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419879

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Change of Use
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of (a) extending and (b) making permanent permitted development rights to convert offices to residential buildings.
tabling member constituency	Finchley and Golders Green
tabling member printed	Mike Freer
uin	11024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>To further support new housing supply and home ownership we are announcing further changes to permitted development rights. When the Government brought forward measures from the summer 2014 ‘Technical consultation on planning’ we undertook to further consider the case for extending the office to residential reforms, which are helping to provide more new homes on brownfield land. These rights are being used, with almost 4,900 applications received by councils in the five quarters ending June 2015 and 4,000 approved during the same period, without needing to go through the whole planning process.</p><p>Given the extensive use of the right, I can confirm that the Government intends to make permanent the permitted development right that provides for offices to change to residential use and extend the right to allow for demolition of the office and replacement by new housing on a like for like basis. This has the potential to allow for a new building to better accommodate new homes and improve design quality. We will allow for those applicants who already have prior approval or who secure a new prior approval to have three years from the date of their approval in which to complete the change of use.</p><p>Those areas that are currently exempt from the office to residential permitted development right, such as the City of London, the London Central Activities Zone and Central Manchester will remain so until May 2019. This will provide time for local authorities with exemptions to bring forward an Article 4 direction in line with national policy for these areas if they wish. Alongside this, we will also bring forward new permitted development rights for three years that allow buildings up to 500m2 used for light industry compatible with housing, to change to residential use. There will also be a permanent right for launderettes of up to 150m2 to change to residential. These changes will further increase the contribution to housing delivery and reduce unnecessary planning regulations.</p><p>These permitted development rights allow more development to take place without the need for a planning application. They will be subject to prior approval, allowing consideration by the local planning authority of specific planning matters.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 13/10/2015 15:03:08 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer

420219

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Animal Experiments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department's document, Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals for 2014, will be published.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	10770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The Statistics of scientific procedures on living animals for 2014 has been pre-announced on GOV.UK for publication on Thursday 22 October 2015.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 13/10/2015 13:12:25 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

419694

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Saudi Arabia: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and in particular its commitment to freedom of religion or belief.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Bristol
uin	HL2397
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>Saudi Arabia is a Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office priority country because of the human rights situation, particularly on the death penalty, access to justice, women’s rights, restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion or belief. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief. Islamic law is strictly enforced in Saudi Arabia and the public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal. The Saudi authorities do accept foreign workers privately practising religions other than Islam. <br> <br>We believe that the key to increasing freedom in this area is to focus on tolerance. We have worked with Saudi Arabia to identify areas where different faiths could work together and foster trust.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:40:17 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	3892 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Bristol

419695

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Saudi Arabia: UN Human Rights Council
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the appointment of Saudi Arabia to head a panel at the UN Human Rights Council.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Bristol
uin	HL2398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The appointment of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the UN Consultative Group as Chair was an internal decision of the Consultative Group, which is comprised of five Ambassadors, one from each of the five regional groups of the UN. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador is the Asian Group representative in the Consultative Group, to which appointment lasts for one year.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:40:58 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	3892 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Bristol

419696

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Ali Mohammed al-Nimr
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the decision by the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia to uphold the sentencing of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who was arrested as a juvenile, to death by crucifixion for seeking democratic reforms in that country.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL2399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The British Government is very concerned about the case of Ali Mohammed Al-Nimr. We have raised this case with the Saudi Arabian authorities at a senior level including by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond). We will continue to follow this case closely. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This includes the execution of a minor and the use of the death penalty for a crime which isn’t deemed “the most serious”.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:41:38 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

419697

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to Saudi Arabia regarding the use of beheading and crucifixion as criminal punishments.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL2400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, especially in cases which do not meet the minimum standards defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We believe it undermines human dignity and there is no evidence that it works as a deterrent.</p><p>Ministers, our Ambassador in Riyadh, and the Embassy team in Riyadh frequently raise the issue of the death penalty with the Saudi authorities, bilaterally and through the European Union.</p><p /> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:42:04 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

419699

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Sudan: Cluster Munitions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Sudan following the findings by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor that Sudanese armed forces used air-dropped cluster bombs in Darfur and South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains in the first half of 2015.
tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
uin	HL2402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>We have brought this issue to the attention of the Government of Sudan. We have also raised the use of cluster munitions in Darfur through the UN Security Council and will continue to do so. Most recently, the UK-drafted Security Council resolution 2228 called for the Government of Sudan to immediately investigate evidence on cluster munitions presented by the Secretary General. The UK is clear that cluster munitions should in no circumstances be used to target civilians, and urge all States to act in accordance with international humanitarian law.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:42:50 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

419712

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Turkey: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, or other similar bodies, will be sending official observers to the general election on 1 November in Turkey; and if not, why not.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The British Government has already deployed 2 Long Term Observers to Turkey to join the 18 other Long Term Observers in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Limited Election Observation Mission for the early parliamentary elections in Turkey scheduled for 1 November 2015.</p><p>Delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and from the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE will also observe the elections in Turkey on 1 November.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:43:46 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

419714

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Yemen: Military Intervention
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Saudi Arabia about their air attacks on towns and cities in Yemen and the consequent civilian casualties.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>The British Government is in regular contact with the Saudi authorities about the situation in Yemen through our Embassy in Riyadh and our Yemen Office based in Jeddah. The UK has been consistently clear with all sides to the conflict over the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law during this conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Al Jubeir on 29 September in the margins of the UN General Assembly, and underlined the importance the UK attaches to finding a political solution to the current crisis as soon as possible. He also reinforced the necessity of full compliance with international humanitarian law.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:53:24 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

419715

registered interest
date	05/10/2015
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	Israel: Palestinians
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 progress achieved at the meeting of the Middle East Quartet on 10 September.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2015 answer text <p>On 30 September 2015, the Quartet met in the margins of the UN General Assembly. The Quartet released a statement reaffirming its commitment to the two state solution and noting the urgency of progress towards this objective, in the context of the intensifying threat of terrorism, sectarian extremism and radicalisation in the Middle East. Amongst other things, the Quartet expressed concern at current trends, and stressed the need for significant steps on the ground, consistent with past agreements. The UK, represented by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), attended the expanded second part of the meeting. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for practical actions which would have impact on the ground and expressed concern at settlements, housing demolitions and population clearances.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2015 14:54:16 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton