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Written Question
Remand in Custody: Insurance
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they, or prison authorities, hold on the volume and value of claims by persons held in custody against (1) prison authorities, and (2) independent insurers (where prison authorities are made aware of the insurance claims).

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

As of 4 March 2024, there were 3,828 open claims by prisoners against His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS). The nominal amount of claims against HMPPS is of the order of £62 million but that figure is not indicative of any ultimate liability. HMPPS does not hold data on claims made by prisoners against independent insurers. The number and value of claims has remained fairly consistent over recent years. A significant number of open claims and proportion of the total value of claims are historic and relate to incidents that are alleged to have occurred in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

HMPPS successfully defends around two-thirds of all litigation cases brought by prisoners. Where damages are awarded to prisoners, we seek to ensure that payments are offset against any outstanding debts owed to victims and the courts.


Written Question
Insurance: Greater London
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the liability of the London insurance market for claims arising from the war in Ukraine for the loss of commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurance arrangements and claims for commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state are a commercial matter between insurers and their insureds. The Government has not made an assessment of the London market’s liability in respect of these aircraft.


Written Question
Low Emission Zones: Greater London
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have issued guidance for prosecuting those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has not issued specific guidance on prosecuting those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

These offences would be covered by existing guidance on inchoate offences, Theft Act offences, and offences during protests, demonstrations or campaigns. The existing guidance is available on the CPS website: Inchoate Offences; Theft Act Offences; and Offences during Protests, Demonstrations or Campaigns.


Written Question
Low Emission Zones: Greater London
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action is being taken by prosecuting authorities against those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for prosecuting cases which have been referred to them following an investigation by the police. The CPS will consider a prosecution for any case involving incitement to cause criminal damage or criminal damage to Ultra Low Emission Zone cameras under the Code for Crown Prosecutors.


Written Question
Antibiotics
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for reviewing the expiry dates of antibiotics, including in respect of savings for public expenditure.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe, has not made an assessment on the case for reviewing the expiry dates of antibiotics.

Medicine expiry dates, including for antibiotics, are necessary to ensure that the safety and effectiveness of a medicine is maintained over its long-term shelf life. The active ingredient in many medicines can degrade over time resulting in a loss of potency or the formation of impurities in the product. Physical changes to a medicine such as discolouration, may also occur upon prolonged storage. Medicine expiry dates are supported by stability studies completed by the pharmaceutical company, which demonstrate that a medicine remains safe and effective throughout its shelf life. Any change to the expiry date of a medicine requires an independent review of the stability data by the MHRA.

Companies can and often do extend the shelf life of their medicines once the product is on the market, and as additional stability data become available. It is not possible, however, to extend the expiry date of all medicines unilaterally in the absence of supporting stability data.


Written Question
Ukraine: International Assistance
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to the United Kingdom of all forms of non-military support to Ukraine since December 2021.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to secure a just and lasting peace underpinned by the UN Charter. The FCDO's non-military support to Ukraine since the start of the invasion amounts to £4.7 billion. This includes over £4.2 billion fiscal support through World Bank loan guarantees and grants; £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region; £150 million to support Ukraine's energy security and resilience; and £2.5 million in support for Ukraine's domestic prosecution of international crimes.


Written Question
Prisoners: Men
Friday 16th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many men aged (1) 70–72, (2) 73–75, (3) 76–79, and (4) 80 and above, were held in prisons nationally in each year since 2010; and of those, how many in each age category were diagnosed with progressive dementia.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Annual data on the number of men in prison in the specified age groups are set out in the table attached. Information about prisoners diagnosed with dementia is collected by the NHS. It is not collated in the form requested and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Health services for those in custody, including dementia support, are the responsibility of the NHS, which is required to provide services of a standard equivalent to that which is available to the general population.

HMPPS works in partnership with the NHS and Adult Social Care services to support prisoners with dementia. Examples include awareness training for staff, cognitive exercises such as reminiscence activities, and cognitive stimulation therapy. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice has published guidance on the circumstances under which applications can be made for prisoners to be considered for early release on compassionate grounds subject to specific criteria being met. This can be accessed on gov.uk or using the link provided: www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-release-on-compassionate-grounds-policy-framework.


Written Question
Russia: Ukraine
Wednesday 14th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) military, and (2) non-military, departmental budgets have been allocated for all forms of support for the war in Ukraine in the financial year 2024–2025.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK’s total support for Ukraine committed since February 2022 now amounts to almost £12 billion, including £4.1 billion of fiscal support via World Bank loan guarantees.

The Prime Minister recently announced £2.5 billion of military assistance for Ukraine in financial year 2024-2025. No Department is being asked to contribute to this package, the funding will be drawn from the Reserve.

The exact amount of non-military support in 2024-2025 remains to be confirmed.


Written Question
Ukraine: Military Aid
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to the United Kingdom of all forms of military support to Ukraine since December 2021.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Since December 2021, the UK has committed £7.1 billion in military aid in support of Ukraine. This includes the latest £2.5 billion package of military support announced on 12 January by the Prime Minister for Financial Year 2024-25.


Written Question
Dogs: Litter
Wednesday 31st January 2024

Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on dog fouling; and whether they provide guidance to local councils on the penalties for dog fouling.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

It is unacceptable for people not to clean up after their dogs and we are giving local councils the tools they need to tackle this anti-social behaviour.

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) allow councils to require dog owners to pick up their dog’s faeces. Those who breach the terms of a PSPO may be prosecuted, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000 on conviction. Alternatively, the council can issue a fixed penalty notice. As part of the Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, we will be increasing the upper limit on these fixed penalty notices to £500, up from the current maximum of £100.

The Government has published practitioners' guidance on dealing with irresponsible dog ownership, which covers the use of PSPOs. Copies of this manual and its annexes are attached to this answer.