Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Truscott, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Truscott has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Truscott has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The total cost of the R&R Programme, from 2020-21 until the end of 2022-23, is £297m. This includes the costs of the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body and Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority which were established in April and May 2020 respectively (including £5m of costs in April 2020 before the Delivery Authority was formally incorporated). It also includes the costs of Restoration and Renewal Client Team, which took over the sponsor function for the programme from the Sponsor Body in January 2023.
The total forecast spend for the current financial year (2023-24) is £83m, which includes the costs of the Delivery Authority and the R&R Client Team.
The Delivery Authority’s Main Estimate for 2024-25 is currently subject to parliamentary scrutiny and approval. As well as parliamentary approval being required for the initial budget provision, the Delivery Authority’s expenditure is subject to regular scrutiny and challenge throughout the financial year including by the R&R Client Team and House finance teams, Delivery Authority Board, R&R Programme Board, R&R Client Board and Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission.
The Delivery Authority’s funding is based on what is required to deliver the key activities tasked to it by the R&R Client Team. The Delivery Authority seeks to ensure that its expenditure remains taut and proportionate for the activities required to deliver the Programme and constantly re-assesses its resources, scaling up or down as appropriate. The R&R Programme routinely publishes information on costs, for instance in quarterly reports, annual reports, and memoranda provided to the Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission.
The Government will not be enacting section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. The Conservative Party manifesto published in 2019 set out our intention to repeal section 40 and the Government has now committed to doing so via the Media Bill as announced in The Queen’s Speech.
I have consulted the Chair of the Conduct Committee in preparing this answer. The Committee has no current plans to review the rules about members of the House of Lords working for lobbying firms. If the Noble Lord has any specific issues that he would like the Committee to consider, he can of course write to the Chair.
There has been extensive consideration of this issue over many years. As long ago as 2009 the Leader’s Group on the Code of Conduct proposed the prohibition of parliamentary consultancies, and this was incorporated in the Guide to the Code of Conduct that was agreed by the House on 17 March 2010. Since that time the rules on consultancies and lobbying have been regularly updated, following recommendations by the responsible committees.
Paragraphs 9(c) and 9(d) of the Code of Conduct say that members:
The details of these restrictions are set out in more detail from paragraph 15 onwards in the Guide to the Code of Conduct. Members may also seek the advice of the Registrar of Lords’ Interests.
The latest edition of the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Code was ordered to be published on 28 October 2021 and is available on the parliamentary website and from the Printed Paper Office.
The Sponsor Body has regular engagement with the House of Commons Commission (which includes the Leader of the House as a member) on a range of issues relating to the Restoration and Renewal Programme, including on costs.
The Sponsor Body has a statutory duty, under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, to have regard to the need to ensure that the Parliamentary building works represent good value for money. Value for money is at the heart of everything we do and we have robust assurance processess in place to ensure costs are minimised.
The Sponsor Body does not recognise the reported figures of £10 to £20 billion costs for the Parliamentary building works. Supported by the Delivery Authority, the Sponsor Body is in the process of developing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan that will for the first time give an accurate sense of the costs, timescales and full detail of the work needed. It is the work of the detailed and costed restoration plan which will determine the forecast cost for R&R. The detailed restoration plan will be focused on delivering value for money and will be informed by more than 100 surveys and investigations of the Palace of Westminster. The detailed and costed plan will be put before both Houses for a decision before the Parliamentary building works can commence.
The Sponsor Body has recently undertaken and published a Strategic Review of the R&R Programme. The purpose of the review was to consider whether anything had changed so significantly as to warrant a change in the strategy for the Programme. The Sponsor Body invited views from Members, Members' staff, parliamentary staff and members of the public. We also consulted with the Commissions of both Houses, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, on the draft Strategic Review recommendations. The review recommends new approaches to completing the restoration while minimising costs and ensuring value for money, and provides a clear direction for the next stages of the work. The Review is available at: https://restorationandrenewal.uk/resources/reports/strategic-review
Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) in the UK, including the Civil Nuclear sector, is subject to thorough scrutiny and must satisfy stringent sectoral regulatory and national security requirements. For the Civil Nuclear sector specifically, the Office for Nuclear Regulation independently oversees and enforces the UK’s nuclear regulatory regime.
As the Government has already made clear that there will be opportunities to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. The Prime Minister has said that this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time. For now the Government is focused entirely on responding to the pandemic and saving lives. Further details will be set out in due course and announced in the usual way.
On 23 March, the Government announced enhanced measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including the closure of certain businesses and venues. A full list has been published on the GOV.UK website. The Government’s priority is to save lives and the best way for people to protect themselves and others from illness is to stay at home.
Exercise is important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Parks are generally permitted to remain open, but only for individuals and households to exercise once a day in a manner consistent with social distancing measures. Communal spaces within parks such as playgrounds and football pitches are closed.
The Government has advised that people should stay local, and use open spaces near to their home where possible to avoid unnecessary travel. Where parks cannot be used in accordance with the social distancing measures, it is up to the local authority to determine what action is necessary.
Transport should only be used for one of the limited reasons specified in the guidance: shopping for basic necessities as infrequently as possible; one form of exercise a day; any medical need, or to provide care for a vulnerable person; and travelling for work purposes (only where working from home is not possible). The British Transport Police is deploying dedicated teams to national rail and London Underground stations to reinforce Government messaging and to help to enforce the new health protection regulations, and the Government will not hesitate to go further if that is what the evidence advises.
Further to the answers given to PQ HL320 and PQ HL324, the Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence, and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development; it will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities.
Announcement on the timings of the review will be made in the usual way.
Further to the answers given to PQ HL320 and PQ HL324, the Prime Minister has committed to undertake the deepest review of Britain's security, defence, and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The review will examine how we strengthen and prioritise our alliances, diplomacy and development; it will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities.
Announcement on the timings of the review will be made in the usual way.
We will consider the findings of the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy report as part of the Defending Democracy Programme. This programme aims to safeguard our democratic processes and ensure our democracy remains safe and inclusive.
The Government is introducing measures to maintain public confidence in democracy by improving transparency and accountability. The introduction of a digital imprints regime for online advertising is one such measure. The digital imprint proposals will be published in due course.
The Cabinet Office is continuing to work closely with DCMS, regulators and other key stakeholders to confirm the extent of such regulations and how they can best be put into practice.
Voters deserve to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring this remains the case.
We will consider the findings of the Future of Democracy Global Satisfaction with Democracy report as part of the Defending Democracy Programme. This programme aims to safeguard our democratic processes and ensure our democracy remains safe and inclusive.
The Government is introducing measures to maintain public confidence in democracy by improving transparency and accountability. The introduction of a digital imprints regime for online advertising is one such measure. The digital imprint proposals will be published in due course.
The Cabinet Office is continuing to work closely with DCMS, regulators and other key stakeholders to confirm the extent of such regulations and how they can best be put into practice.
Voters deserve to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is absolutely committed to ensuring this remains the case.
The independent Post Office Horizon Inquiry was set up – and put on a statutory footing - to review all the evidence to establish a clear account of the implementation and failings of Horizon so that a scandal like this does not happen again.
Until Sir Wyn’s work is completed, and all the evidence is known, it would be premature for me to comment on every aspect of this scandal alongside this inquiry which is there to get to the bottom of the facts.
The Government has no plans to ban outdoor hot tubs.
Energy suppliers must treat customers fairly in line with their Standards of Conduct licence obligations, behave in a fair, honest, appropriate, and professional manner to ensure that consumers receive the right information to make decisions about their energy supply and have a positive experience when dealing with their supplier.
The Government expects energy suppliers to fulfil their regulatory obligations. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their obligations.
Alongside the consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes the Government published an impact assessment, which includes an assessment of the potential impact on rental payments. We are continuing to refine the policy design to ensure the costs, circumstances, and potential impacts relating to energy efficiency improvements are fair and proportionate for landlords and tenants. We will publish a summary of responses by the end of this year and will publish an updated impact assessment once the final policy decisions are made.
The Government takes the protection and resilience of subsea and offshore infrastructure seriously. Departments work together to protect it from malicious and other hazards such as accidental damage. The Department awaits the findings of the ongoing investigations into the deliberate damage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
The Government hasn't carried out an assessment of the impact of the war on global warming
The Government expects energy suppliers to treat their customers fairly and reasonably, while doing all they can to support consumers struggling to pay their bills.
As part of Government’s efforts to increase transparency around prepayment meter installations, it has announced a five-point plan. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to energy suppliers calling on them voluntarily to stop the practice of forcibly installing prepayment meters. He has also called on suppliers to make greater effort to help the most vulnerable, such as offers of additional credit, debt forgiveness or tools such as debt advice.
As part of our efforts to see British companies succeed in the industry, we offered significant support through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF). Full due diligence was completed before a final grant offer letter was awarded to Britishvolt.
Funding was designed so that agreed milestones had to be achieved for the company to drawdown any funds. These milestones were not met and therefore no ATF funds were paid to Britishvolt.
We want to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing as we transition to electric vehicles. That includes investing record sums in battery R&D – such as the recent announcement of £211 million into the Faraday Battery Challenge, which will help deliver 100,000 jobs in battery gigafactories and the battery supply chain by 2040.
The Government has carefully analysed the responses received and is considering how best to ensure the cost relating to energy efficiency improvement are fair and proportionate to landlords and tenants. The Government will publish a response in due course.
The Government has confirmed that it is adopting a presumption against issuing any further hydraulic fracturing consents. This position, an effective moratorium, will be maintained until compelling new evidence is provided which addresses concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.
As the Government has confirmed that it will adopt a presumption against issuing further hydraulic fracturing consents, the Government will not be taking forward a public consultation on the approach to local support at this time.
Privately rented listed buildings and those in conservation areas may apply for an exemption from the legal requirement for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). In these cases, they would be out of scope of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Regulations.
The Department consulted last year on whether to require an EPC for listed buildings and those in a conservation area. A Government Response will be published in due course.
Achieving net zero carbon emissions will require almost all UK homes to be supplied with low-carbon heating by 2050. Electrification through heat pumps and hydrogen both offer potential pathways to achieve heat decarbonisation, supported by other potential solutions including biogas and heat networks, and we expect 2050 to include a mix of these technologies. Currently, electrification of heat is the only pathway to net zero that has been proven to work at scale in buildings. That is why we have committed to grow the heat pump market to 600,000 installations a year by 2028.
This commitment provides a clear long-term signal to industry on the expected scale of heat pump deployment, providing certainty and enabling investment. The Government is also undertaking a comprehensive package of measures to support the transition, including targeted public investment, proposals for regulation to decarbonise buildings off the gas grid, and establishing a new market-based mechanism. The full package of measures will be set out in our forthcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy. Additionally, the Government is currently trialling solutions to help overcome barriers to heat pump deployment as part of the £14.6 million Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, which seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of a mass rollout of the technology by installing heat pumps in a representative sample of homes across the UK.
The above actions by industry and the Government will help to build supply chains and develop a more cost-effective heat pump offer for consumers.
In order to achieve net zero emissions, we will have to transition completely away from traditional natural gas boilers for heating homes on the gas grid.
There are a number of options with the potential to play an important role in decarbonising heat, including heat networks, heat pumps, hydrogen and biogas.
The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course, which will set out the actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings.
The UK Government is currently undertaking its own laboratory work as a priority to better understand the impact of the new variants on the vaccines currently in deployment, in particular the risk of vaccine resistance.
We continue to take a portfolio-based approach that monitors the landscape of coronavirus vaccine development and remain confident that the three vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford University/AstraZeneca and Moderna) we have purchased which have been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will continue to be effective against the virus.
Even though the first three vaccines have been proven to be effective, we must continue to explore every avenue available to us.
The Government has secured access to 367 million vaccines doses through agreements with seven separate vaccine developers. This includes 157 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca, , Pfizer/BioNTech, and Moderna vaccines.
The Government continues to monitor the landscape of COVID-19 vaccine development, both here in the UK and internationally, and will keep the situation under review.
This is a commercial matter for AstraZeneca on which the Government cannot comment. The agreement between the UK Government and AstraZeneca to supply 100 million doses of vaccine is unaffected by any further agreements by AstraZeneca with other partners.
The UK Government has not and is not planning to purchase any Sputnik V vaccines.
The UK Government has secured early access to 357 million vaccines doses through agreements with seven separate vaccine developers. This includes agreements with:
Each year BEIS publishes updated energy projections (UEPs), analysing and projecting future energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. The most recently published assessment (EEP 2019) included assumptions on the transition to electric vehicles and accounted for policies which were considered firm and funded by autumn 2019. Forthcoming energy projections will be updated to account for the latest policy decisions, including ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030.
We expect the transition to electric vehicles to create significant new demand for electricity but also offer opportunities for flexible management of the electricity system. Smart charging during off-peak periods, when electricity demand is low, can reduce peak demand and avoid triggering unnecessary network reinforcement. It can also maximise use of renewable electricity and can benefit consumers with cheaper electricity.
The UK is a global front-runner in the provision of charging infrastructure. We want chargepoints to be accessible, affordable and secure wherever people live. While we expect the majority of EV charges will be done at home, charging provision on motorways and A-roads is needed to ensure that consumers can be confident in making the switch to electric vehicles. By 2030, we are planning for there to be around 2,500 high powered chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A roads. The Ten Point Plan confirmed £1.3 billion in funding to support the rapid expansion of the charging network in the 2020s, which includes £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network.
We also need to ensure that sufficient charging infrastructure is provided for households that do not have access to off-street parking. This must meet the needs of current and future EV users using a mix of charging types that can be cost-effectively supported by the future electricity network. We are working with stakeholders to ensure an evidence based transition to a charging network that fulfils these objectives.
The Government has backed the new phase out dates with a £2.8 billion package of investment to reduce the cost of vehicles, accelerate the roll out of infrastructure and support industry to electrify their supply chains.
The Government will provide £1.3 billion over the next four years to support the continued roll-out of chargepoints on motorways and major A roads, in homes and businesses and on-street.
