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

Wednesday

7 February 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 ..................................................... 3

Session 2017-19

No. 65

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

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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

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

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http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers

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Written Statements 7 February 2018 Page 1

Written Statements Wednesday, 7 February 2018

ECOFIN: 23 January 2018

[HLWS445]

Lord Bates: My right honourable friend the Chancellor

of the Exchequer (Philip Hammond) has today made the

following Written Ministerial Statement.

A meeting of The Economic and Financial Affairs

Council (ECOFIN) was held in Brussels on 23 January

2018. EU Finance Ministers discussed the following:

Early Morning Session

The Eurogroup President provided briefing to Ministers

on the outcomes of the 22 January meeting of the

Eurogroup, and the Commission provided an update on

the current economic situation in the EU.

Deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union

(EMU)

The Council held a policy debate on the deepening of

the EMU.

Current Financial Services Legislative Proposals

The Presidency presented information on the current

legislative proposals in the field of financial services.

VAT: Simplification of Rates and Simplification for

SME’s

The Commission presented proposals to reform the

rules on VAT rates and structures, and to simplify VAT

obligations for SMEs.

Presidency Work Programme

The Bulgarian Presidency presented its work

programme for January to June 2018.

European Semester 2018

The Council adopted the Council conclusions on the

Annual Growth Survey 2018 and the Council conclusions

on the Alert Mechanism Report 2018. The Council also

approved a Council recommendation on the economic

policy of the euro area.

Action Plan to Tackle Non-Performing Loans in Europe

The Council exchanged views on a factual report by the

Commission regarding the implementation of the action

plan to tackle non-performing loans in Europe.

AOB: EU List of Non-Cooperative Jurisdictions for Tax

Purposes

The Council approved a report by the EU Code of

Conduct Group (Business Taxation) to de-list 8

jurisdictions from the EU list of non-cooperative

jurisdictions for tax purposes that was agreed at

December 2017 ECOFIN.

Finance Guidance and Claims Bill

(Contingencies Fund Advance)

[HLWS443]

Baroness Buscombe: My honourable Friend the

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions &

Financial Inclusion (Guy Opperman MP) has made the

following Written Statement

The Financial Guidance and Claims Bill currently

before Parliament provides for an arms-length non-

departmental public body, known as the Single Finance

Guidance Body, to take on the functions currently

delivered by the Money Advice Service, The Pensions

Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

Our intention, subject to Parliamentary approval, is to

launch the new body in autumn 2018. In order to avoid

delay in the launch, expenditure is required in advance of

the Bill receiving Royal Assent to cover the costs

associated with the commencement of the recruitment of

the Chair and Chief Executive of the body, including the

staffing costs of the DWP Public Appointments Team,

any media advertising, and miscellaneous administration

costs. Advertising for the posts will be clear that the roles

are dependent on the successful passage of the Bill

through Parliament.

Parliamentary approval for resources of £30,000 for this

new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate

for the Department of Work and Pensions. Pending that

approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £30,000 will be

met by repayable cash advance from the Contingencies

Fund.

Modern Working Practices

[HLWS442]

Lord Henley: My hon Friend, the Parliamentary Under

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial

Strategy (Andrew Griffiths) has today made the following

statement:

On 11 July 2017 the Government published The

Review of Modern Working Practices, which was led by

Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive of the Royal Society of

Arts) at the request of my Rt hon Friend the Prime

Minister.

The Government set out in the Industrial Strategy,

published in November, a long-term plan to boost the

productivity and earning power of people throughout the

UK by focusing on the five foundations of productivity:

Ideas, People, Infrastructure, Business Environment and

Places. Good work and developing better jobs for

everyone in the British economy is at the centre of our

Industrial Strategy vision.

Building on the Industrial Strategy, today the

Government is publishing a full response to the Taylor

Review, setting out how we intend to develop further the

strength of the UK labour market and ensure it meets the

challenges and opportunities presented by new ways of

working and innovative business models. Alongside the

full response, we are publishing four public consultations,

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7 February 2018 Written Statements

which seek views on how to implement a series of

proposals to enhance workers’ rights and ensure that the

labour market is working for everybody.

The four consultations cover proposed changes on

agency workers, employment status, enforcement and

increasing transparency.

We are taking forward work on the vast majority of the

Review recommendations, and the plans we are outlining

build on our pledge to not only protect, but enhance,

workers’ rights. Copies of the Government Response and

consultations will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Schools and Early Years Update

[HLWS446]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: My honourable friend the

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and

Families (Nadhim Zahawi) has made the following

Written Ministerial Statement.

Following the two public consultations my Department

ran recently, I am pleased to announce my intention to lay

regulations in the House later today that will introduce net

earned income thresholds under Universal Credit for free

school meals, the early years pupil premium, and the early

education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds.

This approach is consistent with how other government

departments have set criteria for other ‘passported’

benefits.

The changes will come into force on 1 April 2018 for

the start of the school summer term. Under our proposals,

we estimate that by 2022 around 50,000 more children

will benefit from a free school meal compared to the

previous benefits system. In addition, we will apply

transitional protection to anyone currently receiving free

school meals.

These changes do not affect the criteria for universal

infant free school meals, which will continue to be

available to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2

regardless of parental income.

For free school meals and the early years pupil

premium we are introducing a net earnings threshold of

£7,400 per annum. A typical family earning around

£7,400 per annum would, depending on their exact

circumstances, have a total household income of between

£18,000 and £24,000 once benefits are taken into account.

For the early education entitlement for disadvantaged

two-year-olds, we are introducing a net earnings threshold

of £15,400 per annum. Under this new threshold, we

estimate that by 2023 around 7,000 more children will

benefit from the two-year-old entitlement compared to the

previous benefits system.

The Government’s responses to these consultations

have been published on the Department for Education’s

website, and copies of the Regulations will be laid

shortly.

Votes A Annual Estimate 2018-19

[HLWS444]

Earl Howe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State

for Defence (Gavin Williamson) has made the following

Written Ministerial Statement.

The Ministry of Defence Votes A Estimate 2018-19,

has been laid before the House today as HC730. This

outlines the maximum numbers of personnel to be

maintained for each Service in the Armed Forces during

Financial Year 2018-19.



Written Answers 7 February 2018 Page 3

Written Answers Wednesday, 7 February 2018

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations

Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will

be attending the forthcoming meeting of the Kabul

Process for Peace and Security Co-operation in

February; and what assessment they have made of

whether women from civil society in Afghanistan will

also be in attendance. [HL5066]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister’s

Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan,

Gareth Bayley, will attend the Kabul Process for Peace

and Security Cooperation which is due to take place

during the latter part of February.

The Afghan Government has not yet finalised the

format of the meeting. We continue to encourage the

Government of Afghanistan to involve women, including

from civil society, in efforts towards a peace process. We

also recognise your contribution, including your recent

visit to Kabul.

Annington Homes

Asked by Lord West of Spithead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what savings the

Ministry of Defence expected to make out of sales of

unwanted service housing and reduction in rent

negotiated with Annington Property Ltd for the

financial years (1) 2018–19, (2) 2019–20, and (3)

2020–21. [HL5265]

Earl Howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is

forecasting sales receipts for surplus service family

accommodation in the range of £1.75 - £2 million in

2018-19.

No other sales are currently programmed for subsequent

years.

As part of the 1996 sale and leaseback arrangement

with Annington Property Ltd, the MOD negotiated a 58%

discount against market rent. A rent review is due with

Annington Property Ltd in 2021.

Argentina: Foreign Relations

Asked by Lord Northbrook

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are

taking to improve intergovernmental relations between

the UK and Argentina. [HL5079]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has made

significant progress towards a more constructive

relationship with Argentina since the election of President

Macri in September 2015. In September 2016, the

Minister for Europe and the Americas visited Argentina

and agreed a Joint Communiqué that committed both

countries to closer co-operation across all aspects of our

relationship.

As a result, co-operation is increasing, including on

trade, science and innovation, anti-corruption and security

issues. The Scottish Secretary, the Chancellor of the

Exchequer and the Minister of State for International

Trade (Greg Hands) all visited Argentina in 2017, and the

Prime Minister last spoke to President Macri on 12

December.

Our position on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands

and the right of the Islanders to determine their own

future remains unchanged.

Armed Forces: Genetics

Asked by Viscount Astor

To ask Her Majesty's Government what protocols are

in place to share the genetic data of serving and retired

members of the Armed Forces with the police and

prosecuting authorities. [HL5204]


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the

Ministry of Defence refused to share genetic data with

the Kent constabulary in relation to an ongoing

investigation into burglaries in that area; and, if so why.

[HL5205]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how long records

of genetic data on members of the Armed Forces are

held by the Ministry of Defence. [HL5206]



Ministry of Defence can share genetic data relating to

serving and retired members of the Armed Forces

following a request by the police for criminal

investigations. [HL5207]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in

the last ten years the Ministry of Defence has refused to

share genetic data relating to serving and retired

members of the Armed Forces with the police and

prosecuting authorities. [HL5208]


To ask Her Majesty's Government under which

circumstances the sharing of genetic data held by the

Ministry of Defence with the police would breach data

protection legislation. [HL5209]

Earl Howe: All DNA samples taken by the Service

Police or Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) in the course

of their investigations are analysed and a DNA profile is

produced. This profile is then uploaded onto the National

DNA Database (NDNAD) and the physical DNA samples

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-01-24/HL5066










7 February 2018 Written Answers

are destroyed within six months unless they are required

for disclosure as evidence, in which case they may be

retained for as long as the need exists under the Criminal

Procedure and Evidence Act 1996. The Service Police

and MDP do not maintain their own databases, meaning

that any Service Police and MDP DNA searches are

carried out against the NDNAD. The retention periods for

DNA profiles on the NDNAD depend on the outcome of

the investigation, the age of the offender and the type of

offence.

Entirely separate from DNA profiles which are

uploaded to the NDNAD because of a Service Police or

MDP investigation, and which are accessible to all Home

Office Police Forces during their investigations, the

Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintains DNA reference

samples which are voluntarily provided by Service

personnel. These are used solely for the identification of

deceased Service personnel and to reduce delays for

grieving families, when other methods of identification

such as visual and dental are not available. Such DNA

reference samples are taken by consent, which means the

consent given before death remains valid for a DNA

sample intended for use after death. The MOD’s

voluntary DNA reference sampling policy complies with

the Human Tissue Act 2004.

Each DNA reference sample is stored, unanalysed, in

an “un-sequenced” physical state, preventing them from

being entered onto any database or used for any purposes

until authorised by either a Coroner for a post-mortem or

as directed by the donor. These voluntary DNA samples

will be destroyed upon leaving the Service, at the request

of the donor, or after 45 years, whichever is soonest. The

Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 prohibits

the un-sequenced DNA voluntarily provided by Service

personnel for identification purposes from being released

to the Police.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Asked by Lord Moonie

To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the

principal factors taken into account during preparation

of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Initial Gate

business case. [HL5294]

Earl Howe: The principal factors which informed the

Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Initial Gate Business Case

were performance, cost and time to meet the Army's

needs.

Burma: Rohingya

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they

are taking to ensure that the repatriation of any of the

Rohingya people from Bangladesh is entirely voluntary.

[HL5071]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has

been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya

refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to

return to their homes in Burma voluntarily. The UK

proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential

Statement on 6 November which called for these

conditions to be met and urged the Governments of

Burma and Bangladesh to invite the UN High

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to participate fully

in the implementation of any returns process. The British

Ambassador underlined the importance of the

Government of Burma allowing UNHCR monitoring to

ensure these conditions are met in his meeting with the

Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor on 11

January.

Asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead


are taking to secure the (1) civil rights, (2) personal

human rights, (3) land ownership rights, and (4)

security, of any Rohingya people returned to Burma

under the repatriation agreement made by the

government of Burma with Bangladesh. [HL5072]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK proposed and

secured the 6 November UN Security Council

Presidential Statement, which called on the Governments

of Burma and Bangladesh to ensure the repatriation of

refugees is safe, voluntary and in dignity. It also called on

the Government of Burma to protect its population and

promote and protect human rights, without discrimination

and regardless of ethnicity or religion, including by

allowing freedom of movement, equal access to basic

services, and equal access to full citizenship for all

individuals. The British Ambassador to Burma

emphasised the importance of the implementation of the

Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations, which

is central to progress on all of these issues, in his meeting

with the Minister of the Office of the State Counsellor on

11 January.

Cameroon: Human Rights


To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment

they have made of the human rights record of

Cameroon and the impact, if any, this is having on

anglophone Cameroon. [HL5076]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Cameroon is a State

Party to major human rights instruments such as the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It

has, however, signed but not ratified a number of

significant instruments.

In recent years Cameroon's far north has been blighted

by Boko Haram and this has led to the introduction of

strict anti-terror laws. Human rights non-governmental

organisations report that the Government of Cameroon is

using this legislation to arrest and detain Anglophone

separatists. Our High Commissioner in Yaoundé met

President Biya on 21 December 2017 and emphasised the

Government of Cameroon's legal obligations in respect of

human rights.







Capita

Asked by Lord Touhig

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have

any plans to review the contract with Capita for armed

forces recruitment. [HL5344]

Earl Howe: I can assure the noble Lord that the Army

and Capita Recruiting Partnering Project, is being closely

monitored.

A buoyant labour market with record employment rates,

combined with significant demographic changes in

society, represent a challenge to Army recruitment and

retention. The Army needs to continuously adapt to this

and is taking action to do so. It has been working closely

with Capita on a recruitment improvement plan which is

now being executed. Initial signs are promising and, prior

to the transition to the new Defence Recruiting System,

applications had increased this financial year.

The Ministry of Defence now expects Capita to deliver

on improvements in converting these applicants to

enlistees and will be monitoring progress closely in the

coming months, including ensuring that the new Defence

Recruiting System reaches full operating capability as

quickly as possible.

Cycleways: City of Westminster

Asked by Lord Berkeley

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions

they have had with Westminster Council in relation to

the Council’s objections to the proposed Cycle

Superhighway Route 11; and what were the details of

any such discussions. [HL5323]

Baroness Sugg: Transport in London is devolved to the

Mayor of London, and delivered by Transport for

London. Transport policy, including the construction of

cycle superhighways, is for the Mayor to determine.

Ministers in the Department for Transport have had no

discussions with Westminster Council about the proposed

Cycle Superhighway Route 11.

Defence: Expenditure

Asked by Lord Moonie

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of

defence spending over each of the past five years has

been on (1) pensions, (2) pay and allowances, and (3)

support and maintenance. [HL5295]

Earl Howe: The amount spent by the Ministry of

Defence on pensions and pay and allowances over the last

five years, and the percentage of the defence budget this

equates to is shown below. Personnel support and

maintenance costs are included in pay and allowances.

Financial

Year

Pensions

(£ thousands)

Percentage

of Defence Budget

Pay and

Allowances (£ thousands)

Percentage

of Defence Budget

2012-13 2,317,612 6.8 9,705,824 28.3

2013-14 2,211,829 6.4 9,359,769 27.1

2014-15 2,148,713 6.2 8,888,306 25.8

2015-16 3,217,931 9.2 8,546,816 24.3

2016-17 3,293,204 9.3 8,885,252 25.2

Developing Countries: Poverty

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of

the UK's overseas development assistance is devoted to

poverty reduction. [HL4972]

Lord Bates: As set out in the UK Aid Strategy all UK

Official Development Assistance seeks to achieve poverty

reduction, as well as strengthen global peace, respond to

crises and promote global prosperity. As the Strategy

states there is no distinction between reducing poverty,

tackling global challenges and serving our national

interest - all are inextricably linked.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Asked by Lord Empey

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much aid

from the Department for International Development's

budget has been made available to Ethiopia, either

through direct or indirect contributions in the last three

years for which figures are available; and what were the

main purposes of each contribution. [HL5003]

Lord Bates: DFID budget spend in Ethiopia for the last

three years for which figures are available is detailed in

our published Annual Report and Accounts, and shown in

the table below. Further information on DFID’s current

programme can be found in the DFID Ethiopia Profile,

published in July 2017

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-

ethiopia-profile-july-2017)

Year 2013 2014 2015

Bilateral

Spend (£)

284,298,764 338,850,044 340,387,168

Multilateral

spend (£)

241,688,266 223,467,308 137,118,616

Centrally

Managed

Programme Spend (£)

40,930,173 48,566,779 40,698,603

Total (£) 566,917,203 610,884,132 518,204,387






https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-ethiopia-profile-july-2017




DFID’s programme is designed to help Ethiopia in

transforming into a stable, industrialised and more

resilient country, able to self-finance itself out of poverty

and harness the potential of its youth. As of March 2017

we had supported 1.2 million children to gain a decent

education, helped 755,000 people access clean water

and/or sanitation and reached 5.7 million people through

nutrition related interventions. DFID’s portfolio in

Ethiopia also focusses on helping to catalyse over £500

million of new investment, generating more jobs, and

creating opportunities for British business in one of the

fastest growing economies in the world. DFID is

investing significantly to tackle migration issues and help

refugees have a long-term life in Ethiopia (host to the

second largest refugee population in Africa), while

reducing incentives for onward migration to Europe and

diminishing the influence of criminal gangs and people

smugglers. And DFID has played a leading role in the

response to ongoing severe drought in Ethiopia and the

Horn of Africa, where our humanitarian funding will

support over 1.2 million people with emergency food

rations, give 100,000 people improved access to water

and sanitation, and help 500,000 pastoralists with

emergency livestock support to prevent them falling into

destitution.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

DFID Profile of Ethiopia - July 2017 [Ethiopia Country

Profile.pdf]

The material can be viewed online at:

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

answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-01-23/HL5003

European Aviation Safety Agency

Asked by Lord Kinnock

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the

answer given by Baroness Sugg on 17 January (HL

Deb, col 637), in which she stated that "continued

membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency

(EASA) is a possibility and we are considering it",

whether it is envisaged that the UK will, in the event of

continued EASA membership after Brexit, accept (1)

all EASA rules and regulations, and (2) the jurisdiction

of the European Court of Justice. [HL5073]

Baroness Sugg: It is the Government’s intention to

maintain consistently high standards of aviation safety

once we have left the EU. As part of the exit negotiations

the Government will discuss with the EU and Member

States how best to continue cooperation in the field of

aviation safety and standards.

The Government has been clear that the UK should no

longer be subject to direct CJEU jurisdiction after it has

left the EU. There are models which already allow non-

EU countries, such as Switzerland, to participate in the

EASA system.

Females: Insurance

Asked by Baroness Hussein-Ece


they have made of the findings of the report from the

Chartered Insurance Institute Women's Risks in Life.

[HL5068]

Baroness Williams of Trafford: I note the report and

welcome the CII’s wider Insuring Women’s Future

initiative, with its aim of prompting the insurance industry

to develop better solutions for women. Headline policies

driven by the Government Equalities Office – for

example, gender pay gap reporting, promoting family

friendly policies – may help address some of the issues

underlying risk factors identified in the report.

Financial Services

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan

to publish a position paper on financial services and

Brexit; and what steps they are taking to provide clarity

on the implications of Brexit to the financial sector.

[HL5125]

Lord Callanan: In any negotiation there are careful

judgements about when and how to set things out in

public and we will keep under review the best way of

doing this.

The Government has been clear that it retains the

ambition of ensuring the City of London remains a global

financial centre.

We are continuing to engage extensively both with

industry and with EU partners to hear their views and set

out our arguments. The Prime Minister welcomed a

number of senior representatives from the financial

services sector to No.10 Downing Street in January 2018

to discuss the opportunities and challenges for the

financial sector posed by Brexit.

Fisheries

Asked by Lord Watts


Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 23

January (HL4649), whether they have taken legal

advice on the possibility of Dutch and Spanish

fishermen seeking compensation from Her Majesty's

Government for the loss of access to British waters after

Brexit. [HL5087]

Asked by Lord Watts


they have made of whether foreign fishermen will

retain access to British quotas after Brexit if they can

demonstrate that they are continuing to make an

economic contribution to the UK. [HL5089]












Asked by Lord Watts

To ask Her Majesty's Government, when the review

of the Economic Link made by vessels fishing against

UK quotas will be completed. [HL5090]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Total allowable catches for

quota stocks and historical access to the UK’s 6 – 12nm

stem from international agreements between coastal states

or international bodies which do not generally give rise to

any right to compensation for individuals.

Any decision by British fishermen to sell, and to buy,

catching ‘rights’ (licences) to or from other fishermen or

companies is a commercial one and one for fishermen

alone to make. It is not for government to compensate

fishermen for these business decisions.

Case law established the rights of those in other

Member States to invest in UK quota shares. In particular,

Dutch and Spanish entities are involved in fisheries in the

Southern North Sea and South West approaches

respectively. To ensure that quota allocated to a Member

State benefits it, it can impose “economic link” conditions

to ensure benefits through, for example, landings and

crew composition.

We are reviewing the economic link condition and

associated practices as part of the development of our

future fisheries management arrangements after our

withdrawal from the EU, and have commissioned a

research project in order to support this work. The

research project will conclude later this year.

Any amendments we make to the economic link

conditions will be to ensure that the seafood sector and

the wider UK economy derive maximum benefit from

those fishing against UK quotas.

Further Education: Apprentices

Asked by Lord Watson of Invergowrie

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many further

education colleges lost their allocation of non-levied

apprenticeships funding in the recent Education and

Skills Funding Agency procurement process; and in

which regions were those colleges. [HL5084]



they have made of the impact of further education

colleges losing their allocation of non-levied

apprenticeship funding on (1) local employers, and (2)

existing, and (3) potential, local apprentices. [HL5085]



taking to ensure that further education colleges which

have lost their allocation of non-levied apprenticeship

funding can still deliver apprenticeships to local people

and employers. [HL5086]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: 189 colleges of further

education (FE) held contracts with the Education and

Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver apprenticeships

prior to this procurement. The ESFA received bids from

182 of these FE colleges in the procurement, of which 10

have not been offered awards. Six of these were because

the bids did not meet the minimum scoring threshold, and

the remaining four were due to the awards falling below

the £200,000 minimum contract value, set to ensure

viable contracts for providers, employers and the ESFA.

The 10 colleges are dispersed around England as shown

in the table below.

East Midlands 0

East of England 1

Greater London 3

North East 0

North West 2

South East 1

South West 1

West Midlands 2

Yorkshire & Humber 0

All FE colleges with apprentices already in training will

continue to receive funding until they have completed

their learning. In addition, subject to limits on the number

of starts, we have offered all existing providers that were

unsuccessful in the procurement a three-month extension

of their current contracts to the end of March 2018,

allowing them to take on new starts. All providers who

are on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers

are still able to deliver to levy paying employers.

Potential providers were required to indicate the sectors

and regions in which they would be delivering

apprenticeships in their tenders. We are confident that

non-levy paying employers can access high quality

apprenticeship training to support their growth and

success, regardless of where in the country they operate

in.

We will continue to keep this under review and take

action where necessary.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many

survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire are still living in

hotels, bed and breakfasts or other temporary

accommodation. [HL5111]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: As of 5th February, the

latest figures from the Royal Borough of Kensington and

Chelsea show that 92 households from Grenfell Tower

and Grenfell Walk remain in emergency accommodation,

which includes those living in hotels, serviced apartments

and some who are living with friends and family. The

Council has assured me that no residents from Grenfell







Tower or Walk are living in bed and breakfast

accommodation.

A total of 60 households from Grenfell Tower or Walk

have moved into interim accommodation. The Council

has committed that the interim homes offered to residents

are self-contained, fully furnished, big enough for each

family and are not in a high rise building and the Council

is providing advice and help to residents in setting up

their interim home.

We expect the Council to do whatever is necessary to

ensure households can move into settled homes as swiftly

as possible, but to do so sensitively and taking into

account individual needs. We are working closely with

the Council to support them in delivering their

commitment to provide survivors with a permanent new

home in social housing within one year of the fire.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


stakeholder questions on the requirement for all

relevant bodies to charge upfront for treatment, which

are being asked as part of the review of the National

Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors)

(Amendment) Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/756), are

designed to exclude evidence relating to the impact of

charging upfront prior to those Regulations coming into

force; whether the review will consider evidence

submitted relating to that impact; and what assessment

they have made of the extent to which it is possible for

a stakeholder responding to provide evidence of the

impact of the requirement to charge upfront without

drawing on evidence of the impact of charging upfront

before that new requirement came into effect. [HL5188]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The current review was initiated

as a response to concerns that have been raised by

stakeholders regarding the introduction of the National

Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors)

(Amendment) Regulations 2017, the ‘amendment

regulations 2017’, and in line with the continuing public

sector equalities duty in relation to these regulations. A

document outlining the scope of the review, to consider

the impact of the amendment regulations 2017, was

shared with stakeholders in November 2017. The

questions which have been sent to stakeholders since the

sharing of the scope document have intentionally focused

on asking for evidence relating to the impact of the

amendment regulations 2017. This is in accordance with

the rationale for the review and the review scope, which

had previously been communicated to stakeholders.

The Department is aware that, given that the

amendment regulation, introduced as part of the

amendment regulations 2017, requiring relevant bodies to

withhold treatment from chargeable overseas visitors until

the estimated full cost of the service has been paid, made

a legal requirement of what was previously best practice,

it may be relevant to refer to the effects of upfront

charging prior to the amendment regulations 2017 coming

into effect. This is acknowledged in the question

documents which the Department has sent to

stakeholders. For example, in the question document sent

to vulnerable group’s representatives, the introduction

asks for stakeholders to indicate whether the evidence

they present relates to the period before or after the

relevant provisions of the Amendment Regulations 2017

came into force. It is also the case that if, during the

course of engaging with stakeholders as part of the review

the Department were to receive evidence concerning the

impact of upfront charging prior to the amendment

regulations 2017 coming into force the Department

would, of course, consider this evidence and take any

resulting action which it judged to be necessary.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Asked by Lord Hylton


to use the HM Treasury central contingencies fund to

meet the costs of removing and replacing dangerous

cladding on tower blocks in England. [HL5230]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: My Department has

made clear that it considers that building owners are

responsible for funding fire safety measures including

replacement of dangerous cladding. Government will

consider financial flexibilities for local authorities who

need to undertake essential fire safety work to make a

building safe. Housing associations that are concerned

about their ability to meet these costs should contact the

social housing regulator.

High Rise Flats: Insulation


To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money

they have paid to local authorities since the Grenfell

Tower fire to help with the recladding of tower blocks.

[HL5113]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: We have provided

financial support to local authorities for data collection

and reporting on cladding on high rise private residential

buildings. The total amount transferred to local authorities

was £289,000.

The government will also consider financial flexibilities

for local authorities to undertake essential fire safety work

to make buildings safe. We have not turned down any

requests for such flexibilities.

Building owners are responsible for funding fire safety

measures.

House of Lords

Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps he

plans to take to engage the devolved parliaments and

assemblies in the work of the House. [HL5325]







Lord McFall of Alcluith: There are a number of areas

where we currently engage the devolved parliaments and

assemblies in the work of the House. For example, the

European Union Committee has twice visited Belfast in

the course of its work on the impact of Brexit on UK-Irish

relations, most recently on 31 January. It also engaged

closely with devolved governments and legislatures in its

2017 inquiry into Brexit: devolution, visiting Cardiff and

Edinburgh before publishing its report on 19 July 2017.

Following a recommendation contained in that report,

on 12 October 2017 I chaired the first meeting of the

Interparliamentary Forum on Brexit, attended by chairs

and convenors of committees involved in scrutinising

Brexit from the House of Lords, the House of Commons,

the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for

Wales, along with officials from the Northern Ireland

Assembly. I then chaired the second meeting of the

Forum, again at the House of Lords on 18 January. This

engagement is set to continue, with the third meeting of

the Forum due to take place in Edinburgh in March. I

have also met the Secretary of State for Exiting the

European Union to discuss engagement with the devolved

parliaments and assemblies.

As well as engaging the devolved parliaments and

assemblies in our work, staff from across the

Administration work formally and informally with their

opposite numbers in the devolved parliaments and

assemblies, in line with the House Administration’s

strategy, to take account of best practice in other

organisations. In keeping this two-way engagement, I

have ensured that representatives of the devolved

parliaments and assemblies have been invited to submit

evidence to the current review of Select Committees. In

addition, I have also met with a number of colleagues

from the devolved parliaments and assemblies as Senior

Deputy Speaker and look forward to continuing this work

in future.

India: Environment Protection



they have made of the level of UK–India cooperation

on environmental policy. [HL5078]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK and India

collaborate across the full range of environmental issues,

including access to affordable and clean energy,

mobilisation of green finance, development of climate-

resilient infrastructure, and sustainable urban

development.

The first India-UK Energy for Growth Dialogue was

held in April 2017 in New Delhi. It provided an enhanced

framework for UK-India cooperation to increase interest

and deals in the renewables sector. The Business, Energy

and Industrial Strategy Secretary, Greg Clark, announced

up to £20 million of new technical assistance for

collaboration in the areas of renewables and energy

efficiency. In January 2018 we signed a UK-India

memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in

urban transport policy, planning, technology transfer and

institutional organisation for transport. The UK has a five-

year partnership with the Government of India to develop

three smart cities in Amravati, Indore and Pune. UK and

India also cooperate on environmental issues through a

range of multilateral fora.

India: State Visits


To ask Her Majesty's Government when

consideration was last given to investigating the

possibility of arranging a State Visit to the UK by the

President of India. [HL5075]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has excellent

relations with the Government of India and there is an

extensive range of two-way visits by members of each

government. As a matter of policy, the Government does

not discuss or disclose the details of possible visits by

Heads of State or Government until invitations have been

issued and accepted, and any announcement is made by

agreement with the visiting Head of State or Government.

Intercountry Adoption

Asked by Lord Triesman


Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 15

November 2017 (HL2833), when children adopted from

abroad will have access to the educational entitlements

referenced in the answer; and whether they will publish

the letter from the Minister of State for School

Standards sent to local authorities in England on the

subject. [HL5080]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Educational entitlements for

children adopted from outside of England remain under

consideration. We have not set a timetable for any

changes to educational entitlements but have given a clear

commitment to amend the School Admissions Code, to

give children adopted from care overseas the same

entitlement for priority school admission as those adopted

from care in England, at the earliest opportunity. I will

place a copy of the letter from my right hon. Friend, the

Minister for School Standards, in the Library of both

Houses.

Iresa



they have made of the one-off charges received by

customers of the energy company Iresa; and what steps

they will take to protect consumers in similar

circumstances in future. [HL5333]

Lord Henley: Ofgem, as the responsible regulator, are

aware of concerns around the one-off payment requested

by Iresa, and are discussing these issues with the

company. Under the Direct Debit Guarantee,






organisations have to give advance notice of any change

to the payment arrangement. If a payment by direct debit

has been taken in error, consumers are entitled to a full

and immediate refund. Energy suppliers are also obliged

to take customers’ ability to pay debt into account when

setting up repayment plans.

Liothyronine

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath


they have made of the degree to which the analysis

contained in the NHS England document Items which

should not be routinely prescribed in primary care:

Guidance for CCGs justifies the advice given that

prescribers in primary care should not prescribe

liothyronine (T3) for any new patients. [HL5203]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: In November 2017 NHS

England published commissioning guidance for clinical

commissioning groups, entitled Items which should not be

routinely prescribed in primary care: A Consultation on

guidance for CCGs, following a three month consultation.

A joint clinical working group comprised of clinical

representatives reviewed the consultation findings and

made evidence-based recommendations for consideration

by the NHS England Board. Liothyronine attracted a

significant number of responses and following detailed

review, significant amendments to the original proposals

were made before being published in the finalised

guidance. NHS England’s recommendations are that

National Health Service consultant endocrinologists may

still initiate and recommend liothyronine for new patients,

following audited individual trial periods of use, as

recommended by the British Thyroid Association.

Mayors

Asked by Lord Storey

To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks and

balances they have put in place to ensure that the

actions of elected city mayors are subject to proper and

impartial scrutiny. [HL5255]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Effective scrutiny of

elected city region mayors is essential for ensuring that

these mayors are that single point of accountability which

underpins the devolution deals Government has entered in

to with those city regions. Mayoral combined authorities

are subject to the local authority accountability, audit and

propriety regimes which we have strengthened by the

Combined Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny

Committees, Access to Information and Audit

Committees) Order 2017, which Parliament has approved

and which we developed with assistance from the Centre

for Public Scrutiny and the National Audit Office. This

Order makes special provisions about the establishment

and operation of overview and scrutiny committees and

audit committees in order that mayors, who are required

to appear before an overview and scrutiny committee

when requested, can robustly be held to account.

Non-domestic Rates: Small Businesses



taking to ensure that councils distribute the hardship

relief funds made available to support small businesses

facing business rate rises; and what sums remain

unallocated. [HL5177]


To ask Her Majesty's Government whether councils

will still have access to their year one allocation of

hardship relief funds for small businesses facing

business rate rises, in the event that they fail to

distribute unallocated funds before April. [HL5178]

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Local authorities are

responsible for the design and implementation of their

local schemes and for distributing the relief from the £300

million discretionary fund. The vast majority of billing

authorities have begun implementing the relief and

providing this support to eligible businesses.

However, the Government has been clear that it is

unacceptable that some authorities have failed to act

quickly enough. In order to expedite delivery, we have

written to local authority leaders and MPs and engaged

directly with billing software suppliers. Since October, we

have published and regularly update the list of local

authorities which have started to rebill.

Following, the end of the financial year any unallocated

funds will be returned to Government and businesses

stand to miss out, so it is imperative that authorities take

all necessary action to avoid this.

Parliament: Catering

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps, if

any, are being taken to withdraw the use of plastic

straws in catering outlets and bars across the

Parliamentary estate. [HL5070]

Lord Laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked

me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond

on his behalf.

House of Lords Catering and Retail Services (CRS) will

be trialling the removal of straws from customer-facing

areas in the catering outlets and bars managed by CRS. If

the trial is successful we envisage a significant reduction

in the volume of straws used. CRS are also investigating

what alternative straws are available with improved

environmental credentials, for example fully

biodegradable alternatives or paper straws. CRS envisage

that this review, being undertaken in conjunction with

colleagues in the House of Commons, will be completed

by the end of February.







Prisoners: Females

Asked by Lord Bradley

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women

currently in prison were resident in Greater Manchester

at the time of receiving a custodial sentence. [HL5059]

Lord Keen of Elie: Of the female prison population

held in prisons in England and Wales on 31 December

2017 there were 171 who had a recorded origin address in

Greater Manchester.

Around 97% of prisoners have an origin location - i.e.

addresses that are recorded in our central IT system. If no

address is given, an offender’s committal court address is

used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident.

Those with no recorded origin are typically foreign

nationals or those recently received into custody. No

address has been recorded and no court information is

available for around 3% of all offenders. If there are any,

these figures will have been excluded from the data.

The numerical information provided has been drawn

from administrative IT systems, which as with any large

scale recording system are subject to possible error with

data entry and processing.

Prisons: Health Services

Asked by Lord Beecham


to encourage local authorities with responsibility for

scrutinising health services to exercise that function in

relation to the provision of health care within custodial

institutions in their area. [HL5056]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Health and Wellbeing Boards

bring together local authorities, the National Health

Service and other partners to agree local priorities. They

carry out Joint Strategic Needs Assessments which

consider the needs of offenders. The Government is not

proposing to involve itself in this local priority setting.

Prisons: Standards

Asked by Lord Laming


intend to take following critical reports by HM

Inspectorate of Prisons and Probation; and in particular,

whether they intend to review the management of the

prison service. [HL5019]

Lord Keen of Elie: The Government is committed to

driving improvement throughout our prison and probation

services and the role of HM Inspectorates of Prisons and

Probation is critical in ensuring that there is an objective

and challenging assessment of our criminal justice

systems.

The Government therefore takes HM Inspectorate of

Prisons and Probation reports seriously and created a new

unit within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service

(HMPPS) in August 2017 that is responsible for

responding to their recommendations. We have also

committed to publishing the action plan responses to HM

Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports as a step towards

greater transparency.

In addition, in October 2017, we introduced quarterly

meetings between senior officials in the Ministry of

Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS and the Chief Inspector of

Prisons (HMCIP) to explore how to make better use of

HMIP recommendations.

We have further bolstered this commitment by the

introduction of an ‘Urgent Notification’ (UN) process

which allows HMCIP to directly notify the Secretary of

State on matters of serious concern observed during

inspections. The Secretary of State then has 28 days to

issue a response.

New structures are being put in place from April 2018

to manage prisons which increases the number of Prison

Groups meaning the Prison Group Directors have smaller

commands in order to increase their oversight and create

more operational grip.

Radiation: Medical Equipment

Asked by Lord Carlile of Berriew


taking to ensure that provision is made for the

implementation of European technical and safety

standards in relation to medical radiation equipment

used in the UK post-Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal

from Euratom. [HL5165]



taking to ensure that patients in the UK continue to

receive, post-Brexit, radiological examinations and

radiotherapy procedures using equipment that meets

European standards of technical capability and safety.

[HL5166]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: New legislation implementing

European Union patient safety standards for medical

exposures in the United Kingdom comes into force on 6

February 2018. These regulations ensure that individuals

are protected when exposed to ionising radiation from

medical equipment for imaging or treatment purposes and

include provisions relating to quality assurance, testing

and use of medical radiological equipment.

The Department is working on ensuring the best

outcome for the health and social care system following

the UK’s exit from the EU. All relevant teams within the

Department and other relevant Government departments

and agencies are involved with this work and assessing

the implications of the UK leaving the EU on their area.

The UK expects to continue to be at the forefront of

international activities in radiation protection through its

activities with the International Atomic Energy Agency.








Radioisotopes



taking to ensure that (1) patients in the UK benefit from

a continued supply of radiopharmaceuticals that meet

the CE-marking for technical and safety standards, and

(2) UK companies continue to be able to get their own

items and equipment CE-marked and sold in Europe,

post-Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom.

[HL5167]

Lord O'Shaughnessy: The safety and security of

radioactive materials is a top priority for the Government.

The United Kingdom already has robust domestic

legislation in place to ensure that the keeping, movement

and use of radioactive sources is tightly regulated,

whether on nuclear sites or in hospitals. The UK’s

regulatory regime is based on international regulatory

requirements for sources informed by the International

Atomic Energy Agency. The UK will continue to meet its

international obligations in full and ensure that UK law

and regulatory oversight continues to deliver the highest

standards of safety, in line with the relevant international

frameworks.

Radio pharmaceuticals are also subject to European

medicines regulation which establishes a licensing regime

and controls on the quality of materials, as well as

manufacturing and distribution processes within Europe.

In the UK, human medicines are subject to national

human medicines legislation which transposes the

requirements of the European regulatory regime. This

regime is enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare

Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and MHRA will

continue to do so after our withdrawal from the European

Union.

The Government's top priority for life sciences during

the negotiations is to protect the safety of patients and

ensure the integrity of cross-European public health

systems. The Government will seek a mutually beneficial

future partnership between the UK and EU that is in the

interests of both sides, which builds on the convergence

between our regulatory systems and gives business the

maximum freedom to trade with and operate within

European markets.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Asked by Lord Wasserman


Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 22 January

(HL4521), how many convictions for using a hand-held

mobile phone while driving were secured in (1) 2015,

(2) 2016, and (3) 2017; and in which police force areas

those convictions were secured. [HL5081]

Lord Keen of Elie: The number of offenders found

guilty at all courts of using or causing others to use a

mobile phone while driving in England and Wales, by

police force area, from 2012 to 2016, can be viewed in the

table below.

Court proceedings data for 2017 is planned for

publication in May 2018. Case volumes have been falling

in lines with motoring offences in general.

Offenders found guilty at all courts of 'Using or causing others to use

a handheld mobile phone whilst driving', England and Wales , by police

force area, 2012 to 2016 (1)(2)

Police Force

Area

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Avon and

Somerset

229 167 138 141 56

Bedfordshire 370 301 169 99 93

Cambridgeshire 250 322 344 324 167

Cheshire 289 308 348 244 328

Cleveland 135 171 137 38 47

Cumbria 207 102 99 82 49

Derbyshire 176 148 164 213 134

Devon and

Cornwall

244 225 213 129 127

Dorset 295 126 106 132 122

Durham 107 114 74 34 55

Dyfed-Powys 179 246 258 479 327

Essex 997 1,359 538 737 459

Gloucestershire 123 111 74 95 60

Greater Manchester

819 307 383 398 271

Gwent 158 82 63 48 59

Hampshire 345 350 456 623 403

Hertfordshire 351 428 580 274 197

Humberside 318 230 173 179 121

Kent 519 340 173 115 68

Lancashire 720 855 316 154 196

Leicestershire 207 270 169 136 105

Lincolnshire 222 188 203 177 156

Merseyside 738 484 369 584 583

Metropolitan

Police

7,244 5,210 5,608 5,759 3,052

Norfolk 225 221 209 128 67

North Wales 263 306 283 289 196

North Yorkshire 267 157 100 105 66

Northamptonshire 134 132 119 68 58

Northumbria 330 239 197 154 104

Nottinghamshire 236 255 380 585 442

South Wales 311 225 210 189 174

South Yorkshire 423 217 148 213 176

Staffordshire 245 225 255 243 294





Police Force

Area

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Suffolk 222 174 214 122 95

Surrey 464 317 410 269 151

Sussex 745 385 194 288 120

Thames Valley 733 380 518 817 1,029

Warwickshire 183 199 154 62 149

West Mercia 174 281 310 225 215

West Midlands 929 418 338 517 855

West Yorkshire 805 777 703 564 492

Wiltshire 204 120 128 61 43

England and

Wales

22,135 17,472 16,025 16,093 11,961

(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these

offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the

offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same

disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are

accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by

the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to

ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Asked by Lord Greaves


they have made of the estimate made by the Local

Government Association that it will cost £12 billion to

bring roads in England “up to scratch”. [HL5287]

Baroness Sugg: Local authorities are responsible for

around 97.5% of all roads, by length, in England. The

Department for Transport has made no assessment of the

£12 billion estimate made by the Local Government

Association. However, the report “Fixing the foundations:

Creating a more prosperous nation” published by HM

Treasury in July 2015 included an estimate of the backlog

of maintenance works on the local road network, at that

time was between £4.3 billion and £8.6 billion.

The Department for Transport is providing over £6

billion to local highway authorities between 2015 and

2021, and the Official Statistics published in January

2018 on road condition show that our investment is

making a difference. ‘A’ roads and ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads

combined have seen a gradual improvement (i.e. fewer

roads should have been considered for maintenance) in

the last five years.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Asked by Baroness Garden of Frognal

To ask Her Majesty's Government which sectors are

included within the definition of STEM used to inform

the Careers guidance and access for education and

training providers guidance published by the

Department for Education in January. [HL5061]


To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will

monitor whether education providers are fulfilling their

requirement to ensure that every young person has an

encounter with an employer in each academic year from

year 7 to year 13. [HL5062]




requirement to ensure that every young person has at

least one encounter with a STEM employer between the

academic years of year 7 to year 13. [HL5063]




requirement to ensure that every young person has a

STEM-focused careers experience before they reach

year 11. [HL5064]

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The government’s careers

strategy puts employers at the heart of a high-quality

careers programme for young people. We are asking

every school and college to use the Gatsby benchmarks

that define all the elements of excellent careers provision,

including encounters with employers and employees and

experiences of workplaces. They will be measured against

these benchmarks.

Statutory guidance, ‘Careers guidance and access for

education and training providers’ (attached), published in

January 2018, sets out how schools meet the Gatsby

benchmarks. We will shortly publish equivalent guidance

for colleges. The guidance documents include an

expectation that each school and college offer every

young person at least one encounter with an employer

each year from years 7 to 13. Due to the growing demand

for science, technology, engineering and mathematics

(STEM) skills, particularly in sectors such as engineering,

construction and manufacturing, this should include

encounters with STEM employers. Rather than defining

STEM in a particular way, our statutory guidance sets out

that schools should give pupils access to a broad range of

STEM employers. We want employers of all sizes, and

from all sectors, to offer encounters that inspire people

and provide information regarding the skills that

employers need. We have also placed a new legal duty on

schools to ensure there are sufficient opportunities for

young people to hear directly from providers of technical

education qualifications and apprenticeships. This will

ensure that young people learn about the alternatives to

academic and school-based routes, leading to better-

informed choices.

The statutory guidance outlines that schools and

colleges should begin to work towards meeting the

benchmarks by the end of 2020. Schools can assess how







their support compares against the benchmarks by using

Compass, an online self-assessment tool developed by

The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and The

Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The CEC will publish a

report annually, based on data gathered from the Compass

tool, showing what progress schools and colleges have

made in meeting the Gatsby benchmarks.

Ofsted will continue to hold schools and colleges to

account for the quality of careers provision. Matters

relating to careers guidance contribute to judgements

under three of the four areas in the school inspection

handbook, and all four areas of the further education and

skills inspection handbook. Through its training and

communications with inspectors, Ofsted continues to

remind inspectors of the importance of careers guidance.

The Answer includes the following attached material:

Careers guidance [Careers guidance and access for education and

training providers.pdf]

The material can be viewed online at:

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

questions-answers-statements/written-

question/Lords/2018-01-24/HL5061

Turkey: Syria

Asked by Lord Hylton

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the issue

of aggression by Turkey in Syria will shortly be

discussed at the UN Security Council; and whether any

progress towards a ceasefire in, or withdrawal from,

Afrin Canton was achieved, at the recent

intergovernmental meeting in Paris. [HL5069]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The situation in Syria,

including Afrin, was discussed in the UN Security

Council on Monday 22 January and the Foreign Secretary

attended a meeting on Syria in Paris on 23 January to

discuss how best to make progress towards a political

solution to the Syrian conflict. In all our diplomatic

engagement we have urged Turkey to avoid any

escalation in violence and to seek to protect civilians,

while recognising its legitimate interest in the security of

its borders. It remains in our shared interest to focus on

achieving a political settlement that ends the war in Syria,

and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region.

UN Population Fund

Asked by Baroness Tonge

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was

their non-core financial contribution to the United

Nations Population Fund in (1) 2012–13, (2) 2013–14,

(3) 2014–15, (4) 2015–16, and (5) 2016–17. [HL5049]

Lord Bates: The table below sets out how much non-

core funding the UK Government provided to the United

Nations Population Fund in each of the following years:

Year Amount GBP £[1]

2012 £98,488,000

2013 £41,926,000

2014 £203,288,000

2015 £94,694,000

2016 £87,469,000

The non-core spend figure for 2017 is currently

unavailable. It will be published in November/December

2018 as part of the Statistics on International

Development. This is an annual publication that provides

final statistics on the amount of Official Development

Assistance (ODA) the UK has provided as a proportion of

Gross National Income (GNI) to development partners,

including the United Nations Population Fund.

[1] Source Statistics on International Development

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Asked by Lord Luce


they have made of the reforms introduced in Zimbabwe

by President Mnangagwa; and whether they plan to

provide any assistance in implementing those reforms.

[HL5074]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome President

Mnangagwa's commitment to holding free, fair and

credible elections, with international observation. We are

also encouraged by the political and economic reforms

announced by the Zimbabwean government in recent

weeks, including plans to amend the indigenisation law.

The Minister for Africa visited Zimbabwe on 1 and 2

February and met President Mnangagwa. She welcomed

his commitment to political and economic reform and

made clear that implementation of these reforms will

enable the UK, together with the wider international

community, to consider what support we can provide.









Index to Statements and Answers

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

ECOFIN: 23 January 2018 ................................... 1

Finance Guidance and Claims Bill (Contingencies

Fund Advance) ..................................................... 1

Modern Working Practices ................................... 1

Schools and Early Years Update .......................... 2

Votes A Annual Estimate 2018-19 ....................... 2

Written Answers ..................................................... 3

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations .......................... 3

Annington Homes ................................................. 3

Argentina: Foreign Relations ............................... 3

Armed Forces: Genetics ....................................... 3

Armoured Fighting Vehicles ................................ 4

Burma: Rohingya.................................................. 4

Cameroon: Human Rights .................................... 4

Capita .................................................................... 5

Cycleways: City of Westminster .......................... 5

Defence: Expenditure ........................................... 5

Developing Countries: Poverty ............................ 5

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid ......................................... 5

European Aviation Safety Agency ....................... 6

Females: Insurance ............................................... 6

Financial Services ................................................. 6

Fisheries ................................................................ 6

Further Education: Apprentices ............................ 7

Grenfell Tower: Fires ........................................... 7

Health Services: Foreign Nationals ...................... 8

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention .......................... 8

High Rise Flats: Insulation ................................... 8

House of Lords ..................................................... 8

India: Environment Protection ............................. 9

India: State Visits ................................................. 9

Intercountry Adoption .......................................... 9

Iresa ...................................................................... 9

Liothyronine ....................................................... 10

Mayors ................................................................ 10

Non-domestic Rates: Small Businesses ............. 10

Parliament: Catering .......................................... 10

Prisoners: Females ............................................. 11

Prisons: Health Services .................................... 11

Prisons: Standards .............................................. 11

Radiation: Medical Equipment .......................... 11

Radioisotopes ..................................................... 12

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones ............. 12

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance ....................... 13

Schools: Vocational Guidance ........................... 13

Turkey: Syria ..................................................... 14

UN Population Fund .......................................... 14

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government ................ 14

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

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