theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the claims by Joanne Briggs that her father Michael Briggs, a scientist employed by Schering, had falsified his studies about the effects of Primodos, and whether they plan to take further action in response. \p Baroness Merron: An Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) reviewed the available evidence on the possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Its review considered all available scientific evidence, including information collected from a public call for evidence.

The purpose of the EWG was to ascertain whether the available data could establish a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The EWG reported its findings in November 2017 and concluded that the totality of the available scientific data does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committed to review any new scientific data which became available following the conclusion of the EWG. Accordingly, two new CHM EWGs were established to review two new studies of hormone pregnancy tests published in 2018. The reviews concluded that they did not present evidence that was sufficient or robust enough change the scientific position since the report of the EWG was published. The MHRA also sought a further independent scientific opinion on these two studies from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, who concluded that they have no clinical implications.

In November 2024, the publication by Danielsson et al was reviewed by the MHRA and advice has been sought from the Government’s independent advisory body, the CHM. Following their review, the CHM concluded that a further review by an ad hoc EWG was not warranted at this time and supported the MHRA’s conclusion that no new evidence, with respect to a possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy, was identified.

The MHRA remains committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to develop artificial intelligence note-taking technology for the NHS to safely and securely store patient data. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to supporting and enabling the safe, effective, and ethical deployment and adoption of new technologies for the National Health Service. Ambient voice technologies (AVTs) hold transformative potential for the health and care system as note-taking aides. Their adoption, when used safely and securely, is encouraged to improve both the quality of patient care and operational efficiency. NHS England has published guidance on how digital technologies should be approved for use in the NHS, covering key areas such as implementation, information governance, data, security, privacy, and controls. Additional national guidance has been published explaining how AVT solutions should be selected, deployed, and scaled. These standards are required for any AVT solution to be considered safe, effective, and eligible for NHS adoption.

There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, to ensure it is used properly. This includes where artificial intelligence (AI) is used in relation to patient records.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from the use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides information on data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit, including those using AVTs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence for note-taking in the NHS. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to supporting and enabling the safe, effective, and ethical deployment and adoption of new technologies for the National Health Service. Ambient voice technologies (AVTs) hold transformative potential for the health and care system as note-taking aides. Their adoption, when used safely and securely, is encouraged to improve both the quality of patient care and operational efficiency. NHS England has published guidance on how digital technologies should be approved for use in the NHS, covering key areas such as implementation, information governance, data, security, privacy, and controls. Additional national guidance has been published explaining how AVT solutions should be selected, deployed, and scaled. These standards are required for any AVT solution to be considered safe, effective, and eligible for NHS adoption.

There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, to ensure it is used properly. This includes where artificial intelligence (AI) is used in relation to patient records.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from the use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides information on data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit, including those using AVTs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government how many nurses have been trained in England in each of the past three years. \p Baroness Merron: The Higher Education Statistics Agency publishes data on the number of students qualifying from higher education courses in the United Kingdom, and this includes information on a broad ranges of undergraduate nursing courses. The published data is not detailed enough to allow for the reliable identification of all students completing courses which specifically lead to registered nursing status.

As a proxy for the number of students completing nursing courses each year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publish information on the number of UK trained nurses joining their register for the first time, who are resident in England.

The following table shows the number of UK trained nurses joining the NMC register in England for the first time by financial year:

Financial year

Number of UK qualified registered nurses joining the NMC register for the first time

2022/23

16,420

2023/24

18,478

2024/25

19,670

Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council, March 2025 Annual Data Report.
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Baroness Jenkin of Kennington:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there has been a call for evidence or consultation to support the review of NHS adult gender dysphoria clinics in England. \p Baroness Merron: The Review of Adult Gender Services is aiming to publish its report later in summer 2025. NHS England and the Government will need time to consider the findings, advice, and recommendations before issuing their response.

The Review has examined records, including patient case notes, and conducted site visits at each of the nine adult gender dysphoria clinics to develop a detailed understanding of the operation and delivery of services within each clinic. Further information about how evidence was gathered is detailed in the published key lines of enquiry, a copy of which is attached.

