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1716636

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Immigration: Hong Kong
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 progress in ensuring immigrants from Hong Kong achieve employment commensurate with their education and skills; and what steps they are taking to assist new and recent arrivals to achieve this.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>Since April 2021, DLUHC's Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] Welcome Programme has provided universal and targeted support. For the financial year (FY) 23/24, this included funding for VCSE organisations at both a national and regional level to deliver employability support.</p><p>In 2024/25, we continue to fund local authorities across England to provide English language support, alongside a network of Welcome Hubs across the UK.</p><p>Recent research has shown that almost half of employed BN(O)s, of all levels of skill and qualifications, report that their job does not match their skills and experience. To address this need, further VCSE grant funding is being provided in FY 24/25, for targeted employability support in England only. The deadline for grant applications was the 28 April and the successful organisation will be announced shortly.</p><p>BN(O) visa holders can also contact their local Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Hub (delivered by Strategic Migration Partnerships) which DLUHC funds for further information on employability support offered locally.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 21/05/2024 13:41:45 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1702318

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Cotton: Imports
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 volume of cotton garments imported into the UK that are linked to environmental destruction in the Amazonian Cerrado.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>In 2023, only 0.01% of UK imports of clothing, at least some of which are made from cotton, came from Brazil.</p><p>The Government is concerned about environmental destruction in the Amazon, and the Government monitors trends of forest loss across the region, including Brazil. In May 2023, the Government published a joint declaration with Brazil on Green and Inclusive Growth. The Partnership will drive strengthened cooperation and dialogue, including on forests and agriculture.</p> answering member printed Lord Johnson of Lainston question first answered 02/05/2024 11:44:53 answering member 4949 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Lainston
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1702319

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Food: Waste
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of high levels of pollutants in food produced near waste incinerators in Europe; and whether they have any plans to conduct similar assessments in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL3930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) has not made any assessment of reports on this subject and does not plan to conduct any such assessments in England.</p><p> </p><p>The impact on food produced in proximity to waste incinerators is considered as part of environmental permitting regulations. The EA is responsible for deciding whether new incinerators in England should get a permit to operate. For each permit application it receives, the EA uses the results of air quality modelling and a human health risk assessment (HHRA) to determine the impact of the proposed incinerator.</p><p> </p><p>The HHRA assesses impacts on the food chain. Impact assessments are very conservative and permit decisions are based on worst-case scenario impacts.</p><p> </p><p>The EA also consults the UK Health Security Agency and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on every permit application it receives and will not issue a permit if the proposed plant could cause significant pollution or harm to human health, including via the food chain.</p><p> </p><p>The FSA is responsible for the management of public health risks in relation to food. In general, the FSA considers that if incinerator facilities are correctly operated and monitored, with the appropriate level of emissions abatement, there should be no impact on the local area in terms of elevated levels of contaminants in soil and locally produced food. Measures are in place to manage the risk from chemical contaminants and keep levels as low as reasonably achievable through good practices and regulatory controls.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 26/04/2024 11:06:48 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1690589

registered interest
date	20/02/2024
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	Sanitary Products: Safety
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 safety of the use of silver in period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, in the light of concerns among the scientific community regarding the safety of the wearer and environmental impacts, particularly on aquatic life.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2608
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK has a comprehensive regulatory framework in place to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market. Period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This provides a baseline of safety for applicable products, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The law places obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information, including instructions for safe use. This includes risks that are not immediately obvious to consumers without adequate warnings, such as the use of additives and antimicrobial substances and the presence of silver in these products.</p><p> </p><p>Period products are not classed as biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation but are instead articles which contain or are treated with a biocidal product (such as a silver compound). A number of silver active substances are currently waiting to be assessed for safety and efficacy as biocides under the GB review programme of existing active substances. While this is the case they can be legally used in treated articles including period products.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to monitor research on chemicals in period products as part of the UK REACH Work Programme, working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. This ongoing work covers all risks, including those relating to aquatic life. Studies carried out in the EU found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller grouped question UIN HL2622 question first answered 06/03/2024 17:13:24 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1690603

registered interest
date	20/02/2024
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	Sanitary Products
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take action to prevent the unnecessary use of additives and antimicrobial substances in period products claiming ‘anti-odour’ or ‘antimicrobial’ properties.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>The UK has a comprehensive regulatory framework in place to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market. Period products, including period pants and menstrual cups, are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This provides a baseline of safety for applicable products, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be placed on the market. The law places obligations on producers, manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure consumers are provided with safety information, including instructions for safe use. This includes risks that are not immediately obvious to consumers without adequate warnings, such as the use of additives and antimicrobial substances and the presence of silver in these products.</p><p> </p><p>Period products are not classed as biocidal products under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation but are instead articles which contain or are treated with a biocidal product (such as a silver compound). A number of silver active substances are currently waiting to be assessed for safety and efficacy as biocides under the GB review programme of existing active substances. While this is the case they can be legally used in treated articles including period products.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to monitor research on chemicals in period products as part of the UK REACH Work Programme, working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. This ongoing work covers all risks, including those relating to aquatic life. Studies carried out in the EU found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller grouped question UIN HL2608 question first answered 06/03/2024 17:13:24 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1687656

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	West Africa: Timber
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the amount of rosewood timber that is exported from West African countries such as Mali, The Gambia and Senegal; what steps they have taken to ban or control within UK markets the sale of products made from West African rosewood; and what steps they have taken to protect endangered wild species, including rosewood in West Africa.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK is currently contributing funding towards a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) study on the conservation and trade in rosewood tree species but does yet not have an assessment of rosewood timber exports. We have robust mechanisms in place through the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR), which prohibit the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products on the GB market and require operators - those first placing timber products on the market - to exercise due diligence. Those who trade in timber and timber products after they have been placed on the market are required to keep records of who they buy timber products from and any traders they sell them to. This enables timber and timber products to be traced.</p><p> </p><p>The primary objective of the UKTR is to tackle illegal logging and to create a demand for legally harvested timber. Implementing the Regulations enables the protection of forests around the world, supporting the Government’s ambition to lead the world in environmental protection, end extreme poverty, and be at the forefront of action against global climate change.</p><p> </p><p>The requirement to exercise due diligence under UKTR does not apply where a valid CITES permit accompanies the timber.</p><p> </p><p>Rosewood species (Dalbergia and Guibourtia spp.) are listed on the CITES Appendices and so most rosewood timber imports into the UK will need a valid permit. Permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the UK CITES Management Authority, which will only issue permits if it has been possible to determine that the specimens to be imported were legally acquired and sustainably harvested.</p><p> </p><p>The Government provides grants to a wide range of stakeholders to contribute to the protection of endangered wild species, including tackling illegal wildlife trade in West Africa, through the Biodiversity Challenge Funds. While these do not address rosewood in West Africa specifically, this has included empowering communities to protect their forests by the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia, and supporting Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to monitor and halt illegal timber trade through DNA barcoding in Gabon and Congo (Brazzaville).</p><p> </p><p>Further information on these examples and other projects supported by the Biodiversity Challenge Funds can be found at the websites of the Darwin Initiative and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 13/02/2024 11:51:40 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
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

1682278

registered interest
date	15/01/2024
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 the personal protective equipment (PPE) industry about regulatory and technological solutions to improve short PPE use-by dates.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1561
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2024 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 industry 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 31/01/2024 15:03:19 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672755

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
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	Mining: Environment Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the environmental duties and responsibilities of British mining companies operating overseas.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2023 answer text <p>Last year my Department published the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy to accelerate domestic production, collaborate with international partners, and enhance international markets to strengthen supply chains.</p><p>The Strategy commits to boost global environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance to support a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable critical minerals and mining industry. The UK is playing a leading role in international efforts to drive up ESG performance through its bilateral and multilateral engagements, including the Minerals Security Partnership and Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance.</p><p>The UK has re-affirmed its commitment as a member of the Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), advocating for better governance of the extractives and critical minerals sectors. At COP 15 the UK, along with Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United States, signed up to the Canada-led Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, committing to promote high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards and net zero mining practices, employing a nature forward approach.</p><p>The UK Government is supporting the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to rationalise the range of existing mining sustainability standards and bring them together.</p> answering member printed Lord Offord of Garvel question first answered 28/11/2023 13:06:51 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1668657

registered interest
date	08/11/2023
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	Clothing: Fibres
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 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report by Textile Exchange, indicating that there are likely to be only 30 million tonnes available globally of "preferred materials" for fashion production, accounting for 19 per cent of global demand; and what steps are they taking to reduce the use of "non-preferred materials".
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL93
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra has not made an assessment of the Preferred Fiber and Materials Report by The Textiles Exchange. One of Defra’s delivery partners, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), manages Textiles 2030, which commits signatories, who represent 62% of the fashion industry, to meet ambitious targets to reduce water and carbon consumption. WRAP has also done research on sustainable clothing design and produced guidance on fibre and fabric selection.</p><p> </p><p>In July, Defra announced proposals for keeping textiles in use for longer and minimising textile waste. These proposals, which will be subject to consultation in 2024, include a requirement for non-domestic settings such as businesses to separate their textile waste from other types of waste so that it can be collected for reuse or recycling. This separately collected textile waste should not enter landfill or be incinerated. Defra is also proposing that certain retailers provide in store facilities so that customers can return their pre-loved textiles for recycling or reuse.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 15/11/2023 17:19:35 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle