Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-14.

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

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is deeply concerned about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The UN Commission of Inquiry report, published in 2014, highlighted the severe and systematic human rights violations perpetrated by the regime on its own people. These include summary executions, torture, lack of judicial process, forced labour and prevention of freedom of expression and religion. There is no evidence that the situation is improving. The UK Government will continue to work closely with partners and through international fora to raise its significant concerns about human rights in the DPRK and press for substantial reforms to improve the lives of North Korean citizens. The UK regularly raises our concerns about human rights violations directly with the regime through our Embassy in Pyongyang. The UK will support the annual resolution on DPRK human rights at the forthcoming UN General Assembly to maintain international attention on that country’s dire human rights record. I include with this answer a copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Report 2015 which includes a fuller assessment of the human rights situation in the DPRK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to give local authorities the power to issue on the spot fines to commercial vehicles that disregard weight and other restrictions on the public highway.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Police are the bodies empowered to issue fixed penalty notices for commercial vehicle offences, including for breach of weight limits.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Lenox Project in south-east London.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Lenox Project is an independent private enterprise project.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to bring equalities legislation in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Equal opportunities is devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and therefore the Government has no legislative competence in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what input businesses make to the national strategy of the National Crime Agency.

Lord Bates

The National Crime Agency’s (NCA’s) Annual Plan sets out its priorities and how it plans to exercise its functions in leading the fight to cut serious and organised crime. The NCA also produces on behalf of UK law enforcement the National Strategic Assessment (NSA) which draws together a single picture of the threat from serious and organised crime and is produced in consultation with a broad range of partners.

In discharging its functions, the NCA maintains close, collaborative and productive relationships with the police and other law enforcement agencies, Police and Crime Commissioners, the intelligence and security agencies, government departments (in particular with the Home Office), local government and the private and voluntary sectors, and Devolved Administrations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the terms of appointment of the Chairman of the Environment Agency.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Determining the terms and conditions of any public appointment is routine and will be considered as part of the preparations for recruiting a new Chairman.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the housing of prisoners in the event of the closure of HM Prison Holloway and HM Prison Pentonville.

Lord Faulks

On 9 November 2015, the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced their intention to build a prison estate which allows prisoners to be rehabilitated, thereby enabling them to turn away from a life of crime. This will involve closing old and inefficient prisons which do not support the aims of a redesigned estate and replacing them with modern facilities that support rehabilitation.

The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 25 November 2015 that HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Holloway will close as the first part of this programme. The buildings at Holloway are poorly designed and the site is cramped. The majority of sentenced women will transfer to HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Downview, which we which will open this spring. Downview has been refurbished and will provide better facilities and more appropriate conditions for sentenced women than Holloway. However, where suitable, the opportunity is being taken to ensure sentenced women are placed in accommodation elsewhere that reflects their specific needs, including proximity to home.

Many remand prisoners currently held at Holloway will move to HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Bronzefield, which has modern, high quality accommodation.

No other decisions have yet been made about the future of other prisons in England and Wales.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-04-28.

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

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We consider the human rights situation in Zimbabwe to be fragile. This Government’s manifesto included a commitment to stand up for the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2015 Annual Human Rights Report lists Zimbabwe as a Priority Country. We continue to call, both bilaterally and in partnership with others, for an end to abuses and the restoration of internationally accepted standards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future contribution of tidal lagoons to meeting the UK’s energy requirements and decarbonisation targets.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government recognises the potential that could exist in harnessing tidal energy around the coastline of the UK. That is why we have commissioned an independent strategic review to assess the case for tidal lagoons and consider whether they could represent value for money for the consumer. Charles Hendry will lead the independent review.

The review is underway and the Government will carefully consider the recommendations from the review before making decisions on future development of tidal lagoons.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat metal theft.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Through the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, the Government created a robust licensing regime to support legitimate dealers whilst providing local authorities and the police with the powers needed to tackle rogue dealers and reduce metal theft. The legislation is supported by co-ordinated enforcement action by police, local authorities and other partners. Latest available statistics for 2014/15 show that 27,512 metal theft offences were recorded by police compared with 62,348 offences in 2012/13.