Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Secretary has issued any new guidelines to Special Advisers in 10 Downing Street relating to their role during the period in which the new leader of the Conservative Party is being elected.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Civil Service should act as it did during previous periods in 2016 and 2019. Official resources must not be used to support leadership campaign activity.
As at all times, the Civil Service must serve the Government in a way which maintains political impartiality and retains the confidence of Ministers, while at the same time ensuring it will be able to establish the same relationship with those who may go on to lead the Government.
Special advisers are exempt from the Civil Service Code requirement of political impartiality. Therefore, as laid out in the Special Adviser Code of Conduct, their involvement in political activity does not need to be restricted in the same way as it is for other civil servants. All Special Advisers have been made aware of the expectations regarding their role and conduct during this period. If they wish to take part in leadership campaign activity, they must do so in their own time, out of office hours or via unpaid leave, and not involve the use of departmental resources.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received representations from charities about difficulties in sending medicines, including paracetamol, by lorry to Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working closely with the UN and other humanitarian partners to ensure a well-coordinated and well-funded response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the region. We have not been approached by our partners about any difficulties in sending medicines to Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask the EU to ease the administrative and paperwork requirements for lorries carrying medicines and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The UK is committed to working with partners, including the EU, as well as humanitarian agencies, to ensure a well-coordinated and well-funded response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the region.
We have initiated a number of conversations with the EU and its Member States to understand their plans to ease the movement of humanitarian supplies. The EU has been working with Member States on this issue and several are now easing their entry and exit regime to support the humanitarian effort for Ukraine.
The UK Government has also introduced a simplified customs process to support the export of aid goods destined for victims of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. More information can be found on the gov.uk website.
Unless an organisation or person has a licence, medicines cannot be exported using this simplified process.
The UK has committed a £220 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine to help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating situation, creating a lifeline for Ukrainians to access basic necessities and medical supplies.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to assist small charities attempting to take humanitarian supplies by lorry to Ukraine via the EU, and (2) to help them obtain the correct permits.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are aware that charitable organisations in the UK have launched appeals for donations of emergency funds and goods to provide humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Those charities seeking to take humanitarian supplies by lorry, to Ukraine via the European Union (EU) will need to follow the requirements for all hauliers. These requirements will differ depending on whether the charity is using its own vehicle or is hiring a lorry for the purpose. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carry-out-international-road-haulage
Step by step information for hired goods vehicles, setting out how to transport goods from the UK by road can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/transport-goods-from-uk-by-road. Guidance for private vehicles driving through the EU can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu
Permits are not required to access Ukraine when using vehicles that are EURO V or above, this will include the majority of goods vehicles including HGVs, where further advice is required this can be provided by the International Road Haulage Permits Office (IRHP) which is part of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
In relation to Ukraine, we strongly advise that all those considering making this type of trip for humanitarian purposes, or otherwise consult the current travel advice provided by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and published on gov.uk for Ukraine, and any countries they propose travelling through as part of their journey. The advice for Ukraine is published at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the statement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office quoted in the Financial Times on 4 November that clean energy equities in emerging and developing markets "consistently outperform the MSCI Emerging Markets Index" were cleared with (1) the Financial Conduct Authority, and (2) ministers.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
At a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) event in the margins of COP26, officials presented on mobilisation as a policy agenda and quoted a reputable research document authored by the International Energy Agency in collaboration with the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Their report highlighted that investments in clean energy transition in emerging markets have outperformed comparable benchmarks for emerging market assets. Referencing these research findings does not constitute investment advice by FCDO.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they used in developing their proposal to invest up to £25 million in the ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Asian renewable energy investment trust; and whether those criteria included an assessment of the number of such trusts that are already established.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust proposal was assessed against the following 'Mobilising Institutional Capital in Public Markets' (MOBILIST) Competition criteria: i) scalability; ii) replicability; iii) commercial viability; iv) additionality; v) feasibility; vi) credibility. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's assessment of the investment trust universe currently listed on the London market is that there are presently no products with exclusive exposure to renewables in lower-middle and low-income countries, such as those comprising the ThomasLloyd portfolio.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposed investment of up to £25 million in the ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Asian renewable energy investment trust has been approved by the accounting officer of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
All investments made by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Mobilist programme to support Competition participants, including the ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust, are subject to prior review and approval by both FCDO's Finance and International Finance Division.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office launched a tender process before proposing an investment of up to £25 million in the ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Asian renewable energy investment trust.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The decision in principle to invest in the ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust is the outcome of an open competition. The 'Mobilising Institutional Capital in Public Markets' (MOBILIST) Competition was launched at a public event on 8th February 2021 and was publicised via HMG's website and through social media. All Expressions of Interest were subject to initial assessment and increasing levels of analysis and due diligence as the competition progressed. At each stage of the competition participants' proposals were evaluated against the same pre-defined selection criteria.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with Mr Nigel Boardman about the request of representatives of the late Lord Heywood to make representations to the review of Supply Chain Finance during the process of that review.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
I refer the Noble Lord to my written statement of 22 July 2021. As the written statement notes, where actions have been attributed to individuals, some of which could be read as critical, the individuals concerned or their personal representative, where applicable, were given the opportunity ahead of the report being finalised to make representations on those sections of the report that could be perceived as criticisms to correct factual inaccuracies.
Lady Heywood has had access to papers that Lord Heywood would have been shown and, representing her late husband, has been treated on equivalent terms to others involved in the review.
During the course of the Review, Lady Heywood made representations to Mr Boardman about the process. Mr Boardman listened to these representations and agreed to undertake additional engagement with Lady Heywood prior to finalising his report.
Asked by: Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure the independence of Mr Nigel Boardman who is conducting their review of the use of Supply Chain Finance.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
I refer the Noble Lord to my written statement of 22 July 2021.
Nigel Boardman is a distinguished legal expert, having undertaken a number of reviews scrutinising the Government. He was asked to lead this review following the appropriate consideration of relevant interests.