Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will invite the Police Service of Northern Ireland to investigate the conduct of ministers following the declassification of the minutes of a meeting with Sinn Fein at Hillsborough Castle on 9 October 2001 which record that ministers had "turned a blind eye" to serious crimes of the IRA, as reported in the Belfast Telegraph on 28 March.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government does not comment on National Archives releases or releases relating to previous Governments.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many colleges and institutions are registered as higher education providers with the Office for Students.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
There are currently 426 higher education providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) as of 28 March 2025. The full OfS register of providers is publicly available and can be found on the OfS website.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to abolish university tuition fees for nursing.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Currently, there are no plans to abolish tuition fees for nursing courses for the 2025/26 academic year. Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses qualify for non-repayable grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. In addition, for the 2025/26 academic year, we will be increasing loans for living costs by 3.1%. This ensures that the most support is targeted at students from the lowest income families, while keeping the student finance system financially sustainable.
The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade, and to ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve. This is why, after seven years of frozen fee caps under the previous government, the department has taken the difficult decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation.
In recognition of the increased investment students are being asked to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country. We will publish our plan for HE reform in the summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current protests and demonstrations in Zimbabwe and the detention of opposition party members by the Zanu PF government.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is monitoring political developments in Zimbabwe, including demonstrations on 31 March when a number of protestors were arrested. The UK supports the rights to peaceful protest and due process guaranteed by Zimbabwe's constitution.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the additional costs to Post Offices of person-to-person parcels going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and requiring documentation under the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has not made a specific estimate of any costs to the Post Office of adapting to the arrangements set out in the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a decision to bring a judicial review of the coroner's recent findings of no justification at the inquest into the deaths by military gunfire of four armed IRA men at Clonoe, County Tyrone in 1992 has been taken by the Attorney General; and, if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:
“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how much has been spent on the consultants employed in developing the Behaviour Code and implementing its associated training programmes.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
It is not possible to separate the sums paid to consultants and other third parties for developing the Behaviour Code and delivering its associated training programmes from those associated with the development of the wider Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).
The total of such costs across Parliament since the 2019/20 financial year is £1,144,307. This includes sums paid to consultants for developing the Behaviour Code, designing the associated training sessions and delivering them on a rolling basis to members, staff and members’ staff across both Houses. Also included in this figure is the wider training provided to ICGS staff on investigating complaints and on supporting the phone lines for reporting bullying; meetings with the independent reviewers of the ICGS; and training for House of Commons staff supporting new MPs after the General Election.
As the ICGS is a shared service, these costs are split according to a 70/30 ratio between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The cost to the House of Lords since 2019/20 is therefore £343,292.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what were the compelling reasons for dealing with the consequences of the Dillon case in High Court and Court of Appeal on the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 by way of remedial order under section 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998; and whether they will now consider responding to the judgments by primary legislation only.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 4 December, the Government laid a Draft Remedial Order under section 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 to address all of the incompatibilities identified by the High Court in Northern Ireland and one of the incompatibilities found by the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland in the Dillon case.
The Government considers a Remedial Order to be the most suitable legislative approach to swiftly address issues that were deemed by the Courts to be incompatible with Human Rights. The government is also committed to introducing legislation which addresses other issues which could not be included in the Remedial Order, when Parliamentary time allows.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has now published its report into the Remedial Order, and the Government will carefully consider the recommendations and respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the names of the members of the Independent Monitoring Panel for the UK internal market guarantee.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lady to the Written Ministerial Statement (UIN HCWS463) from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 24 February 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how much each lay member of the Conduct Committee is paid.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Lay members of the Conduct Committee are paid £600 for each full day worked for the committee. Preparing for and attending a committee meeting is deemed to amount to a full day’s work, and the committee normally meets around once a month when the House is sitting.