Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many bids were received for the UK Emergency Alert System.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The original bidding process for suppliers to deliver the UK Emergency Alert system was handled by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) during 2020 and 2021. Therefore the UK Government was not privy to the number of bids each of the MNOs received.
For the contract publicly listed on Contract Finder[1] signed by Government Digital Service, two bids were received and Fujitsu was the winning bidder.
[1] https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/6e9669c8-6908-47ff-bac6-d83f8670403b?origin=SearchResults&p=1
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to engage with the concerns of NASA and scientists around the world regarding the increasing risk posed by space junk.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is taking action to deliver on the Plan for Space Sustainability announced last year to help ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. This includes plans for regulatory reform, supporting the development of an industry-led Space Sustainability Mark, and building sustainable capabilities in the UK including Active Debris Removal and In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing missions. The Government engages extensively in international and scientific fora such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee to tackle the issue of the increasingly contested and congested space environment.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government at what point Ukrainian refugees who have been in the UK for over 180 days are liable to pay tax.
Answered by Baroness Penn
Under UK tax rules, all income earned through employment is taxable. The Government has made guidance available on GOV.UK for Ukrainians arriving in the UK, which includes a section on employment and tax.
The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those with the most contribute the most. The income tax system is highly progressive, with different rates of tax sitting above an internationally high tax-free Personal Allowance. Ukrainians arriving in the UK will have to claim the Personal Allowance at the end of each tax year in which they receive UK income.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support mine clearance in Ukraine with specific reference to the areas surrounding (1) power stations, and (2) electricity substations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a £2m agreement with The Halo Trust under the Global Mine Action Programme to undertake mine action activities, including clearance, in Ukraine. The FCDO is also providing demining equipment and training to the State Emergency Services (SES) as part of its £14.5m contribution to the multi-donor Partnership Fund for Resilient Ukraine, and providing £0.6m to the UNDP to help sector coordination. The Ukrainian national mine action authority is responsible for mine clearance tasking, including for critical infrastructure, and can use either national operators like SES or accredited international organisations like the Halo Trust.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many electricity generators they have supplied to Ukraine since February; what are the models of each generator supplied; how they are being distributed; and what is the timetable for their full deployment.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Through the Ukraine Electricity Network Support Taskforce, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has funded the procurement for Ukraine of 856 mobile generators of various models. These have all been delivered to Ukraine, where they are being used to provide power to homes disconnected from the electricity grid. The Prime Minister recently announced £4 million for the International Organisation for Migration in Ukraine. This new support includes the provision of generators for households and collective centres. The UK has also committed £10 million to the Energy Community's Ukraine Energy Support Fund. Since March 2022, the Energy Community has been coordinating business-to-business donations of specialised equipment for repairs, including generators and replacements for damaged infrastructure.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to update current Stamp Duty Reserve Tax legislation to ensure that the growth market exemption can apply to regulated recognised growth markets that are not part of a recognised stock exchange.
Answered by Baroness Penn
There are currently no plans to extend the recognised growth market exemption from Stamp Duty Reserve Tax to markets that are not part of a recognised stock exchange.
However, as with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will continue to keep this legislation under review.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether regulated securities such as equity and debt are classified as digital assets; and what consideration they have given to the possible future use of such securities as a mechanism of fundraising.
Answered by Baroness Penn
The regulatory treatment of a particular asset or instrument depends on its structure, the rights attached to it and how it is used in practice.
The FCA set out in its 2019 perimeter guidance that certain digital assets have characteristics which mean they are the same as or akin to traditional instruments like shares, debentures or units in a collective investment scheme.
Such assets are therefore within the scope of FCA regulation, and it is the responsibility of firms that use them to ensure they are meeting relevant regulatory requirements.
The Government is taking forward various initiatives in this space. The Government’s response to the Call for Evidence on the Investment and Wholesale uses of Cryptoassets published earlier this year made clear that legislation should be technology-neutral and able to accommodate innovation – such as distributed ledger technology – that could more easily enable the transfer of assets. The Government also set out its plans for a Financial Market Infrastructure Sandbox, which could enable firms to test the use of digital technologies in financial markets.
As announced by the Economic Secretary on 4 April, the Government will also be undertaking a programme of work to explore the possibilities for applying distributed ledger technology to the debt issuance process.
Separately, the Law Commission has been tasked by Government to make recommendations for private law reform to ensure that private law is capable of accommodating certain digital assets, including cryptoassets, and to clarify their legal status as objects of property rights.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill will make it an offence to (1) undertake, or (2) knowingly participate in, Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our financial system, strengthening the UK's reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. It will include reform of Companies House, reforms to prevent abuse of limited partnerships, additional powers to seize suspect cryptoassets more quickly and easily, and reforms to give businesses more confidence to share information in order to tackle money laundering and other economic crime.
My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, is giving Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (‘SLAPPs’) and libel reform in UK courts urgent consideration in light of reports that Russia and its allies may be funding litigation against free speech in the UK.
An urgent call for evidence was launched in response to the challenges presented by the increasing use of SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
The call for evidence set out options for possible reforms and sought views on those proposals. It also invited those who have been subject to SLAPPs or who have an interest to share their experiences and the impact on them.
The call for evidence closed on 19 May and the Ministry of Justice, working with several other Government departments and regulators, are considering the options for reform. In doing so we are committed to a robust defence of transparency, the rule of law and freedom of speech.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill will establish an (1) earlier, and (2) low-cost, procedure to (a) identify, and (b) dismiss, Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our financial system, strengthening the UK's reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. It will include reform of Companies House, reforms to prevent abuse of limited partnerships, additional powers to seize suspect cryptoassets more quickly and easily, and reforms to give businesses more confidence to share information in order to tackle money laundering and other economic crime.
My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, is giving Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (‘SLAPPs’) and libel reform in UK courts urgent consideration in light of reports that Russia and its allies may be funding litigation against free speech in the UK.
An urgent call for evidence was launched in response to the challenges presented by the increasing use of SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
The call for evidence set out options for possible reforms and sought views on those proposals. It also invited those who have been subject to SLAPPs or who have an interest to share their experiences and the impact on them.
The call for evidence closed on 19 May and the Ministry of Justice, working with several other Government departments and regulators, are considering the options for reform. In doing so we are committed to a robust defence of transparency, the rule of law and freedom of speech.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed Economic Crime Bill will include a legal definition of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will bear down on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our financial system, strengthening the UK's reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. It will include reform of Companies House, reforms to prevent abuse of limited partnerships, additional powers to seize suspect cryptoassets more quickly and easily, and reforms to give businesses more confidence to share information in order to tackle money laundering and other economic crime.
My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, is giving Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (‘SLAPPs’) and libel reform in UK courts urgent consideration in light of reports that Russia and its allies may be funding litigation against free speech in the UK.
An urgent call for evidence was launched in response to the challenges presented by the increasing use of SLAPPs – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
The call for evidence set out options for possible reforms and sought views on those proposals. It also invited those who have been subject to SLAPPs or who have an interest to share their experiences and the impact on them.
The call for evidence closed on 19 May and the Ministry of Justice, working with several other Government departments and regulators, are considering the options for reform. In doing so we are committed to a robust defence of transparency, the rule of law and freedom of speech.