Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 24 July (HL9391), whether the legislation needed to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by paramedic independent prescribers is capable of being made by statutory instrument; and if so, what is the reason for their delay in making it.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
I reaffirm that the Government intends to legislate to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by paramedic independent prescribers alongside other changes relating to use of controlled drugs in healthcare by podiatrists, therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers, and those acting under Patient Group Directions.
The changes are capable of being made by a Statutory Instrument and we will bring forward legislation as soon as possible, but this will remain subject to Parliamentary procedure.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the then Minister of State at the Home Office to the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, dated 30 September 2022, what is the reason for the delay in making the regulatory changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, with particular reference to the prescribing of controlled drugs by paramedic independent prescribers.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government responded to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on 3 October 2022 about paramedic independent prescribers.
As the letter indicates, the Government intends to legislate to enable prescribing of controlled drugs by paramedic independent prescribers alongside other changes relating to use of controlled drugs in healthcare by podiatrists, therapeutic radiographer independent prescribers, and those acting under Patient Group Directions. We will bring forward legislation as soon as possible, but this will remain subject to Parliamentary procedure.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will provide an update on the progress of the technical group on loot boxes, which was expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to ensuring that video games can be enjoyed safely by everyone. The Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Loot Boxes in Video Games set out that the games industry should take the lead in strengthening protections for children and adults. Specifically, the Government’s view is that purchases of loot boxes should be unavailable to children unless and until they are enabled by a parent or guardian, and that all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gaming.
Since then, the Government has convened a technical working group to pursue enhanced industry-led solutions to achieve these objectives. This has brought together representatives from the games industry, and we have engaged with regulators, academics, and consumer groups to ensure that measures are workable for players and parents.
This work is ongoing, and we will provide an update on the progress of the technical working group process in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care on 18 October 2019, what plans they have to amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to enable paramedics (1) to prescribe, and (2) to administer, the drugs specified by NHS England.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is considering the advice provided by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the independent prescribing and administration of specified controlled drugs by paramedics and intends to respond in the near future.
The Home Office works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on issues concerning the use of controlled drugs in healthcare, and this timescale reflects the balance of priorities within Government, in particular in addressing COVID-19. The response will be published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord True on 29 June (HL5988), what are the current circumstances delaying the reappointment of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Intelligence and Security Committee was reconstituted on 14 July 2020.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the terrorist attack in Reading on 20 June, when the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament will be appointed. [T]
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
I refer the noble Lord to my answer given to PQ HL3315 on 4 May 2020. The Committee is being formed in the normal way and as quickly as current circumstances allow. An announcement will be made in due course.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 28 May (HL4351), what estimate they have made of the effect of any increase in the number of deliveries during the COVID-19 lockdown on traffic statistics.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has been producing and monitoring daily road traffic figures during the COVID-19 lockdown period. These daily road traffic figures are published on the Gov.uk website.
These figures have seen differing trends for commercial and private traffic. However, it is not possible to infer the purpose of journeys, such as increased deliveries, from the daily road traffic series.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Supreme Court judgement in R v Adams (Appellant) (Northern Ireland) on 13 May, how many other temporary detention Orders under Article 4(1) of the Detention of Terrorists (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 were signed by a Minister of State or Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. [T]
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is considering the implications of the Supreme Court judgment, central to which is the issue of Interim Custody Orders which were considered and signed by Ministers during periods of internment in Northern Ireland. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the greater use of delivery vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Supermarkets are responding to the extremely high demand for delivery slots and there has been considerable growth in online delivery across all supermarkets. In some cases, retailers have worked to double their number of online delivery slots available. Recent Kantar Worldpanel Data suggests that online sales now account for 10.2% of overall grocery, versus 7.4% last month, with the greatest increase among older shoppers (last 4 weeks ending 19 April 2020). These increases have ensured that everybody will have access to the food that they need. The Department welcomes the actions that industry is taking, including hiring more staff and prioritising delivery slots for those that need them most.
Additionally, Ministers have asked local authorities to show flexibility to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets to ensure shelves can be replenished more quickly. The Government recognises that whilst the increased frequency of deliveries could have a temporary impact on local residents, this needs to be balanced by the significant public interest in ensuring local residents have continued access to food and other essential goods in their local shops.
Asked by: Lord Butler of Brockwell (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their scientific advice rules out the possibility that COVID-19 was present in the UK in December 2019. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
On 12 January 2020, it was announced that a novel coronavirus had been identified in samples obtained from cases and that initial analysis of virus genetic sequences suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. This virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2, and the associated disease as COVID-19.
The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom were identified on 30 January 2020. Whilst it is unlikely that COVID-19 was present in the UK in December 2019, we are unable to rule out the possibility since in December 2019 the virus had not yet been identified. Public Health England developed a pan-coronavirus assay many years ago and were testing samples using this assay throughout January and did not detect any other cases.