Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they hold no records of the Duke of York’s official overseas trips as Special Representative prior to 2008, given that he was appointed to the role in 2001; and what steps are being taken to locate these missing files.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office records are retained and managed in accordance with its record retention and disposal policy, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act very seriously. Each request is evaluated individually, and when sensitive information falls within the scope of a request, the relevant exemptions are applied. If a requester is dissatisfied with a response under the FoI Act, they have the right to appeal, and the appeal procedures are outlined in the response. We regularly provide advice and assistance in line with the Information Commissioner's Office guidance on how requests can be better framed to help requesters to gain access to the information they are seeking.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any review into the Duke of York’s activities as Special Representative in Kazakhstan; and whether they had any impact on UK diplomatic or trade interests in the region.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not conducted a review into the activities of the Duke of York when Special Representative for Trade and Investment in Kazakhstan from 2001 to 2011.
The UK engages with Kazakhstan regularly, with The Minister of State, Stephen Doughty recently hosting the 8th UK-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue in London. Kazakhstan is the UK's largest trading partner in Central Asia; the total bilateral trade in goods and service was £2.8 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2024.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the terms of reference for the next review of the Sovereign Grant in April 2026 will be prepared; who will be responsible for preparing them; and what input will be invited from parliamentarians.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The requirements for the 2026 review of the Sovereign Grant have been set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This requires the Royal Trustees to consider what percentage of Crown Estate profits should be used in the calculation of the Sovereign Grant for the period from 2027, once Buckingham Palace reservicing works are completed. The Act requires that the Royal Trustees report is laid in Parliament, and any change in the percentage used given effect by Statutory Instrument agreed by the House of Commons. In addition, the government has committed to bring forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28, which will enable further parliamentary debate on this issue.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence provided briefings to Prince Andrew after he left the Royal Navy and during his tenure as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, what was the nature of such briefings, and on what date they ceased.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A review with areas that could have been involved in supporting Prince Andrew in his role as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, has not produced records of such briefings.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reset the level of the Sovereign Grant once the reservicing works in Buckingham Palace have been completed.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As required by the Sovereign Grant Act 2011, the next review of the Sovereign Grant will take place in 2026. The government has committed to bring forward legislation to reset the Grant to a lower level from 2027-28 once Buckingham Palace reservicing works are completed.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether public funds are used for security at private residences or non-official activities of members of the Royal Family, and, if so, what is the justification for using them for this purpose.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including expenditure, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to publishing annually, alongside the Sovereign Grant accounts, the total public expenditure on security for the Royal Family.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including expenditure, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing additional resources or support from UK criminal law enforcement agencies to assist Police Scotland with the ongoing investigation into neurosurgeon Muftah Salem Eljamel, given the concerns regarding the duration of the investigation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
That it is a matter for Police Scotland. No request for assistance has been made.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they propose to help the poorest pensioners who will lose their winter fuel allowance.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Over the next five years we expect over 12 million pensioners are likely to see their State Pensions increase by thousands of pounds as a result of our commitment to the Triple Lock.
We are providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.
The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the proposals from (1) Age UK, and (2) Martin Lewis, to mitigate the losses faced by the poorest pensioners who will lose their winter fuel allowance.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Over the course of this Parliament we expect over 12 million pensioners are likely to see their new State Pensions increase by £1700 as a result of our commitment to the Triple Lock.
We are also providing support through our Warm Homes Plan which pensioners will benefit from. This will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.
The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.
The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
With regards to the suggestion that Winter Fuel Payments are paid to pensioners according to their council tax band, this would not be possible as my Department does not hold data on people’s council tax banding. Additionally council tax band is not always an accurate reflection of someone’s income.
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.