Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State in the Cabinet Office (Minister without Portfolio) on 19 March (HCWS1422), what changes they plan to make to the budget, timetable, business case, and scope of the Manchester Digital Campus programme in light of the establishment of Number 10 North.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
There are currently no plans to establish the No10 North office within the Manchester Digital Campus. Consequently, the outline business case will not be reviewed on this basis.
The Manchester Digital Campus programme continues to progress as set out in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) previously employed, and (2) new, Number 10 staff are currently working in Number 10 North.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
No10 North exists to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level. The initial team includes people loaned from a range of government departments and secondees from local government.
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 Lord Pitt-Watson on 3 August (HL2690), whether there is sufficient advance notice to make the changes to the pension age that have been costed by the Office for Budget Responsibility but not formally announced by the Government; and whether the review is also considering the minimum age at which one can claim a private pension of 57.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The third State Pension age Review will consider what the timetable for any State Pension age changes should be in the coming decades. The Review must report by the end of March 2029. No decisions have yet been made.
The Government is committed to providing clear and sufficient notice of any changes to the State Pension age, so people can properly plan for their retirement.
The Review will not consider the appropriate level for the Normal Minimum Pension Age, the lowest age at which members can usually take benefits from a registered pension scheme without incurring tax charges.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Employment Rights Act 2025’s provisions on access to the workplace will require changes to the guidance on trade union access to the building of the employer on strike days.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Employment Rights Act 2025’s provisions on access set out that trade union access cannot be used for the purposes of organising industrial action (70ZA(7) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992). Doing so would be considered a breach of the access agreement. However, the union could still be entitled to access a non-striking group of workers in the same workplace for any of the access purposes set out (section 70ZA (6) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992)), and in accordance with the access agreement.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the then Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 9 February (HC118753) and the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Home Office on 11 February (HC110397), whether the Muslim Council of Britain is subject to a publicly stated policy of non-engagement by the Home Office.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government continues to have a policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.
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 Pitt-Watson on 1 September (HL2691), what was the cost of obtaining the photographic licence to illustrate the HM Treasury accounts with the image of the Can’t we just print more money books; and whether HM Treasury endorses the book’s substantive recommendation on not printing more money as a tool of fiscal and monetary policy.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The image was selected from HM Government's approved image library because it was relevant to the subject matter discussed in the Annual Report and Accounts. In particular, it related to quantitative easing and the Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility Fund Limited (BEAPFF), which is associated with the most material elements of HM Treasury's accounts. The Government agrees that increasing the money supply cannot by itself increase the economy's productive capacity or sustainably raise living standards. The Government's monetary policy framework is based on the objective of maintaining low and stable inflation through an operationally independent Bank of England.
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 9 July 2026 (HL1393), what plans they have to trail policies in the 2026 Budget to the media ahead of any formal statements to Parliament.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
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 HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the Financial Conduct Authority letter Sponsorship Arrangements Between Football Clubs and Unauthorised Firms published in June 2026, whether the Financial Conduct Authority intends to review sponsorship or arrangements between crypto-currency firms, and (1) political parties, and (2) politicians.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Protecting the integrity of our democratic and electoral processes is a priority for this Government.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) does not intend to undertake such a review. The FCA has taken steps to address the risks associated with football club sponsorship arrangements involving unauthorised cryptoasset firms. Oversight of sponsorship arrangements involving political parties or politicians falls under electoral law and is a matter for the Government and the independent Electoral Commission.
The Government is bringing forward a number of policy reforms on political finance as part of the Representation of the People Bill. These include reforms to rules around political donations, as well as new rules relating to political donations in the form of cryptoassets, donations from companies and LLPs, and a cap on donations from overseas electors.
In March 2026, alongside the publication of the independent Rycroft Review into countering foreign financial interference and influence in UK politics, the Government announced a moratorium on political donations made via cryptoassets. This includes political donations which take the form of sponsorships.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what date the National Cyber Security Centre received the report by APCO Worldwide commissioned by Labour Together codenamed Project Cannon.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) works with organisations in confidence to help manage and mitigate cyber security risks. It does not routinely disclose operational details relating to specific incidents or reports and therefore cannot comment on the details requested.
Asked by: Lord Gilbert of Panteg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Leong on 1 September (HL2203), does the Minister for Small Business and Enterprise physically attend departmental offices to undertake ministerial duties during periods of strike action by departmental civil servants or contractors.
Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to UIN HL2203 on 29 July 2026.