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  • Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Myners – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is routine policy for the Cabinet Office to contact HM Revenue and Customs to consult it prior to the appointment of a non-elected Minister.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    As was the case under previous administrations, ministerial appointments are a matter for the Prime Minister, in line with the Ministerial Code.

    For those individuals upon whom the Prime Minister wishes to confer a life peerage, the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission vets nominations. For those individuals upon whom the Prime Minister wishes to confer a peerage in order that they might sit in the House of Lords to take up a ministerial role, the Commission consults the main regulatory authorities, including HMRC, before giving advice.

  • 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 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 10 February (HL4601), whether the three offshore patrol vessels referred to as fulfilling the Royal Naval commitment to fishery protection included the Offshore Patrol Vessel presently deployed to the West Indies for five months.

    Lord De Mauley

    There is a formal agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy that provides for the Royal Navy to supply surveillance and fisheries inspection services to the MMO. The agreement contains a commitment from the Royal Navy to provide 500 days of service annually to the MMO. It has three offshore patrol vessels based in UK waters: HMS Severn, HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey. The MMO do not specify how many or which vessels will be used at any one time to fulfil this role.

    HMS Severn was available to contribute to delivery of that commitment between 1 April and 19 November 2014 after which it was tasked with other high priority duties. On projected figures it is anticipated that the Royal Navy will meet its commitments to the MMO for the financial year through the combined use of HMS Tyne, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey.

  • 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 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has assumed responsibility for the maintenance of the Royal Naval Division memorial from the original charity.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In 2002, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as the current occupant of the Old Admiralty Building, agreed to assume the costs for general cleaning of the Royal Naval Division Memorial and the costs of the water supply to the memorial’s fountain. The costs of any maintenance, other than cleaning, remain the responsibility of the Committee for the Royal Naval Division Memorial. In November 2013, the Committee informed the FCO that it intended to commission a condition survey of the memorial and had raised funds for any repair work. The survey commenced on 17 February 2015.

  • Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    Lord West of Spithead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for the maintenance of buildings, parapets, and statues on Horse Guards Parade.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Royal Parks Agency is responsible for Horse Guards Parade Ground as it forms part of the Royal Park. They also have responsibility for the maintenance of the following statues and structures.

    – Earl Mountbatten Statue

    – Field Marshal Earl Kitchener Statue

    – Field Marshal Earl Roberts Statue

    – Viscount Wolseley Statue

    – Cadiz Mortar

    – Ottoman Gun

    A Charitable organisation, the Committee for the Royal Naval Division Memorial is responsible for the maintenance of the Royal Naval Division Memorial. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth office has an agreement to maintain the costs of the water supply and the costs of cleaning the memorial.

  • 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 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nuclear attack submarines were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • 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 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 2087 sonar-fitted T23 Frigates were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • 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 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopters were employed in the hunt for a suspected Russian submarine to the west of the United Kingdom this year.

    Lord Astor of Hever

    We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

  • Lord Rogan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Rogan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rogan on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether current staffing levels of HM Prison Service meet the standard complement.

    Lord Faulks

    Staffing levels have been reviewed prison by prison as part of a ‘benchmarking approach’. Benchmark staffing requirements for each establishment have been agreed with the unions and the NAO has commented that the wider strategy for the prison estate is the most coherent and comprehensive for many years. It delivers efficiencies while ensuring that public sector prisons operate safely, decently and securely Benchmarking optimises the skills of staff by introducing new ways of working and puts all prison officers in prisoner facing role.

    Benchmark staffing levels have been agreed in 85 public sector prisons. Amongst prison officers, the shortfall of staff in post against benchmarks for these establishments at 30 September 2014 was 4%.

    Staffing levels have improved, but there remains a geographical variation and detached duty has been used to manage temporary shortages in particular locations. Such measures are always needed in such a large, widely spread organisation.

    In addition HM Prison Service Reserve, consisting of former prison officers, has been established to support capacity changes and unplanned shortfalls in officer numbers.

    The Prison Service has been returning to large scale recruitment levels as the period of closures and benchmarking has been coming to an end. As well as prison officers, we are also recruiting Operational Support Grades (uniformed staff who undertake a wide range of security based work) and instructors (who manage prisoners in workshop activities and training).

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they take into account the volume of smuggled cigarettes and other tobacco products when calculating the percentage of the United Kingdom’s population who smoke.

    Earl Howe

    The Government’s national ambition to reduce smoking prevalence among adults in England is measured using data from the Office for National Statistics “Integrated Household Survey”.

    This survey asks the following two questions relating to smoking: “Have you ever smoked a cigarette, a cigar, or a pipe?” and “Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays?”

    Background, methodology and other information relevant to this survey is available online at:

    http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/method-quality/specific/social-and-welfare-methodology/integrated-household-survey/index.html

  • Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Stoddart of Swindon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-02-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 February (HL4473) concerning meetings with Action on Smoking and Health, whether they have had meetings with the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco; and whether they continue to uphold an embargo on closed meetings with the tobacco industry.

    Earl Howe

    Ministers and officials meet a range of organisations on a regular basis to discuss tobacco control. Details of Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the Gov.UK website:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

    No meetings were held by the Department over the period 1 January 2012 and 27 January 2015 with the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco.

    The Department does not have an embargo on meeting any business or organisation.

    “