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 Answer of 7 May 2024 to Question 24202 on Lead: Health and Safety, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the work undertaken by the Environment Agency to asses the lead ammunition restriction.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Records show that the Environment Agency has spent approximately £425,000 on salary costs (including wages and direct overheads) for this work. This excludes wider organisational overheads (such as building maintenance and energy costs) and the Health and Safety Executive’s time and costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a nationwide kerbside collection for lithium-ion batteries and small Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce to help us develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will be supported by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We are considering the evidence for sector-specific interventions right across the economy, including in electronic waste and batteries, as we develop our Strategy. Currently 100 local authorities in the United Kingdom operate Kerbside collection for small waste electricals and electronic equipment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on fostering interfaith tolerance in Myanmar in light of the recent military attacks on churches, monasteries, and other religious sites; and what plans his Department has to integrate education on religious freedom and tolerance within its initiatives in the region.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports the protection of all religious minority groups in Myanmar. We consistently raise concerns about the discrimination of religious minorities and their places of worship in international fora, including co-sponsoring a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April 2024, which underlined the importance of addressing the root cause of violations against religious minorities. Additionally, we fund the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is incorporated within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's broader human rights training programme across the region, including workshops on religious engagement for our staff.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of differentiating the emissions associated between pre- and post-consumer scrap metal in the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As set out in our response to the consultation on the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), imported scrap products within the aluminum and iron & steel sectors will not be within scope of the CBAM, upon introduction from 1 January 2027.

The use of scrap, either post-consumer products at the end of their useful life or pre-consumer products such as offcuts with no productive use other than as a feedstock for recycling, has a net benefit on emissions as it reduces the need for additional production. Therefore, the carbon leakage risk posed by such goods is low.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 7 May 2024 to Question 24202 on Lead: Health and Safety, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the assessment of lead ammunition restrictions by the Health and Safety Executive.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

For the period 1 March 2021 to 15 March 2025, HSE’s full economic cost estimate is £700,000. This includes the costs of both HSE and independent scientific experts engaged in this work but excludes work undertaken by the Environment Agency.

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 the implications for his Department’s policies of the call for investigations into the recent violence in Latakia, Syria, on religious communities by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We welcome the interim authorities' establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence. We are in regular discussion with our UN and NGO partners, as well as with other international partners, to get a fuller understanding of the impact of the violence and to assess needs and responses. As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians, set out a clear path to transitional justice, and make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions and will continue to monitor closely the treatment of all civilians in Syria.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of innovation in the semiconductor industry in south Wales.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is actively driving innovation in South Wales' semiconductor industry through strategic investments, collaborative research funding, and robust international partnerships. Recent initiatives include Vishay Intertechnology’s £250 million investment in Newport, supported by the government's Automotive Transformation Fund, creating over 500 high-skilled jobs focused on advanced semiconductors critical to electric vehicle production. Additionally, UK businesses, including those in South Wales, can now participate in the EU Chips Joint Undertaking, gaining access to €1.3 billion of collaborative R&D funding. Other UK wide schemes, such as the government backed ChipStart scheme also offer extensive opportunities for start-ups, further boosting innovation in the semiconductor sector. This government remains firmly committed to working closely with the Welsh Government and industry partners, ensuring investments deliver sustained growth and strengthen economic resilience across South Wales and beyond.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what the expected (a) timescale, (b) operating budget and (c) scale of the proposed National Semiconductor Institute are.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This government recognises the strategic importance of semiconductors as a critical technology for the future of the UK and a significant enabler of the government’s growth and clean energy missions. The Department recognises a number of challenges to growth of the UK semiconductor sector, including industry fragmentation and a lack of long-term innovation strategy. We are currently reviewing a range of options to address this, including a national semiconductor body that can bring together the industry and unlock growth in the sector. We will announce further details in due course.

Found: Sensitivity: Unrestricted Sensitivity: Unrestricted Ruth Jones MP Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Jones (Chair); Ann Davies; Gill German; Claire Hughes; Ben Lake

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Jones (Chair); Ann Davies; Gill German; Claire Hughes; Andrew

Found: It will be led by Ruth Jones MP.

Found: Kruger Not selected Dame Meg Hillier Sir Julian Smith Naz Shah Rachael Maskell Antonia Bance Ruth Jones

Found: Steve Darling Anneliese Midgley Liz Jarvis Susan Murray Lisa Smart Monica Harding Sarah Owen Ruth Jones

Found: Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones gets a ‘tidy’ welcome at the St David Awards, alongside other inspirational

Found: Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones gets a ‘tidy’ welcome at the St David Awards, as she is honoured for