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89893

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
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 incentives they have put in place over the past 20 years to encourage motorists to switch from petrol to diesel fuel.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1735
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transport as part of targets set in the carbon budget.　 Successive governments have been hugely successful in this aim and consumers have benefited from more fuel efficient vehicles, including those with petrol engines.</p><p> </p><p>At various points in time successive governments have put in place different treatments of petrol and diesel vehicles under transport related taxes such as Vehicle Excise Duty and Fuel Duty. 　Over this Parliament neither Vehicle Excise Duty nor Fuel Duty has distinguished between petrol and diesel vehicles.</p><p> </p><p>Diesel cars and vans have become increasingly popular, reflecting good fuel efficiency and the improvements in engine technology. Diesel engines can produce more air pollution than petrol engines. Successively tighter European emission standards for new diesel vehicles has reduced particulate matter pollution and will address emissions of oxides of nitrogen.</p><p /> <p> </p><p /> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 15/09/2014 09:54:19 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

89894

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Rotherham
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to bringing criminal charges for conspiracy and misconduct in a public office against any officials, social workers, councillors and police officers who failed to take action against child abusers and rapists, as outlined in the report by Professor Jay, <i>Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013)</i>.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1736
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>South Yorkshire Police is currently conducting a number of investigations which relate to the period covered by the report. As these are ongoing investigations it would be inappropriate to make further comment. The CPS will consider all potential offences referred to it by the police in accordance with the two-stage test set out in the <em>Code for Crown Prosecutors</em>.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Tankerness question first answered 15/09/2014 11:27:55 answering member 630 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Tankerness
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79792

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	NHS: Obesity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on the numbers of National Health Service staff who are (1) obese grade I, (2) obese grade II (severe obesity), and (3) obese grade III (morbid obesity).
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on the number of National Health Service staff classified as obese.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 18/08/2014 10:05:28 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79793

registered interest
date	30/07/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Police: Vehicles
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 4x4s or SUVs or off-road vehicles each police force possesses, listed by make and model.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>Data on the number of vehicles possessed by police forces is not collected by the Home Office.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Taylor of Holbeach question first answered 04/08/2014 12:33:48 answering member 3787 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Holbeach
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

79794

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	Ebola
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to banning all flights from countries in Africa in which cases of the Ebola virus have occurred.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2014 answer text <p>All avenues to restrict the virus entering the UK are under constant review. UK Airlines are constantly reviewing the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office’s travel advice when planning their services and ensuring that measures they take are consistent with Public Health England guidance.</p><p> </p><p>Currently, the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office and the World Health Organisation are not recommending travel restrictions to countries in Africa with cases of Ebola. UK airlines are not planning to stop services to these countries. However, airlines and the UK Government are constantly reviewing the situation.</p><p> </p><p>A ban on direct flights would not allow a country to avoid the spread of a virus altogether, as potentially infected passengers could travel via hubs in third countries.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 04/08/2014 11:20:57 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

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

44578

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been paid in legal aid fees over the last five years to law firms Public Interest Lawyers and Leigh Day to conduct cases alleging abuse by British soldiers.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL6235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p>The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) cannot separately identify legal aid cases for those Iraqis alleging abuse by British Soldiers without disproportionate costs. Legal aid cases are not systematically recorded against nationality or cause of action.</p><p> </p><p>Leigh Day have not acted under legal aid in these types of cases. Public Interest Lawyers have acted for Iraqi clients under legal aid in cases seeking investigations into deaths and mistreatment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The net payments to Public Interest Lawyers over the past five years were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/09</p></td><td><p>£628,527.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>£267,433.88</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>£439,268.02</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>£331,238.85</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>£54,387.48</p><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>These payments cover all work undertaken by the firm under legal aid. The payments made will be offset by recoupment on successful cases where the opponent has paid the costs.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

44579

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to take steps to recover legal aid payments to the firm Public Interest Lawyers following their statement on 20 March that there was no evidence that British soldiers had murdered 20 Iraqis.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL6236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p>Legal aid is not funding the Al-Sweady Inquiry. There are therefore no plans to recover payments made from legal aid to Public Interest Lawyers following their statement on 20 March.</p><p> </p><p>On 20 March, at the Al-Sweady Inquiry into the most serious allegations against British soldiers in the Iraq War, lawyers representing Iraqi families withdrew their claim that the troops had killed unarmed civilians they had captured and brought back to an army base.</p><p> </p><p>The inquiry continues and the statement on 20 March does not mean that the inquiry has been abandoned.</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid was provided for an action prior to the Inquiry. Legal aid was provided to Iraqi applicants to seek an independent and effective investigation into deaths and torture or inhumane and degrading treatment in relation to the incident at checkpoint Danny Boy in Iraq in May 2004. As a result of these proceedings, the Secretary of State for Defence decided to hold the Al-Sweady Inquiry. This action was therefore successful in its aim.</p><p> </p><p>The Inquiry is not yet complete and the Chairman's report is not due to be published until later in the year. Public Interest Lawyers's statement refers to part only of the allegations made and the Ministry of Justice awaits the Inquiry Report before commenting further.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra