Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population growth.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Differences in population age structure mean that the impact of COVID-19 on population growth will vary from region to region. In many low-income countries, the indirect impacts of COVID-19, such as interruptions to education and reduced access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, will impact on people’s ability to access essential services and therefore population growth rates.
The UK is working to identify and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in low income countries.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with faith leaders about the impact of population growth on climate change.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Faith groups are key policy and delivery partners for DFID. We hold regular discussions with faith groups on all aspects of international development including on climate change.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on climate change.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While it is clear that an economic slowdown caused by Covid-19 is likely to have an impact on emissions both domestically and globally, it is too early to know the likely size of the impact and the long-term implications. Domestically, Covid-19 has had a significant short-term effect. For example, BEIS statistics estimate that road fuel sales in the 12 weeks since the 23 March were 48 per cent below the preceding eight weeks, and electricity consumption has also reduced. Renewables have regularly been providing more than 50% of our power and we recently went 67 days without using coal for electricity generation. Internationally, the International Energy Agency estimate global CO2 emissions will fall by around 8% this year, but then rebound with economic recovery.
These reductions are likely to be short-term. The fundamental need for the world to act urgently to decarbonise remains. Global emissions need to fall rapidly year on year in line with the Paris Agreement goal. That is why we set out ambitious plans at the Budget, and will be focusing on continuing to develop our net zero strategy in advance of COP26 – including through strengthening our plans for decarbonisation in key sectors. The Government will also continue to lead work on the international economic recovery, striving to deliver a UK and world economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient after this crisis. Through our COP26 and G7 Presidencies, we will work with our international partners to increase climate ambition and address the linked challenges of public health, climate change and biodiversity.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which intergovernmental agencies in which they participate involve representatives of churches and faith organisations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government participates in a large number of intergovernmental bodies including but not limited to the UN. Many of these bodies involve churches and faith organisations in their work and discussions in one capacity or another, whether regularly or periodically. We believe that faith and belief leaders have a valuable role to play in in promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief and in other areas particularly in regards to other human rights issues and we will continue to work with them both within intergovernmental bodies and elsewhere.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a tax credit system after the COVID-19 pandemic similar to the post-war credits that were introduced after the Second World War.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review; as we exit the current crisis, we will take stock of the economy and public finances and make the right decisions at that point.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what new steps they are planning to take to reduce obesity. [T]
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has outlined steps to halve childhood obesity rates by 2030 through cutting sugar from half the drinks on sale, funding more opportunities for children to exercise in schools, and working with councils to tackle child obesity locally through ground-breaking programmes.
However, it is also critical to understand how different factors, including obesity, could be disproportionally impacting how people are affected by COVID-19.
Public Health England launched a review into the factors affecting health outcomes from COVID-19, to include ethnicity, gender and obesity. This will be published by the end of May.
As outlined in the United Kingdom Government’s Recovery Strategy, the Government is committed to investing in preventative and personalised solutions to ill-health, empowering individuals to live healthier and more active lives, which will help to mitigate pressures faced by NHS services.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the five most prevalent underlying linked causes of COVID-19 death other than age.
Answered by Lord Bethell
According to the Office for National Statistics, in March 2020, the most common main pre-existing condition of people who died with COVID-19 in England and Wales was ischaemic heart diseases, with 541 deaths (14% of all deaths involving COVID-19). Pneumonia, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes were also all in the top five most common pre-existing conditions. More information can be found online at GOV.UK at ‘Deaths involving COVID-19, England and Wales: deaths occurring in March 2020’.
More information about measuring pre-existing health conditions can be found online at GOV.UK at ‘Measuring pre-existing health conditions in death certification’.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to restrain and reverse the projected growth in the world’s population.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is committed to increasing access to voluntary family planning, empowering women and girls to make their own decisions about if, when and how many children they have, without coercion or discrimination, and with full, free and informed choice.
The UK is the world’s second largest global bilateral donor on family planning and has committed to spend an average of £225 million per year on family planning up to 2021/22. We built on this commitment at UNGA 2019, where the Secretary of State announced a £600 million programme for reproductive health supplies up to 2025. Our investment in girls’ education, empowerment and economic opportunities, will ensure that rapidly growing young populations can access education, jobs and services.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to undertake a public consultation on bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at work.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Any form of bullying and harassment is unacceptable and has no place in today’s workplace. Current legislation already provides robust safeguards for employees against harassment in the workplace.
Whilst it is important to have a safety net of legislation to protect employees from the worst form of abuses, the best way to address bad behaviour is through cultural change within the workplace. Employers can, for example, establish good practices through a clear anti-harassment policy and ensure all staff receive training in this area. There are currently no plans to undertake a further public consultation
The Government has however identified a need to take further action where employers are using non-disclosure agreements to intimidate victims of harassment into silence. It consulted on the misuse of confidentiality clauses between workers and their employers in 2019. In response to our consultation, we announced a package of measures, including that we will legislate so that no provision in a workplace non-disclosure agreement can prevent disclosures to the police, regulated health and care professionals and legal professionals.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to incorporate clauses to end bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at work in the forthcoming Employment Bill.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is clear that bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct is unacceptable and is concerned by evidence that confidentiality agreements are being used to intimidate victims of harassment into silence. We consulted on the misuse of confidentiality clauses between workers and their employers in 2019 and in response, have committed to:
This legislation will be brought forward in due course.