Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) Harland and Wolff, and (2) Navantia, regarding the contract to build three fleet solid support ships for the Royal Navy.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The successful delivery of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme remains a priority. Ministry of Defence Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Navantia UK as prime contractor, on a range of matters, including extensive engagement to understand what steps the company is taking to ensure delivery of the FSS contract and management of its supply chain.

Harland and Wolff is a subcontractor to Navantia UK and following a review of their financial situation, the Government is clear that the market is best placed to address the challenges the company is facing. We continue to work extensively with all parties to find an outcome for the company that continues to deliver shipbuilding and manufacturing in the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they conducted an impact analysis before capping Agricultural Property Relief on inheritance tax at £1 million for Northern Ireland farmers; and if so, whether they will publish the results.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at GOV.UK.

It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more competition between airlines on routes connecting Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

We recognise the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK that supports Union connectivity. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector, and it is for airports to invest in their infrastructure and airlines to determine the routes they operate.

Northern Ireland is well served by airlines operating routes to Great Britain.

Airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, easyJet, Loganair and Ryanair operate routes from Northern Ireland to several cities across Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of official statistics published by the Department for Transport on 26 September which show that there were 1,387 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters in Great Britain in 2023, and that there were six deaths; and what weight they give to these statistics when considering legalising the use of private e-scooters on public roads.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority.

The Department is looking to better understand the safety of e-scooters. That is why we have extended the rental e-scooter trials for a further two years, to 31 May 2026, and commissioned a second national evaluation of the trials to expand the evidence base on e-scooter safety.

We are carefully considering how micromobility can help to deliver our transport objectives safely, including the possibility of legislation on e-scooters. The Government will consult before making any legislative changes and will consider the full range of evidence on e-scooter safety, including road safety statistics.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the interim Chair of the Post Office regarding the maintenance of Crown branches in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Post Office interim Chair, Nigel Railton, recently-announced a transformation plan, which aims to put the Post Office on a more stable financial footing for the future, including by reducing costs, and to increase Postmaster remuneration. The details of Nigel Railton’s transformation plan are being examined by my Department, and the plan is subject to Government funding and outcomes of the upcoming Spending Review. The Post Office will continue to deliver on the 11,500 minimum branch requirement and geographical access criteria set by Government.

No decisions regarding Crown, or ‘Directly Managed’ Branches, including those in Northern Ireland, have been taken. The Post Office has been clear however that it’s their ambition to operate the network on a fully franchised basis in time as this is a more sustainable model.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence regarding the licensing of Amivantamab for the treatment of NHS cancer patients; and when they expect a licence to be granted.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Department officials have regular discussions with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about a range of issues, including access to new treatments for a range of diseases and conditions.

Amivantamab was granted a conditional marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for the treatment of adults with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with activating EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, after failure of platinum-based therapy, in November 2021.

The NICE makes evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS, based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NICE was unable to recommend amivantamab as a clinically and cost-effective use of NHS resources for treating EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy in final guidance published in December 2022.

The NICE is planning to appraise amivantamab with lazertinib for untreated EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and amivantamab with carboplatin and pemetrexed for untreated EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, subject to a licence being granted for these indications. The NICE is expected to publish final guidance on both next year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Vallance of Balham on 3 December (HL Deb col 1035), how much commercial companies are paying to fund a ship to provide protection for undersea cables, and to whom this money is paid.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Subsea telecoms cables are privately owned and operated. The cost of cable maintenance and repair is shared by companies contracting into zonal maintenance agreements to ensure a commercial repair vessel is on permanent standby. For cables serving the UK this is provided by the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement. Companies pay an annual stipend for the repair service under this agreement, with the amount paid based on the length of the cables they own. When they require a repair, they will also pay to cover the cost of the ship for the duration of the repair.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to reinitiate talks between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to reunite the island; and, if so, how the Prime Minister’s decision to meet the President of the Republic of Cyprus but reportedly not the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus during his visit to the region on 9–10 December supports this objective.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK, as a Guarantor Power and a friend to all parties, will continue to support UN efforts to create an enduring settlement on the Cyprus issue. The Prime Minister met President Christodoulides to discuss a wide range of issues across our bilateral relationship. During the Prime Minister's visit, senior officials met Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot negotiators to encourage both sides to engage constructively with the UN-led process on Settlement. We do not recognise the so-called "TRNC" but will continue to work with all Cypriots including Turkish Cypriots and their representatives as part of the UN process.