Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect to appoint external advisors to the Office for Health Promotion.
Answered by Lord Bethell
We expect that the Office for Health Promotion (OHP) will draw on external expertise and advice from a range of sources. We will present more detail on our plans, ambitions and governance arrangements for the OHP in due course.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the register of approved apprenticeship training providers to reopen to applicants.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The register of apprenticeship training providers is open to applicants now, but only where the training they offer meets the definition of ‘critical workers’ in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, with a linked employer endorsement to verify that any new training responds to an identified training gap. We will keep this approach to targeted entry to the register under review subject to the course of the COVID-19 outbreak, which will include any changes to the definition of ‘critical workers’ that may arise.
That approach reflects the government’s plan to raise the quality of delivery across the apprenticeship training market, and to progressively introduce more stringent entry criteria for entry to the register. On that basis, we have also been recently inviting all current, active providers on the register to reapply.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the evidence on which they based their policy to only allow two-ball golf matches to be played during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Sports and physical activity including golf are incredibly important for our physical and mental health, and are a vital weapon against coronavirus.
On Monday 4 January the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown and instructed people to stay at home to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. The National Restrictions are designed to get the R rate under control through limiting social contact and reducing transmissions. All decisions made by the Government relating to the pandemic and sport have been based on advice and guidance from health and scientific experts. We have no plans to publish the evidence for individual decisions relating to specific sports.
You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, in a public outdoor place and you should not travel outside your local area. You should maintain social distancing. Indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including golf courses, must close.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, what progress has been made in agreeing a replacement of the Tripartite Agreement between the UK, France and Ireland to provide for the free movement of thoroughbred courses for racing and breeding purposes, underpinned by high standards of animal health.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
As a third country, Great Britain no longer has access to the Tripartite Agreement, however, Northern Ireland remains part of the Agreement under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Government is working closely with representatives of the equine industry to support the continued movement of all horses, including thoroughbreds, to and from the European Union. This has included clarifying the specific requirements of individual EU Border Control Posts to avoid unnecessary delays at the ports and ensuring the European Commission and EU Member States are fully aware of the detail of GB import arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the status of negotiations between the UK and European Alpine Nations to allow the qualifications of UK ski instructors to be granted recognition in EU member states.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and EU have now agreed the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) which came into force on 31st December 2020.
As part of the TCA, the UK and EU have agreed a framework under which both parties may agree arrangements on the recognition of professional qualifications (such as mutual recognition agreements) covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. The first step towards such an arrangement is for professional bodies or authorities to submit a joint recommendation to the UK-EU Partnership Council. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their professional qualifications, helping them to provide services within EU Member States.
In due course, professionals will be able to take advantage of any profession-specific EU-wide arrangements agreed under the TCA framework. Until this point, UK-qualified professionals who wish to supply services in the EU should seek recognition of their qualifications according to the local laws and regulations of the relevant EU Member State. It is up to appropriate local regulators within alpine nations to determine whether UK-qualified professionals are permitted to practise in their territories.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to offer COVID-19 vaccines for (1) professional sportspeople, and (2) members of the British Olympic and Paralympic Teams for the Games in Tokyo 2021.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) consists of independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use, including prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has stated that phase one of a COVID-19 vaccine programme will have the prevention of mortality at the forefront of its objectives, as well as the support of the National Health Service and social care system.
For the first phase, the JVCI has advised that the vaccine should be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers and the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors. Included are those with underlying health conditions, which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to partner with the sport and entertainment sectors to underwrite contingency insurance for live events.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government is aware of the concerns which have been raised about the potential challenge of securing insurance for live events, including those in the sporting and entertainment sectors. We have been working closely with the affected sectors over the last few months to understand the challenges and to keep the situation under review.
Understandably, the bar for considering Government intervention is set extremely high, especially in light of the furlough scheme and local business support, so the evidence of market failure specific to DCMS sectors must be clearly demonstrated and robust.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK Anti-Doping Agency's capability to test for (1) gene editing, and (2) synthetic messenger RNA, to meet the ban on the non-therapeutic use of genes, genetic elements and cells as set out in the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, that have the capacity to enhance athletic performance; and whether they are collecting and storing samples for such testing in the future.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) role to approve new testing processes. WADA has not yet developed a test for gene editing due to the complexities in identifying gene doping. To mitigate the threat of gene doping, WADA has a Gene and Cell Doping Expert Group which provides direction to its Health, Medical and Research Committee. The Committee develops strategies to prevent and detect non-therapeutic manipulation of gene/protein in sport.
WADA has approved tests for RNA, but these are only being used in experimental environments for research, and not yet by anti-doping organisations (including UK Anti-Doping).
UK Anti-Doping split the samples they collect from each athlete into “A” samples which are analysed, and “B” samples which are stored securely for potential future tests. Samples can be stored for up to 10 years.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a directly funded scheme for installing energy efficiency measures and efficient heating for (1) home owners, and (2) private renters, who are fuel poor.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are several government-funded schemes available to help support the installation of energy efficiency measures for fuel poor households. The low-income element of the £1.5bn Green Homes Grant vouchers scheme is open to homeowners in receipt of certain benefits. Installation of measures under the scheme will be covered up to a maximum of £10,000. This extra support for low-income households, is likely to help those who are unable to keep their homes warm at a reasonable cost, and who are unable to cover the cost of energy efficiency upgrades to their home.
The Green Home Grant Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Scheme provides an additional £500 million focused on owner occupiers, those in the private and social rented sector, with a household income of under £30,000. The primary purpose of LAD is to raise the energy efficiency rating of low income and low EPC rated homes (rated D, E, F or G), including those living in the worst quality off-gas grid homes.
In addition, the current Energy Company Obligation continues until March 2022. It requires large energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to fuel poor domestic households. Homeowners on low incomes are eligible under the scheme and low-income private renters living in the least energy efficient homes can also be eligible for solid wall insulation and renewable heating.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have completed negotiations on the continuation of the Tripartite Agreement to permit the free movement of racehorses between Ireland, the United Kingdom and France following the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The European Commission has made clear that, as a third country, Great Britain will no longer have access to the Tripartite Agreement from 1 January 2021. Northern Ireland will remain part of it under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Government is therefore continuing to work closely with industry to facilitate the continued movement of equines following the Transition Period, recognising the value of the equine sector to the entire UK economy.?This will include allowing horses from the European Union that pose a low disease risk, including from France and Ireland, to continue to enter Great Britain with only necessary animal health controls.