Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government in each of the past three years how many times (1) OFCOM, (2) OFGEM, (3) the Competition and Markets Authority, and (4) the Financial Reporting Council, have exercised the power to disclose the identity of persons under investigation.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston

The subject of OFCOM’s investigations are services rather than individual persons. The details of these investigations are published on OFCOM’s website.

OFGEM also publishes details of its investigations on its website.

The Competition and Markets Authority exercised the power to identify persons under investigation in seven cases in 2021; ten cases in 2022; and in five cases in 2023. In some of these cases multiple parties have been identified.

The Financial Reporting Council has not exercised the power in any of the past three years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have of the power to disclose the identity of persons under investigation being exercised by UK regulators where the disclosure has not been in the public interest.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold centrally evidence on whether regulators have disclosed identities of a person under investigation when it has not been in the public interest.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government after how many years of residence in the UK Hong Kong citizens admitted to the UK on a British National Overseas visa qualify for home fee status at English higher education institutions.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

To qualify for automatic home fee status in England, a person must have settled status or ‘a recognised connection’ to the UK. In the case of persons with settled status, they must be ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of the course.

Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong British National Overseas status holders will be able to qualify for home fee status and student finance once they have acquired settled status in the UK, usually after five years. Most persons who acquire settled status will automatically meet the three-year ordinary residence requirement for home fee status and student finance.

Found: I agree with Lord Tyrie in the Times article7, that the FCA’s approach and policy towards whistleblowing

Found: happy to go, as long as the Government accept that proper constitutional reform is required”.52 Lord Tyrie

Found: happy to go, as long as the Government accept that proper constitutional reform is required”.52 Lord Tyrie