Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 26 September (HL10323), in view of the current backlog of asylum cases, what plans they have to allow asylum seekers to work if their claim has been outstanding for nine months or more, as opposed to 12 months or more.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Whilst we keep all policies under review, there are no plans to change the existing policy, which allows asylum seekers with pending claims to work after 12 months, restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. Our policy position distinguishes between those who need protection and those seeking to work here who should instead apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Individuals in need of protection should not make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the United Kingdom, instead they should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.
There are also various legal routes for those seeking to work in the UK under the Points-Based System. These routes include Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Health and Care routes, which are supporting UK businesses to recruit workers with the skills and talent they need from around the world.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for allowing asylum seekers to work and cover the cost of their own living expenses.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
There are no plans to change the existing policy, which allows asylum seekers to work if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. It is important that our approach distinguishes between those who need protection and those seeking to work here who should apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the United Kingdom, and we are concerned such a change could be a further pull factor.
The Home Office has a legal obligation, as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute. This may include the provision of accommodation and/or subsistence support.
The level of the allowance given to those supported under 1999 Act is reviewed each year to ensure it covers asylum seekers’ essential living needs.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the trends in the funding of private prosecutions; and what steps they are taking to ensure that privately-funded prosecutions are not misused in ways that are counter to the public interest.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Under s.17 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 the court has the power to order the payment from central funds of such amount as the court considers reasonably sufficient to compensate the prosecutor for any expenses properly incurred by them in the proceedings.
Responsibility of assessing claims and administering payment of criminal claims out of central funds for work done in the magistrates’ court and Crown Court are assessed by the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) Criminal Cases Unit (CCU) unless the court summarily assesses the claim under s.17(2B) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
Information about central funds expenditure, including private prosecutions, is published on a quarterly basis within the LAA’s official statistics. The statistics provide useful management information to inform policy and legislative changes. A copy of the relevant data is attached.
The Justice Select Committee (JSC) considered safeguards in private prosecutions in 2021. They found that private prosecutions are rigorously tested, and weak ones filtered out. The Government agrees that, in most cases, existing safeguards work to prevent private prosecutions being misused.
In accordance with recommendations set out in the JSC report a private prosecutions register has been established for the magistrates’ courts in England and Wales. This enables the court or an authorised legal adviser, deciding whether to issue a summons to commence proceedings, to identify whether an application has already been determined or has been made by a vexatious litigant so that it can, where appropriate, be refused expeditiously.
The Criminal Procedure Rules have been amended so that they list the circumstances in which magistrates’ courts may refuse to issue a summons. The rules now also require summonses that are issued on the application of a private prosecutor to identify the prosecutor. This is intended to make it easier for defendants to refer their case to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider taking over the case under s.6(2) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
As set out in its response to the JSC report, the Government is committed to introducing legislation to limit the amount of costs a private prosecutor can recover from central funds, mirroring the arrangements already in place for private paying defendants, where recoverable costs are capped at legal aid rates.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of compliance by businesses with the Bills of Exchange Act 1882; and what steps they will take to ensure that cash is accepted in all retail establishments.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
A bill of exchange is a paper financial instrument that is used to transfer money from one person to another instead of the transfer of the actual money itself. The Bills of Exchange Act 1882 does not specify how they must pay if one is agreed.
As technology and consumer behaviour changes, it should remain the choice of individual organisations as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, based on their consideration of factors such as customer preference and cost.
Nonetheless, the Government recognises that many people continue to transact in cash across the UK. The Government is currently taking legislation to protect access to cash across the UK through Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022. The legislation will establish the Financial Conduct Authority as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities. This legislation will support local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they have reasonable access to deposit facilities.
Further details about the Financial Services and Markets Bill can be found on the Parliament website.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of retailers no longer accepting cash as a form of payment; and what steps they will take to ensure that cash is accepted in all retail establishments.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As technology and consumer behaviour changes, it should remain the choice of individual organisations as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, based on their consideration of factors such as customer preference and cost.
Nonetheless, the Government recognises that many people continue to transact in cash across the UK and engages closely with financial regulators to monitor and assess trends relating to cash. Research undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority found that 98% of small businesses would never turn away a customer if they needed to pay by cash.
The Government has introduced legislation to protect access to cash across the UK to Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022. The legislation will establish the Financial Conduct Authority as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to ensure that people can continue to access cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. This legislation will support local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they have reasonable access to deposit facilities.
Further details about the Financial Services and Markets Bill can be found on the Parliament website.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of excluding NHS staff who have acquired natural immunity following COVID-19 infection from mandatory vaccination requirements.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Prior COVID-19 infection is not included as an appropriate exemption from the vaccination regulations. However, following the continued success of the vaccination programme, the Government announced on 31 January 2022 that vaccination will no longer be a condition of deployment for health and social care staff, subject to a public consultation and parliamentary approval.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the (1) licensing, and (2) use, of Ivermectin in both the (a) treatment, and (b) prevention, of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department is closely monitoring the evidence on the case for using ivermectin for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Licensing of ivermectin is dependent on application to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for authorisation. We are continuing to monitor for new data from trials worldwide, including the UK PRINCIPLE clinical trial platform, which announced on 23 June that ivermectin would be investigated to generate robust data on its effectiveness in treating adults aged 18 years old and over who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 June (HL820) and their position that they will “recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace”, what assessment they have made of the case for recognising Palestine as a state now in order to facilitate negotiations between the government of an internationally-recognised state of Palestine and the government of Israel on an agreed border; and whether they will now recognise the state of Palestine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Any decision to recognise a Palestinian state will rest on an assessment of the prospects for peace, and what best supports progress towards a two-state solution. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. The UK priority is working with the parties and other international actors to encourage a durable ceasefire and to urge them to address the drivers of conflict.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case for recognising Palestine as a State, (2) the benefits for the peace process of the government of Israel negotiating with a Palestinian state instead of different factions, and (3) the effectiveness of international aid for Gaza being directed to a Palestinian state rather than to factions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. We continue to work closely with international partners to strongly advocate for a two-state solution and encourage a return to meaningful negotiations between both parties.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1902 for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; whether they received any representations from the government of Ethiopia before construction work on that Dam began; and if not, what steps they intend to take.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties.