Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the overall performance of National Highways.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
National Highways is making progress towards its performance and delivery targets in the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2, 2020-2025).
Since the start of RIS2 National Highways has started work on 11 schemes, four of which were started ahead of the committed date. It has also completed work on 19 schemes that have opened to traffic and continues to deliver on 16 schemes that are currently in construction.
There have however been legal challenges to planning consent for several schemes, concerns around smart motorways and high levels of inflation that have had a significant impact on overall delivery of the portfolio both in terms of cost and schedule.
National Highways and the Department have taken steps to address, learn from and respond to these challenges. Consequently, this has resulted in the need to replan 22 of the 69 major enhancements to ensure the Capital Portfolio remains deliverable and affordable.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the specific benefits that have accrued to (1) the UK music industry, and (2) musicians, as a result of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
HM Government is working with every sector to seize the economic and political opportunities arising from our departure from the European Union – ensuring that our laws, regulations, and policies are helping to boost growth, drive innovation, and increase the competitiveness of the United Kingdom. We are developing trade deals with priority markets – something we could not do while a member of the European Union – focusing on alleviating trade barriers to enhance the movement of goods, global sales of services, and a forward-thinking intellectual property framework.
We are already delivering on some of the key opportunities for the UK music industry and musicians. Recent analysis shows that the fastest-growing recorded music markets are outside the EU, in Latin America and Asia – driven by the rapid growth of streaming. The Department for International Trade delivers an export programme for music, focusing on these priority markets, with upcoming trade missions to the USA, Australia, India, China and Japan, and the British Music Embassy at ‘South by Southwest’ in Austin, Texas.
The Government recognises that the way musicians work in and with the European Union has changed that now we are no longer a member of it. The Government is committed to supporting the sector to adapt to these new arrangements, and has worked with sector representatives and directly with Member States to clarify what this entails.
In addition, the Government continues to provide export support for the UK’s creative industries through a range of export support programmes, including the successful Music Export Growth Scheme and the International Showcase Fund, designed to introduce successful UK music projects across the globe, in Europe and beyond.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask Ofcom to conduct a review in accordance with section 34(1) or section 44(1) of the Postal Services Act 2011, before moving to amend the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service.
Answered by Lord Callanan
The Government has no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service, set out in the Postal Services Act 2011, which requires letter deliveries to every UK address, six days a week at standard price.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the magazine industry of amending the Postal Services Act 2011 to move to a five-day letter delivery.
Answered by Lord Callanan
The Government has no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service, set out in the Postal Services Act 2011, which requires letter deliveries to every UK address, six days a week at standard price.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Answered by Lord Markham
NHS England’s ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign seeks to address the barriers which may deter patients from seeking advice for potential symptoms of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer. A campaign focusing on abdominal and urological symptoms launched on 31 October 2022 and addresses symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their 10 Year Cancer Plan.
Answered by Lord Markham
Following a call for evidence for a new cancer plan earlier this year, we received more than 5,000 responses. Further information will be available in due course.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils in England took A Levels in (1) Latin, and (2) Ancient Greek, for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many of these were from (a) state schools, and (b) independent schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The number of A level entries by students in England aged 16 to 18 in Latin or classical Greek since the 2012/13 academic year can be found in the attached table. A breakdown by state funded students only exists from the 2017/18 academic year.
Number of A level exam entries for Classical Greek in England | |||
Academic Year | All students | All state-funded students | Independent schools |
2021/22 | 187 | 19 | 168 |
2020/21 | 162 | 15 | 147 |
2019/20 | 185 | 9 | 176 |
2018/19 | 202 | 18 | 184 |
2017/18 | 234 | 24 | 210 |
2016/17 | 211 |
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2015/16 | 213 |
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2014/15 | 224 |
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2013/14 | 250 |
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2012/13 | 241 |
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Number of A level exam entries for Classical Greek in England | |||
Academic Year | All students | All state-funded students | Independent schools |
2021/22 | 1,023 | 266 | 757 |
2020/21 | 1,018 | 274 | 744 |
2019/20 | 982 | 230 | 752 |
2018/19 | 1,078 | 282 | 796 |
2017/18 | 1,150 | 296 | 854 |
2016/17 | 1,173 |
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2015/16 | 1,108 |
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2014/15 | 1,224 |
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2013/14 | 1,271 |
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2012/13 | 1,249 |
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[1] Exam entries are for the academic year for 16-18 students, after discounting. Includes pending awards.
[2] Figures are based on provision data (from 2017/18 to 2021/22) and revised/final data from (2012/13 to 2016/17).
[3] Subject breakdown on institution types (All state-funded students) not published prior to 2017/18.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cats have been imported this year under the Balai Directive; and from which countries those cats originated.
Answered by Lord Benyon
Since we left the EU, the EU import data for 2021 and 2022 was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s Post Import Management System and accounts for all Imports into the United Kingdom that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
This information is drawn from the external IPAFF’s system not directly controlled by the department.
From 14th April 2022 the United Kingdom temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 29th October 2022.
January-September 2022 | |
Country Of Origin | Total |
Austria | 1 |
Belgium | 15 |
Bulgaria | 115 |
Croatia | 32 |
Cyprus | 392 |
Czech Republic | 22 |
Denmark | 5 |
England | 3 |
Estonia | 3 |
France | 17 |
Germany | 28 |
Greece | 42 |
Hungary | 94 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 1 |
Italy | 18 |
Latvia | 155 |
Lithuania | 107 |
Netherlands | 11 |
Poland | 208 |
Portugal | 32 |
Romania | 705 |
Slovakia | 17 |
Spain | 339 |
Sweden | 2 |
Switzerland | 3 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 6 |
Argentina | 7 |
Australia | 140 |
Bahamas | 4 |
Barbados | 1 |
Bahrain | 124 |
Bermuda | 6 |
Brazil | 59 |
Brunei | 3 |
Canada | 81 |
Cayman Islands | 12 |
Chile | 3 |
China | 31 |
Colombia | 12 |
Costa Rica | 2 |
Egypt | 357 |
Georgia | 1 |
Ghana | 2 |
Hong Kong | 29 |
India | 46 |
Indonesia | 5 |
Israel | 2 |
Japan | 8 |
Jordan | 2 |
Kenya | 9 |
Korea (South) | 18 |
Kuwait | 22 |
Lebanon | 8 |
Malaysia | 33 |
Mauritius | 6 |
Mexico | 12 |
Myanmar | 2 |
Namibia | 2 |
New Zealand | 85 |
North Macedonia | 9 |
Oman | 5 |
Pakistan | 2 |
Peru | 1 |
Philippines | 2 |
Qatar | 106 |
Russia | 48 |
Saint Lucia | 1 |
Saudi Arabia | 67 |
Seychelles | 1 |
Singapore | 39 |
South Africa | 348 |
Taiwan | 2 |
Thailand | 43 |
Turkey | 15 |
UAE | 1043 |
Uganda | 1 |
USA | 256 |
Vietnam | 4 |
Zimbabwe | 18 |
Total | 5518 |
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cats have been imported under the Pet Travel Scheme for each month of this year for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The number of cats imported through the Pet Travel Scheme in each month from 1st January 2022 to 31st August 2022 is as follows:
2022 | Total number of cats imported under the pet travel scheme |
January | 2,587 |
February | 1,886 |
March | 1,367 |
April | 2,310 |
May | 1,903 |
June | 2,161 |
July | 2,354 |
August | 3,915 |
The data regarding the Pet Travel Scheme covers pets entering the United Kingdom and is based on information provided by checkers employed by approved carriers of pet animals.
This information is drawn from the external Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) and Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) which are not directly controlled by the department.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 5 October (HL2070), who is responsible for collating information and statistics about the testing of prisoners for HIV in England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Markham
Data on HIV testing is collected through the Health and Justice Indicators of Performance. NHS England’s health and justice commissioning teams receive the data from providers which is collated at regional and national levels.