theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Court of Human Rights ruling against Serbia regarding the extradition of Ahmed Jaafar Mohamed Ali; and what steps they have taken to address the misuse of Interpol Red Notices by authoritarian states. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK regularly considers and monitors European Court of Human Rights cases, but does not comment in detail on judgments against other countries. We strongly support INTERPOL's efforts to ensure that systems are in place to protect individuals' human rights in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution which strictly forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. The Home Office works closely with INTERPOL and the National Crime Agency to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. We encourage INTERPOL to uphold international human rights obligations and we won't hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with (1) victims of IRA terrorism, and (2) their legal representatives, about compensation to them being provided from frozen Libyan assets held in the UK. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK Government has profound sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and indeed for all victims of the Troubles. It also takes issues relating to victims of terrorism very seriously. The UK's stance regarding victims of Qadhafi-sponsored Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism is that it is the Libyan State's responsibility to provide compensation. We will continue to urge Libyan authorities to address the Libyan State's historic responsibility for the Qadhafi regime's support of the IRA. The Minister for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan has recently written to some of the victims and their families, and intends to meet to hear their perspectives on the Government's policy on the issue of compensation being provided from frozen Libyan assets in the UK. The Government is committed to a constructive and collaborative engagement with those affected.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 15 April (HL6489), who were the experts consulted on the reliability of the Gaza Ministry of Health's fatality figures. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Over the last 18 months, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has consulted experts, including from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Every Casualty Counts, and interrogates relevant research. Experts assess that the total number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October 2023 estimated by the Gaza Ministry of Health is a reasonable figure, and likely to be an underestimate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Syria on (1) the protection of the Alawite community, and (2) ensuring that those responsible for attacks on the Alawite community are properly investigated and perpetrators held accountable. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We welcome the Syrian Government's reassurances to the Syrian population and international community that they will protect all civilians in Syria, and their establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence in early March. I discussed these points in my meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March. We will continue to monitor the treatment of all civilians in Syria, and this issue will continue to be an important aspect of our engagement with the Syrian Government and with regional and international partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 17 February (HL4611), which central government organisations have submitted business cases for pay flexibility under the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance 2024–25, and which of those cases have been approved. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: For 2024/2025, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Trinity House, and UK Atomic Energy Authority have had business cases for Pay Flexibility approved. HM Revenue and Customs and UK Health and Safety Authority were also approved to adopt the Government Digital and Data pay framework.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what guidance they will issue to (1) the Cabinet Office, and (2) agencies and public bodies that work with the Cabinet Office, about updating their policies and written guidance; whether they will consult the organisation Sex Matters in doing so; and whether the revised policies and written guidance will be laid before Parliament. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity and confidence for women and single-sex services providers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has already committed to supporting service providers with updated guidance; we will work closely with the EHRC as they develop this. All government departments should follow the clarity the ruling provides.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Caine:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in taking forward the provisions contained in Part 4 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 relating to oral history and the memorialisation strategy. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Further to my Oral Statement in December 2024, the Government has been focussed on repealing and replacing the Legacy Act, ensuring that its mechanisms are human rights compliant and capable of commanding public confidence. We remain committed, however, to the oral history and other measures set out in Part 4 of the Act - which are widely supported in principle - and will set out further details in due course. In the meantime, progress has been made on two other, non-legislative, historical projects - digitisation and official history - the details of which were announced last month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to hold a public inquiry into the Enniskillen bomb on 8 November 1987. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen was a horrific atrocity carried out by the Provisional IRA. The Government offers sincere condolences to all those who lost loved ones or were injured as a result of the attack and recognises that the long search for answers experienced by families has exacerbated their pain.

The Government has committed to reform and strengthen the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), including its powers, independence, and accountability, to ensure that it is human rights compliant and can build public confidence. The Government would therefore encourage those families to make a referral to the Commission to undertake an ECHR compliant investigation into the Remembrance Day bombing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions if any they had with the government of Ireland about the Omagh Bombing Inquiry at the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 24 April. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government has the deepest sympathy for all of those affected by the Omagh bomb in August 1998. It was a terrible atrocity committed by the Real IRA at a time when the people of Northern Ireland were looking to a future without violence, and it caused immeasurable suffering to the families who lost loved ones and to those who were injured.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has welcomed the Irish Government's public commitment to cooperate with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, as outlined in the memorandum of understanding signed directly between the Inquiry and the Irish Government.

