Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the success of integrated care boards.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England holds integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service providers to account for the delivery of national priorities and statutory functions, and oversees them via the NHS oversight framework. NHS England has a legal duty to annually assess the performance of each integrated care board, in respect of each financial year, and publish a summary of its findings. Annual assessments for the financial year 2023/24 have been completed and NHS England will summarise the outcomes of all annual assessments and publish a report.
In addition, the Government published Professor Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England on 12 September 2024, which includes an assessment of the progress of and challenges facing ICBs. The Government has committed to the development of a new 10 Year Health Plan which will build on the findings of the report published by Professor Lord Darzi.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable prisoners with work outside the confines of prison to be paid a wage.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We know that employment reduces the chance of reoffending significantly, by up to nine percentage points. That is why we have committed to break the cycle of reoffending by better supporting prisons to link up with employers and the voluntary sector to get more people with convictions into work.
Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) allows prisoners to be released temporarily into the community for specific purposes, including to engage in employment. Prisoners working on ROTL are paid the same as their counterparts in the community and are subject to the same income tax, National Insurance and child support requirements, as well as other court ordered deductions.
In addition, the Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 (PEA) gives governors the power to deduct up to and including 40% from prisoners’ earnings on ROTL. Currently, the money deducted is given to the charity Victim Support. An average of £296 per prisoner per month was raised through the levy; totalling £4.2 million raised for the year ending March 2024.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue to use the "Bibby Stockholm"; and, if so, for what purpose and at what budgeted cost.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Bibby Stockholm will continue to be in use until the contract expires in January 2025.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the total cost of preparing the Rwanda deportation plan.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In her statement to the House on 22 July, the Home Secretary said the Rwanda-UK partnership had cost £700 million, which encompasses the direct costs of the partnership as detailed in the National Audit Office report released March 1, 2024, as well as expenses related to preparing for relocation flights to Rwanda and implementing the Illegal Migration Act (IMA).
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many immigrants have been prepared for deportation to Rwanda; and what will happen to them when the Rwanda deportation plan is repealed.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to a new policy agenda, which is why we are moving away from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contractual obligations the UK entered into before the general election, and with whom, to meet the requirements of the deportations to Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Contractual obligations are subject to commercial sensitivities and cannot be disclosed.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to use civil servants currently engaged in the Rwanda deportation process.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to a new policy agenda, which is why we are moving away from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) with Rwanda and refocusing our efforts on a new returns and asylum system and Border Security Command.
Funding and efforts will be focused on expanding our enforcement and returns capability, so those with no right to be here are swiftly removed.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to repeal legislation providing for immigrants to be deported to Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government has set out intentions with regards to the MEDP. Any future legislation will be set out in due course.
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 much of the energy required by the new electric arc furnaces in Port Talbot Steel Works will be supplied by renewable energy sources.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel
Tata steel is making an investment of £1.25 billion, including a UK Government grant worth up to £500 million, in a new Electric Arc Furnace at the Port Talbot Steelworks. The electrification of steelmaking will significantly reduce the overall carbon footprint of the site which is currently the UK’s single largest emitter of CO2.
The UK Government does not have a role in Tata Steel’s energy purchasing arrangements, and therefore cannot confirm the relevant energy sources they will choose to use. However, in recent months, renewables became the majority source of electricity generation for the first full quarter across Great Britain’s electricity grid and we are planning to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035, subject to security of supply.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many registered electors were not allowed to vote in the elections on 2 May due to not having acceptable photo identification.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Opposition Whip (Lords)
The Electoral Commission is the independent electoral regulator and will be providing their analysis of the running of the May polls 2024. This will include the reporting of the number of individuals turned away. We anticipate publication of their interim report in early July.