The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of visits to hospital Accident and Emergency departments during 2015 resulted in admission to hospital.
Lord Prior of Brampton
In 2015 there were 22,434,007 attendances at accident and emergency departments in England. For 18.2% of these attendances, the patient was admitted as an emergency.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average number of people who visited a hospital Accident and Emergency department in the UK on (1) a weekday, or (2) a Saturday or Sunday, in 2015.
Lord Prior of Brampton
In 2014-15, there were an average of 52,883 attendances at accident and emergency per day on weekdays (Monday to Friday) and of 52,426 attendances per day at the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed with the government of Tunisia the security improvements required before the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s current advice against all but essential travel to Tunisia can be lifted.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We discuss progress on improving security with the Tunisian government on a very regular basis, both bilaterally and through the G7, most recently on 25 May. We still consider the threat level to be specific enough to advise against all but essential travel. Our Travel Advice is under constant review and we will change it as soon as the security situation and the threat level permit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect British girls in the Dawoodi Bohra community from female genital mutilation, in the light of the sermon by Supreme Leader Mufaddal Saifuddin on 25 April urging that all girls must undergo that procedure.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.
We will not stop FGM until we have changed attitudes within communities. The Government works closely with a range of community and faith groups, including Muslim women’s groups, to tackle FGM. Over 350 faith leaders from all the major faiths have signed a declaration condemning FGM. They have declared that it is not required by their religions and is a form of child abuse. The declaration makes clear that all religions will work together to end FGM for good. We continue to work with community organisations and survivors through the Governments FGM Unit’s stakeholder group and outreach programme to drive this work forward.
In 2014 the Government ran a national communications campaign to raise awareness. We also funded 29 community engagement projects, including a network of community champions, who are reaching thousands of women and girls affected by FGM, and, importantly, their families. The work of these projects has included training for teachers, awareness sessions in local mosques, and the establishment of a new national website for, and by, young people giving information about how to prevent FGM. The Department for Communities and Local Government has established a network of community champions which is operating in London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham. Champions are working with local people to address the myths that sustain FGM and to help keep girls safe.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evaluated the possible risks to national security and social cohesion of the spread of the Wahhabi ideology.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
HM Governement’s Counter Extremism Strategy and Counter – Terrorism strategy, CONTEST, set out approach to tackling the full range of factors that allow extremist and terrorist groups to grow and flourish. These include directly challenging ideologies, including those which have a theological basis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the members of combined authorities are not all male.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Membership of a combined authority is a matter for the democratically elected councils in the area, or the area’s electorate in the case of a combined authority mayor.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve east-west transport connectivity in the North of England.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government is committed to improving transport connectivity across the North of England, including east-west routes. Current work includes upgrades to the road network as set out in Road Investment Strategy: for the 2015/16 – 2019/20 Road Period (March 2015).
Work has already started to deliver improved rail journeys between Liverpool and Manchester. The Ordsall chord will enable direct links from the Northeast to Manchester Airport. Sir Peter Hendy’s rail upgrade re-plan (Hendy review – Replanning Network Rail’s investment programme: a report from Sir Peter Hendy to the Transport Secretary (Nov 2015)) includes significant benefits for the North of England, such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade Programme, which is aligned to Rail North’s Long Term Rail Strategy (September 2015). Current proposals are to deliver faster journeys and more capacity on the existing railway line between Leeds and Manchester. This work is expected to provide up to six fast trains per hour, with a target journey time of 62 minutes between Manchester and York and 40 minutes between Leeds and Manchester.
Additionally, the new TransPennine Express (TPE) and Northern franchises, which came into effect on 1 April, will deliver a range of significant benefits to their passengers, including increases to services between Manchester and Newcastle, more daily services to Hull from Manchester and Leeds, and 44 new 125 mph TPE trains fitted with free Wi-Fi and real-time passenger information screens.
The Government is also working with Transport for the North on future transport plans in the North of England. As set out in the Northern Transport Strategy: Spring 2016 Report (March 2016), these plans include east-west connectivity improvements through HS3/Northern Powerhouse Rail and the strategic studies investigating the cases for a trans-Pennine road tunnel and upgrading the A66 and A69.
All four documents referred to in this reply have been placed in the libraries of both Houses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the UK withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Faulks
The Government’s position on the European Convention of Human Rights remains clear. We cannot rule out withdrawing forever, but our forthcoming proposals do not include it. We are confident that we can replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights and reform our relationship with the Strasbourg Court.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future contribution of tidal lagoons to meeting the UK’s energy requirements and decarbonisation targets.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government recognises the potential that could exist in harnessing tidal energy around the coastline of the UK. That is why we have commissioned an independent strategic review to assess the case for tidal lagoons and consider whether they could represent value for money for the consumer. Charles Hendry will lead the independent review.
The review is underway and the Government will carefully consider the recommendations from the review before making decisions on future development of tidal lagoons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to devolve Airline Passenger Duty to the Welsh Assembly or Welsh Government.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
The government is considering the case and options for devolving APD to the Welsh Assembly, informed by a review of options to support English regional airports from the potential impacts of APD devolution. At Summer Budget 2015, the government published a discussion paper exploring three options and is carefully considering the responses. An announcement will be made in due course.