Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible involvement of EVE Energy in the West Midlands Gigafactory and of the criteria that were used in the selection process.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing as we transition to electric vehicles, while ensuring taxpayer money is used responsibly and provides best-value. It would not be appropriate to comment on speculation or the commercial affairs of private companies.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Overseas Territories are permitted to negotiate their own free trade agreements with third countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In international law the Overseas Territories (OTs) are not sovereign states in their own right and have no separate international legal personality. As such, they cannot enter into international agreements directly (including Free Trade Agreements), unless expressly authorised to do so by the UK Government under an entrustment. Agreements entered into by the UK may provide for their application to the OTs, or be extended to the OTs at a later date.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with railway operators to avoid disruption such as occurred on 26 February on trains to Gatwick; what discussions they have held with airlines regarding compensation for those who may miss their flights as a result of rail disruption; and what steps they will take to avoid such scenarios in future.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Unfortunately, Govia Thameslink Railway services were very heavily disrupted on the morning of 26 February by a number of Network Rail infrastructure incidents across the Sussex area.
Network Rail, which is the organisation responsible for rail infrastructure, continues to work closely with train operators to improve how the industry responds to unplanned disruption. The Department monitors operational performance closely and engages with the rail industry at all levels which includes regular meetings on punctuality and reliability with both Network Rail and representatives from the train operators.
Train operators do not offer compensation to passengers for missed flights and as such there have been no discussions between the Department and airlines on this matter. The Department would urge passengers to use the Delay Repay scheme for compensation on their rail journey and consider other claims using their own travel insurance.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what foreign state assets are currently frozen by the UK; and in each case, what is the (1) country, (2) value, and (3) reason.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) undertakes an annual review of frozen assets in the UK, requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen assets in the UK to report to OFSI. As stated in OFSI’s most recent Annual Review published in December 2023, as of September 30th 2022 £21.6 billion in frozen funds were reported to OFSI. This figure is provided in aggregate so as not to disclose the value of any funds held by particular individuals. HM Treasury does not break down reported assets in the manner requested.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their approach regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria differs from that of the European Union and, if so, in which areas.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s plans regarding company reporting on environmental, social and governance matters are set out in Mobilising Green Investment – 2023 Green Finance Strategy (March 2023). These plans differ from the European Union’s (EU) plans in several areas. Specifically, the UK will not adopt the European Sustainability Reporting Standards. Instead, the UK Government has stated its support for the International Sustainability Disclosure Standards and we are currently assessing the suitability for UK companies of the first two standards that have been issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what their policy is towards promoting environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles among UK companies.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Companies Act 2006 requires directors to have regard to impact of a company’s operations on the community and environment when exercising their duties. It also requires certain companies to provide information regarding environmental matters and social, community and human rights issues within their annual reports.
The Government’s future plans to encourage companies to consider the impact of environmental, social and governance issues are set out in Mobilising Green Investment - 2023 Green Finance Strategy. This includes the Government’s plans to assess the suitability of the standards that were recently published by the International Sustainability Standards Board for use in the UK.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting mandatory by UK companies.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Reporting on ESG matters provides transparency to investors and other stakeholders, improving investment decisions. In particular, the Government supports the work of the International Sustainability Standards Board, which aims to align sustainability reporting globally, enabling investors compare investment decisions across markets.
The Government believes that a mix of voluntary and mandatory reporting provides the right balance between transparency and reducing burdens on companies. Further detail on the Government’s future plans is provided by Mobilising Green Investment - 2023 Green Finance Strategy.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse implications of the current global freight shipping (1) disruptions, and (2) costs; and what assessment they have made of the risk that China will benefit from any preferential access to the Northern Arctic Sea route from Asia to Europe.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While there may be some delays as supply chains adjust to current disruptions, shipping operators are working to mitigate any impact on consumers. The Government is working to equip UK businesses with the tools they need to deal with global supply chain issues and recently published the UK's first Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy. Although declining Arctic sea-ice could in future open new global shipping routes, the Arctic remains a harsh and challenging environment and current use of the Northern Sea Route remains limited and largely restricted to the summer months.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to regulate professional awards programmes.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade has no plans to regulate professional awards programmes within the legislative framework for regulated professions.
The Professional Qualifications Act (2022) is part of the legislative framework for regulated professions. It covers those professions where there is a legal requirement for an individual to have qualifications or experience in order to practise. Typically, regulators are responsible for determining entry requirements for a profession and assessing whether individuals are fit to practise.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote British interests at Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka, Japan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
His Majesty's Government is committed to delivering a high-quality UK presence at Osaka Expo 2025. The UK Pavilion will promote the UK as a global science, tech and innovation superpower. It will also celebrate our deepening and highly productive strategic partnership with Japan, articulated in the historic Hiroshima Accord signed by Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Kishida of Japan in May 2023.