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1418468

registered interest
date	31/01/2022
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	Bread
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a legal definition of (1) sourdough bread, and (2) other sourdough products.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2022 answer text <p>Defra alongside the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland, DHSC, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments are currently conducting a review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1998 to ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and support UK industry while protecting consumers. To assist the review, DEFRA convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. As part of this, the working group is exploring the use of the term &quot;sourdough&quot;, to assess whether providing a definition of sourdough in any legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations would be beneficial to protect consumers.</p><p>The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy and as part of the Government's Food Strategy, we are reviewing how food information, including labelling, can be improved. Existing food labelling rules and other requirements on the control of additives in food production ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively to enable consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume.</p><p>Bakers, including those producing sourdough products, can effectively market their products on their own merits within the rules as they stand, and legislation supports such marketing so long as it is not misleading. While discussions around the term &quot;sourdough&quot; are still ongoing, legislative intervention is just one option and should be restricted to areas where there is clear market failure. The Government is supportive of non-regulatory measures and encourages further work on the draft industry code of practice which could help achieve a better mutual understanding in this area.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/02/2022 14:38:44 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1417127

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Shipping: Plastics
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to support the proposal by the government of Sri Lanka to the International Maritime Organisation to regulate the transport of plastic nurdles.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5691
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>When the container ship X-PRESS PEARL caught fire and sank off the Sri Lankan coast in 2021, a significant quantity of plastic nurdles were released into the marine environment. Following the incident, the Sri Lankan government submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which sets out several proposed measures aimed at preventing similar spills of plastic nurdles in the future and identifying tools to manage such spills should they occur.</p><p> </p><p>The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which provides the UK’s representation at the IMO, is actively engaged in IMO work focussed on the issue of marine plastics. Whilst the proposals that have been put forward will need further refinement and consideration within the IMO, the MCA is supportive of efforts to reduce marine plastic pollution and welcomes the debate in an international forum.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 02/02/2022 17:22:42 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1417128

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
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	Plants: Non-native Species
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the further sale of plants listed in Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>Water fern (<em>Azolla filiculoides</em>) and Australian swap stonecrop (<em>Crassula helmsii</em>) are banned from sale by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Floating pennywort (<em>Hydrocotyle ranunculoides</em>), parrot’s feather (<em>Myriophyllum aquaticum)</em> and water-primrose (<em>Ludwigia grandiflora</em>), previously banned from sale under this Act, are now among 36 plant species banned from sale by the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. There are no plans to make the sale of further Schedule 9 plant species an offence.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 09/02/2022 12:32:08 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1417129

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
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	Outdoor Recreation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to appoint a new leader of the cross-government Commission on Access to the Outdoors; and when they expect it to (1) conclude its work, and (2) report.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5693
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>The Access to the Outdoors Commission was a cross government initiative leading up to the Spending Review, considering how to increase access to green spaces. It informed policy development and Defra continues to work collaboratively with other Government departments to seek opportunities to improve access to the outdoors where possible. The Commission has now concluded its work.</p><p> </p><p>The Spending Review is providing more than £30 million to improve public access to green spaces in support of health, wellbeing and the environment. We are also investing £9 million to level up urban green spaces across the UK through the Levelling Up Parks Fund. Grants will be given to, and administered by, local authorities, to deliver new green spaces in over 100 of the neighbourhoods most deprived of green space. As announced in the Levelling Up White Paper a new £30 million parks fund will also deliver up to £1 million to at least 30 local parks in England for refurbishment with an emphasis on facilities for young families.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme provides additional investment to allow farmers and other land managers to work in partnership with our National Park Authorities and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty teams to improve public access, and deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, for people and for places.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 09/02/2022 17:46:52 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1417130

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
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	Schools: Nutrition
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Kamall on 24 January (HL Deb, col 5) where he stated that they are "looking at how we change diets in schools and across the public sector", how that work is being conducted; in which department it is being conducted; with what deadlines; and when the (1) recommendations, and (2) implementation, are expected.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>In early 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will lead on a consultation on proposed changes to public sector food procurement policy, including the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF). The consultation will seek views on promoting local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, opening public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses and increasing the transparency of food supply chains. Specific dates for the recommendations of this consultation and their implementation will be announced in due course.</p><p>On 15 July 2021, the nutrition standards in the GBSF were updated to reflect the latest scientific nutritional evidence. On 18 August 2021, the Government Buying Standards for food and catering services: nutrition standards: Technical guidance was published to provide catering establishments with practical advice to implement the GBSF standards. A copy of the guidance is attached. We recognise that catering establishments will need to plan menus to include products that meet the revised guidelines. There will be an implementation period of 12 months to ensure compliance, with an extension of three years for the Reducing Salt standard and the sandwich component of the Reducing Saturated Fat Standard.</p> answering member printed Lord Kamall question first answered 07/02/2022 10:08:15 answering member 4909 label Biography information for Lord Kamall attachment 1 file name gbsf-nutritional-standards-technical-guidance.pdf title Government Buying Standards for food and catering
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1404670

registered interest
date	19/01/2022
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	Uyghur Tribunal
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Uyghur Tribunal, and in particular its determination that the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims are subject to human rights abuses and crimes against humanity; and, further to the findings of the Tribunal, what plans they have to review the planned UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>The Uyghur Tribunal's findings add to our serious and well-known concerns about the severity of the human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.</p><p>In response to those concerns, the UK has led international efforts to hold China to account at the UN, imposed sanctions on senior Chinese government officials, and announced measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in these violations through their supply chains.</p><p>However, we can also pursue a positive and reliable economic relationship with China while upholding our values and protecting our national security. UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogues (EFDs) provide a mechanism to do this. Where we have concerns, we will continue to speak out and take action at the highest levels.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 02/02/2022 17:39:39 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1403684

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of classrooms that have windows that cannot be opened; what steps they are taking to address this; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of air filtration units in classrooms that do not have a source of fresh air.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2022 answer text <p>During the autumn term, the department provided over 350,000 CO2 monitors to all state-funded education settings, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding. Feedback suggests that schools are finding the monitors helpful to manage ventilation and, in the majority of education providers, existing ventilation measures are sufficient.</p><p>Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, schools are advised to explore what remedial works may be required to improve ventilation.</p><p>The department does not hold data on the number of classrooms that have windows that cannot be opened. Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual education providers. The law says employers, including education and childcare providers, must make sure there is an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of the workplace. This has not changed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Health and Safety Executive provides more information at: <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm</a>. Schools, colleges, and universities are expected to plan and prioritise any necessary remedial works within existing budgets. For more substantial capital works, education providers and those responsible for buildings have access to funding to improve the condition of buildings through different routes depending on their size and type.</p><p>Where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation, it may be appropriate for education providers to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed.</p><p>On 2 January, we announced that we are supplying up to a total of 8,000 air cleaning units to providers. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is making a new commitment to fulfil all eligible applications from education settings for air cleaning units, and will make up to an additional 1,000 units available to do so. Our decision to make air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated spaces in education providers was informed by advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and external consultation with specialists. We have closely monitored the evidence and reviewed the scientific literature, including evidence from SAGE and the Environmental Modelling Group on the application of air cleaning units to manage the transmission of COVID-19. This evidence is available here: <a title="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/s0867_emg_potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_covid-19.pdf" href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/S0867_EMG_Potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_COVID-19.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/939173/S0867_EMG_Potential_application_of_air_cleaning_devices_and_personal_decontamination_to_manage_transmission_of_COVID-19.pdf</a>.When used properly, air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants in a poorly ventilated space, including viruses like COVID-19.  Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and should never be used as a reason to reduce ventilation. They are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated. We will continue to develop our policy and guidance on ventilation in line with the latest scientific advice and in consultation with industry-wide experts.</p><p>Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we have emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to schools, colleges and universities on ventilation requirements. In addition to our existing guidance on ventilation, we have provided education providers with guidance on how to use the air cleaning units, as well as how to order a unit via the online marketplace. This marketplace is available at: <a href="https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning" target="_blank">https://s107t01-webapp-v2-01.azurewebsites.net/list/air-cleaning</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 26/01/2022 17:34:05 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1403685

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
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	Consumer Goods: Waste Disposal
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a waste law that would prevent companies destroying unsold or returned goods.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2022 answer text <p>Businesses are obliged to follow the waste hierarchy, set out in the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011. This gives priority to preventing waste, and only then, in order, to reuse, recycling, recovery and last of all disposal. Failure to comply with this hierarchy can lead to enforcement action.</p><p> </p><p>Last year, we consulted on a new Waste Prevention Programme for England, which includes proposals to further clarify and enhance this approach. We expect to publish the response to this shortly.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 01/02/2022 11:59:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1403686

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Defence: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to signing up to the “Peace Dividend Campaign”.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>The first responsibility of Government is to protect its citizens.</p><p> </p><p>Defence is one of a full spectrum of levers that we routinely use - alongside diplomatic, intelligence, economic, legal and strategic communication tools. For example, Defence continues to play a direct role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, most recently through ongoing Royal Navy support to the international disaster relief efforts following the tsunami in Tonga; and last year providing a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel to assist the US humanitarian aid mission in Haiti. Our Armed Forces are also always ready to respond to requests to support civil authorities, and from vaccine supply logistics to front line medical support they have played a critical role in supporting the response to the COVID pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>We must stay ahead of the increasingly complex threats to our people and allies by investing in, rather than cutting, defence budgets. That is why we are increasing defence spending by over £24 billion over the next four years.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 28/01/2022 11:20:25 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1403687

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
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	Antarctica: Tourism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, as a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, what assessment they have made of the practice of charter flights carrying tourists to the Antarctic.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>Tourism is discussed annually at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) and the UK engages actively to ensure all activities are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Within the Antarctic Treaty System, all activities in Antarctica must be undertaken in accordance with the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which requires environmental impact assessments (EIA) and pre-planning to ensure activities are conducted so as to limit adverse impacts on the Antarctic environment. At its meeting in June 2021, the ATCM adopted a revised Resolution on Air Safety in Antarctica, which covers governmental and non-governmental air operations. The UK implements the Environmental Protocol and other obligations under the Antarctic Treaty System through the Antarctic Act 1994 (as amended by the Antarctic Act 2013), which generally requires British expeditions, ships and aircraft to obtain a permit from the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office, prior to entry into Antarctica.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 31/01/2022 17:37:51 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle