The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-02-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have an agreement or understanding with the IRA that there will be no attempts to stop or bring to court its members on charges relating to tax fraud in South Armagh.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The government does not have any agreement or understanding in place with the IRA.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lisvane on 2016-03-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their policy is towards the commencement of the Easter Act 1928.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Easter Act 1928 would set the date for Easter to fall on the Sunday that follows the second Saturday in April (i.e. between 9 and 15 April). The Act has not been brought into force. To do so would require an Order in Council, with the approval of both Houses of Parliament. The Act requires that, before the Order is made, “regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any Church or other Christian Body." If the Christian churches were to agree on moving to a fixed date for Easter then the Government would consider, depending on what date is agreed, whether to bring into force the Easter Act 1928 or to make such other legislative provision as may be needed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 March (HL6930 and HL6954), how the patient information and consent forms originally submitted to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) explicitly described the process of genome editing in human embryos by means of CRISPR-Cas9; whether such previously licensed research has now commenced; if so, when the HFEA received evidence of ethics approval; and what have been the reasons for the further delay in commencing such research in the light of previous complaints about delays by the person responsible in her correspondence to the HFEA dated 15 December 2015 and 12 January 2016.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the original patient information is part of the information presented to the Licence Committee and this was sent to the noble Lord on 7 March 2016. The research involving gene editing has not yet started. The HFEA is awaiting final confirmation that the changes to the patient information and consent forms requested by the research ethics committee have been made.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by which states their intention that by March 2014 the e-Borders system would have reached the key milestone of “the receipt and processing of data for 100 per cent of passengers and crew movements” ; whether it is still their aim to reach that milestone; and if not on 2016-05-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 May (HL7852), why they only conduct targeted passport checks against selected cohorts of passengers leaving the UK for a range of law enforcement purposes”
Lord Keen of Elie
Routine embarkation controls by Border Force officers were abolished in 1994 and 1998, as the paper-based checks were deemed outdated and checks were not carried out on all modes of transport. However, Border Force does undertake targeted passport checks against selected cohorts of passengers leaving the UK for a range of law enforcement purposes. Since April 2015 exit data has been collected by carriers and port operators from all scheduled international commercial services departing the UK from air and sea ports and from international rail stations, except those services not within scope. Departure data is collected by carriers and port operators and transmitted to Home Office systems, where work takes place to match it to arrival data, visa conditions and other information as appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Spellar on 2016-06-27.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department’s purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.
Harriett Baldwin
In 2013, HM Treasury outsourced the majority of its procurement and commercial services to Crown Commercial Service.
All procurement activity is undertaken reflecting policy direction communicated via Procurement Policy Notes as issued by Cabinet Office, as well as the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-09-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of offering Public Service Obligation Route status to the Londonderry to Stansted Airport service.
Mr John Hayes
The UK government has agreed in principle to support the air route between City of Derry Airport and London though a Public Service Obligation. It is now for Derry City & Strabane District Council take forward the tender process to identify an airline to operate the route.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Luciana Berger on 2016-01-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 20082, what the (a) dates, (b) locations and (c) organisations of the 19 visits and meetings referred to in that Answer were.
Alistair Burt
Details of the 19 visits to or meetings with mental health trusts undertaken by Simon Stevens and Sir Bruce Keogh since their appointments as Chief Executive and Medical Director respectively are given on the attached table Details of meetings with and visits to mental health trusts undertaken by Simon Stevens and Sir Bruce Keogh since their appointments as Chief Executive and Medical Director respectively of NHS England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2015-11-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2015 to Question 13491, if she will make it her policy to designate all the areas supplying aquifers used for drinking water as Source Protection Zones 1.
Andrea Leadsom
Source Protection Zones identify the area of an aquifer that provides the water abstracted at the drinking water supply borehole. Source Protection Zones 1 (SPZ1) are the area within which pollution would take less than 50 days to reach an abstraction point and where the consequences of groundwater pollution would therefore be greatest. They are used by the Environment Agency as a tool for regulation. The Environment Agency will not permit drilling for oil or gas in an SPZ1. Outside SPZ1s the Environment Agency will require a site specific risk assessment and will only permit drilling for oil or gas if it is satisfied that there is no significant risk to supplies of drinking water and no unacceptable impact on groundwater.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 2015-12-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps they plan to take to improve the diet of pregnant women and new mothers.
Lord Prior of Brampton
Parents receive health and lifestyle advice, including advice on diet, weight control and physical activity, from their health visitor as part of the Healthy Child Programme.
For parents, the Government provides online advice on maternal nutrition via the NHS Choices website and the Start4Life website.
The Your Pregnancy and Baby guide on NHS Choices includes information about a healthy diet in pregnancy. Start4Life produce a range of information booklets with advice for parents, including Healthy Habits for Baby and You which provides information and advice on eating healthily and exercise in pregnancy.
The Government’s statutory Healthy Start scheme aims to provide a nutritional safety net to the most nutritionally vulnerable pregnant women, new mothers and children under four years old in low income families. The scheme provides vouchers for basic healthy foods (milk, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables) and infant formula milk. This encourages healthy eating the scheme covers approximately half a million pregnant women, new mothers, and children under four years old in low income families throughout the United Kingdom.
We currently have no plans to extend the current dietary advice given to pregnant women and new mothers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Glindon on 2016-01-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the maximum amount of time his Department has determined as a reasonable time for court users to have to travel to their nearest court by public transport when making decisions on court closures.
Mr Shailesh Vara
Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court. To ensure that access to justice is maintained, we are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services, including the use of other civic buildings for video links or hearings.