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  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people, and of what nationalities, the UK is training as international peacekeepers; what is the form of such training; and by which UK personnel it is provided.

    Earl Howe

    Her Majesty’s Government makes a significant contribution to improving the effectiveness of peacekeeping forces through its training activities.

    The Ministry of Defence delivers training to overseas militaries through the deployment of Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) and deployable experts, and via our overseas training establishments:

    – British Peace Support Team (East Africa) (BPST(EA)), focused on delivering training to African Mission in Somalia contributing countries.

    – British Peace Support Training (South Africa) (BPST(SA)), focused on training troops deployed to West Africa (Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Mali).

    – British Military Advisory Training Team (Czech Republic) (BMATT Czech), providing Peace Support Operations (PSOs) training to partner nations including Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, and Romania.

    – Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) (Sarajevo), delivering training to personnel from Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) and other countries including Austria, Croatia, Turkey, Tunisia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

    These establishments provide training on a range of themes including theatre specific pre-deployment training, as well as courses on gender, Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), and Human Trafficking. The training is carried out by a wide variety of UK Armed Forces personnel, most of whom are dedicated trainers in their fields. They also draw on the expertise of other specialists within the Forces.

    In the last 12 months, BPST(EA) and deployed UK-based Short Term Training Teams have trained more than 7,000 soldiers and police from nine countries through 68 different training tasks. Training is adapted depending on the needs of the country. BPSTs adjust courses to include high-end technological intelligence training, logistics, counter-IED, and leadership and operational planning.

    In the same period, BPST(SA) has trained 1,700 Malawian military personnel in preparation for their deployment to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). In the coming year, 600-800 Zambian troops are due to be trained by BPST(SA) before their deployment to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

    BMATT Czech has provided training in Peace Support Operations to 424 personnel from partner countries, a number of whom are now capable of delivering Peace Support Operation training in-country themselves.

    PSOTC, now under command of BiH forces, supported by UK trainers, has trained 46 military personnel from a number of countries in preventing sexual violence in conflict.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they co-operate with police authorities to promote service by police personnel with the UN and other international bodies.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The National Police Chiefs’ Council has established the new Joint International Policing Hub to triage requests for international police assistance through a single point. The Hub joins up the police at a national level and with Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is intended to promote the UK model of policing by consent. Decisions on who to recommend to deploy, and where, lies with Chief Constables, in conjunction with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

    As the first professional body for all of policing in England and Wales, the College of Policing develops standards and guidance for policing. The College is considering flexibility and the structure of entry, exit and re-entry of officers. It is also considering routes for officers to gain external experience, such as secondments, as part of the Leadership Review.

    The Government has no plans to publish the details of police, law enforcement specialists and other relevant civilian experts in service in UN operations and at the UN Headquarters. Any personnel deployed as part of a national contingent are listed on the UN website: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/contributors/2016/apr16_4.pdf

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential value in career development of service by police on international deployments.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The National Police Chiefs’ Council has established the new Joint International Policing Hub to triage requests for international police assistance through a single point. The Hub joins up the police at a national level and with Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is intended to promote the UK model of policing by consent. Decisions on who to recommend to deploy, and where, lies with Chief Constables, in conjunction with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

    As the first professional body for all of policing in England and Wales, the College of Policing develops standards and guidance for policing. The College is considering flexibility and the structure of entry, exit and re-entry of officers. It is also considering routes for officers to gain external experience, such as secondments, as part of the Leadership Review.

    The Government has no plans to publish the details of police, law enforcement specialists and other relevant civilian experts in service in UN operations and at the UN Headquarters. Any personnel deployed as part of a national contingent are listed on the UN website: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/contributors/2016/apr16_4.pdf

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they have in place to publish the details of police, law enforcement specialists and other relevant civilian experts in service in UN operations and at the UN Headquarters.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The National Police Chiefs’ Council has established the new Joint International Policing Hub to triage requests for international police assistance through a single point. The Hub joins up the police at a national level and with Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office and is intended to promote the UK model of policing by consent. Decisions on who to recommend to deploy, and where, lies with Chief Constables, in conjunction with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

    As the first professional body for all of policing in England and Wales, the College of Policing develops standards and guidance for policing. The College is considering flexibility and the structure of entry, exit and re-entry of officers. It is also considering routes for officers to gain external experience, such as secondments, as part of the Leadership Review.

    The Government has no plans to publish the details of police, law enforcement specialists and other relevant civilian experts in service in UN operations and at the UN Headquarters. Any personnel deployed as part of a national contingent are listed on the UN website: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/contributors/2016/apr16_4.pdf

  • Lord Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Kinnock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kinnock on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they received from the former Mayor of London, Mr Johnson, about the 2013 conclusions of the Report on Air Pollution in London, which he commissioned but did not publish in full; when any such information was received; and what response they made, if any.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Mayor is responsible for air quality standards in London. The Mayor provides the framework and guidance which London boroughs use to review and improve air quality within their areas. Officials have found no evidence that information about the specific report referred to was shared with Government.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their target date for the operation of a regulatory regime for claims management companies.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    At Budget 2016 the Chancellor announced that the government accepts the recommendations of the independent review into the regulation of Claims Management Companies (CMCs). The new regime will be tougher and will ensure CMC managers can be held personally accountable for the actions of their businesses. In order to ensure that the new regulatory regime is implemented effectively, the government intends to transfer responsibility for regulating CMCs from the Ministry of Justice to the Financial Conduct Authority. The government intends to take forward the necessary primary legislation in due course.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce an enforceable regulatory regime of any type to tackle nuisance calls, texts and other forms of marketing for claims management companies.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law.

    Specific actions include requiring direct marketing callers to display calling line identification; strengthening the ICO’s direct marketing guidance; and exploring the extension of the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls.

    The Government also intends to establish a tougher regulatory regime for Claims Management Companies (CMCs) by transferring responsibility for claims management regulation to the Financial Conduct Authority; re-authorising all CMCs under a more robust process; and holding managers of CMCs personally accountable for the actions of their businesses.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage better customer service in insurance companies that allow for consumers to make free claims.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.

    The FCA’s Insurance Conduct of Business Sourcebook (ICOBS) sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms in relation to their business which aim to ensure consumers are treated fairly. This includes provisions relating to the handling of claims by insurers. ICOBS states that insurers must handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many authorised claims management companies have been operating over the last five years.

    Lord Faulks

    The total number of authorised claims management companies (CMCs) operating over the last five years is as follows:

    Year

    2012

    2013

    2014

    2015

    2016

    Total Authorised CMCs (at end March)

    2998

    2693

    2097

    1752

    1610

    This information is included in the CMR Annual Report, which can be found at gov.uk.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-05-24.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of claims management companies that have faced some sort of intervention from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) works closely with the Claims Management Regulator (CMR) and they regularly share intelligence and information about issues of mutual concern involving claims management companies (CMCs).

    There are a total of 1,752 authorised CMCs, of which 21 CMCs were placed under investigation by the ICO during 2015-2016, amounting to 1.2% of the total. Some of which resulted in formal enforcement action.

    Further information can be found in the attached Claims Management Regulation Annual Report. Details of all the ICO’s enforcement action are published on its website at: https://ico.org.uk/action-weve-taken/enforcement/“