Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of animal population decline in other countries on the UK, following the WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 which showed that worldwide animal populations have declined by 69 per cent since 1970.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is susceptible to impacts from animal population decline worldwide through global impacts on food supply and the increasing emergence and transmission of diseases. For example, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Pollinators Assessment showed that 35% of global crop production volume depends on animal pollination, while the IPBES Workshop report on Biodiversity and Pandemics showed that over 30% of emerging disease events are caused by land-use change and its impacts on wildlife. Healthy ecosystems are also vital for mitigating and adapting to climate change, thus animal population declines may also exacerbate the climate impacts felt by the UK, as set out in the UK’s Climate Change Risk Assessment. The UK Government with others continues to support the work of the IPBES and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to further understand these global impacts.
A recently published report from the Green Finance Institute, entitled ‘Assessing the Materiality of Nature-Related Financial Risks for the UK’, with direction from Defra and others, showed that about half of all UK nature-related risk comes from overseas, through supply chains and financial exposures. It showed that the combination of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation could lead to major economic shocks leading to UK Gross Domestic Product being up to 12% lower that it may otherwise have been by the 2030s (even lower when combined with climate impacts).
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of recent reluctance by Libyan stakeholders to establish elections in the country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The ongoing political impasse in Libya is unsustainable, and deeply damaging for ordinary Libyans. It leaves Libya extremely vulnerable to third state actors set on pursuing control over Libya's security, politics and economy. The UK continues to support the UN's efforts to broker a Libyan-owned and led political settlement, with the onus on Libya's leaders to fulfil their responsibilities. We note with regret the resignation by UN Special Representative of the Secretary General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and renew our full support to the United Nations and the key role it continues to play in Libya.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's (a) mean result and (b) standard deviation in the civil service people survey results for questions (i) W01, (ii) W02, (iii) W03 and (iv) W04 on personal wellbeing has been in each of the last 15 years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The questions on personal wellbeing were introduced to the Civil Service People Survey in 2012 and therefore have only been in the survey for each of the last 12 years.
The attached table provides the mean average and standard deviation of the department’s results for the four questions on personal wellbeing W01 to W04.
The department does not hold the individual-level survey data, which is required in order to calculate the mean and standard deviation for 2017 or 2019.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many allegations of bullying have been made against Ministers by staff in her Department in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
None.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Euro NCAP about the criteria by which certificates are issued.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Euro NCAP does not issue certificates but provides motorists with objective information on the crash safety and driver assistance systems fitted to passenger cars. The 1-5 star rating system helps consumers compare the safety potential of different models, helping to include safety in their purchasing decision.
The testing protocols are reviewed periodically to reflect evolving technologies. As a member of Euro NCAP, the Department for Transport has a place on the Board of Directors, which meets three times per year and has a role in agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation and approving new protocols.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their policy for the NHS to refer to "people who have ovaries" rather than "women" and whether this phraseology has been market tested with women, including those for whom English is a second language, to ensure that it is fully understood.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is not Government policy for the National Health Service to refer to ‘people who have ovaries’ and this phraseology has not been market tested. We have been clear that biological sex matters and it is important to use language that recognises the separate health and biological needs of men and women.
For all sex-specific conditions, we expect the language used to put biological sex, for example “women”, front and centre, with biologically-relevant information relating to specific organs or hormones secondary.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with local authorities about the financing of those in social care.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ministers and officials in the Department have regular conversations with representatives of local government, including the Local Government Association and the Association for Directors of Adult Social Services, regarding the costs of meeting the needs of adults who draw on care and support. The Department regularly engages with local authorities, who are responsible for assessing eligibility for financial assistance as set out in the Care Act, to understand the impact charging policy has on individuals who draw on care. The Department also regularly engages with individual local authorities to better understand their financial plans for commissioning and delivering adult social care.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will support any proposal at UNECE’s Working Party 29 in June to re-establish the Informal Working Group on (vehicle headlight) glare.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK will consider any proposals at UNECE Working Party 29 on their merits based on a range of factors, including the availability and assessment of new independent evidence or justification. The UK government has committed to research headlamp glare to identify root causes and potential countermeasures, which may in due course support the establishment of a UNECE Informal Working Group to develop, amend and implement changes to the appropriate international regulations.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many designated visiting officers there are in each service of the armed forces; and what are the targeted numbers in each service.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a caring employer has a comprehensive range of policies and resources in place to support families during the most difficult of times.
With regards to accommodation, Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, makes provision for bereaved families to remain in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for up to two years following the death of a Service person. It is normal to issue a 93 Day Notice to Vacate when two years is reached but retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two-year period on a discretionary case by case basis.
The Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel who die in service is provided by the MOD. A routine review of the pack is underway, with a view to publication in summer 2024. The Purple Pack is supplemented and supported by documentation provided by each of the Services, for example, the Army Families Guide.
The Purple Pack is provided for immediate adult family members. Information is provided for adults to support and manage bereaved children, including signposting to relevant charities and organisations.
