To ask Her Majesty's Government what, in percentage terms, is the United Kingdom's contribution to world carbon dioxide emissions. [HL3174]

Based on estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), the UK is responsible for around 2 to 2.1 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have received from the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Ralph T O'Neal; what reply they have sent; and whether they will take any action as a result. [HL3242]

The Premier of the British Virgin Islands, the honourable Ralph T O'Neal, wrote to my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Gillian Merron, on 20 March 2009 in advance of her visit to the British Virgin Islands in April. He raised a number of issues relating to the good governance of the territory, some of which had been previously discussed during a meeting with my honourable friend following the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in October 2008. My honourable friend's reply answered each point raised in the Premier's letter and offered the opportunity to discuss further during her visit. My honourable friend visited the territory from 7 to 9 April 2009 and met the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, the Cabinet and members of the House of Assembly. Their discussions covered the public service, good governance issues, and policing and immigration matters.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Care Quality Commission is now fully operational; and how many meetings they have had with the commission. [HL3337]

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 established the Care Quality Commission, which came into being on 1 October 2008. On 1 April 2009, the new commission took over from the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission. It is now fully operational. Ministers and senior officials at the department meet regularly with the Care Quality Commission chairman, chief executive and executive directors.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ask the Care Quality Commission to hold inquiries into all allegations of failure to provide adequate care to those who need it. [HL3338]

We have deliberately given the Care Quality Commission a wide range of tough, independent enforcement powers enabling the new commission to take direct and independent action against service providers which fail to provide care that meets essential levels of safety and quality that service users are entitled to expect. This could result in the Care Quality Commission forcing the closure of service providers that fail to meet these essential levels of safety and quality.

The department is, of course, in regular dialogue with the Care Quality Commission and discusses issues and matters of concern with it as part of the department's ongoing sponsorship relationship with the regulator.

While the Secretary of State may request that the commission undertake a specific review or investigation so that specific issues of interest to the public or Parliament may receive the necessary attention from the commission, it is important to be clear that we have established the Care Quality Commission as an independent regulator.

Subject to the requirements of its founding legislation, the commission is operationally independent and free from government involvement in the way it exercises its statutory functions.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 31 March (WS 83–84), what was the estimated size of the Department for Work and Pensions' non-consolidated performance-related pay pot for the Senior Civil Service in each of the past five years for which information is available. [HL2901]

Pay arrangements for the Senior Civil Service are based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in the current economic circumstances they will cancel major long-term defence projects such as aircraft carriers, fighter aircraft and missiles. [HL3257]

We have no such plans.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what effects, financial and otherwise, the version of the energy package for further liberalising the European Union's gas and electricity markets agreed by the European Parliament on 22 April will have on the United Kingdom's energy industries and consumers. [HL3176]

We welcome the European Parliament's agreement of the third internal energy market package. We expect the new measures to enter into force some time this summer.

The legislation introduces measures to develop a fully functioning, properly regulated and more integrated European energy market. The result should be to promote security of supply, put downward pressure on consumer prices across the EU and support those in fuel poverty. It should also put in place the regulatory frameworks to underpin the investment in new infrastructure needed to support the low carbon technologies which will be critically important in addressing climate change in the coming years.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their estimates of the costs per megawatt of (a) wind-generated electricity, and (b) nuclear-generated electricity, including construction, maintenance and grid connection costs. [HL3113]

The Government have carried out analysis on generation costs in some detail in recent years to inform policy decisions. Some of these estimates were published as part of the Energy Review (2006). Estimates made in 2007-08 suggest the following indicative levelised costs (£/MWh) associated with 1MWh of electricity generated from wind and nuclear power. These costs include construction and maintenance costs but do not include grid connection costs (which depend on location and distance from the nearest grid connection point rather than type of generation). The updating of cost assumptions for a range of generation technologies is ongoing.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of children in foster care who enter tertiary education. [HL3372]

The Education and Skills Act 2008 will mean that all young people, including those living with foster carers, will be required to continue in post-16 education or training. Through both the Right 2B Cared 4 and the Staying Put: 18+ Family Placement Pilots, which the Government are funding, children in care will have the chance to benefit from a stable family placement beyond the age of 16 so that they move to independent living only when they feel properly prepared and ready. These pilots provide the stability and support necessary for young people to achieve in education, training and employment. In addition, the Children and Young Persons Act extends the right for all care leavers to a personal adviser until the age of 25 if they are in education and training and places a requirement on local authorities to pay a bursary to care leavers who undertake a course of higher education.

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to have removed the nation's vulnerable customers from fuel poverty. [HL3331]

The Government's fuel poverty strategy brings together policies that target the three main factors that influence fuel poverty—household energy efficiency, fuel prices and household income. The strategy's strong package of programmes and measures addresses all three factors.

Rising energy prices in particular have made achieving our fuel poverty targets more difficult. The current mix of fuel poverty measures is unlikely to eradicate fuel poverty among the vulnerable by 2010. However, the Government continue to do all that is reasonably practicable to tackle fuel poverty amongst all members of society.

In light of recent market developments and the Government's more ambitious aims on reducing carbon emissions, DECC is currently undertaking a review of its fuel poverty policies. Initial findings of this review are expected this summer.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the recommendation in the Rowntree report, Database State, that Government databases should be subjected to an independent review of their privacy impact and their overall benefits to society. [HL2756]

Departments are already required to conduct privacy impact assessments on all new projects which involve the collection of personal data. This measure, part of the mandatory requirements in the data handling review, has been agreed with the Information Commissioner's Office. The ICO has produced and subsequently updated guidance for both the public and private sectors on this. In addition, the Government accepted the recommendations of the Walport Thomas review for measures to strengthen enforcement of data protection and a data sharing code of practice to be published and maintained by the Information Commissioner who has independent oversight of data protection issues across the public and private sector.

Both the data handling review (DHR) and the independent Walport Thomas review on data sharing, published in June and July 2008, respectively, recognised that there was a definite need for government to handle and share information to provide better and more efficient public services and to aid in the detection and prevention of crime but any intrusion into privacy must be appropriate and proportionate.

Both of these reports can be read online at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/data_handling.aspx and www.justice.gov.uk/reviews/datasharing-intro.htm respectively.

The Joseph Rowntree Trust report presents no substantive evidence on which it bases its assessments of privacy impact. However, the Government take their data handling responsibilities seriously and will consider any concerns carefully, adapting existing safeguards where necessary.

Copies have been placed in Libraries of the House

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy to reduce the use of energy in (a) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and (b) the Ministry of Justice. [HL3033]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has an ongoing programme of initiatives in place to deliver significant sustainability improvements across its estate.

Defra has implemented a carbon management programme which has enabled it to develop a systematic approach to monitoring and managing its carbon emissions. The department is successfully improving the energy efficiency of its estate by implementing a range of technologies, initiatives and operational improvements. Initiatives which have already been implemented include: voltage regulation technologies, energy efficiency lighting, insulation and draught proofing, biomass, combined heat and power plants and automatic metering (AMR) of utilities. Thermal imaging surveys have also been undertaken at a number of sites and the results will form a programme of works to improve the thermal efficiency of the buildings.

All new build and refurbishment projects undergo sustainability reviews and are designed to achieve BREEAM excellent as standard. Recent projects such as the new office at Alnwick, which is designed to operate as carbon neutral, demonstrate Defra's commitment to deliver sustainable solutions in the design, build and operation of all its developments.

The Ministry of Justice is taking a number of actions to reduce the use of energy and these have been published in the OGC delivery plan at www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Delivery_Plan_Update_ Dec08.pdf.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what the rates of staff (a) absence, and (b) sickness absence, were at (1) the Ministry of Defence, and (2) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in each of the past three years; and what the targets for the department were in each case.[HL3279]

It is not possible to provide information on (a) as no reliable data are available on absences other than sickness absence.

Sickness absence rates in the MoD for the 12 months ending 31 December 2006, 31 December 2007 and 31 December 2008 are shown in the table below:

1. Data exclude staff in Trading Funds, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and Locally Engaged Civilians for whom sickness absence data are not readily available.

2. Data presented reflect the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and exclude data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays.

3. Average working days lost per FTE are calculated by dividing the total working days lost for each period by a weighted average of the 1st of the month strengths for the period, with the strengths at the 1st January at the start and end of the period receiving a weighting of 0.5, and the strengths at the 1st of the other months in the period a weighting of 1.

4. Sickness absence figures for the 12 months to 31 December 08 exclude absences where a person is classed as being on zero pay.

1 Trading Fund personnel cannot be split by Industrial Non Industrial status.

2 Data presented reflect the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and exclude data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays.

3 Rates are calculated by dividing the total working days lost for each period by a weighted 13 month average for the period listed with the first and last month receiving a weighting of 0.5, and all other months a weighting of 1.

4 Sickness absence figures for the 12 months to 31 December 08 exclude absences where a person is classed as being on zero pay.

Information prior to the 12 months ending 31 December 2008 is not considered robust enough to provide any meaningful sick absence rates due to data inconsistency within the HR systems used by trading funds to record absences.

Target rates of worker sickness absence for civil servants in the Ministry of Defence

Since the Cabinet Office publication of Working Well Together in the Public Sector in June 1998 the Ministry of Defence has had sickness absence targets included in the departmental plan with performance contained in the appropriate departmental report and accounts.

Targets have been to reduce sickness absence cumulatively by 2.5 per cent each year, although the continual change in methodology means that the actual figures cannot be compared year on year. The target set for financial year 2008-09 is to reduce sickness absence to 8.0 average working days lost (AWDL) per full time equivalent (FTE) employee.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what the rates of staff (a) absence, and (b) sickness absence, were at (1) the Department for Work and Pensions, and (2) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in each of the past three years; and what the targets for the department were in each case.[HL3281]

The information requested for the Department for Work and Pensions, its agencies and 16 non-departmental public bodies is either not available or not held centrally. It cannot be provided completely or at a proportionate cost.

Information about sickness absence rates is readily available. The data are recorded by managers and in most instances rely on details provided by employees. Information for the year 2006-07 was published by the Cabinet Office and can be obtained at the following internet address:

www.civilservice.gov.uk/Assets/Sickness_ Absence_2006to2007_tcm6-2515.pdf.

Information currently recorded on the department's personnel computer for 2007-08 and 2008-09 is shown below.

The department has a single target for reducing sickness absence to an average of 7.7 days per staff year by April 2010.

* Child Support Agency became a non-departmental public body in 2008-09

To ask Her Majesty's Government what use is made of the ministerial residences in (a) Admiralty House, other than that occupied by Lord Malloch-Brown, and (b) 1 Carlton Gardens. [HL3157]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office uses 1 Carlton Gardens for a range of events hosted by Ministers and senior officials, as well as other departmental meetings. Two of the Admiralty House flats are unoccupied.

To ask Her Majesty's Government why there is a Human Rights Commission for Northern Ireland, rather than Northern Ireland being covered by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. [HL3247]

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has distinct origins flowing from commitments made in the 1998 Belfast agreement. The agreement specified that “a new Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, with membership from Northern Ireland reflecting the community balance, will be established by Westminster legislation”. Part VII of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provided for the establishment of the commission.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission was established by the Equality Act 2006, replacing the former Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether states imposing Sharia Law are in breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or any other United Nations declaration of human rights. [HL3450]

The Government have not carried out such an assessment of all states that have systems of Sharia law, or elements thereof, in place. But all states are bound under the UN charter to promote respect for human rights. All states, including those that practise Sharia, have also voluntarily ratified at least one international human rights treaty under the UN's auspices, and are hence bound by their human rights obligations under the relevant treaties and obliged to submit reports on the measures they have adopted to give effect to the rights in the treaties they have ratified to the relevant treaty monitoring body. These monitoring processes are designed to assess the compatibility of a state's laws and practices with its international human rights obligations.

While the Government would not wish to generalise about Sharia, which takes different forms in a number of states, they do have some concerns where Sharia is used to restrict the enjoyment of some human rights and freedoms. We are concerned that women and children can be subject to discrimination in many countries where the principles of Sharia are applied. However, much of this discrimination is based on interpretation, tradition and custom rather than the principles of Sharia itself. Many Muslim states have signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and have committed themselves to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and we urge them to do so.

The Government's concern about the violations of these rights worldwide is not confined only to states where Sharia is applied. While we oppose the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, depending on how Sharia is interpreted we have serious concerns about: the broad scope of crimes that are punishable by death, the age at which an individual is eligible to face the death penalty and stoning as a method of execution. The UK, with its EU partners, campaigns against the death penalty, under whatever system of law it is imposed.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many residents in the United Kingdom are from families of Pakistani Christian origin; and in which local authority areas they are mainly resident. [HL3326]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply to the noble Lord.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Lord Greaves, dated May 2009.

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many residents in the United Kingdom are from families of Pakistani Christian origin, and in which local authority areas they are mainly resident (HL3326).

According to the 2001 censuses of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, 8,370 people were counted as both Pakistani and Christian.

Thirteen local authorities contained more than 100 people counted as Pakistani and Christian: Slough (250 people), Pendle (245), Ealing (230), Glasgow City (195), Croydon (190), Newham (180), City of Bristol (165),^-Waltham Forest (160), Birmingham (160), Redbridge (150), Kirklees (130), Bradford (110) and Manchester (105).

More recent data on ethnic group and religion are available from the Annual Population Survey. However, that survey is not large enough to provide robust estimates at a local authority level for the Pakistani Christian sub-group of the population.

Crown Copyright applies unless otherwise stated, copyright@ons.gov.uk

Created on 06 May 2009 by Office for National Statistics.

Cells in this table have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

Source: 2001 Census

To ask Her Majesty's Government what instructions they have given to the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland concerning investigations into (a) the Northern Bank robbery, and (b) the Omagh bomb of 1998. [HL3545]

These are operational matters for the chief constable and therefore the Government have given no instructions to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations were in existence at the end of 2008; and what was the total amount of public funds under their control. [HL3177]

The Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies 2008 provides a report on the size and expenditure of the non-departmental public body (NDPB) sector, as at 31 March 2008. Copies of Public Bodies 2008 are available from the Libraries of the House.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Learning and Skills Council has the power to require (a) schools with sixth forms, and (b) academies, to provide specified individuals aged 16 to 18 with full-time education.[HL3293]

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to give local authorities the power to require (a) schools with sixth forms, and (b) academies, to provide specified individuals aged 16 to 18 with full-time education from April 2010.[HL3294]

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has powers under Section 52 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 to require institutions within the further education sector to provide education for young people aged 16 to 19. This power does not apply to schools with sixth forms or academies.

Clause 43 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill proposes to replicate the LSC’s powers in the 1992 Act for local authorities and through Clause 42 of the Bill, we propose to extend the local authorities’ powers also to require a maintained school with a sixth form to provide a named individual aged 16-19, with education. The position with academies is not affected by these proposals. As now, local authorities can ask an academy, including the academy sixth form, to admit a child in accordance with their published admission arrangements. If the academy refuses, the local authority can refer the matter to the Secretary of State who, through provisions in the academy funding agreement, can require the academy to admit the child.

These clauses enable local authorities to support the small number of young people who may be struggling to find a suitable place in learning, to fulfil their duty to participate. This will be particularly important when considering the needs of our more vulnerable groups of young people, although the expectation is that local authorities, as with the LSC, will need to use them only very sparingly, if at all.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards there are to prevent employers of social care workers from imposing unreasonable demands on them. [HL3341]

The General Social Care Council has produced United Kingdom-wide codes of practice for social care workers and employers that provide a clear guide for all those who work in social care and set out the standards of practice and conduct workers and their employers should meet.

In particular, the code requires that employers ask social care workers only to carry out tasks that they are competent to do.

In addition, we have implemented a framework for newly qualified social workers that provides the necessary support and development to set a good foundation for their professional career.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider establishing a minimum wage for social care workers. [HL3342]

It is for local employers to determine the level of pay for the adult social care workforce, including the pay levels for social care workers. All social care employers are subject to the national minimum wage legislation.

The department is not responsible for setting the levels of pay for the adult social care workforce. However, we do recognise the importance of offering fair pay, terms and conditions, while also providing best value and a quality service.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much training is required for people to become fully qualified in the provision of social care. [HL3339]

Since 2003 professional qualifying training for social workers in the United Kingdom has been a degree in social work. In England, these are approved by the General Social Care Council (GSCC).

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any social care workers who are not fully trained. [HL3340]

This is a matter for the General Social Care Council (GSCC) with which all social workers and student social workers must be registered.

In 2003 professional qualifying training for social workers in the United Kingdom changed to a degree in social work. In England, these are approved by the GSCC. The diploma in social work (DipSW) and all other predecessor social work qualifications will continue to be recognised as valid social work qualifications.

Other social care workers can develop themselves through national vocational qualifications and national occupational standards.

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 82–83) why, in the case of the murder by Tennyson Obih of PC Jon Henry in 2007 (a) “patient confidentiality” takes precedence over public interest; (b) the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has taken two years to initiate the commissioning of an independent investigation into this case; (c) when the independent investigation is expected to begin; and (d) whether it is intended that any such investigation will take place in camera. [HL3359]

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 82–83) whether they will clarify, in the case of the murder by Tennyson Obih of PC Jon Henry in 2007, when (a) the independent investigation will begin; (b) that investigation will report its findings; (c) those recommendations will be considered by the National Health Service; and (d) implementation of resultant changes in practice will take place. [HL3360]

Guidance provided by the department makes it clear that confidentiality can and should be overridden when it is necessary to prevent significant harm to other people. However, where a patient is judged not to pose a risk to others then he or she has the same right to confidentiality as any other person. Where clinicians have authorised the release of an individual, and consider that this person poses no risk to others at that point in time, there is no basis for informing anyone about previous mental health history. Removing the right to confidentiality for all patients who have suffered from mental illness would have significant human rights implications.

The independent investigation could not commence until the police investigation and subsequent court proceedings had concluded.

Now that the legal proceedings have ended I have been assured by the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) that it is currently preparing to contract this independent investigation. It is anticipated that the investigation will begin as soon as a suitable investigation team has been identified.

The East of England SHA and Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health and Social Care Partnership National Health Service Trust will consider the findings and recommendations of the investigation report, once it has been submitted. NHS organisations, for which recommendations are made in relation to this case, will draw up action plans in response to those recommendations. The East of England SHA is committed to ensuring that all possible learning is taken from this incident, and that all actions are taken to reduce the risk of such circumstances reoccurring.

The East of England SHA has further advised that it will make public the findings and recommendations made by the investigation report.