Tag: Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the future of the Police Community Support Officer role.

Lord Bates

Decisions as to how neighbourhood policing teams are resourced and deployed are operational matters for the relevant Chief Constable, in association with their Police and Crime Commissioner. We recognise the important role Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) play in keeping communities safe and have given PCSOs additional discretionary powers through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date (1) the Chief Electoral Officer, and (2) the Electoral Commission, was consulted on 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 2015-12-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for setting the speed limit at 20 miles per hour on all minor roads in villages, towns and cities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Setting local speed limits is a matter for the local highway authority, as they are best placed to determine the speed limits for their areas, based on local knowledge and the views of the community. The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued guidance to help them in Speed Limit Circular 01/2013 – Setting Local Speed Limits.

In June 2014 the DfT commissioned a comprehensive three-year research project into the effects of 20mph limits. This will cover many aspects including effects on speed, collisions, casualties and modal shift. The research will also consider best practice, road users’ perceptions and effects on the quality of the environment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of large-scale indoor dairies in the UK.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

I recognise that the issue of large-scale dairy farming has sparked considerable debate because of its perceived impact on the environment, the welfare of cows and the potential impact on small dairy farms.

The UK’s animal welfare and environmental standards are among the highest in the world. All operational livestock farms must comply with relevant UK law, including comprehensive animal health and welfare, and environmental legislation. These apply equally to all livestock farms, regardless of scale. So long as these standards are met, the Government recognises that the UK market has a place for different production methods that will collectively enable the industry to be competitive on UK, EU and global markets.

Increasing the size of herds does not mean reducing animal welfare. More important factors are the design and construction of the units; and the level of management and skill of the stockmen.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on the 20 January (HL4935), (1) what is the timeline for the development of the written policy for future capability requirements, development, integration and use of unmanned systems, (2) what form of consultation is proposed, and (3) whether the written policy proposed will include a position statement on the use of drones by the Her Majesty’s Government (a) in domestic airspace, and (b) for collective and individual self-defence abroad.

Earl Howe

Defence policy on use of remotely piloted air systems (RPAS) is currently being drafted. This work is still in an early stage and is currently scoping the policy with the aim of producing a substantive document towards the end of the year. It is our intention to consult widely during its production, both across Government and with our international allies.

This work will be supported and underpinned by the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre’s (DCDC) revision and update of Joint Doctrine Note 2/11 "The UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Systems" and through its work on the Future Air and Space Operating Concept; both of which are currently being written and will be available before the end of 2016. The DCDC will then commence work on the next edition of Joint Doctrine Publication 0-30 "UK Air and Space Doctrine" which it expects to publish in first quarter 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the comments of Chief Executive NHS England, in response to the sugar tax announcement in the budget, that sadly soft drinks are now our children’s largest single source of diabetes-inducing teeth-rotting excess sugar.””

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The evidence behind the comments from Simon Stevens, Chief Executive NHS England, comes from the Public Health England report ‘Sugar reduction: the evidence for action’ published in October 2015.

The PHE report states that soft drinks are the largest single source of sugar for children and teenagers in England, and that consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers. It is also linked to tooth decay.

This is why at Budget 2016, the Chancellor announced a new levy aimed at the producers and importers of added sugar soft drinks. The levy is designed to encourage companies to reduce the amount of added sugar in soft drinks and move consumers towards healthier choices. The levy will from part of a wider comprehensive childhood obesity strategy which the government launch in the summer.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require bus operators to make buses disability friendly.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Single deck buses designed to carry over twenty two passengers on local and scheduled routes must already comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), including incorporating a designated wheelchair space and boarding facilities, priority seating and colour-contrasting hand-holds. Double deck buses must comply by the 1^st January next year, and coaches by 2020. As at 2014/15, 95% of buses in England were low floor or had an accessibility certificate, compared to 80% in 2009/10.

Positive driver interactions and accessible on-board information also make a big difference for many disabled passengers. We are developing best practice guidance on providing disability awareness training for drivers, and have supported innovative approaches for providing next stop information on-board vehicles.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require manufacturers of household appliances to make publicly available the risk assessments they carry out on their appliances.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

We have no plans to do so.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to have an ambassador and diplomatic presence direct to the EU after the UK implements Brexit, in addition to individual diplomatic missions to the remaining EU member states.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government would expect to retain diplomatic representation both to the EU and to its member states after the UK has left.

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 Turkmenistan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Turkmenistan is featured as a Human Rights Priority Country in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Human Rights Report – a clear indication of our continuing concern about the human rights situation in the country. We continue to call for the Turkmen Government to move forward with its reform programme, to secure full the implementation of the national human rights action plan, and to create an effective human rights ombudsman in order to give effect to the individual rights and freedoms set out in the newly adopted Constitution.