theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-11 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-11 conversation_54

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what the Barnett consequentials are for Northern Ireland arising from the £1 billion support package announced for employment, health and skills for the disabled and those with long-term medical conditions. \p Lord Livermore: The Barnett formula is applied when UK Government departmental budgets change, not when additional funding is announced. The Barnett consequentials from the £1 billion employment support package will be confirmed at Phase 2 of the Spending Review 2025.

The Northern Ireland Executive is receiving £18.2 billion in 2025-26, including an additional £1.5 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula. This is the largest spending review settlement in real terms since devolution and ensures that the Northern Ireland Executive continues to receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the funds transferred from overseas development assistance expenditure to defence may be used by the armed forces on revenue expenditure rather than capital expenditure, in (1) real terms, and (2) as a percentage; and whether this was discussed with Service Chiefs in advance. \p Lord Livermore: The Prime Minister announced on 25 February 2025 that NATO qualifying defence spending would increase to 2.5% GDP in 2027-28. This would be fully funded by a reduction in ODA spending from 0.5% to 0.3% GNI.

The Spring Statement document, published on 26 March, set out the Resource DEL and Capital DEL uplifts to defence spending over the scorecard period.

The proportion of this uplift that will be allocated to the MOD budget is to be determined as part of the Spending Review 2025, which will conclude on 11 June 2025.

The Defence Secretary will continue to work with the Service Chiefs in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what assumptions they have made in their budget estimates for additional resources gained from the recovery of unpaid tax. \p Lord Livermore: The Government expects an additional £6.3 billion per year to be gained by 2029-30 from the measures announced as part of the Budget in October 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. These estimates have been certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-11 conversation_57

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what additional staff and funding they have provided to allow HMRC to pursue unpaid tax. \p Lord Livermore: As announced by the Chancellor in July 2024 (and confirmed in the Budget in October 2024) £1.4 billion of funding will be provided to HMRC over the next five years to recruit an additional 5,000 HMRC compliance staff, raising £2.7 billion per year in additional revenue by 2029-30.

In addition, the Government confirmed at the Budget in October 2024 that £262 million will be invested over the next five years, to fund 1,800 HMRC debt management staff, raising £2 billion per year in additional revenue by 2029-30. Further investment of £272m to modernise HMRC’s IT and data systems and increase tax receipts as a result, is expected to raise additional revenue of £700m per year by 2029-30.

As part of the Spring Statement 2025, a package of measures to help further close the tax gap and raise over £800 million in additional gross tax revenue per year by 2029-30 was announced.. Specifically, investment of £100m in 500 additional HMRC compliance staff and £114m in 600 additional HMRC debt management staff, as well as £87m to increase collection of overdue tax debt using Debt Collection Agencies acting on HMRC’s behalf.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government whether fiscal rules or defence priorities determined that more than 90 per cent of the expenditure transferred to defence from overseas development assistance is allocated to capital expenditure; and how this allocation correlates to the 35 per cent of defence expenditure currently allocated to capital spending. \p Lord Livermore: The Chancellor’s Spring Statement document, published on 26 March, set out the Resource DEL and Capital DEL uplifts to defence spending over the scorecard period.

A greater proportion of the uplift will be Capital DEL funding. This reflects the needs of defence, and will enable the accelerated adoption of cutting-edge capabilities, and rebuild stockpiles, munitions, and other essentials depleted after a period focussed on international terrorism and global crises. This Capital DEL focus also supports the Chancellor’s mission to boost growth, enabling greater spending on novel and innovative technologies.

The allocation of this uplift and the MOD budget will be confirmed as part of the Spending Review 2025, which will conclude on 11 June 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland following its agreement of a new funding package for community pharmacies in England. \p Lord Livermore: The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL). As the Community Pharmacy Contract is being funded from within existing Department for Health and Social Care’s budgets, there will be no additional Barnett consequentials for the devolved governments. The Barnett formula has already been applied to funding previously allocated at the Budget in October 2024 and Phase 1 of Spending Review 2025 for 2025-26.

The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023, and the next version of the Block Grant Transparency will be published in due course.

The Northern Ireland Executive’s 2025-26 Spending Review settlement is the largest settlement in real terms of any since devolution and ensures that the Northern Ireland Executive continues to receive over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, including the 2024 restoration financial package.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-11)

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Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 27 March (HL5777), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, how many (1) charities, (2) campaign organisations, and (3) survivors, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has met regarding adult non-consensual intimate image abuse since 5 July 2024; and how many such meetings they have held in total and on which dates they have taken place. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders about issues related to online harms, including adult non-consensual intimate image abuse.

Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Baroness Gohir:To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding was allocated to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in (1) 2022–23, (2) 2023–24, (3) 2024–25, and (4) 2025–26; how much funding was utilised in each of those years; and how any unspent funds were used or reallocated. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme was introduced in 2024/25. Funding allocated for protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools under the scheme in 2024/25 was £29,400,000, of which the full allocation was issued.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the number of illegal immigrants in the UK has increased or decreased since 4 July 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: By its very nature, it is not possible to know the exact size of the illegal migrant population in the UK, and so the Home Office under successive governments has not been able to publish any official estimates of that population.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how much the Home Office has spent in each year since 2020 under the RM6141 and RM6302 language services frameworks; and whether the department has used or maintained any separate or competing frameworks, contracts or commercial routes for the procurement of language services during the same period, and, if so, how much has been spent through them. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant 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 (2025-07-01)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of energy costs on factory activity in the UK. \p Baroness Gustafsson: The Government recognises that high energy costs impact factory activity and undermine investment in manufacturing. Therefore, we announced in the Industrial Strategy the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, to reduce industrial electricity prices by around 20-25% from 2027. This new scheme could benefit over 7,000 manufacturing businesses, including those in automotive and defence sectors. We will consult on precise eligibility shortly.

For existing Supercharger recipients, we will also increase Network Charging Compensation from 60% to 90%, saving eligible energy intensive industries a further £10 per megawatt-hour.

We are also continuing compensation of indirect carbon costs from electricity generation for eligible sectors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small businesses with receiving payments owed to them and to encourage the prompt repayment of invoices. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Late payments are one of the biggest problems facing small businesses and the self-employed.

In September 2024 we announced a package of new measures aimed at tackling late payments and supporting small businesses, these included:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to help farming and rural communities following the announced cuts to DEFRA's budget and the increase in inheritance tax on family farms. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is backing British farming. We are prioritising investment that supports the Government’s Plan for Change and building on the Secretary of State’s work to reform Defra to drive growth while maintaining a steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery.

We are, in fact, increasing the budget for sustainable farming and are investing more than £2.7 million a year in farming and nature recovery. Funding for the Environmental Land Management Schemes paid to farmers will increase by 150% from £800 million in 23/24 to £2 billion by 28/29. Overall farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3 billion a year through the Farming and Countryside Programme, and up to £400 million from additional nature schemes, including those for tree planting and our peatlands.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 3 June (HL7863), what plans they have to introduce legislation to counter environmental noise nuisance and support local enforcement. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Statutory Nuisance Regime under Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) is designed to provide protection from nuisances including noise, odour, smoke, fumes, artificial light, infestations and accumulations.

Local authorities are responsible for investigating nuisance problems brought to their attention under the EPA. If they agree that a statutory nuisance is happening, has happened or will happen in the future, councils must serve an abatement notice (usually on the person responsible). This could result in an unlimited fine if the recipient does not follow the rules of the abatement notice. It could also result in prosecution and an additional fine if found guilty in a Magistrates Court.

Local Authority Environmental Health Officers are qualified to make decisions on what can be considered a statutory nuisance within the local context and issue an abatement notice immediately. At this present time, there are no plans to change the regime.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the carbon footprint of water desalination plants in England. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The carbon footprint of water supply schemes is an integral factor for water companies in considering how future water demand should be met. The water industry has made net zero commitments by 2030, and the Government has ensured that Water Resources Management Plans (WRMP), which outline water company proposals for new supplies and demand reduction measures, describe how all measures contribute to company and Government net zero commitments.  Water demand is growing due to climate change, the need for drought resilience, population growth and to address unsustainable abstraction. Where water companies have planned new desalination plants, they have shown that the scheme is part of a best value plan for society. This includes assessment balancing the costs, carbon footprint, environmental impacts and social benefits of all potential alternatives for increasing water supply and reducing demand. Regulators have scrutinised WRMPs and are satisfied that only best value schemes have been proposed that meet the challenges facing water supplies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to page 43 of their policy paper Spending Review 2025: Departmental Efficiency Plans, published on 11 June, what percentage of the Cabinet Office’s commercial contracts by value are due for renewal or renegotiation by 2028–29; and what proportion of the £3 million efficiency savings relating to procurement has already been contractually secured. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: 21% by value of the Cabinet Office’s live contracts are intended for renewal between 1 April 2026 and 31st March 2029.

The Cabinet Office published our technical efficiency delivery plan along with all other departments as part of the Spending Review 2025. This included a commitment to delivering £1m in annual efficiencies related to procurement in 2027/28, increasing to £3m in 2028/29. We are in active negotiations to begin delivery of the efficiencies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Baroness Pidding:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that companies under investigation by a public inquiry are subject to enhanced scrutiny or restrictions in future public procurement processes. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Procurement Act 2023 enables and, where appropriate, requires the exclusion of suppliers where they pose particular risks to public procurement. The exclusions regime provides a framework within which contracting authorities must consider a supplier’s recent past behaviour and circumstances (or their presence on the debarment list) to determine whether it should be allowed to compete for or be awarded a public contract. Contracting authorities can take account of any criticism of suppliers in public inquiry findings when considering whether an exclusion ground applies as part of this process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Godson:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Finland's decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel landmines; and what plans they have to change their own position. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: His Majesty's Government (HMG) has noted that Finland has stated its intention to withdraw. We also acknowledge its sovereign right to make this decision.

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Convention) continues to play an important role in protecting civilians from harm caused by anti-personnel landmines. As a State Party to the Ottawa Convention, the UK's commitment to it remains unwavering. We promote universalisation and encourage all countries to join the Ottawa Convention and subscribe to its provisions, and we discourage States from using anti-personnel landmines. The UK continues to engage bilaterally with Finland to better understand the actions it may take following withdrawal.

HMG continues to express its commitment to the Ottawa Convention, most recently by Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, Lord Coaker, in a Written Parliamentary Question, on 23 June 2025, in the House of Lords.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to stop any killing of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war by Russian armed forces. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We condemn Russia's barbaric assault against Ukraine's civilian population. The Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights reports that at least 13,341 civilians have been killed since February 2022. We have been clear that Russia's delaying of peace process to stop the bloodshed will only strengthen our resolve to help Ukraine to defend itself and use our sanctions to restrict Putin's war machine. Our latest sanctions of 17 June impact across Russia's financial, military and energy sectors.

The UK holds Russia accountable for the treatment of any prisoner in their custody. Members of the Ukrainian armed forces who are captured by Russia are entitled to Prisoner of War status and must be provided all the rights and protections afforded to them in accordance with the Geneva Convention. We condemn the exploitation of Prisoners of War for political and propaganda purposes. We regularly use our public communications and statements, including at the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to draw attention to Russia's treatment of Ukrainian Prisoners of War, calling on Russia to comply with international humanitarian law and demanding accountability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Estonia regarding the potential implications of amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act passed by the Parliament of Estonia for the religious freedom, minority rights and civil liberties of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK Government has seen no evidence that suggests the Estonian Government is seeking to limit the practice of religious freedom. Instead, the revised wording of the proposed legal amendment aims to prevent hostile influence from reaching congregation members through the administrative ties of a religious organisation. We have therefore had no ministerial communication with the Government of Estonia on the subject. The UK is committed to promoting the freedom of religious belief for all and we work closely with international partners, including through the Article 18 Alliance, of which Estonia is a member, to champion freedom of religious belief around the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Frost:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the UK–EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar: Joint Statement on 11 June, whether Gibraltar will be required to align with the EU single market. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Specific practical arrangements have been agreed on the movement of people and goods to facilitate the removal of immigration and customs checks on people crossing the land border between Gibraltar and the EU. To enable this fluid movement, the Government of Gibraltar has agreed that all goods circulating in Gibraltar will be compliant with EU rules. This will be achieved by imported goods being pre-cleared in the EU before moving to Gibraltar. Movement of services and capital are not in scope of the UK-EU Agreement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Wharton of Yarm:To ask His Majesty's Government why the Prime Minister did not meet the interim leader of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, on his recent visit to the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The travel plans of Chief Adviser Professor Yunus are a matter for the Government of Bangladesh.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Frost:To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the UK–EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar: Joint Statement on 11 June, whether Gibraltar will have the right to set its own indirect tax rates. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Yes. Under this Agreement Gibraltar will continue to have freedom to set its own indirect tax rates on the services industries that are critical to its economy and ongoing prosperity. As part of this Agreement, the Government of Gibraltar has chosen to align the rate of its import duty on goods to the minimum rate of Value Added Tax applied in the EU.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Anderson of Ipswich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the letter of 22 May from nine European Presidents and Prime Ministers to the Council of Europe concerning criminal foreign migrants, and (2) the Council of Europe’s response. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK participates in regular engagement with the Council of Europe and its member States, including on the important issues raised in this letter. We agree with the Council of Europe Secretary General that any discussion needs to take place between member States. This was confirmed by the Lord Chancellor in her speech to the Committee of Ministers on 18 June 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker which officials initiated, approved and signed-off on the new security barrier on the West Front of the House of Lords and which members of the House were consulted on the design. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The need for an improved security perimeter along the West Front of the Palace of Westminster was identified by the independent review of Parliament’s security, undertaken by Sir John Murphy following the Westminster Bridge terror attack and murder of PC Keith Palmer in March 2017.

