Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk posed by the explosives on board the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery; what plans they have to mitigate that risk; and to what extent they have been implemented.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We manage the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery to ensure public safety. Our approach includes an exclusion zone, 24/7 monitoring and regular condition surveys which are published on gov.uk.
There is no indication that the risk has increased but we continue to take expert advice on further mitigation. Our current focus is on reducing the height of the wreck’s three masts. Additional surveys to inform that work remain ongoing and will inform future management strategies.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 4 July 2023 (HL Deb col 1125), what progress they have made on the consultation on enhancing information sharing.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government will consult the relevant authorities with the aim of finding ways to improve information sharing to facilitate enforcement of existing electoral law and report its conclusions to Parliament by the end of 2024.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many former members of the Afghan Special Police Commando Force 333 have applied to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy; and how many have been rejected.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures by job role or specific unit. Not all members of the Afghan Armed Forces, including specific units such as Commando Force 333, will automatically be eligible for ARAP.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether former members of the Afghan Special Police Commando Force 333 benefit from the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The ARAP scheme provides relocation or other assistance specifically to Afghan nationals who worked for or alongside UK forces in support of the UK's mission in Afghanistan, as set out in the specific eligibility criteria in the ARAP policy.
Members of the Afghan national security forces such as Commando Force 333 "whilst their efforts heroic" are not automatically in scope for relocation under ARAP unless they meet these criteria.
Those who are eligible can also apply for support in the UK under Op NEWHOPE. The Ministry of Defence works closely with third sector partners to deliver Operation NEWHOPE, which is our pastoral commitment to support the individuals who have and want to maintain their Defence connection by providing camaraderie, community support, and pathways to employment.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of polygraph tests, as administered under the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
Prior to mandatory polygraph testing of high-risk sexual offenders on licence being rolled out across the Probation Service in 2014, an evaluation of its effectiveness with such sex offenders was published in 2012. The report is publicly available here: The evaluation of the mandatory polygraph pilot (publishing.service.gov.uk).
The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 introduced polygraph testing for terrorist offenders and came into force in June 2021. As of 12 July 2023, 92 polygraph tests have been administered by polygraph examiners working within the Probation Service National Security Division.
The Government committed to undertake a review of its use with terrorist offenders after a two-year period and report on its findings. The report will be a process evaluation focusing on specific points raised in the House of Lords including the numbers of terrorist offenders subject to testing, how results of polygraph testing have been used, the effect of testing on monitoring of licence conditions, and how frequently terrorist offenders are recalled to prison on the basis of polygraph test results. An impact evaluation is not feasible due to the low volume of eligible cases within this timeframe. The report is scheduled to be laid before Parliament in Autumn 2023.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times a polygraph test has been administered under the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
Prior to mandatory polygraph testing of high-risk sexual offenders on licence being rolled out across the Probation Service in 2014, an evaluation of its effectiveness with such sex offenders was published in 2012. The report is publicly available here: The evaluation of the mandatory polygraph pilot (publishing.service.gov.uk).
The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 introduced polygraph testing for terrorist offenders and came into force in June 2021. As of 12 July 2023, 92 polygraph tests have been administered by polygraph examiners working within the Probation Service National Security Division.
The Government committed to undertake a review of its use with terrorist offenders after a two-year period and report on its findings. The report will be a process evaluation focusing on specific points raised in the House of Lords including the numbers of terrorist offenders subject to testing, how results of polygraph testing have been used, the effect of testing on monitoring of licence conditions, and how frequently terrorist offenders are recalled to prison on the basis of polygraph test results. An impact evaluation is not feasible due to the low volume of eligible cases within this timeframe. The report is scheduled to be laid before Parliament in Autumn 2023.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commemorate in 2021 the centenary of the establishment of Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
As outlined in New Decade, New Approach, the UK Government is committed to working alongside the restored Executive to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021 in a spirit of mutual respect, inclusiveness and reconciliation, in line with the principles for remembering.
We are committed to facilitating national recognition and international awareness of this significant anniversary, with opportunities to mark the centenary in NI, across the UK, across the island of Ireland and internationally.
We intend to use a cross-Whitehall, collaborative approach to support and deliver projects to mark the centenary. Further details on these projects will be available shortly.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by San Francisco to ban the use of facial recognition technology by local agencies due to its alleged unreliability.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
It is right to debate the use of new technologies in democratic societies. It is clearly a decision for the San Francisco City Board of Supervisors whether its agencies should use facial recognition technology.
Facial recognition has the potential to play an important role in the detection and prevention of crime, and the police here have commissioned independent reviews of its effectiveness.
Facial recognition is a fast evolving area of technology with the potential to streamline identity verification and authentication processes across Government and the private sector. When used in the appropriate setting and context, it has proved to be a very reliable and accurate tool. Its performance is dependent on a number of variables, from the quality of the images, environmental factors, the specific algorithm used, the thresholds or risk profile applied and many other factors. Possible matches produced by live facial recognition systems are always checked by a human operator before deciding what, if any, action to take.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the facial recognition technology proposed for use at Heathrow airport; who has the regulatory responsibility for ensuring that technology is effective and meets security requirements; whether such technology is assessed against a set of published standards; and if so, who decides those standards.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government does not require London Heathrow Airport to use facial recognition technology for security checks. London Heathrow Airport has taken a commercial decision to use biometrics to streamline the passenger journey through the airport, however this use of biometrics does not change the security checks that are required to be in place. There are currently no regulations or standards for using facial recognition technology, however airports and other bodies do need to adhere to data protection regulations. The Department regularly discusses and reviews airport security with all regulated UK airports.
Asked by: Lord Evans of Weardale (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, or intend to make, of the benefits of applying the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation to small charities in the UK.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The Government recognises the challenges facing organisations across the UK, especially charities, to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We take the protection and privacy of personal data extremely seriously. We have made it clear that all organisations, especially the biggest global tech firms who process vast amounts of personal data, must comply with the UK’s Data Protection Act 2018.
This is why the Information Commissioner’s Office has published a range of user-friendly material on the GDPR on its website and has also set up a dedicated phone line for small organisations and charities.
No formal review has been made since the new data protection rules came into force on 25 May 2018.
The annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey will contain data on charities' awareness of the General Data Protection Regulation, and the changes they have made in response to its introduction. The results of the survey are expected to be published in spring 2019.