The Defence Bereaved Families Group meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. In the past five years it has met ten times. The next meeting will be in September 2024, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The Minister for Defence People and Families does not routinely attend the meeting, but he attended in September 2023 and regularly receives briefings from the Chair and co-Chair.
Visiting Officers (VO) are an integral part of the support provided by Defence to bereaved families. VO are provided by each Service and undertake training relevant to their role. The Royal Navy (RN) has 60 personnel trained as VO, the Army has 1,390 and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has 1,103.
Each Service runs training courses that meet their specific requirements, for personnel designated as a VO. For example, all RN VO are either Specialist Welfare Worker trained, having completed the Defence Specialist Welfare Worker Course (a Level Five Social Care training course specifically for the care of service personnel and their families), or Civil Service Social Workers registered with Social Work England (or equivalent devolved UK registration). In addition, all must attend and pass the RN Family & People Support VO training every three years.
For the Army, formal, in person training is provided for those conducting both Casualty Notification Officer and VO duties. The training competency is extant for four years; if not appointed within that time frame a one-day refresher course can be conducted to enable another four years competency. The Army’s recommended minimum provision of VO is set at ten for Regular major units, three for Regular minor units, and two for Reserve units.
The RAF VO competency is awarded after completion of a workshop and remains current for four years after which volunteers must attend another briefing day to renew it. Units are expected to aim for 2-5% of their trained strength to have the VO competency.
There is no fixed period of time during which a VO will provide support to a bereaved family. This is dependent upon circumstances but normally would not extend beyond an Inquest or Service Inquiry. Appropriate transition plans will be put in place including arrangements for ongoing support to be provided through a point of contact from either the relevant single Service aftercare cell or unit HR staff.
Via DBS’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence also provides support to the bereaved via its national network of welfare managers (WM). A WM is assigned to families who experience a death in service and usually attends the initial visit alongside the VO. Support from VWS then endures for as long as is required and focuses on access to financial, welfare and wellbeing support as required, including issues in relation to the Armed Forces Pension. WMs who support clients in such circumstances are specifically trained and supervised as part of a VWS experts’ group. VWS is part of the Defence Bereaved Families Group.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many days after the death of a member of the armed forces are their families required to leave service family accommodation.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a caring employer has a comprehensive range of policies and resources in place to support families during the most difficult of times.
With regards to accommodation, Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, makes provision for bereaved families to remain in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for up to two years following the death of a Service person. It is normal to issue a 93 Day Notice to Vacate when two years is reached but retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two-year period on a discretionary case by case basis.
The Purple Pack bereavement guide for families of service personnel who die in service is provided by the MOD. A routine review of the pack is underway, with a view to publication in summer 2024. The Purple Pack is supplemented and supported by documentation provided by each of the Services, for example, the Army Families Guide.
The Purple Pack is provided for immediate adult family members. Information is provided for adults to support and manage bereaved children, including signposting to relevant charities and organisations.
The Defence Bereaved Families Group meets twice a year in Spring and Autumn. In the past five years it has met ten times. The next meeting will be in September 2024, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The Minister for Defence People and Families does not routinely attend the meeting, but he attended in September 2023 and regularly receives briefings from the Chair and co-Chair.
Visiting Officers (VO) are an integral part of the support provided by Defence to bereaved families. VO are provided by each Service and undertake training relevant to their role. The Royal Navy (RN) has 60 personnel trained as VO, the Army has 1,390 and the Royal Air Force (RAF) has 1,103.
Each Service runs training courses that meet their specific requirements, for personnel designated as a VO. For example, all RN VO are either Specialist Welfare Worker trained, having completed the Defence Specialist Welfare Worker Course (a Level Five Social Care training course specifically for the care of service personnel and their families), or Civil Service Social Workers registered with Social Work England (or equivalent devolved UK registration). In addition, all must attend and pass the RN Family & People Support VO training every three years.
For the Army, formal, in person training is provided for those conducting both Casualty Notification Officer and VO duties. The training competency is extant for four years; if not appointed within that time frame a one-day refresher course can be conducted to enable another four years competency. The Army’s recommended minimum provision of VO is set at ten for Regular major units, three for Regular minor units, and two for Reserve units.
The RAF VO competency is awarded after completion of a workshop and remains current for four years after which volunteers must attend another briefing day to renew it. Units are expected to aim for 2-5% of their trained strength to have the VO competency.
There is no fixed period of time during which a VO will provide support to a bereaved family. This is dependent upon circumstances but normally would not extend beyond an Inquest or Service Inquiry. Appropriate transition plans will be put in place including arrangements for ongoing support to be provided through a point of contact from either the relevant single Service aftercare cell or unit HR staff.
Via DBS’s Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), Defence also provides support to the bereaved via its national network of welfare managers (WM). A WM is assigned to families who experience a death in service and usually attends the initial visit alongside the VO. Support from VWS then endures for as long as is required and focuses on access to financial, welfare and wellbeing support as required, including issues in relation to the Armed Forces Pension. WMs who support clients in such circumstances are specifically trained and supervised as part of a VWS experts’ group. VWS is part of the Defence Bereaved Families Group.