Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they have given to introducing legislation to require wet wipes and similar products to list the proportion of plastics in their composition.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government recognises the importance of introducing requirements to inform and influence consumers on the appropriate use and disposal of products containing plastic. The Resources and Waste Strategy published in December 2018 makes commitments to develop mandatory labelling requirements and this work is underway. This includes wet wipes.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent consideration they have given to making it a requirement that all new homes be fitted with solar panels.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are deliberately couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels because of roof design, age, strength, or building orientation. It would therefore be implausible for a blanket requirement to deploy solar PV on every roof.
We are, however, planning to consult later this year on an uplift to the Building Regulations energy efficiency standards where there are safe, practical, cost-effective, and affordable opportunities to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government with which countries, in order of priority, they wish to conclude trade deals post-Brexit; and what estimate they have made, if any, of the likely timescale of concluding such deals.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Our priority is to be in a position to begin formal negotiations with key partners after we leave the EU, and to then make progress towards substantive agreements, so long as such agreements work for the whole of the UK. We have completed public consultations on potential future free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and on the UK’s potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We plan to publish Government responses for each of the four consultations before any formal negotiations begin.
Trade agreements vary in shape, scope and form, and there is no “average” timeframe for completion. For example, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada took seven years to negotiate, the China-Switzerland FTA took two, but the USA-Jordan FTA negotiations only four months. The Government is clear that its objective is to negotiate the best possible FTAs for the whole of the UK, in the interests of business and consumers.
While we are looking to forge new agreements, the Government is also seeking continuity for our existing EU trade agreements as we leave the EU. A list of all signed trade continuity agreements is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Bar Council, (2) the Law Society, and (3) other interested organisations about the impact of Brexit on the cross-border enforcement of civil judgments.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Government has engaged regularly with the Law Society, the Bar Council and other interested representatives of the legal profession since the referendum about the impact of Brexit on all aspects of civil judicial cooperation, including the cross-border enforceability of judgments. This has included regular Ministerial meetings and senior official conversations and attending a variety of roundtables and events.
In addition, the Department asked the sector to lead a dedicated group, the Brexit Law Committee, to provide a forum through which the Government and the legal and business sectors could discuss legal and commercial issues arising out of EU exit. This Committee includes representatives of both the Law Society and the Bar Council, and representatives from other legal organisations, and business groups.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made with the EU for the European Health Insurance Card to continue to be used by British citizens when travelling within the EU.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The current structure of European Union rules and regulations will apply during the implementation period, and this includes cover under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) scheme.
With regard to EHIC cover under the Withdrawal Agreement, where the United Kingdom, or an EU 27 Member State, is responsible for the healthcare of those within scope of the social security coordination part of the Withdrawal Agreement, such individuals will be entitled to EHIC cover for as long as they remain in scope. We have also agreed to protect the rights of individuals who are in a cross-border situation at the end of the implementation period, and entitled to an EHIC, to continue to benefit from that scheme for as long as that cross-border situation in the State they are in continues.
In the White Paper of July 2018, The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the UK Government has stated that it is seeking agreement on reciprocal healthcare including continued participation in the EHIC scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the insurance industry about their proposals for the services sector outlined in The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union (Cm 9593), published in July.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials from my Department and across Government continue to engage broadly across all sectors - including the services industry - and across the UK to hear the business’ priorities and issues relating to our exit.
Representatives from services, including insurance, and other industries met with the Secretary of State and all the ministers in my Department to discuss the proposals made in the White Paper at Chevening House on 20 July.
The proposals outlined in the White Paper set out an ambitious and credible proposition for a close future relationship on financial services with the EU. This would provide stable and predictable access to each other’s markets, while recognising that the UK and the EU will exercise autonomy over regulatory decisions through domestic equivalence processes, and protect financial stability.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of (1) the City of London Corporation, and (2) the City of London financial services sector about the proposals for the financial services sector in The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union (Cm9593), published in July.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials from my Department and across Government continue to engage broadly across all sectors - including the financial services sector - and across the UK to hear the business’ priorities and issues relating to our exit.
The Secretary of State and all the ministers in my Department met with business leaders from across the economy to discuss the White Paper at Chevening House on 20 July. This included a deep dive session on financial services with major firms and financial institutions, which included discussions on the proposed new economic and regulatory arrangement.
In addition, ministers and officials in the Treasury continue to engage closely with firms across the Financial Services sector on the White Paper and wider EU exit issues.
The proposals outlined in the White Paper set out an ambitious and credible proposition for a close future relationship on financial services with the EU. This would provide stable and predictable access to each other’s markets, while recognising that the UK and the EU will exercise autonomy over regulatory decisions through domestic equivalence processes, and protect financial stability.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Commercial Broadcasters Association to ensure that international broadcasters and TV channels based in the UK will be able to continue to broadcast after Brexit as at present.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The government has been engaging extensively with the Commercial Broadcasters Association (COBA) and its members to discuss the impact of Brexit on international broadcasters based in the UK.
Over the past year, DCMS has hosted a number of ministerial roundtables on the topic of Brexit, attended by the COBA members. Ministers and officials have also held regular bilateral meetings with financial and policy teams from a variety of international broadcasting firms regarding the implications of our exit from the EU for these companies. COBA has been instrumental for enhancing the government’s understanding of sector’s priorities and concerns relating to EU Exit.
As set out by the recently published Brexit White paper, the UK is seeking the best possible arrangement for broadcasting that will work for the broadcasting sector, and we are committed to continue working with COBA members to understand their needs and concerns.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for providing extra resources to the Competition and Markets Authority as a result of the UK no longer being a member of the EU.
Answered by Lord Henley
At the Autumn Budget 2017, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer committed £3 billion over the next two financial years to helping departments, including the CMA, and the devolved administrations to prepare for our exit from the EU. As part of the Spring Statement 2018, my rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced that the CMA has been allocated an additional £23.6m in 2018-2019 to prepare for EU exit.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure UK participation in the European competition network after Brexit.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government intends to ensure that UK competition authorities, such as the Competition and Markets Authority, can cooperate effectively and coordinate closely their activity with the European Commission and the competition authorities of EU Member States. This will be subject to negotiations with the EU and could be achieved through an agreed form of UK participation in the European competition network or through another mechanism.