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90933

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Zimbabwe
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to presenting a case to the International Criminal Court to bring charges against President Mugabe for genocide and crimes against humanity.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1859
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2014 answer text <p>Zimbabwe is not a party to the Rome Statute so the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no jurisdiction over events which have taken place in that country.</p><p>For the ICC's Prosecutor to be able to initiate an investigation in these circumstances either the Government of Zimbabwe would have to voluntarily accept the ICC’s jurisdiction, or a referral from the UN Security Council would be required.</p><p>Under the Rome Statute the Security Council can only refer a situation to the ICC; it cannot refer the case of any specific individual.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/09/2014 10:48:29 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79796

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Sanctions: Russia
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that United Kingdom companies conducting business in or with the government of Russia in compliance with European Union sanctions will not be subject to any penalties applied by United States authorities which allege that sanctions have been breached on the basis of the United States' system of sanctions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1685
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The European Union has coordinated very closely with the United States on sanctions against Russia. The European Union and the United States acting in a coordinated manner not only has the maximum possible effect on Russia’s policy calculations but also ensures that we reduce to an absolute minimum the likelihood that any UK companies that comply with the European Union legislation will nevertheless fall foul of United States’ sanctions legislation applying extraterritorially. At present we are not aware of any specific circumstances where this is likely to occur, but any company with concerns about United States sanctions should in the first instance consult United States lawyers or regulatory authorities to ensure that they comply with applicable United States legislation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 11/08/2014 10:26:18 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79793

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Police: Vehicles
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 4x4s or SUVs or off-road vehicles each police force possesses, listed by make and model.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1682
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>Data on the number of vehicles possessed by police forces is not collected by the Home Office.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Taylor of Holbeach question first answered 04/08/2014 12:33:48 answering member 3787 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Holbeach
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

89896

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Pharmacy
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis the Department of Health reimburses small independent chemists for NHS prescription drugs; whether they reimburse the full wholesale amount to chemists; and, if the full cost is not reimbursed, on what basis the payment is made.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>The National Health Service pays community pharmacies that provide NHS pharmaceutical services a combination of fees and allowances for services provided and reimbursement for the products supplied as laid out in the Drug Tariff. The Drug Tariff is a compilation of determinations made by the Secretary of State and NHS England.</p><p> </p><p>The reimbursement prices for products supplied are set in a number of different ways depending, for example, on whether the product is prescribed as a brand or a generic. For example, reimbursement prices for the most commonly prescribed generic products are set out in Part VIIIA of the Drug Tariff and are placed in categories A, C and M. The reimbursement price is established differently depending on the category in which the product is placed. For example, Category M prices are set using volume and sales data from suppliers.</p><p> </p><p>The total of the reimbursement prices of products supplied by a pharmacy is subjected to a deduction as set out in Part V of the Drug Tariff. The size of the deduction is dependent on the value of the total of the reimbursement prices for that pharmacy. The larger the total, the larger the deduction. Each pharmacy providing NHS services, whether independent or part of a larger company, is paid in this way.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 15/09/2014 11:22:53 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

89894

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children: Rotherham
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to bringing criminal charges for conspiracy and misconduct in a public office against any officials, social workers, councillors and police officers who failed to take action against child abusers and rapists, as outlined in the report by Professor Jay, <i>Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013)</i>.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1736
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>South Yorkshire Police is currently conducting a number of investigations which relate to the period covered by the report. As these are ongoing investigations it would be inappropriate to make further comment. The CPS will consider all potential offences referred to it by the police in accordance with the two-stage test set out in the <em>Code for Crown Prosecutors</em>.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Tankerness question first answered 15/09/2014 11:27:55 answering member 630 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Tankerness
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

89895

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the report by Professor Jay, <i>Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013),</i> they will ask Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to investigate police forces which have large Pakistani communities to establish whether any reports of child rape were systematically ignored or covered up.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1737
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2014 answer text <p>The failings in Rotherham exposed by this inquiry are appalling and the Coalition Government is absolutely clear that the lessons of past failure must be learned. <br><br>Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has a key role to ensure that identified weaknesses are addressed, and has several relevant inspection programmes underway. As part of their 2014/15 business plan, the Home Secretary commissioned HMIC to inspect forces to honour based violence and, in particular, how well forces establish and maintan relations with minority communities in a multi-cultural society, identify and assist vulnerable people and victims, and encourage increased reporting of crimes.</p><p>This work is scheduled to report in early 2015. Concurrently, HMIC are carrying out an audit of the quality of crime recording in every police force, which includes an examination of when forces are incorrectly 'no-criming' serious offences such as rape and sexual assault. HMIC's full report and conclusions will be published in October. Furthermore, HMIC intends to use its forthcoming all-force PEEL inspection programme to monitor how effective forces are at protecting those at greatest risk of harm, including children. HMIC are currently consulting on the methodology for this programme. There is no question of other sensitivities preventing steps from being taken to ensure both the proper protection of children and the prosecution of those responsible for the sexual abuse of children.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 22/09/2014 10:55:57 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

91862

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	answering dept id	10
	answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
	answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
	hansard heading	Obesity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Sarah E. Jackson et al. published by University College London <i>Perceived Weight Discrimination and Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference, and Weight Status</i>, which referred to negative attitudes towards obese individuals as a form of discrimination.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1920
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the report by Sarah Jackson and colleagues as a contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this important area. Obese people often face negative and discriminatory attitudes. While obesity is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, if obesity results in long term physical or mental impairment (as set out in Section 6 of the 2010 Act) then the person with the impairment will be protected from unlawful discrimination under this Act. The Government Equalities Office runs a body image programme, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of body image, promote the positive representation of a healthy diversity of body types, and support young people’s resilience and media literacy. Obesity is a considerable problem for public health, and the Government is committed to tackling this through its national obesity strategy. Public Health England also works to promote good body image along with healthy lifestyles.</p><p> </p><p>Many of those who react negatively to obese individuals justify doing so by alluding to rising rates of obesity. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that good body image is an important motivator in achieving and sustaining a healthy weight – and, conversely, that low body confidence is associated with continued weight gain. The Government’s Change4Life campaign does not engage in fat shaming or denigration of obese people; it encourages all of us to take steps to improve our health and wellbeing and adopt a healthier diet, starting from wherever we are.</p><p> </p><p>In 2013 the Government Equalities Office hosted a multidisciplinary academic seminar that explored these issues, and the body image programme continues to contribute to the Department of Health’s important work on obesity.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 13/10/2014 13:16:51 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

93693

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Nature Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Wide Fund for Nature <i>Living Planet Report 2014</i>; what proposals they have to halt the destruction of species; and what they consider to be implications of the findings of that report for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL2122
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government considers the Living Planet Report an interesting contribution to increasing our understanding of the scale of the challenge facing species internationally but has made no formal assessment of its findings.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Internationally, we frame our work on biodiversity under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. A comprehensive assessment, the Fourth Global Biodiversity Outlook, was published at the recent 12th Conference of the Parties to the CBD. This reported significant progress towards meeting some components of the majority of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. However, in most cases, additional action will be required to meet the targets by 2020. The Parties agreed to take comprehensive and urgent measures to ensure the full implementation of the Strategic Plan, including through the development and implementation of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government helps achieve these global targets internationally through elements of Overseas Development Aid (particularly forest protection through the International Climate Fund and contributions to the Global Environment Facility) and through direct and financial support for various international agreements including the CBD, the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The Darwin Initiative provides up to £6 million bi-lateral funding annually for developing countries to help meet their obligations under these international agreements, improve biodiversity and natural environment management and reduce poverty; and up to £2 million annually from the Darwin Plus fund for projects in the UK’s Overseas Territories.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK Government is also taking a leading role in global efforts to end the illegal wildlife trade. In December 2013, we announced a £10 million funding package to support efforts in developing countries to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife products. In February 2014 we hosted a high-level international conference for leaders from over 40 nations. This resulted in the London Conference Declaration, containing 25 commitments to action on enforcement and criminal justice, demand reduction and sustainable livelihoods.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Domestically, the Government set out its response to the CBD’s Strategic Plan in “Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services”, which aims to halt overall biodiversity loss by 2020. The strategy includes a commitment to achieve an overall improvement in the status of our wildlife and to prevent further human-induced extinctions of known threatened species.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It will be for Parties to CITES to decide how that Convention should respond to the Living Planet Report and other information about the status of species, which may be reflected in future proposals to list endangered species under the Convention.</p><p><br></p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 27/10/2014 16:10:22 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

91859

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	NHS: Staff
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the receptiveness of the public to health advice from medical staff whom they believe to be unhealthy; and on what evidence any such assessment is based.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1917
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department has not carried out an assessment of the public’s receptiveness to advice from medical staff they believe to be unhealthy.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 13/10/2014 13:11:51 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

91861

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	NHS: Staff
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Dr Steven Boorman<i> NHS Health and well-being</i>, which concluded that there was a relationship between employee health and well-being and performance on issues such as patient satisfaction, annual health check ratings and MRSA rates.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL1919
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government acknowledges Dr Boorman’s conclusions and, each year since 2010, has commissioned support for NHS trusts to improve their staff health and wellbeing.</p><p> </p><p>Progress is being made. This year, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) concluded in its audit, <em>Implementing NICE public health guidance for the workplace: a national organisational audit of NHS trusts in England</em>, that “National Health Service trusts are beginning to prioritise staff health and wellbeing” saying “employers that implement the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) workplace guidance tend to have a healthier and more productive workforce and better patient outcomes”. The NICE workplace guidance focuses on board and staff engagement; physical activity; tackling obesity; promoting mental wellbeing; smoking cessation and the management of long term sickness absence.</p><p>This year’s audit by the RCP was a repeat from 2011 following Boorman and while it showed progress, there is no room for complacency although NHS staff sickness absence (4.06%)<sup>1</sup> is the lowest since Boorman and all NHS staff have access to occupational health services.</p><p>The Department’s support for the NHS, which it provides via NHS Employers, is based on five high impact actions: developing local evidence based improvement plans; with strong visible leadership; supported by improved management capability; with access to better, local, high quality accredited occupational health services; and where staff are encouraged and enabled to take more responsibility for their health.</p><p> </p><p>[1] This is the latest full year percentage figure for NHS staff sickness absence calculated as a rolling average annual percentage rate and based on figures published in July by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 13/10/2014 13:13:58 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra