Lord Morris of Aberavon Portrait

Lord Morris of Aberavon

Labour - Former Member for Life peer

Became Member: 3rd July 2001


Lord Morris of Aberavon is not a member of any APPGs
International Agreements Committee
23rd Apr 2020 - 5th Jun 2023
Procedure and Privileges Committee
25th May 2016 - 28th Jan 2021
European Union Committee
15th Jul 2019 - 4th Jun 2020
EU Justice Sub-Committee
16th Jul 2019 - 23rd Apr 2020
Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 Committee
13th Jun 2019 - 15th Jul 2019
Inquiries Act 2005 Committee
16th May 2013 - 26th Feb 2014
Draft Defamation Bill (Joint Committee)
31st Mar 2011 - 12th Oct 2011
Constitution Committee
22nd Nov 2006 - 12th Nov 2009
Attorney General (Law Officers)
6th May 1997 - 28th Jul 1999
Shadow Attorney General
9th Jun 1983 - 1st May 1997
Privileges
18th Nov 1993 - 17th Oct 1996
Standards in Public Life
16th Nov 1994 - 8th Nov 1995
Privileges
22nd Nov 1988 - 16th Mar 1992
Privileges
9th Jun 1983 - 15th May 1987
Consolidation etc. Bills (Joint Committee)
9th Jun 1983 - 2nd Feb 1984
Shadow Attorney General
3rd May 1979 - 1st Jul 1981
Secretary of State for Wales
5th Mar 1974 - 4th May 1979
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Defence Equipment)
6th Apr 1968 - 18th Jan 1970
Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Transport)
1st Apr 1966 - 6th Apr 1968
Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Power)
25th Oct 1964 - 31st Mar 1966


Division Voting information

Lord Morris of Aberavon has voted in 723 divisions, and 20 times against the majority of their Party.

25 Mar 2021 - Covid-19 Pandemic and the Coronavirus Act 2020 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Labour No votes vs 6 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 119 Noes - 279
30 Dec 2020 - Business of the House - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 8 Labour No votes vs 12 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 125 Noes - 323
30 Nov 2020 - High Speed Rail (West Midlands–Crewe) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Labour No votes vs 126 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 265 Noes - 274
15 Jun 2020 - Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill [HL] - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour No votes vs 125 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 275 Noes - 256
15 Jun 2020 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 122 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 112 Noes - 388
15 Jun 2020 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 9 Labour No votes vs 105 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 355 Noes - 77
7 Mar 2017 - European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 9 Labour No votes vs 22 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 131 Noes - 336
12 Dec 2016 - Policing and Crime Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 19 Labour Aye votes vs 65 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 113 Noes - 236
4 Jun 2013 - Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 16 Labour Aye votes vs 156 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 148 Noes - 390
8 Nov 2011 - Procedure of the House (Proposal 9) - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 5 Labour No votes vs 97 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 173 Noes - 173
11 Nov 2009 - Coroners and Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 92 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 179 Noes - 135
26 Oct 2009 - Coroners and Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Labour Aye votes vs 105 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 113 Noes - 155
9 Jul 2009 - Coroners and Justice Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 19 Labour No votes vs 85 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 133 Noes - 186
8 Jul 2009 - Parliamentary Standards Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 84 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 88 Noes - 110
13 Oct 2008 - Counter-Terrorism Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Labour Aye votes vs 105 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 309 Noes - 118
7 May 2008 - Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 13 Labour Aye votes vs 108 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 178 Noes - 164
5 Feb 2007 - Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour Aye votes vs 120 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 222 Noes - 127
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 129 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 93 Noes - 418
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 117 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 63 Noes - 401
28 Apr 2021 - Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 - View Vote Context
Lord Morris of Aberavon voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Labour Aye votes vs 125 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 70 Noes - 409
View All Lord Morris of Aberavon Division Votes

All Debates

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 Williams of Trafford (Conservative)
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
(55 debate interactions)
Lord Keen of Elie (Conservative)
(24 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(63 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(41 debate contributions)
Scotland Office
(35 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(34 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
(3,186 words contributed)
Armed Forces Act 2021
(3,082 words contributed)
Wales Act 2017
(2,699 words contributed)
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(2,473 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lord Morris of Aberavon's debates

Lords initiatives

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


Lord Morris of Aberavon has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Morris of Aberavon 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
20th Oct 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 20 October, what consideration they gave to discussing with the European Union the possibility of mothballing some of the steel plants recently announced for closure; what assessment they have made of the difficulties in mothballing a plant; and what estimates they have made, if any, about the costs of doing so.

The state aid rules on giving operating, rescue and restructuring aid to steel companies are unambiguously clear and all such interventions are prohibited. This includes Government financial support for mothballing of steel plant. Given the lack of ambiguity there has been no need to discuss these matters with the European Commission.


We know that the SSI Redcar plan had made losses of over £600m in over three years. When the company went into liquidation, the Official Receiver bought supplies to keep certain operations such as the coke ovens going in the hope of funding a commercial buyout. Unfortunately no commercial buyer could be found to maintain operations at the plant. While this was deeply disappointing news, with such large losses and debts, and the price of steel produces expected to stay depressed for some considerable time, it was perhaps not surprising.


Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
30th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 June (HL Deb, col 580), what plans the Attorney General has to meet the Chairman of the Bar Association to discuss delays in dealing with rape cases.

A key part the Attorney General’s role as head of the profession is meeting regularly with the leaders of the Professional bodies to discuss matters of relevance within the criminal justice system including the Chair of the Bar Council, the Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, the President of the Law Society and the Bar Circuit Leaders. These valuable and productive meetings enable the Law Officers to understand the issues affecting front-line practitioners, so that they are able to articulate their concerns to ministerial colleagues to ensure that in the development of government policy, the views of the profession are reflected and understood.

Agendas for these meetings are prepared so as to allow flexibility, in order to allow for discussion of topical issues. Such issues include the views of practitioners on the Crown Court backlog, government initiatives such as the roll out of s.28 and how we are working together to improve the system performance in relation to rape cases.

The regular monthly meetings of the Bar Council are attended either by the Attorney or the Solicitor General, so as to allow the Law Officers a full understanding of the issues that are affecting front-line practitioners.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton
Advocate General for Scotland
11th Mar 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 2019 rape inspection, published in December 2019, in how many rape cases the defence given by the defendant was that the complainant consented to sexual activity; in how many such cases the defendant was acquitted; and in how many rape cases a defendant who gave a different defence was acquitted.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of defences relied on by defendants at trial. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Rape and serious sexual offences are horrific crimes, which can have a significant and profound impact on victims. The CPS is a partner in the ongoing cross-Government review of the criminal justice response to rape, and is committed to addressing any issues the review highlights openly and honestly. Together with the police, the CPS is already developing a joint action plan, which will address issues raised in the recently published HMCPSI Rape Inspection 2019 report and – in due course – findings of the cross-Government review.

13th May 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 May (HL Deb, col 1220), whether the Attorney General will personally supervise the review of the digital evidence consent form; and whether the views of police and crime commissioners were taken into account in the development of that form.

The digital evidence consent forms are overseen by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Crown Prosecution Service, and they will continue to engage with victims’ groups and the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure that the right approach is being taken. A draft of the form was issued to a number of stakeholders during development, and this included the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. The Attorney General will be issuing new Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure in the winter. These Guidelines will assist prosecutors and investigators in ensuring that privacy and data protection considerations are properly considered in disclosure practice and procedure.

31st Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecution cases have collapsed because of a failure to disclose evidence in the last two years.

Prosecutors should identify and, where appropriate, seek to rectify evidential weaknesses in a case. However, they should stop cases which do not meet the evidential stage of the Full Code Test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and which cannot be strengthened by further investigation, or where the public interest clearly does not require a prosecution. There is a continuing duty of review throughout the case.

Internal CPS case outcome recording data for 2015-17 shows that issues connected to the disclosure of unused material were recorded as the primary reason in 0.81% of all prosecutions that did not result in a conviction.

Other reasons prosecutions may be stopped include that new material reviewed during the case reveals evidence which undermines the prosecution case, key witnesses do not attend, key evidence is ruled inadmissible, or other circumstances change to the extent that a charge no longer meets the evidential stage of the Full Code Test.

The most frequent reason that a prosecution did not result in a conviction was that the defendant was acquitted after trial. This was the reason in 25% of such cases.

31st Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Attorney General received a letter from the Chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission on the issue of disclosure of evidence; and whether that correspondence can, and will, be published.

The Attorney General’s Office received a letter regarding disclosure in criminal proceedings from the Chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission on 7 July 2016. The text of the letter is published on their website ccrc.gov.uk. It highlighted that particular attention would be drawn to the issue in their annual report published later that month.

In April 2016 the Attorney General wrote to the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates supporting a proposal for a joint thematic inspection of disclosure as one of the most important issues in the trial process and a vital component of a fair trial.

The CCRC letter was drawn to the attention of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service to assist preparation for the joint inspection of disclosure which was carried out between January and July 2017.

31st Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government, for the last available year, how many cases were not proceeded with in magistrates' courts on the date fixed for trial because of a failure by the prosecution to disclose evidence.

CPS data for 2016-17 records that there were prosecutions of 499,816 defendants completed in the magistrates’ court, resulting in the conviction of 423,715 defendants, a conviction rate of 84.8%.

There are a number of reasons why a case may not be proceeded with after charge. Review of cases is a continuing process and prosecutors must take account of any change in circumstances that occurs as the case develops, particularly as details of the defence case become known.

Internal CPS case outcome recording data does not record cases by reference to the date on which the decision not to proceed was made. It is therefore not possible to provide data for cases that were not proceeded with on the date fixed for trial. Issues relating to the failure to disclosure unused material accounted for 1% of the cases that did not result in a conviction in the magistrates’ court in that year.

31st Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they received the Joint Inspectorate report into disclosure of evidence; and when the Attorney General launched his review of the rules and guidance relating to the disclosure of evidence.

The Attorney General’s Office received a copy of the Report of the Joint Inspection of the Disclosure of Unused Material in Volume Crown Court Cases from HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate on 4th July 2017.

The findings, and updates on progress against the report’s recommendations, were discussed at regular superintendence meetings with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Attorney General’s review was scoped and planned over subsequent months and the review team commenced work on the review itself on 4th December 2017.

On 11th December 2017 in a written ministerial statement on economic crime and anti-corruption [HLWS325], the Home Secretary formally announced that there would be a review of disclosure procedures led by the Attorney General.

22nd Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 8 January (HL4364), whether there have been instances where the advice of the law officers has been shared with Parliament in the last 30 years.

There have been rare instances in the past where a Minister has shared legal advice with Parliament. However, the policy of successive Governments (in line with Constitutional convention) remains that we do not comment on advice that may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, other than in exceptional circumstances and with the Law Officers’ consent.

20th Dec 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Attorney General has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding trials where the prosecution has ceased to prosecute rape cases in recent months; and how many rape cases have been discontinued in court due to a failure to disclose evidence in the last three months.

The Attorney General has frequent discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a range of issues relating to the prosecution of rape and sexual offending.

This month the DPP is bringing together partners from across the criminal justice system to discuss the challenges of satisfying the statutory disclosure test in the digital age.

More broadly, the Attorney General has also announced that he is undertaking a review of disclosure in the criminal justice system to ensure it is fit for purpose.

There are a number of reasons why a rape prosecution may not be continued with. Internal CPS case outcome recording data for 2016-17 shows that issues connected to the disclosure of unused material were recorded as the primary reason for 2% of the rape prosecutions that were subsequently not proceeded with after charge. More recent data are not currently available.

3rd Dec 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Attorney General has approved the rules of engagement for the RAF bombing of Syria, and whether he will be consulted regularly to ensure that such military action is carried out in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

As the Prime Minister has repeatedly made clear, in carrying out any military action in Syria, the Government will at all times act in accordance with the law.

In line with the longstanding Law Officers’ Convention, reflected in both the Cabinet Manual and the Ministerial Code, I am unable to provide specific details as to the role of the Attorney General in this matter.

17th Mar 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to prosecutions of high profile sex abuse cases, and (2) the financial resources available to the Crown Prosecution Service to carry out such prosecutions; and what, if any, plans the Crown Prosecution Service has to amend its procedures and practices in relation to such prosecutions.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) considers all cases that are referred by investigators according to the same test, as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. In 2013/14, the CPS prosecuted 12,445 sexual offence cases, of which 9,104 resulted in a conviction, a conviction rate of 73.2%. This was an increase on the previous year when the conviction rate was 72.4% .

In order to ensure that there are sufficient resources to prosecute sexual offence cases, the CPS continues to work closely with Her Majesty’s Treasury and criminal justice system partners to analyse and manage the impact of increasing volumes. This is in addition to a range of activity to further prioritise sexual offence cases such as the establishment of Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) Units in every region and the publication of legal guidance to further support effective prosecutions.

17th Mar 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the Serious Fraud Office.

The current Director has returned the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to its original role and purpose of tackling the topmost tier of fraud, bribery and corruption cases with a greater emphasis on those that harm the UK’s reputation as a safe place to do business.

The follow-up report to the 2012 inspection carried out by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate was published in November 2014. It provides a snapshot of the SFO in 2013 and made clear that a “considerable amount of work had been done” to address the recommendations of the inspection, and that “There has been genuine commitment from managers and staff alike to review and update processes and structures and to improve every aspect of case handling, from intelligence gathering and analysis, to casework management and disclosure handling”.

10th Mar 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Attorney General will ask HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service to carry out an inquiry into the decision not to prosecute for the Arndale Centre plot, and invite him to publish his findings.

The Attorney General has no plans to ask HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service to carry out an inquiry into the decision not to prosecute for the Arndale Centre plot. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concluded that there was insufficient evidence that was admissible in a criminal court in this jurisdiction to afford a realistic prospect of conviction. The Attorney General has no reason to doubt the CPS’s conclusion.

10th Mar 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the Attorney General's duties, as the guardian of public interests, in respect of the supervision of charities; and whether the Attorney General has had any discussions with the Charity Commission as regards the use of the finances of the Rowntree Foundations.

The Attorney General’s responsibilities, on behalf of the Crown as parens patriae, include representing charity generally, or the beneficiaries of a particular charity, before the courts. The regulation of charities is a matter for the Charity Commission. The Attorney General’s Office does not hold any records of discussions between the Attorney General and the Charity Commission about the finances of the Rowntree Foundations.

30th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their supervision of the Serious Fraud Office is exercised; and what recent assessment they have made of the performance of the Office.

The Government’s supervision of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is exercised principally through the Attorney General’s superintendence of that department, and in accordance with the Protocol between the Attorney General and the Prosecuting Departments of July 2009.

The Attorney General meets regularly with the Director of the SFO and receives reports on the SFO’s work. In addition HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) has power to inspect the SFO under section 149 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which came into force on 2 June 2014.

HMCPSI conducted an inspection of the SFO at the request of the Director SFO in 2012, and reported in November 2012. It has carried out a follow up inspection and is due to report on that later this year.

30th Jun 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the terms of reference for the UK COVID-19 public inquiry, chaired by Lady Hallett, will be published; and what are the reasons for the delay.

The final terms of reference for the UK COVID-19 inquiry were published on 28 June 2022. This followed a full and extensive public consultation process led by the inquiry’s independent chair, in addition to engagement with the devolved administrations as required by the Inquiries Act 2005.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
26th Apr 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to encourage civil servants to return to work in the office.

Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, civil servants have been increasingly returning to the office.

The Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency has written to departments to underline the importance of workplace attendance and request that they review their existing guidance on the minimum number of days staff work in the office to ensure we are making efficient use of the government estate.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
29th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many executives in charge of government agencies receive annual bonuses; which executives receive such bonuses; and in each case, what is the value of those bonuses.

As part of the Government’s commitment to transparency, departments have published aggregated annual information on their bonus spend on their own websites since 2011. This promotes scrutiny of how taxpayers’ money is spent. The latest data, which covers the performance years 2019/20 and 2020/21, was published on Government Departments’ websites on 31 March 2022. This data includes information on total bonus spend, the number of civil servants receiving bonuses, and the size of payments.

Regarding the second question: executive agencies publish individualised data on payments received by their Board-level members in their Annual Accounts. This includes data on which executives receive bonuses, and the size of any payments. Since 2010, the Government has made bonuses across the Civil Service more tightly focussed on top performance; current spend on them is around 1 percent of the total Civil Service paybill.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
29th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants received bonuses in addition to their salaries in the last year for which figures are available.

As part of the Government’s commitment to transparency, departments have published aggregated annual information on their bonus spend on their own websites since 2011. This promotes scrutiny of how taxpayers’ money is spent. The latest data, which covers the performance years 2019/20 and 2020/21, was published on Government Departments’ websites on 31 March 2022. This data includes information on total bonus spend, the number of civil servants receiving bonuses, and the size of payments.

Regarding the second question: executive agencies publish individualised data on payments received by their Board-level members in their Annual Accounts. This includes data on which executives receive bonuses, and the size of any payments. Since 2010, the Government has made bonuses across the Civil Service more tightly focussed on top performance; current spend on them is around 1 percent of the total Civil Service paybill.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
29th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants who are currently primarily working from home received London weighting additional allowances in the last year for which figures are available.

London weighting was removed as a prescribed central allowance in the 1990s. Civil Service pay arrangements have been delegated to individual departments for all grades below the Senior Civil Service, since 1996. London pay arrangements will therefore vary significantly between departments.

There is no central source of data that links those working from home to pay conditions.

Lord True
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
31st Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Young of Cookham on 25 January (HL Deb, cols 1083–1085), what action they are taking to widen the pool of talent for appointment to public bodies.

In December 2017, the Government published a Public Appointments Diversity Action Plan which sets out the range of activities we are undertaking to attract and to support new and diverse talent into public appointments. It sets out our ambition that, by 2022, 50% of all public appointees should be female and 14% of all public appointments should be from ethnic minorities (currently 43% and 10% respectively). It also announced a review of the barriers preventing disabled people from taking up public appointments. Other actions include improving the recruitment process to maximise opportunities for candidates from the broadest range of backgrounds, developing the networks through which to raise awareness of public appointments, and establishing a group of mentors who will provide peer-to-peer support for new and high potential candidates.

10th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 5 December 2017 (HL3493), what significant increase in the decision-making powers for the devolved administrations they are considering; and whether they will retain any of the powers returned from Brussels which are currently vested in the devolved administrations.

The Government is working closely with the devolved administrations to determine where common approaches will and will not be required in the future. The Government is clear that none of the existing decision-making powers of the devolved administrations will be taken away and that it expects an increase in the decision making powers for the devolved administrations as a result of this process.

24th Oct 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they gave an accurate statement to Buckingham Palace regarding the state of negotiations with the Democratic Unionist Party following the 2017 General Election.

Updates were provided to the Palace following the 2017 General Election accurately reflecting the latest understanding of discussions with the Democratic Unionist Party on reaching a Confidence and Supply Agreement.

13th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the Prime Minister's letter to Sir John Chilcot on 17 June, what further steps they are taking to ascertain when the Maxwellisation process of the Chilcot Inquiry is to be completed.

A meeting between Sir Jeremy Heywood and Sir John Chilcot took place in early July. It was a constructive discussion in accordance with the Prime Minister’s letter, during which Sir John and Sir Jeremy discussed the additional assistance the Inquiry will wish to call upon in its closing stages and agreed some steps that can be taken now to assist the inquiry in its work. Sir John has confirmed it is his intention to provide the Prime Minister with a timetable for completion of the Inquiry’s work once the Maxwellisation process, a confidential process between individuals and the Inquiry, is complete.

13th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the Prime Minister's letter to Sir John Chilcot on 17 June, when the Prime Minister expects to receive information from Sir John Chilcot regarding his timescale for the urgent completion of the Inquiry.

A meeting between Sir Jeremy Heywood and Sir John Chilcot took place in early July. It was a constructive discussion in accordance with the Prime Minister’s letter, during which Sir John and Sir Jeremy discussed the additional assistance the Inquiry will wish to call upon in its closing stages and agreed some steps that can be taken now to assist the inquiry in its work. Sir John has confirmed it is his intention to provide the Prime Minister with a timetable for completion of the Inquiry’s work once the Maxwellisation process, a confidential process between individuals and the Inquiry, is complete.

13th Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the Prime Minister's letter to Sir John Chilcot on 17 June, what steps have been taken to arrange a meeting between him and the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the progress of the Chilcot Inquiry; and on what date arrangements for such a meeting were made.

A meeting between Sir Jeremy Heywood and Sir John Chilcot took place in early July. It was a constructive discussion in accordance with the Prime Minister’s letter, during which Sir John and Sir Jeremy discussed the additional assistance the Inquiry will wish to call upon in its closing stages and agreed some steps that can be taken now to assist the inquiry in its work. Sir John has confirmed it is his intention to provide the Prime Minister with a timetable for completion of the Inquiry’s work once the Maxwellisation process, a confidential process between individuals and the Inquiry, is complete.

3rd Feb 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many days the Chilcot Inquiry sat in November and December 2014 and January 2015; and what is the current remuneration per day of the chairman and members, and the numbers and cost of supporting staff and accommodation.

The Inquiry is independent of Government. The daily payment rates for the Chair and Members of the Inquiry, plus details of the size and cost of the Inquiry’s secretariat and office accommodation, are published on the Inquiry’s website.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
15th Jan 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when "Maxwellisation" letters were sent to witnesses to the Chilcot inquiry.

The timing of Maxwellisation is a matter for the independent Inquiry.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
12th Jun 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the British steel industry is paying more for electricity than its counterparts in Europe; what is the average megawatt price for steel producers in the UK; and how it compares with the cost of electricity for steel producers in France.

Between 2005 and 2010, industrial electricity prices rose by 64 per cent. Including taxes, industrial electricity prices rose from 4.77 pence per kWh in 2005 to 7.84 pence per kWh in 2010.

The steel sector has received more than £295 million in compensation since 2013 to make energy costs more competitive, including over £53 million during 2018. In addition, between 2017 and 2019, the Government has introduced policies that provide eligible steel producers with an 85% reduction in renewable energy policy costs in their electricity bills. Last year we announced the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund worth up to £315 million to support businesses with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future and to cut their bills through increased energy efficiency.

Between 2010 and 2017, industrial electricity prices (including taxes) have risen from 7.84 to 9.79 pence per kWh, an increase of 25%.

7th Mar 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bridges of Headley on 25 February (HL Deb, col 389), when they first made representations to the EU Commission as regards allegations of dumping of Chinese steel; when action was taken by the Commission; and what assessment they have made of whether the Commission took effective and prompt action.

The European Commission currently has 37 measures in place against steel products, 16 of which concern imports from China.

The government makes regular representations to the European Commission concerning allegations of dumping of steel. The government judges each anti-dumping investigation on its merits, based on the evidence presented by the Commission and on representations from interested parties, including producers, users and importers. We have supported industry calls for action in recent cases, for example in the reinforcing bar case we have raised the steel industry’s concerns that the provisional duties were too low with the Commission. My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills spoke with Commissioner Malmström about this and received assurance that the Commission will reconsider this during the definitive stage of the investigation, if industry can provide the necessary evidence.

Given the current crisis in the steel industry, we continue to press the Commission for faster, more effective action to deal with dumping of steel.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
12th Jul 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the Student Loans Company pays for capital to lend to students; and how any profits it makes are used.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans on behalf of the UK government and devolved administrations with funding from Her Majesty’s Treasury. While the SLC itself pays nothing on this funding, the cost to the government of this capital is the same as that paid on its general borrowing.

The amounts paid out and the interest charged can be found in the published document titled ‘DfE consolidated annual report and accounts 2016-17’ on pages 152 to 158, attached.

The government does not make a profit on these loans, which is reflected through the impairment charge in note 14.3.3 on page 155 of the attachment. This shows the proportion of the loan outlay and interest that the department expects not to recover. Student loans are subsidised by the government as a deliberate investment in the skills base of the country, which delivers benefits for individual students and for society at large.

Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
31st Oct 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Morris of Aberavon on 17 October (HL Deb, col 198), when they will be in a position to reply to the issues raised about agricultural support after Brexit, particularly in relation to Wales.

In the Agriculture Bill introduced in the previous session, broadly similar powers were conferred on the Welsh Ministers as on the Secretary of State for England. This was done at the request of the Welsh Ministers and included the powers in clause 11. This means that the Welsh Ministers would have powers to modify retained EU legislation relating to the financing, management and monitoring of Common Agricultural Policy schemes.

The Welsh Government have also announced that they will bring forward their own Agriculture Bill in the National Assembly at a later date. The Welsh Government have informed me that this will be preceded by a White Paper, intended to be brought forward during the current Assembly term.

8th Apr 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 25 March (HL Deb, col 1612), when they will respond to the concerns raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee on their approach to delegated powers in the Agriculture Bill, as set out in that Committee's Thirty Fourth Report, published on 17 October 2018 (HL Paper 194).

Defra acknowledges the concerns raised by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee. The department is considering all elements of the Committee’s Report and how these might be addressed. The Agriculture Bill is to be scheduled for Commons Report Stage in due course.

It is the Government’s intention to respond to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, before Commons Report stage, as indicated in our letter to the Committee dated 17 January.

3rd Jul 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the historic failure of auditors to fully certify the accounts of the EU has been raised in recent negotiations.

As we have said previously, we are not going to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of ongoing negotiations.

Recent negotiations have been building on the significant agreement reached in March. We’re continuing to make good progress and have reached agreement across the vast majority of the draft Withdrawal Agreement.

We are now focussed on negotiating the right future relationship and have been having regular discussions with the EU outlining our positions on a wide range of topics covering the future security partnership and the future economic partnership.

Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Mar 2022
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of civil servants at the DVLA worked from home in the last 12 months.

The information is not available in the format requested. The table below shows information on the percentage of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency staff working from home on the first Monday (or subsequent working day) of each month.

Date

Percentage of staff working from home

7 Mar 2022

39.9

7 Feb 2022

40.2

4 Jan 2022

38.0

6 Dec 2021

38.3

1 Nov 2021

36.2

4 Oct 2021

35.4

6 Sept 2021

34.8

2 Aug 2021

33.4

5 Jul 2021

34.7

7 Jun 2021

34.4

4 May 2021

34.9

6 Apr 2021

33.4

The vast majority of staff responsible for processing the 60,000 items of mail the DVLA receives every day can only do their work effectively in the office as it involves the handling of sensitive original documentation, for example medical information, birth certificates and passports. These staff have to attend the workplace for their contracted working hours. Staff working from home are mainly in support areas, for example, policy, finance, HR and IT. These staff are doing their jobs fully effectively remotely.

The Welsh Government’s guidance, updated on 25 March, continues to ask those who can work from home to do so. The DVLA has opened up space for these staff to attend the office when they need to, such as for meetings or workshops and plans are in place to return staff to the office when restrictions lift further.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
28th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions have been imposed on airport passengers arriving in UK airports as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and what assessment they have made of how any such restrictions compare with the restrictions on such passengers arriving in other major capital cities in Europe. [T]

The safety of passengers is a priority, and measures are already in place to protect people’s health and safety when travelling by air.?All airports are asked to follow Public Health England guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19. Public Health England has also provided specific guidance on health and safety for flight crews. The advice for travellers is the same as for the rest of the UK population.

The Government’s “stay at home” posters are on display at all UK airports and many airports have the messaging on digital screens as well. Airports and airlines have also been provided with Public Health England leaflets to give to passengers outlining the symptoms of COVID-19, current guidance, and general public health advice.

Our approach is being kept under review as the pandemic develops.

This may mean that measures and procedures change as we control the spread of, and understand more about, the virus. Any changes to our approach will be led by advice from SAGE and the Chief Medical Officer. Protecting the health of the UK public will always come first.

The Department is monitoring closely the measures being put in place in many countries, including all European countries. We continue to work closely with international partners to consider what measures are appropriate.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Jun 2019
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for devolving greater infrastructure powers to the Welsh Government, in particular powers over rail services.

We are working closely with Welsh Government to divest the Core Valley Lines from Network Rail to Transport for Wales, which will give the Welsh Government ownership and responsibility for the infrastructure. Furthermore, the Williams Rail Review is exploring different industry structures including devolution and will produce a set of recommendations in autumn.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Sep 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 17 July (HL9180), what is the process for collecting the Heavy Goods Vehicle Levy (HGV) levy from lorries from the Republic of Ireland; and what assessment they have made of whether, and if so to what extent, lorries from the Republic of Ireland evade the HGV levy.

Lorry drivers from the Republic of Ireland pay for the HGV Levy in the same ways as users from other countries. The levy can be paid online, at a number of official Point of Sale (PoS) locations, at driver self-serve facilities offered by some operators and through a number of booking agents. The majority of levy purchases are via the HGV Levy website.

The overall compliance rate for foreign vehicles is high, according to figures collected by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in Great Britain, at 95%. The Department for Transport has not produced equivalent compliance rates by country of origin, but there are indications that vehicles from Ireland in Great Britain have a very similar compliance rate compared to vehicles from other countries.

23rd Jul 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much in HGV Levy was paid in 2017 in respect of lorries registered in (1) the Republic of Ireland, and (2) other EU member states; which EU member states lorries subject to the HGV Levy came from in 2017; and how is payment of the Levy enforced.

In 2017-18, HGV levy revenue from non-UK hauliers was £50m. Of this, approximately £4m was from vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland, £45m was from vehicles registered in other EU Member States, and £1m was from vehicles registered elsewhere. There were vehicles from all EU Member States paying the HGV levy during 2017-18.

The HGV levy is enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Vehicles are stopped at the roadside and, if they have not paid the right levy, the vehicle is held until a fine of £300 is paid. The DVSA targets vehicles that are known not to have paid the levy, and it also checks for levy compliance of vehicles that are stopped for other reasons.

30th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to amending the DVLA guidance for persons with diabetes to allow for those who use flash glucose monitoring and any other new technology to measure glucose levels.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) recognises that developments in this field are moving quickly and in January 2018, the specific reference to “blood glucose monitoring” was removed from the relevant regulations. This will potentially allow alternative methods of glucose monitoring to be accommodated in the future if it is deemed appropriate by expert medical opinion in the context of driving and maintaining road safety.

The DVLA is working closely with the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and diabetes mellitus to understand the potential impacts of allowing the use of alternative methods of glucose monitoring. This issue was discussed at the panel’s October meeting. The panel feels that there is currently insufficient evidence about the use of flash glucose monitoring devices in the context of driving to ensure road safety standards are maintained. The panel will continue to consider further evidence as it emerges.

21st Jul 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the period of validity of checks on driving licences for the purposes of hiring cars has been extended from three days to three weeks; what assessment they have made of which is the better practice; and why the new procedure was adopted initially.

The validity period of the code for checking driving entitlement was extended from three days to three weeks following customer feedback. This suggested that the 72 hour validity period would not be long enough, particularly for people on holiday. The change will be reviewed after three months.

While the validity period has been extended to 21 days, each code can still be used only once. Car hire companies or employers also need the last eight digits of the driver’s licence number to be able to redeem the code. The code can also be cancelled by the driver at any time, which puts individual users in control of their information.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
24th Jun 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what publicity was given before 8 June to the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) utilised media, online and direct mail channels to inform customers and businesses about the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence. The DVLA also engaged directly with trade organisations and car hire companies who may need to check the status of drivers. Since March 2015, the DVLA has written directly to 640,000 professional bus and lorry drivers and sent information to around a million drivers each month with driving licence renewals. Information on GOV.UK about the change has been viewed more than 3.2 million times.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
24th Jun 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advance publicity was given before 8 June of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency telephone number so those drivers who do not wish to use the online service can use it; and what is that number.

On 12 May, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) published the View Driving Licence Assisted Digital telephone number (0300 083 0013) on the Abolition of the Counterpart campaign page on GOV.UK. This informed members of the public about their options for generating a driving licence check code.

From 19 May, customers telephoning the DVLA’s general enquiry line have been redirected to the new service through the automated telephone system.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Jun 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advance publicity was made to advertise recent driving licence policy changes at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) utilised media, online and direct mail channels to inform customers and businesses about the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence. The DVLA also engaged directly with trade organisations and car hire companies who may need to check the status of drivers. Since March 2015, the DVLA has written directly to 640,000 professional bus and lorry drivers and sent information to around a million drivers each month with driving licence renewals. Information on GOV.UK about the change has been viewed more than 2.6 million times and DVLA representatives took part in 40 pre-planned broadcast interviews on 8 June, the day the change was introduced.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Jun 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what savings have been made at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency through not issuing tax badges for displaying on cars, and what assessment has been made of potential losses in tax revenue through increased difficulty in identifying non-payers.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) collects £6 billion in vehicle excise duty every year. The changes to the administration of vehicle excise duty are expected to save the DVLA £13.8m each year. A breakdown of these savings is shown below:

No longer having to print or store tax discs.

£1.3m pa

No longer having to post tax discs to customers.

£7.9m pa

No longer having to process applications for vehicle excise duty refunds

(which are now paid automatically without the need for an application) or handle enquiries about lost or missing tax discs.

£1.2m pa

Reduction in Post Office Ltd costs as they no longer issue paper tax discs, but offer an assisted digital service instead.

£3.4m pa

Businesses will also save an estimated £8.6m each year from not having to post tax discs to customers, apply for refunds of vehicle excise duty and pay to replace lost or stolen tax discs.

The Tax Impact and Information Note published by Her Majesty’s Treasury alongside the Finance Bill 2014 stated that abolition of the tax disc was not expected to have an Exchequer impact. The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle vehicle excise duty evasion. These range from the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera, reminder letters, and penalties through to court prosecutions and the wheelclamping and/or removal of unlicensed vehicles. This approach has not changed following abolition of the tax disc. The DVLA will continue to monitor vehicle excise duty evasion rates.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Jun 2015
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what level of telephone service was available recently at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for motorists who wished to prove their credentials in order to hire cars following recent changes in policy.

To prepare for the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) increased the number of telephone lines by 50% and staffing levels by 28%.

This has successfully addressed the 18% increase in the number of calls received. In the week commencing 8 June, the DVLA answered all calls to the dedicated local rate telephone service to check driving licence details, within one minute 55 seconds.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)