The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that contract staff in all government departments receive the Living Wage at the appropriate rate.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Every employer in the country will pay the National Living Wage, including all Government contractors, from April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that the FCO’s cleaning contractor, Interserve, pays the London Living Wage to its employees.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Interserve is responsible for setting the terms and conditions of its staff, including pay. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports its contractors in paying the London and UK Living Wage when it is affordable and does not cost jobs, however this should be for individual employers to decide. Interserve will have to pay its staff the National Living Wage from April.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the number of persons brought to justice for trafficking in persons, enslavement, forced prostitution, labour exploitation, and other similar crimes in the last three years, both in the UK and in other jurisdictions.
Lord Bates
The number of perpetrators of ‘slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour’, ‘human trafficking for sexual exploitation’ and ‘human trafficking for non-sexual exploitation’ found guilty and sentenced in each of the last three years is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
The ‘Outcomes by Offence Tables’ should be selected, and can be filtered for each of the three offences listed above. The UK Government does not hold information on the numbers brought to justice in other jurisdictions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the report Four Nations – How Evidence-based are Alcohol Policies and Programmes Across the UK? published in November by the Alliance for Useful Evidence, and if so, what lessons they have drawn for their own plans to reduce alcohol-related harm.
Lord Bates
We have noted the report. It misrepresents the Government’s position on minimum unit pricing and health as a licensing objective. Minimum unit pricing will remain under review whilst we monitor carefully the legal developments and the implementation of this policy in Scotland. We have consulted on health as a licensing objective and will continue to look at its feasibility.
Our assessment of alcohol-related harm is that it costs society over £21 billion per year. To address this we will build on the 2012 Alcohol Strategy to tackle alcohol as a driver of crime and support people to stay healthy, while working with partners at a local and national level to reduce the impact of alcohol misuse.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many actions have been taken by the police and trading standards regarding breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in relation to ticket resale websites.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Such information on breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in relation to ticket re-sale websites is not currently held by or routinely made available to the Government.
The Independent Review of Secondary Ticketing required by the Consumer Rights Act will consider evidence and report by 26 May 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many complaints the Citizens Advice consumer helpline has received about ticket resale websites.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government has not made a separate assessment of complaints made to the Citizens Advice Helpline at this time , but the Government is committed to reducing consumer detriment from ticket mis-selling and is supporting an independently-led review of consumer protection measures for ticket re-sale websites. The Government awaits the recommendations of this Review and will report its conclusions to Parliament by 26 May 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 2 November (HL2909) regarding breaches of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ticket resale websites, what action they are taking to highlight to the general public (1) the existence of, and (2) the functions of, the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government advises consumers through Gov.uk to contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which is funded by BIS, on any questions relating to consumer law, including ticket resales. The helpline advises consumers on their rights and remedies and will pass on complaints to Trading Standards where appropriate.
Awareness of the helpline is also raised through national consumer campaigns such as Scams Awareness Month and National Consumer Week which Government supports through the Consumer Protection Partnership. Citizens Advice produces leaflets and other materials informing consumers of their rights and how to look out for scams.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of mesothelioma worldwide, and of which countries are most at risk from it.
Baroness Verma
Data on mesothelioma deaths is collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the WHO mortality database. The WHO recognises that the global mesothelioma burden remains unclear, but the number of reported mesothelioma deaths and the number of countries reporting deaths has increased in recent years. The WHO, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and other intergovernmental organisations and civil society, works with countries towards elimination of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the occupations most at risk from mesothelioma.
Baroness Altmann
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) maintains a register of all death certificates in Great Britain which mention mesothelioma within the cause of death. Analyses of the occupations recorded on such death certificates show that former construction workers, including carpenters, plumbers and electricians, and those who worked in shipbuilding are those most at risk of developing mesothelioma today.
A research study to look in more detail at the sources of mesothelioma risk in Britain carried out by Professor Julian Peto supported these conclusions, and estimated that nearly half of male mesothelioma deaths were attributed to building-related jobs including carpenters, plumbers and electricians. These risks are a result of high past asbestos exposures during the period when asbestos was being very widely used within the building industry.
Workers today who are potentially at higher risk of mesothelioma in the future – and who are now the focus of strict control measures – are those most likely to come across asbestos during their work, including building maintenance and asbestos removal workers.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wills on 2015-11-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the annual cost of mesothelioma to the welfare budget.
Baroness Altmann
The information is not recorded centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.