Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 27 January (HL3999), whether they have examined the evidence of the use of chemical weapons by Indonesian forces in West Papua included in the documentary film Frontier War recently released by Paradise Broadcasting.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Noble Lord to my response to Parliamentary Question HL3999 on the 27 January 2025.
The Noble Lord may be referring to allegations from 2018 of the use of white phosphorus by the Indonesian Armed Forces towards civilian population in Papua. While the use of white phosphorus as a weapon does not fall under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is not a matter for the OPCW, contemporary media reports suggested that it was used in a manner that may have violated international humanitarian law. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) monitored these allegations at the time and found no compelling evidence of white phosphorous being used in an illegal way.
The FCDO continues to monitor all reports of violent incidents in the Papua region. We regularly raise human rights issues, including the protection of civilians in Papua, with the Indonesian government.
The Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, visited Indonesia in January 2025 and raised the human rights situation in Papua in her meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential financial savings achieved by the NHS resulting from their plans to provide universal access to fracture liaison services by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to a Fracture Liaison Service. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.
Costs and benefits will be assessed taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of acute hospital beds occupied by patients with fragility fractures.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has not made a specific estimate or assessment of the acute hospital bed occupancy rates referenced in the question.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations that Indonesian armed forces are using chemical weapons against the people of West Papua.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HMG is not aware of any recent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Indonesia.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 27 November (HL Deb col 684), whether it is still their position that there are two distinct economies on the island of Ireland as set out in the Windsor Framework command paper, published in February 2023 (CP 806).
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is clear that Northern Ireland’s constitutional place is in the Union. The Government remains fundamentally committed to protecting Northern Ireland’s place within the economically vital UK internal market and ensuring its smooth operation in practice, which is affirmed through the Windsor Framework. In doing so, we also recognise that many businesses in Northern Ireland trade with Ireland and that this trade brings benefits and opportunities overall.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the remarks by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 27 November (HL Deb col 684), whether Ministers have ceased to be subject to any legal duties to promote an all-Ireland economy.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Section 10(1)(b) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 contains duties on Government Ministers to have due regard to the Joint Report between the UK and EU negotiators of October 2017. That report makes reference in general terms to, among other things, the ‘all-island economy’, alongside a range of other considerations relevant to Brexit. In practice, the report’s contents have been superseded by the internationally binding arrangements under the Windsor Framework and wider Withdrawal Agreement.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 6 November (HL Deb col 1487) which indicated that the Windsor Framework (agreed in February 2023) negates the need to remove the legal duties on Ministers to promote an all-Ireland economy, why a commitment to remove those duties was therefore included in paragraphs 114–16 of the Command Paper Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021), published in January 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to the reply given to QWA HL2354 tabled by Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee and published on 15 November 2024.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much revenue they expect to raise by imposing VAT on independent school fees; and how they have calculated that estimate.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Applying VAT to private school fees will raise £1.7 billion a year by 2029/30, rising from £1.5 billion in the first full year of the policy.
The Government published the policy costing for this change at the Budget, including setting out the assumptions and methodology.
The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has certified the costing, including the assumptions and methodology.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of VAT on independent school fees on small independent faith schools, particularly those educating the children of Muslim families.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
From 1 January 2025, the 20% standard rate of VAT will apply to all education services, vocational training, and boarding services provided by private schools for a charge. This will apply to any fees charged after 29 July 2024 for terms starting after 1 January 2025.
The government has thoroughly assessed the impacts of the VAT policy on small faith schools, including considering all of the evidence submitted through the consultation process. Based on the evidence provided, it is not apparent that small faith schools will be affected more by this policy than other schools.
The government closely examined proposals put forward for how small faith schools could be carved out of the policy, concluded that any carve out would reduce the amount of revenue raised from this policy, be unfair to those schools with fees just above the threshold, and would create many tax avoidance opportunities that would be difficult for HMRC to police.
Furthermore, it is the government’s position that state education is suitable for children of all faiths. All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place if they need one, and all schools are required to follow the Equality Act.
Further detail can be found in the summary responses published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the HMRC guidance of 10 October on the steps that steps independent schools should take to pay VAT on their fees with effect from 1 January 2025 is reissued to correct any errors in, and improve the drafting of, that guidance.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has put in place a number of measures to ensure schools can be ready for the introduction of VAT on private school fees and remains committed to supporting schools with their new VAT obligations, including by providing bespoke guidance and webinars.
We do not recognise reports that HMRC's guidance contains errors. In publishing its guidance, HMRC has addressed areas of uncertainty and will provide further clarification in guidance if that is required. As with all guidance, HMRC will keep the guidance for private schools under review and continue to update it in light of further feedback we receive during our ongoing engagement with the sector – for example, any common questions that arise during the webinars. Following the Budget, an update to the guidance has now been published to reflect the final policy design and legislation.