House of Lords

Session 2017-19 Wednesday No. 136 4 July 2018 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 5 [I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows. Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lord Bates Minister of State, Department for International Development Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Wales Office Baroness Buscombe Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Lord Callanan Minister of State, Department for Exiting the European Union Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen Whip Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Duncan of Springbank Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office and Scotland Office Baroness Fairhead Minister of State, Department for International Trade Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Whip Lord Henley Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Baroness Manzoor Whip Lord O'Shaughnessy Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care Baroness Stedman-Scott Whip Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport, Whip Lord Taylor of Holbeach Chief Whip Baroness Vere of Norbiton Whip Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Lord Young of Cookham Whip Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/ Written Statements 4 July 2018 Page 1 instruments requiring sifting until the necessary Written Statements procedures for establishing the new Committee in the Commons and the expansion of the remit of the House of Wednesday, 4 July 2018 Lords’ Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee are concluded. However, the Government is starting to Courts Update publish final drafts of the negative statutory instruments [HLWS804] that require sifting (‘proposed negatives’) on Gov.uk as they are ready. This is to increase transparency and to Lord Keen of Elie: My hon Friend the Parliamentary allow Parliament and the public to have early sight of the Under Secretary of State for Justice has today made the forthcoming legislation. following statement. Today, I am laying before Parliament legislation European Union (Withdrawal) Act: reducing court fees for certain proceedings in the civil courts and the Court of Protection in England and Wales. Publication of Statements As a result, claimants bringing these proceedings will pay [HLWS803] less to access the courts. Lord Callanan: My honourable friend Mr Steve Baker, The reduction to these fees follows a thorough and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the detailed review undertaken by officials in the Ministry of European Union, has made the following statement: Justice into the cost of these proceedings. Our review has identified a number of cases where the fees charged were The Withdrawal Act requires statements of the “good above full cost recovery levels. We are therefore taking reasons” for creation of and penalties for any criminal action to reduce those fees. We will also be establishing a offences under the key powers in the Act. On 25 April the refund scheme to reimburse people the amounts they have Baroness-in-waiting, Baroness Goldie, committed that been over-charged. We are also taking action to refund these statements would be made available to Parliament those who have been overcharged fees to commence before any SI which creates a criminal offence is laid certain low value personal injury claims, known as “stage before Parliament. The mechanism for ensuring this has 3” claims. Officials are working on the detailed been agreed and, in line with that commitment, I am arrangements and full details of the scheme, including the making this statement to inform members that those types of case affected, and how to apply, will be statements will be deposited, before the SI is laid, in the announced in due course. Libraries of both houses where they will form a document series deposited under the commitment in this statement. These changes affect the fees charged for certain proceedings in the Court of Protection; a number of civil proceedings in the magistrates’ courts; fees for general HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg Rolling Stock applications in insolvency proceedings; and the fees Depot Location charged for High Court judges sitting as arbitrators. The [HLWS798] intention when these fees were prescribed was that they Baroness Sugg: My Right Honourable friend, the should be set at, or below, full cost recovery levels and it Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling), has was on that basis that they were approved by Parliament. made the following Ministerial Statement. As part of our ongoing improvements we are making to I would like to update the house on plans for the HS2 the justice system, including the Government’s £1bn Phase 2b Eastern Leg Rolling Stock Depot. I am today investment in Court Reform, we will continue our review confirming the depot should be located at a site in the of court fees, including the methodology for setting those Aire Valley, adjacent to the M1, to the east of Leeds. This fees, to minimise the risk of this issue re-occurring in decision is laid out in today’s publication of the HS2 future. The vision of the reform is to modernise and Phase 2b Eastern Leg Rolling Stock Depot Consultation upgrade the court and tribunal system so that it works Response. even better for everyone, from the victims of crime, witnesses and litigants to judges and legal professionals. It was originally proposed that the depot be sited near Crofton, east of Wakefield. Due to operational and European Union (Withdrawal) Act: community concerns after the M18/ Eastern Route decision was announced, I asked HS2 Ltd to review Publication of Negative SIs alternative options for the depot site. The east of Leeds [HLWS802] site was identified and a consultation seeking views on Lord Callanan: My honourable friend Mr Steve Baker, this proposed location was launched on 17 July 2017 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the ran until 12 October 2017. The consultation revealed European Union, has made the following statement: broad support for the new location. With the Royal Assent of the EU (Withdrawal) Act This decision has been made with local development 2018, the Government has started laying affirmative plans on the wider site in mind. HS2 Ltd will continue to statutory instruments to prepare the statute book for exit. work with stakeholders to support local regeneration The Government will not lay negative statutory proposals on the wider site. Page 2 4 July 2018 Written Statements Hurricane Preparedness: Caribbean recovery needs. This will complement the emergency Overseas Territories provisions based on RFA Mounts Bay, and free up military assets to concentrate on key tasks such as helping [HLWS800] to get ports and airports reopened for delivery of supplies. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable We are also drawing up agreements to ensure that other Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign and services can be deployed rapidly if needed. This work is Commonwealth Affairs (Boris Johnson), has made the complementary to longer term strategic planning work following written Ministerial statement: over the next three years under the FCO-run Overseas The United Kingdom is strongly committed to working Territories Disaster Management Programme and the closely with the British Overseas Territories in the Anguilla and British Virgin Islands (BVI) Recovery Caribbean, to support their efforts to be as well prepared Programmes, funded by the CSSF. This also follows on for the hurricane season as possible. In that context, the from CSSF funded work over the past six months to boost UK and the Overseas Territories share a collective early recovery efforts including but not limited to: re- responsibility for hurricane preparedness and are therefore electrification for Anguilla and BVI; infrastructure

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