Baroness Walmsley

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond on his behalf. Following careful consideration, the provision of halal products when weighed against demand, is unfortunately not viable in terms of costs, logistics and supplier management.

Upon request for events, the Catering and Retail Service (CRS) can provide pre-stunned halal meat and poultry from certified and trusted suppliers that meet the standards for recognised accreditation schemes such as the RSPCA’s Freedom Food and Red Tractor.

CRS fully understand that all its customers do have wider individual requirements which it aims to cater for. In doing so CRS provide weekly changing menus in our cafeterias and table service restaurants offering an increased array of vegan and vegetarian options which continue to grow in popularity.

EU State aid rules no longer apply to subsidies granted from 1 January 2021 in the UK, except for aid within scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, including aid under Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. However, public authorities must comply with our international commitments on subsidies in the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation agreement (TCA), and other trade agreements, as well as the World Trade Organisation rules on subsidies.

Since the 1 January 2020, subject to any applicable exemptions, a subsidy in scope of the TCA must follow and apply the principles and prohibitions in the agreement before it can be awarded. The TCA also requires certain information about the subsidy award to be made publicly available. The Department has developed a new publicly accessible transparency database for public authorities to record subsidies, which will be launched shortly. An interested Party can take steps for the award of the subsidy to be Judicially Reviewed if they consider that the public authority has not complied with its duties under the TCA or acted in a way that is inconsistent with general public law principles (for example, if the public authority acted unlawfully, irrationally, or with procedural unfairness).

On 3 February, the Government published a consultation on the design of the future UK subsidy regime. This consultation invites views from stakeholders on a number of areas, including oversight and enforcement in the subsidy control regime. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the Government will bring forward legislation in due course and before the end of the year.

Until the end of the Transition Period, the European Commission could investigate the effect on UK markets of a breach of EU competition law. To avoid a delay to enforcement, the Withdrawal Agreement gave the European Commission jurisdiction to complete its investigations that relate to UK markets if they began before the end of the Transition Period. The Competition and Markets Authority can work with the European Commission on these cases in the way it could before the end of the Transition Period.

We know that the restrictions on singing are frustrating to large numbers of amateur choirs and performance groups across the country and that many people have made sacrifices in order to drive down infections and protect the NHS over the last year.

It is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions. We have followed the views of public health experts on singing. We are aware, through the NERVTAG and PERFORM studies that singing can increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission through the spread of aerosol droplets. This was backed up by a consensus statement from SAGE, resulting in the suggested principles of safer singing being published.

We will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. Further detail on step 4 will be set out as soon as possible.

The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work by 2027. We support disabled people, including people with fluctuating and hidden health conditions, to return to work through programmes such as the Work and Health Programme and the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme.

Access to Work supports people with a disability or health condition that affects the way they do their job to enter, sustain and progress in their employment. The scheme offers individually tailored support and advice, including a discretionary grant of up to £59,200 per year to cover costs above the level of employers’ statutory obligation to provide reasonable adjustments.

We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of 2020. This will look at ways to improve the benefits system, opportunities and access for disabled people in terms of housing, education, transport and jobs.

We will set out further details about measures on weight management later in the year.

We are committed to reducing obesity. The National Child Measurement Programme and Health Survey for England provide prevalence data which will be important in understanding the levels of obesity in England. Importantly, alongside reports such as the National Diet and Nutrition Survey which enables us to measure changes to the population’s diet, we will also be putting in place evaluation of our legislative action so we can understand its impact.

Government departments work very closely on reducing obesity and have shared responsibility in delivering these policies.

Through the new obesity strategy, published on 27 July, we are delivering a range of measures on weight management including a National Health Service 12-week weight loss plan app, expanding weight management services to help more people get the support they need, accelerating the expansion of the NHS diabetes prevention programme and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available later in the year and we will engage stakeholders throughout this process.

A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.

We are committed to reducing obesity. The National Child Measurement Programme and Health Survey for England provide prevalence data which will be important in understanding the levels of obesity in England. Importantly, alongside reports such as the National Diet and Nutrition Survey which enables us to measure changes to the population’s diet, we will also be putting in place evaluation of our legislative action so we can understand its impact.

Government departments work very closely on reducing obesity and have shared responsibility in delivering these policies.

Through the new obesity strategy, published on 27 July, we are delivering a range of measures on weight management including a National Health Service 12-week weight loss plan app, expanding weight management services to help more people get the support they need, accelerating the expansion of the NHS diabetes prevention programme and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available later in the year and we will engage stakeholders throughout this process.

A copy of Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives is attached.