Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what estimate he has made of the number of cases of reported food poisoning as a result of food consumed from the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar in each year from 2009 to October 2019.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.
Under the definition in the Approved Code of Practice, the Bishops’ Bar would not be considered a “confined space”, a term which should not be confused with a small space. When the Services Committee considered the required changes to the Bishops’ Bar in July, it accepted that the Administration had a duty of care towards staff working in the outlet and that the current conditions for food preparation were unsuitable.
We have no record of any incidents of food poisoning as a result of food consumed from the House of Lords Bishops’ Bar between 2009 and October 2019.
The Services Committee has no plans to review the methodology used by the food safety auditors who evaluated the Bishops’ Bar.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration the Services Committee (1) has given, and (2) plans to give, to the re-introduction of hot toasted sandwiches in the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.
At its meeting on 11 July 2019 the Services Committee agreed to trial a revised service in the Bishops’ Bar, taking effect from the return of the House in September. Due to the dissolution and recess periods the Committee agreed that the trial be extended until April 2020.
During the trial period food preparation has been removed from the Bishops’ Bar, due to health and food safety concerns. This has meant that it is no longer possible for staff to customise salads and sandwiches at the point of sale. The Committee also agreed to the removal of toasted sandwiches from the Bishops’ Bar as part of the trial. A variety of toasted sandwiches remain available for purchase in the River Restaurant, with the choice of eating in or taking away. Two plated salad options have remained on offer in the Bishops’ Bar during the trial period and should the trial changes be made permanent these plated salad options will remain.
The Committee did not introduce these changes lightly. They were the subject to several discussions by the Committee; the minutes of which are available on the Committee’s webpage.
A report on the trial and future provision of services in the Bishops’ Bar is expected to be considered by the Committee at its April meeting. Once the Committee has had the opportunity to consider the report, it will be made available on the Committee’s webpage.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with trade associations about (1) the anticipated implications of a no-deal Brexit for their industries, and (2) the services available to mitigate any difficulties; and with which such associations such discussions have been held.
Answered by Lord Henley
As part of BEIS’ work on EU exit, interactions with trade associations take place on a regular and ongoing basis and we are working to ensure that UK businesses are as well informed and prepared for leaving the EU as possible and to advise them on the steps they may need to take to prepare for EU exit.
As such, we have launched a public information campaign about how EU exit will affect businesses and the practical steps they will need to take to be ready. The campaign directs them to GOV.UK/euexit where they are able to find the latest advice and information on any aspect of leaving the EU which affects them and outlines the steps they need to take.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether use was made of the UK's remote sensing and satellite technology to predict the impact of the storm system of Hurricane Irma; and if so, by whom.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Met Office is the UK National Met Service and monitors weather around the world, including hurricanes in the Caribbean such as Irma. For this purpose the Met Office uses a wide range of observations, including satellite and remote sensing technologies which form a crucial input to its weather modeling capability. Model predictions on the track of hurricanes together with information on their intensity and structure are used by the Met Office in its briefings to Her Majesty’s Government but also shared with the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Centre.