Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial sustainability of the hospice sector; and what plans they have, if any, to provide short-term revenue support to hospices to maintain services whilst they develop a long-term funding settlement for palliative and end-of-life care.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 16 March in response to Question HL14849, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
We have provided a £125 million capital funding boost for eligible adult, and children and young people’s, hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.
We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices in England over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.
The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. We will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements as part of our MSF. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting integrated care boards to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead. Officials are working closely with a number of stakeholders from the hospice sector in the development of the MSF.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many motor vehicles have been provided to members of the Royal Family by government departments or funded through public expenditure in the last 20 years; under what financial and operational terms those vehicles were provided; what was the total monetary value of those vehicles; and what proportion of that value, if any, was reimbursed to the public purse.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government does not hold the information necessary to answer this question.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received a request from, or on behalf of, the Duke of Sussex for funding for security for his family and himself; and, if so, how it is being considered.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to levy inheritance tax on the estate of the Monarch.
Answered by Lord Livermore
Inheritance tax is paid in the normal way on the gifts and bequests from any member of the royal family, with the exception of the Monarch because the relevant enactments do not apply to the Crown.
The King has instead agreed that inheritance tax will be paid voluntarily on any gifts and bequests he makes, with an exception for assets passing to the next Monarch. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Royal Taxation, first agreed in 1993 and most recently renewed in 2023, sets out the rationale for not charging inheritance tax in relation to assets that pass to the next Monarch.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merit of replacing the Sovereign Grant by a Royal Duties Grant similar to the former Civil List which would be considered and approved by Parliament annually.
Answered by Lord Livermore
The rules governing the Sovereign Grant are set out in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. This Act requires a review following every five-year period to ensure the percentage of Crown Estate profits used in the calculation of the Grant remains appropriate.
The most recent Sovereign Grant Review was published on 26 June this year. The Royal Trustees concluded that a reference rate of 20.5 per cent is appropriate for the funding formula from 2027-28 onwards, which equates to a 2027-28 Grant amount of £99.9 million, a reduction against the £137.9 million in 2026-27.
The Government is committed to bringing forward legislation to enable the Grant to be reset to that lower level from 2027-28 and will bring forward the Sovereign Grant Bill when parliamentary time allows. This Bill will also introduce a mechanism so that in future years, the Grant can be reduced from one year to the next, preventing inappropriately high funding without the need for further primary legislation. This legislation will enable further parliamentary debate to occur.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials within the Cabinet Office are currently assigned to the review of historical records for transfer to The National Archives; and what contingency measures are in place to prevent the indefinite suspension of statutory reviews when a single case officer becomes unavailable.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
There are currently 11 sensitivity reviewers (equivalent to 5 Full-Time Equivalent staff) within the Cabinet Office scrutinising historical records for transfer to The National Archives.
Because the workload is distributed across a team rather than relying on an individual, the absence of a single case officer would not lead to the indefinite suspension of statutory reviews. Work would be reassigned among the remaining team members to ensure legal obligations continue to be met.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence and impact of ageism, particularly against people aged 50 and over; and what steps they are taking to address age discrimination across public services and workplaces.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all. Ageism has no place in our society, which is why the Government is supporting inclusion, challenging stereotypes and enabling more people in later life to be happy, healthy and active. The Equality Act 2010 provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment, recruitment process and the provision of services. Age discrimination is generally prohibited, unless the differential treatment can be objectively justified.
The Government values the wealth of skills and experiences that people aged 50 and over bring both to the workplace and the economy. The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to supporting midlife workers through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility and progression, helping to tackle age discrimination across public services and workplaces.
The Government also recognises that we have an ageing population living with multiple health conditions, and therefore we require more seamless services. We are committed to improving outcomes for older people through a range of cross-cutting strategies and initiatives. Addressing healthcare inequalities is a fundamental part of the 10 Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. This includes how services can be better integrated and tailored to improve quality of life and reduce inequalities in later life.
We continue to monitor and support legislation to tackle age discrimination.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the potential impact of a mandatory retirement age in the House of Lords on diversity of experience, expertise, and representation among members of the House.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The House of Lords established a dedicated select committee to look at how best to implement the Government’s manifesto commitments on a retirement age and participation requirement. The Government will carefully consider the select committee’s recommendations and looks forward to responding to its report which is due to be published before the end of July.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that employment support services are effectively tailored to the needs of workers aged 50 and over, particularly those seeking to retrain or return to the labour market.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government values the wealth of skills and experiences that people aged 50 and over bring both to the workplace and the economy. We are committed to supporting midlife workers who want to retrain or find work through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility and progression.
For those aged 50 and over, and in receipt of benefits, we provide additional dedicated support in Jobcentres, including through our 50PLUS Champions, who ensure that the specific needs of this age group are recognised and met. This includes facilitating engagement with local employers, promoting age inclusive policies and supporting work coaches to deliver activity locally. We also offer the Midlife MOT, which helps individuals assess their health, skills and finances, and directs them to appropriate guidance to support their return to work. There is also a digital version available to everyone. We also work closely with local employers and partners to expand the opportunities, training and employment support available to jobseekers aged 50 and over. There is also a comprehensive menu of help for Jobcentre customers who wish to retrain or upskill. This includes Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) placements, Skills Bootcamps, employer-led mentoring circles, 50+ job fairs.
The National Careers Service provides skills and careers guidance available to all. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will also launch in the 2026/27 academic year, providing funding to support individuals to learn, upskill and retrain throughout their working lives. It will be available to adults up to the age of 60, with those aged 60 or over, at the start of their course, eligible for partial funding.
As part of our wider plans to Get Britain Working, we are creating a Jobs and Careers Service, with an enhanced focus on skills and careers, available to all. Support will be more inclusive and better tailored to individual’s needs, including those aged 50 and over, to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms will be introduced in the Sovereign Grant Review to prevent overlap of funding between the Sovereign Grant and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in respect of (1) inbound state visits to the UK, (2) outbound visits by members of the Royal Family, and (3) the monarch’s costs as Head of the Commonwealth.
Answered by Lord Livermore
Expenditure met from the Sovereign Grant and that met by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) budgets serve distinct purposes.
The Sovereign Grant provides funding to support the official duties of working Members of the Royal Family, including staff, overseas travel to conduct and prepare for outward State Visits and the maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces. The FCDO and other departments meet separate costs associated with the UK’s diplomatic activity, both in the UK and overseas.
The FCDO funds in-country arrangements for outward State Visits, including accommodation and wider hosting arrangements. For inward State Visits, the FCDO funds the accommodation of the visiting delegation, as well as gifts and certain ceremonial activity, such as the State Banquet.
For activity undertaken in respect of His Majesty’s role as Head of the Commonwealth, the Sovereign Grant, FCDO and other departments fund respective activities that support the UK’s diplomatic objectives. Costs associated exclusively with The King’s role as Head of the Commonwealth may be met by the host country or participating Commonwealth member states. As with inward and outward visits, there remains a clear distinction between funding provided by the Sovereign Grant, and the funding provided by the FCDO and other departments for Commonwealth-related activity.