Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide a COVID-19 booster programme for the general population in light of new Omicron variants.
Answered by Lord Kamall
On 21 February 2022, the Government accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to offer an additional booster dose in spring 2022 to those most vulnerable as a precautionary measure. An additional dose has been offered to all residents in care homes for older adults, individuals aged 12 years old and over who are immunosuppressed and all adults aged 75 years old and over.
On 19 May 2022, the JCVI provided interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 booster programme, which stated that an additional dose should be provided to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those aged 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16 to 64 years old in a clinical risk group. The JCVI continues to review the vaccination of other patient groups and details on the definitions of clinical risk groups. The JCVI will issue further advice if necessary.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Benyon on 27 May (HL Deb., col. 1097), when they will publish details of how new environmental land management schemes will increase access to footpaths.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Footpath networks are of high importance when considering how the public can access and enjoy the treasured landscapes.
Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities hold the responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan to plan improvements to the existing rights of way network in their area.
Local Access Forums (LAF) advise local authorities and other organisations about making improvements to public access for outdoor recreation and sustainable travel. LAFs can set their own priorities depending on local issues, so engagement is typically with their local authority rather than central government.
Additionally, access to rivers and other waterways is managed by navigation authorities.
The Agricultural Transition Plan was published in November 2020 and the Government published an update in June 2021. Further information on the Environmental Land Management Schemes will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 7 July 2020 (HL Deb., col. 1102), when they will publish details outlining the ways in which new environmental land management schemes will deliver improvements in public access to (1) water bodies, and (2) waterways.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Footpath networks are of high importance when considering how the public can access and enjoy the treasured landscapes.
Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities hold the responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan to plan improvements to the existing rights of way network in their area.
Local Access Forums (LAF) advise local authorities and other organisations about making improvements to public access for outdoor recreation and sustainable travel. LAFs can set their own priorities depending on local issues, so engagement is typically with their local authority rather than central government.
Additionally, access to rivers and other waterways is managed by navigation authorities.
The Agricultural Transition Plan was published in November 2020 and the Government published an update in June 2021. Further information on the Environmental Land Management Schemes will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether financial assistance provided to farmers and land managers through environmental land management schemes will be conditional on recipients fulfilling legal obligations on a similar basis to the existing cross compliance rules; and if so, whether such obligations will include keeping existing rights of way open and accessible.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Footpath networks are of high importance when considering how the public can access and enjoy the treasured landscapes.
Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities hold the responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan to plan improvements to the existing rights of way network in their area.
Local Access Forums (LAF) advise local authorities and other organisations about making improvements to public access for outdoor recreation and sustainable travel. LAFs can set their own priorities depending on local issues, so engagement is typically with their local authority rather than central government.
Additionally, access to rivers and other waterways is managed by navigation authorities.
The Agricultural Transition Plan was published in November 2020 and the Government published an update in June 2021. Further information on the Environmental Land Management Schemes will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Benyon on 27 May (HL Deb., col. 1098), what assessment they have made of the role of (1) Local Access Forums, and (2) Rights of Way Improvement plans, in helping to identify deficiencies in the footpath network that could be addressed through environmental land management schemes.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Footpath networks are of high importance when considering how the public can access and enjoy the treasured landscapes.
Clear arrangements are already in place through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to allow for the establishment, recording and appeal of rights of way to agreed standards, and local authorities hold the responsibility for their maintenance. Local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan to plan improvements to the existing rights of way network in their area.
Local Access Forums (LAF) advise local authorities and other organisations about making improvements to public access for outdoor recreation and sustainable travel. LAFs can set their own priorities depending on local issues, so engagement is typically with their local authority rather than central government.
Additionally, access to rivers and other waterways is managed by navigation authorities.
The Agricultural Transition Plan was published in November 2020 and the Government published an update in June 2021. Further information on the Environmental Land Management Schemes will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the proposal under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 made by Weymouth Town Council in December 2019 for the dependent carer’s allowance to be extended to parish and town councils.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government is committed to expanding democratic engagement, and practical solutions to remove barriers to participation in local democracy are always appreciated. The Department will respond to Weymouth Town Council’s proposal in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which new parish and town councils were established as a result of a community governance review for each year between 2010–11 and 2020–21.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The community governance review process enables a principal council to carry out a review of the local arrangements in its area and make changes, which could include the abolition or restructuring of local parish councils. The Government encourages all communities wishing to establish a parish council to petition their local authority to that effect, regardless of where they live.
This is the information we hold on new parish councils created each year between 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 as a result of a community governance review. Records of new parishes created through a community governance review prior to 2016 are not held in this format.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of town councils in the (1) preparation, (2) governance, and (3) delivery, of applications successful in securing the Towns Fund.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Local authorities of all tiers, including town councils, are vital to the success of the Towns Fund and play a key role in delivery. This includes being members of Town Deal Boards, shaping Town Investment Plans and delivering projects to make a real and tangible difference to local people.
The nature of the role of local authorities in delivering the Towns Fund will also be subject of the process and impact evaluations which will run throughout the length of the Towns Fund programme.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the Motor Vehicle Stakeholder Working Group last met to discuss Traffic Protection Orders on Green Lanes; and further to the recommendation in the report by the Select Committee on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 The Countryside at a crossroads, (Session 2017–19, HL Paper 99), published on 22 March 2018, what plans they have to bring proposals forward on this issue.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The last meeting of the Motor Vehicle Stakeholder Working Group (MSWG) was on 2 May 2018. In the meeting it was agreed to use the group’s feedback to inform a consultation and discussion with order-making authorities regarding their current working practices around Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), recreational vehicle management and ways to achieve the group’s recommendations such as new guidance. It was further agreed that parallel processes in other departments would be considered and so input was provided to the Department of Transport’s own review of TRO’s in 2019 labelled the ‘TRO Discovery Project’, which resulted in new guidance for surfaced highways.
Order-making authorities were surveyed in 2019 but there were insufficient responses to proceed further. Natural England was to carry out a more targeted survey in 2020, which due to the competing demands of the coronavirus pandemic and other priorities was delayed, although the intention remains to re-survey the authorities in due course.
We will consider seeking feedback from the MSWG once the survey has been completed and results are available.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 19 April (HL Deb, col 1639), what discussions have been held by (1) ministers, and (2) civil servants, about the role of planning policy in helping the UK to meet legally binding (a) domestic, and (b) international, (i) climate, and (ii) biodiversity, targets.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Ministers are regularly involved in cross-Government discussions about domestic and international climate and biodiversity targets, and how to meet them. Civil servants across departments and arm’s-length bodies also meet regularly to discuss these issues and the relationship between planning policy and meeting our environmental goals. This involves targets such as net zero emissions by 2050 and delivering biodiversity net gain.
Tackling climate change is a top priority for the Government, and in the Planning for the Future White Paper, we committed to ensuring the planning system supports our efforts to combat climate change and maximises environmental benefits. Our response to the White Paper will be published in due course.
Civil servants from across Government engage with stakeholders including the Local Government Association and local authorities to ensure that planning policy can support our domestic and international climate and biodiversity targets. This includes discussions between ministers, stakeholders and officials as to how planning policy can be a vehicle for achieving our biodiversity targets.