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1626125

registered interest
date	09/05/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Washing Machines: Microplastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on encouraging industry to (a) develop and (b) use low-cost microfibre washing machine filters.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	184112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The United Kingdom is a world leader in tackling plastic pollution, including microplastics. Monitoring of marine litter by the Marine Conservation Society, funded by Defra, tells us that over the last seven years the total litter count on British beaches has decreased significantly - the total median litter count in 2021 was almost three times lower than in 2016.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to contribute to the development of a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040. We want to tackle microplastic pollution wherever possible which is why we introduced a microbead ban and a tax on plastic bags.</p><p> </p><p>We recently announced in the Plan for Water that we will change the law to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic, subject to public consultation. We will also support the Water UK communications campaign to ‘Bin the Wipe’ and write to the relevant producers and advertising authorities regarding the labelling of wet wipes as ‘flushable’.</p><p> </p><p>The Plan for Water also outlined our position that we will expect industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machine and encourage their effective use. With the plan being published only just last month, we are now considering the best actions for its implementation. As a first step, we will look to manufacturers to reduce costs and to provide appropriate evidence of the value of microfibre filters to persuade consumers to invest in them and use them correctly.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Water Industry Research project (performed by UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology) reported in April 2022 that wastewater treatment plants remove 99% of microplastics by number and 99.5% by mass. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) includes over £7.39 million of commitment from the water industry to further research microplastics removal through wastewater treatment processes to sludge, which may be a source of microplastics to final effluent discharges.</p><p> </p><p>An additional investigation sits within the Chemicals Investigation Programme looking at biosolids and microplastics to groundwater. For microplastic monitoring in surface waters and sediments, a pilot study has been completed to develop sampling and analytical protocols that could be used to determine the quantities, loads and types of microplastics and tyre-wear particles in surface waters and sediments. This report will be available post July 2023.</p><p> </p><p>We have also funded research to examine wider sources of microplastics, including tyres and textiles. This research will help to inform future policy. Technical experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have also been leading the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment to develop a new indicator for microlitter (including microplastics) in seafloor sediments. This will help us to track progress in reducing plastics in the environment at a regional scale.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 184113 184114 question first answered 15/05/2023 15:59:25 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1626126

registered interest
date	09/05/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Rivers and Seas and Oceans: Microplastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Plan for Water: our integrated plan for delivering clean and plentiful water, published in April 2023, what progress her Department has made on reducing the levels of microplastics in rivers and oceans.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	184113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The United Kingdom is a world leader in tackling plastic pollution, including microplastics. Monitoring of marine litter by the Marine Conservation Society, funded by Defra, tells us that over the last seven years the total litter count on British beaches has decreased significantly - the total median litter count in 2021 was almost three times lower than in 2016.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to contribute to the development of a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040. We want to tackle microplastic pollution wherever possible which is why we introduced a microbead ban and a tax on plastic bags.</p><p> </p><p>We recently announced in the Plan for Water that we will change the law to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic, subject to public consultation. We will also support the Water UK communications campaign to ‘Bin the Wipe’ and write to the relevant producers and advertising authorities regarding the labelling of wet wipes as ‘flushable’.</p><p> </p><p>The Plan for Water also outlined our position that we will expect industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machine and encourage their effective use. With the plan being published only just last month, we are now considering the best actions for its implementation. As a first step, we will look to manufacturers to reduce costs and to provide appropriate evidence of the value of microfibre filters to persuade consumers to invest in them and use them correctly.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Water Industry Research project (performed by UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology) reported in April 2022 that wastewater treatment plants remove 99% of microplastics by number and 99.5% by mass. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) includes over £7.39 million of commitment from the water industry to further research microplastics removal through wastewater treatment processes to sludge, which may be a source of microplastics to final effluent discharges.</p><p> </p><p>An additional investigation sits within the Chemicals Investigation Programme looking at biosolids and microplastics to groundwater. For microplastic monitoring in surface waters and sediments, a pilot study has been completed to develop sampling and analytical protocols that could be used to determine the quantities, loads and types of microplastics and tyre-wear particles in surface waters and sediments. This report will be available post July 2023.</p><p> </p><p>We have also funded research to examine wider sources of microplastics, including tyres and textiles. This research will help to inform future policy. Technical experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have also been leading the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment to develop a new indicator for microlitter (including microplastics) in seafloor sediments. This will help us to track progress in reducing plastics in the environment at a regional scale.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 184112 184114 question first answered 15/05/2023 15:59:25 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1626127

registered interest
date	09/05/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Companies: Microplastics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to reduce microplastic pollution from water companies.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	184114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The United Kingdom is a world leader in tackling plastic pollution, including microplastics. Monitoring of marine litter by the Marine Conservation Society, funded by Defra, tells us that over the last seven years the total litter count on British beaches has decreased significantly - the total median litter count in 2021 was almost three times lower than in 2016.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to contribute to the development of a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040. We want to tackle microplastic pollution wherever possible which is why we introduced a microbead ban and a tax on plastic bags.</p><p> </p><p>We recently announced in the Plan for Water that we will change the law to ban the sale of wet wipes containing plastic, subject to public consultation. We will also support the Water UK communications campaign to ‘Bin the Wipe’ and write to the relevant producers and advertising authorities regarding the labelling of wet wipes as ‘flushable’.</p><p> </p><p>The Plan for Water also outlined our position that we will expect industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machine and encourage their effective use. With the plan being published only just last month, we are now considering the best actions for its implementation. As a first step, we will look to manufacturers to reduce costs and to provide appropriate evidence of the value of microfibre filters to persuade consumers to invest in them and use them correctly.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Water Industry Research project (performed by UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology) reported in April 2022 that wastewater treatment plants remove 99% of microplastics by number and 99.5% by mass. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) includes over £7.39 million of commitment from the water industry to further research microplastics removal through wastewater treatment processes to sludge, which may be a source of microplastics to final effluent discharges.</p><p> </p><p>An additional investigation sits within the Chemicals Investigation Programme looking at biosolids and microplastics to groundwater. For microplastic monitoring in surface waters and sediments, a pilot study has been completed to develop sampling and analytical protocols that could be used to determine the quantities, loads and types of microplastics and tyre-wear particles in surface waters and sediments. This report will be available post July 2023.</p><p> </p><p>We have also funded research to examine wider sources of microplastics, including tyres and textiles. This research will help to inform future policy. Technical experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have also been leading the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment to develop a new indicator for microlitter (including microplastics) in seafloor sediments. This will help us to track progress in reducing plastics in the environment at a regional scale.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 184112 184113 question first answered 15/05/2023 15:59:25 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1625878

registered interest
date	05/05/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Developing Countries: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recommendations of the International Development Select Committee in its report entitled Debt relief in low-income countries, HC 146, published on 10 March 2023, if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on bringing forward legislative proposals to help ensure private lenders support lower-income countries in crisis by cancelling debt.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	183939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer work closely together on international issues, such as pressing for progress on sovereign debt treatment at the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring Meetings.</p><p>The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expect private creditors to participate in debt restructurings on terms at least as favourably as bilateral (i.e. country) creditors.</p><p>The Government is focused on delivering a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation, for example recently developing Majority Voting Provisions for private loans.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 15/05/2023 11:54:36 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1625882

registered interest
date	05/05/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	183940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on the operators of the Seasonal Workers visa route to safeguard migrant workers under the scheme, including protecting their rights and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps these protections under close and ongoing review. A new team within the Home Office compliance network focuses on ensuring sponsors are abiding by workers’ rights by improving training and processes for compliance inspectors and creating clear policies and guidance for robust action for scheme operators where workers are at risk of exploitation. Should any of the selected operators fall short in these duties action will be taken, up to and including the revocation of their sponsor licence.</p><p>The Home Office and Defra maintain regular contact with scheme operators to ensure that they adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. All Seasonal Worker visa route operators are also required to hold a Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence, as a condition of maintaining their role as a scheme operator. The responsibilities and remit of the GLAA are set out on their website.</p><p>Defra continues to speak regularly with the agricultural sector including on matters relating to the welfare of seasonal workers. Defra also conducts an annual survey of workers, providing them with a route to provide direct feedback to us on their experience while working here including their living and working conditions. In addition, Defra officials engage with the industry and non-profit organisation led Seasonal Worker Taskforce, which focuses on practical actions to improve the responsible recruitment and employment of migrant workers into UK farms.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 183941 question first answered 15/05/2023 09:03:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1625883

registered interest
date	05/05/2023
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has held with agricultural producers on the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers who live on-site.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	183941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office sponsor licence regime places a broad range of responsibilities on the operators of the Seasonal Workers visa route to safeguard migrant workers under the scheme, including protecting their rights and ensuring effective enforcement of UK employment laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps these protections under close and ongoing review. A new team within the Home Office compliance network focuses on ensuring sponsors are abiding by workers’ rights by improving training and processes for compliance inspectors and creating clear policies and guidance for robust action for scheme operators where workers are at risk of exploitation. Should any of the selected operators fall short in these duties action will be taken, up to and including the revocation of their sponsor licence.</p><p>The Home Office and Defra maintain regular contact with scheme operators to ensure that they adhere to the stringent requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the seasonal workers. All Seasonal Worker visa route operators are also required to hold a Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence, as a condition of maintaining their role as a scheme operator. The responsibilities and remit of the GLAA are set out on their website.</p><p>Defra continues to speak regularly with the agricultural sector including on matters relating to the welfare of seasonal workers. Defra also conducts an annual survey of workers, providing them with a route to provide direct feedback to us on their experience while working here including their living and working conditions. In addition, Defra officials engage with the industry and non-profit organisation led Seasonal Worker Taskforce, which focuses on practical actions to improve the responsible recruitment and employment of migrant workers into UK farms.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 183940 question first answered 15/05/2023 09:03:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1625588

registered interest
date	03/05/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Health Services: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he had made of the potential impact of the 2.8 per cent increase in the public health grant for 2022-23 on the adequacy of the provision of public health services.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	183738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2023 answer text <p>There is no model to assess the service impact of the 2.8% increase in the public health grant for 2022/23.</p><p>Over the two years 2023/24 and 2024/25 we are delivering a real terms increase of over 5% in Departmental investment in local authority public health functions, through the public health grant and through funding to improve the Start for Life offer and to support improvements in the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment.</p> answering member constituency Harborough answering member printed Neil O'Brien question first answered 10/05/2023 12:20:38 answering member 4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1625591

registered interest
date	03/05/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	NHS: Dental Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the oral evidence by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care and Public Health to the Health and Social Care Committee on 25 April 2023, HC 964, what factors he plans to take into account when formulating his plan for dental health care.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	183740
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2023 answer text <p>We are currently working on a plan for dentistry, to improve access to dental care across England. There are several fronts where we need to take further action to support and recover activity in National Health Service dentistry, to improve access to care for all ages.</p><p>Our plan for dentistry will build upon the first package of reforms agreed in July 2022, which included changes to banding and the introduction of a minimum Units of Dental Activity value. Our plan will include addressing how we continue to improve access, particularly for new patients, and how we make NHS work more attractive to ensure NHS dentists are incentivised to deliver more NHS care.</p> answering member constituency Harborough answering member printed Neil O'Brien question first answered 10/05/2023 12:54:30 answering member 4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1625592

registered interest
date	03/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department assesses the adequacy of local delivery plans for priority education investment areas as part of the allocation process for local needs funding.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
tabling member printed	Paul Maynard
uin	183684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Department has established 24 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIA) with funding for improvements to attainment at Key Stages 2 and 4.</p><p>Departmental Regional Directors have led the creation of delivery plans, following a detailed diagnosis of need for each PEIA. These plans are informed by Local Partnership Boards to ensure effective identification and prioritisation of areas for improvement.</p><p>To ensure value for money and delivery of improvement aims, funding will be provided for evidence based programmes and activities, and approaches approved by the Department.</p><p>The SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan sets out the Department’s next steps to deliver an improved experience for all children and young people with SEND and their families. The plan is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139561/SEND_and_alternative_provision_improvement_plan.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139561/SEND_and_alternative_provision_improvement_plan.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 183685 183686 question first answered 15/05/2023 11:53:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard

1625593

registered interest
date	03/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local delivery plans for priority education investment areas are required to include projects specifically to help deliver services for young people with special educational needs and disability.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
tabling member printed	Paul Maynard
uin	183685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The Department has established 24 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIA) with funding for improvements to attainment at Key Stages 2 and 4.</p><p>Departmental Regional Directors have led the creation of delivery plans, following a detailed diagnosis of need for each PEIA. These plans are informed by Local Partnership Boards to ensure effective identification and prioritisation of areas for improvement.</p><p>To ensure value for money and delivery of improvement aims, funding will be provided for evidence based programmes and activities, and approaches approved by the Department.</p><p>The SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan sets out the Department’s next steps to deliver an improved experience for all children and young people with SEND and their families. The plan is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139561/SEND_and_alternative_provision_improvement_plan.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1139561/SEND_and_alternative_provision_improvement_plan.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 183684 183686 question first answered 15/05/2023 11:53:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard