Tag: Lord Pearson of Rannoch

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Earl Howe on 2 December (HL Deb, col 1193), what actions will be criminalised from next April under the specific offence of anti-Muslim hatred, and whether the actions criminalised under that offence will include (1) criticism of the Muslim religion, and (2) statements from people who have left that religion explaining why they have done so.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

As the Prime Minister announced in October, we have asked the police to record all existing religious based hate crimes by the faith or belief (including absence of belief) of the victim from April next year.

Under existing hate crimes it is not an offence to criticise Islam or for those who have left the faith to explain why they have done so. The new recording system does not constitute a new offence of anti-Muslim hatred, but will require this to be recorded specifically.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which EU countries are required by their constitutions to hold a referendum before their governments can agree changes to the EU treaties; and which countries have done so in the past.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

No EU country has an absolute constitutional requirement to hold a referendum before their government can agree to any amendment to the EU Treaties. Indeed, no EU Member State held a referendum on the most recent change to the EU Treaties which came into effect in 2013.

The following countries have a constitutional requirement to hold a referendum in certain circumstances (e.g. if proposed changes require a revision of a Member State’s constitution or constitute a transfer of competence/sovereignty to the EU):

• Austria
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Lithuania
• Romania
• Slovakia

The following countries have previously held a referendum on changes to the EU Treaties:

• Denmark
• Ireland
• France
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Spain

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, under their counter-terrorism policy, it is acceptable to debate the nature of, and to criticise, all religions, including Islam, even if those arguments or criticisms offend adherents to those religions; and if not, whether they plan to clarify any limits on freedom of speech that that policy might impose.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

As the Prevent Strategy explicitly states the Government is absolutely committed to protecting freedom of speech. Section 31 of the Counter-Terrorism & Security Act 2015, for example includes specific protection for universities in this regard, and statutory guidance for schools makes the Prevent duty affirm our commitment that schools should be safe spaces in which children and young people can understand and discuss sensitive issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether arrangements are in place to vet Muslim recruits to the armed forces; if so, what are those arrangements, and if not, whether they will set them up.

Earl Howe

All candidates joining the Armed Forces are subject to exactly the same vetting procedures applicable to their chosen branch or trade, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

There is no requirement for personnel to declare their religion. However, the numbers of British personnel who joined the UK Regular Armed Forces and self-declared their religion as Muslim in the last four financial years is set out below. The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any British Muslim members of the UK Regular Armed Forces going Absent Without Official Leave to fight in Syria or North Africa in the last four years.

Intake to the UK Regular Forces of personnel with a British Nationality declaring a Muslim religion, by Financial Year

2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
10	20	30	20

Note: figures show intake to UK Regular Forces, both trained and untrained, which comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including professionally qualified Officers), intake to the Army from the Gurkhas and intake from the reserves. They exclude all movements within the Regular Forces; including flows from untrained to trained strength, transfers between Services and flows from Ranks to Officer due to promotion. All numbers are rounded.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 April (HL7086), what are the annual (1) gross, and (2) net, costs of the UK’s contributions to the EU for each year from 2013 to 2015 inclusive, and why those figures were not provided in that answer.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The outturn figures for gross and net contributions to the EU Budget in the year’s 2013 and 2014 can be found in Table 3B, page 16, of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167), which is easily available in the House library and on gov.uk. Equivalent figures for 2015 are not yet available.

As shown in Table 3B of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167), the UK’s gross and net contributions in 2013 and 2014 were:

2013: Gross €17.07 billion Net €10.76 billion (£9.13 billion)

2014: Gross €14.07 billion Net €7.09 billion (£5.71 billion)

Equivalent figures for 2015 are not yet available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 7 April (HL7296), whether alcohol can be sold or consumed on the premises of Richmond House, Wellington House and 22–26 Whitehall.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

There is no legal prohibition on consuming alcohol on the premises of Richmond House, Wellington House and 22–26 Whitehall. However, the residing departments do not have alcohol licences and cannot, therefore, sell alcohol on the premises.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the last four years, how many British Muslims have joined the armed forces, and how many they estimate have gone independently to fight in Syria and North Africa.

Earl Howe

All candidates joining the Armed Forces are subject to exactly the same vetting procedures applicable to their chosen branch or trade, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

There is no requirement for personnel to declare their religion. However, the numbers of British personnel who joined the UK Regular Armed Forces and self-declared their religion as Muslim in the last four financial years is set out below. The Ministry of Defence is not aware of any British Muslim members of the UK Regular Armed Forces going Absent Without Official Leave to fight in Syria or North Africa in the last four years.

Intake to the UK Regular Forces of personnel with a British Nationality declaring a Muslim religion, by Financial Year

2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
10	20	30	20

Note: figures show intake to UK Regular Forces, both trained and untrained, which comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including professionally qualified Officers), intake to the Army from the Gurkhas and intake from the reserves. They exclude all movements within the Regular Forces; including flows from untrained to trained strength, transfers between Services and flows from Ranks to Officer due to promotion. All numbers are rounded.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 1 April (HL7086), why the Office for National Statistics Pink Book cannot be used to establish the UK’s gross and net contributions to the EU; what Government sources provide a more accurate picture, and why.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Data published in the Office for National Statistics Pink Book represent only those transactions that are administered by official bodies, in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 for the purposes of producing statistics on the UK’s balance of payments. These do not include all receipts from the EU. Table 3B, page 16, of European Union Finances 2015 (CM 9167) provides complete outturn figures, including receipts administered by public sector bodies and those received directly by beneficiaries. The difference between these, and other figures, are explained further in Annex B of the Treasury analysis of the long-run economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have instigated, or are aware of, measures that prevent the sending of sporting trophies, such as deer horns, to Switzerland or the US.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The export of sporting trophies to the USA and Switzerland is possible in principle. Each consignment would have to comply with import conditions imposed by those countries. Any consignment would also have to comply with EU animal by-product regulations relating to the provenance, condition and treatment of the material.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Leader of the House whether she will encourage Government ministers to provide full answers to Written Questions from members of the House rather than providing references to third-party sources.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

As Leader of the House, I am responsible for encouraging departments to give timely answers to Questions for Written Answer (QWAs), a duty I take very seriously.

The House has set out clearly (most recently in agreeing the Procedure Committee’s 5th Report on the 2014-5 Session) that all answers to QWAs should be complete and comprehensible, and as such should not rely on references to external documents or webpages. I will continue to make this guidance clear to Ministers. Whilst it is for individual Ministers to account to the House for the content of the answers they provide – with Ministers providing personally signed answers to members as part of this direct accountability – any member is welcome to inform me of any particular concerns about a response they have received.