theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Baroness Thomas of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to enable specialist medical equipment to reach disabled people in the community following the liquidation of NRS Healthcare. \p Baroness Merron: Community equipment, such as wheelchairs, hoists, and other specialist medical equipment, forms an important part of many people’s health and care support package. Such equipment can be critical in supporting better care outcomes, can enable people to remain in or return to their homes as the primary setting for care, and can avoid unnecessary stays in hospital or care homes.

Local authorities have statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014 to arrange for the provision of disability aids and community equipment to meet the assessed needs of individuals in their area. While some local authorities provide these services themselves, many have contracts with external suppliers, such as NRS Healthcare. The Department does not have a statutory role in the provision of community equipment.

However, as part of NRS Healthcare’s liquidation process, the Government made available short-term funding to the Official Receiver to cover the essential operating costs of NRS Healthcare and its affiliated companies. This funding ensured that trading was able to continue for a limited time, minimising disruption by providing crucial time for local authorities to put alternative supply in place. The Department continues to monitor the situation in affected local authorities through Partners in Care and Health, a Department funded programme run in partnership with the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking following the report by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body regarding electronic patient records (EPRs), which found that EPR systems have contributed to incidents of missed, delayed, or incorrect patient care, and that these risks have been "persistent despite national recommendations and guidance." \p Baroness Merron: NHS England is actively considering the issues raised by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body regarding electronic patient records (EPRs).

EPRs are already improving safety and care to patients, helping to detect conditions such as sepsis more quickly and preventing medication errors. Analysis shows that highly digitised trusts have a 17.5% reduction in sepsis mortality.

The National Health Service has well-established systems in place for reporting, investigating, and learning from any patient safety incidents. We are working closely with NHS trusts to ensure EPRs are used to the highest quality and safety standards.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess the clinical safety and cost effectiveness of AI mental health tools funded and used by the NHS. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) tools used in mental health care within the National Health Service are clinically safe and deliver value for money. We are working with regulators such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and other partners to ensure all AI mental health tools deployed in the NHS meet the requirements of the United Kingdom’s regulatory system, to ensure these technologies are safe for use and cost-effective.

Additionally, NHS England applies the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria to evaluate the safety, security, and usability of digital health tools. Independent clinical evaluations and pilot studies are also undertaken prior to wider implementation of these technologies.

Through the AI in Health and Care Award, which ran from 2020 to 2024, the NHS AI Lab funded the testing and evaluation of two mental health technologies, Limbic Access and Wysa. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS is working towards rolling out digital mental health tools. As part of this process, each technology is assessed not only for clinical safety but also for cost-effectiveness, ensuring that these innovations deliver measurable benefits and represent good value for the NHS and taxpayers.
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Lord Mendelsohn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment on the effect of halted CAR-T clinical trials, and whether they will publish that assessment. \p Baroness Merron: The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

The Department has not carried out an impact assessment on the effect of halted CAR-T clinical trials. This is because decisions about whether a specific clinical trial should progress or not are the responsibility of the study sponsor and research team involved, who closely monitor any reported patient safety concerns and other data that could impact this decision.
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Lord Mendelsohn:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to NHS Trusts to restore or replace paused CAR-T clinical trials, to prevent patients being left without viable treatment pathways. \p Baroness Merron: The Department is committed to turbocharging clinical research and ensuring that all patients, including those with cancer, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

Decisions about whether a specific clinical trial should be paused are the responsibility of the study sponsor and research team, who closely monitor any reported patient safety concerns and other data that could impact a decision for an individual trial to be halted.

To support National Health Service trusts to deliver clinical trials, the Department funds research and research infrastructure across England through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research, including on CAR-T therapy.
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Lord Mendelsohn:To ask His Majesty's Government which specific CAR-T treatments are available for individuals with low grade lymphomas. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England funds the use of licensed medicines that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), or the off-label use of licensed indications that have been approved via the NHS England clinical policy process.

NICE has evaluated and recommended several CAR-T therapies for both high-grade and low-grade lymphomas, some of which are recommended for a period of managed access, for instance:

To support implementation of NICE recommendations, NHS England sets clinical treatment criteria to ensure that treatments are made available to those intended by the NICE Guidance. Clinical input helps set the clinical and patient treatment criteria based on the NICE committee deliberations, how the treatment will be used within the treatment pathway, and the evidence base considered by NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent sectarian atrocities and abductions of children in Nigeria, and the underlying causes; and what recent discussions they have had with the government of Nigeria about securing the release of abductees and bringing the perpetrators to justice. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the written statement that I made to the House on 27 November (UIN HLWS1104).
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Uzbekistan about the imprisonment of&nbsp;Alisher Tursunov, and what diplomatic steps they are taking to secure his release. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the Uzbek authorities and maintains a dialogue with local human rights groups. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review, the UK raised concerns over FoRB amongst other human rights issues and continues to consider when is most impactful and appropriate to raise individual cases.
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Lord Lilley:To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings of the Chagossian contact group have been attended by a Minister of the Crown. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to question HL12156 on 2 December.
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Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the government of Pakistan and (2) other international partners including Commonwealth representatives, about the jail conditions of Imran Khan, and what assessment they have made of reports that he has been denied visits or phone calls. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given by the Minister for the Middle East on 17 September to Question 73142, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

While judicial matters are for Pakistan's courts, the UK has consistently emphasised to its counterparts in Pakistan the need for due process, fair trials, and humane treatment for all, including Mr Imran Khan.
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Lord Evans of Rainow:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have established a framework for assessing Palestinian Authority curriculum reform that is separate to that of the European Commission. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I provided on 27 November to Question HL11630.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 24 November (HL11698 and HL11699), what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria about targeted killings, UK arms exports, and the support provided to civil society and faith-based organisations working to address religiously-targeted violence. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the written statement that I made to the House on 27 November (UIN HLWS1104).
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 18 November (HL11731), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what assessment they have made of Israel's compliance with (1) Articles 2 and 11–16 of the UN Convention Against Torture, (2) Articles 7, 9 and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and (3) Articles 27 and 32 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; what impact that assessment has on their analysis of the risk of UK-licensed goods being used to commit or facilitate violations of international humanitarian law; and whether they will consider the suspension of extant export licences to Israel, including the Israel Prison Service. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 15 April 2025 to Question HL6259.
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Baroness Maclean of Redditch:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 November (HL11264), what estimate they have made of crime reduction as a result of the recording of non-crime hate incidents. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office does not hold data on crime reduction attributable to the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). These are not criminal offences; they are recorded by police forces as intelligence to help monitor patterns of behaviour and community tensions that could escalate into serious harm. This practice, recommended by the Macpherson Inquiry following the murder of Stephen Lawrence, is intended to support safeguarding and public safety. Recording NCHIs enables police to capture information on incidents motivated by hate which, while not criminal, may present safeguarding risks or contribute to rising tensions within communities. The National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are currently conducting a review of NCHIs. We look forward to receiving the review’s recommendations shortly.
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Baroness Maclean of Redditch:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to encourage those survivors who have called for the resignation of Jess Phillips MP as Safeguarding Minister, and made statements that they will not take part in any grooming gangs inquiry while she remains in post, to give their testimony; and what action they will take to ensure that the inquiry has the confidence of all survivors of grooming gangs. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: We are committed to ensuring that the voices of victims and survivors continue to be meaningfully heard to inform our work to establish the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.

We are continuing to engage with those victims and survivors that remain in the consultation group established by the National Working Group (NWG). This ensures that their voices are heard in a safe, supportive environment that is sensitive to the trauma they have endured.

We are sorry that some have felt discouraged and have chosen to leave that group, and we respect their decision to do so. There is a range of views within the victim and survivor community, and it is important that all voices are heard. As we have said to those who left the consultation group, the door remains open should they wish to engage with us further.

In addition, the national inquiry, once established, will develop its own plans for engaging victims and survivors who wish to do so. Baroness Casey is now supporting efforts to identify a Chair that can earn the trust of those who have been let down far too often, and we will confirm the appointment as soon as possible.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many British Chambers of Commerce have registered under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Certain information registered under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) will be published, where the registration relates to political influence activities. No registrations by British Chambers of Commerce are included on the public register at this point.

Registrations under the enhanced tier will not be published, unless they relate to political influence activities. Additionally, registrations will not be published where an exception to publication applies, for example where publication could create a risk to the safety or interests of the UK. We will not provide details of registrations beyond that which is on the public register as to do so could identify information not intended to be published and undermine the scheme’s objectives.

However, the Government will be publishing an annual report setting out, among other things, the number of registrations, number of information notices issued, the number of persons charged with an offence and the number of persons convicted of an offence. The first report will be published as soon as practicable after 30 June 2026.
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Earl Attlee:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received evidence on whether financial service providers (1) have been, and (2) are currently, discriminating against small and medium-sized enterprises involved with defence or military equipment. \p Lord Livermore: HM Treasury is aware that SMEs and startups operating in the defence sector face barriers to accessing finance.

The Ministry of Defence is looking at these issues as part of the Defence Finance and Investment Strategy (DFIS) to be published in early 2026. The DFIS will look at the entire spectrum of defence companies, from start-ups through to primes, and provide recommendations to the Defence Secretary on how barriers to investment in defence can be removed.
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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 22 September (HL10279), when the data collection stage of the pavement parking research will (1) begin, and (2) conclude. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The data collection stage of the pavement parking research is currently being specified as part of the preparatory work that is already underway and is being designed alongside policy development. We are considering when to launch the fieldwork aspect of the research, in tandem with responding to the consultation on pavement parking.
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Baroness Maclean of Redditch:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to make it illegal for a convicted rapist to obtain a gender recognition certificate to be recognised as a woman. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: There are significant safeguards built into the process for obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) under the Gender Recognition Act 2004; not everyone who applies is granted one. Additionally, there are safeguards in place to ensure that the relevant authorities can manage the risk posed by sex offenders. These include a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the police of any changes to their personal information such as change of name. Alongside this, His Majesty’s Passport Office monitors high-risk offenders to ensure they cannot obtain a new passport without police consultation. Failure to comply with requirements in this area is a criminal offence.

The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a range of legislative changes which will strengthen the management of registered sex offenders, including where they aim to change their name.

Where the police consider it necessary to protect the public or children or vulnerable adults from sexual harm, they will be able to serve a notice on offenders requiring them to seek the police’s authorisation before applying to change their name on a specified identity document (namely, a UK passport, driving licence or immigration document).

Police will also be able to require registered sex offenders to notify them of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as far in advance of their using it as it is reasonably practicable.

We continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure they safeguard the public.
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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to deploy a naval vessel in the Caribbean during hurricane season in addition to HMS Trent; and if so, whether that vessel will have better capabilities than HMS Trent to provide support to the relief of storm damage. \p Lord Coaker: There are no current plans to deploy other naval vessels in addition to an Offshore Patrol Vessel during the Caribbean hurricane season. As part of an FCDO-led response, the MOD provides scalable support options under Operation VENTUS. While our immediate response is primarily delivered through the Royal Navy persistent presence and an embarked crisis response troop, there are a wide range of options retained at high readiness in the UK to be deployed in advance of, or subsequent to, a demand for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that all regions of the United Kingdom will benefit from their proposed fast tracking of AI, given the different regulatory regimes in different parts of the UK. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: We have set out in the Action Plan, which was developed by Matt Clifford, our intention to deliver growth across the UK, working with local stakeholders to devise strategies suited to the UK’s regions. We are committed to working in partnership with regional and local authorities on AI Growth Zones. We are already working with devolved administrations and local authorities across the UK, and will continue to do so, to ensure all parts of the UK benefit from the investment in critical AI infrastructure.

Most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use through our existing expert regulators. In response to the Plan, the government will support regulators evaluate their AI capabilities and understand how these can be strengthened. It will also encourage pro-innovation approaches by regulators, with the new Regulatory Innovation Office playing an important role.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits the new AI package, "Humphrey", for the Civil Service, particularly regarding how many hours of work it will save. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government launched the GovAI toolkit, nicknamed 'Humphrey', to enhance civil servant productivity and improve government processes. Developed by the Incubator for AI within the Government Digital Service, these prototypes are undergoing evaluation to assess impact. Early results from Consult, a tool to analyse consultation responses, indicates a 1000-fold speed increase and 400-fold cost reduction.

