Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed attachment file name file name title title question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1566985

registered interest
date	16/01/2023
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	Qatar: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of human rights in Qatar following the sentencing to life imprisonment of Qatari lawyers Hazza and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri on 10 May 2022; what representations have they made to the government of Qatar about this issue; and what steps they plan to take, if any, to curtail UK–Qatar co-operation in response.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4755
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2023 answer text <p>We are aware of the case of Hazza and Rashed bin Ali Abu Shurayda al-Marri. The UK urges all countries to comply with their international obligations including those on human rights. Our close relationship with the Government of Qatar allows us to discuss important issues including human rights. We consistently underline the importance of political freedoms globally. This includes respect for the rule of law. Where the UK has cause, we raise these issues at official and Ministerial level.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 30/01/2023 14:51:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1566590

registered interest
date	12/01/2023
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	Poisoning: Nature Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) proactive, and (2) reactive, steps they are taking to (a) prevent, and (b) end, the sale of (i) poison, and (ii) other products, being promoted for the killing of protected animals in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4697
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2023 answer text <p>The Government strongly condemns the use of any poisons targeted at our protected species. Those found guilty of such illegal activities can expect to face the full force of the law, including potentially severe fines and custodial sentences.</p><p>All vertebrate wildlife is subject to general welfare protection under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Methods of killing or taking not involving poisons are also regulated by legislation; for example, the Pests Act 1954 prohibits the approval of any type of leghold trap or the use of unapproved spring traps.</p><p>There are strict regulations in place in Great Britain (GB) to ensure that when chemical products for pest control are used properly, they do not harm people, pets or the wider environment, including protected species. Products must be authorised before they can be made available on the market and must be used in accordance with the conditions of that authorisation</p><p><br>It is a criminal offence to fail to comply with the laws that regulate the supply of chemicals in GB, or to use chemicals in a way which harms people, pets, protected species or the wider environment, with penalties that may lead to unlimited fines or imprisonment.</p><p>There are robust, multi-agency arrangements in place for enforcing the illegal supply and use of chemicals which include the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, the police and local authorities, with the illegal poisoning of protected species investigated by a dedicated Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/01/2023 12:55:02 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1566181

registered interest
date	11/01/2023
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	Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to monitor concentrations of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in the environment, and (2) to fund more research into the risks they may pose to human health.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2023 answer text <p>(1) Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) have been working with the water industry to research the occurrence and transport of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics through wastewater treatment works as part of the industry-funded Chemical Investigations Programme. Investigations have been carried out at ten sites across the country to understand how the different treatment processes and the presence of chemicals including a range of pharmaceuticals affect the presence and prevalence of particular organisms and resistance genes. The results are due to be published by UK Water Industry Research in early 2023.</p><p>The EA has also been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues discharged from treated sewage effluent which might contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).</p><p>The EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils. The system allows the EA to sift and to screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. The EA has included a number of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as part of PEWS including, for example, diclofenac, ibuprofen and Benzophenone-3 (UV filter). These three substances flagged as high risk in PEWS.</p><p>The EA also monitors for a wide range of pharmaceuticals and substances used in personal care products in the water environment using a semi-quantitative screening methodology. All the substances mentioned above are included on this screening.</p><p>(2) The UK AMR National Action Plan (NAP) (2019-24) commits to “support research to reduce evidence gaps and improve our understanding of hazards and risks from AMR in the environment”. The Government is not currently supporting research on the potential risks of non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues in terms of driving the evolution of AMR in the environment and the risks they may pose to human health, but is exploring options with funders on how best to undertake a One-Health approach to research into the drivers of AMR in the environment and environmental transmission risks to human health. This work will be built upon as an area of focus for research in the next five-year NAP (2024-29).</p><p>The Government is funding a wide array of research into AMR, including through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As of September 2022, the NIHR was supporting 65 active research projects funded by NIHR programmes on AMR, with a combined value of approximately £97 million. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including risk factors for AMR.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 25/01/2023 12:03:40 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1566182

registered interest
date	11/01/2023
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	Sewage: Pollution
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor, measure, or mitigate the impacts of microbial pollution as a result of sewage pollution, in respect of the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2023 answer text <p>The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency (EA) have been working with the water industry to research the occurrence and transport of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics through wastewater treatment works as part of the industry-funded Chemical Investigations Programme. Investigations have been carried out at 10 sites across the country to understand how the different treatment processes affect the presence and prevalence of particular organisms and resistance genes. The results are due to be published by UK Water Industry Research in early 2023. In addition, the EA has completed a study to look at the amounts of antifungal substances that remain in biosolids as one of the final products of these wastewater treatments. These results will also be published in early 2023. <br> <br>The EA has also been working with water companies on chemicals investigations which have included a range of pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines discharged from treated sewage effluent which might contribute to AMR. This work allows the EA to sift and screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England. Many pharmaceuticals are included on this list. Monitoring also takes place for a wide range of pharmaceuticals within the water environment using a semi-quantitative screening methodology.</p><p>A cross-departmental project, Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (PATH-SAFE), was established in 2021 to understand how pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) are spread in the environment and the agri-food system. It brings together DEFRA, the EA, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the UK Health Security Agency. PATH-SAFE contains a workstream focused on AMR prevalence in three river catchments to strengthen our understanding of AMR in the environment, including the relative importance of different sources and potential transmission routes; this includes wastewater and septic discharges as important likely sources. This work is due to complete in 2023. Two documents are attached which provide background (Antimicrobial resistance surveillance pilot site selection and database extension and Framework for understanding environmental antimicrobial resistance in England).</p><p>The actions being taken to reduce sewage pollution more generally will have a direct positive impact on the emergence and spread of resistant microbials. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction plan announced in August of this year sets strict new targets on water companies to reduce sewage discharges. In addition, we have increased monitoring and transparency of water companies by increasing the number of storm overflows monitored from 5% in 2016 to almost 90% now monitored, and we will reach 100% cover by end of 2023. This action has supported the regulators to launch the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works, following new data coming to light as a result of increased monitoring. We are also bringing forward proposals to increase the maximum fine that water companies face for breaches of environmental laws.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name Framework_for_understanding_environmental_antimicrobial_resistance_in_England_-_report.pdf title Framework - 2 file name Antimicrobial_resistance_surveillance_pilot_site_selection_and_database_extension_-_report.pdf title Report question first answered 25/01/2023 12:00:51 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1566183

registered interest
date	11/01/2023
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	Medical Records: Adoption
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reassess the guidance to GP practices on the erasure of medical records of adopted children, given (1) the increasing understanding of the usefulness of current and future genetic screening technologies, and (2) the use of family information to inform screening and treatment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2023 answer text <p>There are no plans at present to reassess the guidance. Primary Care Support England’s guidance states that current adoption legislation requires all adopted patients to be given a new National Health Service number, and all previous medical information relating to the patient to be put into a newly created medical record. If possible, electronic medical records should be merged on the relevant General Practice’s system with the new post-adoptive details. If this guidance is followed, then medical records for adopted children should not be erased.</p><p> </p><p>A copy of this guidance is attached.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 17/01/2023 12:03:10 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham attachment 1 file name adoption-medical-records-practice-guide.pdf title Medical records for adopted patients GP guidance
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1565299

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
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	Bread and Flour: Additives
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure that the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill will not result in people in the UK being exposed to azodicarbonimide, potassium bromate, or any other flour bleaching agents or industrial bread additives banned across the EU.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2023 answer text <p>Through the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill, the Government is considering which retained European Union legislation should be repealed, reformed or preserved. The Government will continue to work with a range of organisations and stakeholders to ensure we maintain our world leading standards of food safety and quality.</p><p>Our national Bread and Flour Regulations 1998, which are not in scope of the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill, do not allow the use of flour bleaching agents in the preparation of any flour or bread.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 24/01/2023 14:58:29 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1565300

