Lord Rooker

The UK does not publish data on the levels of trade between the UK and specific regions of mainland China. However, the UK’s Overseas Business Risk guidance makes clear the government’s serious concerns about the widespread and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang and urges companies to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.

In December 2024 we set out an intention to consult on transmission-level blending within GB in early 2025 to gather evidence to inform the case for Transmission-level blending. We confirm that we intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the National Transmission System in the near future.

The GB transmission system operator (National Gas) has conducted trials on the safety of hydrogen blends of up to 2%, 5% and 20% by volume in the National Transmission System. The Department is working with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that this evidence is assessed as efficiently as possible.

We intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the GB gas transmission network in the near future.

The government believes that the only way to guarantee our energy security is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.

Low carbon hydrogen will be a crucial enabler of a low carbon and renewables-based energy system and will help to deliver new clean energy industries which can support good jobs in our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.

Low carbon hydrogen will play a key role in delivering a decarbonised power system and can also provide very long duration energy storage, making use of curtailed electricity, which will support both a decarbonised electricity grid and increased energy security.

None of the UK’s gas interconnectors currently supply or receive gas blended with hydrogen. The Department is engaging with officials from the Irish government and transmission system operator of Ireland to understand the implications of the EU hydrogen and gas decarbonisation package regarding hydrogen blending and to ensure continued cross-border trade of gas.

We intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the GB gas transmission network in the near future.

Hydrogen to power can play a key role in a Clean Power system by providing low carbon dispatchable generation during lower renewable output periods. Hydrogen to power can deploy at a range of scales, providing a decarbonisation pathway for unabated gas generation, and when connected to large-scale hydrogen storage, can enable inter-seasonal low carbon electricity storage.

The government has committed to implement a hydrogen to power business model to support hydrogen to power deployment. The December 2024 hydrogen to power consultation response outlines the next steps government will take to deliver the business model.

We can confirm Minister Zeichner visited 'Growing Well', a mental health charity, located at Low Sizergh Farm in Kendal, on 21 August 2024.

The UK notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in February that we intended to lay a Statutory Instrument that will amend the Bread and Flour Regulations.

My Ministerial colleagues are considering next steps on this issue. Changes to rules could include clarifying definitions; providing for the fortification of wheat flour with folic acid; exemptions to avoid disproportionate impacts for businesses; and a change to the enforcement approach.

Road safety is a priority for the government, and we expect bus operators to uphold the highest standards of safety, policed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and upheld judicially by the Traffic Commissioners. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should include plans setting out how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. That same philosophy applies also to franchising and contracting by local transport authorities and to their operators.

The Department for Transport maintains a database of road injury collisions and casualties, including those involving buses or coaches, based on data reported by police using a system known as STATS19. Statistics on the number of people killed and injured in bus or coach collisions are published annually on GOV.UK.

The latest figures can be found in published Table RAS0601 and show that in 2023, the latest year for which figures are available, 59 people were killed and 4,286 injured in collisions involving buses or coaches. The number of casualties which were hospitalised is not recorded within the STATS19 dataset.

Road safety is a priority for the government, and we expect bus operators to uphold the highest standards of safety, policed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and upheld judicially by the Traffic Commissioners. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should include plans setting out how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. That same philosophy applies also to franchising and contracting by local transport authorities and to their operators.

The Department for Transport maintains a database of road injury collisions and casualties, including those involving buses or coaches, based on data reported by police using a system known as STATS19. Statistics on the number of people killed and injured in bus or coach collisions are published annually on GOV.UK.

The latest figures can be found in published Table RAS0601 and show that in 2023, the latest year for which figures are available, 59 people were killed and 4,286 injured in collisions involving buses or coaches. The number of casualties which were hospitalised is not recorded within the STATS19 dataset.

Road safety is a priority for the government, and we expect bus operators to uphold the highest standards of safety, policed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and upheld judicially by the Traffic Commissioners. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should include plans setting out how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. That same philosophy applies also to franchising and contracting by local transport authorities and to their operators.

The Department for Transport maintains a database of road injury collisions and casualties, including those involving buses or coaches, based on data reported by police using a system known as STATS19. Statistics on the number of people killed and injured in bus or coach collisions are published annually on GOV.UK.

The latest figures can be found in published Table RAS0601 and show that in 2023, the latest year for which figures are available, 59 people were killed and 4,286 injured in collisions involving buses or coaches. The number of casualties which were hospitalised is not recorded within the STATS19 dataset.

Road safety is a priority for the government, and we expect bus operators to uphold the highest standards of safety, policed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and upheld judicially by the Traffic Commissioners. The Department for Transport’s guidance to local transport authorities on developing their Bus Service Improvement Plans makes clear that these should include plans setting out how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. That same philosophy applies also to franchising and contracting by local transport authorities and to their operators.

The Department for Transport maintains a database of road injury collisions and casualties, including those involving buses or coaches, based on data reported by police using a system known as STATS19. Statistics on the number of people killed and injured in bus or coach collisions are published annually on GOV.UK.

The latest figures can be found in published Table RAS0601 and show that in 2023, the latest year for which figures are available, 59 people were killed and 4,286 injured in collisions involving buses or coaches. The number of casualties which were hospitalised is not recorded within the STATS19 dataset.

The Department does not hold any data which suggests that the national bus fare cap has led to accidents.

When a Defined Benefit pension scheme transfers responsibility for paying some or all of its members’ benefits to an insurer, the scheme pays a premium to the insurance company, which then takes on responsibility for paying the promised benefits. This is a well-established approach used by pension scheme trustees to secure the promised pensions for members with an insurance company.

Arrangements to provide pension benefits to some or all scheme members with an insurer are secure and offer long term protection for member benefits. Insurance companies are regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and their policy holders are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Pension Protection Fund protection is retained until the whole scheme is transferred to an insurer, and both the sponsor and the trustees are discharged. At that point the members are no longer protected by the Pension Protection Fund. This is because all benefits are now secured with an insurance company.

No assessments of individual schemes are made by Government.

The Government has no current plans to revise the arrangements for the Christmas Bonus.

The Christmas Bonus is an annual, tax-free, lump sum payment to pensioners and to working age people who are in receipt of certain qualifying benefits during the relevant week which is usually the first full week in December.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

The Department is currently tendering for its pandemic preparedness portfolio and the procurement is being run against an existing NHS Supply Chain framework agreement.

The framework agreement only has suppliers on it which have been through a competitive tender and due diligence in line with both the legislation, at that time the Public Contract Regulations 2015, and which have been assessed against NHS Supply Chain’s minimum expectations, including sustainability, social value, and modern slavery.

NHS Supply Chain cannot discriminate against countries, except for Russia and Belarus, and this is in line with the Government’s National Procurement Policy Statement which specifically states that nothing in this statement should conflict with the Government’s international trade obligations.

In this tender, bidders were only permitted to tender products that were already awarded to the framework agreement. Furthermore, as part of the tender evaluation, for all products tendered, the technical product/conformity documentation was then reviewed again to ensure its validity, and a ‘hands on product assurance’ assessment requiring samples was undertaken.

Two suppliers on the existing NHS Supply Chain framework provided products under personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts to the Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the Department was dissatisfied with. However, these contract issues have now been resolved. The products supplied under the NHS Supply Chain framework are not the same as for the Department’s PPE contracts, and any issues with future performance will be managed through the contract management process and practice already in place with NHS Supply Chain.

A Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) was laid in both Houses of Parliament on 21 November to launch the consultation on the proposed modern slavery regulations for the National Health Service, and is available on the parliament.UK website, in an online only format. As stated in the WMS, the regulations and guidance have been published in draft form alongside the consultation and, subject to the outcome of the consultation, the Department intends to lay draft regulations before Parliament in due course.

The published guidance, which is available on the GOV.UK website in an online only format, refers to a risk assessment tool that NHS England is currently developing based on the six characteristics to help assess modern slavery risks, as set out in Public Procurement Policy Note 02/23 -Tackling Modern Slavery in Government Supply Chains, a copy of which is attached. These characteristics are: industry type; nature of the workforce; supplier location; context in which the supplier operates; commodity type; and business or supply chain model.

The Department would of course welcome ideas and suggestions on risk assessment tools and methodologies in responses to the consultation.

Section 47 of the Health and Social Care Act 2022 mandated my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to conduct a review of risks associated with slavery and human trafficking in National Health Service supply chains, with an emphasis on cotton-based products. The report was laid in Parliament on 14 December 2023.

The supply chain mapping undertaken for the purpose of the review was identified as inappropriate for the size and range of the products supplied to the NHS, requiring extensive effort by the buyers and suppliers to collect information, that was still insufficient to affect change. Many of the suppliers identified as having high risk supply chains are based in the United Kingdom, however their supply chains are global.

In response to the findings, the review made a series of recommendations, outlined in detail in the publication. Upcoming regulations under Section 12ZC of the NHS Act 2006 will further aid the NHS in assessing and mitigating modern slavery risks in individual procurements, alongside the introduction of a consistent risk assessment embedded into the health family’s e-commerce system, Atamis.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

We continue to monitor the situation closely. For example, the Government conducts independent visits to areas of major concern wherever possible, and supports NGOs in exposing and reacting to human rights violations.

We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang at the UN General Assembly on 22 October.

HMG Ministers and officials at the British Embassy in Cairo continue to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian government at the highest levels. They have been consistently clear in calling for his release and continue to press for urgent consular access. The Egyptian Government does not recognise Mr El-Fattah's British nationality and is refusing consular access. The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr El-Fattah's case on several occasions, most recently with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on 7 October. The Prime Minister raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 8 August and I raised Mr El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian Ambassador on 11 September.

HMG Ministers and officials at the British Embassy in Cairo continue to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian government at the highest levels. They have been consistently clear in calling for his release and continue to press for urgent consular access. The Egyptian Government does not recognise Mr El-Fattah's British nationality and is refusing consular access. The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr El-Fattah's case on several occasions, most recently with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on 7 October. The Prime Minister raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 8 August and I raised Mr El-Fattah's case with the Egyptian Ambassador on 11 September.

Estimated figures of the cost of the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) exemption for those aged over 65 are published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Structural Tax Reliefs publication.

A condensed version of the table of interest has been copied below, showing estimated costs annually from 2018-19 until 2023-24.

Table: HMRC NICs Structural Cost Estimates by Financial Year

Financial Year NICs structural cost estimates (£ million)

2018-19 1,300

2019-20 1,200

2020-21 840

2021-22 1,200*

2022-23 1,200*

2023-24 1,100*

*Projected estimates based upon the 2019-20 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected in line with economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

The estimated cost of this exemption does not represent the yield if this exemption were to be abolished as other behavioural responses, including a possible increase in State Pension expenditure, would be expected to substantially reduce the yield.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.

OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.

OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.

Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.

OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.

OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.

Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.

OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.

OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.

Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in HM Treasury is responsible for financial sanctions implementation and enforcement.

OFSI can only issue specific licences where relevant licensing grounds exist as set out in the legislation. One such licensing ground is professional legal fees and reasonable expenses associated with the provision of legal services. This ground exists because it is important that designated persons can still access legal representation. A ‘reasonableness’ test is applied to each legal fees application which requires applicants to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate to OFSI that the legal fees and expenses are reasonable.

OFSI releases an Annual Review each year which provides information about the number of licences issued under each regime. However, for confidentiality purposes and in order to comply with UK data protection law, OFSI does not publish details about the parties involved in individual licences granted.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an increase in the scale and impact of financial sanctions, OFSI has processed a larger number licence applications than previous years. Many licence applications under the legal services licensing ground involve very complex legal cases, some with very high values, across multiple jurisdictions. The amounts agreed in respect of fees for legal services on behalf of Russian designated persons are not readily available and would involve disproportionate costs to gather at this time.

Even where a licensing ground exists and the reasonableness test is met, OFSI will only issue licences where doing so does not undermine the intent or purpose of the Russia sanctions regime.

The Home Office is working closely with departments across Government, including the Department for Education, Department for Health and Social Care, and the Ministry of Justice, to identify how best to deliver against the recommendations made in the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Tackling child sexual abuse is a cross-Government priority. We are committed to confronting this horrific crime whenever and wherever it occurs and using all levers available to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The lessons learned from the Independent Inquiry, based on the input of over 6000 victims and survivors, will provide a fundamental basis for this work.

This government understands the frustration with the delays, and we hope to reset this and get started on this soon.

An appointed Inspector will hold a public inquiry which will hear a range of evidence for and against the proposals, after which a decision will be made by MHCLG ministers. As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG to determine, it would not be appropriate to comment further. Decisions on planning applications are based on material planning considerations.

I would like to thank my Noble Lord for following up on the response I gave on the 31^st July. My office has written to the Health and Safety Executive and I am awaiting a response.

I am aware of my Noble Friend's long-standing interest in electrical safety in tower blocks and sensitive buildings. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) keeps evidence that emerges from the electrical incidents database and its engagement with stakeholders, under review. My secretary will write to HSE officials and ask whether they might meet with you, so that you can explain the issue.