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895205

registered interest
date	01/05/2018
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Cost of Living
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 30 April (HL6934), when the Office for National Statistics expects to be able to produce regional price indices, including for Northern Ireland.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL7465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2018 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Letter from John Pullinger CB, National Statistician, to Lord Maginnis of Drumglas , dated 3 May 2018.</strong></p><p> </p><p>Dear Lord Maginnis,</p><p> </p><p>As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 30 April (HL6934), when the Office for National Statistics expects to be able to produce regional price indices, including for Northern Ireland <strong>(HL7465)</strong>.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for National Statisitcs (ONS) commissioned the University of Southampton to produce a feasibility study into producing price indices for all the Government Office Regions, including Northern Ireland, using current price and expenditure data. The results of this research were published in November 2017[1]. Following this publication, we have further commissioned University of Southampton to continue the study. While still underway, initial findings of the study suggest that we will be unable to produce reliable regional price indices without a significant increase in the price sample for this area, which would be costly. We expect the study to be completed by December 2018.</p><p> </p><p>We are actively pursuing access to retailers' transactional databases as part of our work exploring alternative data sources for consumer price statistics under the Digital Economy Act’s framework to access data for statistical purposes. At such a time as we receive access to these data we will have a sufficiently detailed data source to explore more reliable regional consumer price statistics; however, our timescales are dependent on when retailers might provide us with such data.</p><p> </p><p>Yours sincerely,<br></p><p><strong><br> John Pullinger</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/methodologies/feasibilitystudyintoproducingcpihconsistentinflationratesforukregions" target="_blank">Feasibility study into producing CPIH consistent inflation rates for UK regions</a></p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 15/05/2018 16:18:12 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

884249

registered interest
date	16/04/2018
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Cost of Living
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the percentage cost-of-living increases nationally during each of the last five years; and what was the annual percentage increase in rates in Northern Ireland over the same period.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL6934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2018 answer text <p>​The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.</p><p> </p><p><em><strong>Letter from John Pullinger CB, National Statistician, to Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, dated 20 April 2018</strong></em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dear Lord Maginnis,</p><p> </p><p>As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what was the percentage cost-of-living increases nationally during each of the last five years; and what was the annual percentage increase in rates in Northern Ireland over the same period <strong>(HL6934)</strong>.</p><p> </p><p>The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) is our most comprehensive measure of inflation, and measures the change in price of a fixed basket of goods and services. The 12-month percentage change in the index is published on a monthly basis. The table below summarises the average 12-month percentage change for each of the last five years.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Annual average percentage 12-month change, CPIH, UK, 2013 to 2017</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Annual average 12-m change (%)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>1.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>0.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>1.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>2.6</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These data are taken from Table 10 of our <em>Consumer Price Inflation </em>bulletin[1]. In this publication you will also find the 12-month CPIH inflation rates, and similar figures for the Consumer Prices Index (CPI, the Monetary Policy Committee’s current inflation target). CPIH is the same as CPI but includes Council Tax and a measure of owner occupiers’ housing costs, which are not included in CPI. CPIH and CPI are both National Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not currently produce an inflation measure for Northern Ireland. This is because the price sample is optimised at the national level and therefore regional price samples are small. Nevertheless, I do recognise that there is an important user need for regional measures of inflation, and to address this ONS have asked the University of Southampton to carry out a feasibility study into calculating regional price indices[2].</p><p> </p><p>You may also be interested to know that ONS analysis suggests that prices in Northern Ireland were on average 2.3% lower than the UK average for 2016. (Note that this analysis refers to the relative difference in price between regions, which is distinct from the rate at which prices change over time). This is taken from our <em>Relative Regional Consumer Price Levels of Goods and Services, UK: 2016</em> publication[3], which is based on estimates produced for Eurostat once every 6 years.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Yours sincerely <strong>John Pullinger </strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/ukconsumerpriceinflationmar2018" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/ukconsumerpriceinflationmar2018</a></p><p>[2] See our <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/consumerpricesdevelopmentplan/2016-10-11" target="_blank">Consumer Prices Development Plan</a>, section 3.3.5</p><p>[3]<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/relativeregionalconsumerpricelevelsuk/2016" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/relativeregionalconsumerpricelevelsuk/2016</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 30/04/2018 16:57:34 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

855438

registered interest
date	05/03/2018
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	Cyprus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the extent to which Russian oligarchs have been able to acquire Republic of Cyprus nationality, (2) the extent to which such acquisitions enable those individuals to obtain visa-free access to the European Union, (3) whether EU arrangements highlight any inequity with which the EU treats the Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus, and (4) whether Brexit will enable the UK to change its policies towards the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL6044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2018 answer text <p>The grant of nationality is exclusively a matter for individual states to decide in line with their law and procedures. Under EU law, any Cypriot holding a Republic of Cyprus passport enjoys equal rights of free movement in the EU, whether they are Greek or Turkish Cypriot origin. In line with the wider international community (except Turkey), the UK does not recognise the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and other multilateral agreements also limit links between UK and the north. Our departure from the European Union does not alter our obligations in respect of such agreements. We continue to believe that a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus is the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by partition of the island.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 19/03/2018 17:55:13 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

855439

registered interest
date	05/03/2018
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Absent Voting: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 July 2017 (HL3), 15 September 2017 (HL1448), and 13 October 2017 (HL1671), whether the Chief Electoral Officer (Northern Ireland) has completed her enquiry into the increase in proxy voting by over 500 per cent between 2010 and 2017; whether she initiated any further investigation; if so, whether that investigation involves the Police Service of Northern Ireland; when any further investigation was initiated and commenced; and when a definitive outcome is expected to be published.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL6045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2018 answer text <p>The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has completed her post-election review into absent voting and has written to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regarding the findings of this review. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Libraries of the House.</p><p> </p><p>These are operational matters for the CEO. However, I am aware that a very small number of cases were referred to the PSNI for investigation last year. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland pass all cases of possible fraud to the PSNI however, the CEO’s review did not reveal any additional cases that warranted investigation.</p> answering member printed Lord Duncan of Springbank question first answered 16/03/2018 11:44:19 answering member 4686 label Biography information for Lord Duncan of Springbank
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

855440

registered interest
date	05/03/2018
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Absent Voting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of postal votes issued in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland, for each general election from 2010 to 2017; and what were the comparative (a) percentages of the total poll in each of the four UK electoral areas, and (b) percentage increases in each region, at each general election.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL6046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2018 answer text <p>The Government does not hold this information. The data required is provided by each Returning Officer directly supplying information on postal votes to the Electoral Commission, which collates and publishes it.</p><p>The information can be found at <a href="https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-data/electoral-data-new" target="_blank">https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-data/electoral-data-new</a></p> answering member printed Lord Young of Cookham question first answered 15/03/2018 17:40:18 answering member 57 label Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

802513

registered interest
date	07/12/2017
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Absent Voting: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 13 October (HL1671), 15 September (HL1448) and 3 July (HL3), whether they are now able to provide an update, including a summary of activity, on the review of absent voting procedures undertaken by the Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland; and if, and when, any matters resulting from the review were referred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for criminal investigation.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL3975
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2017 answer text <p>The Chief Electoral Officer has indicated she will write to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland before the end of the year concerning her review of absent voting procedures at recent elections. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p><p> </p><p>These are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who has been clear that all allegations or evidence of possible electoral fraud have been referred to PSNI for investigation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Duncan of Springbank question first answered 21/12/2017 12:16:24 answering member 4686 label Biography information for Lord Duncan of Springbank
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

780335

registered interest
date	30/10/2017
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	Cyprus: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Matthew Kidd, the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus, was acting on ministerial instructions when he publicly stated that recognition of the TRNC would be “dangerous”; whether they have repudiated recognition of the identity of Turkish Cypriots; and whether they intend to take any action, including disciplinary action.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL2699
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2017 answer text <p>Whilst the Government recognises the Turkish Cypriot community, we do not recognise the self-declared &quot;Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus&quot;. The Government is bound by relevant UN Security Council Resolutions condemning the Turkish Cypriot unilateral declaration of independence from the Republic of Cyprus. In a recent interview the British High Commissioner to Cyprus commented on how best to create conditions of security for the inhabitants of Cyprus, including the Turkish Cypriots. As he said, the Government continues to believe that a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus is the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by partition of the island for all its inhabitants, including matters relating to security. The High Commissioner enjoys the full and total confidence of Ministers.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 13/11/2017 17:43:11 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

764334

registered interest
date	02/10/2017
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Absent Voting: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 15 September (HL1448), whether there is a specific timescale for the outcome of the Chief Electoral Officer's review regarding absent voting in Northern Ireland;  whether the details of the outcome of that review will be conveyed to Members of the House; and if so, how.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL1671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2017 answer text <p>The review of absent voting procedures, including the timescale for completion, is an operational matter for the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>Once the review process is complete the Chief Electoral Officer will write to Northern Ireland Office Ministers to inform them of her findings. Any recommendations will be considered carefully and a copy of the letter will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth question first answered 13/10/2017 09:58:10 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

764335

registered interest
date	02/10/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Tobacco: Smuggling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the Tobacco Manufacturing Association's recent survey finding that over 70 per cent of tobacco used in the UK is obtained from illicit sources abroad; and what is their assessment of the impact of that finding on health and tax revenues.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL1672
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>The Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association survey reports that 72.5% of smokers purchased tobacco from non-UK duty paid sources. This included legitimate cross-border shopping, which provided it is for personal use, is not subject to UK duty. Therefore, this is not a direct measurement of the illicit market or tax gap.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC publishes annual estimates of the tobacco illicit market on the GOV.UK website. Its latest estimate of revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco was £2.4 billion in 2015-16.</p><p> </p><p>Tackling illicit tobacco, which undermines government taxation and public health policy is a government priority. Since 2000, when the government launched its first strategy to tackle illicit tobacco, the percentage tax gap for cigarettes has reduced in 2015-16 from 22% to 13% and for hand-rolling tobacco from 61% to 32%.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 16/10/2017 13:29:57 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass

764336

registered interest
date	02/10/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Tobacco: Smuggling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of illegal tobacco trading, and illegal tobacco purchase and use, have been brought before the courts in each of the past three years; what was the maximum, and the mean, penalty imposed; and what was the total gross cost of those prosecutions.
tabling member printed	Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
uin	HL1673
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>Prosecutions for illegal tobacco can be brought for a range of offences from dealing in illicit product, on which UK duty has not been paid, to breaches of the Department of Health’s regulations for tobacco control. Prosecutions can also be brought by a range of organisations including the Crown Prosecution Service and Local Authorities. Data on the total number of cases brought before the courts; the cost of those prosecutions; and the costs or penalties related to all tobacco related offences is not held centrally.</p><p>HMRC is unable to provide specific data relating to ‘illegal tobacco trading’ and ‘illegal tobacco purchase and use’, as this split is not recorded in our data. The table below shows the total number of tobacco cases dealt with by HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service over the past three financial years.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Operations Adopted</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Revenue Loss Protected (at date of intervention)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Individuals Convicted</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Individuals Acquitted</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>406</p></td><td><p>£988,677,013</p></td><td><p>237</p></td><td><p>26</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>324</p></td><td><p>£1,004,101,439</p></td><td><p>268</p></td><td><p>26</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>365</p></td><td><p>£1,140,300,083</p></td><td><p>318</p></td><td><p>39</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Please note that the above data do not correlate to each other - they are separate occurrences in a particular financial year.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 16/10/2017 13:58:07 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	648 label Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass