House of Lords Written Answers and Statements
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Session 2019-21 Monday No. 117 5 October 2020 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 Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Minister of State, Cabinet Office and Treasury Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Berridge Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade Lord Bethell Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care and Whip Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist Lord Callanan Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Greenhalgh Minister of State, Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Minister of State, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for International Trade Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Whip Baroness Penn Whip Baroness Scott of Bybrook Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord True Minister of State, Cabinet Office Baroness Vere of Norbiton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2020 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 5 October 2020 Page 1 commencement, meaning local authorities will be more Written Statements quickly able to commission much needed support for those victims of domestic abuse and their children who Monday, 5 October 2020 are currently turned away from refuges and other safe accommodation because their needs cannot be met. Bilateral Loan to Ireland This fund will be allocated equally to Tier one local [HLWS482] authorities (unitary and metropolitan authorities, county Lord Agnew of Oulton: My honourable friend the councils, the Greater London Association for London Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen) has boroughs and the Council of the Isles of Scilly), who will today made the following Written Ministerial Statement. be the accountable body under the new duty. It will be allocated as an unringfenced grant in recognition that I would like to update Parliament on the loan to Ireland. local authorities will know best how to prepare locally. I In December 2010, the UK agreed to provide a bilateral encourage Tier one authorities to use it to engage with loan of £3.2 billion as part of a €67.5 billion international their local domestic abuse services, including specialist assistance package for Ireland. The loan was disbursed in services for victims from diverse groups. 8 tranches, and the final tranche was drawn down on 26 To further help local authorities with their preparation September 2013. Ireland has made interest payments on work, I am also publishing guidance setting out the the loan every six months since the first disbursement. purpose and suggested outcomes of this fund, and my On 7 September, in line with the agreed repayment officials are holding workshops to support local schedule, HM Treasury received a total payment of authorities. £405,490,687.38 from Ireland. This comprises the Today I am also launching a consultation to seek views repayment of £403,370,000 in principal and on the methodology proposed for allocating funding to £2,120,687.38 in accrued interest. meet the new burdens associated with the new duty once HM Treasury has today provided a further Report to it comes into force. The level of funding is of course a Parliament in relation to the loan as required under the matter for the Spending Review. Loans to Ireland Act 2010. The Report relates to the I encourage all local authorities to use this range of period from 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020. It reports support to ensure they are ready for implementation in fully on the two principal repayments received by HM April 2021. Treasury during this period, and sets out details of future payments up to the final repayment on 26 March 2021. The Government continues to expect the loan to be repaid Future Relationship with EU: Negotiations in full and on time. [HLWS481] A written ministerial statement on the previous Lord True: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the statutory report regarding the loan to Ireland was issued to Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Cabinet Office Parliament on 29 April 2020, Official Report, column (Michael Gove), has today made the following Written 26WS. Statement: The Government has made a commitment to update Domestic Abuse: Support for Victims Parliament on the progress of our future relationship [HLWS478] negotiations with the EU. This statement provides an update on the ninth round of negotiations. Lord Greenhalgh: My Hon. Friend, the Minister for rough sleeping and housing (Kelly Tolhurst) has today Led by the UK’s Chief Negotiator, David Frost, made the following Written Ministerial Statement: negotiators from the UK and the EU held discussions in Brussels on 29 September - 2 October 2020. There were Through the Domestic Abuse Bill, this Government is substantive discussions on almost all issues. placing a new Statutory Duty on Tier One local authorities to provide support to victims of domestic Discussions covered all work streams including: abuse in safe accommodation in England. Subject to the • Trade in goods: Core areas of the goods elements of bill receiving Royal Assent, this new duty will commence the FTA, including market access, customs and in April 2021. regulatory issues. To help local authorities plan and prepare for the • Trade in services, investment and other FTA issues: implementation of the new duty, I am pleased to Including mode 4, procurement, digital and intellectual announce today a £6 million Domestic Abuse Capacity property (including geographical indications). Building Fund. • Fisheries: Quota-sharing and governance. I recognise the invaluable work that local authorities do each and every day to help residents in their local areas, • “Level playing field”: Covering subsidies, tax, including the most vulnerable in our society. This new competition, labour, environment, sustainable funding will help ensure that local authorities are development and governance. resourced to prepare for implementation of the new duty. • Energy: Including civil nuclear cooperation and It will promote more effective delivery on electricity and gas trading. Page 2 5 October 2020 Written Statements • Transport: Road transport, aviation safety and air exert control over and exploit those communities for their services. own criminal ends. To achieve lasting peace in NI these • Law Enforcement: Covering a number of capabilities threats cannot be dealt with in isolation. including Prum, Mutual Legal Assistance, extradition The Government welcomes the Committee’s and our future arrangements with EU Agencies. conclusions on the importance of Covert Human • Mobility and Social Security Coordination: Social Intelligence Sources (CHIS) and in particular the strong security coordination arrangements. endorsement that it is sometimes necessary to authorise CHIS to participate in criminal conduct. This is a • Participation in Union programmes: Covering the longstanding tactic which is vital for national security and general terms for UK participation and Peace+. the prevention and detection of crime. The CHIS • Thematic cooperation: Including future health (Criminal Conduct) Bill introduced to Parliament on 24 security and Security of Information arrangements. September, and which has its Second Reading in the House of Commons today, provides an express power for • Governance: Including appropriate institutional the authorisation of criminal conduct, providing certainty architecture. to public authorities using this critical tool. The Bill There