Tag: Lord Palmer

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the link between rates of smoking prevalence and the level of tobacco control, as measured by the OECD.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government considers international comparisons of tobacco control produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other organisations, such as Joossens and Raw’s Tobacco Control Scale in Europe, which ranks the United Kingdom as number one in tobacco control activity of 34 European countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-05-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the cross-department ministerial group to tackle illicit trade in tobacco has met since it was announced in the budget of March 2015; and whether they will set out the membership of that group, the issues that were discussed at each meeting and the intended outcomes.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The cross-department ministerial group to tackle illicit tobacco will meet for the first time later this month. This follows a number of productive meetings between officials in HMRC and other departments to identify the challenges and opportunities in the UK and internationally and determine a clear agenda for ministerial action. Further details on the group will be issued in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal basis the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has in English law.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is an international treaty establishing general guidelines and principles for international governance on tobacco control. The United Kingdom ratified the Treaty in 2004 and takes its obligations under the Convention very seriously.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Chairman of Committees how much it cost to refurbish the Cholmondeley Room toilets, and why those toilets were out of service so soon after their six-month refurbishment.

Lord Laming

The works to the Cholmondeley Room toilets are not yet completed. They should be completed in the next month. The estimated budget is £650,000 (of which the Lords’ share is 40%).

A number of unforeseen technical difficulties mean that the works are slightly behind schedule; although two of the toilets have re-opened, some underlying problems are still being resolved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health has sought independent legal advice in respect of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and if so, whether they will place a copy of that advice in the Library of the House.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Any legal advice the Department may have obtained in respect of this, or any other issue, is subject to the usual provisions relating to legal professional privilege and as such will not be disclosed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which contracts awarded by the Department of Health have conditions within them relating to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and in each case, whether legal advice was taken before the issuing of that tender.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government takes its obligations as a Party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) very seriously, including the obligation to protect public health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry.

The Department considers the detail of Invitation to Tender (ITT) and contract documentation, including the legal aspects, on a case by case basis. The standard documentation includes a requirement to declare actual or potential conflicts of interest and some ITTs make specific reference to FCTC obligations.

This issue is considered as part of the evaluation process and through the contract monitoring process as appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2015-11-23.

To ask the Chairman of Committees on what basis the last Deputy Head of Catering and Retail Services left the employment of the administration.

Lord Laming

It is not appropriate for me to answer questions on individual employment matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much severance pay was offered, and subsequently paid, to the Chairman of the Environment Agency prior to his resignation.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Sir Philip Dilley will work until the end of January to allow a measured transition. He will receive no severance package.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-01-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 December 2015 (HL3862), what legal basis the World Health Organization’s treaties have in English law.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Where the United Kingdom is party to a treaty which is in force, the United Kingdom government must comply, as a matter of international law, with its obligations under the treaty in good faith. This is required by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

Where a particular obligation under a treaty has not been implemented in domestic legislation it does not directly form part of English law and the English courts do not have jurisdiction to apply it. However, there is also a strong presumption in the common law that all domestic legislation will, where possible, be interpreted so as to ensure that the United Kingdom is acting compatibly with its treaty obligations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Palmer on 2016-01-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 December 2015 (HL3861), what assessment they have made of why, when the UK ranks number one in tobacco control activity of 34 European countries, nine other European countries have lower levels of smoking prevalence.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Countries use different ways to assess smoking prevalence within their population and there is variation as to whether they include daily, weekly, or occasional smokers within the figures. It is therefore not always possible to compare smoking prevalence rates directly between countries. In contrast, Joossens and Raws’s Tobacco Control Scale in Europe, which ranks the United Kingdom as number one in tobacco control activity of 34 European countries, uses a set criteria to assess the implementation of tobacco control policies across European countries, enabling a direct comparison to be made between the countries of tobacco control measures.