Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of recent settler violence in the West Bank.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Settler violence is unacceptable, and settlements are illegal under international law. The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Israeli ministers that they must clamp down on settler violence and end settler expansion and has previously met with Palestinian communities in the West Bank to hear how they are affected. On 15 October, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. These measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. As the Foreign Secretary said in Parliament on 1 April, we continue to keep these issues under review but the culture of impunity for those engaged in violence is intolerable.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement to reduce Official Development Assistance and ahead of the Third Global Disability Summit, what steps they are taking to protect disability inclusion in giving development aid both now and in the future.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to investing internationally to build a safer world. As the Prime Minister has made clear we must increase our security and defence spending now. We remain committed to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance (ODA) when the fiscal circumstances allow.
At 16 per cent of the global population, people with disabilities are among the world's most vulnerable, including in times of crisis, climate and humanitarian emergencies. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to mainstreaming a disability inclusion and rights approach across our work and we will also drive stronger international coordination to advance global disability inclusion progress. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Equality impact assessments, which consider impacts on disability inclusion, are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 25 March.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The slave trade was abhorrent. We recognise its horrific impacts, and the ongoing strength of feeling. The UK marked the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 25 March with other United Nations member states in the General Assembly in the usual manner.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have met recently with representatives of Caribbean governments; and whether the legacy of slavery and its impact on the Caribbean was discussed.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We fully recognise the horrific impacts and the understandable strength of feeling on the transatlantic slave trade across communities in the UK and the Commonwealth family. Ministers have had no discussions with Caribbean counterparts focused on the legacy of slavery since July 2024, and none are planned. If interlocutors raise reparatory justice, we make clear our position that we do not pay reparations. We are focused on working with Caribbean partners to tackle the most pressing challenges of today including security, growth, climate change and building partnerships for the future.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what safeguards he plans to put in place to ensure the security of Scottish NHS data shared with HM Revenue and Customs.
Answered by David Gauke
Any taxpayer data held by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is subjected to strict safeguards.
HMRC take their duty of confidentiality very seriously and cannot disclose any information acquired or held unless specifically provided for by law. All HMRC information is subject to stringent data security controls and unlawful disclosure of taxpayer information is potentially a criminal offence.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on the sharing of Scottish NHS data with HM Revenue and Customs.
Answered by David Gauke
Treasury ministers discuss a wide range of issues with their ministerial counterparts, including in the Scottish Government. In line with the practice followed by previous administrations, details of such discussions are not routinely disclosed.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many children in Scotland are living in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael
Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income series. These estimates are available as three-year averages to 2012/13, and show that in 2010/11-2012/13 the number and percentage of children in relative and absolute low income was 0.2 million (17%) and 0.2 million (18%) respectively.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers of the Scottish Government and (b) his ministerial colleagues on the sharing of Scottish NHS data with HM Revenue and Customs in relation to implementation of the Scottish rate of income tax.
Answered by Alistair Carmichael
The Scottish Government is consulting until the end of February on whether HMRC should be allowed access to NHS Scotland data (name, date of birth, postcode and gender data) to support the identification of Scottish taxpayers, who will pay tax at the Scottish rate of income tax from April 2016. Discussions have taken place between the two administrations and there will be further discussions after the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on oil and gas receipts of the fall in the price of Brent crude to $56 a barrel.
Answered by David Gauke
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published forecasts for oil and gas revenues in the December 2014 Economic and Financial Outlook. The report shows that these tax receipts are expected to be £15.8bn over the forecast period. The March 2015 forecast will incorporate the impact of recent changes in the oil price.
The global fall in oil prices should provide a boost to the economy and support UK and global growth. Falling oil prices contributed to annual CPI inflation of 1.0 per cent in November, the lowest level of inflation in 12 years, and reductions in petrol and diesel prices, which are now at their lowest levels since September 2010. On 5th January 2015, diesel was down 18.28p/l on its July 2014 peak, at 117.93p/l, and petrol down 20.05p/l at 111.06p/l.
Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 7 January 2013 to Question 135835, on Dover House, whether building work on the first floor of 70 Whitehall has been concluded; and when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is expected to vacate Dover House.
Answered by Lord Maude of Horsham
Under plans agreed prior to the 2010 General Election, 70 Whitehall is undergoing modernisation works. As a result, there are no current plans for the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to vacate Dover House.