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718238

registered interest
date	06/04/2017
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Zimbabwe: Workplace 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 cost of proposals submitted by the Overseas Service Pension Association in December 2016 for assisting the government of Zimbabwe in meeting its obligations to Zimbabwe public service pensions.
tabling member printed	Lord Goodlad
uin	HL6737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2017 answer text <p>The Government understands the hardship that lack of pension payments causes to former service-people and their families. The British Ambassador to Zimbabwe raises pensions frequently with the Zimbabwean Government and has secured written confirmation that it will resume payments when the economic situation improves. However, we have not made an estimate of the cost as these payments are the responsibility of the Government of Zimbabwe as set out in the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 19/04/2017 15:33:45 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	670 label Biography information for Lord Goodlad

717810

registered interest
date	04/04/2017
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Road Works
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the level of co-operation between local authorities and utility companies to minimise disruption to the public when undertaking work.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL6619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/04/2017 answer text <p>Under sections 59 and 60 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, highway authorities have a general duty to co-ordinate all street and road works on their networks and undertakers have a general duty to use their best endeavours to co-operate with such actions. The Traffic Management Act 2004 also places a Network Management Duty on local highway authorities to manage roads effectively to keep traffic moving.</p><p> </p><p>We have not carried out a formal assessment, but although we consider that existing legislation is sufficient to enable effective co-operation to take place, it is clear that there is scope for reducing the impact on road users of works needed to deliver infrastructure and local services.</p><p> </p><p>To this end we are engaged in a project that is looking to improve the way that data is collected and shared, how we can use this data to co-ordinate activities on the highway more effectively, and how the data can be used to inform the public about planned and live works.</p><p> </p><p>To enable more proactive management of the local road network, the majority of highway authorities have introduced Permit Schemes, which enable the authority to stipulate conditions under which works can take place on the highway. We are currently undertaking an evaluation of permit schemes which concludes in November, and we expect the outcome to demonstrate that such schemes provide a clear reduction in works duration. We are keen for the remaining authorities to develop such schemes.</p><p> </p><p>We have also published statutory guidance entitled ‘Code of Practice for the Co-ordination of Street Works and Works for Road Purposes and Related Matters’. This can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/street-works-co-ordination" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/street-works-co-ordination</a></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 13/04/2017 13:25:29 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

717811

registered interest
date	04/04/2017
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	Urban Areas: Pests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last reviewed (1) the proliferation of pests in urban areas, and (2) the ability of local authorities to deal with those pests.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL6620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2017 answer text <p>The proliferation of pests in urban areas has not been reviewed by central Government, however there is a range of legislation in place to support local authorities in controlling urban pests.</p><p>Pest control is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs. Where this is the local authority, they have the same powers to control pests as any other owner or occupier.</p><p>There is a range of legislation in place to support local authorities in managing rodent infestation and statutory nuisances, such as litter and refuse, where these are attracting pests.</p><p>The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 obliges local authorities to ensure that their districts are kept, as far as is practicable, free of rats and mice.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 12/04/2017 13:11:16 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

717814

registered interest
date	04/04/2017
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	Estate Agents Act 1979
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last reviewed the effectiveness of the Estate Agents Act 1979.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL6623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2017 answer text <p>In 2012, the then Government consulted on a proposal to amend the scope of the Estate Agents Act 1979 (EAA) to help businesses to innovate and grow and allow new business models to emerge.</p><p> </p><p>The EAA regulates the conduct of estate agency work and lays down the duties agents owe to clients and third parties.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement is carried out by The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team who regularly reviews the redress mechanisms.</p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 19/04/2017 14:22:20 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

717815

registered interest
date	04/04/2017
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	Construction: Fraud
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 effectiveness of legislation in protecting consumers from fraudulent activity by builders.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL6624
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2017 answer text <p>The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) prohibit traders, including builders, from engaging in unfair commercial practices against consumers. The regulations apply across all business sectors and set out a framework for how businesses must deal with consumers. Enforcement of the CPRs is by local authority trading standards services.</p><p>The Government amended the CPRs in 2014 to give consumers a new private right, making it simpler to bring their own civil actions for certain breaches. The Government also enhanced consumer protection through the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which clarifies consumer rights and remedies when contracting with traders for the provision of services. Traders are required to carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost where the price has not been agreed upfront. Where a service is not carried out in compliance with these requirements, the consumer is entitled to ask for a repeat performance of the service, or if appropriate, get a price reduction up to the full amount paid.</p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 19/04/2017 14:49:50 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

717233

registered interest
date	03/04/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Off-payroll Working
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 impact on (1) small and medium-sized enterprises, and (2) charities, of having to comply with the requirements of the Employment Status Indicator when procuring services from individuals.
tabling member printed	Lord Mawson
uin	HL6534
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2017 answer text <p>At Budget 2016, the Government announced that from April 2017, where public sector workers are engaged through their own limited company, responsibility to operate the off-payroll working rules (often known as IR35) and deduct any associated tax and National Insurance will fall to the public sector body, agency or other third party paying the worker’s company. The reform does not introduce a new liability, but aims to ensure that the current rules work as intended. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published an assessment of the administrative burdens of this legislative reform at Budget 2016 and this was updated on 8 March 2017. This assessment also covers charities and small and medium sized businesses.</p><p> </p><p>To help customers know when the off-payroll working in the public sector rules apply, HMRC has developed, after extensive consultation, an online “Check Employment Status for Tax” (CEST) advice service. CEST replaces the old Employment Status Indicator.</p><p> </p><p>Affected businesses will incur one-off costs for familiarisation with the new rules and this includes using CEST. Ongoing costs for using CEST are expected to be negligible. It is an optional service which sits alongside detailed online guidance on employment status.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/04/2017 09:06:41 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	3830 label Biography information for Lord Mawson

717256

registered interest
date	03/04/2017
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Digital Technology: Migrant Workers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the oral answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 27 March (HL Deb, col 355), and in the light of the call by the Coalition for a Digital Economy in its report <i>Global Britain: From local startups to international markets</i>, published in February, to allow the highly skilled into the country through a minimum six-month visa to enter the UK and seek work, whether they intend to take steps to provide visas more quickly for such workers who are invited to work in the UK; and if so, what are those steps, and what is the proposed timescale for the implementation of any necessary changes to the visa application process.
tabling member printed	Lord Cromwell
uin	HL6557
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2017 answer text <p>The current Points Based System already provides for ways in which highly skilled migrants from outside the European Economic Area can work in the UK. The Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route allows leading digital technology talent endorsed by Tech City UK to enter the UK without needing a job offer from a sponsoring employer.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive – and ensuring our new relationship with the EU works for employees and employers will be important in the months ahead.</p><p> </p><p>For individual skilled migrant workers invited by an employer to work in the UK, their visas are routinely processed within three weeks, with premium services available for applicants who need faster decisions. Some jobs in digital technology, as identified by the independent Migration Advisory Committee, are recognised shortage occupations and are exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 18/04/2017 15:40:22 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2594 label Biography information for Lord Cromwell

717262

registered interest
date	03/04/2017
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	Flexible Working: Males
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to tackle workplace discrimination; in particular, what assessment they have made of the case for more flexible working for men; and what steps they are taking to address issues which prevent men from undertaking a greater share of care work in the home.
tabling member printed	Baroness Manzoor
uin	HL6563
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2017 answer text <p>The Government believes that increased opportunities for flexible working, including for men, will help to achieve full employment, increasing labour market participation among under-represented groups, and to close the gender pay gap. Flexible working can help families to achieve the right balance between the demands of work and home life and to decide how they will share responsibilities at home and at work.</p><p>Government has taken a number of steps to promote greater opportunities for flexible working. The Right to Request Flexible Working entitles employees with 26 weeks’ service to request a working pattern which suits them and their employer. Shared Parental Leave enables working parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave including up to 37 weeks of paid leave in the first year of their child’s life. We are committed to reviewing the impact of these policies in 2019 and 2018 respectively, once they have had a chance to bed in. In the meantime, as set out in the Government’s response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s report on the Gender Pay Gap, we will explore options for increasing communications activity around flexible working.</p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 18/04/2017 11:14:23 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	4289 label Biography information for Baroness Manzoor

717267

registered interest
date	03/04/2017
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Care Homes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the cost effectiveness of local authorities developing and running social care residential homes to meet the urgent needs of the elderly population.
tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
uin	HL6568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2017 answer text <p>High-quality, personalised care and support can only be achieved where there is a vibrant, responsive market of service providers. There has been an effective market operating in adult social care for over 20 years. The independent and charitable sector has proved successful in meeting increased demand for high quality services.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to monitor the capacity of the social care system and bed capacity has remained broadly stable - 460,664 beds in 2010 to 459,874 now.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does not advise local authorities or private companies on how to set up or operate care homes. The Care Act 2014 placed duties on local authorities making them responsible for ensuring there is an effective pool of quality providers of social care in their area with capacity to meet the needs of their local population. It is for local authorities to determine the most cost effective way of meeting the care needs of their local population.</p><p> </p><p>Should a care home close, local authorities have duties to step in temporarily and ensure that all people affected in its area continue to have their needs met and their care is not interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, the care sector and other partners to produce a wide range of guidance and support about market shaping and commissioning. We have brought this together in an online hub called Adult Social Care Market Shaping, which is an online only resource widely available to people and organisations including local authorities, service users, and care providers.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord O'Shaughnessy grouped question UIN HL6569 question first answered 07/04/2017 13:48:50 answering member 4545 label Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy
tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

717268

registered interest
date	03/04/2017
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Care Homes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what encouragement and support is given to local authorities to develop and run their own social care residential provision, in the light of the loss of places through the closures of privately run homes for the elderly.
tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
uin	HL6569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2017 answer text <p>High-quality, personalised care and support can only be achieved where there is a vibrant, responsive market of service providers. There has been an effective market operating in adult social care for over 20 years. The independent and charitable sector has proved successful in meeting increased demand for high quality services.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to monitor the capacity of the social care system and bed capacity has remained broadly stable - 460,664 beds in 2010 to 459,874 now.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does not advise local authorities or private companies on how to set up or operate care homes. The Care Act 2014 placed duties on local authorities making them responsible for ensuring there is an effective pool of quality providers of social care in their area with capacity to meet the needs of their local population. It is for local authorities to determine the most cost effective way of meeting the care needs of their local population.</p><p> </p><p>Should a care home close, local authorities have duties to step in temporarily and ensure that all people affected in its area continue to have their needs met and their care is not interrupted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, the care sector and other partners to produce a wide range of guidance and support about market shaping and commissioning. We have brought this together in an online hub called Adult Social Care Market Shaping, which is an online only resource widely available to people and organisations including local authorities, service users, and care providers.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord O'Shaughnessy grouped question UIN HL6568 question first answered 07/04/2017 13:48:50 answering member 4545 label Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy
tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley