Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of investor state dispute settlements on a country's ability to invest in its Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK is party to 81 Bilateral Investment Treaties and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership that contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).
ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments’ right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Columbia on removing the investor state dispute settlement provisions from any renewed bilateral investment strategy.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Following the UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty’s (BIT) initial ten-year term, in accordance with the treaty’s provisions, it shall remain in force indefinitely unless it is terminated by either Party. The Government has not been formally approached by the Colombian Government regarding proposals to amend the BIT.
The Government regards the UK-Colombia BIT as playing an important role in the investment relationship between our two countries. The stock of total investment between the UK and Colombia was £6.8 billion in 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the outcome of their recent discussions with the government of Columbia on the future of the bilateral investment strategy which has reached the end of its initial ten year term.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Following the UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty’s (BIT) initial ten-year term, in accordance with the treaty’s provisions, it shall remain in force indefinitely unless it is terminated by either Party. The Government has not been formally approached by the Colombian Government regarding proposals to amend the BIT.
The Government regards the UK-Colombia BIT as playing an important role in the investment relationship between our two countries. The stock of total investment between the UK and Colombia was £6.8 billion in 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include the development of standards for the care of people with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis in their delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The content of the myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), delivery plan has not yet been finalised. The responses to the 2023 interim delivery plan consultation, along with continued close engagement with stakeholders, will inform the development of the final ME/CFS delivery plan which we aim to publish by end of March. The plan will focus on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.
To support this, we have reconvened the ME/CFS Task and Finish Group, including senior Department and cross-Government officials, ME/CFS specialists and representatives from NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the devolved administrations, and ME/CFS charities and organisations in the development of the final delivery plan for ME/CFS.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what duties the Canal and River Trust has with regard to people whose boat is their permanent and only home.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Canal and River Trust is an independent charity, and the Government does not have a role in its management or operational decisions. The Trust’s charitable objects relate to the preservation of our inland waterways for public benefit, particularly for navigation, walking, and other forms of recreation, rather than the provision of permanent accommodation for private individuals, and the Trust’s boat licensing regime has no requirement to declare what a boat is used for or how many people are occupying it.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legislation protects boat dwellers whose boat is their only home; and whether any additional legal protections for those individuals have been introduced in the last 25 years, and if so, which.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
A boat owner will require the agreement of the mooring owner to moor their vessel. The terms of the agreement issued by the mooring owner must comply with the unfair terms in consumer contracts requirements in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Boat owners with residential moorings will also benefit from the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This requires mooring owners to get a court order to evict boat owners who continue to moor after their license agreement has ended.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - 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 threat to the sugar beet crop from virus-transmitting aphids; and in what circumstances they would grant emergency authorisation for the use of the banned neonicotinoid pesticides.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has been clear that we will change existing policies to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and other vital pollinators. Decisions on emergency authorisation applications must be taken in line with legal requirements. In making these decisions, Ministers will take full account of the available evidence and expert advice.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether sugar beet growers are able to comply with the conditions of emergency use of neonicotinoids having regard to the limited acreage of individual farms, in particular, with reference to the statement, that (1) "Only a specific list of crops, none of which flower before harvest, are permitted to be planted in the same field as treated sugar beet within 32 months", and (2) "no further use of thiamethoxam seed treatments on the same field within 46 months".
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers are free to decide whether they wish to grow sugar beet in a given year. Those farmers who opted to grow sugar beet with Cruiser SB when emergency authorisations have been granted in the past will have considered how to accommodate the restrictions on succeeding crops in their crop rotation plans. The restrictions were considered to be consistent with typical arable crop rotation patterns.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of compliance by sugar beet growers with the restrictions on the re-use of thiamethoxam within a period of 46 months on the same field.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All pesticide use in the UK is subject to the Health and Safety Executive’s overarching programme of enforcement and compliance. This includes extensive monitoring and intelligence-led enforcement activities to ensure that the supply and use of pesticides complies with legal requirements.
All UK sugar beet is grown under commercial contracting arrangements which provide a basis for the stewardship programme which has been part of the conditions attached to emergency authorisations for the thiamethoxam product Cruiser SB use granted in the past. As part of this stewardship programme, all growers are advised of the requirements for use of seeds treated with Cruiser SB.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - 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 effectiveness of methods of pest control, other than pesticides, on sugar beet crops as practised in the EU.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are a range of measures other than pesticides that can help control aphids, which transmit plan viruses to sugar beet. These include early sowing; good hygiene to remove aphid sources; integrated pest management measures such as companion cropping, use of attractants and repellents; and virus-resistant crop varieties. Previous assessments indicated that these measures had not yet reached the point at which they could replace the need for all pesticides.