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Written Question
Government Departments: Official Visits
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what advice or instructions they issue to ministers and their staff about their choice of transport when on official visits; and to what extent they are required to take into account (1) cost to the public purse, and (2) the desirability of minimising emissions, as well as time efficiency.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Section 10 of the Ministerial Code sets out the approach to Ministerial travel.

For Civil Servants, guidance will be issued by individual departments. To illustrate this, I have asked for a copy of the Cabinet Office's principles on departmental travel to be deposited in the House Libraries.


Written Question
Government Departments: Public Expenditure
Wednesday 7th June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, Use of evaluation and modelling in government, Session 2022─23, HC 254, published on 27 May 2022; and how much they have spent on external evaluations of their own policies in each of the past 15 years.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government formally responded to the findings in the ‘Use of evaluation and modelling in government’ report in the August 2022 Treasury Minutes, which are published online.

Across government, HM Treasury, the Analysis Function, the Finance Function, the Evaluation Task Force, the Cabinet Office and departmental accounting officers all have an important role to play in improving evaluation and modelling.

Evaluation is an important ingredient in improving value for money and learning from mistakes and successes.

The Evaluation Task Force was set up to improve the way government programmes are evaluated and enhance our assessment of whether programmes should be continued, expanded, modified or stopped. The Evaluation Task Force provides all ministerial government departments with evaluation support on request, as well as a proactive scrutiny and challenge function, which is responsive to requests from Treasury and Cabinet Office ministerial priorities.

Departments, however, are responsible for evaluating their own programmes. The Government does not centrally hold data on how much departments have spent on external evaluations in each of the past 15 years. Some departments may individually collect this data.


Written Question
Import Controls
Wednesday 24th May 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish details of the Border Target Operating Model to support businesses to prepare for implementation; and what assessment have they made of (1) the costs to businesses of this preparation and (2) the impact on supply chains of its implementation.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

In April 2023, the Government published through Written Ministerial Statement UIN HLWS695 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-04-17/hlws695 the launch of the Border Target Operating Model, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments. This sets out plans to introduce security and biosecurity controls from the 31st October 2023 in a way which implements critical protections at the UK border, while ensuring that these new controls are as simple as possible for businesses to comply with. By harnessing data and technology and taking a proportionate, risk-based approach to these controls, we have developed a model that works best for the UK. It could save UK importers around £400m each year compared to the model we would have introduced from last year.

The relevant business stakeholders told us before publication that they will need time to prepare for these changes, and our phased approach gives them this time. We are working to ensure that UK and international businesses and their supply chains are aware of and understand the new requirements and are ready for these changes. On Friday 28th April we published a detailed risk categorisation of animal products, plants and plant products of EU and EFTA origin. This provides clarity to importers on what controls will be applied to the different risk categories, including when health certificates will be required to import goods from 31st October 2023.

The Government is using the current period of engagement to gather views on our draft proposals from businesses in the UK and overseas, to explore the costs of implementing the new model, and to ensure importing is as smooth as possible where checks are needed.

We will publish a final version of the Border Target Operating Model, reflecting feedback from stakeholders, in the summer.


Written Question
Airports: Vetting
Thursday 28th April 2022

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of time it takes to process security clearance for new airport staff; what is the average amount of time taken for this process; and how this average compares to that of April 2019.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.


Written Question
Ministers: Members' Interests
Thursday 29th April 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the register of Ministerial interests up to the end of 2020; and the registers of Ministerial interests for 2021.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Prime Minister has today announced the appointment of Rt Hon Lord Geidt to serve as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The Independent Adviser oversees the production of a List of Ministers' Interests, and the next publication will occur once Lord Geidt has concluded that process.


Written Question
Ports: Customs
Monday 22nd March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether UK ports will have the necessary facilities (1) prepared, and (2) able to operate, in time for the introduction of additional border checks in July; and if the facilities will not be ready, what contingency arrangements they plan to introduce.

Answered by Lord Frost

I refer the Noble Lady to the Written Statement published on 11 March.

Statement

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Michael Gove MP), has today made the following written statement:

On 31 December last year, the UK left the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. This was the biggest change in the UK’s trading relationships for decades. The Government has always been clear that this meant change for business and for citizens, including new processes and requirements.

The first phase of such changes came in on 1 January. The Government has put in place the staffing, infrastructure, and IT to deal with the situation. Thanks to the hard work of traders and hauliers, we have not seen anything like the generalised disruption at our ports which many predicted, and supply chains have shown themselves to be robust.

However, the Government recognises the scale and significance of the challenges businesses have been facing in adjusting to the new requirements, at the same time as dealing with the impacts of COVID.

Last June, we announced a timetable for the phased introduction of controls on imports from the EU into Great Britain, to ensure businesses could prepare in a phased way. This timetable was based on the impacts of the first wave of COVID. We know now that the disruption caused by COVID has lasted longer and has been deeper than we anticipated. Accordingly, the Government has reviewed these timeframes.

Although we recognise that many in the border industry and many businesses have been investing time and energy to be ready on time, and indeed we in Government were confident of being ready on time, we have listened to businesses who have made a strong case that they need more time to prepare. In reviewing the timeframes, we have given strong weight to the disruption which has been caused, and is still being caused, by COVID, and the need to ensure that the economy can recover fully.

We are therefore announcing today a clear revised timetable for the introduction of controls, as follows:

  • Pre-notification requirements for Products of Animal Origin (POAO), certain animal by-products (ABP), and High Risk Food Not Of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) will not be required until 1 October 2021. Export Health Certificate requirements for POAO and certain ABP will come into force on the same date.
  • Customs import declarations will still be required, but the option to use the deferred declaration scheme, including submitting supplementary declarations up to six months after the goods have been imported, has been extended to 1 January 2022.
  • Safety and Security Declarations for imports will not be required until 1 January 2022.
  • Physical SPS checks for POAO, certain ABP, and HRFNAO will not be required until 1 January 2022. At that point they will take place at Border Control Posts.
  • Physical SPS checks on high risk plants will take place at Border Control Posts, rather than at the place of destination as now, from 1 January 2022.
  • Pre-notification requirements and documentary checks, including phytosanitary certificates will be required for low risk plants and plant products, and will be introduced from 1 January 2022.
  • From March 2022, checks at Border Control Posts will take place on live animals and low risk plants and plant products.

Traders moving controlled goods into Great Britain will continue to be ineligible for the deferred customs declaration approach. They will therefore be required to complete a full customs declaration when the goods enter Great Britain.

Controls and checks on Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods are of course a devolved matter and we continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations on their implementation, in particular with the Welsh Government on their timetable for completing supporting Border Control Post infrastructure in Wales.

We will continue to engage extensively with businesses to support them to adjust to the new requirements already in place and to prepare for the new requirements set out above so that they can continue to trade successfully under the new arrangements.


Written Question
Porstmouth International Port: Finance
Friday 12th February 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what reasons were given to Portsmouth Port for the decision to grant £17.1 million for the development of the border infrastructure required as a result of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; what additional sources of funding (1) Portsmouth Port, and (2) other ports in a similar situation, are being directed to; why ports are not being granted the full amount estimated to be required for such infrastructure; whether they plan to fund the specialist facilities hosted at Portsmouth Port for trade in animals for breeding purposes; and if so, how.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Port Infrastructure Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the Fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.

It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government made £470m of funding available for new border infrastructure, with up to £200m available to ports through the Port Infrastructure Fund.

Ports will need to consider the scope of their infrastructure projects now that their funding allocations have been made - they may choose to scale back on the facilities they are building, or they may choose to provide additional funding themselves. This is a commercial decision for ports.

Any decisions on future funding for specialist facilities would be announced in the usual way.


Written Question
Port Infrastructure Fund
Monday 8th February 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 5 January (HL11614), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what were the criteria for funding bids to the Port Infrastructure Fund from (1) ports, and (2) airports.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Port of Dover has not formally requested additional funding in response to their provisional allocation. We have stated, more generally and to all ports, that there is no more funding available through the Port Infrastructure Fund.


The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus, which provided a guide to support Ports to apply for the PIF which opened for applications on 2 October 2020 and closed on 30 October 2020. We will place a copy in the library of the House, as well as publishing it online. Given the level of oversubscription, Government has had to apply the criteria strictly, in particular that works be required as a result of the introduction of the Border Operating Model.


Written Question
Dover Port: Customs
Monday 8th February 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 20 January (HL11829), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, whether they have (1) received any further requests for funding from Port of Dover authorities, and (2) had any discussions with those authorities about increasing funding to provide capacity for increased border checks; and if any such requests for funding have been refused, what were the reasons for refusal.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The Port of Dover has not formally requested additional funding in response to their provisional allocation. We have stated, more generally and to all ports, that there is no more funding available through the Port Infrastructure Fund.


The criteria for awarding grants were set out in the PIF Prospectus, which provided a guide to support Ports to apply for the PIF which opened for applications on 2 October 2020 and closed on 30 October 2020. We will place a copy in the library of the House, as well as publishing it online. Given the level of oversubscription, Government has had to apply the criteria strictly, in particular that works be required as a result of the introduction of the Border Operating Model.


Written Question
Dover Port: Customs
Wednesday 20th January 2021

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 5 January (HL11614), whether they have (1) received any further requests for funding from Port of Dover authorities, and (2) had any discussions with those authorities about increasing funding to provide capacity for increased border checks; and if any such requests for funding have been refused, what were the reasons for refusal.

Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The allocation of the Port Infrastructure Fund was announced on 15 December. The Port of Dover was allocated £33,000. The entirety of the £200 million in the Port Infrastructure Fund has been allocated, so no further funding is available for any port.