Lord Tyler Portrait

Lord Tyler

Liberal Democrat - Former Member for Life peer

Became Member: 15th June 2005


Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Constitutional and Political Reform)
1st Jun 2015 - 28th Oct 2021
Liaison Committee (Lords)
1st Jul 2019 - 28th Oct 2021
Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee
8th Jun 2015 - 4th Jul 2019
Trade Union Political Funds and Political Party Funding Committee
28th Jan 2016 - 29th Feb 2016
Procedure and Privileges Committee
16th Dec 2008 - 15th May 2013
Draft House of Lords Reform Bill (Joint Committee)
6th Jul 2011 - 26th Mar 2012
Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill (Joint Committee)
1st May 2008 - 22nd Jul 2008
Conventions (Joint Committee)
22nd May 2006 - 31st Oct 2006
House of Lords Reform (Joint Committee)
19th Jun 2002 - 5th May 2005
Finance and Services Committee
14th Nov 1997 - 11th May 2001
Parliamentary Privilege (Joint Committee)
30th Jul 1997 - 11th Nov 1999
Procedure Committee
27th Apr 1992 - 7th Nov 1997


Division Voting information

Lord Tyler has voted in 1104 divisions, and 18 times against the majority of their Party.

9 Dec 2014 - Criminal Justice and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 47 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 210 Noes - 192
27 Oct 2014 - Criminal Justice and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 16 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 48 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 219 Noes - 186
20 Oct 2014 - Criminal Justice and Courts Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 9 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 46 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 80 Noes - 170
7 Apr 2014 - Immigration Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 39 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 242 Noes - 180
15 Jan 2014 - Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 57 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 236 Noes - 193
15 Jan 2014 - Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 31 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 28 Noes - 148
24 Apr 2013 - Procedure of the House - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 26 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 37 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 209 Noes - 243
22 Apr 2013 - Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 18 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 30 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 181 Noes - 168
26 Mar 2013 - Growth and Infrastructure Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 54 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 217 Noes - 211
26 Mar 2013 - Justice and Security Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 26 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 27 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 158 Noes - 174
4 Mar 2013 - Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 21 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 33 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 256 Noes - 153
28 Feb 2013 - House of Lords: Membership - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 16 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 217 Noes - 45
23 Jan 2012 - Welfare Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 25 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 38 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 252 Noes - 237
14 Jul 2011 - Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 39 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 135 Noes - 136
14 Jul 2011 - Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 47 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 102 Noes - 129
10 May 2011 - Jobseeker’s Allowance (Mandatory Work Activity Scheme) Regulations 2011 - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 8 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 40 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 122 Noes - 155
9 Feb 2011 - Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 61 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 221 Noes - 250
7 Jul 2009 - Coroners and Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Tyler voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 21 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 27 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 141 Noes - 194
View All Lord Tyler Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (Liberal Democrat)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
(55 debate interactions)
Lord True (Conservative)
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
(43 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(238 debate contributions)
Leader of the House
(123 debate contributions)
Wales Office
(99 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(79 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
(11,176 words contributed)
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(5,838 words contributed)
Agriculture Act 2020
(3,549 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Tyler's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Tyler, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


7 Bills introduced by Lord Tyler


A Bill to make provision for the regulation of funding and expenditure of political parties; for phased introduction of a cap on donations to political parties; for affiliation fees from trade unions and membership organisations to political parties to be counted as individual donations in prescribed circumstances; for public funding of political parties; for moderation of rights of candidates and parties to election addresses; for limits on political parties’ expenditure between regulated periods; for conferring powers on the Electoral Commission; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading : House Of Lords
Friday 10th March 2017
(Read Debate)

A Bill to extend the franchise for parliamentary and other elections, and for referendums, to all citizens over the age of 16 years.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Lords
Friday 25th October 2013

To repeal sections 132 to 138 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Lords
Friday 10th June 2011

A bill to make provision about election expenditure by candidates and political parties and about nominations as a parliamentary candidate; to abolish deposits; to confer powers on the Electoral Commission; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Thursday 30th January 2020
(Read Debate)

A bill to amend the franchise for referendums in the United Kingdom to include all citizens of 16 years of age and over.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Tuesday 9th June 2015

First reading took place on 12 June. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.The 2014-15 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to extend the franchise for parliamentary and other elections and for referendums to all citizens over the age of 16 years.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Thursday 12th June 2014

First reading took place on 22 October. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Monday 22nd October 2012

Lord Tyler has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
18th May 2016
To ask the Chairman of Committees what is the capital value for which (1) ermine robes, and (2) other garments, used by Peers and Officers of the House during the State Opening of Parliament are insured.

The capital value of Members’ robes donated to the House is £217,453 (as reported in the House of Lords Resource Accounts: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-information-office/2015/HL-resource-accounts-2014-15.pdf). No public money was spent on acquiring these robes. The Administration does not capitalise other garments used by Members and staff of the House during the State Opening of Parliament. The House is self-insuring.

18th May 2016
To ask the Chairman of Committees what have been the (1) security, and (2) other, costs to the House administration in preparing for and conducting the State Opening of Parliament in each of the last five years.

State Opening is the major ceremonial event of the parliamentary calendar and the Estate is significantly reconfigured for hosting it. Its traditions date back as far as the sixteenth century and it is the only regular occasion when the three constituent parts of Parliament meet: the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The event is broadcast to the nation by the main UK TV channels and also to many international networks with high viewing figures across the globe.

The security costs to the House administration in preparing for and conducting the State Opening of Parliament in each of the last five years are set out in the table below. These figures are additional to the fixed cost base for police officers and staff, tasked daily with protecting the Parliamentary Estate. They are indicative, due to the complex nature of police officer and staff allocation for a large scale operation.

Year

Amount (£)

2012

c.15,000

2013

17,234

2014

10,300

2015

15,814

2016

c.15,000

Estimates of other costs are set out in the table below. These include supply and fit of additional structures, preparations of the interior, additional lighting, move and reinstallation of the vehicle security barrier, construction costs of reconfiguring the Lords chamber and Royal Gallery, building media facilities within the Palace of Westminster, storage of equipment throughout the year, and other domestic and administrative costs.

The costs for 2016 are based on estimates only at this stage, because not all invoices have yet been received from relevant suppliers. Some costs are annual rather than tied to a particular State Opening of Parliament; these annual costs have been attributed to the next State Opening.

Since 2015, a proportion of overtime has been captured specifically in relation to the State Opening of Parliament. This accounts for the apparent steep increase in overall ‘other’ costs for that and the subsequent year, but it should be noted that these costs always existed, but were assigned to separate budgets.

Year

Amount (£)

2012

251,341

2013

261,504

2014

280,707

2015

325,937

2016

c.326,000

The House of Lords pays a proportion of these costs, many of which are costs from services shared with the House of Commons. This information does not represent the full cost of State Opening, as costs will also have been incurred by other bodies, which may include Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household.

10th Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reinstate the EnAble Fund for Elected Office to encourage disabled people to participate as candidates in the May 2021 elections.

It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office.

The Government has been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.

Ministers wrote to the main Parties twice in 2019 to ask them how they intend to support their candidates on a long-term basis.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
10th Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to offer (1) assistance, or (2) exemption from the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic, to deaf candidates in the May 2021 elections who are not able to contact electors by phone.

Campaigning is an essential part of democracy. Voters deserve to be well informed before going to the polls and there must be a level playing field for candidates.

Many forms of campaigning can be carried out without increased face-to-face contact, including online campaigning, and delivery of leaflets by post or other commercial delivery services. The Government has already uprated election expenses for council candidates, which will provide greater opportunity for such candidates to campaign in this way.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
15th Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many media officer posts there were in each Government Department in July (1) 2019, and (2) 2020; and what plans they have to (a) increase, and (b) reduce, the number of those posts in the next 12 months.

Individual Government departments are responsible for their own staffing decisions.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
30th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change the rights of EU citizens resident in the UK to stand and vote in local elections before the local government elections in England and Wales in 2021.

The May local elections were postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19.

In that context, the UK Government can confirm that resident EU citizens will remain able to vote and stand in the rescheduled May 2021 local elections in England (including London Assembly elections) and the May 2021 Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales. Those elected to office will be able to serve their full term and this will also apply to those elected before 2021.

The franchise for local elections are devolved in Scotland and Wales.

The UK Government has been clear that the issue of local voting rights of EU citizens living in the UK needs to be considered alongside the rights and interests of British expats living abroad. The Government has signed bilateral voting rights agreements with Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg in 2019, and with Poland in May 2020. We continue to work on further bilateral voting rights agreements with other EU member states.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
13th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the appointment on 12 May of four Non-Executive Directors to the Cabinet Office was subject to the requirements of (1) the Ministerial Code, and (2) Civil Service open competition.

Section 3.5 of the Ministerial code sets out the requirements for departmental Boards. The appointment of these members met those requirements.

Non-Executive Board members are not civil servants. Non-Executive Board members for departments are not subject to the requirements set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments for regulated positions. However, in line with best practice, the appointment process of these Non Executives was open and transparent, and met the principles set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
4th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any copy of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2020 provided to the Government for official purposes has been given to the Conservative Party in order to support party fundraising.

No. I am helpfully informed that the Conservative Party commercially purchased a copy of the Act at a retail price. The Act, which facilitates our departure from the European Union, and delivers on the wishes of the British people, is available from all good bookshops.

Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident outside the UK, for the May 2015 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident in other EU Member States, for the June 2017 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident outside the UK, for the June 2017 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident in other EU Member States, for the EU referendum on 23 June 2016; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident outside the UK, for the EU referendum on 23 June 2016; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

17th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of eligible electors on the register, resident in other EU Member States, for the May 2015 General Election; and what proportion of them voted.

The Government does not hold central records of the total number of eligible electors on the register who reside outside of the UK, where overseas they reside, and the proportion of them who voted.

The Electoral Commission has produced reports into the administration of the 2017 and 2015 General Election and the 2016 EU referendum. The reports contain information on the number of overseas electors but does not state where they reside. The reports can be found here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/publications/election-and-referendum-reports

18th May 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to reallocating public funds presently allocated to (1) candidate and party election addresses, and (2) government advertising, to enable a cost-neutral package of reform of the rules on political party finance, including a cap on donations.

The Government is open to dialogue on practical measures to reform the funding of political parties. This can only be achieved by cross party discussions from the political parties themselves.

8th Dec 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 13 January (HL Deb, cols 19–20), what progress they have made in fulfilling their commitments to make further improvements to the accessibility of government transparency information by (1) ensuring greater co-ordination of the publication of data sets so that all returns within a quarter can be found on one page, (2) improving the access to and presentation of those data, including by improving the consistency of presentation and titling, (3) ensuring greater consistency in the content of departmental reporting, particularly in including the subject of meetings, and (4) ensuring that the gov.uk transparency pages contain a link to the statutory register of lobbyists so that the data can be easily cross-referenced.

Cabinet Office regularly monitors adherence to departmental open data commitments, as well as timeliness of their publication across government. We are making regular efforts to improve access to and presentation of the data, including by improving the consistency of presentation and titling.

Steps have already been taken to improve the consistency of Ministers’, Senior Officials’ and Special Advisers’ transparency returns and technical improvements to the presentation of this data will be introduced for information published in 2015. The recently established independent Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists now has a web presence on gov.uk and the Government will ensure that the transparency pages of gov.uk provide a link to the statutory register once launched.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
17th Nov 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government since the introduction of individual electoral registration how many people have attempted to register to vote but failed to do so because they were unable to provide their National Insurance number; and how many of those were online applicants.

Since the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in England and Wales on 10 June and 19 September in Scotland, only 1% of all applications submitted to register to vote via the IER digital service have not been able to provide their personal identifiers (National Insurance Number or Date of Birth).

The registration process also allows for registrations to be made where it is not possible for an applicant to supply their National Insurance Number. Those unable to provide these personal identifiers can apply through an exceptions process where they will be asked by their Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to provide documentary evidence to confirm their identity such as a passport or driving license. EROs have been trained to support electors through this process if necessary.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
27th Oct 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making preparations to publish data on how many electors on the new electoral register due to be published in December are registered by virtue of (1) filling in a form online, (2) filling in a paper form, (3) responding to a doorstep canvass, (4) confirmation through the data-matching process, and (5) carry-over from the household electoral registration system.

The Electoral Commission (EC) will assess progress in the transition to Individual Electoral Registration in England and Wales based on the Electoral Register as of 1 December 2014 and plans to publish their evaluation in February 2015. The Office for National Statistics will also publish statistics on the December register.

Scotland will publish their registers in March and the EC plans to publish a separate assessment of these in April 2015.

The Government intends to make their own assessment of the transition. An assessment of the confirmation live run in England and Wales was published in October 2014 and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/365451/Confirmation_Evaluation_England_and_Wales.pdf

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
27th Oct 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will include information about online electoral registration with notifications and reminders of National Insurance numbers.

Users are reminded they will need their National Insurance Number before they start the application.

Cabinet Office along with HM Revenue and Customs will explore the potential mutual benefits of collaboration in regards to the inclusion of electoral registration information in National Insurance Number reminder letters.

The Government is looking at all options to exploit the full potential of online registration in increasing the completeness and accuracy of the register.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
27th Oct 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to improve electoral registration rates among those attaining the age of 18.

Electoral registration is the responsibility of local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), supported by the Electoral Commission.

To support the transition to Individual Electoral Registration, the Government has invested £4.2 million in 2013/14 shared across every ERO in Great Britain and 5 national organisations to support the costs of activities aimed at increasing the rate of voter registration.

The Government has also introduced online registration in Great Britain. As of midnight 28 October, 478,177 16-24 year olds had registered online.

The Government has made freely available the Rock Enrol! resource aimed at engaging young people in democracy. This is free to download on GOV.UK, Guardian Teach and on the Times Educational Supplement website.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
18th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they have responded to the Competition and Market Authority's (CMA) 2019 proposal that the CMA's powers to enforce consumer protection law should be improved.

As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enhanced powers to tackle consumer rip-offs and bad business practices.

The Department and the CMA have been working closely together to develop the proposals made by the CMA in 2019. For example, following a commitment made in June 2019 by the previous Secretary of State, we are looking into the possibility of putting the CMA’s powers on an administrative basis. This would allow the CMA to decide itself if a breach of consumer law has happened, rather than going to court.

Furthermore, we have announced that we will introduce a new power to impose fines of up to a maximum of 10% global turnover on businesses who have breached consumer law.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Competition and Market Authority's (CMA) recent request for emergency time-limited legislation to give the CMA powers to crack down on companies profiteering from the COVID-19 pandemic by 'price gouging'.

The Government is committed to tackling consumer rip-offs and bad business practices, including profiteering.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), business and consumer organisations and retailers to review the impact of profiteering and action taken to address it.

The Government are working with the CMA, Which?, and other organisations to monitor the extent of profiteering, and will update the law if it is proportionate to do so.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Energy and Climate Change will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings' with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers and Permanent Secretaries meetings' with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements”

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
14th Oct 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many revisions to Legislation.gov.uk have yet to be made in relation to (1) primary, and (2) secondary legislation; and what are those revisions.

99.1% of Primary legislation on legislation.gov.uk is up to date. There are 45,000 amendments (to the nearest 1000) remaining. For secondary legislation, the current policy is to update documents made from January 2018 onwards, and there are approximately 3,200 amendments to be made. Full details of all of these amendments are publically available and can be found by using the Changes to Legislation search at www.legislation.gov.uk/changes.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Oct 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Legislation.gov.uk makes use of (1) Google Analytics, or (2) any similar tools; and what personal data is collected by Legislation.gov.uk.

Legislation.gov.uk does make use of Google Analytics. Usage log file data is processed using the Kibana software. No personal data is collected by the www.legislation.gov.uk website. Further information is provided in the attached Legislation.gov.uk privacy policy, which can also be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/privacynotice.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Nov 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the UNESCO mediation process to settle the dispute over the Parthenon sculptures currently held in the British Museum, under the rules set by the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation.

The Government notes that the Intergovernmental Committee has invited Greece and the UK to consider making use of its mediation process with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures. The mediation process is one option the Intergovernmental Committee offers for facilitating the bilateral resolution of disputes regarding cultural property and requires the consent of both parties concerned to enter into the process.

The Government is considering the proposal and will respond in due course. The Government is clear that the sculptures are legally owned by the British Museum who continue to provide access for all.

9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Education will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

1st Sep 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the timetable for the major improvement of the A417/A436 junction at the Air Balloon roundabout in Gloucestershire; and what immediate steps are planned to alleviate the traffic congestion in that area.

The Highways Agency is preparing a Route Strategy for the Midlands to Wales and Gloucestershire. This includes the A417/A436 junction at the Air Balloon roundabout, which itself is part of the section of the A417 known as the ‘Missing Link’ and identified as a key issue on this route. The next stage will be to assess options, including major improvements, and to produce indicative business cases as the basis upon which to prioritise investment from 2015. Outcomes from the Route Strategies are expected to be announced in spring 2015. There are no other immediate plans to undertake any works on this route before the Route Strategy is concluded.

Baroness Kramer
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
20th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies <i>Living Standards, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2015;</i> and how they plan to respond to the findings that nearly 63 per cent of British children living in poverty are in working families.

The recent IFS report is positive about the Government’s new approach to tackling the root causes of poverty: they said that “focusing on a broad range of inputs into life chances and causes of poverty is sensible.” They also add that “family worklessness certainly is a sensible thing to track if one wants to reduce the prevalence of low living standards.”

This Government knows that work remains the best route out of poverty. Research shows that around three-quarters of poor children in families that move into full employment exit poverty. We are committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. Universal Credit, our investment in childcare and the introduction of the National Living Wage will all play an important part.

The Government also recognises that improving skills and progression is the key to making work pay. That is why under this Government we intend to create three million more apprenticeships over the next five years, and to help people move on to better jobs by improving qualifications and providing additional support through Jobcentre Plus.

14th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the revenues which would be realised by applying income tax to Winter Fuel Payments.

Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments1.

We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.

Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.

The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue2.

Notes:

1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.

The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.

The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.

2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.

This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.

Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.

14th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so how, recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment may return their payment to the Treasury.

Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments1.

We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.

Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.

The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue2.

Notes:

1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.

The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.

The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.

2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.

This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.

Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.

14th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment are higher rate taxpayers.

Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments1.

We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.

Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.

The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue2.

Notes:

1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.

The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.

The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.

2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.

This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.

Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.

26th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 26 October (HL8435), why the need to act with “extreme urgency” did not lead them to award a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract directly to the Chinese PPE manufacturers instead of to a company with no experience of an import on this scale, substantial losses in its most recently reported accounts, and significant net monetary liabilities at the time of the contract award.

The Government issued a public call to action to support the increased requirements of personal protective equipment (PPE). The aim was to reach these suppliers ie who had experience of supplying PPE and also those who had no prior experience but who had access to sources of PPE through their business contacts. This has resulted in 15,000 suppliers offering their help and support. All offers were prioritised based on volume, price, clinical acceptability and lead time – this is the time from an offer being accepted by the Department to the supplier delivering those items. These were often established private businesses whose net asset position is only one factor in evaluating their offer.

23rd Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what due diligence and tendering process they followed when awarding a contract to Platform-14 for personal protective equipment (PPE); what was the total contracted sum; and what proportion of the PPE supplied was found to be usable by the NHS.

Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March 2020. Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. These include a direct award due to extreme urgency or the absence of competition. Under the regulation contracting authorities may enter into contracts without competing or advertising the requirement.

Suppliers will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental terms and conditions.

Several contracts have been awarded to Platform-14 for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) under the emergency regulations, with a total value of £276 million. Delivery is progressing for these PPE items. All items of PPE undergo a rigorous technical assurance process before they can be released for use.

9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department of Health will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and special advisers' meetings with senior media figures. The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

23rd Feb 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the final outturn for each hospital trust in England for each of the last five years; and how much the surplus or deficit was as a proportion of each trust’s total budget.

Data by individual National Health Service trust and foundation trust is attached.

NHS trusts and foundation trusts do not receive budgets directly from the Department. They receive income for the provision of services from NHS commissioners. We have therefore provided details in the attached annex of operating income by NHS trust and foundation trust.

Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
18th Jun 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have received from, or discussions they have had with, United States prosecution authorities relating to allegations of money laundering concerning the EU referendum.

​We are not aware of having received information from US prosecution authorities relating to allegations of money laundering concerning the EU referendum, and the Government has had no discussions with them on this subject.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Jun 2014
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka; and what recent discussions they have had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights about the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka of 27 March.

We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka especially in the North. Our concerns include the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders (HRDs) and activists, attacks on religious minorities, and the protection of the right to freedom of expression and opinion.

Through our Mission in Geneva, we maintain regular contact with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following the adoption of the resolution, we are engaging with international partners to ensure the implementation of the resolution's international investigation into violations of international law by both sides during Sri Lanka's conflict. We believe that progress on accountability, human rights and reconciliation is important in establishing enduring peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Such progress will ensure Sri Lanka can reach its full potential as a strong and prosperous nation.

9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Treasury will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

This Government regularly publishes an unprecedented amount of transparency information including Special Advisers’ meetings with senior media figures.

There are no plans to extend current arrangements.

14th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered any scheme to provide inheritance tax relief on bequests which are specifically and solely in respect of paying off student loans; and, if so, what assessment they have made of the impact such a scheme might have on the overall amount of student debt which remains unpaid after 30 years.

The Government has no plans to provide a targeted inheritance tax relief in respect of paying off student loans. The current inheritance tax nil rate band and rules for lifetime gifts means the vast majority of individuals are able to make bequests or gifts for this purpose without inheritance tax being a consideration.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.

14th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enable Pensioner Bonds to be taken out by an eligible pensioner in the name of a grandchild.

There are no plans to enable eligible pensioners to take out the bonds in the name of a grandchild. These new market-leading savings bonds and are designed to help support those who rely on their savings in retirement. Low interest rates have played an important part in stimulating the recovery. But there are those – especially pensioners – who rely on a reasonable rate of interest on their savings.

27th Oct 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to provide a live online service by which citizens may obtain a reminder of their National Insurance number.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs are exploring options for what information could be presented to an authenticated customer via on online service as part of a digital tax account. The digital tax account is a key component of HMRC’s Digital Strategy.

9th Feb 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Home Office will publish records of external meetings held by special advisers to its ministers.

The Government publishes an unprecedented amount of data; departments publish details of Ministers’ and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations, and Special Advisers' meetings with senior media figures.

The information requested is not held centrally and there are no plans to extend current arrangements.

4th Feb 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the United States' National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf War and Health: Volume 11: Generational Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, published on 28 November 2018; and what steps they are taking to assess the implications of that report into the long-term effects of Gulf War syndrome on veterans and their families.

The UK Government's strategy on research topics and studies into the health of Gulf War veterans has been informed and overseen by independent scientific experts nominated by the Medical Research Council, taking account of published peer-reviewed international literature and international studies. We have no plans to undertake further research on Gulf War issues, however, we continue to monitor any Gulf War research that is published around the world.

The overwhelming evidence from scientific research shows no adverse health effects. In line with contemporary medical and scientific understanding from the mid-1990s onwards, no distinct disease process or pathology associated with Gulf illness has been identified. However, we do recognise that some veterans of the 1990/91 Gulf Conflict are ill and that some of this ill health is related to their Gulf service.

In such cases, compensation may be claimed under the War Pensions Scheme with appropriate medical care provided by the National Health Service across the UK.

Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
4th Nov 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will award the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal retrospectively to retired members of the armed forces who served for 15 years or more.

Although work continues to determine how to implement the recommendations of Sir John Holmes' independent Military Medals Review, it has already been decided that the Long Service and Good Conduct medal will not be awarded retrospectively to retired officers. A significant factor in this decision is the difficulty which would be encountered in gaining access to the records of all those who have left the Armed Forces when considering eligibility.

11th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 29 September (HL2635), what period the agreed full cost support for local authorities to implement the voter ID provisions in the Elections Bill will cover.

These costs will be covered by Central Government under the New Burdens doctrine, until such time as they can be mainstreamed into the grants provided to Local Authorities in accordance with usual practice.

4th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the voter identification pilot schemes, what estimate they have made of the number of people who could be turned away from polling stations in a General Election.

The Government in its manifesto committed to protecting the integrity of our democracy by introducing identification to vote at polling stations. Stealing someone’s vote is stealing their voice. Voter fraud is a crime that we cannot allow room for and we must stamp out any potential for it to take place in elections.

Everyone who is eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so. Any eligible voter who does not have one of the required forms of photographic identification, can apply for a free, local Voter Card from their local authority. The Electoral Commission will provide a comprehensive, targeted communications campaign and guidance, raising awareness throughout the electorate of the new voter identification requirements.

As set out in the Elections Bill, Electoral Registration Officers in England and Wales and Returning Officers in Scotland will be required to keep a record of those people for whom a ballot paper was refused and the reasons for this refusal.

4th Oct 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether returning officers will be required to retain data on the number of people who are turned away from polling stations because they do not have appropriate photographic voter ID and who (1) subsequently return with such ID, or (2) do not return to vote.

The Government in its manifesto committed to protecting the integrity of our democracy by introducing identification to vote at polling stations. Stealing someone’s vote is stealing their voice. Voter fraud is a crime that we cannot allow room for and we must stamp out any potential for it to take place in elections.

Everyone who is eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so. Any eligible voter who does not have one of the required forms of photographic identification, can apply for a free, local Voter Card from their local authority. The Electoral Commission will provide a comprehensive, targeted communications campaign and guidance, raising awareness throughout the electorate of the new voter identification requirements.

As set out in the Elections Bill, Electoral Registration Officers in England and Wales and Returning Officers in Scotland will be required to keep a record of those people for whom a ballot paper was refused and the reasons for this refusal.