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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to get the current ceasefires in Syria enlarged to include the whole of south-east Turkey.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    There are no plans to extend the Syrian Cessation of Hostilities to south-east Turkey. Violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must end and we support a return to peace talks between Turkey and the PKK, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region.

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

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6554), whether they have assessed the impact of having red routes managed by Transport for London, rather than London boroughs; whether they are satisfied that the London Permit Scheme is not increasing delays and disruption; and whether current work on cycleways will be completed before the main tourist season starts.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    The Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of having Transport for London (TfL), rather than the London Boroughs, managing the Transport for London Road Network (“red routes”), and has no intention of doing so.

    The London Permit Scheme and cycle superhighways are both matters for TfL. TfL has published a report evaluating the first year of the London Permit Scheme which suggests that it is having a positive impact. This report is titled ‘The London Permit Scheme, First Year Evaluation Report’ and is available on the TfL website.

    The construction timetable for the cycle superhighways is available via TfL’s website and summarised below:

    Cycle superhighway 1

    • A10 Tottenham High Road: 6 July 2015 to spring 2016
    • Pitfield Street (Boot Street to New North Road roundabout): 6 July 2015 to early 2016
    • Apex Junction to Old Street/Great Eastern Street: 3 August 2015 to spring 2016

    Cycle Superhighway 2 upgrade

    • Mile End Road and Bow Road between Harford Street and Harley Grove: February 2015 – November 2015
    • Whitechapel Road between Osborn Street and Cambridge Heath Road: February 2015 – November 2015
    • Mile End Road between Cambridge Heath Road and Harford Street: June 2015 – March 2016
    • Bow Road between Harley Grove and Bow roundabout: July 2015 – March 2016
    • Whitechapel High Street by Aldgate East station: September 2015 – April 2016

    Cycle Superhighway East to West

    • Lancaster Gate: April 2016 – October 2016
    • Hyde Park: November 2015 – October 2016
    • Hyde Park Corner: April 2015 – March 2016
    • St James’s Park and Green Park: June 2016 – October 2016
    • Parliament Square/Westminster Bridge: October 2015 – May 2016
    • Victoria Embankment: April 2015 – April 2016
    • Blackfriars Underpass/Puddle Dock: September 2015 – April 2016
    • Castle Baynard Street: November 2015 – May 2016
    • Upper and Lower Thames Street: April 2015 – April 2016
    • Tower Hill: October 2015 – April 2016

    Cycle Superhighway East to West

    • Blackfriars Road: North of The Cut to Stamford Street: August 2015 – January 2016
    • Blackfriars Road: South of The Cut: April 2015 – December 2015
    • Blackfriars Bridge: January 2016 – February 2016
    • Blackfriars Junction/Victoria Embankment: August 2015 – April 2016
    • Farringdon Street: January 2016 – March 2016
    • New Bridge Street/Ludgate Circus: November 2015 – April 2016
  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Royal Navy vessels, and (2) vessels from other NATO members, are being deployed for search and rescue operations in the Aegean Sea; whether the orders given to those vessels include arresting traffickers; and what assessment they have made of whether the available forces are sufficient.

    Earl Howe

    I refer the noble Lord to the statement I made to this House on Monday 7 March (Official Report, column 1079). The Royal Navy has deployed Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay and a Wildcat helicopter to support NATO activity in the Aegean Sea. These will work alongside three Home Office vessels: VOS Grace, which has been deployed since November; the cutter Protector, which is en route to the region; and a further cutter that is expected to start operations later this month.

    In addition to RFA Mounts Bay, there are five NATO ships on station at the moment. Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Turkey have each deployed a ship.

    NATO ships will provide information to enable Greek and Turkish civilian authorities to intercept migrant vessels and arrest traffickers. It is not an interdiction or search and rescue operation, but RFA Mounts Bay would give assistance to any vessel it found in distress, in accordance with international obligations.

    With regards to sufficiency, we note the substantial contribution being made by the UK and other members of NATO, but we always look to see what further contributions members of the Alliance can make.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NATO land forces have so far not been used in aid of the civil powers in both Italy and Greece; and whether there are plans to do so.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK and its European partners are trying to find a collective solution for what has been described as ‘the worst refugee crisis facing Europe since the Second World War’.

