Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of individuals eligible to make voluntary contributions for gaps in their National Insurance records for 2006–2018 who would receive more income by not doing so and instead claiming Pension Credit.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No such estimate has been made. Whether an individual should or should not make voluntary National Insurance contributions will depend upon their circumstances. It is entirely a decision for the individual to make but it may not always be beneficial.

Before buying voluntary contributions, people under State Pension age can use the online Check your State Pension forecast service to get a forecast and see whether paying gaps will increase their entitlement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to be implemented.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.

We have made some immediate changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to support increasing SuDS. The NPPF now requires all development to utilise SuDS where they could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development.

We will review the planning system holistically and consider whether further changes are required to address SuDS when we consult on further planning reform, including national policy related to decision making, in 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals are eligible to make voluntary contributions for gaps in their National Insurance records for 2006–2018 before the 5 April deadline.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The number of individuals who could be eligible to make voluntary contributions for gaps in their National Insurance record for 2006-2018 is not centrally held.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend the duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 as amended by section 102 of the Environment Act 2021 to apply to the proposed Great British Energy company.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The biodiversity duty, set out in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 as amended by section 102 of the Environment Act 2021 applies to public authorities. As Great British Energy is being established as a non-departmental public body, the company will be required to comply with the biodiversity duty.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend the environmental principles duty to apply to the proposed Great British Energy company.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Under the environmental principles duty set out in the Environment Act 2021, ministers and policy makers must consider the environmental principles when making policy. Ministers and Officials working on the establishment of Great British Energy (GBE) have considered the potential environmental impacts of establishing the company. GBE’s projects will also be subject to relevant environmental regulation as with any similar projects.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have applied for Pension Credit since 5 July 2024; and how many have been approved.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Pension credit statistics are collated on a weekly (Monday – Sunday) cycle. This means we cannot provide a response aligned to 5 July 2024. However, we can provide a count of claims and awards from week commencing 8 July 2024, as follows:

• Between week commencing 8 July 2024 and the end of week commencing 11 November 2024 we received 160,900 claims for Pensions Credit.
• Between week commencing 8 July 2024 and the end of week commencing 11 November 2024, 49,000 claims for Pension Credit were awarded.

DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims.

Please note, the awarded volumes since 8 July 2024 will include some claims that were made before 5 July 2024. This is because the Department currently reports clearance times by the week the claim was cleared, rather than the week the claim was made.

Statistics on Pension Credit award volumes were published on 28 November 2024. This publication includes weekly numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK.

The next publication of Pension Credit application statistics is due around the end of February 2025 and will cover the data up to week commencing 10 February 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what administrative actions need to take place before legislating for the Global Oceans Treaty.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government which provisions of the Great British Energy Bill would, if enacted, constitute environmental law.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Clause 3 of the Great British Energy Bill, if enacted, would be considered ‘environmental law’.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish their assessment which informed their statement under section 20 of the Environment Act 2021 that the Great British Energy Bill will not have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by any existing environmental law.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The advice received by the Department regarding the Secretary of State’s statement under section 20 of the Environment Act 2001 is legally privileged. Therefore, this information will not be released.