theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-01 conversation_38

Baroness Maclean of Redditch:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by the Minister for Housing on 17 January 2024 (HC9065 and HC9066), whether they will start collecting data about (1) the proportion of planning permissions for new homes granted to small and medium sized housebuilders in each year, and (2) the proportion of new homes built by small and medium sized housebuilders. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Our Department has no specific plans to start new collection of data on these topics, but as part of our ambitious plans to digitalise the planning system, we are committed to introducing a planning application data standard to standardise and openly publish detailed data on planning application submissions and decisions for all types of residential development across the country.
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Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of freeports and special economic zones on UK inward investment trends. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Freeports and Investment Zones, now integrated as Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), are delivering strong results for UK inward investment, supporting the government's number one priority – economic growth.

They have attracted over £6.4 billion in private investment to date, including Siemens Gamesa's £186 million wind turbine factory in the Humber and Nissan's £1.12 billion investment in the Northeast Investment Zone.

Over their lifetime, ISZs are projected to generate over £60 billion of private investment, with a focus on the high-growth sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy. Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation of ISZs will track progress and impact against this projection.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

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Lord Cryer:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to recover the last remaining Lancaster bomber of 617 squadron currently located in Sweden. \p Lord Coaker: While there are no plans to recover the Lancaster bomber of 617 Squadron located in Sweden, I understand that the wreckage is monitored and cared for by the Porjus Arkivkommitté, the local Swedish Archival Committee.

The aircraft is in poor condition, and any recovery attempt would require considerable time and funds. However, the Porjus Arkivkommitté have put in place a walking trail and signage around the site for those wishing to visit, so that they may learn about the history of the Lancaster bomber raids and her crew.

The Royal Air Force pays tribute to the sacrifice and courage of Bomber Command by keeping a Lancaster flying on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and by preservation of a Lancaster in the National Collection within the Royal Air Force Museum.
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Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of special areas of conservation in each county in England are in a favourable condition. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The table below sets out the percentage of terrestrial special areas of consideration (SAC) feature area in each county assessed as being in favourable condition as of October 2025.

Four counties have no SAC features recorded within their boundaries and are therefore not listed in the table: Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, and the City of London.

County

% of SAC features in favourable condition

Berkshire

66.0%

Bristol

3.3%

Buckinghamshire

56.1%

Cambridgeshire

45.1%

Cheshire

4.1%

Cornwall

27.9%

Cumbria

28.1%

Derbyshire

18.9%

Devon

37.5%

Dorset

40.0%

Durham

25.6%

East Riding of Yorkshire

46.7%

East Sussex

35.8%

Essex

26.3%

Gloucestershire

20.4%

Greater London

52.3%

Greater Manchester

2.9%

Hampshire

37.5%

Herefordshire

12.0%

Hertfordshire

81.9%

Isle of Wight

31.7%

Kent

49.0%

Lancashire

27.3%

Leicestershire

0.0%

Lincolnshire

47.5%

Merseyside

0.0%

Norfolk

27.6%

North Yorkshire

37.7%

Northumberland

30.8%

Nottinghamshire

0.0%

Oxfordshire

83.9%

Shropshire

4.7%

Somerset

27.7%

South Yorkshire

2.4%

Staffordshire

15.5%

Suffolk

41.8%

Surrey

69.9%

Tyne & Wear

12.5%

Warwickshire

100.0%

West Midlands

20.6%

West Sussex

35.9%

West Yorkshire

2.5%

Wiltshire

37.6%

Worcestershire

50.0%
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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to adopt a fair system of allocation regarding the rolling out of (1) the electric vehicle charging network and (2) the upgrading of electricity grid infrastructure to ensure that urban areas are not prioritised over rural areas. \p Lord Whitehead: Government’s £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund allocated capital and resource funding across all higher tier local authorities (LAs) in England, to ensure equitable chargepoint rollout across the country. Funding allocations were determined through an assessment of LA need, including the level of rurality, which meant LAs in rural areas were allocated additional funding compared to urban ones. This builds on rollout to date, with the number of publicly available charging devices in rural areas of England increasing by 45% in 2024.

The Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including remote rural areas. Ofgem has allocated £22 billion for network upgrades under the current electricity distribution price control (2023–2028). The next distribution price control (ED3 for 2028–2033) will require distribution network operators to produce long-term regional network plans, informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs).
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish a response to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report of February 2024 regarding funding redress issues for those harmed by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-01)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many yellow card reports of (1) tinnitus (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) code 10043882), and (2) worsening of tinnitus (MedDRA code 10048029), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received in each year since 2014, and what medications those reported were linked to. \p Baroness Merron: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses the available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the MHRA’s independent advisory committee, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions, including amending the product information.

The MHRA has received a total of 11,348 United Kingdom based reports through the Yellow Card scheme associated with reaction term tinnitus, including worsening of tinnitus, from 1 January 2014 up to and including 27 November 2025. The reports received between 2014 and 2025 were for a wide range of medicinal products which include antidepressants, hormonal medicines, vaccines, antipsychotics, antibiotics, cardiovascular medicines, drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sedatives, drugs used to treat dementia and diabetes, drugs used to treat osteoporosis, Parkinson’s disease, and pain. The following table shows a yearly breakdown of reports associated with tinnitus, from 2014 to 2025, and in total:

Year

Number of reports

2014

147

2015

164

2016

230

2017

206

2018

197

2019

205

2020

212

2021

7,208

2022

1,248

2023

578

2024

495

2025

458

Total

11,348

It is important to note that anyone can report to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme and the recording of these reports in the Yellow Card database does not necessarily mean that the adverse reactions have been caused by the suspect drug. Many factors must be considered in assessing causal relationships, including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication, and the underlying disease. We encourage reporters to report suspected adverse reaction reports, and the reporter does not have to be sure of a causal association between the drug and the reactions, as a suspicion will suffice.

The number of reports received cannot be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction, as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug, is known. All fatal reports, including those reporting completed suicide, are assessed by the MHRA, and cumulative information is reviewed at regular intervals.
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Lord Stone of Blackheath:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 21 November (HL11829), whether they plan to ask (1) the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, and (2) patient bodies such as the Medcan Family Foundation, to contribute to the review of the effect of the 2018 law change to allow access to unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use; and what steps they are taking to ensure that that review includes consultation with scientists and patients. \p Baroness Merron: On 1 November 2018, cannabis-based products for medicinal use were placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. The regulations permit the prescribing of these products by, or under the direction of, specialist clinicians on the General Medical Council Specialist Register, and for use in clinical trials.

On 2 June, the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), a statutory independent scientific advisory body that advises the Government on drug-related issues, to review the effects of the 2018 law change. This will look at whether the changes have had the desired impact, and whether there are any unintended consequences. The ACMD is an independent scientific advisory body and determines its own procedures.

The ACMD published a public call for evidence running from 17 September 2025 to 17 October 2025, inviting submissions of evidence from all stakeholders, including, but not exclusive to, clinicians, patient bodies, scientists, and researchers. The Department alerted interested parties to the ACMD call for evidence, including the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society, as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Medical Cannabis under Prescription, and patient bodies, including the Medcan Family Foundation.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many yellow card reports of visual snow syndrome (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities code 10079450) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received in each year since 2014, and what medications those reports were linked to. \p Baroness Merron: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses the available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the MHRA’s independent advisory committee, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions, including amending the product information.

The MHRA has received a total of 44 United Kingdom based reports through the Yellow Card scheme associated with the reaction term visual snow syndrome received up to and including 25 November 2025. The table attached shows the yearly breakdown of substances associated with visual snow syndrome, each year from 2017 to 2025.

It is important to note that anyone can report to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, and the recording of these reports in the Yellow Card database does not necessarily mean that the adverse reactions have been caused by the suspect drug. Many factors must be considered in assessing causal relationships, including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication, and the underlying disease. We encourage reporters to report suspected adverse reaction reports, and the reporter does not have to be sure of a causal association between the drug and the reactions, as a suspicion will suffice.

The number of reports received cannot be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction, as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug, is known. All fatal reports, including those reporting completed suicide, are assessed by the MHRA and cumulative information is reviewed at regular intervals.

Additional Document (docx, 22.4KB)
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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the remits of the National Director of Patient Experience, the National Quality Board, and the forthcoming Quality Strategy specifically include the quality of care for people with learning disabilities. \p Baroness Merron: The remits of the National Director of Patient Experience, the National Quality Board, and the forthcoming Quality Strategy will encompass all patient groups, including those with learning disabilities. The remit of the National Director of Patient Experience will include listening to the experiences of people with learning disabilities and understanding their priorities for improvement.
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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a modern service framework for learning disability services to improve patient outcomes and reduce inequalities, and if so, by when. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to driving service improvements and reducing health inequalities for people with a learning disability. There are currently no plans to introduce a specific modern service framework for learning disability services.

A wide range of work is underway to improve the care of people with a learning disability. The NHS Learning Disability Improvement Standard supports National Health Service trusts by setting guidance on safe, personalised, and high-quality care provision. The standards are designed to support organisations in assessing the quality of their services and to promote uniformity across the NHS in the care and treatment provided to people with a learning disability.

People with a learning disability are identified as a priority cohort in the national Core20PLUS5 programme, which seeks to drive local action on health inequalities. NHS England has developed and embedded indicators to monitor access, experience, and outcomes for Core20PLUS populations.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are required to have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism, ensuring there is senior oversight and accountability for tackling health inequalities. Every ICB has a requirement to consider and demonstrate how they will reduce the health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability and autistic people within their local populations within the five year strategic plans required as part of the Medium-Term Planning Framework issued by NHS England in October 2025.

The NHS Act 2006 requires ICBs to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities and NHS England produces a Statement of Information on Health Inequalities setting out advice for ICBs on how they can achieve this duty. Published in November 2025, this year the statement includes specific reference to people with a learning disability and autistic people.
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Baroness Berger:To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the first staff treatment hubs, announced in the NHS 10-year plan, will be established; how many they expect to be operational between 2026 and 2029; and what criteria will guide their location. \p Baroness Merron: The 10-Year Health Plan outlines plans to pilot Staff Treatment Hubs, to provide a high-quality, wellbeing and occupational health service for all National Health Service staff. Work is underway to develop implementation and operational plans for the Staff Treatments Hubs. This will determine factors such as location, budgets, timeframes and capacity. The Staff Treatment Hubs were designed to be inclusive of primary care workers delivering NHS contracts including general practitioners and NHS dentists.
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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 20 November (HL11652), what projects for reform of occupational health services are funded through the Small Business Research Initiative; how much funding was provided to each of those projects, and whether they will place a copy of the self-reported outcomes of those projects in the Library of the House. \p Baroness Merron: The fund for stimulating innovation in occupational health (OH) funded five projects in Phase 2. Up to £300,000, inclusive of VAT, was allocated for each contract, to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for up to 12 months. The following table shows the projects to reform OH, their actual spend, and the project participant’s name:

Participant name

Project title

Actual spend

WELLICS LTD

The enhancement and trialling of an innovative platform to improve SMEs' ability to provide occupational health services to their workforce and measure improved performance in the workplace

£296,200

KINSEED LIMITED

SwiftCare - INFORMATION SYSTEMS for HEALTH AND WORK

£299,347

ELAROS 24/7 LIMITED

A smart digital OH portal and employee-facing app to bring the benefits of occupational health to individuals, micro and SME companies - initially addressing those employees with Long COVID of the overall total of 2,200,000 patients in the UK.

£262,956

LATUS HEALTH LTD

Remote access occupational health support system

£287,945

ARMOUR LABS LTD

Digital Healthcare Navigation for the Modern Workforce

£300,000

Further details on each of the projects have been published on the Innovate UK transparency page.

Following the normal practice of Innovate UK, projects will not be required to deposit their self-reported outcomes in the Library of the House due to commercial confidentiality considerations.
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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the sex ratios at birth in the United Kingdom reports for (1) 2018 to 2022, and (2) 2019 to 2023. \p Baroness Merron: The sex ratios at birth in the United Kingdom reports for 2018 to 2022 and 2019 to 2023 will be published when capacity allows, prior to which the dates for publication will be announced.
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Lord Houchen of High Leven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of prison capacity pressures on Parole Board decision-making or sentence progression, particularly in relation to risk assessments and rehabilitation pathways. \p Baroness Levitt: The Government recognises the pressures on prison capacity but can give reassurance that it has not materially affected parole outcomes. As set out in the Parole Board Annual Report, in 2024-25 the Board concluded c.17,000 cases at either paper or oral hearing, compared to c.16,000 in 2023-24. The proportion of cases reviewed where the Board has directed the offender’s release has remained broadly similar for the last few years (since 2021): around 1 in 4 cases result in a release direction. This indicates that the release rate by the Parole Board has remained broadly stable, suggesting that recent prison capacity pressures have not significantly affected it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of rejoining Creative Europe on financial growth. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government has no plans to rejoin Creative Europe. This position is informed by indicative analysis of the value for money of associating with the programme.

We are working with our world-leading sectors to ensure that they can continue to promote growth and enrich lives, at home and abroad. This includes through the Creative Industries Sector Plan, which is key to driving long-term economic growth across the United Kingdom; the new £75 million Screen Growth Package; the scaled up £18 million per year UK Global Screen Fund (2026–2029); and by committing up to £30 million for our Music Growth Package.
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Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide funding to support the continued operation beyond June 2026 of (1) the National Glass Centre, and (2) the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art; and when they last discussed the future of those galleries with (a) Sunderland City Council, and (b) Sunderland Culture. \p Baroness Twycross: The government is aware of the challenges the National Glass Centre is facing. How these challenges are managed, and decisions about its future, are a matter for the University of Sunderland and its partners, as the owner of the building.

Sunderland Culture is currently in discussion with the University about the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art’s (NGCA) future programme. These talks include exploring how to continue the city-wide approach to displaying the collection, which is currently exhibited in City Hall and The Beam. The University is also looking to lease space within Culture House as a potential permanent home for the NGCA. In addition, Arts Council England (ACE), an arm’s-length body of government, is working with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland City Council to help preserve the city’s glass-making heritage and skills for future generations.

In January 2025 Sunderland Culture was awarded £5 million from the Government’s Cultural Development Fund for Glassworks, a new world class facility for glass making in Sunderland that will connect the city’s 1,350 years of glass-making heritage. ACE delivers the Cultural Development Fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
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Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government when the Gambling Levy Programme Board and the Gambling Levy Advisory Group were established, and whether they will publish the membership of both of those bodies. \p Baroness Twycross: The Gambling Levy Programme Board first met in June 2025. The Board is chaired by the DCMS Director of Sport and Gambling, and its membership consists of government officials from relevant HMG departments, and the Scottish and Welsh governments.

The Advisory Group first met in May 2025. It is chaired by a DCMS official and membership consists of working level representation from UK Research and Innovation, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England, the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales and the Gambling Commission.

We will continue to regularly monitor the levy’s governance arrangements to ensure that there is effective oversight of delivery against objectives. We will publish the Terms of Reference and details of membership for the Levy Board and Advisory Group in due course.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement made by Diene Keita, a director of the United Nations Population Fund, on a reported mass killing of patients and their families at El Fasher Maternity Hospital in Sudan after the seizure of the city by the Rapid Support Forces; and what steps they are taking in response. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answers I gave in response to the Urgent Question on Sudan: Protection of Civilians, heard in the House of Lords on 4 November.
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Baroness Hussein-Ece:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make a multi-year commitment to the United Nations Population Fund Supplies Partnership for 2026–30. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 23 January 2025 to Question HL3786.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government when they last conducted a joint analysis of conflict and stability assessment for Sudan, and what steps they have taken as a result of the findings of that assessment. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The last Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment for Sudan was completed in 2019. Regular and ongoing analysis, from across the UK Government and from external experts, covering all aspects of the situation in Sudan forms a crucial part of the policy making process.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what involvement the Mass Atrocity Assessment Hub has in assessing the scale and nature of atrocity crimes in Sudan, and how that analysis is shaping the response to those atrocities. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Mass Atrocity Hub is now part of The Conflict and Atrocity Prevention Department, which has been working closely with the Africa Directorate on Sudan since April 2023. Support has included assessing the risk of atrocities in Sudan, providing analytical capabilities to collect, verify and preserve open-source data relating to potential atrocity crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, as well as technical advisory support on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's atrocity prevention and response workstreams.
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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with state school representatives before removing funding for the International Baccalaureate from 2026. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: ​​Whilst the department will be reprioritising the large programme uplift funding element, which is part of the 16 to 19 funding formula from the year 2026/27 academic year, the International Baccalaureate (IB) remains a fundable qualification.

​Department funded providers offering the IB will continue to receive 16 to 19 education funding, it remains the choice of the institution to decide if they wish to offer larger programmes including the IB.
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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government how many state school students studied for an International Baccalaureate Diploma in the last academic year. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: In 2023/24, there were 1,366 entries for the International Baccalaureate Diploma by students at the end of 16 to 18 study in state funded schools and colleges. This represents 0.1% of all pupils at the end of 16 to 18 study.

This data can be derived from the ‘16 to 18 qualification and subject data’ dataset on the Compare schools and college performance service here: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data.
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Lord Lebedev:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce safeguards to allow academics to speak freely on all matters, in particular measures to prevent dismissals or sanctions of university staff. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. Academics must be allowed to test the truth of the ideas that shape society and to participate in the free exchange of ideas, including where this causes shock and discomfort.

On 28 April 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, signed commencement regulations of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, enabling additional provisions to come into force from 1 August 2025. These provisions include strengthened duties on higher education (HE) providers in relation to securing and promoting the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom. The provisions make clear that academic staff must be able to question received wisdom and present new, controversial, or unpopular ideas without risking their privileges, jobs, promotions, or future roles at their provider.

Further guidance on employment and promotion of academic staff in relation to freedom of speech is set out in paragraphs 145 to 153 of the Office for Students’ Regulatory advice 24.
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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 27 October (HL11341), what delays faced by road users during  the works were factored into the calculations of overall reduction in congestion and journey times. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: In line with the Department for Transport’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) Unit A1.3, User and Provider Impacts, costs to existing transport users due to the construction of a road investment scheme are recorded in the appraisal. The impact of delays during construction and maintenance are estimated using the same transport models used to predict the overall traffic effects of the scheme. Bespoke software packages, as described in TAG, are used to value the delays to transport users using standard economic parameters.

The Transport Economic Efficiency (TEE) table, produced for all road investment schemes, allows for the user delays during construction and maintenance to be recorded alongside the travel time benefits of the road investment scheme, to ensure that the economic appraisal accounts for both the benefits and disbenefits for users of the road investment scheme.
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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 27 October (HL11342), what were the forecast effects of (1) the Elizabeth Line, and (2) Worcestershire Parkway Station prior to their opening; and what are the latest measured effects of those schemes. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The forecast effects and latest measured effects of the Elizabeth Line are set out in two post-opening evaluation reports published in 2024 and 2025. Both reports can be found on the Transport for London website.

In summary, the evaluation evidence finds that the Elizabeth Line has had positive impact on both employment growth and housing growth, although the impacts have not been uniform across all areas. The evaluation finds that between 2015 and 2023, employment growth around Elizabeth line stations consistently outperformed the total London average (25% growth around Elizabeth line stations compared to 14% in London). The growth in jobs and connectivity has been accompanied by a surge in housebuilding. 71,000 new homes have been delivered around Elizabeth line stations since 2015. By 2024, the residential property stock around inner London Elizabeth line stations increased by 19% compared to 10% for all inner London.

The forecast effects of the opening of the Worcestershire Parkway Station were expected to be: (i) reducing road congestion and road vehicle carbon emissions by reducing road vehicle usage; (ii) address Worcestershire's poor accessibility to and from London arising from the limited frequency and length of journey time of North Cotswold Line services; (iii) transform access to the rail network for Worcestershire passengers; and (iv) tackle Worcestershire's exclusion from the Cross Country network (Bristol-Birmingham-North West/North East).

No post-opening evaluation of Worcestershire Parkway Station has as yet been carried out. However, latest measured impacts of the station are assessed as:

Passenger numbers: Over 2 million journeys in five years, far exceeding forecasts.

Carbon impact: Achieved carbon neutrality within five years; saves ~1.8 million kgCO₂e annually.

Economic and transport role: Significant modal shift to rail, reducing congestion and supporting sustainable travel; demand strong enough to trigger plans for car park expansion and service enhancements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 27 October (HL11342), what has been the effect on projected housing growth and access to employment in the relevant areas of (1) the Elizabeth Line, and (2) Worcestershire Parkway Station. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The latest evidence on the effect of the Elizabeth Line on housing growth and access to employment can be found in the 2024 and 2025 post-opening evaluation reports. Both reports can be found on the Transport for London website.

In summary, the evaluation evidence finds that the Elizabeth Line has had positive impact on both employment growth and housing growth, although the impacts have not been uniform across all areas. The evaluation finds that between 2015 and 2023, employment growth around Elizabeth line stations consistently outperformed the total London average (25% growth around Elizabeth line stations compared to 14% in London). The growth in jobs and connectivity has been accompanied by a surge in housebuilding. 71,000 new homes have been delivered around Elizabeth line stations since 2015. By 2024, the residential property stock around inner London Elizabeth line stations increased by 19% compared to 10% for all inner London.

No post-opening evaluation of Worcestershire Parkway Station has as yet been carried out. However, the measured impact on housing and access to employment of the station are assessed as:

Housing: Strategic growth area planned for up to 10,000 homes and a new town centre; initial phase aims for 5,000 dwellings and 50 hectares of employment land by 2041.

Employment: Mixed-use development includes logistics and office space; Midlands Rail Hub proposals could add 140 weekly services, expanding access to jobs in Birmingham, Cardiff, and beyond.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timeline for making a decision on the application from Transport for London to run the Northern City Line between Moorgate and Hertfordshire. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Transport for London (TfL) has submitted a business case for the devolution of Great Northern inner services, which include the Northern City Line. No decision has yet been made. The Department is reviewing the proposal and working with TfL to assess its benefits and wider implications, such as supporting housing growth—for example, the potential development of 21,000 homes at Crew’s Hill. A timeline for a decision has not been set, but this work is continuing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will adopt the World Health Organization's noise level guidelines to address noise pollution from the operations of Heathrow Airport. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government is reviewing the evidence underpinning the World Health Organization's Guidelines together with more recent evidence. This review is being undertaken by the Government’s Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits (Noise) to consider whether any updates should be made to relevant Government guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) on 7 April (HC40908), what communications representatives of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation have made to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on (1) the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest designation or (2) the presence or absence of distinguished jumping spiders within land owned by the Development Corporation for development, since 4 July 2024. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, as the sponsor department, has regular discussions with Ebbsfleet Development Corporation on matters relevant to its core objectives including the impact of the Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 13 October (HLWS946), for each identified new town, how many of the additional homes identified are already committed to in a local plan. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: On 28 September, the government published the New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response.

As set out in their report, the Taskforce have prioritised sites where housing can be delivered quickly to reflect the urgent need for housing and with high quality placemaking standards. New towns are necessarily long-term projects which should continue to grow over decades to come, but government is determined to begin work as soon as possible, with spades in the ground on at least three new towns in this Parliament.

The government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance is issued to local authorities on the digitisation of marked electoral registers following elections, and whether they plan to legally require local authorities to make digital marked electoral registers available for purchase following elections. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Specified persons can request a copy of relevant parts of the marked copy of the register of electors, and other related lists, for a fee. This request can be for a paper or data copy. The Government has no plans to change these arrangements.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance on the supply and inspection of marked registers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the factors allowing housing estate developers not to comply with planning requirements to install swift and bat bricks. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: There are no current planning requirements to install swift and bat bricks. The government has committed to consult on changes which require swift bricks to be incorporated into new buildings unless there are compelling reasons which preclude their use, or which would make them ineffective.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 27 October (HL Deb col 1192), whether the aim to "sort out Hillside" referred to the consequences of the decision of the Supreme Court in Hillside Parks Ltd v Snowdonia National Park Authority [2022] UKSC 30 or the planning status of the hillside location in Aberdyfi; and when they expect the Hillside issue to be resolved. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: My remarks to the House set out the Government’s proposed approach to handling the broader implications of the Supreme Court judgement on the use of drop in permissions for the development sector in England, not the specific case in Wales subject to the judgement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government whether Equality and Human Rights Commission's guidance on single-sex spaces following the Supreme Court decision has been sent to the devolved administrations in draft. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The EHRC has submitted its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations to the Government. The Code addresses a broad range of issues for service providers, beyond those relating to single sex spaces. The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Code will be laid before Parliament.

Under Section 14 of the Equality Act 2006, the Secretary of State is required to consult with Scottish and Welsh Ministers at relevant stages in this process. Ministers are following this process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the applications reviewed by the Debt and Fraud Information Sharing Review Board for projects 341 and 476, and to publish any end-of-pilot report for project 341. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017 Secretariat has no plans to publish application documents (e.g. pilot business cases, data protection impact assessments or memorandums of understanding) in relation to projects 341 and 476.

It is the voluntary responsibility of participating pilot organisations to publish any documentation in relation to applications. This is set out in paragraph 146 in the Code of Practice (CoP) for public authorities disclosing information under Chapters 1, 3 and 4 (Public Service Delivery, Debt and Fraud) of Part 5 of the DEA 2017.

On the publication of an end-of-pilot report on project 341, the DEA Secretariat publishes summary minutes from each Review Board meeting, which references organisational-led end-of-pilot reports. The decision to publish these reports are the responsibility of the relevant organisation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential contribution of a youth mobility scheme with the EU to economic growth. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: We have agreed that we will work towards the establishment of a balanced youth experience scheme with the EU. This will create new opportunities for cultural exchange between the UK and the EU. It will be good for the economy, good for growth and good for business. Any scheme will be time-limited and capped, and we have also been clear that it should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The Government is committed to providing appropriate analysis of our EU deal but we will not be able to provide a full assessment of the impacts whilst detailed negotiations are ongoing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-11)

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Lord Allen of Kensington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase employment opportunities through public procurement. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government is determined to ensure public procurement boosts jobs, growth and the economy.

The Government has updated the Social Value Model with new criteria on fair work so that suppliers are rewarded in procurements for providing good quality jobs, supporting people into work and providing their employees with additional development opportunities.

The Government has consulted on further reforms to public procurement and will provide an update on the response to the consultation and next steps in due course.