Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in the number of whistleblowing complaints in respect of the Drax power station, from 14 in 2022 to 49 in 2023.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and the Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the quantity by weight of (1) illegal bush meat products and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the UK each year.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency does not collect the inland data required at a commodity or establishment level to be able to estimate the quantity by weight of illegal, non-compliant, or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the United Kingdom each year. Local authorities in England and Wales hold primary responsibility for acting against businesses identified as importing, trading, or selling such products. As such, data on these seizures is held by each individual local authority.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions ministers have had, if any, with European Cargo about undertaking due diligence and screening the company's cargo on routes from Urumqi to Cardiff International Airport and Bournemouth Airport.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.
The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.
The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cargo flights from Urumqi in China to Cardiff International Airport have been searched by UK border officials to ensure they are not carrying goods made by Uyghur forced labour.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.
The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.
The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of media reports that puréed tomatoes produced by Uyghur slave labour in Xinjiang are sold in UK supermarkets as having been produced in Italy; and what steps they are taking to require products produced in a state accused of genocide and slave labour to be labelled as such.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
We work to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy. When the country of manufacture of a processed food, such as tomato puree, is provided on the label, the label must also show if the origin of the primary ingredient (the tomatoes in this case) is different. In any case, all information must be accurate and not mislead.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Electronic Travel Authorisation for British National (Overseas) passport holders who may urgently need to leave Hong Kong.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) were expanded to all eligible non-European nationalities on 27 November, and will be a requirement for travel to the UK from 8 January. ETAs have been introduced to strengthen the UK’s border security and help prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK.
The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes.
Individuals who already have a UK immigration status, including a British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa, will not need to obtain an ETA to travel to the UK.