Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Meta's use of the LibGen database to train artificial intelligence models on UK creative workers.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government has no plans to make a formal assessment. However, while the case highlighted relates to legal proceedings in the United States, we take seriously the implications for UK rights holders. The unauthorised use of copyright works, particularly at industrial scale, is unacceptable and not permitted under the UK copyright framework, which is a vital part of our support for the creative industries, which in turn make a substantial contribution to our economy and national identity.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that public sector employers provide adequate support to employees returning from maternity leave.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Starting with the Employment Rights Bill, we will put in place legislation that makes it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave, and mothers who return to work for a six-month period after they return - except in specific circumstances. The Government will also make flexible working the default, except where it is not reasonably feasible. This will benefit employees returning to work from maternity leave by making it easier to balance work and childcare needs.

These changes will apply to eligible employees, regardless of whether they work in the public sector or elsewhere.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of flexible working patterns in (a) the Civil Service and (b) the wider public sector.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working. There are numerous benefits of flexible working, which apply to both the public and private sectors.

Flexible working is essential in helping people achieve a better work life balance, which can lead to happier, healthier and more productive employees. This is good for employees and good for businesses. Flexible working can help make work more accessible to several groups by helping people to balance work with other responsibilities and needs in their personal lives. This includes those with disabilities, parents, and others with caring responsibilities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria his Department plans to use to decide when personal imports of meat and dairy products from the European Union can be reinstated.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Personal imports of meat and dairy products from the European Union (EU) into Great Britain (GB) are subject to a transitional exemption from rules that apply to personal imports from outside the EU single market. As part of our national mission to protect our food sector and farmers, we have put in place a series of emergency safeguard measures banning personal imports of certain animal products into GB, in response to outbreaks of Peste des Petits Ruminants, African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease in the European Union. The devolved governments in Wales and Scotland have put in place equivalent measures. Decisions on whether to lift safeguard measures on personal imports of animal products are based on expert risk assessments and advice from the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and the Chief Veterinary Officers in Wales and Scotland. We publish risk assessments on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to determine when bans on personal imports of food products should be implemented following disease outbreaks.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Personal imports of meat and dairy products from the European Union (EU) into Great Britain (GB) are subject to a transitional exemption from rules that apply to personal imports from outside the EU single market. As part of our national mission to protect our food sector and farmers, we have put in place a series of emergency safeguard measures banning personal imports of certain animal products into GB, in response to outbreaks of Peste des Petits Ruminants, African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease in the European Union. The devolved governments in Wales and Scotland have put in place equivalent measures. Decisions on whether to impose safeguard measures on personal imports of animal products are based on expert risk assessments and advice from the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and the Chief Veterinary Officers in Wales and Scotland. We publish risk assessments on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including NHS Professionals employees in the NHS Pension Scheme.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such assessment has been made. NHS Professionals is a private limited company operating in a competitive environment to secure contracts with National Health Service trusts, and as such it makes its own assessment of the terms upon which it attracts and retains its employees.

Found: course of debate on amendments to the clause/schedule (Standing Order No. 68) Chairs: Dr Rosena Allin -Khan

Found: course of debate on amendments to the clause/schedule (Standing Order No. 68) Chairs: Dr Rosena Allin-Khan