Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's planned timetable is for consultation on activity regulations under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence-based and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed.
This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects a funding decision for the Early Aortic Repair in patients Needing Endovascular/Open Surgery for Type B Aortic Dissection (EARNEST) randomised trial, following a favourable opinion from the National Institute for Health Research in February 2023.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research commissioned the Early Aortic Repair in patients Needing Endovascular/Open Surgery for Type B Aortic Dissection (EARNEST) trial to test the effectiveness of a surgical treatment for aortic dissection. NHS England received an Excess Treatment Cost funding request for this trial, and at the end of February 2024 they confirmed this funding in principle with the trial team. This will now enable the trial team to continue to progress the set-up phase for the study, and to subsequently begin recruitment.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
Whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I understand my Hon. Friend’s keen interest in this matter and was pleased to meet with her to discuss this in October. As she is aware, this is a devolved matter. Following the restoration of the institutions, I would recommend that she engage with the Finance Minister in Northern Ireland to ask what consideration she has given to this issue.