The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I
have asked the Authority to reply.

In relation to the Resource Department Expenditure Limits (DEL) table on page 10 of the memorandum, the Capital DEL table on page 11 and Resource AME table on page 13:

A breakdown is provided in the annex under ‘Part II: Subhead detail’.

In relation to ring-fenced budgets on page 14 and 15 of the memorandum:

The breakdown is to be published as a HM Treasury OSCAR data release later in the 2019 calendar year. Defra’s ring-fenced spend on OSCAR is identified by sub segment codes ending with I, J, M and N within the data release. These Official Statistics are released at the following location:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-oscar-publishing-from-the-database

We send our Estimate and Memorandum (including the Annexes) to our Select Committee and this should all be published on the documents page under commons committee for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Our Annex (attached) has not been published but the Scrutiny Unit is following up on this.

On 5th September 2018, the former Prime Minister updated the House of Commons on the investigation into the two suspects involved in the Salisbury attack. The Prime Minister confirmed that traces of Novichok were found at the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, east London, where the suspects stayed. This statement was repeated in the House of Lords on the same day by the Leader of the House of Lords. This can be found in Hansard Vol 792, col.1799 http://bit.ly/2ycrsCk.

The Chief Medical Officer made it clear in her statement on the 5th September 2018 that the room was only allowed back into use after experts deemed it to be safe.

The Government takes the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home seriously and is taking steps to raise awareness of and tackle these risks. A summary of Government activities can be seen at www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/cross-government-group.htm.

We have introduced regulation where this is sensible and proportionate to do so. Our building regulations require the safe installation of heating appliances and our gas safety regulations require landlords to carry out annual gas safety checks. We are also reviewing regulations for carbon monoxide alarms and will set out our response to this review and the way forward alongside our response to the Social Housing Green Paper.

​While we are aware of reports, which are worrying, we have not made an assessment of this issue. We regularly stress our concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Each year snakebites kill more than 80,000 people and at least 450,000 people are thought to suffer life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs and permanent disability.

There are major technical challenges for the production and distribution of anti-venoms in low- and middle-income countries, including lack of quality anti-venoms, high cost of anti-venoms, poor regulation, poor distribution policies and marketing of inappropriate or poor-quality anti-venoms.

DFID recently launched a £9 million Research programme to develop new snakebite treatments which will be effective against multiple species, affordable, stable in tropical temperatures and easy to use in local communities, to overcome some of the distribution challenges.

All providers on the Early Years Register in England must comply with the safeguarding and welfare requirements set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework. Providers must ensure that their premises are fit for purpose and comply with the requirements of health and safety legislation.

Ofsted refer to the EYFS statutory framework when carrying out inspections and may issue a welfare requirement notice in respect of any failure to meet a requirement in the document. It is an offence if a provider fails to comply with a welfare requirement notice.

Public Health England, NHS England and the Department have carried out post-incident reviews into their response to the Salisbury and Amesbury Novichok incidents. These were subsequently discussed within the Department in September of last year.

We are committed to ensuring high levels of consumer safety. Furniture must comply with the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations. These regulations are currently being reviewed.

Insulation materials used in buildings must comply with the 2010 Building Regulations. MHCLG published in December 2018 a call for evidence starting a technical review of the Building Regulations’ guidance with regards to fire safety (Approved Document B). The Department is currently reviewing the responses to this call for evidence.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) leads on national occupational health and safety policy for the entertainments and leisure sector, whilst Local Authorities are responsible for enforcing the law at individual events, such as festivals, in their geographical area.

Festival organisers have responsibilities under Section 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others, including members of the public, affected by their undertaking. These responsibilities extend to ensuring that equipment, such as gas cookers and BBQs, are maintained and operated in a safe condition.

Disposable BBQs are popular with those attending festivals, and there have been examples where fatalities, arising from exposure to carbon monoxide, have occurred due to BBQs being taken into tents as a source of heat. Festival organisers are expected to take reasonably practicable measures to raise awareness of the potential dangers. Reasonable arrangements should also be in place to monitor the use of disposable BBQs and the behaviour of attendees at the event so that action can be taken to prevent these items being used in enclosed areas.

HSE has published web-based event safety guidance to help event organisers comply with their legal duties (http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/index.htm). The Events Industry Forum also produces a guide, known as the Purple Guide, for the live event industry including festival organisers.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt. hon. Member for Rhondda and campaigners to discuss improving outcomes for those with brain injury caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

NHS England has issued ‘Commissioning Guidance for Rehabilitation’ which provides a framework for commissioners to use service information, and a benchmarking tool, to specifically support reduction of variation in access to and quality of rehabilitation services. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rehabilitation-comms-guid-16-17.pdf

I would be happy to meet with the Rt. hon. Member for Rhondda and campaigners to discuss improving outcomes for those with brain injury caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

NHS England has issued ‘Commissioning Guidance for Rehabilitation’ which provides a framework for commissioners to use service information, and a benchmarking tool, to specifically support reduction of variation in access to and quality of rehabilitation services. This is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rehabilitation-comms-guid-16-17.pdf

The safety of British holidaymakers is of paramount concern to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We provide travel advice for 225 countries and territories to help British nationals make informed decisions about foreign travel and plan for a safe trip. Our foreign travel checklist on GOV.UK and several country-specific travel advice pages contain information and advice on the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, including a link to the Be Alarmed campaign website.

The FCO publishes annual data on consular assistance provided to British nationals worldwide, including hospitalisation cases. We also work closely with Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and UK tour operators to understand local issues that have affected British holidaymakers. We do not collate specific data for cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The safety of British holidaymakers is of paramount concern to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We provide travel advice for 225 countries and territories to help British nationals make informed decisions about foreign travel and plan for a safe trip. Our foreign travel checklist on GOV.UK and several country-specific travel advice pages contain information and advice on the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, including a link to the Be Alarmed campaign website.

The FCO publishes annual data on consular assistance provided to British nationals worldwide, including hospitalisation cases. We also work closely with Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and UK tour operators to understand local issues that have affected British holidaymakers. We do not collate specific data for cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

HSE aims to publish the Annual Report of the Cross Government Group on Gas Safety and Carbon Monoxide on its website by the end of March 2019.

We expect the final clean-up to be completed by March. I pay tribute to all the service personnel across all three services who have done so much in dealing with the attack. Additionally, we will be training Royal Marines to be those best able to deal with the challenges of nerve agents, to make sure we deepen our resilience against future threats.

Will the Secretary of State confirm when the final clean-up in Salisbury will take place, and what further training can be provided to the armed forces to prepare them for such attacks?

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the potential merits of the Scottish Carbon Monoxide regulations in relation to private landlords.

In England, a consultation was held to assess the effectiveness of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015. The responses to this consultation showed that the regulations were working as intended. The results of this consultation will feed into the wider review of requirements for Carbon Monoxide alarms that was announced in April 2018. This review will consider if the regulations should be extended to include all fuel types as well as all tenures

In England the regulations require that private landlords install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room having a solid fuel heating appliance. Private landlords are also required to ensure that the alarms are in working order on the first day of the tenancy. Failure to comply with the regulations can result in a penalty of up to £5,000

The Scottish Carbon Monoxide alarm regulations are a devolved power and it would be for the devolved administration in Scotland to provide details of any assessments they have made of their regulations.