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Written Question
Peers: Leave of Absence
Thursday 28th September 2023

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker on how many occasions, and when, the Leave of Absence Sub-Committee has declined to recommend that leave of absence be granted.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Applications for Leave of Absence are submitted to the Clerk of the Parliaments, who accepts all applications that comply with the requirements set out in Standing Order 21. It has never been the practice to consult the Leave of Absence Sub-Committee on individual applications, and minutes of the Sub-Committee’s meetings show that it has never declined to recommend that leave of absence be granted.


Written Question
Private Members' Bills
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question

To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how many Private Members’ Bills introduced in the House of Lords in each of the past five sessions completed all their stages in the Lords and were sent to the Commons.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The figures for Private Members’ Bills that started in the House of Lords and reached the House of Commons are set out below. Figures are provided from the 2016–17 session up to and including the present session to date.

Session

2016-17

2017-19

2019-19

2019-21

2021-22

2022-to date

PMBs introduced in the Lords

51

74

40

86

45

42

Lords-starting PMBs reaching the Commons

5

11 (1 Bill received Royal Assent - Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill)

0

0

10

7 (1 Bill received Royal Assent – the Ballot Secrecy Bill)


Written Question
Coal: Railways
Friday 12th May 2023

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Callanan, on 17 April (HL Deb, col 518), what are the “existing licensing arrangements” in relation to the domestic demand for coal in heritage railways.

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

The Coal Authority is the licensor for coal extraction in the UK. Businesses seeking to develop a coal operation require a coal exploration licence from the Coal Authority, as well as planning permission and other consents, before a mine can become operational.

Potential coal extraction projects seeking to supply industries such as heritage rail would need to satisfy the ‘tests’ to issuing a licence under the 1994 Coal Industry Act. These include financial viability, practical experience, and relevant permissions (such as planning).


Written Question
Railways: Franchises
Wednesday 15th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they keep archive records of all train operating company franchise agreements since privatisation; and if so, what is the archive and disposal policy for privatised railway related documents.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Transport does keep archive records of all train operating company franchise agreements since 1994, and subsequent rail contracts.

The Department adheres to the legislative guidance for retention and archive of documentations as specified under the Public Records Act 1958 (as amended by the Public Records Act 1967) and section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 published in 2009.

Other legislation relating to public records which Public Authorities adhere to can be accessed at the National Archives website.


Written Question
Channel Crossing: Tourism
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage change in the number of coach parties arriving at Channel ports compared to the number of visitors arriving by air, in each year since 2015.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of coach parties or coaches entering the UK from the European Union, either for 2022 or for previous years.


Written Question
Channel Crossing: Bus Services
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many coaches have entered the UK from the European Union so far in 2022; and how many had arrived by the same period in 2019.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Transport does not hold data on the number of coach parties or coaches entering the UK from the European Union, either for 2022 or for previous years.


Written Question
Tourism
Monday 23rd May 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of the tourism industry, including (1) the Tourism Alliance, (2) the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, (3) the London Blue Badge Guides, (4) the Institute of Tourist Guiding, (5) the Association of Professional Tourist Guides, and (6) the British Guild of Tourist Guides, to encourage the return of guided tours to the UK.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Her Majesty’s Government set out our Tourism Recovery Plan in June 2021. This set out our plans for a growing, dynamic, sustainable and world-leading tourism sector reaching its full potential and driving growth across all parts of the UK.

In developing that plan, we engaged with a range of representative groups, in particular through the Tourism Industry Council. We continue to engage with them as we deliver it, as well as with both VisitBritain and VisitEngland which are working with us to support the recovery of tourism across the country, including doing all that we can to ensure the return of guided tours.


Written Question
Graduates: Income Tax
Thursday 28th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of income tax payers they estimate to be university graduates.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Government does not hold complete data on which taxpayers are graduates and which are not. Therefore, we cannot provide a reliable estimate in answer to these questions.


Written Question
Graduates: Income Tax
Thursday 28th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the top (1) one per cent, (2) 10 per cent, and (3) 50 per cent, of income tax payers they estimate to be university graduates.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Government does not hold complete data on which taxpayers are graduates and which are not. Therefore, we cannot provide a reliable estimate in answer to these questions.


Written Question
Graduates: Income Tax
Thursday 28th April 2022

Asked by: Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of higher rate tax payers they estimate to be university graduates.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Government does not hold complete data on which taxpayers are graduates and which are not. Therefore, we cannot provide a reliable estimate in answer to these questions.