Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the report of the Tree Council Protecting trees of high social, cultural and environmental value published in April, and in developing an action plan for and improving the legal protection of important trees.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are carefully considering expert recommendations laid out in the Tree Council and Forest Research report. It will be important to balance our approach with existing priorities and our statutory obligations.
We recognise the value of our most important trees and consider all ancient and veteran trees to be irreplaceable habitats. The Sycamore Gap sentencing demonstrates that our judicial system takes illegal tree felling seriously.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish a land use framework for England, what land uses this will cover, and whether it will be subject to formal consultation.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The way we use and manage our land is already changing in response to pressures like climate change. It is time that government works openly with stakeholders and experts to understand and support the changes needed to keep nature and food production in England resilient.
The Government will do this by taking a collaborative approach to publishing a Land Use Framework for England. The Framework will consider issues such as food security and how we can expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests.
Spatial planning will play an important role in the delivery of the Government’s growth and clean energy missions, and the land use framework will work hand in hand with the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. The Government will also explore the opportunities for spatial planning to support the delivery of other types of infrastructure.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will, in line with previous commitments, publish a land use framework for England in 2023.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Land Use Framework will be published in due course. The Framework will build on the insight from the House of Lords Land Use in England Committee’s inquiry and support delivery of the full range of Government commitments through multifunctional, resilient and productive landscapes.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of households eligible for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding have not yet made an application.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department estimated there were around 930,000 households who were potentially eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Figures published on GOV.UK on 11th May show that, as of 3rd May, there were a total of 169,770 applications for the scheme in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Take-up figures for the scheme will be updated on 15th June 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of households eligible for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding who have been wrongly denied the funding on the basis that they have received the £400 via their electricity supplier.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department has not made any assessment of the proportion of households eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding who have wrongly been denied funding on the basis that they have received the £400 via their electricity supplier. If individuals believe this to be the case, they can request a review of their application by calling the contact centre on 0808 175 3287 (0808 175 3894 for Northern Ireland).
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the application period for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding beyond 31 May to account for social housing providers who are supporting their residents through the application process.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding launched on 27 February providing 3 months for eligible applicants to apply before the scheduled 31 May deadline. The government does not currently propose to extend the application period. Throughout the scheme we have engaged with social housing partners, providing them with information to help support their residents through the application process.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that those veterinary medicines at risk of being discontinued in Northern Ireland will continue to be available after the end of the 'grace period' for implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and what discussions they are holding with the EU in relation to (1) short term, and (2) long term, solutions to the challenges of availability of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
On 19 December 2022, the European Commission issued an announcement which provides for a three-year extension to the grace period for veterinary medicines until 31 December 2025. These arrangements will mean that the current processes for moving veterinary medicines between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will continue to be administered as they have been up to this point.
We welcome this extension to the veterinary medicine grace period from the Commission and are looking forward to further discussions on veterinary medicines in the New Year. We will continue to work for a long-term, sustainable solution to the supply of veterinary medicines.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination programme will be centrally or locally coordinated.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The COVID-19 vaccination programme will continue to be centrally coordinated. Whilst it is expected that the programme will continue to be managed at national, regional and local levels, the National Health Service is working with providers, local authorities, voluntary and community sector leaders and communities on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes maximising uptake and coverage, ensuring flexibility to respond to local needs and promoting better understanding of the benefits of vaccination and public health prevention initiatives.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people they expect will be encouraged to have a further COVID-19 booster vaccination in each age group by Spring 2023.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Government continues to be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations across the UK. On 19 May 2022, the JCVI published interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 vaccination booster programme. The primary objective of the programme is to offer protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and death.
The interim advice from the JCVI is that an additional COVID-19 booster vaccine should be offered in autumn 2022 to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those aged 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16-64 years old who are in a clinical risk group.
The JCVI continues to review the definitions of clinical risk groups and the need for any further COVID-19 vaccination of other patient groups. Further information on the number of people eligible for the autumn COVID-19 booster programme will be subject to the final advice from the JCVI, which is expected autumn 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what priorities they have adopted for the COVID-19 vaccination programme from autumn 2022 to spring 2023.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The Government continues to be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations across the UK. On 19 May 2022, the JCVI published interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 vaccination booster programme. The primary objective of the programme is to offer protection against severe COVID-19 disease, specifically hospitalisation and death.
The interim advice from the JCVI is that an additional COVID-19 booster vaccine should be offered in autumn 2022 to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those aged 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16-64 years old who are in a clinical risk group.
The JCVI continues to review the definitions of clinical risk groups and the need for any further COVID-19 vaccination of other patient groups. Further information on the number of people eligible for the autumn COVID-19 booster programme will be subject to the final advice from the JCVI, which is expected autumn 2022.