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101533

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
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	Housing: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to promote environmental and sustainable housebuilding following the abolition of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	212394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Housing Standards Review has clearly established the Government’s policy to rationalise and simplify the many overlapping and confusing technical housing standards currently in operation. The Review will enable quality and sustainable housing developments to be brought forward more easily but without compromising essential safety and accessibility protections. The outcome of the Review also means that a number of the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will be consolidated into the Building Regulations, which would require substantial changes to the content of the current Code, as well as reconsideration of its role. So in the light of this, the Government stated in the recent technical consultation that the current Code will be wound down to coincide with the changes incorporating the new standards coming into force, early in the new year. The consultation also set out proposals on the transitional arrangements, and for the handling of legacy developments being built out to current Code requirements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212607 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:44:57 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

101536

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
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	Housing: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to assist local authorities build more sustainable homes.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	212393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has policies and programmes in place to assist local authorities to build more homes. This includes the £122 million additional borrowing allocated to 22 councils to help them build new affordable homes and support local growth. We will make further announcements of additional borrowing to local councils later in the year. This is only possible thanks to the decisive action we have taken to reduce the deficit left by the last Labour Government. Further details of the actions we have taken recently to support house building, amongst other departmental work, are set out in the written statement made on13 October 2014 (Official Report, Written Ministerial Statements, Column 2WS).</p><p> </p><p>All new homes have to meet Building Regulations’ requirements and in April strengthened energy performance standards came into effect. In the Housing Standards Review, the Government is streamlining the technical standards which apply to new housing development and consolidating as far as possible necessary requirements into Building Regulations to ensure new homes are sustainable. As part of the review, the Government intends to bring forward optional Building Regulations requirements in areas such as accessibility and water efficiency which will enable local authorities to apply higher standards than the Building Regulations national minimum standard where there is a local need, and viability is not compromised.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to sustainable development and local authorities should consider applications for housing development in that context.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212608 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:40:58 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

101679

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Females
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many women were in prisons in England on 30 June in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 respectively.
tabling member printed	Baroness Corston
uin	HL2501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The decision to sentence a person to a custodial sentence, or to remand a person into custody prior to trial or sentencing, is a matter for the independent judiciary and courts will take into account all the circumstances of the offence and the offender in determining this.</p><p> </p><p>For the last two years, the female prison population has been consistently under 4,000 for the first time in a decade. Data on the number of women in prison is published annually at:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339036/prison-population-2014.xls</p><p> </p><p>The numbers of women in prisons in England on 30<sup>th</sup> June on each of the years in question were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4,463</p></td><td><p>4,283</p></td><td><p>4,505</p></td><td><p>4,307</p></td><td><p>4,267</p></td><td><p>4,185</p></td><td><p>4,123</p></td><td><p>3,853</p></td><td><p>3,929</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are committed to making sure that sentencers have robust community options at their disposal. The Female Offenders Advisory Board are working in Greater Manchester on a pathfinder aimed at providing sentencers with robust and effective sentencing options in the community which may divert women from custody, where appropriate. Learning from the pathfinder will inform a new operating model for working differently with women in the criminal justice system. We are also testing a new model of liaison and diversion in police custody and the courts. The trial scheme, in 10 areas, will aim to identify, assess and refer people with mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and social vulnerabilities into treatment or support services.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working to make sure that female offenders have the support they need to turn their lives around. In March 2014, we published a first year progress report on delivery of our strategic objectives for female offenders, which sets out clearly our key priorities for addressing the needs of female offenders and reducing the number of women in custody. Our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms also mean that those serving under 12 month sentences will, for the first time in recent history, be subject to statutory supervision including a licence period in the community, aimed at supporting successful community reintegration and rehabilitation. Proportionally, more women than men are serving short sentences so they will benefit particularly from this element of the reforms.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 14:18:29 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	215 label Biography information for Baroness Corston

101680

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that Azure Card users are able to meet their essential living needs; and on what grounds they base their assessment.
tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
uin	HL2502
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are provided with accommodation; utilities, household equipment and healthcare are provided free. The Azure Card is provided to enable them to buy food and other items and is uploaded each week to the value of £35.39 for each person in the household. Extra assistance is also provided where necessary, for example by arranging travel to medical appointments and by providing maternity grants for pregnant women.</p><p>The Government keeps this package of assistance under review but is satisfied that it meets the essential living needs of recipients of section 4 support.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 11/11/2014 16:51:54 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

101681

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Asylum: Care Leavers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are currently being looked after by local authorities; and how many are being supported after the age of 18 under leaving care legislation.
tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
uin	HL2503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The numbers of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) looked after by each local authority in England at 31 March 2013 are published in Table LAA4 of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical first release.[1]</p><p> </p><p>The latest available figures (for 31 March 2014) are currently being prepared and will be published in December 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education collects information on care leavers aged 19 years old who were looked after aged 16 years old. The number of UASC who were care leavers aged 19 in the year ending 31 March 2013 is published in Table F1 of the Statistical first release.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 17/11/2014 14:45:17 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

101682

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
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	Travellers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions have been taken in pursuance of the commitments undertaken by the Ministerial Working Group on tacking inequalities experienced by Gypsies and Travellers in their progress report of April 2012; and what further meetings have taken place, with what outcomes, since that date.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL2504
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The Ministerial Working Group on Gypsies and Travellers was convened as an ad hoc meeting to discuss inequalities experienced by the Gypsy and Traveller community. This working group resulted in the publication of a progress report which included 28 commitments made by the Departments represented on it, with the aim of helping mainstream services work more effectively with Gypsies and Travellers.</p><p> </p><p>Since the report, Ministers have not needed to meet to implement the agreed policy, as this has been delegated to the Civil Service. There have been regular meetings between Gypsy and Traveller organisations and officials across Whitehall to discuss the progress made against the Government’s commitments, and wider action to improve the social outcomes of Gypsies and Travellers. We intend to publish a follow up report in due course.</p><p> </p><p>I have deposited in the Library of the House a document with a summary of progress so far against each of the 28 commitments with links to where further information can be found.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 11/11/2014 12:51:59 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon attachment 1 file name Gypsies and Travellers commitments -DEPOSITEDPAPER-455504 (HL2504).doc title 28 Commitments
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

101683

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
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	EU Grants and Loans
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which United Kingdom organisations have received European Union funding in the last year from structural, cohesion or other funds.
tabling member printed	Lord Vinson
uin	HL2505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The United Kingdom receives an allocation for the Structural Funds (the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund) but not the Cohesion Fund.</p><p> </p><p>A large number of United Kingdom organisations received European Funding under Structural Funds programmes in the last year. As these are too numerous to set down here, I have provided below details of websites which contain lists of beneficiary organisations.</p><p> </p><p>The links to the Structural Funds programmes are:</p><p> </p><p>ERDF Programmes in England: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements</a>.</p><p> </p><p>ESF England and Gibraltar: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/european-social-fund-2007-to-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/european-social-fund-2007-to-2013</a></p><p> </p><p>Devolved Administrations (ERDF &amp; ESF)</p><p> </p><p>Northern Ireland: <a href="http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/index/finance/european-funding.htm" target="_blank">http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/index/finance/european-funding.htm</a></p><p> </p><p>Scotland: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/support/17404/StructuralFunds2007-2013" target="_blank">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/support/17404/StructuralFunds2007-2013</a></p><p> </p><p>Wales: <a href="http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/progress/searchprojects/?lang=en" target="_blank">http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/progress/searchprojects/?lang=en</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In terms of other sources of EU funding that BIS is responsible for, this includes the Framework Programme 7 for Research &amp; Innovation with numerous participants from Higher Education, Research Organisations, Private Sector and Public bodies. Project information is not set out on the Commission website in such a way as to make it easy to identify UK recipients of EU funding in a calendar year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Another source of EU funding that BIS was responsible for was the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) under the Competitiveness of Innovation and Enterprises (CIP). The latest beneficiaries report is the 2012 version. The following link will provide more information about the recipients of the programme, <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012_en.pdf" target="_blank">Beneficiaries Report October 2012 Final Version</a> – <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012.en.pdf" target="_blank">http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012.en.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 05/11/2014 14:00:24 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson

101684

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration Controls: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to ensure that persons preparing to enter Northern Ireland from another country, and who intend to remain for any length of time, are required to declare previous criminal convictions and sentences in their native, or any other, countries, and that such declarations are cross-checked with those countries before entry to Northern Ireland is approved.
tabling member printed	Lord Morrow
uin	HL2506
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text <p>Those requiring entry clearance are already required to declare any criminal convictions as a part of the application process. Where an applicant has been convicted and received a prison sentence, this may lead to a mandatory refusal of entry clearance to the UK.</p><p>Her Majesty's Government is focused on improving our access to overseas criminality information and participates in several key EU information exchange mechanisms such as the European Criminal Records System (ECRIS) which has increased this capability, enabling us to remove and prevent the re-entry of EU offenders. The UK is also scheduled to join the Schengen Information System (SIS II) at the end of this year which will further strengthen our borders. ECRIS and SIS II are included in the package of 35 EU justice and home affairs measures that the Government is seeking to remain party to after 1 December, under Protocol 36 of the Treaty of Lisbon.</p><p>We are also leading efforts within the EU to share data on serious offenders, and have signed a number of Information Sharing Agreements with international partners to increase the availability and speed of criminal records exchange.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 20/11/2014 14:48:55 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3795 label Biography information for Lord Morrow

101686

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	High Speed 2 Line
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the advantages of the HS2 project, in the light of the statement in the booklet <i>Rebalancing Britain</i> at page 31 that journeys from London to York via the South Yorkshire hub would take 114 minutes plus time changing trains, and via the East Midlands hub would take 121 minutes plus time changing trains, whilst the existing direct journey from London to York takes around 120 minutes without any time changing trains.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL2508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The diagrams on page 31 of the <em>Rebalancing Britain</em> report published on 27 October 2014 demonstrate how far away a destination will be from the East Midlands and Sheffield. 　We plan to operate direct HS2 services from London Euston to York after the opening of Phase Two.</p><p> </p><p>The current proposal is to operate three direct services per hour from London to York.　 The current expected fastest journey time would be eighty four minutes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 04/11/2014 13:44:26 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

101687

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Revenue and Customs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the legal basis permitting HM Revenue and Customs to remove money from personal bank accounts without first obtaining a Court Order, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget speech in March.
tabling member printed	Lord Willoughby de Broke
uin	HL2509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government consulted on the process and safeguards for the Direct Recovery of Debts between 6 May and 29 July 2014. This policy will modernise and strengthen HM Revenue’s and Customs’ ability to recover tax and tax credit debts from those who are refusing to pay what they owe but have sufficient funds in their accounts.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government will publish draft legislation in due course.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In line with the Government’s Tax Policy Framework, this draft legislation will be consulted on before it is included in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finance_Bill" target="_blank">Finance Bill</a>, where it will be subject to the usual Parliamentary scrutiny</p> answering member printed Lord Deighton question first answered 17/11/2014 14:17:05 answering member 4262 label Biography information for Lord Deighton
tabling member	1775 label Biography information for Lord Willoughby de Broke