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1727787

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Winter Fuel Payment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on pensioners of the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Allowance.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL804
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2024 answer text <p>Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.</p><p> </p><p>Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of the new State Pensions forecast to increase by around £1700.</p><p> </p><p>We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. The government will work with external partners and local authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit and to target additional support to the poorest pensioners. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.</p><p> </p><p>We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.</p><p>The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.   An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.</p><p>The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.</p><p>Over the past two years, energy bills have fallen. Between 1 October to 31 December 2024 Ofgem’s energy price cap is set at £1717 per year for a typical household. This means the price cap for October to December 2024 will be more than 5% lower (£117 less) than for October to December 2023.</p><p> </p><p>Our other steps include cutting waiting times in the NHS which will help many pensioners currently waiting in pain and discomfort for treatment, and delivering the economic stability which is so crucial for pensioners.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sherlock question first answered 19/09/2024 15:15:45 answering member 4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1727788

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	217
answering dept short name	Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Casement Park: Regeneration
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of public money that will be spent on the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to Gordon Lyons MLA, the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities, on Friday 13 September to update him on the funding of Casement Park for EURO 2028. The letter (which is published on gov.uk and a copy of which I will place in the Library of both Houses) states that they have, regrettably, decided that it is not appropriate for the UK Government to provide funding to seek to build Casement Park in time to host matches at EURO 2028 based on unreasonable cost and high delivery risk.</p><p>The Government will seek engagement with Northern Ireland partners, including the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the coming weeks, to discuss this decision in more detail as well as seeking views on the appropriate way forward for Casement Park.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Twycross question first answered 19/09/2024 14:54:16 answering member 4966 label Biography information for Baroness Twycross
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1727815

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Individual Savings Accounts
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to introduce the British ISA.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2024 answer text <p>The government will provide further information on its plans for the British ISA in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Livermore question first answered 17/09/2024 14:13:41 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1727816

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Council Housing: Sales
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what changes, if any, they are considering to the 'right to buy' discount scheme for tenants wishing to purchase their council house.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2024 answer text <p>The Government believe it is right that those social tenants who have lived in their homes for many years retain the right to purchase their property at a reasonable discount. As such, we will not be ending the Right to Buy scheme.</p><p> </p><p>We are, however, committed to better protecting our existing stock of social rented homes and are currently reviewing the increased right to buy discounts introduced in 2012. We will bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes in the Autumn.</p><p> </p><p>We also intend to review Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for newly-built social housing. A consultation of these wider changes will be brought forward in the Autumn.</p> answering member printed Baroness Taylor of Stevenage question first answered 19/09/2024 13:29:46 answering member 4956 label Biography information for Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717020

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	WorkWell
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the WorkWell scheme to other regions in England, and what consultations they have had with integrated care boards concerning the implementation of the scheme.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>WorkWell is a pilot programme running in 15 sites in England. The planned evaluation of the pilot will bolster our evidence base on what works to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. Future decisions, including on any expansion, will be subject to the evidence generated through the pilot<em>. </em></p><p> </p><p>We have undertaken an extensive programme of engagement with Integrated Care Boards prior to the announcement of the pilot areas and will continue to work with pilot areas as they design and deliver the WorkWell pilots.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 21/05/2024 14:48:40 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717021

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Burglary: Prosecutions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of reported burglaries have resulted in a suspect being taken to court in England and Wales in the last year, and how this compares with the rest of the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4523
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of burglary offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, and their investigative outcomes, including the number of charge/summons. This information is published on a quarterly basis, and can be accessed here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables</a></p><p>The Home Office does not hold information on the number of suspects taken to court. Statistics on prosecutions and convictions in England and Wales, including burglary, are published by the Ministry of Justice, in the release Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly</a></p><p>Scotland have a different method of counting burglary offences to England and Wales but information on crimes and offences recorded by the police, including clear ups of crimes, can be accessed here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2022-23/" target="_blank">https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2022-23/</a></p><p>Information on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Northern Ireland, including investigative outcomes, can be accessed here:</p><p><a href="https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications-and-reports/official-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications-and-reports/official-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics</a></p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 23/05/2024 15:49:24 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717057

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Republic of Ireland: Terrorism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland about (1) recognising any historic role it may have had in the forming, funding and training of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and (2) how it may have dealt with terrorist activity during the Troubles.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>It is clear that the Irish Government has legitimate questions to answer regarding its record of dealing with legacy matters in its own jurisdiction. The coroner in the Kingsmill Inquest found, “the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland was “exploited by terrorists” and allowed for “… planning, training, organisation, weapons storage and retreat at a safe physical and legal distance from the authorities that would be faced with investigating terrorist acts in Northern Ireland”.</p><p> </p><p>It is clear that, for many families, effective information recovery will also require the cooperation of the Irish Government and its agencies. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation &amp; Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it, including most recently at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April 2024.<strong><br> <br> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Caine question first answered 14/05/2024 11:52:45 answering member 4581 label Biography information for Lord Caine
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717058

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Omagh Bombing Inquiry
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland to encourage them to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh Bombing.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>We all remember vividly where we were when we heard the news of that awful atrocity in August 1998, and I pay tribute to Michael Gallagher and the other Omagh families who have pursued their case with great dignity and tenacity.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is doing everything in its power to ensure that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, under the expert guidance of Lord Turnbull, provides answers. Along with the significant powers provided to it under the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry will need the cooperation of Irish agencies to be as effective as possible.</p><p> </p><p>I raised this directly with the Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on Monday 29 April, and I am pleased that he committed to full Irish Government co-operation with the Omagh bombing inquiry. The Government’s focus is on ensuring that the inquiry has every chance of success, and the Irish Government’s role in that is crucial.</p><p> </p><p>At the last two British-Irish Intergovernmental Conferences, the Secretary of State and I pressed the Irish Government to cooperate fully with both the Omagh inquiry and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to provide information for victims and families who desire it. The Secretary of State also wrote to the Tánaiste in January, challenging the Irish Government’s own approach to addressing legacy issues, including the number of Troubles-related prosecutions brought in Ireland since April 1998.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Caine question first answered 14/05/2024 11:53:47 answering member 4581 label Biography information for Lord Caine
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717059

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Northern Ireland: Terrorism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the coroner’s findings on the 1976 shooting in Kingsmill.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The Kingsmill massacre is an appalling example of the pain and suffering inflicted by the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. The families have fought for many decades to get information and accountability from those responsible. The Government hopes that the findings delivered by the coroner have brought some form of comfort to the families affected.</p><p> </p><p>The coroner, in his findings, expressed gratitude for the assistance the inquest received from the Irish authorities. It is the Government’s view, however, that such cooperation should not be limited to high-profile cases. It is disappointing that the Irish Government has, to date, declined to commit to cooperating with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation &amp; Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the ICRIR, just as it has done in the Kingsmill inquest and Operation Denton.</p><p> </p><p>I made these points directly to the Irish Government at the most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April.</p> answering member printed Lord Caine question first answered 14/05/2024 11:51:35 answering member 4581 label Biography information for Lord Caine
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1717060

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Northern Ireland Office
answering dept id	21
answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
hansard heading	Republic of Ireland: Borders
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of the Republic of Ireland regarding whether it plans to send Garda to the border between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL4527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tánaiste last spoke about this issue on 1 May, and the Tánaiste confirmed there would be no deployment of officers from An Garda Síochána to the Northern Ireland/Ireland border.</p><p> </p><p>During this exchange, both UK and Irish Governments confirmed their commitment to the Common Travel Area and are focused on securing its external border.</p> answering member printed Lord Caine question first answered 15/05/2024 11:26:46 answering member 4581 label Biography information for Lord Caine
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown