Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to strengthen restrictions on the use of rodenticides in order to reduce exposure to non-target wildlife.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Rodenticide products are regulated under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulations (GB BPR). Under this legislation, evaluations of the safety of biocides to humans, animals and the environment are carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on behalf of Ministers.
The Rodenticides Stewardship Scheme was developed by The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK to further promote responsible use by the three groups of professional users (pest controllers, farmers and gamekeepers). Compliance with the scheme and its principles is a legal requirement as part of the authorisation and use of rodenticide products.
The scheme is overseen by the Government Oversight Group for Rodenticide Stewardship (GOG), chaired by HSE and includes representatives from relevant government departments and agencies. The GOG is conducting a review to consider how rodenticide stewardship in the UK can be strengthened. It will consider all relevant and appropriate evidence. The detailed work of this review is expected to be completed in 2025.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the completion status is of each (a) key delivery objective and (b) activity in the UK REACH work programme for 2023-24.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), acting as the UK REACH Agency, submitted to Defra in April this year their annual report which detailed the completion status of key delivery objectives and activities contained in the 2023-24 UK REACH work programme. Once approved by Ministers, the annual report will be published on HSE’s website.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2024 to Question 728 on Working Conditions: Temperature, when her Department plans to bring forward proposals for consultation on workplace temperatures.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government remains committed to modernising health and safety guidance, including addressing workplace temperatures. In ‘Next steps to Make Work Pay’ published on 10 October the government acknowledged that some reforms will take longer to undertake and implement. We have committed to bring forward this review in due course.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners that are (a) eligible and (b) not claiming Pension Credit by constituency.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is only available via take-up statistics. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of continuing the Household Support Fund after 30 September 2024.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.
An additional £500 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF, including funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
As with previous HSF schemes, the Fund will be made available to County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England to provide discretionary support to those most in need.
The HSF scheme guidance and individual Local Authority funding allocations for the forthcoming extension will be announced as soon as possible ahead of the scheme beginning on 1 October 2024.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum workplace temperature.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to modernising health and safety guidance including that addressing workplace temperatures. The Government will work with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to bring forward detailed proposals for consultation on workplace temperature.