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  • whether they are in discussion with him about the effect of incitements to violence.” – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    whether they are in discussion with him about the effect of incitements to violence.” – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by whether they are in discussion with him about the effect of incitements to violence.” on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the remarks by Sheikh Abu Taqi Al-Din Al-Dari delivered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and posted online on 16 January, that the basic principle is that the Islamic state should work to conquer the world through Jihad for the sake of Allah” and that “it must conquer Rome

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem have discussed this in detail with the Jordanian Waqf, including raising our concern over the language used. The remarks made are indeed deeply concerning. However, the person filmed (Sheikh Abu Taqi Al-Din Al-Dari) has no connection to the Palestinian Authority, or the Jordanian Waqf. Although the video footage does appear to show him speaking inside the al Aqsa mosque, he was not preaching from the minbar, nor is he authorised to do so by the Waqf. We regularly raise incitement with the Palestinian Authority, and have urged key figures to encourage calm and condemn violence. Our Consul-General raised the issue of incitement most recently with the Palestinian Minister of Health on 21 January, and Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rjoub on 26 January. We welcome President Abbas’ recent restated commitment to reviving the Tripartite Committee on Incitement, as the best channel to address allegations of Israeli and Palestinian incitement.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of recent research suggesting that the eggs of older women can be rejuvenated through injections of mitochondria from other cells; what data collected from clinics the HFEA holds regarding the incidence of aneuploidy in oocytes over time, and what evidence it has received from (1) OvaScience, (2) Professor Simon Fishel, and (3) other sources, that mitochondrial defects are primarily responsible for age-related exponential increases in oocyte aneuploidy; what published randomised trials the HFEA has been made aware of regarding the Augment technique, and what assessment it has made of those trials; and what assessment the HFEA has made of the credibility of claims by OvaScience and those previously made by Clonaid, in the light of data available in peer-reviewed journals.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) advises that it does not hold data from clinics on the incidence of aneuploidy in oocytes over time, nor has it received evidence from OvaScience, Professor Simon Fishel or other sources that mitochondrial defects are primarily responsible for age-related increases in oocyte chromosomal aneuploidy.

    The HFEA also advises that it has not been made aware of any published randomised trials regarding the Augment technique and has not made an assessment of the credibility of claims by OvaScience and those previously made by Clonaid, in the light of data available in peer-reviewed journals. It is currently considering whether techniques, which involve addition of autologous mitochondria to eggs, would be legal in the United Kingdom (under the framework of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended). Part of this consideration involves considering the claims made for Augment by Ovascience.

    The HFEA has not received any formal applications for clinical use of the Augment technique, and has not made an assessment of the ruling by the US Food and Drugs Administration to which the Noble Lord refers.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the proposed protocols for (1) detection of aneuploidy in embryos following application of the proposed Augment technique, and (2) demonstrating that injected mitochondria either disperse so as to be equally inherited by each blastomere of any resulting embryos or are concentrated in the inner cell mass, in the recent application received by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for a pilot trial in the UK; what estimate the HFEA has been provided regarding (1) the likely financial costs to patients undergoing the proposed Augment procedure, and (2) the potential impact on clinical pregnancy rates of any assessments deemed to be scientifically necessary; and what assessment the HFEA has made of the ruling by the US Food and Drugs Administration in 2013 that Augment is a novel drug in need of extensive and expensive safety testing.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) advises that it does not hold data from clinics on the incidence of aneuploidy in oocytes over time, nor has it received evidence from OvaScience, Professor Simon Fishel or other sources that mitochondrial defects are primarily responsible for age-related increases in oocyte chromosomal aneuploidy.

    The HFEA also advises that it has not been made aware of any published randomised trials regarding the Augment technique and has not made an assessment of the credibility of claims by OvaScience and those previously made by Clonaid, in the light of data available in peer-reviewed journals. It is currently considering whether techniques, which involve addition of autologous mitochondria to eggs, would be legal in the United Kingdom (under the framework of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended). Part of this consideration involves considering the claims made for Augment by Ovascience.

    The HFEA has not received any formal applications for clinical use of the Augment technique, and has not made an assessment of the ruling by the US Food and Drugs Administration to which the Noble Lord refers.

  • Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money they have spent in this Parliamentary Session on support for fracking activities.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    I refer the noble Baroness to the answer my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change gave to the hon. Member for Huddersfield on 21 January 2016 to House of Commons Parliamentary Question 22696.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4639), what recent discussions they have had with the National Offender Management Service about bringing the guidance on Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes for men’s prisons in line with the guidance for women’s prisons set out in issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800, which states that incentive schemes should never be linked to any access to family visits”.”

    Lord Faulks

    Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4650), why children’s visits to their fathers in prison continue to be part of Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes when children’s visits to their mother in prison are excluded from such schemes under issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800.

    Lord Faulks

    Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

  • Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Howe of Idlicote – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4641), what assessment they have made of the compatibility of restricting children’s visits to their fathers in prison through the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme with children’s rights under (1) Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and (2) Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    Lord Faulks

    Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many teachers have left the profession within five years of qualifying in each year since 2009.

    Lord Nash

    Of the full and part-time teachers who gained qualified teacher status in 2009 (and were in service by March 2010), 72% were still in service in a state funded school in England five years after qualification. The rate of retention five years after qualification has remained broadly stable since 1996.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, broken down by region and subject, of the current levels of qualified teachers.

    Lord Nash

    The information requested is not available.

    Latest figures show that 96 per cent of full-time equivalent teachers in service in state funded schools in England (November 2014) have qualified teacher status.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what strategy they have in place to increase retention of teachers in the profession.

    Lord Nash

    Teacher retention rates have remained stable for over a decade and the turnover rate in teaching is lower than for the economy as a whole. Approximately 90% of all teachers are still in service in the year after they qualify and 72% of those who qualified in 2009 were still in teaching five years later. Over 60 percent of teachers remain in service 10 years after qualifying.

    The Government recognises that it is vital for schools to be able to retain good teachers. That is why we have made policy interventions in areas such as improving pupil behaviour and reducing unnecessary workload.

    The Department has appointed behaviour expert Tom Bennett to lead a review to ensure new teachers are fully trained in managing behaviour in 21st century schools.

    Three groups have been established to address the biggest concerns that teachers raised in the workload challenge: marking, planning and data management. All three groups are due to report in Spring 2016 and the Department is commissioning a biennial survey to track teacher workload, starting in Spring 2016.