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Written Question
Debts: Cuba
Thursday 7th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 22 November (HL158), why they agreed to defer Cuba’s debt repayments in 2021, how much the UK is owed by Cuba as a member of the Group of Creditors of Cuba, and when payment is expected.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As outlined in the answer to HL549, the Group of Creditors to Cuba (GCC), including the UK, agreed in 2021 to defer payments due under the 2015 Agreement. This was on the basis of the Republic of Cuba’s economic and financial situation and the Cuban Government’s efforts to support Cuban economic development in the context of Covid-19.

The GCC and Cuba have confirmed their willingness to preserve the 2015 Agreement and commitment to ensure its full implementation. The GCC has not published the terms of implementation.


Written Question
Debts: Cuba
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 22 November (HL158), what was the rationale behind the decision to defer payments under the 2015 agreement; and when they expect Cuba to make payments against this debt.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

In 2021, the Group of Creditors to Cuba (GCC), including the UK, agreed to defer payments due under the 2015 Agreement. This was on the basis of the Republic of Cuba’s economic and financial situation and the Cuban Government’s efforts to support Cuban economic development in the context of Covid-19.

The GCC and Cuba have confirmed their willingness to preserve the 2015 Agreement and commitment to ensure its full implementation.


Written Question
Debts: Cuba
Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what contribution they make to the Paris Club group of official creditors; how they monitor the use of any contributions to the group, and in particular whether any funds have been provided to Cuba in the last five years in funding or in debts being written off.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Paris Club is an informal group of official creditors who coordinate on providing debt treatments for debtor countries. The UK does not make any financial contributions to the Paris Club, nor does the Paris Club have a function in providing any finance directly to countries. Any debt treatments agreed by the Paris Club are implemented on a bilateral basis between the official creditor and debtor countries.

In 2015, the Group of Creditors of Cuba (GCC), including the UK, agreed a debt treatment with the Government of the Republic of Cuba to restructure USD 2.6 billion of debt in arrears, over an 18-year period. In 2021, the GCC agreed to defer payments due under the 2015 agreement.


Written Question
Companies: Equality
Wednesday 15th December 2021

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 15 November (HL3607), what discussions they have had with the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its proposed requirement for companies to disclose annually whether they meet specific diversity targets as part of changes to its Listing Rules; and, in particular, whether the diversity targets will include targets in relation to biological sex.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

HM Treasury holds regular discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on a range of issues regarding the regulation of financial markets.


The FCA’s consultation regarding diversity and inclusion targets for company boards and executive committees (CP21/24) closed on 20 October and the FCA is now analysing the responses. It will be for the FCA as the independent regulator to take forward any changes to their listings rules on this basis.


Written Question
Directors: Females
Monday 15th November 2021

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal by the Financial Conduct Authority to count anyone who identifies as female as contributing towards the percentage of women on the boards of listed companies, specifically the impact it would have on (1) statistics on the pay gap between men and women, and (2) increasing the participation of women in business.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK’s independent securities regulator. The FCA has made a policy commitment to explore improving the transparency for investors on the diversity of listed company boards and their executive management teams. In line with this, it has recently conducted a consultation on proposals to change to its Listing Rules to require companies to disclose annually whether they meet specific diversity targets, and to publish diversity data on their boards and executive management. These are proposed to cover issues such as gender, ethnicity and other diversity issues.

The consultation closed on 20 October and the FCA is now analysing the responses. It will be for the FCA to take forward any changes to their listings rules on this basis.


Written Question
Civil Servants: Remote Working
Thursday 21st October 2021

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 22 September regarding Treasury civil servants working remotely (HL2572), what plans they have to investigate the possibility of cost savings by employing non-British staff working from homes overseas.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

HMT applies Civil Service central policy in relation to working from other countries.

All HMT staff are contracted to attend offices on a regular basis and there are no current plans to investigate the possibility of employing staff who live overseas.


Written Question
Civil Servants: Remote Working
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Treasury civil servants working from home; and what assessment they have made should civil servants choose to work from other countries.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

HMT offices have remained open throughout the pandemic with access to staff for business and wellbeing reasons and our building health and safety assessment has been reviewed and updated during this period. Staff working from home have been supported through a number of measures, including homeworking Display Screen Equipment assessments to support their health and safety. HMT has been able to deliver its full agenda throughout this period.

HMT applies central Civil Service policy in relation to working from other countries.


Written Question
National Economic Development Council
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what information is available on the current (1) use, and (2) whereabouts, of the circular table used by the National Economic Development Council, commonly known as NEDDY, until 1992.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

HM Treasury do not hold any information pertaining to the use or whereabouts of the circular table used by the National Economic Development Council.


Written Question
G20: National Income
Wednesday 3rd June 2020

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the value of Gross Domestic Product for each of the G20 countries in pounds sterling; and for each such country, what proportion of the combined GDP of the G20 this represents.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

Table 1 below details the answers to your questions.

Table 1: G20 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

2018 GDP current prices (£bn)

% of G20 total GDP

Argentina

389.2

0.7

Australia

1063.8

1.9

Brazil

1399.2

2.5

Canada

1282.9

2.3

China

10014.3

18.2

France

2082.7

3.8

Germany

2960.0

5.4

India

2036.7

3.7

Indonesia

765.9

1.4

Italy

1555.1

2.8

Japan

3724.5

6.8

Mexico

915.5

1.7

Russia

1241.5

2.3

Saudi Arabia

589.2

1.1

South Africa

275.8

0.5

South Korea

1288.9

2.3

Turkey

577.8

1.1

UK

2119.1

3.9

USA

15417.1

28.0

EU excluding France, Germany, Italy and UK

5319.3

9.7

Total

55018.4

100.0

Source: IMF WEO October 2019, Thomson Reuters Eikon


Written Question
Public Expenditure
Tuesday 26th May 2020

Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to suspend any additional HM Treasury funding provided to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, either through the Barnett Formula or other means, if those countries incur additional costs resulting from any longer period of lockdown than is in place in England.

Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton

The government is focused on responding to Covid-19 across the UK, both through UK-wide measures and funding to the devolved administrations through the Barnett formula.

We have so far announced almost £7 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to support people, business and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means £3.5 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.1 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.2 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.

This is in addition to the UK-wide measures that the people and businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from, including the Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

We are working closely with the devolved administrations and will continue to do so as we take steps out of lockdown.