The projects business case was brought forward as part of the Security Programme, led by the Director of Parliamentary Security and was approved at Parliament’s Investment Committee, and by the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the House of Commons in their roles as Accounting Officers.

The House of Lords Commission considered the plans as they developed, in November 2023 and in May 2024, prior to the award of the contract for the manufacture and install of the fence. Alongside more general quarterly updates, the House of Lords Services Committee were consulted on the plans in May 2024.

Five drop-in events for Peers on the Abingdon Street fence were held between July 2024 and May 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the justification for the difference in style and design between the steel bars on the West Front of the House of Lords and the bars surrounding the House of Commons. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Where possible, the newly installed fence along the West Front of the Palace of Westminster has been designed to be sympathetic to the existing fences while also meeting different and specific requirements. The primary driver of the difference is that the fence along the West Front has been designed to be completely removeable to accommodate the variety of access needs to Old Palace Yard. To achieve this, the fence posts had to be mounted onto the existing bi-steel barriers which make up the vehicle access (Corus) lane in Old Palace Yard. This meant it was not possible to match exactly the fence at Cromwell Green.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, before the approval of the security barrier installed along the West Front, what assessment was made of the ability of armed police officers guarding entrances along the West Front to have an unobscured view of Abingdon Street. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The design of the Abingdon Street fence components was undertaken to carefully balance security requirements and heritage considerations, whilst maintaining necessary lines of sight for the security personnel working in this area, including at nearby entrances.

Officials from the House consulted the Metropolitan Police throughout the risk assessment, design and installation phases of the project. The fence has been installed with the support of the Metropolitan Police, including consultation with tactical advisers specialising in firearms, public order and Counter Terrorism.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans he has to replace the kerb adjacent to Peers' Entrance with a dropped kerb and whether any reason has been given for not doing so. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The design of the pavements and kerbs adjacent to Peers' Entrance is compliant with the accessibility requirements of UK Building Regulations. While no final decision has been taken on making changes to the current design, it will need to take into account Health and Safety, disruption, cost as well as accessibility considerations. Strategic Estates and the Director of Facilities are considering this matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Caine:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions took place, if any, between the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and representatives of the Finucane family regarding the appointment of the two assessors to the Patrick Finucane Inquiry; whether the family's consent was sought; and whether it was granted. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Under the Inquiries Act, the power to establish a statutory independent inquiry and the constitution of the inquiry lie with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

In the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement of 13 June, he set out that he had appointed Baroness O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese as Assessors to the Patrick Finucane Inquiry under section 11 of the Inquiries Act 2005 in accordance with the established appointments process. The Secretary of State then informed the Finucane family in the week of the announcement in line with customary practice. Their role is to provide expert advice to the Rt Hon Sir Gary Hickinbottom who has been appointed as Chair of the Inquiry under section 1 of the Act. I remain confident that these appointments have the relevant knowledge, experience and professionalism the Inquiry requires.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's spending review Statement, what new policies they are initiating for schools "from Swansea to Bridgend" (HC Deb col 985); how much financial resource has been allocated to this initiative; and whether it will be administered from Westminster or by the Welsh Government. \p Lord Livermore: The government will provide £410 million per year by 2028-29 to expand Free School Meals eligibility from September 2026 to all pupils in England with a parent receiving Universal Credit. The government will also provide £80 million per year by 2028-29 for early years and post-16 settings to support this expansion.

The Welsh Government will receive the Barnett consequential for this policy in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the £118 million fund for coal tip safety announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 June (HC Deb col 983) will be administered by the Welsh Government or His Majesty's Government. \p Lord Livermore: Coal tip remediation is a devolved responsibility in Wales.

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced £118 million for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 to 2028-29 to keep coal tips maintained and safe. The Welsh Government will have responsibility for administering this funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the comment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 June (HC Deb col 983) regarding Treasury policy on assessing value for money in public expenditure was intended to be retrospective; and whether decisions taken by the Government from 2010 to 2024 on projects that have not yet started will therefore be reconsidered. \p Lord Livermore: The Green Book is government guidance on appraisal. It is not a ‘test’ that needs to be passed to justify a spending proposal.

The actions arising from the Green Book Review 2025 will ensure that government decisions are based on more effective assessments of place-based interventions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

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Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the number of gambling venues operating with bingo licences but effectively operating as adult gaming centres. \p Baroness Twycross: We recognise that, as noted in the Gambling Commission’s 2023 advice to the Gambling Act Review, there are gambling premises which are licensed solely as bingo venues, where gaming machines take up most of the floor space and which can give the appearance to consumers of being adult gaming centres.

As set out in the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, in licensed bingo premises, gaming machines may only be made available for use where there are also substantive facilities for non-remote bingo available in the premises. Non-remote bingo licensees must also ensure that the function and presentation of their premises are such that a customer can reasonably be expected to recognise that it is a premises licensed for the purposes of providing bingo facilities. These are conditions of non-remote bingo licences. We are reviewing the current licensing regime for bingo venues, and we intend to consult on changes in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_27

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of readiness of fire and rescue services and other agencies to cope with outbreaks of wildfires in England. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government recognises that wildfires are an increasing threat to people, properties, infrastructure, and the environment.

Each fire and rescue authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfire), through their Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), and having regard to the views of other key local responders.

Since 2024 the Government has funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

Across the country there are many examples of effective collaborative working at the local level between land managers, those with local knowledge, first responders, local resilience forums and other stakeholders before, during and after wildfires.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular engagement with other government departments including Defra and Cabinet Office, along with National Bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF) to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_28
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_28

Lord Walney:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of social cohesion and societal and democratic resilience in the UK; and what indicators they are using to measure cohesion and resilience. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is leading cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues. This will include further consideration of how to effectively measure social cohesion.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce, chaired by the Security Minister, has a mandate to safeguard our democratic institutions and processes from the full range of threats, and the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit is an enduring function that coordinates election security efforts across Government.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_29

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard value for money in public expenditure in respect of monies disbursed through the Towns Fund to Peterborough City Council for the construction of climbing wall facilities at Gunwade Lake. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Peterborough City Council (PCC) as the accountable body for the Peterborough Town Deal has responsibility for ensuring that specific projects, such as the Activity Centre project at Gunwade Lake, represent good value for money, in line with the conditions of their grant funding allocation.

MHCLG undertake regular monitoring of the delivery progress of the Town Deal which is used to inform any future payments.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_30

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask the Leader of the House when she expects a Written Answer to be given to the three questions asked by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton on 5 June (HL8180, HL8181 and HL8182). \p Baroness Smith of Basildon: The question was answered by the Department for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 26 June 2025. I apologise for the delay.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_31
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_31

Lord Lilley:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 3 March by Gordon Hughes and Net Zero Watch, Will Net Zero Reduce Electricity Costs in 2030, in particular with regard to the impact of imports of electricity from the continent on UK wholesale electricity prices. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: This Government has been clear that the answers to the challenges around energy security, affordability and sustainability point in the same direction – clean energy. The electricity market in GB operates on the principle of marginal pricing, whereby the price of electricity is set by the last technology needed to meet overall demand, often gas. The ever-increasing participation of renewables in the market means that over time, cheaper electricity produced by renewables will set the wholesale price more often than gas.

Interconnectors are, and will continue to be, an important component of GB’s energy capacity mix, supporting GB’s energy security and transition to net zero.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_32
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_32

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 16 June (HL8161), what precautions they are overseeing or initiating in seeking to minimise future disruption at UK airports. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The resilience of the UK aviation sector is important, and key to its success. It is the responsibility of the industry to manage demand, recruit, and roster staff. The aviation sector has increased resilience, with ground handlers, airlines, airports and air traffic control providers all undertaking significant recruitment campaigns, whilst investing in new infrastructure, equipment and technology.

The Aviation Minister regularly writes to industry to seek assurances from the aviation sector that they have sufficient resilience plans to manage operations effectively over peak periods, and the department continues to work closely with the sector to understand any potential risks and mitigating actions.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_33
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_33

Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the transfer of South Western Railway services into public ownership, what steps they are taking to ensure comprehensive wi-fi services on those trains. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: South-Western Railway has made some recent upgrades to Wi-Fi and customer satisfaction with Wi-Fi has been on a positive trend since these upgrades were made. There may be opportunities to consider further improvements in the future, and these would be subject to a positive business case which balances the needs of passengers and taxpayers.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_34

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 9 June (HL7762), why they are not planning to renew HMP Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over. \p Lord Timpson: A contract for Creative Engagement provision at HMP Eastwood Park has been put out to tender and will include elements of previous provision plus additionality to engage and support women in their personal development. This provision will be available to all women, including those over 50.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_35
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_35

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that prisoners who do unpaid work do not undertake work for profit-making businesses that would otherwise be remunerated. \p Lord Timpson: While there is not anything called ‘unpaid work’ in prisons, convicted prisoners are expected to work and there are various jobs across prison workshops, kitchens, laundries and other services like wing cleaning for which prisoners are paid. Prisoners are also paid to work in prison industries, which can be commercial, employer-led spaces or can make products for the internal prison market that we would otherwise have to buy (such as cell furniture and prisoner clothing), saving the taxpayer money.

In addition, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) allows prisoners to be released temporarily into the community for specific purposes, including to engage in employment. Prisoners working on ROTL are paid the same as their counterparts in the community and are subject to the same income tax, National Insurance and child support requirements, as well as other court ordered deductions. The Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 gives governors the power to deduct up to and including 40% from prisoners’ earnings on ROTL. As per the Prison Rules 1999, all monies raised from the levy are sent to Victim Support.

Certain offenders will carry out unpaid work in the community, when sentenced to do so by the courts. In 2023, around half of those on community-based sentences had such a requirement, with around 5 million hours delivered each year. However, it is a core principle of community payback that unpaid work must not directly replace paid work, should comply with state aid regulations and forced labour conventions, and should avoid creating competitive advantages through the provision of free labour. It serves as a credible punishment that is visible to the public, with rehabilitation serving as an important secondary element.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_36
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_36

Lord Botham:To ask His Majesty's Government what equality impact assessment they have carried out in regard to the decision to end access to Brineura for patients diagnosed with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 after January 2026. \p Baroness Merron: The Department has not undertaken any equality impact assessment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. Equality impact assessments are not undertaken for managed access agreements, but considerations of equality and health inequalities are integral to NICE’s guidance development process.

Managed access gives people faster access to promising new treatments which might otherwise not be recommended, because of uncertainties about their clinical or cost effectiveness.

The managed access agreement (MAA) for cerliponase alfa (Brineura) was put in place to allow eligible patients to be treated, while additional evidence was collected to address significant uncertainties identified by NICE’s independent committee. Without this agreement, the treatment could not be made available at all.

Patients who started treatment during the MAA will continue to be funded. However, if the committee ultimately concludes that the treatment is not a cost-effective use of NHS resources, it cannot be recommended for routine commissioning and new patients would not be eligible for NHS-funded access.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_37
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-01 conversation_37

Lord Botham:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of ineligibility to receive cerliponase alfa for treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) on children born after January 2026; and what steps they are taking to ensure equitable access to treatment for all future patients who are diagnosed with CLN2. \p Baroness Merron: In the absence of treatment with cerliponase alfa, clinical management of patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) focuses on symptom control, monitoring and preventing complications, and palliative care. The aim is to maintain function for as long as possible and to improve quality of life. Following the next National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Appraisal Committee meeting in July, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England will continue to try to reach an agreement with the manufacturer, based on the committee's preferred assumptions around modelling, that will provide access to cerliponase alfa for all future patients.