The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing to ensure that there is no excessive delay in issuing passports.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
As My Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary explained in the House on 12 June, we have agreed a range of measures to deal with the current high levels of demand for passports. I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 12 June 2014, Official Report, columns 693 and 694.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training they provide for magistrates.
Lord Faulks
Responsibility for the training of magistrates rests with the Lord Chief Justice and this is exercised through the Judicial College. The National Training Programme for Magistrates provides the framework of training and appraisal for magistrates who sit as chairs and wingers for each of the jurisdictions of Adult Court, Youth Court and Family Court in England and Wales.
The training programme supports the learning and development of magistrates to a consistent standard across England & Wales to enable them to perform their duties effectively. Magistrates will go through an induction process and thereafter attend continuation training. The Judicial College supports the training process by providing Bench Books for the Adult, Youth and Family proceedings. Where a need is identified, the Judicial College will also provide training materials to the magistracy for the implementation of major legislation and other changes.
Magistrates are advised in court by their legal advisers who, as professional lawyers, will keep themselves up-to-date with legal developments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in talks with Spain to prevent excessive delays at its border with Gibraltar.
Baroness Warsi
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), suggested ad hoc talks, involving all relevant parties, to address practical issues (including the delays at the border) to the Spanish government in April 2012. We are actively discussing this proposal with the Governments of Gibraltar and Spain and hope it will be possible to hold talks soon.
In the meantime, we are maintaining strong diplomatic pressure on the Spanish government to end disproportionate and unlawful checks at the border. We have also asked the European Commission to continue to monitor the situation and urge Spain to return their checks at the border to proportionate levels.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-03-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the re-development of Euston station.
Baroness Kramer
The construction of the HS2 terminus at Euston station is a significant opportunity to maximise the economic potential of the high speed line and regenerate a site that has been neglected. Building on the current proposals in the hybrid Bill, the Government has asked HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to work with the rail industry and the local community to see if a more comprehensive proposal for the redevelopment of the station can be developed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making any representations concerning the choice of Qatar as the host of the World Cup in 2022 in the light of recent allegations of corruption.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There is an investigation taking place into the bidding process and we should wait and see what this reports rather than prejudge it. We expect FIFA, and all other major sports organisations, to practise good governance and operate in a transparent manner.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in hosting Syrian refugees.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The first group of Syrian refugees arrived in the UK on 25 March as part of the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) Scheme. The next group of refugees is expected to arrive this month, with further groups to follow on a regular basis. We continue to work with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to establish a steady flow of cases.
Whilst there is no set quota, we predict that the VPR scheme will support several hundred people over the next three years.
A number of local authorities have indicated that they would like to participate in the scheme, and we are in discussions with other local authorities who have expressed an interest.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what outcomes they anticipate from the visit of Premier Li Keqiang of China.
Baroness Warsi
Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to the UK for the UK-China Summit has brought our two countries closer together in a partnership for growth, reform and innovation. During the visit, £14 billion of trade and investment deals were signed between UK and Chinese firms. London’s position as the leading offshore Renminbi (RMB) trading hub was strengthened by the appointment of China Construction Bank as an RMB clearing bank in London. Premier Li’s visit has also deepened our cooperation on innovation, as well as on key global issues including through a landmark Joint Statement on Climate Change and through positive discussions with the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), on key foreign policy issues such as Iraq and Ukraine.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in complying with the European Union Directive 2008/50/EC on air quality.
Lord De Mauley
The UK reports compliance with the limit values in the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) to the European Commission in September each year. The last report related to concentrations of air pollutants in 2012. This indicated that the UK met both the daily and annual limit values for particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less (PM10)and complied with the EU limit values for sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and lead.
Meeting the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) limit values alongside busy roads continues to be a significant challenge for the UK and most other Member States. In 2012, 32 zones exceeded the annual mean limit value (or margin of tolerance for zones with a time extension) and two exceeded the hourly mean limit value. The UK is investing heavily in measures to reduce emissions, in particular from transport, and over £2bn worth of measures have been announced since 2011. These measures will address both particulate matter and NO2.
Further information is available in the series of reports on ‘Air Pollution in the UK’ available at: http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/index
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-06-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their principal aims in establishing closer diplomatic ties with Iran.
Baroness Warsi
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced on 17 June his decision to reopen the British Embassy in Tehran with a small initial presence, as soon as the practical arrangements can be made.
Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult circumstances, is a central pillar of the UK’s global diplomatic approach. We have no illusions that returning to Iran will be easy – there will continue to be many areas where we strongly disagree. Ultimately, having an Embassy in Tehran will enable us to better understand and respond to those challenges.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to combat domestic violence.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The Government is determined to do all it can to tackle domestic violence and abuse and bring perpetrators to justice. Our approach is set out in our strategy, ‘Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls’ published in November 2010, together with a supporting Action Plan. A revised version of the Action Plan was published in March 2014 and contains a hundred and fifty actions across Government departments.
We are committed to ensuring that the police response to victims of domestic violence is as good as it can be. That is why last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct an all force review of domestic violence. HMIC published its findings on 27 March 2014 and highlighted serious failings in the police response. In response to the review, the Home Secretary is leading a series of measures to improve the police response. This includes establishing a new national oversight group, which she will chair. The Home Secretary has also written to chief constables making it clear that the police must make significant improvements and that every police force must have an action plan in place by September 2014 to address HMIC’s findings.
The Coalition Government is also committed to ensuring that the police and other agencies have the tools necessary to tackle domestic violence, to bring offenders to justice and to ensure victims have the support they need to rebuild their lives. That is why on 8 March 2014, we commenced the national rollout of Domestic Violence Protection Orders and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme across England and Wales and why we are currently providing funding for 144 Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and 54 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference co-ordinators.