Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on plans for the construction of a new nuclear power-generating facility at Bradwell-on-Sea.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I understand the developer is focussing on prioritising technical aspects with associated risks including impact of Covid-19 on their project, whilst pausing other areas of work including detailed preparations for Development Consent Order application, with the aim of re-engaging and sequencing their overall development programme in the future.
This is a commercial decision for the developer, new nuclear projects are developer led, and it is not a matter for the Government.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the cost of intra-company transfer business visas for staff and their families applying to work in the UK for more than three years; what is the typical cost for an employee, their spouse and two children to apply for such visas; and what representations they have received about the impact of those costs.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It is the government’s policy that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating the system and reduce the burden on the UK taxpayer.
The fees charged by the Home Office are governed by the charging principles set out in the 2014 Act and can only be increased with the approval of Parliament following collective government agreement.
The Home Office keeps its fees for immigration and nationality under regular review. The cost (fee) for an employee to apply for an intra company transfer, as the main applicant, for a period of more than three years is as follows:
Overseas £1220
In country extension £1408
The same fee applies for each application made by a dependant.
We are actively engaging with business about the future Borders and Immigration System and the cost of visas (and the impact this has) is part of this engagement.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what development funding they intend to provide to Anguilla after 2020 to substitute for the support currently provided by the European Development Fund.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Future funding and programming arrangements for the Overseas Territories post-2020 will be considered as part of the next Spending Review which is expected to take place in 2019. When reviewing future options careful consideration will be given to any loss of European Union funding the Overseas Territories may experience as a result of the UK leaving the European Union. Any future funding arrangements will need to demonstrate value for money and adopt a consistent approach across all government departments that manage such funds. No decisions have yet been taken on this matter.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to reach a decision on the shape of public financial involvement in the proposed new nuclear power station at Wylfa Newydd on the Isle of Anglesey.
Answered by Lord Henley
Ministers and officials are working closely with the developer, Horizon Nuclear Power, on their proposals for building a new nuclear plant at Wylfa Newydd on the Isle of Anglesey.
Horizon is continuing to develop its plans and is making good progress on its work to deliver Wylfa Newydd.
We are in discussions with the developer on their financing plans, but cannot discuss details as they are commercially confidential.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the eligibility of Anguilla to receive aid and assistance following recent hurricane damage.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK has argued for flexibility in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) rules for how donors respond to catastrophic humanitarian crises, such as the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean, and recognition of the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States. As a result, in October 2017 the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) agreed on the need to create a new mechanism to re-admit countries that had graduated from ODA eligibility back to the list of ODA-eligible countries if their Gross National Income per capita falls below the High Income Country threshold. In addition, members of the DAC have agreed to establish a process which could allow previous ODA recipients to receive short-term ODA support in the event of catastrophic humanitarian crises. Anguilla was an ODA recipient until 2014 and is assessed by the World Bank to be a High Income Country.
The destructive force of hurricane Irma was unprecedented, leaving Anguilla damaged extensively. As part of our response the UK has delivered more than 220 tonnes of aid to the island. To support the reconstruction effort the UK has launched a Private Sector Task Force, headed by William Bullard, to identify private sector support and investment, and provide a public-private forum for engagement on building back better in Anguilla as well as other Caribbean Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the eligibility of Antigua and Barbuda to receive aid and assistance following the recent hurricane damage.
Answered by Lord Bates
Antigua and Barbuda is eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA). The island of Barbuda, with a population of 1,800 persons, was recently devastated by Hurricane Irma and the UK is providing humanitarian assistance, through the Red Cross and the Pan American Health Organisation, to the affected population. We have also released £14 million, to Antigua and Barbuda, for climate-resilient infrastructure projects to help the islands build back better and stronger. DFID is awaiting the World Bank’s post disaster needs assessment and will review future needs accordingly, in collaboration with other donors. All of this UK support will be classified as ODA.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the government of Venezuela's claim to approximately two-thirds of the territory of Guyana, a Commonwealth member state.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government is aware of the ongoing border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. This is a bilateral issue to be resolved between the two countries. We believe the 1899 Arbitral Award, to which we were a party, definitively settled the border. Both countries are signatories of the Geneva Agreement of 1966 which provides a range of mechanisms for dealing with this issue.Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to expanding the new Chinese two-year visit visa to include Commonwealth nations which require (1) a tourist visa, and (2) a business visa.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is piloting in China, from 11 January, two-year multiple entry visitor visas at the same price as the current standard six month visitor visa. China has made the same offer for British citizens. There are no plans to introduce this in other countries.
The citizens of a majority of Commonwealth countries do not require a visa to visit the UK and the UK offers customers an efficient and prompt visa processing service.
Asked by: Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Chairman of Committees, following the debate in the House on 12 March on the Liaison Committee’s report (HL Deb, cols. 763–71), when the House will have an opportunity to consider the establishment of an International Relations Committee for the parliamentary session 2016–17 onwards.
Answered by Lord Sewel
The Liaison Committee will undertake its usual review of Select Committee activity across the Parliament when it meets early in June. As part of that review, I will invite the Committee to consider how best to seek the views of Members on the future shape of Select Committee activity. This will lead to a Report to the House.