While the UK Government hopes that Syrian refugees will, ultimately, be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. We are engaged with the UNHCR on its framework review which will address these issues more closely. However, only a political solution under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 can ensure conditions safe for returns. UN Envoy Geir Pedersen has our full support in this effort.

The UK Land Carbon Registry is operated on behalf of the UK and Devolved Governments. It contains information about projects registered under the UK Woodland Carbon Code and the UK Peatland Code, the location of registered projects, and the quantity of carbon units issued to date and expected to be issued in future subject to verification of the carbon savings delivered ( https://www.woodlandcarboncode.org.uk/uk-land-carbon-registry).

Agricultural and planning policies are devolved matters. In England Her Majesty's Land Registry publishes information on all companies (UK and overseas) which own property in England and Wales ( https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry).

We have led efforts to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has now secured the support of over 40 other countries. The UK will provide assistance to the ICC to support its Ukraine investigations, including an additional £1 million contribution.  We are also looking to support Ukraine's domestic investigations into war crimes, including through deployments of specialist UK expertise such as the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts. We welcome the publication of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Moscow Mechanism report which found credible evidence of war crimes. The UK also supported the creation of the UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of international law. UK Government departments are working closely together to identify and collate evidence of crimes so that we, alongside international partners, can assist with these investigations.

We have led efforts to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has now secured the support of over 40 other countries. The UK will provide assistance to the ICC to support its Ukraine investigations, including an additional £1 million contribution.  We are also looking to support Ukraine's domestic investigations into war crimes, including through deployments of specialist UK expertise such as the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts. We welcome the publication of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Moscow Mechanism report which found credible evidence of war crimes. The UK also supported the creation of the UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of international law. UK Government departments are working closely together to identify and collate evidence of crimes so that we, alongside international partners, can assist with these investigations.

The awarding of Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) monitoring contracts are undertaken by the Environment Agency on behalf of Defra. The technical specifications which formed part of the invitation to tender for the AURN Central Management and Coordination Unit contracts were designed to ensure that any successful service provider had the required experience of data collection, data management and data dissemination to operate the networks.

To specifically ensure that any interruption in real-time data publication (which included PM10 and PM2.5) was kept to an absolute minimum in the event of a new service provider taking over operations, specific requirements were included in the contract’s ‘Critical Handover Requirements’ on real time data dissemination. For example, for the AURN there was a requirement for the service provider to demonstrate that they were able to successfully collect and disseminate 90% of the live data for the network sites they were awarded during the handover period prior to contract start. The handover period started 3 months prior to the start of the contract on the 01/10/21.

The main contract service provider for the AURN did not change, however the subsection of AURN sites in London did change service provider and no significant impact on real-time data publication of PM2.5 and PM10 occurred.

The data issues at Marylebone Road during the pollution episode that peaked on Friday 14 January were caused by the replacement of older equipment where a data communication error occurred that was not immediately identified. This error was preventing data flowing from the new instruments onto UK-air. This error was identified on 17 January and remedied on the same day. Data for PM2.5 and PM10 at the site can be viewed at: Data Selector Tool - Defra, UK

UK-Air has been improved within the last 12 months to show data communications from Environment Agency managed contractors. This data now shows ‘live site code’ where live reasons for downtime are now available on the interactive map:

Interactive monitoring networks map - Defra, UK

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities monitors the food industry’s progress towards achieving the 2024 salt reduction targets. The first report on the food industry’s progress is expected later in 2022, which will include analysis of industry progress at sector and individual business level. Options will be considered should a continued voluntary approach demonstrate insufficient progress by 2024.

The EU has legislated such that British citizens do not need a visa when travelling to and within the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies to all British citizens travelling to and within the Schengen Area for activities including attending cultural or sports events and tourism.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold information centrally on the numbers of British citizens who have applied for or been granted Schengen visas or how many have overstayed the term of their visa when visiting a Schengen State.

We recognise that some older people can need additional support to access services.

