Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Chief Dental Officer for England made of the adequacy of personal protective equipment supplies for dental practitioners before dental practices were closed due to COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet PPE - note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why dental practices in England were only given six working day's notice to resume face to face care on 8 June.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that National Health Service dental services can gradually resume from 8 June. The guidance was clear that the pace of the restart should be only as fast as possible compatible with maximizing safety for patients and dental staff.
Over 600 urgent dental centres remain open across England to assist with the resumption of routine dentistry.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Standard operating procedure: transition to recovery guidance document was only published on 4 June, one working day before dental practices in England were required to resume face to face care.
Answered by Lord Bethell
NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that National Health Service dental services can gradually resume from 8 June. The guidance was clear that the pace of the restart should be only as fast as possible compatible with maximizing safety for patients and dental staff.
Over 600 urgent dental centres remain open across England to assist with the resumption of routine dentistry.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the possession of nitrous oxide for personal recreational purposes an offence.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
There are no plans to change the law to make the possession of Nitrous Oxide for personal use an offence. Possession with intent to supply is already unlawful and we have no plans to change that. Nitrous Oxide is a psychoactive substance and subject to the provisions in the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (the 2016 Act). It is an offence under the 2016 Act to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, import and export a psychoactive substance, subject to certain exemptions. It is also an offence to possess a psychoactive substance in a custodial institution, subject to certain exemptions.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Gibraltar receives sufficient (1) testing, and (2) personal protection, equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government is working with Crown Agents to procure and deliver essential medical supplies to Gibraltar and the other Overseas Territories, working in partnership with the Overseas Territories' Chief Medical Officers to prioritise requirements. Initial shipments of medical supplies have arrived in Gibraltar.
British Forces Gibraltar have also been able to provide logistics support and assistance in the establishment of a temporary hospital (Europa Point Nightingale Facility) to provide the Gibraltar Health Authority with additional capacity. We stand ready to consider any further requests from Government of Gibraltar for support of this nature.
The Prime Minister wrote to the Chief Minister on 28 March, assuring him of the UK's commitment to support Gibraltar.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will nominate representatives of the Police Superintendents' Association to the Police Advisory Board of England and Wales; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) was established as a non-departmental public body under section 46 of the Police Act 1964.
Its remit is to consider draft regulations under the Police Act 1996, with respect to matters such as recruitment, diversity, and police workforce reform.
The Board is chaired by Elizabeth France and includes representatives of interested organisations, including the Police Superintendents’ Association. A full list of the Board’s membership is available at gov.uk/government/organisations/police-advisory-board-for-england-and-wales/about/membership
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who are the members of the Police Advisory Board of England and Wales; what is the remit of that Board; and how that board is constituted.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) was established as a non-departmental public body under section 46 of the Police Act 1964.
Its remit is to consider draft regulations under the Police Act 1996, with respect to matters such as recruitment, diversity, and police workforce reform.
The Board is chaired by Elizabeth France and includes representatives of interested organisations, including the Police Superintendents’ Association. A full list of the Board’s membership is available at gov.uk/government/organisations/police-advisory-board-for-england-and-wales/about/membership
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that the government of Spain is not allowed to extract concessions on Gibraltar when pursuing future defence, security and intelligence agreements.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government is absolutely steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, its people and its economy. To that end, we have been clear that the priorities of the Government of Gibraltar will be properly taken into account in all future discussions, including those on security matters.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Chief Police Officer, Rob Allen, and Inspector Mark Wood have been reinstated to the Gibraltar Defence Police; if so, on what grounds that decision was taken; and how the disciplinary charges they were facing have been resolved.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Ministry of Defence are unable to comment on any individual cases, but a wider review is currently taking place on the future of the Gibraltar Defence Police. The Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster MP) recently corresponded with the noble Lady, following his visit to Gibraltar in November 2018, and he has agreed to keep her informed of the progress of this review over the course of the next year.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the findings of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel into the behaviour of the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, whether they intend to review that Panel's power to hold the Police and Crime Commissioner to account.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have an important role in holding their forces to account and focusing on cutting crime and it is right they are held to the very highest standards.
PCCs operate in the full gaze of the media and must justify their record to the public every four years, via the ballot box.
Police and Crime Panels have the appropriate powers to effectively scrutinise the actions and decisions of Police and Crime Commissioners and enable the public to make an informed decision when voting.