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My Lords, before the House adjourned this debate at 1 o’clock, we had heard the excellent and interesting maiden speech from the noble Lord, Lord Brady of Altrincham, whom I warmly congratulate on his appointment to the House. He began his speech, as many maiden speakers rightly do, by thanking...
My Lords, before the House adjourned this debate at 1 o’clock, we had heard the excellent and interesting maiden speech from the noble Lord, Lord Brady of Altrincham, whom I warmly congratulate on his appointment to the House. He began his speech, as many maiden speakers rightly do, by thanking...
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they have held or plan to hold discussions with regional mayors in England about the government’s targets for house building.
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they have held or plan to hold discussions with regional mayors in England about the government’s targets for house building.
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for her Question and her advocacy of devolution. As the Deputy Prime Minister set out in her letter to metro mayors,
“housing need in England cannot be met without planning for growth on a larger than local scale”.
That means enhancing mayors’ powers over strategic planning to ensure close working in order to deliver the housing and high-quality jobs that underpin local growth. To facilitate that partnership working, we have established the Council of the Nations and Regions, chaired by the Prime Minister, and the Mayoral Council, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.
I welcome that reply, particularly given that, in many cases, regional mayors cover wide and distinct economic areas. They may have valuable advice on where affordable housing is particularly needed, as well as on areas where housing is less desirable—such as greenfield sites, where houses are being bought up as second homes to the disadvantage of local communities and the environment. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that, in this and other policy areas, regional mayors can make a valuable contribution to central government decision-making?
I welcome that reply, particularly given that, in many cases, regional mayors cover wide and distinct economic areas. They may have valuable advice on where affordable housing is particularly needed, as well as on areas where housing is less desirable—such as greenfield sites, where houses are being bought up as second homes to the disadvantage of local communities and the environment. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that, in this and other policy areas, regional mayors can make a valuable contribution to central government decision-making?
I completely agree with my noble friend. It will be necessary to introduce effective new mechanisms for that strategic planning and to put the say in strategic planning back into the hands of people who have skin in the game in local areas. We will strengthen the position in the NPPF on co-operation between authorities; work with the mayors and their constituent authorities to extend their existing powers; and identify groups of other authorities where strategic planning will provide particular benefits.
My Lords, I join in the congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Black of Brentwood, on initiating this debate. I know, as another long-standing member of the all-party group, how active he has been in promoting the goal of a proper system of fracture liaison services.
I remember initiating a similar...
My Lords, I join in the congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Black of Brentwood, on initiating this debate. I know, as another long-standing member of the all-party group, how active he has been in promoting the goal of a proper system of fracture liaison services.
I remember initiating a similar...
My Lords, a number of detailed government Bills with implications for people and citizens across the UK are being considered by both Houses at present. I am thinking of measures such as the water Bill, bearing in mind that waterways adjoin the different nations of the UK, such as the River Tweed, which adjoins Northumberland and Scotland. Can the Minister assure me that detailed measures concerning the practical decisions we need to take, in conjunction with the devolved authorities, are being considered in an orderly and detailed way?
My Lords, a number of detailed government Bills with implications for people and citizens across the UK are being considered by both Houses at present. I am thinking of measures such as the water Bill, bearing in mind that waterways adjoin the different nations of the UK, such as the River Tweed, which adjoins Northumberland and Scotland. Can the Minister assure me that detailed measures concerning the practical decisions we need to take, in conjunction with the devolved authorities, are being considered in an orderly and detailed way?
I thank the noble Baroness for her question. Ensuring that consideration is given to the wider impact of legislation in this House and in the other place is fundamental. That is why Ministers have met their Scottish counterparts more than 20 times in the past month to discuss each part of our legislative agenda.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had, or will have, discussions with the Scottish Government about shared responsibilities for the water quality of the River Tweed.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had, or will have, discussions with the Scottish Government about shared responsibilities for the water quality of the River Tweed.
The Secretary of State for Defra met with ministers from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and DAERA on 16 September at their Inter-ministerial Group meeting. The group agreed to enhance joint scientific research and local field trials to tackle pollution of culturally and economically important water bodies, which could support efforts to protect and restore the River Tweed.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in state schools.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in state schools.
The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and other times of the school day. The Standards aim to ensure that the right foods are available for children every day and restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, including high sugar foods and confectionery.
Diets high in calories and saturated fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) are associated with an increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Government dietary advice, based on recommendations from The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and depicted within the Eatwell Guide, already shows that many foods that would be classified as ultra-processed are not part of a healthy, balanced diet as they are HFSS.
SACN has concluded that observed associations between ultra-processed foods and health are concerning, but it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or due to their nutritional content.
The Ministerial team is working with departmental officials on plans to deliver manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. The department’s aim is to deliver better life chances through a system which works for all. As part of this, and as with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to school food under continued review.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in NHS hospitals.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in NHS hospitals.
It is important that patients receive healthy, nutritious food while in hospital.
Nutritional guidelines for patient food is provided by the British Dietetic Association in an online-only format. Portion control and costs are generally agreed by each hospital site or through local food frameworks.
The NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food and Drink set out the requirements for more sustainable menus. This includes fewer processed foods high in sugar, salt and fats. A copy of the standards is attached.
My Lords, having not had the opportunity before, I warmly welcome my noble friend to his role. I very much endorse the comments that have been made about the importance of tax relief for museums. Will the Government, as I hope they are already committed to do, consult with museums—including in my own region of the north-east, where this has been particularly helpful—before any further measures are considered?
My Lords, having not had the opportunity before, I warmly welcome my noble friend to his role. I very much endorse the comments that have been made about the importance of tax relief for museums. Will the Government, as I hope they are already committed to do, consult with museums—including in my own region of the north-east, where this has been particularly helpful—before any further measures are considered?
In drawing up future tax policy the Government will of course consult with all interested stakeholders.
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) European counterparts, and (2) other international partners, about how provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora are being implemented.
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) European counterparts, and (2) other international partners, about how provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora are being implemented.
Defra officials regularly discuss how the provisions of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are implemented with both European counterparts and other international partners. This includes at regular meetings of the CITES Standing Committee which was last held in November 2023.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what recent meetings they have had with environmental organisations to discuss measures to reduce sewage pollution in lakes and rivers.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what recent meetings they have had with environmental organisations to discuss measures to reduce sewage pollution in lakes and rivers.
My Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. Defra Ministers and officials consult extensively and routinely with a wide range of stakeholders, including environmental organisations, on this very important issue. For example, since March my officials have met with Surfers Against Sewage, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Shellfish Association of Great Britain. We all agree that the current volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable. Reducing sewage pollution in British lakes and rivers remains a top priority for the Government.
My Lords, since the House last debated this subject, there have been reports that sewage discharges have doubled in many of our rivers over the last year and that England’s largest lake, Windermere, has a very bad pollution problem. There have even been warnings to the Oxford and Cambridge boat crews about the health risks of the water of the River Thames. Given recent reports and publications, does the Minister have urgent plans to meet the Rivers Trust, Friends of the Earth and Sustain to review their recent findings and discuss urgent measures and long-term strategy?
My Lords, since the House last debated this subject, there have been reports that sewage discharges have doubled in many of our rivers over the last year and that England’s largest lake, Windermere, has a very bad pollution problem. There have even been warnings to the Oxford and Cambridge boat crews about the health risks of the water of the River Thames. Given recent reports and publications, does the Minister have urgent plans to meet the Rivers Trust, Friends of the Earth and Sustain to review their recent findings and discuss urgent measures and long-term strategy?
I thank the noble Baroness for her question. I assure the House that the Government are taking huge steps to improve the quality of our waterways. We have driven environmentally sensitive farming through the environmental land management schemes to reduce pollution from the agricultural sector, introduced a range of new targets and laws, including 100% monitoring of storm overflows, increased Environment Agency resources for inspections and introduced new legislation to curb dividends and bonuses. We have created a water restoration fund and fast-tracked £180 million of new funding to improve infrastructure this year. Perhaps most importantly, we have also created a long-term vision through our Plan for Water, which marks a step change in our approach and will see £60 billion of investment into infrastructure over the next 25 years. Notwithstanding that, as I said in opening, we have met an enormous number of individuals,
environmental groups and interested parties, including the Rivers Trust, which the noble Baroness mentioned. I have met that organisation personally on a number of occasions, although not specifically on this issue.
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their consultation last year, whether they plan to introduce legislation to protect hedgerows this spring and during the bird breeding season.
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their consultation last year, whether they plan to introduce legislation to protect hedgerows this spring and during the bird breeding season.
Following overwhelming support to our consultation last summer, which received almost 9,000 responses, on 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to employing refugees who are qualified dentists to help alleviate the backlog in NHS dentistry.
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to employing refugees who are qualified dentists to help alleviate the backlog in NHS dentistry.
The General Dental Council (GDC), which is responsible for the regulation and registration of dentists, has advised that it is keen to support refugees with their registration applications wherever possible. Dedicated information for refugees can be found on the GDC’s website, in an online only format.
My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I welcome this order, although it is very sad that it coincides with the death of Paul Rowsell, to whom tribute has rightly been paid across all sides of the Committee.
This is an important step for the north-east. I...
My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I welcome this order, although it is very sad that it coincides with the death of Paul Rowsell, to whom tribute has rightly been paid across all sides of the Committee.
This is an important step for the north-east. I...
My Lords, when the Foreign Secretary wound up the debate a short while ago in this House, he said that ad-hockery was often quite a good approach in negotiations with European counter- parts. I can understand that in terms of taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. However, given the huge range of difficulties that businesses, particularly small businesses, are having at the moment in trying to surmount the various non-tariff barriers to trade between us and the EU, do we not also need a focused and comprehensive approach to the forthcoming negotiations with the EU?
My Lords, when the Foreign Secretary wound up the debate a short while ago in this House, he said that ad-hockery was often quite a good approach in negotiations with European counter- parts. I can understand that in terms of taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. However, given the huge range of difficulties that businesses, particularly small businesses, are having at the moment in trying to surmount the various non-tariff barriers to trade between us and the EU, do we not also need a focused and comprehensive approach to the forthcoming negotiations with the EU?
I think the noble Baroness is right to put it like that, but that is what the trade and co-operation agreement is about. We have structured co-operation when it comes to that
part of our relations, and obviously it is up to us in the time before it is re-examined to make the most of it and look at what other things we could do to help small businesses, such as VAT thresholds and—I have raised it before—electricity trading. These are some of the ideas that we are putting forward that we think could make a difference.
When the former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced his trade deal with the EU in 2020, he said there would be no non-tariff barriers to trade between us and the EU. That claim has turned out to be spectacularly false, given the extra bureaucracy and costs that many businesses, particularly small businesses, are facing as a result of that deal. As we know, these burdens are due to get worse, not better, in the coming months. Given that in a supplementary question I cannot list all the businesses that I know have been badly impacted, I ask the Minister whether, if I send the details of those firms, his department will look at these things urgently and see in what ways the burdens can be reduced or removed.
When the former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced his trade deal with the EU in 2020, he said there would be no non-tariff barriers to trade between us and the EU. That claim has turned out to be spectacularly false, given the extra bureaucracy and costs that many businesses, particularly small businesses, are facing as a result of that deal. As we know, these burdens are due to get worse, not better, in the coming months. Given that in a supplementary question I cannot list all the businesses that I know have been badly impacted, I ask the Minister whether, if I send the details of those firms, his department will look at these things urgently and see in what ways the burdens can be reduced or removed.
I thank the noble Baroness. There is no question that there has been friction in our trade, especially with the EU 27. We have tariff-free trade; a lot of the friction is not of our doing, but we must deal with it.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to meet representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises to discuss non-tariff barriers to trade between the United Kingdom and European Union.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to meet representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises to discuss non-tariff barriers to trade between the United Kingdom and European Union.
I thank the noble Baroness for her Question. We engage extensively with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises and trade associations across the UK. This includes engagement that I and
my fellow Ministers undertake. As Minister for Small Business, Minister Hollinrake routinely meets these representatives and business leaders. As Minister for Exports, I spend a lot of effort meeting SME exporters. We are leading a whole-government effort to break down barriers, including non-tariff barriers with our partners in the EU and across the world.
My Lords, following the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, will the Minister at least assure us that trade with our nearest and biggest market is still important to us? Will he perhaps also reflect on some of the problems of trading with countries very far away, both in terms of environmental impact and of course recently in terms of the very worrying security situation in the Red Sea?
My Lords, following the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, will the Minister at least assure us that trade with our nearest and biggest market is still important to us? Will he perhaps also reflect on some of the problems of trading with countries very far away, both in terms of environmental impact and of course recently in terms of the very worrying security situation in the Red Sea?
I thank the noble Baroness for that. Indeed, the EU 27 still account for 40% or 41% of our exports. If you expand that to the euro 34, it is 49% of our exports. So 50% of our trade is still with Europe, 20% is with America and 30% is with the rest of the world. But the direction of travel is that the growth will come from the rest of the world, not just in Europe. Europe will remain important. In terms of our goods, the sticky part of our pie chart has been our manufactured goods to Europe, which is 24%. That has been difficult—but the other 76% is going gangbusters.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to undertake a study of the impacts to date of Brexit on the London Stock Exchange.
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to undertake a study of the impacts to date of Brexit on the London Stock Exchange.
The government does not intend to review the impacts of Brexit on the London Stock Exchange.
The UK is Europe’s leading hub for investment, and London continues to be the only European hub in the top ten of the Global Financial Centres Index. The government is committed to building on these strong foundations to make the UK the global capital for capital.
Leaving the EU provides the freedom for the UK to tailor financial services regulation to UK markets, including through the government’s Smarter Regulatory Framework programme. Under the programme, assimilated law is being replaced by a regulatory framework tailored to the UK that will benefit businesses and consumers alike.
The government is taking forward an ambitious programme of reform to improve the competitiveness of UK markets. This includes overhauling the UK’s Prospectus Regime to create a simpler and more effective regime than its EU predecessor, delivering on a key recommendation of Lord Hill’s Listing Review. Legislation to deliver this reform was laid on 27 November 2023.