Written Statements

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

Thursday 14 November 2024

New Coal Extraction Licences: Prohibition

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)]

First, I would like to give thanks to the hundreds of thousands of workers across the United Kingdom who have dedicated themselves to the coal extraction industry that helped power the industrial revolution for the sacrifices they have made.

At the end of September 2024, Great Britain’s last coal fired electricity power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed after over 50 years in service. This marks the right time to take further steps to move away from coal by restricting its future supply.

It is our intention to change coal extraction policy through primary legislation to restrict future licensing of all new coal mines. We anticipate this will involve measures to amend the Coal Industry Act 1994 to prevent the prospective granting of licences. We will examine what limited exceptions may be required—for example, for safety or restoration purposes—and there are a small number of licensed operational coal mines that will be unaffected by the measures and can continue coal mining in accordance with their current licences and consents.

The measures we will bring forward, when timing allows, mean we will be one of the first countries in the world to ban new coal mines, allowing us to focus our efforts on revitalising our industrial heartlands, supporting the transition to new jobs in clean energy across the United Kingdom, and creating industries of the future. It marks a clear signal to industry, markets and the world that coal mining in the United Kingdom does not have a long-term future.

[HCWS215]

Diplomatic Immunity: Alleged Serious and Significant Offences 2023

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Catherine West)]

In 2023, nine serious and significant offences allegedly committed by people entitled to diplomatic or international organisation-related immunity in the United Kingdom were drawn to the attention of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office by the parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit of the Metropolitan Police Service, or other law enforcement agencies.

We define serious offences as those which could, in certain circumstances, carry a penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment or more. Also included are other significant offences, such as driving without insurance, certain types of assault and cruelty to or neglect of a child.

Around 26,500 people are entitled to diplomatic or international organisation-related immunity in the UK and the vast majority of diplomats and dependants abide by UK law. The number of alleged serious offences committed by members of the diplomatic community in the UK is proportionately low.

Under the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations 1961 and related legislation, we expect those entitled to immunity to obey the law. The FCDO does not tolerate foreign diplomats or dependants breaking the law.

We take all allegations of illegal activity seriously. When the police or other law enforcement agencies bring instances of alleged criminal conduct to our attention, we ask the relevant foreign Government or international organisation to waive immunity, where appropriate, to facilitate further investigation. For the most serious offences, and when a relevant waiver has not been granted, we request the immediate withdrawal of the diplomat or dependant.

Listed below are alleged serious and significant offences reported to the FCDO by UK law enforcement agencies in 2023.

Possession/distribution of indecent images of children

Iraq 1

Driving without insurance

Fiji 1

Pakistan 1

Assault

Ghana 1

Libya 1

Mongolia 1

Sexual Assault

Libya 1

Indecent Exposure

Portugal 1

Cruelty to or Neglect of a Child

Singapore 1

Figures for previous years are available in the written statement made to the House by then Under-Secretary of State for Americas and Caribbean on 14 September 2023 (HCWS1028), which can be found at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-09-14/hcws1028

[HCWS1028]

Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations: Debts 2023-24

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Catherine West)]

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have regular contact with diplomatic missions and international organisations in the UK about outstanding national non-domestic rates payments, outstanding parking fine debt and unpaid London congestion charge debt, to press for payment of outstanding debt and fines. The protocol directorate wrote in February 2024 to all diplomatic missions and international organisations about their obligations to pay the charges, fines and taxes for which they are liable, and has since written again to those missions with outstanding debt to give them the opportunity to either pay outstanding debts, or to appeal against specific fines and charges that they consider incorrectly recorded.

National non-domestic rates

The majority of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom pay the national non-domestic rates due from them. Diplomatic missions and international organisations are obliged to pay only 6% of the total NNDR value of their offices. This represents payment for specific services received, such as street cleaning and street lighting.

As at 17 October 2024, the total amount of outstanding NNDR payments arising from invoices issued to 31 December 2023 is £4,142,255. Representations in 2024 by the protocol directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to missions and organisations has led to the settlement of over £869,000 of outstanding debts owed by a number of missions and organisations. We continue to urge all those with NNDR debt to pay their dues.

Diplomatic premises of the following countries and international organisations have balances in excess of £10,000 in respect of NNDR for invoices issued up to 31 December 2023:

Director of Labour Market Enforcement: Interim Annual Strategy 2024-25

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Jess Phillips)]

Alongside the Minister with responsibility for employment rights, competition and markets, my hon. Friend the Member for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough (Justin Madders), I am today publishing the labour market enforcement annual strategy for 2024-25, submitted by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, Margaret Beels OBE. The strategy will be available on gov.uk.

The director’s role was created by the Immigration Act 2016 to bring better focus and strategic co-ordination to the enforcement of labour market legislation by the three enforcement bodies which are responsible for state enforcement of specific employment rights:

The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate;

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs national minimum and living wage enforcement team; and

The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

Under section 2 of the Act, the director is required to prepare an annual labour market enforcement strategy that assesses the scale and nature of non-compliance in the labour market, and sets priorities for future enforcement by the three enforcement bodies and the allocation of resources needed to deliver those priorities. The annual strategy, once approved, is laid before Parliament. The director is a statutory office-holder independent from Government, but accountable to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Home Secretary.

In line with the obligations under the Act, Margaret Beels submitted this strategy for 2024-25 on 25 March 2024—it has since been revised and resubmitted to the new administration. This strategy continues on from the 2023-24 strategy by using the same four themes to provide an assessment of the scale and nature of non-compliance, and notes sectors where the risk level has changed. The strategy sets out the DLME’s desire to achieve improved cohesion and join-up between the DLME and the three state enforcement bodies through non-legislative measures, including suggestions of where the enforcement bodies and sponsor departments should be focusing their efforts.

The Government’s view is that the enforcement bodies have been funded sufficiently to deliver the activities set out in the strategy. The DLME carried out stakeholder engagement for the 2024-25 strategy with a call for evidence. In previous years, the Government published a response to the strategy setting out the approach we will take to the recommendations. Following their submission, the enforcement bodies have had an opportunity to review the recommendations, and we have sought agreement on the recommendations ahead of publication of the strategy.

As part of the Government’s commitment and in line with the ambition set out in Make Work Pay, the Fair Work Agency will bring together existing state enforcement functions and incorporate a wider range of employment rights. The DLME, as do we, consider the recommendations to still be appropriate to not only co-ordinate the enforcement of labour market legislation currently, but to help pave the way for the FWA by continuing to support the close collaboration of the enforcement bodies.

I thank the DLME for her strategy and encourage her to continue to work closely with stakeholders and the enforcement bodies.

[HCWS219]

Criminal Legal Aid

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Heidi Alexander)]

Today, I am announcing the Government’s response to the criminal legal aid “Crime Lower” consultation which was launched in January of this year. “Crime Lower” covers work carried out by legal aid providers at police stations, in the magistrates courts in relation to people accused of, or charged with criminal offences, prison law and work completed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission

Criminal legal aid is a vital part of the criminal justice system. It plays an important role in upholding the constitutional right to access to justice and a fair trial, providing an equality of arms between the prosecution and defence.

In response to the criminal legal aid independent review, the Ministry of Justice allocated additional investment in its 2024-25 budget to solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work in police stations and the youth court. The “Crime Lower” consultation sought views on how best to distribute the additional £21.1 million funding for those schemes.

The Government are committed to supporting the sustainability of the criminal legal aid system and will invest an additional £2.9 million in the police station schemes, taking the total annual investment in response to the crime lower consultation to £24 million.

£18.5 million per annum will go into the police station fee schemes to begin the process of harmonising the different fees across different police stations.

£5.1 million per annum will be spent on a separate youth court fee scheme with enhanced fees for the most serious offences.

We are also introducing police station travel renumeration in relation to police station schemes with fewer than two providers, and the Isle of Wight. This reflects concerns around capacity challenges for specific schemes and is designed to incentivise providers from neighbouring schemes to pick up cases in these areas of concern. This will cost around £0.4 million per annum.

The consultation response has been published on gov.uk and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

[HCWS216]

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: UK Delegation

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)]

The United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is as follows:

Full representatives

The right hon. the Lord Touhig (Leader of the UK delegation and Vice-Chair)

Dan Aldridge MP

Sir Christopher Chope MP

Cat Eccles MP

Linsey Farnsworth MP

Stephen Gethins MP

Lord German

Lord Griffiths of Burry Port

Leigh Ingham MP

Alicia Kearns MP

The right hon. the Lord Keen of Elie KC

James MacCleary MP

Perran Moon MP

Jake Richards MP

John Slinger MP

The right hon. the Baroness Taylor of Bolton

Tony Vaughan MP

Michelle Welsh MP

Substitute Members

Richard Baker MP

The right hon. the Lord Blencathra

The right hon. Dame Karen Bradley MP

Baroness Brinton

The right hon. the Baroness Chakrabarti

The right hon. the Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

Baroness Helic

Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green

The right hon. Sir Edward Leigh MP

Kate Osamor MP

Kate Osborne MP

Manuela Perteghella MP

Mike Reader MP

Sam Rushworth MP

Elaine Stewart MP

The right hon. Valerie Vaz MP

Nadia Whittome MP

Baroness Wilcox of Newport

[HCWS220]

NATS Technical Failure: CAA Report

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Louise Haigh)]

The Civil Aviation Authority has today published the final report of the independent review, led by Jeff Halliwell and an expert panel, into the NATS technical IT failure of 28 August 2023. I would like to express my gratitude to the panel for its work.

In its final report, the panel has recognised that several factors contributed to the technical failure and that it is unlikely that the same unique set of circumstances would ever occur again, and that if they did, due to the actions already taken by NATS, the outcome would be different. While I am pleased that actions have been taken since the incident, it is critical that we ensure that consumers have confidence when travelling; that possible disruption is minimised; that there is resilience in the system; and that air passengers are informed of their rights should something go wrong.

The report estimates that over 700,000 passengers were impacted, with the total cost of the technical failure to industry and air passengers likely to have been between £75 million and £100 million.

The panel met with a wide range of industry stakeholders, including NATS, airlines and airports, international operators, and the Department for Transport. It has reached the conclusion that all relevant parts of the aviation sector need to work together better in the future when responding to major events such as the NATS technical failure.

The panel makes a total of 34 recommendations for future improvements for NATS (12), CAA (11), airlines/airports (6) and the Government (5) to respond to and deliver on.

The five recommendations that the Government have been asked to consider relate to improving consumer protections for aviation passengers, including giving the CAA additional powers and mandating alternative dispute resolution for all airlines operating in the UK.

The CAA will be responsible for monitoring delivery against the panel’s recommendations for all parties. It is important that progress is made and that actions taken deliver better outcomes for the consumer. I have therefore asked that the CAA produces a report in six months’ time to provide an update on the progress made in response to each of the 34 recommendations set out in today’s publication.

Air passenger rights are a priority for my Department, and we will look to introduce reforms when we can to provide air travellers with the highest level of protection possible.

[HCWS221]

East West Rail

Thursday 14th November 2024 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Louise Haigh)]

East West Rail supports this Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and productivity right across the Oxford-Cambridge region by providing easier and faster regional connectivity, opening up access to employment and skills training, and supporting new housing developments. By 2050, East West Rail is set to boost the Oxford-Cambridge regional economy by £6.7 billion every year.

The Oxford-Cambridge region is home to a number of research and development hubs across a variety of highly skilled and highly productive sectors, such as life sciences research at the Cambridge biomedical campus. East West Rail would provide these vital sites with the connectivity they need to increase their access to the talent pool and allow the region to compete better on the global stage, supporting up to 28,000 jobs in Cambridge alone.

East West Rail will also be crucial to ensuring that planned housing developments in the region are well connected, by joining newer settlements and housing to established conurbations in Cambridge, Bedford, Oxford, and Milton Keynes.

The first stage of East West Rail from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes is currently in delivery and will open in 2025. The Budget confirmed the acceleration of works on the Marston Vale line, ensuring that East West Rail services will run from Oxford to Milton Keynes and Bedford from 2030.

The next stage of the scheme is a non-statutory consultation, which will go live on 14 November 2024, and be followed by a statutory consultation, and then a development consent order application. This consultation will feature proposals on:

The new services and stations that will be provided by East West Rail for people living in the Oxford-Cambridge region;

Battery/overhead electrification as the baseline traction solution for the railway;

Options for how stations and services should be provided for the Marston Vale line (Bletchley-Bedford);

Redevelopment of Bedford station to address increased service levels and improve the passenger experience;

The closure of Bicester London road level crossing and other proposals related to level crossings;

The alignment of the railway and new east coast main line interchange station at Tempsford;

A new station at Cambourne and potential alterations to other stations along the line of route, including in the Cambridge area;

Options in the Oxford area to accommodate additional services.

The Department for Transport will also be issuing safeguarding directions for East West Rail today to protect land from conflicting development. I am placing a copy of the safeguarding directions in the Libraries of both Houses.

Taking forward these next steps for the East West Rail scheme reinforces this Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and connectivity to unlock access to the skills, education, and jobs needed to deliver national growth and individual prosperity. The Department for Transport will work collaboratively with cross-Government partners, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, to ensure a joined-up approach to growth and development in the region.

[HCWS222]