The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans, if any, they have for reducing the rate of VAT on the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Normal EU VAT rules do not permit the variation of rates within a Member State. The Government currently has no plans to introduce a reduced rate of VAT for the UK hospitality sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to promote equal pay for women in the workplace.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Unequal pay for equal work is unlawful, and it has been for over 40 years. We have made changes that require employment tribunals to order any employer who loses an equal pay case to carry out an equal pay audit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2016-10-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with ministers of the government of the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive on cross-border efforts to tackle organised crime.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland Executive. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.
UK and Irish law enforcement work together closely to combat serious and organised criminality. Since 20 May 2015, the National Crime Agency has been operating with full powers in Northern Ireland. The National Crime Agency has put in place dedicated resources to work with Ireland’s law enforcement agencies to tackle the threat from organised crime affecting both countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2016-10-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made working with retailers, supermarkets and farmers to ensure the future of the dairy industry in the UK.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has continued to work closely with farmers, retailers and manufacturers to help with the prolonged period of low prices experienced by the dairy industry in the last 2 years. Wholesale prices have started to improve sharply and we have also seen some improvements in the UK farmgate milk price, albeit from a very low level.
The long-term outlook for our dairy industry remains positive with strong growth in global milk demand forecast to continue until 2025.
The Government cannot dictate prices but has sought to help dairy farmers manage risk. We have introduced a new system of extended tax averaging, allowing farmers to choose whether to spread their tax over a two or five-year period. We are exploring opportunities for a dairy futures market and better branding and labelling in supermarkets.
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) appointed in 2013 oversees relationships between supermarkets and their suppliers to ensure large supermarkets treat their suppliers lawfully and fairly. We have invited evidence on the case for extending the remit of the GCA to provide more support for farmers and will consider any representation we receive. The dairy industry’s Voluntary Code of Practice has also made a positive contribution in developing a fair and balanced dairy supply chain, helping farmers to secure fairer contracts with their milk buyers.
The Government is committed to working with industry to develop new market opportunities. Government itself is now buying more British food as a result of our reforms – more than 90% of the butter and cheese bought is made from British milk generating £11m of business for our dairy industry. Further afield, we have been opening new export markets where we know there is a huge demand for quality British dairy products, and we are working to maximise this opportunity by pushing the British dairy brand with the launch of the Great British Food Campaign, and designating 2016 “The Year of Great British Food”.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2016-10-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the outcome of the EU referendum, what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive on its role in negotiations on the UK decision to leave the EU.
Lord Dunlop
The Government is committed to working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive as we prepare for negotiations, recognising the particular circumstances that affect Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has regular meetings with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive. In her first two weeks as Prime Minister, Theresa May visited Northern Ireland, promising the UK Government would fully engage the devolved administrations to ensure we achieve a shared understanding of their interests and objectives as we prepare to exit the European Union.
The UK Government’s focus remains on making a success of exiting the European Union and getting the right deal both for the UK as a whole and for Northern Ireland.
In addition, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union has visited Northern Ireland, engaging with the Northern Ireland Executive and key representatives for sectoral businesses and civil society, ensuring we build a national consensus to our approach to the negotiations. Ministers from the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have also engaged with politicians, businesses and civil society from Northern Ireland, recognising the particular circumstances that affect it, including around the border with the Republic of Ireland.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-12-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for a new round of talks with the political parties in Northern Ireland, in order to break the deadlock over legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Lord Dunlop
The UK Government remains committed to establishing the legacy bodies. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met a number of interested stakeholders in recent days, including the Victims Commissioner and the Victims and Survivors Forum. It is her intention to meet with the political parties early in the New Year, along with further engagement with victims groups.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve cancer care across the National Health Service and to ensure that National Health Service staff are trained to meet the future needs of cancer patients.
Earl Howe
On Sunday 11 January NHS England announced a new independent cancer taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives. It will produce a new cross-system national cancer strategy to 2020, building on NHS England’s vision for improving cancer outcomes as set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View.
The taskforce will work in partnership with the cancer community and other health system leaders, and will be chaired by Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK. It will include cancer specialist doctors and clinicians, patients groups and charity leaders, Public Health England, local council representatives and professional bodies.
The strategy will set a clear direction covering the whole cancer pathway, from prevention to living with and beyond cancer and end-of-life care, issues such as data, workforce, research and reducing inequalities. It will also consider how services need to develop and innovate in the future. The taskforce will produce a statement of intent by March 2015, with the new strategy to be published in the summer.
It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and content for education and training and ensure newly qualified doctors, nurses, and other professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high-quality patient care. The General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council set standards for the education of doctors and nurses respectively. The royal colleges have responsibility for developing curricula for doctors and nurses.
The Government has mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and workforce development in the National Health Service in England. HEE works across disciplines to train staff to deal with patients with all conditions, including cancer.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hay of Ballyore on 2015-02-11.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to work with the political parties in Northern Ireland on the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement.
Baroness Randerson
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in regular contact with the Northern Ireland parties to work with them in implementing the Stormont House Agreement, in addition to the quarterly Implementation Review Group meetings. The Government has also introduced legislation for the devolution of Corporation Tax powers to Northern Ireland which is currently progressing through the other place.