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Written Question
General Election 2024: British Nationals Abroad
Monday 12th August 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many overseas voters took part in the 2024 general election and what proportion they represented of all of those who were eligible to vote.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This Government recognises problems facing overseas voters at elections. The Electoral Commission will publish a report on the administration of the General Election held on 4 July later this year, which will cover postal voting at the poll, and the Government will give careful consideration to any findings or recommendations made in the report in relation to the current arrangements for postal voting.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Public Appointments
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what public appointments are made directly by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)

As specified in the Public Appointment Order in Council, 15 November 2023, 2023-2-Public-Appointments-Order-In-Council.pdf (independent.gov.uk), the Secretary of State for Defence is responsible for public appointments to the following public bodies and offices:

Armed Forces Pay Review Body

Defence Nuclear Safety Expert Committee

Departmental Board for the Ministry of Defence (non-executive members)

Independent Medical Expert Group

Independent Monitoring Board for the Military Corrective Training Centre

Nuclear Research Advisory Council

Oil and Pipelines Agency

Royal Air Force Museum

Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons

Service Complaints Ombudsman

Service Police Complaints Commissioner

Single Source Regulations Office

Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees


Written Question
Department for Education: Public Appointments
Monday 5th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what public appointments are made directly by the Secretary of State for Education.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)

Public appointments made by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education are published on the Public Appointment Order in Council; please see the attached document. The appointments are publicly announced on GOV.UK and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-non-executive-appointments. The order includes those roles where official sign off by the King and/or the Prime Minister is required.


Written Question
Public Bills
Monday 5th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker during the past 14 years in respect of which public bills that started in the House of Commons has a motion been tabled to decline to give the bill a second reading in the House of Lords.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

There have been five such cases since 2010, including the motion on 29 January 2024 relating to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. The other four bills, along with the dates they were debated on second reading, were the Health and Social Care Bill (11-12 October 2011); the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (3-4 June 2013); the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (4 November 2014); and the Illegal Migration Bill (10 May 2023).


Written Question
Department of Health and Social Care: Public Appointments
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what public appointments are made directly by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

The statutory basis for public appointments is set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2023, which lists public appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and includes those identified as being made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, listed as entries under the Department of Health and Social Care. A copy of the document is attached.

When the order is next updated by Cabinet Office, it will also include public appointments to the board of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, which are made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is also responsible for making the following public appointments, which are not regulated by the Commissioner:

- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, chair and non-executive members;

- UK Health Security Agency, chair and non-executive members; and

- NHS Pensions Board, chair only.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Construction
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 6 December (HL701), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, how much money has been spent to date on the Crewe leg (Phase 2a) of HS2.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

As noted in the Parliamentary Report published in November 2023, to date £1bn (2019 prices) has been spent on the Phase 2a leg of HS2.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Construction
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 26 October (HL10766), how much money has been spent to date on the Crewe leg (Phase 2a) of HS2.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

This is set out in the latest Parliamentary Report on HS2. The Department will continue to work with HS2 Ltd to bring early / enabling site activities to a safe stop and conclude any land remediation activities for the handing back of sites.


Written Question
Railways: Midlands and North of England
Wednesday 6th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 22 November (HL278), whether the Prime Minister's commitment to deliver new rail schemes "far more quickly" than the scrapped Manchester leg of HS2, as set out in their Network North published in October (CP 946), applies to the lines from (1) Burton to Leicester, and (2) Stoke to Leek.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

Under the Network North announcement, the Government has committed to delivering both schemes, both of which could be delivered quicker than Phase 2b of HS2 which was due to complete in 2041.


Written Question
Ministers: Pay
Tuesday 28th November 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which members of His Majesty's Government are not in receipt of a ministerial salary.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)

The full list of ministers can be found on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-november-2023

The ministers currently appointed who are not in receipt of a ministerial salary are: Richard Holden MP, Rt Hon John Glen MP, Baroness Nevile-Rolfe DBE CMG, Lord Ahmad, Rt Hon Lord Benyon, the Earl of Minto, Lord Bellamy KC, Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP, Andrew Griffith MP, Viscount Camrose, Lord Markham CBE, Rt Hon Earl Howe CBE, Lord Johnson CBE, Lord Offord of Garvel, Baroness Barran MBE, and Baroness Swinburne.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Line: Construction
Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 26 October (HL10766), how much money has been spent to date on the Manchester leg of HS2.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

Information related to the spend to date on HS2, including Phase 2b Western Leg, was provided in the most recent Parliamentary Report published in November 2023.

To date, £0.7bn (2019 prices) has been spent on the Phase 2b Western Leg of the HS2 Programme. This funding was used to prepare the Phase 2b Western Leg Bill. Following the Network North announcement, Government is now considering options to repurpose this Bill in order to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Department for Transport remains committed to providing regular updates to Parliament on the progress of the Programme with a further update expected in Spring 2024.