Tag: Caroline Lucas

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on surveillance of hon. Members’ communications; and if she will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes

The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.

As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.

The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference, when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.

It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Wilson Doctrine has been consistently applied to the communications of the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion; and whether she has been subject to surveillance.

Mr John Hayes

The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.

As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.

The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference, when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.

It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been (a) allowed to continue on full duties, (b) placed on restricted duties and (c) suspended with figures following a death in custody and during an investigation for gross misconduct in each year since 2010.

Mike Penning

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of police officers allowed to continue on full duties, placed on restricted duties or suspended following a death in police custody or during an investigation for gross misconduct. The issue of deaths and serious incidents in police custody has long been a priority issue for the Home Office and on 23 July 2015, the Home Secretary announced the launch of an independent review of this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2015-10-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons are for the time taken to change regulations to allow mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates; what timetable is in place for that change to be made; whether she has made an assessment of the feasibility of allowing that change to be phased in as marriage registers are replaced; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is working with all interested parties to confirm the most efficient and effective way to enable mothers’ names to be recorded on marriage certificates.

Achieving this is likely to require additional funding and changes to legislation, IT systems and administrative processes.

The Government will confirm a timetable for the introduction of the changes in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of National Audit Office analysis indicating that £29 million will be available for Contracts for Difference contracts in 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock

Indicative CfD budgets, including for Contracts for Difference contracts in 2015-16, will be published later this month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the annual saving to the Levy Control Framework budget from closure of the Renewables Obligation to large-scale solar from April 2015; what that saving is as a proportion of that budget in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Amber Rudd

In its consultation issued on 13^th May 2014, DECC has proposed closing the Renewables Obligation (RO) to new solar PV capacity above 5MW from 31 March 2015. We consider this to be necessary because large-scale solar PV is deploying more rapidly than expected. This poses a substantial risk to our ability to manage the levy control framework budget, and therefore our ability to minimise costs of renewables deployment for consumers.

The impact assessment published alongside the consultation set out the projected impact of proposed intervention on deployment and spend. Option 1 below assumes no action; option 2 is the proposed intervention:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-changes-to-financial-support-for-solar-pv.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on (a) the current waiting time following referral for a first appointment at Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic (GIC), (b) how many people are currently receiving treatment at that clinic and how long the average wait is between appointments; what assessment his Department has made of how many patients Charing Cross GIC can treat in a year according to best practice guidelines and within existing resources; what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the steps necessary to increase provision of services for trans people; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb

We are advised by NHS England that there are currently seven gender identity clinics (GICs) in England and three providers of gender reassignment surgery. The nearest GIC to Brighton and Hove is located in London. These GIC clinics have considerable experience of delivering this highly specialised service and are able to accept referrals from all over the United Kingdom. At present there are no plans to undertake a procurement exercise to increase the number of providers.

NHS England report that waiting times for pre-surgical assessment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust one of the three NHS England commissioned providers of gender surgery are currently running at around 12 months, compared to 10 months in 2013-14. The increase in waiting times is due to the increase in demand for the service nationally that has seen referrals increase from 195 in 2011-12 to 300 in 2013-14.

Individual patient waits vary according to the needs of the patient. Currently, the average wait for surgery is just under a year from the point at which funding is confirmed.

Information from the website of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust shows that there are currently 279 patients approved for this surgery and that it carried out 178 male to female gender reassignment operations in 2013-14.

Following a change in staffing, Imperial appointed a new gender reassignment surgeon who will start performing gender reassignment surgeries in September 2014. As a temporary measure, the trust is referring a small number of patients who have waited longer than others to a private provider under a sub-contracting arrangement with that provider, Imperial retain responsibility for managing all patient pathways.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has published an update of the position on its website, which can be viewed at the following link:

www.imperial.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/news_044629

The trust is also sending this information directly to patients.

These issues have not been the subject of discussions between Ministers and the Chief Executive of NHS England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK will support the request from the Palestinian Authority for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

Hugh Robertson

The UK is concerned about the situation of Palestinians in Israeli detention, and we raise this issue regularly with the Israeli authorities. However, the Palestinian Authority has not made a formal request for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to address this issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to facilitate the establishment of a gender identity clinic in Brighton and Hove; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb

We are advised by NHS England that there are currently seven gender identity clinics (GICs) in England and three providers of gender reassignment surgery. The nearest GIC to Brighton and Hove is located in London. These GIC clinics have considerable experience of delivering this highly specialised service and are able to accept referrals from all over the United Kingdom. At present there are no plans to undertake a procurement exercise to increase the number of providers.

NHS England report that waiting times for pre-surgical assessment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust one of the three NHS England commissioned providers of gender surgery are currently running at around 12 months, compared to 10 months in 2013-14. The increase in waiting times is due to the increase in demand for the service nationally that has seen referrals increase from 195 in 2011-12 to 300 in 2013-14.

Individual patient waits vary according to the needs of the patient. Currently, the average wait for surgery is just under a year from the point at which funding is confirmed.

Information from the website of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust shows that there are currently 279 patients approved for this surgery and that it carried out 178 male to female gender reassignment operations in 2013-14.

Following a change in staffing, Imperial appointed a new gender reassignment surgeon who will start performing gender reassignment surgeries in September 2014. As a temporary measure, the trust is referring a small number of patients who have waited longer than others to a private provider under a sub-contracting arrangement with that provider, Imperial retain responsibility for managing all patient pathways.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has published an update of the position on its website, which can be viewed at the following link:

www.imperial.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/news_044629

The trust is also sending this information directly to patients.

These issues have not been the subject of discussions between Ministers and the Chief Executive of NHS England.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the briefing notes issued by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dated 20 June 2014, on the legislative amendment before the Israeli Knesset relating to force-feeding and medical treatment of prisoners on hunger strike, what steps he is taking to ensure that international human rights and international humanitarian law human rights are upheld by all parties.

Hugh Robertson

Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met with an official from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on 17 June and expressed our concern over the bill. We are continuing to monitor developments.