Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications to the EU Settlement Scheme from people both over the age of 65 and living in Scotland have been successful.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.
The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020
The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.
Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.
On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.
The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 they estimate live in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) Northern Ireland, and (4) England.
Answered by Lord True
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Rt Hon. the Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
20 April 2021
Dear Lord Foulkes,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 are estimated to live in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) Northern Ireland, and (4) England (HL14730).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have estimated from data gathered by the Annual Population Survey that the numbers of non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 living in the countries of the UK are as shown in Table 1 below. This has been published on the ONS website[1].
Table 1, Annual Population Survey estimates of non-Irish EU nationals, aged 65 and over, residing in the UK, by UK country, July 2019 to June 2020, in thousands
UK Country | Estimate | +/- Confidence interval |
England | 105 | 18 |
Wales | 2 | 2 |
Scotland | 5 | 3 |
Northern Ireland | 1 | 1 |
Source: ONS
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the financial support provided to airports during the COVID-19 pandemic was issued through (1) loans, and (2) grants.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, in total, they have provided in (1) grants, and (2) loans, to the aviation sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the financial support provided to the aviation sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was allocated to (1) airports, (2) airlines, and (3) other companies in that sector.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.
This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.
We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.
The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission a report from the Head of the Civil Service into the conduct of the civil servants involved in (1) the preparations for the trial HM Advocate v Salmond, (2) the allegations of collusion within the Scottish Government in relation to the bringing of the charges relating to that trial, and (3) the reports of problems relating to submissions to the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints.
Answered by Lord True
This is a matter for the Scottish Government. There is an ongoing process to consider these issues in the Scottish Parliament. It would be premature and inappropriate to speculate on further action that may be taken until that process has concluded.
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 assessment they have made of the proposal for the creation of a new task force on meeting the current and future housing and care needs of people as they age in communities, as recommended by the Associated Retirement Community Operators in its report Planning for retirement: How retirement communities can help meet the needs of our ageing population, published in June; and what plans they have, if any, to establish such a task force.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government welcomes the work of specialist older people’s housing providers in building homes and meeting the needs of our aging population. We are already engaging with specialist providers as we take forwards our plan to build the homes our country needs including through our reform and modernisation of the planning system. Ministers and officials will continue to engage with this sector going forward.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the estimated cost of the external management review of the House of Lords.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The current estimate is that the External Management Review is likely to cost in the region of £135,000, based on the estimated number of days work involved, which may vary. This estimate includes the costs of recruiting the Reviewer, and the fees which will be paid to the Reviewer, as well as to any external supporting staff, but does not include the costs of any internal staff time spent working on the Review.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to strengthen their ability to deal with (1) espionage, and (2) illegal behaviour, in the UK by (a) the government of Russia, and (b) people associated with that government.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
In the Queen’s Speech we committed to introduce legislation to provide the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to disrupt hostile activity by foreign states. The Home Office is considering several measures for introduction via new primary legislation to make the UK a harder environment for adversaries to operate in.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to instruct the intelligence agencies to produce a plan to address any interference by the government of Russia in UK (1) democratic processes, and (2) society.
Answered by Lord True
The Security and Intelligence Agencies produce and contribute to regular assessments of the threat posed by Hostile State Activity. We keep such assessments under review and, where necessary, update them in response to new intelligence. It is, and will always be, an absolute priority to protect our democracy and elections. In July 2019 we announced the Defending Democracy programme to bring together government, civil society and private sector organisations to ensure our democracy stays open, vibrant and transparent.