House of Lords Business

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter published by the government of the Netherlands on 22 December 2017 stating that Daesh has, in all likelihood, committed genocide and crimes against humanity, and that, in the absence of any international determination of genocide, governments and Parliaments should determine its ac… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty's Government what legal opinion, if any, they have sought from experts on international law to clarify their obligations under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.  HL4442

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty's Government how many incoming transfers under the Dublin III Regulation (regulation 604/2013) were made to the UK in 2017; and how many times the discretion under Article 18(1) of the Regulation was used in 2017.  HL4443

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 5 January (HL4302) concerning offences relating to prostitution, (1) whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the terms of reference for the research that has been commissioned by the Home Office; and (2) who has been commissioned to condu… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are intending to review and strengthen their approach to addressing religious persecution worldwide; and what lessons they have learnt from steps taken by other countries in this regard, including the Hungary Helps initiative and the establishment on 1 January of the Danish Office for the Special Representative f… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the report of the former prisons and probation ombudsman on deaths at HMP Woodhill with their response to that report; and if so when.  HL4446

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported position of St Pancras Coroner’s Court (1) not to prioritise autopsies because of the religion of the deceased or their family, in spite of Jewish and Muslim beliefs that burials should take place as soon as possible after death, and (2) not to permit the bodies of Jewish people to be kept… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government which prisons they have earmarked for closure; and what is the timetable for the closure of those prisons.  HL4448

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Justice on 22 March 2017 (HC WS550), and in relation to their commitment to build up to 10,000 modern prison places by 2020, at which establishments they plan to add additional capacity; how much additional capacity they intend to add at each of those establishments; and wh… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Justice on 22 March 2017 (HC WS550) that four new prisons will be built at Full Sutton in Yorkshire, Hindley in Wigan, Rochester in Kent, and Port Talbot in South Wales, what progress has been made on the planning applications for each of those prisons.  HL4450

Lord Beecham to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the conclusion of the assessment for the Prison Reform Trust of the financial outlook for HM Prison Service 2017–25 by Julian Le Vay that the Ministry of Justice’s plans for prison building are inadequately funded by £162 million in 2018–19, and that that inadequacy of funding will rise to £463 million in 2022–… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Birt to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a recent estimate of the number of homeless people sleeping outside without tents or other cover; and what plans they have to eliminate such homelessness.  HL4452

Lord Birt to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 4 December 2017 (HL3345), whether they are satisfied that train franchisees match capacity to need when football and other sports fans are travelling to and from matches.  HL4453

Lord Birt to ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents of the theft of lead from church roofs were reported in each of the past five years; what was the weight of the lead stolen in each of those years; and how many successful prosecutions for such theft there were in each of those years.  HL4454

Lord Blencathra to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reputational risks associated with hosting an International Monetary Fund event at which Christine Lagarde, who was found guilty in France of criminal negligence in 2016, gave a speech.  HL4455

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of the United States following the publication of the US national security strategy on 18 December 2017.  HL4456

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of the United States relating to the current preparation of the UK national security strategy.  HL4457

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to ask Her Majesty's Government what communications they have had with Mahmoud Abbas since the announcement by the government of the United States of its intention to relocate the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.  HL4458

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the programme to replace the UK nuclear deterrent.  HL4459

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem to ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions in 2017 it was necessary to scramble Quick Reaction Alert aircraft; and, in each case, for what purposes those aircraft were scrambled.  HL4460

Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make it a precondition of any proposals to increase trade between the UK and Iran that the government of Iran adhere to international human rights standards by allowing peaceful demonstrations and protests against their policies.  HL4461

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs); what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of EDMOs; and whether they have any proposals to change (1) the regulations relating to EDMOs, and (2) the way in which EDMOs operate in practice, in order to increase their ease of use.  HL4… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, or propose to have, with (1) local authorities, and (2) other interested parties concerning completion of a cycle route along the former railway line between Halifax, Bradford and Keighley, particularly in the vicinity of, and through, the Queensbury Tunnel; and whether they intend to instruct Historical… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Greaves to ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had concerning the boundaries of the proposed new Northern Forest; with whom those discussions were held; what consideration has been given to the inclusion of parts of the County of Lancashire within the area of the forest, particularly in relation to the upland areas of the county; and what assessment they h… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town to ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in enabling the National Fund charity to make appropriate donations; and whether they intend to apply to the courts for a scheme allowing the Fund to be used for its original purpose.  HL4465

