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420519

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Middle East: Christianity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the welfare and security of the Chaldean Catholic communities in the Middle East; and whether any Chaldean Christians have been afforded refugee status in the United Kingdom since 2010.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>Conflict and instability in the Middle East and North Africa has made the plight of many minorities, including Chaldean Catholics, a significant concern. We have witnessed systematic and deliberate attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in the region, and some countries tragically risk seeing the disappearance of communities that have existed there peacefully for centuries. We deplore all discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities and constraints on their freedom to practise their faith. We regularly urge all governments in the region to ensure the protection of all religious minorities. We encourage them to develop inclusive political systems that represent all of their citizens. We also work proactively in the region to promote community cohesion and inclusive governance.</p><p>On the granting of refugee status to Chaldean Catholics, the British Government does not divulge which groups are granted asylum in order to protect their identities. The Refugee Convention requires asylum to be granted to those who are outside their countries of origin and have a well-founded fear of persecution on return for reasons which include religion or ethnic origin. The UK has a proud tradition of providing refuge to those who come here in need of protection and we are ready to assist those who come here to seek asylum. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), recently announced that the UK would resettle a further 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 19/10/2015 15:36:46 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

420520

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Egypt: Detainees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of allegations that secret detention without charge or information being given to relatives and torture is in widespread use in the Egyptian security forces; and whether any United Kingdom citizens have been or are currently involved.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2495
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text We are concerned by recent reports containing allegations of secret detentions and the use of torture in Egypt. The British Government condemns the use of torture in all its forms and strongly urges the Egyptian authorities to ensure that the human rights of all detainees are upheld and due process is observed. We continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian government. In January this year, I personally raised concerns over reports of mistreatment of detainees and the importance of due process with the Egyptian Deputy Assistant Minister for Human Rights, Dr Mahy Abdel Latif. The UK raised the issue of torture and inhumane treatment in detention in Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council in June 2015. Our ambassador and officials in Cairo, regularly raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities, most recently in September 2015. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes all allegations or concerns of torture and mistreatment extremely seriously. Where UK nationals are involved, with the prisoner’s permission, we follow up all allegations of torture and mistreatment with the Egyptian authorities, depending on the circumstances of each case. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 19/10/2015 15:38:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

420521

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Green Belt
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of green belt policy since 2010 in England.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2496
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2015 answer text <p>We have ensured strong protection for Green Belt in national planning policy, making clear that most new building is inappropriate there; and that a Green Belt boundary may be altered only in exceptional circumstances, using the Local Plan process. We abolished regional housing targets that threatened the Green Belt. Green Belt area remains constant at 13 per cent of England, successfully restraining unwanted urban sprawl in many areas. The Green Belt is 34,000 hectares larger than in 1997 if we disregard land reclassified as national park.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 21/10/2015 15:12:23 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

420559

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Belarus: Foreign Relations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of their current relationship with the government of Belarus.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2534
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text The UK Government has full diplomatic relations with the Government of Belarus, and continue to work to improve them. We welcomed the release of six political prisoners on 22 August, although we continue to have concerns about the human rights situation. We have noted the preliminary statement of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the conduct of the presidential elections on 11 October, and await its final report. We hope that the Government of Belarus can take forward its dialogue with ODIHR on how to improve the conduct of future elections. We work closely with EU partners on these issues, and engage with the Belarusian authorities to press for political and economic reforms. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 19/10/2015 15:39:48 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

420560

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Investment: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the transparency of costs charged to investors by asset managers based and regulated in the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2015 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government.</p><p>This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.</p> answering member printed Lord O'Neill of Gatley question first answered 23/10/2015 12:53:42 answering member 4536 label Biography information for Lord O'Neill of Gatley
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

419429

registered interest
date	17/09/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Undocumented Migrants: Calais
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent since 2010 to deter illegal immigration in Calais and the surrounding region.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2015 answer text <p>Since 2010 Her Majesty's Government has spent £196m in Calais and the surrounding locations to secure the border, which includes day to day activity such as carrying out passport checks on all passengers, searching for illicit goods, as well as stopping and deterring illegal migration. Part of this figure includes the recent investment to reinforce security through infrastructure improvements at Border Force’s controls in Northern France. This has included £7 million for fencing at Coquelles, which will help protect Eurotunnel’s freight approach road, a £2 million upgrade of detection technology and boosting our dog searching capability by £1 million.</p><p>Her Majesty's Government is also supporting the Port of Calais to create a secure waiting area for UK-bound lorries and has committed to funding additional security guards at the Eurotunnel site in the area.</p><p>The Home Office and its partners, including the National Crime Agency, also fund wider activity to stop and deter illegal migration in Calais; however, it is not possible to attribute a specific amount to spending in the Calais area alone.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 05/10/2015 16:12:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

419430

registered interest
date	17/09/2015
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	Gibraltar: Spain
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the potential benefits to marine conservation and habitats of extending British territorial waters in the sea areas around Gibraltar away from Spain.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2015 answer text <p>The British Government has not made any such assessment. Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar has constitutional competence for marine conservation and habitats in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 29/09/2015 16:38:16 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

418806

registered interest
date	15/09/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	West of England Line
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the economic, environmental and social effects of converting the railway between Exeter and Salisbury to double-track throughout its length.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2241
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2015 answer text <p>Network Rail identified possible schemes for upgrading the line between Exeter and Salisbury in its Wessex and Western Route Studies, published in August 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Schemes included the creation of additional double track sections, in order to improve journey times and route capacity. The costs and benefits of full line re-doubling were not assessed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Network Rail stated that the schemes it had evaluated could be an option for delivery in Control Period 7 (2025-2029) or beyond.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/09/2015 10:35:36 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

418807

registered interest
date	15/09/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Knives: Crime
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the incidence of knife crime amongst young males in London.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL2242
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2015 answer text <p>The independent Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that crime has fallen by more than a quarter since June 2010. While better police recording of violent crime appears to have led to a recent statistical rise, knife crime offences remain 18% below the level in the year to June 2010 and figures for London show that knife crime offences are now 24% lower than June 2010. In the year ending March 2015, the Metropolitan police recorded 9,623 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, a 4% decrease compared with the previous year (10,012 in year ending March 2014). Police forces do not break down offence data by age.</p><p>We are taking a range of steps to tackle knife crime, including working with police forces and other key partners through the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme, including in 25 London boroughs. We have also strengthened the law in this area, and in July 2015, we brought into force the new legislative provision that anyone caught in possession of a knife for a second time will now face a mandatory minimum sentence in prison or youth custody.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 05/10/2015 16:37:30 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

417073

registered interest
date	07/09/2015
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Broadband: South West
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 Neville-Rolfe on 30 July (HL1682), what assessment they have made of the rate of progress in improving superfast broadband provision in Devon and Somerset; and what is their assessment of the impact of that progress on regional economic performance.
tabling member printed	Lord Patten
uin	HL1993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>By the end of the Connecting Devon and Somerset Phase 1 project (December 2016) over 277,000 additional homes and businesses will have access to superfast broadband. As of 30 June 2015, 121,343 premises had gained access to superfast broadband due to this public investment.</p><p> </p><p>Connecting Devon and Somerset have signed a contract with Airband under their Phase 2 contract to extend superfast coverage to an additional 4,794 premises across Exmoor and Dartmoor. Roll-out to these premises will start in February 2016 and is to be completed by November 2016. Assuming completion of the announced commercial coverage, a further 106,725 premises in Devon and Somerset would remain without superfast coverage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The economic impact of superfast broadband coverage is assessed in the study published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in November 2013 at:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-broadband-impact-study--2</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 21/09/2015 15:14:21 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten