Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people affected by climate change-related damage have equitable access to (1) domestic property, (2) commercial property, and (3) agricultural, insurance.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises the risks that climate change may pose to the insurance market. HM Treasury continues to work with the insurance industry, regulators and across government to understand and monitor the potential impacts of increasing climate-related risks.
Insurers make commercial decisions about pricing and the terms of cover they offer based on their assessment of the relevant risks. However, the government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules. The FCA is the independent body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry and has powers to take action against firms that do not meet its requirements.
Different insurers may take different views of risk when determining whether to offer insurance and at what price. Consumers may wish to contact the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, which can provide guidance on accessing the insurance market and help consumers find specialist brokers where appropriate.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to dermatology, allergy and immunology conditions, including chronic spontaneous urticaria, in the development of Modern Service Frameworks and development of the National Quality Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a clinical knowledge summary for the management of the condition. Patients can usually be managed with either antihistamines or steroids, but the guidance also makes clear that patients should be considered for a referral to a dermatologist where symptoms are severe, persistent, or unresponsive to first-line treatments.
Modern service frameworks define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government has asked the National Quality Board which long-term conditions should be considered for future waves of modern service frameworks, based on an assessment of the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We will update Parliament on the results of that process in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve awareness and recognition of chronic spontaneous urticaria among primary care professionals to support earlier diagnosis and referral.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a clinical knowledge summary for the management of the condition. Patients can usually be managed with either antihistamines or steroids, but the guidance also makes clear that patients should be considered for a referral to a dermatologist where symptoms are severe, persistent, or unresponsive to first-line treatments.
Modern service frameworks define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government has asked the National Quality Board which long-term conditions should be considered for future waves of modern service frameworks, based on an assessment of the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We will update Parliament on the results of that process in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve awareness and recognition of chronic spontaneous urticaria among patients and people impacted by the condition.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed a clinical knowledge summary for the management of the condition. Patients can usually be managed with either antihistamines or steroids, but the guidance also makes clear that patients should be considered for a referral to a dermatologist where symptoms are severe, persistent, or unresponsive to first-line treatments.
Modern service frameworks define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. The Government has asked the National Quality Board which long-term conditions should be considered for future waves of modern service frameworks, based on an assessment of the potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. We will update Parliament on the results of that process in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the commitment by the Minister for AI at Imperial College London on 12 October to "legislate wherever necessary", when they will bring forward legislation on the most powerful AI models; and whether that legislation will prohibit the development of super-intelligent AI which could pose an extinction risk to humanity.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is ensuring the UK is prepared for the opportunities and risks of increasingly capable AI systems. Many AI systems are regulated at the point of use by existing expert regulators and legal frameworks. Through amendments to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and commitments to further secondary legislation, we are strengthening protections against risks to essential services from loss of control of AI agents. As AI capabilities develop, we will act where further safeguards are needed, including through legislation where appropriate.Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the modelling being considered by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is informing their assessment of the affordability and cost-effectiveness of expanding shingles vaccination to adults aged 80 years and over; and what timeframe they anticipate for a decision on implementing this advice.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The phased roll-out of the shingles vaccination programme down to age 60 is being implemented in line with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and was agreed as a means of maximising population benefit and cost-effectiveness, whilst taking account of National Health Service delivery capacity. Shingles vaccination uptake is closely monitored at national and commissioning region levels.
With regards to the JCVI's advice to expand the programme to adults aged 80 years and over, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 30 June in response to Question 3226, which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below.
The Government is considering the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on shingles vaccinations, examining factors including clinical benefits, affordability and cost effectiveness.
No decision has yet been taken on any expansion of the existing shingles vaccination programme to include adults aged 80 years old or over.
For any routine vaccination programme which the Government decides to implement, efforts to introduce or expand the programme are determined by factors including availability of supply, contractual arrangement on supply, affordability, workforce capacity and impact on other programmes.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify and manage the risk of climate damage that is not covered by insurers.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government identifies risks to the UK from climate change, including those not covered by insurance markets, through the Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) process. The fourth National Adaptation Programme, to be published in 2028, will set out the Government’s plan to manage risks identified in the CCRA.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to use the UK’s G20 Presidency in 2027 to begin negotiations on an international agreement prohibiting the development of super-intelligent AI.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The challenges posed by artificial intelligence cannot be addressed by a single country alone, which is why the Prime Minister will put AI at the heart of the UK’s 2027 G20 Presidency. In that context, we will work with international partners to ensure that AI development is safe, while also seeking to maximise the significant benefits this technology can bring, for example for economic growth and medical breakthroughs. The Government will announce further plans for the G20 Presidency in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what controls are in place to assess whether antimicrobial use records, medicated feed records, and veterinary treatment records, in beef export supply chains are complete, reliable, independently audited, and capable of being traced to individual animals or batches.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Countries approved to export beef to Great Britain must have Defra-approved veterinary medicine residue control plans and submit annual reports for assessment. The Food Standards Agency publishes annual reports of import sampling under the National Monitoring Programme on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - 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 Assessment of Veterinary Antimicrobial Residues in Feedlot Soils in Argentina, published in the scientific journal Antibiotics on 3 September; and what action, if any, they intend to take as a result.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Supplementing the response to QWA HL3864, countries approved to export beef to Great Britain must have Defra-approved veterinary medicine residue control plans and submit annual reports for assessment. The Food Standards Agency publishes annual reports of import sampling under the National Monitoring Programme on GOV.UK.