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  • Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they reconcile printing and delivering their pamphlet Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK to every household in the UK, with the statement by the Minister of State for Europe, Mr David Lidington, on 7 September 2015 that we have no intention of legislating to allow the Government to do things such as mailshots

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As the full excerpt below shows, the statement referred to by the Noble Lord relates to conduct and activity during the final 28 days of the referendum period, which are covered by the provisions of section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government will comply fully with these provisions.

    “Instead, new clause 10 provides a power to make regulations to exempt particular categories of publication from section 125. Any such regulation would need to be approved by an affirmative resolution in both Houses. We have also adopted the recommendation of the Political and Constitutional Affairs Committee that the Government should consult the Electoral Commission before any such regulation is made.

    While I understand the constructive intention behind the suggestion made by the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon), I think that at the end of the day the Government must be free to go to Parliament and ask whether it accepts or rejects a particular proposal. The safeguard here is that if Government new clause 10 is accepted tonight, both Houses will have the right to veto anything that the Government might bring forward under this new provision.

    Let me explain the kind of things I have in mind. They include, for example, modernising the press notice exemption, which is already in section 125, to take account of digital media, by making it clear that it is permissible to link to a press notice from a website or a social media site; allowing the publication of a document on government.uk; or clarifying that material passed on to the print or broadcasting media would be acceptable. None of those things is clear at the moment. Let me repeat that we have no intention of legislating to allow the Government to do things such as mailshots, paid advertising or leafleting.”

  • Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Pendry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pendry on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that physical activity is an integral part of tackling obesity in the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy, in the light of the correlation between inactivity and childhood obesity.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Our Childhood Obesity Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will look at everything that contributes to a child becoming overweight and obese including inactivity.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh about (1) the arrest of Shafik Rehman on 16 April, and (2) the recent harassment of other journalists in Bangladesh; and what was the outcome of those representations.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Consular officials in Dhaka have registered the British Government’s interest in Mr Rehman’s case with the Director, Consular Affairs at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and requested consular access to Mr Rehman. Our High Commissioner in Dhaka raised this case with the MFA’s Director General EU.

    We have made clear our concerns about freedom of expression in Bangladesh, most recently in a press statement about the murder of Nazimuddin Samad. In that statement the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), restated the Government’s position that the right to freedom of expression and open debate in Bangladesh must be upheld.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Republic of Ireland owes the UK as a result of loans made during the recent financial crisis, and what are the arrangements for repayment of those monies.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    I refer the noble Lord to the most recent statutory report which the Treasury provided to Parliament as required by Section 2 of the Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The last report was laid in Parliament on 26 April 2016 and is available in the Printed Paper Office.

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

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the control of drones flying in UK air space.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. Work is underway to better understand the risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes. Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

    The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones. We have also completed a series of public dialogues ahead of a public consultation which will help to inform a government strategy to be published this year. The consultation will look at a range of options including regulation, registration and licensing options, and the potential for restrictions on purchase and use.

    Education of drone users is vital. The DfT is working with the CAA on raising awareness of responsible drone use. This includes the CAA’s ‘Drone Code’ safety awareness campaign, the issuing of safety leaflets at the point of sale, publishing an animated video on their website, and running ‘small UAS’ (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Risk and Hazard workshops with industry as part of the Mid Air Collision Programme.

  • Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Jopling – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jopling on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Leader of the House what discussions she has had with Ministers in the Cabinet Office with regard to the number of Questions for Written Answer not answered within 10 working days.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    My responsibility as Leader of the House, to encourage Ministers to be punctual in answering written questions, is one I take seriously. My office immediately approach departments who have not responded to questions after 10 working days, and remain in contact with them until the questions are answered. This process was followed with the Cabinet Office for the seven questions that remained unanswered after 10 working days on 18 March. All of those questions have now been answered. At the end of this Session I will publish data on each department’s promptness in dealing with Questions for Written Answer to allow for proper scrutiny of their performance.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of progress in implementing the provisions regarding footpaths and bridleways contained in the Deregulation Act 2015.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    We are continuing to work with the Stakeholder Working Group on both the secondary legislation and guidance necessary for implementation of the rights of way provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. We expect the package of legislation and guidance to be commenced, all on the same date, later in the year. One of the sets of regulations we are introducing is subject to affirmative resolution and therefore first needs to be debated in both Houses. This has added to the timetable.

  • Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Patten – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of weapons smuggled into the UK from Albania, Bosnia and Serbia.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Criminals from a wide range of countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Serbia, attempt to smuggle weapons into the UK and other EU countries illegally.

    Border Force works with partners, including law enforcement agencies from the UK and overseas, to disrupt the increasingly sophisticated attempts to smuggle prohibited goods into the UK. Border Force uses intelligence generated from a wide variety of sources and state of the art technology to seize weapons and other prohibited goods at ports of entry across the country.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2016-04-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits to date of the Right to Roam policy.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government recognises that the right of access for open-air recreation under Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 plays an important role in the public’s use and enjoyment of the natural environment in England. Although it has made no assessment of the benefits of the right of access, a report Costs and benefits of public access to the countryside – Literature Review, which was made to Natural England in 2013, noted that the recreational use of the countryside provided significant benefits to individuals, society and the wider economy.

    The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment survey, which is funded by Natural England with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Forestry Commission, has recorded the number of visits per year to open access land. The results of the survey show that between 2009/10 and 2013/14 on average 27.8 million visits per year were made to open access land.

    The Government is also developing a 25 Year Environment Plan which aims for Britain to be the healthiest and most beautiful place to live, work and bring up a family. We will be working with the Natural Capital Committee to develop a plan to protect and improve our natural capital and to provide opportunities for sustained prosperity and wellbeing.

    The Government wants everyone to feel the benefits of an improved environment and the opportunities that come from access to the countryside and our green spaces, including for recreation and relaxation. We are making strides to improve our understanding of the value of nature, to better quantify the range of benefits we get from our land, water, air, and seas. This will allow us to enhance the quality of the decisions we take about how these assets are managed, using natural capital as the common currency.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-04-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many (a) full-time equivalent civil servants work in his Department and (b) civil servants work full-time on the Northern Powerhouse agenda.

    Anna Soubry

    There are 2439 core full time equivalent civil servants working in BIS, including Sheffield and other locations. The Northern Powerhouse is a key ambition of this Government which requires input from officials across BIS and other Government Departments, across a wide range of policy areas. This supports places across the North to work collaboratively to direct and benefit from the Northern Powerhouse agenda.