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79795

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	British Petroleum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the judgments of courts in the United States which have recently awarded significant damages against BP; and what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the issue.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text The British Government has taken a close interest in the regulatory and legal action in the US against BP following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and has discussed this issue with the US authorities on several occasions. It remains concerned that BP, like all British companies, should receive fair and equitable treatment at the same time as dealing fairly with the consequences of the spill. The Government’s support for BP’s activities in the US has included submitting an amicus brief before the Southern Texas District Court on 2 December 2013 in support of BP in its case regarding its disbarment from US government contracts by the US Environmental Protection Agency – a bar which has since been lifted. answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 18/08/2014 09:41:21 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79796

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Sanctions: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that United Kingdom companies conducting business in or with the government of Russia in compliance with European Union sanctions will not be subject to any penalties applied by United States authorities which allege that sanctions have been breached on the basis of the United States' system of sanctions.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The European Union has coordinated very closely with the United States on sanctions against Russia. The European Union and the United States acting in a coordinated manner not only has the maximum possible effect on Russia’s policy calculations but also ensures that we reduce to an absolute minimum the likelihood that any UK companies that comply with the European Union legislation will nevertheless fall foul of United States’ sanctions legislation applying extraterritorially. At present we are not aware of any specific circumstances where this is likely to occur, but any company with concerns about United States sanctions should in the first instance consult United States lawyers or regulatory authorities to ensure that they comply with applicable United States legislation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 11/08/2014 10:26:18 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79797

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Diesel
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from environmental non-governmental organisations, over the past 20 years, on the subject of efforts to encourage motorists to switch to diesel fuel.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>The Government regularly receives correspondence from environmental non-governmental organisations on a range of issues which are relevant to our fuel policies. The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. If my Noble Friend would like to write to me I am happy to investigate any specific concerns in this area he should wish to raise.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 04/08/2014 10:11:07 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79798

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Energy: Meters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the use of prepayment meters on the ability of lower income households to pay their energy bills.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL1687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Since 2010, all major suppliers have voluntarily equalised tariffs between prepayment customers and standard credit customers but the price differential between customers using pre-payment meters (PPM) and those paying by direct debit can be more than £100 for a dual-fuel customer.</p><p>Whilst paying by PPM is more common among fuel poor than non-fuel poor households, a majority of fuel poor customer pay by other payment methods.</p><p>Of households who were fuel poor in England in 2012, around 27% paid for their electricity and 22% paid for their gas through PPM.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 18/08/2014 09:39:50 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

79799

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Energy: Meters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to encourage the six major energy companies to adhere to the five principles on the use of prepayment meters which were agreed with Consumer Focus in March 2011.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL1688
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>In July 2012, Consumer Focus released a report, ‘Making Progress’ which found that suppliers have all made changes to their policies and processes following their agreement to the 5 Key Principles that Consumer Focus set out in March 2011.</p><p>We know that issues relating to prepayment meters (PPM) remain of broad concern for consumers. The roll out of smart metering should greatly improve the customer experience for prepayment customers. In April 2014, the Secretary of State wrote to suppliers challenging them to ensure that from the end of 2016 current ‘normal’ PPM are replaced only with Smart Meters and offer Smart Meters with ‘pay as you go tariff’ options to all PPM customers by the end of 2016. We will continue to work with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure that PPM customers can benefit from smart meter roll out as soon as possible.</p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 18/08/2014 09:39:23 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

79800

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Diego Garcia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 28 July (WA 249), whether they will now answer the question as tabled.
tabling member printed	Lord Ashcroft
uin	HL1689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The United States is our most important bilateral ally and we have regular discussions on a range of sensitive issues. It is our longstanding position not to comment on discussions of that nature. With regard to Mr Belhaj allegedly stopping over in Diego Garcia, I refer the noble Lord to the response given by my noble friend, the former Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Baroness Warsi), on 17 June 2014, Official Report, Column WA36, that, aside from the two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory) in 2002, there have been no other instances in which US intelligence flights landed in the UK, our Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies, with a detainee on board since 11 September 2001.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 09:55:55 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2568 label Biography information for Lord Ashcroft

79801

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Albania
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what agreements have been signed, to which the United Kingdom and Albania are both parties, for the period 1 March 2013 to the present; and whether they will place copies of any such agreements in the Library of the House and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office database.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL1690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) treaty database records all bilateral and multilateral treaties involving the United Kingdom signed since 1834. The FCO does not maintain a comprehensive central record or hold copies of the texts of memoranda of understanding concluded between Government Departments and other states or organizations.</p><p>Legally-binding agreements to which both the UK and Albania have become parties since 1 March 2013 are as follows:</p><p>Bilateral:</p><p>1. The Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital was signed on 26 March 2014 and was published as UK Treaty Series No. 3, 2014.</p><p>Multilateral:</p><p>2. The Arms Trade Treaty was signed by Albania on 3 June 2013 and by the United Kingdom on 3 June 2013. This was published as UK Miscellaneous Series No. 3, 2013.</p><p>3. Protocol No.15 amending the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms [CETS No.213] was signed by Albania on 11 February 2014 and by the United Kingdom on 24 June 2014. The text to this treaty is published on the Council of Europe website.</p><p>All treaties, including those amending previous treaties, that are subject to ratification, accession, approval or completion of procedures are laid before both Houses of Parliament as a Command Paper for twenty-one sitting days in accordance with Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Those treaties which enter into force on signature do not have to be laid before Parliament for twenty-one sitting days but are laid before both Houses of Parliament as a Command Paper in the UK Treaty Series once they have entered into force.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 09:57:26 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

79802

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools
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 Nash on 30 June (WA 226) stating that they "do not hold a central record of all new schools built by local authorities to provide these places since 2010", why they do not hold such a record; and, of the academy schools created and converted since 2010, (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, were identified for creation or conversion by local authorities.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL1691
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p>Prior to 2010 the Department for Education’s central records of new establishments do not allow us to determine if schools are new provision or whether they replace existing schools (i.e. due to an amalgamation or move from three tier to two tier education).</p><p>Since then the number of schools that have applied to become academies is as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Academic Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Converter Academies<sup>i</sup></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>796</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>860</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>684</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14 (to date)</p></td><td><p>522</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><sup>i </sup>Schools which have converted to academy status are not identified for conversion by the local authority. It is up to individual schools to apply to convert to become academies unless they are underperforming, in which case the department will look to match them with a sponsor.</p><p>Between 2010 and 2012, local authorities held 41 competitions under section 7 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, as amended by the Education Act 2011, to create new schools. The numbers opening per academic year are:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Academic Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Academies</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>12</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In addition, the department also records all new academies created under local authorities’ duties to secure sufficient schools (section 14 of the Education Act 1996) since the academy presumption was established in February 2012. Ninety-two new academies have been created, or are in the process of being created, through this route (75 in agreement, 17 in the pipeline).</p><p>These are broken down into academic years as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Academic Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Academies<sup> ii</sup></p></td><td><p>Number in pipeline (of the total number)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><sup>ii </sup>40 of these new academies were funded through the Government’s Targeted Basic Need Programme (8 due to open in September 2014, 32 due to open in September 2015).</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 11/08/2014 11:56:21 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

79803

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that Hamas militants are attempting to negotiate a new arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications equipment.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of recent reports that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is supplying missile technology to Hamas militants. The DPRK supplies a wide range of conventional arms to customers worldwide, including Syria and Iran. Its sale of arms and related material to countries already in the grip of conflict exploits and increases regional instability. We urge all countries to exercise vigilance in the implementation of DPRK UN Security Council Resolutions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:01:39 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

79804

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
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	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 24 July (HL Deb, cols 1324–8) to the debate on Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, how many officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are specifically focused on freedom of religion, and for what percentage of their time; and what resources are specifically allocated for the promotion of Article 18 through United Kingdom diplomatic services.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1693
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>Within the Human Rights and Democracy Department (HRDD), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has one full time Desk Officer wholly dedicated to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), who works closely with the Team Leader in the Equalities and Non-Discrimination Team, who themselves spend approximately 50% of their time on FoRB. Additionally, the Head and the Deputy Head of HRDD spend approximately 5% and 20% respectively of their time on FoRB issues; one Human Rights Advisor spends 5% and one HRDD Communications Officer approximately 10%.</p><p>As FoRB is one of only six thematic human rights priorities for the FCO, a considerable number of other FCO officials in London and overseas are engaged directly on FoRB as part of their wider human rights work. Given that violations of FoRB can be closely associated with other threats to UK interests around the world, I cannot provide a precise figure for the total number of FCO officials working on FoRB, though the number is high and rising.</p><p>This year, seven FoRB projects around the world were approved and received total funding of £307,835.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:01:08 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool