Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Shipley, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A bill to empower local authorities to introduce Workplace Parking Levies with immediate effect and to impose penalty charges for moving traffic contraventions
Lord Shipley has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, advises that the University of Sunderland has, in recent years, undertaken work to address structural issues in the building housing the National Glass Centre. A specialist external review, commissioned by the University, concluded that a multi-million-pound investment would be required to address these issues if the National Glass Centre were to remain at its current location. As a result, and considering value for money, the University’s Board of Governors decided to identify an alternative location. The University is now exploring a variety of options with key partners including Sunderland Culture (which has been offered public funding as part of Arts Council England’s national portfolio) and Sunderland City Council to establish suitable sites. Culture House is one of the sites being discussed.
Arts Council England will continue to engage with both Sunderland Culture and the University of Sunderland as plans for the relocation continue to be developed.
Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, advises that the University of Sunderland has, in recent years, undertaken work to address structural issues in the building housing the National Glass Centre. A specialist external review, commissioned by the University, concluded that a multi-million-pound investment would be required to address these issues if the National Glass Centre were to remain at its current location. As a result, and considering value for money, the University’s Board of Governors decided to identify an alternative location. The University is now exploring a variety of options with key partners including Sunderland Culture (which has been offered public funding as part of Arts Council England’s national portfolio) and Sunderland City Council to establish suitable sites. Culture House is one of the sites being discussed.
Arts Council England will continue to engage with both Sunderland Culture and the University of Sunderland as plans for the relocation continue to be developed.
The Government does not hold residency information for those nominated to the House of Lords. That is a matter for each individual.
The Prime Minister is responsible for peerage nominations and will take a range of factors into consideration when making recommendations to the Sovereign.
The Government does not hold residency information for those nominated to the House of Lords. That is a matter for each individual.
The Prime Minister is responsible for peerage nominations and will take a range of factors into consideration when making recommendations to the Sovereign.
Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are fully functional and provide customers with complete and accurate information. Energy suppliers must also offer an In-Home Display (IHD) at the point of installation and provide a replacement or repair for any faulty IHD within the first year of installing a consumer’s smart meters.
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their licence obligations.
The Government encourages consumers to register their domestic appliances and is taking proactive steps to increase the rates of product registration in the UK. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has undertaken research to survey over 4,000 consumers to understand their attitudes to product safety, including product registration.
In January 2020, OPSS began a product registration research trial with the aim of increasing product registration rates by applying behavioural principles. The trial will monitor the rates of product registration and the data collected will be used to develop further initiatives to increase product registration by consumers. The Government keeps all options under review and is keen to ensure that any activity to increase the rate of product registration is evidence based and proportionate.
The law requires that only safe products may be placed on the market, whether they are new or second hand. Electrical products placed on the market must comply with the legal safety requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (or of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 if they were placed on the market before December 2016).
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is rolling out training to front line Trading Standards Officers on the safety of second-hand electrical goods later this year. In addition, OPSS will be publishing good practice guidance on the responsibilities for those who sell second-hand electrical goods. The Chief Executive of OPSS has also written to the Charity Retailers Association, urging them to ensure electrical products sold in charity shops are safe. The Association covers almost 9,000 charity and second-hand shops in the UK.
The Government recognises the value of being able to identify a product following a product safety incident. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, before placing electrical equipment on the market, a manufacturer must ensure that it bears a type, batch or serial number to allow for its identification.
Research commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has identified a number of potential systems for the indelible marking of white goods. OPSS will further explore with key stakeholders the barriers which are currently preventing industry from implementing such a system.
The Government recognises the value of being able to identify a product following a product safety incident. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, before placing electrical equipment on the market, a manufacturer must ensure that it bears a type, batch or serial number to allow for its identification.
Research commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has identified a number of potential systems for the indelible marking of white goods. OPSS will further explore with key stakeholders the barriers which are currently preventing industry from implementing such a system.
The Government currently has no plans to commemorate the bicentenary of the Hetton Colliery Railway.
Stephenson played a key role in Britain’s position as a pioneer of railway development. If an organisation were to bring forward proposals for such a commemoration, our heritage bodies would be happy to discuss these and to provide expertise as needed. Historic England is supporting the nearby Stockton and Darlington Railway, of which the Hetton Colliery Railway was the forerunner, as part of its Heritage Action Zone programme from 2018-2023. This is likely to increase interest in this area.
The Government is committed to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 target. This target calls for a 50% reduction in food waste per capita at the retail and consumer levels and a reduction in food losses by 2030. This international goal has been made into a national target as part of the Government-funded Courtauld Commitment 2030. There are no plans at both SDG and Courtauld levels for targets for on-farm food waste reduction.
The Government supports a productive and efficient farming sector that can prevent waste occurring in the first place. For instance, we are supporting investment in productivity-enhancing equipment, technology and infrastructure through the Farming Investment Fund. This provides grants to farmers, foresters and growers (including contractors to these sectors) that will help their businesses to prosper through improving their productivity whilst enhancing the environment.
Defra consulted between June and September 2022 on options to improve food waste reporting, including consideration of a mandatory approach for food businesses. We received 3,851 responses to the consultation and the Government response will be published in 2023. This response will set out the Government’s plans in relation to improving food waste reporting, including food businesses in scope if a mandatory approach were to be taken forward.
The Crustacean Mortality Expert Panel (CMEP) actively sought data and input from external scientists (including scientists from Universities) who have investigated this issue and did consider the evidence they provided. The scientists were invited to submit any evidence they thought relevant throughout the review period, including on industrial toxins. This evidence was shared with the independent expert panel to consider as part of their assessment and formed an active part of their consideration. The CMEP followed up with questions and communication via written correspondence.
The Crustacean Mortality Expert Panel were unable to identify a clear and convincing single cause for the unusual crustacean mortality but considered a novel pathogen or disease to be, as likely as not (33 to 66% probability), the cause of the mass mortalities reported in the north-east of England in autumn 2021. This likelihood is based on key observations including mortality over a sustained period and along 70 km of coastline, the unusual twitching of dying crabs and the deaths being predominantly crabs rather than other species.
The panel concluded it was very unlikely that pyridine or another toxic pollutant caused the crab deaths, given there could not be sources of any significant volume of pyridine during the period of the crab deaths. Seawater measurements (by the Environment Agency and by York University) could not detect levels of pyridine sufficient to cause mortality during this period. Environment Agency tests for pyridine in crab tissue in the affected north-east coastal region as well from Penzance, Cornwall, and the Norfolk Wash indicated that pyridine can be found in crab tissue in most samples regardless of location. Sediment levels of pyridine from dredged material and other toxic chemicals found in sediments were significantly lower than the levels which would cause crab mortality.
Details of all the evidence received and considered by the panel have been published alongside the report in the document ‘Evidence gathered for the assessment of unusual crustacean mortality in the north-east of England in 2021 and 2022’ which is available on the gov.uk website. Where possible, the panel has published the evidence considered. Where this has not been possible either a link has been provided to where the data has already been published or details of the organisation which owns the evidence have been provided.
The MMO have not yet received a request for a licence or for advice to sample in the relevant area. Sampling of sediment from the seabed does not necessarily require a Marine Licence from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) if certain criteria are met. Information on when a licence from MMO may be required for sediment sampling can he found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/marine-licensing-sediment-analysis-and-sample-plans.
The recent estimate of 3.3 million tonnes in WWF's Hidden Waste Report is consistent with the range of estimates the Defra funded Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP) have reported previously.
WWF have reported that 2.9 million tonnes of edible food goes to waste on farms each year, which would equate to 6.9 billion meals if it is assumed that a 'meal' equates to 420g. In this context 'edible food' is used as a technical term to distinguish the proportion of any item of food which was intended for human consumption as distinct from the 'associated inedible parts' (e.g. shells, bones). It does not mean that the 2.9 million tonnes of waste were fit and ready for human consumption i.e. not requiring further processing. At a national scale, there is insufficient data to understand how much of the food wasted on farm was fit for consumption when it was wasted.
The WWF reported waste on farm is not caused solely by a lack of labour, this is the total estimated amount of edible food waste on farm. There are many causes of food waste on farm including the weather, fluctuations in supply and demand and failure to meet quality specifications This year the NFU have reported the results of a members' survey which suggests that 40% of UK farms experienced crop waste due to labour shortages. Other than this, the government is not aware of any quantified data linking volumes of waste to specific causes.
More can be done to reduce food waste in the primary production stage. Conversations with industry have suggested that a potentially significant cause of food waste on farm are unfair business practices at the point of first sale, where unreasonably late cancellations or late specification changes, among others, can lead to produce being left unharvested or rotting in the field. We have taken powers to clamp down on these kinds of unfair contractual practices through the 'fair dealings' powers contained in the Agriculture Act 2020 and intend to work with stakeholders to explore how these powers could be exercised to address such concerns.
Defra is aware of the impact that labour shortages are having in the horticulture sector and we continue to work closely with industry to monitor the situation and to help our world-leading farmers and growers access the labour they need. To inform future decisions on labour across the sector, Defra recently launched an independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain, it will report in spring 2023.
The Seasonal Worker visa route was specifically designed to support the UK horticulture sector where growers typically require higher volumes of labour, for relatively short-term periods of time, in line with seasonal production peaks. On Friday 16 December, the government announced that an allocation of 45,000 visas will be made available to businesses in the horticulture sector to recruit foreign workers for up to six months to work in both the edible and ornamental sectors. This is an uplift of 15,000 visas compared to the allocation at the start of 2022. A further 10,000 visas will be available should there be demand and contingent on sponsors and growers continuing to improve worker welfare standards. This announcement will provide clarity to businesses, who are seeking to plan for 2023 harvests.
The Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare was published in May 2021 and can be found at: Action Plan for Animal Welfare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy is attached to this answer.
It is not possible to say how many staff are employed specifically to process requests from private car park operators. The staff involved deal with these requests as part of their role alongside a variety of other duties.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will only release vehicle keeper information to private parking companies that are members of an appropriate accredited trade association (ATA). The ATAs carry out checks on parking companies before allowing them to become members. This ensures that the company is legitimate and is monitored for compliance with the ATA’s code of practice that promotes fair treatment for motorists.
The DVLA carries out comprehensive auditing of companies, involving remote and also on-site audits in conjunction with the Government Internal Audit Agency. This ensures that keeper information is used appropriately. Any issues are investigated and action taken where necessary. This can include the suspension of the facility to request vehicle keeper information from the DVLA.
We have already started on improvements to the A1 North of Ellingham. Junction improvements at Fenham le Moor, Outchester, Adderstone Mains, Newstead Crossroads and Old Mousen have been completed. Work is currently underway on other junctions along this section of the A1 and work will be completed by March 2020.
We are also committed to dualling the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham and Morpeth and Felton, as well as creating new junctions at Highlaws, Fenrother, West Moor and Charlton Mires. Construction will begin on this scheme in 2021 and both sections will be open for traffic by 2023/24.
The schemes will improve performance and safety for the travelling public on the A1.
As part of its Continuous Modular Strategic Planning work on long term strategy for the rail network, Network Rail is assessing what is required to make sure that the rail network between York and Newcastle meets the needs of passengers and freight users in the coming decades. This study is considering the potential role of reinstatement of the Leamside line in meeting those needs, including for local connectivity through extension of the Tyne and Wear local conventional rail or Metro network. It will make recommendations for further option development.
As part of its Continuous Modular Strategic Planning work on long term strategy for the rail network, Network Rail is assessing what is required to make sure that the rail network between York and Newcastle meets the needs of passengers and freight users in the coming decades. This study is considering the potential role of reinstatement of the Leamside line in meeting those needs, including for local connectivity through extension of the Tyne and Wear local conventional rail or Metro network. It will make recommendations for further option development.
NHS England cannot provide relevant information to this question without creation of new data and analysis derived from manual clinical review or other processes. Arrangements for future reporting are being worked on and NHS England is undertaking a piece of work to understand the issues in homecare, so as to inform future improvement actions. A project by the National Homecare Medicines Committee to review the national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set is already underway with consultation due later this summer and final documents expected for approval in December 2023. Publication of performance against the KPIs is part of this project.
NHS England cannot provide relevant information to these questions without creation of new data and analysis derived from manual clinical review or other processes. Arrangements for future reporting are being worked on and NHS England is undertaking a piece of work to understand the issues in homecare, so as to inform future improvement actions. A project by the National Homecare Medicines Committee to review the national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set is already underway with consultation due later this summer and final documents expected for approval in December 2023. Publication of performance against the KPIs is part of this project.
NHS England cannot provide relevant information to these questions without creation of new data and analysis derived from manual clinical review or other processes. Arrangements for future reporting are being worked on and NHS England is undertaking a piece of work to understand the issues in homecare, so as to inform future improvement actions. A project by the National Homecare Medicines Committee to review the national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set is already underway with consultation due later this summer and final documents expected for approval in December 2023. Publication of performance against the KPIs is part of this project.
To monitor industry trends, the home care providers association, the National Clinical Homecare Association, aggregates all providers’ KPIs and they have provided written evidence to the House of Lords Public Services Committee as part of their current investigation into the Homecare Medicines service which has been published. This includes data on patient safety incidents and duty of candour reports, of which a copy is attached.
NHS England cannot provide relevant information to these questions without creation of new data and analysis derived from manual clinical review or other processes. Arrangements for future reporting are being worked on and NHS England is undertaking a piece of work to understand the issues in homecare, so as to inform future improvement actions. A project by the National Homecare Medicines Committee to review the national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set is already underway with consultation due later this summer and final documents expected for approval in December 2023. Publication of performance against the KPIs is part of this project.
To monitor industry trends, the home care providers association, the National Clinical Homecare Association, aggregates all providers’ KPIs and they have provided written evidence to the House of Lords Public Services Committee as part of their current investigation into the Homecare Medicines service which has been published. This includes data on patient safety incidents and duty of candour reports, of which a copy is attached.
The Health and Care Bill proposes integrated care boards and requires the creation of integrated care partnerships (ICPs) in each local system area. ICPs will bring together the National Health Service, local authorities and wider representatives, as appropriate to address the health, public health and social care needs of people in their areas. We expect that this would include addressing the needs of inclusion health groups. This and other measures contained in the Bill will enable more integrated care for patients and service users, including inclusion health groups.
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.
To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library
Business rates and any reliefs are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities in England on eligible properties. As set out in the guidance, support is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the Government.
A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as airports, has also been made available.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
The Department publishes an annual release entitled 'Housing supply: Net Additional Dwellings, England', which includes estimates of the components of housing supply, in each year since 2006-07, in Table 120 at this link: live-tables-on net supply of housing.
Data on dwellings suitable for family occupation with a garden or play space are not centrally collected.
The number of new social rent homes delivered by local authority since 1991-92, including acquisitions of existing stock, can be found in Live Table 1006C, published (attached) at the following link.
The number of starts on site for new social rent homes since 2015-16 can be found in Live Table 1006S, via the same link. We are monitoring delivery of our housing programmes closely. We are working with our delivery partners, and the Sector to help support delivery.
The latest statutory homelessness statistics for April to June 2022 can be found (attached) here . This includes data on the number of households in temporary accommodation in England, including the number of children.
DLUHC has consulted with DCMS following their work on municipal bonds for community investment.
In 2019 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport sponsored independent research (attached) into the concept of crowdfunding as a way for people to invest in Local Authority projects in their communities. The report, entitled Financing for Society: Crowdfunding Public Infrastructure, was published by the University of Leeds and included case studies about the use of community municipal bonds for projects including those aimed at tackling climate change. DCMS has no current plans for further promotion of this financing mechanism.
The Government published its response to the Redmond Review of local authority financial reporting and external audit on 17 December 2020. The current regulatory framework for local audit was one of the matters considered by the review. We are giving close consideration to Sir Tony Redmond’s finding that the local audit framework is too fragmented and are committed to exploring the full range of options as to how the recommendations relating to system leadership can best be achieved and will update on this further later in the Spring.
This is a complex issue and that is why a review is the right course of action and we are looking at all options.
Work is ongoing and the Government will update on its findings in due course.
Almost 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to isolate and stop the virus spreading. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.
The Government and local authorities have worked closely together to make accommodation available to significant number of people during this challenging time. The reasons behind people sleeping rough are complex, and some people may make decisions to refuse an offer of accommodation or leave accommodation that has been offered to them.
Management information on those accommodated is collected from over 300 local authorities nationally. Local authorities hold the most up to date information regarding the number of people they are currently assisting.?We are continuing to work with local authorities?to understand the work they are doing to help the most vulnerable in our society.
The most recent national rough sleeping data is the?autumn 2019 annual statistics, which showed a total figure of 4,266 rough sleepers on any given night.
The number of people sleeping rough in the 2019 annual snapshot is 9% lower compared with the previous year and 10% lower compared with 2017.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in?emergency?accommodation in order to prevent any risk of them sleeping rough during the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has been working intensively with local areas to support rough sleepers, those in shared sleeping spaces such as shelters and those at risk of rough sleeping, into secure accommodation as part of the Everyone In programme.
On 3 June, the Government published the management information that supports the announcements from the Secretary of State and Dame Louise Casey that nearly 15,000 vulnerable people had?been accommodated by local authorities in response to COVID-19.?This information can be (attached) found here.
At present the private parking industry is self-regulating.
Parking on private land is primarily managed through contract law. The signage on a site is the terms and conditions of a contract. When a motorist gets a ticket from a private company, in law this is an invoice for breach of contract. This creates a debt against the motorist that is enforceable through the courts.
Fines issued by private parking companies are currently capped at £100 by the codes of practice which the International Parking Community and British Parking Association hold their members to.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act will create a Code of Practice with a single set of rules which applies across the private parking sector. It will ensure that the obligations for enforcement and appeal processes are fair, consistent, and proportionate. The issue of fines will also be looked at as part of the development of the Code.
Local authority parking is governed by different legislation to private car parks. The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (Guidelines on Levels of Charges) (England) Order 2007 sets guidelines on parking charges by enforcement authorities outside Greater London. Local authorities are not meant to raise revenue on managing parking and under Section 55 of the Road Traffic Management Act (RTRA) 1984, any excess revenue raised must be reinvested in the local transport budget.
The Parking Places (Variation of Charges) Act 2017 will also provide flexibility around allowing local authorities to lower parking charges for seasonal or one-off events, as well as creating a duty to consult residents on plans to increase charges. We are currently working on enacting the legislation and will provide further announcements in due course.
We have not made an estimate of the number of motorists who have received invalid fines caused by malfunctioning equipment in private car parks. However, this is an issue which the new Parking Code of Practice should help to address.
At present the private parking industry is self-regulating. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act, will lead to the creation of an independent Code of Practice for private parking companies and a “one-stop-shop” for private sector parking appeals.
The Code of Practice will create consistency for consumers, by having a single set of rules which applies across the private parking sector. It will ensure that the obligations for enforcement and appeal processes are fair, consistent, and proportionate. Those operators who do not meet the standards set out in the code of practice will not be able to access DVLA data and will be unable to pursue motorists for parking charges.
The Government is currently considering the content of the Code and what the obligations by private parking companies to motorists should be and will consult with stakeholders, including industry, motorists and consumer groups later this year.
Government does not hold figures on fines levied by private car park operators.
At present, the private parking industry is self-regulating. However, the Parking (Code of Practice) Act will lead to the creation of an independent Code of Practice for private parking companies and a “one-stop-shop” for private sector parking appeals.
The Code will be developed in consultation with stakeholders but Government fully expects the Code to cover such areas as the clear display of terms and conditions for consumers, grace periods to allow motorists time to pay and leave the car park, professional standards of behaviour expected of parking operators and a fair process for appealing parking charges.