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1727981

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	Boots: Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the sale of the Boots Pension scheme to an insurance company and (2) the effect of this sale on the protection provided to the pensions held in the Boots Pension scheme by the Pension Protection Fund.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL905
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>When a Defined Benefit pension scheme transfers responsibility for paying some or all of its members’ benefits to an insurer, the scheme pays a premium to the insurance company, which then takes on responsibility for paying the promised benefits. This is a well-established approach used by pension scheme trustees to secure the promised pensions for members with an insurance company.</p><p> </p><p>Arrangements to provide pension benefits to some or all scheme members with an insurer are secure and offer long term protection for member benefits. Insurance companies are regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and their policy holders are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Pension Protection Fund protection is retained until the whole scheme is transferred to an insurer, and both the sponsor and the trustees are discharged. At that point the members are no longer protected by the Pension Protection Fund. This is because all benefits are now secured with an insurance company.</p><p> </p><p>No assessments of individual schemes are made by Government.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sherlock question first answered 18/09/2024 13:22:48 answering member 4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1727918

registered interest
date	06/09/2024
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	High Rise Flats: Electrical Safety
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 31 July (HL90), whether the Minister's secretary received a response to their letter from the Health and Safety Executive.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>I would like to thank my Noble Lord for following up on the response I gave on the 31<sup>st</sup> July. My office has written to the Health and Safety Executive and I am awaiting a response.</p> answering member printed Baroness Taylor of Stevenage question first answered 16/09/2024 12:11:58 answering member 4956 label Biography information for Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1727919

registered interest
date	06/09/2024
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	Pensioners: Christmas Bonus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend (1) to remove the £10 Christmas bonus for qualifying pensioners, or (2) to restore it to its original value as a percentage of the basic pension.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to revise the arrangements for the Christmas Bonus.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Christmas Bonus is an annual, tax-free, lump sum payment to pensioners and to working age people who are in receipt of certain qualifying benefits during the relevant week which is usually the first full week in December.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Sherlock question first answered 18/09/2024 12:53:45 answering member 4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1727920

registered interest
date	06/09/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	National Insurance Contributions: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the revenue they would receive if National Insurance was paid by those aged over 65 with incomes over the threshold; and what assessment they have made of requiring those with incomes above the threshold to pay it.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2024 answer text <p>Estimated figures of the cost of the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) exemption for those aged over 65 are published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Structural Tax Reliefs publication.</p><p>A condensed version of the table of interest has been copied below, showing estimated costs annually from 2018-19 until 2023-24.</p><p> </p><p>Table: HMRC NICs Structural Cost Estimates by Financial Year</p><p>Financial Year NICs structural cost estimates (£ million)</p><p>2018-19 1,300</p><p>2019-20 1,200</p><p>2020-21 840</p><p>2021-22 1,200*</p><p>2022-23 1,200*</p><p>2023-24 1,100*</p><p>*Projected estimates based upon the 2019-20 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.</p><p> </p><p>The estimated cost of this exemption does not represent the yield if this exemption were to be abolished as other behavioural responses, including a possible increase in State Pension expenditure, would be expected to substantially reduce the yield.</p> answering member printed Lord Livermore question first answered 20/09/2024 11:18:58 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722401

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Sanctions: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation is allowing payments to representatives of sanctioned Russian Companies and individuals while war in Ukraine continues.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL232
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2024 answer text <p>The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.</p><p> </p><p>Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livermore grouped question UIN HL234 HL235 HL237 question first answered 29/07/2024 17:01:26 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722402

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Foreign Companies: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why Russian state-owned companies are being allowed access to UK courts to pursue litigation concerning penalties imposed by Russian courts.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL233
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2024 answer text <p>The question of whether courts in England and Wales have jurisdiction to hear claims brought by parties from other countries are determined by the courts in accordance with common law principles and international conventions.</p><p>In English and Welsh law, the determination of the appropriate forum (where no international convention applies) to hear a dispute is the one in which the case may most suitably be tried in the interests of all the parties and the ends of justice. Matters which a court will take into account in deciding this would include whether there are any factors connecting the dispute to a particular jurisdiction.</p><p>It is open to the opposing party to challenge a claim on the basis that it should have been brought in another jurisdiction.</p> answering member printed Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede grouped question UIN HL236 question first answered 01/08/2024 15:18:38 answering member 3154 label Biography information for Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722403

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Sanctions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what was the level of payment allowed by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation between 24 February and 31 October 2022 under the ‘access to justice’ arrangements.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL234
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2024 answer text <p>The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.</p><p> </p><p>Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livermore grouped question UIN HL232 HL235 HL237 question first answered 29/07/2024 17:01:26 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722404

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Sanctions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the UK-registered companies and partnerships that the Office of Financial Sanction Implementation assessed for legal payments between October 2023 and April 2024.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2024 answer text <p>The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.</p><p> </p><p>Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livermore grouped question UIN HL232 HL234 HL237 question first answered 29/07/2024 17:01:26 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722405

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Foreign Companies: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government on what basis UK courts have had jurisdiction to hear cases started in Russian Courts between Russian companies and individuals since the start of the war in Ukraine.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2024 answer text <p>The question of whether courts in England and Wales have jurisdiction to hear claims brought by parties from other countries are determined by the courts in accordance with common law principles and international conventions.</p><p>In English and Welsh law, the determination of the appropriate forum (where no international convention applies) to hear a dispute is the one in which the case may most suitably be tried in the interests of all the parties and the ends of justice. Matters which a court will take into account in deciding this would include whether there are any factors connecting the dispute to a particular jurisdiction.</p><p>It is open to the opposing party to challenge a claim on the basis that it should have been brought in another jurisdiction.</p> answering member printed Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede grouped question UIN HL233 question first answered 01/08/2024 15:18:38 answering member 3154 label Biography information for Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

1722414

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Sanctions: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is the difference between the amounts agreed by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in respect of fees for services and access to justice for UK legal firms on behalf of Russian individuals and companies (1) before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and (2) since the invasion.
tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
uin	HL237
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2024 answer text <p>The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.</p><p> </p><p>OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.</p><p> </p><p>Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livermore grouped question UIN HL232 HL234 HL235 question first answered 29/07/2024 17:01:26 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker