Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Office for Product Safety and Standards is sufficiently staffed and skilled to enforce the new regulations on mandatory recycling labelling.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has agreed, in principle, to act as a National Regulator for the new regulations on mandatory recycling labelling, which form part of proposed Producer Responsibility Obligations under the Environment Act 2021. No final decision has been made that OPSS shall adopt this enforcement role, but should OPSS become the regulator it will be funded to ensure the necessary resources, including suitably qualified staff, are available.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current position in negotiations for the UK's associate membership of the Horizon Europe Programme; and what steps they are intending to take in order to protect the position of UK academics who have been awarded research grants by the European Research Council.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to maintain funding for the UK's participation in the Horizon programme at the same level as that before the UK's departure from the EU; and what plans they have to (1) maintain, and (2) enhance, the level of funding for UK Research and Innovation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I'm pleased we reached agreement to take part in Horizon Europe, this is a great outcome for British businesses and researchers. We are continuing to work through the details of the costs for Horizon Europe.
Similarly, we are currently working closely with our delivery partners, including UKRI, to develop the 2021/22 allocations and help them plan their implementation.
We will set out our plans for R&D spend in 2021/22 – including funding for Horizon Europe and UKRI – in due course.
We are increasing funding for research and development and putting it at the heart of economic and social recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, enabling us to build back better for a greener, healthier and more resilient UK. We are committed to increasing total UK investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on research outcomes of using funds from UK Research and Innovation to contribute to Horizon Europe.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are continuing to work through the details of the costs for Horizon Europe. We will set out our plans for R&D spend in 2021/22 – including funding for Horizon Europe – in due course.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Parts 1 and 3 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill on building regulations in Scotland; and what plans they have to ensure that Scotland will continue to be able to adopt stricter standards of building regulation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The assessment of the impact of Parts 1 and 3 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill on building regulations in Scotland is as follows:
The Government has no plans to limit Scotland’s existing competence in relation to building regulations.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to lay a Statutory Instrument to ensure that lawyers from the European Economic Area cannot appear before the UK Intellectual Property Office from 1 January 2021.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working with colleagues across government to have a suitable solution in place before 31 December, including any necessary amendment to the address for service rules.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are seeking to add trade mark and patent attorneys to the list of legal professions excluded from automatic recognition of professional qualifications in Clauses 22–27 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
By adding patent and trade mark attorneys to the list of excluded legal professions, we are putting them outside the scope of the recognition provisions of the Bill completely and seeking to preserve the status quo in relation to these professions and associated regulated legal activities. This brings them in line with the other legal professions excluded under Clause 25(6), in acknowledgment of the different legal systems of the UK.
Registered trade mark and patent attorneys are authorised to carry out certain reserved legal activities in England and Wales, more commonly associated with other legal professionals. By excluding the professions of trade mark and patent attorney from the recognition provisions of the Bill, we will prevent these provisions being used in a way that is not intended by the legislation governing trade mark and patent attorneys and regulated legal activities. This will ensure IPReg will continue to be able decide whether and how trade mark and patent attorneys should be allowed to carry out the regulated legal activities it is designated to regulate in different parts of the UK.
As trade mark and patent attorneys are currently regulated UK-Wide, we appreciate that accessing the professions or the associated activities may not be an issue currently. However, should the regulation of these professions change in the future, this amendment will ensure that they will not be impacted by the recognition provisions in the Bill.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that there will be equality in the treatment of rights of representation between trademark attorneys in the UK, the EU, and the European Economic Area (EEA) once the UK has withdrawn from the EU; and whether any such plans (1) include a common right of representation for such attorneys before the European Intellectual Property Office, or (2) would not give EU or EEA attorneys the right of representation in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We want a relationship with the EU which is based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals, and centred on free trade. We are looking for a deal like those the EU has previously struck with other friendly countries like Canada.
FTA precedent is our starting point for legal services. We aim to secure market access commitments for lawyers and minimise barriers to the cross-border supply of services and investment, on the basis of commitments like those in the Canada FTA.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the maximum time between which companies must hold annual general meetings, as set out in section 336 of the Companies Act 2006, due to the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has announced a number of measures to reduce burdens on businesses small and large during the Covid-19 outbreak as part of the measures announced by the Chancellor and as set out in the Coronavirus Act. Further measures are being developed and will be announced in due course.
The Government has also been working closely with stakeholders in developing guidance on how to conduct Annual General Meetings in the face of Covid-19 restrictions. The guidance is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s and Chartered Governance Institute’s websites and is being kept under review in light of evolving circumstances. We have continued to listen and work closely with businesses to ensure they are able to conduct their business in a safe, orderly and effective way. As a consequence we announced on 28 March our intention to legislate as soon as possible to give companies greater, temporary flexibility.