Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 24 October 2024 (HL1636), and with reference to the new Ministerial Code guidance on gifts and hospitality, whether (1) Ministers, (2) senior officials, and (3) special advisers, may accept hospitality of free tickets to the Oasis Live '25 tour.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Guidance on gifts and hospitality are set out respectively in the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, and Special Adviser Code of Conduct. These are available on GOV.UK.
Ministers must also follow the Code of Conduct of their respective House of Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings special advisers in the Prime Minister's Office have had with representatives of TikTok since the 2024 General Election.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In line with longstanding process, relevant meetings are declared in the Special Advisor transparency publications.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on Ministers’ claiming accountancy services on the public funds to facilitate the completion of their HMRC self-assessment tax returns.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers are personally responsible for their tax affairs.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which is independent of Government, sets out what expenses MPs can claim for in support of their parliamentary duties and this applies to MPs who are also Ministers. In the House of Lords, unsalaried Ministers may choose to claim a non-taxable, flat rate daily allowance for each sitting day they attend the House of Lords which is intended for subsistence and travel only.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, following Committee Stage of the Football Governance Bill, they intend to continue with plans to provide the Secretary of State with legislative powers to define the beginning and end dates of the season for football competitions.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This power is required so that in the case of any potential future changes to a football season and how it is calculated, the Secretary of State is able to quickly make corrective amendments to the definition.
This power is not about amending the industry’s definition of a season. The current definition of a football season within the Bill is accurate for the current situation. If the current situation were to change, the Secretary of State should have the ability to alter this definition to ensure the regime is still operational.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the meaning is of “exercises a higher degree of influence or control over” club, as set out as part of the proposed Owners’ and Directors’ test in Clause 3(2)(b) of the Football Governance Bill.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A club’s ultimate owner is defined as the owner who has the highest degree of influence or control over the activities of the club.
A club can have more than one ultimate owner if those owners - all have the same degree of influence or control.
The definition of “significant influence or control” by owners will be set out in Secretary of State guidance, which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place copies of all correspondence with UEFA, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee regarding the proposal to introduce a Football Regulator in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As has been reiterated throughout the Committee stage of the Football Governance Bill, it would not be appropriate to publish private correspondence with any stakeholders in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all the appointments made to date to the Shadow Football Regulator, setting out how many were previously employed in the DCMS during the last five years as employees, advisers, or appointees to DCMS-appointed Sports Advisory Groups, and where the Shadow Football Regulator’s office is based.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Shadow Football Regulator is a transition team within DCMS that is working to set up a new Independent Football Regulator. Staff are currently located across DCMS’ sites in Manchester and London.
As of 19th December 2024, the Shadow Regulator comprises 38 Full Time Equivalent staff, 36 of which are at grades below senior civil service (SCS) level - as is usual practice regarding the civil servants we are unable to comment further on these appointments due to the risk of identifying the individuals who have been appointed.
The remaining two appointments are at SCS level. Of these, one returned to DCMS following a secondment to the Sports Ground Safety Authority. The other was recruited from an independent regulator.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Twycross on 18 December (HL Deb col 370), whether it is their intention to seek assurances from UEFA that the introduction of backstop powers to the proposed Football Regulator does not impact on the autonomy and independence of football’s governance as required by UEFA.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As set out during the House of Lords Committee Stage debate on 18 December, UEFA raised no concerns about the backstop in its most recent meetings with DCMS and the Minister for Sport. The Department continues to engage with UEFA and other relevant stakeholders as the Bill progresses through Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government which of the Premier League of English Football League Clubs were consulted on the proposal to include parachute payments in the Football Governance Bill and on which dates those meetings took place.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Football Governance Bill is the culmination of almost five years of work. During this time, there has been extensive engagement with key stakeholders by the department (which included regular meetings with the Premier League, where policy such as parachute payments were discussed) and by the Minister for Sport, whilst she was in Opposition.
Ahead of the introduction of the Football Governance Bill, DCMS Ministers met with Brentford, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Everton and parachute payments were discussed. A significant number of meetings also took place with the Premier League executive, who represent their members and have advocated on behalf of clubs. Similar meetings were also held with the EFL and National League executives and clubs.
The Secretary of State and Minister for Sport invited all clubs to meet on 23rd October where the Bill was again discussed.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the wine industry with the added cost of packaging required as part of the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme; and how much they expect the scheme to add to a 750ml wine bottle in addition to (1) the additional duty in 2023, and (2) further duties resulting from the new wine duty regime to be introduced in 2025.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to supporting the wine industry and ensuring the UK has a thriving and diverse economy to drive growth.
The Government published illustrative base fees in August 2024 to support industry with their readiness in advance of the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme being implemented from next year.
Producers can use these illustrative base fees to begin understanding their estimated pEPR costs. These are not the final fees; they are our initial estimate, based on the best evidence available. Government intends to publish refined figures for the illustrative base fees by the end of September 2024.
Final fee rates for the first year of EPR for packaging (2025/26) will be released in summer 2025, following the 1 April 2025 deadline to submit packaging totals supplied by registered producers for the preceding calendar year.
The pEPR will contribute to Government’s mission to transition Britain to a circular economy and will work alongside the wine industry to meet this aim.