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
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	Game: Birds
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the avian flu risk presented by the carcasses of shot game birds being dumped in the environment, as occurred in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on or about 25 December 2022.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2023 answer text <p>The events that led to the dead pheasants being found in the river in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are unknown. However, pheasants which are killed during a game shoot, where the birds are shot with the intention of using them for human consumption and which are then collected would be classified as animal by products. Disposal of animal by products is regulated and dumping such game carcases would be an offence. Anyone concerned about the appropriate disposal of dead animals or non-compliance with avian influenza controls, should contact their local Trading Standards office in the first instance.</p><p><br> Once game birds have been released, they are considered to be wild birds under avian influenza rules. The risk of incursion of highly pathogenic (HPAI) avian influenza H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is currently assessed as very high (i.e. event occurs almost certainly). The risk of wildfowling, driven game shooting and pigeon shooting activities are not considered to significantly increase the risk for long distance dispersal beyond that of routine movement of infected wild birds. Further details on the evidence which supports this risk level can be found in the Animal and Plant Health Agency Rapid Risk Assessment for spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 from wild birds to poultry from the shooting of wild waterfowl and wild game (including formerly captive) birds.</p><p><br> Members of the public should use either the online reporting system to report findings of dead wild birds or call the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). Reports to the Defra Helpline of found dead wild birds are triaged and not all birds will be collected.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/01/2023 12:57:57 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1565301

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
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	Saudi Arabia: Slavery
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what specific representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia over the continuance of modern slavery and other reported human rights abuses of expatriate workers in that country, particularly domestic workers, farmers and drivers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2023 answer text <p>His Majesty's Government has regular discussions with Saudi Arabia about modern slavery and labour laws. I last discussed these matters on 21 December with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. We welcome the labour law reforms for migrant workers that were announced in 2021 and have encouraged the Kingdom to expand these to include domestic workers. We also welcome progress in implementing the Saudi National Action Plan to combat human trafficking, including recent agreements with the International Organisation for Migration and the UN.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/01/2023 17:18:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1565302

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
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	Furniture: Chemicals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Environment Agency guidance directing that waste upholstered domestic seating containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) must be destroyed through incineration, on (1) the capacity of local authorities to provide waste collections, and (2) fly tipping.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2023 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) is working to tackle the illegal disposal of waste domestic seating containing large quantities of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). It has issued additional guidance to help waste holders comply with important, existing, legal requirements, which minimise the environmental impacts of POPs.</p><p><br> We have been working with both local authority and waste industry representatives since early 2021 to understand the impacts where changes to waste management arrangements are required and help them prepare to comply.</p><p><br> Many local authorities were incinerating waste upholstered domestic seating before the EA guidance was published and others took steps to do so once they became aware of the issue. This has minimised the impact on their waste collections. We expect local authorities to continue to accept waste upholstered domestic seating and to ensure they are disposing of it appropriately.</p><p><br> The Government recognises that this is particularly challenging for some local authorities and is currently aware of three examples of local disruption to waste collections. Officials are monitoring a number of risks, including a risk of increased fly-tipping of waste domestic seating. The EA will continue to support local authorities as they take action to comply.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/01/2023 12:39:39 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1565303

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Car Washes: Conditions of Employment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to the research by Nottingham Trent University which found that more than 90 per cent of hand car washes are likely to be employing workers illegally.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2023 answer text <p>Illegal working undercuts honest employers, puts vulnerable migrants at risk of exploitation, prevents legitimate job seekers from accessing employment and defrauds the public purse. Tackling this damaging crime remains a key priority and as the Prime Minister set out in his statement to Parliament on the 13th December we are increasing the number of illegal working raids by 50%.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 23/01/2023 17:43:35 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle