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Written Question
National Food Crime Unit
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 2 May 2023 (HL7168) whether the National Food Crime Unit of the Food Standards Agency now has the necessary powers to present cases to the courts.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) works to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud within our food system. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has the power under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to grant food crime officers with access to powers, such as those under the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984. The laying of secondary legislation to grant these powers and bring the FSA under the necessary oversight of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is subject to a short delay from the original laying date of 14 March 2024. One of the statutory instruments (SI) is extremely detailed and requires further resourcing from the FSA and iteration with the IOPC to resolve key policy points. However, good progress is being made with the SI, and a revised laying date is to be requested from the Cabinet Office, which is expected to be this side of the summer recess.

While the FSA is in the process of agreeing a revised laying date, food crime officers in the NFCU are still able to continue with core business, and progressing food fraud investigations. However, having access to PACE powers will reduce reliance on policing partners and will better equip food crime officers with the powers they need to deal with food fraud more effectively and autonomously. Work to develop and implement mandatory training for food crime officers who will use PACE powers, and the development of an internal complaints process, remains on course to be delivered ahead of the SIs coming into force.


Written Question
Council Tax
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) local government finances in England, and (2) the equality of taxation of council tax bands in England being based on property valuations from April 1991.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government has no plans to reform the council tax system in this Parliament. A council tax revaluation would be expensive to undertake and could result in increases in bills for many households as well as disrupting the operation of the local government funding system. Council Tax levels are set by local authorities who are required to put in place council tax reduction schemes to help those in financial hardship. When setting out the resources available to local authorities, the annual Local Government Finance Settlement takes account of their differing abilities to generate income through council tax.


Written Question
Bread and Flour: Regulation
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Douglas-Miller on 12 February (HL1943), on which date in February they informed the WTO and EU of the proposed changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK Government and devolved administrations notified the World Trade Organization of planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 on 9 February 2024 relating to the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid. The EU Commission was notified under the Windsor Framework in respect of the same planned amendments in Northern Ireland on 8 February 2024.


Written Question
Council Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely effect on economic growth and productivity of (1) revaluing council tax bands by reference to current market rates, and (2) abolishing stamp duty in favour of a reformed housing taxation arrangement.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government has no current plans to revalue council tax bands by reference to current market rates or to abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax in favour of a reformed housing taxation arrangement. The government continues to keep all tax policy under review.


Written Question
Bread and Flour: Regulation
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the consultation response to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 on 17 January, when they will inform the WTO and EU Commission of the proposed changes, and how long each will have to make a response.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are working to notify the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of the legislative changes to The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 in February. Notification to the EU Commission in respect of amendments in Northern Ireland will happen concurrently. The notification to WTO under the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement involves a comment period of 60 days. Any comments received will be considered, following which measures can be adopted in Great Britain subject to parliamentary process. After notifying the EU Commission under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, for legislative changes in Northern Ireland, the Commission will provide an opinion on envisaged measures within three months. Measures can be adopted in Northern Ireland six months after notification provided the Commission’s opinion is not negative.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Electrical Safety
Thursday 28th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers from Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 26 June (HL8412, HL8413 and HL8414), when they expect the Building Safety Regulator will undertake the cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Under Section 21 of the Building Safety Act, the Building Safety Regulator must carry out a cost-benefit analysis of making regular inspections of, and testing and reporting on, the condition of electrical installations in relevant buildings. This report will be provided by 1 October 2026. The Regulator remains on track for completing this activity within the agreed timeframe.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Friday 22nd December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of protective earthed neutral faults in public and street chargers for electric vehicles.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Safety requirements relating to protective earthed neutral faults, including those for electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, are covered by The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002, BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, the Institution of Engineering and Technology's code of practice for EV Charging Equipment, and the Energy Networks Association’s Engineering Recommendation G12. The Government has not undertaken any separate risk assessment of protective earthed neutral faults in EV chargepoints.


Written Question
World War II: Alderney
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received any representations from interested parties regarding restrictions for making submissions to the review into the number of prisoners who died on Alderney during the Nazi occupation, and what steps the review has taken to obtain relevant material from such parties.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The UK’s Post Holocaust Issues Envoy, Lord Eric Pickles announced the review into the number of prisoners who died on Alderney during the Nazi occupation on July 27, 2023. He has appointed a team of eleven independent, experienced, and internationally recognised experts led by Dr Paul Sanders the renowned French academic. The review is also receiving expert assistance from the Archives at Yad Vashem, the world’s preeminent Holocaust Centre. Lord Pickles has publicly encouraged all interested parties to put forward their evidence and has met with several groups and individuals who have expressed their interest in the review.

The department works closely with the Channel Islands on Holocaust issues.


Written Question
Bread and Flour: Regulation
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their response to their September 2022 consultation on amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The full summary of responses and Government response are in the final stages of the Government clearance process, and we expect to publish in January. Officials have been carefully analysing the 369 responses received, while also discussing with the devolved administrations the best approach to consistent and effective policy implementation across the UK. We have continued engagement with industry and further assessment to ensure that any changes to the regulations successfully deliver improved public health, protect consumers, minimise impacts to industry and assist enforcement authorities.


Written Question
Sheep Dipping: Organophosphates
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Archives file 'Organophosphate poisoning to farmers caused by sheep dip' (PIN 21/843) is open in its entirety and, if not, for what reasons any redactions have been made.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

When The National Archives identifies information in an ‘open’ record which engages, or is likely to engage, an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the record in question has its access status amended to ‘Access Under Review’, which temporarily prevents the record from being orderable by members of the public.

Officials at The National Archives can confirm that the record (PIN 21/843) will revert to being orderable again shortly once the appropriate assessment of its status under the Freedom of Information Act has been carried out.