Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evaluation they have made of the commercial viability of the use of compostable potato starch bag packaging by government agencies.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
HM Government is not currently providing any specific support for the development of compostable potato starch bag packaging and have not evaluated the commercial viability of using compostable potato starch bag packaging by government agencies. Through UK Research and Innovation, we have provided over £190 million to over 280 projects in the last 5 years, for research to help us reduce plastic waste and increase the sustainability of the plastic packaging we use.
In light of evidence received in response to our call for evidence on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastic, our focus is on working towards all plastic packaging being recyclable or reusable rather than compostable. Currently there is insufficient industrial composting capacity throughout England to manage compostable plastics at end of life and our call for evidence suggests these materials are often stripped out at the start of the process and landfilled or incinerated. This packaging also does not contribute to a circular economy in the same way as packaging that can be reused or recycled into new packaging or products do, as compostable plastic packaging is generally intended to be used once.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing for the development of compostable potato starch bag packaging.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
HM Government is not currently providing any specific support for the development of compostable potato starch bag packaging and have not evaluated the commercial viability of using compostable potato starch bag packaging by government agencies. Through UK Research and Innovation, we have provided over £190 million to over 280 projects in the last 5 years, for research to help us reduce plastic waste and increase the sustainability of the plastic packaging we use.
In light of evidence received in response to our call for evidence on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastic, our focus is on working towards all plastic packaging being recyclable or reusable rather than compostable. Currently there is insufficient industrial composting capacity throughout England to manage compostable plastics at end of life and our call for evidence suggests these materials are often stripped out at the start of the process and landfilled or incinerated. This packaging also does not contribute to a circular economy in the same way as packaging that can be reused or recycled into new packaging or products do, as compostable plastic packaging is generally intended to be used once.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Vladimir Putin at the Russian Energy Week event in Moscow on 12 October about deliveries of gas to European countries via surviving pipelines.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK has been clear of the need to phase out the use of Russian gas. Russia has demonstrated it can never again be trusted as a reliable energy provider, regardless of the supply route. We are working with international partners to secure alternative energy supplies as quickly as possible, and it is clear that renewables and nuclear offer the most reliable way to secure our long-term energy security and prosperity.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cause of the damage to Nord Stream gas pipelines; and what evidence they are using as part of that assessment.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what resources they are providing to support the investigations into the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea.
The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what assessment has been made of dissatisfaction with the parliamentary phone system expressed in the House of Lords Members Survey; and whether that will lead to a procurement review.
Answered by Lord Touhig
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service has noted Members’ dissatisfaction with the existing telephone handset solution expressed in the House of Lords’ Member Survey and has accepted the need to take remedial action.
An investment programme mandate to replace the current service which is now end of life has been recently approved by the bicameral Digital Strategy Board and will formally begin over the summer recess with the development of a business case alongside continued market research and implementation planning. The programme will prioritise addressing Members’ clear dissatisfaction with the telephone handsets. The programme has begun engaging with Members to ensure that the replacement solution addresses the dissatisfaction and will continue to do so after the summer recess.
At its meeting on the 26 May the Services Committee was advised that the project timelines had not yet been defined but it was expected that all user migration would be completed by the end of 2023.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average waiting time for cataract surgery in England; what strategies they are employing to reduce the waiting time; whether they have discussed (1) strategies for reducing such waiting time, and (2) cross-border cooperation on reducing waiting lists, with the Welsh Government; and if so, what the outcome of those discussions were.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
In January 2022, the median waiting time for admitted ophthalmology patients between referral to treatment was 12.45 weeks. While this includes waiting times for cataract surgery, it does not measure it separately.
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is increasing the adoption of best practice in clinical pathways and supporting high flow cataract surgery to reduce waiting times. GIRFT and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists are advising providers and the National Health Service is increasing capacity through protected elective surgical hubs dedicated to planned procedures. There are currently over 40 elective surgical hubs in England, with further expansion planned in all regions supported by a further £1.5 billion in capital funding. GIRFT is also identifying where trusts with capacity can offer mutual aid to neighbouring providers with longer waiting lists. GIRFT is also supporting partnerships between the NHS and independent sector providers to increase capacity.
There have been no specific discussions on cross-border collaboration for reducing waiting lists for cataract surgery. However, cross border support is already being provided in specialist orthopaedics.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they are providing to help people fleeing from Ukraine; what discussions they have had with other European countries about the provision of such financial support; and what support those countries have committed for that purpose.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are in regular dialogue with our European partners and stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance as needed. Total UK aid to Ukraine and the region for the current crisis comes to almost £400 million. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance and £100 million to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine's reliance on Russian gas imports.
Our humanitarian support will help partners stand up their response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, and create a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities. We have also deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting the increasing flow of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) legislative controls, and (2) licensing agreements, govern the (a) accountability, (b) liability, (c) market restrictions, and (d) other controls, of oil and gas operators in UK waters.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a robust regulatory system which provides a comprehensive regime for exploration and production activities in the offshore oil and gas sector, which includes provisions to ensure safe operations and protect the environment. The legislation allows the Government to serve legal notices on any party involved in the exploration and production of an offshore oil or gas field, ensuring they remain responsible for decommissioning costs, rather than the UK taxpayer.
Offshore operators will require environmental permits from the relevant environment agencies, scrutiny by the relevant health and safety bodies, and Oil and Gas Authority consents for drilling under the provisions of their licence.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to require the sales and promotional material for individual leasehold properties to include (1) copies of the legislation relating to leasehold properties, and (2) any legislative proposals Her Majesty’s Government have published on (a) lease extensions, and (b) freehold rights to buy.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We have already committed to setting a maximum fee and timescale for the provision of leasehold information when a home is being sold. This will require freeholders, or managing agents acting on their behalf, to provide relevant information including details of service charges. We will bring forward these proposals as soon as parliamentary time allows and will publicise changes widely so that leaseholders are aware of the maximum fee they should pay.
Furthermore, as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, the UK Government and the industry will work together to ensure the critical material information buyers of leasehold and freehold properties need to know - like tenure type, lease length and any service charges - are available digitally wherever possible from trusted and authenticated sources, and provided only once.