The Review conducted focus groups with patients of the services, and detailed surveys for patients of the service, their friends and family, and for clinicians delivering these services.

Key lines of enquiry (pdf, 400.3KB)
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Lord Botham:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with BioMarin and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence regarding the long-term sustainability of access to Brineura for children with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 beyond the expiration of the current managed access agreement. \p Baroness Merron: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently updating its guidance on the use of cerliponase alfa (Brineura) for the treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) and has not yet published final guidance. NICE published its draft guidance for consultation in May 2025 and was unfortunately unable to recommend cerliponase alfa for routine use when taking into account all the evidence of costs and benefits, including real world evidence collected during the managed access period. We are, however, pleased that NICE and NHS England have been able to reach an agreement with the manufacturer of cerliponase alfa that ensures continued access to treatment for all patients who started on treatment before December 2025.

Officials in the Department have been in regular contact with NICE and NHS England about this appraisal. Following the next NICE Appraisal Committee meeting in July, NICE and NHS England will continue to try to reach an agreement with the manufacturer based on the committee's preferred assumptions around modelling that will provide access to cerliponase alfa for all future patients.

It is estimated that in the UK, approximately three to six children are diagnosed with CLN2 each year. In the absence of treatment with cerliponase alfa, clinical management options focus on symptom control, monitoring and preventing complications, and palliative care. Management aims to maintain function as long as possible and to improve quality of life.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding is allocated to implementing artificial intelligence in the NHS, in particular technology for supporting patient diagnosis; and if so, what proportion of NHS funding is allocated for that purpose. \p Baroness Merron: We will transform diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to speed up waiting times for diagnostic tests, including through supporting the roll-out of artificial intelligence (AI). Shorter diagnostic waiting times are a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the referral to treatment 18-week standard.

No current assessment has been made on the extent to which AI is being used in the NHS for diagnosing patients. Whilst some funding has been allocated for AI diagnostics, the full proportion of allocated NHS funding is not held.

Against a backdrop of increasing demand for NHS services and significant workforce pressures, AI presents significant opportunities for improving the delivery of care and outcomes for patients. AI tools have the potential to make healthcare more timely, effective, and accessible to the public. To make the most of these opportunities, the Prime Minister has accepted all 50 recommendations of Matt Clifford's AI Opportunities Action Plan.

Through the AI in Health and Care Award, £113 million has been provided to test and evaluate AI technologies in crucial areas, such as imaging and diagnostics. This funding is helping us to generate the evidence needed to deploy effective AI tools across the NHS and improve the lives and health outcomes of our population.

The Department is also focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest X-rays and chest computed tomography scans to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

The 2025 Spending Review settlement commits to a major transformation of care delivery, moving from analogue to digital systems, hospital to community-based care, and from treatment to prevention. To support this, the NHS productivity plan is backed by a nearly 50% increase to NHS technology and digital transformation spend since 2025/26, with a total investment of up to £10 billion by 2028/29.

This investment builds upon existing funding that the NHS has directed towards significantly innovating technology in diagnostics, including AI, across the NHS.
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Lord Boateng:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reimburse the governments of (1) Nigeria, (2) Ghana, and (3) other Sub-Saharan Africa countries, for the cost of training doctors and clinicians currently working in the NHS. \p Baroness Merron: We hugely value our health and social care workers from overseas who work tirelessly to provide the best possible care and enhance our health and care workforce with their valuable skills, experience, and expertise.

No assessment has been made of the savings to the taxpayer resulting from the recruitment of doctors and clinicians trained in Nigeria, Ghana, and other Sub-Saharan African countries. There is also no plan to reimburse the Governments of those countries for the cost of training doctors and clinicians currently working in the National Health Service.

Information on the proportion of NHS doctors and clinicians recruited from overseas in the past three years from Nigeria, Ghana, and other Sub-Saharan African countries is not collected centrally, and no assessment has been made of the impact of such recruitment on the healthcare systems of those countries.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to attract people with medical skills from overseas to settle in the UK. \p Baroness Merron: We hugely value our health and social care workers from overseas, who work tirelessly to provide the best possible care and enhance our health and care workforce with their valuable skills, experience, and expertise.

The Health and Care Worker visa offers a reduced visa fee, faster processing times, and an exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge to eligible overseas health and social care workers who wish to work in the United Kingdom.

National Health Service employers work at a local level to ensure they have the workforce they need, which includes making decisions about recruiting internationally educated healthcare professionals.

However, the Government also remains committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS. Following publication of our 10-Year Health Plan, we will produce a refreshed workforce plan, setting out how we will train and provide the staff that the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities and treat them on time again.

The Immigration White Paper sets out reforms to legal migration, so that we can restore order, control, and fairness to the system, bring down net migration, and promote economic growth. The changes set out include a complete overhaul of the relationship between the immigration system, training, and the labour market, to support sustainable growth as well as a sustainable immigration system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding the prosecution of those who commit violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. The Minister for the Middle East raised the issue of Ahmadi rights when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. In a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister on 20 November, he and the British High Commissioner raised the issue of violence towards Ahmadi Muslims. The British High Commission continues to raise these issues, including the need for swift action in response to incidents of violence, at the highest levels. We urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that perpetrators of violence are held to account.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding the safety and right to freedom of religion of Ahmadiyya Muslims; and what response, if any, they have received. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. The Minister for the Middle East stressed the importance of religious tolerance and harmony when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. In a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister on 20 November, he and the British High Commissioner raised the issue of violence towards Ahmadi Muslims. The British High Commission continues to raise the issue of safety for the Ahmadi community at the highest levels. We have received assurances that the Pakistani authorities will continue to work hard to protect minority communities.
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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 23 December 2023 (HL3321), what assistance was provided by the Global Survivors Fund to the 800 Syrian survivors of sexual violence and over what timeframe. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The impacts of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) on survivors, their families and communities are varied and long-lasting. The UK is committed to tackling CRSV globally and, since 2019, has committed up to £7.85 million to the Global Survivors Fund (GSF) to enhance access to holistic redress for thousands of survivors, including in DRC, Iraq, and Turkey. In Turkey, since 2022, the UK has supported the provision of medical, psychosocial, legal and financial support to over 800 Syrian survivors. Projects are delivered by civil society organisations and survivor networks and are developed with survivors of CRSV to reflect their needs.
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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of land in Syria that Israel has occupied since 8 December 2024. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Israel have said their presence in the buffer zone in the Golan Heights will be limited and temporary, and we have been clear that we expect them to adhere to this commitment. Israel's presence in the buffer zone must not become permanent.

The UK's position on the Golan Heights remains clear: they are occupied territory, and we do not recognise Israel's annexation. We continue to call on Israel and all actors to uphold their obligations to peace, stability, and security under international law.
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Lord Moynihan:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 24 October 2024 (HL1636), and with reference to the new Ministerial Code guidance on gifts and hospitality, whether (1) Ministers, (2) senior officials, and (3) special advisers, may accept hospitality of free tickets to the Oasis Live '25 tour. \p Baroness Twycross: Guidance on gifts and hospitality are set out respectively in the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code, and Special Adviser Code of Conduct. These are available on GOV.UK.

Ministers must also follow the Code of Conduct of their respective House of Parliament.
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Lord Moynihan:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on Ministers’ claiming accountancy services on the public funds to facilitate the completion of their HMRC self-assessment tax returns. \p Baroness Twycross: Ministers are personally responsible for their tax affairs.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which is independent of Government, sets out what expenses MPs can claim for in support of their parliamentary duties and this applies to MPs who are also Ministers. In the House of Lords, unsalaried Ministers may choose to claim a non-taxable, flat rate daily allowance for each sitting day they attend the House of Lords which is intended for subsistence and travel only.
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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of evaluations being proposed or carried out by departments that are not currently registered in the Evaluation Registry; and of those, how many are exempted from registration because of exclusions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. \p Baroness Twycross: Since April 2024, it has been mandatory for all Government Departments to register their evaluations with the Evaluation Task Force Evaluation Registry. The expectation is that all Government evaluations should be registered, unless they are exempted under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Since April 2024, the Evaluation Task Force has been notified of one evaluation which has not been added to the Evaluation Registry on the grounds that it meets an exemption outlined in the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Registry is scheduled to be launched for public view-only access in the coming months, allowing them to see the number of evaluations in each department. Following public launch, the Evaluation Task Force will report to the Directors of Analysis every quarter on the number of ongoing, planned and complete evaluations registered by each Department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Buscombe:To ask His Majesty's Government how many government contracts with a value above £20 million excluding VAT have been re-awarded to incumbent suppliers without a competitive tendering process by central government in each of the last five years; and what is the total value of those contracts in each of those years. \p Baroness Twycross: Details of all Government contracts, including the procurement procedure used, are published on the Contracts Finder and Find a Tender services above certain thresholds. Details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder(opens in a new tab).

In certain limited circumstances, it may be possible for a procuring body to make a direct award of a contract, without going through the competition stages set out in PCR 2015. The specific circumstances where this is permitted are set out in regulation 32 of PCR 2015 and the grounds for using the procedure are limited to those listed in the regulation. They include:

where an open or restricted procedure generates no suitable tenders or no suitable requests to participate

where the works can be supplied only by a particular operator

in an extreme urgency

More information is available at Procurement Policy Note 01/21: Procurement in an Emergency.
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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), who are the members of the Horticulture Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework. \p Baroness Twycross: The Horticulture Working Group is composed of officials from various departments including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as representatives of the National Farmers’ Union, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, various members of the Horticultural Trades Association, and other businesses engaged in horticultural activities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to page 62 of the Cabinet Office’s Annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024, published on 12 December 2024, what specific changes to the lease terms for the two buildings identified by the Government Property Agency during 2023–24 were not reflected in the International Financial Reporting Standard 16 accounting for 2022–23; and what was the financial impact of these errors on the restated accounts. \p Baroness Twycross: Further information on the GPA prior year adjustments can be found on page 165 of the 2023/24 Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts.

In July 2022 a head lease was surrendered and a new head lease granted with a revised rent which extended the lease term by 20 years. The right of use asset and lease liability were not remeasured to reflect the extended lease term. The financial impact of this error on the restated 2022/23 accounts was as follows:

Right of use assets at 31 March 2023 increased by £81.5m

Lease liabilities at 31 March 2023 increased by £76.1m

Finance expense increased by £0.5m

Right of use asset depreciation expenditure decreased by £0.6m

(Gain)/loss on remeasurement of right of use assets decreased by £6.5m

In March 2023, a Deed of Variation was agreed with a client to extend the sub-lease term by 12 years to align with the head lease. The lease modification should have resulted in the GPA reclassifying the sub-lease from an operating lease to a finance lease in accordance with the GPA’s IFRS 16 accounting policies. The financial impact of this error on the restated 2022/23 accounts was as follows:

Right of use assets at 31 March 2023 decreased by £135.3m

Investment in sublease assets at 31 March 2023 increased by £154.5m

Lease incentive receivable assets at 31 March 2023 decreased by £19.2m
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of funds committed to the Integrated Security Fund have been dedicated to funding programmes and initiatives relating to (1) civil society peacebuilding and (2) women, peace, and security, since it replaced the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in 2024. \p Baroness Twycross: The Integrated Security Fund (ISF) came into operation on 1 April 2024 and has a budget of almost £1bn for Financial Year 2024/25.

Support to civil society actors in conflict environments is a vital component of how the Fund delivers activity. These are not tracked as individual or separate components.

The Fund is meeting ambitious standards on both dedicated Women, Peace and Security programming and gender mainstreaming across the entire fund, ensuring women and girls’ needs are included in conflict and security responses. In Financial Year 2024/25 the ISF provides dedicated funding through the Gender, Peace and Security portfolio to progress those objectives. The ISF has a mandatory requirement whereby all programmes should include a project where gender is a primary objective for at least one project within the programme. We have also increased technical and advisory support, including through the Women, Peace and Security Helpdesk which is providing joined up advice across government on WPS.
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of funds committed to the Integrated Security Fund are dedicated to funding peacebuilding and mediation support programmes. \p Baroness Twycross: The Integrated Security Fund (ISF) came into operation on 1 April 2024 and has a budget of almost £1bn for Financial Year 2024/25.

The Fund prioritises spending on those geographies and thematic issues that pose the greatest direct threat to the UK. Activity focussed on peacebuilding and delivering mediation support are embedded into programmes across the ISF. These are not tracked as individual or separate components. ISF programmes offer an integrated approach to addressing conflict in a comprehensive manner, such as funding security sector reform assistance, addressing insurgency through rehabilitation and reintegration programmes and supporting peace agreement processes.
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what resources have been dedicated by the Integrated Security Fund to initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict. \p Baroness Twycross: The Integrated Security Fund (ISF) came into operation on 1 April 2024 and has a budget of almost £1bn for Financial Year 2024/25.

The Fund administers a wide range of activity to tackle the root causes and drivers of conflict, however these are not tracked as separate components or activity. Activity targeting these issues are embedded into a number of areas of programming including countering transnational threats, serious and organised crime, terrorism, state threat activity and climate security. Resources also comprise advisory support including conflict advisors, gender advisors as well as monitoring and evaluation advisors based in the UK and in Programme Teams in UK Missions overseas.
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Lord Moynihan:To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings special advisers in the Prime Minister's Office have had with representatives of TikTok since the 2024 General Election. \p Baroness Twycross: In line with longstanding process, relevant meetings are declared in the Special Advisor transparency publications.
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Baroness Buscombe:To ask His Majesty's Government how many contracts managed by the Cabinet Office under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 meet the financial thresholds for key performance indicator reporting set out in section 52 of the Procurement Act 2023 but are exempt from such reporting under the Act's transitional provisions; and what is the total value of those contracts. \p Baroness Twycross: The guidance on the transitional and saving arrangements, which determine how the changeover from the previous legislation to the Procurement Act 2023 (Act) is managed and effected by contracting authorities. The guidance states that contracting authorities are not required by the Act to set or publish KPIs for contracts that were awarded under the previous legislation, even where those contracts are above the threshold set out in section 52 of the Act.
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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), what secretarial support is being provided to the Veterinary Medicines Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework; whether any report or correspondence has yet been issued by the group; and whether there is any timetable for the group to reach conclusions. \p Baroness Twycross: Officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate act as the secretariat, supporting the organisation of the Working Group and preparing papers for the Group’s consideration.

The Veterinary Medicines Working Group advises the Government on an ongoing basis, recognising the urgency of the issue, and is therefore not expected to deliver a report or conclusion by a particular date. Their expert advice plays a vital role in shaping the Government’s work on this matter. The next meeting is scheduled for early March.
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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), who are the members of the Veterinary Medicines Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework. \p Baroness Twycross: The Veterinary Medicines Working Group consists of veterinary experts, including members of the House of Lords and Commons with a veterinary background and representatives of veterinary associations; other political representatives with an interest in the matter; and trade associations representing industry such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers and farmers. The updated Terms of Reference, which includes the full list of members, will be deposited in the House of Commons and House of Lords libraries shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_18

Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), what secretarial support is being provided to the Horticulture Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework; how many meetings have taken evidence; and whether there is any timetable for the group to reach conclusions. \p Baroness Twycross: Officials in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs act as the secretariat, supporting the organisation of the Working Group and preparing papers for the Group’s consideration. The group has met twice in 2024 under the current government, with further meetings scheduled in 2025. The next scheduled meeting of the Group is due to take place in February. The group will identify and resolve issues related to the movement of plants and seeds between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework on an ongoing basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_19

