Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their consultation last year, whether they plan to introduce legislation to protect hedgerows this spring and during the bird breeding season.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following overwhelming support to our consultation last summer, which received almost 9,000 responses, on 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to employing refugees who are qualified dentists to help alleviate the backlog in NHS dentistry.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The General Dental Council (GDC), which is responsible for the regulation and registration of dentists, has advised that it is keen to support refugees with their registration applications wherever possible. Dedicated information for refugees can be found on the GDC’s website, in an online only format.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to undertake a study of the impacts to date of Brexit on the London Stock Exchange.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government does not intend to review the impacts of Brexit on the London Stock Exchange.
The UK is Europe’s leading hub for investment, and London continues to be the only European hub in the top ten of the Global Financial Centres Index. The government is committed to building on these strong foundations to make the UK the global capital for capital.
Leaving the EU provides the freedom for the UK to tailor financial services regulation to UK markets, including through the government’s Smarter Regulatory Framework programme. Under the programme, assimilated law is being replaced by a regulatory framework tailored to the UK that will benefit businesses and consumers alike.
The government is taking forward an ambitious programme of reform to improve the competitiveness of UK markets. This includes overhauling the UK’s Prospectus Regime to create a simpler and more effective regime than its EU predecessor, delivering on a key recommendation of Lord Hill’s Listing Review. Legislation to deliver this reform was laid on 27 November 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to reply to the letter dated 24 July from Baroness Quin to the Minister of State at the Department for Education regarding the inclusion of traditional music in music teaching in schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I can confirm that a response to the correspondence dated 24 July 2023 from the Noble Lady was sent on 21 August 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing legislation to make solar panels mandatory for all new house building projects except for in exceptional circumstances.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer given to Question UIN 198649 on 19 September 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to consider introducing measures to ensure that no new housing developments are permitted in areas where the sewage system is already unable to prevent the discharge of raw sewage into neighbouring rivers.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities to plan for the development and infrastructure required in their area, including infrastructure for wastewater and utilities. They should work with other providers, such as sewage companies, to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure and its ability to meet forecast demands
The Government has made a commitment, as part of its reform package under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, to consult on whether or not we should make water companies statutory consultees on certain planning applications, and if so, how best to do this. It will be important that water companies engage local planning authorities on the right applications at the right time so they can input effectively and not slow down the application process.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Royal Osteoporosis Society, and (2) other key stakeholders, about any further research required to address the gaps in knowledge identified by the National Screening Committee in its assessment Screening for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women, published in 2019.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In 2022 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) adopted an expanded remit which included establishing a Research and Methodology group (RMG). This group has published guidance on the UK NSC’s GOV.UK webpage around how screening researchers can ask the UK NSC’s RMG for advice and is the best port of call to engage with the UK NSC about research.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Wales about its commitment to provide 100 per cent population coverage of Fracture Liaison Services by September 2024; and what plans they have to introduce a similar commitment for England.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly discusses health matters with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations.
The Department continues to work with NHS England on the consideration and implementation of musculoskeletal policy, including Fracture Liaison Services.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have concerning the proportion of employees working shifts of more than six hours who do not receive payment for the rest breaks to which they are entitled.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In Great Britain, working hours are governed by the Working Time Regulations, which set the maximum working hours and minimum rest breaks workers are entitled to. All workers are entitled to a minimum of 20 minutes’ rest break if they work at least six hours, which may be paid or unpaid depending on the employment contract. Some workers such as shift workers may be entitled to ‘compensatory rest’ if they don’t have the right to specific rest breaks.
Payment for rest breaks is a matter for individual contracts.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold on the number of UK companies who have set up (1) companies, and (2) distribution hubs, in the EU since 1 January; and the number of jobs that have been created in the EU as a result.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Companies House does not hold any information on how many companies have set up (1) companies and (2) distribution hubs, in the EU since 1 January, and the number of jobs that have been created in the EU as a result.