Lord Taylor of Warwick Portrait

Lord Taylor of Warwick

Non-affiliated - Life peer

Became Member: 2nd October 1996



Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Taylor of Warwick has voted in 254 divisions, and 4 times against the majority of their Party.

6 Feb 2024 - Electoral Commission Strategy and Policy Statement - View Vote Context
Lord Taylor of Warwick voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Non-affiliated No votes vs 5 Non-affiliated Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 175 Noes - 159
11 Mar 2024 - Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Taylor of Warwick voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 3 Non-affiliated No votes vs 4 Non-affiliated Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 204 Noes - 192
11 Mar 2024 - Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Taylor of Warwick voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 4 Non-affiliated No votes vs 5 Non-affiliated Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 217 Noes - 192
11 Mar 2024 - Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Taylor of Warwick voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 3 Non-affiliated No votes vs 4 Non-affiliated Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 202 Noes - 187
View All Lord Taylor of Warwick Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Baroness Barran (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
(10 debate interactions)
Lord Callanan (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
(6 debate interactions)
Lord Greenhalgh (Conservative)
(6 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Legislation Debates
Trade Bill 2019-21
(510 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Taylor of Warwick's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Taylor of Warwick, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Taylor of Warwick has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Taylor of Warwick has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
15 Other Department Questions
19th Dec 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) mitigate pay gaps, and (2) promote fair compensation practices, within large companies.

We are committed to reducing unfair pay disparities and ensuring everyone is able to succeed in their career.

Under this Government the gender pay gap has narrowed significantly, having fallen by approximately a quarter in the last decade. In 2017, we introduced regulations requiring large employers to publish gender pay gap data every year, ensuring employers are aware of their gaps and take steps to close them.

To accelerate progress we have supported legislation to: enhance flexible working, extend redundancy protection for those on maternity leave, introduce carers leave, and, strengthen the protections against harassment in the workplace.

The Government published guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting in April 2023, which sets out best practice on measuring, analysing and reporting ethnicity pay gaps. We are supporting employers who wish to measure their pay gaps and are identifying examples of good practice.

In terms of supporting fair compensation practices, the National Living Wage will be increasing by a record cash amount in April – from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour. Through this, the Government protects the lowest paid in society, with women and people from an ethnic minority background among those more likely to benefit.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the ethnicity pay gap data published by the Office for National Statistics on 29 November, what steps they are taking to combat ethnicity pay gaps in the UK.

The Government published guidance for employers on ethnicity pay reporting in April, which sets out best practice on measuring, analysing and reporting ethnicity pay gaps. Alongside this, we are supporting employers who wish to measure their pay gaps and are identifying examples of good practice.

We also launched an Inclusion at Work Panel earlier this year. The Panel, made up of academics and practitioners in business, will develop and disseminate resources that can help employers achieve fairness and inclusion in the workplace.

These actions are part of our ambitious Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022, which set out 74 bold actions to tackle entrenched ethnic disparities in employment, education, health and criminal justice.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
23rd May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) encourage, and (2) normalise, racial equality by the end of 2023.

The Inclusive Britain action plan, published in March 2022, sets out the UK Government’s most comprehensive strategy ever to tackle unjust ethnic disparities across education, employment, health and criminal justice.

In April, we published a report to Parliament on the substantial progress we have made in delivering this action plan, with 32 of the 74 actions now completed just one year into the strategy. The report documents how this work is making a real difference to people’s lives and reducing unfair racial disparities.

We intend to deliver the remaining actions over the course of the next year and will update Parliament next spring on the progress we have made with this.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
11th May 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average gender pay gap for each of the past five years.

Since 1997 the Office for National Statistics has published data on the national gender pay gap annually. Their latest release can be accessed here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2022#measuring-the-data

The headline measure of the median gap for all employees stood at 14.9% in 2022, down from 17.8% in 2018. The median national gender pay gap for each of the past five years was:

Year

Median gender pay gap for all employees (%)

2018

17.8

2019

17.4

2020

14.9

2021

15.1

2022

14.9

Baroness Scott of Bybrook
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
15th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Inclusive Equal Rights UK 3.0 A Snapshot View of Racial Disparity in the City of York, published on 28 February; and what steps they are taking to address reports of inequalities experienced by ethnic minority communities.

