Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many local authorities in England have submitted data for 2019 on the number of licences they have issued under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Under regulation 29 of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 it is a requirement for local authorities in England to submit specified information relating to licensable activities in their respective areas. Such information should be submitted to the Secretary of State by 31 May for each preceding year 1 April to 31 March. Local authorities have submitted information to the Secretary of State for this year and Defra is analysing the data. We aim to publish the information later this year.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2019 to Question 259124 on Livestock: Animal Welfare, what plans his Department has to introduce benchmark incentives for farmers to maintain and enhance animal health standards.
Answered by George Eustice
We are working in partnership with representatives of industry and the veterinary profession to establish a range of interventions to reduce the impacts of endemic disease on farm productivity and animal welfare. By working closely with industry we will ensure that actions are effective and will improve the health of livestock nationally. Our discussions are at an early stage. At present, we have no plans to introduce benchmark standards.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of hotels and hostels by local authority which are (a) below and (b) above 18 metres in height that have high pressure laminate cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department has commenced a data collection exercise which will enable us to build a picture of external wall systems in use on high rise residential buildings. This exercise will collect data on residential buildings 18 metres and over covering private and social buildings, student accommodation and hotels.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of student accommodation blocks (a) below and (b) above 18 metres in height in each local authority areas that have high pressure laminate cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department has commenced a data collection exercise which will enable us to build a picture of external wall systems in use on high rise residential buildings. This exercise will collect data on residential buildings 18 metres and over covering private and social buildings, student accommodation and hotels.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of hospitals by local authority which are (a) below and (b) above 18 metres in height that have high pressure laminate cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department has commenced a data collection exercise which will enable us to build a picture of external wall systems in use on high rise residential buildings. This exercise will collect data on residential buildings 18 metres and over covering private and social buildings, student accommodation and hotels.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of care homes by local authority which are (a) below and (b) above 18 metres in height that have high pressure laminate cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department has commenced a data collection exercise which will enable us to build a picture of external wall systems in use on high rise residential buildings. This exercise will collect data on residential buildings 18 metres and over covering private and social buildings, student accommodation and hotels.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure new builds are meeting fire safety requirements.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The primary responsibility for compliance with the Building Regulations, including fire safety, rests with the person carrying out the building work. This is the builder or developer. Most building work is subject to building control either by the local authority or a private approved inspector, on a spot-check basis. It is the responsibility of the building control body to take all reasonable steps to assess compliance. However, responsibility for compliance remains with the builder or developer.
On 5 July, the Government published a clarified version of Approved Document B (fire safety) to help responsible parties to understand what steps they could take to ensure that their building complies with the building regulations.
We are currently consulting on how we propose to take forward legislative reform for building and fire safety in higher-risk residential buildings implementing recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that the Food Standards Agency is able to uphold food safety standards after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Department is committed to ensuring that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) maintains the high standards of food safety and consumer protection that we currently enjoy in this country. Leaving the European Union does not change the FSA’s top priority which is to ensure that food in the United Kingdom remains safe and is what it says it is.
One of FSA’s main priorities is to have a robust and effective regulatory regime which will mean business can continue as normal. All FSA’s exit plans are either complete or on schedule to deliver in time for day one of exit. As part of this, the Department has laid 18 EU Exit Statutory Instruments on behalf of the FSA to ensure that our high standards of food hygiene and safety will be maintained in a no deal scenario.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2019 to Question 251249, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) reach and (b) effectiveness of its work to communicate with people vulnerable to the effects of air pollution during episodes of high pollution.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government does not assess the reach and effectiveness of its communication for each air pollution episode. However, we work closely with Public Health England and a network of health charities to ensure that key health messages reach those who are vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, during episodes of high pollution.
The Government has committed in the 2019 Clean Air Strategy to develop and deliver a personal air quality messaging system to inform the public, particularly those who are vulnerable to air pollution, about the air quality forecast and provide clearer information on air pollution episodes and health advice. This builds on the air quality forecasts and information already published on the Government’s UK-AIR website.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the National Audit Office report Ensuring food safety and standards published 12 June 2019, what steps is he taking to bring forward new regulations on imported products in preparation for the UK leaving the EU on 31st October 2019; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Food Standards Agency has welcomed the NAO report ‘Ensuring food safety and standards’. The FSA is already taking steps to address the proposals and is committed to working closely with other parts of government to ensure that a high level of food safety standards is maintained.
When we leave the European Union, we will maintain our current standards. We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Act will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of departure.
We are committed to maintaining our rigorous standards on animal welfare and food safety after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU - high standards and high quality are what our domestic and global customers demand, and that is what we will provide.