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  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when ministers last met representatives of the Investment Association to discuss fund management industry matters.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

    Ministers’ Quarterly Transparency Returns provide details of ministerial meetings with external organisations on departmental business and are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the Government’s website.

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Turkey’s application to accede to the European Union, what assessment they have made of (1) freedom of the press and media, and (2) freedom of the judiciary, in that country.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As part of their EU accession process, we encourage Turkey to continue to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, including the principles of freedom of expression, the separation of powers and an impartial judiciary. We welcome progress made thus far, and as the EU Commission has highlighted, further sustained work is needed to meet EU standards.

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the welfare of Iraqi Christians fleeing that country; and how many have been granted refugee status in the United Kingdom in each year since 2010.

    Lord Bates

    Our country information and guidance recognises that, in general, religious minorities including Christians, are particularly vulnerable and are likely to be at risk of persecution in parts of Iraq. Each claim is considered on its individual merits, taking into account up to date country information.

    In the 5 years since 2010, we have granted refugee status to 20 Iraqi’s with a claimed Christian religion however we are unable to confirm that the reason for the grant of status was on the basis of their Christianity.

    Religion

    Granted in Year

    Grand Total

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Christian

    5

    4

    2

    2

    6

    19

    Christian – Coptic/Orthodox

    1

    1

    Grand Total

    5

    5

    2

    2

    6

    20

    “

  • Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Patten – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Syrian Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart on the BBC Radio Four programme Sunday that European countries taking in Syrian refugees are harming Syria.

    Lord Bates

    The Government has been leading the way for a comprehensive and sustainable response to the conflict in Syria. The Government believes that the best way to help the majority of the many displaced Syrians across the globe is through practical and political action within affected regions. That is why the Government has prioritised humanitarian assistance in crisis regions and supports regional protection programmes which will improve the conditions for refugees seeking protection in their region of origin until they are able to return to their homes.

    The Government recognises, however, that not all displaced Syrians can be supported effectively in the region and that is why we have committed to granting protection to 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees under our Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme over the course of this Parliament.

    The Government shares Archbishop Jean-Clement’s view that we must actively seek an end to the conflict as it is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for Syrian refugees, as opposed to larger scale relocation or resettlement.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have asked, or plan to ask, Hitachi to equip the trains that will be provided for the Great Western Mainline with diesel as well as electric engines.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The first 36 Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains deployed on the Great Western lines from 2017 will be bi-modes capable of running in diesel or electric mode. The Department for Transport is actively looking at a range of options to ensure passenger benefits are delivered on time. No final decisions have been made.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have conducted of the impact of having diesel and electric engines fitted to the new Hitachi Great Western Mainline trains on journey times (1) between Paddington and Cardiff, and (2) between Cardiff and Swansea.

    Viscount Younger of Leckie

    The Department for Transport is analysing the impact of Great Western electrification delays on the configuration of the Intercity Express Programme fleet. The analysis is looking at the timetable implications including journey times and capacity. The analysis will be informed by the recommendations made by Sir Peter Hendy. No final decisions have been made.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to hold an inquiry into testing processes for emissions from diesel vehicles and so-called defeat” devices.”

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There is no plan to hold an inquiry, however, the Government is taking this issue very seriously. The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the UK vehicle approval authority, is working to ensure that the use of defeat devices is not industry wide. VCA is rerunning laboratory tests starting with those VW Group engines for which VCA has provided approvals. These tests are comparing real world driving emissions against laboratory performance.

    There is no evidence that these emissions tests have been falsified in the UK.

  • Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Randerson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Randerson on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to bring forward the introduction of new tests for fuel emissions and fuel economy in cars.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The government has been at the forefront of action at a European level to ensure tests of all new passenger cars and vans accurately represent performance out on the road and ensure public confidence. We will continue to press for the introduction of real world driving emissions (RDE) and updates to the current laboratory tests at the earliest opportunity.

  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the breakdown by (1) nation, (2) region, and (3) nationality, of the number and proportion of 16 to 24 year-olds applying to register to vote online since the launch of Individual Electoral Registration in summer 2014.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Since the introduction of IER in Great Britain in June 2014 there have been over 2.8 million applications to vote from 16 – 24 year olds including over 2.2 million online applications. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by nationality. Although electors are required to state their nationality when submitting an application to register, this information is not recorded as part of the published register.

    Nation

    Registration Applications (26 Oct 2015)

    England

    1,970,492

    Scotland

    150,411

    Wales

    99,959

    English Region

    Registration Applications (26 Oct 2015)

    South East

    326,054

    London

    318,611

    North West

    274,468

    East of England

    197,361

    West Midlands

    191,396

    South West

    208,735

    Yorkshire and Humber

    192,672

    East Midlands

    175,795

    North East

    85,400
  • Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-22.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that United Kingdom immigration and emigration statistics are studied as part of the core curriculum in schools.

    Lord Nash

    The national curriculum contains a number of opportunities for pupils to be taught about migration, for example within the History curriculum. As part of a compulsory unit on British history, 11 to 14 year olds may study the social history of migration to, from and within the British Isles.