Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in the short, medium and long term following the decision of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury to establish a global phase-out of mercury dental fillings.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the decision made at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury we are in the process of planning in detail the short, medium, and longer-term steps to move towards and implement a phase-out of dental amalgam in 2034.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking both domestically and internationally to protect and support sunfish populations.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
While not a permanent resident in UK waters, sunfish are known to visit our seas during the summer months to feed. Sunfish are not commercially caught in the UK, and the sale of products derived from them is prohibited under UK legislation. We are taking action to protect and improve the marine environment and are committed to the global target to protect at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the proposal to increase student fee caps in line with forecast inflation in academic years 2026–27 and 2027–28, what estimate they have made of the level of average student debt when students become liable to repay tuition fee loans; and what percentage of those students they expect to pay off those loans in full.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For students starting in the 2024/25 academic year, the department estimates the average loan balance at the point of repayment to be £45,600, including interest accrued during study. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2024-25.
Under Plan 5 loan terms, 56% of these borrowers are expected to repay their loans in full and had assumed inflationary fee increases. Figures include balance associated with both maintenance and fee loans.
Borrowers will be liable to repay at a fixed percentage of earnings only when earning above the applicable student loan repayment threshold. Repayments are linked to the earnings, and not the rate of interest or the amount borrowed. Those earning below the student loan repayment threshold repay nothing. Where a borrower does not repay their loan in full by the end of the loan term, the remaining balance is cancelled, with no detriment to the borrower.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk presented by unregulated private pregnancy scans; what actions they plan to take on the issue; and what other consideration they have given to strengthening consumer and health protections on private medical testing, particularly the use of tests not used by the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has not conducted a formal assessment of the risk presented by private pregnancy scans.
Sonography, the use of diagnostic and screening procedures that use ultrasound to examine the body, is a regulated activity in England under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This means that any organisation providing pregnancy scans in England, including those carried out in the private sector, must register their services with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and meet certain legal obligations.
A list of registered providers is available on the CQC website.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Brazil to encourage the protection of the rights and livelihoods of indigenous and traditional peoples.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in Brazil to prevent illegal deforestation. At COP26, we helped mobilise the Forest Tenure Pledge to advance IPLC land and resource rights and we will support its next phase at COP30. We support IPLCs across the Amazon through our Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes and initiatives. Through the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) programme, we are working in Brazil to strengthen land tenure for IPLCs and Afro-descendants. We also support the REDD Early Movers (REM) programme in the Brazilian States, Mato Grosso and Acre, which includes dedicated support for Indigenous Territories. Additionally, we work with the Brazilian Government through the Intergovernmental Forest Tenure Group and the Forest, Climate and Land Partnership (FCLP) to advance inclusive land tenure reforms.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking, through aid or other support, to ensure the success of efforts to prevent illegal and indiscriminate deforestation in areas in Brazil occupied by indigenous and traditional peoples.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in Brazil to prevent illegal deforestation. At COP26, we helped mobilise the Forest Tenure Pledge to advance IPLC land and resource rights and we will support its next phase at COP30. We support IPLCs across the Amazon through our Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes and initiatives. Through the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) programme, we are working in Brazil to strengthen land tenure for IPLCs and Afro-descendants. We also support the REDD Early Movers (REM) programme in the Brazilian States, Mato Grosso and Acre, which includes dedicated support for Indigenous Territories. Additionally, we work with the Brazilian Government through the Intergovernmental Forest Tenure Group and the Forest, Climate and Land Partnership (FCLP) to advance inclusive land tenure reforms.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 21 October (HL Deb col 125 GC), what is the expected timetable for the reforms to the General Medical Council’s governing legislation.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.
As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s (GMC) regulatory framework in early 2026 and to lay this legislation before Parliament in the same year.
As part of the consultation, we will be consulting on the professional titles which should be protected in law within the GMC’s regulatory framework.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in particular through diplomatic representations and support for scientific information sharing, to prevent the use internationally of paraquat and similar toxic herbicides banned in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
British businesses can only export Paraquat under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime. GB companies intending to export Paraquat must notify and exchange information with the importing country via the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the explicit consent of the importing country is required before export can take place. This process allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import, handling and safe use.
The UK also works internationally to manage pesticides safely. We support the listing of Paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty the UK is party to that promotes shared responsibilities and information sharing in relation to the international trade of hazardous chemicals. We recently supported the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution which will support scientific information sharing to enhance global decision making on the management of chemicals and pesticides.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the responsible business conduct review will reflect the interconnection between human rights, labour rights and environmental harms as aspects of responsible business conduct, and address impacts across the full value chain, both domestically and internationally.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
This is precisely what the review is looking at. Human rights, labour rights and environmental harms are inherently interconnected. The responsible business conduct review is considering the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and alternative measures to support responsible business practices across UK and global value chains.
The review is focused on a range of issues related to responsible business conduct, including human rights, labour rights and environmental harms. Recognising the interconnections between these harms is a core principle of the review.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Myanmar following the earthquake on 28 March, the continuing conflict, and the cuts in US and other international aid; and what action they are taking to respond to the humanitarian needs in that country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has committed £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. In the six months since the earthquake, UK-funded assistance including lifesaving aid, has reached over one million people, 56 per cent of whom are women and girls, and 154 clinics have been set up with UK funding. Overcoming challenges regarding humanitarian access, the UK continues to deliver aid to the hardest hit areas, directing over 65 per cent of the funding to local organisations on the ground in Myanmar. The UK will continue to support Myanmar with official development assistance (ODA) in the current financial year 2025 to 2026 set to be over £80 million.