Lord Shipley

Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, advises that the University of Sunderland has, in recent years, undertaken work to address structural issues in the building housing the National Glass Centre. A specialist external review, commissioned by the University, concluded that a multi-million-pound investment would be required to address these issues if the National Glass Centre were to remain at its current location. As a result, and considering value for money, the University’s Board of Governors decided to identify an alternative location. The University is now exploring a variety of options with key partners including Sunderland Culture (which has been offered public funding as part of Arts Council England’s national portfolio) and Sunderland City Council to establish suitable sites. Culture House is one of the sites being discussed.

Arts Council England will continue to engage with both Sunderland Culture and the University of Sunderland as plans for the relocation continue to be developed.

Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, advises that the University of Sunderland has, in recent years, undertaken work to address structural issues in the building housing the National Glass Centre. A specialist external review, commissioned by the University, concluded that a multi-million-pound investment would be required to address these issues if the National Glass Centre were to remain at its current location. As a result, and considering value for money, the University’s Board of Governors decided to identify an alternative location. The University is now exploring a variety of options with key partners including Sunderland Culture (which has been offered public funding as part of Arts Council England’s national portfolio) and Sunderland City Council to establish suitable sites. Culture House is one of the sites being discussed.

Arts Council England will continue to engage with both Sunderland Culture and the University of Sunderland as plans for the relocation continue to be developed.

The Government does not hold residency information for those nominated to the House of Lords. That is a matter for each individual.

The Prime Minister is responsible for peerage nominations and will take a range of factors into consideration when making recommendations to the Sovereign.

The Government does not hold residency information for those nominated to the House of Lords. That is a matter for each individual.

The Prime Minister is responsible for peerage nominations and will take a range of factors into consideration when making recommendations to the Sovereign.

The Government agrees that landlords, including housing associations, should be accountable and transparent in their dealings with tenants and be responsive to their needs. However, we do not believe the extension of the FOI to housing associations is the best means of achieving that.

Housing Associations are already required to make a significant amount of information public. They are required to publish their accounts annually, including a strategic report covering issues such as the remunerations of key personnel.

The Regulator of Social Housing, which regulates the sector, also publishes information supplied by Housing Association at individual provider level, including details of their stock holdings, rent levels and evictions.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and will place a copy of their letter in the House library.

Energy suppliers are required by licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are fully functional and provide customers with complete and accurate information. Energy suppliers must also offer an In-Home Display (IHD) at the point of installation and provide a replacement or repair for any faulty IHD within the first year of installing a consumer’s smart meters.

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their licence obligations.

The Government encourages consumers to register their domestic appliances and is taking proactive steps to increase the rates of product registration in the UK. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has undertaken research to survey over 4,000 consumers to understand their attitudes to product safety, including product registration.

In January 2020, OPSS began a product registration research trial with the aim of increasing product registration rates by applying behavioural principles. The trial will monitor the rates of product registration and the data collected will be used to develop further initiatives to increase product registration by consumers. The Government keeps all options under review and is keen to ensure that any activity to increase the rate of product registration is evidence based and proportionate.

The Government recognises the value of being able to identify a product following a product safety incident. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, before placing electrical equipment on the market, a manufacturer must ensure that it bears a type, batch or serial number to allow for its identification.

Research commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has identified a number of potential systems for the indelible marking of white goods. OPSS will further explore with key stakeholders the barriers which are currently preventing industry from implementing such a system.

The Government recognises the value of being able to identify a product following a product safety incident. Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, before placing electrical equipment on the market, a manufacturer must ensure that it bears a type, batch or serial number to allow for its identification.

Research commissioned by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has identified a number of potential systems for the indelible marking of white goods. OPSS will further explore with key stakeholders the barriers which are currently preventing industry from implementing such a system.

The law requires that only safe products may be placed on the market, whether they are new or second hand. Electrical products placed on the market must comply with the legal safety requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (or of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 if they were placed on the market before December 2016).

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is rolling out training to front line Trading Standards Officers on the safety of second-hand electrical goods later this year. In addition, OPSS will be publishing good practice guidance on the responsibilities for those who sell second-hand electrical goods. The Chief Executive of OPSS has also written to the Charity Retailers Association, urging them to ensure electrical products sold in charity shops are safe. The Association covers almost 9,000 charity and second-hand shops in the UK.

The Government currently has no plans to commemorate the bicentenary of the Hetton Colliery Railway.

Stephenson played a key role in Britain’s position as a pioneer of railway development. If an organisation were to bring forward proposals for such a commemoration, our heritage bodies would be happy to discuss these and to provide expertise as needed. Historic England is supporting the nearby Stockton and Darlington Railway, of which the Hetton Colliery Railway was the forerunner, as part of its Heritage Action Zone programme from 2018-2023. This is likely to increase interest in this area.

Sunderland has a history as an internationally significant centre for shipbuilding. However, such was the pace of change in the shipbuilding industry that few structures survived. Doxford Gate sits in the path of a new inner ring road which will link the city centre to a new bridge across the River Wear. The site has been considered for statutory protection by listing, but it does not meet the national criteria. It is unfortunate that it appears that the Doxford Gate cannot be preserved, but I am pleased to report that I understand it is intended to re-erect the historic iron gates from the entrance nearby as a memorial to the shipyard.

Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service that meets local needs. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport also has a duty to superintend, and promote the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England, and to secure the proper discharge by local authorities of their library authority functions.

DCMS takes the statutory duty seriously and monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. Where DCMS receives a complaint that a local authority may be failing to meet its duty, we will carefully consider the evidence before deciding if a local inquiry is needed. The Department is currently handling eight complaints to determine whether the changes to library service provision mean that these are no longer providing comprehensive and efficient library services.

The Progress 8 accountability measure is designed to take pupils’ prior attainment into account and shows the progress made by pupils in a school compared to progress made by pupils nationally with similar starting points.

The department publishes breakdowns of Progress 8 for different pupil groups, such as disadvantaged pupils, to show the progress made by disadvantaged pupils at school level. It also shows the proportion of pupils in a school eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared to the national average. This enables parents, and those working with schools, to view a school’s results alongside information about its cohort. The government will continue to keep this under review.

The Government will publish a careers strategy shortly, with a clear focus on social mobility. This will include proposals to provide information for individuals to access education and training throughout their working lives, as well as help those who want to reskill and upskill.

The National Careers Service provides free and impartial guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England. It allows working people to identify opportunities and respond to challenges within their employment.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has confirmed that we will publish a careers strategy shortly.

The strategy will have a clear focus on social mobility. It will include proposals to improve the quality and coverage of careers advice in schools. The strategy will also include steps to improve the access to advice on training and careers for adults throughout their working lives.

Healthy soil underpins a range of ecosystem services including food production, biodiversity, carbon storage and flood risk mitigation. Addressing contaminants in soil, including microplastic pollution, is vital for protecting and improving soil health. We are working to build an understanding of the impact of microplastics to soil and to develop mitigation capabilities.

The plastic problem is one of management not eradication, to reduce, reuse, and recycle the material we have and not let it escape into, and damage, our environment. We have focused our efforts in tackling the most commonly used and littered plastic items, but we are aware of concerns with the use of agri-plastics too, particularly with single-use types such as mulch films.

We are concerned about the potential for oxo-degradable plastic to release microplastics. In 2021, we published our response to a call for evidence which also covered oxo-degradable plastics. Most respondents objected to their use and supported introducing a ban. A review by the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee (HSAC) showed there is no environmental benefit to oxo-degradable plastic, and they are likely to be harmful when released into the environment. This year, Defra has commissioned a second HSAC review and are minded to introduce a ban on this material pending evidence from the review.

The UK Government continues to take a cautious approach to biodegradable plastics. The UK standard for biodegradable plastics (EN13432) allows for contaminants in the final output: “no more than 10% contaminants to pass through a 2mm sieve”. This means that microplastics less than 2mm could be produced by a biodegradable plastic mulch film that meets the standard and be spread to land. Additionally, while we are not aware of any biodegradable plastic that can reach levels of 100% biodegradation, evidence used to inform the European Union’s legislation around biodegradable plastics in agricultural applications may not apply to the UK. The UK has differing conditions, such as temperatures and humidity levels, which affect biodegradability.

We will continue to review the evidence around both types of plastic to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary and harmful single-use plastics.

The Government is committed to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 target. This target calls for a 50% reduction in food waste per capita at the retail and consumer levels and a reduction in food losses by 2030. This international goal has been made into a national target as part of the Government-funded Courtauld Commitment 2030. There are no plans at both SDG and Courtauld levels for targets for on-farm food waste reduction.

The Government supports a productive and efficient farming sector that can prevent waste occurring in the first place. For instance, we are supporting investment in productivity-enhancing equipment, technology and infrastructure through the Farming Investment Fund. This provides grants to farmers, foresters and growers (including contractors to these sectors) that will help their businesses to prosper through improving their productivity whilst enhancing the environment.

Defra consulted between June and September 2022 on options to improve food waste reporting, including consideration of a mandatory approach for food businesses. We received 3,851 responses to the consultation and the Government response will be published in 2023. This response will set out the Government’s plans in relation to improving food waste reporting, including food businesses in scope if a mandatory approach were to be taken forward.

Details of all the evidence received and considered by the panel have been published alongside the report in the document ‘Evidence gathered for the assessment of unusual crustacean mortality in the north-east of England in 2021 and 2022’ which is available on the gov.uk website. Where possible, the panel has published the evidence considered. Where this has not been possible either a link has been provided to where the data has already been published or details of the organisation which owns the evidence have been provided.

The Department for International Trade takes a whole of the UK approach to trade and investment. We do monitor regional performance and results from 2015/16 are available in our Inward Investment Results on gov.uk

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dit-inward-investment-results-for-the-tax-year-2015-to-2016/department-for-international-trade-inward-investment-results-2015-to-2016)

The Department has fully reviewed the Port of Sunderland Byelaws 1978 and is optimistic that this can be finalised and confirmed by all parties concerned in the coming weeks.

There are no plans to require London North Eastern Railway to run direct services between Sunderland and London Kings Cross beyond December 2024. Sunderland will continue to have direct London services provided by Open Access operators. Additionally, improvements to the Metro network will improve connectivity in the north east.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will only release vehicle keeper information to private parking companies that are members of an appropriate accredited trade association (ATA). The ATAs carry out checks on parking companies before allowing them to become members. This ensures that the company is legitimate and is monitored for compliance with the ATA’s code of practice that promotes fair treatment for motorists.

The DVLA carries out comprehensive auditing of companies, involving remote and also on-site audits in conjunction with the Government Internal Audit Agency. This ensures that keeper information is used appropriately. Any issues are investigated and action taken where necessary. This can include the suspension of the facility to request vehicle keeper information from the DVLA.

It is not possible to say how many staff are employed specifically to process requests from private car park operators. The staff involved deal with these requests as part of their role alongside a variety of other duties.

We have already started on improvements to the A1 North of Ellingham. Junction improvements at Fenham le Moor, Outchester, Adderstone Mains, Newstead Crossroads and Old Mousen have been completed. Work is currently underway on other junctions along this section of the A1 and work will be completed by March 2020.

We are also committed to dualling the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham and Morpeth and Felton, as well as creating new junctions at Highlaws, Fenrother, West Moor and Charlton Mires. Construction will begin on this scheme in 2021 and both sections will be open for traffic by 2023/24.

The schemes will improve performance and safety for the travelling public on the A1.

By law, the chair of a foundation trust is also the chair of the council of governors. This requirement is set out in paragraph 12 of Schedule 7 to the National Health Service Act 2006.

The rationale is to ensure that the chair, who oversees the foundation trust’s board, which is itself comprised of executives and non-executives and is responsible for the trust’s operation and plan development, serves as the link between this board and the council of governors, who are elected by the foundation trust’s members and represent the local population.

The Department has not carried out an assessment of the effectiveness of scrutiny into the dual-chair role.

The Department does not hold the information requested. National Health Service organisations are independent employers and have their own policies and procedures in resolving workplace disputes, which should be aligned to current employment law and good human resources practice. Whistleblowers cannot waive their rights to make a protected disclosure, regardless of whether they sign an out-of-court settlement agreement. The Government is committed to ensuring we genuinely protect whistleblowers and create a culture of honesty and openness, which will include a review of current enforcement measures, to give a clear message that any misuse of confidentiality clauses will not be tolerated in the NHS.