Benefits of AI integration in the workforce is well-documented; a Harvard study showed AI-enhanced workers improved task completion by 12.2%, speed by 25.1% and quality by 40%. It is also estimated that AI could realise productivity improvements worth £40 billion annually.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the particular role of (1) Telegram, and (2) any small, high-harm platforms, in inciting the riots in Southport between 30 July and 5 August 2024. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The government is clear all social media platforms have a responsibility to keep their users safe and not facilitate those seeking to sow division in our communities. This is why we are working at pace to implement the Online Safety Act.

During last summer’s unrest, the government focused on working with the platforms with the largest reach in the UK. This included referring content contributing to that disorder for platforms to assess and act on in line with their terms of service. We recognise however that the way platforms are used continues to evolve and so keep our approach under review.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of tourists visiting the UK they estimate visit Wales. \p Baroness Twycross: Based on the latest available data from VisitBritain and the International Passenger Survey (IPS), the UK received 38 million inbound visitors in 2023, of which Wales received 892,000 visits.
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Lord Petitgas:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to increase the frequency with which artworks that sit in storage in the Government Art Collection and national museums can be displayed in public locations. \p Baroness Twycross: National museums and galleries, and the Government Art Collection, deliver a wide range of partnership work with public and community organisations across the country.

We want to go further and made a commitment in our manifesto to increase the loans made from national collections to communities across the country. We will soon set out how we intend to deliver this. Initial phases of work have included engaging with the sector to understand the opportunities and challenges in this area, and providing additional financial support to national museums and galleries, as confirmed at the Autumn Budget.
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Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 6 January (HL3528), whether the Charity Commission has completed reviews of "its handling of the case, and communication with complainants", as recommended by the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman on 18 May 2024; if not, when they expect the reviews to be completed; and whether the reviews will be published. \p Baroness Twycross: The Charity Commission has completed its reviews and informed the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman of the outcome. Any publication of the reviews is a matter for the Commission and the Ombudsman to determine.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what response they have made to the attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in Al Fasher, North Darfur State, in Sudan on 24 January, and what part they are playing in bringing those responsible to justice. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK condemns the attack on the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher in the strongest terms. I have publicly denounced the attack, calling for the protection of civilians and for those responsible for crimes in Darfur to be held to account. The UK Special Representative to Sudan, Richard Crowder, has also condemned the attack alongside Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's active investigation into the situation in Darfur. This support has included the secondment of expert investigators to support the International Criminal Court's work in a number of countries, including Sudan.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Nigeria, especially with regard to the risk of further atrocity crimes, including by reference to their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessments. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Nigeria is witnessing rising conflict and insecurity, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence. In the North East, terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views and the threat posed to both Christian and Muslim communities remains severe. These incidents are distinct from the ongoing intercommunal violence elsewhere in Nigeria. The root causes of this violence are complex, and whilst religious identity can play a role, so can loss of economic opportunity, competition over land and natural resources, disruption to traditional ways of life created by environmental degradation, and historical grievances. I am proud that the UK government's assessment is underpinned by a robust analytical evidence base, including the Nigeria Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to Sudan, how it is distributed, what humanitarian corridors exist for its distribution, and how many people are benefitting from it. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: On 17 November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million to address the crisis in Sudan and neighbouring countries. This is assisting over 600,000 people in Sudan and 700,000 people in neighbouring countries who have fled the conflict, including Chad and South Sudan. With this announcement, the UK has now doubled our aid in response to the conflict in Sudan to £226.5 million. During his visit to the Chad-Sudan border at Adré in January 2025, the Foreign Secretary announced £20 million in additional funding to support people in Sudan and Chad. In Sudan, UK bilateral humanitarian spending is funding the UN and NGOs to provide food, cash, shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation, including support to mutual aid groups, such as the Emergency Response Rooms, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Considering the serious constraints on humanitarian access, aid organisations use whichever humanitarian corridors and border crossings are available, such as Adré and Tina on the Sudan-Chad border, Renk on Sudan-South Sudan border and Wad Halfa on the Sudan-Egypt border.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prioritise the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah during the forthcoming visit of the Foreign Secretary to Egypt, and whether the Prime Minister plans to meet his mother, Laila Soueif. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK remains committed to securing Alaa Abd El-Fattah's release so he can be reunited with his family. We continue to prioritise Mr El-Fattah's case in our engagement with the Egyptian government. This includes the Prime Minister writing to President Sisi on multiple occasions, most recently on 8 January, and the Foreign Secretary repeatedly raising this case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, including most recently on 23 January in Cairo. The National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, also raised this case with the Foreign Minister on 2 January. The Foreign Secretary met Mrs Laila Soueif on 27 November 2024, and the Minister for the Middle East spoke with Mrs Laila Soueif on 24 December 2024 by telephone. FCDO officials remain in regular contact with the family to check on their welfare.
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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the criteria for an individual to be designated a perpetrator of sexual violence in another country. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime designations target perpetrators oppressing fundamental freedoms across the world. Designations have targeted actors for their involvement in gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence. We consider targets guided by the objectives of the relevant sanctions regime and evidence. We keep all evidence and potential designations under review.

The UK has announced four packages of sanctions containing conflict-related sexual violence sanctions - in December 2022, March and June 2023 and February 2024.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the demolition of an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Daska. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK Government is aware of reports of the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska and continues to monitor the situation. The Minister for the Middle East underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. In response to the incident in Daska, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister on 23 January. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_13

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase humanitarian aid to the Middle East. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK Government's future bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding strategy and country level allocations will be determined through the forthcoming Spending Review. Parliament will be informed of the bilateral country budget allocations in the normal way when the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Annual Report and accounts are laid before Parliament. The Minister for the Middle East is determined that all allocations within the Middle East will support the Foreign Secretary's priorities to prevent conflict, support stability, and lift vulnerable people out of crisis. The UK continues to do all we can to address humanitarian need, ensuring we mobilise sufficient support to respond to crises. This financial year we are providing over 70 per cent of our bilateral aid budget for the Middle East and North Africa on humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable across the Middle East, and most recently on 20 January The Minister for the Middle East announced a £5 million uplift in humanitarian aid to Yemen, supporting nearly 900,000 people to buy food and provide vital supplies for 700 health facilities. We continue to work closely with the UN and other partners to increase the amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza, under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and in Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime, to push for an immediate surge of humanitarian assistance.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_14

Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan respond to proposals by the government of Spain prohibiting non-EU citizens from buying property by prohibiting non-resident Spanish citizens from buying houses in the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government does not have plans to place specific restrictions on Spanish citizens buying UK residential property. We have already acted on overseas buyers in the housing market by raising the Stamp Duty Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings by 2 percentage points to 5%. This will raise £310 million by 2029-30 and help to rebalance the housing market towards those who want to buy property for use as a primary residence.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_15

Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding the appointment of representatives of workers on to public boards and advisory bodies. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The appointments of worker representatives onto public boards and advisory bodies are dependent on the legislation associated with its membership and follow the appropriate public appointments recruitment processes.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_16

Lord Beamish:To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have taken place between the Department for Business and Trade and Fujitsu concerning Fujitsu making a financial contribution to the Post Office Horizon compensation scheme. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Department for Business and Trade officials have met with Fujitsu three times since the General Election to discuss Fujitsu’s contribution to the cost of the Horizon scandal.

The Government welcomes the fact that Fujitsu has acknowledged their moral obligation to make a contribution to the cost of redress. Once Sir Wyn Williams has delivered his report following the conclusion of the statutory Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the Department will consider his findings and take appropriate action.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_17

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen trade relations with the United States following the inauguration of a new President. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The UK-US partnership is a cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance and we look forward to working with President Trump in the coming years. Our trading relationship with the US is worth around £300 billion and we are each other’s single largest investors with £1.2 trillion invested in each other’s economies. We will explore various avenues to strengthen UK-US trade and support economic growth, alongside the development of our Industrial and Trade Strategies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_18

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of increasing trade relations with the EU, particularly by joining the European Union Customs Union. \p Baroness Gustafsson: This government is committed to trade policy that is based on data, and the evidence is clear that better trading relations with the EU are crucial to the overarching goal of better economic growth.

However, as Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said at the Business and Trade Select Committee on 21 January, we have a democratic mandate, as set out in our manifesto, not to return to the single market or join the Customs Union.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_19

Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Home Secretary on 19 November 2024 (HCWS232), whether there are plans in place to assess the progress of the bodies created as part of the announced policing reforms. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: In her Written Ministerial statement of 19 November (Statement UIN HCW232) the Home Secretary set out her intention to work with policing on a package of reforms to ensure it can operate efficiently and effectively to deliver the Safer Streets Mission.

In particular she announced that a new performance unit would be set up within the Home Office to drive-up standards, performance, and consistency, as well as a new National Centre of Policing to bring together crucial support services that local police forces can draw upon.

We are working with policing to deliver these important reforms and have established a Joint Reform Team, co-located within the Home Office, that brings established representatives from National Police Chief's Council, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and wider policing bodies together, to work directly with the Home Office to co-design and deliver the reforms.

We will publish a Police Reform White Paper later this year and undertake a consultation to seek further views on these proposals to inform next steps.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_20

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 18 December 2024 (HL3295) for each year since 2019, how much cryptocurrency was recovered from confiscation, forfeiture, and civil recovery orders by (1) Police Forces in England and Wales, (2) the National Crime Agency, (3) His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, (4) the Serious Fraud Office, (5) the Crown Prosecution Service, (6) Border Force, (7) the Financial Conduct Authority, and (8) local authorities in England and Wales. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office is reviewing plans to publish new statistics on crypto assets as part of future annual stats bulletins on asset recovery in response to the new powers that came into effect in April 2024.

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) contains powers to deprive criminals of their money, or other property connected to criminal activity, and recover the proceeds of crime, including cryptocurrencies. As with all assets, action to seize, recover and manage crypto assets is for independent law enforcement bodies and the courts to consider.

We do not routinely publish the amount recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by asset type.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_21

Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government whether, for Operation Grange, they have received any proposals from the Metropolitan Police Service for Special Grant funding for the financial year 2025–26; what costs have been incurred during the current financial year; and what the total expenditure has been to date. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Special Grant funding of up to £192,000 was agreed for provision to the Metropolitan Police Service for the costs of Operation Grange in financial year 2024/25. In-year costs will not be available until after the conclusion of the current financial year.

Special Grant funding is reviewed annually by the Home Office, and the Department liaises regularly with the Operation Grange investigation team to discuss progress and the use of funds.

The total expenditure to date since 2011 for Operation Grange, up to and including financial year 23/24, is £13.2m.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_22

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government which chemical manufacturers or trade bodies the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland met ahead of his decision on the "Stormont Brake" on the Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Department for Work and Pensions, as sponsor of the Health and Safety Executive, is the policy lead with regard to regulation of chemicals classification, labelling and packaging across the UK. In that role, the Department for Work and Pensions continuously assesses the adequacy of chemical packaging and labelling regulation across the whole of the UK and engages with industry accordingly. Analysis from this engagement was used as part of the Government’s assessment of the likely impacts of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, and so informed the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s decision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_23

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government why the proposed consultation on assessing the impact on divergence and ensuring the protection of the UK internal market on chemical businesses, as outlined in the letter by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland dated 20 January on the Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, was not carried out before a decision was taken on applying the "Stormont Brake" procedure. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Whilst MLAs are required to have taken steps to consult businesses, other traders and civic society affected by the regulation in question prior to making their notification, on 20 January the Government set out its commitment to take any future steps necessary to avoid new barriers that would affect supplies of such products into Northern Ireland. It made this commitment in recognition of the concerns raised by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly about a specific regulation on Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging. The consultation will happen as soon as possible and will determine what further actions are considered necessary to safeguard the UK internal market.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-04 conversation_24

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government when the proposed consultation on applying a consistent regime within the UK on chemical classification, labelling and packaging, as outlined in a letter by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 20 January regarding the Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation will commence; and what is the proposed timeframe for the consultation. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government will launch this consultation as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has committed to write to the Chair of the NI Assembly’s Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee to advise of the opening of the consultation. The consultation will take place in good time before the relevant mandatory provisions of the regulation take effect.