Asked by: Lord Harrison (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact of climate change on pensions funds; and whether they intend to invite the Prudential Regulation Authority to include this issue in its Climate Change Adaptation Report.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Climate Change Risk Assessment, published in 2012, identified the impact on investment funds from climate change. It found that impacts would be indirect but could be substantial and that it would be difficult to establish a link between impacts and financial performance. The assessment identified the increasing exposure of insurers due to flood risk.
As part of the current round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is focusing its report on the insurance sector and its role in addressing the increasing exposure of the sector to climate risks. It does not directly supervise pension funds.
The PRA’s report will inform our next national assessment of risk, due in 2017, and the National Adaptation Programme due around 2018.
Asked by: Lord Harrison (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the European Union's Zoos Directive 1999 in the United Kingdom through the zoo inspection system.
Answered by Lord De Mauley
The Zoo Licensing Act 1981, which sets out comprehensive licensing and inspection requirements for zoos, implements the EC Zoos Directive in Great Britain. Responsibility for administering these requirements rests with local authorities, which have powers to check compliance with zoo licences, to impose conditions and to take action. Ultimately this could mean closing part, or all, of a zoo if the requirements of the legislation are not met. This in turn ensures our compliance with the Directive.
In response to concerns about how local authorities were carrying out this role, Defra commissioned research into local authority implementation of the Act. The 2011 report, which looked at the period 2008-2010, found no serious problems and indeed there was evidence of significant improvements in a number of areas during this time.
The report made suggestions for further improvements, such as updating guidance and zoo inspection report forms. These, together with the majority of the suggestions, have been actioned and we continue to work to make further improvements.
Asked by: Lord Harrison (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Malta about the enforcement of the bans on the hunting and shooting of migratory birds.
Answered by Lord De Mauley
British ministers have discussed spring hunting with their Maltese counterparts on several occasions and encouraged them to enforce legislation to combat illegal hunting. It is for the Maltese Government to investigate any reports of illegal hunting activity, such as shooting of rare and protected species, which are alleged to be taking place in violation of Malta’s permitted hunting regime. We support the European Commission’s efforts to ensure compliance with the EU Wild Birds Directive and the Maltese Government’s efforts to address this issue.