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  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 6 January (HL4779), what generally” means in that answer

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The general position in England is that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) arrange health services for persons for whom they are responsible. Broadly speaking CCGs arrange secondary care, which would include abortion services.

    A CCG could commission services, including abortion services, for persons ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland who are nevertheless registered (on a temporary or permanent basis) with a general practitioner who is a member of that CCG, if such services would improve the physical or mental health or treatment of illness of that person. This would be a matter for the CCG to decide however and they are free to exercise their discretion in that regard. There is no duty on a CCG to arrange health services for a person usually resident in NI (or Wales or Scotland) unless that person is present in the CCG’s area and needs ambulance services or accident and emergency services.

  • 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 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 12 November 2015 (HL3286), whether the review of the retention of custody images by police forces has now been completed and reported; if so, what are the recommendations of that review and how they will be taken forward; and if not, why not.

    Lord Bates

    The Review of the use and Retention of Custody Images has now concluded. The report has been submitted to Ministers and they will consider the recommendations. The outcome of this will be made public in due course.

  • – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they calculated the amount of funding required for the 100 sink estates” that they have identified for regeneration projects

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Funding has been agreed through the Spending Review which considered requirements for ongoing commitments and scope for supporting new proposals for estate regeneration. We are clear that government funding will be one element of support for estate regeneration going forward and that other investment from the public and private sectors will be needed. We are looking to engage with as many estates as possible to encourage new ideas, innovation and partnerships in regenerating estates.

    My noble Friend, the rt. hon. Lord Heseltine, is leading an Advisory Panel on estate regeneration which will establish an Estates Regeneration Strategy, explore what schemes can come forward and identify barriers that the Government can help remove which hold back estate regeneration.

  • Lord Spicer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Spicer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Spicer on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 January (HL Deb, col 10), when they will make available to the House the number of hostel places available and the number of people sleeping rough in the UK.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    One person without a home is one too many.

    Whilst my Department does not hold information regarding the number of places in hostels for rough sleepers, Homeless Link, the national membership body for the single homelessness sector, estimates that in November 2014 there were 36,540 bed spaces in homelessness accommodation projects in England and 9,647 bed spaces in London.

    Further information is available through Homeless Link’s Annual Survey of the sector. DCLG’s own annual snapshot indicates that in England there were 2,744 individuals sleeping rough on a single night in Autumn 2014. Just over a quarter of these, 742 individuals, were in London.

    We have supported local areas to improve the quality of hostels through the Homelessness Change Programme, which provided £42.5 million of capital funding in 2012 – 2015 for new and refurbished bed spaces and facilities to provide meaningful activities to support pathways to independent living. The Department of Health is also funding a £40 million programme to refurbish hostels and improve the physical and mental health of rough sleepers, and provide low cost shared accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness.

  • Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Steel of Aikwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries they include in their Global Mine Action Programme, and whether they will consider adding Angola to that list.

    Earl of Courtown

    The Global Mine Action Programme which runs from 2014 to 2017 funds mine action projects in Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Further work in Burma, Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe is currently being procured. The countries were selected following an inclusive consultation which took into account factors such as other donor funding and where the impact would be the greatest. In addition, DFID took the decision to shift the UK’s mine action funding to more fragile and conflict affected countries and where DFID could align mine action work with other DFID country programmes to maximise the impact. All funds have already been allocated under this programme therefore there is no scope for Angola to be included. This year DFID will reconsider the list of countries for future mine action programmes.

  • Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review their policy of not offering British passports to former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Naval Service.

    Lord Bates

    We have agreed to undertake a thorough assessment of the request that this group are offered right of abode in the United Kingdom, based on their employment in Hong Kong. This is under consideration.

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

    Lord Touhig – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Touhig on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Armed Forces Covenant extends to former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Naval Service.

    Earl Howe

    The Government acknowledges the important contribution made by members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Naval Service. As a consequence of their Service, members qualify as veterans and, where appropriate, are subject to the provisions set out in the Armed Forces Covenant.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of Tornado aircraft fully modified and available for operations in relation to the total air fleet.

    Earl Howe

    As of 13 January 2016, 48 Tornado aircraft are held in the Forward Available Fleet. This includes aircraft that are held at readiness for contingent operations alongside those deployed on operations

    I am withholding the exact number of Tornado aircraft that are available for operations on the grounds of safeguarding national security.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 16 December 2015 (HL4512 and HL4513), how long RAF Joint Force Harrier squadrons had to stay on board anti-submarine warfare carriers to ensure all pilots were flight qualified.

    Earl Howe

    Depending on weather and aircraft serviceability, it usually took Joint Force Harrier Squadron pilots, on average, three to four weeks to qualify for combat operations from an Invincible Class carrier.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-01-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 18 December 2015 (HL4511), whether embarked United States Marine Corps F-35B aircraft will abide by the US joint service publications on command and control for the Joint Force (Maritime and Air) Component Commanders, and whether those guidelines will apply to UK Component Commanders in Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier operations.

    Earl Howe

    We continue to identify opportunities to develop interoperability and synergy with our allies. The precise command and control arrangements for potential US embarkations will be developed over the course of the programme, utilising our own experience and that of our allies.