The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-04-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in the light of the findings of the review submitted to the Ministry of Justice that reportedly shows that government-appointed prison chaplains have routinely distributed homophobic literature to prisoners.
Lord Faulks
My Rt hon Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice is considering the recommendations of the review of Extremism.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Médecins Sans Frontières’ refusal to take any funds from the EU in protest against the EU’s refugee policy, whether they will reconsider their support for the EU–Turkey refugee deal.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving on Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making a genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers.
We continue to deploy expert staff to the Greek islands to act as interpreters and help with the processing of migrants. These teams help ensure that vulnerable people, including children, are identified and can access asylum procedures as quickly as possible.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-10-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules they have put in place to ensure that transgender persons are placed in prisons that are appropriate for them based on their gender identity.
Lord Faulks
Prison Service Instruction 07/2011 sets out NOMS policy on the care and management of prisoners who live or propose to live in a gender other than the one assigned at birth. Prisoners are normally placed according to their legally recognised gender. However, the guidelines allow room for discretion and senior prison staff will review the circumstances of every case in consultation with medical and other experts in order to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the person concerned along with the safety and wellbeing of other prisoners.
A review of the current policy on transgender and transsexual prisoners began earlier this year and revised policy guidance will be issued to reflect NOMS’ responsibilties to transgender offenders in the community as well as in custody. The intention is to implement the guidance early in the New Year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-30.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when it was decided that the Chief Executive of NHS England could appear on political debate shows such as Any Questions?, and who made that decision.
Lord Prior of Brampton
NHS England is an independent body established by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Its Chief Executive, Simon Stevens, decided to accept the invitation to appear on the ‘Any Questions?’ programme several months ago.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-02-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of the Sheffield City Region Devolution Deal, in the light of the Leader of Sheffield City Council refusing to accept the current Deal; what the areas of disagreement are; and what their position is on each of those areas.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Sheffield City Region devolution deal is a ground-breaking agreement that will see a major transfer of powers and responsibilities, including over transport. Local councils are in the process of ratifying devolution agreements and are working with the Government to ensure the timely implementation of all commitments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-04-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 26 April (HL7673), whether there exists an internal Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) report called BIS2020 Finance and Headcount that contains information about the move of the Sheffield BIS office to London.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Government does not comment on internal or leaked documents.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-06-20.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey about the reported use of tear gas and rubber bullets at a LGBT pride march in Istanbul.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not discussed these specific cases with the Government of Turkey. We regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including the freedom of assembly and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and/or intersex persons. We did not fly the rainbow flag over our Embassy in Ankara over the weekend commencing 24 June. British Missions overseas fly the Diplomatic, Union or Consular flag throughout the year, the flags of the constituent countries of the UK on their respective national days and in certain countries the European flag. Missions do not fly any other flags.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 2 November (HL2849) on the review of retention of custody images by police forces, what are the specific operational and legal issues raised in the evidence-gathering stage, how they plan to address each issue, and what is the timescale for the completion of each of those actions.
Lord Bates
The review is ongoing, and is anticipated to report before the Christmas recess. Specific stakeholders consulted as part of the review include the Biometrics Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, the National DNA Database Ethics Group, the National Police Chiefs Council , the College of Policing and local police forces. The report can be expected to address the operational and legal issues and risks, and set out plans for implementation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2015-12-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Sheffield City Region Devolution Agreement that has been signed by the leaders and the mayor of four councils in South Yorkshire is final, and whether before signing the signatories were informed that the powers of the mayor for the Sheffield City Region set out in paragraph 4 could be further negotiated.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
All deals are agreed in principle, and are subject to the passage of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill and relevant secondary legislation. There is a clear understanding – stipulated in the deal document – that discussions will be on-going and that further powers may be devolved in the future, as has been the case with Greater Manchester.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-02-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current performance and practices of South Yorkshire Police regarding investigations of sexual exploitation of children.
Lord Bates
As I set out in response to the Noble Lord on 20 August 2015, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary published a National Child Protection Inspection post-inspection review of South Yorkshire Police in July 2015. The report found that South Yorkshire Police had made child protection a priority and was taking steps to improve its response to child sexual exploitation although areas of poor practice still remained. South Yorkshire Police must continue to work towards implementing Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s recommendations. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is continuing to monitor South Yorkshire Police’s approach to child protection.
The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner has commissioned an independent review into the force’s handling of reports of child sexual exploitation. The review, led by Professor John Drew, launched on 30 September and the report will be published this year.