Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide support to smallholder farmers in developing countries to meet the legal requirement to not contribute to deforestation under the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK plays a leading role in supporting global efforts to protect and restore forest landscapes, driving international action to tackle deforestation and ensure forests are sustainably managed. This effort is underpinned by a commitment of £1.5 billion to international forests between 2021 and 2026.
The Government works with both businesses and smallholder farmers to improve sustainable practices and encourage forest-friendly business. The Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use programme (2015-2024) supports the development of new business models which provide jobs and livelihoods while protecting and restoring forests. The programme is implemented through a set of complementary interventions including Partnerships for Forests (P4F) (£120 million), which provides grant funding and technical assistance to catalyse investment into sustainable agriculture and forest management. To date, P4F has mobilised £1.25 billion in private investment into forests, brought 4.5 million hectares of land under sustainable management and directly benefitted over 250,000 people.
The UK’s Mobilising Finance for Forests programme is working to increase private investment in activities that create value from standing forests and/or incorporate forest protection and restoration into sustainable agricultural commodity production. This programme is complementary to P4F, targeting larger and more mature opportunities that will mobilise investment into sustainable land-use at scale.
The UK also supports companies in their transition to sustainable supply chains. The UK is a co-funder of the Tropical Forest Alliance, a public-private initiative hosted by the World Economic Forum which mobilises over 170 companies, governments and NGOs to tackle commodity-driven deforestation.
We also continue to work with consumer and producer country partners in forums such as the Forest, Agriculture, and Commodity and Trade (FACT) Dialogue, which the UK and Indonesia launched together as co-chairs in 2021. The FACT Dialogue convenes 28 major producers and consumers of internationally traded agricultural commodities to agree principles for collaboration and developed a Roadmap of actions which was launched at COP26, to protect forests and other ecosystems while promoting sustainable trade and development, in a way that respects all countries’ interests.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an estimate of the total amount banks have repaid customers that have been victims of (a) fraud and (b) payment scams.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government takes fraud and scams very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. Tackling fraud and scams requires a unified and co-ordinated response from government, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and businesses, reduce the impact on victims, and increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters.
According to data published by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) on 31 October, the fourteen largest payment service providers reimbursed a total of £237,219,623 of losses from authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Reimbursement rates varied significantly by firm. As part of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Government legislated to enable the PSR to mandate payment service providers to reimburse victims of APP scams. This will ensure that victims of APP scams are reimbursed on a more consistent basis and ensure greater consumer protection. The Government also intends to introduce legislation to allow payment service providers to slow down payments processing when there is a reasonable suspicion of fraud. The Government will introduce this legislation in due course.
Beyond this, the Government has taken significant action to address this issue. In May 2022, the Government published its fraud strategy, setting out a number of new measures. For example, the Government announced it will extend the ban on cold calling to cover all consumer financial services and products, and recently consulted on the design and scope of this ban. The Government has also taken action to address fraudulent activity being hosted online through the Online Safety Act 2023, which includes a new standalone duty requiring large internet firms to remove fraudulent content on their platforms.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policies to tackle bank (a) fraud and (b) scams.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government takes fraud and scams very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. Tackling fraud and scams requires a unified and co-ordinated response from government, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and businesses, reduce the impact on victims, and increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters.
According to data published by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) on 31 October, the fourteen largest payment service providers reimbursed a total of £237,219,623 of losses from authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Reimbursement rates varied significantly by firm. As part of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Government legislated to enable the PSR to mandate payment service providers to reimburse victims of APP scams. This will ensure that victims of APP scams are reimbursed on a more consistent basis and ensure greater consumer protection. The Government also intends to introduce legislation to allow payment service providers to slow down payments processing when there is a reasonable suspicion of fraud. The Government will introduce this legislation in due course.
Beyond this, the Government has taken significant action to address this issue. In May 2022, the Government published its fraud strategy, setting out a number of new measures. For example, the Government announced it will extend the ban on cold calling to cover all consumer financial services and products, and recently consulted on the design and scope of this ban. The Government has also taken action to address fraudulent activity being hosted online through the Online Safety Act 2023, which includes a new standalone duty requiring large internet firms to remove fraudulent content on their platforms.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce interim measures to protect buy now pay later borrowers.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) is an interest-free product which gives consumers a time-limited means of spreading payments for their purchases. When used responsibly and provided affordably it can be a helpful way for consumers to manage their finances and make purchases.
Many consumers are attracted to BNPL because of its interest-free nature, which the Government considers makes it inherently lower risk than most other types of credit. The FCA’s most recent Financial Lives survey found that 46% of people of who had used BNPL in the past 12 months chose it because it was interest-free. In addition, the survey found that 88% of users found it easy to keep track of their repayments.
As such, BNPL represents a popular alternative to traditional, interest-bearing forms of credit like credit cards and personal loans. For some financially vulnerable consumers it may also provide an alternative to high-cost and illegal lending. Further data from the FCA shows that around 14 million adults used BNPL in the six months to January 2023 and that the average outstanding BNPL balance is low at £236.
The Government’s consultation on proposed draft legislation to bring Buy-Now Pay-Later into regulation closed in April. Since then the Government has been carefully considering stakeholder feedback. The Government will publish a response to the consultation once it is finalised in due course.
In the meantime, BNPL users already benefit from broader consumer protection legislation, including on advertising and unfair contract terms. The FCA also has existing powers to take action against firms, which it used as recently as Tuesday 31 October to secure changes to firms' potentially unfair and unclear contract terms. Some BNPL firms have also introduced a credit ‘opt-out’ function for their customers.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 introducing an opt-out option for members of pension schemes with safeguarded benefits who are required to take advice under section 48 of the Pension Schemes Act 2015.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The overarching objective of the advice requirement is to ensure that members understand the financial implications of transferring to a scheme with flexible benefits. The process enables a clear view of the choices available to the individual and the longer term risks attached to accessing flexible benefits.
The government has to consider the needs of all pension savers regardless of their individual circumstances and it believes that enabling members to make informed investment decisions will yield greater long term financial stability for the individual. It is not therefore policy to introduce an opt out option to this part of the transfer process.
In forming this view, DWP has engaged with pensions industry bodies, the regulators and consumer groups to review The Pension Schemes Act 2015 (Transitional Provisions and Appropriate Independent Advice) Regulations 2017. The review considered how the advice requirement is working in practice and if there are any unintended consequences. A report of the review was published in June 2023 and is available on gov.uk.
Whilst the report concluded that the existing measures remain appropriate and effective, the department will continue to work closely with HMT and FCA to consider changes to the regulations that will improve the transfer process whilst ensuring that members continue to receive an appropriate level of protection and support.
Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan, published in March 2023, when she plans to consult on options for a new approach to consumer protection.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan, we are exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms. The government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review, including with respect to the most vulnerable households.
Asked by: Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park will address risks to workers posed by the spread of AI in the workplace, including regarding decisions on hire and fire, intrusive surveillance and potential increased discrimination; what plans they have to consider regulatory protections in the UK similar to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act; how they plan to ensure that workers' voice, concerns and ideas for solutions will be heard at the summit; and what plans they have to invite a representative from the Trade Union Congress to the summit.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The AI Safety Summit will focus on frontier risks posed by the most advanced AI systems. It will bring together key countries, as well as leading technology companies, academia and civil society, to drive targeted, rapid international action to drive safety at the frontier of this technology. The Summit will seek to advance international collaboration to understand, identify and mitigate frontier AI risks.
While the Summit is not focused on AI’s impact on the labour market and workers’ rights, these wider societal risks that AI, both at the frontier and not, can pose are issues the UK government takes extremely seriously at the highest levels. We are grateful for the engagement we have had to date from trade union representatives and the analysis they have shared, and we look forward to continuing that engagement after the Summit.
On regulatory protections, the AI regulation white paper was published in March this year. It set out five high-level principles that regulators should consider when thinking about AI: Safety and Security; Appropriate Transparency; Fairness; Accountability and Governance; and Contestability and Redress. On fairness, the White Paper set out that AI systems should not undermine the legal rights of individuals or organisations, discriminate unfairly against individuals, or create unfair market outcomes. The white paper proposed that regulators will need to ensure that AI systems in their domain are designed, deployed and used considering descriptions of fairness that they have developed for their remits. We expect that the implementation of fairness by existing regulators will be underpinned by existing law that protects against discrimination such as the Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998 as well as data protection, consumer and competition law. Where AI might challenge someone’s human rights in the workplace, the UK has a strong system of legislation and enforcement of these protections, using both state and individual enforcement through specialist labour tribunals.
The UK notes the EU Artificial Intelligence Act with interest and highlights the importance of international cooperation and interoperability across AI governance approaches to ensure a global approach to responsible AI. While the EU are taking a statutory approach to AI regulation, the UK’s regulatory approach will be closely monitoring the impact of existing regulation on the wider ecosystem and we will consider whether further interventions are needed. We believe this approach strikes the right balance between responding to risks and maximising opportunities afforded by AI.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he Department has had recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the adequacy of consumer protection in the private veterinary industry in cases of misdiagnosis.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not had discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority concerning consumer protection in cases of misdiagnosis. Any complaints about the conduct and fitness to practice of individual veterinary surgeons should be directed to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the statutory regulator of the veterinary profession in the United Kingdom. The Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the veterinary services market is ongoing and closes by the end of October 2023.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help ensure that parcel delivery companies (a) adopt and (b) adhere to her Department's Statement of principles for parcel deliveries, published in July 2014.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While the principles in this guidance still stand, through the Consumer Protection Partnership, we have undertaken further work to ensure retailers provide information about delivery options upfront in the purchasing process to ensure consumers can make informed decisions.
In its 2022 review of postal regulation Ofcom, the independent regulator of the postal sector, committed to ongoing monitoring of operators’ performance, keeping under review the need for additional regulation to protect consumers.
Current guidance for parcel operators and retailers on their obligations is available from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Business Companion website and through the dedicated deliverylaw.uk website.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - 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 geographical boundary at which Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and the associated EU acquis take effect so that food and agricultural products in Northern Ireland comply with that regulation.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A range of regulations apply to goods in Northern Ireland: EU regulations only apply to the extent set out in the Windsor Framework, varying dependent on whether the goods were produced in Northern Ireland or how the goods were moved from Great Britain. Where goods are moved under the new, more facilitative green lane and are destined for Northern Ireland; they will face no certification requirements, reduced checks and can be produced to UK public health and consumer protection standards. Goods moved through the red lane, on the other hand, will face full EU Official Control requirements including needing to comply with all EU animal, plant and public health regulations. To allow access to the NI, GB and EU markets, Northern Irish food and agricultural products will be produced to EU standards.