Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to impose legal duties on landowners for the purpose of restricting the growth of ragwort.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no plans to issue legislation to impose legal duties on landowners to restrict the growth of ragwort. The Government’s ‘Code of Practice on How to Prevent the Spread of Ragwort’ (see attached) sets out guidance for landowners on when and how common ragwort should be removed, taking into account both animal welfare and environmental considerations.
The Code does not seek to eradicate common ragwort, but only seeks to control its spread where it poses a high risk of spreading to agricultural land, for example land used for grazing.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the length of time it takes for His Majesty's Revenue and Customs to calculate capital gains tax returns.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The vast majority of Capital Gains returns are filed online, through entries in a Self-Assessment Tax return or our online service for sale of a property which is not the main residence. Taxpayers using online services are presented with their tax calculation immediately, unless there are any exceptions requiring a manual check. For the small numbers of 2022-23 tax returns requiring manual checks, HMRC will complete these by 31 January.
For customers who file their self-assessment return on paper, HMRC aim to process 99% of returns received by the 31 October submission deadline by 31 December. They expect to meet that target this year.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making in accelerating the granting of licences for insecticides that will enable apiarists to control the spread of the Asian hornet.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator responsible for authorising biocidal products (which include insecticides) on the market in Great Britain.
Insecticide control options are already available to expert government officials carrying out treatments to destroy Asian hornet nests. Whilst there are currently no insecticide biocidal products specifically authorised for use against Asian hornets, there are a number of products available for use against hornets. Manufacturers of insecticides can apply to HSE if they wish to add specific claims for Asian hornets to their products.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the criteria necessary for the (1) erection, and (2) display, of brown road signs to denote locations of cultural and historical significance; and whether local councils are required to provide assistance during that process.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The criteria necessary for a location of cultural and historical significance to potentially warrant a brown traffic sign are provided in Schedule 1 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, 2016 (TSRGD). TSRGD defines the term ‘tourist destination’ with the following meaning:
(a) a Tourist Information Centre or Point;
(b) a permanently established attraction or facility (other than a leisure facility) which—
(i) attracts or is used by visitors to an area;
(ii) is open to the public without prior booking during its normal opening hours; and
(iii) is recognised as a tourist attraction or facility by the appropriate national promoter of tourism;
(c) a village, town or city that is of particular interest to tourists;
(d) a route that is of particular interest to tourists
VisitBritian is the national promoter for England and they have criteria for minimum number of visitors, car parking, toilets etc.
Decisions on whether to erect and display brown signs for any qualifying attraction is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. However, local councils are not required to provide assistance to attractions during the process of meeting the criteria.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many local revenue offices have informed tax payers that they should not expect tax repayment that they are owed until September, and for what reasons.
Answered by Baroness Penn
HMRC covers a wide range of taxes where refunds may be made. These include, for example, Income Tax (both Pay As You Earn and Self Assessment), Corporation Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Value Added Tax (with a number of different regimes in use), Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
The speed of repayment, and our service level agreements (SLAs) for speed of repayment, varies across different areas.
Footnote:
How HMRC is performing against its service standards can be found here:
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/guidance/HMRC-service-dashboard/outcome/HMRC-service-dashboard
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what instructions, if any, they have issued to local revenue offices about deferring the repayment of tax.
Answered by Baroness Penn
HMRC covers a wide range of taxes where refunds may be made. These include, for example, Income Tax (both Pay As You Earn and Self Assessment), Corporation Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Value Added Tax (with a number of different regimes in use), Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
The speed of repayment, and our service level agreements (SLAs) for speed of repayment, varies across different areas.
Footnote:
How HMRC is performing against its service standards can be found here:
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/guidance/HMRC-service-dashboard/outcome/HMRC-service-dashboard
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the target size for the number of personnel in the trained strength of the army reserve force; what is the total figure for trained strength of the reserve; and how many recruits there are in each arm or corps of the army reserve.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
As at 1 October 2022, the Army Reserve had a trained strength of 23,030. It is planned to grow to 30,100 under Future Soldier plans, of which c.3,000 will be untrained personnel.
The below table shows a breakdown of recruits, i.e. untrained personnel, in the Army Reserve, as at 01 October 2022:
Arm / Service |
|
Yeomanry | 120 |
Royal Regiment of Artillery | 180 |
Corps of Royal Engineers | 210 |
Royal Corps of Signals | 130 |
Infantry | 1,120 |
Army Air Corps | 50 |
Royal Army Chaplains’ Department | 10 |
The Royal Logistic Corps | 310 |
Royal Army Medical Corps | 200 |
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | 70 |
Adjutant General’s Corps, Staff & Personnel Support | 30 |
Adjutant General’s Corps, Provost Branch | 40 |
Adjutant General’s Corps, Educational and Training | - |
Adjutant General’s Corps, Army Legal Services Branch | - |
Royal Army Veterinary Corps | - |
Small Arms School Corps | - |
Royal Army Dental Corps | - |
Intelligence Corps | 120 |
Royal Army Physical Training Corps | - |
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps | 40 |
General Service Corps/General List | 10 |
Others | - |
Source: Analysis (Army)
Notes/Caveats:
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether all new builds should include solar panels, in the light of the decisions made at COP 27.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Solar power is a key part of the energy mix, and the Government will continue to support its deployment to meet energy security and net zero goals consistent with COP27 ambitions.
In December 2021, the Government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards for new builds, which came into force on 15 June 2022 and expects that to meet the new standards, most new buildings are likely to be built with renewables, principally rooftop solar panels.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the cost of (1) the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff, and (2) the contractors to undertake surveys and preparatory work, to prepare for Restoration and Renewal since 2014.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The House of Lords does not hold detailed information regarding the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff involved in the Restoration and Renewal Programme.
The House of Lords is recharged for its share of Restoration and Renewal costs by the House of Commons. Since 2014 the House of Lords contribution to the Restoration and Renewal Programme has been £58.7m. Of this sum, staff costs have totalled £7.55m and other costs, which include the costs of contractors to undertake surveys and other preparatory work, have totalled £51.15m.
Asked by: Lord Colgrain (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body what has been the cost of the work on the Restoration and Renewal programme since 2012 in respect of (1) the salaries, recruitment fees, and redundancy payments for non-parliamentary staff, such as those working for the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, (2) the costs of contractors to undertake surveys and preparatory work, and (3) the work assessing and preparing decant locations.
Answered by Lord Best
The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority were established in April and May 2020 respectively. Prior to this, the R&R Programme was funded and managed by the House Administrations.
The costs outlined below represent those incurred by the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority since April and May 2020 respectively until the end of March 2022. Costs included for the 2021/22 financial year are based on the Quarter 3 forecast, which was presented in the Main Estimate Memorandum. The 2021/22 Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority accounts are currently being audited, and the final outturn position for 2021/22 presented as part of the Annual Report and Accounts will therefore vary from the forecast position.
The Sponsor Body has spent £8.2m on salaries (includng associated costs such as pension and national insurance contributions) and £45,000 on recruitment costs. The Delivery Authority has spent £25.3m on salaries (including associated costs such as pension and national insurance contributions) and £0.4m on recruitment costs. There have been no redundancy payments by either organisation in this period.
A further £10.9m has been spent on work assessing and preparing decant locations.
Excluding the costs outlined above, the Delivery Authority has spent £151m over this period on contractor costs. This comprises all third-party spend, including design and surveys work, programme delivery and project and programme management. It also includes spend required to establish and mature the organisation in preparation for delivery, such as in data and digital, and procurement. Excluding the costs above, the Sponsor Body spent £16.1m on all third-party suppliers. The most significant pieces of work included business case and Strategic Review consultancy, independent assurance, organisational development, corporate services, and public engagement.
The total expenditure on all these items is £212m.
Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Sponsor Body must, in exercising its functions, have regard to the need to ensure that the Parliamentary building works represent good value for money. The costs of the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority to date have been through a comprehensive process of review and challenge led by the CEOs and Boards of both organisations, and scrutinised by the Commissions of both Houses as well as the Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission. These costs are also audited by the National Audit Office.