theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_64
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_64

Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor gynaecologist training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. Data is only available for the combined obstetrics and gynaecology specialist training pathway, as opposed to specifically gynaecology specialist training. The following table shows the number of obstetrics and gynaecology specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:

Specialist training stage one

Specialist training stage three

Region

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

East Midlands

18

20

24

12

East of England

22

26

6

14

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

23

18

5

4

London

58

52

3

4

North East

15

15

2

1

North West

37

41

2

10

South West

22

16

5

1

Thames Valley

10

16

3

5

Wessex

11

11

3

5

West Midlands

26

27

5

6

Yorkshire and the Humber

27

27

4

13

Total

269

269

62

75

Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.

The table presents the number of posts offered at both specialist training stages one and three. The latter meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant training or equivalent before entry to this later stage of the specialty training programme.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.      We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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The Earl of Dundee:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of multi-indication medicines, and of the application of NICE’s cost-effectiveness assessment to such medicines. \p Baroness Merron: The National Health Service seeks the best value in its commercial deals for patients and taxpayers. The recent NHS Commercial Framework consultation clarified the circumstances in which indication specific pricing will be considered in England. This will help companies better understand the circumstances in which indication specific pricing may be available to support patient access to new medicines.

In 2024, the National Institute of Health Research commissioned the Policy Research Unit in Economic Methods of Evaluation in Health and Social Care Interventions (EEPRU) to report on the population health effects of pricing, including indication-specific pricing. A copy of the report by the EEPRU, along with its appendices, is attached.

Additional Document 1 (pdf, 194.8KB)

Additional Document 2 (pdf, 695.1KB)
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Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government why the section on "Best Practice Disclosures—Diversity and Inclusion" of The Government Financial Reporting Manual 2024–25 contains no reference to the mandatory disclosure of external equality, diversity and inclusion spending set out in the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published by the Cabinet Office on 14 May 2024; and whether they will revise the Financial Reporting Manual to ensure that departments are aware that they are required to report such expenditure in their annual reports and accounts. \p Lord Livermore: The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Guidance was issued by the Conservative government in May 2024 without due consideration of the standard procedure for incorporating requirements into annual reports and accounts. These requirements were not included in the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM).

After the publication of the guidance, it was decided that the FReM would not be revised to include mandatory disclosure of external EDI expenditure as such disclosures are unlikely to be financially material.

In line with the current policy, the Cabinet Office intends to publish 2024-25 external EDI spend at the end of the reporting cycle. The Government will keep the FReM under review and will consider any future updates to reporting requirements in light of evolving guidance and policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government how much they expect to contribute to the European Union under the trade agreement reached on 19 May. \p Lord Livermore: There will be implementation costs associated with the UK-EU reset agreement, which will be confirmed in due course once we have negotiated the details of the agreement. This will include proportionate contributions in specific and limited areas, such as where access to specific IT systems will help to remove trade barriers for UK firms or manage biosecurity risks. The UK will also negotiate fair financial contributions to the Erasmus+ programme which will reflect the benefits of participation. We will not be making general contributions to the EU budget.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government what financial contributions they will make to the EU as a result of the UK–EU reset agreement, and when those contributions will commence. \p Lord Livermore: There will be implementation costs associated with the UK-EU reset agreement, which will be confirmed in due course once we have negotiated the details of the agreement. This will include proportionate contributions in specific and limited areas, such as where access to specific IT systems will help to remove trade barriers for UK firms or manage biosecurity risks. The UK will also negotiate fair financial contributions to the Erasmus+ programme which will reflect the benefits of participation. We will not be making general contributions to the EU budget.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government, whether they will publish the model used to calculate (1) price elasticities, and (2) income elasticities, for tobacco, as referenced in Tobacco duties: forecast methodology, published by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility on 7 March. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) publishes details of their tobacco tax receipt forecast in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) publication and forecast methodology page. [1] The OBR provides further information on their analysis on request.

[1] https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/tax-by-tax-spend-by-spend/tobacco-duties/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Campbell-Savours:To ask His Majesty's Government how many people who have been deported from the United Kingdom after (1) asylum application refusal, or (2) completion of a prison sentence, have returned to the UK (a) as illegal entrants in breach of their deportation arrangements, and (b) following completion of a sentence overseas, in the past five years. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The requested data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to maintain the British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa route that offers a pathway to British citizenship for BNO passport holders and their dependents on the basis that a holder can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years and citizenship after one further year. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to invoking the right of derogation under Article 15 of the European Convention of Human Rights for a limited period to deal with illegal and irregular immigration. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: At present, a State may only derogate from its obligations under the Convention using Article 15 in time of war or equivalent public emergency, threatening the life of the nation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will establish a central register of divergence in regulations between Great Britain and Northern Ireland following the establishment of the Windsor Framework. \p Baroness Gustafsson: The Department for Business and Trade works closely with a number of Departments to monitor changes in EU legislation and assess the impact on businesses and consumers in all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. DBT, along with other Departments, also engages closely with the EU institutions through structured channels, including the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) committee structures and Windsor Framework structures.

The UK Government remains committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith while protecting the UK Internal Market.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_74
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_74

Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any ships of the HMS Prince of Wales task group currently en route to the Far East will visit Malaysia or Singapore. \p Lord Coaker: While the exact details of Operation Highmast cannot be released to preserve operational security, I can confirm that port visits to Malaysia and Singapore are part of the deployment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any human remains being held alongside the metal looted from the wreck of the former HMS Prince of Wales. \p Lord Coaker: The Ministry of Defence has not received any information to suggest any human remains have been found.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_76

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the British airstrikes conducted in Yemen on 29 April were in support of Operation Poseidon Archer or Operation Rough Rider. \p Lord Coaker: We do not comment on other nations’ military operations but can confirm that the UK airstrike on 29 April 2025 was conducted against a Houthi military target in Yemen. The action was undertaken jointly with the US to uphold the freedom of navigation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_77

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they made of potential risks to civilians in advance of airstrikes in Yemen on 29 April. \p Lord Coaker: Ahead of the UK strikes in Yemen on 29 April, the utmost care was taken during planning to minimise any risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.

This included conducting the strikes in the hours of darkness, as this was a feasible precaution available during this particular mission to further mitigate any such risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the men responsible for looting the wreck of the former HMS Prince of Wales have been released from Malaysian custody. \p Lord Coaker: The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales. As these investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the alleged perpetrators at this stage, or speculate on the future preservation of the artefacts, including any metal recovered, until they have concluded.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the practice of importing energy from other countries during periods of high demand; and what assessment they have made of how that practice affects the stability of the UK's energy supply. \p Baroness Curran: Importing cheaper electricity during peak times reduces the need to turn on carbon-intensive domestic generation. By providing access to a more diverse generation pool that complements our domestic energy mix, interconnectors can help to ensure security of supply in a range of conditions. Our transition to clean energy is carefully managed through the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which sets out how we will maintain energy security while delivering a decarbonised grid/power system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that output in UK energy-intensive industries has fallen to a 35-year low, and of the impact of rising energy costs on that sector. \p Baroness Curran: Ministers meet frequently with representatives of sectors to discuss challenges faced by manufacturers, including high energy costs. Government is committed to continuing to listen and engage with the sectors.

For Energy Intensive Industries overall, our Clean Power 2030 target is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because clean, homegrown energy is the best way to protect billpayers and boost Britain's energy independence. We are also already bringing energy costs for UK industries closer in line with other major economies through the British Industry Supercharger. This fully exempts eligible firms from certain costs linked to renewable energy policies, particularly those exposed to the high cost of electricity. Government will always keep support under review based on the needs of industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government what are (1) the original target, and (2) current forecast, for the uptake of metering and monitoring service packages under the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme; how many packages have been allocated in each year since introduction; and what evaluation has been undertaken of their effectiveness in identifying underperformance or non-compliance. \p Baroness Curran: The Metering and Monitoring Service Package (MMSP) was designed to support participants and installers on the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive to understand how heating systems are working in specific households and not to serve as a compliance tool. This was an optional measure for participants and was demand driven with 11,255 packages available in total. Ofgem's published data indicates that 3,530 applications were approved as of September 2023, with information for the preceding years attached.

Current Metering and Monitoring Service Package  (xls, 31.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_82

Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of Great British Energy. \p Baroness Curran: Great British Energy has an estimated total expenditure of £184,403,000 for 2025-26 as set out in the Main Supply Estimates for 2025-26 published by HM Treasury on 15 May 2025.

This constitutes £34,403,000 for Resource Departmental Expenditure and £150,000,000 Capital Departmental Expenditure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government whether Ofgem’s compliance audits for the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive are selected through a randomised, stratified, risk-weighted or quota-based sampling methodology; and what statistical confidence level is used when extrapolating fraud and error rates to the wider scheme. \p Baroness Curran: The Domestic and Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive schemes each benefit from two audit programmes annually. They include both randomised and risk weighted methodologies with the ability to consider internal or external referrals. A 95% confidence level is currently applied when extrapolating fraud and error rates for the non-domestic scheme and 90% is applied for the domestic scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government how many site audits were conducted under the (1) Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, and (2) Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, schemes in each year since 2014; and of these, how many took place in each nation and region of Great Britain, disaggregated for England, Scotland and Wales, and by Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS1 or NUTS2) regions or the most detailed regional classification used by Ofgem for audit reporting. \p Baroness Curran: The Domestic and Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive schemes are administered by Ofgem on behalf of the government. Given the nature of the data requested, Ofgem will write to the noble Lord and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_1

Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) the Republic of Ireland, (2) Austria, and (3) Switzerland, about what financial contributions these countries intend to make to protect the security of Europe. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Minister of State for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories regularly engage with their counterparts in Ireland, Austria and Switzerland on a variety of issues including security in Europe. Security remains a priority for the UK and through regular engagements with partners the Government is keen to ensure this remains the case.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_2

Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate, if any, they have made of the cost of the proposed State visit to the UK by President Trump. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government has not made an estimate of the cost of the visit. President Trump received His Majesty's invitation for a State Visit last week and HMG will welcome him in due course. Further information about the State visit will be announced via the usual process.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government whether UK Crown Dependency and Overseas Territories permit incorporation of a company without official proof of identity of promoters, directors, and shareholders. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Crown Dependencies (CDs) and Overseas Territories (OTs) are separate legal jurisdictions to the United Kingdom and responsible for their own domestic affairs including, in those CDs and OTs with provisions for financial services, the responsibility for regulation and company registry in their jurisdictions.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 amends the Companies Act 2006 to mandate identity verification requirements for those setting up and controlling companies in the UK. This will apply to directors and PSCs (people with significant control) of existing companies and any new companies being incorporated. Companies registered in the CDs and OTs with a place of business or branch in the UK will also be required to have their directors and PSCs identities verified.

The UK Government is committed to working with international financial centres, including the CDs and OTs, to help tackle illicit finance, including increasing the transparency of their corporate beneficial ownership registers. The UK's ultimate expectation of the CDs and OTs remains fully public registers.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Baroness Humphreys:To ask His Majesty's Government which countries and multilateral organisations have received UK aid for vaccination programmes at any time in the previous two years; and what the total funding allocated to these vaccination programmes was in the financial years (1) 2023–24, and (2) 2024–25. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi and has committed £1.65 billion to the current "5.0" strategic period covering 2021-2025, supporting Gavi to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases. Of this amount, £300 million is through proceeds from UK investment in Gavi's unique financing instrument, IFFIm. In the last two years, Gavi has supported vaccinations in 54 Gavi eligible countries. In addition to IFFIm proceeds, the UK has made direct investments in Gavi in the financial years (1) 2023-24 of £327 million, and (2) 2024-25 of £463 million. The UK is also a strong supporter of the global effort to eradicate polio and is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). GPEI works in the 48 countries with endemic and outbreak polio. The UK invested in 2023-24 £15 million, and (2) 2024-25 £15 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government what procedures there are within Government to sign off the issuing of an invitation for a State visit to the UK before that invitation is extended. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government's recommendations for State Visits are discussed at the Royal Visit Committee. These are then endorsed by the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister before being presented to His Majesty The King for formal approval.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will used to decide which funding will be removed to ensure that the cut of the aid budget to 0.3 per cent is reached. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India regarding the admission of stateless Rohingya children to schools. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are looking into reports of Rohingya refugee children in India unable to access schooling. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our diplomatic network across India engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society. India is also a priority country in the UK Government's International Education Strategy and we are committed to building on the education partnership between the UK and India. In parallel we continue to raise concerns about discrimination of Rohingya minorities both within and outside of Myanmar. Our joint statement with international partners on 1 February condemned the persecution and discrimination against all religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar, and since 2017 the UK Government has provided over £52 million in cash assistance, including for education provision, for Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine state.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that North Korean cybercriminals have been linked to the largest-ever cryptocurrency heist from the cryptocurrency firm Bybit; and what steps they are taking with international partners in response. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK Government is aware of reporting relating to the recent cyber activity linked to the DPRK, involving the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit. The UK works with the international community to deter and respond to DPRK cyber-attacks. This includes engagement with a range of international and industry partners to provide technical assistance to combat DPRK's ongoing efforts to fund their regime.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how much cryptocurrency they estimate has been stolen from the UK by North Korean operatives; and what assessment they have made of the link between such thefts and North Korean arms production. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK has not yet made an assessment about the level of loss of cryptocurrency by UK citizens to DPRK. We are aware of claims that North Korean hackers have employed offensive cyber activity to fund the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) banned weapons programmes according to open source reporting.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what rules exist to prevent foreign nationals who are convicted felons from entering the UK. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Part 9 of the Immigration Rules provides for the refusal of entry clearance or permission to enter or stay in the UK for foreign nationals with previous criminal convictions. Each case is considered on its individual merits. Mandatory grounds for refusal apply where a person has a previous criminal conviction which resulted in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; is a persistent offender; has committed an offence which caused serious harm; or whose presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Refusal is also mandatory for visitors and those coming to the UK for less than 6 months if they have received a custodial sentence of less than 12 months or a non-custodial sentence, unless a period of at least 12 months has passed.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many contractors they have engaged to assist with the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The asylum accommodation estate is provided by three providers under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts, Serco, Mears and Clearsprings Ready Homes. Previously, the Bibby Stockholm which housed asylum seekers, was managed by CTM under the Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services contract.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reopen or replicate (1) the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, and (2) Ukraine Family Scheme visas. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Homes for Ukraine scheme remains open, uncapped and free of charge for Ukrainians in need of temporary sanctuary to apply to come to the UK for 18 months.

These applications must be sponsored by someone who is British, Irish or settled in the UK. Homes for Ukraine provides guests with the right to live, work and access benefits and services while in the UK.

The Ukraine Family scheme closed on 19 February 2024, in favour of a single visa application route (Homes for Ukraine) for Ukrainians to come to the UK and another (the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme) for those seeking to extend their leave already in the UK. This simplifies the schemes and provides greater clarity for applicants whilst ensuring consistency in accommodation and safeguarding checks.

The Government continues to keep the Ukraine schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Grocott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many frontline police officers are probationary. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of police officers, by frontline type, in the 'Police Workforce, England and Wales' statistical bulletin. The latest data, covering the situation as at 31 March 2024, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

However, information on an officer's probation status is not centrally collected by the Home Office.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

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Lord Hogan-Howe:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 24 February (HL Deb col 1448), what is the breakdown of the £19.2 billion cost for the Emergency Services Network programme. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The £19.2bn cost for the Emergency Services Network (ESN) covers the period 2015/16 to 2043/44, and is broken down as follows:

Programme Delivery spend is £3.2bn, this includes the cost of developing the ESN network, the Mission Critical Communications (MCX) solution, and includes infrastructure costs.

Ongoing run costs for ESN are calculated at £9.9bn. This includes service charges for both the Mobile Services and User Services contracts.

The continued operation of the Airwave network during the delivery phase of the Programme, and up until completion of transition to ESN is £6.1bn. These legacy costs are expected to last until the final transition date of December 2029, when these legacy systems are expected to be fully replaced by ESN.

These costs, when compared to the estimated cost of running Airwave for the entire period of evaluation, are considerably lower.

Of the £19.2bn, £5.5bn has been spent up to 31 March 2024, with the remaining £13.7bn to be spent by 2043/44.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_15

Baroness Gohir:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether organisations led-by and for Muslim women which address violence against women and girls in their communities receive adequate funding. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office does not currently hold any grants with specific faith-centric specialist services regarding Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The Home Office has supported a range of specialist 'by and for' services, including services for Black and minoritised women, and is assured that Muslim women are appropriately represented in the demographics of victims supported by those organisations.

On 28 November, the Government announced a funding increase of £30 million, meaning a total investment of £160m in the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Grant in 2025-26. This will enable local authorities to invest in essential support in frontline safe accommodation services. Furthermore, the Home Office has been able to continue the majority of grants held by Interpersonal Abuse Unit for the next financial year 2025-26. This includes support for migrant victims, delivery of the national VAWG Helplines, and specialist support for children affected by domestic abuse.

This Government is aware of the gaps in 'by and for' provision across England and Wales. The Duty to Collaborate provisions of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 which, once implemented, will ensure a more strategic approach to local commissioning in England for victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse and serious violence. It will require Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, and Integrated Care Boards to collaborate when commissioning and, as part of this, consult on, produce, and implement a joint local strategy and needs assessment which demonstrates how they are fulfilling this duty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_16

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government what is UK data centre capacity, as measured in megawatts, by region. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government has not collected figures on the growth of data centre capacity but has monitored the market periodically and through industry engagement. Other sources for this historical data are available, through Tech UK or CBRE's market outlooks for example.

The Government’s estimate, of the UK’s data centre capacity, defined as the maximum rated IT load of colocation data centres, is broken down by region in a table below. This is estimated as of Autumn 2024.

NUTS 1 Region

IT power (MW)

North West

52

Yorkshire and the Humber

16

London

1,048

South West

53

South East

128

Scotland

30

West Midlands

15

East Midlands

9

Wales

154

East

44

North East

17

Total 1.6 GW
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_17

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average size of a UK industrial site by land area. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not hold information on the average size of a UK industrial site by land area.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_18

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the physical size of the UK industrial production sector in terms of land area. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not hold information on the physical size of the UK industrial production sector in terms of land area.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_19

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how much revenue has been refunded to oil and gas operators in the UK sector of the North Sea through decommissioning tax reliefs under the (1) Petroleum Revenue Tax, (2) Ring Fence Corporation Tax, and (3) Supplementary Charge, in each of the past five years. \p Lord Livermore: Estimates of the cost of decommissioning tax reliefs used by oil and gas companies under the Ring Fence Corporation Tax (RFCT) and Petroleum Revenue Tax (PRT) regimes, are published at tax relief statistics gov.uk [1] This indicates that tax relief for decommissioning expenditure under the Petroleum Revenue Tax regime amounted to £140m in 2019-20, £270m in 2020-21, £350m in 2021-22, £340m in 2022-23, £600m* in 2023-24 and £450m* in 2024-25. Tax relief for the same expenditure under the offshore Corporation Tax regime amounted to £590m in 2019-20, £450m in 2020-21, £560m in 2021-22, £790m in 2022-23, £940m* in 2023-24 and £1bn* in 2024-25. Figures indicated by an asterisk are based on forecasted data.

[ 1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-relief-statistics
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_20

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the projected total cost to the Exchequer of tax reliefs available for the decommissioning of North Sea oil and gas infrastructure over the next decade; and how much has been claimed in tax reliefs for this purpose since 2010. \p Lord Livermore: Companies operating oil and gas fields in the UK and on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) are required to decommission infrastructure at the end of a field’s life. Tax relief is a normal part of the corporate tax system where there are genuine costs to companies, and so providing tax relief on decommissioning recognises the heavy “end of life” cost for oil and gas projects.

Estimates of the projected total cost of decommissioning relief are published on gov.uk [1]. This indicates a provision of £5.7 billion based on estimated tax repayments of Petroleum Revenue Tax (£2.1 billion) and offshore Corporation Tax (£3.6 billion) by HMRC to companies over the period to 2067 due to losses from decommissioning expenditure. Additionally, the government forecasts a cost of £5.1 billion in the form of foregone offshore Corporation Tax due to decommissioning expenditure being deductible for tax purposes in this regime.

