Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that women can access toothpaste that is appropriate for their saliva's ph level.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Toothpaste and other consumer healthcare products are widely available to support a range of oral hygiene needs, including those of women. The main modifiable risk factors for dental caries are diet, consuming too much sugar too often, and lack of optimal fluoride. Managing the intake and frequency of sugar is particularly relevant for the pH of saliva. For caries prevention, it is the application of fluoride in toothpaste that is the most important aspect of brushing, as fluoride helps prevent, control, and arrest caries. Family or standard fluoride toothpaste at 1,350 to 1,500 parts per million fluoride is recommended. Higher strength fluoride toothpaste can be prescribed by a dentist if a patient requires it due to dental caries risk. The evidence for this and related advice for dental teams is set out at the following link:
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to reverse the 2014 increase in subsidy for grouse moorlands.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The payment increase announced in 2014 was an uplift in per hectare payments for moorland under the area-based Basic Payment Scheme, which has since closed in England.
Defra is targeting investments away from the old subsidy schemes towards improving Environmental Land Management schemes and investing in farmers, including upland farmers. Defra launched the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier last year, and an updated version of the Sustainable Farming Incentive will reopen later this year. Defra is also working with Dr Hilary Cottam on a new approach to the uplands, developing a place-based approach for what these communities need.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that job applicants with protected characteristics are not discriminated against when AI is used to assess applications.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to removing barriers to AI adoption, unlocking new opportunities, and ensuring that equality is embedded at the heart of every mission. We want AI to work for everyone, and that means supporting innovation while ensuring technologies are fair, inclusive and accessible.
We have published Responsible AI in Recruitment guidance which sets out good practice procuring and deploying AI systems for HR and recruitment. This guidance highlights the mechanisms that can be used to ensure the safe and trustworthy use of AI in recruitment.
As highlighted in the AI Opportunities Action Plan: One Year On, we have taken steps to build the AI assurance ecosystem that underpins safe and responsible use of AI. This includes establishing a new Centre for AI Measurement at the National Physical Laboratory, designed to accelerate the development of secure, transparent and trustworthy AI.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy that the inclusion of an AED and bleed kit should be mandatory for a) new cars and b) company car leases.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department is reviewing recommendations for the carriage of safety and other equipment in cars. However, this will be working within the context of the current provisions in the Highway Code that are advisory rather than mandatory. Mandating equipment in cars would require monitoring to ensure compliance, as well as measures to ensure that the equipment remained serviceable. It would also add cost to new vehicles and vehicle owners.