Nuclear power will play a key role in the UK’s future energy mix as we transition to a low-carbon economy, and we continue to discuss new nuclear projects with viable companies and investors wishing to develop sites in the UK.
The developer-led construction of Hinkley Point C in Somerset is well underway, employing thousands of workers and having already invested almost £1.7 billion in the regional economy.
The UK was the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero and as we move to a low carbon economy, oil and gas will play a smaller role in meeting the demand for energy over time.
The oil and gas sector has an important part to play now in sustaining our energy security of supply, and in the energy transition to support net zero, having many of the essential skills and capabilities in its world class supply chain to support emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen, and through its investment in infrastructure.
We will support this energy transition with a transformational North Sea Transition Deal, which we have committed to deliver within this Parliament. The focus of this deal will be on ensuring the sector can support the energy transition and anchor the supply chain to the UK.
The oil and gas sector supports tens of thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. Safeguarding these jobs whilst creating new low carbon jobs will be a key consideration of the proposed North Sea Transition Deal.
The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme launched on 30th September ready for homeowners to apply for vouchers and for installers to register with the administrator for payment. As of 3rd October, there were 7,858 applications for vouchers.
In order to participate in the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme, businesses and tradespeople installing energy efficiency measures must install measures against Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standards 2030: 2017 or 2030: 2019 by a certification body that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
The UK has secured access to 6 different candidates, across 4 different vaccine types, reflecting the government’s strategy to ensure the UK has a supply of vaccines should any of these prove safe and effective:
The UK Government has agreements in the US with BioNTech/Pfizer for 30 million doses, Novavax for 60 million doses and Janssen for 30 million doses of their not-for-profit vaccine. We are taking a portfolio-based approach that monitors the landscape of coronavirus vaccine development, both here in the UK and internationally. Although we continue to investigate further potential vaccine candidates worldwide, we are currently not able to give any further information on these candidates owing to commercial sensitivity. We will, however, announce agreements with any other vaccine developers in due course.
Homeowners and landlords will able to apply for the Green Homes Grant scheme vouchers online, with alternative methods being available for those that cannot apply digitally. More details on the application process will be announced in due course.
In order to support customers to take up the scheme and to encourage industry to get involved and register with TrustMark, we are running an integrated communications campaign. Activities include social media, partnerships and a range of media and stakeholder engagements.
As of 31 August, TrustMark had 681 registered businesses able to install the primary and/or secondary measures supported by the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme. These businesses range from small enterprises to large companies with significant workforces. Additionally, a further 2316 TrustMark applications were being processed, and a further 5164 expressions of interest in joining TrustMark had been received by the various trade associations and certification and inspection bodies who partner with TrustMark.
Guidance and further details about the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme were published on 28 August on the GOV.UK website. This included information on eligibility, items where support can be claimed as part of energy efficiency measure installations, as well as items that will not be paid for under the voucher scheme.
The new scheme will see the Government fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction. Consumers in England will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.
A retrofit assessment will only be mandatory under the Green Homes Grant scheme in a limited number of circumstances, where installations are considered to be more technically demanding. We are confident that there are sufficient retrofit assessors in place to oversee these cases.
Businesses and tradespeople must be registered with TrustMark – as well as certified with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) if installing heating measures – to take part in the scheme. Homeowners and landlords will be able to use the Simple Energy Advice website to find appropriately registered and certified tradespeople in their area that are able to carry out the works, ensuring high standards and consumer protection.
TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme covering work a consumer chooses to have carried out on their home. MCS is a quality assurance scheme supported by BEIS, which certifies products, installation companies and installations to help ensure that Microgeneration products are installed to high quality standards.
The range of measures has now been announced.
The Green Homes Grants will give homeowners, including owner occupiers and social/private landlords, vouchers to install one or more of the following:
In addition, households can use their voucher for further energy saving measures. These include one or more of the following:
The new scheme will see the Government fund up to two thirds of the cost of home improvements of over 600,000 homes, supporting over 100,000 jobs in green construction. Consumers in England will be able to claim the new vouchers, which are worth up to £5,000. Households on low income can receive vouchers covering 100% of the cost of the improvements, up to a maximum of £10,000.
Retrofit assessors will not form a mandatory part of the Green Homes Grant, although applicants are encouraged to consult an assessor if they wish.
Building the capacity and skills for retrofit assessment, and energy efficiency improvements more broadly, is an important part of the Green Homes Grant and will be achieved both through direct support and by ensuring the supply-chain has the confidence to recruit and train.
The Government endorsed Simple Energy Advice service is designed to provide households with online advice and recommendations on the energy efficiency and heating improvements which they can make to their homes. Households will be able to apply for a Green Home voucher via the Simple Energy Advice service and will be encouraged to use the service to select the most appropriate measure or measures for their property.