Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) support rough sleepers, and (2) ensure their access to support services.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to align the UK's carbon border tax with the EU's mechanism to ensure that the UK steel industry is not adversely affected by the delayed implementation.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
A Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a novel mechanism yet to be fully implemented anywhere in the world.
Implementation of the UK CBAM by 2027 will allow government to consult fully with those affected throughout the design and implementation phases. It will also give those affected in the UK and overseas more time to prepare for the changes and put appropriate processes in place with their supply chains to enable them to comply.
The effective EU CBAM charge will be introduced gradually from 2026 to 2034 to match their phase out of free allowances for sectors covered by the CBAM, including iron & steel. In 2026, only a relatively small amount of the emissions embodied in CBAM goods will face the EU CBAM charge when they are imported to the EU.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) address, and (2) mitigate, the ongoing increased cost-of-living.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Over the last two years, the government has provided support to households to help with the cost of living worth over £90 billion.
This year, this government has raised working age benefits by 6.7%, supporting 5.5 million households on Universal Credit, with an average gain of £470 this year. The government has also frozen fuel duty and raised the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rates.
The government believes that the best way of boosting living standards is by supporting people into work. The government has introduced other policies that will support over 200,000 additional people into work by 2028/29, according to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. The government has also raised the National Living Wage (NLW) by 9.8%, ending low hourly pay for those on the NLW.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the fluctuations in mortgage rates, what steps they are taking to ensure guidance and support is available to help homebuyers when deciding their mortgage options.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Those looking to take out a mortgage or remortgage are encouraged to shop around and speak to a broker to find the best possible product for them. Homeowners and prospective homeowners may also find it helpful to contact MoneyHelper, which has been set up by the Government to support consumers with comprehensive guidance for every stage of their financial lives.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, what steps they are taking to address (1) concerns raised by landlords about potential below-market rents, and (2) any impact on property valuations, as a result of the proposed high street rental auction scheme.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following Asda's recent announcement about developing a town centre in London, what steps they are taking to support supermarket chains’ initiatives involving mixed-use developments that include housing.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government strongly encourages the re-use of suitable brownfield land as set out in our National Planning Policy Framework. Making the most effective use of brownfield land, including through mixed use developments, will support the provision of the homes we need, and is key to regenerating our high streets and town centres, supporting economic growth in the hearts of our towns and cities and maximising the use of existing infrastructure.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) address, and (2) mitigate, any potential risks associated with falling interest rates; and what assessment they have made of the impact on (a) inflation, (b) consumer spending, (c) and financial market stability.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), so the Government rightly doesn’t comment on the conduct of monetary policy. The Government fully supports the MPC as it acts to return inflation to target.
The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) is responsible for identifying, monitoring and addressing systemic risks to the UK financial system. Its assessment of the resilience of the system is regularly communicated through the Financial Policy Summary and Record (published quarterly), and Financial Stability Report (published biannually).
The Government constantly monitors the UK economy’s performance and considers its impact on households and businesses.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of unreliable labour market data on the accuracy of inflation forecasts and other economic indicators used for policy formulation.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Falling response rates have caused concern over the quality of Labour Force Survey (LFS) data and led to its suspension in October 2023. Following the return of the LFS in February, these figures are still volatile and, although the Office for National Statistics (ONS) expects to see improvements to survey quality following planned improvements, the estimates will continue to be badged as ‘official statistics in development’ until further review. The ONS recommends using a suite of labour market indicators alongside the LFS estimates.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the recent performance of the UK stock market on (1) investor confidence, and (2) economic recovery.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government does not comment on the day to day performance of the UK’s public markets.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the competitive landscape of the UK's postal and parcel delivery market (1) remains fair, and (2) does not lead to monopolistic practices post-takeover.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom’s duties, as the independent regulator for postal services, include furthering the interests of citizens and consumers, where appropriate by promoting competition.
Ofcom’s regulatory framework supports competition by imposing minimal intervention in competitive areas of the postal market, for example, in relation to parcel services. Ofcom also requires Royal Mail, as the designated universal service provider, to allow access to its network for the provision of certain bulk letter and large letter services and impose a number of safeguards to protect postal operators reliant on this access.