Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the UK's departure from the EU, what system has been put in place to scrutinise illegal state aid complaints in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK complaints to the European Commission under the Competition Directive made prior to the UK's departure from the EU are scrutinised by the EU in a timely fashion.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 20 August (HL7568), what the format of the planned stakeholder engagement will be; which stakeholders will be involved; and whether there will be a public consultation as part of that process.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We will set out further details about measures on weight management later in the year.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will (1) measure, and (2) report on, the success of the policies outlined in their strategy Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be (1) the process, and (2) the timeline, for the expansion of weight management services available through the NHS announced in their strategy Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July; and whether this will include expansion of (a) tier 3, and (b) tier 4, weight management services.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departments will be accountable for the implementation of their strategy Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to involve people with relevant lived experiences in (1) the campaign, and (2) the implementation of policies, associated with their strategy Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives, published on 27 July.
Answered by Lord Bethell
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund private prescriptions for whole plant cannabis pharmaceutical medicines for children with severe drug resistant epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The costs of medicines associated with treatment sought privately remain the responsibility of patients. No additional public funding is being provided beyond the financial package to provide additional support for public services, individuals and businesses experiencing financial difficulties during COVID-19.
The latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines demonstrate a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions for unlicensed cannabis-based medicines on the National Health Service, and we are working hard with the health system, industry and researchers to improve the knowledge base.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what steps the House of Lords administration is taking to increase the availability of halal food in its cafeterias.
Answered by Lord Laming
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.
Asked by: Baroness Walmsley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are planning to take to ensure that people with fluctuating and hidden health conditions receive the support they need to (1) find, and (2) stay in, employment.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
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.