Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate as a sustainable aggregate.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency considers incinerator bottom ash aggregate (IBAA) to be a waste. The Environment Agency considered issues such as IBAA being used in place of virgin aggregate, and its use avoiding the need to landfill, along with economic impacts, when deciding whether to have a regulatory position statement (RPS). The Environment Agency has carried out a pollution risk assessment of the use of IBAA, and is satisfied that it does not pose a significant risk to people or the environment when it is used under the conditions of the RPS.
The RPS is still active, and can be viewed here. A copy is attached to this answer.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 8 January (HL1364), how many GPs adopted those medical record markers since (1) the guidance on firearm digital markers was produced, and (2) the memorandum of understanding was signed.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The digital firearms marker was rolled out to all general practices in England in May 2023 and NHS England is exploring the most effective way to report on its use. Information is currently not available in a format to be able to provide this detail. The memorandum of understanding was signed in 2019, and therefore predates the digital marker and we do not hold data from that time.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish data on how many doctors have adopted the software for markers on the medical notes of firearm certificate holders.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A digital version of the firearms marker has been rolled out to all general practices in England, and this was completed in May 2023.
When the police inform the general practitioner (GP) that the patient has been granted a firearms licence, the GP adds the appropriate clinical code to a patient’s medical record. The marker is used throughout the five-year validity of the firearm certificate and automatically highlights to the GP when patients recorded as firearms certificate holders or applicants are diagnosed with relevant medical conditions, such as depression or dementia.
The British Medical Association has produced guidance for GPs about firearm digital marker use and signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019 with the National Police Chiefs Council and the Home Office which encouraged GPs to place a firearms flag on patient records when requested.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had with the Home Office concerning the rollout of markers on the medical notes of firearm certificate holders.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the publication of new Home Office statutory guidance for chief officers of police on firearms licensing, which came into effect on 1 November 2021, the Department and NHS England, formerly NHS Digital, worked with the Home Office, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and other stakeholders to design and roll out the new digital firearms marker.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether properties acquired as part of the cancelled Northern Phase of HS2 will be offered back to their original owners at the cost of acquisition, or placed for sale on the open market; and in the case of the former, whether the costs of such transactions for both parties will be borne by the HS2 budget.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are currently developing the programme for selling land and property acquired for the HS2 project that is no longer needed and will set out more details in due course. We will take time to develop this programme carefully to ensure that it delivers value for money to the taxpayer and does not disrupt local property markets.
Under what is known as Crichel Down rules, land and property which was acquired through compulsory purchase, or the threat of compulsion, and which is no longer required and not materially changed, should in certain circumstances be offered back first to its former owner at its current market value before being offered on the open market. Any future purchaser will be responsible for their own costs.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the cancellation of the Northern Phase of HS2, whether any damage caused to the countryside and environment by the workings of contractors will be remedied at the expense of the HS2 budget.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As part of ensuring an orderly and respectful close-down of the northern phase of HS2, HS2 Ltd will be reviewing those works that have already taken place and considering the best course of action to take on a case-by-case basis. This may mean restoring some sites to their former condition; it may also mean leaving some early environmental enhancement works in place. No sites will be left incomplete, and all close-down activities will be funded from the HS2 budget.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the cancellation of the Northern Phase of HS2, as announced by the Prime Minister on 4 October.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with HS2 Ltd and its supply chain to assess the implications of the cancellation of HS2 beyond Birmingham. Rail, roads and buses will benefit from £36 billion in transport improvements from re-directed HS2 costs to build the daily connections that people depend on.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the pricing structure of petrol and diesel fuel sold in motorway service stations; and what if any action they intend to take to ensure a fair pricing structure, which is competitive with off-motorway suppliers, is enforced.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Competition and Market Authority (CMA) found drivers without fuel cards pay more at motorway service stations due to limited competitive pressures. Differences in costs, including rent, staff wages and fuel volume sold also cause price variations.
This autumn, we will consult on CMA recommendations for a road fuel price open data scheme and elements of a monitoring function. The government has tabled amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Bill to give the CMA information gathering powers for the monitoring function. Upon Royal Assent of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, smart data powers will be used to enact regulations for the open data scheme.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a Temporary Shotgun Licence, issued as a result of delays in processing shotgun licence renewal applications, permits the holder to purchase shotgun ammunition.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
If a shotgun certificate due for renewal is automatically extended for up to eight weeks, then the certificate holder can continue to buy ammunition. Such an automatic extension is a temporary measure that can be used by police forces to help manage delays in processing renewal applications when a certificate is soon to expire. However, if a permit under section 7 of the Firearms Act 1968 is issued by the police force instead, new ammunition cannot be purchased.
The processing of firearms and shotgun licences remains an operational matter for chief officers of police. The time taken by police forces to process firearms and shotgun licence applications will vary depending on factors such as local circumstances and the details of each application. Most recently, the Covid 19 pandemic has an impact on the time taken by police forces to process applications as the provision of relevant medical information by General Practitioners (GPs) has been delayed because of temporary measures taken by GPs to prioritise the vaccine booster programme over the Christmas and New Year period.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) delays in processing applications for the granting or renewal of shotgun and firearms licences and certificates in each constabulary, and (2) the reasons for any such delays.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
If a shotgun certificate due for renewal is automatically extended for up to eight weeks, then the certificate holder can continue to buy ammunition. Such an automatic extension is a temporary measure that can be used by police forces to help manage delays in processing renewal applications when a certificate is soon to expire. However, if a permit under section 7 of the Firearms Act 1968 is issued by the police force instead, new ammunition cannot be purchased.
The processing of firearms and shotgun licences remains an operational matter for chief officers of police. The time taken by police forces to process firearms and shotgun licence applications will vary depending on factors such as local circumstances and the details of each application. Most recently, the Covid 19 pandemic has an impact on the time taken by police forces to process applications as the provision of relevant medical information by General Practitioners (GPs) has been delayed because of temporary measures taken by GPs to prioritise the vaccine booster programme over the Christmas and New Year period.