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1685669

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Pension Funds
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 practice of the pension funds of regulators investing in companies for which the regulator has oversight responsibility, for example in the recent case of the Environment Agency’s pension fund investing in companies which produce PFAS.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1972
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>Most regulators participate in the unfunded public service pension schemes, which do not invest monies in order to generate returns. Those that do have funded schemes are subject to DWP occupational pension scheme legislation, with investments separated from the organisation and trustees responsible for scheme investments, or, in the case of the Environment Agency, participate in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Trustees and LGPS administering authorities have specific legal and fiduciary duties.</p><p>LGPS administering authorities, including the Environment Agency Pension Fund, are required to act in the interest of the fund and not the employer in setting and implementing their investment strategy. DLUHC guidance sets out that it is good practice for administering authorities to have robust policies to manage any potential conflicts of interest. The EAPF conflicts of interest policy is available online.<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup></p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eapf.org.uk%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fdocument-libraries%2Feapf2%2Fpolicies%2F2023%2Fconflicts-of-interest-policy-agreed-at-june--23-pc--final_v2.pdf%3Fla%3Den%26hash%3D73A3192F28D6418F742FA515277EE97CA00E8542&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cliam.claughton%40hmtreasury.gov.uk%7Cd1f5cbd49b934f2e54fe08dc27043b27%7Ced1644c505e049e6bc39fcf7ac51c18c%7C0%7C0%7C638428146718896084%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6NtMfv0A8FIJd%2BvNxeF5MDIS8LjTIz8IR8hIB0SQnMc%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.eapf.org.uk/~/media/document-libraries/eapf2/policies/2023/conflicts-of-interest-policy-agreed-at-june--23-pc--final_v2.pdf?la=en&amp;hash=73A3192F28D6418F742FA515277EE97CA00E8542</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 12/02/2024 16:40:10 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1685670

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Animal Experiments: Departmental Responsibilities
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter dated 29 August 2023 from Lord Sharpe of Epsom to the Chair of the Animals in Science Committee, what progress they have made in considering the relocation of the portfolio under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>There are no plans to relocate the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 portfolio from the Home Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).</p><p>The Home Office is working with DSIT to advance the Government’s ambitions for the life sciences and the protection of animals used in science.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 12/02/2024 16:44:41 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1685671

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Shellfish: Animal Welfare
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, regarding the Decapods: call for evidence which closed on 13 October 2023, what consideration they have made of the evidence received, when results will be published, and when a policy decision based on this evidence will be made.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1974
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government is carefully considering the results from the call for evidence regarding the current use of decapods in science to inform future policy options.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office intend to commission the independent advisory body, the Animals in Science Committee (ASC), for advice on this issue. The scope of the commission to the ASC will be made public. We will then publish in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 12/02/2024 17:47:45 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1685672

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
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	Alaa Abdel Fattah
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Egypt regarding the release of the British-Egyptian pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, and whether they have an expectation of the date on which he is likely to be released.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1975
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>Ministers and officials continue to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian government and have been consistently clear in our calls for his release, while continuing to press the need for urgent consular access. The Foreign Secretary and I raised his case with President Sisi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 December 2023. The Prime Minister also recently raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 1 December 2023.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/02/2024 16:08:50 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1685673

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Protective Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with producers of personal protective equipment regarding regulatory or technological solutions to the issue of short use-by dates for such equipment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>The Personal Protective Equipment Regulation 2016/425 sets out essential safety requirements that PPE must meet. This includes an obligation on the manufacturer to give, if possible, the month and year of obsolescence, if it is known that the design performance may be significantly affected by ageing.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has had no discussions with PPE producers about changing this requirement in the Regulation, but welcomes new technological innovation to improve short PPE use-by dates.</p> answering member printed Lord Offord of Garvel question first answered 26/02/2024 16:52:21 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682796

registered interest
date	17/01/2024
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	Forests: Commodities
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that regulated persons in relation to forest risk commodities establish and implement due diligence systems in relation to those commodities, as required under the Environment Act 2021.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government introduced new legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. Recent research estimates that around 70% of global tropical deforestation for commercial agriculture between 2013 and 2019 was conducted in violation of national laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government announced further details of our Forest Risk Commodities regulations at COP28 in December. The new law will make it illegal for larger organisations, with a global annual turnover of more than £50m, to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Initial secondary legislation will focus on four commodities identified as key drivers of deforestation: cattle products (excluding dairy), cocoa, palm oil and soy.</p><p> </p><p>Organisations in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published.  Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions. The secondary legislation required to operationalise the Environment Act provisions will be laid as soon as parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 23/01/2024 15:31:28 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682273

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
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 Low Income Scheme: Chronic Illnesses
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote (1) the NHS Low Income Scheme to chronically ill patients, including Hidradenitis suppurativa patients, and (2) the use of pre-payment prescription certificates to chronically ill patients, including Hidradenitis suppurativa patients.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p><em>The </em>NHS Business Services Authority and the National Health Service promote the NHS Low Income Scheme and prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) to professionals and patients. It does this through social media, online resources, media releases and healthcare bulletins.</p><p>Our extensive arrangements to help people afford NHS prescription charges, means that almost 89% of prescription items in England are already provided free of charge. For those not exempt from charges, PPCs can be used to cap costs at approximately £2 a week for regular prescriptions.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 22/01/2024 16:02:27 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682274

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
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	Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Prescriptions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) to the list of specified medical conditions qualifying for free prescriptions, given the high out-of-pocket costs for HS patients.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1557
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>While we are not considering adding this or other conditions to the list of exemptions for free prescriptions, there are extensive arrangements currently in place to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for patients with hidradentis suppurativa.</p><p>Around 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and extensive arrangements are already in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 22/01/2024 16:01:21 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682275

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
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	Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Employment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to inform and educate employers and occupational health professionals about the specific workplace adaptations that people with Hidradenitis suppurativa may require.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>As set out in the Government response to the <em>Occupational Health: Working Better</em> consultation published last year, the Government will develop a voluntary minimum framework for quality occupational health, aiming to set out the minimum level of provision that employers can adopt to support those with health conditions and disabilities in the workplace. This builds on the development of a digital information and advice service for employers, offering tailored guidance on health and disability, to equip employers to have work and health conversations and signpost to sources of expert support. A copy of the Government response to the consultation is attached.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also announced that it will identify longer-term options to build multidisciplinary workforce capability in work and health, building on existing work with the sector and exploring opportunities for businesses and providers to improve support for their employees. The Occupational Health Workforce Expansion Funding Scheme launched in July 2023 funds doctors and nurses to undertake occupational health training courses and qualifications with 99 doctors and nurses trained to date.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 23/01/2024 15:35:13 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham attachment 1 file name occupational-health-working-better-responses.pdf title Occupational Health - Working Better
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682276

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to educate assessors of disability benefits, including commissioned assessment services, about chronic inflammatory conditions such as Hidradenitis suppurativa and their impact on individuals' capacity to work.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1559
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2024 answer text <p>We have interpreted your question to refer to healthcare professionals (HCPs) who conduct Work Capability Assessments for Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA) on behalf of the department, and not Department for Work and Pensions decision makers who make decisions on entitlement to benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Assessments are carried out by qualified HCPs, who receive training in assessing the impacts of a variety of disabilities including chronic inflammatory conditions, to ensure they are familiar with the clinical aspects of the conditions and their impact on daily functions.</p><p> </p><p>HCPs have access to a wide range of clinical resources, including e-learning modules and case studies, to research any conditions presented. CHDA has a learning module on hidradenitis suppurativa for use by their HCPs that has been externally quality assured by a consultant dermatologist. In addition, HCPs are also expected to keep their knowledge up to date through continuing professional development.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 25/01/2024 16:10:48 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle