Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider further action to encourage supermarkets to provide more information to customers about the campylobacter contamination rates of chickens sold.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Supermarkets do not provide this information to customers. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is publishing quarterly results from its year-long retail survey of campylobacter on whole fresh chickens in order to further drive the implementation of poultry production methods that reduce campylobacter throughout the supply chain. The prime objective is to lower the levels of campylobacter on chickens so that there is minimal risk to consumers.
In addition, through Food Safety Week 2014, the FSA has successfully focused on the message about safe handling of raw poultry which has had widespread coverage in the media. The FSA intends to periodically reinforce the messages to consumers to minimise the risk from cross-contamination by handling raw chicken carefully and to avoid washing it. The FSA has also worked closely with retailers so that the ‘Do not wash’ message is now being rolled out across all poultry packaging at retail.
Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the request from the French Interior Minister for British Police to be posted to Calais to assist with dissuading people from seeking to enter the United Kingdom illegally by secreting themselves in vehicles travelling to Kent ports.
Answered by Lord Bates
The French Interior Ministry issued a correction to Associated French Press on 5 November saying that M. Cazeneuve was in fact making reference to British "officials" and not police.
The UK will not be posting any British police in Calais.
Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are monitoring the growth in use of unmanned aerial vehicles ("drones"); and whether they consider the current legal framework is adequate for the purpose of regulating the use of drones.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Operators undertaking commercial aerial work using Remotely Piloted Aircraft need the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA keeps a record of permissions given to those operators.
The regulation of small unmanned aircraft is specifically covered by two articles within the Air Navigation Order, which legislate for the ‘general’ flying aspects and the flight of those equipped for surveillance. However, as well as these specific articles, a more general article, which prevents a person ‘causing or permitting an aircraft to endanger the safety of any person or property’, also remains applicable.
We do not believe that any additional regulatory changes are needed to ensure adequate privacy and data protection.
Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current situation in Calais with regard to the number of people, from a number of countries, illegally seeking to enter the United Kingdom by secreting themselves in vehicles travelling to ports in Kent; and whether the situation has improved, or deteriorated, in recent months.
Answered by Lord Bates
There has been a sharp rise in numbers of illegal immigrants in Calais and the surrounding area, since 2013. This stems from the fact that France, unlike the UK, is part of the border free Schengen Area. We are clear that it is for the French to maintain law and order on their soil, but it is in the UK's interest to work with France to secure the border at Calais and other key ports.
On 20 September 2014, the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, signed a joint declaration outlining a number of joint initiatives to tackle increasing migratory flows in Europe. That includes a range of improvements to security and infrastructure in Calais, to strengthen the port and provide greater protection to hauliers and tourists.
Her Majesty’s Government has long been alive to the challenges posed in Calais. Millions of pounds have already been invested in improving security and upgrading technology in Calais. The Government has increased staffing levels in the port and extended security patrols. In addition to physical searches, Border Force officers use detection dogs, heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes to find those hiding clandestinely in vehicles and freight.
Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times since the permitting of ship to ship oil transfers off the coast of Southwold, Suffolk, in 2011, Maritime and Coastguard Agency surveyors, or other relevant staff, have boarded vessels engaged in ship to ship transfers to carry out a Port State Control Inspection.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Maritime and Coastguard Agency surveyors, or other relevant staff, have undertaken a total of 38 Port State Control inspections in support of Ship to Ship transfer operations, during the period 1 January 2011 to 27 June 2014.
Asked by: Lord Condon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the recent award to Kent Police Special Constabulary of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, whether there are any steps being taken nationally to encourage membership of the Special Constabulary.
Answered by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
The Special Constabulary is an integral part of policing.
Individual police forces are responsible for determining their own recruitment requirements in order to meet local policing needs. In line with the Government's commitment to increase the number of volunteers, the Home Office continues to support the development of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales.