The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers, of which the Prime Minister is negotiating to delay payment.
Lord Freud
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms Patel) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2015 to Question number 211618.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-04-26.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O’Neill of Gatley on 25 April (HL7458), what is their estimate of the UK’s (1) gross, and (2) net, contributions to the EU for 2015.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
Full year outturns for 2010-14 are available in table 3.B of European Union Finances 2015 (Cm 9167) which is available in the Library of the House and on gov.uk. No estimates of the UK’s total net contribution in 2015 are currently available, since these are not forecast.
For the purposes of producing a fiscal forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts both UK gross contributions to the EU and contributions net of EU receipts administered by the UK public sector. These do not represent an estimate of the UK’s total net contributions since they exclude receipts directly administered by the European Commission, which means the net contribution appears higher than is actually the case. Therefore, they are not directly comparable with the data for 2013 and 2014 set out in table 3.B European Union Finances 2015, provided in Written Answer HL7458. Details of the OBR forecast can be found at table 3.A of European Union Finances 2015, and the differences between the figures in tables 3.A and the total net contributions set out in 3.B are explained fully in Annex B of both European Union Finances 2015 and HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the proportions, by value, of British exports of goods to EU member states invoiced in (1) sterling, (2) US dollars, and (3) euro, in 2015.
Lord Price
The data requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs collects data on the currency of invoice for trade with non-EU countries but businesses are not required to declare the currency of invoicing for trade with EU member states.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the operations of the European Gendarmerie Force.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The European Gendarmerie Force is not a European Union force. It has its own separate treaty between the countries that participate, which does not include the UK, and is not part of the European Union framework. The Government notes the work of the European Gendarmerie Force, but has no plans to pursue membership.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 27 January (HL5012), why that answer provided a reference to a Written Answer in the House of Commons given by the then Minister of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, on 20 November 2014 on a different subject to the question asked; and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers.
Lord Freud
I apologise to the noble Lord for the incorrect answer to HL5012 this was due to an administrative error. The correct answer was given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms. Esther McVey) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2014 to Question number 211618 as below:
While the Government checks the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.
However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.
The Government has made a radical series of changes over the last year to restrict the access by non-UK citizens from the European Economic Area to UK benefits and tax credits. This is in order to protect the UK’s benefit system and discourage people who have no established connection with the UK from moving here, unless they have a job or a genuine prospect of work, or have savings to support themselves until they do.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the UK is committed to joining an EU army if one is formed and we are invited to do so.
Earl Howe
The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will never be part of a European Army. We have consistently said that we will oppose any measures which would undermine member states’ competence for their own military forces, or lead to competition and duplication with NATO, which is the cornerstone of our defence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-02-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of child refugees to the UK from Syria and elsewhere who are from Muslim families, and whether the families of such refugees will be able to follow them in due course.
Lord Bates
The Home Office does not record the religion of those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection for statistical purposes.
There is no provision in the Immigration Rules for children granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK to sponsor family members to join them. The policy is designed to avoid creating incentives for children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their country and risk hazardous journeys to the UK, which would play right into the hands of people smugglers and traffickers.
Where a family reunion application fails under the Immigration Rules, there is provision in the policy to consider whether there are exceptional circumstances or compassionate reasons to justify granting a visa outside the Rules in individual cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch on 2016-06-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 1 June (HL107), (1) why HM Revenue and Customs collects data on the currency of invoicing for trade with non-EU countries but not for EU countries, and (2) how they and the Bank of England manage sterling interest and exchange rates in the absence of such data.
Lord O’Neill of Gatley
HM Revenue and Customs collects data on the currency of invoicing for trade with non-EU countries as a basis for calculating customs duty under customs and statistical law. It is published in the UK on a dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com) and available to all. This data is also used by the European Institutions (e.g. the European Central Bank) to monitor the share of the Euro in international trade. There is no legislative requirement for this information to be collected for trade with EU countries.
The UK’s monetary framework is clear, the independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England sets Bank Rate to target 2% inflation. The UK does not have an exchange rate target, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.