Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the environmental horticulture sector in helping the UK to reach its net zero targets.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Nature-based solutions, like restoring peat and planting trees, are key to tackling climate change and averting its impacts.
In recognition of the energy intensive nature of the sector, Controlled Environment Horticulture sites will be eligible to apply for Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund. Phase 3 will open for applications later this month.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fairness of staying time limits for UK visitors to the EU compared to those for EU visitors to the UK; and what plans they have to change UK staying time limits for EU visitors to match those for UK visitors to the EU, either by agreement with the EU or unilaterally.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The UK has a competitive offer for global visitors. All visitors to the UK from across the globe (including those from the EU) are permitted to come for up to 6 months maximum on any single visit as per our Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk),
There are no current plans to change the Visitor route duration period. The permitted length of stay for visitors to the UK does not depend on the length of stay available to UK citizens which inevitably vary globally. We operate our immigration system in the interest of the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce requirements to prevent non-resident EU citizens from remaining in the UK for longer than 90 days out of 180 days, without obtaining a visa valid for 6 months at their own expense.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
All visitors to the UK (including those from the EU) are permitted to come for up to 6 months, regardless of their nationality or whether they require a visa in advance of travelling to the UK.
Nationals of EU Member States do not currently require a visa to visit the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is any policy in place, expressed or implied, that prevents or deters ex-armed forces personnel from being accepted into any part of the police force.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Police officer recruits are welcomed from all backgrounds, subject to passing the recruitment standards set by the College of Policing. This includes those who have served in the military and our unprecedented recruitment campaign sought to promote and amplify these opportunities.
The Police Uplift Programme engaged with relevant organisations to encourage applications from those with armed forces experience and a specific military access pathway pilot, led by Nottinghamshire Police, has recently concluded. Further roll out of this scheme is currently being considered by the College of Policing as part of wider work on police entry routes.
A survey of new police officer recruits, conducted in 2022 as part of the Police Uplift Programme, found that 3% of the preceding year’s recruits had military experience prior to joining the police. However, the Home Office does not hold data to allow an assessment of whether this proportion reflects the backgrounds of the wider police force.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the current police force is made up of ex-armed forces personnel.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold information on serving officers’ professional background.
A survey of new police officer recruits, conducted in 2022 as part of the Police Uplift Programme, found that 3% of the preceding year’s recruits had military experience prior to joining the police. However, the Home Office does not hold data to assess whether this proportion reflects the backgrounds of the wider police force.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they ensure that the correct tax is paid by small high street businesses, such as barbers and nail salons, that only accept cash for their goods and services and do not provide receipts.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The Government is committed to creating a level playing field for all sectors by ensuring that everyone pays the right amount of tax at the right time. Like all other businesses, those which exclusively accept cash must meet their tax obligations.
HMRC’s approach to tax evasion aims to tackle current non-compliance and change future behaviours. Their activities include national campaigns and specialist task forces that incorporate intensive bursts of activity in targeted high risk trade sectors (including the retail and service industry) and locations across the UK. HMRC also works with customer groups and third parties, such as other local and central Government agencies, to reduce error and fraud within these sectors. This includes providing customer education highlighting the importance of keeping accurate records.
HMRC take any report of suspected tax evasion seriously and operate a confidential Fraud Telephone Hotline and an online reporting tool available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether an annual Christmas bonus for benefit claimants will be paid this year; if so, how many claimants will receive that bonus; and what the total cost will be, including administrative costs, to public funds.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Christmas Bonus will be paid this year. The Christmas Bonus is an annual, tax-free, lump sum payment to pensioners and to working aged people who, during the relevant week (which is usually the first full week in December) are entitled to payment of certain qualifying benefits and who are resident in the UK, an EEA state or Switzerland.
The qualifying benefits are:
State Pension; Pension Credit; Widowed Mother's/Parent's Allowance; Widows' Pension; Industrial Death Benefit by way of Widow's or Widower's Pension; War Widow's Pensions; Long-Term Incapacity Benefit; Personal Independence Payment; Adult Disability Payment; Child Disability Payment; Transitionally-Protected Severe Disablement Allowance; Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; Unemployability Supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes; Carer's Allowance; Mobility Supplement; War Disablement Pension (if over age 65); Armed Forces Independence payment; and contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
In most cases the bonus is paid automatically with whichever qualifying benefit an individual receives, which ensures administration costs are kept to a minimum.
The number of benefit claimants expected to receive the annual Christmas bonus, based on 2022/23 forecasts are 16,443,000.
The total cost in real terms, based on 2022/23 forecasts is £164 million.
Source: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement (1) the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and (2) the Gambling Commission, has had with (a) the Ministry of Defence, (b) the Home Office, and (c) the security services, ahead of the announcement on 15 March that Allwyn Entertainment UK was the Preferred Applicant for the fourth National Lottery licence; and whether the Ministry of Defence or the Home Office have approached either DCMS or the Gambling Commission in response to the announcement.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission is responsible for running the competition for the fourth National Lottery licence. Under the National Lottery Act 1993, the Commission must ensure that any person who either runs or benefits from the running of the National Lottery is fit and proper and that the Licensee’s operation meets high standards of propriety.
Fit and proper checks examine the identity, integrity, criminality and financial standing of those who run, or benefit from running, the National Lottery, or are applying to do so. As part of its duties under the Act, the Commission cannot award the licence unless it is satisfied that the proposed licensee is fit and proper. The Commission is required to revoke a licence if it becomes satisfied that the licensee is no longer, or indeed never was, fit and proper.
In addition, following the announcement of Allwyn as the preferred applicant in March 2022, standard vetting checks (Baseline Personnel Security Standard or BPSS level) are being carried out, on behalf of the Commission, by UK Security Vetting on key people connected with the proposal. These include Qualifying Direct Shareholders, which is any person who holds at least 5% interest in the licensee.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish a data dashboard showing the Tier 1 bank's management performance of Bounce Back Loans.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The British Business Bank is responsible for the administration of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The Bank intends to publish data on the performance of each scheme, including levels of prevented and suspected fraud.
The data will also include lender-by-lender information on the number and value of original facilities, and the number and value of claims settled under the terms of the scheme Guarantees.
This data will be made available to the public via the Bank website in the near future.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they paid out to Bounce Back Loan Scheme lending banks under the government-backed guarantee between 1 January 2022 and 30 April; and what percentage of this figure was attributed to fraud.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Data relating to settled claims and suspected fraud within the Bounce Back Loan Scheme is captured on a cumulative basis.
As of 31 March 2022, c.£351 million in settled claims on the scheme guarantee have been paid to lenders, of which c.£72 million [20%] have a suspected fraud marker as reported by lenders to the British Business Bank.
The lenders under the Scheme are not law enforcement agencies, it is the courts who determine whether or not a fraud has been committed. These statistics are an indicator of levels of suspected fraud rather than actual, proven levels.