Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider increasing their annual grant to the National Heritage Memorial Fund as a tribute to those who have lost their lives in the UK to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All spending decisions are a matter for the Chancellor. Government is currently looking at options to offer further support to the heritage sector. The National Heritage Memorial Fund receives £5million a year from the Government.
In this, its 40th anniversary year, it is right to acknowledge the vast contribution that the National Heritage Memorial Fund has made to saving more than 1,200 of the UK’s most iconic objects and places, through grants totalling over £365million.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that there will be equality in the treatment of rights of representation between trademark attorneys in the UK, the EU, and the European Economic Area (EEA) once the UK has withdrawn from the EU; and whether any such plans (1) include a common right of representation for such attorneys before the European Intellectual Property Office, or (2) would not give EU or EEA attorneys the right of representation in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We want a relationship with the EU which is based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals, and centred on free trade. We are looking for a deal like those the EU has previously struck with other friendly countries like Canada.
FTA precedent is our starting point for legal services. We aim to secure market access commitments for lawyers and minimise barriers to the cross-border supply of services and investment, on the basis of commitments like those in the Canada FTA.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why a ban on accepting blood plasma for the COVID-19 convalescent plasma trial from gay and bisexual men has been put in place; and whether they will consider the use of individual risk assessments for this purpose instead of blanket exclusion.
Answered by Lord Bethell
No individual is excluded from giving blood, platelets or plasma based on sexual orientation. However, all men must wait three months after having sexual contact with another man before donating. This is based on expert advice from the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.
The three-month deferral period is to reduce the risk of any very recently acquired infections not being detected on screening and further tests. For that reason, the current donor selection guidelines remain in place for the convalescent plasma donation programme.
The Equality Act 2010 states that blood services do not contravene anti-discrimination legislation by excluding people from donating blood as long as this exclusion or deferral is based on a reasonable and reliable assessment of risk to the public.
We recognise that people want to be considered as individuals as much as possible. Separately to the convalescent plasma trial, NHS Blood and Transplant is already working collaboratively with LGBT+ groups on blood donation, through the FAIR (For Assessment of Individualised Risk) steering group. The FAIR group is using an evidence-based approach to explore if a more individualised blood donation risk assessment can be safely and practically introduced, while ensuring the safe supply of blood to patients.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the maximum time between which companies must hold annual general meetings, as set out in section 336 of the Companies Act 2006, due to the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has announced a number of measures to reduce burdens on businesses small and large during the Covid-19 outbreak as part of the measures announced by the Chancellor and as set out in the Coronavirus Act. Further measures are being developed and will be announced in due course.
The Government has also been working closely with stakeholders in developing guidance on how to conduct Annual General Meetings in the face of Covid-19 restrictions. The guidance is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s and Chartered Governance Institute’s websites and is being kept under review in light of evolving circumstances. We have continued to listen and work closely with businesses to ensure they are able to conduct their business in a safe, orderly and effective way. As a consequence we announced on 28 March our intention to legislate as soon as possible to give companies greater, temporary flexibility.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to allow theatres and other cultural venues to automatically be able to claim Gift Aid when patrons agree to donate to the venue the value of their tickets for an event cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Theatres and other cultural venues recognised as charities by HMRC can claim Gift Aid on freely given donations, as opposed to payments for goods or services; such as admission tickets. These charities can claim Gift Aid on the value of tickets for cancelled events if the patrons have agreed not to be refunded for the cost of the ticket and agree for the same amount to be treated as a donation. Additionally, the charity will also need to make sure the patrons have made a Gift Aid declaration for their donations to qualify for Gift Aid, confirming that they have, or will have, paid enough tax to cover the amount the charity will claim on their donations.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include measures to promote water sustainability and re-use in building regulations for the construction of new properties.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
The Building Regulations 2010 Parts G & H include requirements relating to water efficiency and grey water harvesting. For new homes, statutory guidance for Part G of the Building Regulations includes a minimum standard for estimated water consumption set at 125 litres per person per day, and an optional standard of 110 litres per person per day, which may be adopted in water stressed areas at the discretion of the local planning authority.
In 2019, Government launched a consultation ( https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water/measures-to-reduce-personal-water-use/supporting_documents/Consultation%20on%20reducing%20personal%20water%20use%20FINAL.pdf ) on measures to reduce personal water use. The consultation considers whether the current minimum standard and the optional standard set through the Building Regulations should be changed. The consultation is now closed and the Government will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for Cambridge and Oxford colleges which award Junior Research Fellowships qualifying as funding bodies under the terms of the global talent visa scheme.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 27 January, the Government announced details of the reformed Global Talent visa, including a new fast-track scheme for top scientists, researchers and mathematicians, which would be managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). These changes are part of an initial phase of wider reforms to enable those with world-class specialist skills to come to the UK.
The Government will continue to work closely with the Endorsing Bodies, including UKRI, and the wider scientific community. As part of this development we will discuss whether expanding the list of qualifying fellowships is approriate.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming White Paper on the development of digital technology and the digital economy will include reserve powers to address economic harm on online platforms in order to protect the interests of the UK’s creative industries against piracy and the spread of illegal content.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Development of digital technology and the digital economy is not specifically in scope of the Online Harms White Paper.
As part of the Digital Charter, the Government's overarching strategy to make sure the internet works for everyone - for citizens, businesses and society as a whole - we have already introduced a number of measures to protect the interests of the UK's Creative Industries, including facilitating a Code of Practice signed by search engines and copyright owners. This has reduced the prominence of websites hosting illegal copyright infringing content in natural search results.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they will make to ensure the efficient delivery of water purification chemicals from the EU to water companies in the UK in the event of a no-deal withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
My department is working closely with the water industry and regulators to prepare for all potential EU withdrawal outcomes.
The water industry is reliant to a large extent on chemicals imported from the EU to ensure water is safe to drink. Often they are supplied on a ‘just in time’ basis. Water companies and officials in my department have been working together to identify the sector’s needs and any steps that should be taken to ensure they continue to be met. Analysis of current supply chains has provided reassurance. The majority of critical chemicals come through ports such as Immingham, which are less likely than Dover to see potential disruption. Water companies are also increasing their on-site stocks of chemicals and are working with suppliers and regulators to increase production rates and storage capacity or look for alternative options for resilience. The Government will further ensure all necessary steps are taken to secure chemicals for the water sector.
As a result of the steps we have taken, my department is confident that we will continue to have safe and plentiful supplies of water in the event of no deal.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their intention that UK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys should continue to have rights of representation in EU countries, whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations might be.
Answered by Lord Henley
We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and UK to strike a deal and we remain confident that we will agree a mutually advantageous deal with the EU. In this scenario the UK’s market access to the EU will continue on current terms during a time limited implementation period, including UK practitioners’ rights of representation. However, in the absence of any withdrawal agreement with the EU, arrangements for representation before the EU bodies and in EU Member States will be a matter for the EU and its Member States. Rights of representation before the European Patent Office will not be affected by EU exit, as this is not an EU body.