Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to make regulations under Schedule 7 to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to provide limited exemptions for permissible investment funds associated with foreign powers, and other associated regulations.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The previous government launched a technical consultation on The Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2024, which ran from 9 May to 9 July. We will respond to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current public understanding regarding the law on e-scooters.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed to tackle illegal riding of e-scooters is an operational matter for chief officers according to local policing plans. In February we issued updated guidance to all local authorities and operators taking part in the trials, and local authorities in trial areas continue to engage with local police forces. Following the trial extension, the Government will continue to support the police by ensuring they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation including those relating to e-scooters.
The Department has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme for the e-scooter trials. As part of the evaluation, evidence was gathered on public perceptions of e-scooters, including residents’ views of current e-scooter laws. The findings report from the evaluation is due to be published later this year.
Alongside the findings from the evaluation, we are drawing from wider evidence to further support the trials and help us to consider options for new regulations for e-scooters. For example, insights on public understanding of e-scooter laws has been collected through the Department’s Transport and Technology tracker, with findings published in December 2021.
Existing trials will continue to run to 30 November 2022. Local Authorities can then choose to withdraw from the trials or continue with an extension to 31 May 2024. Our e-scooter trials regulations apply in Great Britain, though some aspects of traffic signs and regulations are devolved and would require the devolved Governments to also amend their legislation. To date, Wales have decided not to hold trials.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with police forces across (1) England, and (2) Wales, to establish a uniform approach to enforcement of illegal e-scooter use; and what engagement they plan to have following their decision to extend the trial period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed to tackle illegal riding of e-scooters is an operational matter for chief officers according to local policing plans. In February we issued updated guidance to all local authorities and operators taking part in the trials, and local authorities in trial areas continue to engage with local police forces. Following the trial extension, the Government will continue to support the police by ensuring they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation including those relating to e-scooters.
The Department has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme for the e-scooter trials. As part of the evaluation, evidence was gathered on public perceptions of e-scooters, including residents’ views of current e-scooter laws. The findings report from the evaluation is due to be published later this year.
Alongside the findings from the evaluation, we are drawing from wider evidence to further support the trials and help us to consider options for new regulations for e-scooters. For example, insights on public understanding of e-scooter laws has been collected through the Department’s Transport and Technology tracker, with findings published in December 2021.
Existing trials will continue to run to 30 November 2022. Local Authorities can then choose to withdraw from the trials or continue with an extension to 31 May 2024. Our e-scooter trials regulations apply in Great Britain, though some aspects of traffic signs and regulations are devolved and would require the devolved Governments to also amend their legislation. To date, Wales have decided not to hold trials.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of law enforcement against illegal use of private e-scooters on public (1) roads, and (2) pavements, before extending the trial for local authority-authorised rental e-scooter schemes until May 2024.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed to tackle illegal riding of e-scooters is an operational matter for chief officers according to local policing plans. In February we issued updated guidance to all local authorities and operators taking part in the trials, and local authorities in trial areas continue to engage with local police forces. Following the trial extension, the Government will continue to support the police by ensuring they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation including those relating to e-scooters.
The Department has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme for the e-scooter trials. As part of the evaluation, evidence was gathered on public perceptions of e-scooters, including residents’ views of current e-scooter laws. The findings report from the evaluation is due to be published later this year.
Alongside the findings from the evaluation, we are drawing from wider evidence to further support the trials and help us to consider options for new regulations for e-scooters. For example, insights on public understanding of e-scooter laws has been collected through the Department’s Transport and Technology tracker, with findings published in December 2021.
Existing trials will continue to run to 30 November 2022. Local Authorities can then choose to withdraw from the trials or continue with an extension to 31 May 2024. Our e-scooter trials regulations apply in Great Britain, though some aspects of traffic signs and regulations are devolved and would require the devolved Governments to also amend their legislation. To date, Wales have decided not to hold trials.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will lay regulations to update the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to give regulators such as Ofgem, the Financial Conduct Authority, and Ofcom, the power to fine firms who do not answer the telephone to customers within 10 minutes.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government expects all firms to treat their customers fairly at all times. Business should be free to compete on matters such as price, quality and service. Provided consumers are not misled and able to make informed decisions, companies offering goods and services are free to offer their products and services under conditions of their choosing. The Government has no plans to amend the Consumer Rights Act 2015 on this issue.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the excess profits generated by (1) Meta, and (2) Google, in the UK from online advertising; and whether they will direct the Competition and Markets Authority to update their calculations in the Online platforms and digital advertising study, published in July 2020.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has no plans to direct the Competition and Markets Authority, which is an independent regulator, to update the calculations in its online platforms and digital advertising study. However digital competition is a priority for the Government as shown by our plans to address the far-reaching power of the biggest tech firms, through a new pro-competition regime for digital markets as reaffirmed in the consultation response published on 6 May.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation in the next parliamentary session to regulate pedicabs in London.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government agrees that it is in the interest of safety and fairness to all road users, pedestrians, and passengers to address the lack of pedicab regulation in London.
The Government has supported the Pedicabs (London) Bill, which is being taken forward in the House of Commons by Nickie Aiken MP.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 17 March (HL14066), what plans they have to use any legislation introduced in the current Session of Parliament to enable the regulation of pedicabs in London.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government remains open to seeking opportunities to introduce legislation that enables the regulation of pedicabs in London, when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate pedicabs.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Outside London, in England and Wales, pedicabs are treated as taxis for the purposes of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Accordingly, pedicabs may be regulated as taxis under the provisions of the 1847 and 1976 Acts.
Within London pedicabs are not treated as taxis for the purpose of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, which is the equivalent legislation in London.
The Government is open to seeking opportunities to introduce legislation that enables the regulation of pedicabs in London, when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Baroness Stowell of Beeston (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 22 January (HL Deb, col 832) on non-disclosure agreements and gagging orders, what they are doing to satisfy themselves that, in the public sector, taxpayers and licence-fee payers are not paying, through the use of settlement agreements, for wrong doing or management failures to be covered up when it is in the public interest for such matters to be exposed.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
I am sorry that I cannot add to the Answer I gave the Noble Lady on 22 January. The Government has committed to look at the structures around non-disclosure agreements and the evidence that is coming forward about how they are being used.