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Written Question
Cycle to Work Scheme
Thursday 15th September 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what joint working, if any, is taking place across Government to unlock additional benefits of the Cycle to Work Scheme to (1) support workers with the rising cost of commuting, and (2) drive outcomes in (a) public health, and (b) reducing carbon emissions.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton

Cycling to work can reduce the costs of commuting whilst improving physical and mental health for employees and can help reduce carbon emissions. The Cycle to Work scheme enables people do this more cost effectively and in 2019 the Department revised the guidance on the scheme to make it simpler for employers to offer it to their employees.

The Department regularly promotes the Cycle to Work Scheme and has previously commissioned Business in the Community and Sustrans to publish best practice guidance for employers and local authorities highlighting how employers can enable more of their staff to cycle to work using the scheme. The Department and HMRC are in regular contact on these and other issues and the Department regularly meets with the Cycle to Work Alliance to identify opportunities to further increase take up of the scheme.


Written Question
Cycle to Work Scheme
Thursday 15th September 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to increase take-up of the Cycle to Work Scheme in line with their priorities around boosting active travel.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton

Cycling to work can reduce the costs of commuting whilst improving physical and mental health for employees and can help reduce carbon emissions. The Cycle to Work scheme enables people do this more cost effectively and in 2019 the Department revised the guidance on the scheme to make it simpler for employers to offer it to their employees.

The Department regularly promotes the Cycle to Work Scheme and has previously commissioned Business in the Community and Sustrans to publish best practice guidance for employers and local authorities highlighting how employers can enable more of their staff to cycle to work using the scheme. The Department and HMRC are in regular contact on these and other issues and the Department regularly meets with the Cycle to Work Alliance to identify opportunities to further increase take up of the scheme.


Written Question
Visas: South Africa
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current average processing time, from application to decision, for UK visas for South African citizens.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

UKVI does not publish average processing times by location, however, the average visa decision waiting times by category, which is regularly updated, can be found on the GOV.uk webpage: Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Visas: Applications
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of extended visa processing delays on the UK’s reputation as a place to do business.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

The Home Office recognises there are ongoing delays to visa processing times, largely impacted by requirement to prioritise applications submitted for the Ukraine Schemes, and is working hard to reduce these as quickly as possible.

The GOV.UK webpage is updated regularly with details of average visa decision waiting times

Many business activities can be undertaken under our generous visitor route provisions, meaning non-visa nationals can undertake them without applying for entry clearance beforehand.


Written Question
Visas: Applications
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to reduce the processing time for visas to enter the UK.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

The Home Office is pursuing a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives which will speed up decision making, reduce the time people spend in the system and reduce the numbers who are awaiting an interview or decision.

UKVI has recently reintroduced Priority Visa services for Visitor visa applications in the majority of overseas locations.

UKVI continues to prioritise urgent and compassionate cases where notified.


Written Question
Moreblessing Ali
Tuesday 28th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe regarding (1) the abduction and murder of opposition political activist Moreblessing Ali, and (2) the steps being taken by the Zimbabwe authorities to investigate this.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The Minister for Africa and I [Lord Goldsmith] were appalled to hear of the murder of Moreblessing Ali. The British Ambassador in Zimbabwe publicly expressed her sadness at this tragic news and passed on our condolences to Moreblessing's family and friends. It is important that the Zimbabwe police continue to investigate her murder to establish the facts, and those behind this terrible crime are brought to justice. The Minister for Africa recently wrote to Foreign Minister Shava to reiterate the importance of demonstrable progress on the human rights and political reforms that the President of Zimbabwe committed to in his inauguration speech in November 2017.


Written Question
Immigration: Appeals
Thursday 23rd June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what processes they follow to implement the judgments of the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

Published guidance in relation to implementing allowed appeals can be found here - Implementing allowed appeals (publishing.service.gov.uk).


Written Question
Ryanair
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to Ryanair about that company's practice of requiring South African nationals to fill in questionnaires in Afrikaans before boarding flights in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton

The recent language test requirement for passengers travelling with Ryanair was not a UK Government requirement. My officials have engaged with Ryanair on this matter and they have since confirmed that the language test is no longer in use.


Written Question
Energy Transition Council
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Energy Transition Council has met since COP26; and if so, which nations attended.

Answered by Lord Callanan

The Energy Transition Council (ETC) met on Tuesday 24 May 2022, for its fifth Ministerial dialogue, chaired by the UK. Egypt, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco, Laos PDR, Philippines and Germany were represented at Ministerial and senior official level.


Written Question
Energy Transition Council
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the Energy Transition Council has made towards its objectives.

Answered by Lord Callanan

The Energy Transition Council’s objective is to support countries to accelerate their clean energy transition, including through national and Ministerial dialogues. The Council has mobilised assistance in the eleven Energy Transition Council partner countries including through its Rapid Response Facility, which is already responding to over twenty requests, with additional requests in the pipeline for 2022. As a result of these efforts, the Government has seen partner countries commit to raising ambition in their clean energy transition, including through declarations at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.