Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 June (HL16299) concerning Operation Grange, whether they will publish the details of the Metropolitan Police Service's request for further funding until the end of March 2020 and place a copy in the Library of the House; and when a decision on that request is likely to be made.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) action they take, and (2) sanctions are available, to ensure that local authorities meet their responsibility for the public inspection of financial records under section 26 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the National Audit Office and Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd in protecting the interests of council tax payers and improving value for money in local authorities.
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that there is a devastating link between criminalisation and the spread of HIV? A survey of Caribbean countries revealed starkly that rates of HIV infection among MSM are four times higher in those that criminalise homosexuality than in those that do not. It is a damning statistic. Does my noble friend agree that decriminalisation is therefore not just a...
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, with Ofsted, in the implementation and training of Her Majesty's Inspectors who are subject specialists.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what events they are planning to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem in September.
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords who supported this amendment. As the remarks from my noble friend Lord Lexden made clear, this is an issue on which we have been pressing for many years now. I remember well his debate in Grand Committee four years ago, yet no progress has been made. I am grateful to my noble friend the Minister for his comments. Yes, indeed, a legislative consent...
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, this amendment is also supported by the noble Lords, Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord McNally. I declare an interest as deputy chairman of Telegraph Media Group and draw attention to my other media interests in the register. I will make two general points at the start of this short debate. First, I am a passionate unionist and a supporter of devolution, and I sincerely hope that,...
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they have provided to the Metropolitan Police Service for the purpose of the Operation Grange investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann since its launch in May 2011; what estimate they have made of the total cost of that operation to date; and how much has been spent on investigations into other missing children since May 2011.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to assess the request from the Metropolitan Police Service for further funding for Operation Grange until March 2020.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address the decline in the number of students taking music A-level.
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I declare my interest as chairman of the Royal College of Music.
Lord Black of Brentwood: I thank my noble friend for that Answer. A-level music is a crucial gateway to a professional career in music. If it dies out, the future of music in the UK will be threatened. Is my noble friend therefore alarmed at the shocking decline in the number of pupils taking it—down almost 40% in eight years—earning it the unenviable record of being the fastest-disappearing A-level subject? More...
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that cats and kittens brought into the UK under the pet passport scheme do not carry diseases and parasites, including tapeworm and non-UK types of tick.
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what border checks are carried out to ensure that cats and kittens are not smuggled illegally into the UK from EU countries.
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, I join other noble Lords in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Jay, on securing a debate on an issue vital to the future of our creative industries. The report sets out comprehensively and compellingly the benefits of freedom of movement for the cultural sector, something it rightly describes as crucial, and the various ways that we can mitigate its disappearance if Brexit happens....
Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards Public Health England’s target to increase the proportion of known atrial fibrillation patients who are offered and started on appropriate treatment to 89% by 2021.
Lord Black of Brentwood: My Lords, I am most grateful to all noble Lords taking part in this important debate this evening. Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition which causes an irregular and often unusually fast heart rate as a result of abnormal electrical signals in the heart. Because of the irregular rhythm, diagnosis is straightforward, through a manual pulse check at an ordinary GP appointment. It is easy to...