Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to protect women and girls from sexual violence when fleeing conflict zones.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is committed to protecting women and girls – as well as men and boys – from sexual violence in conflict. The Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative (PSVI), launched in 2012, has raised awareness, rallied global action and increased the political will and capacity of states to do more to: (i) address the culture of impunity that exists for these crimes, (ii) increase the number of perpetrators held to account, and (iii) ensure better support for survivors. Since its launch we have carried out 60 deployments by the UK Team of PSVI Experts to support survivors and strengthen investigations and increase prosecutions; supported around 50 projects with non-governmental organisations working to end sexual violence and help survivors in a range of conflict-affected countries; launched and provided training on the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict to improve evidence gathering and strengthen the prosecution of sexual violence; and provided training on sexual violence issues to African peacekeeping military and police personnel, to members of the Malian Army and Peshmerga troops in Iraq.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their plans to make all schools convert to academy status, what will be the status of the National Curriculum after those conversions.

Lord Nash

In 2014, we introduced a new, more ambitious national curriculum which was developed to reflect the views of subject experts and teachers and the findings of international best practice comparisons.

An academised system means that the national curriculum will become a benchmark. It will serve an important role in setting out the level of knowledge-based, ambitious, academically rigorous education which every child should experience.

If autonomous academies or multi-academy trusts (MATs) wish to deliver the national curriculum in their schools, they can do so confidently. We want academies to use their freedom to innovate and build more stretching curricula to meet the needs of their pupils or their local area or the particular ethos of the school.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how far they have progressed in preparing the regulations required following the passing of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 received Royal Assent on 12 May 2016. Work is ongoing to develop regulations and they will be published in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of people in the UK who do not have access to superfast broadband.

Baroness Mobarik

We want everyone to have access to high speed broadband as part of our commitment to building a stronger, more connected economy that works for all.

Through the Government’s investment of over £780 million, superfast broadband is now available to 90% of homes and businesses in the UK, compared to less than half in 2010. By the end of 2017 it will be available to 95% of homes and businesses.

But we are determined to go further, and extra funding from clawback and efficiency savings in the local broadband contracts with BT will allow this coverage to be extended.

We are also committed to introducing a Universal Service Obligation for broadband through the Digital Economy Bill. Our ambition is to set the minimum speed at 10Mbps – enough to meet the needs of a typical family and many small businesses so no-one is left behind.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that they meet their target of halving the disability employment gap.

Lord Freud

In the last three years, the number of disabled people in work has increased by almost half a million. But we recognise that the gap between the employment rates of disabled people and non-disabled people remains too large. That is why we are committed to halving it.

Last year the Work and Health Unit was established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as improving support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving workforce.

The Unit has begun work to build the evidence base of what works to support disabled people and people with health conditions to obtain and remain in work. We are increasing the reach of Access to Work which provide support to an additional 25,000 people per year by 2021, and we have recently launched the Access to Work Digital Service which as so far received an average of 500 claims per week. We are more than doubling Disability Employment Advisors in job centres to help disabled people into employment and embedding employment advisers in IAPT, so that individuals with mental health conditions can receive timely and tailored employment advice.

We will soon publish a Green Paper that will explore a range of options for long-term reform across different sectors enabling everyone to realise their aspirations, regardless of their health condition or disability. We will engage with disabled people, their representative organisations and a wide range of other stakeholders, who all have an important part to play in making the transformative changes required for long-term reform on supporting disabled people into work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in Kenya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

​The UK recognises Kenya’s commitment to human rights as set out in Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and Bill of Rights, and demonstrated through its implementation of recommendations from its United Nations Universal Periodic Review in 2015.

We welcome recent reforms such as the announcement by President Kenyatta on 24 October that all death sentences have been commuted to life terms. We encourage the government to take steps formally to end the death penalty in Kenya.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the size of deposit needed to buy a starter home in London.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Starter Homes will be sold at a minimum of 80% of the full market price and offered to first time buyers under the age of 40. The discounted Starter Homes price will be capped at £450,000 in London.

The cap is not an expectation of the going price for a Starter Home. Most first time buyers are not buying average-priced properties, but those at the lower quartile of values in an area. This is the first time buyers market that exists, and this is where we anticipate developers pricing starter homes

Starter homes will reduce deposit requirements for first time buyers. The average price paid by a first time buyer in London in Q2 2015 was £376,000 (Office for National Statistics data). The discount achieved through the Starter Home initiative would reduce the price of such a property to £301,000 and also reduce the deposit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact on the criminal offence of breach of official duty as a result of the changes relating to the correction of procedural error made by the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015.

Lord Dunlop

Northern Ireland Office Ministers took the decision to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2015 on 30 October 2015, following discussions with Ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet Office. Northern Ireland Office officials began work on the Order in May 2015, although work was delayed by the department’s focus on the Northern Ireland Talks process. The Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact of the proposed changes relating to procedural error by letter on 31 July 2015. The Chief Electoral Officer expressed support for the proposed content of the Order in meetings in June 2015. The Electoral Commission was consulted on the Order on 1 October 2015. As the Explanatory Memorandum to the Order sets out, there are significant differences in the systems operating in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and a one size fits all approach is not justified.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of political progress in Myanmar.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Burma has made remarkable progress since beginning the reform process in 2011. The elections on 8 November were an important milestone in Burma’s transition to democracy, and we welcome the conduct of the process, which observers have characterised as well-managed, orderly and peaceful. However, the transition is not yet complete and the incoming administration will face many serious challenges. Of particular importance will be to build a sustainable and comprehensive peace with all groups in Burma and address human rights violations, most urgently those committed against the Muslim Rohingya community in Rakhine State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s membership of the European Union in comparison to membership of the European Economic Area.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The EU Referendum Act 2015 sets out the Government’s commitment to publish information about rights and obligations that arise under EU law as a result of the UK’s membership of the EU, and examples of countries that are not members of the EU, but have other arrangements with the EU. This information will be published at least 10 weeks before the referendum.