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  • Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Young of Old Scone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Young of Old Scone on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide financial and other support for the management, protection, and expansion of the United Kingdom’s woodland resources.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    Defra and the Forestry Commission continue to work with stakeholders to help landowners manage the impacts of pests and diseases at a local level and, if necessary, replace trees with the most appropriate alternative species. This Government has committed over £21.2 million to tree health research.

    £31m per year of new Rural Development Programme funding will be spent on forestry, with £13m being spent on woodland management and £18m on new planting. By investing in woodlands, Countryside Stewardship will help us fulfil the Government’s manifesto commitment to plant another 11 million trees by supporting the creation of around 10,000 hectares of new woodland.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the years 2015 to 2025, what is (1) the planned expenditure on (a) rail, and (b) road, improvements in the north of England, and (2) the planned annual budget for economic activity provided to the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    As outlined in the existing Road Investment Strategy, announced in 2014, the total investment in major schemes on the strategic road network in the North (taken to be the North West, North East and Yorkshire) between April 2015 and March 2021 is expected to be about £2.9 billion. Construction of some of these schemes will continue beyond 2021 so the overall spend is expected to be £4.8 billion. Over £2.5 billion has also been committed to local transport projects and improvements to 2021. In addition, substantial amounts of funding have been allocated to road maintenance on both the strategic and local road networks in the north.

    The Government has ambitious plans for rail which is why Network Rail has been allocated a record £38 billionfor the period from 2014-2019. The Secretary of State for Transport has asked Sir Peter Hendy, as the new chair of Network Rail, to report to him this autumn with a proposal for re-planning the Control Period 5 enhancements in a way that is efficient, deliverable and affordable. Until that work is complete, the spending profile in any given year is not available.

    The Government will update its plans following the Spending Review, which will conclude on 25 November 2015.

  • Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Willis of Knaresborough – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 21 September (HL2284), when the cancer dashboard will be published, and whether it will include metrics on rare and less common cancers, such as multiple myeloma.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    The independent Cancer Taskforce published its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, in July this year. NHS England is currently working with partners across the health system to determine how best to take forward the recommendations of the report. A specific timeline for publication of the dashboard, and the metrics it will include, has not yet been finalised.

    A copy of the Taskforce’s report is attached.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Security Council has discussed the strategic implications of the closure of the Redcar steelworks to the long-term security interests of the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies they have in place (1) for the protection of the Exclusive Economic Zones around the United Kingdom’s worldwide dependencies, and (2) to ensure maximum economic advantage for the United Kingdom and its dependencies from those waters and seabed.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government is committed to protecting the marine environment of the Overseas Territories. As part of this work we plan to work with the Overseas Territories to create “blue belts” to help manage their dynamic and important ecosystems in a way which effectively balances environmental protection and economic potential. This will help the UK to meet its international obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which aims to protect ten per cent of marine waters globally. In support of this goal the UK has, in addition, declared a full no take Marine Protected Area around the British Indian Ocean Territory and a sustainable use Marine Protected Area in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

    The Overseas Territories are responsible for managing their terrestrial and marine environments, including their economic potential. The UK is responsible in international law for compliance with international obligations.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) Forth, Medway and Trent, will operate in addition to the current four OPVs.

    Earl Howe

    The operation of the three new Offshore Patrol Vessels will be subject to the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have made for seaborne links with Tristan da Cunha now that St Helena has an airfield.

    Baroness Verma

    Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to change seaborne links with Tristan da Cunha.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are giving any assistance to Tristan da Cunha to save the critically endangered Tristan albatross.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    UK Overseas Territory (OT) Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments. The UK Government cherishes the environmental assets of the OTs and we work in partnership with OT Governments to identify where our support can be most effective, including through access to expertise, technical advice and training and through the Overseas Territory Environment and Climate Fund (Darwin Plus). Through Darwin Plus, the UK Government has committed approximately £5.2 million since 2012 to help protect the natural environment in the OTs.

    House mice predation on chicks of the Tristan albatross is the main threat to the species. Before the launch of Darwin Plus, the UK Government had already committed over £500,000 to help eradicate mice from Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha. Through Darwin Plus, we are providing over £82,000 to assess the conservation status of the endangered Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross on Tristan da Cunha.

    Joint UK Government and South Atlantic OTs funding also supports a co-ordinating post based in the Falkland Islands to help meet obligations arising from the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and to assist with the planning and implementation of albatross and petrel conservation work.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the leaked 2009 report by the United States Central Intelligence Agency that drone strikes are ineffective and counter-productive.

    Earl Howe

    The Government deplores the leaking of any classified information, wherever it occurs. It has been the policy of successive British Governments not to comment on leaked documents.

  • Lord Stephen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Stephen – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stephen on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how much would be raised annually by a levy of 0.5 per cent on PAYE costs, in a similar manner to the Construction Industry Training Board levy, from (1) private sector employers, and (2) public sector employers, in Scotland.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Treasury has made no estimate of the revenue impact of introducing a levy on employer PAYE costs in Scotland.