The Inclusive Equal Rights report provides some interesting insights into racial disparities in York, although this is just a snapshot, as the report acknowledges, and does not analyse the causes of these disparities.

The government is taking steps to address negative ethnic disparities through the ground-breaking Inclusive Britain action plan. Published in March 2022 in response to the report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, Inclusive Britain sets out 74 actions designed to tackle disparities, promote unity and build a fairer Britain for all.

The Minister for Women and Equalities has committed to reporting back to Parliament on progress with the action plan after 12 months, and will do so shortly.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
2nd Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what investment they are making in the UK’s cultural infrastructure.

The Government is investing in cultural infrastructure across the country through a number of funding programmes. The second round of the Levelling Up Fund, announced in January 2023, saw £546 million of investment into 31 culture and heritage projects across the country.

The Government funds Arts Council England, which awarded £22.7 million from its Capital Investment Programme in 2022/23, providing 66 cultural organisations grants of between £100,000 and £750,000. This programme aims to strengthen cultural infrastructure by supporting organisations to adapt buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, to improve access, to seize on technological opportunities, and to reduce their environmental impact.

Alongside this, the Government’s Cultural Development Fund — a manifesto commitment — has provided £44 million of capital investment in transformative, place-based creative and cultural initiatives in rounds 1 and 2. These rounds provided support to 12 projects across the country. The successful recipients of the £32.4 million third round of the Fund will be announced in Spring 2023. Round 1 of the Libraries Improvement Fund is also investing £5 million in 25 library services to upgrade their buildings and technology.

The Government has also invested £95 million in Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones scheme, which targets 67 high streets across England to encourage economic growth and increase pride in place. Additionally, the £82 million Museum Estate and Development Fund, an open-access capital fund for non-national accredited museums in England, provides funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs. In round one of the project in 2022, a total of £18.8 million was awarded to 31 museums. Additionally, in 2022-24, the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund will continue to invest in the display and accessibility of collections across England, taking to £52 million the amount invested since the programme was created in 2002.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the establishment of the new independent football regulator; and what assessment they have made of the impact the regulator will have on the financial stability of English football.

On 23 February 2023, the Government published plans to reform club football governance. This set out that we will create a new regulator for football, independent of the Government and industry.

We recognise the need for urgent action to safeguard the future of football clubs throughout the English football pyramid, so will legislate to put the regulator on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows.

As the White Paper makes clear, the Government is also actively exploring establishing a shadow regulator ahead of legislation.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to implement anti-discrimination legislation to help tackle racism in sports.

There is no place for racism or any other illegal discrimination in sport. Anyone found guilty of using racist slurs at football matches can be charged with a Football Banning Order under the Football Spectators Act 1989, and more severe sentences can be imposed. Further charges may be applicable under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

In addition to these statutory protections, we are working to increase diversity in sporting organisations and to help the sport sector be more inclusive and welcoming to its spectators and participants, and to the people in its workforce. We are working with bodies including Sport England and UK Sport in this, as well as to strengthen the handling of issues such as discrimination and racism in sport.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require salaries to be published on job advertisements.

There is growing evidence to show that when salary information is not transparent, it has an impact on how people, particularly women and those from ethnic minorities, negotiate pay. This can ultimately result in lower starting salaries and smaller pay rises.

On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.

In order to encourage and assist employers in taking these steps, we will build the evidence base on the impact of transparency, through a pilot study with businesses. We will also work with employers to develop a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.

7th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prohibit employers asking job applicants for their salary history.

There is growing evidence to show that, when pay is negotiable, asking applicants to disclose previous earnings and not including salary information in the advert increases the risk that historic disparities will be replicated.

On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.

We recognise that some employers may find it challenging to take these steps, due to historic pay decisions and lack of clarity in pay processes. That is why we also announced that we will work with employers to develop and pilot a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.

25th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Vodafone Lost Connections, published in May; and what steps they are taking to ensure that women do not face increased barriers when returning to work.

I welcome the Vodafone report and the work of others to highlight the barriers some carers and parents face when balancing their care and work responsibilities. I met with female employees from Vodafone in May to hear about which initiatives have worked to support them, especially through the pandemic, and what challenges remain.

The Government recognises the vital role unpaid carers and parents play and has put a range of measures in place to help. In our manifesto we committed to extending the entitlement to leave for unpaid carers to one week. The Government has also funded 25 ‘returner programmes’ to support those with caring responsibilities back to work.

As we look to Build Back Better, increasing the take up of remote and flexible working will give more freedom and opportunity to people with caring responsibilities. In April the Government reconvened the Flexible Working Taskforce, tasking them to help employers build on the lessons we have learned through the pandemic to embed more flexible ways of working.

Strong digital connectivity is crucial in supporting more flexible working. This Government’s delivery of national gigabit connectivity means that today, over two in five premises can access gigabit-capable networks, up from just one in ten in November 2019. By the end of the year, 60% will have access, and by 2025 the Government is targeting a minimum of 85% gigabit-capable coverage. In rural areas we are investing £5bn to ensure those living in hard-to-reach areas get the gigabit connectivity they deserve.

25th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on racial economic equality.

The Government recognises the challenges of COVID-19 for all groups in society, including the most vulnerable. That is why we announced an unprecedented package of support – including boosts to Universal Credit, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Kick-start Scheme – helping to protect incomes, jobs, and support those most in need.

HM Treasury’s distributional analysis as of the end of May 2020, shows that these interventions, along with the existing tax and welfare system, have helped reduce income losses faced by working households by up to two-thirds, with the poorest working households protected most (as a proportion of income).

The Treasury, along with other relevant departments, carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics, including at Budgets and other fiscal events, in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness.

2nd Dec 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings from Race on the Agenda's survey, featured in Channel 5's Everyday Racism programme on 25 November, on experiences of racism and, in particular, that 95 per cent of respondents identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic have faced racism or racial prejudice.

This Government is committed to tackling racism and racial prejudice in all its forms. That is why the Prime Minister appointed the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in July, to examine all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic disparities in Britain. The Commission aims to set out a new, positive agenda for change - balancing the needs of individuals, communities and society, maximising opportunities and ensuring fairness for all. It aims to report by the end of the year.

2nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to support BAME communities in response to the findings in their report Disparities in the risk and outcomes from COVID-19, published on 2 June.

The Minister for Equalities is working with the Race Disparity Unit and the Department for Health and Social Care to carry forward work to identify and fill the gaps in PHE’s review; and work across government to take appropriate steps to mitigate disparities identified. The terms of reference for this work, which include quarterly updates to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on progress, were published on GOV.UK on 4 June. The timeframe will be announced in due course.

13th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the recommendations of the Independent Review of the UK Statistics Authority on the separation of functions and reporting arrangements, what steps they are taking to ensure greater transparency in the governance and enhancements of the statistical system.

The independent review of the UK Statistics Authority and the Government’s response to the recommendations were published on 12 March 2024. They can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-uk-statistics-authority-uksa-2023

The review made 19 separate recommendations to the UK Statistics Authority and Cabinet Office including amending the statistical legislation (Statistical and Registration Services Act 2007) to better reflect the governance arrangements in place and reflect the practical operation of the UKSA.

The Government agrees in principle with this recommendation but noted that - given that the report concluded the current arrangements were working in practice - this is not a current priority for legislation and will be a matter for the next Parliament to consider. However, in our response we said that the UKSA leadership in the meantime should take active steps to better communicate the current working arrangements to assure users and stakeholders that robust systems are in place to regulate the Office for National Statistics and the wider Government Statistical Service.

The Government also welcomed wider recommendations regarding transparency, such as establishing a triennial statistical assembly which will allow users and the Authority to discuss priorities in an open and constructive way.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
14th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to recommendations made by the House of Commons Business and Trade Sub-Committee on National Security and Investment on 9 February in their submission to the Government’s call for evidence ahead of reforms to the UK’s investment-screening regime, what steps they are taking to strengthen the screening processes under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to better align with the investment rules of UK allies.

The Government is grateful for each response to the recent Call for Evidence on the National Security and Investment Act, including the submission from the Business and Trade Sub-Committee. The Government is now analysing all the responses and will respond publicly in due course.

The NSI Act brought the UK’s approach to investment screening in line with many of our allies. Whilst the vast majority of acquisitions pose no national security risk, where the government does identify risk, it will not hesitate to act.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
13th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of concern from analysts regarding the reliability of figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), what steps they are taking to ensure that the ONS labour force survey is reliable and accurate.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

The Lord Taylor of Warwick

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

21 February 2024

Dear Lord Taylor,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking, following reports of concern from analysts regarding the reliability of figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), what steps they are taking to ensure that the ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) is reliable and accurate (HL2453).

Following the suspension of publishing LFS estimates and micro-data in October 2023 because of quality concerns, the ONS put a comprehensive plan [1] in place to address these concerns and reintroduce LFS estimates and micro-data. The plan covers both data collection measures and methods used to make the survey estimates more representative of the UK population.

The planned improvements to data collection procedures were implemented in October/November 2023. These included the prioritisation of interviewer resource allocated to the LFS, the reintroduction of in-home interviewing, recontacting households that did not respond, and increasing the monetary incentive to participate. Furthermore, at the start of January we have increased the number of households we initially contact on the survey by 8,000 up to 25,800 for the quarter of January to March 2024. The combination of measures has already resulted in an increase in the achieved sample and we plan to maintain these measures for the foreseeable future.

As part of the improvements to our methods used to make the survey estimates more representative [2], the ONS have produced UK population projections specifically for the purpose of the LFS. This used 2022-based population projections for England and Wales combined with population estimates for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Additionally, we have reviewed and where appropriate adjusted the estimation method for the LFS to account for the challenges of low response levels in certain areas.

Both the improvements to data collection operations and methods to improve representativeness had a positive impact on the quality and reliability of the LFS data and enabled the ONS to reintroduce the publication of LFS-based estimates and micro-data from 13 February 2024.

As we expect to continue to see higher volatility in LFS data in the short term than might historically have been the case, we continue to advise users to apply caution when observing short-term changes in the survey-based estimates. As well as this, the commentary we publish alongside our statistics bulletins should also be considered.

While we are working hard to improve our LFS-based data, it remains our plan to make the transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS) our main measure for the UK labour market. The TLFS is an online-first survey that asks many more people about their employment status. While early returns from this survey look positive, we need a longer consistent time series to aid interpretation before we share these data with users. We expect the TLFS to become the primary source for the labour market release in September 2024.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1] Labour Force Survey: planned improvements and its reintroduction, ONS article, 2 November 2023,

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyplannedimprovementsanditsreintroduction

[2] Impact of reweighting on Labour Force Survey key indicators: 2024, ONS article, 5 February 2024,

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/impactofreweightingonlabourforcesurveykeyindicators/2024

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
18th Jan 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports that spending on overseas cyber security programmes doubled last year, what assessment they have made of the impact of that increased spending on the cyber safety of (1) citizens, and (2) businesses.

Programming on cyber security plays an important role in protecting commercial opportunities and sustaining UK competitiveness in a key growth sector as well as helping organisations and citizens better manage cyber risks. The Financial Year 2022/23 Annual Report on the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund highlighted increased spending and the transfer of a wide range of skills overseas to support UK cyber security objectives. This included public awareness campaigns and training with national Computer Security Incident Response Teams, ensuring critical assets overseas are better protected from cyber-attacks. As a result, UK Government-funded projects have led to the arrest of cyber criminals across Africa, improved threat intelligence sharing in the Indo Pacific, and supported the implementation of a new national Cyber strategy in Georgia.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Jan 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the wrongful convictions that occurred as a result of faulty Post Office Horizon software, what plans they have to integrate advanced oversight technologies that ensure accuracy and reliability of software used in public service systems to prevent any future issues.

This was one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history, which is why we set up an independent inquiry to establish culpability and are bringing forward legislation to make sure those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated.

It is right that we do not pre-empt the conclusions of the ongoing, formal inquiry, but once the full facts are established we will consider all options.

The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, established in April 2021 to lead the Government’s Digital and Data Function, is the strategic centre for digital transformation which includes measuring services against digital and technical standards.

CDDO is defining best practice patterns and practices for software delivery to ensure high quality software delivery via the automation and regular testing of software quality throughout development. Use of ‘oversight technologies’ such as automated testing would follow user technology good practice, user needs and the risk profile of the system.

In addition to the software testing, a core requirement of the development process, the Service Assessment Model assesses newly created services, checking for evidence that departments are regularly monitoring and mitigating quality and reliability issues.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
14th Nov 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the effects and damage across the country of Storm Debi.

Storm Debi brought strong winds to parts of north Wales and northern England on Monday 13th November. The strongest winds and rain were felt in the Republic of Ireland, leading Met Éireann - the Irish Met service - to name the weather system. There were no impacts in England from Storm Debi that required national response. Localised, short-lived impacts were managed by the relevant Local Resilience Forums and emergency services. The Cabinet Office, as the Lead Government Department for severe storms, maintained close contact with the Met Office and stood ready to respond for the duration of the storm.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
16th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to manage the risks posed by their use of artificial intelligence with regards to (1) social security, (2) immigration, and (3) housing.

It is the role of the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) in the Cabinet Office to establish the government's approach to new technologies.

In June 2022 as part of the Government Roadmap for Digital and Data, the government published our commitment to “systematically identify and capture opportunities arising from emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing”. CDDO has convened external experts and digital leaders across government to rapidly respond to developments in this area.

CDDO's role on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is to

  • establish government strategy;

  • ensure we have the right skills to harness AI; and

  • provide guidance, policy and assurance to ensure that this new technology is used effectively, to the benefit of taxpayers and communities in the UK, but safely, securely and acknowledging the risk inherent to any technologies that are new to market.

CDDO are working with colleagues from security, legal and other functions to achieve this.

The requested information relating to specific departmental risk management in the use of artificial intelligence is not centrally held. This sits with the respective departments for such policy areas, including social security, immigration and housing.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
24th Apr 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Prime Minister’s discussions with trade unions in January regarding industrial action, what further engagement they have had with trade unions across all sectors to prevent any further industrial action.

Ministers across Government have been meeting with the trade unions to attempt to resolve these disputes where it is possible to do so and, crucially, where it is affordable to the taxpayer.

We’ve been clear throughout that we must strike the right balance on what is affordable and realise where compromises must be made.

We are actively engaging with the unions to try and facilitate fair compromises to resolve these disputes – including through service reform, productivity and efficiency – and we remain happy to listen to their concerns.

Since January, the Government has negotiated with the Agenda for Change workforce, entering into a process of intensive talks to find a fair and reasonable settlement. The majority of AfC unions have now voted to accept that offer.

The Government and the education trade unions have entered intensive talks, focusing on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction. There have also been discussions with unions representing the civil service and with the RMT and the British Medical Association.

We are determined to find a way through this. We are grateful for the talks we have had so far and we remain happy to listen to the concerns of unions and their members.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
9th Feb 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent further strike action by civil servants.

The industrial dispute and subsequent strike action with the Public and Commercial Services Union concerns a number of issues including pay. While pay for grades below the Senior Civil Service is determined by individual departments and employers, we continue to engage with all Civil Service Trade Unions regarding cross Civil Service issues which are within the responsibilities of the Cabinet Office in attempting to help achieve a resolution.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
18th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of Chinese investment in infrastructure in the UK.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 18 January is attached.

Lord Taylor of Warwick
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW

26 January 2023

Dear Lord Taylor of Warwick,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the amount of Chinese investment in infrastructure in the UK (HL4889).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics which include international investment positions, that is the value of the stock of investments held at a point in time. Statistics are presented for both UK-based companies that have a foreign parent company (inward) and for UK companies that control affiliates abroad (outward). Our latest FDI statistics for China are available up to 2021, with figures in the table below extracted from our Foreign direct investment involving UK companies (directional): inward[1] publication.

‘Infrastructure’ is not an identifiable category in FDI statistics. Therefore, we have included all industrial activity categories in Table 1 to enable you to consider the relevant components.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

1https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessinnovation/datasets/foreigndirectinvestmentinvolvingukcompanies2013inwardtables

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
12th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to update their Global Britain in a Competitive Age: The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy command paper, published in March 2021.

As the Chancellor set out in the Autumn Statement, the Government is updating the Integrated Review. The date of publication for this will be confirmed in due course.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
13th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Minister for Constitution) has had with other ministers regarding the post-Brexit funding arrangements.

Ministers and officials regularly meet other Ministerial and departmental colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including those relating to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.

Taking into account the financial settlement with the EU, an additional £14.6 billion of spending by 2024-25 has been allocated to the United Kingdom’s domestic priorities, rather than being sent in contributions to the EU. This spending was incorporated into the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
5th Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current overall level of financial investment from China to the UK.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question: PQ HL4040 is attached.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
4th Jul 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect government accounts on social media from hacks and cyberattacks.

We are committed to protecting government accounts on social media. Public sector organisations are responsible for securing their own services, including social media accounts. The Cabinet Office, with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), regularly provides advice and guidance to organisations on how best to secure social media accounts from hacks and cyber attacks.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement (1) air raid sirens, or (2) civil defence systems, in the UK to provide an early warning signal for a nuclear attack.

The Government does not plan to implement air raid sirens to provide an early warning signal for nuclear attack. Since April 1969, the Royal Navy has maintained continuous at sea deterrence, with at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine patrolling the seas undetected at all times, ready to respond to the most extreme threats to the UK, should they materialise.


The Government is committed to ensuring the public receive advice about the risks to them and the actions they can take. As part of broad emergency response capabilities, arrangements are in place to warn and inform the public that an emergency has, or is about to, occur and the steps they should take in response. This is a locally based approach, supported as necessary, by national messaging from central government using a range of channels, including social and broadcast media. The Government has announced its intention to augment these existing arrangements with the launch of a mobile phone based emergency alerting system later this year.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
25th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the acceptance gap between white students and ethnic minority students who join the Civil Service Fast Stream.

The proportion of ethnic minority groups overall being appointed to the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2021 was 23.3%, this aligns with the 2019/20 Higher Education Statistics Agency graduate population level of 23.7% for ethnicity.

Steps to ensure that students from minority ethnic backgrounds are successful in their application to the Civil Service Fast Stream start with outreach, attraction and marketing activity, which is designed to encourage applications from individuals from all backgrounds and locations. This is undertaken via early stage schools, college and apprenticeship engagement, along with industrial and internship placements. We have developed an inclusive website, social media strategy, and refreshed the target university list for outreach.

Further to this, the Cabinet Office is:

  • expanding the range of internships we offer,

  • undertaking cultural bias reviews of our selection processes,

  • increasing assessor diversity, and

  • improving our fair and inclusive selection processes by incorporating more regional/virtual assessment.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
16th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to unilaterally stop checks on some goods sent across the Irish Sea as an alternative to triggering Article 16 to suspend the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

The Government has already secured unfettered access for Northern Ireland firms for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain through the legislative protections we have provided, notably enshrining in the UK Internal Market Act 2020 full unfettered access for qualifying Northern Ireland goods to all parts of the UK market.

For movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, we have set out proposals that would largely eliminate checks on goods remaining within the UK. We would prefer to secure this reduction through negotiations with the EU. However, the Article 16 safeguards within the Protocol remain on the table if that should be the only way to secure our position.

15th Sep 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financial support for businesses whose checks and paperwork were delayed as a result of preparing for import control deadlines.

The revised timetable for import controls set out in my written statement of 14 September 2021 allows businesses more time to adjust to new processes as they recover from the pandemic which has impacted supply chains across Europe. The nature of the border import controls for which businesses are preparing has not changed, and therefore any time or resource spent by businesses preparing for them will still be of value. The additional time will be used to further businesses' readiness for the introduction of these new requirements.

The Government also continues to support businesses trading with the EU in all sectors of industry, including putting in place additional staffing, comprehensive guidance for businesses and funding infrastructure to ease border processes.

18th Aug 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to increase emergency mental health support for British army veterans who served in Afghanistan, and (2) to communicate current military decisions regarding Afghanistan to veteran communities.

There has been a step change in veterans’ mental health provision, driven by significant investment. This year £17.8M has been allocated to the Veterans Mental Health Service Op COURAGE and £10M to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to help deliver charitable initiatives supporting veterans’ mental health needs across the United Kingdom. However, we recognise that recent events may have caused distress to some veterans. That is why, last week, an Armed Forces Mental Health summit was held by the Defence and Health Secretaries, bringing together experts to discuss support for those who served and their families. Following the summit, a further £2.7M has been made available to Op Courage to expand services to support those experiencing complex mental and/or physical trauma, or alcohol and substance misuse.

The Government has also engaged members of the Armed Forces community to reinforce that the mission in Afghanistan was of value. Veterans should be in no doubt of the remarkable role they played in serving their country and keeping it safe. They should feel immensely proud of their service. The PM published an open letter to the entire Armed Forces community on 29 August echoing this sentiment.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
14th Apr 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the level of trade experienced by businesses based in London.

On 13 April, the Office for National Statistics released the latest statistics on EU-UK trade which show a welcome growth in the value of trade with the EU, with goods exports close to the average 2020 level.

The vast majority of traders and hauliers have adapted well, and our focus now is on making sure that any business that is still facing challenges gets the support they need to trade effectively with the EU. We are continuing to monitor and assess the situation, including any potential change in trade patterns.

As the Office for National Statistics notes, it is premature to make any firm judgments on the long term impacts of our new trading relationship with the EU, especially with the pandemic still ongoing.

23rd Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey by the British Chamber of Commerce on Brexit, published on 11 February; and what plans they have to allow small businesses to write off additional customs costs as a result of the UK–EU Trade Cooperation Agreement, against their tax bill.

The nature of our new relationship with the EU - outside the Single Market and Customs Union - does mean that there are practical and procedural changes that businesses need to adjust to.


We continue to work closely with sectors across the economy and all parts of the UK to support businesses in adapting to our new trading relationship with the EU and to continue to successfully compete on the global stage. The Government is providing £20 million to support small and medium businesses in adjusting to new customs, rules of origin, and VAT rules when trading with the EU. Ministers across government have been speaking directly to hundreds of businesses large and small across the country, including through the Business Brexit Task Force to develop a shared vision and plan for the future.

24th Nov 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the EU about ensuring the continued provision of seasonal jobs in the EU for British citizens after 31 December.

The precise range of activities and documentation that will be needed after the transition period will be subject to negotiations with the EU. But any agreement will be without prejudice to the UK’s future points-based immigration system.

The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses and workers have all the information they need to get ready for 1 January 2021. We will continue to review and update the guidance we have published to help ensure businesses are as prepared as possible for the changes and opportunities the end of the year will bring.

Now is the time for businesses to get ready. They should go to www.GOV.UK/TRANSITION for more details.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
8th Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support BAME women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Government is working to support all people through COVID-19, including BAME women. Guided by medical and scientific expertise, we have implemented specific measures to reduce the spread of the virus in all communities for everyone including women from BAME backgrounds.

This Government has taken unprecedented steps to support lives and livelihoods, including increasing the generosity of Universal Credit, introducing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and made changes to ensure women do not miss out on parental leave and childcare support. In addition, Equality Hub officials regularly meet with organisations representing women and BAME communities and continue to do so. We are also working to alert and encourage relevant grassroots charities to apply for funding that has been made available including through the National Lottery Community Fund.

Public Health England has now completed its review into ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’, which confirms that COVID-19 has replicated, and in some cases increased, existing health inequalities related to risk factors, including age, gender, ethnicity and geography. The Minister for Equalities is working with the Race Disparity Unit and the Department for Health and Social Care to carry forward work to address the disparities outlined in the Public Health England report.

12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they selected Wednesday 13 May as the appropriate day on which unlimited outdoor exercise could resume.

Throughout the period since the Government imposed restrictions due to Coronavirus, people have been encouraged to exercise outdoors, alone or with members of their households. The Government's advice was to limit this to once a day during the early phases.

The Government has developed specific guidance to mitigate transmission risks and communicated that guidance on 11 May, giving people time to understand and prepare for the changes to the regulations and guidance before the measures were implemented on 13 May. We will keep all of these measures under review, as required by the law.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
29th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce a COVID-19-related identity card system after lockdown restrictions have been lifted.

The Government has no plans to introduce identity cards.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
10th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019.

The Government currently has no plans to review the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, which will commence on 8 April 2020.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
10th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to pause their negotiations with the EU due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Given the latest coronavirus developments, Round 2 of negotiations did not formally start on the 18th March.

We remain in regular contact with the European Commission to explore alternative ways to continue discussions, and will be guided by scientific advice.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
20th Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to relocate the House of Lords to York.

The Government has an aspiration that all parts of the United Kingdom should feel connected to politics and indeed to politicians.

We are looking at options to further that objective.

Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
7th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard firms from the effects of rising prices and supply chain disruptions.

This government is committed to ensuring that the UK is a reliable, supportive place to do business where firms can import the goods they need efficiently. At Spring Budget 2024 the government announced measures that continue to support business, including increasing the VAT registration threshold and extending the Recovery Loan Scheme (now named the Growth Guarantee Scheme).

Mitigating supply chain disruptions remains a priority for government. In January 2024, the government published the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy, which will help UK businesses build secure and reliable supply chains and access the goods they need.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to assess the impact of the EU's introduction of digital product passports on trade agreements and standards between the EU and the UK, and (2) to ensure compatibility and interoperability with global trading partners' systems.

My Department is reviewing the product safety framework to ensure it is responsive to new challenges and fit for the future. This includes exploring digital solutions. We have recently announced our intention to introduce new legislation to allow digital labelling for a wide range of product regulations and are working with delivery partners to explore making product safety information digitally available.

As we develop our future regulatory framework we are considering the approaches being taken globally and are working closely with other departments to ensure an across Government approach that best meets the UK’s needs.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Mar 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the fall in the UK goods trade on national productivity, particularly in sectors affected by any barriers to trade resulting from Brexit.

Since leaving the EU, the Department for Business and Trade has secured free trade deals with 73 countries in addition to our EU partners, which accounted for £1.1 trillion UK trade in 2022, and simplified import tariffs to lower costs for businesses and households.

The UK’s total trade with the world (including goods and services) increased by £36bn (inflation adjusted) in 2023 compared to 2018. Productivity in the UK's Manufacturing sector grew by 10% between 2016 and 2022, the highest manufacturing productivity growth in the G7.

Lord Offord of Garvel
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
28th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support exporters affected by delays and higher shipping costs as a result of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The Department of Business and Trade is closely monitoring the Red Sea situation and we are proactively engaging with key businesses to identify trade issues, offer support on the crisis and updating businesses on the latest supply chain information. More broadly, our membership in Operation Prosperity Guardian demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the Red Sea is safe for seafarers and traders to use. Our Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy will help UK business build the secure and reliable supply chains vital to the UK’s economic prosperity, national security and essential services.

UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises a digital self-serve offer and our wider network of support, including trade advisors, export champions, the Export Academy, International Markets network, and UK Export Finance.

Lord Offord of Garvel
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
20th Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat anti-competitive practices in the consumer products sector, in particular (1) price-fixing, and (2) collusion.

Price fixing and collusion, in any sector, is illegal under the Competition Act 1998. The Competition and Markets Authority, the “CMA”, is responsible for investigating anti-competitive practices. As an independent authority, the CMA has discretion to investigate competition cases which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.

The Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, will update the CMA’s powers to investigate anti-competitive behaviour. This includes powers to interview a broader range of individuals and require the production of information stored remotely when executing a warrant.

Lord Johnson of Lainston
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)