Session 2019-20 Thursday No. 11 23 January 2020 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND WRITTEN ANSWERS Written Statements ................................ ................ 1 Written Answers ................................ ..................... 7 [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 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Berridge Whip Lord Bethell Whip Baroness Blackwood of North Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care Oxford Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist 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, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Northern Ireland 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 Department for International Development Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Baroness Morgan of Cotes The Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Sater Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development 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 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government © 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 23 January 2020 Page 1 competence, or otherwise engage the legislative consent Written Statements process. Thursday, 23 January 2020 It is therefore disappointing that the three devolved legislatures have refused to agree a legislative consent College of Policing: Annual Report and motion (LCM) for the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill. Accounts We recognise that taking the Bill to Royal Assent [HLWS50] without the consent of the devolved legislatures is a Baroness Williams of Trafford: My hon Friend the significant decision and it is one that we have not taken Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service (Kit lightly. However, it is in line with the Sewel Convention. Malthouse) has today made the following Written It is also necessary in order to ensure that all parts of the Ministerial Statement: UK have the powers required to meet our obligations in I am today publishing the 2018-19 annual report and the Withdrawal Agreement. These include important accounts for the College of Policing Limited (HC 48). protections for EU and UK citizens’ rights as we leave the This will be laid before the House and published on EU. www.gov.uk. The report will also be available in the Vote The Sewel Convention - to which the Government Office. remains committed - states that the UK Parliament ‘will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters Dartford-Thurrock and Severn Crossings: without the consent’ of the relevant devolved legislatures. The circumstances of our departure from the EU, Accounts following the 2016 referendum, are not normal – they are [HLWS49] unique. Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Under Section 3 (1) (d) of At every stage of the European Union (Withdrawal the Trunk Road Charging Schemes (Bridges and Tunnels) Agreement) Bill, the UK Government has demonstrated (Keeping of Accounts) (England) Regulations 2003, its enduring commitment and respect for the Sewel annual accounts for the Dartford – Thurrock Crossing Convention and the principles that underpin our Charging Scheme and the Severn River Crossing constitutional arrangements. Charging Scheme are published today. The practices and procedures that have developed to In addition, annual accounts for the now-abolished deliver the Sewel Convention encourage the UK Severn River Crossing toll are released today under Government to consult with the devolved administrations Section 28 of the Severn Bridges Act 1992. Since there on legislation at an early stage to ensure their views are are no longer tolls or charges on the Severn River taken into account. Crossings these accounts will not be produced in the Through extensive consultation and engagement it has future. respected the spirit and the letter of the devolution The accounts relate to financial year 2018-19 or 2018 settlement. Changes have been made to recognise the and will be placed in the House Library. valid concerns of our partners in the Scottish and Welsh Governments. We have also, during the absence of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill Executive, worked closely with the Northern Ireland Civil Service. [HLWS55] Despite the Government’s efforts, it is unfortunate that Earl Howe: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the common ground could not be found on all elements. Duchy of Lancaster (Michael Gove) has today made the We will continue to respect and uphold the Sewel following Written Ministerial Statement: Convention and the devolution settlements going forward. This Government was elected with a clear mandate to We will also continue to engage with the Scottish and deliver the result of the 2016 Referendum, and to ensure Welsh Governments, as well as the newly formed that the UK ratifies the deal reached by the Prime Northern Ireland Executive, as we negotiate our future Minister, before the UK leaves the European Union on the relationship with the EU. 31 January. The Government has sought, in line with the Sewel Government Transparency and Convention, legislative consent from the devolved Accountability legislatures of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill. [HLWS54] It is important to note that despite the argument of Earl Howe: My Hon. Friend the Minister for the some, the devolved legislatures have not been asked to Constitution (Chloe Smith) made the following statement: consent to Brexit overall. In line with the devolution Since 2010, the Government has been at the forefront of settlements, they have been asked to consent to the opening up data to allow Parliament, the public and the specific parts of the Bill that fall within devolved media to hold public bodies to account. Such online Page 2 23 January 2020 Written Statements transparency is crucial to delivering value for money, Growth in the Department for Business, Energy and cutting waste and inefficiency, and to ensuring every Industrial Strategy, made the following Statement today: pound of taxpayers’ money is spent in the best possible This Statement concerns applications made by Orsted way. Hornsea Project Three (UK) Limited, Norfolk Vanguard The Government is today publishing a number of Limited and Vattenfall Wind Power Limited for documents as part of its ongoing commitment to development consent for the installation, operation and transparency and accountability. maintenance of offshore wind farms, their related offshore The following subject areas include documents and data infrastructure off the coast of Norfolk and Kent and their that the Government is due to publish, or which have related onshore electrical connections within those recently been made available. counties. Ministerial transparency Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Departments are publishing the routine quarterly Secretary of State must make a decision on an application Ministerial data on external meetings, gifts, hospitality within three months of the receipt of the Examining and overseas travel. Authority’s report unless exercising the power under The Government is also making available the agenda section 107(3) of the Act to set a new deadline. Where a and the meeting notes of the July 2019 Coordination new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a Statement to Parliament to announce it. The statutory Committee meeting between the Government and the decision deadline for Hornsea Project Three was re-set by DUP. Written Ministerial Statement on 8 October 2019. Further transparency documents relating to