Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the chief executive of the NHS concerning reports that Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust emailed staff advising them not to attend anti-Semitism awareness training.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers meet regularly with NHS England’s Chief Executive and other senior representatives to discuss a wide range of issues. The communication circulated by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust requesting that staff did not attend the antisemitism awareness training does not represent the corporate view of the trust. The communication has been rescinded and an apology issued by the trust’s Chief Executive.
NHS England provides funding for antisemitism training, alongside training on islamophobia, across the National Health Service. Employers are expected to encourage their staff to attend these training events.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of private schools across the UK that are anticipated to close as a result of charging VAT on fees.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. While the impact of this policy is being fully considered, projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicate that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, less than 0.5%, with any displacement expected to take place over several years. This research is available here and as attached: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.
The number of children in private schools has remained steady despite a 20% real terms increase in average private school fees since 2010 and a 55% rise since 2003, illustrating the sector’s adaptability. While the department cannot predict closures, the department will use indicators such as occupancy to monitor this.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on pensioners of the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Allowance.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.
Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of the new State Pensions forecast to increase by around £1700.
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. The government will work with external partners and local authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit and to target additional support to the poorest pensioners. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.
We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.
The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.
Over the past two years, energy bills have fallen. Between 1 October to 31 December 2024 Ofgem’s energy price cap is set at £1717 per year for a typical household. This means the price cap for October to December 2024 will be more than 5% lower (£117 less) than for October to December 2023.
Our other steps include cutting waiting times in the NHS which will help many pensioners currently waiting in pain and discomfort for treatment, and delivering the economic stability which is so crucial for pensioners.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what changes, if any, they are considering to the 'right to buy' discount scheme for tenants wishing to purchase their council house.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government believe it is right that those social tenants who have lived in their homes for many years retain the right to purchase their property at a reasonable discount. As such, we will not be ending the Right to Buy scheme.
We are, however, committed to better protecting our existing stock of social rented homes and are currently reviewing the increased right to buy discounts introduced in 2012. We will bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes in the Autumn.
We also intend to review Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for newly-built social housing. A consultation of these wider changes will be brought forward in the Autumn.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of public money that will be spent on the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to Gordon Lyons MLA, the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities, on Friday 13 September to update him on the funding of Casement Park for EURO 2028. The letter (which is published on gov.uk and a copy of which I will place in the Library of both Houses) states that they have, regrettably, decided that it is not appropriate for the UK Government to provide funding to seek to build Casement Park in time to host matches at EURO 2028 based on unreasonable cost and high delivery risk.
The Government will seek engagement with Northern Ireland partners, including the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the coming weeks, to discuss this decision in more detail as well as seeking views on the appropriate way forward for Casement Park.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to introduce the British ISA.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government will provide further information on its plans for the British ISA in due course.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of reported burglaries have resulted in a suspect being taken to court in England and Wales in the last year, and how this compares with the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of burglary offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, and their investigative outcomes, including the number of charge/summons. This information is published on a quarterly basis, and can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
The Home Office does not hold information on the number of suspects taken to court. Statistics on prosecutions and convictions in England and Wales, including burglary, are published by the Ministry of Justice, in the release Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly
Scotland have a different method of counting burglary offences to England and Wales but information on crimes and offences recorded by the police, including clear ups of crimes, can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2022-23/
Information on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Northern Ireland, including investigative outcomes, can be accessed here:
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the WorkWell scheme to other regions in England, and what consultations they have had with integrated care boards concerning the implementation of the scheme.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
WorkWell is a pilot programme running in 15 sites in England. The planned evaluation of the pilot will bolster our evidence base on what works to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. Future decisions, including on any expansion, will be subject to the evidence generated through the pilot.
We have undertaken an extensive programme of engagement with Integrated Care Boards prior to the announcement of the pilot areas and will continue to work with pilot areas as they design and deliver the WorkWell pilots.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of the Republic of Ireland regarding whether it plans to send Garda to the border between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tánaiste last spoke about this issue on 1 May, and the Tánaiste confirmed there would be no deployment of officers from An Garda Síochána to the Northern Ireland/Ireland border.
During this exchange, both UK and Irish Governments confirmed their commitment to the Common Travel Area and are focused on securing its external border.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland to encourage them to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh Bombing.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
We all remember vividly where we were when we heard the news of that awful atrocity in August 1998, and I pay tribute to Michael Gallagher and the other Omagh families who have pursued their case with great dignity and tenacity.
The Government is doing everything in its power to ensure that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, under the expert guidance of Lord Turnbull, provides answers. Along with the significant powers provided to it under the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry will need the cooperation of Irish agencies to be as effective as possible.
I raised this directly with the Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on Monday 29 April, and I am pleased that he committed to full Irish Government co-operation with the Omagh bombing inquiry. The Government’s focus is on ensuring that the inquiry has every chance of success, and the Irish Government’s role in that is crucial.
At the last two British-Irish Intergovernmental Conferences, the Secretary of State and I pressed the Irish Government to cooperate fully with both the Omagh inquiry and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to provide information for victims and families who desire it. The Secretary of State also wrote to the Tánaiste in January, challenging the Irish Government’s own approach to addressing legacy issues, including the number of Troubles-related prosecutions brought in Ireland since April 1998.