Author: admin

  • The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The Earl of Sandwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Sandwich on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of (1) prisoners, and (2) young offenders, suffer from mental health problems; and of those, how many suffer from (a) illegal drug addiction, and (b) prescribed drug dependence.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    72% of adult male prisoners and 71% of adult female prisoners may have two or more mental disorders including personality disorder, psychosis, anxiety, depression or substance misuse according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

    According to the cross-government report Healthy Children, Safer Communities (2009), more than one third of people held in the children and young people’s secure estate, including those held in young offender institutions, have diagnosed mental health disorders. A copy of this report is attached.

    The ONS also reports that about 55% of individuals entering prison have a drug problem. Data on prescribed drug dependence in prisons is not collected centrally.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Sharkey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Leader of the House what was the average time in (1) the 2015–16 Session, and (2) each of the last five Sessions before that, between the publication of a select committee report and its being debated; and how many select committee reports published in the 2015–16 Session and the previous five Sessions were undebated (1) 12 months, and (2) six months, after publication.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    My office does not hold the information requested.

    My Noble Friend the Government Chief Whip makes regular offers of time for debates on Select Committee reports to the Committee Office. The Committee Office then coordinate among Chairmen to determine which reports are debated on such occasions and in what order.

    Sixteen select committee reports were debated in the last session and debates on nine reports have been arranged thus far this session.

  • Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they now expect the new airport on St Helena to be opened.

    Baroness Verma

    There is no confirmed date for the commencement of scheduled services into St Helena airport. DFID is working closely with all interested parties to open the airport as soon as possible.

  • Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the delay in opening the new airport on St Helena, whether the ship RMS St Helena will continue to operate beyond the advertised finishing date of 15 July.

    Baroness Verma

    DFID is currently in discussion with the St Helena Government to finalise arrangements for the extension of the RMS St Helena beyond July 2016.

  • Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Shutt of Greetland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, when a Saturday air service begins to operate between Johannesburg and St Helena, those flights will provide connections with flights between South Africa and the UK that avoid an overnight stay in Johannesburg.

    Baroness Verma

    Based on the currently proposed schedule for regular flights between Johannesburg and St Helena, these will permit onward flight connections to and from the UK with a reasonable transfer time and which should not require overnight stays in Johannesburg in either direction.

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

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Australian model for payment disputes could help small UK suppliers.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    In establishing the UK Small Business Commissioner through the Enterprise Act 2016, the Government has taken inspiration from the Australian Small Business Commissioner (now the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman) and Small Business Commissioners at state level in Australia. These bodies provide advice and access to alternative dispute resolution to small businesses involved in a variety of disputes, which may include some payment disputes.

    The UK Small Business Commissioner will focus on payment disputes between small and larger businesses and encourage a change in how businesses deal with each other – a long lasting cultural change to promote fair treatment for all. He or she will act as a disincentive to unfavourable payment practices, and build the confidence and capabilities of small businesses to help them to assert themselves in contractual disputes and negotiate more effectively. The Commissioner will provide general information and advice, direct small businesses to existing dispute resolution services (eg, mediation services and ombudsmen) and handle complaints from small businesses about payment issues

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

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to improve trade data for the next calendar quarter.

    Lord Price

    Increasing exports is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish both at home and overseas.

    A key part of this work is to identify export opportunities, many of which are based around the needs of high-growth and emerging markets. We are making those opportunities available to UK businesses through the Exporting is GREAT campaign which has elicited over 25,000 responses to the 7,000 export opportunities published online since it launched in November 2015.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of proposals by the European Commission to fine EU member states €250,000 for every refugee they decline to allow into their country.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    This is related to the European Commission’s proposal on a revised Dublin Regulation, which was published on 4 May 2016. Given the recent publication of this proposal and the significant amount of detail to consider, we are not in a position to give a clear view on this yet. An Explanatory Memorandum is due to be laid in Parliament in the week commencing 23 May which will include more detail of the government’s initial views. In any case the proposal is subject the UK’s opt-in protocol and we will only opt-in if it is in our national interest to do so.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for deciding whether to allow a third runway at Heathrow.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    A number of important decisions on airport capacity were taken by the Government in December, including to accept the case for expansion in the South-East. However, we must take the time to get the decision right on a preferred scheme. The Government is further considering the environmental impacts and the best possible measures to mitigate the impacts of expansion, this work will conclude by summer 2016.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Teverson on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to reconsider their decision to withdraw financial support for the Cornish language, and if not, under what circumstances they next intend to do so.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Cornwall Council has a core spending power of £1.7 billion over the next four years, from which they can allocate the necessary resources to sustain and grow the use of the Cornish Language, if that is what local people want to see.