Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has conducted modelling on the impact of the potential removal of medical exemption to the F gas phase down schedule on the cost of medicines.
Answered by Steve Double
Defra is reviewing the F-gas Regulation, which includes an exemption from the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The review will consider the implementation of the current F-gas Regulation and options for future policy development. The implications of removing the exemption for MDIs, including the potential impact of this on cost and supply, will be included in the analysis.
NHS England is in the process of reducing the use of MDIs containing high global warming potential propellants and has produced cost estimates for the switch from MDIs to currently readily available alternatives. These cost estimates will be incorporated in Defra’s work.
Defra is working on this review jointly with the Scottish and Welsh Governments and we plan to consult on proposed future policies next year.
Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)
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 hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on a timescale for the phasedown of the use of fluorinated gases in asthma inhalers.
Answered by Steve Double
Defra has a legal duty to undertake a comprehensive review of the F-gas Regulation. As part of this work, Defra will identify additional action that can be taken with regard to F-gases and their contribution to net zero. At COP26, Defra committed to an accelerated hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown. Defra intends to publish an assessment report by the end of 2022 as the first stage of the review. It will focus mainly on analysing the effects of the current Regulation, together with the current state of play in relevant industry sectors and international commitments. The second stage of the review will involve a public consultation on proposals for any legislative changes.
The F-gas Regulation currently includes an exemption from the HFC phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The continuation or removal of the exemption for MDIs will be considered as part of the policy development and analysis into future options, as well as implications of the HFC phasedown on MDIs. To support this work there is ongoing engagement between Defra, the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable to covid-19 who have registered (a) to indicate that they require support getting the food and/or other essentials they need and (b) but do not require support; and how many of those vulnerable people are receiving food and basic supplies through (i) supermarket deliveries, (ii) Government or local authority food parcels and (iii) other support.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
The shielding programme was put in place to protect clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people – those who have been advised by the NHS not to leave their homes, because they are at a high risk of developing complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Overall 2.2 million individuals have been identified as needing to shield. Of this group, approximately 350,000 have registered a need for essential supplies making the individual eligible for a priority slot for a supermarket delivery or food boxes, which they may cancel at any time.
In total over 2 million food boxes have been successfully delivered to CEV individuals since March. We are continuing to work with supermarkets to increase delivery capacity.
We do not hold centrally information on deliveries of food parcels by local authorities, total number of individuals benefiting from supermarket deliveries, or other support received by CEV individuals.
Asked by: Yvonne Fovargue (Labour - Makerfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) the sentience of decapod crustaceans and (b) their capability to feel pain; whether decapod crustaceans are included in the definition of animal in the draft sentience Bill; and when he plans to publish the Farm Animal Welfare Council investigation into decapod crustacean sentience.
Answered by David Rutley
The Government is aware of research in relation to the sentience of decapod crustaceans and their ability to feel pain. We are continuing to engage with stakeholders to further refine the Government’s proposals on animal sentience, including which animals are covered by those proposals. The Farm Animal Welfare Committee’s advice on the definition of sentience will be published soon.