Tag: Lord Pearson of Rannoch

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to alter the timing of school exams to accommodate Muslim children during Ramadan, and whether they have similar plans to accommodate Jewish children and the children of other non-Christian religions during their religious festivals.

Lord Nash

This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Noble Lord. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Lords Library.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the operations of the European Gendarmerie Force.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The European Gendarmerie Force is not a European Union force. It has its own separate treaty between the countries that participate, which does not include the UK, and is not part of the European Union framework. The Government notes the work of the European Gendarmerie Force, but has no plans to pursue membership.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 27 January (HL5012), why that answer provided a reference to a Written Answer in the House of Commons given by the then Minister of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, on 20 November 2014 on a different subject to the question asked; and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers.

Lord Freud

I apologise to the noble Lord for the incorrect answer to HL5012 this was due to an administrative error. The correct answer was given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms. Esther McVey) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2014 to Question number 211618 as below:

While the Government checks the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.

However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.

The Government has made a radical series of changes over the last year to restrict the access by non-UK citizens from the European Economic Area to UK benefits and tax credits. This is in order to protect the UK’s benefit system and discourage people who have no established connection with the UK from moving here, unless they have a job or a genuine prospect of work, or have savings to support themselves until they do.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the UK is committed to joining an EU army if one is formed and we are invited to do so.

Earl Howe

The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will never be part of a European Army. We have consistently said that we will oppose any measures which would undermine member states’ competence for their own military forces, or lead to competition and duplication with NATO, which is the cornerstone of our defence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of child refugees to the UK from Syria and elsewhere who are from Muslim families, and whether the families of such refugees will be able to follow them in due course.

Lord Bates

The Home Office does not record the religion of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection for statistical purposes.

There is no provision in the Immigration Rules for children granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to sponsor family members to join them. The policy is designed to avoid creating incentives for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their country and risk hazardous journeys to the UK, which would play right into the hands of people smugglers and traffickers.

Where a family reunion application fails under the Immigration Rules, there is provision in the policy to consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules in individual cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-06-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 1 June (HL107), (1) why HM Revenue and Customs collects data on the currency of invoicing for trade with non-EU countries but not for EU countries, and (2) how they and the Bank of England manage sterling interest and exchange rates in the absence of such data.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

HM Revenue and Customs collects data on the currency of invoicing for trade with non-EU countries as a basis for calculating customs duty under customs and statistical law. It is published in the UK on a dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com) and available to all. This data is also used by the European Institutions (e.g. the European Central Bank) to monitor the share of the Euro in international trade. There is no legislative requirement for this information to be collected for trade with EU countries.

The UK’s monetary framework is clear, the independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England sets Bank Rate to target 2% inflation. The UK does not have an exchange rate target, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the risk that their policy of further localism might lead to local authorities with high Muslim populations adopting Sharia law, if current trends in birth rate continue.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This is not viewed as a risk by the Government. Localism does not mean that national law can be contravened, nor does it allow the creation of local court systems. Legislation remains the responsibility of Parliament, not local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-06-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 1 June (HL345), whether they can veto any proposed EU army, or whether this could go ahead under enhanced co-operation” between other EU member states.”

Earl Howe

The Prime Minister has been clear that the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces will never be part of a European army. In the Treaty on the European Union there is special provision for any decision within the EU that has military or defence implications. Such decisions must be made unanimously, meaning that the UK has a veto. This also applies to enhanced co-operation, which requires agreement by all member states before it can be undertaken.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 10 February (HL5883), why the incorrect reference to the 20 November 2014 answer has been repeated, and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of paying in-work benefits to non-UK citizens from other EU countries in each of the last five years.

Lord Freud

The November 2014 answer (HL 5012) incorrectly referred to question number 211618 as having been responded to by Priti Patel, when in fact the answer was provided by Esther McVey.

I would like to apologise again for this, but would like to be clear that the mistake was to incorrectly state the name of the Minister providing the original response (211618)) and did not relate to the question number. Both responses HL 5012 and 5883 correctly referred the Honourable Lord to question number 211618.

The original reference to question 211618 was provided because the information has not changed; information on benefit receipt by nationality is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-06-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many EU proposals and initiatives, of which they are aware, are being delayed for publication until after 23 June, and what are those initiatives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Decisions on the timing of proposals for EU Laws and Directives are solely the responsibility of the European Commission. The European Parliament publishes details of current legislation under negotiation on its website.