Became Member: 28th October 1997
Left House: 1st January 2019 (Retired)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Higgins, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Higgins has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Higgins has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
This Government is determined to deliver on the decision taken by the people of the UK in last year’s Referendum. The Government is undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work to assess, across a range of scenarios, the economic impacts of exiting the European Union. It would not be appropriate, however, to publish details that could undermine the UK's negotiating position with the EU.
We are deeply disappointed that the US has taken this unjustified decision, particularly on grounds of national security. These unilateral trade measures have weak foundations in international law, and they are not consistent with the US Department of Defence’s own judgment in an investigation that was conducted on the basis of national security.
The UK has been involved throughout EU discussions on addressing the potential trade imbalances that these measures could create. The Government supported these measures in the Trade Barriers Committee on 14 June, alongside all other Member States.
It is not possible at this stage to estimate accurately the effect of these tariffs on consumer prices. Countermeasure tariffs will make imports of these products from the US more expensive for consumers and user industries, however US businesses may choose to absorb the cost of increased tariffs rather than pass them onto consumers. This could induce consumers and users to switch to alternative suppliers or reduce their consumption. This would reduce US exports of these products to the EU and UK.
As indicated in the answer of 31 January, the Government’s view is that although Transport for London (TfL) do not have the power to limit the number of private hire vehicles (PHVs), other mechanisms are available to address concerns regarding the operation of the taxi and private hire sector. Therefore there are no current plans to amend primary legislation in order to permit any licensing authority, including TfL, to cap the number of PHVs licensed.
The Government supports choice for consumers, and wants to see both taxis and private hire vehicles prosper in London and across the country. As indicated in the answer of 31 January, the Government’s view is that although powers to limit the number of private hire vehicles do not exist, other mechanisms are available to address concerns regarding the operation of the taxi and private hire sector.
The Government has met with representatives of the Mayor on this issue.
The Government supports choice for consumers, and wants to see both taxis and private hire vehicles prosper in London and elsewhere. The Mayor and Transport for London, together with the police and local authorities, have a range of tools available to them to deal with congestion and vehicle pollution. Effective use of these tools will allow both licensed taxi and private hire vehicles to lawfully meet the demands of London’s travelling public.
London’s cycle superhighways are the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL). Emergency service vehicles operating under blue lights will always find the safest and fastest way possible to arrive at a major incident or terrorist attack. This could mean using any part of the highway, including, where necessary and where the road layout allows this, part of a cycle superhighway.
The Department for Transport has not completed any estimates specifically on the effect of construction and use of bicycle lanes on air pollution. But we recognise that encouraging car users to switch to alternative, more sustainable, forms of transport like cycling can generally have both health and carbon reduction benefits as well as improving local air quality.
When we appraise cycle schemes for funding, we apply WebTAG unit A5-1. This appraisal looks at outcomes only and does not consider impacts during the construction phase of a scheme. Where a scheme includes shifts away from mechanised modes and changes in congestion levels, we use marginal external costs, including air pollution. This is done at an individual scheme level and reported in the appraisal of each case; therefore no holistic study has been undertaken. This appraisal does not take account of potentially complex changes to motorists behaviour (such as speed and route choice) resulting from the introduction of cycle lanes.
Transport for London state that during the construction phase some localised short-term slight impacts on local air quality can be expected from the use of plant and vehicles. However, contractors are required to minimise dust and emissions to air and comply with the Greater London Authority and London Councils’ Control of Dust and Emissions from Construction and Demolition Best Practice Guidance.
Transport for London undertake air quality modelling to ascertain the impacts during operation. Schemes such as the East-West Cycle Superhighway show that the likely impact of the introduction of cycle lanes and changes to the road layout on air quality ranges from adverse to beneficial. The study shows that changes in traffic will redistribute emissions across the study area but will not increase overall emission levels.
The arrangements for withdrawal from the EU, including determining the sterling and euro values of the financial settlement, will be a matter for the withdrawal agreement as part of the Article 50 process. The UK government is committed to working with the EU to determine a fair settlement for Britain’s exit and the best deal for UK taxpayers.
The principle of uberrima fides does not apply to the UK’s Deposit Guarantee Scheme. Uberrima fides is a principle that applies to insurers and insurance contracts, but the Deposit Guarantee Scheme is not an insurance scheme and is not contractual. The duties of the Deposit Guarantee Scheme are set out in the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive and the relevant UK legislation.
The Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive (DGSD) updates existing legislation designed to harmonise the level of deposit protection provided across the European Economic Area (EEA), of which the UK is a part.
This is a single market measure to ensure that depositors are entitled to the same level of protection (equivalent to €100,000 per regulated firm, regardless of currency) wherever in the EEA they deposit their money; and that UK firms are not competitively disadvantaged in relation to firms in other EEA jurisdictions.
