Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent on legal aid for asylum seekers in the past 12 months.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Expenditure data for asylum seekers across all legal aid schemes is not held centrally. An individual’s asylum status is not relevant to eligibility for legal aid services and is not specifically tracked or recorded.
The Legal Aid Agency does publish expenditure incurred under all categories of legal aid, including immigration and asylum, as part of its official statistics.
Legal aid is available for asylum cases under paragraph 30 of Schedule 1, Part 1 Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO). This is subject to both a legal merits test and a financial eligibility test.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reform the legal aid system to reduce costs.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is exploring a range of activity to drive increased departmental efficiency and productivity over the Spending Review period, including across the legal aid system. One key opportunity will be through our programme to build a suite of new digital systems that will transform the delivery of legal aid over this parliament. Our aim is not only to ensure we have secure and reliable systems following the recent cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) but to boost productivity and reduce the costly administrative burdens faced by those providing legal aid services. We are working urgently to understand how we can accelerate this programme and deliver efficiencies both for legal aid firms and the LAA.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the BBC about abolishing the licence fee.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period, meaning that there will be no changes to the model until at least 31 December 2027.
Looking further ahead, the forthcoming Charter Review will consider a range of issues, including how the BBC can continue to prosper supported by a sustainable funding model. DCMS has been engaging with the BBC on a range of issues as we prepare to launch the review.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to implement all of the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (attached) HLWS240 which sets out further detail on implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Following a robust defence from the government, the High Court comprehensively dismissed challenges brought to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. We warmly welcome the Court’s judgment.
The reforms that were challenged will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to extend their lease or buy their freehold by removing the requirement for marriage value to be paid; and capping the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value.
Valuation rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation. We will consult on valuation rates and commence the relevant provisions as soon as possible. Primary legislation will be required to rectify a small number of specific flaws in the 2024 Act before the Act’s enfranchisement provisions are commenced.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering ending the role of the Bank of England in setting interest rates.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Monetary policy is the responsibility of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England. Operationally independent monetary policy is a vital part of the government’s macroeconomic policy framework, supporting the UK’s resilience to risks and reflecting best practice across the world and all G7 countries. The government is fully committed to the operational independence of the MPC.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the overthrow of President Assad, whether they have plans to return Syrian refugees to Syria.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
When a refugee applies for settlement protection, a safe return review is carried out to determine and confirm that the need for protection is continuing. This applies to nationals of any country, including those from Syria. If there are, for example, significant improvements in country conditions or changes in personal circumstances that mean someone no longer needs protection, they may be expected to return to their country of origin or to apply to stay in the UK under other provisions of the Immigration Rules.
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. No one who is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm will be expected to return to their country of origin if it is unsafe.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan for motorbikes to be zero-emission by 2030.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Decarbonising transport is critical to ensuring that the UK meets its net zero commitment by 2050. All road vehicles have a part to play in this, including motorcycles. The Government recognises that transitioning some motorcycles to zero emission equivalents is challenging but welcomes the increasing zero emission sales we have seen in certain segments of the market. We will set out any plans to decarbonise motorcycles in due course.