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Scheduled Event - Thursday 25th April
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Lords - Short debate - Grand Committee
UK aid supporting minorities in Pakistan
MP: Lord Alton of Liverpool
Scheduled Event - Wednesday 17th April
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Lords - Oral questions - Main Chamber
Creating an ad hoc international tribunal, and repurposing Russian assets, in response to Russian war crimes in Ukraine
MP: Lord Alton of Liverpool
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 27 Mar 2024
Student Loan Interest Rates

Speech Link

View all Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Student Loan Interest Rates

Written Question
Ukraine: Crimes of Aggression
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations to establish a Register of Damages for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine, what assessment they have made of the categories of claim included; how entries to the Register are to be made; and how the distribution of damages will be determined and audited to deter corruption.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to ensuring Russia pays for its unprovoked war in Ukraine, including in our role as an inaugural member and Chair of the Conference of Parties of the Register of Damage. The Register is an important step in the pursuit of justice and ensuring those responsible are held to account. The Member States of the Register are expected to approve the list of claims categories and the process for submitting claims at the end of March 2024. The Register will have no adjudication functions with respect to claims, including determination of responsibility and allocation of any payments.


Written Question
Chelsea Football Club: Sales
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the issue of a licence by the Office of Financial Solutions in May 2022 to enable the sale of Chelsea Football Club, why the sale has not been expedited, when the anticipated £2.5 billion realised by the sale will become available to support victims of the conflict in Ukraine, and whether the funds may be used for the creation of an International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question HL2826 given on 13 March 2024, which can be found on the Q&A web pages (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-28/hl2826).


Written Question
Ukraine: Crimes of Aggression
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the establishment of an International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, and what assessment they have made of the ways that Tribunal’s processes for ensuring that victims of the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine are able to access justice and reparations.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The United Kingdom is a member of the Core Group established by Ukraine to explore options for a tribunal for the crime of aggression. We continue to engage proactively in discussions within the group, including on the form that any tribunal might take.


Written Question
Babies
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the five recommendations made in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement, A Manifesto for Babies, published on 19 March; and whether they intend to respond to each recommendation.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from pregnancy to the age of two years old set the foundations for our cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Investing in this critical period presents a real opportunity to improve outcomes and tackle health disparities by ensuring that thousands of babies and families have improved access to quality support and services. The Government is therefore already taking forward a range of actions in line with recommendations in the report by the First 1001 Days Movement to ensure that every baby gets the best start in life.

For example, in March 2021, the Government published The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, a copy of which is attached. This vision sets out six action areas for improving support for families during the 1,001 critical days to ensure every baby in England is given the best possible start in life, regardless of background.

The Government is also investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The programme is implementing many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation. Many local authorities without funding have also chosen to implement elements of the vision.

The programme funding package includes £10 million to enable five local authorities and their partners to pilot innovative early years workforce models, with the aim of improving the access, experience and outcomes of babies, children, and families, and supporting the capacity and job satisfaction of the workforces involved.

To support new parents, Statutory Maternity Pay is paid by employers to qualifying employed women for a maximum of 39 weeks, the first six weeks of which are paid at 90% of the women’s salary followed by 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate or 90% of the woman’s average weekly earnings. For those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance may be available. This is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women and is intended for those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay. The standard rate of maternity pay is reviewed annually.

Paternity Leave arrangements enable employed fathers and partners, including same sex partners, who meet the qualifying conditions to take up to two weeks of paid leave within the first eight weeks following the birth of their child or placement for adoption. The Government has recently announced changes to make Paternity Leave and Pay more flexible for working families from April 2024. This includes allowing fathers and partners to take their leave and pay at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child.

A Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme is also available, giving working families much more choice and flexibility about who cares for their child in the first year, and when.


Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 26 Mar 2024
Cybersecurity and UK Democracy

Speech Link

View all Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Cybersecurity and UK Democracy

Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 26 Mar 2024
Cybersecurity and UK Democracy

Speech Link

View all Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Cybersecurity and UK Democracy

Written Question
Ukraine: Reconstruction
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the wide range of estimates for the reconstruction of Ukraine; what action they have taken to confiscate Russian assets to contribute to reconstruction costs; and what estimate they have made of the value of those assets.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Government has made very clear in parliament and through collective statements at the G7, Russia should pay for the damage it has caused. The World Bank calculates total recovery and reconstruction needs at $486 billion. The UK will remain a credible partner on this by assuring ourselves of the safety, robustness and legality of any proposal to make use of Russian assets to support Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine between February 2022 and October 2023, cumulatively £22.7 billion of Russian assets have been reported frozen due to UK financial sanctions regulations.