Tag: Lord Marlesford

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances they would consider using British military assets to prevent President Assad from using barrel bombs against civilians in Syria.

Earl Howe

We have repeatedly demanded that Assad ceases the use of barrel bombs and called on his allies, Russia and Iran, to apply pressure to that end. Ultimately, a negotiated political transition is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis. Any decision to commit UK military assets in order to prevent Assad’s use of these indiscriminate weapons would be subject to appropriate legal consideration, close consultation with allies and the endorsement of the House of Commons.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-03-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total expenditure, in the most recent year for which information is available, of the Highways Agency on keeping (1) trunk roads, and (2) motorways, clear of litter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) Highways England is responsible for the management of litter on all England’s motorways and for a small portion of the all – purpose trunk roads. Local authorities are responsible for litter on all other roads, including the A roads within Highways England network.

Highways England’s maintenance contracts are structured so that suppliers are paid a ‘lump sum’ for a wide range of general maintenance duties. These include sweeping, cleaning and litter clearance duties. Highways England does not disaggregate its budget and spend on these types of activities. Exact litter clearance costs cannot be extracted as the activity is performed on both a routine and ad-hoc basis to meet contractual requirements and the legal requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government who authorised the use of RAF aircraft in the 17 September air attack on Syrian government ground forces at Deir ez-Zor in Syria and why; and how many members of the Syrian government military forces were (1) killed, and (2) wounded, in that attack.

Earl Howe

A coalition investigation into the 17 September air attack which inadvertently targeted Syrian government ground forces is ongoing. It would be inappropriate to comment before that process is completed.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-10-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the numerical strength of the moderate forces fighting against President Assad in Syria.

Earl Howe

Estimating the numerical strength of armed groups in Syria is challenging given the lack of data, the fluidity of the situation on the ground, and the multiplicity of groups. Nevertheless, we estimate that fighters loyal to the Free Syrian Army, which has close links to the Syrian National Coalition, which is the heart of the political opposition, run into tens of thousands.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to the public purse in each of the last five years of the winter fuel allowance; and what would be the tax receipt if it were subject to the same tax as retirement pensions.

Baroness Altmann

The Government has committed to keeping the Winter Fuel Payment for the lifetime of this Parliament. The cost over the last five years is as follows:

2010/11	2011/12	2012/13	2013/14	2014/15
£m 2,759	2,149	2,144	2,140	2,117

The Government has not estimated the corresponding tax receipts had the Winter Fuel Payment been taxable.

There is a total of 11.4 million pensioners in the UK.

National Statistics, published by HMRC, show that in 2013/14, there were 6.12 million taxpayers whose main source of income is from pensions, of which 90 per cent pay the basic rate of tax and 6 per cent pay the higher rate of tax.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the use of the UK’s air power against armed forces of the Syrian government has been authorised by Parliament.

Earl Howe

The UK does not deliberately use air power against the armed forces of the Syrian government and therefore Parliament has not been asked to authorise such a requirement.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-11-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 10 November (HL3150) about littering, when they expect to (1) start, and (2) complete, the process of seeking the views of local authorities about the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice and exemptions to the keeper’s liability, and other details that need to be finalised before they implement section 54 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

As set out in our manifesto, we will review the case for increasing the fines for littering, and will begin a consultation on this later this year. The outcome of this work will inform the potential level of any civil penalty for littering from a vehicle.

We plan to begin working with councils early next year to understand better their current enforcement practices and resources, and the barriers to effective enforcement. This will help us to consider the practicalities of implementation of any new regulatory approach (including any necessary exemptions to keepers’ liability). It will also help us to assess the new burdens on councils that would be associated with establishing a new civil penalties regime. Appropriate funding to cover any new burdens would have to be agreed before any regulations can be made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what NHS facilities are available for proton beam treatment for cancer in the UK; where the facilities are located; and when each became operational.

Lord Prior of Brampton

In 2012, the Government provided £250 million to build two high energy proton beam therapy (PBT) facilities at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust in London. Work has already started and is proceeding as quickly and safely as possible, with the first facility due to become operational in 2018.

NHS England is committed to continuing the Proton Beam Therapy Overseas Programme until the centres being built at The Christie and UCLH are in a position to undertake the treatment currently being commissioned from overseas providers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what part they played in the 9 September Geneva agreement between the US and Russia for a ceasefire in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The 9 September Geneva agreement was the product of months of bilateral negotiations between the US and Russia. The UK plays an active role on Syria in wider fora including in the International Syria Support Group and through our Permanent Membership of the UN Security Council. We have further been playing our role in the wider political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and on Sunday 16 October the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) convened a meeting of key partners on Syria in London. The meeting discussed various options for responding to the appalling situation in Syria, and particularly the worsening humanitarian situation in Aleppo.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Marlesford on 2015-11-11.

To ask the Chairman of Committees which peers who were Members of the House of Lords throughout the 2014–15 parliamentary session attended on fewer than 25 per cent of sitting days, indicating in respect of each peer the number of days attended.

Lord Laming

The House sat for 126 days in the 2014/15 Session and therefore members needed to attend at least 32 times to reach an attendance rate of 25%. For the purposes of this answer: an attendance is counted as an attendance in the Chamber, in Grand Committee, in a Select Committee or a vote in the division lobbies.

The following members attended on fewer than 32 days. The figures do not include members who joined part way through the Session, members who died or retired part way through the session, or members who were disqualified or on leave of absence throughout the Session. Some of the Members listed were unwell and have since died, and some took leave of absence in the next Session. In discharging their parliamentary duties members of the House of Lords can draw substantially on experience and expertise gained outside Parliament. Therefore members may devote considerable time to maintaining and increasing that knowledge.

Members who took leave of absence for part of the Session and attended fewer than 25% of total days that they were eligible to attend:

	Days attended	Total sitting days that member was eligible to attend.
Dixon, L.	0	32
Mogg, L.	0	35
Janner of Braunstone, L.	0	36
Hutton, L.	1	109
Brooks of Tremorfa, L.	2	27
Evans of Parkside, L.	2	35
Thomas of Walliswood, B.	3	41

Other members who attended fewer than 32 times:

	Days attended
Grabiner, L.	0
Healey, L.	0
Inge, L.	0
Mayhew of Twysden, L.	0
Neill of Bladen, L.	0
Saville of Newdigate, L.	0
Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, L.	0
Archer of Weston-Super-Mare, L.	1
Baldwin of Bewdley, E.	1
Browne of Madingley, L.	1
Goldie, B.	1
King of Lothbury, L.	1
Peel, E.	1
Weidenfeld, L.	1
Williamson of Horton, L.	1
Bell, L.	2
Cameron of Lochbroom, L.	2
Campbell of Loughborough, B.	2
Ezra, L.	2
Falkender, B.	2
Malloch-Brown, L.	2
Turner of Ecchinswell, L.	2
Wolfson of Aspley Guise, L.	2
Alliance, L.	3
Burns, L.	3
Carter of Barnes, L.	3
Heseltine, L.	3
Lloyd-Webber, L.	3
Sacks, L.	3
Tombs, L.	3
Sharman, L.	4
Parkinson, L.	4
Bamford, L.	5
Coe, L.	5
Feldman, L.	5
London, Bp.	5
Smith of Kelvin, L.	5
Waldegrave of North Hill, L.	5
Wilson of Dinton, L.	5
York, Abp.	5
Collins of Mapesbury, L.	6
Freyberg, L.	6
Fritchie, B.	6
Guthrie of Craigiebank, L.	6
Williams of Oystermouth, L.	6
Wolfson of Sunningdale, L.	6
Haughey, L.	7
Rogers of Riverside, L.	7
Stevenson of Coddenham, L.	7
Winchester, Bp.	7
Young of Graffham, L.	7
Darzi of Denham, L.	8
Kestenbaum, L.	8
Nickson, L.	8
Rotherwick, L.	8
Chelmsford, Bp.	9
Hall of Birkenhead, L.	9
Myners, L.	9
Renwick of Clifton, L.	9
Richards of Herstmonceux, L.	9
Bristol, Bp.	10
Rix, L.	10
Browne-Wilkinson, L.	11
O’Donnell, L.	11
Vallance of Tummel, L.	12
Carrington, L.	12
Browne of Ladyton, L.	12
Drayson, L.	12
Glendonbrook, L.	12
Green of Hurstpierpoint, L.	12
Leach of Fairford, L.	12
Sheffield, Bp.	12
Currie of Marylebone, L.	13
Hattersley, L.	13
Macfarlane of Bearsden, L.	13
Mandelson, L.	13
Ryder of Wensum, L.	13
Sassoon, L.	13
Truro, Bp.	13
Blackwell, L.	14
Canterbury, Abp.	14
McCluskey, L.	14
Tordoff, L.	14
Davies of Abersoch, L.	15
Hogg, B.	15
Leitch, L.	15
Neuberger, B.	15
Tanlaw, L.	15
Willoughby de Broke, L.	15
Falconer of Thoroton, L.	16
Hardie, L.	16
Haskins, L.	16
Montagu of Beaulieu, L.	16
Palumbo of Southwark, L.	16
Saatchi, L.	16
Stair, E.	18
Levene of Portsoken, L.	18
Edmiston, L.	18
Imbert, L.	18
Joffe, L.	18
Worcester, Bp.	18
Birmingham, Bp.	19
Kalms, L.	19
Lichfield, Bp.	19
Owen, L.	19
Patten of Barnes, L.	19
Young of Old Scone, B.	19
Feldman of Elstree, L.	20
Livingston of Parkhead, L.	20
Smith of Leigh, L.	20
Allan of Hallam, L.	21
Chadlington, L.	21
Chandos, V.	21
Durham, Bp.	21
Leicester, Bp.	21
Portsmouth, Bp.	21
Greenfield, B.	22
Macdonald of River Glaven, L.	22
Valentine, B.	23
Home, E.	23
Howard of Lympne, L.	23
Montgomery of Alamein, V.	23
Rochester, Bp.	23
Richardson of Calow, B.	24
Rosslyn, E.	24
Stern of Brentford, L.	24
Alli, L.	25
Magan of Castletown, L.	25
Puttnam, L.	25
Cullen of Whitekirk, L.	26
Levy, L.	26
Mar and Kellie, E.	26
Moore of Lower Marsh, L.	26
Palumbo, L.	26
Walker of Gestingthorpe, L.	26
Manningham-Buller, B.	27
Fellowes of West Stafford, L.	27
Turnbull, L.	28
Carswell, L.	29
Sugar, L.	29
Goldsmith, L.	30
Coventry, Bp.	30
Walker of Aldringham, L.	30
Cohen of Pimlico, B.	31
Judge, L.	31
Krebs, L.	31
Shaw of Northstead, L.	31
Sheldon, L.	31