Lord Hoyle

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While the House of Lords Code of Conduct does not require members to register membership of the Freemasons or similar societies, it may in some circumstances be necessary for them to declare it in the course of proceedings. This is the same position as in the House of Commons. There are currently no plans to review the matter.

The three largest UK exports to, and imports from, the European Union in 2014 are set out in the table below. These data are on a balance of payments basis.

Three largest UK exports to the European Union in 2014 Value (£ billion)
Finished manufactures (SITC 7+8) 63
Semi-manufactures (SITC 5+6) 43
Fuels (SITC 3) 27

Three largest UK imports from the European Union in 2014 Value (£ billion)
Finished manufactures (SITC 7+8) 114
Semi-manufactures (SITC 5+6) 66
Food, beverages and tobacco (SITC 0+1) 27
Source: ONS UK Trade August 2015 release
Note: the assessment of the top three was made across goods and services,
but services categories do not rank in the top three

There are 128 Conservative Peers, 122 Labour Peers, 45 Liberal Democrat Peers, 101 Crossbench Peers and 19 other Peers over 70 years of age.

The Administration does not collect average weekly attendance figures but the average daily attendance in this Session is 479.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Dear Lord Hoyle,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what is the trade balance of the UK with the EU, broken down by each of the 27 other EU Member States (HL14453).

Table 1 below provides the total (goods and services) trade balance, total exports and total imports by EU aggregate and member state in 2017. These data are our latest full year estimates of total trade published 23 January 2018^[1] and are consistent with the wider balance of payments. You can find more recent estimates of trade within the same release, although to note, these figures are quarterly estimates up to and including quarter three (July to September) 2018 and are not seasonally adjusted.

Yours sincerely,

John Pullinger

Table 1: Total trade (goods and services) exports, imports and balance for 2017[2]

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/internationaltrade/datasets/uktotaltradeallcountriesnonseasonallyadjusted

[2]These data are our best estimate of these bilateral UK trade flows. Users should note that alternative estimates are available, in some cases, via the statistical agencies for bilateral countries or through central databases such as via UN Comtrade.

The Patron’s Lunch, held on Sunday 12 June is not a government-run event.

This information is given in tables 1 and 2 below. The exports of services figures in Table 1 are sourced from the Office for National Statistics’ Pink Book 2015 release and are on a ‘Balance of Payments’ basis. Figures for exports of goods on the same basis are only available at a broad level of commodity aggregation (1 digit SITC level). Goods data at the level of detail required to answer this PQ are available from HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics database (Table 2) attached. These data are on a different (‘merchandise’) basis, hence not strictly comparable with the ONS data. Moreover, data for 2015 are not available for services.

Table 1

This information is given in tables 1 and 2 below. The exports of services figures in Table 1 are sourced from the Office for National Statistics’ Pink Book 2015 release and are on a ‘Balance of Payments’ basis. Figures for exports of goods on the same basis are only available at a broad level of commodity aggregation (1 digit SITC level). Goods data at the level of detail required to answer this PQ are available from HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics database (Table 2) which is attached. These data are on a different (‘merchandise’) basis, hence not strictly comparable with the ONS data. Moreover, data for 2015 are not available for services.

The latest figures for the UK’s balance of trade with the EU are publically available in the ONS Balance of Payments: Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2015 publication.

The UK’s balance of trade in goods & services with the EU in 2014 was -£58.8 billion, relating to £230.2 billion in exports and £289.1 billion in imports.

The Government announced on 30 April that the Rugby Football League (RFL) will receive a £16 million cash injection to safeguard the immediate future of the sport for the communities it serves.

This emergency loan will help the sport deal with the extreme financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak while the season remains suspended, due to social distancing measures.

It comes ahead of England hosting the Rugby League World Cup next year, which will see the men's, women's and wheelchair games come together for a world first on the sport's biggest stage. The Government’s manifesto included a commitment to delivering a successful tournament, with significant financial support already provided.

The Government welcomes the investigations that are taking place into the allegations of corruption at FIFA, however, we are unable to comment further given that these investigations are ongoing.

The Government also welcomes Sepp Blatter's resignation, however, this is only the start of the process of reform we need to see from FIFA.

Insects are an essential part of our environment and pollinating insects play a crucial role in food production. Government research has shown that a major pressure on pollinating insects has been the loss of flower-rich habitats but there are several other threats, which are likely to interact, including climate change, land use intensification, invasive species, disease and inappropriate pesticide use.

The Government has not made a direct assessment of the impact of pesticides on other insect populations. We ensure that the use of pesticides is only authorised where detailed scientific assessment finds that this will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment (including on insects). The UK supports the current restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides that were put in place in 2018 to protect pollinating insects. We will maintain these restrictions unless the scientific evidence changes.

Since 2014, the Government has been working with a range of partners on the National Pollinator Strategy to address the various threats and help pollinators to thrive. There is strong scientific evidence that by increasing habitat for insects, we support long-term population increases and we are working to that end with farmers, businesses and conservation organisations.

In 2015, the Government amended section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to specifically make it an offence to allow a dog to attack an assistance dog. The maximum penalty for such an offence is three years imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both. Information on the number of guide dog or other assistance dog attacks is not collated centrally, and information on the penalties imposed as a result of a conviction under section 3 of the Act does not specify whether the offence was specifically in relation to an assistance dog.

In 2015, the Government amended the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to specifically make it an offence to allow a dog to attack an assistance dog. The maximum penalty for such an offence is three years imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both.

There are a range of factors that have contributed to the decline of hedgehogs. As set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, we are committed to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat to provide benefits for species such as the hedgehog. Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide funding to restore, extend and link important habitats and boost food resources for a range of species including hedgehogs.

We continue to support the work being done by non-governmental organisations, such as the British Hedgehog Protection Society, including the creation of hedgehog havens and campaigns encouraging local communities to work together to look out for the hedgehog and make gardens as welcoming as possible.

10 defendants were proceeded against for dog fighting offences in England and Wales in 2014, and 21 defendants were proceeded against in 2015. Data for 2016 is planned for publication in May 2017.

This information was obtained from a manual review of court case files that centrally held data indicated may be relevant, and as such has not been through the same quality assurance processes as for routinely published data.

These figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

The Government has negotiated the withdrawal agreement for the whole UK family. There were some circumstances which were specific to Gibraltar which meant we also held talks between the UK Government, Government of Gibraltar and Spain. This led to positive agreement on issues such as cooperation on policing, environmental matters, tobacco and citizens’ rights. These agreements underpin the Gibraltar Protocol to the Withdrawal Agreement.

In concluding the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK wrote to confirm the position we had always held, that Article 184 is without prejudice to the territorial scope and form of future agreements with the EU. However, as a matter of firm UK policy, we will only agree a deal on the future which works for the whole UK and we will negotiate a deal that works for Gibraltar as part of future negotiations.

The Prime Minister said on 26 November, ‘the Government stood by Gibraltar and resisted changes to the Withdrawal Agreement that the Spanish Government wished to make. We are clear that Gibraltar’s sovereignty will not change. It has not changed and will not change. We are proud that Gibraltar is British’.

The Government is clear that Gibraltar is covered by our exit negotiations and we have committed to fully involve them as we prepare for the process of exiting the EU. We will negotiate as one United Kingdom, and leave as one United Kingdom. The PM has been clear that we are seeking a deal that works for Britain – not an off the peg solution. That deal must work for Gibraltar too.

The top three exports and imports which the UK trades with France, Germany and Italy are shown in the tables attached. This data contains HMRC trade in goods data, which is on the basis of goods crossing the customs border, and trade in services data which is from the ONS Pink Book on a balance of payments basis. Data for 2015 is pending correction by ONS, so is not shown. Data for 2016 will be published later this year. Both the HMRC and ONS data has been published and is publicly available.

Further information on UK trade in goods is available in the HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics interactive database.

Further information on 2014 UK trade in services is available in ONS The Pink Book 2016.

Currently there is no evidence to suggest that continuous monitoring of aircraft cabin air would be worthwhile. The Government concluded in 2014, after a research programme on cabin air quality lasting for several years, that an international approach to any further research into the issue would be most appropriate. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has launched a programme of research into this issue in 2015.

In terms of monitoring individual events, the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (CAP382) ensures that an event that is considered by crew to be a “safety-related event which endangers or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person” is reported and investigated.

Network Rail will be responsible for undertaking works on their network where they interact with the HS2 network. The materials used for such works will be subject to future procurements. However, currently, around 95% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand for steel is procured from Tata steel.

It is estimated that HS2 will need approximately 2 million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years. The procurement for the main civil engineering works between Euston and Birmingham is now underway with procurements for the stations and rail systems expected to commence later this year and for rolling stock in early 2017. Subject to Royal Assent, the project will start construction in 2017.

As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain. We positively encourage bids from British companies and are already holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts for the steel that will be needed for track, concrete reinforcements, overhead wires and other structures. This Government has put rules in place for all its departments to ensure we can buy the right quality steel, produced under the right conditions - which will be of clear benefit to UK bidders.

HS2 provides an excellent opportunity for businesses across the UK with 25,000 jobs created during construction and 3,000 when up and running.

The electrification of the Manchester to Blackpool train route is still in the design phase and the steel has not yet been purchased.

Network Rail already sources 95% of its steel rail from the UK. Steel for electrification projects has typically been procured by principal contractors from a variety of sources, but Network Rail is currently seeking to aggregate volumes wherever possible and procure materials directly. Total forecast requirement of steel for electrification projects is forecast to be around 175k tonnes over the next 6 years. Network Rail’s strategy is to source this from the UK wherever possible, and the electrification of the Manchester to Blackpool train route will also be in accordance with this.

The Government does not collect statistics on what proportion of lost property is recovered from airports. This is a matter for the airports concerned.

Local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), working with their Local Resilience Forums and drawing on their pre-existing plans for pandemic influenza and the latest guidance for the COVID-19 outbreak available online at GOV.UK, should follow the steps to support people who use direct payments to purchase care and support. The role of the commissioner of their direct payment, whether the local authority or the CCG, is to provide assistance in accessing personal protective equipment.

Testing National Health Service staff who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 has been available from 29 March 2020. The NHS staff groups of both Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, and Preston Hospital are included within this guidance and any other NHS England guidance.

Further guidance is now available on testing non-symptomatic staff groups.

In line with the Lord Carter of Coles report furthering the modernisation of pathology services, a network approach supporting the consolidation and integration of laboratory testing continues to progress. The networked approach has enabled the pathology services across England to stand up significant testing capability rapidly.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust host the microbiology hub and provide COVID-19 testing for the hospitals within its management, including Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.

Data on usage of private ambulances is not held centrally. The use of private ambulances is decided at a local level by trusts and their commissioners based on capacity needs on a day to day basis.