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Written Question
Musical Instruments: Customs
Monday 22nd February 2021

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Admission Temporaire Carnets will be required for portable musical instruments carried by musicians for professional purposes when travelling (1) between the UK and the EU, and (2) between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

ATA carnets are an option for moving goods temporarily between the UK and the EU; Temporary Admission is another. Whether to use an ATA carnet is generally a commercial decision based on cost effectiveness and the individual’s or business’s circumstances. A carnet is generally not necessary for musicians travelling between GB and NI or between GB and the EU with accompanied instruments (carried or taken with the individual in personal baggage or a vehicle). In this case a person can make a “declaration by conduct” which is simply the act of moving through a ‘Green Channel’ at a port or airport.


Written Question
Construction: Finance
Thursday 17th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority Government Construction Strategy 2016–20, published in March 2016, whether they are on course to achieve the forecasted £1.7 billion efficiency saving predicted to be promoted through best practice in construction procurement and delivery; and how any such savings have been so far achieved.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

The Government has achieved the efficiency saving set out in the Government Construction Strategy 2016-20 and at the end of March 2020 had recorded over £1.7 billion savings. This has been enabled by: improving government’s capability as a construction client; developing digital capability in design and construction; improving transparency for industry by publishing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline; and developing new models and approaches to procurement. It has led to efficiency savings being made through volume and margin reductions, rate discounts, de-scoping of projects and departmental reforms.

The Government has also recently published its Construction Playbook which aims to further improve how construction projects are assessed, procured and delivered.


Written Question
Government Departments: Insurance
Wednesday 16th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Infrastructure & Projects Authority Government Construction Strategy 2016–20, published in March 2016, how many departments have piloted Integrated Project Insurance (IPI); and what encouragement the Infrastructure and Projects Authority has provided to government procurers to use IPI.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

Through the Government’s Construction Strategy 2016-20 Integrated Project Insurance (IPI), the Trial Projects Working Group, set up by Cabinet Office, piloted IPI on Dudley College’s project to build a Centre for Advanced Building Technologies. However, when the Working Group completed its work in 2017, after four years of development, it was felt that the IPI model needed further involvement from industry before it could be adopted by Government departments. To date there has been no further trialling or adoption of the model other than an extension to the original contract.

The Government through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Infrastructure Projects Authority via commercial specialists cite the IPI model in presentations to customers and programmes and it is referenced in the CCS’s Construction Works and Associated Services Framework as one of the approaches that clients might consider when procuring construction services. It will also be offered in CCS’s new Construction Professional Services Framework, which is due to go to the market in early 2021.

The Government has also recently published its Construction Playbook to support the upskilling of Government as a client, and includes reference to IPI, which will assist departments in making procurement decisions and considering if the IPI model might be applicable.


Written Question
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-employment Income Support Scheme
Tuesday 13th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of maintaining (1) the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and (2) the Job Retention Scheme, at the current level for businesses that are unable to open as a result of restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

The information requested is not available.

The latest Management Information [1], which shows claims for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was published on 22 September 2020 on GOV.UK.

This shows that by 19 July 2020 a total of £7.6 billion had been claimed for the first SEISS grant and by 20 September 2020 a total of £5.6 billion had been claimed for the second SEISS grant.

This information also shows that £39.3 billion had been claimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme by 20 September 2020.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics