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  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the original date set for the publication of the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill – on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January.

    The Trade Union Bill’s impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment.

    They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill.

    Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough.

    We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets.

    We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.

    I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

  • Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Mendelsohn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Mendelsohn on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when work on the impact assessment for the Trade Union Bill was commissioned.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Government has published detailed Impact Assessments for the Bill – on the Trade Union Bill, on the Reporting of Facility Time in the Public Sector, and on the Prohibition on Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector. At a meeting with Peers in December, Ministers committed to publishing prior to the Lords Committee stage of the Bill, and they were published in good time on 21 January.

    The Trade Union Bill’s impact assessment has been subject to scrutiny by the independent Regulatory Policy Committee, and its opinion has been published alongside the impact assessment.

    They were reviewed and approved by the relevant Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office. The Permanent Secretary has been kept informed of progress on all stages of the Bill.

    Policy officials and analysts in both Departments have worked together to produce the impact assessments as quickly as possible while ensuring that the analysis was thorough.

    We have not asked civil servants working on the Bill in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office to fill out time sheets.

    We do not record which particular documents each special adviser reads. Special advisers have access to departmental papers in line with the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct and provide advice to Ministers.

    I am placing copies of the relevant documentation in the Library.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent report by Saferworld Matching needs and resources: National Police Reserve and community security in Kenya’s frontiers, and whether they have had discussions with the government of Kenya about contributing to the professionalism and accountability of the National Police Reserve.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    Through our High Commission in Nairobi, the British Government has regularly discussed police accountability and professionalism with the Government of Kenya, including the Kenya Police Service. This has included discussions on the role of the Kenya National Police Reserve, though we do not currently work directly with them. The UK is working with the Government of Kenya to strengthen community security in some of Kenya’s most marginalised areas. The Conflict Security and Stability Fund is working to build capacity to ensure security forces in the region are better governed, more accountable and effective and to build community resilience to respond to security challenges through work with civil society. In addition, the Department for International Development launched the £13.7million Improving Community Security programme in 2015. This programme will work with government departments and non-governmental organisations, including Saferworld, to increase the security and safety of men, women and children in Kenya through increasing the capacity of institutions including the police and county government, to prevent and respond to violence.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that all human rights issues, including those resulting from Boko Haram activities in Nigeria, are at the top of the priority action list for the Commonwealth and its new Secretary-General.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We are committed to promoting efforts to address human rights abuses throughout the Commonwealth. We believe progress is fundamental to the Commonwealth’s ability to improve the lives of its people and develop peaceful societies. Terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria and in the wider region have brought untold misery to many. The UK remains firm in our determination to support Nigeria, and its neighbours, in their fight against terrorism.

    The Leaders’ Statement following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta noted that Heads had discussed peace and security, especially the fight against radicalisation, violent extremism and terrorism, which are worldwide threats.

    While the Commonwealth Secretariat has done some work in this area, additional capacity is required to coordinate efforts and tie them in with wider efforts of the international community. At CHOGM, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), announced UK funding of up to £5million over five years for a Counter-Extremism and Counter Radicalisation Unit in the Commonwealth Secretariat. This initiative is also supported by Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Australia has said that it will commit around £250,000 of funding.

    We will work closely with the new Secretary-General when she takes up her post to ensure that the Commonwealth continues to play a role in supporting all members to meet their obligations on human rights as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications of climate change for (1) the climate and geology of West Cumbria, and (2) future nuclear developments in the country.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The energy National Policy Statements published in 2011 set out the considerations that should be taken into account by developers and the Planning Inspectorate to help ensure proposed new energy infrastructure, including new nuclear power stations, is resilient to climate change. The Nuclear National Policy Statement also explains that the independent nuclear regulators will ensure new nuclear power stations, including the one proposed for Moorside, will be located, constructed, operated and decommissioned with the long-term impacts of climate change in mind.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the expertise and staff resources of the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency are sufficient to monitor effectively the investment and inputs in the nuclear industry by China, Japan, France and other foreign investors.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Department meets regularly with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency to review their current and planned resources to deliver their programme of work. Based on these agreed project and workforce plans, I am confident both regulators will continue to have the resources they need across all disciplines to carry out their current and planned future programme.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the changes in leadership in the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency, whether they remain confident that the regulation of the siting, design and construction of the Geological Disposal Facility, and of other nuclear plant construction and commissioning, is and will continue to be sufficiently staffed and supported with the necessary level of expertise and resources to fulfil their supervisory responsibilities.

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

    The Department meets regularly with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency to review their current and planned resources to deliver their programme of work. Based on these agreed project and workforce plans, I am confident both regulators will continue to have the resources they need across all disciplines to carry out their current and planned future programme.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 6 January (HL4745), on what evidence the forecast in Health Education England’s (HEE) commissioning and investment plan for 2016–17 of a rise in podiatry workforce demand of 1.5 per cent between 2015 and 2020 is based; and why HEE decided to reduce the number of commissioned education and training courses in podiatry in 2016–17 by 9.7 per cent compared to 2015–16.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    National Health Service future workforce demand is based on a comprehensive collection of NHS provider forecasts taken up by Health Education England (HEE) and discussed both locally and nationally with commissioners and professional leaders as to likely direction of travel.

    In order to afford the expansion of priority areas such as adult nurse, paramedic and mental health training numbers, HEE has taken a risk assessment based approach to deciding on where to focus commissions for training places in 2016/17.

    The HEE commissioning and investment plan – 2016/17 includes a forecast increase in the level of podiatry commissions of 36.4% by 2020.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the planned replacement of student bursaries by loans, what estimate they have made of the number of additional students who will be accepted into universities for nursing degree courses in 2017–18.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    We expect this reform to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing, midwifery and allied health training places over this parliament.

  • Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Hunt of Kings Heath – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 2016-01-19.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the planned replacement of student bursaries by loans, how many grants for higher cost students will be made to universities in respect of degree courses in nursing in 2017–18.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Institutional autonomy and academic freedom are key strengths of our higher education system. To protect these, the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 prohibits Ministers from being involved in decisions about funding for individual institutions or particular courses. Details on teaching grant funding will be set out in the normal way in the annual grant letter from ministers to The Higher Education Funding Council.

    As part of the changes announced at the Spending Review, we will lift the cap on the number of students that can get on to nursing courses and provide nursing students with access to around 25% more financial support. We expect this reform to enable universities to provide up to 10,000 additional nursing, midwifery and allied health training places over this parliament.