Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 November (HL Deb col 1170) concerning the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), and the statement that the “Government keep these matters under review and that the level of the limit is reviewed by the Prime Minister, at the start of a Parliament and annually”, whether the next review of the PDCA will consider restricting the allowance to former Prime Ministers (and any other eligible other Ministers) to those who have served less than a full parliamentary term.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The review of the Public Duty Costs Allowance is undertaken by the Prime Minister at the start of a Parliament and annually. It is for the Prime Minister to consider the level, operation and coverage of the allowance. This review will take place in due course.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 November (HL Deb col 1170) concerning the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), how a distinction is made between the staff and office costs involved through working on recognised public duties conducted by former Prime Ministers, such as non fee-paying public appearances, and commercial activities, such as writing books and paid media or public appearances, or party-political campaigning.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Public Duty Costs Allowance is administered by the Cabinet Office.
Former Prime Ministers may only be reimbursed for legitimate staff salary, office or other expenses incurred in meeting the demands of the former Prime Minister’s public life up to the annual limit, which has been set at £115,000 since 2011. The allowance cannot be paid in advance of need and cannot be backdated.
Invoices to cover such costs are submitted to the Cabinet Office. Supporting documentation (for example receipts and salary details, including where relevant the proportion of salary being claimed) are retained by the claimant and made available on request by either Cabinet Office Finance or the National Audit Office for audit purposes.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 November (HL Deb col 1170) concerning the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA), and the statement that the “Government keep these matters under review and that the level of the limit is reviewed by the Prime Minister, at the start of a Parliament and annually”, what have been the total sums paid to each recipient of the PDCA in each of the years for which they have been able to claim; and what have been the total costs of the scheme to date.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government does not hold a full record of claims against the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA) going back to 1991 when the allowance was established. The table above provides information from 2009/10 collated from government data.
From the financial year 2013/14, the annual amount of PDCA claimed by each former Prime Minister has been included in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts which is published on GOV.UK. The years that have been published in this way are highlighted in Table 1. Prior to 2013, in line with the approach taken on Parliament’s Office Costs Allowance, to which the PDCA was linked, details of claims made by former Prime Ministers were not published.
I would also refer the noble Lord to a written answer provided on 6 April 2010 by the late Baroness Jowell, then Minister for the Cabinet Office (reference 311222) which provides details of total annual claims made against the PDCA in 1997/98-2008/09.
Table 1:
The Government does not hold a full record of claims against the Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA) going back to 1991 when the allowance was established. The table above provides information from 2009/10 collated from government data.
From the financial year 2013/14, the annual amount of PDCA claimed by each former Prime Minister has been included in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts which is published on GOV.UK. The years that have been published in this way are highlighted in Table 1. Prior to 2013, in line with the approach taken on Parliament’s Office Costs Allowance, to which the PDCA was linked, details of claims made by former Prime Ministers were not published.
I would also refer the noble Lord to a written answer provided on 6 April 2010 by the late Baroness Jowell, then Minister for the Cabinet Office (reference 311222) which provides details of total annual claims made against the PDCA in 1997/98-2008/09.
Table 1:
| The Rt Hon Baroness Margaret Thatcher | The Rt Hon Sir John Major | The Rt Hon Tony Blair | The Rt Hon Gordon Brown | The Rt Hon David Cameron | The Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg | The Rt Hon Theresa May | Pensions | Total PDCA |
2009-10 | 103,812 | 103,812 | 103,812 |
|
|
|
| 10,381 | 321,817 |
2010-11 | 104,133 | 109,125 | 109,191 | 93,698 |
|
|
| 10,912 | 427,059 |
2011-12 | 109,192 | 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,998 |
|
|
| 25,096 | 479,286 |
2012-13 | 70,693 | 114,996 | 115,000 | 100,316 |
|
|
| 15,832 | 385,172 |
2013-14 |
| 114,765 | 115,000 | 101,348 | - | - | - | 76,000 | 407,113 |
2014-15 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 112,450 | - | - | - | 115,463 | 226,987 |
2015-16 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,763 | - | 101,911 | - | 21,435 | 468,109 |
2016-17 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,838 | 50,227 | 114,982 | - | 28,020 | 538,067 |
2017-18 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,920 | 111,544 | 115,000 | - | 39,524 | 610,988 |
2018-19 |
| 114,935 | 115,000 | 114,057 | 110,413 | 112,882 | - | 21,425 | 588,712 |
2019-20 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,802 | 111,457 | - | 34,836 | 11,500 | 502,595 |
2020-21 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 113,712 | 113,423 | - | 57,832 | 55,381 | 571,348 |
2021-22 |
| 115,000 | 115,000 | 114,655 | 106,747 | - | 80,083 | 11,500 | 542,985 |
Total | 387,830 | 1,477,633 | 1,478,003 | 1,325,557 | 603,811 | 444,775 | 172,751 | 179,879 | 6070,239 |
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Minister for Security on 1 November (HC Deb col 791), whether the proposed new taskforce to protect parliament from being subverted by foreign powers will examine the funding of (1) think tanks, and (2) other organisations, seeking to influence public policy; and in particular, where such funding comes from (a) abroad, and (b) anonymous sources.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As the Government set out in the Integrated Review, it will be essential to take a whole-of-society approach to resilience across the United Kingdom.
The taskforce announced by the Minister for Security earlier this week will drive forward work to defend the democratic integrity of our country. It will work with Parliament, political parties, government departments, the security and intelligence agencies, the devolved Administrations and private sector to better protect our freedoms and institutions from a range of threats.
I am not able to comment on the exact parameters or scope of the taskforce at this point, but I can assure Lord Rennard that work is taking place within Departments at pace to define exactly these points.
In addition, national security is a priority for this Government, and there are already numerous workstreams underway to add resilience and robustness to our democracy, including the Defending Democracy programme established in 2019 and the National Security Bill.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of (1) paediatric, and (2) adult, cystic fibrosis centres in England had a (a) social worker, and (b) clinical psychologist, vacancy for more than six months for each year since 2015.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of the forthcoming medicines update of the NG28 Type 2 Diabetes Guideline; and how long it will take for updated guidance to be produced.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published the updated guidance Type 2 diabetes in adults: management on 31 March 2022. A copy of the guidance is attached. NICE made new recommendations on the use of medicines for adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in November 2021 and for adults with type 2 diabetes in February 2022. NICE is also updating its recommendations on medicines for type 2 diabetes in children and young people and expects to publish updated guidance in January 2024.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what levels of documented scrutiny, including photo ID, is expected to apply in future for voters at a polling station; what assessment they have made as to how far this documentation may be more easily available for (1) older voters, (2) younger voters, and (3) people who move their address most frequently; and how this scrutiny will compare to that applied to UK citizens applying to register as overseas voters who are not recorded on previous electoral rolls.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Elections Bill will bring in the requirement to show a photographic identity document when voting in polling stations. The Government has carried out research on the levels of ownership of relevant forms of identification amongst various demographics including age. This research is available here (attached) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-photographic-id-ownership-in-great-britain>
Following the extension of the overseas electors franchise, the identity of all applicants will (as now) need to be verified as will their connection to an address in the UK before they can be added to the electoral register. Further detail can be found in the Government’s policy statement, “Overseas electors: Delivering ‘votes for life’ for British expatriates”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-electors-delivering-votes-for-life-for-british-expatriates/overseas-electors-delivering-votes-for-life-for-british-expatriates>
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring into force the un-commenced provisions of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009, regarding donations from non-resident donors.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government has no plans to bring into force the uncommenced provisions of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 regarding donations from non-resident donors.
As set out in a related answer to a question from Jon Trickett MP (268970) (attached), it is the view of the Government that this provision is not workable given that an individual’s tax status is subject to confidentiality between them and HMRC.
Further, taxation is not connected to enfranchisement in the UK and if a British citizen is able to vote in an election for a political party, they should also be able to donate to that political party, subject to the requirements for transparency on donations.
Registered overseas electors are eligible to make political donations and it is only right that they should be able to donate in the same way as other UK citizens registered on the electoral roll.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate more rapid (1) distribution, and (2) return, of postal votes to UK citizens overseas who are registered voters in general elections.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Returning Officers are responsible for the issue of postal votes at elections. The Electoral Commission guidance advises Returning Officers that they should prioritise postal votes that are to be sent overseas in order to maximise the time that postal voters have to receive, complete and return their postal vote.
The Government has recently taken steps to enhance the postal vote system for UK citizens living overseas. At the 2019 General Election, the Government funded a scheme to expedite the issue of postal vote ballot papers to overseas electors via Heathrow Airport. The Government has also funded the use of the International Business Response Licence which expedites the return of ballot packs from overseas, as well as covering any postage costs that might otherwise be incurred.
The Elections Bill includes measures that will make it easier for overseas electors to participate by enabling them to remain registered for longer with an absent vote arrangement in place. The registration period for overseas electors will be extended from one year to up to three years, and electors will be able to reapply or refresh, as appropriate, their absent vote arrangements at the same time as renewing their registration. The Bill also provides for an online absent vote application service to be introduced that will enable electors, including overseas electors, to apply for a postal vote online.
Asked by: Lord Rennard (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase national party expenditure limits in general elections in line with the written statement made by Lord True on 3 December 2020 (HLWS610); and whether any such increase will take place before July 2023.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Election spending limits are fixed in absolute terms. This requires them to be updated by inflation from time to time. The underlying primary legislation passed by Parliament explicitly provides for this.
In 2020 government officials consulted with representatives of the Local Government Association, political groups, the Parliamentary Parties panel and other political parties on uprating spending limits at reserved polls. Naturally a range of views were received during these consultations, however, it is for these groups to make public their position on this matter, not the Government.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statements published on 3 December 2020 HCWS618; HLWS610 (attached) the Government intends to review both candidate and party spending limits, at reserved polls with a view to uprating them by inflation. We cannot, however, comment on any specific figures until the necessary review has concluded.