Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the provision of services into the EU by UK citizens living in (1) EU, (2) EEA and (3) EFTA, countries; and what steps they intend to take to reduce or offset that impact.
Answered by Lord Frost
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and the UK free trade agreement with the EEA-EFTA states, provide for a wide variety of obligations regarding the treatment by one Party of investors, services suppliers and natural persons of the other Party. Some of these provisions may be affected by the place of residence of the natural person in question, and the legal position will depend on the details of each specific case. UK citizens will need to check whether and how the provisions apply to them.
Government routinely publishes a wide range of analysis on the UK economy. Other bodies, such as the Office for Budget Responsibility, also regularly publish economic analysis on the impact of the UK's trade deal with the EU.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the terms of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the provision of services into the European Union apply equally to UK citizens living in (1) EU, (2) EEA and (3) EFTA, countries, so that they can provide services outside their host state.
Answered by Lord Frost
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and the UK free trade agreement with the EEA-EFTA states, provide for a wide variety of obligations regarding the treatment by one Party of investors, services suppliers and natural persons of the other Party. Some of these provisions may be affected by the place of residence of the natural person in question, and the legal position will depend on the details of each specific case. UK citizens will need to check whether and how the provisions apply to them.
Government routinely publishes a wide range of analysis on the UK economy. Other bodies, such as the Office for Budget Responsibility, also regularly publish economic analysis on the impact of the UK's trade deal with the EU.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pancreatic cancer surgeries have been cancelled in each month since January 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The data requested on cancelled surgery is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in each month since January 2020; and what percentage of those diagnoses have been at Stage (1) 1, (2) 2, (3) 3, and (4) 4, respectively.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The number of diagnoses of pancreatic cancer by stage of diagnosis in 2020 is not yet available. The stage group by cancer type for diagnoses in 2020 is expected to be published in 2022.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) construction, and (2) maintenance, contracts issued by departments since 1 January 2018 have used cash retentions; what was the total value of these retentions; how many of these retention monies have been released; and how long on average it took to release these monies.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information is not collected on the use of cash retentions in construction and maintenance contracts for Central Government.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to (1) departments, and (2) their respective arms-length bodies, regarding the use of cash retentions in (a) construction, and (b) maintenance projects.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Guidance is not provided to departments and arms-length bodies, regarding the use of cash retentions in construction and maintenance projects.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of cash retentions by local authorities in (1) construction, and (2) maintenance, contracts; and what data they hold on the use of such retentions since 1 January 2018.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No assessment has been made of the use of cash retentions by local authorities in construction and maintenance contracts, and the Department does not hold this data.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they give to local authorities regarding the use of cash retentions in (1) construction, and (2) maintenance, projects.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Guidance is not provided to local authorities regarding the use of cash retentions in construction and maintenance. Local authorities are independent of government, and it is for them to decide whether or not to hold cash retentions in relation to the projects they fund.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to monitor (1) adoption of, and (2) compliance with, the Construction Playbook by (a) departments, and (b) their arm’s-length bodies.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The Construction Playbook, published in December 2020, includes 14 key policy reforms which will help government and industry work better together to deliver quality public works and value for money. It applies to all central government departments and their ALBs on a ‘comply or explain’ basis and we have strengthened approvals processes, including Cabinet Office controls for projects over £10m total value and the Treasury approvals process, to ensure compliance.
We recognise that this will be a journey and adoption will be demonstrated through ‘faster, better, greener’ public works achieved by a greater proportion of projects applying the Playbook over time and support will be provided to departments and ALBs to embed the Construction Playbook into their public works projects and programmes.
We are committed to annually reviewing the content of the Construction Playbook including working to facilitate prompt, fair and effective payment practices throughout the supply chain. The use of Project Bank Accounts is required unless there are compelling reasons not to do so and the Prompt Payment Measure allows contracting authorities to exclude suppliers on the basis of poor payment performance. At this time we do not have any plans to provide additional guidance on cash retentions specifically.
Asked by: Lord Aberdare (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to add any guidance on retentions to the Construction Playbook when it is next reviewed.
Answered by Lord True - Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
The Construction Playbook, published in December 2020, includes 14 key policy reforms which will help government and industry work better together to deliver quality public works and value for money. It applies to all central government departments and their ALBs on a ‘comply or explain’ basis and we have strengthened approvals processes, including Cabinet Office controls for projects over £10m total value and the Treasury approvals process, to ensure compliance.
We recognise that this will be a journey and adoption will be demonstrated through ‘faster, better, greener’ public works achieved by a greater proportion of projects applying the Playbook over time and support will be provided to departments and ALBs to embed the Construction Playbook into their public works projects and programmes.
We are committed to annually reviewing the content of the Construction Playbook including working to facilitate prompt, fair and effective payment practices throughout the supply chain. The use of Project Bank Accounts is required unless there are compelling reasons not to do so and the Prompt Payment Measure allows contracting authorities to exclude suppliers on the basis of poor payment performance. At this time we do not have any plans to provide additional guidance on cash retentions specifically.