Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the ministerial code regarding declarations of interest to improve public confidence in elected officials.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Prime Minister published a new Ministerial Code on 6 November 2024 which sets out the standards expected of all government ministers. Part B, Chapter 3 of the Ministerial Code details the established process in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Independent Monitoring Boards The impact of a crumbling prison estate on prisoners published in November, what plans they have (1) to consider the potential merits of returning prison maintenance to the public sector, and (2) to review the value of privatised services within the remit of the Ministry of Justice.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has a programme of work underway that will put in place new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prison, these will be competitively tendered.
The value and performance of the Department’s private-sector service providers is reviewed through routine contract and performance management and, in addition, as contracts are approaching expiry so decisions about whether to continue to outsource services can be taken.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to reply to the letter from Lord Balfe to the Treasury sent on 18 September.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I apologise to the Noble Lord for the delay in responding to his letter of 18 September. A reply has now been sent.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Sherlock on 3 September (HL Deb col 1046), what aspects of domestic law have been in breach of the provisions of the Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter and the Revised European Social Charter 1996, preventing their ratification; and what is the legislative timetable for correcting these breaches.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Additional Protocol 1995 provides for a collective complaints mechanism. Member States who choose to accept this mechanism are not assessed on their conformity with the process. The UK has not accepted the mechanism because, like the majority of member States, the UK believes the existing supervisory mechanisms of the European Social Charter are adequate.
The new Government is embarking on an extensive programme of reforms, including our Employment Rights Bill which will change our position on provisions within both the 1961 and Revised Charter. The Government will, therefore, consider our position on the Revised Charter in due course.
A summary of the latest assessments of the UK’s conformity with the European Social Charter 1961 was published by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe also published the UK’s report on non-accepted provisions of the European Social Charter and the Revised European Social Charter earlier this year. I will place a copy of both of these documents in the House of Lords Library.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce legislation to end the anomaly whereby many Ministers, particularly in the Lords, are unpaid; and which Ministers are currently unpaid.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The number of salaries available to the Government to pay ministers is set by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act (MOSA) 1975. The limit on salaries, which applies across both Houses, is 109.
The Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation in this area.
As of 22 July, the unpaid ministers currently serving in the Government are as follows:
Ministers of State: Ellie Reeves MP (n.b. she is paid by the Labour Party), Lord Timpson, Lord Hanson, Lord Hunt
Parliamentary Secretaries: Hamish Falconer MP, Mary Creagh MP, Baroness Sherlock
Lords’ Whips: Lord Leong, Baroness Twycross, Baroness Blake
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue the practice of appointing unpaid Trade Envoys; and, if so, whether they intend to make the appointment process and the duties involved more transparent.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are carefully considering the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy programme in the context of the new Government's trade objectives and will update the house in due course on the programme.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to seek a closer relationship with the European Medicines Agency.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This Government will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK and works closely with a range of international regulators, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), through both international regulatory groups and bilateral collaborations.
We recognise the importance of a closer relationship with the EMA and that cooperation between the MHRA and EMA is of mutual benefit.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Prime Minister's announcement that 70,000 civil service jobs will be cut to finance extra defence spending, whether those civil servants are doing work that is unnecessary; and what are the functions that will no longer be carried out.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Prime Minister’s announcement of longer-term reductions in Civil Service numbers is a reiteration of the policy announced by the Chancellor in October 2023. The longer-term reductions will build on the shorter-term headcount cap put in place through to March 2025. The detail of how the return to pre-pandemic numbers will be delivered will form a key part of the next comprehensive spending review.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking any steps, in collaboration with international partners, to encourage peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We support a just and sustainable peace which restores Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, underpinned by the UN Charter. President Zelenskyy has clearly indicated Ukraine's desire for peace in his Peace Formula, which reflects principles supported by 141 countries in the UN General Assembly. The UK has supported Ukraine to convene senior officials from G7 and several G20 countries, to discuss principles for a just peace. We welcome the planned conference in Switzerland to discuss these principles further. By contrast, Russia's continued actions on the battlefield demonstrate that President Putin has no meaningful interest in a just peace. It will be for Ukraine to determine its position in any negotiations, just as it is for Ukraine to decide its democratic future and long-term security arrangements. The quickest path to peace would be for President Putin to withdraw all Russian troops illegally present in Ukraine and end its aggression against its neighbour.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the international aviation security standards at the new Ercan International Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and if not, whether they plan to do so.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, only the Republic of Cyprus can designate Ercan as an international airport and allow flights to operate. As the Republic of Cyprus has not designated Ercan, the UK has not made a security assessment of the airport and has no plans to do so.