Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide support to pubs deemed "at risk" by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), given increased energy costs, rising food prices, and consequently suppressed consumer demand.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government recognises that pubs and other hospitality businesses are facing cost of living pressures.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills up to the 31 March 2022. Following a review of this scheme, a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), will provide all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.

Additionally, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a range of support measures regarding business rates worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle disorder at football matches, given the reported increase the number of arrests at matches, and increase in banning orders issued by the courts.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)

We are clear that law abiding fans should be able to enjoy football matches in safety and that violent and disorderly behaviour will not be tolerated.

We have extended coverage of football banning orders to persons convicted of Class A drugs offences at matches, elite domestic women’s football and online hate crime offences connected to football

We have also amended the threshold test to increase the likelihood that a court will impose a banning order following a conviction for football-related offences that are violent, disorderly or cause harm to others.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards meeting their air quality improvement targets; and what assessment they have made of calls by members of the medical profession, such as in the letter to the Minister for Agri-Innovation and Climate Adaptation on 27 June 2022, for the introduction of more stringent targets.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)

The UK’s Air Quality Standards Regulations require reporting of ambient air quality data on an annual basis. The annual report is published via the UK-AIR website (link: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/). The UK has domestic and international emission reduction commitments for NOx, SO2, NMVOCs, NH3 and PM2.5 for 2020-29 and 2030. These are reported on annually via our national statistics on the gov.uk and National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory websites.

We have followed an evidence-based process to set the PM_2.5 targets, working closely with internationally recognised experts and stakeholders. The views of medical professionals have been given due consideration, via input from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution and the consultation process - our official response has been published. The wording of the Environment Act is clear; the Secretary of State must be satisfied that the targets can be met.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the damaging effect, in particular on sugar beet crops, of pesticides used to prevent attacks from aphids.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)

Emerging sugar beet seedlings and young plants are vulnerable to feeding by aphids, which transmit several viruses, known collectively as Yellows Virus (YV). Neonicotinoid seed treatments provide emerging beet crops with highly effective protection.

Following an application made by British Sugar and the National Farmers Union, the Government has granted an emergency authorisation for the limited and controlled use of a neonicotinoid seed treatment on the 2023 sugar beet crop. This decision has not been taken lightly and is based on robust assessment of the environmental and economic risks and benefits. The Government’s statement of reasons for this decision has been published on gov.uk.

It is important that the Government understands the potential environmental impacts of the emergency authorisation. To further develop that understanding the applicant is required to carry out a range of environmental monitoring activities as a condition of the emergency authorisation. The Government is supplementing these activities with its own monitoring projects. These projects include the monitoring of residues of thiamethoxam (the neonicotinoid active ingredient in the authorised seed treatment) and its metabolite, clothianidin, in various parts of the environment, to gain a better understanding of the potential exposure of non-target organisms to the active substance in the seed treatment. This includes the soil of treated fields; the soil, vegetation and pollen from field margins; honey from honeybee hives in close proximity to sugar beet fields; and rivers in sugar beet catchments. Further detail of these projects can be found within the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) emergency registration report on Cruiser SB, published on gov.uk.

Defra has also funded a study assessing the chronic toxicity of thiamethoxam to adult honeybees. This has allowed HSE to conduct a robust assessment of the chronic risks to honeybees via different routes of exposure. Details and results of this study can be found within HSE’s emergency registration report, published on gov.uk.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they have not yet formally responded to the recommendations in the report by the Right Reverend James Jones The patronising disposition of unaccountable power: A report to ensure the pain and suffering of the Hillsborough families is not repeated, published on 1 November 2017 (HC 511).

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)

The points of learning in the Bishop’s report made for the Government span a number of departments and organisations and the Home Office is coordinating the Government’s overarching response to his report.

Whilst the timing of the Government’s response has been impacted by the need to avoid risk of prejudice during the Hillsborough criminal proceedings, work has been underway within the relevant departments and organisations to carefully consider and address those points of learning directed at the Government.

The Government is committed to engaging with the Hillsborough families prior to publication of its full response in due course.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons why they have not yet published their white paper on football governance; and when it will be published.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)

His Majesty’s Government remains committed to reforming football to address the issues identified in the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, and will set out details to do this shortly after recess.

Found: 8th Report - The conduct of Lord Pendry HL Paper 194 Report

✝️ Farewell Lord Tom Pendry. Freeman of the Borough of Tameside, Labour MP for Stalybridge & Hyde 1970-2001 (and covering Dukinfield, which is now in my constituency between 1970 and 1997). Lord Pendry of Stalybridge 2001-2023. https://t.co/o4EdI3rEx5

Japan APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: British-Japan Parliamentary Group AGM Date: Monday 24th February 2020 Attending: Lord Bates, Lord Sassoon, Lord Pendry