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  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 25 May (HL39), what discussions they have had with the National Trust about badger culls; what was the outcome of those discussions; and whether they will publish the results of those discussions.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra officials have regular conversations with the National Trust about the Government’s 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (TB) in England. The National Trust has published its view on badgers and TB on its website.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the banning of the Istanbul LGBT Pride march.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not discussed these specific cases with the Government of Turkey. We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including the freedom of assembly and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex persons. We did not fly the rainbow flag over our Embassy in Ankara over the weekend commencing 24 June. British Missions overseas fly the Diplomatic, Union or Consular flag throughout the year, the flags of the constituent countries of the UK on their respective national days and in certain countries the European flag. Missions do not fly any other flags.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the rainbow flag will be flown over the British Embassy in Turkey over the weekend commencing 24 June.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not discussed these specific cases with the Government of Turkey. We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including the freedom of assembly and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex persons. We did not fly the rainbow flag over our Embassy in Ankara over the weekend commencing 24 June. British Missions overseas fly the Diplomatic, Union or Consular flag throughout the year, the flags of the constituent countries of the UK on their respective national days and in certain countries the European flag. Missions do not fly any other flags.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Médecins Sans Frontières’ refusal to take any funds from the EU in protest against the EU’s refugee policy, whether they will reconsider their support for the EU–Turkey refugee deal.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving on Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making a genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers.

    We continue to deploy expert staff to the Greek islands to act as interpreters and help with the processing of migrants. These teams help ensure that vulnerable people, including children, are identified and can access asylum procedures as quickly as possible.

  • Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Scriven – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey about the reported use of tear gas and rubber bullets at a LGBT pride march in Istanbul.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We have not discussed these specific cases with the Government of Turkey. We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including the freedom of assembly and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex persons. We did not fly the rainbow flag over our Embassy in Ankara over the weekend commencing 24 June. British Missions overseas fly the Diplomatic, Union or Consular flag throughout the year, the flags of the constituent countries of the UK on their respective national days and in certain countries the European flag. Missions do not fly any other flags.

  • Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Storey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-20.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees whether he has considered recommending to the relevant Committee of the House of Lords that at times of great national tragedies the House could hear inclusive prayers that reflect the national mood of grief and caring.

    Lord Laming

    The Noble Lord may wish to take informal soundings about this possibility and to consider writing to the Convenor of the Lords Spiritual and Procedure Committee with a proposal.

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

    Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the criteria approved by Ministers for use by the Parole Board when considering whether to authorise the release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences.

    Lord Faulks

    Ministers do not set criteria for use by the independent Parole Board when considering the release of indeterminate sentence prisoners. They must serve the minimum term, or tariff, set by the sentencing court after which they may be considered for release by the Parole Board. The Board is required to apply the statutory test for release contained in section 28 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997. The Board must assess the level of risk to the public – using reports and assessments from prison, probation and other professionals involved in the management of the offender – and will only direct release if they conclude that the prisoner could safely be managed on licence in the community.

  • Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Trefgarne – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Trefgarne on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to secure adequate supplies of anti-TB vaccine for use on badgers, in view of the present shortage.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The ongoing shortage of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, and the need to prioritise available stocks for humans, is impacting on supply for badger vaccination projects. Following advice from Public Health England (PHE) in December 2015, Defra took the decision to suspend attempts to source BCG vaccine for the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme and other private badger vaccination deployment projects in England until this situation is resolved.

    We are seeking regular updates from PHE about the vaccine shortage so that once the situation is resolved we can be in a position to re-start ordering of vaccine at the earliest opportunity.

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

    Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost of redeveloping Euston as part of the HS2 programme.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Several assessments of the costs for redeveloping Euston were undertaken as part of the option appraisal work in developing the current proposals for the HS2 Euston Station.

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

    Lord Truscott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Truscott on 2016-06-20.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Cabinet Secretary to conclude the HS2 cost review; and whether they will place a copy of his conclusions in the Library of the House.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    As is normal for large projects, the Cabinet Office’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is conducting assurance of the HS2 programme as it proceeds into its delivery phase. It is standard practice for this to include a small cross Government team, and not unusual for the Cabinet Secretary to take an interest on projects of this scale. ‎

    Headlines from the IPA’s work on Phase 2 of High Speed 2 has now been reported in a NAO report on the HS2 project, published on 28 June. The work informs future cost estimates for HS2, as these are developed.