Tag: Lord Wallace of Saltaire

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-02-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will refer to any non-commercial criteria in calculating the economic rent to be charged to HM Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Cabinet Office, for their occupation of historic buildings in Whitehall.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

HM Treasury does not pay an economic rent for its occupation of 1 Horse Guards Road and therefore non-commercial criteria are not applied. HM Treasury’s occupation of the building is financed via a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, let on the commercial market, essentially a commercial leaseback arrangement ‎for 35 years.

No information is held by HM Treasury regarding the occupation of historic buildings in Whitehall by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or the Cabinet Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to mark the centenary of the independence of the Baltic states, and in particular the role played by the Royal Navy in protecting Estonia and its neighbours from the Soviet Navy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Preparations are underway for the centenary celebrations in the Baltic States. The Royal Navy played a significant role in the war for independence in Estonia and Latvia and we hope the Senior Service will be able to feature in the 2018 and 2019 celebrations. The British Army and Royal Air Force will also be involved in marking these celebrations. The UK Government will be represented at centenary events in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have chosen to consolidate HMRC offices across Yorkshire in Leeds, in the light of property costs and levels of competition for skilled workforce in that city, compared with other cities in the region.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced the planned locations of its future Regional Centres based on a number of key principles that will enable it to deliver more for less. In addition to cost, these include quality of local transport links, the local labour market and future workforce supply, and the need to retain the staff and skills it needs to continue its transformation.

HMRC is committing to Yorkshire and the Humber by creating a new Regional Centre in Leeds. HMRC’s assessment is that Leeds is a better choice in terms of the location principles, particularly the quality of transport links and the ability of its staff to commute to a future site.

Overall, the regional transformation programme will reduce HMRC’s estate’s costs by around £100 million a year by 2025.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the estimated total of inward and outward journeys between the UK and the European continent, in 1985, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2014.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Commonwealth, and (2) Irish, citizens they estimate are resident in Gibraltar and therefore eligible to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The vast majority of Commonwealth citizens resident in Gibraltar have British nationality. According to figures provided by the Clerk to the Gibraltar Parliament, 23,278 people were registered to vote in the Gibraltar general election which took place on 26 November 2015. Those who do not have British nationality are ineligible to vote in Gibraltar general elections.

The most recent election in which Irish and non-British Commonwealth citizens were eligible to vote in Gibraltar was the European Parliamentary election held on 22 May 2014. In that election, according to figures provided by the Clerk to the Gibraltar Parliament, 19 Irish and 22 non-British Commonwealth citizens were registered to vote.

The British Government estimates that these figures would be similar for the forthcoming EU referendum, in which Commonwealth (including British) and Irish citizens who are registered in the Gibraltar register would be eligible to vote.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conditions the FCO and UK Trade and Investment attach to providing support and assistance to companies based in the Crown Dependencies in pursuit of overseas contracts and investment opportunities.

Lord Maude of Horsham

Companies from the Crown Dependencies are able to take advantage of the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) as a non-subsidised, fully- charged service to commission information from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to assist them in planning and executing their business plans.

UKTI services are provided at a cost to the UK tax-payer. The Crown Dependencies operate under the jurisdiction of their own Administrations, with no business-generated return to the UK Exchequer. Consequently, OMIS provision to companies based in the Crown Dependencies is charged for.

Companies from the Crown Dependencies are not eligible for any subsidised UKTI services, unless they have an active UK trading address and can demonstrate that any support they receive would help them deliver economic benefit to the UK through this trading address.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to requiring Sky, Virgin Media, and other suppliers of televisual media to provide their services free of charge to those over 75, on the model now required of the BBC.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

None. This is a commercial matter for those companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the proposed economic rent charges will be applied to historic government buildings in Whitehall; and if so, on what basis the economic rent for buildings of historic significance will be calculated.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Government Property Unit is working with departments to agree a detailed timeline for the transfer of assets and on the detail of implementation, including the finance and charging regime.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which other government buildings in Westminster are being considered for sale to private buyers, on the model of Admiralty Arch and the Old War Office.

Lord Bridges of Headley

We are continuously reviewing our Estate to ensure best value. If we were to identify properties that are surplus to government requirements and should be sold, we would announce this in the usual way.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether underused government buildings in Westminster such as the Lancaster House conference centre and the Foreign Secretary’s official residence are being considered for sale to private buyers, and if not, why not.

Lord Bridges of Headley

This government is committed to rationalising and reducing the government estate to realise efficiencies and release value. By identifying underused properties and modernising our buildings to make better use of a smaller number of properties, we have reduced our Estate by 2 million square metres, saving over £750 million in running costs and generating nearly £1.8 billion in capital receipts since 2010.

Both Lancaster House and 1 Carlton Gardens are properties leased by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office from the Crown Estate. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is therefore not in a position to sell either property. Both properties are in regular use for either conferences, meetings or official hospitality.

All Foreign and Commonwealth Office properties are under regular review to ensure value for money.