Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps that do not require legislation have been taken by her Department in response to its review of new psychoactive substances since its publication; and what further such steps she plans to take before the end of the present Parliament (a) overall and (b) relating to head shops.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
In our response to the new psychoactive substances expert panel’s report, published on 30 October 2014, the Government set out a timetable for delivery of a number of the actions we are taking both under the present Parliament and beyond. Some of these have already been delivered. For example, Public Health England (PHE) has already delivered a new toolkit to help local areas to prevent and respond to the use of NPS. Other actions are underway, such as work with key enforcement partners to issue and/or update guidance to further tackle the supply of NPS generally as well as in "headshops". In addition, the Government continues to ensure that the Misuse of Drugs 1971 controls keep pace with the evolving NPS market. This includes controlling MT-45 and 4,4’-DMAR as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Work has begun on developing legislative proposals for a general ban on new psychoactive substances similar to that introduced in Ireland. The Government is moving swiftly so that new legislation is ready to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, notwithstanding the lack of appropriate legislative vehicle in this Parliament. In addition, statutory consultation has been initiated with the ACMD on the legislative proposal to adopt a new definition to ban all synthetic cannabinoids based on their effects on the brain.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 217748, what assessment she has made of the implications for UK policy of the comments by William Brownfield on UN drug control conventions; and whether the Government plans to support the policy position expressed in those comments at international forums and the UN General Assembly.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The Coalition Government promotes a balanced and evidence-based approach to drug policy within the UN drug control conventions. As Ambassador Brownfield made clear, it is important that the international community respects the
integrity of UN conventions in this area. We will continue to champion our balanced drug strategy, which since 2010 has focused on reducing demand, restricting supply, and building recovery. This includes at international forums, including the forthcoming UN General Assembly Special Session on drugs in 2016.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many gifts from members of the public were made for the purpose of reducing the national debt in each of the last three years; what the (a) nature and (b) value of each gift was; whether it is his policy to encourage such donations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Given below is a list of gifts from members of the public made for the purpose of reducing the national debt in each of the last three years, with the nature and value of each gift. Over the last three years there have been 39 such gifts; 16 in 12/13, 16 in 13/14, and 7 in 14/15. The Treasury is a passive receiver of donations and bequests. It does not actively pursue possible donations.
Year 2013-14 | |||
12.18 | 24-Feb-14 | Unknown | |
200.00 | 19-Feb-14 | Gift | |
15.00 | 10-Feb-14 | Gift | |
3.87 | 16-Jan-14 | Unknown | |
1.99 | 02-Dec-13 | Unknown | |
40.00 | 21-Nov-13 | Gift | |
2.94 | 14-Oct-13 | Unknown | |
336,356.53 | 27-Sep-13 | Bequest | |
0.78 | 03-Sep-13 | Unknown | |
420,576.00 | 23-Aug-13 | Bequest | |
120.00 | 20-Aug-13 | Unknown | |
6.77 | 05-Aug-13 | Unknown | |
1.99 | 03-Jun-13 | Unknown | |
41,571.79 | 30-Apr-13 | Bequest | |
Total | 799,389.84 | ||
Year 2012-13 | |||
284,964.00 | 28-Mar-13 | Bequest | |
1,988.20 | 05-Mar-13 | Bequest | |
41.91 | 18-Feb-13 | Unknown | |
3.06 | 04-Feb-13 | Unknown | |
8.84 | 31-Jan-13 | Unknown | |
1.99 | 03-Dec-12 | Unknown | |
7,000.00 | 06-Nov-12 | Bequest | |
0.04 | 30-Oct-12 | Unknown | |
0.07 | 30-Oct-12 | Unknown | |
101,946.98 | 24-Oct-12 | Bequest | |
1.75 | 01-Jun-13 | Unknown | |
0.08 | 01-Jun-12 | Unknown | |
0.08 | 01-Jun-12 | Unknown | |
0.08 | 01-Jun-12 | Unknown | |
Total | 406,607.08 | ||
Year 2011-12 | |||
120.00 | 29-Mar-12 | Unknown | |
18,478.49 | 14-Dec-11 | Bequest | |
1.99 | 01-Dec-11 | Unknown | |
6.72 | 22-Sep-11 | Unknown | |
1.61 | 19-Sep-11 | Unknown | |
4.45 | 19-Sep-11 | Unknown | |
42.80 | 19-Sep-11 | Unknown | |
5.61 | 20-Jul-11 | Unknown | |
7.80 | 14-Jul-11 | Unknown | |
1.44 | 05-Jul-11 | Unknown | |
1.26 | 05-Jul-11 | Unknown | |
0.11 | 05-Jul-11 | Unknown | |
17.06 | 28-Jun-11 | Unknown | |
0.01 | 02-Jun-11 | Unknown | |
1.99 | 01-Jun-11 | Unknown | |
0.01 | 10-May-11 | Unknown | |
0.38 | 05-May-11 | Unknown | |
1,416.93 | 04-May-11 | Bequest | |
Total | 21,183.66 |
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been received by the Sovereign in each of the last 30 years as a result of people (a) dying intestate and (b) making specific bequests in favour of the Sovereign in the Duchy of Lancaster.
Answered by Danny Alexander
The Sovereign has received no direct benefit from bona vacantia since 1988. The Privy purse benefited by £339k in 1984/85, £468k in 1985/86, £418k in 1986/87 and £497k in 1987/88.
Since 1988 proceeds from bona vacantia have been used to pay late claims and the balance has been divided between three charities established to receive these funds which are the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund (supporting charities within the County Palatine or where the Duchy has landed or historical interests in England and Wales), the Jubilee Trust (which supports The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy and other heritage buildings owned by the Duchy) and the Duke of Lancaster Housing Trust (which provides rural affordable housing).
b). The Duchy has not kept a record of any specific bequests in favour of the Duchy in the course of the last 30 years. If such a bequest were to be received, and in the absence of specific conditions attached to it, it is highly likely that the funds would be transferred to one of these Duchy charities.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library copies of the bank statements of the donations and bequests account held by the Commissioner for the Reduction of the National Debt at the Bank of England in the last 10 years.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government believes it would not be appropriate to provide daily bank statements to the House Library for both efficiency and confidentiality reasons, but will provide copies of the annual accounts for the Donations & Bequests Fund for the past 10 years.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the comments by US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield on 9 October 2014, on the UN drug control conventions, what recent discussions her Department has had with its US counterparts on drug policy.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The coalition government has regular conversations with the US Government through a range of bilateral and multilateral forums. We continue to work with the US to promote a modern, balanced and evidence-based international approach to drugs within the UN drug control conventions.
Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website: http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what his policy is on the future of the National Fund; whether he has considered the early application of the Fund to reduce the national debt; what other options for the future of the Fund he has considered and (a) dismissed and (b) kept under consideration; and what donations have been made to the Fund in each of the last 30 years.
Answered by Robert Buckland
There has been correspondence between the Charity Commission, the trustees and the Attorney General’s Office over the National Fund.
The Fund is operated in accordance with its rules and section 9 of the Superannuation and Other Trust Funds (Validation) Act 1927. It is accumulating as the original donors intended.
Options are being considered for the future of the Fund, consistent with its object of extinguishing or reducing the national debt. These include a possible application to the court for directions. The consideration of these options includes looking at the history of donations to the Fund. Whilst this work is on-going, it would not be appropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has now made of the potential efficiency gains that could result from a merger of the Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) constantly keeps its delivery arrangements under review to ensure that funding of skills programmes is efficient and effective, as well as responsive to policy priorities to increase take-up of apprenticeships and traineeships for young people.
The Skills Funding Agency works closely with the Education Funding Agency on the funding of Further Education college provision and funding of apprenticeships and traineeships for 16-19 year olds. We have recently appointed Peter Lauener as joint Chief Executive of both agencies to make the most of the clear synergies between the two agencies. This exemplifies the commitment we have to promoting joined up Government. The Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency share a number of services to ensure they function as efficiently as possible.
The Skills Funding Agency has recently been through significant restructuring exercises reducing staffing levels by 50% and administration budget by 37%. In addition the regional office structure was reduced from 54 offices to six offices.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the availability of sativex through the NHS with the classification of cannabis as a Schedule One substance.
Answered by George Freeman
Cannabis is a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and is listed in Schedule 1 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Cannabis in its raw form is not authorised as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom and no assessment has been made by the Government of its potential medicinal benefits.
Sativex is the first cannabis-based medicine (oral spray) to be recognised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to have medicinal properties and is placed in Part I of Schedule 4 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. This distinguishes it from cannabis in its raw form which continues to remain a Class B and Schedule 1 controlled drug under UK legislation. A person can lawfully possess Sativex under a prescription issued by a qualified healthcare professional.
However, Sativex remains a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Act and Class B drug offences, including unlawful possession, supply, possession with intent to supply etc, continue to apply to Sativex.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights position in Tibet.
Answered by Lord Swire
We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet, particularly the reported restrictions being placed on freedom of expression, association and assembly.
We are troubled by reported episodes of violence during popular protests in Tibet. We believe meaningful dialogue is the best way to address underlying grievances.