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1639885

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Economic Situation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to report on the outcomes of the review of economic regulation.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL8033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2023 answer text <p>We are expecting to publish the review of economic regulation in the coming months, delivering on the Government’s commitment to drive growth through the activities of key economic regulators (Ofgem, Ofcom and Ofwat), as published in the <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fsmarter-regulation-to-grow-the-economy&amp;data=05%7C01%7CHarriet.Smith2%40beis.gov.uk%7C1b923647b46b4a55103f08db5c76fb42%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C638205438304930997%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6vBmEHyPuh2UVEuoj51r1mvFEA%2FqquCCXvTrcoMBjDY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy</a> policy paper on 10 May 2023.</p> answering member printed The Earl of Minto question first answered 05/06/2023 16:15:55 answering member 4952 label Biography information for The Earl of Minto attachment 1 file name smarter_regulation_to_grow_economy-may_2023.pdf title Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1639886

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how they will use the underspend of the apprenticeship levy.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL8034
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training.</p><p>The government, via HM Revenue and Customs, collects the apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with a payroll of more than £3 million. From this, HM Treasury (HMT) sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved governments receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.</p><p>The department’s apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in all employers, levy and non-levy paying employers alike, across England, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. This means that levy payers’ unspent funds are used to support additional costs and apprenticeships in smaller employers.</p><p>In the 2021/22 financial year, the total spend on apprenticeships in England was £2,455 million, against the budget of £2,466 million, meaning that 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget was spent. Previous years’ spending on apprenticeships is set out in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022</a>.</p><p>Any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are first returned to HMT, as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance. As employers choose which apprenticeships they offer and when, annual spend of the apprenticeship budget is subject to employer demand.</p><p>The government is increasing apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and has removed the limit on the number of apprentices that small and medium-sized enterprises can recruit to support more employers to benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 07/06/2023 12:23:26 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1639887

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Housing: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many new homes they expect to build in the current year.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL8035
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2023 answer text <p>The department does not publish forecasts of new builds.</p><p>The most recent data for new dwellings shows an increase of 232,820 dwellings in the year to 31 March 2022. This represents over 75% of the Government’s ambition to see 300,000 new homes a year.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 06/06/2023 14:54:41 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1639888

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
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	Food Poverty
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 data published by the Trussell Trust on 26 April which showed an increase in its emergency food parcel distribution over the period April 2022 to March 2023; and what steps they will take in response.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL8036
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>We take the issue of food security seriously, which is why we added internationally used food security questions to the Family Resources Survey in 19/20. These questions remain in the survey and will allow us to track food security over time.</p><p> </p><p>Building on the food insecurity data which this Government first published in 2019/20, we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time this year covering the period 2021/22. These will, alongside the broad suite of poverty data, help shape future policy considerations. The new statistics on foodbank usage will help Government to understand more about the characteristics of people most in need and we will continue to work across Government to support the most vulnerable.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the pressures people are facing and has acted, providing total support of over £94bn over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living. In April 2023 we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1 per cent, as well as increasing benefit cap levels by the same amount.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 07/06/2023 12:47:52 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1639889

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sudan: Humanitarian Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the ceasefire in Sudan is now enabling the distribution of humanitarian aid to displaced people; and what estimate they have made of the numbers of people in need of help.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL8037
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2023 answer text <p>The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has worsened dramatically, with the UN estimating that almost 25 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance; a 57 percent increase compared to the estimated needs before the outbreak of hostilities on 15 April. We welcome the 7-day ceasefire agreement, signed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces on 20 May, following the 11 May Jeddah Declaration. We call on both parties to uphold these agreements, implement the ceasefire and allow essential humanitarian support to reach the people of Sudan. It is too soon to tell whether the ceasefire will translate into an opening up of humanitarian access in Sudan. We will coordinate with the UN and international humanitarian system so they can quickly scale-up delivery there, if and when the access situation improves. On 24 May, the Minister for Development and Africa announced £21.7 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan, following an initial £5 million allocation to assist urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/06/2023 11:37:59 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1639890

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sudan: Armed Conflict
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 statement made by the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, General Hamdan Dagalo, which urged his troops to defeat the national army and win the war.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL8038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2023 answer text <p>Since conflict erupted in Sudan on 15 April, we have pursued all diplomatic avenues to end the violence, de-escalate tensions and secure humanitarian access. This includes at the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, and through cooperation with counterparts from African, Quad (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, US) and European countries. We welcome the 7-day ceasefire agreement signed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces on 20 May, following the 11 May Jeddah Declaration. The UK continues to advocate for a return to a civilian-led government in Sudan. We urge all Sudanese stakeholders to end hostilities and engage urgently in an inclusive dialogue that will deliver the peace and stability that the Sudanese people deserve.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/06/2023 11:39:06 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1639891

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	China: Tibet
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 statement by UN Special Rapporteurs on 27 April that suggested that vocational training programmes in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China "threaten Tibetan identity" and "carry risk of forced labour”; and what assessment they have made of the statement's recommendations that the government of China should explain the steps it intends to take to comply with its international obligations to prevent forced labour and trafficking, and to ensure access to compensation for victims of such practices.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL8039
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>We are aware of human rights violations in Tibet, including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of assembly and association, and reports of forced labour. We coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet, most recently on 20 May 2023 in the G7 Leaders' Communique, and in March 2023, as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). In June 2022, a UK-led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the UN HRC, which highlighted the situation in Tibet. We urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People's Republic of China, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL8074 question first answered 07/06/2023 16:16:57 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1639892

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Myanmar: Sanctions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the (1) entities, and (2) individuals, they identified as complicit or collaborating in the military coup in Burma have been sanctioned; and how long it takes from identification to implementation.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL8040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>Since the coup in February 2021, the UK has issued fifteen rounds of targeted sanctions (including 20 individuals and 29 entities) to put pressure on the military regime and reduce its access to revenue, arms and equipment without harming the wider population. We have designated the military's two key conglomerates and their 111 subsidiaries under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.</p><p>To designate, we must ensure our measures and cases are carefully targeted and based on robust evidence before we sanction individuals, goods, services or companies. We build cases based on evidence against the criteria set out in UK sanctions regulations.</p><p>The UK has led international efforts and continue to work closely with our partners in the US, Canada and EU to ensure a strong, coordinated and targeted response to the military regime's actions.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/06/2023 16:25:30 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1639893

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Afghanistan and Iran: Environment Protection and Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the government of Pakistan, and (2) the government of Turkey, with regard to the operations of businesses in those countries that are supporting (a) human rights abuses, and (2) environmental destruction, in Iran and Afghanistan.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL8041
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>The UK Government does not make representations to the Government of Pakistan on the operations of Pakistani businesses, nor does it make any representations to the Government of Turkey on the operations of Turkish businesses in Iran and Afghanistan. Under the UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme, Pakistan benefits from duty free exports on the condition that it ratifies and effectively implements specified international conventions on human rights and environmental degradation. We regularly raise human rights issues in Pakistan and Turkey at the highest levels in their respective governments.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/06/2023 16:14:40 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1639894

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Wetlands: Urban Areas
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the total monetary value of the benefits delivered by urban wetlands.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL8042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2023 answer text <p>The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.</p><p> </p><p>Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.</p><p> </p><p>The Rt Hon. the Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb</p><p>House of Lords</p><p>London</p><p>SW1A 0PW</p><p>26 May 2023</p><p> </p><p>Dear Lady Jones,</p><p> </p><p>As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made, if any, of the total monetary value of the benefits delivered by urban wetlands (HL8042).</p><p> </p><p>The UK Natural Capital Accounts produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) provide monetary estimates for the goods and services provided by a range of eight broadly defined habitats.</p><p> </p><p>“Wetlands” is not among these, but can be found in several other habitats such as “Freshwater” and “Mountains Moorlands and Heath”.</p><p> </p><p>“Urban” is one of these eight habitats, and captures a range of other ecosystems in and around dense population areas. We will be updating our approach in our upcoming Urban habitat account release this summer. In this, we plan to include data on the total area of sub-habitats that can be found within “urban” areas, including estimates of the total area of “urban-wetlands”. We would be very happy to discuss these results with you once they are available.</p><p> </p><p>While the natural capital accounts are primarily national, in our 2022 Natural Capital Accounts Roadmap [1] we committed to increasing their spatial granularity. This will help us to more readily address questions requiring lower geographical levels.</p><p> </p><p>Yours sincerely,</p><p>Professor Sir Ian Diamond</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/articles/naturalcapitalaccountsroadmap/2022" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/articles/naturalcapitalaccountsroadmap/2022</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 07/06/2023 15:50:11 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe attachment 1 file name PQHL8042 (1).pdf title UK Statistics Authority
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb