Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for reviewing the expiry dates of antibiotics, including in respect of savings for public expenditure.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe, has not made an assessment on the case for reviewing the expiry dates of antibiotics.

Medicine expiry dates, including for antibiotics, are necessary to ensure that the safety and effectiveness of a medicine is maintained over its long-term shelf life. The active ingredient in many medicines can degrade over time resulting in a loss of potency or the formation of impurities in the product. Physical changes to a medicine such as discolouration, may also occur upon prolonged storage. Medicine expiry dates are supported by stability studies completed by the pharmaceutical company, which demonstrate that a medicine remains safe and effective throughout its shelf life. Any change to the expiry date of a medicine requires an independent review of the stability data by the MHRA.

Companies can and often do extend the shelf life of their medicines once the product is on the market, and as additional stability data become available. It is not possible, however, to extend the expiry date of all medicines unilaterally in the absence of supporting stability data.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have issued guidance for prosecuting those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has not issued specific guidance on prosecuting those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

These offences would be covered by existing guidance on inchoate offences, Theft Act offences, and offences during protests, demonstrations or campaigns. The existing guidance is available on the CPS website: Inchoate Offences; Theft Act Offences; and Offences during Protests, Demonstrations or Campaigns.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action is being taken by prosecuting authorities against those who incite others to cover up cameras in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Answered by Lord Stewart of Dirleton - Advocate General for Scotland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for prosecuting cases which have been referred to them following an investigation by the police. The CPS will consider a prosecution for any case involving incitement to cause criminal damage or criminal damage to Ultra Low Emission Zone cameras under the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the liability of the London insurance market for claims arising from the war in Ukraine for the loss of commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Insurance arrangements and claims for commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state are a commercial matter between insurers and their insureds. The Government has not made an assessment of the London market’s liability in respect of these aircraft.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what information they, or prison authorities, hold on the volume and value of claims by persons held in custody against (1) prison authorities, and (2) independent insurers (where prison authorities are made aware of the insurance claims).

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

As of 4 March 2024, there were 3,828 open claims by prisoners against His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS). The nominal amount of claims against HMPPS is of the order of £62 million but that figure is not indicative of any ultimate liability. HMPPS does not hold data on claims made by prisoners against independent insurers. The number and value of claims has remained fairly consistent over recent years. A significant number of open claims and proportion of the total value of claims are historic and relate to incidents that are alleged to have occurred in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

HMPPS successfully defends around two-thirds of all litigation cases brought by prisoners. Where damages are awarded to prisoners, we seek to ensure that payments are offset against any outstanding debts owed to victims and the courts.