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654262

registered interest
date	07/12/2016
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average time taken to make a decision on (1) all universal credit claims, and (2) UK claims relating to individuals who have been granted leave to remain as a refugee.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL3927
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees. However, where people have problems getting a bank account, they are not prevented from making a claim for Universal Credit. Furthermore, DWP in conjunction with the Home Office, are currently piloting a new process to assist asylum seekers granted refugee status and needing support to make a claim to benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Officials are currently assessing the data for Universal Credit and will only release information once the necessary quality assurance work has taken place. These statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for official statistics. The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees and therefore this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3928 question first answered 14/12/2016 16:32:33 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

654263

registered interest
date	07/12/2016
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit: Refugees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence, if any, they have of people who have been granted refugee status facing problems claiming universal credit because they do not have a bank account.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL3928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees. However, where people have problems getting a bank account, they are not prevented from making a claim for Universal Credit. Furthermore, DWP in conjunction with the Home Office, are currently piloting a new process to assist asylum seekers granted refugee status and needing support to make a claim to benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Officials are currently assessing the data for Universal Credit and will only release information once the necessary quality assurance work has taken place. These statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for official statistics. The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees and therefore this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3927 question first answered 14/12/2016 16:32:33 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

654283

registered interest
date	07/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Autonomous Weapons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to establish a group of government experts at the forthcoming Review Conference on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons to consider what legal agreements are required for the management and control of the development of virtual autonomous weapons systems and the necessary level of human control for compliance with international law.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL3948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2016 answer text <p>The decision to establish a Group of Government Experts (GGE) to discuss the issue of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems will be taken by consensus by all High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. The UK supports of the formation of a GGE subject to agreement on the mandate for such a group.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 12/12/2016 16:42:41 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

654284

registered interest
date	07/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Autonomous Weapons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the threat to UK interests of the development of virtual autonomous weapons systems across the world; and what part effective international regulation could play in controlling the development of such systems.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL3949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2016 answer text <p>The Government of the United Kingdom does not possess fully autonomous weapon systems and have no intention of developing them. Such systems are not yet in existence and are not likely to be for many years, if at all. The UK believes that international law, in particular, international humanitarian law, remains the correct framework for governing the use of all weapons systems, including fully autonomous ones.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 12/12/2016 16:43:39 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

652954

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
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	Hong Kong: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of basic freedoms, the rule of law and democracy in Hong Kong.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL3844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>The Government issued its most recent assessment of the basic freedoms, the rule of law and democracy in Hong Kong on 12 October in the Foreign Secretary’s Six-Monthly Report to the House. In this we stated that “despite challenges, the UK believes that “One Country, Two Systems” has provided a successful framework for almost two decades, and can continue to do so”.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 14/12/2016 15:27:37 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

652957

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
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	North Korea: Sanctions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2321, whether any UK organisations or nationals engage in scientific and technical co-operation involving persons or groups officially sponsored by or representing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and whether this co-operation will be suspended.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL3847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>We are aware of some limited scientific engagement between UK nationals and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). As per the provisions of UNSCR 2321, such cooperation does not need to be suspended when there is a determination that such activity does not contribute to the DPRK's proliferation, nuclear activities or ballistic missile programmes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 14/12/2016 15:28:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

652968

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Type 23 Frigates
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what effect the lack of clarity on the replacement of the Type 23 frigates has had on recruitment to the Royal Navy.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL3858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>In the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 we committed to building eight Anti-Submarine Warfare variant Type 26 Global Combat Ships to replace the current eight Anti-Submarine Warfare variant Type 23 Frigates on a one-for-one basis. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 4 November that the steel cut for the first of the Type 26 Global Combat Ships will take place in mid-2017, subject to contract negotiations.</p><p>The Royal Navy remains focused on the target set in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 of 30,450 Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel in April 2020.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 14/12/2016 16:42:08 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

652973

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Defence: Procurement
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many defence procurement projects have overrun their original budgets over the last three years; at what cost; and who has been responsible for meeting the increased cost.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL3863
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2016 answer text <p>Defence procurement projects cover an extensive range of equipment, infrastructure, information services and broad service contracts. Following the Levene reforms, responsibility and budgets for procurement have been delegated in large degree to the Front Line Commands, who use Defence Equipment and Support (DE&amp;S), the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), as well as Information Systems and Services (ISS), as their principal delivery organisations. The time and cost performance of delegated projects is monitored and controlled by these organisations at a level appropriate to their cost. Only the largest or most contentious projects, such as equipment projects over £400 million or infrastructure projects over £75 million (‘Category A’ Projects), are approved directly by Head Office. This includes review of those projects that overrun on time or cost.</p><p> </p><p>In recent years the National Audit Office (NAO) has provided an independent review of the Ministry of Defence’s delivery performance of the largest procurement projects and presented the findings in an annual publication, the “Major Projects Report” (MPR). These reports include details of the cost, time and quality delivery forecasts for a sample of the largest defence procurement projects that had reached the demonstration and manufacture phases of their project lifecycle – that is to say they had passed the main investment decision point. The reports contain a summary of the projects’ original budgets and their latest forecast costs to completion, enabling individual identification of increases and decreases in cost.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the combined MPR results for the last three financial years.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>MPR15</p></td><td><p>MPR14</p></td><td><p>MPR13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="3"><p>£ million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In-Year Cost Variation</p></td><td><p>-£247</p></td><td><p>-£397</p></td><td><p>£708</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total Cost Variation Since Original Approval</p></td><td><p>£5,552</p></td><td><p>£5,691</p></td><td><p>£6,086</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>[Note: A direct comparison from year-to-year is not possible. Projects enter or exit the MPR population annually following approval or reaching in-service date respectively. Additionally, the scope of projects has also been known to change in response to emergent requirements.]</p><p> </p><p>A more in-depth breakdown on a project-by-project basis, including total cost variance by project, is available in the MPR. Additionally, explanations of the causal factors of the variances can be found for each project in the project summary sheets which accompany the reports.</p><p> </p><p>MPR15:</p><p><a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/report/major-projects-report-2015-and-the-equipment-plan-2015-to-2025/" target="_blank">https://www.nao.org.uk/report/major-projects-report-2015-and-the-equipment-plan-2015-to-2025/</a></p><p>(For the MPR15 Summary Table see Appendix 3, page 42)</p><p> </p><p>MPR14:</p><p><a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/report/major-projects-report-2014-and-the-equipment-plan-2014-to-2024/" target="_blank">https://www.nao.org.uk/report/major-projects-report-2014-and-the-equipment-plan-2014-to-2024/</a></p><p>(for the MPR14 Summary Table see Appendix 2, page 40)</p><p> </p><p>MPR13:</p><p><a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/report/ministry-of-defence-the-major-projects-report-2013/" target="_blank">https://www.nao.org.uk/report/ministry-of-defence-the-major-projects-report-2013/</a></p><p>(For the MPR13 Summary Table see Appendix 3, page 40)</p><p> </p><p>In the first instance, cost overruns must be absorbed by the Front Line Commands by prioritising their projects within overall procurement control totals. How these were apportioned for each of the projects cited in the reports would require further analysis.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 14/12/2016 16:48:38 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

652974

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Autonomous Weapons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of human control they consider necessary for compliance with international law in the context of lethal autonomous weapons; and how they will work with other states to define that level of control at the forthcoming Review Conference of the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons.
tabling member printed	Lord West of Spithead
uin	HL3864
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2016 answer text <p>The Government of the United Kingdom does not possess fully autonomous weapon systems and has no intention of developing them. Such systems are not yet in existence and are not likely to be for many years, if at all. Although a limited number of defensive systems can currently operate in automatic mode, there is always a person involved in setting the parameters of any such mode. As a matter of policy, the UK is clear that the operation of our weapons will always be under human control. This information has been put on record a number of times, in both Parliament and international forums.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 13/12/2016 16:43:27 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	3834 label Biography information for Lord West of Spithead

653005

registered interest
date	06/12/2016
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces: Officers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many one-star ranks and above in the UK armed forces attended a state school beyond the age of 16.
tabling member printed	Lord Moonie
uin	HL3894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2016 answer text <p>This information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 13/12/2016 16:43:46 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	621 label Biography information for Lord Moonie