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1144616

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept id	36
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
	hansard heading	Electoral Register: Advertising
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how much the Commission has spent on direct advertising in the last three years to increase registration of (a) young people aged 18 to 25 and (b) members of the expatriate community.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	286652
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">None.</del> <ins class="ministerial"><em>The Commission has spent no money on this. </em></ins>Direct advertising (or marketing) does not form part of the Commission’s approach to its work encouraging voter registration.</p> answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson question first answered 09/09/2019 08:21:11 question first ministerially corrected 09/09/2019 13:41:11 answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson previous answer version 133677 answering member constituency Houghton and Sunderland South answering member printed Bridget Phillipson answering member 4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1144852

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Abortion: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with pro-life groups in Northern Ireland on the legislation to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Lagan Valley
	tabling member printed	Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson
	uin	286661
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">There are a range of sensitive policy issues to carefully work through in order to deliver regulations to provide access to abortion services in Northern Ireland by 31 March 2020 in Northern Ireland. This duty will come into effect if the Northern Ireland Executive is not restored by 21 October 2019. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Government officials including from the NIO have met some representatives of the medical profession and other stakeholders and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">There will also be a period of consultation throughout this process for individuals in Northern Ireland as well as relevant organisations to provide input and views. I will continue to keep the House updated on these plans at the appropriate opportunities through the Executive Formation Act reporting requirements.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Government's preference remains seeing the Stormont institutions back up and running so they can take forward any issues of reform on these types of sensitive devolved issues, as a matter of priority.</ins></p> answering member constituency Skipton and Ripon answering member printed Julian Smith question first answered 09/09/2019 16:56:41 question first ministerially corrected 02/10/2019 16:30:30 answering member 4118 label Biography information for Julian Smith previous answer version 135690 answering member constituency Skipton and Ripon answering member printed Julian Smith answering member 4118 label Biography information for Julian Smith
	tabling member	650 label Biography information for Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

1144865

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Tax Allowances
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, with respect to the National Statistics data published in April, which estimated the total cost of pension tax relief in respect of registered pension schemes for the year ending 5 April 2018 at £36.3 billion including £4.3 billion in tax relief on employee contributions to occupational pension schemes, (1) what is the estimated figure of gross pension contributions on which this figure was based, and (2) what specific assumptions were made as to the rates of tax applicable in arriving at the figure of £4.3 billion; and whether these assumptions included that all employees making contributions to occupational schemes receive the full tax relief to which they are entitled, including those contributing to net pay pension schemes.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
	uin	HL17699
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">HMRC publishes estimates of the cost of pension tax relief which is available in table 6 of HM Revenue and Customs Personal Pension Statistics on Gov.uk. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><em> </em></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">These estimates were revised on 26<sup>th</sup> September 2019 as part of an overall update to HMRC’s Personal Pension and Pension Relief statistics. Estimates of the cost of tax relief on contributions are produced using the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for income, individual and employer contributions for members of pension schemes that use the net pay mechanism; and administrative data HMRC holds on relief at source administrative data matched to the Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) - for income, individual and employer pension contributions for members of pension schemes that use the relief at source mechanism.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The cost of tax relief for all contributions made by individuals is approximately £6.3bn, broken down as the cost of relief on employee contributions to occupational schemes (£4.2bn), to personal pension schemes (£1.6bn), and self-employed contributions to pensions (£0.5bn). Occupational pensions here includes some master trust pension schemes which use the relief at source method. Personal pensions here includes workplace personal pension schemes (such as group personal pensions).</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">i) The £4.3bn figure referenced is the cost of pension tax relief relating to occupational pension schemes. Estimates of the cost of pension tax relief were revised on September 26<sup>th</sup> 2019 as part of an overall update to HMRC’s Personal Pensions and Pension Relief Statistics. The £4.3bn figure referenced has since been revised to £4.2bn. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">This £4.2bn figure of tax relief is derived from around £15.9bn of estimated “relievable” individual pension contributions to occupational pension schemes, (where “relievable” refers to our best estimates of contributions which are within the individual’s pensions Annual Allowance). </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">ii) Marginal rate tax relief is applied to these estimates of “relievable” contributions as if these contributions were taxed. Estimates are produced assuming all members contributing to all pension schemes receive full marginal rate tax relief on their contributions.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><em> </em></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">As noted in the publication, costs are subject to large revisions and have a particularly wide margin of error – reflecting the variety of sources of data (both administrative and survey) required to produce these estimates.</ins></p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 09/09/2019 16:33:08 question first ministerially corrected 08/10/2019 12:38:27 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown previous answer version 135351 answering member printed The Earl of Courtown answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
	tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1144877

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Sudan and Syria: Politics and Government
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 July (HL17137), what considerations led them to adopt the positions that “the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy” and that they “have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with its security forces”; whether they have applied similar considerations in developing their position on Sudan; and, if so, how those considerations were applied to their decision to engage in strategic dialogue with the regime there.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
	uin	HL17711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The basis for reaching the conclusion that the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy is the clear evidence of the atrocities the regime has committed against the Syrian people, as documented by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria and other independent bodies. These atrocities include, but are not limited to, the repeated use of chemical weapons; repeated violations of international humanitarian law including attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals; and systematic use of torture, including sexual violence, and summary execution against those suspected of opposition to the regime. As the regime's security forces have played a major role in directing and committing these atrocities, we have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with them.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">The UK policy towards Sudan has been one of clear and public condemnation of human rights abuses, alongside a very limited process of engagement to explain to the Sudanese Government what needed to change in order that Sudan could progress and their relations with the international community could improve. As the protest movement gathered pace in 2018 and 2019, we publicly supported the calls of those protestors and pressured the government to heed those demands. Our approach has been described by many in the protest movement, and those now in government, as well judged and critical.<ins class="ministerial"> </ins></ins></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Our engagement with Sudan's former regime sought to maintain pressure on the then Sudanese authorities to make democratic reforms. The Strategic Dialogues also enabled us to have frank and constructive exchanges on pressing issues such as increasing protections for human rights and macroeconomic reform; the resolution of conflict and matters related to UN peacekeeping; and, to address shared threats including terrorism, modern slavery and illegal migration. We repeatedly raised our deep concern, both publicly and directly on a range of issues, including the response to the protest movement. The UK, alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) and Canada, made clear in a statement of 8 January that the (then) Government of Sudan's actions and decisions towards protestors would impact our approach to future engagement.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">Following the overthrow of Omar al Bashir, an agreement was reached between the Transitional Military Council and Forces of Freedom and Change who represented the protestors. The UK welcomes the appointment of a civilian led government and Prime Minister Hamdok's agenda of freedom, peace and justice for all in Sudan. We are engaging with him and the newly formed government on how best we can practically support these ambitions towards Sudan's democratic transition. In addition to supporting the reforms and changes that the people of Sudan deserve, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need across Sudan.</ins></ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:24:04 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:21:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133944 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1144879

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Sudan and Syria: Politics and Government
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 July (HL17137), what was the basis for reaching their conclusions that (1) the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy, and (2) they will not encourage the Global Coalition to cooperate with the Assad regime's security forces; whether they have applied similar considerations in developing their position on Sudan; and if so, how those considerations were applied in their decision to engage in strategic dialogue with the regime in Sudan.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
	uin	HL17713
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The basis for reaching the conclusion that the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy is the clear evidence of the atrocities the regime has committed against the Syrian people, as documented by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria and other independent bodies. These atrocities include, but are not limited to, the repeated use of chemical weapons; repeated violations of international humanitarian law including attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals; and systematic use of torture, including sexual violence, and summary execution against those suspected of opposition to the regime. As the regime's security forces have played a major role in directing and committing these atrocities, we have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with them.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The UK policy towards Sudan has been one of clear and public condemnation of human rights abuses, alongside a very limited process of engagement to explain to the Sudanese Government what needed to change in order that Sudan could progress and their relations with the international community could improve. As the protest movement gathered pace in 2018 and 2019, we publicly supported the calls of those protestors and pressured the government to heed those demands. Our approach has been described by many in the protest movement, and those now in government, as well judged and critical.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Our engagement with Sudan's former regime sought to maintain pressure on the then Sudanese authorities to make democratic reforms. The Strategic Dialogues also enabled us to have frank and constructive exchanges on pressing issues such as increasing protections for human rights and macroeconomic reform; the resolution of conflict and matters related to UN peacekeeping; and, to address shared threats including terrorism, modern slavery and illegal migration. We repeatedly raised our deep concern, both publicly and directly on a range of issues, including the response to the protest movement. The UK, alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) and Canada, made clear in a statement of 8 January that the (then) Government of Sudan's actions and decisions towards protestors would impact our approach to future engagement.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Following the overthrow of Omar al Bashir, an agreement was reached between the Transitional Military Council and Forces of Freedom and Change who represented the protestors. The UK welcomes the appointment of a civilian led government and Prime Minister Hamdok's agenda of freedom, peace and justice for all in Sudan. We are engaging with him and the newly formed government on how best we can practically support these ambitions towards Sudan's democratic transition. In addition to supporting the reforms and changes that the people of Sudan deserve, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need across Sudan.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:33:22 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:21:57 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133947 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1144895

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Environment Protection
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to remain closely aligned with the EU regulatory framework on (1) environmental protection, and (2) food safety standards.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL17729
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The EU Withdrawal Act 2018 will ensure all existing EU environmental law continues to operate in UK law. We will then have the opportunity, over time and with parliamentary scrutiny, to ensure the legislative framework delivers our aim to be the first generation to leave the natural environment in a better state than we inherited it. We have no intention of weakening our current environmental protections as we leave the EU. We will deliver a Green Brexit, where environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The UK has world leading standards of food safety and quality, backed by a rigorous legislative framework. We will maintain these high standards once the UK leaves the EU. When we leave the EU, we will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Act will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of exit. Leaving the EU does not change the Government’s commitment to ensuring that our food remains safe and what it says it is.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 09/09/2019 16:30:09 question first ministerially corrected 02/10/2019 10:12:04 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble previous answer version 135358 answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1144876

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Iran: Nuclear Power
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran.
	tabling member printed	Lord Campbell of Pittenweem
	uin	HL17710
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Government is committed to preserving the Iran nuclear deal (JCPoA) as the best way of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. We are deeply concerned by Iran’s steps to reduce compliance with the deal and are working with remaining parties to address this. We are also working hard to deliver the sanctions relief envisaged under the terms of the JCPoA as part of our efforts to encourage Iran to return to full compliance with the deal.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:24:59 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:43:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133956 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	627 label Biography information for Lord Campbell of Pittenweem

1144902

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Israeli Settlements
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel regarding the taking over by Israeli settlers of dozens of Palestinian-owned springs in the West Bank, preventing their owners from using them.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL17736
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">While we have not raised this specific issue, the UK has previously raised our concerns over access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the need to take immediate and practical measures to improve the situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:24:45 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:43:55 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133953 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

1144901

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Jerusalem: Demolition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel regarding the recent break up by Israeli forces of a Palestinian Bar Association conference on Israel's home demolition policy in East Jerusalem.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL17735
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Whilst we have not raised this specific issue, we regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. We are strongly opposed to any attempts to change the facts on the ground in the East Jerusalem. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property; the construction of illegal Israeli settlements; removal of residency rights from Palestinians; possible unilateral changes to the municipal borders; and severe difficulties of access to Jerusalem for Palestinians from the West Bank or even for those residents of Jerusalem who live beyond the Separation Barrier.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:25:05 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:44:28 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133952 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

1144900

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Jerusalem: Palestinians
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel regarding the breaking up of a Palestinian soccer team in East Jerusalem on the grounds that the location is under Israeli sovereignty.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL17734
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The UK’s position is clear. In line with Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) and subsequent Council resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as under Israeli military occupation. We do not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including East Jerusalem.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:24:52 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:44:47 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133950 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge