Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping’s inquiry into the UK Tobacco Harm Reduction Opportunities Post-Brexit: Achieving a Smoke-Free 2030.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This publication will be considered alongside a wide range of evidence to inform the Government’s policy on the role of e-cigarettes in helping smokers quit smoking.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping’s inquiry into the UK Tobacco Harm Reduction Opportunities Post-Brexit: Achieving a Smoke-Free 2030, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of in-packet targeted communications to smokers on (a) availability of reduced-risk alternative products and (b) the potential effects of other products on health.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made. Inserts in cigarette packets are banned under the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015. The Government is currently conducting a post implementation review of the Regulations which will be published later this year.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department will be using to reach the UK’s agreed position on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) ahead of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) since the UK has left the EU; and if will publish that information ahead of COP9.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Ahead of the ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Government will be considering domestic and international evidence on electronic nicotine delivery systems. This will include Public Health England’s seventh Vaping in England report, which was published in February 2021. No further information will be issued by the Department ahead of COP9.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to make permanent the temporary powers within the Coronavirus Act 2020 enabling the electronic registration of deaths.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Although the current easements to death registration in the Coronavirus Act 2020 have not enabled the electronic registration of deaths, the General Register Office continues to look for opportunities to modernise the death registration process.
The current easements for death registration are currently planned to expire in line with the Coronavirus Act 2020, to retain them would require changes to the Primary Legislation which underpins the death registration process
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer on 18 May 2021 to Question 170 on Tobacco, in the context of the decision of the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP2) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products to meet virtually, if he will extend the UK’s delegation to include (a) advocates for the Government’s harm reduction policies and (b) consumers as per the recommendations of the all-party Parliamentary group for Vaping's inquiry into COP9 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control published on 31 March 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Departmental officials will be attending the virtual Ninth World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties (COP9). Officials from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will be attending the virtual Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP2). As COP9 and MOP2 are Government-led events, no other representatives will be attending.
Whilst the agenda and papers for COP9 and MOP2 have not been circulated, officials will use the opportunity to speak about the United Kingdom’s progress on the implementation of tobacco control policies. This will include, where relevant, the role of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes in supporting smokers to quit.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ensure that the UK delegation to the Ninth Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference in November 2021 takes the opportunity to speak about the UK’s progress on the implementation of tobacco harm reduction policies and the role of vaping in making that progress.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Departmental officials will be attending the virtual Ninth World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties (COP9). Officials from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will be attending the virtual Second Session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP2). As COP9 and MOP2 are Government-led events, no other representatives will be attending.
Whilst the agenda and papers for COP9 and MOP2 have not been circulated, officials will use the opportunity to speak about the United Kingdom’s progress on the implementation of tobacco control policies. This will include, where relevant, the role of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes in supporting smokers to quit.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of court sitting days.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have finalised increased sitting days in the coming financial year, with an increase to a record level in total across all jurisdictions.
This will maximise the system - we will run our Crown Courts to the fullest possible extent, with no limit on sitting days, using up every room and judge, alongside more days in Civil and Family Courts, and the Employment Tribunal.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Green Gas Levy volumetric charges on the operations of gas intensive industries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government will launch the Green Gas Levy with a per meter point approach later this year, the design of which was set out in the recent Future Support for Low Carbon Heat & Green Gas Levy Government Response. The impact of a per meter point approach on gas intensive industries is expected to be minimal.
However, the Government recognises the clear benefits of a volumetric levy that aligns policy costs more closely with energy consumption. The Government has been clear that any volumetric levy design must be simple to administer and deliver, minimise costs on consumers, and take consideration of the impact on energy intensive industries and other important UK industries. The Government will ensure it consults fully and works closely with stakeholders on any new proposals in this area.
Further details on the impact of transitioning to a volumetric levy will be set out in the impact assessment that will follow the government response mentioned above in due course.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in tackling (a) littering and (b) fly-tipping.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In recent years, we have bolstered local authorities’ powers to tackle litter and fly-tipping. We have increased and introduced new penalties for littering and fly-tipping and given councils the power to stop and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. We also continue to campaign to raise awareness of the impacts of littering to support behaviour change and we are providing funding of just under a million pounds to help 44 local authorities purchase new litter bins.
Asked by: Mark Pawsey (Conservative - Rugby)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to improve access for UK exporters to high growth global markets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As an independent trading nation, we are building strong trading relationships across the world and removing market access barriers for British businesses. We have secured trade agreements with 66 non-EU countries, worth £217bn in 2019. We have formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement which removes tariffs on 95% of goods between members and will deepen UK access to key markets around the world, from Mexico to Malaysia.