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446639

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
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 they have the power or ability to refer Operation Midland to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
tabling member printed	Earl Attlee
uin	HL5295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2016 answer text <p>The Home Office is unable to refer matters to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and cannot comment on individual cases which are a matter for individual forces.</p><p>Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002 places a duty on the appropriate authority to refer a matter to the IPCC under certain prescribed circumstances. The appropriate authority would usually be the chief constable or, where the complaint or conduct matter relates to a chief officer, the local policing body for the force in question.</p><p>The appropriate authority may also refer a complaint to the IPCC if it considers it appropriate to do so because of the gravity of the subject-matter or there are any exceptional circumstances involved. Where the appropriate authority is the chief constable and a case is not referred, the local policing body for the force may refer the matter to the Commission on the same grounds. The IPCC can, at any time, require the appropriate authority to refer a matter to it for consideration.</p><p>As part of the measures to strengthen the powers of the IPCC in the forthcoming Policing and Crime Bill, the IPCC will in future have the power to investigate allegations of police misconduct, death or serious injury and complaints against the police without first awaiting or requiring a referral from a force.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/02/2016 15:32:30 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3425 label Biography information for Earl Attlee

446640

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Discipline
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many extra days or weeks imprisonment have been given to prisoners for assaults committed on (1) fellow prisoners, and (2) prison staff, in each of the last five years.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL5296
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The table attached shows the numbers of awards of additional days in prison establishments as a result of adjudications in each year since 2011, for breach of prison discipline involving violence, including the number of adjudications where awards of added days were as a result of an assault against (1) another prisoner or (2) a member of prison staff.</p><p> </p><p>Violence in prison has increased in recent years. The nature of offenders currently in custody and the widespread availability of new psychoactive substances have both contributed to making prisons less safe. There is no single, simple solution to improving safety in prisons but we are making progress.</p><p> </p><p>We are trialling the use of body worn cameras and training sniffer dogs to detect New Psychoactive Substances. We have made it an offence to smuggle New Psychoactive Substances into prison, but ultimately the only way to reduce violence in prisons is to give governors and those who work in prisons the tools necessary to reform and rehabilitate offenders more effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Data for 2015 - 2016 is not yet available.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 04/02/2016 17:51:17 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks attachment 1 file name HL5296 - Table.xlsx title Extra Days of imprisonment table
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

446641

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	EU Nationals: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people from other EU countries have been admitted to (1) work, and (2) live, in Northern Ireland in each year since 2010.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL5297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2016 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p> answering member printed Lord Bridges of Headley question first answered 01/02/2016 16:29:40 answering member 4535 label Biography information for Lord Bridges of Headley attachment 1 file name HL5297 Letter.pdf title Referral Letter
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

446642

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
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	Basic Skills
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what resources and schemes are being targeted at those who lack the basic levels of literacy and numeracy.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL5298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2016 answer text <p>This Government understands the importance of English and maths and makes these subjects a priority for support within the adult skills system. Adults who improve their literacy and numeracy are more likely to experience better health and well-being, increase their chances of employment and progress to better jobs.</p><p>We fully fund, through a statutory entitlement, all adults to achieve their first English and maths GCSE at grade C or above as well as other qualifications which help them get to that level. The total funding for English and maths for academic year 2013/14 (including for apprenticeships, English for Speakers of Other Languages and prisoners) was £563,961,000. Of this £142m was spent on English and maths in apprenticeships. (905,600 learners participated in English and maths courses in 2013/14)</p><p>We fund a wide range of learners to study English and maths including:<br>• Prisoners, through the Offender Learning and Skills Service<br>• Learners in the community, including through Family English, Maths and Language<br>• People who need English for Speakers of Other Languages <br>• Trainees as part of their traineeship<br>• Apprentices as part of their apprenticeship<br>• Jobseekers</p><p>We have increased our expectations of what learners should achieve in order to increase the standard of literacy and numeracy. To do this we have embedded English and maths at the heart of all our major programmes. This means:<br>• Learners who did not achieve a good GCSE pass in English and/ or maths by the age of 16 are now required to continue to study those subjects post-16; <br>• Since 2014/15, the English and maths requirement for Intermediate Apprenticeships has been stronger, with all apprentices who have already achieved level 1 English and maths having to work towards level 2;<br>• Since 2014/15, young people undertaking a traineeship have been required to study English and maths unless they already have level 2 qualifications in these subjects;<br>• In August 2014, we introduced mandatory assessment of maths and English for all newly-received prisoners to ensure that all offenders, not just those that go into learning, receive a learning assessment (focused around English and maths, but also covering learning difficulties and disabilities)</p><p>We have reformed GCSEs to ensure they are more stretching and provide greater assurance of core literacy and numeracy than the old GCSEs. We also recognise that some people are not ready to take GCSE so we are also improving the rigour and relevance of English and maths Functional Skills qualifications, which are taken by many students and apprentices aged 16 and over. We have commissioned the Education and Training Foundation to revise the National Literacy and Numeracy Standards and reform Functional Skills. The foundation has launched a consultation which will run until April and which will involve employers, teacher and subject experts.</p><p>We recognise the need to improve the quality of English and maths teaching in further education. We have invested over £30m over the past 3 years to fund a range of measures to improve the workforce in areas such as leadership, governance, teaching and learning, with a particular focus on maths and English. This has resulted in over 1,000 bursaries to attract graduates to teach in further education and over 3,800 teachers have benefited from training to improve the quality of their English and maths courses. <br>We are undertaking a range of research to best understand where Government investment in English and maths has the greatest impact and delivers value for money. This includes:<br>• Using behavioural insights to identify how to motivate adults to improve their English and maths and encourage learners to keep studying once enrolled on a course; ;<br>• Longitudinal research into skills gain and skills atrophy of adult English and maths learners<br>• Comparing the impact of blended and more traditional classroom learning.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 01/02/2016 12:38:20 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

446643

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	National Crime Agency: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the overall performance of the National Crime Agency during its first year of total operation in Northern Ireland.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL5299
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2016 answer text <p>Since 20 May 2015, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has been operating with full powers in Northern Ireland. As the NCA recently reported to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on 16 December 2015, from 01 April 2015 up to 30 September 2015, the NCA has recorded 29 disruptions against organised crime groups and high priority threats operating in Northern Ireland. The scope of the NCA’s crime-fighting capability within the jurisdiction has expanded. The NCA has worked in partnership with the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the support that the NCA provides law enforcement partners, particularly the PSNI has been enhanced.</p><p>The Crime and Courts Act 2013 (National Crime Agency and Proceeds of Crime) (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 requires the Northern Ireland Policing Board to monitor the exercise of the functions of the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland. The interim Memorandum of Understanding between the National Crime Agency and the Northern Ireland Policing Board states the Board is required, not later than six months after the end of each financial year, to issue a report relating to the policing of Northern Ireland for the next financial year. The report will include an assessment of the exercise of the functions of the NCA in Northern Ireland.</p><p>The NCA is committed to playing its role in tackling serious and organised crime in Northern Ireland. Hence, the NCA will be fully engaged in delivering the commitment outlined in the ‘A Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan’ to a concerted and enhanced effort to combat serious and organised and cross border crime.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/02/2016 14:42:11 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

446644

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Taxis: Licensing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what safety and background checks are carried out on people renewing taxi driver licences or applying for new taxi driver licences in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL5300
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England and Wales license taxi drivers. Regulation of taxi drivers in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved to the Scottish Government and Northern Irish Assembly respectively.</p><p> </p><p>Local licensing authorities in England and Wales have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a taxi driver’s licence is a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.</p><p> </p><p>Although the term ‘fit and proper’ is not defined in legislation, the procedure for assessing a driver’s fitness will typically involve a criminal record check, a medical check, a local topographical knowledge test and possibly a special driving test. The inclusion of any or all of these elements and the stringency thereof is a matter for the licensing authority. However, the Department for Transport publishes Best Practice Guidance to assist licensing authorities when setting standards.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/02/2016 11:58:42 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

446645

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	The Lord Chairman of Committees
answering dept id	200
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Chairman of Committees (HoL)
hansard heading	House of Lords: Flowers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Chairman of Committees how much has been spent by the House of Lords on floristry services on the Parliamentary estate for each of the last five years for which figures are available.
tabling member printed	Baroness Corston
uin	HL5301
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The cost of flowers for the House of Lords is set out in the table below. These costs relate primarily to flowers in catering and retail outlets, and ceremonial events, such as state visits. The cost of flowers in the House of Commons portion of the Parliamentary estate is a matter for the House of Commons Commission.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount</strong> (<strong>£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>23,185</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>13,956</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>11,656</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>13,459</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16 (to December 2015)</p></td><td><p>9,276</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures do not include flowers for banqueting functions and other income generating business as these costs are paid for by the customer or revenue from the event.</p><p>Catering and Retail Services keeps its expenditure on flowers under review, to ensure that it is delivering best value to the taxpayer.</p> answering member printed Lord Laming question first answered 04/02/2016 14:03:47 answering member 2079 label Biography information for Lord Laming
tabling member	215 label Biography information for Baroness Corston

446646

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	The Lord Chairman of Committees
answering dept id	200
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name	Chairman of Committees (HoL)
hansard heading	House of Lords: Flowers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask the Chairman of Committees when the current contract for floristry services is due for renewal.
tabling member printed	Baroness Corston
uin	HL5302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>The floristry services contract is due for re-tender ahead of the expiration of the current contract, in September 2017.</p> answering member printed Lord Laming question first answered 04/02/2016 11:49:31 answering member 2079 label Biography information for Lord Laming
tabling member	215 label Biography information for Baroness Corston

446647

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will intervene in the case of Momand Qais, an interpreter for the UK armed forces in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2009, whose application for asylum has been rejected, together with his appeal against that decision.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL5303
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2016 answer text <p>The Home Office does not comment publicly on individual cases.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 02/02/2016 15:44:52 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

446648

registered interest
date	21/01/2016
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prostitution: Wales
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, there have been in Wales under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since 2010, and what penalty was imposed in each case.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gale
uin	HL5304
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>There were no prosecutions brought under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (the latest available).</p><p>Data on court proceedings for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 04/02/2016 17:41:37 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2503 label Biography information for Baroness Gale