Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the COVID-19 home test kit system is not available to postcodes in (1) Sutherland, (2) Caithness, (3) Ross and Skye, (4) Lochaber, (5) Badenoch, (6) Argyll and Bute, (7) the Western Isles, (8) Orkney, and (9) Shetland; and what steps they are taking to resolve this availability.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Due to their remote geographical area, home testing kits are not available in some areas. The home test service relies on Royal Mail's 24 hour guarantee priority post-boxes to ensure tests are returned to the laboratory in a suitable timeframe. Some remote areas in the Scottish Isles have had access to a dedicated testing service set up specifically that enables people to access tests through hospitals without being admitted as a patient. This has been rolled out to the areas of most acute need across the Islands first and is being expanded to provide testing across the Highlands. Residents can also access testing via the nearest regional test site, walk in test site or mobile testing unit.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Fleet Solid Support Ships capable of supporting a Carrier Strike Group are currently in service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary currently has one Fleet Solid Support ship capable of supporting a Carrier Strike Group; RFA FORT VICTORIA.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the planned in-service dates for each of the new Fleet Solid Support Ships.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence said during Defence Oral Questions in the House of Commons on Monday 21 September 2020, the procurement timetable for the warships will be announced in due course, after market testing has been completed. We are open to the principle of international partners working alongside UK firms for the bid.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the new Fleet Solid Support Ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be built in UK shipyards.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence said during Defence Oral Questions in the House of Commons on Monday 21 September 2020, the procurement timetable for the warships will be announced in due course, after market testing has been completed. We are open to the principle of international partners working alongside UK firms for the bid.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament and established a high-level enabling framework for social security in Scotland. This followed the devolution of certain aspects of the social security to the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 2016. Its provisions are the responsibility of the Scottish Government, and it is not for the UK Government to make an assessment of matters which are devolved.
However, the UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government to ensure a safe and secure transition to the new benefits being introduced, which will replace Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments. Severe Disablement Allowance will also become a matter for the Scottish Government. Sure Start maternity grants and funeral expense payments have already been replaced with Scottish provision. The Act also provides for completely new benefits with no equivalent in England and Wales. The Scottish benefits will be delivered by Social Security Scotland.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the three new Fleet Solid Support Ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be ordered; and what are the estimated in-service dates for each of those new ships.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence is currently assessing the options for the fleet Solid Support ship programme, and as part of this process will review the requirement and any procurement strategy. It is not possible to provide any further details until this work has been completed.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operation of the special rules for terminal illness used in accessing disability benefits; whether those rules are appropriate for people with unpredictable terminal illnesses such as motor neurone disease; and what plans they have to review and amend those rules.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department is taking forward as a priority its evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with severe conditions. We have made progress on all areas of this work and will be continuing to engage with clinicians and claimants, including those affected by motor neurone disease, to ensure their views are heard.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, there are plans to utilise Marchwood Military Port to import essential goods.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is supporting the Department for Transport (DfT) in developing contingency plans for the movement of Category 1 goods, from the EU to the UK, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Category 1 goods are defined as 'those essential for the preservation of human and animal welfare and national security'. DfT is procuring, on behalf of the rest of Government, freight capacity from the commercial market and remains on track to provide the required capacity from 31 October 2019, but it is right to prepare for all eventualities. MOD has therefore been requested to make available one of its freight vessels for use from 31 October 2019 should it be necessary. This vessel is one of the four Point Class Strategic Roll-on-Roll-off vessels (SRR), which are operated by Foreland Shipping Limited under a MOD contract. If this contingency plan is utilised, the intention is to import the Category 1 goods the SRR carries through Marchwood Port, using the MOD contract with the port operator Solent Gateway Limited.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the four Point-class sealift ships will be used to transport urgent cargoes of medicines, short shelf life products, or other essential goods.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is supporting the Department for Transport (DfT) in developing contingency plans for the movement of Category 1 goods, from the EU to the UK, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Category 1 goods are defined as 'those essential for the preservation of human and animal welfare and national security'. DfT is procuring, on behalf of the rest of Government, freight capacity from the commercial market and remains on track to provide the required capacity from 31 October 2019, but it is right to prepare for all eventualities. MOD has therefore been requested to make available one of its freight vessels for use from 31 October 2019 should it be necessary. This vessel is one of the four Point Class Strategic Roll-on-Roll-off vessels (SRR), which are operated by Foreland Shipping Limited under a MOD contract. If this contingency plan is utilised, the intention is to import the Category 1 goods the SRR carries through Marchwood Port, using the MOD contract with the port operator Solent Gateway Limited.
Asked by: Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why HM Passport Office (HMPO) has withdrawn the Parliamentary Liaison Team function and discontinued the designated parliamentary helpline; and why the recorded message from HMPO on the discontinued advice and assistance helpline gives some advice for future contacts in respect of Members of the House of Commons but does not do so for members of the House of Lords.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison team merged with the UK Visas and Immigration MP Account Management team on 3 April. The MP Account Management team answers enquiries from Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords. The HMPO Parliamentary Liaison line closed on 18 April. Members of the House of Lords can contact their regional MP Account Management team for all passport related enquiries.