House of Lords : Cumulative list of unanswered Questions for Written Answer

No. 9 22 May 2013

Tabled on the dates in bold and due for answer by the dates in brackets.

The Government department responsible for answering each Question is shown in square brackets.

8 May (22 May)

Lord Lester of Herne Hill to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to ensure that male and female convicted prisoners receive equal treatment as regards access to privileges. [MoJ]   HL7

Baroness Whitaker to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the independent review of architecture, the built environment and a possible Government architecture policy, to be led by Sir Terry Farrell, will include the totality of places and not only buildings. [DCMS]   HL18

Baroness Whitaker to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 8 January (WA 39–40), whether they have published their guidance on how to move prisoners from the 2001 census codes to the 2011 census codes; and, if so, how they will ensure that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller prisoners correctly ascribe their ethnicity. [MoJ]   HL19

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 22 April (WA 350–1), how many caseworkers are now employed to interview and process asylum applicants; how that compares with the number 12 months ago; and what emphasis they place on the quality of decisions as opposed to speed. [HO]   HL24

Lord Harris of Haringey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are providing to the Independent Police Complaints Commission to secure the co-operation of organisations which may be resistant to the disclosure of material to its investigation into the Hillsborough disaster. [HO]   HL38

Lord Quirk to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 25 April (WA 464), what criteria they used to determine that Hong Kong is a jurisdiction having English as a mother tongue. [DfE]   HL52

Lord Quirk to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 25 April (WA 464), why their international research was focused on jurisdictions that have English as a mother tongue; and what consideration they will give to studying high-performing education jurisdictions in Europe. [DfE]   HL53

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many hearings of the second tier immigration tribunal have been cancelled on the grounds that (1) interpreters failed to attend, or (2) interpreters attending did not speak the correct language, since Applied Language Solutions began operating as the Ministry of Justice’s sole contractor for language services in February 2012. [MoJ]   HL71

9 May (23 May)

Baroness Whitaker to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the statutory guidance prepared by the Equality and Human Rights Commission aimed at ensuring teachers are equipped to deal with the diversity of the their students. [DCMS]   HL75

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 22 April (WA 353–4), what action is taken if a self-employed person who has failed to submit a tax return on time fails to pay the resulting penalties; and whether they have considered introducing a rule that such individuals who fail to make a return have that status terminated and the related benefits ended. [HMT]   HL98

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 22 April (WA 351–2), how much by way of extra levies the Bank of Cyprus UK has been charged by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for the 15,000 accounts in the United Kingdom transferred to it from the Cypriot Laiki Bank; for how much extra the Bank of England is now responsible in the event of the collapse of Bank of Cyprus UK; and whether the FSCS had the option not to guarantee any or all of those transferred accounts. [HMT]   HL101

Lord Wigley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what Barnett consequential payments have been made to the Welsh Government arising from changes in the expenditure on the health service in England in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2011–12, and (3) 2012–13. [HMT]   HL113

Lord Soley to ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions since the publication of the Leveson Report the Prime Minister or other ministers responsible for bringing forward legislation on its recommendations have met editors, owners or senior executives of newspapers. [DCMS]   HL114

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many suspected adverse reaction reports to (1) Gardasil, (2) Cervarix, and (3) other Human Papilloma Virus vaccines, have been recorded under the yellow card or other schemes since August 2012. [DH]   HL119

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo about the arrest in that country of the opposition politician Diomi Ndongala. [FCO]   HL123

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reported sightings of the M23 militia gang around Goma; and whether they will refer the use of rape as a weapon of war by the M23 and other groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the International Criminal Court. [FCO]   HL124

13 May (28 May)

Lord Ashcroft to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will initiate an inquiry as to whether the BBC is fulfilling its Charter responsibilities and television licence holders are getting value for money. [DCMS]   HL141

Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in preparing the Cabinet Office Precedent Book for declassification and public release. [CO]   HL142

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are investigating any regulated financial institution or person holding a controlling position in such an institution in connection with The Cup Trust Charity; and whether the activities of that charity influenced HM Treasury proposals to cap the tax deductibility of high-value charitable donations. [HMT]   HL149

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Popat on 12 March (HL Deb, col 135), in what circumstances it would be appropriate for the Financial Conduct Authority to cap the interest rates demanded by payday lenders. [HMT]   HL150

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they supported the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund in requiring the Republic of Cyprus to apply a levy on amounts covered by the deposit guarantee scheme operating in that country as a condition for supporting its refinancing. [HMT]   HL152

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their proposed plans to support mortgage lending applicable to existing housing stock will cover the purchase of second homes by married couples. [HMT]   HL153

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have reviewed the impact on house prices of their new mortgage proposals. [HMT]   HL154

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) civil, (2) criminal and (3) family, legal aid providers were awarded contracts in each of the last ten years, in each region in (a) England, and (b) Wales. [MoJ]   HL157

Viscount Waverley to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether resolution of individual Eurozone member states’ banking crises has been made more likely by virtue of those countries being members of the Eurozone. [HMT]   HL158

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many adult prisoners and young offenders in custodial institutions in the North East of England come from outside that region; and what proportion of the total number they represent. [MoJ]   HL161

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners and young offenders were transferred in 2012 to establishments unable to offer the treatment or rehabilitative courses for which they had been recommended; and what proportion of the total numbers transferred that represents. [MoJ]   HL162

Lord Birt to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will take action to protect owners of mobile phones from the unlimited liability for charges that occur when handsets are stolen. [DCMS]   HL163

Lord Rennard to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many marriages have been registered in (1) England and (2) Wales in each of the last ten years; of that number, how many were (a) civil and (b) religious ceremony weddings; and how many civil partnerships have been formed in each year since commencement of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. [DCMS]   HL174

Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage providers and commissioners of smoking cessation services to monitor and improve (1) 4-week, (2) 12-week, and (3) 52-week quit rates. [DH]   HL176

Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure providers of smoking cessation services adhere to existing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance. [DH]   HL177

Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to introduce outcome measures on (1) smoking status, and (2) smoking cessation. [DH]   HL179

Baroness Masham of Ilton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of smoking cessation in the delivery of improved patient outcomes for long-term conditions and mortality rates. [DH]   HL180

Lord Patel of Bradford to ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure continuity in local chlamydia screening services following the transfer of responsibilities to local authorities; and how they will safeguard funding for chlamydia screening services by local authorities. [DH]   HL189

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff were employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2010 at each of the Department’s regional offices; and what were the addresses of each of those offices. [BIS]   HL197

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the titles of the training courses provided to civil servants on the Fast Stream programme based at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; and how many civil servants on the Fast Stream programme based at the Department completed each of those training courses. [BIS]   HL199

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many convictions for perverting the course of justice resulted in the imposition of (1) an immediate, and (2) a suspended, custodial sentence, in each of the last five years. [MoJ]   HL200

Lord Patten to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Newby on 10 April (WA 280), what is their assessment of reports that Egyptian army medical staff were instructed to operate without anaesthetic on those injured during a protest against military rule in Egypt 2011. [FCO]   HL205

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what control they have over the running of universities located in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [BIS]   HL207

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many entry visas excluding tourist visas were issued in 2012 to non-European Union nationals for family, study work and intra-company transfer, and in what categories; and how many (1) migrants from European Union countries, (2) illegal immigrants, and (3) asylum seekers they estimate to have entered the United Kingdom in 2012, and what was the estimated total figure for inward entry, excluding tourists and visitors. [HO]   HL208

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 28 January (WA 292–3), what categories of doctors are currently on the Migration Advisory Committee’s shortage occupation list for whom visas can be issued; and whether, in the light of the relative number of United Kingdom- and foreign-based doctors registering over the last three years, they will take steps to increase the numbers of students being enrolled and trained in United Kingdom medical schools. [DH]   HL210

Baroness O’Loan to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prison law cases funded by legal aid in (1) 2008–09, (2) 2009–10, (3) 2010–11, (4) 2011–12, and (5) 2012–13, related to (a) prison conditions, (b) treatment by staff, (c) discrimination, (d) communications and visits, (e) mother and baby issues, (f) compassionate release, (g) behaviour courses, or (h) other treatment issues; and in what proportion of those cases the prisoner or litigant was successful. [MoJ]   HL211

Baroness O’Loan to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many immigration cases involving victims of human trafficking were funded by civil legal aid in (1) 2008–09, (2) 2009–10, (3) 2010–11, (4) 2011–12, and (5) 2012–13; and in what proportion of those cases the litigant was successful. [MoJ]   HL212

Baroness O’Loan to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases relating to (1) housing, (2) asylum, or (3) domestic abuse, were funded by civil legal aid and assessed as having "borderline" prospects of success in (a) 2008–09, (b) 2009–10, (c) 2010–11, (d) 2011–12, and (e) 2012–13; and in what proportion of those cases the litigant was successful. [MoJ]   HL213

14 May (29 May)

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Governor and the Bank of England were consulted about and supported their proposals to support lending for the purchase of residential properties. [HMT]   HL214

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they continue to cite the research of Professors Reinhart and Rogoff in justifying fiscal policy. [HMT]   HL215

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether total public sector pay is rising at a faster rate than total private sector pay; and if so, why. [HMT]   HL216

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the forecast cost over the next five years of the announcement in the Budget that tier one capital issued by banks will be tax deductible; and why that concession has been limited to banks rather than extended to all industrial sectors. [HMT]   HL217

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer remains of the view that the work of Professors Reinhart and Rogoff offers "perhaps the most significant contribution to our understanding of the origins of the financial crisis". [HMT]   HL219

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish their assessment of the outcomes and effectiveness of the United Kingdom Government-funded programme training the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s military forces at Cranfield University and the Royal Military Academy; and what impact that programme has had on the levels of the rape of civilians by members of the military in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [MoD]   HL223

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the legality of trading with settlements in the Occupied Territories. [FCO]   HL235

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Palestine’s membership and use of the International Criminal Court on any future Israeli aggression. [FCO]   HL236

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reports of Israeli authorities cutting off the water supply of ten villages north-west of Jerusalem on 1 April. [FCO]   HL239

Lord Kilclooney to ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount paid to the United Kingdom agricultural industry from the European Union Common Agricultural Policy in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [DEFRA]   HL243

Lord Kilclooney to ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total financial support from the European Regional Development Fund to the United Kingdom in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [BIS]   HL244

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how they manage commons in regard to Single Farm Payment entitlements. [DEFRA]   HL247

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether section 60 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 is consistent with European Union Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 which established a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation; whether they have been in communication with the European Union on the matter; and whether they plan to amend that Act. [DfE]   HL260

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 25 February (WA 246), whether they will review conditions in Lukiskes prison, Lithuania. [FCO]   HL261

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of the children referred by the UK Border Agency or Border Force in 2012 to the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking first arrived in the United Kingdom through (1) the port of Folkestone, and (2) the port of Dover. [HO]   HL265

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government when was the last meeting of the UK Border Force with French authorities to discuss the trafficking of children into and out of the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. [HO]   HL267

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many coach companies arriving in or departing from the United Kingdom at Victoria coach station have provided information to the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking. [HO]   HL268

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Operation Newbridge, an initiative for detecting potentially trafficked children at Gatwick airport; and whether there are plans to extend that model to other United Kingdom ports. [HO]   HL269

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Operation Gold, a joint investigation between the Metropolitan Police, Europol, and Romanian authorities; and whether there are similar operations with Bulgarian authorities. [HO]   HL270

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the value of fraud in the European Union; what action they intend to take to obtain a reduction in such fraud; and whether this includes proposals to repatriate the Common Agricultural Policy to member states. [HMT]   HL272

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord De Mauley on 9 May (WS 51) on the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council, whether there was discussion of major reform of the Common Agricultural Policy as offered in return for a reduction in the United Kingdom’s rebate agreed in the last Parliament. [DEFRA]   HL273

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have studied foreign company ownership of participants in the United Kingdom utility and transport industries; whether any of the owners are nationalised in their home territory; and what are the implications of such ownership for the customers of those services. [BIS]   HL275

Lord True to ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities sought exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential, but had their applications rejected by Ministers. [DCLG]   HL277

Lord True to ask Her Majesty’s Government from which Departments were Ministers or officials involved in making decisions on whether local authorities which had sought exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential should have their request agreed. [DCLG]   HL278

Lord True to ask Her Majesty’s Government from which bodies or consultants advice was sought before determining the list of local authorities to be refused exemption from the proposed relaxation of planning rules for change of use from offices to residential; and what fees were paid to any consultants involved in assessing or advising on applications. [DCLG]   HL279

15 May (30 May)

Lord Campbell-Savours to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Export Services Organisation, or the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills were involved in any way in the (1) approval, or (2) export sales support, of products relating to bomb detection sold to any countries overseas in conjunction with companies connected to Mr James McCormick. [BIS]   HL280

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ ability to determine the status of the residents in Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf with a view to readmission to the United Kingdom; what reasons they have been given for any delay in that process; what assessment they have made of the viability of moving residents safely to another country; and how that compares to the current safety of the residents of those camps. [FCO]   HL281

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what facilities exist at the ports of Folkestone and Dover to provide a place of safety for children who may be victims of trafficking; and which agency is primarily responsible for children’s safeguarding at those ports. [HO]   HL282

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 22 April (WA 284–5), why the UK Border Force confidential telephone number for reporting human trafficking concerns has been made available to only two airlines; and whether they have plans to extend those services to other international transport carriers working to combat human trafficking. [HO]   HL283

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed residence test for civil legal aid claimants on potential child victims of trafficking. [MoJ]   HL284

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether under their proposed residence test as described in the transforming legal aid consultation child victims of trafficking will be able to access civil legal aid if they have entered the country on false passports under the influence of traffickers. [MoJ]   HL285

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether under their proposed residence test as described in the transforming legal aid consultation child victims of trafficking will be able to access civil legal aid if they have been in the country for less than 12 months. [MoJ]   HL286

Lord Jopling to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Newby on 10 April (WA 316), whether they will now answer the question with regard to the Luxembourg Compromise. [HMT]   HL287

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government on what dates the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ Small Business Economic Forum met in (1) 2010, (2) 2011, (3) 2012, and (4) 2013 to date; and what were the names of the attendees at each meeting. [BIS]   HL288

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people are currently on secondment to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from companies in the United Kingdom; and what are the names of those companies. [BIS]   HL290

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff directly employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills were previously (1) a director of a United Kingdom company, (2) chief financial officer of a United Kingdom company, or (3) chief executive of a United Kingdom company. [BIS]   HL291

Lord Adonis to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the latest Talent Strategy for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is referred to in the Department’s 2011–12 Annual Report and Accounts. [BIS]   HL293

Baroness Gould of Potternewton to ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will monitor and ensure delivery of consistent standards of care for trans people across all services provided by the National Health Service. [DH]   HL294

Baroness Gould of Potternewton to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recent allegations of abuse of trans people by medical staff, collected under the Twitter hashtag #transdocfail, what steps they are taking to ensure that such abuse will not occur in the future. [DH]   HL295

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have finalised details of a financial incentives package intended to be offered to Afghan interpreters in order to encourage them to remain in Afghanistan; and, if so, what they are. [MoD]   HL297

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Afghan interpreters they anticipate will wish to accept the financial incentives package to remain in Afghanistan. [MoD]   HL298

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will offer a fast-track process for asylum applications to any Afghan interpreters who do not wish to take advantage of the financial incentive package to remain in Afghanistan. [HO]   HL299

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received of threats from the Taliban to the lives and safety of Afghan interpreters who have worked with United Kingdom armed forces. [MoD]   HL300

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that they have a duty of care to locally-engaged interpreters in Afghanistan who have worked or are still working with United Kingdom armed forces. [MoD]   HL301

Lord Warner to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether under the terms of the Immigration Rules Israeli citizens who have settled illegally in Occupied Palestinian Territories are deemed to require different visa requirements for entry to the United Kingdom from those in place for other Israeli citizens. [HO]   HL302

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have received about those responsible for two explosions near the Syrian frontier in Turkey; and whether that has any implications for their policy towards Syria. [FCO]   HL303

Lord Patel of Bradford to ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the expenditure in England for the past year on (1) male suicide prevention, (2) tackling depression in men, and (3) specific mental health provision for black and minority ethnic men. [DH]   HL304

Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the removal of trade barriers facing exports from the poorest countries to the markets of developed countries will be included in the agenda for the G8 Summit in 2013. [BIS]   HL305

Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to support the proposed extension to the exemption for Least Developed Countries from the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. [BIS]   HL309

Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many trade-restrictive measures have been adopted by the European Union since the beginning of the financial crisis. [BIS]   HL310

Lord Judd to ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they are giving within the G8 to the furtherance of the principles of open, accountable, equitable and inclusive decision-making within international institutions and within the G8 itself. [CO]   HL312

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the findings of the report by the Children’s Society Parliamentary Inquiry into Asylum Support for Children and Young People, whether they have plans to implement a single cash-based support system for all who require asylum support. [HO]   HL314

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government why they opted out of the revised European Union Directive on Reception Conditions which laid down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers; and whether they plan to revise their position in future. [HO]   HL315

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to allow failed asylum seekers who have made fresh submissions for asylum which have been pending for 12 months or more to apply for permission to work, in the light of the judgment of the Supreme Court in July 2010 on the application of Article 11 of the European Union Reception Conditions Directive. [HO]   HL316

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal and advice services they provide to prospective asylum seekers throughout the asylum process. [HO]   HL317

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many failed asylum seekers’ children were separated from their parents before deportation in each of the last five years. [HO]   HL318

Baroness Sharp of Guildford to ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of full-time undergraduates in receipt of (a) full maintenance support grants, and (b) partial maintenance support grants, are classed as independent eligible students by the Student Loans Company for each year since 2011, broken down by age. [BIS]   HL326

