Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce mandatory labelling across meat and dairy products stating how animals were kept and, where appropriate, where animals were not stunned prior to slaughter.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken last year by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will respond to the ‘Fairer food labelling’ consultation, which ran from 12 March to 7 May 2024.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken last year by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 14 January (HL3735), when they will announce the outcome of the Business Planning process, in particular for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On the 22nd of January, I was pleased to announce that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme would continue from March 2025 to March 2026 with a budget of £23m. Further details can be found here in the Written Statement.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of sanctions issued in response to non-compliance incidents that resulted in the death of, or serious harm to, animals; and what consideration they have given to the use of licence revocation as a sanction.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) has published its compliance framework which explains how it identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur.
All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU's annual report.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many personal, establishment and project licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were revoked as a result of non-compliance incidents in each year from 2013 to 2023.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Regulator for the use of animals in science publishes an annual report that includes all non-compliance cases for personal, project and establishment licences and subsequent enforcement actions taken (see: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#annual-reports).
The Regulator does not compile separate data on revocations of licences as a result of non-compliances.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to renew the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond its current expiry date of 31 March.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will announce the outcomes of the Business Planning process, including for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme soon.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The Office for Equality and Opportunity maintains the legal framework for discrimination law. This includes the Equality Act 2010 and its protections for older people (through the protected characteristic of age) in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services.
The Equality Act 2010, including its provisions relating to age, is enforced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In addition, the Equality Advisory and Support Service advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality, including where they believe they may have been discriminated against on the basis of their age. We are committed to supporting these institutions to carry out their important functions. The Office for Equality and Opportunity is not considering establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to join proceedings against Afghanistan (1) brought by Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands before the International Court of Justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or (2) referred to the International Criminal Court by Chile, Costa Rica, France, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Spain regarding the situation of women and girls.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government supports the initiative to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and we welcome the continued focus on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan by the International Criminal Court. We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 August, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan. We are discussing with international partners ways to hold them accountable. More broadly, officials regularly press the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, both bilaterally and with international partners.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to include specific references to older women and widows in their National Statement for the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with a range of civil society organisations representing a diversity of women’s voices for their National Statement at the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.