Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce legislation along the lines of the proposed Forest Risk Commodity regulations in respect of foodstuffs produced outside the UK in a manner which is forbidden to UK producers of the same commodity.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. For example, hormone-treated beef and chlorinated chicken are banned in the UK and the Prime Minister has been clear that these will not be allowed to enter the UK market. This includes products from longstanding trading partners alongside products traded under the terms of new Free Trade Agreements.
The Forest Risk Commodities Scheme will be introduced through provisions in Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. This new due diligence legislation requires regulated organisations to establish and implement a due diligence system for any regulated commodity, and any products derived from them, that they use in their commercial activities. The scheme will cover foodstuffs, including cattle products (excluding dairy), cocoa, palm oil and soy.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are, if any, for the traditional gas lamps on the Parliamentary Estate.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There are gas or combined gas and electricity lamps in New Palace Yard, Peers Car Park and Old Palace Yard and Black Rod’s Garden. Those in New Palace Yard have been degassed ready for conversion to electricity, with planning consent granted in 2019. The lamp columns and globes will remain unchanged after conversion and engagement continues with Westminster City Council and Historic England to ensure the new LED lights are comparable in appearance to the original gas. There are no immediate plans to convert other lamps to electricity, but all are due to be converted in the near future in tandem with other works impacting on gas supply pipes and in line with work to make Parliament more environmentally sustainable.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 13 February (HL5359), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, how they intend to enforce their policy that food produced to lower environmental and welfare standards outside the UK will not be placed on the UK market, despite being allowed tariff-free access to the country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain firmly committed to upholding our world-leading environmental, food and animal welfare standards as an independent trading nation.
All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market, whether they are subject to tariffs or not. This may include some products produced to different animal welfare or environmental standards. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners.
The UK will not compromise its high standards of environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety in any trade partnerships or agreements. We are clear that more trade will not come at the expense of our values and we will continue to champion high standards globally.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to enforce their policy that food produced to lower environmental and welfare standards outside the UK will not be placed on the UK market, despite being allowed tariff-free access to the country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a world leader on environmental and animal welfare standards. Environmental and animal welfare considerations continue to be central to our approach to agricultural trade in line with our clear manifesto commitment that the UK's high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards will not be compromised by our trade negotiations.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to retain gas lamps on (1) their own, and (2) other publicly-owned, land.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Royal Parks, a public corporation and independent charity, is contracted by DCMS to manage the Royal parks, which are Crown land for which management responsibility rests with His Majesty’s Government. There are approximately 360 gas lamps within the sites which The Royal Parks manages, of which approximately 215 are listed. There is no programme currently in place to switch existing gas lamps to electricity, but such matters are kept under review. My Department is not aware of any other gas lamps within our own estate.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are proposing to ensure that those living in the north of England in locations where there is no devolution deal do not lose out compared to those in areas where there is a devolution deal.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Levelling Up White Paper, Government set itself a mission to ensure that by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution, with a simplified, long-term funding settlement.
Devolution must be locally led, not imposed by Government. Areas without a devolution deal are able to consider whether seeking one would maximise opportunities for citizens, and we believe that the local government reorganisation process that Cumbria and North Yorkshire are currently going through will enable them to find the best governance arrangements for their locality.
While further devolution across the UK is a key Levelling Up mission, it is one of 12 missions and those areas that are not currently involved in devolution discussions will not miss out on Levelling Up activities. Places in the North without a devolution deal are still able to capitalise on growth funds such as the Levelling Up Fund, round two of which is currently open, and will receive their UKSPF allocations following the submission of their investment plans this summer.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the funding basis for those Local Enterprise Partnerships not integrated into local authorities, bearing in mind that those which are companies limited by guarantee must meet the test of being 'going concern' as contained in company law.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As set out in the Local Enterprise Partnerships integration guidance published on 31 March 2022, Local Enterprise Partnerships will each receive £375,000 core funding for financial year 2022-23. No decision on core funding beyond 2022-23 has yet been made.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 6 April (HL7283), what plans they have, if any, to redress the strategic balance between food production, environmental protection and other priorities within rural land use policy in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the Agriculture Act 2020, we have a legal duty to assess the impact of all our schemes, including our new environmental land management schemes, on food production. The first Food Security Report was published in December 2021. The Government will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and respond appropriately.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to calibrate the visa policy for Ukrainian refugees to help fill unfilled job vacancies in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office has no such plans as these routes are primarily a humanitarian response, rather than an economic migration route. Those who come to the UK under these schemes have full access to the UK Labour market if they wish to find work once they arrive.
Asked by: Lord Inglewood (Non-affiliated - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Levelling Up agenda applies (1) equally, and (2) equivalently, to both rural and urban, areas.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, the UK Government is committed to ensuring that all places across the UK, including both rural and urban communities, benefit from increased opportunity. The systems reform and specific policy interventions that we have committed to in the White Paper reflect this.