Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation on 21 November (HCWS376), what proportion of the funding announced for the UK R&D sector they expect will be allocated to universities in Scotland; and what steps they are taking to ensure that universities in Scotland receive their full share of R&D funding.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s priority is to support the UK’s world class R&D sector. We have put in place this additional funding to shore up talent and invest in R&D infrastructure across the UK, while also aiming to secure the UK fusion sectors’ commercial leadership and capabilities.
We are committed to levelling up and where funding delivered via UKRI is England only, there will be an additional funding allocation for the Devolved administrations. The approach to funding distribution is being developed and my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation has written to DA colleagues on this matter. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect Afghan refugees from harassment in the hotels and other temporary accommodation in which they reside.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We take the safety and welfare of the people we accommodate very seriously.
The Home Office have contracted Mitie to provide security to all bridging hotels that we are using to temporarily accommodate guests evacuated from Afghanistan, ensuring guards are available on all entry and exit points 24 hours a day, 7 days a week . All security guards in our bridging hotels are in unbranded uniform. Security at the sites remain under constant review.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States of America regarding its review of its nuclear arms policy.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Nuclear cooperation remains an important element of the enduring special relationship between the US and the UK. The Foreign and Defence Secretaries hold regular discussions with their US counterparts on a range of issues, including on security policy. These discussions are reflected and supported by daily cooperation at official level on arms control, nuclear deterrence policy, counter proliferation and strategic stability between the UK and the US, as well as by wider cooperation with NATO Allies. We will continue to work closely with the US on security policy, including nuclear deterrence policy.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to eliminate (1) sexual harassment, (2) physical assault, and (3) bullying, suffered by female members of the armed forces.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated in the Armed Forces, and anyone failing to meet our values and standards will be dealt with robustly, including being subject to police investigations and dismissal where appropriate.
Defence is working to prevent and tackle all forms of unacceptable behaviour, including sexual harassment and bullying. In June 2021 we updated our policy on behaviour which sets out our expectations. We have issued an information booklet on sexual harassment, which includes guidance on how to recognise it and what to do if personnel experience, witness or wish to report it.
Mandatory training in the Armed Forces has been updated as recommended in the Wigston Review into inappropriate behaviour and we have introduced Active Bystander Training to equip people with the skills to intervene should they witness incidents. A training package is currently being developed to share the lived experience of all people within Defence more broadly. Defence is consistently communicating on matters related to culture and behaviour to drive change, using opportunities such as National Inclusion Week and Anti-Bullying Week to raise awareness.
Physical assault is likely to be a criminal offence – where any kind of physical assault is reported by individuals of any gender as a victim or witness, the Service Police will investigate it.
The forthcoming response to the HCDC Women in Defence report will deliver more detail on what work we are doing in Defence to improve the lived experience of women who serve.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for the reform of the World Trade Organisation.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The UK champions rules-based multilateral trade, and strongly supports the Director-General of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) efforts to drive forward reform. WTO reform has been a central aspect of this year’s G7 Trade Track discussions, which are seeking to build momentum and common ground ahead of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. We are actively participating in discussions through bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral channels, including the G20 and Ottawa Group.
Examples of specific proposals include our co-sponsorship of a proposal at the WTO Council for Trade in Goods to enhance WTO monitoring and transparency requirements, co-sponsorship of the Ottawa Group’s Trade and Health proposal, and submission of textual proposals to the E-Commerce Joint Initiative negotiations.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges by Ofsted, published on 10 June, what steps they are taking to discourage sexual harassment of young people in schools and colleges.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department has already introduced the new compulsory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum. From next term we expect the RSHE curriculum to be implemented in full. School leaders have been asked to dedicate time from INSET days to consider how best to do this.
The department is updating statutory guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education for this September. This will ensure schools have even clearer guidance on how to deal with reports of sexual abuse. It will support teachers and other school staff to spot the signs of abuse and to respond quickly, sensitively, and appropriately to children and young people.
We will also be investing additional money to further test the impact of support and supervision models for designated safeguarding leads in up to 500 more schools.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK economy of the current level of inflation in the USA.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In May, US CPI inflation was 5% and the core measure of CPI inflation was 3.8%. The increase in US inflation is expected to be temporary since recent rises have been driven by large price rises in certain sectors as the economy reopens, and issues with temporary supply bottlenecks, though some uncertainty remains. In the UK, monetary policy is set by the operationally independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England to meet the Government’s inflation target; there have been minimal spillovers from the increase in US inflation to the UK so far although some factors, such as commodity prices, have affected inflation in both countries.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to encourage housing development on brownfield sites.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
This Government is providing strong encouragement to local authorities, communities and housebuilders to make the most of suitable brownfield land.
Our National Planning Policy Framework asks local authorities to give great weight to re-using brownfield, and every authority publishes a register of brownfield land suitable for housing. Government gives significant financial assistance for the take-up of brownfield sites and for the necessary infrastructure– including the £4.95 billion Home Building Fund, the £400 million Brownfield Housing Fund and the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund. There is tax relief for land remediation, and wider permitted development rights allow yet more homes to be created.
Our further reforms of the planning system in England will ensure that communities have more meaningful opportunities to engage on local plans that set the rules for development in their areas, to produce design codes that have real teeth, and to have their say on the detailed aspects of planning applications. The reforms will also ensure that housing schemes come forward in areas identified for growth, while ensuring that valued countryside remains protected
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent court judgment which found that they had acted unlawfully when awarding a contract to Public First, what steps they will now take to ensure that all contracts which they enter into are lawful.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Government has already addressed procedural issues raised by this case, through the implementation of the recommendations made by Nigel Boardman’s review of COVID-19 communications contracts.
We have published updated guidance on the options available to contracting authorities when undertaking procurements in an emergency (PPN01/21) and the management of conflicts of interest in commercial environments (PPN04/21). Further updated transparency guidance is due to be published shortly.
The Government’s Procurement Green Paper sets out how we will reform public procurement to simplify processes, reduce bureaucracy and create a fair, open and competitive system.
Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that female prisoners who have left prison and are being supported by the temporary accommodation service are assisted into permanent accommodation.
Answered by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
We are investing more than £20m in supporting prison leavers at risk of homelessness into temporary accommodation. Individuals released from prison will be provided up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation and will be supported into long-term settled accommodation before the end of that 12-week period. Initially launching in five national probation regions, the service will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year and will be commencing this Summer. It will be in operation during the next financial year 2021-22, with a view to scaling up and rolling out nationally.
The service will take account of the needs of women, including those with complex needs and accommodation provision will be dedicated to single gender usage as required. Community Probation Practitioners, working together with local partners, will be responsible for ensuring that vulnerable female prison leavers receive appropriate support and are provided with housing beyond the 12 weeks emergency accommodation.
HMPPS will work in conjunction with MHCLG’s announced funding to support both male and female prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Funded schemes to support women will be developed to recognise their specific needs and will be part of plans to secure settled accommodation by the end of the 12 weeks temporary accommodation provided by HMPPS.
In 2020, Hestia Battersea was changed from a male to female Approved Premises to give better geographic spread of AP provision for women, becoming the first AP for women in London since 2008.
In addition, Eden House, the first new AP in over thirty years, will open in this month supporting female offenders.