Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether HMP Eastwood Park plan to close, or have closed, their programme for women prisoners aged 50 and over.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of older prisoners has risen significantly over the past 20 years, and we recognise that this can pose particular challenges for some prisons.
The Model of Operational Delivery for older prisoners published by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, sets out how prisons should support all older prisoners, including older women and older prisoners on short sentences.
We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our approach.
The contract for HMP/YOI Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over, is due to end. To replace it, HMP Eastwood Park plans to put out a tender for similar services, but covering the entire population, rather than only those over 50.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a strategy for prisoners aged 50 and over.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of older prisoners has risen significantly over the past 20 years, and we recognise that this can pose particular challenges for some prisons.
The Model of Operational Delivery for older prisoners published by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, sets out how prisons should support all older prisoners, including older women and older prisoners on short sentences.
We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our approach.
The contract for HMP/YOI Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over, is due to end. To replace it, HMP Eastwood Park plans to put out a tender for similar services, but covering the entire population, rather than only those over 50.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific support they provide to prisoners aged 50 and over, particularly (1) those with short custodial sentences, (2) women and (3) women with short custodial sentences.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The number of older prisoners has risen significantly over the past 20 years, and we recognise that this can pose particular challenges for some prisons.
The Model of Operational Delivery for older prisoners published by His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, sets out how prisons should support all older prisoners, including older women and older prisoners on short sentences.
We have accepted in principle the vast majority of the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendations and we will work with partners and the sector as we develop our approach.
The contract for HMP/YOI Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over, is due to end. To replace it, HMP Eastwood Park plans to put out a tender for similar services, but covering the entire population, rather than only those over 50.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is taking to work more closely with UNESCO on the Global Geoparks initiative for mutual benefit.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England works with the UK Committee for UNESCO Global Geoparks and the UK National Commission for UNESCO to mentor and support existing and aspiring UNESCO Global Geoparks. We are responsible for designating and enabling good management of geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) many of which are of international value and provide the primary mechanism for protecting the geological value of our Geoparks. In return Geoparks are exemplars of best geoconservation practice.
More recently we have enabled the participation of Geoparks in the cross-government Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage Shared Outcomes Fund project and facilitated Geopark participation in the UNESCO Local to Global initiative which has focused on capacity and resilience building, notably including the urban Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark.
In 2025 we anticipate new applications from the Charnwood Forest Aspiring Geopark as well as the Cross-Channel/Transmanche Aspiring Geopark which is a unique transboundary collaboration between the Kent Downs National Landscape and the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d'Opale.
Geoparks are locally driven and are a key part of our ambition to restore nature, at scale, and to enable more people to both act for and connect with nature through our rich geological heritage.
UKRI funded a project that partnered with Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geoparks, see GtR (attached as a PDF), between July and November 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 March (HL5459 and HL5460), whether assessments of samples for disposal at sea are determined by cost to the applicant or best available evidence.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Before material is disposed of at sea, Defra bodies follow OSPAR guidelines for assessing contaminant levels in samples. Cefas use the best available evidence when providing advice to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on contaminant levels in such samples. Assessments required may vary depending on the type of material and historic use of a site from which any material is dredged. Assessments are only used when the evidence they provide is necessary to determine if a material is suitable for disposal at sea, and this avoids disproportionate costs for applicants. The MMO then consider this evidence when determining applications to dispose of material at sea.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 March (HL5458 and HL5459), in what circumstances the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) would insist that bioassays are undertaken; and how many times in the past five years CEFAS has required such bioassays, and for which disposal licences.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cefas cannot insist that specific assessments are undertaken to support disposal licence applications as Cefas holds no regulatory power in that regard. Cefas can instead advise that certain assessments are undertaken or that certain licensing decisions are made, but decision-makers are not obliged to adhere to Cefas recommendations. Cefas does not collect data on how often certain assessments are recommended, however there are likely no examples of a bioassay or other ecotoxicological assessment being recommended in the past five years. Whilst such assessments can be recommended in line with the OSPAR guidelines, there may be significant costs associated for disposal applicants and there are currently no such assessments which have been validated by the MMO. Necessary assessments are still undertaken to determine if material is suitable for disposal at sea. The MMO assess applications on a case by case basis, and will request specific information from applicants where relevant and necessary to making a decision. Cefas is exploring the use of potentially more cost-effective assessments such as Microtox.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 11 March (HL5255), what assessment they have made of the disposal of waste into Beachy Head East and Beachy Head West marine conservation zones.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are two registered disposal sites within the Beachy Head Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). All material is assessed and classified as safe for marine disposal under OSPAR and London Convention and Protocol standards, with regular sediment testing required.
For all licences to dispose of dredged material within the Beachy Head MCZs, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) consult with technical advisors Cefas. The MMO request samples to be collected at the dredge site, and establish the contaminants to test for. This testing has shown the risk to the marine environment from contaminants in the dredged material is low. The applicant must undertake robust monitoring, including further sampling and monthly disposal reporting to the MMO, throughout the duration of a licence. This ensures that the material meets the standards and remains suitable for continued sea disposal at the relevant disposal site. MCZ assessments for both disposal sites concluded that the risk to MCZ conservation objectives from disposal is likely to be low. This robust framework ensures that disposal activity does not compromise the conservation objectives of the MCZ.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 March (HL5461), how many marine disposal sites there are, and how many are monitored each year.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are 727 marine disposal sites in total. Of these, 251 are open, 432 are closed, and 44 are disused.
Before a disposal site is designated, an applicant must submit a disposal site characterisation report to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), or evidence to satisfy the MMO that the area is suitable for disposal. In addition, all sediment being disposed of to sea is regularly sampled and analysed, with continued disposal requiring sign off from the MMO. Monthly disposal volumes are reported to the MMO in line with OSPAR requirements.
The MMO, in conjunction with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), also undertakes an annual Disposal Site Monitoring programme. The programme sets out how sites are monitored based on location, activity level, public interest, age of current monitoring data for the area, and frequency of site usage.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 11 March (HL5254), how they will maximise or monitor the success of 'blue economy' policies without baseline data.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra invests in data collection, analysis and research every year to improve our understanding of the marine environment, provide evidence for policy decision making and improve our understanding of policy and economic performance over time. For example, over the last three years the £38 million marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme collected evidence on the location, extent and condition of our marine and coastal natural capital assets in England. Alongside this, Defra evaluates the impact and value for money of programmes and policies in line with central Government guidance on conducting effective evaluations and evaluation results are published on the Government Evaluation Registry.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they will take, if any, in response to a campaign launched on 3 April called 'Ban Hatch & Dispatch' by the Vegetarian Society calling on the Government to ban the practice of male chick culling in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The legislation sets out strict requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, including male chicks from the egg production sector.
Permitted killing methods for chicks, such as gas stunning and maceration, are based on scientific research and assessment to ensure birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering. All laying hen hatcheries in the UK use argon gas mixtures as their stunning method.
We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of technologies that allow chicks to be sexed in-ovo (within the egg). We welcome the UK egg industry investing in the development of day zero sexing technology.