Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what research, if any, they have commissioned into the fire risk to public safety of lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes; and if so, whether this will be published.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has established a safety study to understand the data and evidence of the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes investigating incidents and taking enforcement action when needed, commissioning research, targeting unsafe products at the border and providing public safety information.
A research project on batteries has been contracted with Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University and a centre for innovation in science and technology. This will examine the safety of the lithium-ion batteries within Personal Light Electric Vehicles. The research will be published in due course once completed.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reimburse the Police Service of Northern Ireland the £6.2 million in additional policing costs incurred as a result of (1) recent visits to Northern Ireland by (a) the President of the United States, and (b) His Majesty King Charles, and (2) the Agreement 25 conference at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Office has received correspondence from the Police Service of Northern Ireland seeking assistance with £6.2 million policing costs for the visit by President Biden and for events linked with the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Office is currently in discussions with other Government Departments about this matter. A response will be issued to the Police Service of Northern Ireland once discussions have concluded.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will publish in full the initial revenue raising options he has requested by 30 June 2023 from the permanent secretaries of the devolved Northern Ireland departments.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government will treat all advice and information received in a manner consistent with the legal obligations and protections applying to advice given to Ministers. It would be inappropriate to disclose the information, which will be used to support policy development, at this time.
It is the Government’s expectation that a returning Executive will consider the same information and use this to make the necessary decisions to put Northern Ireland’s public finances on a sustainable footing. If this does not happen in a timely manner, it is the Government’s intention then to direct a series of public consultations which will give the public and all interested parties an opportunity to consider the range of options being examined and to feed in their views.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) police officers in England and Wales, (2) police officers in Scotland, and (3) Police Service of Northern Ireland officers who had completed five full calendar years of service on 6 May, or who participate in Armed Service Coronation events during the course of 2023, will receive a Coronation Medal.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The King’s Coronation Medal will be awarded to all emergency services personnel in the UK who have been in paid service, in a retained or voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies as part of their conditions of services and have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 May 2023. Individuals who have actively contributed to the official Coronation events in Westminster Abbey and processions, and other officially recognised ceremonial Coronation events will also be awarded with the medal.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Caine in Grand Committee on 26 April (HL Deb col 442GC), what progress has been made towards having the Union flag fly in Erskine House on designated days.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Office is not the lead tenant in Erskine House and it is not responsible for decisions around flag flying for the building. Erskine House has several tenants, including UK Government departments, and does not currently have a flagpole installed. Unfortunately, as a tenant, we do not currently have permission to install one.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government departments in Northern Ireland to ensure that all required information is provided to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry in the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Government departments and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, are individual core participants to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, so departments are not able to provide support to them in responding to the Inquiry.
Government departments and devolved administrations make their own decision on whether to apply for core participant status.
A core participant is an individual or organisation that has a specific interest in the work of the Inquiry with a formal role as defined by the Inquiry Rules 2006. Core participants have special benefits in the Inquiry process, including early sight of evidence and the ability to make opening and closing statements and present their position to the Inquiry.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions the Prime Minister has had with the Prime Minister of Israel.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister met Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 March. The leaders discussed shared security and defence challenges, and Prime Minister Sunak outlined international apprehension at growing tensions in the West Bank and the risk of undermining efforts towards the two state solution. He encouraged all efforts to de-escalate and also stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel. The UK remains committed to making progress towards a two-state solution, resulting in a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what official support, if any, was provided to former Prime Minister Liz Truss in relation to her recent visit to Taiwan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
His Majesty's Government does not get involved in the independent travel decisions of parliamentarians who are not a member of the government. As is standard practice, the FCDO provided a short background note setting out HMG's position on Taiwan and facilitated logistical contact between the former Prime Minister's accompanying protection team and the Taiwanese authorities. No official support was provided on the visit programme.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions ministers have had with the Department for Education in Northern Ireland regarding the shortfall in school places for children with special educational needs.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Ministers meet with Cabinet colleagues regularly to discuss a variety of topics.
In March this year, the department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan. This applies to England only, but the department shared a draft with the devolved administrations ahead of publication, to help build understanding of the proposals.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other countries about best practice in the regulation of e-scooters.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Departmental officials engage with public and private sector contacts from many countries to understand how regulation of e-scooters is being used to integrate micromobility into different transport systems, the challenges this has raised and the solutions that have been developed. The Department also monitors international experience through literature research.