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Written Question
Energy Transition Council
Monday 20th June 2022

Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Energy Transition Council has met since COP26; and if so, which nations attended.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Transition Council (ETC) met on Tuesday 24 May 2022, for its fifth Ministerial dialogue, chaired by the UK. Egypt, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco, Laos PDR, Philippines and Germany were represented at Ministerial and senior official level.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to list for each overseas country when resident UK pensioners do not receive yearly increases what the lowest current payment to a pensioner is who was entitled at retirement to a full basic UK state pension, stating the year the pension was frozen.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated in countries where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy which has been supported by successive post-war governments for over 70 years.

Up-rating is paid to State Pension recipients in the UK, European Union, European Economic Area, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Jamaica, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, The Philippines, Turkey, and the United States.

Information on the lowest full basic State Pension in payment, in each country where up-rating is not paid, is not readily available and to provide it would incur a disproportionate cost.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions
Wednesday 15th June 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which countries the UK has (a) bilateral or (b) reciprocal agreements on provision of the State Pension; when each of those agreements was made, whether UK pensioners resident in those countries receive yearly increases; and how many UK pensioners there were in each country as of 9 June 2022.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated annually in countries where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy which has been supported by successive governments for over 70 years.

As of November 2020, 473,842 State Pension recipients residing in the European Union or countries which are members of the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein) receive annual up-rating under various EU-Exit related agreements, including the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement, which entered into force in 2020 and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force in 2021.

Other countries with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement also allowing for State Pension up-rating, the date in which the particular agreement was made, and the number of State Pension recipients residing in these countries (as of November 2020) are:

  • Barbados (1992) – 3,849 recipients.
  • Bermuda (1969) – 718 recipients.
  • Bosnia-Herzegovina* (1958) – 31 recipients.
  • Israel (1957) – 5,077 recipients.
  • Jamaica (1997) – 10,807 recipients.
  • Kosovo* (1958) – no data.
  • Mauritius (1981) – 1,007 recipients.
  • Montenegro* (1958) – 0 recipients.
  • North Macedonia* (1958) – 121 recipients.
  • Serbia* (1958) – 9 recipients.
  • Philippines (1989) – 3,144 recipients.
  • Turkey (1961) – 1,870 recipients.
  • USA (1984) – 126,977 recipients.

*Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the UK agreement with former Yugoslavia now covers Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Croatia and Slovenia are EU Member States covered by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The UK also has reciprocal social security agreements with New Zealand (1983) and Canada (1995) covering provisions for State Pension, but these agreements do not provide for annual up-rating. As of November 2020, 63,930 State Pension recipients reside in New Zealand and 126,426 recipients reside in Canada.

Source:

State Pension statistics by country of residence are currently available to November 2020 and these are available on Stat-Xplore here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html

     


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Monday 13th June 2022

Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which department authorised the four most recent agreements for overseas British pensioners to receive state pension increases; and what dates those agreements were made.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Disregarding any agreements which continued the existing arrangements for State Pension uprating, such as those with Ireland, the EU and Switzerland, the table below lists the four most recent social security agreements that provide for State Pension uprating with countries where the pension was not previously uprated. These agreements were approved by Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions or its predecessor Department.

Country

Agreement entered into force

Barbados

1 April 1992

Philippines

1 December 1989

Iceland

1 August 1985

Mauritius

1 November 1981


Written Question
Health Professions: Migrant Workers
Monday 21st February 2022

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 20 December 2021 (HL4956), whether they will publish the details of the Government to Government agreements with (1) Kenya, (2) Malaysia, and (3) the Philippines.

Answered by Lord Kamall

Copies of the agreements with Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines on healthcare workforce recruitment are attached.


Written Question
Nurses: Migrant Workers
Wednesday 9th February 2022

Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Kamall on 27 January (HL Deb col 436) regarding the ethical international recruitment of nurses, what ethical provisions were included in the agreements with (1) Kenya, (2) Malaysia, and (3) the Philippines, to which he referred in his Written Answer on 20 December 2021 (HL4956).

Answered by Lord Kamall

The Government to Government agreements established with Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines commit to ensuring fair, ethical and sustainable recruitment and employment of healthcare professionals, pursuant to existing laws and regulations in each partner country. We are working with the Governments of Malaysia and Kenya to develop detailed implementation guidelines which will be published in due course. Our agreement with the Philippines confirms that United Kingdom recruiters will consider the national demand for healthcare in relation to the number of healthcare workers in the Philippines.


Written Question
Philippines: Storms
Monday 17th January 2022

Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Philippines on emergency relief following Typhoon Rai.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK was saddened to see the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai on the Philippines on 16 and 17 December. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

The UK has committed £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal, launched on 18 December 2021. This will go towards supporting the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people in areas including water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter; and protection of the most vulnerable. The UK is also one of the top contributors to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which is contributing £9 million to the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for Typhoon Odette.

I discussed the situation with the Philippines Ambassador to the UK on 20 December 2021.


Written Question
Philippines: Storms
Monday 17th January 2022

Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance her Department is providing to the Philippines following Typhoon Rai.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK was saddened to see the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai on the Philippines on 16 and 17 December. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

The UK has committed £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal, launched on 18 December 2021. This will go towards supporting the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people in areas including water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter; and protection of the most vulnerable. The UK is also one of the top contributors to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which is contributing £9 million to the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for Typhoon Odette.

I discussed the situation with the Philippines Ambassador to the UK on 20 December 2021.


Written Question
Philippines: Storms
Friday 14th January 2022

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support (a) children and (b) adults affected by Typhoon Rai/Odette in the Philippines on (i) increased risks of infectious disease, (ii) WASH needs, (iii) nutrition needs, (iv) education needs, (v) shelter needs, and (vi) protection from increased risks of abuse, exploitation and gender-based violence.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK was saddened to see the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai on the Philippines on 16 and 17 December. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected.

The UK has committed £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency appeal, launched on 18 December. This will go towards supporting the immediate and early recovery needs of affected people in areas including water, sanitation and hygiene; shelter; and protection of the most vulnerable.

The UK is also one of the top contributors to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which is contributing £9 million to the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for Typhoon Odette. With CERF funding, UN agencies and partners are providing life-saving assistance in areas including health; protection; food assistance; and education to a total of 244,800 people. The IFRC are still considering what the longer-term support to those affected by the Typhoon is appropriate.


Written Question
Association of Southeast Asian Nations: Diplomatic Relations
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to further British diplomatic engagement with ASEAN countries.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

On 5 August the UK became a Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. This new partnership, the first ASEAN has agreed in 25 years, will lead to closer cooperation on issues like trade, science and technology, and education. We are pioneering high tech frontiers with a new Digital Innovation Partnership with ASEAN, underpinned by our Digital Trade Network. The UK is already a top 10 investor in ASEAN, supporting jobs across the region and providing room for UK companies to increase their presence. Our defence partnerships across the region are broad and longstanding, including British Forces Brunei and our membership of the Five Powers Defence Arrangements alongside Malaysia and Singapore. In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine doses bought with UK financing of COVAX, the UK has donated over 4.3 million doses directly to ASEAN members and seen 5.2 million of the doses donated through COVAX arrive in member states. At COP26, the UK announced £110 million to support clean infrastructure in ASEAN; this will help the region build back better from COVID-19.

ASEAN attended the G7 Foreign and Development Ministerial Meeting on 12 December at the UK's invitation. In November the Foreign Secretary visited Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to upgrade our economic and security ties. On 11 November, she met with the ASEAN Secretary General, and on 2 November she spoke to ASEAN Chair and Brunei Foreign Minister Erywan. In October I visited Singapore and the Philippines and engaged a range of interlocutors.