Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they were aware that trees would be felled in Sheephouse Wood when they agreed £40m funding for a tunnel to mitigate the impact on wildlife in Sheephouse Wood.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Wildlife mitigations adjacent to Sheephouse Wood include physical measures to protect the local bat population, as well as a green overbridge, and landscaping for public access. Given that the HS2 route in this area is overground rather than in tunnel, a number of trees along the perimeter of Sheephouse Wood have had to be removed to fulfil safety requirements alongside an operational railway. These trees were removed with the necessary permissions from Natural England, and HS2 Ltd informed the Department for Transport in advance of the works taking place. The requirement to deliver these works was included in the overall funding allocations for the HS2 project.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 14 February (HL2133), what are the minimum and expected timescales for the following stages of Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrading of Haughley Junction: (1) the final business case, (2) the Ministerial decision to proceed to implementation, (3) the issuance of a Transport Work Act Order, (4) the commencement of works, and (5) the completion of works.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.
Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will announce their decision on the Strategic Outline Business Case 'Restoring Your Railway Stroudwater Station' submitted in September 2022; why that decision has not yet been made; and what is the intended purpose of the planned Ministerial visit to Stroudwater Station.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is in receipt of a Strategic Outline Business Case for the proposed reopening of Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station, also known as Stroudwater station. The Department is not yet in a position to provide details on next steps for the scheme, but hopes to be able to do so in due course. Ministers conduct visits for a wide range of reasons, including to help them appreciate local issues in person.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 23 January (HL1524), under what circumstances (1) a human rights, social justice, or environmental activist, and (2) an individual expressing socialist views, crosses the threshold for Prevent referrals as ‘left wing extremist’; and whether such an individual needs to be planning, involved in or threatening acts of violence in order to be so considered.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Frontline professionals, when deciding whether to make a referral, should consider whether they believe the person they are concerned about may be on a pathway that could lead to terrorism. In determining whether a concern meets the threshold for referral to Prevent, it is important to consider the harm posed to the person, as well as whether accessing support through Prevent might stop potential wider societal harm committed by the person. A risk-based approach should always be followed, using professional judgement and curiosity. There is no single model of a person’s radicalisation journey or single profile of a radicalised person. There may be times when the precise ideological driver is not clear. Yet, like any safeguarding mechanism, it is far better to receive referrals which turn out not to be of concern than for someone who genuinely needs support to be missed.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will provide the full funds to upgrade the rail junctions at Haughley and Ely; and on what timetable they expect the works to be completed.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and upgrading Haughley Junction, and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.
Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the article in the Nature Scientific Reports journal Radiological hazard assessments of radionuclides in building materials, soils and sands from the Gaza Strip and the north of Sinai Peninsula, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment they have made of the likely cause of the 24 samples from Gaza containing enriched uranium.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Nature Scientific Reports article does not provide sufficient information to make a qualified determination as to the potential source of the enriched uranium traces it reports were found. The dose rates and level of radiological hazard of the samples referred to in the article are stated as being within recommended global limits. The UK has not tested the samples referenced in the article.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the article in the Nature Scientific Reports journal Radiological hazard assessments of radionuclides in building materials, soils and sands from the Gaza Strip and the north of Sinai Peninsula, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment they have made of the discovery of enriched uranium in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Nature Scientific Reports article does not provide sufficient information to make a qualified determination as to the potential source of the enriched uranium traces it reports were found. The dose rates and level of radiological hazard of the samples referred to in the article are stated as being within recommended global limits. The UK has not tested the samples referenced in the article.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 20 December 2023 (HL1279), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what steps they are taking to inform parliamentarians about the two reports cited in the original question.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767 and HL1279, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled “Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016” “in confidence”. The Government has no plans to publish the document. The current Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, referred to in the response to question HL1279 is available on gov.uk at the following link: Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 20 December 2023 (HL1278), on what basis the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked its report Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 "in confidence" and did not publish it, given that the working protocol between the Home Secretary and the ACMD states that "The ACMD will publish its advice concurrent with its presentation to Ministers, unless there are pressing public or health protection reasons, or other reasons, for not doing so."
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As the ACMD is an independent Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), sponsored by the Home Office, the basis for publication of its reports is a matter for the ACMD.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they are providing for Prevent practitioners on the circumstances under which they are required to refer an individual involved in human rights, social justice or environmental activism who is not expressing support for violence.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Prevent practitioners should follow the Prevent duty guidance. Free training is available on gov.uk which includes the notice, check, share procedure. Practitioners should consider whether they believe the person may be on a pathway that could lead to terrorism. Those with specific Prevent responsibilities are expected to have a good understanding of extremist ideologies as a key driver of radicalisation and should complete any required ideology training.