Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of delays to driving licence renewals; and when they expect these issues will be resolved.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application for a driving licence and the DVLA receives 60,000 items of mail each day. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK.
The DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham to house more staff to help reduce waiting times while providing future resilience and business continuity.
These measures are having a positive impact. In particular, the focus on vocational driving licence applications to support dealing with the HGV driver shortage has been successful with routine vocational applications now back within normal turnaround times despite a significant increase in applications. The remaining queues are reducing, and customers will see an improving picture in terms of turnaround times over the next few months.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, about amending the Business and Planning Act 2020 (Pavement Licences) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 to make it a requirement that all pavement licences are 100 per cent smokefree; and if so, what was the outcome those discussions.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The temporary pavement licence provisions that were introduced in the Business and Planning Act 2020 and subsequently extended have a national smoke-free condition requiring businesses to provide seating where smoking is not permitted. In addition, Local Authorities can attach their own conditions, including those that prohibit smoking.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of UK-affiliated academics and researchers in Afghanistan who (1) are in hiding, or (2) have applications to leave; and what steps they are taking to expedite and assist with their departure.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I addressed the UN Human Rights Council on 24 August to underscore the UK's commitment to protecting the human rights of all Afghan people. The UK led work on the recent UN Security Council resolution, demonstrating our commitment to holding the Taliban to account on human rights. The UK is urgently developing a new settlement scheme for 20,000 Afghans most at risk who will be eligible to apply. We are prioritising vulnerable groups in the UK's response.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom plans to use its presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to encourage Angola to ratify the treaty.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK will assume the Presidency of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in September. We will use this opportunity to encourage states to ratify and implement this treaty, including Angola. We are committed to seeing the CCM become a truly global Convention.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what role the United Kingdom is playing in responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan; and to what extent this includes the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has a longstanding role supporting the most vulnerable in South Sudan through humanitarian support. Our humanitarian programme provides basic services, critical life-saving assistance and support to help people to better cope with the impacts of conflict, drought and flooding. We also support a number of other initiatives to help end the conflict and bring peace for the people of South Sudan.
As one of the founding signatories to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, the UK is one of the leading supporters of de-mining action worldwide. In South Sudan, our Global Mine Action Programme 2 is working with partners to remove landmines and ordnances. As of March 2021, UK support has helped make safe 1.8 million square metres of land and provided education on mine risks to nearly 25,000 people.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on global landmine casualty rates of reducing funding to humanitarian mine action programmes.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has invested £124million to help clear deadly explosive devices worldwide in the last three years through the Global Mine Action Programme 2. The UK is looking forward to starting phase 3 of the Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP3) in 2022. MAP3 will involve landmine clearance and risk education to help affected communities keep safe, and capacity development for national authorities to help them manage their landmine contamination.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether, if at all, the ability of the government of Ethiopia to use water from the River Nile to support its (1) people, (2) agriculture, and (3) industry is affected by the 1929 Agreement, brokered by the UK, between the governments of Egypt and Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
This is why the UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the issues around the dam, including its filling and operation. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the reported targeting of 292 Palestinian structures in the West Bank and subsequent displacement of 450 people by the Israeli authorities in the first quarter of 2021, and (2) the implications of this for UK policy in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel on this matter.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 March (HL13681), to provide a list of the individuals, companies and countries that were not sanctioned because the UK statutory tests were not met.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Sanctions List provides details of all individuals and entities designated in UK law under each of the UK's 35 sanctions regimes established under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. This is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list. The EU publishes a similar list of all individuals and entities designated under EU sanctions law. This is available here: https://www.sanctionsmap.eu/#/main. The UK does not publish a comparison of the two lists.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions against (1) individuals, (2) companies, and (3) countries, the UK implemented while a member of the EU; and which sanctions have stopped being applied following the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
As a member of the EU, and until the end of the Transition Period, we implemented all EU sanctions. To designate former EU designations under UK law, the UK statutory tests had to be met. This includes demonstrating that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the proposed designation meets the designation criteria set out in the relevant Regulations and that designating that person would be appropriate with regards to the regime's purposes as set out in those Regulations. In a small number of cases - less than 10% - those legal tests were not met. Those EU designations were not transitioned.