Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on whether ministers in the Department for Business and Trade attend their department to undertake ministerial duties during periods of strike action by civil servants or contractors.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Decisions about ministerial attendance at departmental offices are a matter for individual ministers, taking account of their official duties, operational requirements and the effective conduct of government business.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 27 April (HL16205), whether Lord Mandelson was involved in the Sale of Student Loans Act 2008 legislation and subsequent policy; and through what mechanisms Lord Mandelson’s correspondence and private office papers from that period has been reviewed.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department does not hold records of any involvement of Lord Mandelson in this policy area. Lord Mandelson was not a government minister at the time the Act was passed.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 29 April (HL16703), what were the specific Budget policies that were trailed or announced to the media ahead of the Budget that were not accompanied by a statement to Parliament at the time.
Answered by Lord Livermore
There are occasions where the Government will trail and/or announce policy ahead of a Budget to provide context and help the public understand major fiscal events.
Consistent with the Macpherson Principles, the Civil Service Code, The Ministerial Code and the Special Advisers’ Code, any such communications are tightly controlled, respect Parliament, and protect market‑sensitive information.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether each of their Five Missions remain a priority, or whether they have been downgraded or superseded.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Missions remain a priority across Government departments.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office gave to facilitating a diplomatic service role for Lord Doyle in the British Embassy in Washington.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers given on this matter by the Foreign Secretary in the most recent session of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions in the House of Commons on 21 April, when she said: "As for the case that the hon. Member raised, I can confirm that it would also not have been an appropriate appointment."
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 4 March (HC110410), whether the 10 Downing Street email address of John Pond belonged to a civil servant or was email alias for the then Prime Minister.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It would not be appropriate to comment on individual staffing matters.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 9 March (HL14364), whether they will publish the arrangements and mitigations that were put in place in relation to Lord Mandelson's Global Counsel shareholdings when he was appointed Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Noble Lord to the Government's statement (Official Report, vol. 782, cols. 359-374) and release of information on 11 March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 16 April (HL15582), whether information on the current cash equivalent transfer value of the pension scheme established under the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 is held by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 30 March (HL15584), whether the trailing of the Budget 2025 policy in advance of the budget statement included briefings to the media that were not accompanied by a formal ministerial statement to Parliament or an official government press release.
Answered by Lord Livermore
I refer the noble lord to the Answer on 30 March (HL15584). Consistent with the Macpherson Principles, the Civil Service Code and the Special Advisers’ Code, there are occasions where the Government will trail and/or announce policy ahead of a Budget to provide context and help the public understand major fiscal events.
Any such communications are tightly controlled, respect Parliament, and protect market‑sensitive information
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 24 March (HL15644), what assessment the Minister for the Civil Service has made of whether the Child Poverty Strategy complies with the Civil Service Code and Ministerial Code in relation to party political content.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.