As a result of the current strength of the pound in relation to the euro, it has been necessary for the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to revise the sterling coverage limit provided by the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). However, the Government has taken action to ensure that UK depositors are not exposed to a sudden reduction in the level of protection they receive.
HM Treasury has laid a statutory instrument to ensure that depositors who are currently entitled to £85,000 of protection from the FSCS will continue to be until 31 December 2015, after which the new deposit coverage limit of £75,000 will come into effect.
This will ensure that there is sufficient time available for depositors to be made aware of the changes, and to take any necessary steps to manage their financial affairs appropriately in light of this change. It is estimated that 5 per cent of retail depositors are affected by this change.
The Government has secured a deal that protects UK taxpayers from any risk from financing euro area bailouts now and in the future. This deal gives legal force to the commitment secured in 2010 that UK taxpayers would not be drawn into a euro area bailout. Under the European Financial Stability Mechanism (EFSM) short term financing agreement concluded on Friday 17 July, Greece’s IMF arrears have also been cleared.
As the Chancellor said at the Autumn Statement, Britain – as one of the most open trading economies in the world, with a large financial sector – is not immune to the risks of the global economy. This is particularly true of the euro area, the UK’s largest trading partner, which accounts for 40 percent of exports.
While significant steps have been taken by the euro area to place itself on a more sustainable footing, its economy weakened in the second half of 2014, with inflation extremely low and unemployment stubbornly high.
Under Article 25 of the Qualification Directive asylum seekers accepted as refugees in an EU member state will be issued a refugee status travel document, in the form set out in the Schedule to the Geneva Convention, for the purpose of travel outside their territory unless there are compelling reasons of national security or public order which prevent this.
It is normal practice for member states to distribute specimen documents between states. All specimen documents are stored securely in the UK.
Under Article 6 of the Reception Conditions Directive 2013/13, EU member states are required to ensure that asylum applicants seeking international protection within their territory are provided with a document showing their status as an applicant or testifying that person is allowed to stay in the member state whilst the application is pending or being examined.
The process for issuing such a document will vary from country to country.
As set out in the Government’s response to written questions HL2307 and HL2339 under international law the UK has a duty to not return people who are rescued at sea to countries where they would be at risk of serious harm. Migrants rescued in the Mediterranean must therefore be disembarked at the nearest safe country.
The Government, however, maintains that the link must be broken between getting on a boat and automatically achieving residence in the Europe. The UK continues to push for action through the EU and UN to tackle the causes of illegal migration in order to discourage people from making these dangerous journeys. The UK is pursuing and disrupting the organised crime groups profiting from the people smuggling trade, including through the creation of an Organised Immigration Crime Task Force.
Migrants who do reach the EU need to be registered, screened and processed when they arrive to control their movement as well as to distinguish between those in real need of international protection and economic migrants. The UK is supporting the EU ‘Hotspots’ initiative which will help give effect to this.
The UK is leading the way for a sustainable and effective approach to the migrant situation and at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8 October the Home Secretary reiterated that in order for EU Member States to focus their resources on helping those in genuine need, an effective returns system for those not found to be in need of international protection is vital.
Under international law the UK has a duty not to return people who are rescued at sea to countries where they would be at risk of serious harm. That is why migrants rescued at sea are taken to Italy as this is considered the nearest safe country.
But we are pushing for the swift establishment of 'hot spot' screening centres and action to return those who do not need our protection to their countries of origin.
Under international law the UK has a duty not to return people who are rescued at sea to countries where they would be at risk of serious harm. That is why people rescued at sea are taken to Italy as this is considered the nearest safe country.
However, we need to break the link between getting on a boat and automatically achieving residence in Europe. The UK is playing a leading role in pushing for action through the EU and the UN to tackle the causes of illegal immigration to discourage people from making the perilous journey in the first place. The UK is also pursuing and disrupting the organised crime groups profiting from the people smuggling trade, including through the creation of an Organised Immigration Crime Task Force.
If migrants do reach the EU they need to be stopped, processed and screened when they arrive to control their movement and to distinguish between genuine refugees and economic migrants. The UK fully supports the EU’s ‘hotspots’ initiative which will help give effect to this.
Under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the government responsible for the Search and Rescue Region in which assistance to those in distress at sea has occurred has the primary responsibility for ensuring that survivors are disembarked at the most convenient place of safety, with minimum deviation for the rescuing vessel.
The Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (IMRCC) manages all rescues in the Central Mediterranean area of operations. At present, those rescued in the Central Mediterranean are brought to shore in Italy, in ports determined by the IMRCC.