Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of excess CO2 created as a result of light pollution.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government has not made an assessment specifically of the amount of excess CO2 created as a result of light pollution. Artificial light is a complex issue that falls across a number of central Government departments, the devolved administrations and, on a local level, local authorities and highways authorities. However, the Government is committed to cutting the UK's emissions to net zero by 2050 and has put a wide range of policies in place to achieve this.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - 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 impact of light pollution on wildlife and the environment.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on insects and wider biodiversity, as well as global and national assessments of the drivers of biodiversity loss more generally.
Following publication of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s report, ‘Artificial light in the environment’ in 2009, Defra has supported assessments of impacts of artificial light on insects and on other organisms such as bats. These are published on our science website. Defra has also funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production, which notes effects of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.
There have been a number of externally funded studies which have highlighted potential impacts of artificial light pollution on insects, but based on the current available evidence, artificial light is not considered one of the main drivers of species decline. We are confident that we are focusing and taking action on the issues that will make a real difference to insect pollinators.
We recognise that there is ongoing research into the topic and together with our academic partners, we will keep this under review.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what policies exist to encourage local authorities and other public bodies to reduce light pollution levels.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
As the department responsible for protecting and enhancing our urban and natural environment, Defra plays a co-ordinating role across Government to ensure coherence in this area.
Other departments are responsible for specific policy areas including the Department for Transport for street lighting and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for lighting policy in the planning regime. This includes the National Planning Policy Framework which sets out that local planning policies and their decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light.
This Framework is supported by MHCLG planning guidance, which was revised in November 2019 and sets out how environmental and other impacts of light pollution should be considered in the planning system. Local planning authorities must take the Framework into account when preparing their plans and its policies, including those on light pollution.
Additionally, a local planning authority can attach conditions to the grant of planning permission, in order to enhance the quality and mitigate the adverse effects of a development, including, for example, noise, air, light and other forms of pollution. It is important to ensure that conditions are tailored to tackle specific problems, rather than standardised or used to impose broad unnecessary controls.
Local highway authorities have a duty under the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, and it is for them to decide what type of lighting they use to meet local needs.
Highways England, which manages our motorways and major roads, is also working actively to minimise light pollution.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to reduce levels of light pollution; and if so, how they intend to do so.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government recognises the problem of light pollution. The Government's 25-Year Environment Plan includes a commitment to cut all forms of pollution and ease the pressure on the environment, including ensuring that light pollution is managed effectively.
Current measures include Defra working with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government in the development of their Planning Policy Guidance on Light Pollution, which outlines factors which may be relevant when considering where, when and how much lights emanates from new developments together with possible human and ecological impacts.
The Department for Transport encourages all local authorities to replace their street lighting with low-impact LED lighting wherever economically feasible.
Additionally, Highways England is responsible for the strategic road network in England and is obliged to minimise the environmental impacts (including of road lighting) across the network. A full appraisal is carried out before any lighting project is commissioned, including in-depth analysis of the environmental impact and economic benefits of the scheme. All lighting on the network is designed according to current British standards which emphasise the importance of limiting light pollution, and older forms of lantern are in the process of being replaced with environmentally sensitive lighting when they become due for renewal.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the letter sent by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 July about making public funds available to the Royal Albert Hall; and when they plan to respond to the follow-up letters sent on 19 August, 9 September and 1 October.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
A response was sent to the Noble Lord on 26th October.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for public consultation over the creation of the UK Strategy on Protection of Civilians; and when they expect to publish the Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
As part of the review of its approach to the protection of civilians (PoC), the Government has consulted extensively with civil society and academia. We hope to publish soon a document outlining our approach to PoC with examples of action the Government has been taking. We were unable to meet the previously stated publication date as we were required to adhere to the rules governing the publication of documentation in the run up to the December 2019 General Election. We further postponed publication in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the UN Human Rights Council Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, published on 29 June, which found that the killing of Iranian General Soleimani by a US drone strike violated international law, what representations they have made to the government of the United States.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the report presented by the UN Special Rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. Article 51 of the UN Charter recognises that all States have an inherent right of self-defence. The strike against Soleimani was not a UK operation. The United States set out the basis for its action in a letter to the UN Security Council of 8 January.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the legality of a state taking presumptive self defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the UN.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Article 51 of the Charter also recognises that a state has the inherent right to use force to defend itself against an armed attack. The UK does not recognise a doctrine of "pre-emptive" self defence. Like many other states, however, the long-standing UK view is that Article 51 of the UN Charter does not require a state passively to await an attack, but includes the inherent right to use force in self-defence against an "imminent" armed attack. The position of Her Majesty's Government was set out in the then Attorney General's speech at the Institute of International and Strategic Affairs on 11 January 2017, available on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward proposals for the regulation of Prepack Administrations; and if so when.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will publish a report in due course of its review of the voluntary measures that were introduced in 2015 to enhance regulation of pre-pack administrations. The report will set out the Government’s plans for the future of pre-pack administrations.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of targeted killing as a counter-terrorism strategy.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence has not made any assessment as to the effectiveness of targeted killing as a counter-terrorism strategy.