Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total sum they have spent buying places on Common Purpose courses during each of the last 20 years; and to detail exactly (1) how, and (2) where, such expenditure is recorded.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
No centrally held record of expenditure on training or learning is maintained covering the entirety of the period specified.
Common Purpose is not a provider of training through Civil Service Learning.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 2 July (HL5932), what assessment they have made of the difference in the rights of (1) Turkish, and (2) Greek, Cypriots in Cyprus since the 1974 coup d'etat; and to list each meeting the British High Commissioner to Cyprus has had with representatives of (1) Turkish, and (2) Greek, Cypriot communities since 2014.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The 2014 arrangement on non-military development of the Sovereign Base Areas is a non-legally binding arrangement between the UK Government and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. It was not debated in the UK Parliament. The arrangement was discussed with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community prior to and following its signature.
The Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) report prepared for the draft Policy Statement and zoning maps of the SBAs, all published on 10th June 2020, are the result of extensive engagement and collaboration from 2014 onwards. The public consultation on the SEIA is open to Turkish Cypriots and related documents have been made available in Turkish.
We recognise that the status quo in Cyprus causes serious difficulties for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, including as a result of dispossession of property, enforced relocation of communities, and the problem of missing persons. We believe that the best way to secure the rights of all Cypriots is through a comprehensive agreement in accordance with UN resolutions.
The High Commissioner continues to engage with representatives and members of the Turkish Cypriot community to answer questions, as do the Sovereign Base Areas Administration. The UK is committed to securing and promoting the rights of all residents and property-owners in the SBAs, regardless of whether they are Greek or Turkish Cypriot, and will continue working with all Cypriots to that end. A complete list of each of the meetings held with the two communities since 2014 is not held, given their frequency.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 2 July (HL5932), whether their agreement with the government of Cyprus on the regulation of non-military development in the Sovereign Base Areas in 2014 was (1) debated in Parliament, and (2) informed by consultation with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The 2014 arrangement on non-military development of the Sovereign Base Areas is a non-legally binding arrangement between the UK Government and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. It was not debated in the UK Parliament. The arrangement was discussed with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community prior to and following its signature.
The Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) report prepared for the draft Policy Statement and zoning maps of the SBAs, all published on 10th June 2020, are the result of extensive engagement and collaboration from 2014 onwards. The public consultation on the SEIA is open to Turkish Cypriots and related documents have been made available in Turkish.
We recognise that the status quo in Cyprus causes serious difficulties for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, including as a result of dispossession of property, enforced relocation of communities, and the problem of missing persons. We believe that the best way to secure the rights of all Cypriots is through a comprehensive agreement in accordance with UN resolutions.
The High Commissioner continues to engage with representatives and members of the Turkish Cypriot community to answer questions, as do the Sovereign Base Areas Administration. The UK is committed to securing and promoting the rights of all residents and property-owners in the SBAs, regardless of whether they are Greek or Turkish Cypriot, and will continue working with all Cypriots to that end. A complete list of each of the meetings held with the two communities since 2014 is not held, given their frequency.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to (1) reports that the Northern Ireland Executive has failed to implement the Victims’ Payment Scheme for victims of terrorism successfully, and (2) the UK’s historical responsibility and involvement in the 1969–1994 counter terrorism campaign in Northern Ireland, what plans they have to take direct responsibility for the implementation and operation of that Scheme.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government provided a legislative framework for this scheme in the absence of an Executive and the Executive must now deliver. The Government is taking this matter very seriously and we are extremely disappointed by the current delay.
The Executive needs to designate a department that can own the policy and implement the scheme so that applications can be processed and payments made to victims. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland remains in regular contact with the First and deputy First Ministers on progress towards this priority.
We do not recognise the relevance of the reference to “the UK’s historical responsibility and involvement in the 1969–1994 counter terrorism campaign in Northern Ireland” in relation to delivery of the Victims Payment scheme. The Executive committed to “find a way forward” on this issue in 2014. We have provided that way forward. This is clearly a devolved matter and it is imperative that the Executive sets aside its political differences and delivers for victims.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis the decision to permit the development of private property within British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus was made; whether the Turkish-Cypriot community was consulted about this decision; if not, why not; and what is their current evaluation of the validity of the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, in relation to this decision.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
In 2014 UK Government and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus signed an arrangement on the regulation of non-military development in the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs). On 9 June the next stage in this arrangement was reached which will lead to the lifting of many restrictions on land and property development within the non-military areas of the SBAs for all Cypriots.
The UK regularly engages with the Turkish Cypriots through our High Commission in Nicosia. This engagement has included discussions on non-military development, on which the views of the Turkish Cypriots were sought on several occasions both before and after its signature in 2014.
