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  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the European Union policy of requiring farmers to erect notices advertising the European Union if they receive grants; whether such notices require planning consent; and whether they will require that all such advertising notices should also indicate information about the ratio of United Kingdom contributions to the European Union budget and the sums returned by way of grants to farmers and others.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    EU regulations require any business who receives over €500,000 for capital items to display a billboard setting out:

    • The name of the project
    • A description of the activity supported by the project
    • The name of the funding stream: ‘European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas’
    • The full relevant EU logo

    We expect less than 1% of all agreements will be large enough to meet this requirement.

    However, the Minister of State for farming, food and marine environment will be considering how this requirement might be removed in future CAP regulations.

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, if their objectives of European Union re-negotiation are not met, they plan to recommend leaving that organisation.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), is confident that with good will and understanding, he can and will succeed in negotiating reform in the EU and Britain’s relationship within it. As he has said, if he succeeds he will campaign to keep the UK in a reformed EU but if he does not achieve these changes he rules nothing out.

  • Baroness Pinnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Pinnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board about best practice with respect to keeping open indefinitely cases relating to claimants who allege that they have been abused as children.

    Lord Faulks

    The criminal injuries compensation scheme recognises that children who have suffered injuries as a result of crime may require greater support in making an application for compensation. The scheme allows those injured as children to make an application up to their 20th birthday, or if the crime was reported after their 18th birthday a period of 2 years from that report in which to do so, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries. These periods may be extended in exceptional circumstances, also subject to sufficient supporting evidence in respect of the claim being provided.

    In addition, an applicant can also apply at any point to have their case medically reopened, should their condition change to such an extent that it would be unjust not to make a further award. A request to medically reopen the case should be made within 2 years of the case being finalised, but can be considered after this time, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries.

    This Government is committed to supporting victims of sexual abuse. As part of this the Ministry of Justice has instructed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to abide by an embargo on the destruction of files to ensure retention of anything that might be of relevance to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

  • Baroness Pinnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Pinnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Pinnock on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why former foster children cannot claim for criminal injuries compensation against foster parents who have been abusive.

    Lord Faulks

    Former foster children can apply to the publically funded criminal injuries compensation scheme if they have suffered serious physical or mental injury as the direct result of a violent crime. Awards made under the scheme are paid for by tax payers and not the perpetrator of the violent crime.

    If former foster parents were convicted of an offence that resulted in personal injury, loss or damage, when sentencing the court would consider making an order for compensation in favour of the victim which would be paid by the perpetrators.

  • Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    Lord Palmer – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the The Lord Chairman of Committees

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Chairman of Committees how many members of staff in Catering and Retail Services are being made redundant.

    Lord Laming

    There have been no redundancies in House of Lords Catering and Retail Services this year. Three sous chefs left via a voluntary exit scheme following a restructuring of back of house services.

  • Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Jones of Cheltenham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the October publication of a revised Ministerial Code, whether the omission in section 1.2 of a commitment to international law and treaty obligations represents a reduction in the role that the United Kingdom’s international obligations play in domestic decision-making, and whether the duty of ministers to comply with the law continues to include international law and treaties.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048, which I attach for ease of reference.

    The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.

    Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.

  • Lord Higgins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Higgins – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Higgins on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that migrants rescued from drowning by the British Navy in the Mediterranean are no longer disembarked in the European Union, in order to discourage migrants from travelling in unseaworthy vessels provided by people smugglers.

    Lord Bates

    As set out in the Government’s response to written questions HL2307 and HL2339 under international law the UK has a duty to not return people who are rescued at sea to countries where they would be at risk of serious harm. Migrants rescued in the Mediterranean must therefore be disembarked at the nearest safe country.

    The Government, however, maintains that the link must be broken between getting on a boat and automatically achieving residence in the Europe. The UK continues to push for action through the EU and UN to tackle the causes of illegal migration in order to discourage people from making these dangerous journeys. The UK is pursuing and disrupting the organised crime groups profiting from the people smuggling trade, including through the creation of an Organised Immigration Crime Task Force.

    Migrants who do reach the EU need to be registered, screened and processed when they arrive to control their movement as well as to distinguish between those in real need of international protection and economic migrants. The UK is supporting the EU ‘Hotspots’ initiative which will help give effect to this.

    The UK is leading the way for a sustainable and effective approach to the migrant situation and at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 October the Home Secretary reiterated that in order for EU Member States to focus their resources on helping those in genuine need, an effective returns system for those not found to be in need of international protection is vital.

  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an invitation was extended to the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina to participate in the European Union leaders’ meeting of 25 October to discuss the Western Balkans migratory route, and whether it is their policy that the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina should be invited to participate in future EU meetings on this subject.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The decision on which parties attended the Summit on 25 October to discuss the refugee flows along the Western Balkans route was taken by Commission President Juncker. The British Government supports the inclusion of affected countries in such meetings and considers it important that decisions which affect all Member States are taken by all 28 Member States.

  • Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Helic – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Helic on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria were used to decide which governments to invite to participate in the European Union leaders’ meeting of 25 October to discuss the Western Balkans migratory route.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government understands that on 25 October Commission President Juncker convened leaders from those countries most affected by the migration crisis along the Western Balkans route; namely, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. The emergency meeting was not attended by all 28 Member States of the EU, or all the countries of the Western Balkans. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), participated in a formal EU Conference with Western Balkans and other countries on 8 October in Luxembourg which agreed a comprehensive package of measures for dealing with the challenges of migration through the Eastern Mediterranean.

  • Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Falconer of Thoroton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Attorney General was consulted or notified before the decision was made to remove the reference to the need to comply with international law and treaty obligations from the Ministerial Code.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.

    Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.