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  • Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a vote to leave the EU on UK gilt auctions.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The average amount bid by wholesale Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) at gilt auctions between 14 May 2015 and 7 April 2016 was £202.17 million per GEMM per auction.

    As the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said, the civil service is working to support the Government’s position that Britain is stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. Gilt auctions are expected to proceed as normal in the build up to the EU referendum, in line with UK Debt Management Office (DMO) plans published on 31 March 2016.

    As customary, the DMO will publish precise details of gilt auctions for July-September 2016 one month before the start of the quarter on 31 May 2016.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of speculation around the EU referendum on UK gilt auctions.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The average amount bid by wholesale Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) at gilt auctions between 14 May 2015 and 7 April 2016 was £202.17 million per GEMM per auction.

    As the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said, the civil service is working to support the Government’s position that Britain is stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. Gilt auctions are expected to proceed as normal in the build up to the EU referendum, in line with UK Debt Management Office (DMO) plans published on 31 March 2016.

    As customary, the DMO will publish precise details of gilt auctions for July-September 2016 one month before the start of the quarter on 31 May 2016.

  • Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Baroness Kramer – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kramer on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average bid made by banks with official trader status in each gilt auction since May 2015.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The average amount bid by wholesale Gilt-edged Market Makers (GEMMs) at gilt auctions between 14 May 2015 and 7 April 2016 was £202.17 million per GEMM per auction.

    As the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have said, the civil service is working to support the Government’s position that Britain is stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU. Gilt auctions are expected to proceed as normal in the build up to the EU referendum, in line with UK Debt Management Office (DMO) plans published on 31 March 2016.

    As customary, the DMO will publish precise details of gilt auctions for July-September 2016 one month before the start of the quarter on 31 May 2016.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 8 December (HL4345), and in the light of recent electoral statistics from the ONS regarding the 40 per cent decrease in the proportion of 16 and 17 year-old attainers registered to vote, whether they will now issue special guidance to Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain reminding them of their powers to work with schools and colleges to register young people to vote in the same way that the Northern Ireland Chief Electoral Officer does.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are fully aware of their powers and their duties and their performance is monitored by the independent Electoral Commission. The Cabinet Office periodically reminds EROs of democratic engagement resources, including those specifically aimed at young people, which are available to them. The Government has no plans to issue special guidance along the lines suggested.

  • Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lexden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the comment by the Paymaster General, Matthew Hancock MP, reported in The Daily Telegraph on 15 February, whether the Cabinet Office has allocated money to pay for Acts of Parliament to continue to be printed on vellum; if so, whether an offer so to pay has been made to the parliamentary authorities; and if such an offer has been made, in what terms that offer was made.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lord to the statement by my Hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 20 April 2016. This is available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-04-20/debates/584554e7-fb8f-44d6-8df0-8b3af8476d1e/CommonsChamber

    As my Hon Friend made clear during the debate the printing of Acts onto vellum is a matter for Parliament. The Government is keen to work with the House authorities to explore all avenues for continuing to print on vellum [in line with the will of the House of Commons.]

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 30 December 2015 (HL4261) and 2 February (HL5328), how the US and Canada have succeeded in having political prisoners in Iran freed while dual UK national Kamal Foroughi remains incarcerated.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We welcome the release of US and Canadian prisoners held in Iran. Iran has not changed its policy of not recognising dual nationality. However we continue to raise our own consular cases, including Mr Foroughi, with the Iranians at the highest levels and to urge for their release, including during Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif’s recent visit to London.

  • Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Maginnis of Drumglass – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 30 December 2015 (HL4261) and 2 February (HL5328), how many UK nationals or dual nationals they have succeeded in having repatriated, following incarceration by the Iranians, since 1 January.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government is not aware of any UK nationals who have been repatriated following incarceration by the Iranians in 2016. Mr Bahman Daroshafaei, a UK/Iranian dual national who was arrested in Iran in February 2016 was released on bail later that month.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish an independent analysis of the economic forecasting record of the Office for Budget Responsibility, including an assessment of the accuracy of forecasting against free consensus expectations.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) already publish an assessment of the accuracy of their forecasts in their annual Forecast Evaluation Report (FER). This compares the latest outturn data for the economy and public finances with the OBR’s earlier forecasts, and aims to explain the differences. This assessment is required by the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act (BRNAA); this provides self-discipline for the OBR, and maintains transparency and accountability around their forecasting.

  • Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent their fiscal strategy is influenced by Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was established to introduce independence, greater transparency and credibility to the economic and fiscal forecasts on which the government’s fiscal policy is based. Since 2010, the government has used the OBR’s economic and fiscal forecasts as the official forecasts. The government sets its fiscal strategy independently of the OBR but the forecasts are used to inform decisions on fiscal policy.

  • Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Baroness Parminter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Parminter on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government when decisions relating to the awards from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles for the low emission bus scheme will be made.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We have received and assessed a large number of high quality bids for Government funding under the Low Emission Bus Scheme. We will be making an announcement of the results in the near future.