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100608

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many diplomatic staff and civil servants from each department or government agency have received or are receiving language training at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2339
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Since the Language Centre opened on 19th September 2013 a total of 45 different languages have been studied there either full or part-time by 813 students. Of those students, 779 are Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and 34 are from other government departments (OGDs) (including staff from the following departments: Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Innovation &amp; Skills, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, UK Trade and Investment, the Department for International Development, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the House of Commons). An additional 60 FCO staff have trained at the Institut Francais. Staff across the Civil Service can also access the FCO Language Centre library to continue to develop their own language skills outside formal study and 58 OGD staff have taken advantage of this offer so far. <br><br>It is important to note that when more appropriate, staff from OGDs also receive language training outside of the FCO Language Centre through use of the Civil Service-wide contract with Language Services Direct (the company that run the FCO Language Centre) or at the Institut Francais if French is required. Since September 2014, 113 OGD students have received language training on their own premises via the FCO contract. <br><br>The table below provides a breakdown of the languages that have been taught at the FCO Language Centre :<br><br>Albanian 2 <br>Arabic 186 <br>Azeri 1 <br>Bosnian 1 <br>Bulgarian 3 <br>Burmese 1 <br>Cambodian 1 <br>Czech 1 <br>Danish 2 <br>Dari 5 <br>Dutch 5 <br>Farsi 33 <br>Finnish 1 <br>French 14 <br>Georgian 1 <br>German 40 <br>Greek 4 <br>Hebrew 1 <br>Hindi 20 <br>Indonesian 4 <br>Italian 23 <br>Japanese 33 <br>Korean 8 <br>Macedonian 1 <br>Mandarin 93 <br>Norwegian 1 <br>Pashto 5 <br>Polish 3 <br>Portuguese 47 <br>Romanian 3 <br>Russian 84 <br>Serbian 3 <br>Sinhalese 1 <br>Slovak 1 <br>Slovene 1 <br>Spanish 153 <br>Swedish 3 <br>Tajik 1 <br>Thai 2 <br>Tigrinya 1 <br>Turkish 11 <br>Turkmen 1 <br>Urdu 4 <br>Uzbek 2 <br>Vietnamese 2 <br>Total 813</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 03/11/2014 15:37:02 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100609

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which languages have been studied by civil servants and diplomatic staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School; and how many civil servants and diplomatic staff have studied each language.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>Since the Language Centre opened on 19th September 2013 a total of 45 different languages have been studied there either full or part-time by 813 students. Of those students, 779 are Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and 34 are from other government departments (OGDs) (including staff from the following departments: Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Innovation &amp; Skills, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, UK Trade and Investment, the Department for International Development, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the House of Commons). An additional 60 FCO staff have trained at the Institut Francais. Staff across the Civil Service can also access the FCO Language Centre library to continue to develop their own language skills outside formal study and 58 OGD staff have taken advantage of this offer so far.</p><p>It is important to note that when more appropriate, staff from OGDs also receive language training outside of the FCO Language Centre through use of the Civil Service-wide contract with Language Services Direct (the company that run the FCO Language Centre) or at the Institut Francais if French is required. Since September 2014, 113 OGD students have received language training on their own premises via the FCO contract.</p><p>The table below provides a breakdown of the languages that have been taught at the FCO Language Centre:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Albanian</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Arabic</p></td><td><p>186</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Azeri</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bosnian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bulgarian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Burmese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cambodian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Danish</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dari</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dutch</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Farsi</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finnish</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>French</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Georgian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>German</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greek</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hebrew</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hindi</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Indonesian</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italian</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Japanese</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Korean</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Macedonian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mandarin</p></td><td><p>93</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norwegian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pashto</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Polish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portuguese</p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Romanian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Russian</p></td><td><p>84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Serbian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sinhalese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovak</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovene</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spanish</p></td><td><p>153</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swedish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tajik</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Thai</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tigrinya</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkish</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkmen</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Urdu</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Uzbek</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vietnamese</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>813</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:51:51 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100610

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect to see an increase in the numbers of United Kingdom civil servants capable of fulfilling the language requirements for applications to the European Civil Service; and if so by how many, and by when.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2341
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government is working to increase the number of applicants to the European Civil Service and to increase civil service language training. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports all UK applicants, including civil servants, through the EU recruitment process, including advice on how to pass the recruitment tests in a foreign language. The European Fast Stream programme has been re-structured for 2014 and the training updated. As part of this, the language training provided to participants has been revised and tailored to offer more effective preparation for the Commission’s entry exam known as The Concours. There is also language training offered to civil servants through the FCO language centre. Some Government Departments also offer training in-house in different languages.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:54:59 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100611

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how civil servants from all departments with the wish or the potential to benefit from a course at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School are identified.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2342
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text Full-time language training is available to all staff on appointment to one of the 674 designated ‘speaker’ roles based across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s network of posts overseas. Appointment is made following an advert, application and selection by interview for a position. All positions (including speaker roles) in the Senior Management Service are also advertised across the Civil Service. A number of positions (including speaker roles) in the delegated grades are also advertised across the Civil Service via ‘Interchange’. All FCO staff (or staff from other governmental departments (OGDs) if on Interchange) and their spouses/partners posted to non-speaker roles in a foreign country also have the option of taking up language training to reach a basic level (Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) – A2 Confidence foreign language proficiency) to help settle into a new posting overseas. FCO staff who wish to develop skills in a foreign language can also attend a rolling programme of part-time lunchtime or evening classes in 12 languages. Where there is space in these classes, OGD staff are offered places based on language learning needs analyses by Departments. Language Services Direct (the company who run the FCO Language Centre) also provide part-time classes to a number of OGDs (the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Cabinet Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for International Development, Members of Parliament, UK Hydrographic Office) on their own premises or at Language Services Direct premises (HM Revenue and Customs). Language Services Direct also run a bespoke training package for staff from both the FCO and across the Civil Service wishing to apply for positions within EU institutions. A number of OGDs also appoint staff, following their own internal appointment processes, to their own ‘speaker’ roles overseas and are able use the Language Centre for training, or receive training at their own premises from Language Services Direct. To-date over 130 OGD staff have been trained either full-time or part-time at the Centre or at their own premises. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:56:28 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100612

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to conduct a comprehensive audit of the foreign language skills currently possessed by civil servants across all departments and government agencies.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2343
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>I refer my noble friend to the answer provided by The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 November, <em>Official Report</em>, Column WA188.</p><p>There are currently no plans for a formal audit across Government to measure the foreign language skills currently possessed by civil servants.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 04/11/2014 16:55:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100613

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Electricity Generation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the relative current delivered costs of electricity delivered to users in the United Kingdom produced respectively by nuclear fusion, offshore electricity, solar photovoltaic, gas and coal.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2344
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>DECC’s most recently published figures for the levelised costs of electricity generation for different technologies are available in the DECC Electricity Generation Costs (December 2013) report:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269888/131217_Electricity_Generation_costs_report_December_2013_Final.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269888/131217_Electricity_Generation_costs_report_December_2013_Final.pdf</a></p><p>Table 1 below is taken from this report, and shows a range of levelised cost estimates for nuclear offshore wind, solar photovoltaic, and gas projects commissioning in 2014 and 2020 at technology specific hurdle rates (pre-tax real). Estimates are not published for nuclear projects commissioning in 2014, or coal projects without carbon capture and storage commissioning in 2014 or 2020 given there will be no new projects commissioned in this timeframe. DECC does not publish cost estimates for nuclear fusion.</p><p><strong><em>Table 1: Levelised cost estimates for different technologies, technology specific hurdle rates, sensitivities around high/low capital costs</em></strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>£/MWh</p><p>£2012</p></td><td><p>Projects commissioning in 2014,</p><p>£/MWh</p></td><td><p>Projects commissioning in 2020,</p><p>£/MWh</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nuclear</p></td><td><p>n.a.</p></td><td><p>79 – 102</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Offshore wind Round 2</p></td><td><p>131 - 168</p></td><td><p>105 – 135</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Offshore wind Round 3</p></td><td><p>144 - 189</p></td><td><p>115 - 152</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Large scale solar PV</p></td><td><p>114 - 131</p></td><td><p>83 - 94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>CCGT (gas) *</p></td><td><p>73 - 76</p></td><td><p>79 - 83</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>* CCGT: Combined Cycle Gas Turbine</em></p><p>The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total costs of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant’s lifetime (per megawatt hour). Levelised cost estimates are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates. Estimates of levelised costs differ from the retail electricity prices that are paid by consumers (i.e. on delivery of electricity).</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 04/11/2014 15:14:30 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma attachment 1 file name Electricity Generation Costs Report December 2013.pdf title Electricity Generation Costs Report December 2013
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100614

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Renewable Energy
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what allowance is made in future costings of renewable energy for weather conditions, such as when wind or solar power are not available.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>Estimates of the levelised costs of electricity generation for different technologies are published by DECC. The levelised cost of a particular generation technology is the ratio of the total costs of a generic plant to the total amount of electricity expected to be generated over the plant’s lifetime (per megawatt hour). Where relevant, estimates of electricity generation make an allowance for weather conditions based on estimates of when the relevant energy source is expected to be available, on average, over a plant’s lifetime (load factors). This is the case for intermittent renewable technologies such as onshore wind and solar photovoltaic.</p><p>Levelised cost estimates also depend on other assumptions, including capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, discount rates and other drivers. This means that there is a range around levelised cost estimates.</p><p>The DECC Electricity Generation Costs (December 2013) report contains DECC’s latest levelised cost estimates.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 04/11/2014 15:13:19 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma attachment 1 file name Electricity Generation Costs Report December 2013.pdf title Electricity Generation Costs Report December 2013
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100615

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Diesel Vehicles
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce measures to reduce the use of diesel engines as compared to petrol engines because of the effects of diesel fumes on health.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2346
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>Progressively tighter new vehicle European emission standards have reduced harmful particulate matter pollution emissions from diesel vehicles to a point where they are now equivalent to those from petrol vehicles. The latest emission standard for lorries and buses, Euro VI, will in addition substantially reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Government experts are working with the European Commission and other member states to ensure that the Euro 6 emission standard for diesel cars and vans will also deliver reduced NOx emissions.</p><p> </p><p>In addition between 2011 and 2020 we have committed over two billion pounds to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles, on active and sustainable travel and to support green transport initiatives, which will help to improve air quality.</p><p> </p><p>As such, the Government has no current plans for any specific restriction or prohibition on the production or sale of diesel vehicles.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 04/11/2014 13:45:31 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100616

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Official Cars
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, when purchasing vehicles for use by government departments, what criteria they apply regarding whether to purchase petrol- or diesel- fuelled cars.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2347
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>Public sector procurers are required to seek value for money through fair and open competition and Government will always award contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer.</p><p>Crown Commercial Service manages a framework agreement for the supply of diesel, petrol and electric powered vehicles which Government departments use to meet their vehicle requirements.</p><p>Departments decide which fuel is most appropriate based on their individual requirements including whole life costs and may access advice and guidance from Crown Commercial Service as appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 06/11/2014 17:50:33 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100617

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Sports: Primary Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the commitments made after the Olympic Games, what plans they have to increase the time allocated and resources spent per pupil on sport in all primary schools; and what additional resources will be allocated for that purpose.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2348
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>All maintained schools must teach a full programme of study for PE and it is up to schools to decide how much time they should devote to PE, or indeed to any other national curriculum subject. New research has shown that primary school pupils are now spending an average of more than two hours a week in PE lessons – an increase of 13 minutes since last year. Through the primary PE and sport premium we are providing over £450 million of ring-fenced funding across the three academic years beginning in 2013/14. The premium goes directly to primary schools to be spent on PE and sport; our research has shown that over 90% of schools have improved the quality of their PE lessons as a direct result of this funding.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:15:50 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton