Session 2021-22 Tuesday No. 25 29 June 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 Lord Benyon Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 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 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, Ministry 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 29 June 2021 Page 1 Written Statements European Motor Insurance Directive (Vnuk) [HLWS126] Tuesday, 29 June 2021 Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Right Honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps), has made the following Ministerial Statement: Designated Settings: Indemnity Support On 21 February 2021, the Government announced it (September extension) intended to remove the effects of the 2014 European [HLWS125] Court of Justice’s ruling in the Vnuk case from GB law. The Government has been clear since the ruling in 2014 Lord Bethell: My Hon. Friend the Minister of State that it does not agree with it. The decision directed the (Minister for Care) (Helen Whately), has today made the unnecessary extension of the provisions requiring motor following written ministerial statement: insurance to private land as well as a greater range of Further to my written statement on 25 March 2021, I vehicles that potentially includes motorsports, agricultural am tabling this statement for the benefit of Honourable machinery and light electric vehicles. This has led to and Right Honourable members to bring to their attention excessive liabilities on the insurance industry, and to the undertaking of a contingent liability. This relates to an potential increases in motorist’s insurance premiums. extension of the Designated Settings Indemnity Support Delivering on this commitment is a priority for the (DSIS), which offers targeted and time-limited state- Government and we will continue to explore bringing backed indemnity arrangements to care homes registered, forward the necessary legislation as soon as parliamentary or intending to register, as “Designated Settings”, and time allows. which are unable to obtain sufficient insurance cover. The Hon. Member for Wellingborough has introduced a On 18 January 2021, the Minister for COVID Vaccine private member’s bill entitled ‘Motor Vehicles Deployment announced in a Written Ministerial (Compulsory Insurance)’ which aims to deliver the Statement, and accompanying Departmental Minute, necessary legislative change. The Government will follow provision of these temporary indemnity arrangements passage of this bill with interest. under the DSIS. The DSIS includes cover for clinical Background negligence, employer’s and public liability where a care • Vnuk is a 2014 European Court of Justice (ECJ) provider seeking to become a Designated Setting is ruling on the case of a Slovenian farmer - Mr Vnuk - unable to secure sufficient commercial insurance, or who was knocked off his ladder by a reversing tractor where an existing provider has been operating without trailer on a private farm in 2007. sufficient cover. Employer’s and public liability is covered under the new Coronavirus Temporary Indemnity • The ruling directed that the compulsory motor Scheme; clinical negligence is covered by the Clinical insurance requirement must be extended to include Negligence Scheme for Trusts. The DSIS is supervised by vehicles being used on private land, as well as a greater DHSC and administered by NHS Resolution, and to date, range of vehicles - potentially including those used in has proved to be an effective package of support to motorsports, agricultural machinery and light electric Designated Settings. vehicles (LEV). • This contrasts sharply with the scope of the domestic DSIS initially provided cover for Designated Settings compulsory insurance requirement (in GB) under the until the end of March 2021 and was subsequently Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA) which is limited to extended for a further three months until the end of June accidents on roads and other public places and has a 2021. Following a further review of DSIS, it will now be narrower definition of “motor vehicle”. extended until 30 September 2021, in order to maintain the current level of support for these vital settings. This • Implementing Vnuk would have been costly, in the extension will benefit current DSIS participants, as well region of £2 billion (covering existing motorcars, any additional settings who may wish to apply for the existing motorcycles, existing business vehicles, motor support and who meet the criteria for inclusion. We will sports and other business) according to the Government review the progress of the support ahead of this end-date. Actuary’s Department (GAD). I regret that in this circumstance, due to the need to • Focusing just on existing motorcars, GAD calculate ensure that there are no gaps in DSIS cover after the that insurance policyholders could face an estimated current 30 June end-date, the normal 14 sitting days for additional cost of £1.227 billion if Vnuk was consideration has not been possible. A Departmental implemented – expressed as a potential increase in Minute will be laid in the House of Commons providing individual insurance premiums of c.£50 for 25 million more detail on this contingent liability. consumers. Page 2 29 June 2021 Written Statements • In order to remove the impact of the Vnuk decision I am today, 29 June 2021, publishing a Government from GB law, primary legislation is required and a slot response report as required under section 60(3) of the to introduce this will be sought at the earliest possible High Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Act 2021. opportunity. The report sets out the Government response to the issues raised in the HS2 Phase 2a local consultation held Phase 2a Local Consultation Government between 1 February and 26 February 2021 and which Response were summarised in the consultation report published on the 13 May 2021 and prepared by the independent [HLWS127] research company, Ipsos MORI. Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Honourable Friend, I am placing copies of the report in the libraries of both the Minister of State for Transport (Andrew Stephenson), Houses. has made the following Ministerial Statement: Written Answers 29 June 2021 Page 3 Written Answers Ajax Vehicles: Testing Asked by Lord Coaker Tuesday, 29 June 2021 To ask Her Majesty's Government how many personnel have been injured in the process of testing Access to Information Central Clearing Ajax armoured vehicles; and how many of these House personnel needed hospital treatment. [HL1163] Asked by Lord Scriven Baroness Goldie: I take the noble Lord’s question as being in relation to the recent reports of noise and To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people