House of Lords

Session 2019-20 Tuesday No. 14 5 November 2019

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD)

HOUSE OF LORDS

WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS

Written Statements ...... 1 Written Answers ...... 20

[I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows.

Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Berridge Whip Lord Bethell Whip Baroness Blackwood of North Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care Oxford Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist Lord Callanan Minister of State, Department for Exiting the European Union Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen Whip Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Duncan of Springbank Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Northern Ireland Office Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development Baroness Vere of Norbiton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Viscount Younger of Leckie Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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help inform our ongoing ambition to deliver wide-ranging Written Statements and effective research and innovation collaborations with partners around the world. Tuesday, 5 November 2019

[1] Adrian Smith Review: Written statement - HCWS1449 Adrian Smith Review Audit Reform [HLWS91] Lord Duncan of Springbank: My Rt hon friend the [HLWS99] Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Lord Duncan of Springbank: My Rt hon friend the Innovation (Chris Skidmore) has today made the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial following statement: Strategy (Andrea Leadsom) has today made the following statement: I am pleased to announce that I have today published the report “Changes and Choices”, co-authored by The Government recognises the role that audit plays in Professor Sir Adrian Smith and Professor Graeme Reid. the effective functioning of the UK’s financial markets This report, which I commissioned in March of this year, and broader economy. provides independent advice on the design of UK funding To help meet our ambition that the UK should become schemes for international collaboration, innovation and the best place in the world to work and to grow a curiosity-driven blue-skies research.[1] In the course of business, we must take forward reform of audit. This will producing the report, Sir Adrian and Professor Reid include reforming audit, the audit regulator, and the audit issued a call for evidence and engaged in discussions with market. Change would affect a large number and a wide the research and innovation community across the UK. I variety of companies, firms, and interests; but it is clear would like to place on record my thanks to Sir Adrian and that there is a need for truly long-lasting and effective Professor Reid, as well as to all of those who engaged change. with them to ensure that the UK continues to be a global leader in science, research and innovation. I want to see the UK leading the world in the next phase The UK’s world-leading science, research and of improvement for corporate governance and audit. In innovation sector delivers real economic and social the first quarter of next year - when I have considered Sir benefits for communities across the country. International Donald Brydon’s recommendations - I intend to bring collaboration allows us to work at greater scale than the together all relevant elements of reform in order to take UK could alone – for example to meaningfully tackle that forward. global challenges, such as climate change, artificial I am already working to create the new Audit, intelligence, cancer, and the future ageing society. In the Reporting and Governance Authority, to replace the Withdrawal Agreement Bill debate on 22 October, the Financial Reporting Council. I have started with Prime Minister confirmed that “we will protect, preserve appointing new leadership at the Financial Reporting and enhance” cooperation with European science and Council, who are driving a new vision and culture for the research funding programmes. regulator. They are now implementing those Sir Adrian and Professor Reid highlight the importance recommendations made in Sir John Kingman’s excellent of stabilising and building on the UK capability built up report that are not contingent on legislative change. through our international partnerships to date. This Future reform will cover not just the function of the Government has participated in negotiations with regulator, but also the purpose and function of the audit European partners in a positive spirit as Horizon Europe market, and audit itself. I intend to bring forward an takes shape - and intends to consider association to ambitious and coherent programme of change that drives Horizon Europe provided the programme is open to third up quality, resilience and choice. It will include proposals country association and offers value for money to the UK. on the function and oversight of audit committees and Any decision about associating to the programme will new internal control arrangements within businesses; on need to take place after both the Horizon Europe proposal the responsibilities of boards and directors; on how both and the Multiannual Financial Framework discussions investors and regulators can better hold companies and have been completed in Council. their auditors to account; and to reduce the reliance on a This Government is committed to ensuring that the UK few large audit firms for the provision of audit. continues to be a global science superpower. That is why All of those factors must be and will be assessed and we have committed to increasing R&D investment to at weighed together, so that the whole package is coherent least 2.4% of GDP by 2027 and have announced our and effective. As recognised by the BEIS Select intention to significantly boost R&D funding to provide Committee, whose work on audit I welcome, some reform greater long-term certainty to the scientific community will require radical action in order to ensure that it is and accelerate our ambition to reach the 2.4% target. In meaningful and enduring, and that it fully addresses the this context, I welcome Sir Adrian and Professor Reid’s very real concerns that we all share with the current state recommendation that the Government should set out a of the market. new vision for international collaboration. The report will

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British Indian Ocean Territory pronounce itself on the sovereignty dispute between the UK and Mauritius without the consent of the UK to [HLWS87] resolve the sovereignty dispute before the Special Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Kingdom is Chamber. aware of the proceedings brought by Mauritius against the Maldives under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea The UK remains committed to implementing the 2015 (UNCLOS). The UK is not a party to these proceedings, UNCLOS Arbitral Tribunal Award and seeking direct, which can have no effect for the UK or for maritime bilateral dialogue with Mauritius. delimitation between the UK (in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory) and the Republic of the Maldives. Business Productivity Review The UK has no doubt as to our sovereignty over the [HLWS89] British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which has been Lord Duncan of Springbank: My hon friend the under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Small Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the BIOT and Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility (Kelly the UK does not recognise its claim. Tolhurst) has today made the following statement: As we have made clear previously, we were The UK has some of the world’s most productive disappointed that the sovereignty dispute over the BIOT businesses and has a strong business environment upon was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). By which we can build. Despite this, the UK has a agreeing to answer the questions put to it by the General longstanding productivity gap with international Assembly on behalf of Mauritius, the Court has enabled competitors. That is why we launched the joint Mauritius to circumvent the basic principle that the Court Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy should not consider a bilateral dispute without the consent and HM Treasury, Business Productivity Review to of both States concerned. This sets a precedent which will understand the decisions and actions taken by businesses potentially have wide implications for other States with that affect their own productivity. bilateral disputes. The potential prize is significant. The Bank of England Despite these clear reservations, the UK participated estimates that if UK firms could move along the fully in the advisory proceedings in good faith. We have productivity distribution into the next quartile, then this also made known our views on the content of the opinion, could see a boost to UK GDP by around £270bn in including its insufficient regard to some material facts and today’s prices. significant legal issues. These included the 2015 binding UNCLOS Arbitral Tribunal Award, which held the 1965 To inform the Review we launched a call for evidence Agreement between Mauritius and the United Kingdom, in May 2018 and received more than 140 written in which Mauritius agreed to detachment of the BIOT in responses. Meetings were held with 3,000 business return for benefits including the United Kingdom leaders and we also engaged with sector trade bodies and commitment to cede the territory when no longer needed membership organisations that jointly represent over for defence purposes, was legally binding. The opinion 500,000 businesses across the UK, including Scotland, also gave insufficient regard to the reaffirmation by Wales and Northern Ireland. Mauritius, after independence, of the 1965 Agreement. The Business Productivity Review we are publishing In any event, what is undisputed is that the opinion is today identifies best practice used by our leading advisory and not legally binding. Moreover, the Court businesses and sets out ten key actions that will support itself recognised that its opinion is without prejudice to businesses to become more productive these include: the sovereignty dispute over the BIOT between the UK • £20m to strengthen local England Peer to Peer and Mauritius. Networks in England focused on business improvement As the dispute over the BIOT is a sovereignty dispute, so that thousands of business leaders can share the General Assembly is not the appropriate forum to expertise on leadership, business development and resolve such disputes. General Assembly resolution technology adoption. 73/295, adopted following the ICJ’s advisory opinion, • £11m to create a Small Business Leadership cannot and does not create any legal obligations for the Programme in England to provide small business Member States. Nor can or does General Assembly leaders with leadership training, building on existing resolution 73/295 create legal obligations for other world class training programmes; such as Be the international actors such as a Special Chamber of the Business’ Productivity Through People, Lancaster International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Neither the University’s LEAD and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small non-binding Advisory Opinion nor the non-binding Businesses Programme. General Assembly resolution alter the legal situation, that of a sovereignty dispute over the BIOT between the UK • £25m through the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to and Mauritius. allow over 200 more UK based businesses per year to A fundamental principle of international law and the access the skills and talent to improve their business international legal order is the principle of consent. It performance and productivity by improving how well follows that the Special Chamber is not in a position to they are managed. Today we are announcing that there

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will be a dedicated management KTP round which will Department for Business, Energy and be open on 12 December 2019 and closes on 19 Industrial Strategy: Work of the Department February 2020. [HLWS96] • Work with trade bodies, sector councils and Be the Business to ensure small businesses have access to Lord Duncan of Springbank: My Rt hon friend the business mentors from the UK’s leading and inspiring Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial businesses. Strategy (Andrea Leadsom) has today made the following statement: • Development of the evidence base on productivity, I would like to update the house on some of the key including through the recently announced Productivity achievements of the Department for Business, Energy and Institute and the BEIS Business Support Evaluation the Industrial Strategy since it was created in July 2016. Framework. Leading the world in tackling climate change • Work with the Behavioural Insights Team to improve Achieving net zero carbon emissions is a key messaging to businesses, and work with trusted departmental priority and we have set out actions we are intermediaries (e.g. banks, accountants, trade bodies) to taking across the economy to accomplish this. support small businesses to take action. • We committed to set a legally binding target to end • Improve the customer experience for businesses the UK’s contribution to climate change to net zero by accessing online Government information and services 2050. for growth domestically and internationally. • We have set out further actions we are taking across • Work with the private sector, such as Be the Business, the economy to achieve net zero by 2050. These include to ensure businesses have access to clear advice and the adding around 6GW of clean energy to the grid by 2025 tools they need to help them both understand and through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme – improve their productivity. enough to power over seven million homes at record low costs. Cobham plc Merger • We announced £200m initial funding for a programme [HLWS84] which aims to design and build a nuclear fusion plant by 2040, looking to exploit the potential for clean, safe Lord Duncan of Springbank: My Rt hon friend the and inexhaustible power. Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Andrea Leadsom) has today made the following • We announced £27.8m of government funding to statement: advance carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) th technologies in the UK – a crucial step towards the On 25 July 2019, the boards of Cobham PLC and a UK’s net zero emissions. subsidiary of funds managed by Advent International, a US private equity firm, announced that they had reached • We announced investment of up to £1 billion over five agreement on the terms of a recommend cash acquisition years to boost the production of key green technologies of Cobham for approximately £4 billion. in the motor industry, including batteries, electric motors, power electronics and hydrogen fuel cells. This On 17th September, following advice from relevant is in addition to £400 million for electric vehicle Government Departments and agencies, I initiated a charging infrastructure. public interest intervention under the Enterprise Act 2002 • The UK was nominated to host the COP26 UN into this merger on the grounds of national security. I climate talks next year in partnership with Italy, required that the Competition and Markets Authority recognition by world leaders of our strong global on investigate the merger and provide me with a report on climate issues. the transaction by 29th October, which it has done. The Secretary of State for Defence has also written to me • UK emissions in 2019 were 42% lower than in 1990, about the national security implications of the merger and while growing the economy by 72%. The UK has the discussions which have taken place with the parties to delivered fastest decarbonisation in G20 since 2000 propose undertakings to address those implications. I am according to PWC. grateful for the advice I have received and the • The UK’s fifth Carbon Budget was passed into law, constructive engagement from the parties. equivalent to a 57% reduction on 1990 levels by 2032. The decision on how to proceed in this case requires • We committed £5.8bn of international climate finance further full and proper consideration of the issues. Having from 2016-2021, placing us among the world’s leading received these reports, I will therefore have further providers of climate finance, in addition to the £3.87bn discussions with my ministerial colleagues and the parties we provided from 2011-2016. The Prime Minister later to the transaction to inform the decision-making process. I announced the doubling of international climate finance will update the House in due course so that Honourable spend to £11.6 billion. Members can scrutinise the Government’s decision. The • Our international climate finance programmes are full legal process will continue to be followed throughout delivering real results on the ground and are catalysing the general election period. wider change:

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i) Among others, we have built the market for programmes. A total of 82,000 smaller businesses have Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) in developing been supported by the British Business Bank. countries. • The Brydon Review examined the quality and ii) We have contributed £720m to the Green Climate effectiveness of the audit market and looked at what Fund, financing projects and programmes in a range of audits should be in the future. It addressed the audit developing countries. expectation gap: the difference between what people • We published the Clean Growth Strategy: Leading the think an audit does and what it actually does. It will way to a low carbon future policy paper. This set out also look at the scope of an audit, any changes that may the strategy for decarbonising all sectors of the UK need to be made to it and how it can better serve the economy through the 2020s – benefitting the economy public interest. while meeting commitments to tackle climate change. • We consulted on the Competition and Markets • We held the UK’s first Green GB Week in 2018, a Authority’s far-reaching and ambitious week to celebrate clean growth and raise awareness recommendations to improve quality, resilience and regarding how the public and businesses can tackle competition in the Statutory Audit Market. We are climate change. committed to acting on the CMA’s findings and will • We launched the Smart Export Guarantee consultation respond as soon as possible. which proposed that large electricity suppliers must • We established the Office for Product Safety and offer small scale generators a price per kWh for the Standards to enhance consumer protections. electricity they export to the grid. The scheme came • We published the Consumer Green Paper, aimed at into force in June 2019. responding to the challenges and opportunities of • We are taking action to make sure the UK’s energy modern consumer markets via a regulatory and system has adequate capacity and is diverse and competition framework. This was followed by reliable. consultation and engagement on the Green Paper. i) We gave the go-ahead agreement to proceed with the • We carried out a Smart Data Review and proposed a first nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley set of measures to ensure consumers’ data is handled Point C to ensure future low-carbon energy security. with the security they expect, while enabling them to Hinkley will provide seven per cent of Britain’s continue to have access to the best deals available. electricity needs for sixty years. UK-based businesses • The government asked Matthew Taylor to conduct an will benefit from more than 60% of the £18 billion independent review of employment practices in the value of the project, and 26,000 jobs and modern economy, which was published in July 2017. apprenticeships will be created. We responded to this review with the Good Work Plan. ii) We continued to support the Capacity Market The plan set out proposals to ensure workers know their Auctions. The Capacity Market aims to ensure security rights and receive the benefits they are entitled to, and of electricity supply by providing a payment for reliable that action is taken against employers who breach those sources of capacity, alongside electricity revenues, to rights. Proposals include: ensure the delivery of electricity when needed. i) First-day entitlements to holiday and sick pay; • The department’s ambition is for the UK to have the lowest energy costs in Europe, for both households and ii) A new right to payslips for all workers, including businesses. casual and zero-hour workers; and i) The Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill iii) A right for all workers to request a more stable put a requirement on the independent regulator, Ofgem, contract, providing more financial security for those on to cap energy tariffs until 2020. It came into force in flexible contracts. January 2019, saving customers on default tariffs • As of 1st 2019 the National Minimum Wage (NMW) around £76 on average and as much as £120 on the was £7.70, and the National Living Wage (NLW) was most expensive tariffs. £8.21. The annual earnings of a full-time minimum ii) As of March 2019, there were over 14.3 million wage worker have increased by over £2,750 since the meters operating under the Smart Meter programme. introduction of the NLW in April 2016. An estimated 1.8 million workers are expected to benefit from this Making the UK the best place to work and grow a above inflation increase. By 2020, almost 3 million low business wage workers are expected to benefit directly from the The Secretary of State has set out her ambition to make NLW, with up to 6 million in total potentially seeing the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a their pay rise as a result of a ripple effect up the business. Creating fairer, inclusive workplaces and earnings distribution. unlocking enterprise by cutting the burdens on businesses • The Parental Bereavement Act entitles parents who are two sides of the same coin and both equally important. lose a child under the age of 18 to two weeks paid • We announced that the British Business Bank would leave, supporting those affected by the tragedy of expand its venture capital and debt support childhood mortality.

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• The department consulted on a number of key • We launched the West Midlands and Greater employment issues. These include measures to boost Manchester Local Industrial Strategies, working with workplace participation and to tackle employers local leaders to boost the productivity and earning misusing flexible working arrangements. power of people throughout these regions. Local • We announced a Tipping Bill, reaffirming our Industrial Strategies will allow places to make the most commitment to delivering employment rights reform to of their distinctive strengths, helping to inform local ensure our employment practices keep pace with choices, prioritise local action and, where appropriate, modern ways of working. help to inform decisions at the national level. Solving the Grand Challenges facing our society • We announced funding for Strategic Priorities Fund Our Industrial Strategy is built to ensure we focus our (SPF) Wave 2 programmes on healthy ageing, clean air and productivity. These will help us to fulfil our goal of efforts and resources on solving the grand challenges improving lives and increasing productivity through facing our society. Through this we will increase high-quality research and innovation. Programmes productivity and improve lives, as well as helping to make include research into care robots that could make caring the UK a science superpower. responsibilities easier; digitising museum exhibits so • The Industrial Strategy: building a Britain fit for the they can be seen in peoples’ homes, libraries and future White Paper set out the Government’s long-term schools; research into teenage mental health issues and plan to boost the productivity and earning power of closing the productivity gap with investment in super people throughout the UK, provide more opportunities computers and a new productivity institute. The SPF for young people to find high-quality, high-skilled Wave 2 total programme funding allocation is £496.8 work, and spread jobs, prosperity and opportunity million. around the whole country. • We set out plans to rewrite the regulation rulebook to • We launched four Grand Challenges to put the UK at ensure the UK leads the tech revolution and empowers the forefront of the industries of the future: consumers. The ‘Regulation for the Fourth Industrial i) Growing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Revolution White Paper’ outlined how the Government Driven Economy will transform the UK’s regulatory system to free up ii) Clean Growth businesses and innovators to test their ideas, make use iii) Future of Mobility of the latest technologies and get their products to market quicker – keeping the UK at the forefront of iv) Ageing Society innovation. We are pursuing five individual missions related to • We committed to increase investment to 2.4% of GDP these Grand Challenges. Each of the missions focuses on by 2027. The Government is increasing spending on a specific problem, bringing government, businesses and R&D by £7 billion over 5 years by 2021/22. This will organisations across the country together to make a real be the largest increase in nearly 40 years. difference to people’s lives. Within this funding we have: • We agreed 11 Sector Deals – partnerships between the government and industry to create significant i) Allocated £1.7 billion to the Industrial Strategy opportunities to maximise the potential of each sector. Challenge Fund (ISCF) over two waves of investment. Each deal will substantially boost the sector’s £1bn was announced for Wave 1 in Budget 2017, and a productivity, through greater investment in innovation further £725m announced in the Industrial Strategy and skills. White Paper. These challenges have been developed to • The Space Industry Act created a regulatory align with the four Grand Challenges set out in the framework for the expansion of commercial space White Paper. We have announced nine challenges activities and the development of the UK space port. It under the third wave of the ISCF. will enable the first commercial space launch from UK ii) Announced investment of £118 million to attract soil in history, creating the potential for hundreds of highly skilled researchers to the UK through a new highly-skilled jobs and bringing in billions of pounds Ernest Rutherford Fund, providing fellowships for for the economy. early-career and senior researchers. • We launched the AI package for 200 UK doctoral iii) Committed £900m to the UK Research Partnership studentships in AI and related disciplines which could Investment Fund over 2012-2021, which will lever help diagnose diseases like cancer earlier and make double from private sources into R&D collaborations industries, including aviation and automotive, more between universities, business and charities. sustainable. iv) Committed to developing the UK’s national space • The ‘Future of mobility: urban strategy’ outlined the capabilities, including: government’s approach to maximising the benefits from • £1m, matched by industry, for innovative new transport innovation in cities and towns, therefore business ideas that could benefit from a flight to the improving choice and the operation of the transport International Space Station. These could be anything system. The strategy aims to make transport safer, more from medicines and innovative materials developed in affordable and accessible to all.

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the low gravity environment, to space-flown consumer ECOFIN products. [HLWS93] • £20m is being invested to predict severe space The Earl of Courtown: My right honourable friend the weather events by improving systems at the Met Office Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sajid Javid) has today made Space Weather Operations Centre and building the the following Written Ministerial Statement. UK’s knowledge on how to forecast and better prepare for space weather. A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) will be held in Brussels on 08 To support R&D we have also: November 2019. The UK will be represented by Mark Within this funding we have: Bowman (Director General, International Finance, HM i) Published Higher Education: Success as a Knowledge Treasury). The Council will discuss the following: Economy (White Paper, 2016). This document set out a Excise Duties range of reforms to the higher education and research The Council will be invited to agree the: Directive on system, aiming to boost competition and choice in general arrangements for excise duty (recast); the higher education, and strengthen the way the sector is Regulation on administrative cooperation of the content regulated, and research is funded. of electronic registers; and amendments to the Directive ii) Passed the Higher Education and Research Act on the structures of excise duty on alcohol. (2017), bringing together the seven Research Councils, VAT Data from Payment Service Providers Innovate UK and research functions of HEFCE into a The Council will be invited to agree a General single, strategic agency called UK Research and Approach on amendments to: the Directive on the Innovation (UKRI) to encourage collaborative research common system of VAT with regards to requirements for across the sciences, and closer cooperation between payment service providers; and the Regulation on researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs. UKRI was administrative cooperation in the field of VAT concerning formally launched in April 2018. measures to combat VAT fraud. Getting businesses ready for Brexit and the VAT Treatment for Small Enterprises opportunities beyond The Council will be invited to agree amendments to the Preparing for all scenarios and delivering a Brexit that Directive on the common system of VAT in regards to the works for business has been the government and the special scheme for small enterprises. department’s immediate focus. Current Financial Services Legislative Proposals • As part of the Government campaign to ensure people The Finnish Presidency will provide an update on and businesses are ready for Brexit, the Secretary of current legislative proposals in the field of financial State hosted nine business roundtables, including five services. regional events, and visited businesses across the UK, in locations including Belfast, Aberdeen, Cardiff and European Central Bank – Executive Board Member Manchester. Businesses participating in the roundtables The Council will be invited to adopt a recommendation included Tate and Lyle Sugars, JCB, Tesco, Unilever, to the European Council on the appointment of a new Laing O’Rourke, Scottish Power and Diageo. member of the Executive Board of the European Central • We ran a ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ roadshow, with 30 Bank. events over six weeks across the UK, where 3,132 Digital Taxation attendees received tailored advice and support on The Council will be updated on the current state of play preparing for Brexit. We also produced an online of digital taxation and will discuss the way forward. version of the roadshow, which has attracted nearly European Fiscal Board Report 6,000 viewers. The Council will be presented with the 2019 Annual • The department launched the Business Readiness report of the European Fiscal Board. Fund to help Business Representative Organisations (BROs) and trade associations to support businesses to EU Statistical Package be ready for EU Exit. Initially launched as a £10 million The Council will be invited to adopt Council fund, a further £5 million has been made available due Conclusions on the EU statistical package and to review to the Fund’s popularity. So far over £10m in grants has progress achieved. been issued to support 124 BROs. Climate Finance • We published 28 of the government’s 106 technical The Council will be invited to adopt Council notices to help the public prepare for Brexit, including Conclusions on climate finance for the COP25 climate Horizon 2020, state aid, workplace rights, nuclear summit. research, mergers and trading goods. Follow-up to International Meetings • The Nuclear Safeguards Act made provisions for The Presidency and Commission will inform the nuclear safeguards after the UK leaves Euratom, Council of the main outcomes of the G20 meeting of ensuring the UK meets its international commitments. Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors and the

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IMF and World Bank Annual meetings held in October Overall the Government has continued to work closely 2019. with industry to address the issues that may affect the civil nuclear sector in any exit scenario and remains Stable Coins committed to regular engagement with industry, civil As an AOB, the Presidency will inform the Council society, academia, trade unions, and other interested about a joint statement on stable coins to be agreed at stakeholders. December ECOFIN. Today I will be depositing a report in the Libraries of the House that sets out further details on the overall Euratom Exit Strategy progress on the Government’s implementation of its [HLWS88] Euratom exit strategy, including domestic operational readiness, legislation and international agreements. The Lord Duncan of Springbank: My hon friend the report covers the three-month reporting period from 26th Minister for Business and Industry (Nadhim Zahawi) has March to 26th June 2019 and is the fourth and final today made the following statement: statutory report under section 3(4) of the Nuclear The Government has further advanced its preparations Safeguards Act 2018. for the UK’s withdrawal from Euratom and the European Union. Foreign Affairs Council As made clear in previous statements on the topic, the [HLWS85] UK has concluded all replacement international agreements required to ensure continuity for civil nuclear Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable trade for when Euratom arrangements no longer apply to Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and the UK and confirmed the operability of an existing Commonwealth Affairs (Christopher Pincher), has made bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement (NCA) with the following written Ministerial statement: Japan. The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will take place in Further to this, the UK and the Government of Japan Brussels on 11 November. It will be chaired by the High held formal negotiations on the text of an Amending Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Protocol to the existing bilateral Nuclear Co-operation Affairs and Security Policy (HRVP), Federica Mogherini. Agreement (NCA) on 4 June. This Amending Protocol is The FAC will discuss Current Affairs, Afghanistan and not essential for the operability of the NCA or for our Iran. There will also be a Ministerial lunch with the continued trade and cooperation with Japan but completes Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok. the formal legal process to amend the NCA on a Current Affairs permanent basis. Negotiations on the Amending Protocol HRVP Mogherini will raise Venezuela. She will reflect continue. on two international meetings held in Brussels in October. Implementation guidelines for nuclear operators were First, the International Contact Group meeting held on 28 published on 27 June outlining future reporting October. Secondly, the International Solidarity requirements on operators related to nuclear cooperation Conference on the Venezuelan Refugee and Migrant agreements. These requirements will allow the UK to Crisis which took place in on 28-29 October. comply with its NCAs with Australia, Canada, Japan and HRVP Mogherini will brief Ministers on the follow-up the US, following withdrawal from Euratom. to the October FAC and European Council conclusions on The UK also continued to make progress in Turkey’s actions in North-East Syria and Turkish implementing its new domestic safeguards regime. The hydrocarbons exploration activity. We expect the Council Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) remains in a state of to adopt a framework for a sanctions regime on the latter. readiness to deliver a state system of accounting for and HRVP Mogherini will also provide an update on the control of nuclear material (SSAC) that enables the UK to conflict in Libya and preparations for the leader-level meet its international safeguards obligations when conference which Chancellor Merkel will host in Berlin Euratom arrangements no longer apply. later this year. The former Secretary of State prescribed the forms Afghanistan required by UK industry to notify UK regulators of the Due to time constraints, the discussion on Afghanistan import of sealed radioactive sources from EU Member at the October FAC was postponed to November. Ahead States as well as the forms required by UK industry and of the publication of the recent Presidential election UK regulators to apply for, authorise, and notify results, Ministers will focus on the political situation in transfrontier shipments of radioactive waste and spent Afghanistan. They will review prospects for peace, in fuel. The use of these forms will only be required from light of recent Afghan and US-led peace efforts. The UK exit day in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a will underline the importance of completing the electoral deal. A statement notifying Parliament of the use of the process in an impartial, efficient and transparent manner, sub-delegated powers exercised to create these forms can and highlight the importance of momentum in the peace be found in the report accompanying this statement. process.

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Iran included contingency planning for a ‘No Deal’ situation, Ministers will discuss the EU’s approach to Iran and engagement to influence the EU on negotiation priorities Gulf Regional Security. Ministers will focus in particular and an extension to Article 50, providing support to UK on the importance of preserving the Joint Comprehensive nationals living in and travelling to the EU, and planning Plan of Action (JCPoA) and the need for a diplomatic for the UK’s future partnership with the EU. solution to de-escalate tensions in the region. Along with Since the Strategic Defence and Security Review in our French and German partners, the UK will highlight 2015, this department has made significant achievements the importance of Iran returning to full compliance with in the following priority areas. its commitments under the JCPoA. All parties need to Protecting our People - Safeguarding our national engage in comprehensive negotiations - without prejudice security by countering terrorism, extremism, weapons to the JCPoA itself - to address Iran’s nuclear activities proliferation, and other state and non-state threats in co- after 2025 as well as regional security. operation with allies and partners. Assisting British Ministerial lunch with the Sudanese Prime Minister people living, travelling and working around the world in Hamdok times of need. Ministers will discuss recent progress in Sudan with • In 2018-19, the department provided invaluable Prime Minister Hamdok. The UK will continue to urge assistance to over 22,000 British people around the the EU to be ambitious in the level of support they world, and ongoing support to 7,700 existing cases. We provide to Sudan throughout the political transition. This responded to 14 major incidents overseas, from terrorist should be proportionate to needs and include assistance attacks and natural disasters to high profile political and focussed on economic and social stability, the peace security issues. process, human rights, and democracy and governance. • This year, the department partnered with the Civil Council Conclusions Aviation Authority and the Department of Transport to The Council is expected to adopt a number of measures, carry out HMG’s biggest peacetime repatriation including: a framework sanctions regime in response to operation of more than 150,000 people following the Turkish hydrocarbon explorations around Cyprus; the insolvency of Thomas Cook. In 2017, 85,000 Annual Review of the Venezuela sanctions regime; and passengers were returned to the UK after the collapse of authorisation to open negotiations with Somalia on the Monarch. status of the EU’s training mission for the Somali • The department played a vital role in the response to Security Forces. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The response involved 138 substantive updates made to Travel Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Work of Advice for affected countries during the crisis, liaising the Department with 14 Foreign Missions to answer queries on their nationals affected by the hurricanes, answering over [HLWS86] 3,800 calls to the crisis hotline and deploying 82 FCO Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable staff to provide support to 11 different countries in the Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign and region. Commonwealth Affairs (Dominic Raab), has made the Projecting our Global Influence - Projecting and following written Ministerial statement: promoting the values and influence of a Global Britain, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) uses its strengthening our partnerships and the rules based global platform to promote a truly Global Britain and international system. Supporting good governance, support the UK’s values and interests – from helping democracy, rule of law and human rights; preventing and victims of forced marriage to championing media resolving conflict; and building stability overseas. freedom to securing market access for British companies. • In 2018, the department helped to ensure a robust Its 270 diplomatic posts are invaluable assets in 169 international response to the use of chemical weapons, countries and territories. Its leadership within nine following the attempted murder of a Russian dissident multilateral organisations shapes global agendas and sets and his daughter in Salisbury using a chemical nerve global standards. It supports 31 Government partners, agent. As a result, 28 countries and NATO expelled 130 including Department for International Development, Russian undeclared intelligence officers. Department for International Trade and the British • The UK is proud to have helped train almost 3,000 Council. volunteers for the White Helmets (a volunteer It is also a diplomatic network with ambitions to expand humanitarian organisation operating in Syria and influence. By the end of 2020, the UK’s diplomatic Turkey) who have saved over 115,000 lives through network will have opened twelve new diplomatic their emergency rescue services in Syria. Through post missions across the globe since 2018, recruited 1,000 in Geneva and in New York, the department has more staff members and boast more sovereign missions worked to pressure the regime and its backers to end the than any other European country. fighting in north west Syria, and has supported efforts The department has also provided extensive support to towards greater accountability for those who have the government’s efforts to prepare for Brexit. This has attacked unarmed civilians, schools and hospitals. The

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department has continued its strong deterrence reforms and remove barriers to trade, reform key messaging against the use of chemical weapons in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, financial services, Syria, including through support for the Organisation future cities, education and healthcare, and tackle for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the corruption. targeted and proportionate military response to the • In 2018, BAE Systems (BAES) won the tender to chemical weapons attack in Douma in April 2018. design and build nine future frigates for the Royal • UK climate change diplomacy led by the department Australian Navy. It followed the department playing an helped achieve an historic international agreement to important role supporting the cross-Whitehall effort, tackle climate change in Paris in December 2015. For and leading the campaign’s co-ordination in Australia. the first time ever, 195 countries agreed to act together This outcome is a significant export boost for the UK as to combat global warming and reduce carbon we prepare to leave the EU. It will secure around £2 emissions. In 2020, alongside Italy, the UK will host billion of direct exports through British designed and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate manufactured components like engines (Rolls Royce) Change Conference of the Parties, a clear signal of the and Sonars (Thales UK and Ultra). It also opens doors UK’s global leadership on climate change and to UK SMEs and secures approximately £10 billion commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions to zero worth of exports through the life of the programme. The by 2050. whole of life sustainment win for BAES as a National • The UK has been a global leader in the international Shipbuilding Enterprise partner is likely to generate fight against the ivory trade, legislating to introduce the another £40 billion. toughest ivory ban in Europe and help bring an end to • In 2018, the department hosted the largest ever the poaching of elephants. In 2018, the FCO-organised Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, with Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference was attended by 46 Heads of Government and 49 Foreign Ministers. As 1,300 participants, and resulted in significant, ongoing Chair-in-Office, the department has since been working pledges by several countries. to strengthen the Commonwealth with delivery of Promoting our Prosperity -- Promoting our prosperity ambitious commitments on prosperity, security, fairness by opening markets, driving economic reform, and sustainability with a focus on supporting small championing British business, and supporting free trade island states. Moreover, the department has achieved and sustainable global growth. Foreign Ministers’ agreement to reforms that will • In calendar year 2018, the department continued to improve the governance of the Commonwealth play a unique role within the Government’s cross- Secretariat. departmental Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) and make a critical contribution to the CSSF’s Immigration work to tackle instability and prevent conflicts that [HLWS95] threaten UK interests. The department both delivered the majority of CSSF programmes and co-ordinated Baroness Williams of Trafford: My rt hon Friend the wider cross-government efforts at the country and Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) regional level, drawing on its deep foreign policy has today made the following Written Ministerial expertise. For example, in Ukraine FCO-led CSSF Statement: programmes have strengthened peacebuilding and I am announcing today the conversion of the Prisons resilience of conflict-affected communities, assisting and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) investigation of Brook more than 111,000 Internally Displaced Peoples and House immigration removal centre to a statutory inquiry, supporting increased capacity in key government in accordance with the Inquiries Act 2005. This Inquiry ministries. will investigate the mistreatment of detainees at Brook • The department has led on negotiations on Gibraltar, House immigration removal centre broadcast in the BBC delivering an extensive set of agreements, as well as EU Panorama programme ‘Undercover: Britain’s Exit preparations on the other Overseas Territories. The Immigration Secrets’ on 4 September 2017. department has also supported the negotiation of The Government takes any allegation of mistreatment, arrangements for the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus, and the welfare of immigration detainees, very seriously, and prepared for the implications of EU Exit on UK and I want to establish the facts of what took place at sanctions policy. Brook House and ensure that lessons are learnt to prevent • In 2018-19, FCO-delivered Prosperity Fund these shocking events happening again. programmes, worth a combined £850 million from now Sue McAllister, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, until 2023, began to deliver expertise and assistance in had appointed Kate Eves to lead their special sectors and countries where there is high potential to investigation into Brook House. Following conversion of support the inclusive economic growth needed to the special investigation into an inquiry, Sue McAllister, reduce poverty. Programmes initiated included a £45m as Ombudsman, was automatically appointed as the chair. Global Anti-Corruption programme, and £34m ASEAN However, to ensure continuity with their investigation I economic reform and low carbon programmes. The have agreed that Sue McAllister will recuse herself and Prosperity Fund programme promotes economic Kate Eves will take up the position of inquiry chair. Kate

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Eves is an experienced and highly qualified investigator events at Brook House, conducted by the PPO, before it within custodial environments. was converted to a statutory inquiry. I have consulted with both Sue McAllister and with Method Kate Eves to confirm that the inquiry will have a similar As a statutory inquiry, the Inquiry will operate within scope to the PPO special investigation. the legal framework provided by the Inquiries Act 2005. From today, the Inquiry will have statutory powers to As such, the procedure and conduct of the Inquiry are to compel witnesses and establish the truth of what took be directed by the chairman. place at Brook House. Report I wish Kate Eves and all at the Inquiry every success in taking forward this important piece of work. The Inquiry should be undertaken with sufficient pace to enable resulting recommendations to be implemented The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference are set out below: as quickly and effectively as possible. It is expected, on Purpose the basis of current information, that the Inquiry will To investigate into and report on the decisions, actions make its best endeavours to complete work and produce a and circumstances surrounding the mistreatment of final report to the Home Secretary, setting out their detainees broadcast in the BBC Panorama programme findings of fact and recommendations, within 12 months. ‘Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets’ on 4 Principles September 2017. The Inquiry will have full access to all the material it To reach conclusions with regard to the treatment of seeks. detainees where there is credible evidence of mistreatment contrary to Article 3 ECHR; and then make The Inquiry will bear the legal expenses for any any such recommendations as may seem appropriate. In individuals designated as core participant status by the particular the inquiry will investigate: Inquiry chairperson. 1) The treatment of complainants, including identifying It is not part of the Inquiry’s function to determine civil whether there has been mistreatment and identifying or criminal liability of named individuals or organisations. responsibility for any mistreatment. This should not, however, inhibit the Inquiry from reaching findings of fact relevant to its terms of reference. 2) Whether methods, policies, practices and management arrangements (both of the Home Office and Intimidation in Public Life its contractors) caused or contributed to any identified mistreatment. [HLWS97] 3) Whether any changes to these methods, policies, Earl Howe: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Paymaster General practices and management arrangements would help to and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Oliver Dowden) has prevent a recurrence of any identified mistreatment. made the following statement to the House of Commons: 4) Whether any clinical care issues caused or In July 2017, the then Prime Minister commissioned the contributed to any identified mistreatment. independent and respected Committee on Standards in Public Life to undertake a review into abuse and 5) Whether any changes to clinical care would help to intimidation in elections. This followed concerning prevent a recurrence of any identified mistreatment. evidence from many Parliamentary candidates – across 6) The adequacy of the complaints and monitoring the political spectrum – on their experiences during the mechanisms provided by Home Office Immigration 2017 general election. Enforcement and external bodies (including, but not For those in public life, it has become harder and harder limited to, the centre’s independent monitoring board and to conduct any political discussion, on any issue, without statutory role of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons) in it descending into tribalism and rancour. Social media and respect of any identified mistreatment. digital communication – which in themselves can and Scope should be forces for good in our democracy – are being For the purpose of the inquiry, the term “complainants” exploited and abused, often anonymously. is used to refer to any individual who was detained at It is important to distinguish between strongly felt Brook House Immigration Removal Centre during the political debate on one hand, and unacceptable acts of period 1 April 2017 to 31 August 2017 where there is abuse, hatred, intimidation and violence. British credible evidence of mistreatment of that individual. democracy has always been robust and oppositional. But “Mistreatment” is used to refer to treatment that is a line is crossed when disagreement mutates into contrary to Article 3 ECHR. intimidation. The Inquiry should in particular include investigation in Left unchecked, abuse and intimidation will change our to the mistreatment of complainants known (in the recent democracy and mean that the way Members interact with Brook House litigation) as MA and BB. constituents will need to change. Increasing levels of The Inquiry may wish to draw upon the evidence and threats directed at those in public life is a worrying trend findings of the previous special investigation in to the that will require a coordinated and thorough response

Written Statements 5 November 2019 Page 11 from government, the relevant authorities, businesses and education and awareness for all users and to promote the the public themselves to address. development and adoption of new safety technologies. As the general election campaign commences, I want to The Cabinet Office has undertaken a public update the House on the actions that the Government has consultation entitled ‘Protecting the Debate: Intimidation, taken to tackle intimidation, and the steps that the Influence and Information’. From that we committed to Government is taking in this specific election. legislate to introduce a new electoral offence, clarify the Prosecution guidance electoral offence of undue influence of a voter, and introduce a digital imprints regime. We have worked with the Law Officers to publish new guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for Digital imprints the legal authorities on the laws on intimidation, and the We recognise the important arguments in favour of wide range of areas in which intimidation can be having a digital imprints regime in place as soon as prosecuted under existing laws. This has been possible, but it was not possible to legislate for and complemented by guidance to the police from the implement a regime in advance of a December election. National Police Chiefs Council. Technical considerations would need to be addressed, for The CPS guidance can be found at: Responding to example to avoid the need for individual candidates and intimidating behaviour: Information for Parliamentarians campaigners to publish their home addresses as part of an (https://www.cps.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/pub imprint. Moreover, for a digital imprints regime to work lications/Responding-to-intimidating-behaviour-04- properly, political parties, campaigners and others would 2019.pdf ). The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), need to understand on what material they are required to CPS, College of Policing and Electoral Commission have include an imprint. Rushing into a new regime - that also issued Joint Guidance for Candidates in Elections could have proved unworkable - could have led to (https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/file significant issues, including confusion, unintentionally s/pdf_file/Joint-Guidance-for-Candidates-in- stifling democratic debate or to people unknowingly Elections.pdf), which is distributed by the Electoral committing an offence. Commission. The Government is committed to implementing a Supporting local councils digital imprints regime as soon as it can - but it must be a workable regime. We have passed legislation to remove the requirements for candidates running for local government, parish Defending Democracy Programme council, and local mayoral elections, to have their On 22 July 2019, the Government announced the addresses on their ballot papers. Defending Democracy programme that will help maintain We have written to Local Authority Chief Executives, the integrity of our democracy and electoral processes. to raise awareness about the sensitive interest provisions This cross-government programme, led by the Cabinet in the Localism Act 2011 which protect the personal Office, has been set up to: addresses of councillors in England, ensuring that • protect and secure UK democratic processes, systems monitoring officers are aware of the guidance published and institutions from interference, including from by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local cyber, personnel and physical threats; Government. • strengthen the integrity of UK elections; New legislation to tackle intimidation • encourage respect for open, fair and safe democratic We have consulted on our Internet Safety Strategy participation; and Green paper, and we published the world-leading DCMS- • promote fact-based and open discourse, including Home Office Online Harms White Paper in April 2019. online. This set out a range of legislative and non-legislative Earlier this year, this Government committed to measures detailing how we will tackle online harms and publishing a consultation on electoral integrity, which will set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK look at measures to improve voters’ confidence in our citizens safe. It established a government-wide approach democracy. to online safety, delivering the Digital Charter’s ambitions of making the UK the safest place in the world to be Protection of candidates online, whilst also leading the world in innovation- The Parliamentary Liaison and Investigations Team friendly regulation that supports the growth of the tech (PLAIT) and the Members Security Support Team sector. (MSSS) will continue to support Members once they The White Paper set out the Government’s intention to become candidates after dissolution. Personal security introduce a new mandatory ‘duty of care’, which will advice and guidance has been provided to all Members, require relevant companies to take reasonable steps to and there is a package of security measures available for keep their users safe and tackle illegal and harmful homes and constituency offices. activity on their services. It stated that the new regulatory • Local police forces are chiefly responsible for the framework will make clear companies’ responsibility to security of candidates. As such, they have been briefed address the harm of “online abuse of public figures”. The on their responsibilities regarding the delivery of White Paper also included ambitious measures to support protective security measures. The Home Secretary

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wrote to Chief Constables on 21st October 2019, and fewer candidates put themselves forward, then voters will the Security Minister wrote to PCCs, to ensure that they have less choice at the ballot box. prioritised tackling the intimidation and abuse of The Government will take all necessary steps to protect Members and candidates. the debate, have put in place measures to support • Local police forces also have a dedicated point of candidates with their safety for this election and have contact for candidates who can be contacted for security ambitious plans to tackle online and offline abuse of those advice. All urgent concerns, or contact outside of office in public life beyond. hours, should be directed to police control rooms, who The Statement includes the following attached material: have been briefed to provide suitable guidance and support. Letter to Social Media Companies [Letter to Social Media Companies.pdf] • Recognising that intimidation can take a number of forms, the Cabinet Office will coordinate with the The material can be viewed online at: Police, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written- others to issue a package of security guidance, questions-answers-statements/written- including how to report it. Following the dissolution of statement/Lords/2019-11-05/HLWS97/ Parliament, this guidance will be sent to all Returning Officers, to be issued to all candidates in every Learning Disability and Autism Training constituency. [HLWS94] The Cabinet Office, in its cross government coordination role, has set up an Election Cell which will Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: My Hon. meet regularly during the election campaign period and Friend the Minister of State for Care (Caroline Dinenage) whose attendees include organisations responsible for the has made the following written statement: safety of candidates. The Government has made improving the care and Advice to candidates regarding abuse online treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities a priority. Society is rightly judged on the way Social media helps Members and candidates connect it treats its most vulnerable citizens. with the public and can and should be a force for good in Health and social care professionals have a crucial role our democracy. However, there have been worrying to play in helping people with learning disabilities and trends of abuse and threats directed towards Members of autistic people lead longer, heathier and happier lives. We all parties, and particularly female and BAME Members. know there is good practice out there and excellent The Government believes this is completely unacceptable. examples of staff working incredibly hard and supporting Illegal activity online should be treated in the same way individuals and their families to receive the best possible as illegal activity offline, and reported to the police. care. However, staff can often lack the training or Social media companies, such as Facebook and Twitter, experience to deliver effective and compassionate care, have also developed guidance and dedicated mailboxes resulting in significant health inequalities for people with for reporting abuse and intimidation against candidates learning disabilities and autistic people and poorer health during an election. Today, the Home Secretary, Secretary outcomes. of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and I have In February this year, my Department published a written to social media companies asking them to work public consultation to obtain views on how best to ensure together during this election to provide clear advice to that staff working in health and social care receive the candidates in one place so candidates know what content right training to understand the needs of people with breaches their terms and conditions, where to report learning disabilities and autistic people and develop the suspected breaches and what they can expect once a skills to provide the most effective care and support. The report has been made. We have also asked that they work consultation ran for 10 weeks, closing on 26th April 2019. together to identify where abusive users towards I am pleased to say there was an excellent response to candidates are migrating between platforms and to the consultation. We received over 5,000 responses from encourage more proactivity on this. A copy of this letter a range of key stakeholders as well as individual members has been placed in the House of Commons Library. of the public and I am grateful to those who took the time Democracy is a fundamental British value and one to respond to the consultation. I am also pleased to underpinned by respectful, vibrant and robust debate. But confirm that the overwhelming majority of responses this freedom cannot be an excuse to cause harm, spread were supportive of the principle of mandatory training. hatred or impose views upon others - a line is crossed Today, we are publishing the Government response to when disagreement mutates into intimidation, violence or the consultation, confirming our intention to introduce abuse. mandatory learning disability and autism training. A copy Our politics will be the poorer if talented potential of the response will be placed in the Libraries of both candidates - people who just want to stand to represent Houses. their peers and stand up for their areas - decide not to get Our vision is that in future all professionals will, before involved out of fear for their or their loved ones safety. If starting their career or through continuing professional

Written Statements 5 November 2019 Page 13 development, undertake training which covers a ‘common • There was a net increase of 232,800 in the number of core curriculum’ for learning disability and autism so that domestic properties with a council tax band in England we can be confident there is consistency across education between March 2018 and March 2019. and training curricula. • We are also ensuring that people have access to high- We are committing to work with all professional bodies quality, affordable homes, having delivered over and the Devolved Administrations to agree a common 430,000 affordable homes since 2010. core curriculum based on the Core Capability • In 2018, we launched a new national housing agency Frameworks for Supporting People with a Learning – Homes England – to increase the supply of new Disability and Autistic People. We recognise that it will homes, bringing together money, expertise, planning take time to ensure that all training is aligned with the and compulsory purchase powers. Frameworks; with periodic updates to syllabuses and • We have invested in overcoming the barriers to training requirements, but we will work with the building. regulators to ensure the closest possible alignment at the earliest opportunity. o In 2017 we launched the £5 billion Housing Like everybody across the House, I have been moved Infrastructure Fund, to provide infrastructure in areas by the personal stories about how care and treatment has where housing need is greatest. At Budget 2018 we been experienced by people with learning disabilities and increased the funding by another £500 million – taking autistic people, which in some cases has resulted in the it to £5.5 billion in total, which will potentially unlock worst possible outcomes. Cases like that of Oliver up to 650,000 homes. Over 3 billion has now been McGowan, whose story captures why learning disability allocated to Housing Infrastructure Fund bids (25 and autism training is so important. I can announce that Forward Funding projects and 110 Marginal Viability we will be developing a high-quality training package that Fund projects) to unlock up to 297,100 homes, with will be named in Oliver’s memory. more expected to be allocated over the coming months. I am also pleased to confirm that we are committing o In 2018 we launched the £1.3 billion Land Assembly £1.4m to develop and run a series of trials across both the Fund to acquire land needing work, making it less risky NHS and social care setting, so that we better understand for developers to invest in. We also launched the £630 the impacts before implementation and a wider roll out. million Small Sites Fund to help public landowners or local authorities speed up getting the right infrastructure To make the training mandatory we are proposing a in place to support stalled small sites. number of actions, recognising that different approaches are required for different staff groups. Further detail on o In total, the government has provided financial this, and the proposals above, is set out in the consultation support for housing of at least £44 billion since the start response. of this Spending Review period to 2022/23. This includes £15 billion allocated at Autumn Budget 2017. We need to ensure that those who work in health and social care understand the needs of people with learning • We have released land from the public estate for disabilities and autistic people, how their needs can differ 109,000 homes through the 2011-2015 Public Land for from the general population and for staff to be able to Housing Programme, exceeding its 100,000 target. We respond to those needs appropriately and positively. I have launched a successor programme, which aims to believe the action we intend to take will do just that and identify and release land for 160,000 new homes. ensure that everybody with autism or a learning disability Boosting home ownership receives the high-quality care they have a right to expect. • In total, we have helped over 566,000 households into homeownership since 2010 through government-backed MHCLG Update schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy. The [HLWS98] number of first-time buyers is at an eleven-year annual high and has increased by 84% between 2010 and 2018. Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, • Since its introduction in 2013, the Help to Buy Communities and local Government (Robert Jenrick) has scheme has helped over 221,000 households to get on today made the following Written Ministerial Statement. the property ladder. In August 2019 we closed a loophole in the scheme, giving people the freedom to Boosting Home Ownership and Getting Britain reduce their monthly mortgage repayments. This has Building opened up the Help to Buy re-mortgage market for Getting more much-needed homes built more lenders, giving customers more choice and • Since 2010 we have delivered over 1.3 million homes. potentially paving the way to more competitive deals. • In 2017, we published our ambitious Housing White • At the Autumn Budget 2017, we introduced Stamp Paper, and set an ambition to increase the delivery of Duty Land Tax relief for first-time buyers, which will homes to 300,000 a year by the mid-2020s. In 2017/18 help over 95% of first-time buyers who pay the tax, over 222,000 new homes were created, the highest benefitting a total of 401,900 households so far and it is number in all but one of the past 31 years. expected to benefit over a million households in the

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first five years. To date, this has saved first time buyers • As of the end of September 2019, 301 of 338 local an estimated £955 million. planning authorities (89%) have an adopted Local Plan. • We have launched two pilots of Voluntary Right to 152 of these Local Plans are up to date (45%). This Buy – one in 2016 and one in 2018 – giving thousands compares to 58 (17%) local planning authorities that of housing association tenants the opportunity to buy had an adopted Local Plan in May 2010. their homes. • We are now preparing an Accelerated Planning White • In 2019, we announced plans for a new national Paper to speed up the planning system, including the model for shared ownership, which will help thousands potential for more fees to be refunded if councils take of lower earners to step onto the housing ladder. too long to decide on specific planning applications. Improving people’s experience of the housing market • We have given communities more power to plan for their areas, by introducing Neighbourhood Planning in • In 2010 we scrapped Home Information Packs, 2011. Since 2012 over 2,600 communities have started removing unnecessary regulation and making the producing a neighbourhood plan. process of selling homes easier and less costly. • We have introduced permitted development rights for • In August 2018 we published the Social Housing change of use to residential; over 46,000 homes have Green Paper, which set our ambitions for a new, fairer been delivered in the three years to March 2018 through deal for social housing residents, including making it these. easier for residents to progress into home ownership. The Green Paper was informed by conversations with • In May 2019 we announced changes to Permitted over 1,000 social housing residents and 7,000 online Development Rights, allowing thousands of submissions. homeowners to extend their properties quickly and easily without the need for a full planning application. • Since 2012, the social housing waiting list has dropped by 40%. The Localism Act 2011 has given • We have continued to protect the Green Belt and it is local authorities the power to set their own qualification now larger than in 1997, when records began, if we criteria for social housing and to set policies which are disregard land re-classified as national park. appropriate to their local area. • We have reformed the system of developer • We are helping renters by: contributions, to support local authorities to better collect and spend contributions. Local authorities o Passing legislation banning unfair letting fees and received £6 billion in developer contributions which go capping tenancy deposits, which will bring an end to toward affordable housing and local infrastructure in costly upfront payments and renewal fees. The Tenant 2016-17, a £2 billion increase in real terms than in Fees Act came into force on 1 June 2019 and is set to 2011-12. save tenants £240 million in the first year alone. Improving Quality and Design of Housing o Empowering tenants to tackle bad landlords through the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act. • We recently launched our National Design Guide. The first-ever government-backed National Model Design o Ending the practice of evicting tenants with no clearly Code will be published in the New Year and will set out specified reason, by committing in April 2019 to repeal a clear model for promoting a better design and style of s.21 of the 1988 Housing Act. homes across the country, shaped by what local people o Cracking down on rogue landlords. Last year alone want. we introduced banning orders and a database of rogue • We launched the Future Homes Standard consultation landlords and agents - and we extended mandatory in October 2019, to ensure that every new home that’s licensing to protect tenants from overcrowding and poor built in this country from 2025 will have low or zero- housing conditions in Houses in Multiple Occupation. carbon emissions and the highest levels of energy • We are helping leaseholders by: efficiency. o Announcing a range of measures to cut out abusive Diversifying the housing market practices within the leasehold market, including • We are backing councils to build more homes by prohibiting the development of new build leasehold removing the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap houses other than in exceptional circumstances and in 2018, enabling them deliver around 10,000 homes a restricting ground rents in newly established leases of year by 2021/22. houses and flats to a peppercorn (zero financial value). • We established the £4.5 billion Home Building Fund Reforming the planning system to ensure that the right in 2016 to get more homes built. This will provide £2.5 homes are built in the right places billion funding specifically for SMEs, Custom Builders • In 2012 we published the National Planning Policy and innovators, giving them the funding they need to Framework, replacing over 1000 pages of individual compete in the market. The Fund also provides £2 policy statements. In 2018, we revised the National billion in long-term infrastructure funding to unlock Planning Policy Framework, implementing around 80 between 160,000 and 200,000 homes by 2020/21, with planning reforms whilst making it more streamlined and an emphasis on developments on brownfield land. easier to use.

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• We have supported the Build to Rent sector to deliver new jobs opportunities in the area, whilst benefiting over 30,000 homes across the UK since 2012, with over from new transport infrastructure. 110,000 further such homes in the pipeline. The Build Supporting our towns, high streets and coastal to Rent Fund provided over £630 million of communities development finance for the supply of 6,000 new • In July 2019 the Prime Minister announced an privately rented homes. The Fund closed to new expanded £3.6 billion Towns Fund. The government applications in 2015. The £3.5 billion Private Rented has since announced an initial 100 places that Sector Guarantee scheme finances new build rented government has invited to enter into a Town Deal properties, and as of October 2019, £1.75 billion in total negotiation, and 100 places that are benefitting from the has been approved for 9,050 homes. Future High Streets Fund. • In Autumn 2017 we announced a further £8 billion in • The Town Deal funding will enable communities to guarantees to support housebuilding, including purpose- develop ambitious transformative plans, improving built rented homes and SMEs; £4 billion has been their economic growth prospects, transport, broadband allocated so far: connectivity, skills and culture. In October 2019, o In April 2019, we launched the £1 billion ENABLE government launched the #MyTown campaign to give Build programme to support SME housebuilders. people a say in how a new generation of Town Deals o At Spring Statement 2019, we announced £3 billion should transform the place they call home. of guarantees to support affordable housing delivery. • The high streets funding will empower local leaders to The Invitation to Tender to run the scheme opened in help transform their high streets and town centres as November 2019. consumer habits change. In August 2019, we Levelling up all parts of the country announced its expansion, meaning that an additional 50 towns will now benefit from £1 billion available Levelling up across the country funding. Part of the fund will be used to support the • We continue to decentralise power away from regeneration of heritage high streets. We have also Whitehall and back into the hands of local councils, funded successful initiatives such as “Love your Local communities and individuals to act on local priorities. Market” and the “Great British High Street Awards”, In the 2019 Queen’s Speech, we committed to and established the High Streets Task Force to give publishing a Devolution White Paper to unleash high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and regional potential in England and enable decisions that thrive. affect local people to be made at a local level. • In November 2018 we launched the Open Doors pilot • 8 Metro Mayors have been elected since 2017, most scheme, which has matched landlords struggling to find recently in North of Tyne in May 2019. Through a tenants for their empty high street properties in 5 major programme of secondary legislation, we locations around England with community groups devolved significant new powers, including over looking for space. transport, housing, skills and planning to the mayors • We are supporting our coastal communities through and combined authorities. Mayors are growing local economies by working with local councils and our Coastal Communities Fund which supports projects businesses to create jobs, boost skills, build homes and in the UK delivering sustainable growth and jobs. In September 2019 we announced a further 5 towns which improve connections. will benefit from this funding. Since 2012, we have • We replaced top-down Regional Development awarded grants to 369 projects across the UK, totalling Agencies in 2012, following the establishment of Local over £229 million. Enterprise Partnerships in 2011. Unleashing regional potential • In 2014, we established the £12 billion Local Growth Northern Powerhouse Fund and have since funded three rounds of Growth Deals for Local Enterprise Partnerships to support local • In 2016 we published the Northern Powerhouse areas, creating jobs, supporting businesses and Strategy. Since then we have: encouraging growth. o Invested £3.4 billion of Local Growth Funding in the • We have agreed 26 bespoke city deals through two region to support locally determined projects across the waves in 2012 and 2013. These deals devolved powers North. and opened up new and innovative ways of doing things o Seen record levels of investment in transport – over to unlock growth and deliver jobs. £13 billion between 2015/16-2020/21 – and the creation • We have supported the creation of 3 Mayoral of the first statutory, regional transport body outside of Development Corporations at Old Oak, Stockport and London, Transport for the North. Teesside, to drive regeneration and growth. o Created the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, • In March 2019, the department announced two new worth £400 million, to support SMEs to grow and scale housing communities in London-Old Oak Common & up. Brent Cross Cricklewood. The investment package o Boosted the international profile of the Northern totals £570 million will create 20,000 new homes and Powerhouse through a commitment of £15 million to

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support trade missions and £7 million for the Northern devolution deal with the WMCA which included £6 Powerhouse taskforce. million for a housing delivery taskforce, £5 million for o Improved education in the North, with £70 million for a construction skills training scheme and £250 million the Northern Powerhouse schools strategy. from the Transforming Cities fund to be spent on local intra-city transport priorities. o Seen almost 50% of the North being covered by • In October 2019, following the £2 million already devolution, with Metro Mayors in place across the North. granted to the Midlands to develop the Toton Growth Zone near Nottingham, we announced intent to o In the Autumn Budget 2018, the government establish a new locally led development corporation extended the Transforming Cities Fund by another year with the aims of delivering new houses, jobs and (2022-23), providing an extra £240 million available for economic growth. six metro mayors for locally determined projects to Western Gateway improve transport connections. This builds on the initial Transforming Cities fund of £436 million in the In November, alongside the Secretary of State for Northern Powerhouse regions. Wales, we announced the Western Gateway: a strategic partnership promoting and maximising economic growth Midlands Engine across south Wales and the west of England to create • In 2017 we published the first Midlands Engine jobs, boost prosperity and support the world-renowned Strategy which included an additional £392 million for universities and businesses of the region. Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships to support local • To represent a strong business voice and lead the growth projects, bringing the total Growth Deal project to success, Katherine Bennett, Senior Vice Funding for the Midlands to nearly £1.9 billion. President of Airbus, is the first acting chair of the • We have supported enhanced connectivity in the Western Gateway. region with £25 million funding for Midlands Connect • MHCLG is providing £400,000 start-up funding to to publish its first Strategy in March 2017. Further kick-start the partnership. transport support has included, in March 2019, the Transforming Cities fund with Derby and Nottingham Helping Vulnerable People receiving £7.2 million, Leicestershire receiving £7.8 • In 2018 we published our Rough Sleeping Strategy, million and Stoke on Trent receiving £5.6 million. setting out our vision for halving rough sleeping by • We are investing over £250 million through the 2022 and ending it altogether. Midlands Engine Investment Fund to support small • We have allocated more than £1.2 billion to tackle businesses to start and grow. homelessness and rough sleeping over the Spending • Skills development is being supported in the region Review period to April 2020. This includes a Flexible through a £20 million Midlands Engine skills challenge, Homelessness Support Grant of £617 million for delivering targeted support to the unemployed through homelessness services, £28 million of funding to pilot a Work Coaches, providing English Language Training to Housing First approach in 3 major regions of England help more people access employment and empowering and the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI). The RSI began employers to help employees with mental health issues. with a £30 million fund for 2018/19 targeted at 83 local authorities with the highest levels of rough sleeping. • Three Institutes of Technology have been established The government announced a further £46 million fund at Aston University, Dudley College of Technology and for the RSI for 2019/20. We expect this to provide 750 the University of Lincoln. staff and 2,600 bed spaces this year. • The West Midlands was selected to become the home • These efforts are having an impact on rough sleeping to the UK’s first multi-city 5G testbed in September levels: the 2018 annual rough sleeping statistics showed 2018. The £50 million trial of new high-speed a decrease for the first time this decade, and a 19% connectivity will pave the way for rollout across the reduction in those areas receiving additional funding UK. This builds on the already active 5G testbed in and support under the Rough Sleeping Initiative. And Worcestershire, putting the Midlands at the forefront of our recent impact evaluation of the Rough Sleeping 5G developments. Initiative showed that the true impact was even greater • Birmingham was selected to host the prestigious 2022 with a 32% reduction in rough sleeping in these areas, Commonwealth Games and in Budget 2018 £165 compared to what it would have been had the initiative million was announced to support the Games Athletes not been in place. Village and unlock 5,000 homes. • At Spending Round 2019 we announced £422 million • Coventry was announced as UK City of Culture 2021 funding to help reduce homelessness and rough and has been provided with £8.5 million for its plans to sleeping in 2020/21, which is an additional £54 million showcase the city. of funding compared to the previous year. • In May 2017, the people of the West Midlands • The Homelessness Reduction Act came into force in Combined Authority (WMCA) elected their first mayor, 2018, which will transform the culture of homelessness Andy Street. Government has agreed a second service delivery. For the first time, it placed new duties

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on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to Improving local government sustainability try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. • The 2019 Spending Round provides access to the • Since 2011 we have delivered 34,000 units of largest year on year increase in local authority spending supported housing for disabled, vulnerable and older power since 2010. We expect core spending power to people. rise by £2.9 billion, from £46.2 billion to £49.1 billion in 2020/21. This includes an additional £1.5 billion to Supporting Local Government to deliver high quality help local authorities to meet rising demand for adult services with sustainable finances social care. Average spending power per dwelling for Making public services better and more efficient the 10% most deprived authorities is around 16% more than for the least deprived 10% in 2019/20. • Between 2011 and 2016, we have provided almost £5 billion of council tax freeze grant funding to local • The total net revenue service expenditure by all local authorities that froze their council tax level to help keep authorities in England is budgeted to be £96.2 billion in bills low. 2019/20. This is 3.8% higher than the £92.6 billion budgeted for 2018/19. • We have worked with councils on agreeing locally led proposals to establish new unitary councils and to • We have helped to drive the integration of health and merge district councils, saving millions annually. In social care services following the establishment of the 2018/19 we supported two new unitary councils in Better Care Fund - from a total of £5.3 billion in Dorset and three merged district councils in East 2015/16 to a total of £7.8 billion in 2018/19. Suffolk, West Suffolk and Somerset West Taunton • In 2013 we introduced the Business Rates Retention system, giving local authorities more control over • In 2011, we launched the Troubled Families money they raise locally. We have conducted a series of programme to support local areas over the long term to pilots for full business rate retention. transform the way services worked with families with multiple high-cost and complex problems. In 2015 we • Since Budget 2016 the Government has introduced a launched the second Troubled Families programme. As range of business rates measures in England worth of March 2019, it has funded areas to work with nearly more than £13 billion over the next five years. 380,000 eligible families, with 172,000 families Uniting the Country achieving significant and sustained progress against the Building communities and great places problems identified when entering the programme. • We have empowered communities by establishing a • In 2013 we introduced new legislation to allow range of Community Rights in the Localism Act 2011, councils across England to charge double the rate of including the Community Right to Bid to help protect Council Tax on homes left empty for 2 years or more, local assets for community use and the Community and therefore raising funds which can be used to keep Right to Challenge to give communities a greater role in the overall rate of council tax down. shaping and running local services. • Council Tax in England is 6% lower in real terms than • We are ensuring that communities are heard through it was in 2010. This follows a doubling of council tax our £3.2million Communities Fund which has over from 1997 to 2010. supported 54 local authorities to shape and improve service delivery in partnership with Community • We have also taken steps to ensure local authorities Groups. As well as investing a £1.85 million and private operators provide adequate parking spaces endowment (March 2016 – March 2019) to allow and are fair to their customers. These include: communities to buy their local pub. o Amending the National Planning Policy Framework • In September 2019 the Community Infrastructure and planning guidance to reduce restrictions on parking Levy Regulations came into force, helping local people an help local authorities and householders rent out see how every pound of property developers’ cash empty spaces in 2011; levied on new buildings is spent. o Reducing over-zealous parking enforcement through • In July 2019 we published a Communities Framework the Deregulation Act in 2015, and giving local to set out our renewed vision for building stronger residents, community groups, and businesses the ability communities and championing communities in every to challenge parking policies in the same year; aspect of society. o Tackling rogue private parking operators through Green spaces and parks supporting Sir Greg Knight’s Private Members’ Bill, • In 2018/19 we invested £15 million to improve parks helping it to secure Royal Assent in March 2019; and through the Local Authority Parks Improvement Fund, o Proposing a new Code of Practice, to be developed by the Future Parks Accelerator and Pocket Parks plus. In the British Standards Institution, to provide drivers with October 2019 we launched a further £1.35 million of a 10-minute grace period after their tickets expire and funding to extend the Pocket Parks programme. Pocket crackdown on intimidating and aggressive debt Parks is designed to create new pocket parks or collection practices. renovate existing parks that have fallen into disrepair where it can be shown that physical changes could have

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a significant positive impact on the local community Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and and address a specific local need. Through the 2018 Exercise of Functions) Act 2018: Section 4 programme, we funded 198 new and renovated parks across England. Report Integration [HLWS92] • We are continuing to invest in isolated communities Lord Duncan of Springbank: My Rt Hon Friend the and improve English language skills by committing to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Julian Smith MP) spend over £50 million in 2018/19 and 2019/20 to has today made the following statement: support priorities set out in the Integrated Communities This statement is issued in accordance with section 4 of Green Paper and subsequent action plan. At Spending the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise Round 2019, we announced an additional £10 million of Functions) Act 2018 (‘the NIEFEF Act’). Section 4 of funding to continue the Integration Areas Programme the Act requires that I, as Secretary of State for Northern with a major focus on English language provision, Ireland, report on a quarterly basis on guidance issued building on the success of the first five Integration under that section of the Act. It also requires me to report Areas announced in 2018. on how I plan to address the impact of the absence of • We are supporting English local authorities to tackle Northern Ireland Ministers on human rights obligations the impacts of recent migration through our £102 within three months of the day the Act was passed. million Controlling Migration Fund. Funded activity The Act received Royal Assent on 1 November 2018. includes supporting newcomers to learn English and Following careful consideration of the sensitive issues understand local social and cultural expectations, caring section 4 deals with, and in consultation with the Northern for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and Ireland Civil Service, guidance under section 4 was tackling rogue landlords published on 17 December 2018. Tackling Hatred in all forms The guidance made clear that it could not be used to • We are committed to tackling all forms of hate crime change the law on abortion or same sex marriage in as demonstrated through the Hate Crime Action Plan Northern Ireland. The guidance also provided that all (this was refreshed in 2018). As part of the refresh, we relevant Northern Ireland departments should continue to have committed additional funding to continue to have regard to all of their legal obligations, including the protect places of worship. We have committed over Human Rights Act 1998 and sections 24 and 75 of the £1.5 million for projects to tackle racially and Northern Ireland Act 1998, in exercising any relevant religiously motivated hatred. functions in relation to abortion and same sex marriage. • We have committed to launching an anti-muslim Three reports required under section 4 have been hatred working group and an anti-semitism working published as Written Ministerial Statements to date, on 30 group. Most recently, we have appointed an anti- January 2019, 1 May 2019 and 4 September 2019. Semitism advisor (Lord John Mann) and appointed the Since the NIEFEF Act passed, the Northern Ireland first advisor to take forward the Government’s (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 (NI EF Act) has also commitment to work on a definition of Islamophobia. passed, placing duties on the Government to make regulations to provide for same-sex marriages and • In September 2019, the Communities Secretary opposite sex civil partnerships in Northern Ireland by 13 committed £100,000 funding to stem the spread of anti- January 2020, and to change Northern Ireland’s abortion Semitic material online. The Secretary of State also law (with regulations providing for a new regime to be in wrote to all councils and universities encouraging them place by 31 March 2020). The relevant provisions came to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance into force on 22 October 2019 given that the Northern Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism as Ireland Executive was not restored by 21 October 2019. a matter of urgency. In respect of abortion, the coming into force of section • We are honouring and remembering Holocaust 9(2) of the NI EF Act has meant that sections 58 and 59 victims by committing up to £75 million for a striking of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 have now new National Memorial and a state-of-the-art Learning been repealed in respect of Northern Ireland. A Centre next to Parliament, to be matched by at least £25 moratorium on all investigations and prosecutions million from private donations. Subject to planning brought under those sections has also come into effect, permission, construction will begin in 2020. regardless of the date on which any offences took place, Achievements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland under section 9(3) of the NI EF Act. Therefore the • The UK government has committed up to £1.6 billion incompatibility with human rights identified in section for 6 City Deals across Scotland and Wales and has 4(1)(a) of the NIEFEF Act no longer exists. The new committed to extending City Deals to Northern Ireland. legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland will be A funding commitment that has been matched by £1.4 set out in regulations to come into force by 31 March billion from devolved governments and a further £1.6 2020. billion from other partners including local authorities, The Government launched the consultation on the universities and the private sector. proposed new framework for post-31 March 2020, A legal

Written Statements 5 November 2019 Page 19 framework for abortion services in Northern Ireland, on 4 Shipbuilding November 2019. The consultation will run for six weeks - closing on Monday 16 December 2019. [HLWS83] The Government will keep its position on the initial Baroness Goldie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of guidance published under section 4 of the NIEFEF Act State for Defence (The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP ) has under review, in light of the legal duties under sections 8 made the following Written Ministerial Statement. and 9 NIEF Act, and work towards making the I have today published Sir John Parker's review of the regulations which will come into force by 13 January implementation of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. I 2020 for same sex marriage and opposite sex civil am very grateful for Sir John's efforts in producing this partnerships and 31 March 2020 for abortion. review and are delighted that he has identified so much positive progress. Sir John noted how Defence has Pre-charge Bail embraced the Strategy with enthusiasm and evident cultural change. A copy of the review has been placed in [HLWS90] the Library of the House and it is available on GOV.UK. Baroness Williams of Trafford: My rt hon Friend the To build on the success and progress we have made so Secretary of State for the Home Department (Priti Patel) far, this Government is committed to reinvigorating has today made the following Written Ministerial British shipbuilding industry for both the civil and Statement: military sectors and investing in the next generation to This government is fully committed to protecting the ensure a pipeline of skills for the future. That is why the public, and ensuring the police have the powers they Prime Minister has appointed me to act as the need. As such, today I am announcing that I intend to Shipbuilding Tsar on behalf of this Government, to better review pre-charge bail legislation to ensure we have a realise the potential that this sector can offer across the system which more effectively prioritises the safety of four Home Nations and to reinvigorate UK shipbuilding. victims and witnesses and the management of suspects. This role brings together other government departments to Pre-charge bail enables the police to release a suspect shape policies and strategies. As Shipbuilding Tsar, I will from custody, usually subject to conditions, while officers work closely with my colleagues across Government to continue their investigation or await charging decision. bring together the brilliant work already being done, and The Policing and Crime Act 2017 “the Act” introduced to ensure British shipbuilding thrives. reforms to pre-charge bail to address legitimate concerns A significant success already delivered by this key that suspects were spending too long under restrictive Strategy and Sir John’s recommendations is the Type 31 conditions with no oversight or redress. preferred bidder announcement to Babcock with contract Specifically, the Act introduced (in relation to pre- award due by the end of the year. This major milestone charge bail): a presumption against use unless necessary demonstrates a transformation in the way this Department and proportionate; clear timescales, and senior police and can deliver a rigorous warship acquisition programme judicial oversight of its use and extension. securing the best capability for our Armed Forces and extraordinary value for money for the taxpayer. It is an Since 2017 the use of pre-charge bail has decreased, exemplar of what Sir John Parker envisaged and has and the number of individuals released without bail, or shown that the MOD can deliver contracts with a grip on “released under investigation”, has also increased. content, specification, design and pace. Furthermore, the demands on the police service have Sir John also acknowledged the impressive export also changed. Concerns have been raised that pre-charge success of the Type 26 which has already been selected as bail is not consistently being used in instances where it the baseline design to deliver nine Hunter class frigates may be necessary to effectively manage suspects and for the Royal Australian Navy and up to 15 Canadian protect victims and witnesses. Surface Combatants for the Royal Canadian Navy. We The review will also look at how legislative will continue to build on this success and work alongside frameworks around pre-charge bail can more effectively: the Department for International Trade to deliver a i) support the police in the timely management of competitive Naval Export Plan. This will identify and investigations, whether released on bail or without bail strengthen opportunities for British shipbuilding and the (“released under investigation”); wider supply chain. ii) respect the rights of suspects, victims and witnesses Across Government, a huge amount of work is to timely decisions and updates; underway to review the pace and nature of the forward iii) support the timely progression of cases to courts; warship programme and to understand the skills needed to and design and deliver these ships and their systems. We are already working collaboratively with industry to align iv) how existing rules may be made simpler and more these priorities and ensure we maintain the industrial base flexible in design to support effective operational required to deliver future capability and platforms for our decisions Armed Forces.

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Written Answers Agriculture: Seasonal Workers Asked by The Earl of Caithness Tuesday, 5 November 2019 To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of unpicked fruit on UK farms due to a lack of labour; and what plans they have to ensure that there is enough labour to pick winter Action Fraud: Telephone Services vegetables on UK farms. [HL279] Asked by Lord Robathan Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We know that the To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they horticulture sector requires a high proportion of seasonal have made of the average number of calls that the workers. The Government introduced a new pilot for Action Fraud helpline receives daily. [HL362] 2019 and 2020 enabling up to 2,500 non-European Economic Area migrant workers to come to the UK to Baroness Williams of Trafford: This information is undertake seasonal employment in the edible horticultural not held by the Home Office. sector. As of June 2019, pilot operators had recruited all 2,500 workers who continued to arrive in the following months for the harvesting of winter vegetables. This pilot Advertising Standards Authority is not designed to meet the full labour needs of the Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town horticultural sector. Rather we are seeking to evaluate the immigration pilot’s ability to assist in alleviating labour To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions shortages during peak production periods. they have held with the Advertising Standards Defra and the Home Office continue to monitor the Authority (ASA) over its role in enforcing any impact of the seasonal workers pilot and the workforce judgment it makes; what consideration they have given pressures faced by farmers as we look at how best to to moving the ASA onto a statutory basis; and what support the longer-term needs of industry outside the EU. research they have undertaken on the impact of the ASA on consumers, particularly in cases where EU citizens can continue to come to the UK for work in complaints are upheld. [HL453] 2019 and 2020 regardless of whether the UK reaches a deal with the EU. This includes for seasonal work on Baroness Barran: Advertising in the UK is regulated farms. EU citizens arriving after we leave the EU, in a no by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which deal scenario, will need to apply for European Temporary enforces the Advertising Codes through a system of self- Leave to Remain, granting a further 36 months in the UK regulation and co-regulation with Ofcom. This regulatory if they want to stay after 31 December 2020, which is the system is independent of government and is ultimately deadline for applying to the scheme. responsible for setting the standards in advertising. The Advertising Codes incorporate all relevant Agriculture: Subsidies legislation and set standards for accuracy and honesty to Asked by Lord Morris of Aberavon which advertisers must adhere, including specific conditions on advertising to children, causing offence and To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the social responsibility. The Codes are regularly reviewed remarks by Lord Morris of Aberavon on 17 October and updated by the industry to ensure they remain (HL Deb, col 198), when they will be in a position to effective, and proposed changes to the Codes are reply to the issues raised about agricultural support after routinely subject to public consultation. Brexit, particularly in relation to Wales. [HL577] UK broadcasters are required by a condition of their Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In the Agriculture Bill broadcast licences to enforce ASA rulings, and any who introduced in the previous session, broadly similar powers refuse to comply with these rulings risk being referred to were conferred on the Welsh Ministers as on the Ofcom, which can impose fines and even withdraw Secretary of State for England. This was done at the broadcast licences. In non-broadcast media, the ASA has request of the Welsh Ministers and included the powers in a range of sanctions it can take in cases of non- clause 11. This means that the Welsh Ministers would compliance, and as a last resort can refer advertisers to have powers to modify retained EU legislation relating to Trading Standards, where there has been a breach of the financing, management and monitoring of Common consumer law. Agricultural Policy schemes. That said, we recognise that online advertising presents The Welsh Government have also announced that they a number of unique challenges, which is why we will bring forward their own Agriculture Bill in the announced a review earlier this year, which will consider National Assembly at a later date. The Welsh this system in the round. Government have informed me that this will be preceded by a White Paper, intended to be brought forward during the current Assembly term.

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Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation Baroness Williams of Trafford: The death of any individual attempting to travel to the United Kingdom Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe whether at sea or in a vehicle on land is a tragic event. To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they No-one should be risking their life in an attempt to enter have to develop drug and alcohol services over the next the UK in such dangerous ways, and the Home Office 12 months. [HL494] continues to work with international partners to tackle the organised criminal gangs who are coordinating such Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe attempts. Those who need international protection claim To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money asylum in the first safe country they reach, as that is the they have allocated to drug and alcohol services in 2019 fastest route to safety. compared with (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, and (4) It is not possible to ascertain the motives of individuals 2018. [HL495] seeking to travel to the UK, whether to seek sanctuary or otherwise. However, this Government is determined to Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not support those who genuinely need protection and through proved possible to respond to this question in the time our resettlement schemes, we are making sure our doors available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond remain open to the people who most need our help. directly with the Member. Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse To ask Her Majesty's Government how asylum seekers who die in the UK are returned to their country Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town of origin. [HL366] To ask Her Majesty's Government when the new Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are no specific Alcohol Strategy will be published. [HL100] procedures for asylum seekers. Baroness Williams of Trafford: We are considering The burial or cremation arrangements of any person the next steps on alcohol policy. who had had recently arrived from abroad would depend We continue to take action to improve local on the circumstances, for example the wishes of their intelligence, establish effective local partnerships and relatives or friends, or the relevant national embassy. equip police and local authorities with the right powers to If there are no relatives or others to assist, the relevant take effective action against alcohol-related crime and local authority would have a duty to ensure that the harms in the night time economy. Current action to tackle deceased is buried or cremated respectfully. alcohol-related harms includes working to address alcohol related domestic abuse through a training package for frontline professionals with the charity Against Violence Asylum: Domestic Abuse and Abuse. Asked by Lord Sheikh Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of people seeking asylum in the UK are doing so because Asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham they are fleeing domestic violence. [HL576] To ask Her Majesty's Government what guarantee, if Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office any, has been provided to charities and non- does not record the information in such a way that allows governmental organisations who currently receive us to report on what percentage of people seeking asylum funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration in the UK are doing so because they are fleeing domestic Fund through the UK responsible authority rather than violence. through direct bids to the European Commission. [HL92] Asylum: Greece Baroness Williams of Trafford: All projects under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) will Asked by Lord Hylton continue to receive funding for the lifetime of their To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, projects, even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. they have to evacuate critically ill children from Greece whose access to adequate and timely healthcare services Asylum: Death in that country is obstructed by their migrant status. Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno [HL202] To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people Baroness Williams of Trafford: This is a matter for seeking sanctuary in the UK have died either at sea or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My team has on land in each year since 2014. [HL365] passed it on to the FCO to respond to you.

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Babylon Health operationally independent from Government. This question relates to the FCA and has been passed on to Asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock them. The FCA will reply directly to Lord Rooks by letter To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the will publish separately a list of (1) all meetings between House. all health ministers and the private health care provider, Babylon, and (2) social and other events organised by Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU Defence Policy Babylon attended by one or more health ministers. [HL282] Asked by Lord Hylton Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: Since the To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current Government came into office in 2017, there has objectives of the EU’s Operation Althea in Bosnia and been only one external meeting between a Departmental Herzegovina; and what contribution, if any, the UK is Minister and Babylon, as of June 2019. This was in making to that operation. [HL508] March 2018 when the Minister of State for Care (Caroline Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: EUFOR Operation Dinenage MP) attended a meeting where Babylon and Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is an EU other organisations’ representatives were present. Lists of military operation. It operates under a UN Chapter VII Departmental external meetings are publicly available mandate and under the Berlin Plus arrangements, is online. commanded by NATO and has access to NATO assets and capabilities. Its main objective is to support the Bangladesh: Rohingya authorities of BiH to maintain a ‘Safe and Secure Environment’. The United Kingdom has consistently Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans supported its aims and objectives. The United Kingdom To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment shares Operation Althea’s common costs with the other they have made of the quality of the Rohingya people’s 22 participating nations. We currently contribute a lives in Bangladesh. [HL531] number of staff officers, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance taskforce and offer an ‘over the horizon’ Baroness Sugg: A June 2019 study by the Overseas reserve battalion. Development Institute found that refugees felt that their lives would first and foremost be improved through education, then better living conditions, then the ability to Brexit support themselves. The study also describes the Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick Rohingya people’s immediate concerns affecting their quality of life, including shelter conditions, lack of To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment firewood or stoves, issues with healthcare, water, they have made, if any, of the long-term economic sanitation and hygiene and protection support, inadequate benefit of leaving the EU with the new Brexit deal. food and insufficient supplies. [HL567] The UK has committed £256 million in funding since The Earl of Courtown: The Withdrawal Agreement August 2017 to improve many aspects of daily life agreed with the EU ensures that we leave the EU in a including food security, nutrition, shelter, health, and smooth and orderly way, and will provide certainty for education. The UK engages regularly with the businesses and the economy. Leaving the Customs Union Government of Bangladesh to discuss the need to improve and Single Market allows the UK to pursue an ambitious refugees’ access to education, skills and livelihoods. FTA with the EU as sovereign equals, as well as striking While progress has been made, life within the camps trade deals with other international partners. remains challenging for the Rohingya and the uncertainty The specifics of our future trading relationship with the about their future is a difficult burden to bear. The UK has EU will be the subject of the next phase of the supported regular surveys conducted by Ground Truth negotiations. We will keep Parliament updated throughout Solutions to help the international community better the next phase of the negotiations and provide analysis at understand the changing perspectives of the Rohingya in appropriate points. Bangladesh. The OBR will, of course, continue to take Government policy – including the UK’s future relationship with the Banks: Russia EU – as the basis for its economic and fiscal forecasts, Asked by Lord Rooker and will provide its usual comprehensive analysis as part of these. To ask Her Majesty's Government what oversight UK financial regulators have of the subsidiaries of the five Brexit: Northern Ireland main Russian banks subject to EU Council Regulation 833/2014. [HL527] Asked by Lord Empey The Earl of Courtown: The FCA is responsible for the To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation regulation of the financial services sector and is they undertook in regard to Northern Ireland's interests

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before finalising the latest the EU Withdrawal recommendation from the Independent Chief Inspector of Agreement. [HL385] Borders and Immigration the Department will consider publication of fee-related Policy Equality Statements on a Lord Callanan: The department has engaged case by case basis going forward. extensively with representatives of businesses, industry groups and trade unions from Northern Ireland. This Statistics on the UK’s resident population and on births includes through the government’s Alternative by nationality of parent are a matter for the Office for Arrangements Business Advisory Group and Technical National Statistics. Advisory Group. Ministers are continuing to engage with The Home Office stateless leave policy is designed to representatives from all sectors of the Northern Ireland assist those who are unable to return to their country of economy. former habitual residence because they are stateless and We also liaised extensively with Northern Ireland Civil no longer have a right of residence there. This also Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland as we reflects our obligations under the UN Stateless developed the UK’s negotiating position on the NI border. Conventions by providing a means for stateless persons in the UK to access their basic human rights and is part of our efforts to address wider global issues facing stateless British Nationality persons. Leave to remain applications to stay in the UK as Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett a stateless person are free of charge. There are citizenship routes for children who are born To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are in the UK: if their parent becomes British or settled, or if taking to ensure that British citizenship is granted to a they live in the UK for the first ten years of their life. In stateless person born in the UK who fulfils the addition there are provisions for stateless children which conditions of paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the British allow us to meet our obligations under the 1961 Nationality Act 1981 but who cannot afford the Convention. registration fee. [HL111] Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett British Nationality: Children To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett they have made of the number of children born each year in the UK without British citizenship to (1) a To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact parent also born in the UK without British citizenship, assessments they have conducted into the statutory and (2) to a parent who grew up in this country after good character requirement for children who register as being brought to the UK at a young age and has British citizens; and whether they have undertaken any continued to live here since; and what steps, if any, they assessment of that requirement's impact on (1) are taking to reduce those numbers. [HL112] children’s best interests, (2) race discrimination, and (3) race relations. [HL113] Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett Baroness Williams of Trafford: The good character To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment requirement for children was subject to parliamentary they have made of the impact of the fee for a child or scrutiny when it was introduced by Section 58 of the young person to register as a British citizen upon people Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. It has born stateless in the UK. [HL114] also been the subject of inspection by the Independent Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI). In response to recommendations in his 2017 report a number To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are of adjustments were made to the policy clarifying that a taking to ensure that British citizenship is granted to child’s best interests must be taken into account when stateless persons born in the UK in accordance with the considering an application for registration as a British UK’s obligations under Article 1 of the 1961 UN citizen. Updated guidance to reflect these changes was Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. [HL115] published in January 2019. Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office has In addition, the good character requirement was the no current plans to specifically review the fees policy subject of a Policy Equality Statement, demonstrating applicable to stateless persons applying to register as a compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty, when British citizen, however the Home Office keeps its fees the British Nationality Act 1981 (Remedial) Order 2019 for immigration and nationality under review. was laid. The Home Office has no current plans to produce a specific impact assessment in respect of the fee for a child British Nationality: Children and Young or young person born stateless to register as a British People citizen. An assessment of the impact of all border, immigration and citizenship (BIC) fees was published as Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett an associated document to the Immigration and To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Nationality Fees (Regulation) 2018. In response to a they have made of the impact of the fee for a child or

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young person to register as a British citizen on their failure where no operators are present today). This £500 fulfilment of the UK’s obligations under Article 1 of the million will be funded from central Government, for the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. purposes set out in the business case for the Shared Rural [HL156] Network. As this funding is state aid, it will require the approval of the European Commission or, depending on Baroness Williams of Trafford: Neither the 1961 UN the circumstances of EU exit, the Competition and Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness or the 1954 Markets Authority. Convention relating to the status of stateless persons prohibit fees from being chargeable in respect of The £500 million funding from Government does not citizenship applications. The Home Office does, however, assume any contributions from the devolved waive fees for stateless individuals up to the point of administrations or from local authorities. However, settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in line with our support from both the devolved administration and local obligations. authorities will be crucial to the success of the programme - particularly in relation to planning approvals for new The Home Office has no current plans to specifically sites or site upgrades. Officials in central Government review the policy applicable to stateless persons applying to register as a British citizen, however the Home Office have had detailed conversations about the SRN proposal keeps its fees for immigration and nationality under with their devolved counterparts, and will continue to engage with them regularly over the coming months. review. The UK has a vibrant telecoms industry, and we are Broadband: Finance keen that this programme reflects that. The programme will be delivered jointly by all four MNOs however, it is Asked by The Duke of Montrose expected that organisations across the industry will have To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they the opportunity to get involved in the delivery of the have made of the proportion of the £500 million for programme, as grant beneficiaries, by competing to build broadband extension, announced on 28 October, that the required infrastructure, in an open, fair and transparent will be required by each of the nations of the UK; and way. Beneficiaries will be required to report on their what contribution could still be required by local funding in line with the usual process for publishing their own accounts. Further details will be made available as authorities. [HL513] the programme progresses. Asked by The Duke of Montrose To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £500 Centre of Excellence for Human Security million for broadband extension, announced on 28 October, will be ringfenced; and whether beneficiaries Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger of the funding will be required to publicise the source To ask Her Majesty's Government where the Centre of that funding. [HL514] of Excellence for Human Security, as announced on 4 Baroness Barran: The announcement on 28 October April, will be based. [HL292] 2019 was the Ministerial Statement to Parliament in Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger respect of the Government’s in-principle support for a Shared Rural Network (SRN) Programme, announced on To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Centre 25th October 2019. The SRN is a proposal from the of Excellence for Human Security, as announced on 4 Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to collectively April, has been allocated funding. [HL293] increase 4G mobile coverage throughout the United Asked by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger Kingdom to 95% by 2025, underpinned by a legally binding coverage commitment from each operator to have To ask Her Majesty's Government how the courses reached more than 92% by 2026. The Government’s in- delivered by the Centre of Excellence for Human principle support remains subject to detailed negotiations Security will be accredited. [HL294] with the MNOs, but our ambition is to reach a final Baroness Goldie: In April 2019, the then Defence agreement on the SRN early next year. Secretary announced an outline plan for a Centre of Crucially, the benefits will be felt across all four nations Excellence on Human Security in Military Operations. An with the SRN extending coverage from each operator to a internal feasibility study outlined options for such a minimum of 85% in Scotland, 86% in Wales and 91% in project but having reviewed these options, I believe this Northern Ireland and 91% in England by 2026, although approach is an ineffective use of resources to deliver our we expect the actual outcomes to be higher intent and have taken a decision not to proceed with the Industry is contributing £530 million to address partial centre. not-spots (areas where there is currently only coverage In coming to this judgement, we are in no way seeking from at least one but not all four MNOs). In addition, to divert effort from this key priority and under my subject to reaching a final agreement, the Government direction, officials are developing a comprehensive will invest £500 million to provide new digital programme to reinforce Human Security policy and infrastructure in total not-spot areas (areas of market deliver operational best practice.

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Looking ahead, we will continue to expand our Human Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham Security training programmes for UK and international To ask Her Majesty's Government what factors led to personnel, delivered in the UK through the Defence their consideration of removing the consultant-led Academy. Beginning in December we will roll out a new Accident & Emergency service at Cheltenham General series of collaborative international training ventures in Hospital. [HL398] Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, working with a wide-range of international partners. Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time Cheltenham Hospital: Accident and available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond Emergency Departments directly with the Member. Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to retain a consultant-led Accident & Emergency intend to reinstate a 24-hours a day, seven days a week service throughout the day at Cheltenham General consultant-led Accident & Emergency at Cheltenham General Hospital; and if so, when. [HL399] Hospital; and if so, for how long. [HL394] Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member. directly with the Member. Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham Chilterns: High Speed 2 Railway Line To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Asked by The Earl of Caithness have, if any, to include the option of retaining a consultant-led Accident & Emergency department at To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in order Cheltenham General Hospital in their forthcoming to secure the (1) water level, and (2) quality, of chalk consultation. [HL395] streams, what plans they have to prevent HS2 from using water to tunnel through the Chilterns. [HL278] Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Environment Agency available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond is advising HS2 Ltd and their contractors on mitigating directly with the Member. the potential impacts of their works on water level and quality of chalk streams. This includes water usage for Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham tunnelling in the Chilterns. The Environment Agency will To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the option review any application for increased abstraction in the of removing Accident & Emergency consultants from Colne catchment in line with the current Colne Catchment Cheltenham General Hospital during the day will be Abstraction Management Strategy to ensure that there is included as part of their forthcoming consultation. no detrimental impact on the environment. [HL396] Coinage Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time Asked by Lord Hannay of Chiswick available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 50p directly with the Member. coins were minted to mark the exit of the UK from the Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham EU on (1) 29 March, and (2) 31 October; what was the cost of those operations; and what has been done with To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the coins so minted. [HL388] they have had with (1) the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and (2) Gloucestershire Clinical The Earl of Courtown: Approximately 1 million coins Commissioning Group, about the consultant-led were minted in October to mark the UK’s exit from the Accident & Emergency service at Cheltenham General European Union, in addition to 1,000 trial coins that were Hospital; and what was the outcome of those struck before March 29. discussions. [HL397] Coins bearing these dates will now be recycled and the Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not value from the materials will be recouped by the proved possible to respond to this question in the time Exchequer. available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond The cost of minting these coins is commercially directly with the Member. sensitive.

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Asked by Lord Myners agricultural products entering Northern Ireland will need to be compliant with the rules of the regulatory zone. To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 50p Northern Ireland will remain in the UK customs territory coins to commemorate Brexit on 31 October have been but will apply EU customs rules, which are well minted. [HL467] understood by businesses in Northern Ireland that already The Earl of Courtown: Approximately 1 million coins trade with the Rest of the World. were minted in October to mark the UK’s exit from the The Government has made clear commitments to European Union. Coins bearing this date will now be ensure unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses recycled and the value from the materials will be to the whole UK internal market. Some practical recouped by the Exchequer. information will need to be provided electronically on movement of goods West-East, but Northern Ireland will Convention on International Trade in have tariff-free access to the whole UK market. Endangered Species Darwin Initiative Asked by Lord Black of Brentwood Asked by Baroness Hooper To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will maintain the current EU Wildlife Trade To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, if any, Regulations and therefore remain within the EU’s of the funding announced by the Prime Minister for the regulatory Convention on International Trade in Darwin Initiative on 23 September will replace EU Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora funding for wildlife in the Falkland Islands and other framework, following a Brexit withdrawal agreement. Overseas Territories. [HL358] [HL339] Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The funding announced by Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Convention on the Prime Minister on 23 September was for the Darwin International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna Initiative, which supports biodiversity projects in and Flora (CITES) is implemented in the EU through a developing countries around the world. The Government number of regulations known collectively as the EU provides environmental and biodiversity funding to the Wildlife Trade Regulations (WTR), which put in place a British Overseas Territories (OTs) through the separate system of permits and certificates for cross-border Darwin Plus (DP) fund. movement of specimens of endangered species. Under the On 10 May 2019, we launched a Call for Evidence on EU (Withdrawal) Act, the WTR will become retained EU safeguarding the environment in the British OTs. This law on exit day. We have made EU Exit regulations to invited ideas on how the Government can safeguard the make this retained EU law work in the UK. OTs’ biodiversity and aims to support the UK’s continued With regard to a withdrawal agreement, current CITES partnership with the OTs in meeting future environmental controls and procedures in place between the UK and commitments. EU27 will continue during the implementation period. We have received a number of in-depth responses to After EU Exit we will consider on an ongoing basis this Call for Evidence, many of which mention both EU amendments necessary to continue to meet our funding and DP. These responses will help inform obligations under CITIES in a UK context. decisions on future funding for environmental and The UK is a Party to CITIES in its own right, and will biodiversity protection in the OTs to be made ahead of the remain a Party after EU Exit. The UK will continue to next full Spending Review. meet the obligations and commitments under CITIES to work toward ensuring that no species becomes extinct as Death: Russia a result of unsustainable trade. Asked by Lord Rooker Customs: Northern Ireland To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Rooker on 27 June 2017 (HL Deb, Asked by Lord Empey cols 399–401), what current investigations, if any, are To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how, and (2) taking place in relation to the deaths of (1) Scot Young, which, goods and agricultural products will be treated (2) Boris Berezovsky, (3) Stephen Moss, (4) Badri differently (a) in, and (b) from, Northern Ireland as a Patarkatsishvili, (5) Stephen Curtis, (6) Yuri Golubev, result of Northern Ireland (i) remaining in the EU (7) Paul Castle, (8) Robert Curtis, (9) Johnny Elichaoff, Single Market, and (ii) implementing EU Customs (10) Alexander Litvinenko, (11) Matthew Puncher, (12) protocols, as outlined in the latest EU Withdrawal Igor Ponomarev, (13) Daniel McGrory, (14) Gareth Agreement. [HL384] Williams, and (15) Alexander Perepilichnyy. [HL529] Lord Callanan: In the new Northern Ireland/Ireland Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved Protocol, Northern Ireland will only be aligning with possible to respond to this question in the time available those EU rules on goods necessary to remove the need for before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly regulatory checks at the land border. Goods and with the Member.

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Demonstrations: Seized Articles addition, we will also be exploring ways of removing the funding barriers to encourage more local areas that are Asked by Lord Greaves interested in fluoridating water to come forward with To ask Her Majesty's Government under what powers proposals. the police may confiscate camping equipment, food, solar panels, portable lavatories and litter bins, which Deportation: Young People are being stored in connection with planned demonstrations; and whether the police are required to Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno keep a record of such items that are seized, and to store To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they them in appropriate conditions. [HL193] have to prevent teenagers being deported back to a Asked by Lord Greaves country which has been deemed unsafe to travel to, when they have lived in the UK for a decade or more. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is [HL367] any recourse for the owners of items that are damaged when the police remove them from the site of Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have a policy not demonstrations; and whether the owners of such items to remove anyone, regardless of their age or the length of can reclaim them from the police. [HL194] time they have lived in the UK, to a country to which it has been deemed unsafe for them to return. Baroness Williams of Trafford: Police have powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Common Law to seize and retain property that is believed Detergents: Labelling to be evidence of an offence. Asked by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Once seized, the property may be retained for no longer than is necessary for use as evidence at a trial, for forensic To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements examination or for investigation in connection with an are placed on producers of domestic cleaning products offence or to establish the rightful owner of the property. to list their ingredients on product packaging. [HL336] To ensure the property is admissible as evidence, police need to keep an accurate record of its seizure and Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Producers of domestic retention and safe keeping to establish the chain of cleaning products are required to make consumers aware evidence. of the ingredients of their products through the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation Owners may obtain independent legal advice if they (Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008). Under this Regulation, wish to make a claim against police for damage to their suppliers of products containing hazardous chemical property. Free advice can be sought from a Law Centre or substances and mixtures are required to provide Citizens Advice (CA). If a person wishes to claim information on the label to identify any hazardous property seized by the police, they may also apply to a chemicals, explain what the hazards are and how to avoid magistrate’s court under the Police (Property) Act 1897 them. for its possession. In addition, under the EU Detergents Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 648/2004), producers of detergents Dental Health: Children and cleaning products sold to the general public must also list the product ingredients on labels on product Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath packaging and in ingredient data sheets. Enzymes, To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they disinfectants, optical brighteners, perfumes and intend to implement the commitments relating to preservation agents must be listed on the label irrespective children’s oral health contained in the Advancing on of their concentration. This information must appear in health: prevention in the 2020's consultation document, legible, visible and indelible characters on the packaging published in July 2019. [HL507] of detergents and cleaning products which are intended for the consumer. Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: The Government’s Green Paper, Advancing our health: Producers must also prepare a full ingredient data sheet prevention in the 2020s, published in July, commits to to be made available to medical personnel on request. A consulting next year on options for rolling out a national less detailed version of the ingredient data sheet must also school toothbrushing scheme in more pre-school settings be placed in the public domain via a website address on and primary schools in England. These proposals will aim the product packaging. to reach the most deprived 3-5 year olds in all areas of the This information on ingredients enables consumers to country and will look to reach 30% by 2022. make better informed choices about products. The Green Paper consultation included a question on The levels of protection for people and the the role that water companies can play in supporting environment, including labelling requirements for water fluoridation initiatives. The consultation closed on ingredients and ingredient data sheets, will remain at least 14 October and we are currently analysing responses. In as high as at present when the UK leaves the EU.

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Developing Countries: Tuberculosis Local authorities’ core spending power is expected to rise from £46.2 billion to £49.1 billion in 2020-21. This is Asked by Baroness Stern an estimated 4.3% increase in real terms. To ask Her Majesty's Government what Local authorities have the flexibility to make decisions assessment they have made of the Global Tuberculosis based around their local needs. The statutory guidance, Report 2019, published on 17 October; and what 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', sets out how steps they intend to take to ensure that their recent local authorities should provide effective, evidence-based investment in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and services to protect and promote the welfare of children, Malaria improves global access to new treatments for including disabled children. The guidance was updated on drug-resistant Tuberculosis. [HL414] 4 July 2018 and states that it is better to provide services addressing needs early, rather than reacting later. The Baroness Sugg: The UK Government recognises that statutory duty to provide short breaks, introduced in 2011, the Global Tuberculosis Report 2019 provides important falls on local authorities. The guidance is available at the evidence on the challenges in tackling tuberculosis as an following link: issue of global public health importance. It shows that https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working- progress has been made, particularly improvements in the together-to-safeguard-children--2, and is attached. number of cases of tuberculosis identified and increases in testing coverage for drug resistant tuberculosis. 7 million The Answer includes the following attached material: people with tuberculosis were identified globally in 2018; HL275_Guidance 600,000 more people than in 2017. Additionally, the [HL275_Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children.pdf] proportion of people with a tuberculosis diagnosis who were tested for drug resistance rose from 41% in 2017 to The material can be viewed online at: 51% in 2018. http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions- answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2019-10-22/HL275 Investments in the Global Fund have played a major role in tackling the global epidemic of tuberculosis. Doctors: Pensions Dealing with drug resistant tuberculosis is a key focus of the Global Fund through prevention, detection and Asked by Baroness Altmann treatment, including supporting countries to introduce To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their bedaquiline and delamanid, two ground breaking new estimate of how many NHS senior medical staff have drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The been asked to pay extra tax as a result of their pension new drugs have fewer side effects and are more effective, contributions exceeding the Tapered Annual Allowance increasing the chances that people will stay on the in the (1) 2016–17, (2) 2017–18, and (3) 2018–19 tax treatment and be cured. years; and what was the average amount of tax that We work with the Global Fund to ensure that our such staff were asked to pay in each of those years. investment continues to support advances to improve [HL427] access to treatment for both drug sensitive and drug resistant tuberculosis. Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time Disability: Children available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member. Asked by Baroness Bertin To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Drugs Independent Review have to address the £434 million funding gap for Asked by Lord Rennard disabled children's social care identified in the research published by the Disabled Children's Partnership; and To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect what plans they have to establish a disabled children's Dame Carol Black’s review of drugs policy to be fund to improve early intervention services such as published. [HL559] short breaks for disabled children. [HL275] Baroness Williams of Trafford: We anticipate that Lord Agnew of Oulton: All children should have Dame Carol Black’s Review of Drugs will report its access to the support they need to keep them safe, provide findings to the Home Secretary in the autumn and the them with a stable and nurturing home, and overcome Home Secretary will report back to Parliament after that. challenges to achieve their potential. We do not recognise the figures provided in the Disabled Children’s Drugs: Death Partnership report, however, in the Spending Round 2019, the government confirmed an additional £1 billion grant Asked by Lord Rennard for adult and children’s social care in 2020-21. This is in To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they addition to the continuation of all existing social care have made of the number of drug deaths across grants. different regions of England. [HL558]

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Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not the gap. We actively disseminate this guidance to proved possible to respond to this question in the time employers throughout the year to ensure they have the available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond information they need to create an action plan. directly with the Member. This position is kept under review. If we do not think that employers are making enough progress, we will act. Drugs: Rehabilitation Asked by Lord Rennard Europe: Refugees To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they Asked by Lord Hylton have taken, or are planning to take, to increase access to To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last had talking therapies and other non-pharmacological discussions with UNICEF and Médecins Sans management strategies for substance misuse. [HL557] Frontières about (1) the refugees on the Greek Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: Local Islands, (2) rescues from the Mediterranean, including authorities are responsible for assessing local need for children aged 5 to 17, and (3) unaccompanied minors substance misuse treatment and commissioning a range of who have reached France. [HL574] services and interventions, including psychosocial Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are in regular interventions, to meet that need. dialogue with relevant NGOs on a range of migration Public Health England has published a range of issues. We have routine discussions of Search and Rescue guidance and toolkits online to support local areas in and the situation of migrants in Libya with Médecins sans increasing the provision of effective psychosocial frontières. interventions. We remain committed to supporting Greece's efforts to manage migration effectively. We are working with the Electric Scooters: Road Traffic Offences Greek Government, who retain responsibility for the situation of migrants in the country, to this end. United Asked by Lord Blencathra Kingdom vessels have rescued 16,000 migrants in the To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions Aegean since 2015. they intend to have with the police to enforce the prohibition against two-wheeled battery-operated European Economic Area and European scooters using pavements and highways. [HL345] Free Trade Association Baroness Williams of Trafford: Enforcement of road Asked by Lord Anderson of Ipswich traffic law is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers of police in conjunction with local policing To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the plans. We will continue to support the police to ensure Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic January (HL12669) and the Written Statement by Lord legisaltion including those relating to electric scooters. Callanan on 20 December 2018 (HLWS1187), whether (1) the text of the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement Equal Pay has been amended since 20 December 2018, and (2) the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement has been signed by Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick the UK; if so, when; whether the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement is subject to section 20 of the To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010; they have to ensure that companies publish their action and whether a copy of the EEA EFTA Separation plans for closing the gender pay gap. [HL534] Agreement has been laid before Parliament by a Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Gender Pay Gap Minister of the Crown within the meaning of section among all employees in the UK continues to decline, 20(1)(a) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance currently at a record low of 17.3%. Act 2010. [HL572] This year, mandatory reporting regulations have seen Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond over 10,000 employers report their gender pay gap for the to this question in the time available before Dissolution. second time, with around half of all employers in-scope of Ministers will correspond directly with the Member. the regulations publishing action plans. To close the gap entirely we need a much wider cultural Exploitation: Ethnic Groups change, which can’t be imposed from above. We strongly encourage all employers to publish action plans, Asked by Baroness Afshar prompting discussions about the drivers of the pay gap in To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the their organisations. To support employers, we have response by Baroness Williams of Trafford to Baroness published advice on how to diagnose their gaps and Kennedy of Cradley's oral question on 22 October, develop an effective action plan, alongside evidence- what plans they have to establish, as points of contact based guidance on practical actions they can take to close for minority women who are at risk of exploitation,

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specific individuals who are familiar with the cultural A consultation on the introduction of statutory firearms practices of minority ethnic groups. [HL267] guidance to the police, including in relation to the medical arrangements, closed on 17 September. The responses are Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Ministry of being considered and the Government will publish a Justice provides funding to specialist sexual violence response in due course. services to support victims to cope and, where possible, recover from the impact of crime. On 18 September, we announced an additional £5m to support victims of sexual Food: Advertising violence, which commits £32m over three years. Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath In addition, local Commissioners (be they Police and To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Crime Commissioners, Local Authorities or health have, if any, to implement new restrictions on commissioners) will also seek to provide specialist promotions and advertising for products which are high support to victims in their area. To support this, in in salt, sugar and fat. [HL506] December 2016 we published the National Statement of Expectations, which sets out a blueprint for local service Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not provision, including how Commissioners can best proved possible to respond to this question in the time respond to the needs of minority or marginalised groups. available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond In 2016/17 MHCLG also provided £300k to Imkaan to directly with the Member. build capacity and strengthen specialist BAME organisations, including through training, quality standard Foreign Companies: Ownership accreditation and access to the tools they need to measure Asked by Lord Rooker their impact. To ask Her Majesty's Government when the public On 18th September we appointed Nicole Jacobs as the register of beneficial owners of overseas entities will be first Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner, who will available for public inspection in the UK. [HL528] raise awareness of domestic abuse, stand up for victims, and drive up consistency in the response to domestic Lord Duncan of Springbank: The draft Registration abuse. The Commissioner is required to appoint a specific of Overseas Entities bill was published on 23 July 2018. thematic lead within her office to consider and address the The Joint Committee for the draft bill carried out pre- needs of BAME victims. legislative scrutiny earlier this year, with the Government We are also exploring ways to improve support for publishing its response to the Committee’s report and BAME victims as part of our work to tackle racial recommendations on 18 July 2019. In the response, the disparity in the Criminal Justice System. Government accepted a number of the Committee’s recommendations and has been considering other recommendations to ensure that the legislation is as Firearms: Licensing effective as possible in tackling the use of UK property for the purpose of money laundering. Asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff It is essential that the new requirements are workable, To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible proportionate and that the register strikes the right balance for ensuring that all those involved in the sale and between improving transparency and minimising burdens purchase of guns are medically fit to hold a licence to on legitimate commercial activity. The Government be in control of firearms intended for sale; and how is intends to introduce the bill when parliamentary time the information about any concerns shared between allows. different areas of jurisdiction. [HL354] Baroness Williams of Trafford: The police are Fracking responsible for assessing the suitability of those who seek Asked by Lord Truscott to be registered as a firearms dealer or to be issued with a firearm or shotgun certificate, including their medical To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they suitability, to ensure the safety of the public. When have to ban fracking in the UK. [HL587] applying to be registered as a firearms dealer, a person Lord Duncan of Springbank: It has not proved who is not already a firearm or shotgun certificate holder possible to respond to this question in the time available must provide details of their doctor and disclose any before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly relevant physical or mental health conditions that they with the Member. have been diagnosed with or treated for in the past for consideration by the police. Asked by Lord Truscott When seeking to be registered as a firearms dealer a To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment person must apply to their local police force, who will they have made of the environmental impact of consider the application and carry out the necessary Cuadrilla’s latest drilling programme in north west checks to assess the applicant’s suitability. England. [HL588]

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Lord Duncan of Springbank: It has not proved Gaza: Freezing of Assets possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly Asked by Lord Hylton with the Member. To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, and intend to make, to Fracking: Decommissioning the Palestinian Authority, following reports that it has frozen bank accounts belonging to Palestinian non- Asked by Lord Greaves governmental organisations in the Gaza Strip. [HL359] To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Her Majesty’s Consul- have to review the (1) requirements, (2) regulations, General to Jerusalem raised this issue with the Palestinian and (3) responsibilities, in connection with (a) the Authority on 5 November. Our Consulate-General in decommissioning of onshore fracking wells in Jerusalem frequently urges the Palestinian authorities to particular where an operator is no longer able to carry take steps within its grasp to improve the conditions in out the necessary work, (b) monitoring of a well for any Gaza. The UK also continues to encourage the leakages or emissions, or other environmental damage reconciliation process in which the Palestinian Authority following its closure and decommissioning, and (c) resumes control of Gaza and restores effective and liabilities for any damage caused by the well after that accountable governance. time. [HL450] Lord Duncan of Springbank: When operations finish at shale gas sites, the licensees are responsible for safe General Elections: Cost decommissioning of their well(s) and for restoring the Asked by Lord Truscott well-site to its previous state or a suitable condition for re- use. As set out, in the joint Written Ministerial Statement To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the of 17 May 2018, as a matter of policy the financial estimated cost to the public purse of the General resilience of all companies looking to hydraulically Election on 12 December. [HL583] fracture is now assessed, including their ability to cover Earl Howe: The full cost of the election will not be decommissioning costs. known until after the poll, once all expenses claims have Only three onshore wells have been hydraulically been received and settled and Royal Mail invoices paid. fractured in the UK and one of these, Cuadrilla’s site at Preese Hall, has been decommissioned and the site fully General Elections: Disinformation restored to its previous state. The groundwater at Preese Hall has been monitored post decommissioning in April Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark 2015 and results have been supplied to the Environment To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are Agency and the other regulatory bodies. There has been planning to take to prevent fake advertisements and no evidence of environmental harm. The remaining two fake news funded from unknown sources seeking to wells are at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site in undermine parliamentary elections. [HL401] Lancashire. As part of its application for Hydraulic Fracturing Consent, Cuadrilla was required to undergo a Earl Howe: The Government takes the integrity of our financial resilience check to ensure that it had sufficient electoral processes extremely seriously and we are funding to cover the full decommissioning of their site. working across Government to strengthen our electoral If, in the unlikely situation there was an issue with the system and defend it from interference. In July 2019, the well in the longer term, the Environment Agency would Cabinet Office announced the creation of the Defending seek to identify the person(s) responsible for any pollution Democracy programme, which has been set up to pull and has powers it can apply in specific circumstances, to together existing work and expertise in this area from remediate the issues. right across Government. The Department is considering whether any further The Defending Democracy programme has been set up mitigations might be appropriate. by the Government in order to protect and secure UK democratic processes, systems and institutions from interference including from cyber, personnel and physical Fuels: Tax Evasion threats; to strengthen the integrity of UK elections; to Asked by Lord Empey encourage respect for open, fair and safe democratic participation; and to promote fact-based and open To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment discourse, including online. they have made of the environmental damage caused in On 5th May 2019 the Cabinet Office also announced a the UK by the illegal laundering of fuel. [HL447] range of measures to better safeguard UK elections by Lord Gardiner of Kimble: It has not proved possible cracking down on intimidation, malign influence, to respond to this question in the time available before interference and disinformation. This included Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the commitments to launch a consultation on electoral Member.

Page 32 5 November 2019 Written Answers integrity and implement a digital imprints regime for address disability hate crime. These commitments were: online election material. • To look at current best practice examples in tackling The Government has built relationships with social disability hate crime and work with partner media companies and will continue to have regular and organisations and the police to promote safety for robust dialogue with them on how to limit the spread of disabled people. disinformation and other kinds of propaganda designed to • To continue to work with community groups to raise serve political interests. Social media platforms have awareness of hate crime among disabled people and taken action to protect the integrity and security of the increasing the availability of third party reporting elections. They are providing online safety and security venues, in particular at locations and through services guidance to parties and candidates and are improving that are used by disabled people. transparency of political advertising on their platforms • The police will lead work with partners and disabled and processes for removal of fake accounts. While we people’s groups to develop resources targeted to raise welcome these measures, there is clearly much more to be awareness of hate crime among carers and families of done to tackle these issues and other online harms. disabled people to encourage reporting. General Elections: Subversion • The National Policing Lead to assess proactive recording pilots to see if there is anything to be learned Asked by Lord Rooker that will increase the recording of disability hate crime. To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they In October 2018, the Government published a refresh of have taken since the 2017 General Election to prevent the Action Plan, which included the following further (1) Russian, (2) Chinese, and (3) United States, commitments on disability hate crime: interference in future UK general elections. [HL526] • Department for Transport committed, in the July 2018 Inclusive Transport Strategy, to run a public awareness Earl Howe: The Government takes the integrity of our raising campaign to increase disability awareness electoral processes extremely seriously and we are amongst all transport passengers. working across Government to strengthen our electoral system and defend it from interference. There is no • Continue to help the charity representing people with evidence of successful foreign interventions in our disfigurement, Changing Faces, in its work with social elections. media companies. In July 2019, the Cabinet Office announced the creation • The Department of Health and Social Care is leading a of the Defending Democracy programme, which has been long-term study of the impact of integrated support for set up to pull together existing work and expertise in this people with learning disabilities, including on the area from right across Government. occurrence of disability hate crime. The Defending Democracy programme has been set up • Work with community groups to raise awareness of by the Government in order to protect and secure UK disability hate crime, and consider the best options for democratic processes, systems and institutions from third party reporting centres for disabled people. We interference including from cyber, personnel and physical will work with the Association of Police and Crime threats; to strengthen the integrity of UK elections; to Commissioners, and others, to understand where these encourage respect for open, fair and safe democratic services already exist, and how best we can promote participation; and to promote fact-based and open their availability. discourse, including online. • Increase and broaden our engagement with The Cabinet Office has announced a range of measures stakeholders representing disabled people. to better safeguard UK elections by cracking down on • Draw from ongoing doctoral research into police intimidation, interference and disinformation. This responses to learning disability hate crime underway at includes commitments to launch a consultation on the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of electoral integrity and implement a digital imprints Portsmouth. regime for online election material. The 2018 Hate Crime Action Plan refresh also includes a number of broader actions addressing all forms of hate Hate Crime: Disability crime, including disability hate crime. These include: Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett • Publication of the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out plans hold social media companies to greater To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the account; Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on • A review by the Law Commission into the coverage 28 October (HL137), what plans they have specifically and approach of current hate crime legislation; and in relation to hate crime towards disabled people. [HL544] • A wide-ranging national hate crime communications campaign to publicly address hate crime and make clear Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Hate Crime that it is unacceptable to target people on the basis of Action Plan 2016 included a number of commitments to their identity.

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Heroin: Rehabilitation instruction that would prevent, and end, leaseholders in high-rise buildings being unable to sell their properties Asked by Lord Rennard due to blanket zero valuations by surveyors citing the To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Government's Advice Note 14 Advice on external wall answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 28 systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite October (HL Deb, col 772), what is the level of Material, published on 18 December 2018. [HL393] provision in different regions of England of heroin- Viscount Younger of Leckie: It has not proved assisted treatment involving addicts injecting safely. possible to respond to these questions in the time [HL556] available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: Information directly with the Member. on the level of provision of heroin assisted treatment is not centrally collected. House of Lords: Gratuities Asked by Lord Storey High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether catering Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick and retail staff members of the House of Lords receive To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the the full amount of any "tip" given to them when paid by report of the Public Inquiry into the fire at Grenfell debit card. [HL319] Tower on 14 June 2017 Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase Lord Laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked 1 Report, published on 30 October, when they plan to me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his introduce new fire safety legislation. [HL569] behalf. The full amount of any tip paid by debit card, or Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government any other form of payment, is distributed amongst accepts, in principle, all the recommendations made of Catering and Retail staff, less a deduction for Employer’s central Government in Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry’s National Insurance at the appropriate rate. Phase One report and will work at pace to take these Gratuity payments are made to staff via the payroll, forward. This may include bringing forward legislation therefore a deduction for tax and Employee’s National ahead of the Bill on building safety standards announced Insurance is made at the relevant rate. in the Queen’s Speech if that would mean the Inquiry’s Any administration charges linked to payments via recommendations can be implemented sooner. credit or debit cards are not deducted from the gratuity We are currently analysing responses to our Call for amount. Evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and intend to publish a formal response after the Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing General Election. Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett High Rise Flats: Insulation To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the judgment of the European Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town Court of Human Rights in J.D and A v. the United To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Kingdom that the under-occupation reduction of they have made of whether surveyors are returning zero housing benefit or the ‘bedroom tax’ unlawfully valuations on properties in high-rise buildings by citing discriminates against women at serious risk of domestic the Government's Advice Note 14 Advice on external violence. [HL545] wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Baroness Stedman-Scott: We are carefully Composite Material, published on 18 December 2018; considering the European Court of Human Rights and what steps they intend to take in response. [HL391] Judgment in the case of A. Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town We welcome the decision in the case of JD which To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions confirmed in this case that the application of the RSRS they have had with industry representatives about policy was not discriminatory. leaseholders in high-rise buildings being unable to sell their properties due to blanket zero valuations by Human Rights surveyors citing the Government's Advice Note 14 Asked by Lord Rooker Advice on external wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite Material, published on 18 To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people December 2018. [HL392] have been subject to proceedings under the (1) Criminal Finances Act 2017, and (2) Sanctions and Anti-Money Asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town Laundering Act 2018, on the grounds of gross human To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration rights abuse or violations, up to the latest date for which they have given to providing mortgage lenders with figures are available. [HL525]

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Baroness Williams of Trafford: There have been no Baroness Williams of Trafford: As my Right proceedings under the provisions in the Criminal Finances Honourable Friend the Home Secretary set out in her Act 2017 relating to gross human rights abuses. statement of 28 October, all areas of Government have a The Sanctions Act gives the UK powers to impose role to play in strengthening our borders, eliminating the autonomous sanctions, however secondary legislation is pull factors in this country and addressing the root causes required to establish individual sanctions regimes. to suppress demand for illegal migration. Officials are currently working to design secondary The Government already has an illegal migration legislation for a global human rights sanctions regime, strategy in place, but as the tragic event in Essex has which we have announced an intention to establish once shown, there is much more to do. we leave the EU. It is only once the secondary legislation We will be working across Government to strengthen is in force that we can impose sanctions on designated our response to the migration crisis that led these victims persons and announce those designations. to try to enter the United Kingdom and to confront the Human Trafficking organised criminals who drive this abhorent practice. Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick Hydrogen: Storage To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth they have to use thermal imaging cameras at all UK ports to check for incidents of human trafficking. To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they [HL368] are taking to promote hydrogen energy storage. [HL434] Baroness Williams of Trafford: Border Force deploys Lord Duncan of Springbank: The report published on a range of detection equipment across the UK border to the 2nd May 2019 by our independent advisors, the detect incidents of human trafficking but, for national Committee on Climate Change, has stressed the security reasons, does not comment on the specific importance of hydrogen in achieving Net Zero, however technology used. the technologies required to produce low carbon hydrogen Border Force are continually seeking to develop and are not yet fully developed. BEIS, through its Energy invest in new capability. Innovation Programme, has committed more than £40 million to accelerate: Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick • the commercialisation of large-scale hydrogen energy To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they storage technologies; and have, if any, to implement additional measures to detect people smuggling through UK ports, including the use • the development of supplying low carbon hydrogen at of X-rays. [HL533] scale for industry, power, buildings and transport. Baroness Williams of Trafford: At the juxtaposed controls and at ports around the country, Border Force Immigrants: Detainees officers use some of the most advanced detection Asked by Lord Scriven technology available to find and stop migrants attempting to reach the UK illegally. We have also invested tens of To ask Her Majesty's Government how many millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance immigration detainees were held for more than 28 days border security. All freight vehicles entering the UK in each of the last four years. [HL315] through the juxtaposed controls are screened for people Asked by Lord Scriven being smuggled into the UK using a range of techniques. This includes using carbon dioxide detectors and motion To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the longest sensors as well as sniffer dogs to detect clandestine on- time in days an individual has been detained for board lorries. immigration reasons (1) among current detainees, and We will continue to monitor closely displacement of the (2) in the last four years. [HL316] threat to other ports and routes into the UK and are Baroness Williams of Trafford: Information on the prepared to shift more resources to UK ports, whilst length of detention, of those in and on leaving detention is working proactively with European law enforcement, available in tables dt_06_q and dt_14,q of the detention including partners in France, Belgium and Holland, to tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, year target the organised crime networks behind people ending June 2019’. trafficking and illegal migration. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/upload Human Trafficking: Essex s/attachment_data/file/826057/detention-jun-2019- tables.ods Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno The Answer includes the following attached material: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the deaths of 39 people discovered Detention Tables - Immigration Stats - June 2019 [detention-jun- 2019-tables (3).xlsx] in a Bulgarian container lorry on 23 October. [HL364]

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The material can be viewed online at: UK. Of this, 4.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions- equivalent GHG emissions were emitted in the energy answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2019-10-22/HL315 supply sector. Emissions from biogenic waste material are Asked by Lord Scriven not included, consistent with domestic and international reporting of GHG emissions. To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of those released from immigration detention in the last Internet: Disinformation four years (1) are still in the UK, and (2) have been returned to their country of origin. [HL317] Asked by The Marquess of Lothian Baroness Williams of Trafford: The requested To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are information is not readily available and to provide it taking to work with (1) website providers, and (2) would incur disproportionate cost. social media providers, to ban image-based abuse made using deepfake technology. [HL548] Immigration Baroness Barran: The Online Harms White Paper sets Asked by The Marquess of Lothian out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the to establish in law a new duty of care on companies projected figures for UK net migration in the next five towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. years; and what assessment they have made, or intend Ahead of the implementation of the new regulatory to make, of the cost to the UK of any fall in migration. framework, we continue to work closely with companies [HL546] to encourage them to take early action to address online Baroness Williams of Trafford: Information on harms. projections of net migration under different scenarios, is The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published by the Office for National Statistics, as part of and the Ministry of Justice have also engaged the Law UK population projections. The Government’s Commission on a second phase of their review of abusive immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based and offensive online communications. As part of this the Immigration System, includes an economic appraisal of Law Commission will also look at the criminal law potential impacts of a reduction in EU work-related around the non-consensual taking and sharing of intimate migration. images. This includes the creation and sharing of deepfake images. The review will look at existing Immigration: EU Nationals offences and identify whether there are any gaps in the scope of the protection already offered to victims, making Asked by Lord Greaves recommendations to ensure that the criminal law provides To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have consistent and effective protection against the creation refunded all of the fees for applications for settled status and sharing of intimate images without consent. received before 1 April. [HL449] Internet: Fraud Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have processed refunds for all those charged a fee for the EU settlement Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark st scheme prior to 1 April 2019. Where circumstances have To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are changed with regards to the recipient’s payment details taking to prevent online and digital fraud. [HL400] these are being investigated on a case by case basis. Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions working with industry to close down the vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit. This is a shared endeavour Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb between government, regulators, law enforcement and the To ask Her Majesty's Government what amount of private sector, with the Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) greenhouse gases the UK produced from incineration, leading work to tackle the fraud threat collectively. including through waste to energy incinerators, in 2016. On 14 September new rules under the second Payment [HL460] Services Directive, known as Strong Customer Authentication, came into effect. These rules set out how Lord Duncan of Springbank: Statistics on UK banks and payment services providers verify their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by source sector are customers' identity or validate specific payment published annually by the National Atmospheric instructions. These measures will strengthen the Emissions Inventory (NAEI) and are available on the authentication of electronic payments and help to limit NAEI website. Card Not Present fraud. The Financial Conduct Authority In 2016, approximately 5.1 million tonnes of carbon (FCA) have agreed to give firms up to 18 months to fully dioxide equivalent GHG emissions were emitted from implement the Strong Customer Authentication rules. incineration in the waste and energy supply sectors in the

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The industry-led Confirmation of Payee scheme is due Israel about the number of injuries to unarmed to be introduced in early 2020. This scheme will make it Palestinians caused by live ammunition. [HL480] harder for fraudsters to trick victims into sending money Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have repeatedly by impersonating a legitimate organisation. The scheme made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the will check that names on accounts match those of the way Israel Defense Forces police protests and the border intended recipient and provide the customer with a areas, including the use of live ammunition. We call on warning where it does not. Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and The National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) Active proportionality when defending its legitimate security Cyber Defence (ACD) initiative aims to protect the UK interest. from high-volume commodity attacks that affect people’s everyday lives. ACD seeks to protect people in the UK Asked by Baroness Tonge from the harm caused by online attacks. The NCSC has To ask Her Majesty's Government what delivered advice and guidance to the UK economy and representations they are making to the government of wider society, and tools like ACD are designed to stop Israel about reports of an elderly mosque imam being many malicious emails and links from reaching their seriously injured after being hit by seven bullets in targets. Ramla city on 12 October. [HL539] The Government continues to boost the law Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government enforcement capabilities of the NCA’s National Cyber strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to Crime Unit (NCCU), supported by dedicated funding for violence. The perpetual cycle of violence does not serve specialist cyber units in all 43 local forces. anyone's interests, and must end. The Government is also undertaking a Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) review led by Sir Craig Mackey Israel: Sanctions and UN Resolutions QPM. The review will cover the powers, capabilities, governance and effectiveness of funding across the Asked by Baroness Tonge policing and law enforcement landscape, including the NCA and the wider justice system, and will make To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they recommendations that should be delivered through the take to ensure that UN resolutions and sanctions against 2020 spending review to strengthen the SOC system. the government of Israel are enforced. [HL477] Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We believe peace will Iraq: Politics and Government only come through negotiations between the parties, but international action has a role in facilitating progress. We Asked by The Marquess of Lothian have long supported balanced UN resolutions, including To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 that are taking to support the government of Iraq in order to addressed incitement and settlements. But resolutions that end violence in that country. [HL550] politicise neutral UN bodies or risk hardening positions on both sides, do little to advance peace or mutual Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are deeply understanding. We believe that imposing sanctions on concerned about the continued violence in Iraq. We Israel or supporting anti-Israeli boycotts would not continue to urge the Iraqi security forces to show restraint support our efforts to progress the peace process and and call for the protests to be peaceful. The Foreign achieve a negotiated solution. Secretary spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mehdi on 9 October to express UK concerns about the disproportionate security response and push for the Israeli Settlements: Palestinians Government to take action to respond to protesters' Asked by Baroness Tonge legitimate concerns. I spoke to Foreign Minister Al- Hakim on 10 October to underline these points. Our To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Ambassador in Baghdad has been in close contact with they have made of the level of violence by Israeli senior Iraqis including the Iraqi President and Prime settlers against (1) Palestinians, their farmland and olive Minister. We are also working with international partners groves, and (2) human rights workers supporting and the UN to encourage and support the Government of Palestinians, in the West Bank. [HL476] Iraq to take quick and effective action on tackling Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are troubled by the corruption, creating jobs and improving services, in line increase in settler violence. Many recent incidents – with the protestors' legitimate demands. including assaults on Palestinian farmers, the setting fire to olive trees and stealing of produce – have coincided Israel: Palestinians with the Palestinian olive harvest, which began earlier this Asked by Baroness Tonge month. We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. Under international law, Israel, as the To ask Her Majesty's Government what occupying power, has an obligation to take all measures representations they are making to the government of in its power to protect the Palestinian population from

Written Answers 5 November 2019 Page 37 acts of violence. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv with Israel, nor the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership raised the increase in settler violence with the Israeli Agreement which will govern our trade after the UK authorities on 30 October. We have stressed the leaves the EU. importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian Jerusalem: Religious Buildings population. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly Asked by Baroness Tonge investigate every instance and bring those responsible to To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the justice. We are also clear that no human rights or aid statement by the government of Israel’s Public Security workers should be at risk of violence and that they must Minister on 11 October that non-Muslims may soon be have the protection they need from the responsible allowed to worship inside the al-Aqsa Mosque, what authorities to allow them to do their jobs in safety. assessment they have made of the impact of any such Asked by Baroness Tonge change on the status of religious sites, in particular the al-Aqsa Mosque; and what representations they intend To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment to make to the government of Israel about that proposal. they have made of the number of incursions by Israeli [HL537] settlers, supported by the Israeli army, into Palestinian religious and archaeological sites in East Jerusalem and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Haram Al-Sharif / the West Bank, including the al-Aqsa Mosque. [HL538] Temple Mount and Jerusalem hold particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn any Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler calm, avoid provocation and uphold the status quo to violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every ensure the safety and the security of the Al Haram Al instance and bring those responsible to justice. We have Sharif / Temple Mount and all who worship there. also stressed the importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. In our meetings with the Israeli authorities we Lebanon: Politics and Government regularly raise the need to respect the status quo of the holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Officials Asked by The Marquess of Lothian from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this issue with the To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Israeli authorities on 16 October. they have made of the current political situation in Lebanon, following the recent protests in that country. Israeli Settlements: Trade [HL549] Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for the Asked by Baroness Tonge Middle East and North Africa met the Lebanese To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Ambassador to the UK on October 24 to discuss recent they have made of the call by the UN independent developments. Lebanon is at a crossroads. Whatever the expert on human rights in the Palestinian territories for political solution, Lebanon needs a government that can an international ban on all products made in Israeli urgently deliver vital reforms necessary to create a better settlements as a step to potentially end Israel’s country for all. Violence or intimidation of peaceful occupation of the West Bank; and what steps they protests from any group only undermines Lebanon's unity intend to take in response to that call. [HL478] and stability. The UK will continue to support a secure, stable, sovereign and prosperous Lebanon. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: While it has long been our position that Israeli settlement activity is illegal, we believe that imposing sanctions on Israel or supporting Liothyronine anti-Israeli boycotts would not support our efforts to progress the peace process and achieve a negotiated Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath solution. We understand the concerns of people who do To ask Her Majesty's Government how many not wish to purchase goods exported from Israeli Individual Funding Requests have been received for settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories treatment with liothyronine since the start of the Low (OPTs). It was in order to enable consumers to make a Priority Prescribing Project Programme in 2017. more fully informed decision concerning the products [HL459] they buy that, in December 2009, the UK introduced voluntary guidelines to enable produce from Israeli Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: NHS England settlements in the OPTs to be specifically labelled as has advised that treatment with liothyronine is such. Products from Israeli settlements do not receive commissioned by clinical commissioning groups and that preferential tariff treatment under the EU-Israel it does not collate information on Individual Funding Association Agreement which currently governs our trade Requests centrally.

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Mayflower: Anniversaries Members: Surveillance Asked by Earl Attlee Asked by Lord Storey To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Department, and (2) ministers, are responsible for have, if any, to sanction intelligence gathering and organising the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the surveillance of Members of Parliament. [HL322] Mayflower. [HL575] Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have no specific Baroness Barran: The commemorations for the 400th plans in this area. The Investigatory Powers Act 2016, Mayflower anniversary are being organised by a and some parts for the Regulation of Investigatory Powers partnership of organisations called the Mayflower 400, Act 2000, provide the framework for the use of who are ultimately responsible for organising and intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities by the delivering the commemorations. UK Intelligence Community and law enforcement UK Government, primarily through the Department for agencies. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has provided some financial support to the Mayflower 400’s Mental Health Services: Staff programme. This is demonstrated by the £750,000 funding that DCMS has provided through VisitEngland, Asked by Baroness Parminter which will help to ensure a strong legacy for the To ask Her Majesty's Government what commemorations. In 2015, DCMS provided £35,000 to accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure local invest in the Mayflower museum and in 2019, DCMS NHS People Plans include a mental health workforce awarded £3.5m through the Cultural Development Fund strategy to reduce vacancy rates, retain staff and create for digital product development. the new roles needed to fulfil their proposals on mental health. [HL470] Meat: Ritual Slaughter Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: Supporting Asked by The Earl of Shrewsbury and expanding the mental health workforce is a key To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy priority for this Government. The interim NHS People on the labelling of meat from the non-stun slaughter of Plan set out the immediate actions we will take to fill animals. [HL318] vacancies and secure the staff we need for the future. The full NHS People Plan will set out a new operating Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government model for workforce and systematic actions to ensure encourages the highest standards of welfare at slaughter, healthy, inclusive and compassionate cultures for all staff would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, working in the National Health Service, both improving and also respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat staff experience and enhancing retention. meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. Alongside this, NHS England and NHS Improvement There are no domestic or European Regulations that will work closely with all local sustainability and require the labelling of Halal or Kosher meat, but where transformation partnerships and integrated care systems to any information of this nature is provided it must be refine and improve their existing mental health workforce accurate and must not be misleading to the consumer. The plans and develop robust plans to deliver the NHS Long Government expects industry to provide consumers with Term Plan ambitions. the necessary information for them to make an informed choice about their food. Methadone Medical Treatments: Finance Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Individual purchase price of methadone, per unit, paid by the NHS Funding Requests are intended to be used for rationing in England in (1) 2005, (2) 2010, (3) 2015, and (4) access to NHS treatments, such as liothyronine, where 2019. [HL490] there is a recognised cohort of patients. [HL458] Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: Individual proved possible to respond to this question in the time Funding Requests are not intended to be used for available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond rationing treatments, such as liothyronine. All clinical directly with the Member. commissioning groups have their own Individual Funding Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Request policies that enable commissioners to focus on commissioning services that will meet the majority of To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average their local population’s needs without spending funds on annual cost per person of methadone (1) treatment, and services that very few people may need access to. (2) supervision. [HL491]

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Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe have made of the costs incurred from such measures. [HL425] To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the value for money that the methadone Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not programme in England represents; if so, what was the proved possible to respond to this question in the time outcome of any such assessment; and if not, why not. available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond [HL492] directly with the Member. Asked by Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Northern: Rolling Stock have to divert funding currently used for methadone Asked by Lord Greaves treatment to initiatives to support people to abstain from opiates. [HL493] To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for passengers to be compensated for journeys Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not made on Pacer trains which are still in service on the proved possible to respond to this question in the time Northern franchise after the start of 2020. [HL284] available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member. Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The rail industry has no scheme whereby passengers are compensated on the basis Asked by Lord Rennard of the quality of the rolling stock provided for each To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to journey they undertake. the answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 28 October (HL Deb, col 772), why data on the costs of Nurses: Pensions the supply of methadone are not collected centrally; and what data are available on the number of patients using Asked by Baroness Altmann methadone in different regions of England. [HL555] To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: The practice nurses in England, after working in NHS GP Government does not collect detailed data like the costs practices across the country, have been excluded from of supplying specific drugs, such as methadone. the NHS pension arrangements available to other NHS staff; what estimate they have made of the pension such Public Health England collects data from the National nurses would have accrued, on average, had they been Drug Treatment Monitoring System on the number of able to accrue pensions in the same way as nurses people in treatment for opiates who are receiving a working in other parts of the NHS. [HL426] pharmacological intervention. Most of these people received prescriptions as part of opiate substitution Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not therapy, for which methadone is the most commonly proved possible to respond to this question in the time prescribed medication. available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member. Middle East: Humanitarian Aid Asked by Lord Truscott Pakistan: Ahmadiyya To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool have spent on humanitarian aid in the Middle East over To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the last 12 months. [HL586] they have made of reports of an attack by authorities in Baroness Sugg: 2019 UK Official Development Punjab which destroyed part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Assistance (ODA) spend will be published in Autumn mosque in Hasilpur; and what representations they have 2020. made to the government of Pakistan to end The UK spent £393 million of bilateral ODA on discrimination and persecution of Ahmadis. [HL540] humanitarian aid in the Middle East in 2018. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned about The UK’s core funding to multilateral agencies also the reports of the damage to the Ahmadiyya Muslim contributes to humanitarian aid in the Middle East. mosque in Hasilpur, Punjab, Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about reports of NHS: Drugs and Medical Equipment discrimination against religious minorities in Pakistan, including the Ahmadis, with the Pakistani Government at Asked by Baroness Altmann a senior level. The previous Foreign Secretary discussed To ask Her Majesty's Government what preventive the treatment of minority religious communities with measures they have put in place to protect the NHS Foreign Minister Qureshi during his visit to the UK in from running short of essential medicines and medical June. The UK strongly condemns the persecution of all supplies in preparation for a possible no-deal Brexit on minorities, including the targeting of innocent people 31 October or any other date; and what estimate they based on their beliefs. The British Government continues

Page 40 5 November 2019 Written Answers to urge Pakistan to honour its human rights obligations, Lord Duncan of Springbank: Policing is a devolved including those related to religious minorities, and to matter in Northern Ireland and operational capability is a uphold the rule of law. matter for the Chief Constable. The PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Peat Bogs Northern Ireland block grant. The UK Government has provided the PSNI with the Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick additional security funding it has asked for and needs to To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment ensure that they have the resource (including officers) to they have made of the environmental impact of the tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland related drying of peatlands in the UK. [HL326] terrorism. This additional security funding boosts PSNI’s ability to tackle the terrorist threat while ensuring day-to- Lord Gardiner of Kimble: This is a devolved matter day policing isn’t compromised. and the information provided therefore relates to England only. PSNI received £230m in additional security funding in the last Parliament and £160m in this one. In addition, the The Government recognises that healthy wet peatlands UK Government has, to date, provided PSNI with over have many positive environmental benefits, including £16.5m in EU Exit funding to help manage pressures and flood mitigation, terrestrial carbon storage for mitigating contingencies arising from ongoing EU exit preparations. climate change, providing habitat for rare wildlife and This has enabled PSNI to recruit 206 additional officers water purification and regulation. this financial year. The BEIS Emissions Inventory for UK Peatlands, published in April this year, estimates that annual Police Stations: Closures greenhouse gas emissions from degraded (including drained) peatlands in England are approximately 11 Asked by Baroness Corston million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e). To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police stations have closed in each county in England and Plastics: Fees and Charges Wales since 2010. [HL281] Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment does not hold information centrally on the amount of they have made of the environmental impact of police station closures across England and Wales. introducing a 5p charge for plastic clothes hangers. Decisions on the use of resources, including police [HL535] stations, are a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables as they best understand the needs of Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government the communities they serve. recognises the importance of tackling plastic pollution and addressing the sustainability of the fashion industry, The Government has taken the unprecedented step to and our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out how we recruit 20,000 new officers over the next three years. This will do this. The Government has not made an assessment is in addition to the £1 billion increase in police funding of the environmental impact of introducing a 5p charge this year as a result of the 2019/20 Police Funding for plastic clothes hangers, however our reforms set out in settlement, including money raised through council tax the Strategy will help address the issues that they pose. and the serious violence funding. When sold in conjunction with clothing, plastic clothes hangers are classified as packaging items, meaning that Police: Ethnic Groups they are subject to the current producer responsibility Asked by Baroness Afshar system for packaging waste. This requires obligated businesses to acquire evidence to demonstrate that To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of tonnages equivalent to their individual targets have been current police officers are from BAME backgrounds; recovered and recycled each year. Earlier this year the and what assessment they have made of how familiar Government consulted on proposals to reform the current police officers are with the cultural practices of the packaging producer responsibility system and intends to communities they are policing. [HL268] bring forward its final proposals for consultation in 2020. Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the ethnicity of Police Service of Northern Ireland police officers on an annual basis in the ‘Police Asked by Lord Hogan-Howe Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which is available here: To ask Her Majesty's Government what https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police- assessment they have made of the number of officers workforce-england-and-wales. the Police Service of Northern Ireland needed to safely The latest data show that, as at 31 March 2019, there provide a police service for the people of Northern were 8,329 BAME police officers in the 43 forces in Ireland. [HL543]

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England and Wales, representing 6.9% of all officers who describes the skills and knowledge required by policy stated their ethnicity. professionals in bringing together the evidence base to Police professional training standards are set and advise decision makers. maintained by the College of Policing which the There are three broad themes: 'Analysis and the Use of Government established as the first professional body for Evidence', “Politics and Democracy” and “Policy the police in 2012. Delivery”. Section 3.5 (Page 18) highlights the The Answer includes the following attached material: importance of ‘User Centred Design’ in policy, “developing policy with the impact of end users at the Police Workforce England and Wales - March 2019 [police- forefront of thinking.” workforce-mar19-hosb1119.pdf] We continue to build the capability of the policy The material can be viewed online at: professionals advising decision makers across http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions- government – through teams such as Policy Lab, who answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2019-10-22/HL268 support many projects across government on user centred design in policy development. Police: Labour Turnover Asked by Lord Birt Politics and Government To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of Asked by Lord Bird police officer recruits remain in the police for two years To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they or more. [HL542] have to (1) formally recognise, and (2) protect, the Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office interests of future generations. [HL433] collects and publishes information on the length of service The Earl of Courtown: I refer my noble friend to the of police officers on an annual basis in the ‘Police answer given to him on 28 October 2019 in response to Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which Question HL10. is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police- workforce-england-and-wales. Prisoners: Females As at 31 March 2019, 88% of officers had been in the Asked by Lord Bradley police service for two years or more. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether gym clothing is available to all women prisoners who Police: Re-employment request it in every prison in England. [HL348] Asked by Lord Trefgarne Lord Keen of Elie: Gym clothing is available for women who request it in all prisons in England. A new To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration range of gym kit has recently been approved following they have given to re-employing recently retired police consultation with managers and women in the public officers as part of their plans to increase the number of sector estate. such officers by 20,000. [HL571] Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is Private Notice Questions working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing to support successful recruitment in Asked by Lord Trefgarne all forces, to meet the Government’s commitment to To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what are the increase the number of police officers by an additional criteria taken into account by the Lord Speaker when he 20,000 over the next three years. This work includes is considering whether or not to accept a Private Notice attracting former officers who may wish to re-join Question. [HL418] following resignation or retirement, as well as maximising opportunities to retain those who have important skills Lord McFall of Alcluith: The Companion to the and policing experience. Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords states that a private notice question Policy (PNQ) gives members of the House the opportunity to raise urgent matters on any sitting day. The Lord Speaker, Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett after consultation, considers whether the question is of sufficient urgency and importance to justify an immediate To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements, reply. The Procedure Committee’s 2nd Report of Session if any, there are to take people's lived experience into 2009-10 (HL Paper 51), recommended that the Lord account when developing policy. [HL512] Speaker’s decision, in respect of the admissibility of Earl Howe: The Civil Service Professional PNQs, be considered final. The House agreed this report Development Framework for Policy Professionals on 16 March 2010.

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Private Rented Housing: Landlords Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas Asked by Baroness Thornhill Asked by Lord Greaves To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are they have made of the report by the Chartered Institute on track to meet their commitment, made in December of Housing and the Chartered Institute of 2014, that the English Coastal Path will be completed Environmental Health A licence to rent, published in and open in 2020; and if not, what are the reasons for January, calling for the creation of a national landlord any delays. [HL286] register for the private rented sector in England. Asked by Lord Greaves [HL372] To ask Her Majesty's Government which sections of Viscount Younger of Leckie: A detailed assessment of the English Coastal Path are now open; and what are this report has not been made. This Government the expected opening dates of those sections in each commissioned an independent review into selective area which are not yet open. [HL287] licensing which was published on 25 June 2019 and the recommendations are currently being reviewed. Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Work is well underway on This Government has no current plans to introduce a all 66 stretches of the England Coast Path - a new national landlord register, which could place an additional National Trail around all of England’s coast. A European regulatory burden on landlords. This Government is court judgement in April 2018 affected how Natural committed to improving the private rented sector by England could assess the impact of England Coast Path driving out criminal landlords and landlords who proposals on environmentally protected sites, and consistently neglect their responsibilities to provide safe progress on the England Coast Path slowed as a result. and decent accommodation. While this means the path in its entirety is unlikely to be open in 2020, Natural England will work towards opening Local authorities currently have a wide range of powers as much of the England Coast Path as possible throughout available to them including banning orders for the worst 2020. offenders, civil penalties of up to £30,000 and a database of rogue landlords and property agents targeted at the The England Coast Path when completed will stretch worst persistent and criminal offenders. approximately 2,717 miles around the coast. To date 385 miles (14%, 12 stretches) have been completed and new Private Rented Housing: Standards rights commenced, with a further 98 miles (4%, 4 stretches) undergoing establishment works before they are Asked by Baroness Thornhill open for the public to walk. A summary of progress on each of the 16 open and approved stretches, with opening To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures dates where known, is included in Tables A and B. The they are taking to improve housing conditions in the 50 unopened stretches are summarised in Table C. It is private rented sector in England. [HL373] not currently possible to give estimated opening dates for Viscount Younger of Leckie: Government is raising many of the stretches still in progress. This is because the standards and improving conditions in the private rented timeline for the final stages of the process depends on sector by taking action against rogue landlords and several factors including the number and nature of empowering tenants themselves to take action against bad comments during the public consultation and the practice. complexity of implementing works on the ground. We have brought in the Homes (Fitness for Human Table A - Open stretches Habitation) Act 2018, extended licensing of houses in Stretch name Opening date multiple occupation (HMOs) and announced that we will require five yearly electrical safety checks. We have also Rufus Castle to Lulworth Cove 29/06/2012 introduced banning orders and a database of rogue Allonby to Whitehaven 11/04/2014 landlords and agents to help local authorities rid the sector of landlords who continue to choose not to meet North Gare to South Bents 12/04/2014 standards, and provided them with training, refreshed guidance and have just announced £3.8m of further grant Sea Palling to Weybourne 12/12/2014 funding to innovate and boost their enforcement work. Brean Down to Minehead 15/03/2016 This is improving conditions across the private rented sector as rogue landlords are forced to either raise their Camber to Folkestone 19/07/2016 game or to leave the sector entirely. Folkestone to Ramsgate 19/07/2016

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Stretch name Opening date Railways: Tree Felling

Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge 21/07/2016 Asked by Lord Krebs

Hopton On Sea to Sea Palling 24/10/2016 To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 28 South Bents to Amble 26/07/2018 October (HL39), what estimate they have made of the total area, in hectares, of trackside vegetation cleared by Skegness to Mablethorpe 27/02/2019 Network Rail during the past five years. [HL464] Newport Bridge to North Gare 18/09/2019 Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Network Rail (NR) is one Table B - Unopened stretches undergoing building of Britain’s largest landowners, responsible for 20,000 km works of track and 52,000 hectares of land in its estate. Since 2016, NR has recorded operational vegetation Stretch name Opening date management across 9,749 hectares. Total figures in Walney Island February 2020 (estimate) hectares are not available for before 2016 as some vegetation management was then recorded in track miles. Whitehaven to Silecroft TBC Vegetation management on NR’s estate includes the Ramsgate to Whitstable TBC removal of some trees where necessary, but also periodic trimming of trees or hedges. Maldon to Salcott TBC As a responsible landowner, NR must effectively Table C - Unopened stretches manage the natural environment on its estate. It is currently developing a biodiversity strategy that will Region Stretches ensure the protection and enhancement of biodiversity South West 8 while still ensuring the safety and performance of the railway. West 4 South 7 Refugees: France South East 6 Asked by Lord Hylton Essex 8 To ask Her Majesty's Government what East 7 representations they have made to the government of France about police brutality towards refugees in North East 5 Northern France, in particular about any incidents on 24 October near Calais; and whether such behaviour is North West 5 consistent with the Sandhurst Agreement. [HL573] Baroness Williams of Trafford: The actions of French Pupil Referral Units police and security personnel remain the domestic responsibility of the French government, and as such the Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick UK is unable to comment on their actions. Those who are moved on from camps are provided with the option of To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, transport to asylum centres where their claims can be they have to increase the number of spaces available in lodged and considered expediently. Within these centres, pupil referral units. [HL472] individuals are provided with any medical and Lord Agnew of Oulton: Pupil Referral Units form part administrative support they require. The Sandhurst Treaty of the Alternative Provision (AP) education sector and are and associated funding has supported this work. The UK maintained by local authorities. All local authorities have and France will continue to collaborate in response to this a duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to issue, ensuring that the necessary support is delivered provide suitable education and sufficient places for whilst upholding border security at our shared border. children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school. As at October 2019, there are 209 Pupil Referral Rivers: Conservation Units in England, along with 95 AP Academies and 47 AP Free Schools, with a further 7 AP Free Schools Asked by The Earl of Caithness planned to open over the next three years. To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures The department is currently looking closely at what is they are taking to protect the (1) water level, and (2) needed to ensure the sector has the capacity and capability quality, of chalk streams and rivers. [HL277] to provide high quality education and support to all Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The 25 Year Environment children and young people in alternative provision. Plan and Abstraction Plan set out the Government’s

Page 44 5 November 2019 Written Answers commitment and actions to protect our water environment Social Rented Housing: Construction and the Environment Bill aims to strengthen this. Asked by Lord Beecham Abstraction licence changes made by the Environment Agency since 2008 are returning 16 billion litres of water To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment back to chalk streams per year and removed the risk of they have made of the impact of (1) the absence of further 14.9 billion litres being abstracted a year. Further social housing grants, and (2) the rise in interest rates abstraction reductions are planned in the next few years. on HM Treasury loans to local authorities, on the Additionally, through the Environment Bill the provision of new housing by local authorities. [HL541] government is taking action to address abstraction that is Viscount Younger of Leckie: We have made £9 causing, or is at risk of causing, environmental damage billion available through the Affordable Homes and to remove unused headroom on an abstraction licence Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately where there is no justifiable reason for having it. 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, A programme of habitat restoration is underway in including social rent, which Local Authorities are eligible England, including 11 chalk river Sites of Special to apply for. Scientific Interest. Since 2011 over 70 kilometres of the The Government keeps all policy under review and chalk stream priority habitat has been improved through alongside the increase of the Public Works Loan Board 60 projects costing £4.3 million including £1.6m partner rates the Government has legislated to increase the contributions. lending limit from £85 billion to £95 billion, reflecting its Since 2006, Catchment Sensitive Farming has provided commitment that local authorities continue to have access grants and advice to help reduce pollution from farms to the financing they need to support their capital plans. within 68 priority catchments, including chalk streams. We have been engaging the local government sector, to understand the potential impact the interest rate rise could Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions have on individual local authorities’ capital plans and strategies, especially with regard to housing and Asked by Lord Storey regeneration. As ever, we expect local authorities to have To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they robust financial plans in place which take into account the have made of the number of secondary schools that risk of changing economic circumstances as part of taking have removed pupils from the school roll prior to public a prudent approach to borrowing. examinations. [HL415] Lord Agnew of Oulton: The information is not readily Social Security Benefits: Children available and can only be provided at disproportionate Asked by Baroness Eaton cost. To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they A pupil can lawfully be deleted from the admission have spent on (1) benefits, and (2) tax credits, related to register on the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8 of the childcare and other child-related costs, broken down by Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations each payment, in the last year for which figures are 2006 as amended. available. [HL442] All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register Baroness Stedman-Scott: The profile of spending on under any of the grounds prescribed in Regulation 8, as the Childcare Element of Universal Credit in 2018/19 was 1 soon as the ground for removal is met and no later than £100 million . As the volume of claimants with children the time at which the pupil’s name is removed from the on legacy benefits decreases as they move to Universal register. Credit, spending on childcare will increase accordingly. We are clear that the practice of off-rolling, whereby Spending on child-related benefits administered by children are removed from school rolls without formal HMRC are shown in the table below. exclusion in ways that are in the interests of the school 2018-19 rather than the pupil, is unacceptable. Informal or unofficial exclusions are unlawful and we have previously Child Tax Credit (excluding £18.0 billion childcare element) 2 written to schools to remind them of the rules on exclusions. Tax Free Childcare 3 £117 million

We are continuing to work with Ofsted to tackle the Child Benefit 3 £11.5 billion practice of off-rolling. Ofsted already considered records of children taken off-roll, but they consulted on proposals Notes: with a strengthened focus on this issue. Since September i) The Universal Credit spending is derived from 2019, Ofsted’s new education inspection framework internal DWP models, and costs have been rounded to details that where inspectors find off-rolling, this will the nearest £100 million. always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate, could lead to a school’s leadership being ii) Total Child Tax Credits comes from HMRC 2018-19 judged inadequate. Annual Report and Accounts. This is reduced by an

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estimate of the value that relates to the childcare Baroness Berridge: Professional and Career element which is subject to a degree of uncertainty. Development Loans (PCDLs) closed to new applicants in iii) From HMRC Receipts statistics. January 2019. The department identified the majority of prospective applicants had access to statutory loans, such as Advanced Learner Loans and postgraduate master’s Social Security Benefits: Northern Ireland loans, for the courses they intended to study. Demand for PCDLs had fallen significantly as a result. Asked by Baroness Lister of Burtersett It was not possible to assess the impact of this decision To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has on an examination that did not exist at the time. been made towards meeting the requirement of section 3(21) of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Sri Lanka: Human Rights Act 2019, namely that the Secretary of State must, and before 1 December, publish a report on the future Asked by Lord Naseby welfare mitigation support measures that will be in To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the place after March 2020, unless an Executive is formed Freedom of Information request made by Lord Naseby on or before 1 December. [HL511] on 6 November 2014 and the resolution adopted by the Lord Duncan of Springbank: The Secretary of State UN Human Rights Council on 1 October 2015 for Northern Ireland has always been clear that he will Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human continue to uphold the letter and the spirit of his rights in Sri Lanka, whether they will now publish the obligations under the Northern Ireland (Executive full information contained within the despatches written Function etc) Act 2019 in full. That includes the by Lieutenant Colonel Anton Gash to the Foreign and obligation to report on welfare support measures in Commonwealth Office during the period January to Northern Ireland. A report will therefore be published by May 2009; and if so, when. [HL553] 1 December 2019 if no Executive has been formed. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received a Freedom of Solicitors: Training Information request made by you on 6 November 2014 and responded in line with our obligations under the Asked by Lord Storey Freedom of Information Act 2000. We have no plans to To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they publish further information related to this at this time. have taken to ensure that the solicitor profession remains accessible to all applicants. [HL565] Syria Lord Keen of Elie: Under the framework established Asked by Lord Hylton by the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal profession in To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment England and Wales is independent from government. The they have made of the UN Secretary-General's appeal Solicitors Regulation Authority is responsible for on 14 October for safe access for civilians in need in authorising, and setting the qualifications standards for, north-east Syria; and what assessment they have made solicitors in England and Wales. of whether the ceasefire in that area (1) is being Following the publication of the Legal Education and respected, and (2) will be fully supervised and made Training Review, the Legal Services Board issued permanent. [HL582] statutory guidance on regulatory arrangements for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the UN education and training in 2014, and all the legal services Secretary-General's statement on 14 October for safe regulators reviewed their arrangements. Subject to the access for civilians in need in north-east Syria. Our approval of the Legal Services Board, the Solicitors assessment is that the ceasefire in north-east Syria Regulation Authority is planning to introduce a new continues to broadly hold, and we welcome the fact that Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) from September 2021. Turkey has confirmed it has no plans for a further It is hoped that the flexibility and projected lower costs of offensive. Implementation of the ceasefire is for the the SQE will help attract a more diverse range of parties directly involved but we have made clear our candidates. expectation that all parties abide by the agreed ceasefire, Asked by Lord Storey which we wish to see become permanent, and by their obligations under international humanitarian law. To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed Asked by Lord Truscott withdrawal of Professional and Career Development To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they Loans on those from low-income households seeking to are taking to protect the Kurdish population of Northern qualify as solicitors through the Solicitors Qualifying Syria. [HL584] Examination, which is scheduled to be introduced in 2021. [HL566] Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has taken bilateral and multilateral action to end the Turkish

Page 46 5 November 2019 Written Answers military incursion into north-east Syria. We have been From April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) consistently clear with Turkey on our opposition to its and Citizens Advice Scotland are delivering ‘Help to military action– the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Claim’ support to claimants making a new Universal and Minister for the Middle East and North Africa each Credit claim. Help to Claim have offered locally tailored communicated this to their Turkish counterparts, most support to former Thomas Cook employees in need of recently on 26 October. We therefore welcome the fact assistance face to face, and through prioritised telephony that the ceasefire is holding and that Turkey has and web-chat channels. confirmed it has no plans for a further offensive. We Where we have seen an increase in demand, additional continue to call for all parties to ensure the protection of staff have been deployed from neighbouring offices on a civilians and unhindered, safe and sustainable temporary basis. humanitarian access throughout Syria, including at the The Department is offering a range of support to UN Security Council. anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, through Asked by Lord Truscott our Rapid Response Service (RRS) and wider DWP services. This is a redundancy service designed to give To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are support and advice to employers and their employees taking to bring peace to Syria. [HL585] when faced with redundancy. It is coordinated nationally Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's priority by the National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) remains to end the conflict in Syria through a negotiated and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. political settlement. We are providing active support to The RRS has been mobilised to help people find a new the UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties, job as soon as possible by offering tailored support. Each which remains the forum to achieve this. We welcomed Jobcentre Plus district deploy resources according to the the launch of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva on situation and the requirements of the workforce. The RRS 30 October, which we hope will be a first step towards a is delivered in partnership with a range of national and negotiated settlement. Absent such a settlement, we are local partners, including National Careers Service and clear that we have no plans to re-open our Embassy in local service providers. Damascus, remove sanctions or provide any reconstruction assistance. Asked by Baroness Doocey To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Think Tanks: Finance they have made of the impact of Thomas Cook's liquidation on (1) airline food suppliers, and (2) aircraft Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark parts manufacturers. [HL497] To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they Lord Duncan of Springbank: My rt. hon. Friend the have to require think tanks based in the UK to be Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial transparent about their funding sources. [HL402] Strategy has convened a special cross-government taskforce alongside local stakeholders to support Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to employees, local stakeholders and supply chains. The respond to this question in the time available before taskforce is considering existing support schemes Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the available and will also monitor local business impacts. Member. Asked by Baroness Doocey Thomas Cook: Insolvency To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to protect Thomas Cook's suppliers from Asked by Baroness Doocey the financial impact of that company's collapse. To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are [HL498] taking to ensure that former Thomas Cook employees Lord Duncan of Springbank: My rt. hon. Friend the who apply for, and are eligible for, Universal Credit Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial begin receiving payments swiftly. [HL496] Strategy has convened a special cross-government Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department is taskforce alongside local stakeholders to support monitoring all new claims to Universal Credit to identify employees, local stakeholders and supply chains. The where the claimant is a former employee of Thomas Cook taskforce is considering existing support schemes so that they quickly receive the right level of support. available and will also monitor local business impacts. For claimants who require urgent financial support, new Local partners are able to advise on support available to claim advances provide access to a payment quickly, until suppliers affected by Thomas Cook going insolvent. the first regular Universal Credit payment is due. Asked by Baroness Doocey Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment up to 12 months. they have made of the impact of Thomas Cook's

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liquidation on the landlords of Thomas Cook's high We would like to see the tobacco industry delivering on street shops. [HL499] the commitment given by the Tobacco Manufacturer’s Association (TMA) to tackle the litter created by its Lord Duncan of Springbank: The Government products and their users, but this must be achieved welcomes the announcement that Hays Travel Limited without breaching the UK’s international obligations. has acquired Thomas Cook’s entire UK retail estate of 555 outlets. It is a matter for Hays Travel Limited to The tobacco industry has not made, or been invited to negotiate contractual arrangements with landlords for the make, any financial contribution towards delivery of the ongoing occupation of the sites. “Keep It, Bin It” anti-litter campaign. Ministers have met twice with the TMA in the last three years, but the Asked by Baroness Doocey Government has not held discussions with any individual To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment tobacco companies about smoking-related litter. they have made of the impact on business rates Asked by Lord Hanningfield revenue, following the closure of Thomas Cook's high street shops. [HL500] To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the tobacco industry operating in the UK is covered by the Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Department does not EU Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging hold data on business rates liabilities associated with Waste and its subsequent revisions; and what particular ratepayers or properties. However, I understand assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that that a significant number of former Thomas Cook Directive on addressing smoking-related litter. [HL389] branches have been reopened by Hays Travel, with more to follow. Asked by Lord Hanningfield To ask Her Majesty's Government what Tobacco: Litter assessment they have made of the inclusion of the UK tobacco industry in any extended producer- Asked by Lord Hanningfield responsibility regime to address smoking related litter. To ask Her Majesty's Government what [HL390] assessment they have made of the UK tobacco Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Tobacco packaging is industry’s contribution to tackling smoking related covered by the current producer responsibility litter; and whether that contribution meets their stated regulations, which require companies to recycle a goal of getting that industry to play a greater role in proportion of the packaging waste they place on the addressing such litter. [HL288] market. They will also be subject to the forthcoming Asked by Lord Hanningfield extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging which will cover the full net costs of managing packaging To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the at its end of life, including litter, expected to be estimated cost of cleaning up smoking related litter in introduced in 2023. England during the last year. [HL289] In the Resources and Waste Strategy, we committed to Asked by Lord Hanningfield looking into and consulting on extended producer To ask Her Majesty's Government what responsibility for five new waste-streams by 2025, and discussions they have had with individual UK tobacco consulting on two of these by 2022. We have currently companies about smoking related litter in the last three identified our five priority waste-streams as: textiles, years. [HL290] fishing gear, certain products in construction and demolition, bulky waste, and vehicle tyres. This list is not Asked by Lord Hanningfield fixed and does not exclude the potential to review and To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have consult on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for received any funding from the UK tobacco industry as other waste streams if these are identified as being of equal or higher priority. part of their national litter campaign. [HL291] The EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive includes Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government has made measures to implement an EPR scheme for tobacco no specific assessment of the UK tobacco industry’s products with filters, and filters marketed for use in contribution to tackling smoking-related litter. The most combination with tobacco products, which should cover recent National Litter Survey for England found that 79% the costs of awareness raising, data gathering and litter of sites surveyed had smoking-related litter present in clean-up of these products. 2017-18. In the same year, local authorities in England spent £663 million or £28 per household to keep our It is the Government’s ambition to use the opportunity streets clean, though this does not include spending by of leaving the EU to refresh and renew our environmental other relevant bodies and it is not currently possible to policy. An assessment of the legislative work required to specify how much of this figure is attributable to transpose the Single-Use Plastics Directive is currently smoking-related litter. being undertaken.

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Tobacco: Packaging organisations, and (3) local authorities, on options for increasing legal protections for ancient yew trees. Asked by Lord Hanningfield [HL462] To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb all tobacco product packaging, including cigarette filters, will be subject to their proposed tax on plastic To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are packaging. [HL580] taking to recognise ancient yew trees as part of the UK’s national heritage. [HL463] Asked by Lord Hanningfield Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government has a To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment manifesto commitment to ensure stronger protection for they have made of the impact of litter caused by vaping, our ancient woodlands and the irreplaceable nature of in particular the plastic pods; and whether e-cigarette ancient woodlands is recognised in our 25 Year and other vaping related products will be subject to Environment Plan. their proposed tax on plastic packaging. [HL581] In February 2019 we published the revised National The Earl of Courtown: As announced at Budget 2018, Planning Policy Framework, which strengthens the from April 2022 the government will be introducing a protection of ancient woodlands by refusing any new tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% development that would lead to the deterioration of recycled plastic. ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees, unless In spring 2019, the government consulted on the high there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable level design of the tax and a summary of responses was compensation package exists. published in July. These responses are being used to Whilst we do not distinguish between individual tree inform the detailed design of the tax including the species, this now reflects the importance of strengthened definition of packaging, which will be included in protection of ancient woodlands, ancient trees and veteran legislation that is due to be introduced next year. Where trees, including ancient yew trees, and is a significant tobacco product packaging, cigarette filters, e-cigarettes milestone in continuing to strengthen the protection of and other vaping related products meet the definition of this irreplaceable habitat. plastic packaging, and contain insufficient recycled The Government remains committed to making sure plastic, they will be subject to the tax. that our ancient woodlands are adequately protected and The government has made no specific assessment of the suitably managed to provide a wide range of social, impact of litter caused by vaping. Litter specifically environmental and economic benefits. associated with vaping has never appeared in the top 20 It was announced in April that the Government would litter types, according to independent national surveys give the Woodland Trust £210,000 to work with Natural carried out by Keep Britain Tidy. England to update the Ancient Woodland Inventory. Having an up-to-date stocktake will make it easier for us Travellers: Caravan Sites all to protect this important habitat and the role it plays in the UK’s national heritage. Asked by Baroness Whitaker To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Tunisia: Foreign Relations they have made of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report Gypsy and Traveller sites: the Asked by The Marquess of Lothian revised planning definition's impact on assessing To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are accommodation needs, published on 13 September. taking to strengthen bilateral relations with Tunisia and [HL422] to support that country's ongoing political and Viscount Younger of Leckie: It has not proved economic changes; and what meetings ministers have possible to respond to this question in the time available held with President Kais Saied. [HL551] before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Government with the Member. congratulates President Kais Saied on his inauguration on 24 October. We remain in close touch with the Tunisian Trees: Conservation authorities and look forward to working with the new Government when it is formed. While British Ministers Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb have not yet met President Saied, UK officials attended To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment his inauguration. The Minister for the Middle East and they have made of the adequacy of legal protections for North Africa, Dr Murrison, held comprehensive talks with ancient yew trees. [HL461] the then Tunisian Secretary of State to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sabri Bachtobji, at the UK-Tunisia Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb Bilateral Forum in London on 12 September. Mr To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will Bachtobji was appointed Acting Foreign Minister on 29 consult (1) members of the public, (2) civil society October. The signing of the UK-Tunisia Association

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Agreement on 4 October, and the UK-Tunisia Investment Baroness Berridge: The Office for Students (OfS) is Forum on 22 October are other recent highlights of our responsible for safeguarding standards within the sector. growing bilateral co-operation and, along with UK It ensures that the Department for Education works programming worth over £12 million in 2019-2020, collaboratively with the sector to make sure that it acts in testament to our continuing support for Tunisia’s political the best interests of students. The regulatory framework is and economic development. designed to ensure that higher education providers are: providing value for money for students; are taking action Unexplained Wealth Orders to improve access and participation; and they have student protection plans in place in case of any market failure. Asked by Lord Rooker My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people Education’s guidance to the OfS sets out that student have been subject to an Unexplained Wealth Order interests should be central to the mission of the OfS and since their inception, broken down by nationality; and that the OfS should promote a positive higher education what are the names of those people. [HL524] experience. In relation to the student experience, the government Baroness Williams of Trafford: 15 unexplained has asked the OfS to promote providers’ active wealth orders (UWOs) have been made on 4 cases. There engagement with the welfare and wellbeing of students are 3 orders in one case which relates to an Azerbaijan and in particular encourages measures to support student national, Zamira Hajiyeva. The other 3 cases concern a mental health. non EEA national,an Englishman and a Northern Irish woman. Undergraduate students who are required to repeat a year of study on their course due to compelling personal reasons (e.g. illness, ill health or pregnancy) can apply for Universal Credit: Children an additional year of tuition fee loan and living costs support from Student Finance England for their repeat Asked by Baroness Eaton year of study. To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent Undergraduate students who suspend their studies due estimate they have made of their expenditure on the (1) to illness, caring responsibilities or pregnancy can apply child element, and (2) childcare costs element, of to Student Finance England to continue paying their Universal Credit. [HL441] living costs support during their period of absence. Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department’s profile of spending on childcare in Universal Credit is shown in the Universities: Finance table below. As the volume of claimants with children on Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick legacy benefits decreases as they move to Universal Credit, spending on childcare will increase accordingly. To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with UK Universities about concerns Ann. cost Ann. cost Ann. cost Ann. cost Ann. cost Ann. cost 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 over the future finances of universities. [HL570]

Total £100m £400m £700m £900m £1,100m £1,400m Baroness Berridge: The Office for Students (OfS) is cost UC responsible for assessing and monitoring the financial Childcare sustainability of registered higher education (HE) providers in England. The English HE sector overall Notes: remains in reasonable financial health, according to the i) The figures in the table above are derived from OfS, in its report published on 4 April 2019. The OfS has internal DWP models, and costs have been rounded to currently registered 388 HE providers. This means that it the nearest £100 million. has assessed that each of those providers has met a registration condition of being financially sustainable looking out for a period of five years. The OfS will Universities continually monitor providers’ compliance with this Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool registration condition, as with all registration conditions, in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances of To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision individual providers. universities are required to make for students who need to repeat a year or pause their studies due to (1) ill Ministers and officials in the Department for Education health, (2) having caring responsibilities, and (3) a regularly discuss a wide range of issues relating to HE pregnancy; and to what extent the Department for with the OfS. Similarly, Ministers and officials frequently Education expects universities to make equal provision meet representatives of individual HE providers and for such students in cases where the university sector representative bodies. concerned decided to close down a department part of Education is a devolved matter. The Department for the way through the degree course for any student Education is responsible for HE in England only. The OfS concerned. [HL486] is the regulator for HE in England only.

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Universities: Intellectual Property concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defense Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas, Asked by Lord West of Spithead including the use of live ammunition. We will continue to To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is do so. We also stress the importance of protecting given to UK universities about the risk of (1) hostile civilians, especially children and medical personnel. We state actors, and (2) a reliance on funding from Chinese call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and students and the theft of research and intellectual proportionality when defending its legitimate security property from campuses. [HL482] interest. Baroness Berridge: The government has developed bespoke advice, as part of the Trusted Research West Bank: Energy Supply campaign, which will help UK universities and research Asked by Baroness Tonge institutions make informed decisions about international collaboration and, in doing so, protect their intellectual To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment property, sensitive research and personal information. The they have made of the impact of the reduction of power National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Centre supplies to the West Bank and the reported denial by for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) the government of Israel to alternative sources of power continue to work closely with the academic sector to on the human rights of those living there; and what improve their security practices and help protect academic representations they intend to make to the government establishments from threats. of Israel about increasing power supply to the West Bank. [HL481] The government welcomes international students to study in the UK. We recognise that they enhance our Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Government educational institutions both financially and culturally. is aware of the decision of the Israel Electric Corporation They enrich the experience of domestic students and they to cut power to parts of the West Bank, citing outstanding become important ambassadors for the UK in later life. In payments from Palestinian power distributors. Officials the recently published ‘International Education Strategy’, from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this issue with the the government set out its ambition to increase the Israeli authorities on 30 October. We continue to urge number of international students in the UK to 600,000. both sides of the dispute to reach a prompt and pragmatic This is underpinned by measures to support the sector to resolution, ensuring minimum disruption to the lives of attract students from all over the globe, including the ordinary Palestinians. We recognise the need for recently announced Graduate Route, which will enable improvements in infrastructure, employment, energy and institutions to recruit on a sustainable basis. water supply to improve living conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Vaccination: Children World Health Organisation: Second Global Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick Rehabilitation 2030 Meeting To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to increase the uptake of childhood Asked by Lord Wigley vaccinations; and when any such plans are likely to be To ask Her Majesty's Government which implemented. [HL475] representatives attended the World Health Organisation Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: It has not Second Global Rehabilitation 2030 meeting in Geneva proved possible to respond to this question in the time on 8 and 9 July. [HL589] available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford: There were no directly with the Member. United Kingdom Government representatives on the final list of participants for the Second Global Rehabilitation West Bank: Children 2030 Meeting in Geneva on 8 and 9 July 2019. A number of medical, academic and other representatives from the Asked by Baroness Tonge UK did however take part. The list of participants is To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they attached due to the size of the data. intend to take to protect Palestinian children in the West Bank from violence, including the use of live Yemen ammunition by the Israeli army. [HL479] Asked by Lord Dholakia Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians killed by To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Israel Defense Forces both in the West Bank and Gaza. they have made of the treatment of religious minority We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, communities in Yemen; what information they have encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations about the appeal against a death sentence in the case of into whether use of live fire had been appropriate. The Hamid bin Haydara; and whether they will release that UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding information. [HL578]

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Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We stressed our Houthis about freedom of religion or belief in those concerns about Mr bin Haydara’s case with the Houthis areas under their de facto governance. [HL579] directly on 6 October. We strongly condemn Mr bin Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK strongly Haydara's death sentence and the continued persecution of condemns the mistreatment of Baha’is who are being Baha'is in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We continue persecuted for their religious beliefs in areas under the to follow the treatment of the Baha’is in Yemen closely, control of the Houthis. We are working closely with our including through meeting their representatives in the UK partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi and lobbying the relevant authorities. We continue to call authorities and urge the release of detained individuals. on the parties to the conflict to respect the human rights of We continue to call on the parties to the conflict for the all Yemenis. human rights of all Yemenis to be respected. Asked by Lord Dholakia I raised the religious persecution of the Baha’i To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment community in my statement of 22 October on human they have made of reports of the repression of members rights. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha’is of the Bahá'í community in north Yemen; and what in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representations they have made to representatives of the representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. fWS90

Index to Statements and Answers

Written Statements ...... 1 Brexit ...... 22 Adrian Smith Review ...... 1 Brexit: Northern Ireland ...... 22 Audit Reform ...... 1 British Nationality ...... 23 British Indian Ocean Territory ...... 2 British Nationality: Children ...... 23 Business Productivity Review ...... 2 British Nationality: Children and Young People 23 Cobham plc Merger ...... 3 Broadband: Finance ...... 24 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Centre of Excellence for Human Security ...... 24 Strategy: Work of the Department...... 3 Cheltenham Hospital: Accident and Emergency ECOFIN ...... 6 Departments ...... 25 Euratom Exit Strategy ...... 7 Chilterns: High Speed 2 Railway Line ...... 25 Foreign Affairs Council ...... 7 Coinage ...... 25 Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Work of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Department ...... 8 Species ...... 26 Immigration ...... 9 Customs: Northern Ireland ...... 26 Intimidation in Public Life ...... 10 Darwin Initiative ...... 26 Learning Disability and Autism Training ...... 12 Death: Russia ...... 26 MHCLG Update ...... 13 Demonstrations: Seized Articles ...... 27 Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Dental Health: Children ...... 27 Exercise of Functions) Act 2018: Section 4 Report Deportation: Young People ...... 27 ...... 18 Detergents: Labelling ...... 27 Pre-charge Bail ...... 19 Developing Countries: Tuberculosis ...... 28 Shipbuilding ...... 19 Disability: Children ...... 28 Written Answers ...... 20 Doctors: Pensions ...... 28 Action Fraud: Telephone Services ...... 20 Drugs Independent Review...... 28 Advertising Standards Authority ...... 20 Drugs: Death ...... 28 Agriculture: Seasonal Workers ...... 20 Drugs: Rehabilitation ...... 29 Agriculture: Subsidies ...... 20 Electric Scooters: Road Traffic Offences ...... 29 Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation ...... 21 Equal Pay ...... 29 Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse ...... 21 Europe: Refugees ...... 29 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund ...... 21 European Economic Area and European Free Asylum: Death ...... 21 Trade Association ...... 29 Asylum: Domestic Abuse ...... 21 Exploitation: Ethnic Groups ...... 29 Asylum: Greece ...... 21 Firearms: Licensing ...... 30 Babylon Health ...... 22 Food: Advertising ...... 30 Bangladesh: Rohingya ...... 22 Foreign Companies: Ownership ...... 30 Banks: Russia ...... 22 Fracking ...... 30 Bosnia and Herzegovina: EU Defence Policy .... 22

Index to Statements and Answers

Fracking: Decommissioning ...... 31 Middle East: Humanitarian Aid ...... 39 Fuels: Tax Evasion ...... 31 NHS: Drugs and Medical Equipment ...... 39 Gaza: Freezing of Assets ...... 31 Northern: Rolling Stock ...... 39 General Elections: Cost ...... 31 Nurses: Pensions ...... 39 General Elections: Disinformation ...... 31 Pakistan: Ahmadiyya ...... 39 General Elections: Subversion ...... 32 Peat Bogs ...... 40 Hate Crime: Disability ...... 32 Plastics: Fees and Charges ...... 40 Heroin: Rehabilitation ...... 33 Police Service of Northern Ireland ...... 40 High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention ...... 33 Police Stations: Closures ...... 40 High Rise Flats: Insulation ...... 33 Police: Ethnic Groups ...... 40 House of Lords: Gratuities ...... 33 Police: Labour Turnover ...... 41 Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing ...... 33 Police: Re-employment ...... 41 Human Rights ...... 33 Policy ...... 41 Human Trafficking ...... 34 Politics and Government ...... 41 Human Trafficking: Essex ...... 34 Prisoners: Females ...... 41 Hydrogen: Storage ...... 34 Private Notice Questions ...... 41 Immigrants: Detainees ...... 34 Private Rented Housing: Landlords ...... 42 Immigration ...... 35 Private Rented Housing: Standards ...... 42 Immigration: EU Nationals ...... 35 Public Footpaths: Coastal Areas ...... 42 Incinerators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...... 35 Pupil Referral Units ...... 43 Internet: Disinformation ...... 35 Railways: Tree Felling ...... 43 Internet: Fraud ...... 35 Refugees: France ...... 43 Iraq: Politics and Government ...... 36 Rivers: Conservation ...... 43 Israel: Palestinians ...... 36 Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions ...... 44 Israel: Sanctions and UN Resolutions ...... 36 Social Rented Housing: Construction ...... 44 Israeli Settlements: Palestinians ...... 36 Social Security Benefits: Children...... 44 Israeli Settlements: Trade ...... 37 Social Security Benefits: Northern Ireland ...... 45 Jerusalem: Religious Buildings ...... 37 Solicitors: Training ...... 45 Lebanon: Politics and Government ...... 37 Sri Lanka: Human Rights ...... 45 Liothyronine ...... 37 Syria ...... 45 Mayflower: Anniversaries ...... 38 Think Tanks: Finance ...... 46 Meat: Ritual Slaughter ...... 38 Thomas Cook: Insolvency ...... 46 Medical Treatments: Finance ...... 38 Tobacco: Litter ...... 47 Members: Surveillance ...... 38 Tobacco: Packaging ...... 48 Mental Health Services: Staff ...... 38 Travellers: Caravan Sites ...... 48 Methadone ...... 38 Trees: Conservation ...... 48

Index to Statements and Answers

Tunisia: Foreign Relations ...... 48 Unexplained Wealth Orders ...... 49 Universal Credit: Children ...... 49 Universities ...... 49 Universities: Finance ...... 49 Universities: Intellectual Property ...... 50 Vaccination: Children ...... 50 West Bank: Children ...... 50 West Bank: Energy Supply ...... 50 World Health Organisation: Second Global Rehabilitation 2030 Meeting ...... 50 Yemen ...... 50