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, also known as Rojava, is represented at future peace talks on Syria.  HL4466

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) diplomatic, (2) military, and (3) humanitarian, training and support they have provided to the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, also known as Rojava, in the last two years.  HL4467

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to nominate any UK women for vacancies arising in 2018 on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  HL4468

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government when the review of fire safety regulations and precautions, which arose from the fire at Lakanal House in south London in 2009, will be published.  HL4469

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the total number of empty dwellings in England; how many of those dwellings are owned by (1) housing associations, (2) local authorities, and (3) private owners; and what steps are being taken to bring structurally sound dwellings back into use.  HL4470

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of dwellings that have been vacant for over (1) six months, and (2) two years; and what measures they are taking, including in conjunction with local authorities, to return empty dwellings to occupation.  HL4471

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan following the attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church in Quetta on 17 December 2017; and what response they have received to any such representations.  HL4472

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Bahrain regarding (1) the death sentences passed on six civilians by the Supreme Military Court on 25 December 2017, and (2) the failure of the Military Court to consider allegations of torture when trying that case.  HL4473

Lord Hylton to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees regarding (1) the work needed to improve conditions for refugees in the camp at Moria on Lesbos, and (2) the resettlement or repatriation of other refugees on the islands and mainland of Greece.  HL4474

Baroness Kramer to ask Her Majesty's Government with which companies they have strategic relations; and, in each case, who is the designated Minister.  HL4475

Lord Laming to ask Her Majesty's Government how many community sentences were handed down in each year from 2008 to 2016; and what action they are taking in response to reported reductions in the number of such sentences handed down.  HL4476

Lord Lee of Trafford to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 5 January (HL4312), when was the most recent ministerial visit to HM Prison Liverpool.  HL4477

Lord Lexden to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that funding is made available as quickly as possible for pupils accepted by independent schools approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.  HL4478

Lord Lingfield to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in those countries that have ratified it.   HL4479

Lord Lingfield to ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional funds to monitor and protect shipwrecks in the Exclusive Economic Zone as required by Article 9 of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.  HL4480

Lord Lipsey to ask Her Majesty's Government how many immigration detention estate Independent Monitoring Board reports for 2016 they responded to; and when they intend to respond to the rest of those reports.  HL4481

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering to ask Her Majesty's Government whether responsibility for the procedure for issuing Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences for hydraulic fracturing was removed from the Department of Energy and Climate Change and passed to the Oil and Gas Authority; and, if so, why.  HL4482

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering to ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria the Oil and Gas Authority uses in granting Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences for hydraulic fracturing.  HL4483

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 22 December 2017 (HL4314), whether they consider suicide, as listed in the current mefloquine product information as a psychiatric adverse reaction, to be a permanent adverse reaction.  HL4484

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of Professor Richard Hull, published in Chemosphere, that the application of flame retardants "makes furniture burn more quickly, reaching higher temperatures and producing vastly more toxic smoke" when tested in real life environments; and whether they intend to promote the… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

The Countess of Mar to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of Defarge et al in Toxicity of formulants and heavy metals in glyphosate-based herbicides and other pesticides published in Toxicology Reports, volume 5, about the use of so-called inert ingredients in those chemical formulations.  HL4486

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to investigate the pricing of levonorgestrel by pharmacies.  HL4487

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government why local authorities can borrow from the Public Works Loan Board to buy commercial property but not to fund the construction of social housing.  HL4488

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the impact of rail price increases on the employment and real incomes of those who commute to London by train from Brighton.  HL4489

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 22 December 2017 (HL4283), what assessment they have made of (1) the sufficiency of the independence of the Financial Reporting Council from the accounting industry to monitor the provision of auditing services in accordance with the EU Audit Regulation, and (2) whether conflicts of intere… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Stagecoach, and (2) Virgin Railways, (a) are obliged, and (b) have committed, to make any payment to HM Government to cover losses that those companies would have incurred under the contract for the East Coast rail franchise.  HL4491

Lord Myners to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Transport has issued a ministerial direction on any matters related to the termination of the East Coast rail franchise.  HL4492

Lord Ramsbotham to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of detention for adult asylum seekers in the UK in 2017.  HL4493

Lord Ramsbotham to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of detention for all minors seeking asylum in the UK in 2017.  HL4494

Lord Ramsbotham to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of detention for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the UK in 2017.  HL4495

Lord Scriven to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of the asylum procedure in the UK over (1) the last 12 months, and (2) the last three years.  HL4496

Lord Scriven to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of the asylum procedure at first instance in the UK over (1) the last 12 months, and (2) the last three years, for (a) Syrian nationals, (b) Afghan nationals, and (c) Iraqi nationals.  HL4497

Lord Scriven to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of the appeal procedure against first instance decisions on asylum applications in the UK over (1) the last 12 months, and (2) the last three years.  HL4498

Lord Scriven to ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average duration of the appeal procedure against first instance decisions on asylum applications in the UK over (1) the last 12 months, and (2) the last three years, for (a) Syrian nationals, (b) Afghan nationals, and (c) Iraqi nationals.  HL4499

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 14 September 2017 (HL1408) about the steps they intend to take to regulate rickshaws and pedicabs in London, whether they have completed considering the options for regulation.  HL4500

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the steps taken by public transport operators to meet their legal duty to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on vehicles and at stations and stops, and, in particular, of the display of notices against anti-social behaviour such as litter, putting feet on seats, and the consumption of… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government how many public transport operators have (1) applied, and (2) been granted, powers by the police to tackle anti-social behaviour since 2012.  HL4502

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the results of the Roadside Litter working group.  HL4503

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the use and effectiveness of Community Protection Notices in reducing litter around restaurants and shops.  HL4504

Baroness Stowell of Beeston to ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish an update on the work of the Litter Innovation Fund.  HL4505

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address concerns about disruptions in cash flows if businesses are required to pay VAT upfront on imports following Brexit.  HL4506

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the necessary infrastructure at ports is in place before the UK fully leaves the EU.  HL4507

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK remains competitive in attracting overseas talent following Brexit.  HL4508

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the survey conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses that one in seven small business owners plan to downsize, close or sell their companies during the next three months.  HL4509

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address concerns about late payments to small to medium sized businesses.  HL4510

Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty's Government how many medically qualified doctors are Personal Independence Payment assessors.  HL4511

Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Work and Pensions has a target to uphold 80 per cent of benefit decisions that are subject to Mandatory Reconsideration.  HL4512

Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask Her Majesty's Government how many Personal Independence Payment assessors have been disciplined for making misleading reports on the basis of which decisions were made that were later overturned by a tribunal, in each of the last three years.  HL4513

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following reports of the death of a Palestinian child on 29 December 2017 after Israeli soldiers at Huwwara checkpoint delayed her transfer to hospital.  HL4514

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published on 28 December 2017 which found that the energy crisis in the Gaza Strip is worsening.  HL4515

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a report by the Palestine Red Cross Crescent Society and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights that the Israeli military are making "indiscriminate use of excessive and disproportionate force against Palestinian civilians" following the announcement by the government of the United States that it wou… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the legislation before the Parliament of Israel that would set a high threshold for any future vote on ceding parts of Jerusalem to Palestinians.  HL4517

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the conditions necessary to enable a viable and secure Palestine to exist alongside a secure Israel, following recent developments.  HL4518

Baroness Tonge to ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the right to freedom of religion in Hebron following reports that the Israeli occupation authorities prevented the call for prayer on a large number of occasions in 2017; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding such reports.  HL4519

Lord Trefgarne to ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect Woodlands Lane Bridge over the M3 motorway at Windlesham to re-open.  HL4520

Lord Trefgarne to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to clarify the criminal law relating to the use of mobile phones and similar devices by motorists.  HL4521

Lord Watson of Invergowrie to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the comments by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 16 January 2017 (HL Deb, cols 22–3), what guidance will be issued to the Office for Students; whether that guidance will be published in the form of an annual letter; and if not, what form it will take.  HL4522

Lord West of Spithead to ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 30 November 2017 (HL3468), 12 December 2017 (HL3864), and 19 December 2017 (HL4126), what other changes have been made to the agreed five-star privileges accorded to former Heads of Service; and whether those changes were made through an Order in Council.  HL4523