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77809

registered interest
date	14/07/2014
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	Zoos
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the European Union's Zoos Directive 1999 in the United Kingdom through the zoo inspection system.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL1106
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Zoo Licensing Act 1981, which sets out comprehensive licensing and inspection requirements for zoos, implements the EC Zoos Directive in Great Britain. Responsibility for administering these requirements rests with local authorities, which have powers to check compliance with zoo licences, to impose conditions and to take action. Ultimately this could mean closing part, or all, of a zoo if the requirements of the legislation are not met. This in turn ensures our compliance with the Directive.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In response to concerns about how local authorities were carrying out this role, Defra commissioned research into local authority implementation of the Act. The 2011 report, which looked at the period 2008-2010, found no serious problems and indeed there was evidence of significant improvements in a number of areas during this time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The report made suggestions for further improvements, such as updating guidance and zoo inspection report forms. These, together with the majority of the suggestions, have been actioned and we continue to work to make further improvements.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 22/07/2014 14:41:46 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44613

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to ensure that information on the engagement activities of pension funds and other institutional investors with investee companies is made fully accessible.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL6270
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6271 HL6272 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44614

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for large occupational defined contribution pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as outlined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL6271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6272 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44615

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for large occupational defined benefit pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as highlighted in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL6272
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6271 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44616

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to incentivise good stewardship of assets by charities.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL6273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Charity trustees have a legal duty to protect their charity's assets and resources. The Charity Commission for England and Wales has published updated guidance on stewardship of charity assets which has been widely welcomed. As part of its charity law project, the Law Commission is currently considering the powers and duties of charity trustees in relation to social investment.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44617

registered interest
date	24/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authority pension schemes to take into account environmental, social and governance factors in their decisions.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL6274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which may address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.</p><p>Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison