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1453807

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Shipping: Pollution Control
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 prevalence of bilge dumping in UK waters, and (2) the adequacy of measures to prevent, identify and punish the practice.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7251
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>The discharge of bilge water from ships is governed by internationally agreed regulations which are implemented and enforced in the UK by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The UK regulations prohibit the discharge of bilge water unless specific control measures are met. These regulations were updated in 2019 and have provisions built into the regulations to enable the efficient implementation of new international standards to ensure that UK regulations remain current and effective. Compliance is monitored by various means, which include, satellite surveillance, manned aircraft surveillance and reconnaissance of UK waters and the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), port state control inspections and the mandatory regulatory requirements for ships to report pollution incidents. If there is evidence of a breach of the regulations, the MCA can use a variety of enforcement action up to and including detention of the ship and prosecution of the owner/operator.</p><p> </p><p>All incidences of pollution must be reported and, where appropriate, feasible reports are investigated via a variety of means by the MCA. Records reflect that there has been no evidence of illegal bilge dumping in UK Waters or the UK EEZ. Potential illegal discharges recorded have all occurred within Harbour Authority jurisdiction; all have been minor and caused by accident rather than by any deliberate act to pollute. The impact of these incidents has been negligible and quickly resolved, with sanction and/or enforcement action to the responsibility of the Statutory Harbour Authority. The MCA’s Regulatory Compliance and Investigations Team has never had the need to undertake prosecution action for such situations.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 31/03/2022 13:02:25 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453808

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
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 level of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of agricultural land.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7252
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>There is no formal Government assessment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural land in England. The Environment Agency has undertaken some analysis of PFAS in soils as part of a work programme to examine the impacts of land spreading in England. Perfluorooctanoic acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, two PFAS substances which are designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, were tested in 96 soil samples collected from fields across England. None were present.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the Environment Agency, working closely with other regulators, have set up a coordinated programme of work on PFAS to develop our management approach. This initiative will help to assess levels occurring in the environment, their sources, and the potential risks, to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. As part of the new UK REACH Work Programme, Defra has asked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a Regulatory Management Options Analysis.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/04/2022 14:59:02 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453809

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Yemen
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many visa applications were made by Yemeni citizens to visit the UK in the past two years; how many were approved; how many were rejected; and how many were rejected but subsequently approved after appeal.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7253
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visa applications and outcomes by nationality in the Immigration Statistics Quartley release, which can be found on gov.uk.</p><p>Data on the number of Visitor visa applications from Yemeni nationals, and data on Visitor visa grants and refusals to Yemeni nationals are published on the attached document.</p><p>Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to calendar year 2021.</p><p>Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the summary tables of the attached. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on entry clearance visas.</p><p>Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the 'Research and statistice calender, which can also be found on gov.uk.</p><p>The Home Office do not publish statistics on the number of grants after appeal. However, these statistics are kept under constant review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking account of user needs.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/04/2022 16:17:07 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name visas-summary-dec-2021-tables.xlsx title Visa Summary
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453810

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	FSO Safer
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made to offload oil from the decaying FSO Safer tanker since a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UN and the Houthis in Yemen; whether there is a timeline for the work to be completed; and what plans exist for dealing with the tanker afterwards.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to resolve the SAFER issue through provision of a replacement vessel that would reduce the risk of a leak. We have already contributed £2.5 million towards the UN initiative and are coordinating with partners to expedite the mission. We are also working with the UN to put in place detailed contingency plans in the event a spill occurs.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/04/2022 16:08:38 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453811

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	State Retirement Pensions: Yemen
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in Yemen entitled to a UK state pension are not receiving payments.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>We estimate that around 1,170 people in Yemen who are entitled to a UK State Pension are not receiving payments.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Source:</strong> DWP internal management information, based on clerical estimates as at 23 March 2022.</p><p><strong>Note:</strong> This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but has been provided here in the interests of transparency.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 06/04/2022 11:34:55 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453812

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	Yemen: Peace Negotiations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as penholders for Yemen in the UN Security Council, in improving accountability in Yemen and the prospects for peace.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7256
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>The UK continues to use its role as penholder to support UN-led efforts towards peace in Yemen. Most recently, on 28 February the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2624, which reiterated calls for a nationwide ceasefire and for all parties to participate constructively in UN-led consultations. Resolution 2624 listed the Houthi movement under the UN arms embargo for the first time and renewed the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts. In January the former Minister for the Middle East hosted the UN Special Envoy for Yemen in London and also convened discussions amongst the UN, US, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE to coordinate efforts to drive forward political dialogue in Yemen.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/04/2022 16:02:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453422

registered interest
date	22/03/2022
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	Poverty: Coronavirus
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 report Covid Realities: documenting life on a low income during the pandemic, published on 24 January; what assessment they have made of the finding in that report that support for people in poverty should, whenever possible, be provided in cash; and what plans they have to change the guidance to local authorities on assistance provided through the Household Support Fund.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>We have no current plans to change our guidance for the Household Support Fund on this matter. Local Authorities have the flexibility to design local schemes under the Household Support Fund that best meet local needs within the parameters set out in the guidance. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-guidance-for-local-councils/household-support-fund-final-guidance-for-county-councils-and-unitary-authorities-in-england" target="_blank">Household Support Fund: final guidance for County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>(paragraph 90).</p><p>The guidance does not prevent Councils from issuing cash to households in need of emergency support.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 05/04/2022 16:34:06 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453423

registered interest
date	22/03/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, before promoting the work of large businesses, they assess compliance with the Prompt Payment Code.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7191
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>The Prompt Payment Code is a voluntary code administered by the Office of the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of BEIS. It is not compulsory for businesses to become Code signatories.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 05/04/2022 15:01:11 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453424

registered interest
date	22/03/2022
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Government Departments: Procurement
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contractors have been refused government contracts in excess of £5 million on the basis of guidelines for prompt payment in government contracting; and what assessment they have made of the level of compliance in public sector contracts with the provision that 95 per cent of invoices should be paid within 60 days.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7192
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>Individual departments are responsible for the implementation of the prompt payment exclusion measure and decisions on their own procurements. The Cabinet Office has been made aware of at least seven suppliers that have been excluded from procurements wholly, or in part, on grounds of non-compliance with the requirements to pay their suppliers promptly.</p><p> </p><p>The UK’s large businesses are required to report on a half yearly basis on their payment practices, policies and performance. All information is publically available. Since the implementation of the prompt payment measure in Central Government contracts in September 2019, through businesses' published payment data, there have been some significant improvements in the prompt payment performance of key Government suppliers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord True question first answered 06/04/2022 10:36:53 answering member 4200 label Biography information for Lord True
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1452635

registered interest
date	21/03/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Energy: Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reducing energy use by demand-side measures, such as the steps promoted in the briefing paper by E3G The Home Energy Security Plan: Demand-Side Measures to Lower Bills and Get Off Gas, published in March.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7108
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>The Government always welcomes new proposals, such as those from E3G, for how we can reduce demand for energy that improves energy security, reduces bills and helps deliver Net Zero.</p><p> </p><p>As announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spring Statement, the Government will legislate to expand the VAT relief for energy saving materials (ESMs).</p><p> </p><p>Last October, the Government committed a further £3.9 billion to support the installation of energy efficiency and low carbon heating. This takes our investment to £6.6 billion this parliament. We also plan to consult shortly on proposals to improve in-home boiler performance and plan to implement the Future Homes Standard in 2025.</p><p> </p><p>Any further decisions relating to spend and taxation are the responsibility of HM Treasury.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 31/03/2022 16:14:36 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle