Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are planning to take to end fraudulent whiplash insurance claims.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

The Government is determined to crack down on the compensation culture and insurance fraud.. We therefore announced, in the Autumn Statement, that we will limit the right to damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity in low value whiplash claims and raise the small claims limit for personal injury claims to £5,000.

These reforms build on previous measures taken forward by the Ministry of Justice to control costs, strengthen the medical evidence process and reduce incentives to pursue fraudulent and unnecessary whiplash claims.

The Government will consult on the detail of the new measures in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-04-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Malawi regarding bringing the perpetrators of albinism-related crimes to justice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

On 27 April our High Commissioner to Malawi raised the increase in human rights violations against persons with albinism at a meeting with the Malawian Foreign Minister. President Mutharika has condemned the attacks and ordered increased effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with ministers in the devolved administrations about improving the levels of voter registration.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Following the May elections we look forward to working with the new Governments in Scotland and Wales on modernising and improving electoral registration. Electoral policy is not devolved in Northern Ireland but we are working with the Chief Electoral Officer to introduce digital registration. The Government is committed to helping ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote in polls is able to do so. Online registration makes it easier, simpler and faster for people to register to vote. Since the introduction of IER in Great Britain in 2014 there have been over 17 million applications to register to vote, with a majority of these applications online.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that busking makes to community life.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

The Government is clear that live music and street entertainment play an important role in community life and can generate a positive atmosphere that can be enjoyed by all. It can help in introducing performers to new audiences and contributes significantly in establishing and developing new talent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost to high street businesses of street works that (1) overrun, and (2) exceed budget.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the cost to high street business of street works that overrun. It is for the works promoter to consider the impact of works that exceed budget.

The Government published an Impact Assessment in 2012 to accompany the most recent change in legislation affecting the charges that local authorities can levy against the promoters of street works that overrun. The Impact Assessment considered the benefits to businesses of the proposals in terms of reduced congestion.

We are also aware of the general disruption that street works can cause and we are committed to improving the way that they are managed. We know that high street businesses benefit from improvements to the network and from the provision of new and upgraded utility services. However, we are working closely with the sector to ensure that street works are in place for no longer than is necessary.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current provision of shelter for homeless people in London.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. One person without a home is one too many. That is why since 2010 we’ve invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. It is for London boroughs to determine what homelessness services are required to best meet the needs of their local area, including provision of suitable accommodation. We have given the Mayor of London £34 million to deliver pan-London rough sleeping services, with an extra £8.5 million for this work in 2015/16. Our measures include supporting the roll-out of No Second Night Out across England through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund, and commissioning the pioneering StreetLink service. In London, two-thirds of rough sleepers in London come off the streets after a single night.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current level of spending on infrastructure in the UK, compared to the rest of the G7.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The National Infrastructure Pipeline outlines over £410 billion of planned investment to the end of the decade and beyond; this includes both public and private investment.

At the Spending Review, it was announced that the Government will exceed its commitment to invest £100 billion in infrastructure by 2020-21. It will now make a public investment of £120 billion. (This includes social infrastructure).

HM Government does not hold figures on infrastructure spending in other G7 countries, and methodological discrepancies prevent reliable comparison of infrastructure spending.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of India about transit issues to Nepal.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

I refer the noble Lord to the oral answer I gave to the Earl of Sandwich on 27 October 2015, Official Report, Column 1088.

Further to that response, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the situation in Nepal with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, General V K Singh on 5 November, and again with Indian Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar on 12 November.

As Nepal’s largest bilateral donor and, in the year of the 200th anniversary of relations with Nepal, the UK is concerned about the current situation. Along with the rest of the international community we are very keen to see a final political settlement in Nepal and an end to the fuel supply problems, which are holding back Nepal’s recovery from April’s tragic earthquake and having a serious humanitarian impact. We remain in close contact with the Indian and Nepali governments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in Ivory Coast.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Côte d’Ivoire has made significant progress since its 2010-2011 post-electoral crisis. Though challenges remain, there has been a sustained period of political stability and improved security, as well as increasing economic growth and investor confidence. Following President Ouattara’s victory in the 25 October elections, we hope to see the Government of Cote d’Ivoire further consolidate peace and stability, as well as re-establish the country as a high performing regional economic hub.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the expected timetable for the Lloyds Banking Group share offer.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The government is committed to creating a share owning democracy in Britain. The Lloyds Banking Group share offer will help build that by giving the general public the chance to have a greater stake in our economy and encouraging long-term share ownership.

However, given ongoing events in financial markets, now is not the right time to sell shares to retail investors. We have always been clear that sales are dependent on market conditions and the timing of the offer will be kept under review in light of this.