Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the results of the research into the side effects of malaria chemo-prophylaxis referred to in their second and third six-monthly progress updates to the House of Commons Defence Committee on its report An acceptable risk? The use of Lariam for military personnel, published on 24 May 2016.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Data collection for this research has been completed and data cleansing, analysis and production of a report is under way, with completion anticipated in 2019.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to warn the public (1) about sofas and mattresses that contain the toxic flame-retardant chemical DecaBDE, (2) that these items are unsuitable for recycling; and (3) that they should be disposed of safely.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK ceased production of decaBDE in 1996 and its use has declined sharply since then. Many other countries have also phased out its use, thanks to proactive lobbying by the UK government.
It will be banned under the UN Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants in December this year and under the European chemical regulation regime, REACH, in March next year. It will not be present in household soft furnishings and mattresses offered for sale once the ban comes into effect.
We are working with stakeholders and experts to determine the likely extent of decaBDE in older soft furnishings and assessing the best disposal routes to protect the environment and human health.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult the veterinary profession before any changes are made to meet veterinary workforce capacity that could impact on the UK’s ability to trade animals and animal products in line with high welfare standards; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra is working closely with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and other partners to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of veterinarians to fill essential roles in Government and the private sector after the UK has left the EU. Defra welcomes the continued and valuable input made by the RCVS and BVA into this important work.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why, as reported in the National Audit Office report on Defra's Progress in Implementing EU Exit, Defra was not permitted to engage with the veterinary industry in April; and which authority prevented that engagement.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Since March, Defra has engaged privately with stakeholders in the veterinary industry to make progress on delivery planning for leaving the EU. Defra welcomes input from any interested parties to help inform our work in preparing for leaving the EU.
Public engagement with the veterinary industry required wider interests across Government to be taken into account, including negotiation sensitivities and the need for consistent messages to different industries.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they take to ensure that all flame retardants are safe (1) in normal use, (2) during fires, and (3) at the end of life when they are disposed of.
Answered by Lord Henley
Manufacturers and distributors must ensure all consumer products are safe before they are placed on the UK market, including those that use flame retardants. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have lead responsibility for environmental policy and restrictions on chemicals.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why products labelled flame resistant do not contain details of the chemicals used in them.
Answered by Lord Henley
All products must be safe before they can be placed on the UK market. While there is no legal requirement for products labelled flame resistant to contain details of chemicals used in them, manufacturers may voluntarily provide any further details that would be helpful to their consumers.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whom the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy consults for advice about the health and environmental effects of flame retardants; and whether that Department will make its final policy decisions about flame retardants available for scrutiny.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department works with experts across government including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Public Health England, the Food Standards Agency and the Fire Services. We also consider the latest scientific research from academia. Any proposals for legislative change will be subject to public consultation.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is taking to promote innovation and market uptake of flame-resistant chemical-free materials such as mixtures of wool and cotton.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department welcomes any innovative approaches that deliver consumer safety and comply with existing fire safety regulations, including methods which do not use flame retardants.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the study by the University of Central Lancashire, Flame retardants in UK furniture increase smoke toxicity more than they reduce fire growth rate, published in April; whether they have consulted with their Chief Scientist in forming that assessment; and whether, following that study, they intend to reconsider the efficacy of current flame retardants.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Department welcomes the paper by University of Central Lancashire and it forms part of the evidence we are considering in reviewing the legislation regulating the safety of furniture.
Asked by: Countess of Mar (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 4 July (HL8829), what assessment they have made of whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Yellow Card Scheme includes non-pharmaceutical or medical device treatments; and whether they will make arrangements so that adverse reactions to treatments that are not currently within the remit of the MHRA can be centrally recorded in order to ensure that information on the frequency, severity and duration of adverse reactions to cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise and other similar treatments is available.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
No such assessment has been made and there are currently no plans to broaden the coverage of the Yellow Card Scheme to cover these areas.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, healthcare products and medical equipment meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, performance and effectiveness, and are used safely. The MHRA provides information to doctors and patients to help ensure medicines are used safely. However, the prescribing of any particular medicine and matters of clinical care of the patient remains the responsibility of the doctor/clinician. He or she is in the best position to decide on the type of treatment, which is most appropriate for an individual patient given their clinical expertise and their knowledge of the patient’s medical condition. The MHRA does not regulate clinical practice, collect reports on or investigate allegations of medical malpractice.