Lord Bishop of Coventry


taking to work with the government of Sri Lanka to

ensure that (1) a thorough investigation is conducted

into the recent communal violence between Buddhist

nationalists and the Muslim community in Digana and

Teldeniya, in Kandy administrative district, Sri Lanka,

and (2) the perpetrators are bought to justice. [HL6229]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I am concerned by the

recent inter-communal violence in Sri Lanka and the

Minister for Asia and the Pacific, the Rt Hon Mark Field

MP, wrote to his counter-part Foreign Minister Marapana

on 7 March setting out UK views. We support the

Government of Sri Lanka's action in swiftly bringing the

violence to an end and urge it to hold the perpetrators to

account. It is vital that all leaders in Sri Lanka condemn

violence and hate, and make every effort to promote

harmony.

Undocumented Migrants: Commonwealth

Asked by Lord Ouseley

To ask Her Majesty's Government what

representations they have received, including those

from Commonwealth Caribbean countries, about

children who arrived and settled in the UK before 1971

as British subjects on their parents' passports but are

now being deported as undocumented illegal

Commonwealth Caribbean migrants; and what were

their responses. [HL6257]


To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their

estimate of the number of people born in a

Commonwealth country who have settled in the UK,

having arrived before 1971, and are now vulnerable to

deportation as they have never regularised their status

as UK citizens. [HL6258]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many

undocumented Commonwealth immigrants who were

settled in the UK before 1971 have been deported in the

past 24 months; and to which countries. [HL6259]



they have made of the impact of deportation on the

lives of those deported residents who settled in the UK

before 1971 but now find themselves effectively

stateless. [HL6260]


To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the

differences in processes to consider (1) undocumented

Commonwealth Caribbean migrants settled in the UK

before 1971 for removal, and (2) EU citizens seeking

permanent residence in the UK. [HL6261]



taking to assist undocumented Commonwealth

Caribbean migrants who settled in Britain before 1971,

having arrived as British subjects on their parents'

passports, to regularise their status as British citizens.

[HL6262]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Different legislation

applies to those who were settled in the UK prior to 1 st

January 1973 – when the Immigration Act 1971 came in

to force - and EU citizens seeking confirmation of

permanent residence. Under the EU Free Movement

Directive, EU citizens and their family members

automatically attain permanent residence having

exercised free movement rights for a continuous period of

five years in the UK. If they wish to document this they

can apply for a permanent residence document.

A non-EU national with settled status, including those

settled here on 1 January 1973, is able to apply for this to

be confirmed in a biometric residence permit. To do so

they must be able to show they have acquired settled

status and that they have continued to reside in the UK so

as not to lose that status.

No estimate has been made of how many of those who

arrived prior to the 1971 Act’s commencement are unable












to evidence their status in the UK. However, the majority

of people making such applications are able to provide the

documentation required to demonstrate their legal status

in the UK. Where someone struggles to provide

documents, efforts are made to assist them to demonstrate

their continued residence, such as working with other

government departments to establish this. We have not

received any official representations from Commonwealth

countries about their citizens who claim to be settled

under the 1971 Act but have been subject to removal

action.

We expect those with no legal right to remain here to

leave and we provide a number of assistance programmes

to support them to return. We will seek to enforce the

return of anyone with no right to remain who refuses to

leave voluntarily. However, we do operate a stateless

leave policy for those who are unable to return to their

country of former habitual residence because they are

stateless and have no right to reside in any other country.

The Home Office publishes data on returns by

destination as part of the quarterly Immigration statistics

release. The data does not break these down by the date

an individual claims to have arrived the UK.

USA: Nuclear Weapons

Asked by Lord Judd


assessment of the statement by the German Minister for

Foreign Affairs, Sigmar Gabriel, that the "US

administration decision to develop new tactical nuclear

weapons shows that the spiral of a new nuclear arms

race has already been set in motion". [HL6249]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This is not our analysis.

The US Nuclear Posture Review, published on 1

February, makes clear that the US has continued to reduce

the number and salience of nuclear weapons, while others,

including Russia and China, have moved in the opposite

direction. The Review also makes clear that US decisions

to modify a small number of existing warheads to provide

a low yield option and, in the longer term, to pursue a new

sea-launched cruise missile, are intended to enhance

deterrence and to counter any perception of an exploitable

gap in US capabilities.

Asked by Lord Judd


assessment of the proposal by the United States

Congress to pursue research into a new ground

launched cruise missile; and what is their assessment

of the implications of that proposal for the requirements

of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty.

[HL6251]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the US

Government's desire to preserve the Intermediate-range

Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty and to encourage full

compliance by Russia. The Administration's approach is

outlined in their 'Integrated INF Strategy', published in

December 2017. Proposals by Congress are for the

Administration to consider.

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

Asked by Lord West of Spithead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average

cost of items cannibalised from (1) submarines in build,

and (2) surface ships in build, for use in operational

submarines and surface ships. [HL6340]

Earl Howe: The information is not held in the format

requested.

Weather

Asked by Lord Birt

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they

have to review the preparedness of the UK to deal with

severe cold weather conditions. [HL6223]

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government constantly

reviews preparedness for the risks facing the UK, drawing

on the National Risk Assessment (NRA) and Resilience

Capabilities Programme (RCP). This includes

preparedness to respond to and recover from severe cold

weather. In addition, following any major event, debriefs

are undertaken by relevant Departments and agencies to

identify any lessons learned and improve future

responses. This is the case with respect to the recent

period of cold weather, where the Water Services

Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is considering the recent

water supply issue, identifying the causes of the problems

and reviewing the response of the water companies. The

results will be published by 15 June.






Index to Statements and Answers

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

Energy Policy ....................................................... 1

Fire Reform .......................................................... 1

High Speed Rail (West Midlands-Crewe) Bill:

Additional Provision ............................................. 1

Justice Update ....................................................... 2

Local Plan Intervention ........................................ 3

Maritime and Coastguard Agency Business Plan

2018-19 ................................................................. 3

Motoring Agency Business Plans 2018-19 .......... 4

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

Air Pollution: Brighton ......................................... 5

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse ..................................... 5

Asylum ................................................................. 5

Asylum: Appeals .................................................. 5

Asylum: Calais ..................................................... 6

Asylum: Interviews .............................................. 6

Asylum: Pregnancy .............................................. 6

Average Earnings ................................................. 6

Borders: Northern Ireland ..................................... 7

Brexit .................................................................... 7

Burma: Arms Trade .............................................. 8

Burma: International Criminal Court ................... 8

Bus Services: Brighton ......................................... 8

Channel Four Television: Location ...................... 8

Crimes against Humanity: Prosecutions ............... 9

Devolution ............................................................ 9

Doctors and Nurses: Disciplinary Proceedings .... 9

Europol ................................................................. 9

First4Adoption .................................................... 10

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian

Language ............................................................ 10

Hate Crime ......................................................... 10

Hinkley Point C Power Station ........................... 11

Immigration Controls: Republic of Ireland ........ 11

Immigration Officers .......................................... 12

India: Religious Freedom .................................. 12

Local Government: Buckinghamshire ............... 12

Local Government: Northamptonshire .............. 12

Mental Health Services: Homelessness ............. 12

Muslim Council of Britain ................................. 13

Nuclear Weapons: Treaties ................................ 13

Occupational Pensions ....................................... 13

Patients: Death ................................................... 14

Pupils: Walking ................................................. 14

Russia: Nuclear Weapons .................................. 14

Russia: Sanctions ............................................... 14

Slaughterhouses ................................................. 14

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom ........................... 15

Undocumented Migrants: Commonwealth ........ 15

USA: Nuclear Weapons ..................................... 16

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance ................. 16

Weather .............................................................. 16

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