Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Portrait

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts

Conservative - Life peer

Became Member: 7th June 2000


Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee
1st Jul 2019 - 31st Jan 2023
SLSC Sub-Committee B
4th Sep 2018 - 1st May 2019
Bribery Act 2010 Committee
17th May 2018 - 1st Mar 2019
Citizenship and Civic Engagement Committee
29th Jun 2017 - 28th Mar 2018
Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee
8th Jun 2015 - 19th Jul 2017
Draft Protection of Charities Bill (Joint Committee)
10th Nov 2014 - 3rd Feb 2015
Insurance Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
19th Nov 2014 - 28th Nov 2014
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
12th Jun 2014 - 25th Jun 2014
Soft Power Committee
16th May 2013 - 11th Mar 2014
Trusts (Capital and Income) Bill [HL] Special Public Bill Committee
19th Jun 2012 - 24th Jul 2012
Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Bill [HL]
5th Sep 2011 - 1st Dec 2011


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts has voted in 439 divisions, and 16 times against the majority of their Party.

13 Jan 2021 - Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Conservative Aye votes vs 224 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 299 Noes - 284
13 Jan 2021 - Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 13 Conservative Aye votes vs 208 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 339 Noes - 235
30 Nov 2020 - High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 9 Conservative Aye votes vs 198 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 57 Noes - 234
22 Sep 2020 - Agriculture Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 6 Conservative Aye votes vs 185 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 307 Noes - 212
15 Sep 2020 - Agriculture Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 7 Conservative Aye votes vs 194 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 130 Noes - 225
23 Jun 2020 - Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Conservative Aye votes vs 203 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 160 Noes - 241
23 Jun 2020 - Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 7 Conservative Aye votes vs 191 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 155 Noes - 326
13 Apr 2021 - Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Conservative Aye votes vs 209 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 303 Noes - 223
16 Nov 2021 - Dormant Assets Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 179 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 216 Noes - 195
16 Nov 2021 - Dormant Assets Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Conservative Aye votes vs 179 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 216 Noes - 195
14 Dec 2021 - Charities Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 3 Conservative Aye votes vs 80 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 18 Noes - 81
2 Mar 2022 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Conservative Aye votes vs 75 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 83 Noes - 76
15 May 2023 - Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 16 Conservative Aye votes vs 147 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 245 Noes - 154
15 May 2023 - Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Conservative Aye votes vs 146 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 222 Noes - 154
17 May 2023 - Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 15 Conservative Aye votes vs 155 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 231 Noes - 167
13 Jun 2023 - Public Order Act 1986 (Serious Disruption to the Life of the Community) Regulations 2023 - View Vote Context
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 7 Conservative Aye votes vs 136 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 177 Noes - 141
View All Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts 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
Lord Paddick (Non-affiliated)
(10 debate interactions)
Lord True (Conservative)
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
(9 debate interactions)
Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Science, Innovation and Technology)
(7 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(45 debate contributions)
Home Office
(45 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Elections Act 2022
(11,816 words contributed)
Nationality and Borders Act 2022
(6,945 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


1 Bill introduced by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts


A Bill to establish the Office for Demographic Change with the duty of collecting evidence about and analysing the impact of population change, and considering future changes in the population of the United Kingdom and their consequences; and for connected purposes

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 4th March 2022
(Read Debate)

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts 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
1 Other Department Questions
23rd Jan 2024
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker when the list of fees charged to promoters of private bills was last reviewed.

The current level of Private Bill fees was agreed to by the House on 27 March 2000, and the consequent amendments to Private Business Standing Orders agreed to on 24 July 2000, following a recommendation of the Select Committee of House of Lords’ Offices (4th Report, Session 1999-2000, HL Paper 45). A review of private legislation fees charged to promoters and applicants, as set out in the Table of fees in Private Business Standing Orders, is planned to take place this year.

11th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will make a decision about the Charity Commission's request to refer the Royal Albert Hall to the charity tribunal.

The Charity Commission sought the previous Attorney General’s permission to refer a number of questions to the Tribunal concerning the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences – the Royal Albert Hall – which is a registered charity. While the Charity Commission has the power to refer questions to the Tribunal, it may only do so with the consent of the Attorney General, as set out in section 325 of the Charities Act 2011.

The issues concerned in this case are complex. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has engaged with the parties since the original request was made in order to explore the issues, which involve both modern charity law and its application to an organisation established over 150 years ago. This engagement has helped to refine the issues.

Before taking a decision on whether to consent to the latest iteration of the Commission’s request, the previous Attorney General asked the Commission and the Corporation to try to find a way forward without recourse to litigation. The AGO is awaiting an indication from the parties regarding the outcome of that process.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton
Advocate General for Scotland
2nd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Attorney General expects to give a definitive response to the request made three years ago by the Charity Commission in respect of the governance of the Albert Hall.

In December of last year, the Charity Commission wrote to the then Attorney General requesting consent to refer six questions to the First-Tier Tribunal concerning the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Albert Hall, which is a registered charity. This is the third such request by the Commission since 2017. The then Attorney General granted, then subsequently withdrew his consent in relation to the first request. The second request was withdrawn, with consent then sought for the reference of an amended set of questions last December. While the Charity Commission has the power to refer questions to the Tribunal, it may only do so with the consent of the Attorney General, as set out in section 325 of the Charities Act 2011.

The Corporation made further representations in relation to the Commission’s request earlier this year. The Attorney General is in the process of considering the request and representations with a view to issuing a decision in due course.

16th Mar 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to ensure that the UK is prepared for any impact resulting from a solar superstorm; and which department is responsible for those preparations.

This Government understands that good management of risk is essential for contingency planning, increasing the likelihood that the services we rely on day-to-day are available for citizens and ensuring that we can protect people’s health and safety.

The Department is the Lead Government Department for the risk of a severe space weather event. BEIS is therefore responsible for coordinating a Cross-Government work programme to ensure that appropriate preparedness and mitigation measures are in place so that impacts from severe space weather are minimised. BEIS working closely with the Met Office, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, other Government Departments, and academic partners has taken significant steps to increase the UK’s preparedness for major space weather events.

The Department will publish a new space weather strategy later this year, which will set out a five-year road map for how we intend to boost resilience and build on existing UK strength and capacity in this area, to continue to increase our preparedness for a severe space weather event.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward proposals for the regulation of Prepack Administrations; and if so when.

The Government will publish a report in due course of its review of the voluntary measures that were introduced in 2015 to enhance regulation of pre-pack administrations. The report will set out the Government’s plans for the future of pre-pack administrations.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform the regulation of the accounting profession.

The Government is committed to acting on the findings of the three independent reviews of audit: the FRC review, the CMA review and the Brydon review, covering respectively the regulator, the market and the audit product itself. We will set out comprehensive proposals for audit reform in the Spring and will then bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to amend the present ability to reclaim VAT under the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.

Listed places of worship represent some of the nation's finest heritage, and HM Government recognises the need to preserve and maintain such hallowed buildings. The Listed Place of Worship Grant Scheme aims to mitigate the cost of doing so and to support listed and protected buildings for the benefit of present and future generations.

There are presently no plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the scheme, but we keep them under review. We have also been working to ensure that the accessibility and uptake of the scheme is improved, particularly through the development of a new website and application process. Officials maintain regular contact with key people and organisations representing listed places of worship, and continue to welcome feedback on the operation and effectiveness of the scheme. I was pleased to visit St Peter and St Paul's church in Albury, Surrey, earlier this year to hear how the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme helped them to carry out repairs to the church roof.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the value of VAT relief given under the Listed Places of Worship Scheme in each of the past two financial years.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS) was established in 2001 to provide grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed churches and cathedrals. The scheme, which presently handles around 7000 claims per annum, applies to all faiths and denominations and is delivered UK wide. It is currently funded through a combination of £17 million from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s core baseline, together with £25 million available from HMT reserves (so a total of up to £42m total each financial year).

Historically, the scheme has operated with an underspend each year. However, efforts are underway to reduce underspend, including via a new LPWGS website and comms outreach campaign. Initial data since the launch of the website in July 2023 suggests a gradual increase in uptake and grants being made.

The LPWGS website provides details of the annual spend of the scheme, but does not provide details of previous years’ allocations. See here: https://listed-places-of-worship-grant.dcms.gov.uk/about-us/.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Jul 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to launch their technical consultation on the Community Health Fund; and how long this consultation will be open for submissions.

His Majesty’s Government has recently announced that community wealth funds will become the fourth cause for dormant assets funding in England.

A community wealth fund will provide funding sources to local communities, with spending decisions made by local residents about how to improve their communities. The Government will soon launch a technical consultation on the design of this important new initiative and welcomes views on how best to ensure its long-term impact; the consultation will be open for 12 weeks.

Secondary legislation to enable dormant assets funding to be directed to community wealth funds will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Feb 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the letter sent by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 8 December 2020 about making public funds available to the Royal Albert Hall.

A response was sent on 25th February 2021. I apologise for the delay.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
12th Oct 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the letter sent by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 July about making public funds available to the Royal Albert Hall; and when they plan to respond to the follow-up letters sent on 19 August, 9 September and 1 October.

A response was sent to the Noble Lord on 26th October.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th May 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to revise the inspection criteria for Citizenship Education with Ofsted; and what plans they have to publish (1) any correspondence, or (2) the minutes of meetings, with Ofsted, including of any meeting that took place on 15 March.

I refer the noble Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to the answer I gave on 25 April 2022 to question HL7809.

The government has now responded to the recommendations outlined within ‘The Ties that Bind: Citizenship and Civic Engagement in the 21st Century Follow-up report’, including the recommendations relating to the inspection of citizenship education.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to revise the inspection criteria for citizenship education with Ofsted; and what plans they have to publish (1) any correspondence, or (2) minutes of meetings (including the meeting on 15 March,) with Ofsted.

Ofsted, as a separate government department and independent inspectorate, is responsible for the criteria in its inspection framework and handbooks.

On 21 February, Ofsted wrote to the Chair of the House of Lords Liaison Committee, Lord Gardiner of Kimble, setting out its inspection approach regarding citizenship education. The letter is available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/9100/documents/159384/default/.

The department has subsequently discussed this matter with Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. The Chief Inspector has confirmed that citizenship education forms a significant, but proportionate, part of school inspections. There are no plans to publish correspondence or minutes relating to discussions on this matter. The government will respond in due course to ‘The Ties that Bind: Citizenship and Civic Engagement in the 21st Century Follow-up report’, which includes recommendations relating to the inspection of citizenship education.

Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers specialising in citizenship education completed their training in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, (5) 2020, and (6) 2021.

The number of teachers in state funded secondary schools in England, who are recorded as teaching one or more lessons of citizenship per week, are shown in the table below. The latest information gives the situation in November 2019. Information for November 2020 will be published in June 2021. Information for 2021 will be collected via the School Workforce Census later this year.

As at November 2019

2016

2017

2018

2019

Headcount of teachers teaching citizenship

4,826

4,451

4,241

4,257

As a % of all teachers in state funded secondary schools

2.2%

2.0%

1.9%

1.9%

The majority of teachers of citizenship also teach other subjects.

The number of trainees who successfully completed training in citizenship education from the 2015/16 to the 2018/19 academic year inclusive is summarised in the table below:

Academic Year

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status

78

45

37

31

The data on numbers of postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status, for the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 is not yet available. Due to a change in the recording of subjects in the Initial Teacher Training data, we will not be able to specifically identify Citizenship trainees for the academic year 2019/2020 onwards.

24th May 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many teachers self-identified as citizenship education teachers in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, (5) 2020, and (6) 2021.

The number of teachers in state funded secondary schools in England, who are recorded as teaching one or more lessons of citizenship per week, are shown in the table below. The latest information gives the situation in November 2019. Information for November 2020 will be published in June 2021. Information for 2021 will be collected via the School Workforce Census later this year.

As at November 2019

2016

2017

2018

2019

Headcount of teachers teaching citizenship

4,826

4,451

4,241

4,257

As a % of all teachers in state funded secondary schools

2.2%

2.0%

1.9%

1.9%

The majority of teachers of citizenship also teach other subjects.

The number of trainees who successfully completed training in citizenship education from the 2015/16 to the 2018/19 academic year inclusive is summarised in the table below:

Academic Year

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status

78

45

37

31

The data on numbers of postgraduate trainees awarded qualified teacher status, for the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 is not yet available. Due to a change in the recording of subjects in the Initial Teacher Training data, we will not be able to specifically identify Citizenship trainees for the academic year 2019/2020 onwards.

21st Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of full time equivalent personnel employed by DEFRA to administer farming and horticultural grants and subsidies in England on the latest date for which figures are available.

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Defra’s Grants Hub data does not hold a ‘Farming & Horticulture’ flag so it would not be possible to quickly pull together a list of schemes in scope of this question.

Manually reviewing the schemes and deciding if they fit or not, without a standard definition of what counts as ‘Farming & Horticulture’, would require a degree of personal judgement and therefore yield some inaccuracy. It would then be necessary to validate the list with teams to ensure they are ‘Farming & Horticulture’ grants.

From experience of similar requests, this would push the cost to disproportionate (ie greater than the HMT-set limit of £850 for a PQ answer).

Lord Douglas-Miller
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Feb 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of (1) farmers, and (2) their direct employees, for the latest date for which figures are available.

Farmers are defined here as full time and part time principal farmers, business partners, directors and spouses. All other agricultural workers are defined here as regular employees, salaried managers and casual workers who were working on the holding on 1 June 2023.

Agricultural workforce in England in 2023

2023

Farmers

178,696

All other agricultural workers

113,705

Total agricultural workforce

292,401

Notes

(a) Commercial holdings are those registered with the Rural Payments Agency for payments or livestock purposes and with significant levels of farming activity (as recorded in responses to the Defra June Survey of Agriculture or the Cattle Tracing System). Holdings are only included if they have more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.

Full data series for agricultural workforce are published here for England. A copy is attached to this answer.

Similar figures for the UK are available at gov.uk.

Lord Douglas-Miller
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
20th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will set a date for the commencement of the provisions of the Deregulation Act 2015 which relate to public rights of way.

As set out in my answer of 27 July 2021 the Government intends to lay legislation as soon as reasonably practicable including the relevant provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Deferring the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way is still under consideration.

Lord Benyon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
20th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 27 July 2021 (HL1956), what progress has been made by officials in reviewing the deferral of the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way.

As set out in my answer of 27 July 2021 the Government intends to lay legislation as soon as reasonably practicable including the relevant provisions in the Deregulation Act 2015. Deferring the 2026 cut-off date for registration of historic rights of way is still under consideration.

Lord Benyon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
20th Jan 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative consequences for the existing public rights of way network arising from ending the cross-compliance requirement that recipients of Direct Payments keep paths open and accessible.

Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities have responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities will continue to receive funding through the Revenue Support Grant for their various rights of way duties.

We will continue to pay for access and engagement through our existing environmental land management schemes and we will consider how to maintain investment in these areas as part of future schemes. Our ongoing commitment is visible through other funds and activities including through the Nature for Climate Fund, the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, our Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme and through Countryside Stewardship.

Alongside this ongoing support, as we continue to develop our new schemes throughout the transition and into the future, contact is being maintained with a range of stakeholders that represent a variety of interests including access, as well as with end users to determine the specific land management actions that will be paid for under our new schemes.

Lord Benyon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
6th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to reduce levels of light pollution; and if so, how they intend to do so.

The Government recognises the problem of light pollution. The Government's 25-Year Environment Plan includes a commitment to cut all forms of pollution and ease the pressure on the environment, including ensuring that light pollution is managed effectively.

Current measures include Defra working with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the development of their Planning Policy Guidance on Light Pollution, which outlines factors which may be relevant when considering where, when and how much lights emanates from new developments together with possible human and ecological impacts.

The Department for Transport encourages all local authorities to replace their street lighting with low-impact LED lighting wherever economically feasible.

Additionally, Highways England is responsible for the strategic road network in England and is obliged to minimise the environmental impacts (including of road lighting) across the network. A full appraisal is carried out before any lighting project is commissioned, including in-depth analysis of the environmental impact and economic benefits of the scheme. All lighting on the network is designed according to current British standards which emphasise the importance of limiting light pollution, and older forms of lantern are in the process of being replaced with environmentally sensitive lighting when they become due for renewal.

6th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of excess CO2 created as a result of light pollution.

The Government has not made an assessment specifically of the amount of excess CO2 created as a result of light pollution. Artificial light is a complex issue that falls across a number of central Government departments, the devolved administrations and, on a local level, local authorities and highways authorities. However, the Government is committed to cutting the UK's emissions to net zero by 2050 and has put a wide range of policies in place to achieve this.

6th Jan 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what policies exist to encourage local authorities and other public bodies to reduce light pollution levels.

As the department responsible for protecting and enhancing our urban and natural environment, Defra plays a co-ordinating role across Government to ensure coherence in this area.

Other departments are responsible for specific policy areas including the Department for Transport for street lighting and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for lighting policy in the planning regime. This includes the National Planning Policy Framework which sets out that local planning policies and their decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light.

This Framework is supported by MHCLG planning guidance, which was revised in November 2019 and sets out how environmental and other impacts of light pollution should be considered in the planning system. Local planning authorities must take the Framework into account when preparing their plans and its policies, including those on light pollution.

Additionally, a local planning authority can attach conditions to the grant of planning permission, in order to enhance the quality and mitigate the adverse effects of a development, including, for example, noise, air, light and other forms of pollution. It is important to ensure that conditions are tailored to tackle specific problems, rather than standardised or used to impose broad unnecessary controls.

Local highway authorities have a duty under the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, and it is for them to decide what type of lighting they use to meet local needs.

Highways England, which manages our motorways and major roads, is also working actively to minimise light pollution.

18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many national insurance numbers were issued in each of the past five years; and how many were outstanding at each year end.

The department regularly publishes the number of National Insurance Numbers (NINOs) allocated by DWP to Adult Foreign Nationals on Stat-Xplore, and these are shown in Table 1 for the past five years. The number of outstanding applications at the end of each year are shown in Table 2. These figures do not include those NINOs issued by HMRC to juveniles.

Table 1: Annual number of National Insurance Numbers Allocated to Adult Foreign Nationals, April 2018 to March 2023

FYE 2019

650,000

FYE 2020

760,000

FYE 2021

230,000

FYE 2022

770,000

FYE 2023

1,110,000

Source: Stat-Xplore

Note: Data has been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Table 2: Number of outstanding National Insurance Number applications at the end of the last 5 business years

FYE 2019

86,000

FYE 2020

60,000

FYE 2021

55,000

FYE 2022

22,000

FYE 2023

10,000

Source: Internal NINO clerical Capacity Plans and NINO Work Position Overviews.

Note: Data has been rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
8th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how they reconcile their obligations under the WHO and NHS Employers codes of practice, which discourage recruitment of doctors from countries with critical shortages of health workers, with reports that 54 per cent of newly-trained doctors in 2022 were recruited from such countries.

International recruitment of doctors is guided by the Code of Practice for International Recruitment, which guarantees the most stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. The code aligns with latest advice from the World Health Organization, ensuring that an individual's right to migrate is upheld. As such, individuals from these countries are able to apply for vacancies independently in the United Kingdom, and, if they do, they must be treated fairly and not be discriminated against based on their nationality.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
7th Mar 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of the Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board examination (PLAB) as a test of competence for International Medical Graduates, given the conclusion of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published on 17 April 2014 that the pass mark of PLAB would need to be increased by 30 per cent to reach equivalence with UK graduates.

No specific assessment has been made. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It sets and enforces the standards to which all doctors must adhere. The GMC is responsible for operational matters, including those relating to Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board tests, which it revised in 2016 following a review.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many doctors from overseas first registered in England in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of those doctors came from EU or EEA countries.

The Department does not hold data on the number of doctors from overseas who first registered in England in each of the last 10 years or what percentage of those doctors came from EU or EEA countries. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the UK, and all doctors must register with them and hold a licence to practise to work in the UK. The GMC maintains data on medical practitioners registered with them.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many medical school places were available in England in each of the last 10 years; and how many applications were made on average per place.

The following table shows the number of entrants to undergraduate medicine courses in England from 2012 to 2022.

Academic year

Entrants

2012

6,190

2013

5,980

2014

6,000

2015

5,880

2016

5,930

2017

6,095

2018

6,800

2019

7,565

2020

8,405

2021

8,485

2022

7,630

Source: Office for Students Medical and Dental Students Survey (2012-2022)

Note: 2022 entrants are based on initial figures and are likely to change.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service records the number of unique applicants and acceptances to undergraduate medical courses. Based upon this data, there has been an average of 3.2 applicants for each accepted place from 2011 to 2021.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Jan 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they give to doctor-patient ratios which are significantly below those in UK when recruiting international medical graduates from low-income countries outside the EU and EEA.

International recruitment of medical graduates is guided by the ‘Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England’, available in an online-only format. The code aligns with the latest advice from the World Health Organisation, preventing active recruitment from countries with the most pressing health and social care workforce challenges, including those with low healthcare worker density.

Lord Markham
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
22nd Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for public consultation over the creation of the UK Strategy on Protection of Civilians; and when they expect to publish the Strategy.

As part of the review of its approach to the protection of civilians (PoC), the Government has consulted extensively with civil society and academia. We hope to publish soon a document outlining our approach to PoC with examples of action the Government has been taking. We were unable to meet the previously stated publication date as we were required to adhere to the rules governing the publication of documentation in the run up to the December 2019 General Election. We further postponed publication in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the UN Human Rights Council Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, published on 29 June, which found that the killing of Iranian General Soleimani by a US drone strike violated international law, what representations they have made to the government of the United States.

We are aware of the report presented by the UN Special Rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. Article 51 of the UN Charter recognises that all States have an inherent right of self-defence. The strike against Soleimani was not a UK operation. The United States set out the basis for its action in a letter to the UN Security Council of 8 January.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the legality of a state taking presumptive self defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the UN.

Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Article 51 of the Charter also recognises that a state has the inherent right to use force to defend itself against an armed attack. The UK does not recognise a doctrine of "pre-emptive" self defence. Like many other states, however, the long-standing UK view is that Article 51 of the UN Charter does not require a state passively to await an attack, but includes the inherent right to use force in self-defence against an "imminent" armed attack. The position of Her Majesty's Government was set out in the then Attorney General's speech at the Institute of International and Strategic Affairs on 11 January 2017, available on Gov.uk.

13th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 January (HL Deb, col 258) and the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 January (HL523), whether the military operation on 3 January which killed General Soleimani met the test of imminence for the purposes of self-defence in international law.

Article 51 of the UN Charter recognises that all States have an inherent right of self-defence. The strike against Soleimani was not a UK operation. It is for the United States to say how the criteria for self-defence are met, and you will be aware that the United States set out the basis for its action in a letter to the UN Security Council dated 8 January 2020.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
13th Feb 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 January (HL142), when they were first notified that the government of the United States had made a decision to use lethal force against General Soleimani.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 21 January 2019, PQ HL142:

We became aware of the operation as it happened. We do not comment on our allies' operational decisions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
11th Jan 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from Baroness Penn to Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts on 22 August 2023, when they expect to publish the interim report on the review of treatment of Politically Exposed Persons by financial institutions.

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 committed the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct, and publish the conclusions of, a review into how financial institutions are following its guidance on politically exposed persons (PEPs) by the end of June 2024. As set out in the Written Statement on the treatment of PEPs published on 14 December 2023, given the strength of concern on this issue, the Government expects that the FCA will prioritise this review over the coming months.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
16th Oct 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to permit fractionated shares to be held in ISAs.

HMRC’s long standing view on interpretation of the current law is that a fraction of a share is not a share for the purposes of the ISA legislation.

The government is committed to ensuring the ISA the market works for both industry and consumers. We are aware of representations from the industry to allow fractional shares to be included in ISAs going forward, and are considering the issue.

Baroness Penn
Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
18th Sep 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many requests were made to HMRC for details of property ownership under the (1) "offshore company", or (2) "legitimate interest", provision in each of the past two years; and how many were accepted.

The Trust Registration Service (TRS) is a register of beneficial ownership of trusts held by HMRC, rather than property ownership. Third parties have been able to request access to information held on the TRS since 1 September 2022.

Baroness Penn
Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
5th Jul 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount of index-linked government stock; and what percentage of total government debt it represents.

The total amount of index-linked gilts (ILGs) in issue on close of business 05 July 2021 stood at £476.93 billion including inflation uplift (£357.60 billion nominal excluding inflation uplift). Therefore, ILGs represent 22.79% of the total amount of wholesale government debt outstanding (£2,092.42 billion as of 05 July 2021 including inflation uplift for ILGs). Further details on the ILGs in issue can be found on the Debt Management Office (DMO) website.

Following a revision to the DMO’s financing remit in April 2021, £29.4 billion of ILGs are planned to be sold in 2021-22. This accounts for 11.6% of all gilt financing plans in this fiscal year.

The Government considers the appropriate balance between index-linked and conventional gilts when setting its financing plans, taking account of the level of structural demand, the diversity of the investor base, and the Government’s desired inflation exposure. Decisions on precise levels of ILGs and conventional issuance continue to be taken annually through the financing remit, taking into account market and demand conditions as well as other factors.

16th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss with the insurance industry the implications of COVID-19 for firms which have taken out pandemic insurance.

The Chancellor has made clear that, for those businesses which have an appropriate policy that covers pandemics, government’s medical advice of 16 March is sufficient to allow businesses to make a claim against their insurance, provided the other terms and conditions in their policy are met.

In addition, the FCA’s rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed.

However, most businesses have not purchased insurance that covers pandemic related losses. As such, any affected businesses should note the government’s full package of support.

The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector about its contribution to handling this unprecedented situation.

30th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister has cross-government responsibility for co-ordinating all matters relating to (1) citizenship, and (2) civic engagement.

Minister Kevin Foster has overall responsibility for matters relating to citizenship in the United Kingdom in the Home Office. This portfolio includes the current and future visa system, as well as immigration casework and nationality.

DCMS is responsible for youth engagement across Government and provides grant funding for the UK Youth Parliament programme and Youth Engagement Grant. These are key programmes through which young people can engage with policy and decision-makers and have a say on issues that matter to them. The lead minister is Nigel Huddleston.

DCMS is responsible for youth volunteering and social action across government, and supports the #iwill movement and the #iwill Fund, both of which aim to get 10 to 20 year-olds involved in volunteering, fundraising and campaigning in local communities

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
30th Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to update the Life in the UK test; and when the test was last updated.

The Life in the UK test is based on the Life in the UK handbook, “Life in the UK: a guide for new residents”. An updated impression of the current edition of the handbook was published in early 2020.

Questions in the test are reviewed on an ongoing basis. New questions were added between October 2020 and January 2021.

The test is kept under review and will be updated further as needed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional powers, if any, have been granted to the police and other bodies in relation to the use of drone surveillance technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decisions to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for police forces who are subject to the requirements of the Air Navigation Order and Data Protection legislation when operating drones. The Police have not been granted any additional powers to use drones during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Protection Regulations 2020 give police the powers they need to enforce compliance with the social distancing measures and all use of police powers must be legitimate, necessary and proportionate.

The Civil Aviation Authority have granted the Emergency Services, including the police, an exemption from some of the requirements contained in the Air Navigation Order 2016, to support the enforcement of Government COVID-19 restrictions. These changes do not grant extra powers to police. They relax restrictions in place for operating drones for the specific case of enforcing Covid-19 restrictions. Mitigation for use of the exemption needs to be written into the Operations Manuals of drone teams and use needs to be reported to the CAA on renewal of the permission.

The Home Office does not hold any information on the use of drones by other public bodies in relation to Covid-19.

The Data Protection Act and the Surveillance Camera Code govern police use of surveillance cameras.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance has been issued on the collection, use and storage of data collected by drone surveillance technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decisions to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for police forces who are subject to the requirements of the Air Navigation Order and Data Protection legislation when operating drones. The Police have not been granted any additional powers to use drones during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Protection Regulations 2020 give police the powers they need to enforce compliance with the social distancing measures and all use of police powers must be legitimate, necessary and proportionate.

The Civil Aviation Authority have granted the Emergency Services, including the police, an exemption from some of the requirements contained in the Air Navigation Order 2016, to support the enforcement of Government COVID-19 restrictions. These changes do not grant extra powers to police. They relax restrictions in place for operating drones for the specific case of enforcing Covid-19 restrictions. Mitigation for use of the exemption needs to be written into the Operations Manuals of drone teams and use needs to be reported to the CAA on renewal of the permission.

The Home Office does not hold any information on the use of drones by other public bodies in relation to Covid-19.

The Data Protection Act and the Surveillance Camera Code govern police use of surveillance cameras.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the use of drone surveillance technology during the COVID-19 pandemic is necessary and proportionate.

Decisions to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for police forces who are subject to the requirements of the Air Navigation Order and Data Protection legislation when operating drones. The Police have not been granted any additional powers to use drones during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Protection Regulations 2020 give police the powers they need to enforce compliance with the social distancing measures and all use of police powers must be legitimate, necessary and proportionate.

The Civil Aviation Authority have granted the Emergency Services, including the police, an exemption from some of the requirements contained in the Air Navigation Order 2016, to support the enforcement of Government COVID-19 restrictions. These changes do not grant extra powers to police. They relax restrictions in place for operating drones for the specific case of enforcing Covid-19 restrictions. Mitigation for use of the exemption needs to be written into the Operations Manuals of drone teams and use needs to be reported to the CAA on renewal of the permission.

The Home Office does not hold any information on the use of drones by other public bodies in relation to Covid-19.

The Data Protection Act and the Surveillance Camera Code govern police use of surveillance cameras.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) public bodies, and (2) private companies assisting public bodies, are using drone surveillance technology in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decisions to use drones and in which circumstances are operational matters for police forces who are subject to the requirements of the Air Navigation Order and Data Protection legislation when operating drones. The Police have not been granted any additional powers to use drones during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Health Protection Regulations 2020 give police the powers they need to enforce compliance with the social distancing measures and all use of police powers must be legitimate, necessary and proportionate.

The Civil Aviation Authority have granted the Emergency Services, including the police, an exemption from some of the requirements contained in the Air Navigation Order 2016, to support the enforcement of Government COVID-19 restrictions. These changes do not grant extra powers to police. They relax restrictions in place for operating drones for the specific case of enforcing Covid-19 restrictions. Mitigation for use of the exemption needs to be written into the Operations Manuals of drone teams and use needs to be reported to the CAA on renewal of the permission.

The Home Office does not hold any information on the use of drones by other public bodies in relation to Covid-19.

The Data Protection Act and the Surveillance Camera Code govern police use of surveillance cameras.

Baroness Williams of Trafford
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
28th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) lowest, and (2) highest, individual payments made by the UK as a result of (a) civilian death or injury, and (2) property damage, resulting from overseas operations since 1 January 2003.

The first payments were made by the Area Claims Office in Iraq in June 2003.

The overseas operational theatres concerned were Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are two categories of claims for compensation - Category 1 those brought before the UK Courts and handled by officials in the MOD and Category 2 those handled by the Area Claims Offices staffed by UK personnel based in the overseas operational theatre.

Iraq

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 738 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) In terms of property claims, no payments have been made

Category 2 - Area Claims Office - Iraq

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by staff in the Area Claims Office in Iraq who held the post between 2003 and 2009. Compensation payments have been made on over 1,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

Afghanistan

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 17 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) Compensation payments have been made on 1 individual claim in respect of property damage since 1 January 2003.

Category 2 - Area Claims Office Afghanistan

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by the staff in the Area Claims Office in Afghanistan who held the post between 2006 and 2014. Compensation payments have been made on over 4,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

In respect of civilian death or injury £27.3 million has been paid relating to claims brought in the UK and £2,245 in respect of property damage claims. These payments include Human Rights Act elements.

Some £7.3 million has been made in ex gratia payments for civilian death or injury and property damage by the Area Claims Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The lowest payment for (a) civilian death or injury is $50 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan and the lowest payment for (b) property damage is $10.27 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.

The highest individual payment for civilian injury or death is £1.5 million and includes ongoing annual periodic payments.

The highest payment for property damage is $232,400 by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.

28th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total monetary amount of financial payments made by the UK in response to (1) civilian death or injury, or (2) property damage, which resulted from acts carried out by UK Armed Forces during overseas operations since 1 January 2003, including (a) formal compensation claims under the Human Right Act 1998, and (b) condolence or ex gratia payments to affected family members or next of kin.

The first payments were made by the Area Claims Office in Iraq in June 2003.

The overseas operational theatres concerned were Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are two categories of claims for compensation - Category 1 those brought before the UK Courts and handled by officials in the MOD and Category 2 those handled by the Area Claims Offices staffed by UK personnel based in the overseas operational theatre.

Iraq

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 738 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) In terms of property claims, no payments have been made

Category 2 - Area Claims Office - Iraq

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by staff in the Area Claims Office in Iraq who held the post between 2003 and 2009. Compensation payments have been made on over 1,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

Afghanistan

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 17 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) Compensation payments have been made on 1 individual claim in respect of property damage since 1 January 2003.

Category 2 - Area Claims Office Afghanistan

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by the staff in the Area Claims Office in Afghanistan who held the post between 2006 and 2014. Compensation payments have been made on over 4,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

In respect of civilian death or injury £27.3 million has been paid relating to claims brought in the UK and £2,245 in respect of property damage claims. These payments include Human Rights Act elements.

Some £7.3 million has been made in ex gratia payments for civilian death or injury and property damage by the Area Claims Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The lowest payment for (a) civilian death or injury is $50 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan and the lowest payment for (b) property damage is $10.27 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.

The highest individual payment for civilian injury or death is £1.5 million and includes ongoing annual periodic payments.

The highest payment for property damage is $232,400 by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.

28th Jun 2023
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individual payments the UK has made as a result of (1) civilian death or injury, or (2) property damage, in respect of each overseas operational theatre in which it was engaged since 1 January 2003.

The first payments were made by the Area Claims Office in Iraq in June 2003.

The overseas operational theatres concerned were Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are two categories of claims for compensation - Category 1 those brought before the UK Courts and handled by officials in the MOD and Category 2 those handled by the Area Claims Offices staffed by UK personnel based in the overseas operational theatre.

Iraq

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 738 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) In terms of property claims, no payments have been made

Category 2 - Area Claims Office - Iraq

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by staff in the Area Claims Office in Iraq who held the post between 2003 and 2009. Compensation payments have been made on over 1,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

Afghanistan

Category 1 - civil litigation

(1) Compensation payments have been made on 17 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury.

(2) Compensation payments have been made on 1 individual claim in respect of property damage since 1 January 2003.

Category 2 - Area Claims Office Afghanistan

Information has been extracted from the register that was compiled by the staff in the Area Claims Office in Afghanistan who held the post between 2006 and 2014. Compensation payments have been made on over 4,000 individual claims in respect of civilian death or injury and or property.

In respect of civilian death or injury £27.3 million has been paid relating to claims brought in the UK and £2,245 in respect of property damage claims. These payments include Human Rights Act elements.

Some £7.3 million has been made in ex gratia payments for civilian death or injury and property damage by the Area Claims Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The lowest payment for (a) civilian death or injury is $50 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan and the lowest payment for (b) property damage is $10.27 paid by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.

The highest individual payment for civilian injury or death is £1.5 million and includes ongoing annual periodic payments.

The highest payment for property damage is $232,400 by the Area Claims Office Afghanistan.