Author: admin

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the decision to cancel the transfer of police custody healthcare services to the NHS, whether they will put into place, and ensure the appropriate funding for, any recommendations made about minimum standards and quality of such police custody healthcare services for vulnerable detainees as a result of the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody.

    Lord Bates

    The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.

    The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.

    A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.

    The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.

    In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.

    Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 18 January (HL4835), for what reasons the Home Secretary, Theresa May, has decided that the reallocation of custody healthcare would not be appropriate at this time”.”

    Lord Bates

    The decision not to pursue the transfer of custody healthcare commissioning from Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to NHS England was taken in the context of wider decisions about the Provisional Police Funding Settlement for 2016/17, details of which were announced to Parliament in a written statement by the Minister of State for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims on 17 December.

    The Government is clear that Police and Crime Commissioners should retain full flexibility to be able to prioritise resources towards police custody healthcare functions based on their local needs.

    A number of sources of information and guidance are available to PCCs to inform their commissioning of custody healthcare services.

    The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1983 (PACE) sets out the statutory framework for custodial care and the rights and entitlements of a detainee in police custody. The College of Policing, as the professional body for policing, has published Approved Professional Practice (APP) on custody and detention. Police officers and staff are expected to have regard to the APP in discharging their responsibilities.The APP references wider guidance published by professional medical bodies including the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. In addition there is a NHS England national service specification setting out clinical standards for the commissioning and provision of police custody healthcare functions. This is currently being reviewed and updated.

    In many police force areas the close ties which PCCs have established to local NHS England commissioners over recent years have already helped to drive up the standards and quality of provision. On 11 February my Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary and my Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health wrote to Police and Crime Commissioners and NHS England Commissioners encouraging them to continue to build upon this work to further improve healthcare service delivery.

    Any recommendations made by the forthcoming independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody will be carefully considered in due course.

  • Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Mawson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mawson on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the policy of the police to support complainants of child sexual assault who are under 18 years of age with specially trained officers, what assessment they have made of the case for extending the use of specially trained officers to support all children and young people under 18 years of age who are brought into police custody, and what plans, if any, they have to make such a change.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people are protected and treated appropriately in all circumstances while in police custody. As set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 Codes of Practice C&H, every child or young person taken into police custody on suspicion of committing an offence must be provided with an Appropriate Adult, whose role it is to safeguard their rights and welfare. In addition, a parent or legal guardian must be informed of their detention.

    It is the responsibility of the chief officer of each force to adhere to the safeguards set out in PACE and its Codes of Practice. Police forces should ensure that officers interviewing child victims, including victims of sexual assault, are trained to apply the relevant College of Policing and Ministry of Justice guidance. The College of Policing’s Advanced Professional Practice on ‘Concern for a Child’ is clear that the police should always consider the services of a registered intermediary when a vulnerable child victim is interviewed.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their priorities for the World Humanitarian Summit in May.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK has four objectives for the Summit. Most importantly we want to see a renewed commitment to the protection of civilians in conflict, but also smarter financing, a new approach to building resilience to natural hazards before they take place, and a stronger focus on protecting and empowering women and girls.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will represent them Government at the World Humanitarian Summit in May.

    Baroness Verma

    Decisions on who will be in the delegation will be taken nearer the time.

  • Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which infectious diseases are among the leading causes of death for girls and women aged 10 to 19 in Africa, and what steps they are taking, working with individual countries bilaterally, to tackle those diseases.

    Baroness Verma

    World Health Organisation (WHO) data show that the leading causes of death from infectious diseases amongst adolescent girls and women in Africa are HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, meningitis and malaria. HIV/AIDS is not only the leading cause of death itself, but is also responsible for deaths from many other infectious diseases. The UK is the second largest funder of HIV prevention, care and treatment, and has pledged up to £1 billion for the 2014-16 replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Half of Global Fund resources are used to tackle HIV and almost 60% are invested in programmes that reach women and children.

    The UK puts the empowerment of girls and women at the heart of everything we do. Through our multilateral and bilateral investments we are tackling the barriers that limit their access to services, strengthening health systems, and tackling the stigma and gender-based violence and inequality they face.

  • Lord Monks – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Monks – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Monks on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the 1984 agreement on trade union political funding between Lord King of Bridgwater and Lord Murray of Epping Forest, then General Secretary of the TUC.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    I have placed in the House Library a copy of the exchange of correspondence from February 1984 between the Secretary of State for Employment and the General Secretary of the TUC.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-02-11.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 10 February (HL5554), whether partners and spouses of Catering and Retail Services staff are also entitled to receive meals without charge.

    Lord Laming

    Partners and spouses are not entitled to receive meals without charge.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the risk that their policy of further localism might lead to local authorities with high Muslim populations adopting Sharia law, if current trends in birth rate continue.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    This is not viewed as a risk by the Government. Localism does not mean that national law can be contravened, nor does it allow the creation of local court systems. Legislation remains the responsibility of Parliament, not local authorities.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 10 February (HL5883), why the incorrect reference to the 20 November 2014 answer has been repeated, and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of paying in-work benefits to non-UK citizens from other EU countries in each of the last five years.

    Lord Freud

    The November 2014 answer (HL 5012) incorrectly referred to question number 211618 as having been responded to by Priti Patel, when in fact the answer was provided by Esther McVey.

    I would like to apologise again for this, but would like to be clear that the mistake was to incorrectly state the name of the Minister providing the original response (211618)) and did not relate to the question number. Both responses HL 5012 and 5883 correctly referred the Honourable Lord to question number 211618.

    The original reference to question 211618 was provided because the information has not changed; information on benefit receipt by nationality is not available.