Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will distinguish in their statistics between persons seeking entry to the country refused admission to the UK who are free to travel to other jurisdictions and persons who are detained and prevented by UK authorities from leaving to other jurisdictions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not intend to make this distinction when publishing statistics.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 11 May (HL Deb, col 172), that the proposed Hinkley Point C power station "will provide reliable energy at an affordable cost", what is their estimate of that unit cost.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Strike Price for Hinkley Point C is £92.50/MWh, reducing to £89.50/MWh if EDF proceed with Sizewell C
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 11 May (HL7961), what is the basis from which the "renegotiation deal" did not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union to rule on compliance with fundamental rights.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The central element of the UK deal is an International Law Decision. It includes a provision which reaffirms that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union or domestic courts to rule on compliance with fundamental rights. As the Government has made clear, the International Law Decision is legally binding.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they ensure that the identity and addresses given by cyclists being issued with fixed penalty notices are not false.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Police have powers under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Road Traffic Act 1988 to request an individual's identity where the person is suspected of committing an offence. The application of any such powers is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 28 April (HL Deb, col 1244), what provision was made in the Treasury document published on 18 April on the economic efforts of a UK withdrawal from the EU for funding the health, education, welfare and other costs associated with the forecast increase in that document of three million in the population of the UK by 2030.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
“HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives” shows that after 15 years, even with savings from reduced contributions to the EU, receipts would be £20 billion a year lower in the central estimate of the EEA, £36 billion a year lower for the negotiated bilateral agreement and £45 billion a year lower for the WTO alternative. £36 billion is more than a third of the NHS budget and the equivalent of 8p on the basic rate of income tax.
The HMT analysis does not forecast immigration but uses the latest figures from ONS as a modelling assumption. These numbers do not take account of future Government actions to reduce immigration, including the emergency brake on welfare agreed as part of the renegotiation.
The Government is committed to controlling migration by dealing with those who shouldn’t be here, by deporting illegal immigrants and improving the skills of British workers, so we reduce the demand for skilled migrants.
The Prime Minister has re-negotiated the UK’s position within the EU to close back-door routes into the UK and exert greater control over EU migration by tackling the draw of our welfare system.
But net migration remains too high and there is still more work to do.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the obligations upon member states of the EU include any duty to observe the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The EU is not itself a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Any agreement for the EU to accede would need to be agreed unanimously by all EU Member States (including the UK) and all other contracting parties to the ECHR.
Our renegotiation deal reaffirmed that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not extend the ability of the Court of Justice of the European Union or domestic courts to rule on compliance with fundamental rights.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 May (HL7756), in what manner they ensure that cyclists pay fines imposed by fixed penalty notices.
Answered by Lord Faulks
When a fixed penalty notice is issued offenders have 28 days in which to pay the amount ordered. No enforcement action is taken during this period but if the offender fails to pay within this time the fixed penalty notice is increased by 50% and registered as a court fine. HM Courts and Tribunals Service can then take the same enforcement steps as for any court ordered fine.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 16 March (HL6552), how they define an "extended Ministerial Office", and for what purpose they are being established.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
Guidance on the nature and make up of extended ministerial offices (EMO) is set out in guidance published by the Government. The Guidance makes clear that EMOs are designed to support Secretaries of State and other Ministerial Heads of Departments. An EMO may include civil servants fulfilling the traditional private office role, special advisers and external appointees. The office may include support for policy formation, implementation, media, correspondence, relations with Parliament, as well as the traditional private office function.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 16 March (HL6672), whether the respective Codes of Conduct for (1) ministers, (2) officials, and (3) special advisers, allow them to draft letters to be signed by retired military officers or business people and then published in national newspapers.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
The respective Codes of Conduct for Ministers, officials and special advisers make clear the role of these individuals in developing and implementing Government policies.
Asked by: Lord Tebbit (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 14 March (HL6673), whether Mr Hopkins importuned any persons to sign letters to national newspapers concerning the European Referendum or the consequences of a national vote for leaving the EU; and if so, how many (1) were importuned, (2) signed, and (3) declined to do so.
Answered by Lord Bridges of Headley
I refer the Noble Lord to the Prime Minister's answer to the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries) on 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 32. As set out in the Civil Service Code, it is the role of the civil service to support the Government of the day in developing and implementing its policies.