Estimates of the cost of decommissioning tax relief are published at tax relief statistics gov.uk [2] . The latest structural tax relief publication indicates that tax relief for decommissioning expenditure under the Petroleum Revenue Tax regime amounted to £140m in 2019-20, £270m in 2020-21, £350m in 2021-22, £340m in 2022-23, £600m* in 2023-24 and £450m* in 2024-25. Tax relief for the same expenditure under the offshore Corporation Tax regime amounted to £590m in 2019-20, £450m in 2020-21, £560m in 2021-22, £790m in 2022-23, £940m* in 2023-24 and £1bn* in 2024-25. Figures indicated by an asterisk are based on forecasted data.

Where data is available earlier publications set out the cost of tax reliefs for earlier periods. This shows that tax relief for decommissioning expenditure under the Petroleum Revenue Tax amounted to £250m in 2014-15, £420m in 2015-16, £310m in 2016-17, £220m in 2017-18 and £170m in 2018-19. Tax relief for the same expenditure under the offshore Corporation Tax regime amounted to £850m in 2014-15, £540m in 2015-16, £480m in 2016-17, £520m in 2017-18 and £580m in 2018-19.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a8ebc349b9c0597fdb0784/HMRC_annual_report_and_accounts_2023_to_2024.pdf for HMRC’s provision related to future decommissioning tax relief payments, and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/government-revenues-from-uk-oil-and-gas-production--2/government-revenues-from-oil-and-gas-production-september-2024#exchequer-liability-from-decommissioning for foregone revenue estimates due to the tax deductibility of decommissioning expenditure

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-relief-statics for the past 5 years and earlier statistics are also available on gov.uk ([ARCHIVED CONTENT] Structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_21

Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government what in their guidance for cost-benefit analysis is the current monetary value of a life year. \p Lord Livermore: The Green Book provides a figure of £70,000 for the value of a Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY). This is expressed in 2020-21 prices.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_22

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to removing VAT on refitting works to encourage developers to repurpose buildings rather than demolish them; and what other plans they have to encourage them to do so. \p Lord Livermore: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Taxation is a vital source of revenue that helps to fund vital public services.

To stimulate the renovation of existing buildings, residential renovations are subject to a reduced rate of VAT of five per cent if they meet certain conditions. These include conversions of buildings from one residential use to another, conversions from commercial to residential use, and the renovation of properties that have been empty for two or more years.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_23

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the level of inflation; and what plans they have to implement new inflation-calming measures. \p Lord Livermore: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) assessed the impact of Autumn Budget 2024 on the level of inflation, where they note that they expect inflation to remain close to the 2 per cent target throughout the forecast period. [1]

The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to the 2% target.

[1] https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/inflation/.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_24

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed in energy-intensive industries by (1) region, and (2) industry. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Department for Business and Trade maintains statistics on energy intensive industries (EII) which can be seen in full as an attachment.

In 2022, the regions with the highest employment in eligible energy intensive industries were the North West (59,590), the West Midlands (55,055) and Yorkshire and The Humber (53,135).

EIIs with the highest employment in 2022 were manufacture of other plastic products (45,850), manufacture of corrugated paper and paperboard and of containers of paper and paperboard (25,443), and processing and preserving of poultry meat (25,000).

Number of employees for EII sectors breakdown (xlsx, 62.5KB)
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_25

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the forthcoming industrial strategy, Invest 2035, supports investment, infrastructure and productivity improvement in rural communities. \p Baroness Gustafsson: The Green Paper sets out our vision for a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth mission, creating a pro-business environment and supporting high-potential clusters across the country.

The Strategy will focus on tackling barriers to growth in our highest potential sectors and places, creating the right conditions for increased investment and ensuring tangible impact in communities right across the UK. Regional growth is one of our objectives and we are engaging widely with businesses, trade unions, devolved governments, local leaders, and academia, to design a package that supports the whole country.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_26
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-11 conversation_26

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of pupils attending the 754 early-adopter schools of the breakfast club scheme who will participate in that scheme. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Providing free, universal breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity by ensuring that every primary school child, no matter their circumstance, is well prepared with a supportive start to the school day.

Parents and carers can choose to take up the offer, although we encourage schools to promote the offer and drive take-up, particularly within disadvantaged groups.

The early adopter scheme is an important test and learn phase which will inform the national rollout. Through the scheme, the department will monitor delivery and collect data, including on take-up, to build our evidence base.