Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of compliance with the littering enforcement guidance for local authorities; and what plans they have, if any, to place it on a statutory footing.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has not made an assessment of local authority compliance with the existing, advisory littering enforcement guidance.

Defra recognises the role that appropriate and proportionate enforcement can play in helping local authorities keep streets clear of litter. Defra is considering the benefits of bringing forward statutory litter enforcement guidance and any new guidance will be announced in the usual way.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent research by the Manifesto Club which found that private enforcement companies now issue over 75 per cent of all penalties for breaches of public spaces protection orders on a payment-per-fine or otherwise incentivised basis; what assessment they have made of the risks associated with these arrangements; and what plans there are, if any, for the Home Office to follow DEFRA in introducing guidance that prohibits incentivised enforcement action.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is for local authorities to determine how to operate the powers granted to them in legislation.

Contracting enforcement to third parties is a common arrangement and it is for the local authority to ensure use of powers remains just and proportionate.

Contractors are bound by the same legal obligations, and the same safeguards in legislation, as councils themselves. Local authorities are also obliged to follow the rules set out in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in appointment of such companies.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to reform cloud procurement frameworks to ensure a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises and challenger cloud providers.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The upcoming iteration of G-Cloud will introduce a streamlined ‘Open Framework’ under the new Procurement Act. This will simplify the existing portfolio of agreements, enhancing access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and challenger cloud providers.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue guidance to public sector procurement authorities to mitigate the anti-competitive effects of restrictive cloud licensing practices.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As part of the Government’s blueprint for modern digital government published in January the government has committed to streamline the procurement of cloud services. We will also continue our work to negotiate whole-of-public-sector agreements and contracting once for a limited number of high value cases, including platform services such as cloud.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to discourage the use of excessive egress fees in public sector contracts for cloud services, to foster competition in the cloud services market.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As part of the Government’s blueprint for modern digital government published in January the government has committed to streamline the procurement of cloud services. We will also continue our work to negotiate whole-of-public-sector agreements and contracting once for a limited number of high value cases, including platform services such as cloud.

Found: Ashton of Upholland (The Chairman); Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury; Lord Booth-Smith; Lord Clement-Jones

Found: webinar, convening senior experts in this field, also in April 24. 2 The panel consisted of Lord Clement-Jones

Found: (Lord Clement-Jones: 6 September 2023, Column 470) 3.

Found: introducing a general public importance threshold, this amendment is modelled on that tabled by Lord Clement-Jones

Found: We recommend the House of Commons to retable Amendment HoL122 (Lord Clement-Jones).

Found: become compulsory by default."65 This sentiment was shared by cross-party peers, including Lord-Clement Jones

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