Baroness Sharp of Guildford to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 16–18 year olds obtained a GCSE at grade A*-C in (1) English, (2) mathematics, and (3) both English and mathematics, for each year since 2002. [DfE]   HL327

16 May (31 May)

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will re-introduce terms controls for hire purchase contracts and credit sales to control periods of excess credit expansion. [HMT]   HL334

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the implications for the United Kingdom of the operation of the European Union financial transaction tax, they will make preliminary arrangements for a referendum on the exercise of the European Union’s powers in that area to be held in the event that the European Court of Justice rejects their legal challenge. [HMT]   HL338

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government which regulatory body or bodies are responsible for ensuring that companies participating in the oil markets do not abuse their market power; and how those bodies ensure that their oversight is effective. [DECC]   HL339

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government which United Kingdom regulatory body or bodies are responsible for regulating price-reporting agencies in the energy sector. [DECC]   HL340

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay to ask Her Majesty’s Government what requirements regulators must meet to call for evidence of cartel behaviour in a particular market; and when a regulator should be expected to undertake its own proactive investigations. [BIS]   HL341

Lord Roberts of Llandudno to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the practical implications of abolishing the UK Border Agency. [HO]   HL342

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the government of Australia regarding its apology for the past practices of forced adoptions of children of unmarried mothers; and whether they plan to issue a similar apology on behalf of past United Kingdom governments. [DfE]   HL343

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the value of recreational climbing and mountaineering to the United Kingdom economy. [DCMS]   HL344

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the value of recreational horse-riding to the United Kingdom economy. [DCMS]   HL345

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the value of recreational walking in the countryside to the United Kingdom economy. [DCMS]   HL346

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the value of recreational use of canals and navigable rivers to the United Kingdom economy. [DEFRA]   HL347

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the value of angling to the United Kingdom economy. [DCMS]   HL348

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town to ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have decided not to regulate will-writing; and what is their estimate of the value of consumer detriment arising from that decision. [MoJ]   HL349

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Restitution of Illicit Assets Act in Switzerland; and whether they will introduce a similar measure to address the freezing and returning of assets of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. [HO]   HL353

Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to support the trade facilitation deal, and duty-free, quota-free access for Least Developed Countries at the World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial Conference in December. [BIS]   HL354

Lord Harrison to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether European Union Economic Partnership Agreements being negotiated will provide full duty-free access to the European Union market for exports from the poorest countries. [BIS]   HL355

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government what programmes and resources they will deploy to implement their commitment under Article 7 of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict to support and protect women human rights defenders. [FCO]   HL356

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for implementing Article 7 of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict during and beyond the United Kingdom’s presidency of the G8. [FCO]   HL357

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms will be put in place to monitor the implementation of Article 7 of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. [FCO]   HL358

Lord Walton of Detchant to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will extend the provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010 to cover on-site loans of audiobooks, e-audio and e-books. [DCMS]   HL359

Lord Walton of Detchant to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to increase the benefits of the multiple sclerosis (MS) Risk Scheme particularly with reference to access to treatment and the availability of specialist MS nurses. [DH]   HL360

Lord Walton of Detchant to ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to improve new treatment rates for multiple sclerosis (MS), in particular with respect to the prescription of effective MS drugs. [DH]   HL361

Lord Walton of Detchant to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether reviews by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of clinical guidelines and the development of a quality standard for multiple sclerosis (MS) are in progress; and whether those are expected to improve MS diagnosis and treatment. [DH]   HL362

Lord Owen to ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific commitments and additional commitments have been given by the United Kingdom since 1994 under the General Agreement on Trade in Services in relation to health and associated services, including their dates, current applicability, terms, limitations, conditions, undertakings, implementation time frames, qualifications, standards and licensing matters, along with any modifications and withdrawals that have been made, set out by mode of supply and all relevant sectoral classifications; whether they intend to modify or withdraw any such existing commitments and, if so, which ones; and what compensatory adjustments the United Kingdom or the European Union have agreed to as a result of any modifications or withdrawals. [BIS]   HL364

Lord Owen to ask Her Majesty’s Government what agreements, including investment treaties and partnership agreements but excluding the General Agreement on Trade in Services, (1) have been entered into, and (2) are currently being negotiated, by or on behalf of the United Kingdom with another country or other countries which contain or could contain provisions relating to trade, market access, national treatment, progressive liberalisation, investment or economic partnership in respect of health and associated services; what are those provisions; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of each of those agreements which have been entered into, and the latest drafts of those agreements that are currently being negotiated. [BIS]   HL365

Lord Owen to ask Her Majesty’s Government how (1) the proposed Economic and Trade Agreement between the European Union and Canada, and (2) the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement between the European Union with the United States, would modify or extend (a) the applicability of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and (b) the commitments of the United Kingdom under GATS in respect of health and associated services. [BIS]   HL366

The Earl of Sandwich to ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of works of art in the National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Maritime Museum remain in store; how many are on loan to other galleries and institutions; and what arrangements have been made for loans to historic houses open to the public. [DCMS]   HL369

20 May (4 June)

Baroness Walmsley to ask Her Majesty’s Government on what legal basis the statutory instruments applying variable speed limits on specified motorways were overridden by the special authorisation given by the Secretary of State on 27 November 2012; and whether they plan to revoke or replace the statutory instruments as a result. [DfT]   HL370

Lord Ramsbotham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will commission an independent study to re-evaluate the science and practicality of resettlement of the Chagos Archipelago, in consultation with the Chagossians, in the light of the recent report by Dr Paul Kench which concluded that the 2002 feasibility study used untested models and contradictory evidence. [FCO]   HL371

Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they currently publish on the acquisition of communications data where the subjects enjoy legal professional privilege. [MoJ]   HL372

Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered asking the Law Commission to conduct an inquiry into the operation of communications data legislation, particularly with respect to updating definitions of data and assessing whether new safeguards on legally privileged communications are required. [MoJ]   HL373

Lord Knight of Weymouth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what role the National College for Teaching and Leadership has in relation to upholding professional teaching standards; what action it can take in cases of professional misconduct by teachers in (1) secondary schools, (2) academies established before 2010, (3) academies established after 2010, and (4) further education colleges, in relation to the education they provide for people aged 14–18. [DfE]   HL374

Lord Knight of Weymouth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what access (1) further education colleges, and (2) sixth form colleges, have to the misconduct records held by the National College for Teaching and Leadership relating to individuals seeking employment. [DfE]   HL375

Lord Berkeley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to seek competitive tenders for the new supply or upgrade of the East Coast Main Line electric passenger rolling stock. [DfT]   HL376

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks of Professor Miodrag Stojkovic, reported in Nature, volume 497, no 7449, that "the most surprising thing is that somebody is still doing human somatic-cell nuclear transfer in the era of induced pluripotent stem cells"; and whether that assessment will influence future funding of work involving human embryos for cloning. [BIS]   HL377

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 5 December 2012 (WA 158–9), what assessment they have made of the practicality of somatic cell nuclear transfer being used for correcting mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and rescuing the metabolic function of pluripotent cells from existing patients with inherited mtDNA diseases; and whether any such assessment was conveyed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in its consultation "Medical Frontiers: debating mitochondria replacement" so as to enable a lay audience to understand the relevant techniques. [DH]   HL378

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will hold discussions with the incoming government of Pakistan about the action being taken to investigate the murder of Pakistan’s Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti. [FCO]   HL379

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 11 February (WA 99–100), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the advice obtained from the Medical Research Council in which it was stated that researchers in Newcastle have overcome challenges associated with somatic cell nuclear transfer on the basis of insights gained from pronuclear transfer; and whether they will indicate when a detailed account of those advances will be provided by the researchers concerned; and in which future publication the data will be described. [BIS]   HL380

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government which sites and what volume of land will be released for self-build projects in the United Kingdom; and how local authorities and local community groups will be assisted to make other sites available for self-build projects. [DCLG]   HL381

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual estimated value of self-build to the United Kingdom economy; what is the current volume of construction in the self-build sector; and what strategies they are putting in place to improve access to funding for self-build housing projects. [DCLG]   HL382

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of India to encourage them to grant Sukhranjan Bali temporary protection in that country to enable him to make a full witness statement in the trial of Delwar Hossain Sayedee in Bangladesh. [FCO]   HL383

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have access to reports produced by the Temporary International Presence in Hebron since 1997; and what assessment they have made of whether the Israeli authorities have adopted any of the recommendations, and, if so, which. [FCO]   HL384

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the reopening of Shaheda Street in Hebron to all peaceful users. [FCO]   HL385

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the decision of that country’s Supreme Court to allow Israeli companies to exploit stone quarries in the West Bank, especially about the implications of that decision for international law. [FCO]   HL386

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the purpose of Iranian enrichment of uranium; and on what evidence that assessment is based. [FCO]   HL387

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by Fiona McTaggart MP and Matthew Lawrence Service not servitude: protecting the rights of domestic workers, (2) the report by Kalayaan Slavery by another name: the tied migrant domestic worker visa, and (3) the Republic of Ireland’s Code of Practice for Protecting Persons Employed in Other People’s Homes. [BIS]   HL388

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ratify the International Labour Organisation Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers. [BIS]   HL389

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 11 March (WA 14), stating that they had "not seen evidence of the manipulation of Brent crude prices by financial speculators", and in the light of the recent raids on oil companies by the European Commission, when they were first advised by the European Union, United Kingdom competition authorities or the Financial Services Authority that market manipulation was suspected. [HMT]   HL390

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the remuneration of United Kingdom-based investment trust and unit trust fund managers is not restricted by European regulation. [HMT]   HL391

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they voted against European Union rules to ban restaurants from serving olive oil in jugs and open bowls. [DEFRA]   HL392

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government which bodies were consulted before they set up the review of architecture and the built environment under Sir Terry Farrell; and what steps they took to ensure that its advisory panel included expertise in engineering, landscape architecture, interior design, water management and waste management. [DCMS]   HL393

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that the review of architecture and the built environment chaired by Sir Terry Farrell takes account of the case for urban areas to include open green spaces, public parks and adequate public access to the banks of rivers which flow through urban areas. [DCMS]   HL394

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they anticipate new guidance being added to the National Planning Policy Framework as a result of the report of the review of architecture and the built environment led by Sir Terry Farrell. [DCLG]   HL395

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will arrange for the terms of reference, membership and the experience of the membership of the advisory board of the review of architecture and the built environment led by Sir Terry Farrell to be published in the Official Report; and when they expect the review to report. [DCMS]   HL396

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to clear the litter from the A14 trunk road between the M6 and the M1. [DfT]   HL397

Baroness Cumberlege to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to enable self-employed midwives who are not part of corporate bodies to access affordable professional indemnity insurance. [DH]   HL398

Baroness Cumberlege to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many independent midwives have obtained professional indemnity insurance from commercial insurers since 1 January by forming corporate bodies. [DH]   HL399

Baroness Cumberlege to ask Her Majesty’s Government what data they will make available to independent midwives to enable a realistic risk assessment of their practices by commercial professional indemnity insurers. [DH]   HL400

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the amount of fuel duty evaded as a result of illegal fuel laundering plants. [HMT]   HL401

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have entered into arrangements with any individuals or companies to pay fuel duty on illegally-traded fuel in order that those individuals or companies could avoid prosecution. [HMT]   HL402

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions have occurred in the last three years for which figures are available of individuals or companies suspected of laundering or selling illegally-produced fuel. [HMT]   HL403

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last discussed the operation of fuel laundering plants with the government of the Republic of Ireland; and what was the outcome of those discussions. [HMT]   HL404

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any information linking Irish Republican paramilitary organisations to the production and distribution of laundered fuel in the United Kingdom; and, if so, what is the estimated annual value of such sales. [HMT]   HL405

