Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many cases of silicosis and how many deaths there have been during the past five years associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in engineered stone worktops, and what steps they plan to take to reduce that number, in particular by inspections for RCS in manufacturing and developing tools to identify RCS exposure.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been advised that a database which collects voluntary information from around 350 physicians on Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Diseases (known as SWORD) has recorded eighteen cases of silicosis where a respiratory physician has attributed the cause to working engineered stone. HSE is aware of one death.

HSE is working with industry stakeholders to establish practical guidelines to ensure workers are protected, meeting recently with manufacturers of stone products to discuss the range of possible actions for working with engineered stone. Further workshops with other stakeholders in the supply chain are proposed, aimed at determining the best focus for inspections targeting engineered stone, whilst HSE also investigates reported ill-health and concerns about inadequate risk management.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce biosecurity measures to ensure gene-edited crops do not enter the human food or animal feed systems, or the wider environment, in the light of the recent announcement of field trials of gene-edited crops on 25 commercial farms.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have no plans to introduce biosecurity measures for all research trials involving gene-edited plants. These plants only contain genetic sequence that could arise through traditional breeding. However, unlike equivalent trials for traditionally bred plants, Defra asks for confirmation that the person with overall responsibility for them will put in place appropriate measures, as necessary, to minimise the possibility of material from the plants entering the human food or animal feed systems.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the seed produced by the open field trials of gene-edited crops on 25 commercial farms in England will be tested in accordance with the regulations for the National Lists; and whether the seed will be identified and labelled as a genetically modified variety.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

All gene-edited seed must be authorised under GMO legislation before it can be marketed. We have not authorised these plants for marketing purposes and as such, the plant breeder cannot apply for National Listing.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many attempted suicides have been recorded at each army initial training establishment in the past five years.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Attempted suicide is not a definition used for the collection of data by the Ministry of Defence. Statistics are collected about self-harm in line with the Office for National Statistics’ definition of a deliberate intent to inflict damage or alter oneself which does not result in death. This includes incidents of self-injury and self-poisoning but excludes those with thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government which UK military training courses Israeli armed forces personnel have completed in the past 12 months, and what was the location of those courses.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This information is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and another State.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) expected, and (2) last possible, date that they will publish their Net-Zero Strategy to comply with the judge's order in Friends of the Earth and others v Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, taking into account any pre-election period for local elections.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will comply with the Court Order and lay before Parliament a report on its carbon budget strategy by the Court Order deadline.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Israeli armed forces personnel are being trained in the UK, which training courses they are undertaking, and at which locations these courses are taking place.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

This information is being withheld in order to protect personal information and to avoid prejudicing relations between the United Kingdom and another State.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate non-surgical aesthetic procedures.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is currently considering what steps may need to be taken in relation to the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector. The Government will set out its position at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a full environmental impact assessment concurrently with the publication of their Net Zero Strategy, and if not, what they plan to publish and when.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In Spring 2025, we will deliver an updated Carbon Budget Delivery plan out to the end of CB6 in 2037. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver carbon budgets 4-6 on a pathway to net zero. Appropriate environmental assessments will be carried out on relevant policies to deliver this plan in the usual way, as well as project-level Environmental Impact Assessments to support applications for new energy infrastructure as part of the normal planning processes under planning and environmental legislation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to integrate an understanding of antimicrobial resistance in the design of health and social care facilities, veterinary practices, and farms, as specified in their five-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government continues to work with a range of stakeholders towards the successful completion of the commitment to prioritise infection prevention and control (IPC), the management of infections and biosecurity in the built environment, ensuring that an understanding of antimicrobial resistance is integrated into health and social care estate design, veterinary practices, and farm settings, as specified in the UK AMR National Action Plan 2024-2029. The plan recognises the importance of the healthcare environment, not only as a potential source of infection, but also how building design can facilitate effective IPC practices.

Despite a growing body of evidence to suggest that the hospital-built environment, its fabric, layout, and equipment, can contribute to the spread of infection, the mechanisms are still not fully understood. The UK Health Security Agency has unique expertise and capabilities for investigating how the indoor environment contributes to the spread of infection, including aerobiology expertise deployed during various outbreaks, for example in COVID-19 and Mpox, and a dedicated research facility designed and built to simulate a hospital ward.

The age of much of the National Health Service estate means there is an ongoing need for repair, renovation, or replacement. Decisions made during the design, build, or refurbishment process are informed by the latest evidence, considering the spread of infection alongside a range of other factors.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works with the veterinary sector and livestock industry to promote good practices and ensure the farm environment and design enables the rearing of healthy animals, reducing the need for antibiotics.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of hospital trusts requiring a credit or debit card before supplying wheelchairs to outpatients and visitors and what assessment they have made of this practice.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

This information is not held centrally. Accessibility is an issue of utmost importance, especially in the context of healthcare service provision. The Government is committed to putting measures in place that ensure hospitals are accessible for all patients and visitors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of over-the-counter SARS-CoV2 testing kits in respect of the variants of the virus currently circulating; what plans they have to inform the public about the accuracy of such tests; and what plans they have to reduce the incidence of COVID-19 over this winter.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Since 2020, the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has collaborated closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the National Health Service, and other external partners to monitor the potential impact of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants on in vitro diagnostic tests. Monitoring is carried out through a voluntary system, with manufacturers submitting bi-monthly analysis reports.

The UKHSA and MHRA also meet regularly to discuss the sequence and prevalence of variants of SARS-CoV-2 that are circulating in the United Kingdom. This data is generated by the UKHSA and looks at both the nucleic acid sequence across the virus and the predicted amino acid sequence of the nucleocapsid protein, which is the target antigen of over the counter, lateral flow tests. The outputs predict whether there is a theoretical risk of tests failing to detect a circulating variant. If so, this would prompt the need for laboratory testing of kits by UKHSA laboratories.

The UKHSA continues to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19 through a variety of surveillance systems, including in general practices, through the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Surveillance Centre, in healthcare settings, and via the testing of patients in NHS and public health laboratories. In addition, a selection of these positive tests are sequenced to provide data on circulating variants, and to potentially detect the arrival of new variants. This data is published on the data dashboard, and in surveillance reports, which are published weekly during the winter season, and fortnightly otherwise. The dashboard and surveillance reports are available in an online-only format.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they obtained a legal opinion on the status of crops grown under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 in relation to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; whether the Cartagena Protocol requires these crops to be labelled as genetically modified organisms for the purpose of trade; and whether they will publish any legal opinion they have obtained.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Lawyers advised throughout the development of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023. This included how the act related to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. As stated in the Legal background section of the explanatory notes to the Act, “The UK Government considers that the Cartagena Protocol does not apply to organisms produced using modern biotechnologies if those organisms could have occurred naturally or been produced by traditional methods.” If Precision Bred plants were traded, they would have to comply with the labelling requirements of the importing country.

Found: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick 23 Proposal 12: Letter from Lord Kempsell 27 Proposal 13: Letter from Baroness

Found: BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ Clause 1, page 1, line 9, leave out subsection (2) and insert

Found: BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ Clause 1, page 1, line 9, leave out subsection (2) and insert

Found: BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ Clause 1, page 1, line 9, leave out subsection (2) and insert

Found: BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ Clause 1, page 1, line 9, leave out subsection (2) and insert

Found: BARONESS BRINTON BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ After Clause 2, insert the following new

Found: BARONESS BRINTON BARONESS BENNETT OF MANOR CASTLE _ After Clause 2, insert the following new