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House of Lords Business

See what is going on in the House of Lords today, as well as what has happened since June 1998. This includes the relevant Order Paper, Minutes of Proceedings, questions tabled and edition of House of Lords Business. These documents can also all be downloaded.

Questions for Written Answer for 16 October 2024

Tabled on 15 October 2024 and due for answer by 29 October 2024.

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government whether amending the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR) by means of statutory instrument provides for sufficient parliamentary scrutiny; whether they plan to introduce legislation to amend the Civil Procedure Act 1997 to require amendments to the CPR to be made by means of primary legislation; and whether they will consider hol… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Altrincham to ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of pupils who would have to leave the independent schools sector following the imposition of VAT on school fees for expenditure on additional state school places to exceed the additional tax revenue generated.  HL1597
Answered
Lord Altrincham to ask His Majesty's Government how many additional state school places they estimate will be required by 2026 to accommodate those children anticipated to leave the independent education sector.  HL1598
Answered
Lord Altrincham to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of VAT on independent school fees on smaller schools within the private sector and their ability to continue to operate in the face of a reduction in pupil numbers.  HL1599
Answered
Lord Altrincham to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the resilience of specialist schools in the face of a reduction in pupil numbers, and (2) the ability of the state sector to deliver a comparable specialist educational service.  HL1600
Answered
Lord Altrincham to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an impact assessment of their policy to charge VAT on independent school fees, and if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1601
Answered
Lord Bailey of Paddington to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to define the concept of the grey belt and to develop related policies.  HL1602
Answered
Lord Bassam of Brighton to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of a "Smart Fund" for the arts given its impact in 45 countries world-wide.  HL1603
Answered
Lord Farmer to ask His Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 18 September that protection zones around abortion clinics will be in force from 31 October, when they intend to respond to the Abortion clinic safe access zones: non-statutory guidance consultation, which ran from 1 December 2023 to 22 January 2024.  HL1604
Answered
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean to ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he plans to take steps to ensure that farmed salmon is no longer served in restaurants of the House of Lords.  HL1605
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s taxation of the gambling sector in comparison to rates in foreign jurisdictions  HL1606
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits to public health of using the tax system to disincentivise consumption of online gambling products.  HL1607
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of tax avoidance schemes operated by UK licensed gambling companies.  HL1608
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to facilitate cross-border exchange of craftspeople, particularly between the UK and countries such as France and Germany, where journeying is a key element of their craft education systems.  HL1609
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) reduce the costs of sponsoring foreign skilled makers, and (2) establish a centralised database to facilitate workshop exchanges and streamline short-term travel abroad for UK apprentices and craftspeople.  HL1610
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to add critically endangered crafts on the Radcliffe Red List to the Shortage Occupation List to help UK-based heritage craft businesses recruit skilled artisans.  HL1611
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for funding mechanisms to support training and development in the UK's heritage craft sector.  HL1612
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financial or logistical support to small craft manufacturers struggling with high import duties when bringing their own work back into the UK after exhibiting abroad.  HL1613
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the salary threshold of £38,700 for a Skilled Worker visa.  HL1614
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have held discussions with the Republic of Serbia regarding the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People of June 2024; and, if so, what was the outcome of those discussions.  HL1615
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People of June 2024 to represent a threat to the sovereignty of (1) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (2) Kosovo, or (3) Montenegro.  HL1616
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what is their position on the sanctioning of individuals involved in issuing the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People of June 2024 as part of its Bosnia and Herzegovina sanctions regime.  HL1617
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of the Republic of Serbia regarding the Declaration on the Protection of National and Political Rights and the Common Future of the Serbian People of June 2024, with particular regard to the potential impact of Sections 16 and 17 in terms of Srebrenica genocide denial.  HL161… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the 1.5 million houses they plan to build in the next 5 years, (1) how many people are homeless in the UK at present, and (2) whether they have mapped where the housing is needed.  HL1619
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government, of the 1.5 million houses they plan to build in the next 5 years, what percentage will go to (1) people now residing in the UK, (2) people who will be coming to live in the UK from overseas; and of those people coming from overseas, how many will be (a) foreign citizens with leave to remain, (b) asylum seekers, and (c) i… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to the 1.5 million houses they plan to build in the next 5 years, whether asylum seekers will have priority for the new housing over those already on housing lists and currently residing in the UK.  HL1621
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government how many homes they predict will be created by repurposing existing buildings during the next five years.  HL1622
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government how many of the 1.5 million houses they plan to be built over the next five years they estimate will be built on brownfield sites, and how many on green belt redesignated as grey belt.  HL1623
Answered
Baroness Hoey to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 16 September (HL753), why Zolvix oral solution for sheep is authorised and labelled on a separate basis in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland.  HL1624
Answered
Lord Howard of Lympne to ask His Majesty's Government whether the advice of the Attorney General on arms exports to Israel required certain export licences to be suspended.  HL1625
Answered
Lord Jackson of Peterborough to ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in their discussions with the motor insurance industry on (1) the above-inflation increase in car insurance premiums, and (2) the wider efficiency of the motor industry marketplace.  HL1626
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government whether heavy private vehicles, such as the Tesla Cybertruck, are subject to an approval process before being put on the market to assess (1) their potential to cause damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure due to their weight, and (2) the risk they pose to people.  HL1627
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government how many attempted or actual protests have taken place outside the Drax power station since the introduction of the Public Order Act 2023, how many people were arrested as a result of these protests, and how many protests were allowed to go ahead without arrests.  HL1628
Answered
Lord Kamall to ask His Majesty's Government what advice, support and processes are available to third-party developers wishing to develop services for NHS Trusts holding data within the NHS Federated Data Platform.  HL1629
Answered
Lord Kamall to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s recent proposal for a single care record for all NHS care in England will allow each patient to see which organisations have accessed their record and when.  HL1630
Answered
Lord Kamall to ask His Majesty's Government what are the clinical criteria for success for the trial of tirzepatide in Greater Manchester, announced on 15 October.  HL1631
Answered
Lord Morrow to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 14 October (HL Deb cols 9–11), what progress they have made on implementing the provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 relating to pornography, and when they expect the age verification provisions to be enforced.  HL1632
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government why foreign nationals with a passport vignette confirming indefinite leave to remain and seeking to evidence their immigration status by way of an eVisa are being directed by gov.uk to apply first for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), when all BRPs are due to lose validity by 31 December and the time taken to issue one is stated to be… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the High Court ruling of [2024] EWHC 418 (Admin) of 28 February, what are (1) the current terms of reference for, and (2) the organisations sitting on, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC); and how Ministers’ views on (a) policy, and (b) operational matters are rep… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) discussed the escorted policing protection to be given to Taylor Swift and her entourage at her concerts this year.  HL1635
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government whether Cabinet Office or Downing Street senior officials or special advisers have accepted free hospitality of tickets to Taylor Swift concerts since 5 July.  HL1636
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 September (HL1069), whether Alan Milburn's commercial interests in healthcare were declared to the department when he provided advice to Ministers and officials; and whether the discussions with Ministers and officials included topics which touched on private sector invol… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of trade union access requirements planned for the national procurement plan on the ability of small business to compete for and win government and local authority contracts.  HL1638
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their planned changes to the Government’s national procurement policy statement on the ability of small business to compete for and win government and local authority contracts.  HL1639
Answered
Lord Ravensdale to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic benefits of the Midlands Rail Hub project; and how they are broken down by council or local authority area.  HL1640
Answered
Baroness Redfern to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of introducing mandatory warning labels on food products which include so-called "secret sugars" such as sauces and condiments.  HL1641
Answered
Baroness Redfern to ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce supervised teeth brushing and targeted fluoride applications in early years settings.  HL1642
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have met the Patient Safety Commissioner; and if so, whether their discussions included Primodos, Valproate or vaginal mesh.  HL1643
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Patient Safety Commissioner about the implementation of the outstanding recommendations contained in the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review First Do No Harm, published on 8 July 2020.  HL1644
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what cross-departmental discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of a compensation scheme for the victims of those harmed by vaginal mesh, Primodos and Valproate.  HL1645
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to set up a new independent Redress Agency for those harmed by medicines and medical devices.  HL1646
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to respond to the recommendations contained in the report by the Patient Safety Commissioner The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February.  HL1647
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the forthcoming Land Use Framework before it is adopted; and whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1648
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will allow parliamentary time for a debate on the forthcoming Land Use Framework before it is adopted.  HL1649
Answered
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Social Market Foundation report Fiscally Responsible: The case for reforming Remote Gambling Duty, published on 15 October, that 52 per cent of respondents to a Survation poll believe the Government should increase tax on online gambling.  HL1650
Answered
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to doubling the tax on remote gaming duty from 21 per cent to 42 per cent, as recommended by the Social Market Foundation report Fiscally Responsible: The case for reforming Remote Gaming Duty, published on 15 October.  HL1651
Answered
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a full review of gambling taxation ahead of the 2025 Budget, as recommended in the Social Market Foundation report Fiscally Responsible: The case for reforming Remote Gaming Duty, published on 15 October.  HL1652
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of slowing wage growth.  HL1653
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate and encourage education in the areas of (1) cybersecurity, and (2) AI-driven skills.  HL1654
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the jobs of Vauxhall factory workers following concerns on the part of its parent company over net-zero targets.  HL1655
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to add hedgehogs to Schedule 5 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  HL1656
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government what hedgehog surveys have to be undertaken before any new building developments.  HL1657
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce mandatory hedgehog protection measures for new building developments.  HL1658
Answered
Lord Young of Cookham to ask His Majesty's Government when minimum competence standards will be introduced for the management of high-risk residential buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022.  HL1659
Answered
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