Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the electricity transmission network is sufficient to allow for the replacement of the Port Talbot steel works blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Tata Steel and National Grid have been working closely to ensure the deliverability of a grid connection in line with the project requirements.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide support to those whose livelihoods previously relied on employment at the Port Talbot steel works.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stands ready to support anyone affected by redundancy with our Rapid Response Service offer. This is a service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy.
This service is co-ordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Delivery partners include Careers Wales, local training providers, Money Helper and ReAct Plus in Wales.
The Rapid Response Service offer is flexible and can include a range of options (see below) that can be pulled together into an appropriate support package. This package will be tailored to meet the needs of the employer, the individuals affected and the local community.
The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include:
DWP are also working closely with the Transition Board that was established to support the people, businesses and communities affected by the proposals for Tata Steel in Port Talbot.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Donald Trump’s comments about NATO members and spending on defence.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK’s commitment to NATO, and the principle of collective defence under Article V, is resolute. We expect all NATO Allies to come to the aid of others.
The UK has led the conversation on defence spending at NATO. Since the NATO Defence Investment Pledge, which Leaders agreed in Newport Wales in 2014, European Allies and Canada have invested heavily on Defence and will have added more $600 billion by the end of this year. Now is the time for all Allied and democratic nations across the world to ensure their defence spending is growing.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they are intending to alleviate and assist with the impact of job losses caused by the closure of Port Talbot Steelworks.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Port Talbot steelworks are not closing. Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion transformation plan will see the UK Government providing a £500 million grant towards the joint investment, to build an Electric Arc Furnace at Port Talbot and ensure steelmaking continues into the future.
We are ensuring support for staff affected by the transition, working with Welsh Government and Tata Steel to provide up to £100 million of funding for a dedicated Transition Board, supporting impacted employees and the local economy. Tata has also announced that they will provide a £130 million comprehensive support package for affected employees.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to discontinue their military action in Palestine, and what steps they are taking to assist Palestinian civilians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Vital steps include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.
Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.. We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings.
We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza.
The Foreign Secretary has appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson. He is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they provide WiFi access within asylum seekers' lodgings to enable them to communicate with family members.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The provision of Wi-Fi is not a contractual requirement across the asylum accommodation estate.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Ukraine when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens in that country to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to helping Ukraine recover from Russia's illegal invasion. The UK and Ukraine co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June 2023, raising over $60 billion towards Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. We are helping to build Ukraine's capacity to deliver recovery and reconstruction projects at an unprecedented scale. The UK's Infrastructure Projects Authority is providing strategic advice to State Agency for Restoration. We are also working to mobilise private sector investment for reconstruction through initiatives on reforms and good governance, financial markets and insurance, business expertise, infrastructure and energy.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Israel/Gaza when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens in those affected countries to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are calling for an immediate stop in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
We recognise that we must work with our allies to provide serious, practical and enduring support needed to bolster the Palestinian Authority. We already provide technical and practical support and are ready to do more.
We have regular discussions with Israeli counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the efficacy of the Home Office.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The efficacy of the Home Office is regularly assured through a number of accountability mechanisms. These include Home Office questions and the Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament.
The annual report and accounts provide a financial and narrative summary of the activities of the Department.
They are published yearly on gov.uk, offering a review of the Home Office's vision and priorities for the year, and are subject to review by the National Audit Office. The latest one to be published covers 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commit to reducing the waiting period for all initial asylum decisions to one year or less.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Asylum casework operations are now prioritising processing asylum claims submitted on or after the 28th June 2022 with the aim of concluding these as soon as possible.