Vulnerable victims, including some older victims, may face specific barriers to engaging victim support services or the criminal justice system. The Victims’ Code sets out a clear framework of 12 key overarching entitlements that set out what all victims can expect from all criminal justice agencies. Vulnerable victims are eligible for enhanced support under the Code, such as being offered a referral to a specialist support service, being contacted sooner after key decisions and having access to special measures when giving evidence.

We have also recently consulted on a Victims’ Bill, which will build on the foundations provided by the Victims’ Code to substantially improve victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system. The consultation committed to placing the Code in legislation, and explored options in relation to using victims’ experiences to drive improvements, and making clearer and sharper lines of accountability if victims do not receive their entitlements from criminal justice agencies.

We also recognise that older individuals in the criminal justice system can face barriers to accessing services which can rehabilitate them. We are developing an ageing prison population strategy currently, with the aim of ensuring older prisoners are rehabilitated successfully, reducing reoffending and better protecting the public.

Defra has a comprehensive national monitoring network and, under the Clean Air Strategy, we have committed to investing £6.7m in our 436 monitoring sites across 9 monitoring networks in the UK.

Each UK administration independently runs a scientific at-sea observer programme which typically covers around 1% of total fishing activity.

There is currently one English registered vessel with Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) taking part in a pilot trial for testing traceability; three vessels with REM equipment taking part in a scientific programme to collect catch composition data; and four vessels using REM for data collection focused on elasmobranch species which includes sharks, rays and skates.

Human observations take place as part of the fisheries data collection framework.

The Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) as drafted contains provisions for the UK to continue taking an evidence-based approach to fisheries and aquaculture management, making full use of the best available scientific evidence, and supporting the UK in continuing to meet its international obligations and Fisheries Act 2020 objectives. This will be underpinned by a wide-ranging and coordinated monitoring programme and advisory framework, which will be further enhanced by research.

The use of best available evidence and scientific advice, transparent decision making, and partnership working, will be core principles that will underpin delivery of the policies in the JFS.

As part of our commitment to delivering a world class fisheries management system Defra is developing a set of proposals for expanding the use of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) in English waters. We have been engaging with stakeholders to explore their views on different approaches, including on the scale and use of REM, and will test future proposals through public consultation.

The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution on ending plastic pollution agreed at the continuation of the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.

As laid out in the adopted resolution, a series of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings will be held to negotiate the content of the treaty. The first meeting is due to take place in the second half of 2022 with the aim of concluding negotiations by the end of 2024.

An Open-Ended Working Group meeting is scheduled for the first half of 2022, where the INC’s programme of work will be discussed.

The introduction of any monitoring mechanisms, including on monitoring the effectiveness of the treaty, will be negotiated by the INC.

At UNEA 5, the UK announced it had joined the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution as a founding member to drive a comprehensive and effective new treaty.

No assessment has been made of these trends. While NHS Digital collects data on the prevalence of breast and ovarian cancer, it is not possible to determine whether these cancers are caused by shift work and asbestos. Hospital episode statistics do not record patients’ career or workplace and the codes used to identify groups of chemicals or noxious substances as the cause of a specific condition do not separately identify asbestos.

What steps he is taking to monitor the environmental performance of holders of existing Contracts for Difference in the context of new standards agreed at COP 26.

As a condition of receiving payment under the contracts for difference scheme, generators must demonstrate that they meet our biomass sustainability criteria, irrespective of where that biomass is sourced. There is no evidence that deforestation has occurred in the areas from where UK electricity generators source their biomass, but we must make sure biomass is sourced from areas that are managed consistently with sustainable forest management practices.

I, like many people, have difficulty understanding how burning trees on an industrial scale and pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere can be any part of a low-carbon solution, or indeed why the British taxpayer subsidises private companies to do this. Given the Glasgow declaration and the new COP26 standards, is it not time to review whether the British taxpayer should remain the world’s largest subsidiser of tree burning and, in particular, whether contracts for difference on biomass awarded before 2015 would now be awarded were they to meet the new standards and targets?