Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

170930

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2014
	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: Catering
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Chairman of Committees what has been (1) the expenditure, and (2) the profit or deficit, for the years 2012–13 and 2013–14 of each catering outlet in the House of Lords.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL3837
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>The turnover, expenditure and profit or loss of each Catering and Retail Service outlet in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are set out in the tables below.</p><p> </p><p><strong>2012-13</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Outlet</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Turnover (£)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Profit/loss (£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Peers' Dining Room</p></td><td><p>491,364</p></td><td><p>1,308,224</p></td><td><p>-816,860</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Barry Room</p></td><td><p>238,267</p></td><td><p>498,307</p></td><td><p>-260,040</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Home Room</p></td><td><p>44,838</p></td><td><p>182,122</p></td><td><p>-137,284</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>River Restaurant</p></td><td><p>257,041</p></td><td><p>689,116</p></td><td><p>-432,075</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bishops Bar</p></td><td><p>51,399</p></td><td><p>111,197</p></td><td><p>-59,798</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Peers Guest Room</p></td><td><p>59,952</p></td><td><p>56,524</p></td><td><p>3,428</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lords Bar</p></td><td><p>99,612</p></td><td><p>130,914</p></td><td><p>-31,302</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Millbank House</p></td><td><p>90,139</p></td><td><p>205,036</p></td><td><p>-114,897</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>2013-14</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Outlet</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Turnover (£)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Profit/loss (£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Peers' Dining Room</p></td><td><p>554,236</p></td><td><p>1,441,232</p></td><td><p>-886,996</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Barry Room</p></td><td><p>204,882</p></td><td><p>466,362</p></td><td><p>-261,480</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Home Room</p></td><td><p>29,503</p></td><td><p>163,502</p></td><td><p>-133,999</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>River Restaurant</p></td><td><p>258,457</p></td><td><p>703,978</p></td><td><p>-445,521</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bishops Bar</p></td><td><p>60,090</p></td><td><p>125,399</p></td><td><p>-65,310</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Peers Guest Room</p></td><td><p>60,045</p></td><td><p>75,335</p></td><td><p>-15,290</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lords Bar</p></td><td><p>106,561</p></td><td><p>102,746</p></td><td><p>3,815</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Millbank House</p></td><td><p>91,430</p></td><td><p>240,236</p></td><td><p>-148,806</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Sewel question first answered 06/01/2015 14:28:32 answering member 2124 label Biography information for Lord Sewel
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

420484

	registered interest
	date	12/10/2015
	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: Catering
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Chairman of Committees what plans he has to end the subsidy for catering services in the House of Lords.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2015 answer text <p>Catering and Retail Services seek to provide an appropriate level of service to support an active and busy parliamentary chamber, and to provide excellent value to the taxpayer. The catering subsidy has been reduced by 32% since 2007 and we are working hard to reduce it further through an ambitious Change Programme.</p><p>The unpredictable nature of parliamentary business – in terms of sitting days, recesses, the length of each sitting, and the level of attendance at the House for each sitting – means that staffing costs and wastage are higher than would be the case in purely commercial catering outlets. This makes an operating loss extremely difficult to avoid.</p><p>Furthermore, catering facilities are used by a wide range of people, not just Members. Venues such as the River Restaurant and Millbank House cafeteria are mainly intended to provide facilities for staff and other users such as the Metropolitan Police, contractors and others working on the Parliamentary Estate. It is good practice for large employers to provide cafeteria facilities for staff, particularly for organisations that operate outside normal office hours as is the case in the House of Lords. We pay all catering staff at least the London Living Wage and provide them with workplace pensions. We are proud to do so but it means our costs are higher than some commercial restaurants.</p><p>Given these factors, some element of tax-payer funding is appropriate, but the Administration is vigilant to ensure that public money is stewarded responsibly. Catering and Retail Services are also exploring novel ways to generate income in quieter times, such as opening the Peers’ Dining Room to the public in longer recesses. This helps to reduce the overall cost of the refreshment service to the tax payer, and so the subsidy.</p> answering member printed Lord Laming question first answered 21/10/2015 15:32:12 answering member 2079 label Biography information for Lord Laming
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

106156

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
	answering dept id	92
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
	hansard heading	Oral Questions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Leader of the House whether she will propose to the Procedure Committee a review of the system for tabling oral questions in the House of Lords in respect of the requirement for members to queue.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2628
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The process for tabling oral questions was considered in detail in the 2012-13 session. In response to concerns raised about the current “first-come-first-served” system - including a concern about the requirement to queue raised by my Noble Friend, Lady Sharples - the Procedure Committee proposed the introduction of a ballot in its place (Procedure Committee, 3rd Report, Session 2012-13). The House remitted the issue back to the Procedure Committee for further consideration (HL Deb 9 Jan 2013, cols 145-172). <br><br>That further review did not identify a clear consensus as to whether a ballot was preferred to the “first-come-first-served” system (see Procedure Committee, 5th Report, Session 2012-13; see also HL Deb 24 April 2013, cols 1406-1417). <br><br>I know that strong views persist on both sides of the argument about this issue. I will write to the Chairman of the Procedure Committee on my Noble Friend’s behalf to suggest that the matter might be discussed at a future meeting of the Procedure Committee.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 18/11/2014 14:34:08 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

170844

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Peers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many nominations for peerages by each political party have been blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission in each of the Parliaments since its formation in 2000.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL3791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>The government does not hold information on nominations blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. This is a matter for the House of Lords Appointment Commission who are an independent, advisory, non-departmental public body.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 26/01/2015 17:39:49 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

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

114482

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Wind Power: Planning Permission
	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 Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 November (HL2193), about planning applications for land-based wind turbines, how many planning applications were called in for decision by the Secretary of State in the last 12 months and how they were disposed of in each case.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>In the last 12 months three planning applications for land based wind turbine development have been called in for determination by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Following call in, two of the applications were withdrawn and a public inquiry on the third is due in early 2015. All three followed requests by local or neighbouring Members of Parliament to call in the applications.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/11/2014 14:28:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

155669

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Planning Permission: Appeals
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many planning appeals and enforcement appeals involving (1) a single Gypsy and Traveller pitch, and (2) a single dwelling house, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has recovered since 1 July 2013.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2853
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>This information is not centrally held in the form requested, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost, as planning appeal records are not categorised by single dwellings/pitches.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/12/2014 12:59:57 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

155670

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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: Caravan Sites
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many planning and enforcement appeals involving Gypsy sites in the Green Belt were allowed between February 2006 and March 2012; and how many of those related to temporary permissions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2854
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>The total number of appeals relating to traveller cases in the Green Belt between February 2006 and March 2012 is 378. Of those, 192 were allowed (51%).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Planning Inspectorate does not collect data on how many permissions were temporary or permanent.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Planning policy on traveller sites was intentionally changed in March 2012, to give greater emphasis to the protection of the countryside and Green Belt, and discouraging both temporary and permanent permissions in the Green Belt. This is part of the Coalition Agreement pledge to safeguard the Green Belt.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As laid out in statements to Parliament, Ministers have also amended the recovery policy to consider more appeals on traveller sites and the Green Belt. We are currently considering responses to our consultation on further proposed amendments to planning policy and guidance, including further strengthening protection of the countryside.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/12/2014 12:58:42 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

175895

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2015
	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	Travellers: Caravan Sites
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide an assurance that the proposed garden cities will feature appropriate accommodation for caravan-dwelling Travellers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL4475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2015 answer text <p>There are no special planning provisions for locally-led garden cities. National planning policy requires local authorities to plan for the needs of their traveller communities in the same way as they are required to plan for the settled community.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/02/2015 15:19:01 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

178658

	registered interest
	date	09/02/2015
	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	Travellers: Caravan Sites
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what bids were accepted by the Homes and Communities Agency for Traveller accommodation under the affordable homes programme for the period 2015–18, including in each case the location, number of pitches and the cost of the scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL4808
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2015 answer text <p>The Homes and Communities Agency announced grant allocations totalling £886 million to deliver almost 44,000 new affordable homes as part of the 2015/18 Affordable Homes Programme. Of this, allocations for traveller pitches are as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Local authority area </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Site</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Pitches</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Grant Funding </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norwich City Council</p></td><td><p>To be confirmed - indicative allocation</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>£819,910</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Central Bedfordshire</p></td><td><p>Potton site extension</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>£150,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Central Bedfordshire</p></td><td><p>Potton site extension part 2</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>£825,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Central Bedfordshire</p></td><td><p>Dunton Lane</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>£900,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Unlike the 2011/15 Affordable Homes Programme, where all the funding was allocated at the start of the programme, the Homes and Communities Agency’s intention was to hold back at least 25% of the 2015/18 budget for future market engagement on an ongoing basis. This approach is intended to allow providers more time to work up proposals, including those intending to bid for funding for traveller sites, and reduces the need to ring-fence funding for particular groups. The Agency are now inviting bids for the remainder of the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme funding of around £800 million.</p><p>Allocations for traveller pitches by the Homes and Communities Agency cover the period of the 2011/15 programme, rather than 2012/15. The total allocated in the 2011/15 programme was £49 million. This allocation reflected the number and quality of bids received.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL4809 question first answered 20/02/2015 10:59:24 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury