Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the cost of Crossrail in England justified consequential proportionate funding for Wales while the construction of HS2 in England does not.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HS2 is a heavy rail programme. The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales, so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
The Government remains committed to heavy rail schemes in Wales, by providing funding for both operations, maintenance and infrastructure, and enhancement schemes such as modernising Cardiff Central Station.
Conversely, Crossrail is a local transport project. Since local transport is devolved to the Welsh Government, the Barnett formula is applied in the usual way when the Department for Transport is allocated additional funding for Crossrail.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to undertake an audit of the usefulness and results of the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust scheme with regard to (1) their value for public money, sustained investment, employment and innovation, and (2) recommendations about the continuation and development of the schemes.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
An evaluation of the venture capital schemes was undertaken in 2022. These were published on gov.uk 1.
The Government is committed to ensuring early-stage, innovative companies have access to the investment they need to grow and develop. These schemes provide a range of tax reliefs to encourage investment in higher-risk, early-stage companies which face the biggest challenges in accessing growth capital.
The Government legislated on 3 September to extend the UK venture capital tax relief sunset clause, from April 2025 to April 2035.
[1] Evaluation of Venture Capital Schemes - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been allocated from the £3 billion earmarked in the November 2017 Budget for 2018–20 to public bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to assist with the costs of leaving the EU; and, of these provisions, how much will be available for border policing and security in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Bates
My Written Ministerial Statement[1] of 13 March 2018 set out that UK departments have been allocated £1.5bn to prepare for EU Exit and meet their responsibilities across the whole of the UK, including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Home Office was allocated £395m, which includes funding to take the steps necessary to prepare the UK border.
Where responsibilities are devolved, this generated Barnett Consequentials for each of the devolved administrations as set out in my Written Ministerial Statement.
[1] https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2018-03-13/HLWS521/
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they plan to allocate should it be necessary to develop a UK equivalent to the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system after Brexit.
Answered by Lord Henley
The UK Space Agency will lead a cross-Government taskforce, working with engineering and space experts in the UK, to rapidly develop plans for a British Global Navigation Satellite System with the aim of launching our own system from the mid-2020s onwards. Value for money will be a key consideration of this taskforce.
In the long term, we believe that such a system could be operated for around the same annual cost as the UK’s current contribution to the EU’s Galileo programme.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on 5 September 2017 (HC Deb, col 55), what progress they have made in achieving a non-visible border between Northern Ireland and Ireland using the most up-to-date technology.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has been clear that there will be no physical infrastructure or related checks and controls at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
As we have always said, the best solution is to solve the Northern Ireland and Ireland border through the deep and special partnership between the UK and EU, recognising the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland.
We have set out our clear commitments on the border as well as put forward two potential customs models. As the European Commission itself acknowledged, solutions to the Northern Ireland border can not be 'based on precedent'.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish examples of any communications from Government departments to representatives of industries and companies which set conditions of non-disclosure before meetings between those representatives and Her Majesty's Government.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
Many meetings between officials and suppliers regarding commercial matters are discussions relating to a specific contract. In this case, the confidentiality of any information exchanged is governed by clauses within the specific contract.
Where discussions cover topics related to more than one contract and relate to particularly sensitive matters or the exchange of commercially sensitive material those discussions may need the protection of a specific non-disclosure agreement. The Government Legal Department has recently produced a standard form of non-disclosure agreement which is recommended for use by Departments in these situations. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-disclosure-agreements
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to reports that industry representatives in the UK have been asked by Her Majesty's Government to sign non-disclosure agreements before meetings with HM Treasury relating to the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Bates
The government believes that businesses from across the UK have an important role to play in the policymaking process.
It is standard practice for the Government to use Non-Disclosure Agreements when appropriate. Non-Disclosure Agreements with industry representatives are crucial to open exchange of information on options and scenarios. They ensure that planning, negotiations and decisions are based on what is achievable and in the best interests of the UK when we leave the EU.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement by the Chief Executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to UK Transport in Europe on 5 September 2017 that the CAA was undertaking no preparatory work to assume the responsibilities of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after Brexit because “it would be misleading to suggest that’s a viable option”, what alternatives to EASA participation they are considering.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government and CAA have been clear that the preference is to remain a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). However, as a responsible regulator, the CAA continues to undertake a significant amount of preparatory work for all potential outcomes of the Brexit negotiations. This includes a scenario that would see the CAA taking on EASA’s responsibilities.
If membership of EASA is not achievable, then the CAA would adopt the existing EASA regulatory system, rather than develop a new framework from scratch. This will deliver a continuity of service in safety regulation.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what conditions, other than customary requirements of commercial confidentiality, are being attached to meetings between industry representatives and Her Majesty's Government about the UK's departure from the EU, before such meetings take place.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to engage regularly with companies and industry representatives across the economy, to discuss their priorities, inform our negotiating position and prepare for our departure from the EU.
Where used, Non-Disclosure Agreements are crucial to an open exchange of information and opinion on options and scenarios. They are standard practice for the Government, and ensure that all planning, negotiations and decisions are based on what is achievable and most appropriate for the UK.
Asked by: Lord Kinnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Prime Minister on 2 March, what estimate they have made of (1) the cost to public funds, (2) the number of personnel, and (3) the number of adapted or new UK institutions required, to operate "reciprocal binding commitments to ensure fair and open completion", to operate "an arbitration mechanism that is completely independent", "to ensure we have the means to consult each other regularly", to manage "an arrangement for data protection", and to maintain economic, cultural, and social links between the people of the UK and the EU following the end of freedom of movement of people.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has set out five foundations that must underpin our future trading relationship with the EU. These are: reciprocal binding commitments to ensure fair and open competition; a completely independent arbitration mechanism; ongoing dialogue with the EU, in particular between our regulators; an arrangement for data protection that goes beyond an adequacy agreement and maintaining the links between our people.
The details underpinning how this will work - including funds, personnel and institutions required - will depend on the outcome of negotiations.