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1144065

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the effectiveness, and (2) the fairness of the current system of business rates; and what plans they have to change the current system.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL17553
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Business rates currently raise £25 billion per year in England, and are an important source of funding for key local services such as adult social care and children’s services.</p><p> </p><p>The Government concluded a fundamental review of business rates in 2016, and respondents agreed that property based taxes were easy to collect, difficult to avoid, relatively stable and clearly linked with local authority spending.</p><p> </p><p>In line with stakeholder responses, the Government therefore decided to keep business rates as a property tax.</p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 09/09/2019 15:38:36 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1144066

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates: Retail Trade
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the 25 per cent contribution that the retail sector currently makes to business rates receipts.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL17554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government has taken repeated action to reduce the burden of business rates for all ratepayers including retailers. The Government’s Plan for the High Street announced at Budget 2018 provides £1 billion of upfront support through a new retail discount, cutting retailers’ business rates bills by a third for two years from 1 April 2019 subject to eligibility.</p><p> </p><p>Reforms and reliefs announced since Budget 2016 are reducing business rates by more than £13 billion over the next five years. This includes switching from RPI to CPI indexation, increasing the threshold for the standard multiplier to £51,000 and doubling the threshold for Small Business Rate Relief, meaning 675,000 of the smallest businesses pay no business rates at all.</p> answering member printed The Earl of Courtown question first answered 09/09/2019 15:40:28 answering member 3359 label Biography information for The Earl of Courtown
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1144067

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Armed Forces
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 1 November 2018 (HL10924), how the strength of the UK Armed Forces has changed since that answer; and what action they plan to take to meet the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2020 targets.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL17555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Since Earl Howe’s Written Answer on 1 November 2018, the Trained Strength of the Armed Forces has dropped from 139,788 on 1 July 2018 to 137,409 on 1 July 2019.</p><p> </p><p>It remains a priority for each Service to meet the target for Armed Forces personnel strength in 2020, and there are a range of measures both already in progress and in the pipeline to improve the position. These include the introduction of the Armed Forces People Programme to modernise aspects of the employment offer, including scope for flexible working and the Future Accommodation Model.</p><p> </p><p>The strength of the Armed Forces is published every three months and can be found in Table 3a of the UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2019</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:34:57 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1144068

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Origin Marking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether current (1) protected designation of origin, (2) protected geographical indication, and (3) traditional specialities guaranteed, schemes for products will be enforceable after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL17556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 09/09/2019 16:32:29 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1144082

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis they have undertaken of adverts placed by lettings agents that prevent Department for Work and Pensions benefit claimants from obtaining private lettings.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL17570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:38:51 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1144084

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to publish guidance for lettings agents to discourage the practice of preventing claimants of Department for Work and Pensions benefits from applying for private lettings.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL17572
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Since a ministerial roundtable at No. 10 Downing Street in June, the Government has continued to work with landlords’, letting agencies’, lenders’, insurance providers’, and tenants’ representatives to explore the scope for joint communications to discourage the practice of preventing benefit claimants from applying for private rental sector lettings.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is clear that landlords and agents should look at all potential and existing tenants claiming housing benefit on an individual basis, regardless of whether or not they are in receipt of benefits. The How to Let and How to Rent guides help landlords, agents and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities.</p><p> </p><p>I’m pleased to say that following the meeting in June, both Metro Bank and The Mortgage Lender have announced that they were lifting their ‘No DSS’ restrictions. These changes build on commitments from NatWest and Nationwide and evidence now suggests that nearly all new buy-to-let mortgages have no restrictions on letting tenants in receipt of benefits.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:35:37 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1144087

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Summary Offences
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of defendants sent summary offence notices under the single justice procedure fail to enter a plea; what is their assessment of the reasons for the level of such failures; and what steps they are taking to address that issue.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL17575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Current response rates vary dependant on the individual prosecutors, with an average of 72% of defendants failing to enter a plea. Whilst an individual is at liberty to not enter a plea without reason, Her Majesty’s Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is actively working with prosecution authorities and our partners in the Criminal Justice System to understand the reasons why defendents do not respond and to improve engagement rates.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:28:07 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

1144088

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Eastwood Park Prison
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take following the report of the Chief Inspector of Prison Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Eastwood Park; and what assessment they have made of the reasons for the failure to prevent the conditions disclosed in the report arising.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL17576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ recent report on HMP/YOI Eastwood Park was published on 28th August 2019. HMPPS take all recommendations made by the HM Chief Inspector seriously. A<br>detailed action plan has been produced to address the recommendations in the report. The action plan has been published on the prison finder website and has been provided for my noble Lord</p><p>We are aware of the deterioration of unit 2 due to leaking showers as highlighted in the report. Bids for funding have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice’s Projects Team to address the issues. In<br>the meantime, the Prison Governor continues to meet monthly with Gov Facility Services Limited and the Service Delivery Manager to assess conditions across the prison and ensure those areas<br>needing remedial works are addressed promptly.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:22:16 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

1144094

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Rivers: Pollution Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of England's rivers meet the EU's minimum ecological standards; and what proportion are judged sufficiently pollution-free to be safe for swimmers.
tabling member printed	Lord Birt
uin	HL17582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 09/09/2019 16:32:51 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	2533 label Biography information for Lord Birt

1144099

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Ports: Road Traffic Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have (1) considered, and (2) taken, at Dover, and other ports or terminals, to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the event of the UK leaving the EU on 31 October.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
uin	HL17587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government has worked closely with the Kent Resilience Forum to ensure that traffic can continue to flow for the cross-channel ports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the 31st October. A new plan, Operating BROCK, has been developed to keep the M20 open if there are any delays resulting from disruption at the border. There are also extensive plans to ensure that traders and hauliers are border ready which should mitigate and minimise disruption at all ports.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 09/09/2019 14:30:47 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw