Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comparative levels of loss of experienced upper pay range teachers in academy and local authority-controlled schools; and what assessment they have made of the (1) extent, and (2) impact, of the use of settlement agreements and confidentiality clauses when such teachers leave employment.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department does not collect or publish teacher leaving rates broken down by teacher pay band. We publish the number and rate of qualified teachers who join and leave the state-funded sector each year in the ‘School workforce in England’ publication. The latest data was published 5 June 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england. In 2023/24, 40,813 fulltime equivalent (FTE) qualified teachers left the state-funded sector, compared with 42,554 in 2022/23. This equates to 9% of all qualified teachers, one of lowest leaver rates outside the pandemic years.
The department is not the employer of school staff and does not collect data on the use of settlement agreements or confidentiality clauses by academy trusts or local authorities.
Settlement agreements should be entirely voluntary for all involved and schools, as employers, are required to comply with all aspects of employment law. Additionally, academy trusts must also comply with the Academies Financial Handbook, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-financial-handbook.
Where a settlement agreement includes a confidentiality clause, existing law means such clauses cannot be used to prevent someone from making a protected disclosure such as whistleblowing. Further information about whistle blowing for employees is provided here: https://www.gov.uk/whistleblowing.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 28 January (HL Deb col 923) indicating that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will shortly publish a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) plan, (1) whether they plan to consult health experts and campaigners in addition to industry, (2) whether they are using the precautionary principle in considering the use and environmental presence of PFAS, and (3) when the plan will be published.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published the PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026.
The plan will serve as a platform to engage further with industry, other bodies, and the public on PFAS. This will include engagement with health experts and campaigners.
In addressing the risks posed by PFAS, the Government has given due regard to the environmental principles policy statement, pursuant to the Environment Act 2021. This includes the integration, prevention, rectification at source, ‘polluter pays’ principle, and the precautionary principles.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of European Union proposals to ensure that all imported plastic labelled as recycled is in fact recycled and produced under appropriate environmental and labour conditions; and whether they plan to mirror those proposals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra will consider EU proposals on imports containing recycled plastic as part of their ongoing review of EU packaging and packaging waste regulations.
This Government is committed to rooting out human rights, labour and environmental abuses from global supply chains.
In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched the Responsible Business Conduct review, to evaluate the UK’s current approach, and assess the merits of alternative policy options to support responsible business. (DBT) Ministers will update Parliament when the review is complete.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report Cost-Benefit Analysis of Synthetic Nucleic Acid Screening for the UK, published in December 2025 by The Centre for Long-Term Resilience.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DSIT regularly engages the Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR), including through their membership of the Engineering Biology Responsible Innovation Advisory Panel. CLTR was invited to present this Cost-Benefit Analysis to DSIT and members of the Advisory Panel in January 2026.
DSIT agrees that synthetic nucleic acids are a core building block of the UK’s bioeconomy and this is why we published voluntary guidance on Synthetic Nucleic Acid Screening in 2024. DSIT continues to monitor uptake of this voluntary guidance and assess its impact and effectiveness.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress by the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention in its seventh session in December 2025.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK plays an active role in the Working Group on the strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and we attach particular importance to the establishment of a Science and Technology Mechanism and an International Cooperation and Assistance Mechanism within the Convention.