theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the management and erosion of Dawlish Warren spit; and the future level of coastal protection required for settlements on the Exe estuary. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Environment Agency made an assessment of risk as part of the Exe Estuary FCERM Strategy 2014, collaborating with stakeholders including the public. It identified that Dawlish Warren affects the FCERM (Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management) of the wider estuary and that existing defences were unsustainable. The Strategy also identified that improvements were needed in Exmouth and Starcross, which have been delivered.

The 2017 Dawlish Warren Beach Management Scheme included new defences, beach recharge, groyne works, and the removal of relic gabion (Rock) baskets. To enable natural evolution, a planning condition identified that remaining groyne, geotube and relic gabion defences be removed by 2049.

Habitat creation schemes in the Exe were not delivered as they were deemed either not acceptable or uneconomic, but schemes have since been delivered in the Otter estuary. Works to deliver improvements at Powderham and Topsham are ongoing.

The future management of Dawlish Warren will be confirmed as part of an update to the current Strategy by 2028. Stakeholder and community engagement is planned from 2026. This update will review the current Strategy, re-assessing the risk and improvements required to protect communities, infrastructure and the environment over the next 100 years following updated Government guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government how many qualified and practising vets who are available to support the enforcement of biosecurity regulations there are in the UK. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Vets are involved in biosecurity in multiple settings, including in a lab, at the borders, in abattoirs and on farms. The latest figures provided by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons show the total number of vets registered as UK Practising is 31,221. Within this figure, the Animal and Plant Health Agency has a total of approximately 450 veterinary roles, and the Food Standards Agency employ 80 vets directly. The Government employs around 1,000 veterinary surgeons in total, of which 270 are official veterinarians.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the fishing quota in UK territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone is operated by UK registered fishing vessels. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Fishing quotas are determined within total allowable catch (TAC) management areas. These typically align with the distribution of the biological stock rather than the boundaries of exclusive economic zones.

Latest statistics can be found here MMO Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023.
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Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 23 January by the Institute of Directors and Disability@Work, Progress through transparency: the case for mandatory disability employment and pay gap reporting. \p Baroness Sherlock: On 18 March 2025, the Government launched a consultation on mandatory pay gap reporting for both disability and ethnicity. Responses to the consultation will help to shape proposals which will be included in the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which was announced in the King’s Speech in July 2024. We welcome the report published by the Institute of Directors and Disability@Work and will consider it alongside the consultation responses as we develop this piece of legislation. The previous Government consulted on disability workforce reporting in 2021/22, and we are pleased to have been able to publish a summary of responses to that consultation alongside the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill consultation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Baroness Browning:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Royal National Institute of Blind People's "Visibly Better Employer" quality standard. \p Baroness Sherlock: We welcome the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s initiative to encourage employers to create inclusive workplaces through the Visibly Better Employer standard to attract and retain more blind and partially sighted individuals in the workforce.

Through the Department’s Disability Confident Scheme newsletter, we have made members aware of the quality standard. The Disability Confident Scheme provides employers with the skills and knowledge to remove barriers that might be preventing disabled people and those with long term health conditions from accessing employment and allows them opportunities to fulﬁl their potential and realise their aspirations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Baroness Browning:To ask His Majesty's Government whether employers will be required to produce action plans for tacking disability pay gaps under the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, as is the case for gender pay gap reporting. \p Baroness Sherlock: On 18 March 2025, the Government launched a consultation on mandatory pay gap reporting for both disability and ethnicity. Responses to the consultation will help to shape proposals which will be included in the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which was announced in the King’s Speech in July 2024. One of the questions we are consulting on is the potential role that action plans might play in reducing the disability pay gap. We will use the consultation responses to develop the proposed legislation, which will include considering whether there should be a requirement for large employers to produce action plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government, following their decision to refuse permission for the building of the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange, what plans they have to increase the volume of freight carried by rail. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government continues to support modal shift from road to rail through the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme, which we have extended to at least 31 March 2026. As stated in our consultation document on proposals to reform our railways, there will be a statutory duty on Great British Railways to promote the use of rail freight, alongside a growth target set by the Secretary of State. We will also include safeguards to ensure that freight operators continue to receive fair access to the network. Both Government and Great British Railways will work with the rail freight industry on further actions to support growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Baroness Hughes of Stretford:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of additional runway capacity at (1) Heathrow Airport and (2) Gatwick Airport on regional economic inequalities between the North West and the South East of England. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.

On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.
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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether a decision to bring a judicial review of the coroner's recent findings of no justification at the inquest into the deaths by military gunfire of four armed IRA men at Clonoe, County Tyrone in 1992 has been taken by the Attorney General; and, if not, why not. \p Lord Hermer: Paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention and it applies to your question.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on clean energy investment on the island of Ireland. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation ahead of the CBAM entering its definitive period.

The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.
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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 26 February (HLWS493), what is the meaning of "immobilise" in relation to the UK-owned civil separated plutonium inventory at Sellafield. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Immobilisation will place the separated plutonium into an inherently safer and more stable form, which reduces the long-term management burden during storage and is suitable for a geological disposal facility. The NDA is working with commercial partners and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory to develop suitable technology options which would put the material into a ceramic form which would be both radiation tolerant and resistant under GDF conditions.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the impending European Union carbon border adjustment mechanism on the functioning of the single electricity market on the island of Ireland. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government plans to apply the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism across the whole UK, including in NI. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses.

The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework.

For goods moving from Northern Ireland into the EU, guidance is a matter for the European Commission and EU Member States. The UK have raised with the EU Commission the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for trade in electricity.

The EU Commission website is the most up to date source of information and guidance.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for data centres, which consume high amounts of electricity, to be located near wind farms in Scotland that have previously been turned off due to the electricity grid being unable to handle excess generation. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Locating electricity demand in areas with high levels of electricity generation can help reduce the costs of managing the electricity system and the amount of new grid infrastructure that is needed. The government is committed to including data centres as part of its strategic energy plans and this department is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure the growth of AI and data centres in the UK is done in a way that supports our clean power mission and longer-term decarbonisation goals.
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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in switching asthma patients from reliever medication to combination medication, in line with updated guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the British Thoracic Society. \p Baroness Merron: To support implementation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance, NHS England has been engaging with health system partners to coordinate resources and implementation efforts, to make sure that patients are on the appropriate treatment regimen and are using their inhaler at the right time, with the right technique.

The over-prescribing of reliever inhalers amongst people with asthma has seen a steady fall over the past few years. The percentage of patients on the Quality and Outcomes Framework asthma register who received six or more Short Acting Beta-2 Agonist reliever inhaler prescriptions over the previous 12 months fell from 19.8% in April 2022 to 15.9% in February 2025.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had in the past nine months with representatives of the medical sector concerning the availability of radio isotopes for treating cancer patients. \p Baroness Merron: The Department regularly engages with specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to assist in the management of supply issues with medical radioisotopes, including those used for treating cancer patients.
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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what engagement is taking place between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health and Social Care about the utilisation of music activities to support the health and wellbeing of parents and young children. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to reforming services in the National Health Service to ensure every school has access to specialist mental health professionals, providing early support for young people.

NHS England recognises the value of music therapy in supporting children's mental health. The Department for Education's ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review aims to broaden the curriculum, ensuring subjects like music, arts, sport, and drama are not overlooked.

The Government will be launching a new National Music Education Network, helping parents, teachers and children find information on courses, classes and more.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the NHS capital estate, and according to what timeframe. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service fit through the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. The first step in the process was Lord Darzi’s independent review of the NHS in England, which highlighted the undercapitalisation across the NHS. We are committed to reversing this trend and are due to publish an updated Capital Strategy in Autumn 2025.

The updated strategy will include clear funding assumptions for the NHS estate, accounting for the Government’s 10-Year National Infrastructure Strategy and the outcome of the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard neurodivergent and vulnerable children and young adults from receiving medically unnecessary surgeries as part of gender-affirming care interventions. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England commissions gender services for children and young people in line with its interim service specification for children and young people with gender incongruence. These services do not make referrals for surgical interventions.

Children and young people are cared for holistically by specialist multi-disciplinary teams based in specialist children's hospitals. The multi-disciplinary team should include expertise in child and adolescent mental health, including family therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on data sharing by adult gender clinics to enable the study of long-term outcomes for patients, including young adults and children, who have accessed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. \p Baroness Merron: Following the publication of the Cass Review Final Report, NHS England assumed responsibility for progressing the data linkage study, which will help us learn from the experiences and outcomes of young adults who accessed previous models of National Health Service gender services care.

This work is being undertaken with oversight from the NHS England National Research Oversight Board and is progressing as intended.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure children are not privately prescribed cross-sex hormones in order to circumnavigate the ban on puberty blockers. \p Baroness Merron: The safety of children and young people is an overriding priority for the Government, and that is why we introduced an indefinite ban on the sale and supply of puberty supressing hormones from the European Economic Area and private providers in the United Kingdom.

We will monitor the impact of the ban and will not hesitate to go further if the evidence shows the indefinite ban is being circumnavigated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-26)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health implications of using nicotine pouches, particularly for oral health. \p Baroness Merron: Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. A copy of the report in which this data is contained is attached.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches, including implications for oral health. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

We will continue to monitor the use of these products and will update public health guidance and messaging accordingly.

HL5753/54 - Document (pdf, 386.6KB)
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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the proposal to deliver a gambling ombudsman, as set out in the White Paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published 27 April 2023. \p Baroness Twycross: We continue to explore options for improving Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including the establishment of a gambling ombudsman. We are working closely with all stakeholders in the sector to deliver on this, including the BGC, the Gambling Commission, existing ADR providers and the Ombudsman Association. Further steps will be outlined in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on 19 July 2024 regarding the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and when they expect to publish their analysis of that advisory opinion and its policy implications. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK respects the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are considering its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 with the seriousness and rigour it deserves. We have been clear that many aspects of the Opinion are already government policy: Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and Israel should end its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as swiftly as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

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Lord Bates:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for their term as chair of the P5 Process for 2025–26. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The P5 Process, established by the UK in 2009, remains an important channel through which the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) discuss implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The UK will assume the 2025-26 chair of the Process this summer 2025, taking over from China. We will seek to convene substantive discussions on nuclear doctrine between the P5 states, and discuss nuclear risk reduction. We will also facilitate two accompanying non-government dialogues, the Expert-Level Track (ELT) and Young Professionals' Network (YPN). The purpose of these dialogues is to engage non-proliferation and disarmament experts and early career professionals from academia and think tanks in P5 countries, with the aim of generating new ideas to support the government-level process.
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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet with the government of Greece to discuss (1) immigration policy, and (2) how the UK, Greece and the EU can cooperate to reduce illegal migration from North Africa into Europe. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We engage closely with the Greek Government on migration issues and are committed to supporting Greece's efforts to manage migration effectively. At Ministerial level, this has included meetings between our Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers at the end of 2024, and between the Minister of State, Stephen Doughty, and his Greek counterpart (most recently in New York in July 2025). We continue to work with Greek partners to identify opportunities for further cooperation around irregular migration to and through Greece.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent violent sectarian conflict between ethnic groups in Syria, and what assessment they have made of the threat to Christian minorities in Syria as a result of further sectarian violence and destabilisation. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the government of Israel is seeking to execute the Yinon Plan in Syria; and what steps they are taking to prevent the break up of Syria into Alawite, Kurdish, Sunni and Druze zones. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence between different groups in southern Syria. We have been working closely with international partners to press for de-escalation and for all sides to engage in dialogue. We continue to call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and uphold their obligations to peace, stability and security under international law. As the Foreign Secretary made clear during his call with Israel's Foreign Minister on 21 July, Israel's attacks in Damascus risk destabilising Syria. We reiterate that respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity is crucial for both Syrian security and that of its neighbours. The only path to a better future for Syria is through an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political process, that respects the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnic or religious background.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what pressure they have placed upon the Syrian transitional authorities to work seriously and transparently to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased Syrian transitional process. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with President al Sharaa and Foreign Minister al Shaibani when he visited Damascus on 5 July. We welcome President al Sharaa's commitment to hold free and fair elections, and the announcement of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People's Assembly Elections. This is an important step in building legitimate legislative and electoral processes. It is vital now that the political transition proceeds in a genuinely inclusive way, is representative, and respects the rights of all Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government on these issues. We will judge the Syrian Government by its actions not its words.
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that women in Syria, including those from minority groups, are included in peacebuilding and transitional justice processes, in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, including women, and an improved response to sectarian violence. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues with the Syrian Government during his recent visit to Damascus and offered UK support. Syria remains a focus country in the UK's 5th National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, guiding our efforts in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325. UK funding supports Syrian women's rights organisations to promote gender equality, strengthen women's roles in peacebuilding, and increase their participation in political and public life. Thirteen years on from the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, the UK is proud of its leadership on this issue and continues to fund programmes in Syria which document human rights violations and support the trial and convictions of perpetrators of these crimes.
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are supporting the documentation and investigation of crimes of sexual and gender-based violence committed against minority women in Syria, and what support they are providing to local or international organisations working with survivors of sexual violence from Syria's minority communities as part of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK supports documentation and investigation of sexual and gender-based violence against women in Syria through the Integrated Security Fund, funding evidence collection and prosecution efforts. We co-fund Syria-specific best practice guidance and, through the Global Survivors Fund, have provided physiotherapy, psychosocial and financial support to hundreds of Syrian survivors living in Turkey since 2022.
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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of abuses committed against women from minority communities in Syria with the United National Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; and if so, what action has followed. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We work closely with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and have a longstanding partnership with her office. Officials have discussed conflict-related sexual violence around the world including Syria. With UK funding, both UN Action and the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict plan to undertake work in Syria to explore opportunities to improve services for survivors of conflict related sexual violence, including psychosocial and legal support.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the interim Syrian authorities on preventing human rights violations, protecting all Syrians, and immediately ending all forms of sectarian violence. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: During the Foreign Secretary's recent visit to Damascus he underlined the importance of an inclusive political transition and protecting the rights of all Syrians, and offered UK support in achieving this. Further to the outbreak of violence in southern Syria, he spoke to Syria's Foreign Minister, on 18 July, to express our concerns about the latest escalation and the need for a full investigation into these crimes. We continue to press the Syrian Government on the importance of improving their response to sectarian violence, protecting the rights of all Syrians, and holding all those responsible to account.
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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have met or intend to meet representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church, Latin Church, and the Melkite Geek Catholic Church following settler violence against Palestinian communities in Taybeh in the West Bank. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK condemns settler violence and is concerned by incidents and attacks on holy sites across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Consul General in Jerusalem has recently visited Taybeh with church leaders and international partners to express solidarity with the local community following attacks by settlers. We regularly raise settler violence with Israeli ministers and officials, and we are clear that the Israeli government must clamp down on settler violence and settlement expansion. The Government has introduced three rounds of sanctions targeting individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations perpetrating and supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. We do not comment on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_12

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that training provided to civil servants through the Google partnership includes guidance on artificial intelligence bias, data ethics and accountability. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: We have not yet agreed with Google as to how this training will be delivered but HMG will expect Google to adhere to the principles and standards in the Artificial Intelligence Playbook for the UK Government, published in February 2025.

Principles include: understanding AI and its limitations; and using AI lawfully, ethically, responsibly and securely. Specifically, the paper references training on ethical considerations, including bias mitigation and human oversight.

Additionally, the paper provides clear guidance on governance and oversight and that initiatives align with broader goals of societal benefit, ensuring that public trust is maintained and that AI contributes positively to public service.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_13

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make more affordable connectivity for people on very low incomes one of their priorities. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government aims to make online access affordable for everyone. The Digital Inclusion Action Plan, published in February 2025, targets the removal of affordability barriers by 2030, ensuring all citizens have affordable, reliable internet and suitable devices.

A range of social tariffs are available, including for those on very low incomes, provided for by the telecoms industry. We continue to urge the industry to raise awareness of these low cost deals for those on means tested benefits, and encourage them to maintain provision.

This is part of wider efforts to address digital exclusion, especially for low-income households, older people, disabled individuals, and the unemployed.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_14

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government when they will finalise their priorities for action on digital inclusion under the Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps, published on 26 February. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is delivering on the commitments it made in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan published in February. Progress continues to be made on each of these. Future priorities will be informed by the Call for Evidence launched alongside the Action Plan; this closed on 9 April 2025 and a summary of responses was published on GOV.UK on 17 July 2025. Ongoing collaboration across government departments and with external partners, input from the Digital Inclusion Action Committee and DSIT’s longer-term spending plans, currently still being considered, will also contribute to the shaping of priorities.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_15

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what funding will be available for digital inclusion for the period of the Spending Review 2025 for 2026–29; and if no funding has been determined, when it will be. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is committed to delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK, regardless of their circumstances. In the current financial year, we’ll back local digital inclusion initiatives up and down the country, including by launching a new £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. The full detail of DSIT's longer-term spending plans is still being considered, and further information will be provided to stakeholders as allocations are decided later in the year.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_16

Lord Birt:To ask His Majesty's Government, following Microsoft's decision to suspend services to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, whether they plan to regulate technology providers in the UK to ensure that the provision of services takes place under a framework of UK law. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: All regulated entities in the UK, including technology providers, are required to operate within the UK legal framework.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_17

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Google's "Data Boundary" solution; and what steps they are taking to protect the privacy of their data held on Google Cloud. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: His Majesty’s Government has not made a formal assessment of Google's "Data Boundary" solution. However, it remains committed to ensuring that public sector data is managed securely and in line with UK law and regulations, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

The responsibility of managing a department’s digital and IT infrastructure ultimately falls within each Department’s own purview. However, departments are mandated to follow the GDS Cloud First policy and multi-region guidance, using cloud services that provide flexibility, resilience, and robust data governance. Additionally, the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework and the Government Functional Standard for security set out the principles and baseline controls for managing security risks, particularly for critical systems and sensitive data.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_18

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure sufficient protections are in place to keep the public’s data private and secure following the announcement of partnerships between the Civil Service and technology companies. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: All government departments must comply with UK Data Protection legislation when partnering with technology companies, as they remain the data controllers for the personal data they hold. Departments are responsible for ensuring their technology partners meet high standards in line with UK GDPR principles. Each department must appoint an adequately resourced Data Protection Officer (DPO) to assess partner compliance and advise on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to identify and mitigate risks.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has published principles for securing personal data in government services, including actions departments must take to ensure compliance. These include robust commercial agreements, assigned liabilities, risk assessments, audits, monitoring, and oversight of data processing terms, along with seeking assurance from suppliers.

Additionally, the Government Security Group and GDS have introduced the Security by Design Policy, which sets out how departments should manage security risks arising from third-party technology products.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_19

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any departmental or cross-governmental working groups have been established to explore digital identity policy; and if so, what are their remit and proposed timetable. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is responsible for maintaining the standards, governance and legislation that helps people to identify trusted and secure digital identity services.

OfDIA regularly engages with cross-government colleagues regarding digital identity policy, including work to remove regulatory barriers to adoption in different use cases where these exist. OfDIA also facilitates regular technical working groups for cross-government collaboration, which provide input into the development of standards, guidance and best practice that support the Government’s digital identity work.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_20

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of international trends and standards in digital identity policy; and what discussions they have had with international partners regarding potential adoption of a digital identity policy. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government continues to assess international trends and standards in digital identity policy and implementation. This includes benchmarking the UK’s digital identity and attributes trust framework against other comparable international frameworks and guidelines. The Government also regularly engages with a range of international partners on a bilateral and multilateral basis.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_21

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government what guiding principles or policy frameworks are informing their internal discussions on the future of digital identity policy. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is committed to enabling the use of secure and trusted digital verification services across the UK economy for those who want to use them.

In response to the findings of the 2019 call for evidence on digital identity, the Government set out six principles to inform the development of digital identity policy in the UK. These are privacy, transparency, inclusivity, interoperability, proportionality, and good governance. The Government’s UK digital identity and attributes trust framework, which sets out rules for digital verification services that wish to be certified as trustworthy and will be underpinned by provisions in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, is based around these principles.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_22

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult stakeholders, including civil society and industry representatives, on the potential introduction of a digital ID system. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is committed to enabling the use of secure and trusted digital verification services across the UK economy for those who want to use them.

This work is informed by responses to a 2019 call for evidence on digital identity that requested views on how the Government can support the development and secure use of digital identities and was followed by an extensive consultation process.

OfDIA continues to regularly engage with stakeholders, including digital verification providers, industry bodies, civil society, academics and organisations interested in adopting digital identities.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-08-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-08-01 conversation_23

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the merits of developing a digital identity framework; and (2) its feasibility and impact. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: In response to the 2019 call for evidence on digital identity, the Government committed to enabling the use of secure digital identities in the UK by creating a framework of standards, legislation and governance. In 2021, a consultation on digital identity gathered further views on the development of a legal and regulatory framework.

The Government’s UK digital identity and attributes trust framework sets out rules for digital verification services. It has been developed iteratively through extensive engagement with the ICO, civil society and industry stakeholders to help ensure that it meets the needs of users. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 will underpin this framework with statutory duties on the Secretary of State, including a duty to consult and to conduct annual reviews. Over 50 services are already certified against the trust framework and delivering digital verification services across the UK economy.