Lord Swinfen

The Government has no plans to provide training in this specific area. However, we understand the National Association of Estate Agents provides customer services training for those employed in this field including understanding the customer’s needs. It is in the interests of Estate Agents to understand the needs of all their potential customers, including the disabled customers, so that they can compete effectively to win new business and grow. The Government sets the open, market framework in which companies can compete for business on fair terms.

The Government does however encourage companies to make their businesses more accessible to disabled people and embrace the positive business opportunities presented by disabled customers; guidance is available on the gov.uk website for both employees and employers. It covers what businesses must do to comply with the law, to ensure that everyone they employ or serve is treated equally and according to their needs.

It is not the case that honey bees moved from Northern Ireland to other parts of the UK must be destroyed.

EU member states may export bees to Northern Ireland in line with intra-Union trade rules. Queen honey bees can be imported into any part of the UK from Italy and other EU countries but packages and colonies of honey bees can only be imported into Northern Ireland. There is, and will remain, unfettered access for honey bees which qualify as a Northern Ireland good to the rest of the UK market. The basis on which businesses may qualify for unfettered access is clearly set out in legislation passed last year.

It is not the case that honey bees moved from Northern Ireland to other parts of the UK must be destroyed.

EU member states may export bees to Northern Ireland in line with intra-Union trade rules. Queen honey bees can be imported into any part of the UK from Italy and other EU countries but packages and colonies of honey bees can only be imported into Northern Ireland. There is, and will remain, unfettered access for honey bees which qualify as a Northern Ireland good to the rest of the UK market. The basis on which businesses may qualify for unfettered access is clearly set out in legislation passed last year.

Any veterinary antibiotic authorised for use in the UK in a food producing species will have a withdrawal period set as part of the condition of use. This is the minimum length of time after treatment that must pass before produce from the treated animal can enter the food chain. The withdrawal period ensures that the concentration of any residue of the medicine falls below the maximum residue level – the statutory safety limit.

In addition, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in Europe since 2006.

Using antibiotics responsibly is a requirement of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Code of Professional Conduct for Vets which states “Veterinary surgeons must be seen to ensure that when using antimicrobials they do so responsibly, and be accountable for the choices made in such use.”

The regulatory framework for pesticides is supported by a substantial programme of testing for residues in food and drink. This is administered by the Health and Safety Executive’s Chemicals Regulation Directorate and overseen by the independent expert scientific committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF). Bread is among the staple foods regularly checked.

Statutory Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides are set under European Union (EU) legislation. These MRLs reflect the highest amount of pesticide residue expected in food when pesticides are applied in accordance with authorised conditions of use. MRLs are always set below, usually far below, the safety limit.

Farmers, importers, distributors and retailers are responsible for ensuring marketed food complies with the statutory levels.

Although recent monitoring results indicate an increase in the incidence of pesticide residues being found in bread, this reflects that improvements in analytical methods mean that residues can be found at lower levels. The latest results obtained are all at levels below the statutory MRLs, and PriF have concluded that they do not raise any safety concerns.

The Food Standards Agency recognises that consumers want pesticide residues reduced further than the current safe levels. As part of the Agency's action plan to minimise pesticide residues in food, guides have been produced for five crops – including cereals - grown in the UK. The guides are intended for a broad audience within the food industry, from farmer to retailer. They aim to raise awareness of the issue of pesticide residues and to support the industry to deliver existing pesticide residue minimisation initiatives.

There are no licensing requirements to open a private dispensing appliance contractor business. NHS England is responsible for determining whether a dispensing appliance contractor should be granted the right to provide National Health Service pharmaceutical services. Such determinations can generally be appealed to the Family Health Services Appeal Unit of the NHS Litigation Authority.

The Department keeps the operation of the relevant NHS regulations governing the right to provide NHS pharmaceutical services under regular review with NHS England, the NHS Litigation Authority and contractors’ representatives, as appropriate. We are not aware of any significant issues regarding the impact of these arrangements on small and medium-sized businesses offering continence products nor on the adoption of innovation in the NHS.

There are no licensing requirements to open a private dispensing appliance contractor business. NHS England is responsible for determining whether a dispensing appliance contractor should be granted the right to provide National Health Service pharmaceutical services. Such determinations can generally be appealed to the Family Health Services Appeal Unit of the NHS Litigation Authority.

The Department keeps the operation of the relevant NHS regulations governing the right to provide NHS pharmaceutical services under regular review with NHS England, the NHS Litigation Authority and contractors’ representatives, as appropriate. We are not aware of any significant issues regarding the impact of these arrangements on small and medium-sized businesses offering continence products nor on the adoption of innovation in the NHS.

There are no licensing requirements to open a private dispensing appliance contractor business. NHS England is responsible for determining whether a dispensing appliance contractor should be granted the right to provide National Health Service pharmaceutical services. Such determinations can generally be appealed to the Family Health Services Appeal Unit of the NHS Litigation Authority.

The Department keeps the operation of the relevant NHS regulations governing the right to provide NHS pharmaceutical services under regular review with NHS England, the NHS Litigation Authority and contractors’ representatives, as appropriate. We are not aware of any significant issues regarding the impact of these arrangements on small and medium-sized businesses offering continence products nor on the adoption of innovation in the NHS.

The amount of Better Care Fund (BCF) money that each area will spend on housing and housing related services will be for local decision, reflecting local priorities as articulated in joint health and wellbeing strategies.

As announced by the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government on 5 July, local health and wellbeing boards will be submitting revised BCF plans later in the summer. The information requested is therefore not currently available. Furthermore, although the revised BCF plans will show which localities are including housing, it might not be possible to extract the systematic information on housing expenditure that is requested.

The Government is clear that integration is not restricted to the traditional health and care service ‘silos’ but is a much broader concept, one that includes housing, leisure and other services that improve health and wellbeing.

The Care Act will mean that, from April 2015, local authorities – including housing departments - must carry out their care and support responsibilities with the aim of promoting greater integration with the health service.

The draft statutory guidance, published on 6 June, makes it clear that housing is a health-related service and is integral to providing integrated care. Among a number of case studies, the Guidance includes an example of how housing is integral to delivering integrated care in Leicestershire. The guidance can be found at:

www.gov.uk/government/news/care-act-2014-launch-of-care-and-support-consultation.

We recognise the invaluable contribution Gurkhas make to our armed forces. Gurkhas serve with honour and distinction and are a vital part of our bilateral relationship. The UK-funded Gurkha Welfare Trust has ensured access to life-saving support and supplies to Gurkha veterans and their communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also financing antigen kits for district hospitals across Nepal with distribution being done by the Gurkha Welfare Trust, and two districts have so far received these kits.

More broadly in Nepal, the UK has funded a new £180,000 duplex oxygen generation plant at the Nepal Police Hospital in Kathmandu to help address oxygen shortages to treat COVID19 patients. We are also one of the leading donors to COVAX, committing £548m to the scheme, which will provide more than a billion vaccines to developing countries including doses for almost a fifth of Nepal's population.

This Government has increased central funding to councils for Disabled Facilities Grant, as illustrated by the table below.

* Additional funding provided by the Department of Health

A table showing figures for each local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.

The total amount of Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure by local authorities was £298 million in 2011-12 and £275 million in 2012-13; figures for 2013-14 will be available in the Autumn.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.

To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.

We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register).

The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).

Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.

To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.

We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register).

The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).

Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.

The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect this information. The Department funds Foundations, to act as the national body for home improvement agencies in England, and they maintain information on home improvement agency coverage across England. Further information on Foundations can be found at: http://www.foundations.uk.com/home/

Where a court imposes an unpaid work requirement as part of a community sentence or suspended sentence order, the local Community Rehabilitation Company provides work placements in accordance with a range of criteria including:

• that the work benefits the local community;
• that the work undertaken is not a direct substitution for paid employment; and
• the views of local people and community stakeholders such as the police are taken into account.

Any proposal for unpaid work involving litter collection would have to be considered with reference to the requirements for unpaid work placements which form part of the service specifications and can be found at https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/offenders/probation-instructions/pi_02_2010_unpaid_work_community_payback_service_specification.pdf.