Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect workers from contracting silicosis, in particular from the installation of engineered stone countertops.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to inspect industries associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and to respond to concerns about risk management reported to HSE.
Adequate control measures for protecting workers from the risks of exposure to RCS are legally required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), including water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. COSHH also requires workers to be trained to effectively implement such controls.
HSE works proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations in the construction and manufacturing industries and is engaging with occupational clinicians, to understand any insights for enhancing future interventions aimed at RCS controls.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Chinese students in UK universities, particularly those who are linked to China's military, are properly vetted and do not pose a threat to activists and people from Hong Kong based in UK universities who are campaigning against the actions of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Higher education (HE) in the UK is recognised as world class and attracting the brightest students from around the world is good for UK universities. However, the government takes seriously any concerns about overseas interference in the UK’s HE sector. The department continually assesses potential threats, and takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms and safety in the UK very seriously.
Any attempt by a foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. The National Security Act (2023) brings together vital new measures to protect the UK’s national security. The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) has been created to tackle covert influence in the UK.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure that there is a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will ensure that universities in England have the tools they need to deal with interference with, and threats to, freedom of speech and academic freedom wherever they originate.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
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.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 steps they are taking to support (1) climate-resilient agricultural practices, and (2) sustainable livelihoods, in Somalia to enhance food production and improve resilience to climate change.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is taking steps to promote resilience to climate change in Somalia. Last year, the Prime Minister announced up to £100 million to build resilience to climate shocks and strengthen food security for the most vulnerable including support for climate adaptive agricultural practices. We are also building the resilience of marginalised households and businesses in the agricultural and financial sectors in Somalia. In addition we have supported Somalia's membership of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance at COP28 as an anchor donor. UK aid is making a difference. Through the Somaliland Development Fund we are supporting sustainable land management and agricultural production.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of GPs now seeking and unable to obtain employment.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no centrally held data on the number of general practice vacancies.
The Government remains committed to growing the number of doctors working in general practice. NHS England has made available a number of recruitment schemes, including the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme and the Return to Practice Programme.
The headcount of doctors working in general practice in March 2024 was 4,282 more, including 2,709 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors, than in March 2019.
The latest available data, as of March 2024, shows that the headcount of doctors in general practice in England was 47,173, including 37,235 FTE doctors, of whom 37,399 (27,574 FTE) were fully qualified general practioners.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the number of GPs currently seeking, yet unable to obtain, employment.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no centrally held data on the number of general practice vacancies.
The Government remains committed to growing the number of doctors working in general practice. NHS England has made available a number of recruitment schemes, including the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme and the Return to Practice Programme.
The headcount of doctors working in general practice in March 2024 was 4,282 more, including 2,709 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors, than in March 2019.
The latest available data, as of March 2024, shows that the headcount of doctors in general practice in England was 47,173, including 37,235 FTE doctors, of whom 37,399 (27,574 FTE) were fully qualified general practioners.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government which profession has primary responsibility for providing initial point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems, and whether physician associates are the appropriate profession for this work.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While general practice (GP) remains at the heart of primary care, a wide range of clinicians are well suited to supporting patients in GP, as part of multi-disciplinary teams. This includes Physician Associates (PAs), who work alongside GPs and the wider practice teams, to provide care. PAs are not substitutes for GPs or doctors in training, rather they are specifically trained to work collaboratively with doctors and others. PAs work within a defined scope of practice and limits of competence. NHS England has provided recent guidance on the use of PAs in GP teams.
As set out in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service, where their named GP supervisor is satisfied that adequate supervision, supporting governance and systems are in place, PAs can provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems. Underpinning this is the supervising GP’s confidence in the PA’s competence, based on the knowledge and skills gained through their training and development.
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 when soil monitoring data from Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment programme will become available.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment is a new environmental monitoring programme, assessing the state and condition of ecosystems in England and their natural capital. The field data, including soils data, is being collected on a five-year cycle that runs from 2023/24 to 2027/28. Final statistics and data will be published after 2027/28 when 100% of the data has been collected and there are outline plans to publish interim statistics, mid cycle, once 50% of the field data has been collected.
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 the risk posed by avian flu, given its spread through the US cattle herd and reports that many infected cattle are asymptomatic; what monitoring is being carried out on UK cattle and other farm animals, wild mammals, and the humans that come into contact with them; and what additional biosecurity measures they are planning or developing.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain B3.13) involved has not been detected in the UK.
Defra is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Food Standards Agency, the Cabinet Office and with international partners on risk assessments to consider the routes of incursion, animal to animal spread and animal to human spill-over and to review our well-tested surveillance mechanisms and preparedness activities in light of this emerging situation.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has assessed the risk to Great Britain of this outbreak in the USA of Influenza A (H5N1) of avian origin in livestock to our own livestock as very low (event is very rare but cannot be excluded). The assessment has been published on gov.uk Avian influenza in cattle in USA (publishing.service.gov.uk) (see attached). The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have assessed the risk to UK consumers from HPAI strain B3.13 in imported milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products originating from US dairy cattle as very low with medium uncertainty (Rapid Risk Assessment: Risk to UK consumers from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 B3.13 in US dairy products | Food Standards Agency) (see attached).
In response to the unprecedented global outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in wild and kept birds, the UK's avian influenza national reference laboratory at the Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge laboratory has increased its surveillance in both wild birds and wild mammals and genome analysis of the virus itself while keeping a close eye on its spread in global populations of wildlife. In addition, we have published an ‘Influenza A (H5N1) infection in mammals: suspect case definition and diagnostic testing criteria’ on gov.uk to support veterinary professionals and others in knowing when to report suspicion. The UK case definition for influenza of avian origin in mammals has been updated and now includes a case definition for ungulates including dairy cattle, this in response the emerging situation in cattle in the USA and will be kept under regular review as further information becomes available.
We are monitoring the situation closely but at this time have no reason to suspect the virus is circulating in our cattle, nor is this strain of the virus circulating in Europe. We have had no recent cases of avian influenza in kept birds, or findings of influenza of avian origin in kept or wild mammals, and the risk level from wild birds is low. We have discussed the need for surveillance in wildlife, domestic animals and humans with DHSC and UKHSA and are considering the case for additional surveillance for influenza of avian origin in cattle and how best such animal health surveillance could be undertaken.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of maintaining Household Cavalry horses stabled and deployed in central London in the light of the events of 24 April, and public safety and animal welfare concerns arising from the risks of their environment.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The British Army takes the health and wellbeing of its military working horses (MWH) extremely seriously. All of our horses are well looked after, exercised daily and have 24/7 direct access to world-class veterinary care.
Before riding in public, Service personnel undertake training to prove their competence and are fully compliant with the Highway Code when exercising horses on public highways. A progressive programme of activity, including exposure to London traffic, military bands and environmental noise, ensures our horses are properly and safely prepared for their ceremonial role.
The Army has three mounted units in London: the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the Band of the Household Cavalry and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. All undertake State Ceremonial and Public Duties in Central London and Windsor throughout the year.
Steps have already been taken to enhance the environment for our MWHs by creating more loose boxes, which provide greater space and comfort to the horses while stabled. Two to three months per year, the horses are also provided with an alternative environment by being sent out to pasture and the herd often visit Norfolk for two weeks, offering time for daily exercise in the countryside and along local beaches.