Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of Norway taking over the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council on 11 May 2023, what plans they have to build a stronger relationship with the Council during the two years of Norwegian Chairmanship.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has been a State Observer to the Arctic Council since its first meeting and we participate actively in the Council's work. The UK welcomed Norway taking on the Chairship of the Arctic Council on 11 May 2023. We look forward to engaging with the new Norwegian Chair over the coming two years, including to look for further opportunities to enhance the UK's contribution to the work of the Council in areas of mutual interest and global importance, such as climate change and marine pollution.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 16 March (HL6104), when the next meeting of the UK–EU Joint Committee will take place; when and where the details and costs of the new arrangements will be set out; and whether a fuller answer to HL6104 in the first instance would have avoided the additional cost of answering this supplementary question.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Joint Committee met on Friday 24 March. We will set out details of the next Joint Committee meeting to Parliament in the usual way. Following the 24 March meeting at which the Windsor Framework was adopted, the Government will continue work to give it effect in domestic law as required. We will set out further details of those arrangements and their costs in due course as that work continues.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of implementing the Windsor Framework; and what proportion of that cost will be paid by (1) the UK, and (2) the EU.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have set out the instruments that make up this package overall. These will be approved at the next meeting of the UK-EU Joint Committee. After that, the UK and EU will respectively take forward legislative measures to translate the solutions into law in both legal orders, providing the basis for these new arrangements to enter into force. As that happens, we will set out the details of those new arrangements and their costs in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Balfe and Lord Callanan on 6 February (HL Deb cols 1062–83), whether the Minister is now in a position to write in response the points raised regarding aviation.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
As Lord Callanan stated, the Government are committed to maintaining comprehensive safety standards, including in aviation. Officials engage with industry regularly, including through the industry engagement forum, to ensure their views as to how best to use the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill to achieve this are taken into account. Moreover, officials will meet with BALPA to discuss the specific issues raised by Lord Balfe, in order to better understand concerns, and clarify the discussion had at that forum.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Callanan on 6 February (HL Deb col 1082), when the Department for Transport industry engagement forum will next meet to discuss the impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on that industry.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
This forum is next scheduled to meet on 14th March.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 7 February (HL5154), what is the upper age limit for screening for bowel cancer; and whether those who have been screened in the past but have now passed the previous upper age limit for screening will be invited to re-apply under the new rules.
Answered by Lord Markham
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme is currently offered to people between the ages of 60 years old and 74 years old. The programme is expanding to make it available to everyone aged 50 years old to 59 years old, this is happening gradually over four years and started in April 2021.
If people over the age of 74 years old have concerns about bowel cancer, they should speak to their general practitioner who will determine the best course of actions to take.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether, in view of the disquiet over the cost and other aspects of the Peers' Entrance works, any way exists for the issue to be brought to the floor of the House for debate, with a possibility of cancelling or referring back for further consideration these proposals.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The strong advice to all members is that debating the drivers behind specific security projects, and the plans to address security weaknesses, should not be raised in any public forum as to do so may heighten the security threat.
Members are always welcome to contact the Director of Security to discuss any security-related concerns privately.
The Peers’ Portico project has been approved by the Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House who, as Accounting Officers and Corporate Officers, are legally accountable for ensuring the safety of all members, staff and visitors on the Parliamentary Estate as a whole. Before coming to their decision, they considered professional security advice, the external professional security validation of that advice, and the views of members on the Commission, the Services Committee, the Finance Committee and members more widely. Ultimately it is not the House that makes the final decision because security is a bicameral issue, and legal responsibility for safety sits with the Clerk of the Parliaments and Clerk of the House.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the role and powers of the Official Solicitor to prevent the holder of that office from seeking to free persons imprisoned under industrial relations legislation as part of (1) their ongoing review of industrial relations legal framework, or (2) any forthcoming industrial relations legislation.
Answered by Lord Callanan
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will ensure crucial public services such as rail, ambulances, and fire services maintain a minimum service during industrial action, reducing risk to life and ensuring the public can still get to work.
The Government is not planning to imminently introduce any further primary legislation in this area. The Government continually keeps the UK’s trade union legislation under review.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take into account the outcome of the Midland Cold Storage Ltd v Bernard Steer and others case of 1972 in their (1) ongoing review of the industrial relations legal framework, and (2) consideration of sanctions under any forthcoming legislation on industrial relations.
Answered by Lord Callanan
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will ensure crucial public services such as rail, ambulances, and fire services maintain a minimum service during industrial action, reducing risk to life and ensuring the public can still get to work.
The Government is not planning to imminently introduce any further primary legislation in this area. The Government continually keeps the UK’s trade union legislation under review.
Asked by: Lord Balfe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Callanan on 19 December (HL Deb col 947) in which he said that "75 per cent of workers in this country are not in trade unions", what assessment they have made of whether there is a link between (1) levels of union membership, and (2) levels of workforce care and HR practices, in the private sector versus the public sector.
Answered by Lord Callanan
Statistics on trade union membership, including proportion of public and private sector employees who belong to a union are published on Gov.uk.
Trade unions can have a constructive role to play in representing their members’ interests. Strikes, however, should always be a last resort given the impact that they have on the public and we would always encourage unions to exhaust all other avenues to resolve disputes before taking this step.