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1313649

	hansard heading	Insects: EU Countries
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government is committed to action for pollinators, globally and at home. We regularly discuss and share information on research, policy and practical activities with a number of countries, in and beyond Europe, on reported declines and how best to address them.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is a member of ‘Promote Pollinators’, an international coalition of the willing, with 60 members, including countries in Europe and across the world, committed to action to protect pollinators.</p><p> </p><p>We have also supported collaborative international research which has underpinned such initiatives, including a major global review of the status and threats to insect pollinators, published in 2015 by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.</p><p> </p><p>The UK continues to play a leading role in the development of an ambitious post-2020 global framework for biodiversity to be adopted at the 15<sup>th</sup> Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. We will be supporting ambitious targets to bend the curve on biodiversity loss by 2030 - including in areas which will help to recover insect populations, such as ecosystem restoration and species recovery - supported by strengthened reporting and review mechanisms to help facilitate the implementation of the targets.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 25/05/2021 11:25:28 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

1313660

	hansard heading	Taxation: Treaties
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>The tax treaty between the UK and Canada does not override the provision of UK law that treats members of the House of Commons and House of Lords as domiciled in the UK for tax purposes.</p><p> </p><p>UK law also treats members of the House of Commons and House of Lords as resident in the UK for tax purposes. Where an MP or peer was also resident in Canada for tax purposes under Canadian law, a tie-breaker in the tax treaty would determine the state in which the member was considered to be resident for the purposes of applying the tax treaty.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 20/05/2021 14:26:15 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton

1314698

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	House of Lords: European Parliament
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment he has made of the value to the House of Lords of the office space in the European Parliament building set aside for House staff; whether he is aware that the UK and Norway are the only two countries that are not members of the EU that are afforded such accommodation; what plans there are to post a member of House staff to Brussels on a permanent basis; and if there are no such plans, whether he intends to inform the European Parliament that the office is no longer required.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL204
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>On 31 January 2020, the date the United Kingdom ceased to be a Member State of the European Union, the UK Parliament ceased to be an EU ‘national Parliament’, except for certain limited purposes set out in Article 128(2) of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.</p><p>Up until this point designated staff of the House of Lords and House of Commons, as representatives of an EU ‘national Parliament’, were granted access to the European Parliament, along with office accommodation and other benefits. As the noble Lord points out, Norway has since 2012 been the only non-EU Member State to be granted comparable access thus far.</p><p>Despite the UK’s changed status after 31 January 2020, the European Parliament continued to afford access to House staff for the duration of the transition period, and on 22 December 2020 the Secretary General of the European Parliament offered “continued hosting” for the two Houses’ representatives after the end of the transition period, subject to “appropriate practical arrangements in the light of the evolving relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom”.</p><p>To date, no such practical arrangements have been required, given the guidance agreed by the House of Lords Commission in March 2020, which strongly discouraged overseas travel. Since that date there has been no committee or staff travel to Brussels, and the House’s representative has therefore undertaken the role remotely, using digital tools.</p><p>The House of Lords Commission continues to review the guidance on overseas travel, taking account of Government advice and the wider public health situation, and decisions on staff travel to Brussels will be taken as and when the guidance is updated.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL205 question first answered 24/05/2021 16:35:02 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1314699

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	House of Lords: European Parliament
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker on how many occasions this year the office allocated to the House of Lords in the European Parliament building in Brussels has been visited by a member of House staff; and what plans there are for using that office in the near future.
	tabling member printed	Lord Balfe
	uin	HL205
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>On 31 January 2020, the date the United Kingdom ceased to be a Member State of the European Union, the UK Parliament ceased to be an EU ‘national Parliament’, except for certain limited purposes set out in Article 128(2) of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.</p><p>Up until this point designated staff of the House of Lords and House of Commons, as representatives of an EU ‘national Parliament’, were granted access to the European Parliament, along with office accommodation and other benefits. As the noble Lord points out, Norway has since 2012 been the only non-EU Member State to be granted comparable access thus far.</p><p>Despite the UK’s changed status after 31 January 2020, the European Parliament continued to afford access to House staff for the duration of the transition period, and on 22 December 2020 the Secretary General of the European Parliament offered “continued hosting” for the two Houses’ representatives after the end of the transition period, subject to “appropriate practical arrangements in the light of the evolving relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom”.</p><p>To date, no such practical arrangements have been required, given the guidance agreed by the House of Lords Commission in March 2020, which strongly discouraged overseas travel. Since that date there has been no committee or staff travel to Brussels, and the House’s representative has therefore undertaken the role remotely, using digital tools.</p><p>The House of Lords Commission continues to review the guidance on overseas travel, taking account of Government advice and the wider public health situation, and decisions on staff travel to Brussels will be taken as and when the guidance is updated.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL204 question first answered 24/05/2021 16:35:03 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4302 label Biography information for Lord Balfe

1314725

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	Parliamentary Estate: Visits
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the Parliamentary Estate will remain closed to visiting members of the public until September; if so, (1) for what reasons, and (2) what consideration he has given to the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions in England on 17 May in respect of the accessibility of the Estate; and what plans there are to resume normal catering services in the House.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL231
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.</p><p>Changes affecting the operation of Parliament as a whole, such as non-passholder access to the estate are decided jointly with the House of Commons Commission. Both Commissions agreed that business-related non-passholder access should resume from 17 May to reflect changes in government guidance. This is limited to one person, where the meeting cannot take place virtually. Access for the public will remain limited due to the need to control the overall number of people on the Parliamentary Estate to prevent crowding and control the risk and spread of the virus on the estate. Further changes to access may occur after step 4 following further consideration by the House of Lords Commission.</p><p>Changes to House of Lords catering services were made on 17 May, including the re-configuration of outlets in line with the ‘rule of six’. The following Lords catering venues are now open: River Restaurant and Terrace, Peers’ Dining and Guest Room, Long Room Bar, and the Millbank House ‘Coffee pod’. All outlets are operating within government guidance. Catering services in the House will be kept under review in the light of demand and the number of passholders on the estate.</p> answering member printed Lord Touhig question first answered 27/05/2021 14:28:00 answering member 542 label Biography information for Lord Touhig
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

1314988

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord McFall of Alcluith on 23 January 2018 (HL4602), what is the estimated cost to the public purse for the repair and maintenance of the Palace of Westminster in each year from 2022/23 to 2026/27; and what is the estimated risk of a catastrophic failure within the Palace during that period.
	tabling member printed	Lord Norton of Louth
	uin	HL296
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>The forecast cost of repair and maintenance of the Palace of Westminster in each year from 2022/23 to 2024/25, as per the most recent Medium Term Financial Plans, is set out in the table below. This includes the forecast spend on both maintenance and major projects on the Palace. There is not yet a reliable forecast for repair and maintenance beyond the 2024/25 financial year.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2021/22</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2022/23</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2023/24</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2024/25</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Planned preventative &amp; Reactive maintenance</p></td><td><p>£7,821,724</p></td><td><p>£8,156,641</p></td><td><p>£8,134,727</p></td><td><p>£8,218,493</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Minor projects</p></td><td><p>£2,212,473</p></td><td><p>£2,212,473</p></td><td><p>£2,212,473</p></td><td><p>£2,212,473</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maintenance team</p></td><td><p>£5,013,950</p></td><td><p>£5,013,950</p></td><td><p>£5,013,950</p></td><td><p>£5,013,950</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Maintenance and Minor </strong> <strong>projects</strong></p></td><td><p>£15,048,146</p></td><td><p>£15,383,063</p></td><td><p>£15,361,149</p></td><td><p>£15,444,916</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Major projects</strong></p></td><td><p>£102,393,805</p></td><td><p>£140,357,071</p></td><td><p>£98,586,481</p></td><td><p>£23,504,834</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>£117,441,951</p></td><td><p>£155,740,134</p></td><td><p>£113,947,630</p></td><td><p>£38,949,749</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The risks of failure relating to the physical condition of the Palace of Westminster are reviewed and mitigated as part of the operation and maintenance of the Parliamentary Estate. These risks include fire, hitting uncharted underground services, unexploded ordnance, and failure of legally required services, all of which have mitigation plans in place to reduce the risk of failure. The table below shows the current assessment of the likelihood of the top five risk events in relation to catastrophic failure.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Top 5 Risk Events in relation to Catastrophic Failure</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Likelihood</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fire during construction work</p></td><td><p>Low</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Collapsing structures</p></td><td><p>Very Low</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Uncharted underground services</p></td><td><p>Very Low</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Unexploded ordnance (UXO) or other hazardous materials</p></td><td><p>Very Low</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure of legally required services (e.g. water)</p></td><td><p>Medium</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Source: </strong>In-House Services and Strategic Estates Health and Safety &amp; maintenance team risk registers</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 27/05/2021 16:29:16 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	3187 label Biography information for Lord Norton of Louth

1316946

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	House of Lords: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are to resume physical-only proceedings in (1) the Chamber, and (2) select committees, once the majority of members and Administration staff have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL439
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>The House of Lords Commission, which has responsibility for setting the strategic direction in this area, met on 25 May and had a preliminary discussion of these matters. The Commission discussion was informed by the debate on hybrid proceedings held in the Chamber on 20 May and was followed by a meeting of the Procedure and Privileges Committee, on 26 May, at which an initial consideration of procedural implications was undertaken. Proposals and options will be developed ahead of further anticipated deliberation at June meetings of the House of Lords Commission, Procedure and Privileges Committee and Liaison Committee. Decisions will continue to be informed by the latest Government guidance and advice from Public Health England. Finally, and most importantly, the House will be invited to consider motions in due course to agree Chamber and Grand Committee procedures moving forwards.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 27/05/2021 15:13:09 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1316955

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	House of Lords Chamber: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are for members to return to normal rules of debate for those who are physically present in the Chamber.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL448
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>The House of Lords Commission, which has responsibility for setting the strategic direction in this area, met on 25 May and had a preliminary discussion of these matters. The Commission discussion was informed by the debate on hybrid proceedings held in the Chamber on 20 May and was followed by a meeting of the Procedure and Privileges Committee, on 26 May, at which an initial consideration of procedural implications was undertaken. Proposals and options will be developed ahead of further anticipated deliberation at June meetings of the House of Lords Commission and Procedure and Privileges Committee. Decisions will continue to be informed by the latest Government guidance and advice from Public Health England. Finally, and most importantly, the House will be invited to consider motions in due course to agree procedures, including those relating to the rules of debate, moving forwards.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 27/05/2021 15:14:36 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

1327202

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2021
	answering body	Leader of the House of Lords
	answering dept id	92
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Leader of the House of Lords
	hansard heading	Bills: Parliamentary Scrutiny
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which bills they intend to subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in the present Session of Parliament.
	tabling member printed	Lord Goodlad
	uin	HL491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/06/2021 answer text The Government intends to subject three draft bills to pre-legislative scrutiny in the present Session of Parliament: Downstream Oil Resilience, Victims, and Online Safety, and is in discussion with the Liaison Committees in both Houses regarding how the draft bills will be scrutinised. As in previous years, it is possible that additional draft bills will be added to the list and therefore this list is not exhaustive. answering member printed Baroness Evans of Bowes Park question first answered 01/06/2021 10:46:34 answering member 4329 label Biography information for Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
	tabling member	670 label Biography information for Lord Goodlad

1328399

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2021
	answering body	The Senior Deputy Speaker
	answering dept id	204
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name	Senior Deputy Speaker (HoL)
	hansard heading	Palace of Westminster: Business
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many private businesses operating using facilities within the Palace of Westminster have been granted COVID-19 business support; and given that support based on business rates is not applicable, on what criteria money was allocated.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mann
	uin	HL625
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Finance Committee, to respond on his behalf. There are a number of private businesses that operate using facilities within the Palace of Westminster, including the Gym, Creche and Hairdressers, none of which have requested or received financial support from the House of Lords Administration. As these are private businesses, we are not aware of the extent to which they might have sought or received Government provided COVID-19 business support.</p> answering member printed Lord Vaux of Harrowden question first answered 10/06/2021 15:45:04 answering member 4687 label Biography information for Lord Vaux of Harrowden
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann