Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the transparency standards of the governance and financial reporting arrangements of the City of London Corporation compared to that of other local authorities.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Common Council of the City of London, in its capacity as a local authority, is required to adhere to the publication requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015, along with all other local authorities as defined in paragraph 14 of the Transparency Code. The Transparency Code requires local authorities to publish details of financial transactions such as all spend over £500 and procurements over £5000, and assets held such as land and housing. It does not contain requirements relating to any specialist commercial activity conducted by the City of London Corporation. The government does not monitor compliance with the requirements of the Transparency Code, as the intention of the legislation is that local voters will hold local authorities to account for their performance.

The Common Council of the City of London is also required to produce an annual Statement of Accounts in accordance with proper practices as set out in statute and the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom, published by CIPFA. The Statement of Accounts must meet the requirements of reporting set out in the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Authorities are responsible for ensuring that their financial reporting meets the required standards, however, Government expects authorities to demonstrate best practice in transparency.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has met the City Remembrancer Paul Wright; and if so, on how many occasions.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Details of ministerial meetings are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency publications.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to consolidating the anti-money laundering supervisory responsibilities of professional body supervisors under a statutory regulator, such as the Financial Conduct Authority.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor announced in October that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will become the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) supervisor for professional services firms, simplifying the current complex model. The FCA are currently working on the implementation of this new supervisory framework and HM Treasury will announce next steps shortly.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chancellor has met the City Remembrancer Paul Wright; and if so, on how many occasions.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Chancellor has not held or attended any meetings with the City Remembrancer Paul Wright.

The Chancellor and City Remembrancer are likely to have attended a number of the same events, relevant to their respective roles.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of public transport for foot passengers to ferry terminals, such as those at Liverpool Birkenhead and Belfast; and what consideration they have given to requiring companies providing such transport services to ensure that they operate at appropriate times and frequencies.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

“Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport” sets out this government's vision for a transport network that works well for people so they can make the journeys they need to easily. It supports the creation of unified and integrated transport systems at the national and local level, including by improving integration between modes and empowering local leaders to make decisions that are right for their areas.

In terms of connections between ferry terminals and rail services, we would expect Local Transport Authorities to identify any gaps and discuss potential solutions with the appropriate train operator.

The Government knows the importance of reliable bus services in enabling people to stay connected and access vital services, as well as for allowing people to reach other modes of travel, including ferry terminals. We are committed to delivering better bus services and the Bus Services Act 2025 puts passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of local bus services by putting the power back in the hands of local leaders right across England.

Transport is devolved so the provision of public transport to ferry ports in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be for the devolved administrations to consider.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given in the light of the current geopolitical situation to establishing food stores to be available to feed the population in event of commercial food supplies being unavailable.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is monitoring risks posed by Middle East tensions to the UK’s critical supply chains. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and in response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Defra works closely with the Cabinet Office and other departments to ensure food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors. At present, there are no significant impacts to the supply of food to consumers from the Middle East conflict.

The UK does not have national food stockpiles or plans to create these. The UK has a food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with any potential disruption. The UK’s food security is built on supply from diverse sources including strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes.