Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are discussing with other countries amendments to the 1951 Refugee Convention to take into account the changed world circumstances.

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

The Government is not discussing amendments to the Refugee Convention with other countries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering alternatives to the current forms of asylum seeker accommodation and, if so, what they are.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to reduce the use of hotels. Additionally, the Government will be reviewing current Home Office arrangements to ensure efficiency and delivering value for money.

The number of asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support is published quarterly. At the end of quarter four 2003 published statistics indicate that there were 47,148 people housed in Dispersal Accommodation and a further 30,362 in receipt of subsistence only support. The geographical location of these supported asylum seekers was not published at that time. Since 2019 data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation has been published at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of housing asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to reduce the use of hotels. Additionally, the Government will be reviewing current Home Office arrangements to ensure efficiency and delivering value for money.

The number of asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support is published quarterly. At the end of quarter four 2003 published statistics indicate that there were 47,148 people housed in Dispersal Accommodation and a further 30,362 in receipt of subsistence only support. The geographical location of these supported asylum seekers was not published at that time. Since 2019 data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation has been published at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whose responsibility it is to determine where asylum seekers are temporarily housed while their cases are being considered, and what criteria are applied in order to reach such decisions.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. The criteria for accommodation allocation can be found in the following link: Allocation of asylum accommodation policy (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021), published on 31 January; and whether they will be implementing all of the measures outlined in it.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and to taking all necessary steps to protect the UK internal market.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what preparations they are making for the review of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government has already begun work to reset the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties, secure a broad-based security pact and tackle barriers to trade. We want to look forwards by improving our trade and investment relationship with the EU, while recognising there will be no return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to hold further public inquiries into Troubles-related terrorist activity in Northern Ireland; and if so, what criteria they use to determine which incidents should be prioritised.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The decision to establish a public inquiry must always be taken with full consideration of the particular factors of each case. The Government will continue to consider the merits of establishing a public inquiry on a case-by-case basis, noting that it is for the Government to determine how to effectively discharge its procedural obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the reasons behind, and (2) the consequences of, the resignation of the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner: and whether they intend to seek a successor.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Over the last four years, Northern Ireland’s first Veterans Commissioner, Danny Kinahan, worked on a range of important issues that affect veterans in everyday life, including health, housing, and welfare. The Government would like to thank Danny for his dedicated work on behalf of veterans and families living in Northern Ireland. On 5 September, he resigned from the role. A statement setting out his position has been published on the Veterans Commissioner’s website.

The Government is committed to continuing to support veterans in Northern Ireland, and will set out next steps for the appointment of a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner in due course.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to amend (1) the terms of reference, and (2) the remit, of the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We are committed to continuing to support veterans in Northern Ireland and we will set out next steps for the appointment of a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise issues pertaining to the terms and operation of the Windsor Framework in their discussions with the European Union as part of the upcoming review of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

In its manifesto, the Government set out its commitment to implementing the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market – as well as improving the UK’s trade relationship with the EU. The Government will continue to have regular and constructive dialogue with the EU on a wide variety of matters, including the Windsor Framework.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review the level of state contributions to public sector pensions.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The rate of employer contributions paid to the main unfunded public service pension schemes is assessed as part of scheme valuations every four years. The most recent employer contribution rates were implemented in April 2024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term (1) cost, and (2) sustainability, of public sector pensions; and what assessment they have made of how such pensions compare to those paid in the private sector.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Independent Public Service Pension Commission led by Lord Hutton recommended in March 2011 that projected public service pension benefit payments as a percentage of estimated future GDP is the most relevant measure of their future affordability. This is because most public service pensions are financed through taxation, which is closely related to GDP.

The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in 2022 that spending on public service pensions will fall from 2 per cent of GDP at present to 1.7 per cent by 2071-72. An updated forecast is expected to be published in the near future.

Remuneration in the main public sector workforces tends to be weighted towards pension relative to pay compared to packages typically available in the private sector. The total remuneration package needs to be considered when making any comparisons. The recommendations by the independent Pay Review Bodies for the main public service workforces take account of the total reward for each workforce, including the relevant pension scheme.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what undertakings they have given, if any, to the family of the late Patrick Finucane that the scope or terms of the public inquiry into his murder, announced on 11 September, will differ from those of the inquiry previously proposed to the family.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government will follow due process under the Inquiries Act 2005 in establishing the inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane. This will include consulting the Inquiry Chair, once appointed, on the Terms of Reference. As set out to Parliament on 11 September, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland supports the assessment from the High Court that the Inquiry should ‘build on the significant investigative foundations which are already in place’. The Secretary of State has informed Mrs Finucane and her family that he will keep them updated on progress on establishing the Inquiry.

Found: with a proposal for the future of Northern Ireland Scrutiny (29 July 2024) L/24–25/05 : Letter from Lord

Found: Letter dated 08/08/2024 from Lord Coaker to Lord Empey regarding viable alternatives to Rosyth for the