Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) Cancer Research UK and (b) other relevant stakeholders on the Smokefree 2030 campaign.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government consults widely with stakeholders on the Smokefree 2030 ambition. My officials regularly meet with organisations such as Cancer Research UK, as well as other relevant individuals and organisations.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance the UK is providing to South Sudan through the UNHCR programme.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK's humanitarian portfolio in South Sudan is delivered via a combination of UN and international NGO partners, focusing on delivery of critical assistance to the most vulnerable populations across the country. The UK Government does not provide direct funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in South Sudan. We are in close contact with humanitarian partners, including the UNHCR, on the response to those affected by the crisis in Sudan. On 24 May, I [Andrew Mitchell] announced £143 million in humanitarian aid for East Africa this financial year, including £18.9 million for South Sudan.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to limit microplastic pollution caused by automobile tyres.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The development of policy to limit emissions from tyre wear depends on the development of an internationally recognised test procedure for measuring them. This issue is being examined by the UN ECE Particle Measurement Programme (PMP), which includes DfT officials, other international governments, and the automotive industry. DfT is one of the founders of PMP and has played a leading role since its inception.
To support the work of the UN ECE, the Department commissioned a 4-year research project in February 2021 aimed at understanding better the measurement techniques, material properties and control parameters of brake and tyre wear emissions from road vehicles. The outcomes of the project will inform policy and legislation aiming at reducing these emissions on a domestic and international level.
Furthermore, Government is continuing to invest through Innovate UK grants in emerging technologies which reduce non-exhaust emissions.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to limit microplastic pollution caused by textiles.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Plan for Water outlined our position that we will expect industry to develop low cost, effective microfibre filters on washing machine and encourage their effective use. With the plan being published only just last month, we are now considering the best actions for its implementation. As a first step, we will look to manufacturers to reduce costs and to provide appropriate evidence of the value of microfibre filters to persuade consumers to invest in them and use them correctly.
Defra funds Textiles 2030, a voluntary initiative with over 110 signatories from the fashion manufacturing industry covering 62% by sales of the UK clothing market. Signatories are committed to circular economy principles such as agreeing good design principles so that their products are durable and recyclable.
Our landmark Environment Act 2021 also provides general powers on design standards and requiring information on the resource efficiency of products. We are, therefore, exploring the best mix of policy measures to tackle the environmental impact of textiles.
Defra supports a range of research including the UK Water Industry Research project (performed by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) which reported in April 2022 that wastewater treatment plants remove 99% of microplastics by number and 99.5% by mass. The Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) includes over £7.39 million of commitment from the water industry to further research microplastics removal through wastewater treatment processes to sludge, which may be a source of microplastics to final effluent discharges.
Technical experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have been leading the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment to develop a new indicator for microlitter (including microplastics) in seafloor sediments. This will help us to track progress in reducing plastics in the environment at a regional scale.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of recent data published by the Office of National Statistics on excess deaths.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities works alongside the Office for National Statistics to understand excess deaths. A combination of factors has contributed to these excess deaths, including high flu prevalence, the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy and an interim report will be published in the summer. The strategy will set out a strong and coherent policy agenda that sets out a shift to integrated, whole-person care. The strategy will tackle conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England including, cancers, cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal conditions.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many ordained stipendiary priests are proposed to serve each Minster Community in Leicestershire; how frequent the Commissioners expect the provision for Holy Communion in each church to be; and how many such priests have been identified as ready to (a) serve in Minster Communities and (b) provide Holy Communion, not by extension.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Management of a diocese and ordering of parishes is not a matter for the National Church Institutions (NCIs), but for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff in discussion with the diocesan mission and pastoral committees and liaison with parishes. The NCIs are aware that in October 2021, 72% of the Leicester Diocesan Synod members voted in favour of the Minster Community model.
Enquiries about the Minster Communities plan should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many Minster Communities are proposed in Leicestershire; and how many parishes are proposed in each.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Management of a diocese and the ordering of parishes is a matter for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff, not the National Church Institutions (NCIs).
The NCIs are aware that in October 2021, 72% of members of the Leicester Diocesan Synod voted in favour of the Minster Community model. The Church Commissioners, as the appeal body for any formal parish reorganisation, are unable to comment further as it may prejudice future decisions of the Mission, Pastoral, and Church Property Committee should Leicester Diocese decide to bring forward formal parish reorganisation proposals.
Enquiries about the Minster Communities plan should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, how many ordained priests are available to perform the Occasional Offices in Leicestershire parish churches.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
From the records held by the National Church institutions and the diocese, at the present time the Diocese of Leicester has the following ordained clergy and lay ministers:
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what information the Commissioners hold on whether the Minster Community model reduces (a) church attendance and (b) parish giving.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The Church Commissioners have not received any formal parish reorganisation proposals or impact assessments relating to the Minster Communities model. Enquiries about the Minster Communities model should be directed to the offices of the Bishop of Leicester, the Archdeacon of Leicester or the Archdeacon of Loughborough. Contact details can be found on the diocesan website here: https://www.leicester.anglican.org/whos-who
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners are taking steps to help ensure that ordained priests are not expected to officiate in parish churches of a different tradition in a way which (a) they and (b) the parishioners are not comfortable with.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Management of a diocese and the ordering of parishes is a matter for the diocesan bishop and their senior staff, not the National Church Institutions.
Clergy, retired clergy and lay ministers regularly offer cover across dioceses during vacancies, an incumbent’s illness, or for other pastoral reasons. The diocesan bishop and local archdeacon are responsible for overseeing this process.