Lord Mann

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Finance Committee, to respond on his behalf. There are a number of private businesses that operate using facilities within the Palace of Westminster, including the Gym, Creche and Hairdressers, none of which have requested or received financial support from the House of Lords Administration. As these are private businesses, we are not aware of the extent to which they might have sought or received Government provided COVID-19 business support.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The Parliamentary Archives will be removed from the Victoria Tower by the beginning of September 2025. The Victoria Tower occupies seven percent of the Palace of Westminster. Future use of the space is yet to be determined.

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(2) 192

(3) 91

The answer is based on the total number of members who were members on 20 October (819). The total includes members on leave of absence and those yet to be introduced, and excludes those who were members from 1 January but have since died or retired.

Office holders, or the holders of ceremonial roles, may speak rarely or not at all, and for some voting is not appropriate to their role.

The strategic review of the Restoration and Renewal Pogramme, which is currently being conducted by the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority, has considered the possibility of the two Houses sharing some facillities during any period of decant, including catering and library functions. However, the desirability of doing so would be subject to the agreement of both Houses, if recommended as part of the decant strategy proposed by the strategic review. The strategic review's draft recommendations will be considered by the Sponsor Body Board in November. The report will then be discussed with both Houses before it is published.

The possibility of combining or rationalising facilities after the Palace has been restored has not been considered by the Sponsor Body and would be a matter for both Houses to determine rather than the Programme.

For the 2020-21 financial year, the maximum amount available for financial assistance to opposition parties and the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers (“Cranborne money”) is as follows:

• Labour - £656,948

• Liberal Democrats - £328,008

• Office of the Convenor of the Crossbench peers - £ 99,770

No other groups or parties are able to claim it.

The Government does not hold information on the number or size of solar PV installations on council properties. This information will be held by individual councils.

In total, the Department and its precursors have paid a total of £96,282.85 in costs to BBH Legal Services Limited. All payments have been made in respect of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss claims.

Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March 2020, with a rateable value of less than £51,000, will be eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000 per property.

It is for local authorities to decide, having regard to the Government’s guidance, whether individual properties are eligible for the RHLGF based on the circumstances of each case.

The Government has introduced important social distancing measures for all types of businesses to consider in order to minimise the risk of transmission in the workplace. The Government has been clear that it is vital that all employers follow this guidance, which is clinically led and based on expert advice.

The Government has stated that vulnerable people who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) need to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures. Additionally, the government guidance sets out that members of staff who are vulnerable or extremely vulnerable, as well as individuals whom they live with, should be supported by their employers as they follow the required social distancing and shielding measures.

If a business is not operating in line with the government guidance, there is a role for the relevant health and safety enforcing authority – the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or a Local Authority. Where the enforcing authority identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant public health legislation and guidance to control public health risks – for example, employers not taking appropriate action to socially distance or ensure workers in the shielded category can follow the NHS advice to self-isolate for the period specified – the enforcing authority will consider taking a range of actions to improve control of workplace risks. These actions include the provision of specific advice to employers through to issuing enforcement notices to help secure improvements with the guidance.

The priority for the British Business Bank (BBB) has been to get the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan scheme up and running, delivering urgently needed finance to UK SMEs. In order to achieve that, the Bank has worked with the already existing infrastructure and the 40 accredited lenders to make this operational as soon as possible. Existing lenders range from high-street banks to challenger banks, asset-based lenders and smaller specialist local lenders.

Now that the scheme has successfully launched, accrediting new partners is a top priority. The Bank has put in place substantial additional resource to assist with processing applications from new lenders as quickly as possible.

The scheme went live on Monday 23 March, so businesses are able to speak to lenders now and apply for facilities. Businesses should check on the British Business Bank’s webpage to find out which lenders are able to provide the type of finance they are looking for.

The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) has already set out the technical requirements needed for seats with barriers or independent barriers in the current (6th) edition of its Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Additionally, the SGSA’s current all-seater policy enforcement approach details, amongst other things, how to identify risks to spectator safety arising from persistent standing in seated areas, and potential mitigation for such risks.

It is for a football club to decide, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, which parts of its ground would benefit from seats with barriers or seats with independent barriers to address the identified risks to spectator safety.

The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) has already set out the technical requirements needed for seats with barriers or independent barriers in the current (6th) edition of its Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Additionally, the SGSA’s current all-seater policy enforcement approach details, amongst other things, how to identify risks to spectator safety arising from persistent standing in seated areas, and potential mitigation for such risks.

It is for a football club to decide, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, which parts of its ground would benefit from seats with barriers or seats with independent barriers to address the identified risks to spectator safety.

In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.

The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.

As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.

In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.

The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.

As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.

In 2019, the Government made a commitment to work with fans and clubs to introduce safe standing at football stadia. The Government is working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) on planning the next steps for implementing this manifesto commitment. In June 2021, the SGSA published its research into the Safe Management of Persistent Standing in Seated Areas at Football Stadia, which found that the installation of barriers or rails can have a positive impact on spectator safety, particularly in mitigating the risk of a progressive crowd collapse.

The technical requirements for seats with barriers or independent barriers are detailed in the current (6th) edition of SGSA’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). Football clubs may, in consultation with the relevant local authority and other partners, install such types of spectator accommodation in any part or all of their grounds as part of their management strategies for persistent standing.

As the all-seater policy remains in place, these areas are licensed as seating areas only at present.

29. The answer is based on the total number of members who were members on 6 January 2021 (817). The figure of 29 includes 10 members on leave of absence, 2 disqualified as members of the judiciary and 6 members who were yet to be introduced including two who joined the House after 20 December 2020.

Transit passengers need to complete a passenger locator form with their journey and contact details. If they remain airside (do not pass border control) they do not need to self-isolate. However, if transit passengers pass through border control they must self-isolate for 14-days.

The regulations permit departure from England within 14 days of arrival.

The Civil Aviation Authority has published guidance for businesses and consumers with respect to cancelled holidays and flights due to COVID-19.

The Government recognises the challenges businesses and consumers are experiencing with processing large volumes of refunds. In particular, we appreciate the frustration consumers may be experiencing. The Government’s position is clear - if a customer asks for a refund, that refund needs to be paid.

Most businesses are trying to do the right thing in these unprecedented circumstances, but where enforcement bodies have significant evidence that businesses are trying to take advantage of the crisis, we would expect them to take action.

During the last year, the government agreed a number of measures to improve the finances in the NHS provider sector in England. These included writing off £13.4 billion of NHS debt, as part of a major financial reset for NHS providers; temporary arrangements that saw trusts receive block payments to fund their spending through the pandemic, supported by c£18bn of additional funding to support the NHS response to COVID. As a result, the amount and levels of deficits across in the NHS provider sector fell significantly.

Work is ongoing to support the minority of trusts who ended 2020/21 in a deficit position and to develop solutions to secure future financial sustainability.

Final deficit figures for 2020-21 will be published as part of the NHS’s final accounts in due course.

Re-configuring service delivery to ensure sufficient National Health Service capacity was central to our preparedness for a pandemic and the COVID-19 response. However, the Department does not have - and did not have in January 2020 - a pandemic triage policy for hospitals and care homes, as this is a clinical matter. In the event that patient triage becomes necessary, clinical guidance would be produced to support decision-making.

The information is not held in the format requested.

The total number of people tested for COVID-19 in Nottinghamshire between 29 October 2020 and 27 January 2021 is 329,057.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned the general practice COVID-19 vaccination service in line with agreed national terms and conditions, as an enhanced service. Individual general practices opted in to delivering COVID-19 vaccinations, coming together in primary care network groupings to administer the vaccine as ‘local vaccination services’.

As of 10 January 2021, 785 local vaccination services had been stood up to deliver the vaccine. The number of individual practices that have and have not opted into the enhanced service is not collected or held centrally.

Where there are gaps in provision, NHS England will commission additional providers such as community pharmacy, hospital hubs, and mass vaccination centres to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. The first community pharmacy sites opened in the week commencing 11 January 2021. As more vaccines become available, there will be increased flexibility in local delivery.

Vaccinations received locally by staff in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem will have been arranged on a personal basis.

Home Office officials work with law enforcement regularly to consider what data is operationally valuable to them and how they may lawfully access it. It is vital that law enforcement agencies have the information they need to detect and prevent crime and keep the public safe.

The legal routes available to law enforcement agencies will depend on the specific circumstances and the types of data sought.

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 allows the Government to place obligations on Telecommunications Operators to co-operate with Law Enforcement Agencies in providing specific data required for investigations.

The Act governs these powers and provides extensive privacy safeguards and a robust oversight regime, including approval of the most intrusive powers by an independent Judicial Commissioner and the Secretary of State.

During the parliamentary passage of the IPA, the UK Government set out, in detail, how IPA powers can be used, and continues to do so where appropriate.

The information concerning average timescales for data being requested by UK law enforcement agencies from communication service providers is not held centrally by the Home Office. Each Public Authority authorised to acquire data under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 will likely maintain records of their own average timescales. These timescales may depend on the Telecommunications Operator and the urgency of the investigation.

Information relating to the cost of obtaining information from communication service providers in relation to criminal investigations is not held centrally by the Home Office.

Section 249 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 recognises that Telecommunications Operators and Postal Operators incur expenses in complying with requirements in the Act. The Act, therefore, allows for appropriate, minimal reimbursement to be made to them to cover these costs insofar as they do not suffer commercial disadvantage for complying with their notice. All other costs are expected to be met by the Telecommunications Operator. Section 22 of the Communications Data Code of Practice sets out further relevant detail in relation to Communications Data funding.

The Home Office do not hold this information centrally. Each Public Authority authorised to acquire data under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 will likely maintain their own records.

It would be operationally and commercially sensitive to discuss the details of any specific company and their support in investigations. The IPA, in Section 249, provides a statutory cost recovery mechanism stating that the Telecommunications Operator should “receive an appropriate contribution in respect of such of their relevant costs” (s249(1)) and that any payment may be “subject to terms and conditions determined by the Secretary of State” (s249(3)).

Much of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 has been replaced by the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. The IPA regime enables the extraterritorial application of our laws so that requests can be made both domestically and overseas. Whilst HMG cannot comment on the opinion of private companies, the IPA is enforceable through civil proceedings.

Responsibility for carrying out exit interviews (as well as analysing the results) sits with the Single Services, and data is held on their systems accordingly.

The Royal Navy stores exit interview information on Joint Personnel Administration system (JPA, the military intranet-based HR system), where it can be accessed by their People and Transformation team. The team generate six-monthly Leavers Intention surveys, from which themes and trends can be identified. A formal review process is being considered as part of the Navy People Transformation process.

The British Army operates a de-centralised process, with Regiments conducting their own exit surveys; the data is held and available for analysis at local level. In line with Army’s project on retention, work towards a structured exit interviews and surveys is due to be completed by September 2020.

Within the RAF, statistical information for voluntary exits is provided to Defence Statistics who use this detail to publish voluntary outflow rates, which inform retention work. All sources of exit information are routinely analysed by the RAF’s Workforce Requirements and Recruiting to assist in the management of staffing and forecasting. A six-monthly retention working group is held, where data is reviewed in depth.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to PQ HL577 and HL578, see (attached) the links:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl577

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl578

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to PQ HL577 and HL578, see (attached) the links:

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl577

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl578

Ultimately it is for individual local authorities to satisfy themselves that they have met the requirements for public access and apply the COVID-19 guidance to ensure meetings take place safely. Government has published updated guidance to highlight ways in which councils can, if necessary, minimise the need for, or risks of, face-to-face meetings.

As councils now need to meet in person, we have published updated guidance on how to minimise the risks of face-to-face meetings, supported by unprecedented emergency funding to manage the impact of the pandemic.

The Government has committed over £45 billion to help local authorities support their communities and local businesses during the pandemic, including over £12 billion directly to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19. Over £6 billion of this is unringfenced and so, where needed, it can be used to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to manage any risks involved in face-to-face meetings while COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.

The Government does not set housing allocation numbers. The Government’s Local Housing Need formula, otherwise known as “the standard method” is set out in guidance and is used by local authorities to determine the starting point when planning for housing. Local planning authorities should take into account land supply considerations and environmental constraints (such as Green Belt) before determining the number of homes likely to be delivered in the area.

The standard method is based on the 2014 household projections, these projections incorporate population projections and therefore migration data. Population data is published by the ONS, see attached: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2015-10-29.

The Government does not hold the information requested. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is an independent Tribunal established under the Solicitors Act 1974.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

Some preliminary discussions regarding on site testing for those required to attend the Palace of Westminster for the work of both Houses were held, however, NHS testing is available to all members and staff exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, by post and at sites across the country, and staff and members have been directed to these services. The nature of the work carried out on the estate and the current restrictions on non-passholders has meant that further testing on site is currently not recommended as being required. A number of steps have been taken, in line with Public Health England guidance, to mitigate the risk to members and staff required to attend in person.