Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the proposal to impose VAT on independent school fees with the UK's obligations under Article 26(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and what advice they have received on this issue.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.
The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with the UK’s obligations under the Human Rights Act.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of South Sudan about the death of Christopher Allen in 2017 following the publication in March 2024 of the report by the South Sudan Investigation Committee into his death.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK consistently pressed the Government of South Sudan to conduct a thorough and credible investigation into the death of Christopher Allen which resulted in the formation of the South Sudan Investigative Committee in 2023. We continue to press the Government of South Sudan to ensure protection of journalists and humanitarian workers. We champion the importance of media freedom and civil space, including urging the government to hold to account those who abuse or restrict media freedom.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide details of their proposals, including timetables, for the implementation of each of the provisions of the Leasehold Reform Act 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government will implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 so that leaseholders can benefit from more rights, power and protections over their homes. A small number of provisions came into force on 24 July, two months after Royal Assent, relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners. The implementation of many of the reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will require a programme of secondary legislation. Any reforms to leasehold law are highly complex, and the Government will take the time required to get those changes right.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many deaths in the UK there have been from AIDS-related illnesses in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the information is not collected in the format requested, the following table shows the most recent HIV Action Plan monitoring and evaluation framework report, where UKHSA presented an estimated number of HIV-related deaths (30% of all-cause mortality in people with HIV) in England. Below is a summary table:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Total number of deaths (all-cause mortality) | 571 | 741 | 732 | 603 |
Estimated number of HIV-related deaths (30% of all-cause mortality) | 171 | 222 | 220 | 181 |
An in-depth analysis of 2022 deaths showed that 25% (103) of the 402 deaths from known causes were HIV related or possibly HIV related and 14% (55 deaths) included an AIDS-related condition as primary cause of death.
HIV is a priority for the government and, as set out in the Labour manifesto, the government have committed to commissioning a new plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. Ministers have commissioned officials for advice including engaging stakeholders from across the system to build upon the work of the previous Plan.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase in the energy price cap and the means testing of the winter fuel allowance on pet ownership and, in particular, the ability of older people to maintain their pets when faced with rising fuel bills.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has made no assessment on the impact of the energy price cap on pet ownership. The Government is committed to supporting households struggling with their energy bills, and we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero does not administer the Winter Fuel Payment.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of their proposal to levy VAT on fees at independent schools with Article 2 of the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights; whether they have taken independent legal advice on this matter; and, if so, whether they plan publish such advice.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is confident that the measure to introduce VAT on private school fees is compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions they place on taxpayer-funded bodies in terms of their lobbying of parliamentarians and Government in relation to public policy affecting them, and in particular whether any such restrictions have been placed on the Press Recognition Panel.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have policy responsibility for the Press Recognition Panel to ensure that there is no Government interference in its independent work. There is a long-standing principle that public bodies must be politically impartial, and must ensure the proper use of public money at all times. As a public body, the Press Recognition Panel is bound by the Cabinet Office rules for all such bodies.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any payments have been made from the Exchequer to the Press Recognition Panel during the calendar year 2024; whether any future payments are scheduled; and if so, whether they will publish any success criteria attached to them.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides funding for the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) annually. MoJ made a payment to the PRP of £430k for the 2024/25 financial year in April 2024. Whilst the Lord Chancellor is the conduit for the PRP with HM Treasury, they have no responsibility under the Royal Charter that created the PRP, for setting the PRP’s success criteria. Instead, the Royal Charter sets out that the PRP Board must have regard to the need to ensure the PRP achieves value for money. The PRP report against this criteria, and other deliverables, in its annual report and accounts which are publicly available.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessments they have made of the value for money of taxpayer funding made in 2022 and 2023 to the Press Recognition Panel; whether they will publish any such assessments; and if none were made, why not.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Value for money lies at the heart of all Government decisions, and the Royal Charter sets out that the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) Board must have regard to the need to ensure it achieves value for money. The PRP has an objective of ‘Ensuring our systems and processes are effective and provide value for money’ and reports on this annually in its annual report and accounts, which are published on its website.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to make regulations to give effect to the terms of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023, and what the timetable will be for their implementation.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of a future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. Future decisions on the next steps will be evidence-based and subject to parliamentary scrutiny.
The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver these commitments and will be setting out next steps in due course.