Session 2019-21 Wednesday No. 194 3 March 2021 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 3 [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, Treasury and Cabinet Office 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 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 Frost Minister of State, Cabinet Office 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 Lord Stewart of Dirleton Advocate-General for Scotland 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 Lord Wolfson of Tredegar Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Justice Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2021 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 3 March 2021 Page 1 reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the correct and Written Statements timely implementation of the Citizens’ Rights part of the agreement, which protects the rights of EEA EFTA Wednesday, 3 March 2021 nationals living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EEA EFTA States and the agreement as a whole. British Council Annual Report and Accounts Two decisions were adopted by the Joint Committee. 2019-20 The first decision adopted was the Rules of Procedure for [HLWS809] the Joint Committee, and the second was on ‘triangulation’ under Article 32 of the Agreement. The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Honourable Friend, triangulation provisions ensure that social security the Minister for Asia (Nigel Adams), has made the coordination rights between the UK, the EU and the EEA following Written Ministerial Statement: EFTA States continue for those in scope of the EEA Copies of the British Council’s Annual Report and EFTA Separation Agreement and the Withdrawal Accounts for the 2019-20 financial year have been placed Agreement. Corresponding agreements between the EU in the libraries of both Houses. and the UK, and the EU and the EEA EFTA States were The British Council builds connections, understanding in place by the end of the transition period, thus the Joint and trust between people in the UK and other countries Committee was able to set the date from which the through arts and culture, education and the English triangulation provisions would apply as 1 January 2021. language. As the UK’s international organisation for Copies of each of these decisions have been deposited in cultural relations and educational opportunities, it makes a the House Libraries. significant contribution to projecting British values The Joint Committee will meet at least annually, with overseas and generating soft power for the UK in return. Iceland holding the next rotating chair. The next meeting In doing so it makes a lasting difference to the UK’s is expected to take place later in 2021. security, prosperity and influence. The British Council is the world’s leading cultural relations organisation, with a reach in 2019-20 of 983 Northern Ireland Protocol: Implementation million people. This included 76 million direct [HLWS811] interactions, through a presence in over 100 countries. Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Right Honourable The Council received £187m grant-in-aid, including Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland £161m ODA, from the FCO in 2019/20. (Brandon Lewis) has today made the following statement: The Report can also be found at the British Council’s As part of the pragmatic and proportionate website: www.britishcouncil.org. implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Government is taking several temporary operational steps EEA EFTA Separation Agreement Joint to avoid disruptive cliff edges as engagement with the EU Committee Meeting, 18 December 2020 continues through the Joint Committee. These recognise that appropriate time must be provided for businesses to [HLWS810] implement new requirements, and support the effective Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Honourable Friend, flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Ireland. Americas (Wendy Morton), has made the following Written Ministerial Statement: For supermarkets and their suppliers, as part of the operational plan the UK committed to at the UK-EU Joint The EEA EFTA Separation Agreement agreed with Committee on 24 February, the current Scheme for Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, protects Citizens’ Temporary Agri-food Movements to Northern Ireland Rights, and includes other separation provisions. These (STAMNI) will continue until 1 October. Certification provisions wind down certain arrangements that the UK requirements will then be introduced in phases alongside has with the EEA EFTA States by virtue of their the roll out of the Digital Assistance Scheme. participation in the Single Market and other EU-led initiatives. The Agreement also establishes a Joint In addition, further guidance will be provided later this Committee whose primary role is to supervise and week on parcel movements from Great Britain to facilitate the implementation and application of the Northern Ireland to provide necessary additional time for Agreement, with the power to make decisions. The Joint traders beyond 1 April. Guidance will also be set out to Committee has a rotating chair, which, when held by the help address practical problems on soil attached to the UK, will be chaired by a Minister from the Foreign, movement of plants, seeds, bulbs, vegetables and Commonwealth and Development Office, but may be agricultural machinery. And the Government will write to delegated to officials the Northern Ireland Executive to confirm that The first meeting of the Joint Committee took place on flexibilities within the Official Controls Regulation 18 December 2020. The meeting was held by remote 2017/625 are such that no charging regime is required for means, with the UK holding the rotating chair. All parties agri-food goods. Page 2 3 March 2021 Written Statements Pensions Schemes Act allow for proper consultation, engagement with key stakeholders and further Parliamentary debate, through [HLWS808] affirmative procedure where required. Baroness Stedman-Scott: My honourable Friend, the Following our consultation in January 2021 on Climate Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Pensions & Change, we will lay these world leading regulations this Financial Inclusion (Guy Opperman MP) has made the Summer to come into force ahead of COP26. This will following Written Statement: make the UK the first major economy in the world to The Pension Schemes Act 2021 received Royal Assent legislate for, and bring into practice, the recommendations on 11 February. We are now setting out next steps, of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial delivering on the commitment made during the passage of Disclosures, ensuring climate change is at the heart of the the Pension Schemes Bill and following extensive pensions system. engagement since report stage in the House of Commons. On the Pensions Regulator’s Powers, we will consult on The Act will introduce: the majority of draft regulations this Spring, and will • Three new criminal offences, including a sentence of commence these powers