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  • Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Freyberg – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 26 January (HL5030), what historic data they hold on cancer registrations and deaths in England over the past 15 years owing to: (1) C50, malignant neoplasm of breast, (2) C61, malignant neoplasm of prostate, (3) C33-C34, malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung, (4) C18-C20, malignant neoplasm of colon and rectum, (5) C43, malignant melanoma of skin, (6) C82-C85, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, (7) C67, malignant neoplasm of bladder, (8) C64, malignant neoplasm of kidney, except renal pelvis, (9) C91-C95, leukaemia, (10) C25, malignant neoplasm of pancreas, (11) C54-C55, malignant neoplasm of corpus uteri and uterus, part unspecified, (12) C15, malignant neoplasm of oesophagus, (13) C00-C14, malignant neoplasm of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, (14) C56-C57, malignant neoplasm of ovary and other unspecified female genital organs, (15) C16, malignant neoplasm of stomach, (16) all other neoplasms, (17) tumours listed in (1) to (5) in total, and (18) tumours listed in (6) to (15) in total.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to engage the African Union and the East African Community in efforts to stabilise the situation in Burundi.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    In the margins of the African Union (AU) Summit, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), met with the Chair of the AU Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the AU’s Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui and a number of African Foreign Ministers. We are exploring what more we can do to support the AU’s leadership, and have intensified our efforts at the UN and with our EU partners to halt the violence.

    The UK strongly supports the East African Community-led dialogue and sees it as crucial in finding a solution to stabilising the situation. The parties met for the first time on 28 December and the second round of talks is scheduled for 16 February. Alongside our international partners we continue to press them to engage.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those refugees from Burundi now living in camps in neighbouring countries do not become politicised and radicalised.

    Baroness Verma

    We are aware of allegations of recruitment into armed groups. We continue to emphasise to the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of refugee camps, and of supporting a political solution in Burundi. We are addressing the issue of potential radicalisation by supporting protection work in the refugee camps, in particular Mahama Camp in Rwanda, focusing particularly on vulnerable children and youth. This includes funding two additional UNHCR protection officers to be based in Mahama camp, the creation of more child and youth-friendly spaces, and increased provision of psycho-social support and case management services.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider re-opening the Department for International Development’s Office in Burundi.

    Baroness Verma

    In 2012, as part of its global review of bilateral programmes, DFID decided to focus its work in Burundi on the country’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) as the single most important factor for promoting economic growth. DFID has continued to provide support to Burundi, mainly through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), a specialist agency which promotes trade growth in East Africa. DFID has contributed £16.5 million to TMEA for Burundi in the period 2010-2016. Burundi also receives contributions through multilateral organisations and funds. For example, through the Global Poverty Action Fund, we have also provided £500,000 for the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for 139,000 people in Bujumbura Rural Province. DFID also provides central funding to UK NGOs, some of which work with local partners in Burundi.

    Given the situation in Burundi, we are now looking to provide support in the form of secondments to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for needs assessment, information management, coordination and advocacy. Over 238,000 Burundians have become refugees since April 2015. The majority of those who have fled Burundi are concentrated in Tanzania and Rwanda, for which DFID has provided £18.15 million since April 2015.

  • The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of Durham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have deployed, or intend to deploy, experts from the UK preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative team to help support local responses in Burundi to conflict-related sexual violence.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We take the allegations of sexual violence in Burundi very seriously. The UK has been at the forefront of supporting the UN’s efforts to encourage an end to violence and human rights abuses in the country. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), has raised the subject with the Government of Burundi, including with the Burundian Foreign Minister at the African Union Summit in January. While we have not deployed any experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will explore the possibility of supporting non-governmental organisations already present and active in Burundi when the allegations first came to our attention.

  • Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Berkeley – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Type 45 destroyers will have additional generating capacity installed, and what is the estimated cost of that work.

    Earl Howe

    The current planning assumption is that all six ships in the class will have additional generating capacity installed. The total cost of implementing the diesel generator upgrade will be determined at the main investment decision.

    I am withholding details of our current cost estimates as premature disclosure of this information could prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what impact they expect fixed-term tenancies to have on (1) local authorities’ ability to fulfil their housing obligations for homeless families, and (2) levels of homelessness.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    Homeless households and those owed the main homelessness duty will continue to be prioritised for social housing by means of the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ categories.

    The requirement for local authorities to offer fixed-term tenancies in future is designed to ensure that landlords get the best use out of their social housing by focusing it on those who need it the most for as long as they need it. As it should increase the number of available social lettings over time, it should mean that more homeless households are able to access the social rented sector.

  • Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Bassam of Brighton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from bodies and organisations in support of fixed-term local authority tenancies.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    I refer the noble Lord to my answer to him to question HL5779.

  • Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role the National College for Teaching and Learning has in formulating the criteria for qualified teacher status.

    Lord Nash

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) had no role in the formulation of the Teachers’ Standards. The Teachers’ Standards were published by the Secretary of State in 2011.

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership publishes the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Criteria. These set out entry, training, management and quality assurance criteria with which all accredited providers of ITT must comply. Ofsted uses these criteria when it inspects ITT providers.

    The Criteria are attached, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/434608/ITT_criteria.pdf

    “

  • Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Addington – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Addington on 2016-02-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government where the criteria for standards in initial teacher training can be found, and whether there are any specific legislative instruments enforcing those criteria.

    Lord Nash

    The Teachers’ Standards were published in 2011 and apply to all teachers. They define the minimum level of practice expected of teachers. The document can be found on the GOV.UK website, and has been attached to this answer.

    The standards refer to:

    • Schedule 2 of The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003

    • The Education (School Teachers’ Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2012

    As such, the Teachers’ Standards apply to:

    • Trainees working towards Qualified Teacher Status;

    • All teachers completing their statutory induction period (newly qualified teachers [NQTs]); and

    • Teachers in maintained schools, including maintained special schools, who are covered by the 2012 appraisal regulations.

    The National College for Teaching and Leadership will use Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards, which relates to personal and professional conduct, when assessing cases of serious misconduct, regardless of the education sector in which the teacher works.