Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make a comparative assessment of her Department's guidance on the installation of heat pumps through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme and the criteria by which Energy Performance Certificates are issued.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy currently has no plans to carry out a comparative assessment of installation guidance for heat pumps in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM), who administer both domestic and non-domestic schemes, publish extensive guidance on the RHI, including guidance around the eligibility of heat pumps for the RHI. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers publishes codes of practice for large scale non-domestic heat pumps.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for Energy Performance Certificates. Guidance is available on the gov.uk website.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing NHS-funded care home residents with long-term health conditions to claim benefits.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
It is a long-standing principle of social policy that there should not be double provision for the same contingency out of public funds. People whose placement in a nursing home is funded by NHS Continuing Healthcare are not asked to contribute to their support. Legislation provides that where any costs of qualifying services are borne out of public funds the disability benefits (Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment) are withdrawn after 28 days.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons the minimum size of enclosures for snakes was changed from the requirement stated in the draft Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 guidance.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The draft statutory guidance relating to pet sales that accompanies The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) contained two minimum accommodation size lengths for snakes in pet selling establishments. One was two thirds snake length and related to the minimum length of the enclosure in order to comply with the 2018 Regulations; and the other was 1x snake length which was the minimum length needed to attain the optional higher welfare standard.
During consultation on the draft guidance a group of specialist exotic animal veterinary and keeping professionals advised that there was no welfare basis for the higher welfare standard. We therefore withdrew the higher minimum welfare standard for snake accommodation sizes from the final published guidance. However, the minimum welfare size needed to comply with the 2018 Regulations remains at two thirds snake length. We have not made an estimate of the costs to businesses if they were required to increase the size of their snake enclosures.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish correspondence between her Department and businesses on the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 guidance on the size of snake enclosures; and what estimate she has made of the costs to businesses of increasing the size of snake enclosures.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The draft statutory guidance relating to pet sales that accompanies The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) contained two minimum accommodation size lengths for snakes in pet selling establishments. One was two thirds snake length and related to the minimum length of the enclosure in order to comply with the 2018 Regulations; and the other was 1x snake length which was the minimum length needed to attain the optional higher welfare standard.
During consultation on the draft guidance a group of specialist exotic animal veterinary and keeping professionals advised that there was no welfare basis for the higher welfare standard. We therefore withdrew the higher minimum welfare standard for snake accommodation sizes from the final published guidance. However, the minimum welfare size needed to comply with the 2018 Regulations remains at two thirds snake length. We have not made an estimate of the costs to businesses if they were required to increase the size of their snake enclosures.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent progress has been made in resolving the dispute between the HMRC and the Roadchef Employee Benefits Trust; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The administration of the tax system is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs. It would not be appropriate for Treasury Ministers to become involved in the administration of the tax system in specific cases.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what analysis his Department has undertaken on the effect of the installation of mobile traffic lights on traffic disruption; and what assessment he has made of the merits of requiring contractors to start and finish work without leaving traffic lights unattended.
Answered by George Freeman
Local highway authorities are responsible for managing the local road network and for reducing the impact of road works on congestion. The majority now do this through the use of street works permit schemes. The Department issues advice and guidance on both the effective operation of permit schemes, and on the correct and safe use of both stop/go signs and portable traffic signals via the ‘Safety at street and road works code of practice.’
There is no blanket requirement for portable traffic signals to be manned and portable signals can be appropriate in many environments, 24 hours a day, and where works are no more than 300 metres long. It is for each local authority to consider the most effective way of managing traffic when they assess permit applications.
To help reduce the impact of street works on congestion, we are currently consulting on an amended street works permit condition that would require temporary traffic lights to be removed no later than 4 hours after a job has been completed.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to make parking over a recognised cycle lane an offence.
Answered by George Freeman
The Secretary of State for Transport has no plans to bring forward such legislation. Parking within advisory or mandatory cycle lanes is already an offence where parking restrictions, which could also include loading restrictions, are in place at such locations, and have been indicated by traffic signs, yellow lines and kerb markings as appropriate.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will he make representations his Sudanese counterpart on the withdrawal the Rapid Support Forces supporting Khalifa Haftar’s army in Libya.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations has he made to the Government of Sudan on Rapid Support Force incursions into Chad close to Beda at the border with Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans she has to ban antibacterial agents in soap.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
All cosmetic products supplied in the UK, whether for consumer or professional use, must comply with EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on Cosmetic Products. The Regulation sets out requirements for product and ingredient safety assessments. It governs the use of ingredients in cosmetic products, banning some, restricting others, and in the case of preservatives, specifying which can be used and their maximum concentrations.
Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products and the products must undergo an expert scientific safety assessment before they are sold. This includes safety assessments of any antibacterial agents used.