Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people (1) who only have a private GP, and (2) who are not registered with an NHS GP, are able to access COVID-19 vaccinations.
Answered by Lord Bethell
In planning for the COVID-19 vaccine programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement have sought to ensure that vaccinations are accessible to those who are not registered with a National Health Service general practitioner. The contractual agreement under which general practices will deliver COVID-19 vaccinations - The General Practice COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 Enhanced Service Specification - enables practices, working within their Primary Care Network groupings, to vaccinate unregistered patients provided they are eligible for a vaccination. Individuals who are not registered with a general practice will therefore be able to access the vaccine.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to reply to the letter sent by Lord Lamont of Lerwick to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 1 September.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Chancellor hopes to reply to Lord Lamont’s letter shortly. He has asked his officials to look into Lord Lamont’s letter, and to consider the policy proposal contained therein.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact of (1) current social distancing measures on GDP, and (2) the impending recession referred to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Economic Affairs Committee on 19 May, on GDP. [T]
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
HM Treasury does not produce forecasts of the economy or public finances.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing forecasts of the economy and public finances. On 14 April the OBR published a reference scenario assessing the potential impact of coronavirus. In this scenario GDP is assumed to fall by 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 before recovering in subsequent quarters. The OBR note that the Government’s policy response should help limit the long-term damage to the economy and public finances.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord True on 4 May (HL Deb, col 373), what plans they have to name those responsible for speaking to the Sunday Times about plans to reform the House, as set out in the report in the Sunday Times Lords too old to sit - 'so they should stand down', published on 4 May. [T]
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
As both the Leader and I said in this House last week, this is not Government policy.
The Conservative manifesto committed to looking at the role of the Lords, but any reform needs careful consideration, not to be brought forward piecemeal.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they, along with the governments of France and Germany, are drawing up any plans, as permitted under US and EU sanctions, to increase supplies of humanitarian goods, including equipment and medicines, to Iran in order to assist that country to combat Wuhan coronavirus.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK, France and Germany have expressed their full solidarity with all impacted by COVID-19 in Iran. Together we are offering UN agencies in Iran a package of support to try to combat the rapid spread of the disease. The UK will continue to support global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and direct our support to help the most vulnerable across the globe.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether extending the implementation period for the UK's withdrawal from the EU would mean that payments by the UK to the EU during that period would qualify for a full rebate.
Answered by Lord Bates
The financial terms of any extension to the implementation period would be subject to negotiations between the UK and the EU. However, the Government would not necessarily expect any option to extend the implementation period to be used. The draft legal text published by the UK and EU states that the implementation period will end on 31 December 2020, and the Government is working at pace to ensure that we have a future relationship in place by that date.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use when deciding whether to permit sales of military equipment to the government of Saudi Arabia; and whether they anticipate the outcome of investigations into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi to affect such criteria.
Answered by Baroness Fairhead
Export licence applications are carefully assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. A licence would not be granted if to do so was inconsistent with the Criteria. The policy remains as announced to parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140325/wmstext/140325m0001.htm#14032566000018.
The key test for the Government for our continued military exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL.
The situation in Saudi Arabia is kept under careful review and decisions are made on a case by case basis.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with EU member state governments about the possibility of imposing sanctions on Saudi officials once the outcome of investigations into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is known.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary remains in close contact with international partners, including his counterparts in the US, France and Germany on the case of Jamal Khashoggi. The Foreign Secretary has issued two joint statements alongside his G7 counterparts, including the US, on 17 and 23 October. He has also issued two joint statements with his French and German counterparts, on 14 and 21 October.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in their consideration of the implications of the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi for British-Saudi Arabian relations they intend to take into account the allegations of illegal abductions of Saudi citizens to Saudi Arabia that were reported by the BBC in August 2017.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We await the outcome of the investigations into the disappearance of Mr Khashoggi. We are treating this incident very seriously. The UK response will be based on the outcome of a credible, transparent investigation.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any government officials will attend the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on 23–25 October; and whether they intend to reduce any delegation or cancel attendance following the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We decided and can confirm that no British Government representatives attended the Future Investment Initiative conference last week. As with the decision about attendance by the Secretary of State for International Trade, we decided that it is not the right time for officials to attend the conference.