Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they own St Lucia Barracks in Omagh.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence owns the historic core buildings at St Lucia Barracks, the remainder of the site is owned by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure.
A full building condition report was completed in September 2019 which identified repairs needed to the historic core buildings. Remediation works, undertaken by Defence Infrastructure Organisation contractors, were completed in September 2022.
Defence Infrastructure Organisation Officials last inspected the buildings on 8 February 2023.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any asylum seekers who are residing in Northern Ireland have criminal records in their countries of origin.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
This data can only be obtained at disproportionate costs as it would require a manual search through individual records to establish their address and whether they have a criminal record in their country of origin.
All individuals who claim asylum are subject to mandatory security checks against their claimed identity including criminality checks on UK databases for, amongst other things, convictions, pending prosecutions, wanted or missing reports. This is critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims have been made under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme since it was launched in 2021.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government passed the Victims Payments Regulations in January 2020 as required by Parliament in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 10 and 11 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2019(1). The Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme opened in August 2021. It is now making payments and providing much-needed acknowledgement and support to those victims and their families who have suffered, and continue to suffer, as a result of being injured in the Troubles.
This scheme is being delivered by the Northern Ireland Executive and the Victims Payments Board is responsible for all operational matters, including recording and publishing data about applications to the scheme.
However, we have contacted the Victims Payments Board and they have assured us that they will arrange for a response to be issued to you that answers this query.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of giving (1) children under five years old, and (2) adults under 50 years old, access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations. On 6 December 2022, the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer infant formulation (Comirnaty 3) for children aged six months to four years old. The JCVI’s advice will be published in due course on whether COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to any children in this age group now that a vaccine is available.
People who were five years old or older as of 31 August 2022 are currently eligible for primary vaccination and those aged 16 or over are also entitled to an initial booster. Those who are at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 are eligible for a further seasonal booster under the current autumn campaign.
The autumn booster campaign will close in England on 12 February 2023, as will the offer of an initial booster for persons aged 16 to 49 years who are not in a clinical risk group. We encourage everyone currently eligible to come forward before these offers close.
In line with the JCVI’s advice, the primary course offer of COVID-19 vaccination will now move towards a more targeted offer limited to vaccination campaigns for those at higher risk of severe COVID-19. This means that the offer of primary vaccination will end for those aged under 50 who are not in an at-risk group. The Government is considering when during 2023 this recommendation should be implemented. The JCVI continues to review evidence and will provide further advice regarding the 2023 vaccination programmes in due course.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have paid compensation to (1) individuals who were perpetrators of terrorist activities, and (2) family members of those who were perpetrators of terrorist activities, in the last five years for which figures are available; and if so, (a) how much compensation they have paid in each category, and (b) how many such claims have been lodged seeking settlement.
Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland
The Government Legal Department is presently acting on behalf of His Majesty’s Government in seven claims that have been filed in the courts of England and Wales in the last five years, by individuals involved in or accused of terrorist activities seeking compensation. His Majesty’s Government have reached settlement in relation to cases in the Courts of England and Wales with perpetrators of terrorist activities, and family members of such individuals, within the last five years – but the terms of those settlements are subject to strict confidentiality agreements about both the terms of settlement and the amount of compensation paid, if any. |
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to acquire retired Challenger 1 tanks to supply to Ukraine in a greater volume to the announced supply of Challenger 2 tanks.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The British Army has no Challenger 1 tanks in service and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to acquire retired Challenger 1 tanks for supply to Ukraine. It would not be possible to provide a suitable sustainment package for these tanks, meaning they would have negligible combat effectiveness for the Ukrainians.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the current operation of the UK energy market; and what plans they have, if any, to propose alternatives to the current operation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has launched the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), following a commitment in the British Energy Security Strategy. The consultation closed on 10th October. REMA is a major review into Britain’s electricity market design, and is considering a broad range of reforms, from changes to existing arrangements that can be delivered from the mid-2020s, to enduring transformational reforms.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what expenditure was incurred between 2007 and 2021 on (1) security, and (2) maintenance, at St Lucia Barracks in Omagh, County Tyrone.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The cost of security provision for St Lucia Barracks prior to 2015 is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD); security costs were managed by the Department for Education.
The cost of security provision incurred by the MOD for St Lucia Barracks for the period Financial Year (FY) 2015-16 to FY 2020-21 was £442,331. This is 60% of total costs; the remaining 40% is met by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure.
Information on maintenance expenditure for St Lucia Barracks from FY 2006-07 to 2009-10 is not held.
Maintenance expenditure for St Lucia Barracks from FY 2010-11 to FY 2020-21 was £570,100.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which UK officials held meetings with representatives of the Libyan Money Recovery Office; what was the purpose of such meetings; and what agreements or understandings were entered into as an outcome of those meetings.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Libyan Asset Recovery and Management Office (LARMO) is working to repossesses Libyan assets that were stolen by the Qadhafi regime before and during the 2011 revolution. A LARMO representative met with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 26 October to discuss potential options for the future of any recovered assets, with reference to the ongoing assets freeze. FCDO officials reminded LARMO that UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) makes clear that the aim of the Libya asset freeze is to ensure that the frozen funds are preserved until such a time as they can be made available to, and for the benefit of, the people of Libya. Any amendments to the asset freeze will require consensus at the UN Security Council and will be judged against this goal.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the future of frozen Libyan assets held in London was discussed by UK officials and representatives from the Libyan Money Recovery Office at any recent meetings.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Libyan Asset Recovery and Management Office (LARMO) is working to repossesses Libyan assets that were stolen by the Qadhafi regime before and during the 2011 revolution. A LARMO representative met with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 26 October to discuss potential options for the future of any recovered assets, with reference to the ongoing assets freeze. FCDO officials reminded LARMO that UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) makes clear that the aim of the Libya asset freeze is to ensure that the frozen funds are preserved until such a time as they can be made available to, and for the benefit of, the people of Libya. Any amendments to the asset freeze will require consensus at the UN Security Council and will be judged against this goal.