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  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are reviewing their decision to exclude small businesses from the Flood Re insurance package.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    While we recognise the difficult challenges that some small businesses could face in areas of high flood risk, we are not currently aware of evidence that there is a systemic problem with the availability of commercial flood insurance.

    We have, however, committed to work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and other stakeholders to monitor the insurance market for small businesses. We are keen to work across Government, and with a range of business interests, to better understand the nature and extent of any problem that might exist.

    The ABI have assured us that the insurance industry will continue to provide insurance to small businesses on a competitive basis.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they take into account social vulnerability and wider deprivation when making decisions about flood protection investment.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Governement’s contribution to capital flood protection schemes (Flood Defence Grant in Aid) takes into account the increased vulnerability of households in deprived areas. Schemes in these areas received an enhanced national grant contribution and so are more likely to be fully funded by Government. Levels of deprivation are assessed using the existing Index of Multiple Deprivation, commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Ofwat concerning the profits made by water companies between 2010 and 2015.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The Government has regular discussions with Ofwat about its strategic priorities and objectives for regulation of the water sector.

    Ofwat sets price controls independently of Government. This independence is crucial to ensure stable economic regulation which keeps investment costs down and customer bills low.

    In 2009, Ofwat set price controls for the period from 2010 to 2015. During this period water companies benefited from several factors outside their control, including low taxation and low borrowing costs. In March 2013, Ofwat challenged companies to share gains with their customers. The then Secretary of State wrote to companies in November 2013 in support of Ofwat’s drive. As a result, companies absorbed costs and provided water bill discounts worth £435 million over this period.

    In 2014, Ofwat delivered a tough price review which means that bills will fall by around 5% in real terms from 2015 to 2020.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the additional investment necessary to speed up the implementation of their clean air plan, and if so, where those figures will be published.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The air quality plan for reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions published on 17 December last year sets out the investment we have made to date to improve air quality and our future commitments. For example, we have committed over £2bn to greener transport measures since 2011 including, over the next five years, £600m to support the development and take up of ultra-low emission vehicles and £580m for a new access fund for sustainable travel.

    The plan confirms that we will be providing funding to help five Local Authorities in England outside London to implement clean air zones and support the implementation of additional measures where necessary. We will be discussing the details of this with the relevant Local Authorities. In London, the 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement set out the financial settlement for Transport for London which is supporting a number of measures in the capital as set out in the air quality plan.

  • Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to revisit their plans for improving air quality in London in the light of evidence that several sites in London have already breached annual pollution limits for 2016.

    Lord Gardiner of Kimble

    The air quality plan published on 17 December last year sets out how, through a range of measures, London will achieve compliance with legal pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide by 2025. The plan states that the Government will keep the delivery of London measures under review and will take further action if progress is insufficient.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether in considering policy, they regard equality and parity of esteem to be the same, and if not, why not.

    Lord Dunlop

    The UK Government is committed to affording due respect and parity of esteem to all the people in Northern Ireland as underpinned by the 1998 Belfast Agreement and in accordance with the obligations on the Government to promote equality and prevent discrimination across the United Kingdom. The Northern Ireland Office and its agencies are subject to anti-discrimination law in Northern Ireland and to the provisions of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This requires public authorities carrying out functions in Northern Ireland to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between a wide range of groups, specified in section 75(1), including persons of different religious belief or political opinion. They are also obliged to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what debt, if any, they have that dates from before 1 January 1901; and what are the arrangements for payment of that debt.

    Lord O’Neill of Gatley

    The government has redeemed all gilts issued before 1 January 1901. On 5 July 2015, the government redeemed all outstanding undated gilts, some of which pre-dated 1901. These were the 2½% Annuities, 2¾% Annuities and 2½% Consolidated Stock, first issued in 1853, 1884 and 1888 respectively.

  • Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Laird – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Laird on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government who supervises and audits public funding of universities in the UK.

    Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

    Responsibility for higher education is devolved.

    The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has responsibility for oversight of the higher education sector in England.

    For Higher Education Institute’s that receive HEFCE funding, the individual HEI’s external auditor is required to provide a statement in their audit report that public funding has been used for the purposes for which it was provided. HEFCE also seeks a range of other accountability returns from each HEI and carries out periodic ‘HEFCE Assurance Reviews’ of all HEIs.

    Similar arrangements are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. BIS is responsible for “alternative HE providers”, which includes some private universities, who are not in receipt of funding from HEFCE.

    Individual public bodies (such as Government Departments and Research Councils) are separately accountable for any public funding that they distribute.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to alter the timing of school exams to accommodate Muslim children during Ramadan, and whether they have similar plans to accommodate Jewish children and the children of other non-Christian religions during their religious festivals.

    Lord Nash

    This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Noble Lord. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Lords Library.

  • Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Pearson of Rannoch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the present situation in Nepal, especially in outlying villages that cannot be reached by road, and (2) the aid that was sent to Nepal following the recent earthquakes; how much such aid they sent, and what assessment they have made of how much was sent by British citizens; and how much of that aid fulfilled the purposes for which it was sent.

    Baroness Verma

    While emergency aid has reached most areas, we still estimate one million people will be living in temporary shelters at altitudes above 1,500 metres over the winter and are in need of urgent cold weather support. DFID, through its partners, is providing winter support to approximately 42,000 families (over 200,000 people) both via in kind assistance (blankets, mattresses, clothes, shelter insulation, solar lamps and cook stoves), as well as through a number of activities that contribute to an enabling environment for an effective and responsive humanitarian support. For example we are supporting helicopter operations to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to communities in areas inaccessible by land. Winter distributions are over 60 % complete and are expected to be fully complete by the end of January.

    Information on total aid sent to Nepal in the aftermath of the earthquake can be found online through UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair’s (OCHA) Financial Tracking System which is updated periodically. DFID’s response to the devastating earthquake now stands at £70 million following further commitments made at the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction. Funds raised by the British public for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal have already reached over £85 million, which includes £5 million in matched funding provided by DFID. More information on Nepal DEC work including a review of the response is available online. The UK is committed to ensuring that our assistance is made available to those most in need. We work with trusted partner NGO’s and UN agencies to deliver the UK humanitarian effort. These groups provide real time feedback of the situation on the ground to ensure DFID funds are used effectively.