Lord Empey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Irish Republican organisations have been found to own or operate businesses engaged in the distribution or production of laundered fuel products in the United Kingdom. [HMT]   HL406

Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners were released on licence last year having served 25 per cent or less of a custodial sentence. [MoJ]   HL407

Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many old age pensioners they estimate possess assets exceeding £2 million. [HMT]   HL408

Lord Moonie to ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms exist to allow people to return their (1) statutory benefits, and (2) automatically-applied tax reliefs. [HMT]   HL409

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government under what provisions the European Union Council of Ministers was able to decide by majority an increase of £770 million to the United Kingdom’s contribution to the European Union budget for 2012; and whether, and by what means, they will seek the agreement of the House of Commons to that increase. [HMT]   HL410

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the European Union proposal to ban refillable olive oil containers in restaurants was agreed by a majority of member states; and what assessment they have made of the conformity of that proposal with the principle of subsidiarity. [DEFRA]   HL411

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much United Kingdom overseas aid was spent per head of United Kingdom population in the last five years, including funds distributed by the European Union; and how that figure compares to aid spent by (1) Germany, and (2) the United States. [DfID]   HL412

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence given by James Clapper, the United States Director of National Intelligence, to the United States Senate Intelligence Committee and to the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iran does not have an active nuclear weapons programme and could not covertly produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a bomb. [MoD]   HL413

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Baroness Northover on 15 May (HL Deb, col 404), what measures are in place to ensure that the £12.1 million of assistance provided to the "moderate opposition" in Syria in 2012 and the present £170 million for humanitarian aid are not reaching Islamist insurgents whose aims and objectives are contrary to the interests of the United Kingdom. [DfID]   HL414

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Traveller pitches provided from public funds are self-financing, including repayment of capital employed. [DCLG]   HL415

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government in how many houses income tax payers claim a tax allowance on income received from renting out a room in their house; what is their estimate of the number of householders who are prevented from renting out a room by the terms of a mortgage; and how many more householders they estimate would take advantage of such a tax allowance if not prevented from doing so in that way. [HMT]   HL416

Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) ministers, and (2) permanent secretaries, have completed modules offered by Civil Service Learning since Civil Service Learning came into existence. [CO]   HL417

Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) MPs, and (2) peers, have been recruited to contribute to modules delivered by Civil Service Learning in the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 April 2013. [CO]   HL418

Lord Norton of Louth to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the budget for international aid is devoted to the provision of scholarships for overseas students to undertake higher education courses in the United Kingdom; and what plans there are to expand the provision of such scholarships. [DfID]   [I]Category 2: Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.
Professor of Government and Director of Centre for Legislative Studies, University of Hull
 HL419

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered using their powers under section 26 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to direct that the necessary action is taken to give the National Crime Agency the powers to carry out police operations and recruit agents in Northern Ireland. [NIO]   HL420

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government what checks are performed when European Union nationals bring spouses and families without a European Union nationality into the United Kingdom; whether any minimum income is required for such individuals; how many such spouses and family members entered the United Kingdom in each of the last three years; and how the restrictions applying to such spouses and families compare to those applying to the foreign spouses and family members of United Kingdom nationals. [HO]   HL421

21 May (5 June)

Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as "strengthening accountability including by making the performance of public bodies and services more transparent" is concerned. [FCO]   HL422

Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as giving power to people and communities across the Overseas Territories is concerned. [FCO]   HL423

Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in achieving the aims and objectives set out in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012, in so far as making the performance of public bodies and services more accountable is concerned. [FCO]   HL424

Lord Jones of Cheltenham to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to identify individual Overseas Territories which can be presented to other Territories as examples of best practice in respect of any of the aspirations mentioned in Section 4 of the Overseas Territories White Paper (Cm 8374), published in June 2012. [FCO]   HL425

Baroness Walmsley to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether motorists wrongly convicted as a result of the use of unlawful Advanced Message Indicators on the motorway network will be compensated, and any penalty points issued as a result of their use cancelled. [DfT]   HL426

Viscount Goschen to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions there have been in respect of fly-tipping over the past five years; and how many convictions there have been over the same period. [DEFRA]   HL427

Lord Grocott to ask Her Majesty’s Government what, over and above the cost of routine local elections, was the total cost of holding ten mayoral referendums in May 2012; and what was the cost for each individual referendum. [DCLG]   HL428

Baroness Gould of Potternewton to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the lines of responsibility and accountability within both the Government and the National Health Service for the provision of healthcare to trans people, including areas that are not specifically related to treatment of gender dysphoria; and how those responsibilities relate to the Secretary of State for Health’s responsibilities as described in sections 1, 1A and 1C of the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. [DH]   HL429

Lord Vinson to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of the proposed relaxation of planning controls on farm buildings, they will also relax controls on previous barn conversions to dwellings (where not scheduled or in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to enable improvements in line with those applicable to local homes. [DCLG]   HL430

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 22 April (HL Deb, col 1319), whether they expect to launch their consultation on caste discrimination before the parliamentary summer recess. [DCMS]   HL431

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 22 April (HL Deb, col 1319), whether the forthcoming business plan for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will include details of the timetable for their consultation on caste discrimination. [DCMS]   HL432

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Drayson on 4 November 2009 (WA 59–60) and 12 November 2009 (WA 207–8), regarding the extension of the research project entitled "Improving the efficiency of human somatic cell nuclear transfer", what assessment they have made of the reasons for the length of time between the initial award of the grant and the anticipated date of publication. [BIS]   HL433

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the competitive tendering proposals for criminal legal aid, as set out in Ministry of Justice consultation Transforming Legal Aid: Delivering a more credible and efficient system, upon (1) a client’s right to choose their legal representation, (2) the availability of legal representation and advice in rural areas, and (3) high street solicitors’ firms. [MoJ]   HL434

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any changes in the arrangements for legal aid provision resulting from the Ministry of Justice consultation Transferring Legal Aid: Delivering a more credible and efficient system will be implemented through primary legislation. [MoJ]   HL435

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the development of new technologies to create cloned human embryos, what is their assessment of the case for an international legal ban on human cloning. [BIS]   HL436

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report Build-It-Yourself: Understanding the changing landscape of the UK self-build market; and whether they will encourage lenders to facilitate finance for self-build housing projects. [DCLG]   HL437

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are initiating to facilitate the entry of younger and less affluent households into the self-build market; and what assessment they have made of how Germany and the Netherlands have used self-build to assist such groups. [DCLG]   HL438

Lord Touhig to ask Her Majesty’s Government what provision will be made under the Care Bill for young adults with complex needs who require a transition service after formal schooling. [DH]   HL439

Lord Touhig to ask Her Majesty’s Government which child outcomes will be considered where local authorities are conducting a child’s needs assessment under provisions set out in the Care Bill. [DH]   HL440

Lord Touhig to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the ordinary residence requirement in the Care Bill on young adults who require transition services. [DH]   HL441

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many businesses or self-employed persons in the United Kingdom are registered for VAT; and how many businesses or persons have been given permission not to register on the grounds that their turnover is below the registration threshold. [HMT]   HL442

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the loss of revenue to HM Revenue and Customs from the sales of goods and services by businesses and self-employed persons not registered for VAT. [HMT]   HL443

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how many new jobs have been created in each of the last five years by the exemption from registration for VAT. [HMT]   HL444

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution to gross domestic product of businesses and self-employed persons not registered for VAT. [HMT]   HL445

Lord Donoughue to ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total cost to the Government and the consumer of direct and indirect subsidies for the introduction of wind turbines into the United Kingdom’s power generating system, including the cost of linking those turbines to the grid. [DECC]   HL446

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to impose sanctions on Argentina’s exports to the United Kingdom if that country continues to claim the Falkland Islands. [FCO]   HL447

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many passports were issued by their embassy in Dublin in each of the last ten years. [HO]   HL448

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many passports were issued by the Passport Office in Belfast in each of the last ten years. [HO]   HL449

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Paris Principles apply to (1) the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and (2) the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; if so, what is the estimated cost of compliance by those bodies; and what assessment they have made of those principles. [MoJ]   HL450

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 10 April (WA 341), whether they maintain a record of how many immigrants are sponsored annually by each of the current sponsoring employers registered under tiers 2 and 5 of the points-based system; and whether there is any statutory reason why such a record cannot be published. [HO]   HL451

Lord Laird to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 10 April (WA 341), what assessment they have made of why the number of applications from within the United Kingdom for extensions of stay for work using certificates of sponsorship from employers increased from 18,065 in 2011 to 28,212 in 2012; and what assessment they have made of the impact of applications from within and outside the United Kingdom for entry clearance visas for work using such certificates in 2012 on their policy of reducing migration by the end of the Parliament. [HO]   HL452

Lord Stoddart of Swindon to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 7 February concerning the M4 bus lane (WA 881), whether they have now made a decision about its removal and the restoration of that part of the M4 to motorway status; and, if not, why not. [DfT]   HL453

Lord Luce to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made regarding the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. [FCO]   HL454

Lord Luce to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether progress has been made in improving human rights in Sri Lanka. [FCO]   HL455

Lord Luce to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister on 15 May (HC Deb, col 634), what improvements they expect to see in Sri Lanka by the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting later this year. [FCO]   HL456

Lord Luce to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any trends in acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean and of the number of people who have been held hostage as a result of acts of piracy on that ocean. [FCO]   HL457

Lord West of Spithead to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Ministry of Defence underspend of £7.9 billion in 2010–11 was rolled over and subsequently spent on defence. [MoD]   HL458

Lord West of Spithead to ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Ministry of Defence underspend of £3.6 billion in 2011–12 was rolled over and subsequently spent on defence. [MoD]   HL459

Lord West of Spithead to ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are going to fulfil their commitment to provide at least £230 million per annum of ship building work to BAE Systems after completion of HMS Prince of Wales and before the T26 frigate build starts. [MoD]   HL460

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they treat foreign domestic workers forced to work excessive hours for less than the minimum wage, or not paid in cash, as persons trafficked by deception. [HO]   HL461

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation took place with patients of dispensing doctors prior to the development of pharmaceutical needs assessments; and what consultation took place with patients of dispensing doctors who were found to live within 1.6 kilometres of a community pharmacy following the recent audits by primary care trusts. [DH]   HL462

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many appeals have been made by patients of dispensing doctors against decisions to require them to have their prescriptions dispensed at a pharmacy that is within 1.6 kilometres of where they live rather than at their doctors’ surgeries; how many of those appeals have been by disabled or elderly patients; and how many have been successful since January 2011. [DH]   HL463

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether economic benefits to pharmacists were a consideration when deciding their pharmaceutical needs assessment policy. [DH]   HL464

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of their stated policy that the National Health Service should operate on the principles of patient choice and "No decision about me without me", they will review their decision to require patients of dispensing doctors who live within 1.6 kilometres of a community pharmacy to use such pharmacies to collect prescriptions. [DH]   HL465

22 May (6 June)

Lord Marlesford to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the threshold of domestic turnover for registration for VAT in each member state of the European Union; and whether the European Commission has made any proposal to harmonise those thresholds.   HL466

Lord Storey to ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 22 April (WA 382), to which group, individual or office Room 13 on the second floor, West Front, has been allocated.   HL467

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the report by Reform Must do better: spending on schools relating to the ring-fenced schools budget; whether they intend to abolish that budget; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the consequences for the education system.   HL468

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that both further and higher education institutions provide adequate services in support of students’ mental well-being.   HL469

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review (1) the remit of, and (2) the name given to, the new draft National Curriculum to reflect (a) its application to English schools only, and (b) that academies and free schools are under no legal obligation to follow it.   HL470

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to (1) the safety and well-being of (a) child minders, and (b) nursery staff, and (2) the estimated reduction in childcare costs, as part of their proposals to increase the number of children that may be cared for by a single adult.   HL471

Lord Storey to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 22 April (WA 364), whether they ensure that training for all classroom teachers on special educational needs, including dyslexia, is included in every initial teacher training course.   HL472

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 16 May (WA 7), whether the Department of Health holds any information on when the Committee on Toxicity will consider the research papers on cabin air quality submitted to it by the Department for Transport in May 2012.   HL473

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they carried out into the preferences of patients who previously received prescriptions from dispensing doctors when developing the new Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.   HL474

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether provisions exist to require customers in rural areas to purchase certain goods from certain types of business, other than in the case of pharmacies; and, if so, whether those provisions are intended to protect the viability of businesses concerned.   HL475

Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their forecast of Government funding for Network Rail based on Network Rail’s business plan for 2014–19.   HL476

Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the projected average fare for HS2 at the commencement of the service from London to Birmingham, for the whole journey and per kilometre travelled.   HL477

Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the procedure for appeal for those applicants turned down for compensation under the Government’s Exceptional Hardship Scheme for HS2.   HL478

Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the names of the members of the independent panel for the Exceptional Hardship Scheme for HS2.   HL479

Viscount Astor to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a list of those to be consulted on the proposed property bond for HS2.   HL480

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government what potential risks they have assessed concerning the operations of intensive farming units, including intensive dairy farms.   HL481

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received assessments of the whole carbon cycle of (1) a litre of milk, and (2) a kilogram of pork, produced under (a) traditional extensive husbandry methods, and (b) intensive indoor conditions.   HL482

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many intensive dairy farms exist in the United Kingdom; and how many house more than (1) 500, and (2) 1000, dairy cows.   HL483

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many intensive pig farms exist in the United Kingdom; and how many house more than (1) 500, and (2) 1000, pigs.   HL484

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government from which external groups or individuals, including academics, they have received advice about intensive dairy farms; when they met such groups or individuals; and what was the content of those discussions.   HL485

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government from which external groups or individuals, including academics and practitioners, they have received advice about intensive pig farms; when they met such groups or individuals; and what was the content of those discussions.   HL486

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received advice concerning animal welfare issues associated with intensive dairy farming that do not occur in traditional pasture-based dairy farming; and, if so, what was that advice.   HL487

Lord Luce to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Danish Rheumatic Association that effective antibiotic treatment can tackle one of the causes of chronic back pain for those with excess fluid in their vertebrae.   HL488

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with the Electoral Commission over reports that a company has advertised their services to assist people to register to vote in return for a fee; and whether they have plans to legislate to outlaw such practices.   HL489

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether election material posted on the internet requires an imprint and, if so, in what form; and whether they have plans to make regulations under section 143(6) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.   HL490

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the findings of the report by Citizens’ Advice Scotland Offline and left Behind: Digital Exclusion amongst Scotland’s CAB clients; and what support they are providing to benefit claimants who have difficulties in using the internet due to lack of access, lack of skills, disabilities and mental health problems.   HL491

Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of universal credit claimants they estimate will require budgeting advances to help with the system of payment of universal credit monthly in arrears.   HL492

Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of universal credit claimants they estimate to be in receipt of earnings not covered by real time information.   HL493

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for upgrading the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport; and what approved budgets can be used for that purpose.   HL494

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government what subjects are on the agenda for their discussions with President Santos of Colombia during his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to offer any help in negotiations for a peace deal between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.   HL495

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ask President Santos of Colombia during his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom about the mechanisms for participation of Colombian civil society in the peace negotiations between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.   HL496

Lord Avebury to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will raise with President Santos of Colombia during his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom the possible involvement of Baroness Amos, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, to help facilitate the peace negotiations between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.   HL497

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the resettlement options scheme to be offered to Afghan interpreters who have worked with the United Kingdom armed forces is confined to those employed between December 2012 and December 2014; and, if so, why.   HL498

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the resettlement options scheme to be offered to Afghan interpreters who have worked with the United Kingdom armed forces will include the Kabul-based spokesmen who have received threats from the Taliban due to the high-profile nature of their work; and, if not, why not.   HL499

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the resettlement options scheme to be offered to Afghan interpreters who have worked with the United Kingdom armed forces will include those working for the secret service; and, if not, why not.   HL500

Baroness Coussins to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Afghan interpreters will be excluded from the resettlement options scheme if it is limited to frontline staff employed between December 2012 and December 2014.   HL501

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to counter any undue private sector interference in the National Health Service.   HL502

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the all-party draft Royal Charter on press regulation will put in place adequate protection for potential future victims of press intrusion.   HL503

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by HM Revenue and Customs in securing increased tax payments from individual and corporate tax avoiders, including those based in tax havens; and what figures are available to demonstrate that progress.   HL504

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of Royal Mail’s return to profitability, they will reassess plans to privatise it.   HL505

Lord Dykes to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of current pressures on public spending, how they will ensure that plans to commemorate the centenary of the First World War provide value for money; and whether they have considered cancelling those plans.   HL506

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 21 May (WA 59), how many non-British children were intercepted at Greater London and south-east regional ports in 2012.   HL507

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children have been identified as being trafficked for labour exploitation, including domestic servitude, since 2007; and what action they are taking to implement the International Labour Organisation Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, ratified by the United Kingdom in 2000.   HL508

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 22 April (WA 387) which stated that 27.5 per cent of Nigerian children referred to the National Referral Mechanism have received a positive conclusive grounds decision, what is the main reason for a refusal of a conclusive grounds decision; and whether the percentage of Nigerian children receiving a positive conclusive grounds decision is consistent with that of other nationality groups referred to the National Referral Mechanism.   HL509

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will include the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation as one of its key priority threat areas when it becomes part of the National Crime Agency in October.   HL510

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government how many foreign children and young people up to the age of 21 were accommodated in the youth secure estate over the past three years; and what nationalities those children and young people principally represented.   HL511

Baroness Doocey to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost of providing specialist care and additional safeguards in the accommodation for child victims of trafficking.   HL512

The Earl of Sandwich to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the second report of the Bail Observation Project on Immigration Bail Hearings, and in particular the section on the independence of immigration judges.   HL513

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their detailed estimate of the cost of abolishing the Audit Commission.   HL514

Prepared 23rd May 2013