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  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Syria Donors Conference in London in February 2016 will address issues surrounding sexual violence in conflict.

    Baroness Verma

    The London Conference for Syria and the region will mark a qualitative shift in the way the international community responds to this protracted crisis – addressing both immediate and longer-term needs, particularly on jobs and education. The Conference will also focus on the protection of civilians from harm, including sexual and gender-based violence.

  • Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Harrison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harrison on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whose responsibility it is to ensure the safety of lifts at Euston railway station; and what information they have about when those lifts were last inspected; and whether they will publish a report about lift safety at that station.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    Network Rail is the relevant safety duty holder with responsibility for ensuring that risks are controlled so far as reasonably practicable on its infrastructure and the stations it manages.

    The Department does not hold information about when the lifts at Euston railway station were last inspected and operational issues such as these are a matter for Network Rail with oversight from the Office of Rail and Road in its role as the independent railway safety regulator.

  • The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The Earl of Clancarty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Clancarty on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will introduce legislation to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government remains committed to bringing forward legislation to ratify the Hague Convention and accede to its two Protocols at the first opportunity.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the change in the size of the audience for BBC World Service programmes broadcast via the internet in African countries or regions from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that:

    The current weekly audience for the BBC on the Internet in sub Saharan Africa has grown from 520,000 in 2006 to 4.3 million (726 per cent increase).

    The current weekly audience for the BBC on the Internet in the Middle East and North Africa grew from 530,000 in 2006 to 2.2 million (315 per cent increase).

    The World Service use Global Audience Measurement (GAM) data to track performance by platform and by market. This data provides clear records from 2005 onwards.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the changes in audience sizes in African countries or regions following the switch from short wave to FM transmission of BBC World Service programmes between 1999 and 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that they make the following assessment of the changes in audience sizes in African countries or regions:

    Sub -Saharan Africa –

    Total audience across all platforms has risen from 52.7 million in 2005 to 81.8 million in 2015 (55 per cent increase).

    In 2005, Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 63 per cent of total audiences; by 2015 Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 39.3 per cent of total audiences.

    Short Wave and Medium Wave audiences in the region have dropped 3.9 per cent, while BBC’s direct FM audiences have grown by 125 per cent.

    Middle East and North Africa –

    Total audience across all platforms has risen from 15.3 million in 2005 to 48.2 million in 2015 (215 per cent increase).

    In 2005, Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 78 per cent of total audiences; by 2015 Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 8.5 per cent of total audiences.

    In this period, Short Wave and Medium Wave audiences in the region have dropped by 62 per cent, while the BBC’s direct FM audiences have dropped by 59 per cent.

    BBC Arabic TV reaches 30.3 million people across Middle East & North Africa.

    The World Service use Global Audience Measurement (GAM) data to track performance by platform and by market. This data provides clear records from 2005 onwards.

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries local FM radio stations broadcasting BBC World Service programmes in-country have been closed down by the authorities in each year from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that they experienced closures to their service in the following countries: 2006 – Tajikistan 2008 – Oman 2009 –Azerbaijan 2010 – Somalia 2010 – Sudan 2008 to 2011– Israel 2014 – Rwanda

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the receipt of BBC World Service programmes via the internet has been blocked in each year from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that blocks via the internet occurred in the following years:

    1999 to present – China (BBC Chinese)
    1999 to 2008 – China (BBC News – English)
    2010 – China (BBC News – English was again blocked in December 2010 for a number of days and then lifted)
    2014 – China (BBC News – English was again blocked in October 2014 for two weeks)
    2002 – Vietnam
    2004 – Uzbekistan
    2006 to present – Iran
    2013 to present – Sri Lanka
    2014 – Rwanda

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the short wave radio transmission of BBC World Service programmes has been jammed in each year from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that short wave radio transmission has been jammed in the following countries: 2004 to present – Uzbekistan 2010 – China (Mandarin) 2012 to 2013 – Iran 2013 to present –China, which has also affected parts of India, Bhutan and Bangladesh

  • Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Chidgey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which African countries or regions the BBC World Service has switched from short wave transmission of their radio programmes from London via intermediate transmitters to in-country onward transmission from local FM stations, in each year from 1999 to 2014.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The BBC World Service has advised that they maintained short wave broadcasts to Africa in all languages broadcast since 1999 except: •2010 – Swahili in Kenya •2011 – Portuguese in Southern Africa, primarily Mozambique.

  • Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Bradley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bradley on 2015-11-30.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish a National Framework for the care of (1) children, and (2) adults, who have suffered a severe brain injury and are cared for at home.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The Department has no plans to publish a specific National Framework for the care of children or adults who have suffered a severe brain injury.

    However, there are National Frameworks for continuing care for children and young people (under the age of 18), and for NHS Continuing Healthcare (for individuals aged 18 or over), which support the provision of packages of care for those assessed as eligible to meet needs that have arisen as a result of a disability, accident or illness including severe brain injury. Copies are attached. The diagnosis of a particular disease or condition is not in itself a determinant of eligibility.