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  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many oak trees have been killed by Acute Oak Decline in the past five years.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Over the past five years Forest Research, in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, has conducted a systematic survey to model the distribution of acute oak decline (AOD) in England and Wales. The results show that the condition currently affects several thousand oak trees, mostly across East Anglia, the Midlands and southern England.

    The complex nature of the condition means it is often associated with other pathogens, as well as insect defoliators and the research has not yet concluded whether AOD kills trees or not. A large proportion of the infected trees monitored have entered remission suggesting some level of host resistance. We do not have information at the landscape level on the number of oak with AOD symptoms that die every year.

    Since 2013, Defra has invested £1.1 million in research to understand the causes, distribution and scale of AOD in the UK. This includes work to investigate the bacterial species associated with the condition and to understand whether the Agrilus biguttatus beetle plays a role in the dispersal of these bacterial species. Early findings from this research are still inconclusive. There is currently no firm evidence of transmission by the beetle.

    Earlier this year, Defra in collaboration with the Research Councils, Scottish Government and the Forestry Commission launched a further £2 million call for research proposals on ‘oak health’ and Phytophthora. The successful bids from this call are due to be announced shortly.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the spread of Acute Oak Decline in the UK.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Over the past five years Forest Research, in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, has conducted a systematic survey to model the distribution of acute oak decline (AOD) in England and Wales. The results show that the condition currently affects several thousand oak trees, mostly across East Anglia, the Midlands and southern England.

    The complex nature of the condition means it is often associated with other pathogens, as well as insect defoliators and the research has not yet concluded whether AOD kills trees or not. A large proportion of the infected trees monitored have entered remission suggesting some level of host resistance. We do not have information at the landscape level on the number of oak with AOD symptoms that die every year.

    Since 2013, Defra has invested £1.1 million in research to understand the causes, distribution and scale of AOD in the UK. This includes work to investigate the bacterial species associated with the condition and to understand whether the Agrilus biguttatus beetle plays a role in the dispersal of these bacterial species. Early findings from this research are still inconclusive. There is currently no firm evidence of transmission by the beetle.

    Earlier this year, Defra in collaboration with the Research Councils, Scottish Government and the Forestry Commission launched a further £2 million call for research proposals on ‘oak health’ and Phytophthora. The successful bids from this call are due to be announced shortly.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, for each local authority in the Yorkshire and Humber region, of the net financial impact of moving to grant reduction and 100 per cent business rate retention as outlined in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015; which local authorities will see (1) a net increase, and (2) a net decrease; and what the increase and decrease will be in each case.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Government intends to move to 100% business rates retention in England by the end of this Parliament. We have confirmed that, as part of the new system, there will continue to be redistribution of local tax revenue between authorities and protections in place for authorities that see their business rates income fall significantly. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme.

    Ahead of final decisions, it is too early to assess what the impact will be on individual areas or authorities but, before the start of the financial year, local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber estimated that their total business rates income for 2015-16 would be £1.9 billion.

  • Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, for each local authority in the Yorkshire and Humber region, of whether the social care budget will meet future demand in the period between 2015 and 2020, in the light of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    No such assessment has been made. It is for local authorities to allocate funding to individual services from their overall budget. In recognition of increasing demand for social services, the Spending Review announced an ambitious plan to integrate health and social care across the country by 2020, and a £3.5 billion package to support local authorities with responsibility for adult social care to meet the needs of their local population. This includes giving councils the additional freedom to introduce a social care precept onto council tax bills, which local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber with responsibility for Adult Social Care services can choose to take up from 2016-17.

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

    Lord Scriven – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions they have made about the increase in demand for social care in calculating that the new 2 per cent council tax levy and the £1.5 billion for the Better Care Fund, announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, would meet future demand; and whether they will list the assumptions made and the projected increase in demand for each year from 2015 to 2020.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    Spending Review decisions take into account a range of financial and economic factors as well as changes in demand. Our analysis of adult social care demand drew on:

    ‒ academic modelling of future demand for services;

    ‒ projections and data on pay including the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care;

    ‒ gross domestic product deflators for inflation; and

    ‒ consideration of the potential for efficiencies and savings, based on a range of sources.

    That analysis informed the decision to provide a settlement which means local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament, including:

    ‒ The social care precept which puts money raising powers into the hands of local areas who understand the need in their area and who are best placed to respond;

    ‒ From 2017-18, social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019-20, to be included in an improved Better Care Fund; and

    ‒ More than double the funding for the heavily oversubscribed Disabled Facilities Grant to over £500 million per annum by 2019-20.

  • Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bates on 25 November (HL Deb, col 691), whether they plan to introduce primary legislation in relation to extraterritorial jurisdiction when dealing with forced marriages; whether they will then fully ratify the Istanbul Convention; and if so, what is the expected timetable for doing so.

    Lord Bates

    We have already taken extra-territorial jurisdiction on forced marriage through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. However we will need to take extra-territorial jurisdiction over a number of other offences in order to be fully compliant with Article 44 of the convention. Primary legislation will be required and the Government is currently considering the approach to implementing the extra-territorial provisions and working with devolved administrations regarding ratification. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for introducing further amendments to domestic law to be able to take extra-territorial jurisdiction over the remaining offences and will seek to legislate as soon as the approach is agreed and Parliamentary time allows. The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 19 November (HL Deb, col 331), whether the investigation into the email exchange between the Chief Executive of the UK Anti-Doping Agency and the Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association is complete, and if so,what action has been taken on the findings.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Viscount Younger’s comment referred to the investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Independent Commission into the Sunday Times allegations on blood doping, which remain ongoing -not to the comments made by the Chief Executive of UK Anti-Doping.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the reported exchange of emails between the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Russian Anti-Doping Commission, what assessment they have made of whether the composition of World Anti-Doping Agency could lead to conflicts of interest which a reasonable person would consider might jeopardise the independence of the organisation.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    We are supportive of the World Anti-Doping Agency and its governance structure.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Russia, Argentina, Ukraine, Bolivia, Israel and Andorra, and what assessment they have made of the specific measures, timetable and budget required for determining whether France, Belgium, Greece, Mexico and Spain meet the necessary standards required to send teams to the Olympic Games in Rio.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Compliance Review Committee is set to review responses from Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Israel and Ukraine. If they are judged to have taken the necessary corrective action, WADA’s Foundation Board will be in a position to declare those countries compliant. WADA had its first meeting with the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation on 26 November to discuss the first steps towards Russia achieving compliance in the future. All six countries, currently on WADA’s ‘watch-list’, have until 18 March 2016 to resolve compliance issues, otherwise they will be declared non-compliant.

    It is then for the International Olympic Committee and the relevant international sporting federation to decide whether a non-compliant anti-doping programme would prevent a country from competing at an Olympic Games.

  • Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Moynihan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moynihan on 2015-11-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 on the discretionary spend of local authorities on sport and recreational facilities, and what projections they have made of future years.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Local authorities make their own decisions on how they spend their budgets on sport and other discretionary areas. Many local authorities already understand the value of investing in sport and are best placed to make the right decisions for their communities locally, whilst continuing to be supported by a strong national offer directed by Sport England. Strengthening grassroots sport will be at the heart of our forthcoming new sports strategy.