Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel over continuing reports of the killing of Palestinians, including children, by Israeli military personnel.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the support provided to members of the Windrush generation in their retirement.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
For people of State Pension age, there is a contributory State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance record. It is supported by further measures for older people including Pension Credit which provides means-tested support for those most in need.
We are putting in place arrangements across Government to ensure where members of the Windrush generation have been denied access to employment because they were unable to demonstrate their lawful status, their National Insurance position is corrected so the period of the loss does not impact their State Pension entitlement.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that members of the Windrush generation are supported in their retirement.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
For people of State Pension age, there is a contributory State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance record. It is supported by further measures for older people including Pension Credit which provides means-tested support for those most in need.
We are putting in place arrangements across Government to ensure where members of the Windrush generation have been denied access to employment because they were unable to demonstrate their lawful status, their National Insurance position is corrected so the period of the loss does not impact their State Pension entitlement.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of their decision to grant planning permission to explore for gas in Dunsfold on their efforts to combat climate change.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Full reasons for the decision, made by the Minister of State for Housing on behalf of the Secretary of State, are set out in the decision letter that was published on 7 June 2022.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce a ban on new fossil fuel developments in order to combat climate change; and if not, what are the reasons for this decision.
Answered by Lord Callanan
Oil and gas will play an important, yet smaller, role in meeting UK energy demand in the transition to net zero. The Government will introduce a climate compatibility checkpoint, which will be used to inform decisions on future licensing rounds, in keeping with the UK’s climate goals.
Coal mining in the UK has been in long term decline reflecting falling domestic demand. There are only a handful of operational mines remaining in the UK. The Government has committed to phase-out coal power by 2024 – a year earlier than previously planned.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve ambulance response times in Gloucestershire.
Answered by Lord Kamall
South West Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a remote clinical triage team, direct referral of patients to Same Day Emergency Care Departments, as well as deploying Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers to improve the flow of patients and reduce handover delays. This will allow ambulance crews to respond to incoming calls more quickly and improve response times. The Trust is also recruiting additional Community First Responders to improve response times in rural areas in Gloucestershire.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which companies they have outsourced immigration processes to; and in which country each of those companies is registered.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The core suppliers, those who support the visa application service for immigration to the UK are Sopra Steria Ltd, TLS and VFS Global Service PLC are all registered in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts were awarded to Infosys in the last five years by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and what was the cost to the taxpayer of each of those contracts.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Officials have found no record of any contracts having been awarded by the FCDO to Infosys in that timeframe.
Records of Government contracts above £10,000 in central government and £25,000 in the wider public sector are published on Contracts Finder:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of other visa routes in addition to the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa route which might also be vulnerable to (1) national security, or (2) illicit finance, risks; and, if no such assessment has been made, whether they will now conduct one.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Home Office continually monitors the immigration system to mitigate any national security and other risks.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their policy is to de-escalate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in order to restore peace; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK welcomes Ukraine's ongoing commitment to a diplomatic path to de-escalate. We will continue to support them in achieving an outcome that delivers for Ukraine and its people. President Putin seems determined to pursue his path of violence and aggression, as evidenced by his increased military action in the Donbas and the barbaric assault of Mariupol. We are therefore continuing to increase our economic pressure on him through sanctions, as well as providing the military assistance Ukraine needs to defend itself.