Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage greater transparency among UK companies accused of exaggerating their environmental commitments, commonly termed as greenwashing, to prevent this from adversely impacting the Government’s Net Zero strategy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Businesses have a vital role to play in helping us to meet our net zero target and are encouraged to join the UN-backed Race to Zero, with 7,552 already setting credible and robust targets and outlining plans to deliver on these targets.
‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’ sets out how the Government will ensure decision-useful information on sustainability is available to financial market decision-makers, helping to combat potential “greenwashing”. The UK is also requiring asset managers, regulated asset owners and listed companies to publish transition plans that consider the government’s net zero commitment or provide an explanation if they have not done so.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning its record on (1) freedom of expression, (2) political debate, and (3) the right for women and girls to safely access abortion, in that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government firmly believes that freedom of expression, a strong opposition and vibrant civil society is vital for a healthy and well-functioning democracy in Rwanda and that civil society and opposition parties must be able to operate freely, holding the Government to account and contributing to the debate on how the country should be governed. We remain concerned about some restrictions on the space for opposition voices in Rwanda. The UK remains strongly committed to championing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights globally, including in Rwanda.
We regularly discuss a range of issues with the Government of Rwanda through our High Commission in Kigali and at Ministerial level. The Prime Minster met President Kagame in Kigali during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in June, and the Minister for Africa met Foreign Minister Biruta in London on 18 May.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 4 July (HL1123), how those eligible for a free place on the Holiday Activities and Food Programme will be notified of this to ensure that none of those eligible for free school meals will miss out during the summer holidays; and what will be done to ensure that this programme is implemented successfully by local councils across England.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Local authorities have the discretion to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of free school meals, but who the local authority believes could benefit from holiday activities and food (HAF) provision.
Guidance and grant letters provide a clear structure for local authorities in performing their role as HAF coordinators, while encouraging innovation and ensuring the programme is appropriate for the local area. They are encouraged to work with a wide range of organisations and partners across their local area and ensure schools and other services are on board with directing children and families to the programme.
To support local authorities, the department has appointed a national support partner, Childcare Works, which helps local authorities use their funding as effectively as possible and to target their programme at those most in need. Childcare Works facilitates local networks and forums where local authorities can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and work together. The department has also provided local authorities with a communication toolkit to support local promotion of the programme.
The department is working with national and local partners to build on the success of the HAF programme. On 14 June, we held a roundtable event with representatives from supermarkets and sport organisations, many of whom are already providing support to the programme.
The department is monitoring delivery carefully, including through the regular reports that local authorities send to the department. During the summer of 2021, the HAF programme reached over 600,000 children and young people in England in total, including over 495,000 children eligible for free school meals. This means hundreds of thousands of children from low-income families are benefitting from healthy food and better nutrition.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use of buffer zones outside abortion clinics, and (2) reports from women and girls who have attended such clinics in the UK that they were intimidated and harassed on arrival.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office takes the matter of protests outside abortion clinics extremely seriously and recognises the adverse impact that such protests can have on patients and staff. It is completely unacceptable that anyone should feel harassed or intimidated simply for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment.
We have conducted extensive reviews into these protests, which has included reviewing evidence from those directly affected, with the impact on women being at the centre of our consideration. We continue to welcome any new evidence on this important and sensitive issue, as we keep this matter under review.
We believe that managing harmful protests requires a locally driven response and that the police and local authorities have the necessary powers to provide this. Public Spaces Protection Orders have been implemented successfully to restrict harmful protests in Ealing, Richmond, and Manchester.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to encourage those over the age of 75 who have not come forward for their Spring booster vaccination to do so.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Since March 2022, the National Health Service has invited more than five million eligible people in England to receive their COVID-19 spring booster dose, including those aged 75 years old and over, residents of care homes for older adults and those aged 12 years old and over who are immunosuppressed. As of 26 June 2022, over 4.2 million people have received a booster dose in the spring programme.
On 22 June 2022, NHS England issued an online press release urging eligible people to receive the booster vaccination. At the end of June, NHS England also sent approximately 250,000 reminders via text message, email and letter, advising that the booster vaccination offer remains available.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the five pence per litre cut to fuel duty is passed on to consumers.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The Government has been clear that it expects all those in the supply chain to pass the fuel duty cut through to consumers in full.
In June, the Business Secretary requested that the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) undertake an urgent review of the market for road fuel. The CMA’s initial findings suggest that the fuel duty cut appears to have been largely passed through, with the largest fuel retailers doing so immediately and others more gradually.
The Government fully supports the CMA in its further work to better understand the supply of the road fuel in the UK, and will await these findings.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what price petrol and diesel would need to reach in order to prompt them to further cut fuel duty.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre represents a £2.4 billion tax cut in 2022-23.
All taxes, including fuel duty, remain under review.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any strike action of British Airways staff on travel at airports in the summer; and what plans they have to prevent any further travel disruption if such strikes take place.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The aviation industry operates in the private sector, therefore an industrial action is a matter for British Airways and the unions.
Ultimately, this strike action by Unite the Union and GMB has been suspended following a higher pay offer from British Airways. This offer will now be put to a vote of union members.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1084), what is the maximum acceptable cost of transporting asylum claimants from the UK to Rwanda under the terms of the UK–Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership; and whether asylum seekers will be liable personally to fund any part of that cost.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under the terms of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership the United Kingdom will arrange the transport for relocating individuals to Rwanda.
We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights. However, no asylum seeker will be liable to fund any part of the costs related to their relocation to Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the applications of Ukrainian refugees through the Homes for Ukraine scheme are processed as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
UKVI have issued thousands of visas under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. The latest figures can be found here: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Ukrainians with valid passports can now prove their identity using the UK Immigration: ID check app as part of the application. There are fewer steps to complete and an improved customer experience.
More information on the ID check app, including a video giving top tips, can be found on GOV.UK at: Using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)