Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the value of allowances for (1) Day Subsistence, (2) Overnight Subsistence, and (3) Office Costs, when they were last available to Peers; and what would be the value of those allowances today if they had been uprated in line with inflation.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
These allowances were last available to Members in 2010 when they were valued as follows:
• Day Subsistence - £86.50
• Overnight Subsistence – £174.00
• Office costs – £75.00
Applying the relevant rates of inflation the values today would be:
• Day Subsistence - £123.50
• Overnight Subsistence – £249.00
• Office costs – £108.00
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who has replaced Chloe Smith MP as the Minister in the Cabinet Office responsible for the Constitution and Devolution; and in particular, for the work on Common Frameworks.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Following the recent Government reshuffle, Neil O’Brien MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has taken on the role of Minister for Levelling Up, the Union and the Constitution. As part of this role, Minister O’Brien has assumed responsibility for the Union and Constitution, including the Common Frameworks programme.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government where Ministerial responsibility lies in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for inclusive societies; and which Minister is responsible for ensuring that the work of the Department takes account of the rights and needs of (1) older people, and (2) people with disabilities.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, is the Minister responsible for policy on open societies and Minister Morton is responsible for gender and equalities, including the rights and needs of older people and people with disabilities.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, as part of their overseas development assistance (ODA) disbursement, (1) what assessment they have made of the economic contributions of older women in lower- and middle-income countries, and (2) what steps they have taken to ensure that ODA supports these women to access decent work and live fulfilling lives.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Older women remain economically active, often in difficult, informal roles and driven by necessity. The unpaid contributions women make over their lifetime to the economy as carers are unrecognised, and their informal work is often invisible. As a result, many older women lack access to savings, pensions or other social protection. FCDO is investing in improving collection and use of disaggregated data (by sex, age and disability) to enable us to empower and include those who are too often invisible or face additional barriers to escaping poverty. We have led the way on the Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan and encouraging multilaterals such as the World bank and UN to collect disaggregated and inclusive data.
FCDO aims to improve outcomes for women and girls, including older women, through the new £19 million Gender-Responsive Social Protection programme, which is building the evidence base on what works and offering technical assistance to strengthen government and partners social protection investments. We are also supporting governments to provide social protection for older women, including in Uganda, where over 210,000 women are currently benefitting from a senior citizen grant through a programme delivered and funded in partnership with the Governments of Ireland and Uganda.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to increase the provision of (1) extra-care housing, and (2) retirement villages for older people.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Both my Department and the Department of Health and Social Care are committed to further improving the diversity of housing options available to older people. We are engaging closely with both the sector and a range of other stakeholders on this issue. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models including proposals from the sector for a cross-Government taskforce.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in setting up the task force on housing with care; and what is its remit.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Both the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department of Health and Social Care are committed to further improving the diversity of housing options available to older people. We are engaging closely with both the sector and a range of other stakeholders on this issue. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models including proposals from the sector for a cross-Government taskforce.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they apply to the appointment of trade envoys; and what remuneration and expenses, including for travel, they are they entitled to receive.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are drawn from both Houses and across the political spectrum. They are chosen based on relevant skills and experience required to undertake the role. This experience can be related to their assigned market or UK industry knowledge, or their Government-to-Government experience, as well as willingness and an ability to undertake some international travel.
The trade envoy role is voluntary. No remuneration is paid to trade envoys. The Department for International Trade meets the cost of travel and subsistence when trade envoys travel overseas, as well as any other incidental costs incurred by the trade envoys when they fulfil their role.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance of the Scottish Government in respect of their actions in areas reserved under the devolution agreements.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK Government is committed to respecting and strengthening the devolution settlements. We engage closely with the Scottish Government on Scotland Act Orders, which were established under the Scotland Act 1998, to help manage the Scottish devolution settlement. The Scotland Act 1998 sets out mechanisms in the event of activity which may be contrary to the Scottish devolution settlement.
The UK Government engages regularly with the Scottish Government in a wide range of other areas, including on the collective challenges we face, such as our recovery from Covid-19. The UK Government reports quarterly on intergovernmental engagement and activity with the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 9 September (HL2410), what topics were covered in the 11 letters (attached to emails) that the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland received from Scottish Ministers in relation to reserved matters; and what plans they have to publish these letters.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
UK Government Ministers and Scottish Government Ministers regularly communicate on a range of matters. There is a strong public interest in allowing Ministers a private space within which to communicate, discuss and share information. Therefore, we do not routinely publish interministerial letters and we have no plans to publish these letters or their contents.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or intend to make, to (1) the Scottish Ministers, (2) the Welsh Ministers, and (3) the Northern Ireland Executive, regarding their attention to reserved issues.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
UK Government Ministers regularly speak to Ministers in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of areas. It is vital that engagement takes place across the UK on the challenges that we face together, such as our recovery from COVID-19, supporting the NHS and protecting jobs across the UK. The UK Government reports quarterly on our intergovernmental engagement and activity with the Devolved Administrations and will continue this practice in line with our commitments to transparency and accountability.