Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a national freight crime strategy, including proposals for criminal law measures, and on what timeframe.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are aware of worrying increases in its frequency.
Whilst there are no plans to introduce a national freight crime strategy, we will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and invested stakeholders to change the unacceptable perception that freight crime is low risk and high reward and find solutions which will tackle it.
There are strong links between freight crime and serious, organised crime, which is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and estimated to cost the economy at least £47 billion annually.
This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms, and we are continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.
The DfT also hosts the Freight Council; this group regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a two-way contract for difference to provide competitive wholesale electricity prices to the steel industry.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We recognise the importance of competitive electricity prices in enabling the UK steel sector to thrive.
We are developing a comprehensive steel strategy, to be published this year, which will set out the conditions needed to create a competitive business environment in the UK. This strategy aims to attract new private investment and expand UK steelmaking capability in alignment with our Net Zero goals. As part of this, we launched the Plan for Steel Consultation in March to examine long-term challenges facing the industry, including how domestic producers can meet more UK demand.
To support decarbonisation and growth, the Government will renew the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, providing long-term confidence for industry to invest in low-carbon technologies. We remain committed to our manifesto pledge to invest up to £2.5 billion in steel through the National Wealth Fund and other routes.
The UK steel industry has a long-term future under this Government. We are determined to work towards a bright future for steel—protecting jobs, driving growth, and ensuring our industrial heartlands remain at the forefront of a competitive, low-carbon economy.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen domestic supply chains for steel following the publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy on 8 September (CP 1388).
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK's defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of UK defence programmes such as submarines, surface vessels and artillery barrels. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry.
The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure.
The Ministry of Defence is also involved in the development of a Government steel strategy that will set a long-term vision for a revitalised and sustainable industry and outline the actions needed to get there. The strategy will articulate what is needed to secure UK steel supply chains and create a competitive business environment in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to procure UK-made steel for alterations and additions to (1) Royal Air Force bases, (2) Royal Navy bases, and (3) Army installations.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK steel sector provides vital support to the UK's defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of UK defence programmes such as submarines, surface vessels and artillery barrels. Steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers. This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry.
The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure.
The Ministry of Defence is also involved in the development of a Government steel strategy that will set a long-term vision for a revitalised and sustainable industry and outline the actions needed to get there. The strategy will articulate what is needed to secure UK steel supply chains and create a competitive business environment in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to increase the speed with which businesses reduce their use of plastic packaging and eliminate unnecessary waste.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives.
Alongside the delivery of the Collection and Packaging Reforms, this Government is currently considering further actions that can be taken to address the challenges associated with plastic packaging. As we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action from right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed.
The Government also funds the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), who run the UK Plastics Pact. Pact members cover the entire plastics value chain and are responsible for the majority of plastic packaging sold through UK supermarkets, and approximately two thirds of the total plastic packaging placed on the UK market. Since 2018, members of the Pact have increased the average recycled content in their packaging from 8.5% to 26%.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that waste collected for recycling is recycled rather than exported.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming months.
The Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school, putting an end to confusion over what can and cannot be recycled in different parts of the country.
Waste collected from households and workplaces must be collected separately from other waste for recycling or composting.
This policy will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates, ensuring there is more recycled material in the products we buy, and that the UK recycling industry will grow.
Where the UK cannot currently recycle materials economically, exports can help ensure those materials are recycled. The export of waste is subject to strict controls and exporters are required to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to improve the quality and consistency of sorted scrap metal to meet future demand for electric arc furnace steelmaking in the UK.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises that the UK steel industry's shift towards electric arc furnaces will significantly elevate the importance of high-quality scrap as a material for UK steelmaking. Consequently, the Government is committed to securing an ample supply of high-quality scrap, while also ensuring the market remains fair and beneficial for all stakeholders. We are actively listening to the perspectives of all involved parties and will be exploring various options to address this issue.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they can confirm that the mandatory use of closed-circuit television cameras in slaughterhouses, which came into effect on 5 November 2018, has been implemented and complied with in full.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (England) Regulations 2018 came into force in May 2018, with a transition period of six months for implementation. Since November 2018 all slaughterhouses in England have been required to have CCTV recording in all areas where live animals are present.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) monitor and enforce animal welfare legislation in approved slaughterhouses and confirmed that all slaughterhouses in England were fully compliant with the CCTV Regulations early in 2019.
Official Veterinarians of the FSA carry out daily reviews of CCTV footage and monitor compliance with the CCTV Regulations. If non-compliances are identified, appropriate and proportionate enforcement action is taken. The FSA also carries out a rigorous programme of audits in approved slaughterhouses which include examining CCTV systems.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require a mandatory women's heath rotation in GP training, to improve awareness and management of women's health conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge, including on polycystic ovary syndrome, remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.
All United Kingdom-registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice. The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee doctors is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and must meet the standards set by the GMC. Women's health, including the topic of polycystic ovary syndrome, is included in the RCGP curriculum for trainee GPs. This also includes gynaecology, menopause, sexual health, and breast health.
The Government has committed to training thousands more GPs. GP training takes place across a variety of settings, which may include a rotation in women’s health. The arrangements of training rotations are a local matter for the organisers of postgraduate education to enable delivery of the RCGP curriculum.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research showing that the rate of suicides among male prisoners is higher than that in the male general population, and what steps they are taking to reduce the rate of suicide of male prisoners.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting MP) and the Lord Chancellor (David Lammy MP) have jointly commissioned the Chief Medical Officer to produce a report into the health and health care for those in prisons and on probation. The report, which will include a chapter on custodial prison mental health services, the impact of imprisonment on mental wellbeing and the increased risk of suicide, is due to be published later this year. We will consider the recommendations and what further action may be needed.
We are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which aims to reduce suicide rates and address the risk factors contributing to suicide. The Strategy highlights the need to provide tailored, targeted support to priority groups, including those at higher risk such as people in contact with the justice system.
NHS England strives to learn from preventable deaths in prisons through the NHS England Health and Justice Delivery Oversight Group, a senior leadership forum which holds responsibility for the oversight of delivery and continuous improvement in health and justice commissioned services. All health and justice-related Prevention of Future Deaths reports are shared and discussed at the Oversight Group and assurance is sought from regions where learning and action is identified. All reports received are also discussed by the Regulation 28 Working Group, comprising Regional Medical Directors and other clinical and quality colleagues from across the regions. This ensures key learning and insight around preventable deaths are shared across the National Health Service at both a national and regional level. This helps NHS England pay close attention to any emerging trends that may require further review and action.
This learning has led to the creation of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Case Management Training workstream where commissioners work with prison healthcare provider organisations and His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. This ensures all staff have timely access to all joint training necessary for them to undertake their role effectively within the prison environment. Additionally, the Mental Health Triggers workstream, engages providers to ensure prisoners are asked about any significant/trigger dates at the initial healthcare screen when they arrive at prison and again at their seven-day health check.