    To that end the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has agreed to support international efforts in the Aegean. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), announced that the UK has deployed Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay to the Aegean.

    It is right that our immediate priority is to ensure this new NATO activity is up and running effectively. Whilst there are no requests from Italy or Greece for the sort of assistance described, the UK would be open to considering how NATO could make an effective further contribution to this crisis.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about its actions against Zaman newspaper, its editor and chief columnist, together with other media; and what response, if any, they have received.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We continue to monitor specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these areas. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), did so on 7 March when he met Turkey’s Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and underlined the importance of protections for a free press and human rights in Turkey. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), set out the UK’s concerns on freedom of expression when he met his Turkish counterpart on 12 March. The Minister for Europe, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), discussed media freedoms and rule of law issues when he met Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister on 12 March.

    As a friend and ally, we urge the Turkish government to uphold the right of media to operate without restriction.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 2 March (HL6343), why Canada was excluded from the list of countries in Annex A, and what figure for the number of people in Canada in receipt of a frozen UK state pension should have been included.

    Baroness Altmann

    The information requested can be found at page 2 of Annex A, at line 5 of the table provided in the answer I gave on 3 March to (HL 6343). I attach that here at Annex A for convenience.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 2 March (HL6343), why there is a difference within the Overseas Territories resulting in some people receiving uprating of their pensions while the pensions of others are frozen, and what would be the annual cost of unfreezing pensions for all those living in the Overseas Territories.

    Baroness Altmann

    The government has a clear position, which has remained constant for around 70 years: the UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so for example in the European Economic Area or in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement in place that allows for uprating. There are no plans to change this.

    The annual additional cost of up-rating the state pensions of those recipients who are resident in the British Overseas Territories is estimated at approximately £1million in 2015/16.

    Were this to occur, liabilities for pensioners who live in other countries and territories would also have to be met. The estimated cost of increasing pensions in those countries where they are not currently uprated would be over £0.5 billion a year. This would be financially unaffordable.

  • Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Morris of Aberavon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 25 February (HL Deb, col 389), when they first made representations to the EU Commission as regards allegations of dumping of Chinese steel; when action was taken by the Commission; and what assessment they have made of whether the Commission took effective and prompt action.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The European Commission currently has 37 measures in place against steel products, 16 of which concern imports from China.

    The government makes regular representations to the European Commission concerning allegations of dumping of steel. The government judges each anti-dumping investigation on its merits, based on the evidence presented by the Commission and on representations from interested parties, including producers, users and importers. We have supported industry calls for action in recent cases, for example in the reinforcing bar case we have raised the steel industry’s concerns that the provisional duties were too low with the Commission. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills spoke with Commissioner Malmström about this and received assurance that the Commission will reconsider this during the definitive stage of the investigation, if industry can provide the necessary evidence.

    Given the current crisis in the steel industry, we continue to press the Commission for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to review Best Available Techniques permissible with respect to environmental permits for back-up electricity generating plant.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Back-up electricity generating plants with a rated thermal input of 20MW or more are currently regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. Guidance on Best Available Techniques that plants should use is periodically reviewed. The Best Available Techniques for plants with a rated thermal input above 50MW are currently being reviewed. Research is also being undertaken to assess Best Available Technique for combustion plants operating in the capacity market.

    Defra is reviewing environmental legislation for back-up generators and will consult on options to set emissions for relevant air pollutants for some plants such as diesel engines. We will consider the coherence of existing legislation with measures we will be introducing as a result of the review and the Medium Combustion Plant Directive.

  • Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Teverson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-03-07.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the impact on the electricity market of limiting operational run hours for gas-reciprocating-engine-driven electricity back-up plants under environmental permitting legislation.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    Defra will consult later this year on options which will include legislation that would set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from small engines – which may include proposals that would be implemented under environmental permitting legislation. As part of this process Defra will assess the impacts of any policy options it proposes to take forward, and will work with DECC to understand any implications this may have for the electricity market.