Blog

  • Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McColl of Dulwich on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been (1) arrested, (2) charged, and (3) convicted, under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since the provision came into force, and what penalty was imposed in cases of conviction.

    Lord Faulks

    The attached table shows, for the years 2010-2014, the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and the number of offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentencing outcomes, for offences relating to paying or promising to pay a person to provide sexual services, where that person is subject to exploitative conduct to induce or encourage them to provide those services.

    Court proceeding data for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.

    The Home Office collects data on arrests at offence group level (for example, “sexual offences”), but the data is unavailable in relation to more specific offences, such as those under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

  • Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord McColl of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McColl of Dulwich on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been charged under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by each police force in England and Wales in each year since 2012.

    Lord Bates

    This information is not held by the Home Office. The Home Office receives data from police forces in England and Wales which show offences recorded by the police that resulted in one or more people being charged or summonsed. It is not possible to determine either the number of people charged for each offence or what section of an act someone was charged under for each offence or what specific section of an act somebody was charged under for some offences.

    The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 30 December 2015 (HL4621), whether they consider the four prisoners, including Jason Rezaian, recently released by Iran to the US each had dual citizenship, and whether they will use those cases as precedents in their approach to the case of Kamal Foroughi.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We welcome the release of US prisoners held in Iran. The agreement between the US and Iran was a bilateral one, and has not changed Iran’s policy of not recognising dual nationality. We continue to raise our own consular cases, including Mr Foroughi, with the Iranians at the highest levels and to urge for their release.

  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 13 January (HL4703 and HL4074), by what means they give public access to the grounds for retention linked to retention instruments in order to explain which official records are being withheld from transfer to the National Archives and why.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    I refer the noble Lord to the responses to HL4703 and HL4704. The attached Access to Public Records Manual is published by The National Archives and sets out the grounds for retention.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what procedures they apply to ensuring that all parties to the Belfast Agreement 1998 honour the terms of that agreement, and what action they can take if they assess that other parties to that agreement are not complying with it.

    Lord Dunlop

    The UK Government meets regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, both at ministerial and official level, to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern, including matters relating to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement and subsequent Agreements.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the context of parity of esteem as outlined in the Belfast Agreement 1998, what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland regarding its policy of only recruiting Irish speakers for official posts.

    Lord Dunlop

    As has been explained previously to the Noble Lord, the UK and Irish Governments meet regularly at ministerial and official level to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. These include matters relating to the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation they have had with community groups, organisations, and individuals to assess whether the policy of parity of esteem set out in the Belfast Agreement 1998 is working effectively, and what action they have taken as a result.

    Lord Dunlop

    I have nothing further to add to my earlier responses on parity of esteem.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what redress is available to those who do not feel that they have obtained parity of esteem as promised in the Belfast Agreement 1998.

    Lord Dunlop

    I have nothing further to add to my earlier responses on parity of esteem.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the legal Transfer Agreement between Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust and Circle 33 Housing Trust for the transfer of the Tredegar, Monteith and Lefevre estates in Bow to Old Ford Housing Association.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    We are not able to place a copy of the document in the Library of the House; the transfer took place in 1999 and records are not kept that long.

  • Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Baroness King of Bow – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness King of Bow on 2016-01-21.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December 2015 (HL4002), whether they will instruct the Social Housing Regulator to require a report from Circle Housing Group on the performance of Old Ford Housing Association’s gas safety and repairs and maintenance contractor since the governance rating downgrade in February 2015.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The Social Housing Regulator is statutorily independent. The Department for Communities and Local Government cannot therefore direct the Regulator on this matter.

    The Social Housing Regulator has a clear regulatory framework which it applied in this case. As is normal practice the Social Housing Regulator is working closely with Circle as it recovers the urgent and emergency repairs service provided to Old Ford’s tenants and improves its governance. The Regulator currently has sufficient assurance of Circle’s plans to address the issues and its progress in doing so, such that the Regulator considers it does not need to use its enforcement powers at this point. The Regulator will of course continue to examine new information that comes to light.