Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of human rights with the government of Saudi Arabia; and if so, what response they have received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials regularly raise human rights with their Saudi Arabian counterparts, most recently in September. The Saudi Arabian Government are well aware of our views on the death penalty, women's rights and the restrictions on freedom of expression and belief as set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether pay increases during this financial year for police and prison officers will be paid for from existing budgets.
Answered by Lord Bates
As the Chief Secretary to the Treasury set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 12th September, pay awards for 2017/18 for police and prison officers will be funded within existing budgets.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the bombing of civilians in Yeman; and what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law with the Saudi Arabian Government. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law through the Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT), and that lessons will be acted upon.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
Her Majesty's Government whether it remains their intention to ensure that they do not reach a deal on Brexit without Gibraltar being fully included in that final deal.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government is clear that Gibraltar is covered by our exit negotiations and we have committed to fully involve them as we prepare for the process of exiting the EU. We will negotiate as one United Kingdom, and leave as one United Kingdom. The PM has been clear that we are seeking a deal that works for Britain – not an off the peg solution. That deal must work for Gibraltar too.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia included discussions about (1) executions of dissidents and gays, (2) inferior treatment of women, and (3) human rights.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Prime Minister discussed human rights during her visit to Saudi Arabia (4-5 April). On the death penalty our position is clear. The British Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country. We do not hesitate to express our views and the Government of Saudi Arabia is well aware of our position.
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, because of the use of the death penalty, women's issues and restrictions on other freedoms.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions took place in relation to dog fighting in England and Wales in (1) 2014, (2) 2015, and (3) 2016.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
10 defendants were proceeded against for dog fighting offences in England and Wales in 2014, and 21 defendants were proceeded against in 2015. Data for 2016 is planned for publication in May 2017.
This information was obtained from a manual review of court case files that centrally held data indicated may be relevant, and as such has not been through the same quality assurance processes as for routinely published data.
These figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the main exports and imports between the UK and (1) France, (2) Germany, and (3) Italy, in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, and (c) 2016.
Answered by Lord Price
The top three exports and imports which the UK trades with France, Germany and Italy are shown in the tables attached. This data contains HMRC trade in goods data, which is on the basis of goods crossing the customs border, and trade in services data which is from the ONS Pink Book on a balance of payments basis. Data for 2015 is pending correction by ONS, so is not shown. Data for 2016 will be published later this year. Both the HMRC and ONS data has been published and is publicly available.
Further information on UK trade in goods is available in the HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics interactive database.
Further information on 2014 UK trade in services is available in ONS The Pink Book 2016.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to curb dog fighting.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has provided the police with a range of powers to tackle dog fighting effectively. Offences cover organising, advertising and taking monies relating to animal fights as well as the possession of equipment used to train dogs for dog fighting. In addition, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 makes it an offence to possess certain types of dog that have been identified as bred for fighting or that are similar to types bred for fighting. The police work with the Special Operations Unit of the RSPCA to target illegal dog fighting rings by gathering intelligence and prosecuting those that are involved in dog fighting.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to bring prison sentences in England and Wales in line with those imposed in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
Sentences imposed both in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland are a matter for the independent judiciary. Policy on sentencing in Northern Ireland is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. We do not have any plans to bring prison sentences in England and Wales in line with those in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions took place in England and Wales in (1) 2015, and (2) 2016.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts in England and Wales, in 2015 (the latest available) is 1,492,155.
The number of defendants proceeded against at Crown Courts in England and Wales in 2015 was 87,878; some of these may have had their initial hearing in Magistrates Courts prior to 2015.
Data for calendar year 2016 is due for publication in May 2017.