The UK's principal responsibility under the Treaty of Guarantee is to recognise and guarantee the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 10 June (HL3794), why they will not provide figures for the percentage of the population who have died from COVID-19 in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales and (4) Northern Ireland in order to facilitate a strategic assessment of comparative regional efficiencies.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes the weekly numbers of deaths registered in England and Wales, and National Records Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency are responsible for publishing the number of deaths registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. The number of deaths involving COVID-19 are published rather than the percentage of the population who have died from COVID-19, as this is a more useful and accurate way of keeping a consistent record of death data.
The ONS also routinely publishes population estimates. The current data, for mid-2018, for the four nations of the United Kingdom allow the required percentages to be calculated as shown in the following table.
| Registered deaths involving COVID-19 | Mid-2018 population estimates | Percentage |
England | 45,016 | 56,286,961 | 0.080 |
Wales | 2,300 | 3,152,879 | 0.073 |
Scotland | 4,070 | 5,463,300 | 0.074 |
Northern Ireland | 774 | 1,893,667 | 0.041 |
Source: ONS weekly figures on death registrations week ending 5 June 2020.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the proportion of the UK population over state pension age in 1990; and what is the projected figure for 2050.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
In 1990, State Pension age was 60 years of age for females and 65 years for males. Based upon Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates, the proportion of the total UK population over State Pension age in 1990 was 18.4 per cent.
In 2050, State Pension age is legislated to be 68 years of age for both males and females. Based upon ONS 2018 mid-year population projections, the most up-to-date ONS population projections available, the proportion of the total UK population over State Pension age in 2050 is estimated to be 21.4 per cent.
Percentages have been rounded to 1 decimal place.
These figures have been calculated using data available on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have about whether French border patrol ships are systematically monitoring or shadowing migrant boats across the English Channel into UK waters; and what that evidence shows, if anything, about the outcome when such boats reach the English coast.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Border Force vessels covering the South East Channel are usually tasked to identify migrant events by the Coastguard, with the priority being search and rescue and the safety of life. Border Force work closely with the Coastguard and French authorities to ensure we provide an effective response to migrant events at sea. Migrants undertaking these dangerous journeys in unsuitable and overloaded small boats are putting the lives of themselves and others at considerable risk and the priority for all assets deployed at sea is safety.
At sea, under international law, the preservation of life is paramount. In some cases, French boats will remain with migrants if they refuse rescue. But we are clear no-one should be crossing at all and we are developing plans to reform policies and laws to help to stop these crossings completely.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many illegal migrants coming to the UK via France were apprehended by UK authorities (1) since the COVID-19 lock-down began, and (2) in each month since May 2018; and what percentage of those apprehended in each of those months have been successfully repatriated.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK crossing the Channel by small boats for the months of January to March 2020 is approx. 450.? These are provisional figures based on operational management information. The figures for April and May have not passed through a data quality check and cannot be assured. The final figures for all months will be published at a later date, once they have been verified and fully quality assured.
The UK continues to work closely with France and other countries to return migrants who have entered the UK by small boat in order to provide a strong deterrent against these dangerous crossings.
Since January 2019, over 155 people who entered the UK illegally on small boats have been returned to Europe. However, as a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of EU member states have temporarily paused accepting returns under the Dublin Regulations, but we are tracking those individuals and where appropriate will seek to return them when routes are available
It is the policy of this Government to return those not in need of protection.
The majority of countries who are signatories to the?Dublin?Regulations which governs the return of those seeking asylum in the UK to a third country have announced temporary suspension of transfers to and from all EU Member States due to the Corona virus.
Returns?to third-countries can still take place where there is a suitable route of return.
We are ready to resume?Dublin?returns?as soon as travel restrictions are lifted
The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.
Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being transferred under the Dublin regulation.
Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).
Full guidance on Dublin III Regulation was published on 30/04/2020 and can be found via the link below:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882400/Dublin-III-regulation-v3.0ext.pdf
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether France has taken effective action to apprehend those who accommodate illegal migration to the UK, and (2) how many arrests and convictions of such people traffickers have been recorded and reported by France over the past two years.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office liaises directly with the French Interior Ministry on addressing the issue of illegal migration, engaging at an official, diplomatic level and supported at an operational level through regular UK-French Migration Committees.
Through joint-working with France, the UK has funded the continued deployment of French law enforcement along the coast of northern France, who are patrolling constantly in order to detect attempted crossings by migrants. Funding has been allocated, among other projects, for further security improvements at ports in northern France and on the ground, which includes drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop small boats leaving European shores.
Intelligence flows are also key to dismantling the organised crime groups behind crossings. We have restructured and repurposed our approach to support to better inform and direct how and where law enforcement is deployed.
We do not hold data on French arrests and convictions.