Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his expected timetable is for the publication of an updated list of significant public appointments; and whether this will include the Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The list of significant public appointments is updated by the Cabinet Office, in consultation with individual departments and the Commissioner for Public Appointments. A refreshed list will be updated in due course.
As set out by the previous government, the role of Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection is considered to be a significant appointment.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any environmental (a) policies and (b) programmes are impacted by the UK Internal Market Act 2020.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Internal Market Act provides the practical framework that facilitates businesses and people to trade and purchase goods and services freely across the UK. It supports economic growth and protects jobs and investment across all four nations of the UK. The Act does not prevent the UK Government or Devolved Governments from legislating in any areas of reserved or devolved policy, including environmental policy.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether data collected through his Department’s farm practices survey informs the assessment of progress on meeting legally binding targets set out in the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reporting against statutory targets is being developed primarily through data on activities that farmers have volunteered to do as part of schemes. Defra uses survey data, including the results from the farm practices survey, to build assumptions and understand more about land that has not been entered into schemes.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish regulations to implement Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 to introduce a due diligence scheme for products of illegal deforestation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation, and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
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 19 September 2024 to Question 4844 on Land Use, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of establishing a national land use authority to work on a cross-departmental basis on the proposed land use framework for the purpose of integrating government priorities on (a) housing, (b) energy infrastructure, (c) farming, (d) community ownership and (e) other related matters.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will publish a consultation on land use to inform the publication of a Land Use Framework for England. The land use framework will support farmers and nature recovery, based on an evidence base and spatial analysis. We will set out our approach to governance in due course.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of implications for his policies of the points of action in the statement entitled Experts warn international order on a knife’s edge, urge States to comply with ICJ Advisory Opinion, published by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 18 September 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We note the statement by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 18 September. The UK is fully committed to the international order, international law and the international rules based order. We continue to consider the ICJ's Advisory Opinion carefully. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible - but we are clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. The UK abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution in September because it did not provide sufficient clarity to advance a negotiated two-state solution.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to fund the holiday activities and food programme on a permanent basis.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond the 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review, which is taking place this autumn. The outcome of that process will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) manage the standard of food provided by schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. School Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.
The government’s ambition is to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or from growers certified to meet higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set best practice in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The government has also committed to supporting schools to improve the sustainability of school food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include advice around sustainable sourcing.
Ministerial teams are working with department officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. Our aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to school food under continued review.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the procurement of sustainable local food for school meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. School Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.
The government’s ambition is to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or from growers certified to meet higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set best practice in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The government has also committed to supporting schools to improve the sustainability of school food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include advice around sustainable sourcing.
Ministerial teams are working with department officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. Our aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to school food under continued review.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a citizens assembly to consider the future relationship between the UK and the EU.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has no plans to establish a citizens’ assembly to consider the future relationship between the UK and EU. We fully recognise the importance of maintaining an effective dialogue encompassing a broad range of views across civil society, including through the TCA Civil Society Forum and Domestic Advisory Group, as we work to reset our relationship with the EU.