Tag: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of how many public sector employees earning below £31,000 will be affected by the proposed £95,000 public sector exit payment cap.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Government set out its proposals for the cap on public sector exit payments in the consultation document published on 31 July 2015 and confirmed the design of the cap in the consultation response document published on 16 September 2015. The consultation document gave details of the number of exits over recent years that cost the taxpayer more than £100,000.

The precise number of those affected by the public sector exit payment cap will depend on the number and type of exits in coming years. However, in recent years the large majority of exits in the public sector are below the level of the cap. For example, the Whole of Government Accounts states that, in 2013-14, 1,838 out of 72,445 pay outs were in excess of £100,000.

The exit payment clauses currently before the House of Lords in the Enterprise Bill set out how the cap is expected to apply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on Principle 1.1 of the coalition document The Compact of the new Cabinet Office policy on charitable campaigning for charities in receipt of government grant funding, published on 6 February.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The new clause is compatible with the Compact because it does not restrict the rights of charities to campaign on behalf of their beneficiaries. What it rightly prevents is this being done with a government grant funded by taxpayers’ money, and given for a different purpose.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-03-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Cabinet Office guidelines that no government grants may be used to lobby for new regulation or more government funding would preclude academics at publicly funded universities, or charities in receipt of grants for specific work, from giving talks, writing articles or submitting letters to newspapers seeking to influence policy if such activity draws on such publicly funded research.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The new clause will not prevent recipients from performing activities that are part of the intended purpose of the grant. It makes sure that taxpayers’ money is not diverted from their intended purpose and wasted on political campaigning and political lobbying.
As indicated at the House of Lords Science Technology Committee, BIS and Cabinet Office are looking into how this new clause will apply to academic research.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-06-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 8 April (HL7348), when they will announce the membership of the steering group promised in their response, published on 18 February, to the independent review of UK consumer product recall by Lynn Faulds Wood, following the invitation to potential candidates of 6 April; and when they intend to report on the progress being made on implementing the report.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

A statement on the membership of the steering group has been issued and is attached. It can also be seen on the Gov.uk website.

The first meeting of the steering group took place on 4 May and the group will report on its progress in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to prohibiting passengers from consuming their own alcohol on board aircraft, as is the case in the United States under Federal Aviation Administration regulations; and whether they have considered amending the Air Navigation Order 2016 to include such a prohibition.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Air Navigation Order has provisions that make it an offence to board an aircraft, or be in an aircraft, while drunk, as well as behaving in a disruptive way. Additionally, the aviation industry has clear rules and procedures in place which make it clear that only alcohol bought onboard will be allowed to be consumed. There are no current plans for the Government to review legislation further in this area. Aviation safety is, however, always kept under review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2015-11-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to protect low- to middle-income earners in the public sector from the proposed £95,000 public sector exit payment cap.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The Government set out its proposals for the cap on public sector exit payments in the consultation document published on 31 July 2015 and confirmed the design of the cap in the consultation response document published on 16 September 2015. The consultation document gave details of the number of exits over recent years that cost the taxpayer more than £100,000.

The precise number of those affected by the public sector exit payment cap will depend on the number and type of exits in coming years. However, in recent years the large majority of exits in the public sector are below the level of the cap. For example, the Whole of Government Accounts states that, in 2013-14, 1,838 out of 72,445 pay outs were in excess of £100,000.

The exit payment clauses currently before the House of Lords in the Enterprise Bill set out how the cap is expected to apply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on government consultations and their policy-making processes of the new policy on charitable campaigning for charities in receipt of government grant funding, published on 6 February.

Lord Bridges of Headley

This clause does not contravene any organisation or individuals’ right to take part in government consultations or prevent government seeking input on policy in other ways.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-03-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Cabinet Office guidelines that no government grants may be used to lobby for new regulation or more government funding would preclude Historic England from carrying out its statutory function as an adviser on the historic environment.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The new clause will not prevent recipients from performing activities that are part of the intended purpose of the grant. It makes sure that taxpayers’ money is not diverted from their intended purpose and wasted on political campaigning and political lobbying.
As indicated at the House of Lords Science Technology Committee, BIS and Cabinet Office are looking into how this new clause will apply to academic research.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have conducted a review of trading standards this year and, if so, when they plan to publish the outcome of that review.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The evidence and material from the recent Review of Trading Standards will be taken forward as part of the Cutting Red Tape Review of Local Authority Regulation and Enforcement. This review has closed for general comments and further evidence is being gathered and analysed. The Government will publish the findings from the Cutting Red Tape Review in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to repeal the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 which provides for elections to the European Parliament.

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

On 23 June, the EU referendum took place and the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. That is exactly what this Government will deliver. We will review in due course the appropriate legislative changes needed to enable Britain’s exit from the European Union. Our Great Repeal Bill will end the primacy of EU law in the UK, and transpose the acquis into domestic law, helping us in this process.