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1327983

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
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	Workplace Pensions: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they currently impose, or intend to impose, any penalties on (1) employers, (2) scheme trustees, (3) pension providers, or (4) employer advisers, if automatic enrolment scheme members are contributing to a pension scheme which is unsuitable for them.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL548
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2021 answer text <p>The government keeps all aspects of private pensions policy under review but there are no current plans to change the regulatory framework.</p><p> </p><p>Employers have a duty to enrol their workers in a workplace pension scheme that is a qualifying scheme for automatic enrolment in accordance with the requirements set out in the Pensions Act 2008.</p><p> </p><p>An automatic enrolment scheme must meet certain quality requirements. This is underpinned by the wider regulatory framework for all occupational and group personal pension schemes which helps to safeguard members’ pensions. Compliance and enforcement of these standards is the responsibility of The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 08/06/2021 15:33:46 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1327984

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Low Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate have they made of the number of (1) women, and (2) men, earning less than the personal tax threshold who were automatically enrolled in workplace pension schemes which operate on net pay basis in each tax year since 2017–18.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL549
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2021 answer text HMRC cannot determine which individuals have been automatically enrolled in a workplace pension. However, HMRC estimates that 1.5m individuals earning below the personal allowance in 2018-19 made workplace pension contributions via Real time Information (RTI) using net pay arrangements. Around 75% of these individuals are estimated to be female and 25% are estimated to be male.<p> </p>The personal allowance in 2018-19 was £11,850. HMRC’s Survey of Personal Income (SPI) and administrative data was used to produce the estimates. The 2018-19 SPI (published in March 2021) is the latest year available. The SPI is published annually. answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 08/06/2021 11:42:57 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1327985

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Low Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans do they have to implement legal obligations on employers (1) to select a suitable pension scheme for low-paid workers, and (2) to inform those workers about the lower take-home pay as a result of enrolling onto a Net Pay scheme.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL550
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the different impacts of the two systems of paying pension tax relief on pension contributions for workers earning below the personal allowance. The Government committed in its manifesto to review this issue and published a Call for Evidence on 21 July 2020. The Call for Evidence set out the Government’s views on proposals already put forward by stakeholders, invited further proposals, and sought views on the operation of the relief at source method of tax relief for pension contributions.</p><p>The Call for Evidence is now closed. The Government is carefully analysing this issue and the responses received to understand what deliverable options for change may exist. These responses have raised technical points that we are continuing to explore with HMRC and others. The Government will respond to the Call for Evidence in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL552 question first answered 07/06/2021 12:57:34 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1327986

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
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	Pension Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase take-up of Pension Credit and reduce pensioner poverty, especially for older women.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2021 answer text <p>There are now 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than in 2009/10. The percentage of women aged 75 and over in absolute poverty after housing costs fell from 18 per cent in 2009/10 to 15 per cent in 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to continuing to reduce pensioner poverty and Pension Credit has an important role to play, as a source of financial support for all eligible pensioners.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Department of Work and Pension Ministers recently met with stakeholders with an interest in pensioners’ financial wellbeing and the Director General of the BBC to explore opportunities to work together to support the promotion of Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The department continues to make the best use of all our channels to reach those who might be eligible as well as their family and friends. For example, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain recently received messaging about Pension Credit with their annual State Pension up-rating letter. This highlighted that an award of Pension Credit can mean being eligible for other benefits such as Housing Benefit or a free over-75 TV licence. We also make use of proactive press activity and social media posts to encourage older people to check if they are eligible.</p><p> </p><p>Our online Pension Credit material on gov.uk has also recently being updated, providing helpful information on how Pension Credit can help pensioners and how easy it is to claim particularly with the online service we introduced last year which enables family, friends and organisations to help pensioners, including older women pensioners, make a claim.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 08/06/2021 15:42:53 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1327987

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Tax Allowances
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement legal obligations on (1) pension scheme trustees, (2) pension advisers, and (3) pension scheme providers, to ensure that the take-home pay of members of auto-enrolment pension schemes take-home pay is not reduced as a direct result of the pension scheme’s tax relief administration system.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL552
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises the different impacts of the two systems of paying pension tax relief on pension contributions for workers earning below the personal allowance. The Government committed in its manifesto to review this issue and published a Call for Evidence on 21 July 2020. The Call for Evidence set out the Government’s views on proposals already put forward by stakeholders, invited further proposals, and sought views on the operation of the relief at source method of tax relief for pension contributions.</p><p>The Call for Evidence is now closed. The Government is carefully analysing this issue and the responses received to understand what deliverable options for change may exist. These responses have raised technical points that we are continuing to explore with HMRC and others. The Government will respond to the Call for Evidence in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL550 question first answered 07/06/2021 12:57:34 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1327988

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
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	North Korea: Capital Punishment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will raise the public execution of a North Korean citizen in Wonsan on 25 April who was found to have smuggled CDs and USBs (1) at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, and (2) with the Ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL553
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2021 answer text <p>We are aware of recent reports of a public execution in DPRK of an individual charged with distributing smuggled CDs and USBs. Due to the closed nature of the regime in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports. The UK, working with partners, ensures that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the DPRK to end its use of the death penalty and adhere to international standards on judicial procedures. We also continue to raise our concerns directly with the North Korean Government, including with the DPRK's Ambassador in London.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/06/2021 16:06:30 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1327989

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
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: Olympic Games
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the call of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, for a diplomatic boycott on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2021 answer text <p>No decisions have yet been made about Her Majesty's Government attendance at the Beijing Olympics in 2022.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/06/2021 16:04:09 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1327990

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
answering body	Department for International Trade
answering dept id	202
answering dept short name	International Trade
answering dept sort name	International Trade
hansard heading	Cotton: Xinjiang
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 estimate by US Customs and Border Protection that 85 per cent of China’s manufactured cotton comes from the Xinjiang region; and what plans they have to introduce restrictions on imports of cotton to prevent the import of goods sent from Uighur internment camps in the Xinjiang region.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>HM Government has serious concerns about the situation in Xinjiang, with reports of the use of forced labour. It has always been the case that where we have concerns, we raise them – as we did on this issue at the UN Human Rights Council, most recently in February.</p><p> </p><p>We advise businesses with supply chain links in Xinjiang to conduct appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, and are not seen to support, any violations or abuses of rights and responsibilities.</p><p> </p><p>My Rt Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced a review of export controls on 12<sup>th</sup> January, but import controls were not included at this time.</p> answering member printed Lord Grimstone of Boscobel question first answered 07/06/2021 12:14:50 answering member 4876 label Biography information for Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1327991

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	BBC: Royal Charters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why the mid-term review of the BBC Charter not being conducted before the Ofcom review of public service broadcasting; and how will the review by Ofcom be used to inform the mid-term review of the BBC Charter.
tabling member printed	Baroness Benjamin
uin	HL556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>Ofcom is required to conduct a review into public service broadcasting at least every five years and went out for consultation in December 2020. The report of its third review, &quot;Public Service Broadcasting in the Internet Age&quot;, was published on 2 July 2015.</p><p>The concept and principles for the Mid-Term Review are set out in the BBC Royal Charter of 2016. The Royal Charter is clear that “the (mid-term) review must not be undertaken before 2022 and must be completed by 2024.”</p><p>Government officials shall be undertaking preparatory work ahead of the mid-term review starting formally next year, and will consult Ofcom on the scope, timing, and terms of reference in due course, as is required by the BBC Charter.</p><p>Further, the Charter requires that Ofcom conduct a periodic review of the BBC which looks at the extent to which the BBC is fulfilling its Mission and promoting each of the Public Purposes and addressing any specific issues of concern. This must be concluded in time to inform the Mid-Term Review.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 07/06/2021 11:38:42 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4167 label Biography information for Baroness Benjamin

1327992

registered interest
date	25/05/2021
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	Belarus: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to invite Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a guest to the G7 summit in June, so that she may put the case of the Belarusian opposition to the G7 heads of government.
tabling member printed	Lord Bowness
uin	HL557
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2021 answer text <p>G7 Leaders will discuss current global issues including Belarus' reckless and dangerous behaviour and the UK is actively considering and coordinating with our allies on further sanctions for those responsible. Officials engage regularly with a range of representatives of Belarusian civil society, including opposition groups. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on 1 February. The UK Government looks forward to welcoming Mrs Tikhanovskaya to the UK as soon as covid regulations allow.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/06/2021 16:06:54 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3496 label Biography information for Lord Bowness