Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of sequins on the level of plastic pollution in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the environmental impact of the textiles industry, which is why we identified the sector as a priority for action in the Government’s 2018 Resources & Waste Strategy for England. A key part of this strategy is working with industry to reduce their environmental impact. In 2021 we funded Textiles 2030, our new voluntary programme delivered by our partner WRAP, with signatories representing more than 62% of all clothing placed on the UK market. Through Textiles 2030, WRAP is working with members to drive circular design. A toolkit has been produced for members to support design and production teams to make decisions that reduce waste, increase longevity and support recyclability.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the International Longevity Centre UK The Mayhew Review – Future-proofing retirement living: Easing the care and housing crises, published on 1 November; and in particular the recommendation that His Majesty’s Government should aim to build 50,000 new homes for older people each year to address issues in the (1) housing, and (2) social care, sectors.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Ensuring older people have access to the right homes that suit their needs can help them to live independently for longer and feel more connected to their communities.
We announced in the Levelling Up White Paper an older people’s housing taskforce, to explore how we can improve the choice of and access to housing options for older people.
We are continually increasing our understanding of this market, and note the recommendations in Professor Mayhew's recent review alongside contributions from other stakeholders.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in the Republic of Kenya.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Kenya is a regional and continental leader as well as a strategic and historic partner to the UK. On 5 September, following Kenya's Supreme Court ruling to uphold the results of the 9 August Presidential election, Minister Ford, my predecessor as Minister for Africa, congratulated President-elect Rt. Hon. William Ruto.
The UK welcomes the commitment President-elect Ruto has made to governing in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation and welcome the crucial role played by his opponent, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, over the years, in contributing to the evolution of democracy in Kenya. We also applaud the rising role of women in Kenyan politics and the improvements in this made since 2013 and 2017, in part due to the work of civil society organisations and other non-state actors to equitable participation.
We look forward to continuing our work with the next Kenyan Government and all the country's elected leaders and ensuring the longevity of the UK-Kenya partnership.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the political situation in Kenya.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Kenya is a regional and continental leader as well as a strategic and historic partner to the UK. On 5 September, following Kenya's Supreme Court ruling to uphold the results of the 9 August Presidential election, Minister Ford, my predecessor as Minister for Africa, congratulated President-elect Rt. Hon. William Ruto.
The UK welcomes the commitment President-elect Ruto has made to governing in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation and welcome the crucial role played by his opponent, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, over the years, in contributing to the evolution of democracy in Kenya. We also applaud the rising role of women in Kenyan politics and the improvements in this made since 2013 and 2017, in part due to the work of civil society organisations and other non-state actors to equitable participation.
We look forward to continuing our work with the next Kenyan Government and all the country's elected leaders and ensuring the longevity of the UK-Kenya partnership.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to (a) reduce textiles waste in the UK, (b) improve the environmental sustainability of materials and production processes used in the production of textiles sold in the UK, (c) tackle exploitative labour practices used in the supply chains of textiles sold in the UK, (d) tackle lack of access to clothing in the context of the rise in the cost of living and (e) support consumers to make sustainable clothing choices.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government’s Resources & Waste Strategy for England identified textiles as a priority sector for action. We fund Textiles 2030, a voluntary partnership with industry to reduce the environmental impact of textiles, with signatories covering over 62% of all clothing put on the UK market. This programme is underpinned by ambitious science-based targets, including halving the carbon footprint of new products and reducing the water footprint by 30%, both by 2030.
Our landmark Environment Act 2021 provides general powers to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, design standards and require information on the resource efficiency of products, which will enable us to act more effectively
With those powers in mind, we are considering what wider framework of policy measures could best help reduce the environmental footprint of fashion and building our evidence base. This could include options to reduce waste through increased producer responsibility for goods at end of life, measures to drive increased reuse and longevity of garments as well as better product design and information standards to support consumers to make the most environmentally friendly choice.
Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build confidence in the (1) longevity, and (2) value, of applied general qualifications.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current applied general qualifications. These can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they are necessary, high-quality and support progression to higher education. Through the post-16 qualifications review, these qualifications will need to meet new quality criteria to ensure they are well-designed and have strong progression value to be funded in future. This means that students, employers, and universities can have confidence in their value.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
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 longevity of the (a) AstraZenica and (b) Pfizer covid-19 vaccines; and whether that longevity will be a factor in their potential inclusion in a booster programme.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continuously monitors vaccine effectiveness over time since the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines licensed for use in the United Kingdom. This includes Vaxzevria (previously AstraZeneca) and Comirnaty (previously Pfizer). The UKHSA observed limited waning in vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation and death more than 20 weeks post-vaccination with Vaxzevria or Comirnaty. This was evident in older adults and those in a clinical risk group, suggesting that these individuals should be prioritised for booster doses.
These analyses will continue as the booster programme deployment progresses, including monitoring the duration of protection of booster doses against a range of disease outcomes.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July to Question 30418 and with reference to his written statement of 15 July 2021 on Delivery of Food and Essential Goods, HCWS187, whether local authorities are able to take enforcement action against supermarkets that create a noise nuisance to residents by breaching their delivery conditions.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
As set out in the statement, the Government recognises that it may be necessary for action to be taken in relation to the effects on neighbours of sustained disturbance due to deliveries outside of conditioned hours, particularly where this affects sleep. In this case a local planning authority should consider any efforts made by retailers to manage and mitigate such disturbance, taking into account the degree and longevity of amenity effects.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to engage with the complexities of supply chains to support product (a) security and (b) longevity through the upcoming Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Matt Warman
The government has engaged extensively with cyber security subject matter experts and industry to ensure that the cyber security measures in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill take into account the complexities of connected product supply chains. The Bill will ensure that organisations throughout the supply chain play a role in preventing insecure products from being made available in the UK, through enforceable minimum security requirements.
New security requirements will ensure consumers are made aware at point of sale about how long devices like smart televisions, phones and speakers, will receive security updates. By requiring transparency on the longevity of support, we will reform the security culture of the supply chain for consumer connected products.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department plans to publish the findings of the review into support for special educational needs announced on 6 September 2019.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The COVID-19 outbreak has unavoidably delayed the pace of the work of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Review and materially altered the context for reform. This is noted by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, in her most recent report on putting children and young people with SEND at the heart of our recovery plans: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-old-issues-new-issues-next-steps.
We only have one chance to get this right and have, after careful reflection, decided we should take more time to ensure our reform plans can deliver the systemic change needed. We will be using this time to make certain our plans complement the wider work being done on recovery and school reform, and that they have the longevity needed to offer stability to the sector. We will work at pace over the coming months, closely with system leaders, SEND organisations, schools, and parents, so that we are in a strong position to publish bold proposals for public consultation.