Tag: Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the 2016 Institute of Economic Affairs Nanny State Index suggesting that the UK is the third worst country in terms of regulation of lifestyle choices, they will take action to reduce the influence of government on the private lives and lifestyles of the population.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Government seeks to develop public health policies proportionate to the risks and or harms to health, supporting economic development.

For example, smoking is the biggest preventable cause of ill health and death in England and a significant cause of health inequalities in the United Kingdom. All smoking is addictive and harmful to health. Around half of all regular smokers are eventually killed by a smoking-related illness, accounting for almost 80,000 deaths in England each year. There are significant costs to society in terms of premature illness and death and to the economic prosperity of individuals and communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Leader of the House why there are half-term recesses for the House of Lords.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

The business of the House is scheduled in a way which allows for periodic adjournments, including at half-term. This is the case because many of its members have family or other outside commitments away from the House, in many cases away from London. The House of Commons has a similar pattern of adjournments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, if their objectives of European Union re-negotiation are not met, they plan to recommend leaving that organisation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), is confident that with good will and understanding, he can and will succeed in negotiating reform in the EU and Britain’s relationship within it. As he has said, if he succeeds he will campaign to keep the UK in a reformed EU but if he does not achieve these changes he rules nothing out.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the ratio of NHS employees to the UK population; and how this compares with major European countries and the USA.

Lord Prior of Brampton

This information is not collected by the Department. Health is a devolved matter across the four countries of the United Kingdom and the Department is only responsible for the health and care system in England.

The ratio of National Health Service staff in England to the population of England is 0.019824. This is normally expressed as a ratio per 100,000 population, which in this case is 1,982.4 full-time equivalent staff per 100,000 population.

The Department does not hold information on estimates of the number of health care staff in other countries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Verma on 10 December 2015 (HLWS370) concerning plans to tackle violence against women and girls overseas, whether the plans will be financed through the overseas aid budget or by separate financial provisions, and what measures will be put in place to ensure that the finance provided is used exclusively to assist the victims of violence.

Baroness Verma

The UK Government is proud of the leadership role that it is taking to tackle violence against women and girls at home and overseas, including domestic violence, sexual violence, FGM and child, early and forced marriage. Plans outlined in the Written Ministerial Statement to address violence against women and girls overseas are financed through the overseas aid budget. This covers a range of interventions, all of which are necessary, to eliminate violence against women and girls. It includes the essential activities providing support to survivors of violence; programming to actively prevent violence; research to test and understand what works to stop violence in different contexts, and efforts to strengthen the international system to deliver results at scale.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the meeting on 9 February between the original member states of the EU, and the re-commitment by those member states to an ever closer union” and a “two-speed Europe”.”

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the UK a special status in a reformed EU. The agreement sets out that the Treaties will be changed to “make it clear that the references to ever closer union do not apply to the United Kingdom” and acknowledges “different paths of integration being available for different Member States and do not compel all Member States to aim for a common destination.”

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-04-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement will be subject to ratification by both Houses of Parliament and the US Congress.

Lord Price

We expect the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will be a “mixed” agreement, covering areas of both EU and Member State competence, to which the US, EU and all EU Member States will be parties.

In that case, it will be subject to agreement by each EU Member State, the EU Council and the European Parliament. As part of this process in the UK, before the Government can ratify the agreement, the complete draft text of the agreement will initially be laid before Parliament for scrutiny for at least 21 sitting days. During this time MPs and Lords may debate the treaty in either or both Houses and vote on the proposed ratification.

In the US, both Houses of Congress would have to ratify legislation to implement the agreement, but not the agreement itself.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to remove restrictions on local authorities raising council tax to meet the needs of their communities.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government is committed to working with local authorities to protect hard-working council tax payers from excessive increases. In the Spending Review, the Government announced a new adult social care precept worth 2 per cent for authorities with responsibility for adult social care for the remainder of the Parliament, subject to the approval of the House of Commons. This new precept was in addition to a ‘core’ council tax referendum principle of 2 per cent, which would be reviewed annually. The Government has set out its proposals for council tax referendum principles for 2017-18 in the Local Government Finance Settlement Technical Consultation, released on 15 September 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the agreement at the 18 May European Union Council meeting that the EU will work towards allowing visa-free access to the EU for Turkish citizens, whether Turkish citizens will be granted visa-free access to the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates

The UK does not participate in the immigration and border aspects of the Schengen acquis so there is no obligation on the UK to liberalise the visa regime for Turkish citizens as a result of the European Union Council decision. We continue to monitor the situation including the Commission’s assessment of the security and migratory impacts of visa liberalisation.

The Government regularly reviews the visa system. Visa regimes are imposed and removed on the basis of the risk that the country’s citizens pose to the UK. There are no current plans to change the visa regime for Turkish citizens.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Parliament will be able to debate and vote on proposals for the renegotiation of the United Kingdom position in the European Union before they are submitted to the European Council.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The British Government has been clear that it will continue to keep Parliament informed on the progress of the renegotiation, including through evidence sessions to the appropriate Committees. Most recently the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), gave evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee on 16 September, and the House of Lords EU Committee on 12 October on this topic. The Government will also ensure that any documents that are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny are deposited in the usual manner.