Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what goods, other than food or pharmaceutical products, are considered essential items for the puposes of COVID-19 measures.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. The Government has set out guidance on which organisations this requirement covers and what the exceptions are. Government have not published a list of goods it deems essential for the purposes of Covid-19.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, for the purposes of COVID-19 measures, what discussions they have had with (1) employers, (2) employee representatives, and (3) trade unions, about staff working in the retail and distribution sectors.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers and officials have regular engagement with a large number of businesses, representative organisations and trade unions across all sectors including retail and distribution.
Ministers have hosted a regular series of calls in recent weeks, where they have had the chance to speak to and hear directly from a wide range of organisations and businesses specifically for the purposes of COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to respond to the Director of Labour Market Enforcement's Strategy Document for 2018–19; and what plans they have to implement its recommendations.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government is carefully considering all 37 recommendations made by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement and we will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to incorporate agriculture into their industrial strategy.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The industrial strategy includes measures to enable growth in all parts of the economy – for example through our commitments on science and innovation funding, skills, and digital infrastructure. In addition we have set out proposals for new, business-led sector deals, with the first set of deals already under development.
We look forward to working with sectors, including farming and agri-food, which can organise behind strong leadership to address shared challenges and opportunities, building on the close working to date.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 November (HL Deb, col 1725) concerning the UK EU Life Sciences Steering group, (1) who are the members of the group, (2) when it first met, (3) when further meetings are expected to take place, and (4) with which stakeholders the group have been engaging.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Steering Group is chaired by the chief executives of GSK and AstraZeneca and includes the Wellcome Trust and a range of life sciences trade associations (the Association of British Healthcare Industries, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, BioIndustry Association), representing both large and small UK life sciences companies across the various business areas that make up the sector. The Group’s first meeting was on 6 September and it met again on 23 November with further dates yet to be set. The Group has engaged widely with stakeholders across the UK life sciences sector on subjects including regulation, trade and investment and access to finance.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 November (HL Deb, col 1727), whether the funding to support research and development will be delivered through the research councils.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In the Autumn Statement, we announced an investment of an extra £2 billion a year in R&D by the end of this Parliament. We will set out the breakdown of the funding in due course. The delivery mechanisms for this investment are currently being worked through.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations and advice they have received from (1) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, (2) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, regarding the normal retirement age of 60 for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.
The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.
Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.
The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and (1) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (2) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (3) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, in relation to the occupational retirement age of Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.
The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.
Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.
The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings (1) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and (2) other ministers, have had with (a) the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, (b) the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and (c) the Civil Nuclear Police Federation, to discuss the occupational retirement age for Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy has met with the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) and the Chief Constable of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) on two occasions since taking office where the pension age of officers was discussed. In October 2015 and March 2016.
The Minister of State has recently written to the Civil Nuclear Police Federation about meeting representatives of that organisation to discuss issues including the age at which CNC officers receive their pension.
Officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change have worked closely with officials at the CNPA and CNC at all levels, up to and including the Chief Constable, on the issue of the pension age of CNC officers since May 2014. The Department has received frequent and substantial advice on all aspects of this issue. This includes, but is not limited to, the impact of fitness standards on CNC officers and how those standards affect deployability of officers, and the costs of administering a pension scheme with a lower effective pension age.
The Minister of State has received two letters from the Civil Nuclear Police Federation outlining their legal case for a lower pension age. Officials have met with the Civil Nuclear Police Federation to discuss the pension age of CNC officers on two occasions in 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice has been provided this Session for ministers or senior officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on whether to use secondary legislation or primary legislation for significant legislation.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
There has been no change in approach to the use of primary and secondary legislation since the General Election. Each piece of legislation is approached within the context of the policy and the existing legislative framework. There is no evidence of an increase in the number of statutory instruments laid since 2010 or since the General Election. Briefing produced by the House of Commons Library (CBP 7438) shows that the number of statutory instruments laid before the House of Commons peaked at 1,885 in the 2005-06 session, compared to 1,378 last session and 540 so far this session.