The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bridget Phillipson on 2014-06-05.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of 2014DIN03-007 Notification of a change in CBRN policy.
Mr Philip Dunne
A copy of Defence Instruction Notice 2014DIN03-007 regarding the notification of a change in CBRN policy will be placed in the Library of the House.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the European Commission regarding the interpretation of European Regulation 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 so as to promote effective access to information without excessive restrictions.
Lord Faulks
The Government recognises the importance of transparency by European Union institutions, with appropriate safeguards for genuinely sensitive information, and the key role the Regulation plays in promoting openness and accountability. However, the Government has no plans to make representations to the European Commission regarding the interpretation of Regulation 1049/2001 on public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Berkeley on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 13 May (WA 492), what is their latest estimate of the net presentvalue (NPV) of the contract with Agility Trains West covering the provision of Intercity Express trains for the Great Western; what is the annual charge used to calculate the NPV; and how many diagrammed trains and diagrammed vehicles are to be covered.
Baroness Kramer
The net present value of the Great Western fleet is £3.0bn in 2009 prices. This is for a fleet of 322 diagrammed vehicles over 50 diagrammed trains. The total Set Availability Payment for the full Great Western fleet in 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020 (the first year of full fleet operation) is £333.7m in nominal 2019 prices.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-05.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom has received any requests for mutual legal assistance in relation to the OPL 245 case.
Baroness Warsi
It is the usual longstanding Government policy neither to confirm nor deny the existence, content or status of any individual mutual legal assistance request.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Tyler on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka; and what recent discussions they have had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights about the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka of 27 March.
Baroness Warsi
We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka especially in the North. Our concerns include the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders (HRDs) and activists, attacks on religious minorities, and the protection of the right to freedom of expression and opinion.
Through our Mission in Geneva, we maintain regular contact with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following the adoption of the resolution, we are engaging with international partners to ensure the implementation of the resolution’s international investigation into violations of international law by both sides during Sri Lanka’s conflict. We believe that progress on accountability, human rights and reconciliation is important in establishing enduring peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Such progress will ensure Sri Lanka can reach its full potential as a strong and prosperous nation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the pilot schemes on discharge from hospital of the homeless.
Earl Howe
We have commissioned Homeless Link to undertake an evaluation of the Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund and expect to receive a full report in September.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether lump sum retiring allowances in public sector pension schemes and the equivalent in private pension schemes including annuity payments and pension commencement lump sums are taxable; if so, whether they are taxed in the same way; and what are their proposals for taxing lump sum payments under the new pension arrangements announced in the Queen’s Speech.
Lord Deighton
At retirement individuals have the option of taking up to 25 per cent of their pension fund as a tax free pension commencement lump sum.
Individuals at retirement can also take their pension pot as a lump sum:
· If their total pension pots under all the schemes they belong to are worth £30,000 or less
· Under certain circumstances, one of their pension pots is worth £10,000 or less
25 percent would be tax free with the rest being taxed at the individual’s marginal rate.
These rules apply to all registered pension schemes and therefore apply to both defined benefit and defined contribution pensions and to both private and public sector schemes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by FALSE on 2014-06-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence cited in the article An Increase in the Sex Ratio of Births to India-born Mothers in England and Wales: Evidence for Sex-Selective Abortion” by Sylvie Dubuc and David Coleman published in Population and Development Review
Earl Howe
This article is a useful addition to the evidence base around sex selective abortions.
On 23 May 2014 the Department published updated analysis of birth ratios for England and Wales 2008-2012. The analyses by country of birth and ethnicity did not offer evidence of sex selection taking place within England and Wales. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. It is also available at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-male-to-female-birth-ratios-in-the-uk-2008-to-2012.
The Department will repeat this analysis on an annual basis following publication of birth data and remain vigilant and receptive to reports of such practice.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, in which locations cables between onshore windfarms and connecting sub-stations have been placed completely underground in each of the last 10 years.
Michael Fallon
The Department does not hold this information. Windfarms usually own the cables connecting them to substations. Gathering the information requested would, therefore, require contacting individual windfarm developers at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what records his Department maintains of instances where a teacher has had a sexual relationship with a student under the age of 16 years in (a) maintained schools and (b) independent schools.
Mr Edward Timpson
Since April 2012, where a teacher has been dismissed, or resigned in the face of dismissal, as a result of serious misconduct all schools have had a statutory duty to consider referring the matter to the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). The NCTL acts as the regulator of the teaching profession on behalf of the Secretary of State. It is responsible for determining whether the referred individual should be prohibited from teaching on the grounds of unacceptable professional conduct, conduct that might bring the profession into disrepute and/or conviction of a relevant offence. Information about cases considered by NCTL is not held in the format requested and to obtain the information requested would incur disproportionate cost.
In addition to the NCTL process for regulating teachers, the Department’s Independent Education and Boarding Team (IEBT) administer the wider regulatory system for independent schools. This team can receive information about allegations of abuse from a variety of sources, including Ofsted, local authorities, parents and the police. The Department’s records show that there have been 5 referrals since April 2012 and 2 from January 2009 to March 2012 where sexual abuse of a pupil by an adult working at the school was a factor. When such referrals are received, the Department’s role is not to investigate the allegations, which are a matter for the local authority and the police, but to determine whether the school is meeting the independent school standards, and take action to ensure it does so.