Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker, in relation to the Fire Safety Committee, (1) who the members are; (2) how members are appointed; and (3) on which dates the Committee has met, or is expected to meet, in 2026.
Answered by Lord McLoughlin
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.
The members of the Fire Safety Committee are as follows:
Secretary |
Chair: Director of Facilities, House of Lords |
Head of Fire Safety Assurance |
Bob Blackman MP, House of Commons, Member of the Administration Committee |
MP, House of Commons – this position is currently vacant |
Lord Barber of Ainsdale, House of Lords |
Member, House of Lords – this position is currently vacant |
A specialist independent, external consultant |
Director of Parliamentary Maintenance |
Director of Parliamentary Safety, Governance Office |
Members and Peers Staff Association |
Deputy Director, Security and Fire Operations, Parliamentary Security Department |
Operation Manager, Parliamentary Security Department |
Director of Customer Experiences, In House Services and Estates |
Office Manager, Digital Services |
Director of Property and Asset Strategy, Strategic Estates |
Head of Strategic Asset Management, Strategic Estates |
Head of Construction, Strategic Estates |
Head of Governance and Compliance, Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team |
Representative from Restoration and Renewal |
Deputy Head of Fire Safety Assurance |
Director of Heritage Collections and Chief Curator |
Mobility Impaired Persons (MIPS) Project Leader |
Maintenance Tech, Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team |
The Administration Committee in the House of Commons nominates one of its members to serve on the Fire Safety Committee, with the other Commons member appointed through the Usual Channels. Both Lords members are nominated through the Usual Channels. Both Houses are currently taking steps to fill vacancies on the Fire Safety Committee.
The Committee has met on 26 January, 27 April, 12 July, and 12 October. It is not expected to meet again until January 2027.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker whether the fire drill evacuation of Parliament on 2 July 2026 included the committee corridors in addition to the chamber; and whether the London Fire Brigade attended.
Answered by Lord McLoughlin
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The evacuation on the 2 July was a Palace-wide exercise involving all areas of the Palace, including the committee corridors. However, it was scheduled at a time when there was no whip on in either House and no select committees were meeting so the Palace was relatively quiet. The London Fire Brigade did not attend with appliances as they were aware that the event was a planned drill, however they did send an officer from their risk management team who came and observed. The Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) attended.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the basis of retaining 2.5 per cent as one of the three levers of in the changed triple lock model.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The adjusted Triple Lock ensures that pensioners are protected from inflation spikes and ensures the State Pension continues to rise in a meaningful way every year - by a minimum of 2.5%.
We want to protect pensioners’ incomes in real terms, as well as relative to wages, and this adjustment ensures we are doing both. A pure earnings link could expose pensioners to sharp losses during inflation shocks, such as those experienced in 2022, and derisory increases when earnings growth is weak. Retaining inflation protection and the 2.5% floor avoids both of those outcomes.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are (1) registered to vote at more than one address, and (2) estimated to have voted more than once in the 2024 general election; and what steps they plan to take, if any, to prevent individuals voting more than once in general elections and referendums.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government does not hold electoral registration data. Electoral registers are maintained by local authority Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
There is no centrally held data on individuals’ voting patterns, nor on specific electoral offences. Data on allegations and outcomes of electoral fraud is recorded by police forces across the UK and provided to the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission publishes this information annually on its website in the section titled ‘research, reports and data’.
The Government continues to work closely with the Electoral Commission, the police and other partners to safeguard the integrity of elections and maintain public confidence in the democratic process.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they intend to legislate for the changes to the triple lock in this Parliament given the timing of the intended changes will be after the next general election.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government will legislate, to give effect to the adjusted Triple Lock from April 2030, and to provide Parliament with the opportunity to scrutinise the proposals in full in advance of their implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of median earnings will be the target for pensioners to receive when considering further changes to pension upratings post 2030, if an uplift in line with inflation or 2.5 per cent is deemed not sufficient in a given year.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From April 2030, the basic State Pension and the full rate of the new State Pension will rise each year by the highest of inflation (the rise in the consumer price index), 2.5% or the amount required to return or maintain the value of the State Pension relative to earnings in 2029/30.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to ratify the Council of Europe Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Subject to domestic implementation and parliamentary scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG), we expect ratification in Spring 2027.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their ad hoc analysis on State Pension uprating, published on 29 September, and in relation to their proposed changes to the state pension from 2030, whether they will publish the assumed figures used for the decade 2030-2040 by year for (1) average earnings growth, (2) inflation/CPI, and (3) the number of pensioners receiving the (a) basic state pension, and (b) new state pension.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has published analysis of the move to using an adjusted triple lock to uprate the State Pension from April 2030. This analysis did not use single year assumptions for earnings or prices growth. Further detail of the methodology used is contained in the release published on the 28th September.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of child benefit that has been paid to parents who have left the UK permanently or for prolonged periods of time.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not produce statistics on the amount of Child Benefit paid to individuals outside of the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of pensioners they forecast will receive the new state pension in (1) 2030, (2) 2035, and (3) 2040.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2030, 57% of people in Great Britain over State Pension Age are forecasted to be in receipt of the new State Pension. This rises to 74% in 2035 and 85% in 2040.
This is based off DWP’s internal modelling consistent with Spring Statement 2026 forecasts and the ONS’ 2024-based population projections.