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether the reported Wednesday Morning Colleagues group still meets, and whether it exercises any management functions in relation to the Civil Service. \p Baroness Twycross: Wednesday Morning Colleagues is a regular Permanent Secretary meeting, it is not one of the Civil Service committees that exercise management functions in relation to the Civil Service.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_20

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the products of the April 2024 review that streamlined Civil Service governance structures and forums. \p Baroness Twycross: The review of governance structures was an internal exercise commissioned as part of wider work to inform decisions for ministers. Disclosure would likely prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs and inhibit free and frank advice and discussion. As a result, a copy of the advice will not be placed in the Library of the House.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_21

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether the Civil Service Board, People Board, Civil Service Operations Board, Location and Property Board, Data and Digital Board, or Senior Leadership Committee have any formal sub-committees or working groups; and if so, what is their scope and membership. \p Baroness Twycross: The Civil Service Board (renamed the Operations Board), People Board and Senior Leadership Committee have no subcommittees or working groups. The Civil Service Operations Board, Location and Property Board, Data and Digital Board have ceased operation.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_22

Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have formulated an evaluation plan for the Renters’ Rights Bill; and if so, what are their outcome measures and evidence gaps, and how the proposed landlord database will support the evaluation plan in its design and contents. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: We have set out in our Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment our plans for a phased approach to monitoring and evaluating the legislation, in line with the Department’s Evaluation Strategy.

During the preparation phase we will develop further the framework for evaluating the outcomes we expect to see, and to identify and resolve any data gaps. A range of existing data, and new data generated from the reforms themselves, will be used for evaluation. This will include data from the Private Rented Sector Database.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_23

Baroness Goudie:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to open a public consultation on introducing requirements on businesses and financial institutions to incentivise them to respect human rights, including those of indigenous peoples and human rights defenders. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is committed to tackling environmental harms, modern slavery and human and labour rights abuses in both private and public sector supply chains and will take an evidence-based approach as we assess the best ways to achieve this. The Department for Business and Trade regularly engages with stakeholders in business, financial institutions and civil society on these issues, as do other Government departments, and we will consult thoroughly with interested stakeholders as we consider any further action.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_24
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_24

Baroness Goudie:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce mandatory obligations on businesses and financial institutions to respect human rights and the environment in a similar way to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government keeps under review best ways to prevent environmental harms, modern slavery and human and labour rights abuses in both private and public sector supply chains including effective due diligence rules.

Noting the EU’s adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the Government is committed to working with international partners and businesses, and has been in regular contact with the European Commission on this issue through the Trade Specialised Committee on Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_25

Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent work has been undertaken by the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle transnational repression. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe, and we are committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across Government and law enforcement. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_26

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many cargo flights from Urumqi in China to Stansted Airport carrying e-commerce goods for department stores have been searched by UK border officials to ensure they are not carrying goods made by Uyghur forced labour since this route was established in December 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.

The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.

Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_27

Baroness Whitaker:To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued on which speech, language and communication difficulties (1) count, and (2) do not count, as a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The Government has not released specific guidance on what is defined as a disability, as every case is different. However the Equality Act 2010 clearly sets out what is included as a disability. namely as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.” The Act describes “long-term” as where an impairment has lasted, or is likely to last for at least 12 months, or where the impairment is likely to last for the rest of a person’s life. “Substantial” is defined as an impairment that is more than minor or trivial.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance provides greater clarity on the broad definition of disability which can be found here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80dcc8ed915d74e6230df4/Equality_Act_2010-disability_definition.pdf

Equality Act disability definition (pdf, 693.2KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_28

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 14 January (HL3815), when they intend to disclose details of meetings they have had with stakeholders about the prospect of legislation on conversion practices since 4 July 2024. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: As previously indicated in answer to HL3815 and HL3671, the Government has and will continue to meet with stakeholders as we develop this important work. This engagement encompasses a wide range of stakeholders, both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation. Such meetings will be disclosed in due course as part of relevant Departmental transparency releases on gov.uk and more generally when we are ready to share our approach to this legislation.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_29

Lord Randall of Uxbridge:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on developing a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.