At the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 24 April, the Government and the Government of Ireland discussed Legacy issues, including the Omagh Inquiry, and the need for clear reciprocal commitments by the UK Government and the Government of Ireland. Ultimately, securing the confidence of victims, survivors, and families will remain at the heart of the work of both Governments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Caine:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in taking forward the independent public history project regarding the troubles in Northern Ireland that was first announced on 24 April 2024. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The project’s independent expert advisory panel continues to work under the published terms of reference. Further to the announcement made on 9 April 2025, the panel is currently accepting applications from independently-minded historians as part of an open and transparent competition, and has launched a website with further information about the project.
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Lord Wills:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the Delegated Legislation Committee on 31 March (HC Deb col 7), what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the precision breeding of animals and birds on (1) animal welfare, (2) disease risk management and (3) the risk to consumers if precision bred animals are sold commercially. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The regulatory measures in the Precision Breeding Act are designed to safeguard animal welfare and ensure that the health and welfare of relevant animals (defined as vertebrates) will not be adversely affected by any trait that results from precision breeding. We are considering the requirements for this regulatory framework and have commissioned three research projects from Scotland's Rural College to support this.

The scientific advice is that precision bred organisms pose no greater risk to the environment or health than traditionally bred organisms. This advice is consistent across scientific sources and is supported by expert advisory committees and institutions, such as the European Food Safety Authority.

There are provisions in the Precision Breeding Act to introduce regulations to ensure that food and feed from precision bred organisms is safe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Federation of Small Businesses, Taking a toll: small businesses and the cost of tax compliance, published on 22 April, particularly in regard to the (1) time spent, and (2) cost, for small business to remain tax compliant. \p Lord Livermore: The Government is committed to simplifying the tax system for all taxpayers including small businesses and is taking this forward as part of its three priorities for HMRC.

HMRC is investing in its customer services, greater use of data and improving its digital services which will improve overall customer experience and reduce the time and therefore cost to comply.

HMRC welcomes the FSB’s report and officials are currently reviewing its detail. HMRC will be engaging with the FSB to understand the underlying methodology used to assess the average time and cost to comply.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to ensuring that passengers using rail replacement bus services in place of trains receive appropriate discounts to fares to recompense them for the inconvenience and lost time. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Passengers using rail replacement bus services are eligible for delay repay compensation if their journey is delayed. There is no compensation for travelling on a rail replacement bus if the journey is not delayed.
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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce roadside cameras, following trials carried out between October 2022 and February 2023. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Department does not have any current plans to undertake further trials of roadside noise cameras. The trials demonstrated that this technology currently has the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances.

It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government, following their formal recognition of the state of Palestine, whether they intend to call on that state (1) to admit the Palestinian refugees living in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan; and (2) to grant them Palestinian citizenship. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK's recognition of the State of Palestine does not alter the status of Palestinian refugees. The question of refugee status remains a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government what boundaries they recognise for the state of Palestine. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We continue to work with the Palestinian Authority to ensure the delivery of its reform programme, including the commitment to hold elections.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Lord Austin of Dudley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 26 September (HL10094), when they expect the independent audit of the completion of the reforms in the Palestinian Authority's National Program for Development and Reform to be conducted. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the statement made on the Middle East by the Prime Minister on 14 October, in which he addressed at length the issues arising from the UK's decision to recognise the State of Palestine. Any further updates will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Nye:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Chinese companies they have sanctioned for supplying arms and equipment to the Burmese military. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Since 2021, the UK Government has enacted 19 sanctions packages, including 10 individual sanctions targeting the import of aviation fuel into Myanmar. We have also sanctioned 25 individuals and 39 entities targeting the regime's access to finance, arms and equipment, none of which is Chinese. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they plan to provide to the government of Syria to clear landmines, improvised explosive devices, and other explosive weapons. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Explosive ordnance continues to pose a significant threat to civilians and humanitarian workers across Syria, as well as preventing the rehabilitation of buildings such as schools and clinics, as well as agricultural land.

We provide funding to the mine action sector via the UK-led Aid Fund for Syria, the UK Global Mine Action Programme and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We are working with partners to clear mines and unexploded ordnance in North East Syria, to allow restoration of services and landmines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Algeria about the use of (1) anti-proselytism, and (2) blasphemy, laws to target Christian communities; and what steps they are taking to promote religious freedom in that country. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 28th July to Question HL9457.
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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 7 October (HL10285), what steps they have taken to confirm that the commitments made by the Palestinian Authority to reform prisoner payments have been carried out. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Baroness to the response given on 31 October to question HL10859.
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Lord Wallace of Tankerness:To ask His Majesty's Government which universities were represented in the delegation which accompanied the Prime Minister to India in October. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: During the Prime Minister's visit to India in October 2025, the UK delegation included representatives from the following universities:

These institutions were part of a broader initiative to expand UK higher education presence in India, with several receiving approval to establish campuses in cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and GIFT City. The delegation aimed to strengthen academic collaboration, promote research partnerships, and support India's growing demand for higher education.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Lord Austin of Dudley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 26 September (HL10094), on how many occasions and over what time period the Palestinian Authority has committed to reform prisoner payments; how those reforms were audited; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those reforms. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: In President Abbas' letter to President Macron, dated 9 June 2025, he set out his commitment to the principles of non-violence, the organisation of elections, the development of a school curriculum that is free from incitement, and the implementation of a new social security system, which will revoke so-called prisoner payments, and ensure that any future welfare payments are needs-based and delinked from violent actions. The Palestinian Authority must now ensure that an independent audit is conducted to verify that these reforms have been completed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the report Schools in the Grip of Terror, published by UN Watch in September; and what plans they have to review the funding provided to UNRWA by the UK. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK Government takes these allegations seriously and expects the UN to investigate these claims. We continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's (UNRWA) work on reform and implementation of the Colonna Report to ensure they meet the highest standards on neutrality and integrity. The UK remains committed to supporting the humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees, while ensuring that aid does not contribute to incitement or extremism. In line with the approach taken by most other Member States, the UK has conducted extensive due diligence and are satisfied that UNRWA adequately manage UK funds.
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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the costs and benefits of different methods of achieving reliable on-board WiFi on trains, including satellite technologies and technologies requiring trackside equipment. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: As part of the Spending Review planning, the Department produced analysis of the costs and benefits of both Low Earth Orbit satellite technology and trackside infrastructure working with industry partners to validate costs.

These were shared with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of productivity losses as a result of business travellers being unable to maintain a fast and reliable internet connection on trains. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: As part of the Spending Review planning, the Department considered the productivity improvements for all travellers, including business travellers, that will arise from providing faster more reliable internet connectivity on trains. This was undertaken in in accordance with our transport appraisal guidance. And as a result, the Department was successful in securing funding to deploy low earth orbit satellite (LEO) technology for onboard Wi-Fi on mainline trains.

Trials using LEO have proven this technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the specifications for the new rolling stock of Great British Railways in terms of vehicle penetration loss and other criteria that can affect the reception of mobile phone and WiFi signals within carriages. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Southeastern, Northern Trains Limited and Transpennine Trains are responsible for the specification of the new trains which are being procured and we would expect them to include the needs of passengers including the use of mobile phones on trains. The Department is currently developing a Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy that will set out the approach to rolling stock for GBR in the future.
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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 October (HL10758), how they assess the benefits of a new non-road transport project with a potential life of up to a century, what network benefits are accounted for in that assessment, and how new jobs and housing developments are included in such infrastructure planning. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: DfT assesses the benefits and costs of transport interventions using our published Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG), which is based on HMT’s Green Book Guidance. This covers a wide range of social, environmental and economic impacts of transport investment. We use transport models to understand how non-road interventions will interact with the existing network, and the pattern of passenger demand. This will reflect users changing their route or mode of travel to make use of the new project.

Our forecasts of travel demand, on which these appraisals are based, take account of the expected locations of housing and jobs in the future. For major schemes, we also model how land uses may change in response to the investment – for example, housing developments near new or improved railway stations. There is a significant body of evidence linking transport connectivity and jobs, which our appraisals take account of. Currently, this tends to be small component of appraised project benefits. We are undertaking research to improve how we predict and value transport’s impact on unemployment, which is likely to increase magnitude of these appraised benefits in deprived areas.

TAG recommends an appraisal period that is linked to the life of the infrastructure asset. This allows accounting for the foreseeable costs and benefits over that time horizon, where they are expected to occur. The appraisal period is usually for 60 years after scheme opening, which is used reasonably consistently in the sector. Allowances may be made for infrastructure that is expected to have longer-lasting benefits and costs after 60 years. TAG recommends that, in such cases, the analysis may cover up to a 100-year appraisal period from scheme opening as a sensitivity test. This is the recommended treatment, since large uncertainty is a feature of the very-long-term, and costs and benefits are heavily discounted in this period.
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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 October (HL10746), how and why they reached the conclusion that the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 "does not support a positive and productive relationship between employers, employees, and their trade unions", and what discussions they have had with trade unions about that Act. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The implementation of Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation by the last Government only worsened industrial relations. This was particularly evident in rail, where it exacerbated the national disputes, which had seen two years of widespread strikes and disruption to millions of passengers.

MSLs legislation is being repealed under the Employment Rights Bill (ERB). The Government has consulted numerous stakeholders about the ERB, including trade unions.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the co-directors of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be required to take decisions jointly. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill sets out specific circumstances in which the Directors must act jointly. These include clause 29 (deciding the form and manner in which requests for investigations are to be made), clause 30 (accepting and rejecting requests for investigations), clause 32 (power of the Directors of Investigations to initiate investigations), and clause 35 (determining the order in which investigations are to be carried out).

Other clauses in the Bill set out the circumstances in which the Director allocated an investigation should act alone. These include clauses 33 (notifying family members and others about new investigations), clause 36 (determining whether the investigation should be carried out as a criminal investigation etc), and clause 37 (notifying family members and others about the conduct of investigations).
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether control of the cases of Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be split evenly between the two co-directors. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Clause 34 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill sets out the process for allocating investigations to the Directors of Investigations. Clause 35 also makes provision for managing the investigation caseload. In addition, clauses 44 to 47 make provision about avoiding conflicts of interest, which are relevant to the allocation of investigations.

The legislation does not stipulate that the caseload of the Legacy Commission must be split evenly between the Directors of Investigations. This will be an operational matter for the Legacy Commission in line with the legislation.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the co-directors of the proposed Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will have the powers of a constable. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Clause 12 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill stipulates that a Director of Investigations is designated as a person having the powers and privileges of a constable.

Under clause 12, a Director of Investigations may designate any other Legacy Commission officer as a person having the powers and privileges of a constable, if they are satisfied that the Legacy Commission officer; a) is capable of effectively exercising those powers and privileges, b) has received adequate training in respect of the exercise of those powers and privileges, and c) is otherwise a suitable person to exercise those powers and privileges.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether one of the appointments to co-directors of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be from outside the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Clause 5 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill stipulates that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must appoint two persons to be Directors of Investigations of the Legacy Commission. In exercising this power, the Secretary of State must, so far as practicable, ensure that one of the Directors has experience of conducting criminal investigations in Northern Ireland, and the other Director does not have that experience, but has experience of conducting criminal investigations outside Northern Ireland.

The legislation does not stipulate that one of the co-directors must be from outside of the United Kingdom.

Clause 9 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill requires appointments of the Directors for Investigations to be made following consultation with relevant individuals, in order to inform the appointments process. It also requires me to publish details of who will be consulted.
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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government what are their reasons for making the draft Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025 instead of using primary legislation; and why the changes proposed in the Remedial Order cannot be incorporated in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Remedial order will provide clarity as quickly as possible, and correct incompatibilities identified by the Northern Ireland courts, especially on two issues of significant public interest i.e. the removal of the immunity provisions and the removal of the bar on Troubles-related civil cases.

Providing clarity on these matters via the Remedial Order allows us to increase trust in the Commission.
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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 14 October (HC Deb cols 246–7), why the Advocate General is specified in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill as the individual responsible for stopped inquests. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The reference in the Bill to the Advocate General for Northern Ireland reflects their specific role in relation to Northern Ireland. However, we have made clear this is a function that may be exercised by the Solicitor General for England and Wales in accordance with section 2 of the Law Officers Act 1997.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-31 conversation_24

Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government which of the six protections, rights and safeguards announced by the Ministry of Defence on 19 September for veterans who served in Northern Ireland are featured in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill; which will not feature in the legislation; which will be exclusive to soldiers and police officers; and which will have universal application. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

Measures set out in the legislation, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.

Some other non-legislative measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of legal fees for Troubles-related civil suits stopped by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023; what is the likely compensation; and whether new troubles civil suits will be permitted after the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act.

In terms of future cases, the Remedial Order will repeal the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which has been found to be incompatible with our legal obligations. It is not possible to predict potential future proceedings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-31)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Troubles-related civil suits against government departments were stopped by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023; what legal categories they fall under; and whether they will all be permitted to continue after the enactment of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act. The Government is, by way of a Remedial Order, repealing the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which was found to be incompatible with our human rights obligations.

It is right that citizens in all parts of the UK have the right to bring a civil case, and these are not necessarily cases against government departments. For example, four individuals were found responsible for the Omagh bombing in the civil courts in 2009.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-21 conversation_1

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 25 February, what steps they are taking to ensure unfettered access of chemical products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The UK Government underlines its commitment to ensure the smooth flow of chemical products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This includes applying a consistent approach to the regulation of chemical products across the whole of the UK where it is necessary to do so.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Manchester Airport Group, the owner of Stansted Airport, on the potential closure of the Border Inspection Post at Stansted Airport. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra is aware that Stansted has signalled an intention to relocate its Border Inspection Post to another site and that the timing of this remains uncertain. This is a commercial decision for the airport’s owners. No application to de-designate the existing site or designate a new site has been received. The Department stands ready to help progress such applications when received.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the potential closure of the Border Inspection Post at Stansted Airport on the British horseracing industry; and what plans they have to ensure that horses are able to continue travelling to and from the UK by air. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra is aware that Stansted has signalled an intention to relocate its Border Inspection Post to another site and that the timing of this remains uncertain. This is a commercial decision for the airport’s owners. No application to de-designate the existing site or designate a new site has been received. The Department stands ready to help progress such applications when received.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-21 conversation_4

Lord Bradley:To ask His Majesty's Government what restrictions are placed on people convicted of a criminal offence who seek employment in the National Health Service. \p Baroness Merron: Having a criminal record does not necessarily mean that a person cannot work in the National Health Service. Local employers should have robust and effective recruitment and background check requirements aligned with the NHS Employment Check Standards issued by NHS Employers, to ensure individuals they employ are suitable, skilled, competent and safe to carry out the role they are being appointed to do. This includes a criminal record check for all eligible positions.

Employers must consider the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975 when asking for criminal record information. Any recruitment decision needs to be made on a case-by-case basis balancing the risks associated with any given role. The exception to this rule is where recruiting to a regulated activity under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, and where individuals are prohibited from working with adults and/or children who are in receipt of health care or services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

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Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding to support children and young people's hospices will be allocated for 2025–26 compared to (1) 2022–23, and (2) 2023–24. \p Baroness Merron: In 2022/23, NHS England provided £21 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices in England through the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant. In addition, in 2023/24, NHS England provided £25 million of funding through the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant. Finally, in 2025/26, £26 million of revenue funding is being provided to support children and young people’s hospices. This is a continuation of the funding which, until recently, was known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.

Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, spanning 2024/25 and 2025/26, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. The Government has released the first £25 million tranche of that funding for 2024/25, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. Of this first tranche of funding, children and young people’s hospices are receiving £3,065,705. This does not include hospices which provide both adult and children’s services. The second tranche of the £75 million of funding for 2025/26 will be available from April 2025, and hospices will be informed of their allocations in due course.

It is important to note that the funding outlined above does not represent the totality of the National Health Service funding provided to children and young people’s hospices, most of which are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding from their local integrated care board (ICB) for providing services within the NHS. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on the demand in that ICB area, but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of children and young people’s palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification for children and young people.

The Department does not hold specific data regarding the total amount of funding children and young people’s hospices receive from ICBs each year. Individual ICBs oversee and maintain records of these transactions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

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Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the advice about egg freezing that is available to women on the NHS website. \p Baroness Merron: Elective egg freezing is not a service provided by the National Health Service and information is therefore is not included on the NHS website. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as the United Kingdom-wide regulator of fertility treatment, publishes advice about egg freezing on its website in an online-only format, including information about the process, risks, success and data on this. There is a link through to the HFEA website from the NHS webpages on infertility.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-21 conversation_7

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times NHS trade unions in England have threatened or balloted for industrial action of NHS staff in relation to pay and non-pay issues in each year since 2005, broken down by (1) union, (2) category of NHS staff, and (3) type of industrial action, whether the industrial action went ahead, and the outcome of any ballots held. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold this information. National Health Service trade unions may ballot their members at a local level as well as national, and that information is not held centrally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-21 conversation_8

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many instances there have been in each year since 2007 of the NHS Staff Council recommending a higher pay increase for NHS England staff than the pay award recommended by the relevant pay review body, broken down by NHS workforce category; and in each such instance, whether they accepted the Staff Council's higher recommendation. \p Baroness Merron: The NHS Staff Council is a partnership body that maintains and negotiates changes to the Agenda for Change (AfC) terms and conditions. It does not have a formal role in recommending annual pay increases to government.

Uplifts in pay for staff employed on the national AfC contract in England are confirmed by the Department. This typically follows recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB).

There are instances when the NHSPRB is not asked for a formal pay recommendation and annual pay rises are set via other means. In 2008, a multi-year pay deal over three years was reached with the NHS Staff Council which incorporated NHSPRB’s recommendations on pay for 2008/2009. In 2018, the NHS Staff Council negotiated a three-year deal with the government covering the period 2018-2021. In 2023, the Government agreed a pay deal with the NHS Staff Council to resolve the national dispute at the time.