theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the early years sector on reforming the funding model to improve sustainability and reduce bureaucracy. \p Stephen Morgan: The early years sector was widely consulted as part of the development of the Best Start in Life strategy, published by the department on 7 July 2025. This close working relationship will continue as we deliver on our commitment to consulting with the sector on a set of changes to our approach to early years funding by summer 2026. We want to ensure that funding is distributed fairly, effectively and efficiently, reflecting the costs of delivery in different parts of the country, and supporting those children and areas that have higher levels of additional need.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the free breakfast club expansion will be rolled out to Telford constituency. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to deliver on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state funded school with primary-aged children. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day.

From the start of summer term, the department has funded 750 schools to deliver a free breakfast club as early adopters. This is part of a test and learn phase in advance of national rollout.

We are currently working through the outcomes of the latest spending review and the departmental business planning processes. Further details will follow in due course, including the timing of national rollout and the details of funding and support for schools.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to introduce stricter penalties for dangerous driving. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out next steps on this in due course.

Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 increased the maximum penalty from 14 years’ imprisonment to life imprisonment for the offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs, and causing death by dangerous driving. These measures came into force on 28 June 2022 and apply to offences committed on or after that date.

The Sentencing Council has reflected these changes in the sentencing guidelines and the starting point for cases falling into the highest level of seriousness is now 12 years’ imprisonment – a significant increase from the previous 8 years’ starting point. The sentence range for the most serious instances is now 8 to 18 years’ imprisonment.

Independent judges decide sentences. However, we are committed to making sure the courts have the sentencing powers to ensure punishments fit the severity of the crime.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employees in her Department earn (a) £100,000 and (b) £166,000 or more per year. \p Alex Davies-Jones: We can confirm that in March 2025 there were 292 employees within the Ministry of Justice & HM Prison and Probation Service who were receiving a total salary of £100,000 or more per year inclusive of allowances. Of these, 10 employees were receiving £166,000 or more per year.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many buildings managed by her Department have been found to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Alex Davies-Jones: We have undertaken a substantial programme of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) inspections across the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estate and, as a result of this work, RAAC was found in one MoJ property in Lancashire. No MoJ properties in Flyde were found to contain RAAC.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the proportion of Single Justice Procedure cases where the defendant did not respond to the notice and was convicted in absence. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of defendants who failed to respond to a Single Justice Procedure (SJP) notice and were therefore convicted in absence. Information and statistics on plea response for SJP cases is published here: Statistics in development – Single Justice Procedures – GOV.UK.

Defendant engagement is a key part of delivering fair justice. The Ministry of Justice continues to consider ways to support and encourage participation in the SJP process which is why we recently consulted on how the process can be improved. We will set out our plans shortly.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Single Justice Procedure notices are (a) served effectively and (b) received by the intended recipient. \p Sarah Sackman: Prosecutors using the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) are responsible for the service of SJP notices and these are presently served by first class post or by email. The Ministry of Justice does not have supervisory functions over SJP prosecutors, and it is the responsibility of the courts and the independent judiciary, to satisfy themselves that SJP notices have been served in accordance with the rules.

If a defendant is not aware of the proceedings they can make a statutory declaration which revokes the conviction, and they will then be required to submit a formal written response to the original SJP notice so that the process begins again.

The Government acknowledges the criticisms and shortcomings in the operation of the SJP and recognises the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants. That is why we launched a consultation on the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors which included a chapter on the SJP. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received and look at ways to reform the SJP which improves safeguards and efficiency in the process.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64314 on Homicide: Parents, on what date her Department plans for the commencement of Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government is committed to implementing Section 18 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which introduces an automatic restriction on the exercise of parental responsibility where one parent has been sentenced of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other. The provision will come into force on a day appointed via regulations made by the Secretary of State, following the development of the necessary procedural and legislative frameworks to support its effective delivery.

Officials are currently working with key delivery partners including Local Authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Police Chiefs Council and HMCTS across the criminal and family justice systems, to ensure effective implementation. This includes potential consequential amendments to the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, as well as supporting Practice Directions and statutory guidance.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any Ministers in her Department met with Sir Brian Leveson in relation to the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government has maintained open dialogue and a constructive relationship with Sir Brian Leveson and Ministers have met with him in his capacity as Chair of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts (IRCC), as is the usual convention when Governments commission independent reviews. This has included meetings with myself as Minister for Courts and Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede who has held responsibility for Magistrates’ policy and engagement, as well as meetings with the Lord Chancellor.
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Rebecca Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many claims relating to paternity leave were brought in the last year for which records are available. \p Sarah Sackman: Our latest published statistics for Employment Tribunals can be found using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

This data details the number of receipts by jurisdiction and the number of claims disposed. The Department does not collect the proportion of those claims brought by gender or the number of claims relating to paternity leave.

This data is currently published up to March 2025 and only includes the cases received on digital systems and does not include those transitioned from paper-based systems.
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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many super-injunctions are in effect in the UK. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government does not publish data on the number of super-injunctions currently in force, due to the sensitive and often confidential nature of such orders.

Where such orders are made, they are typically issued by the High Court under strict judicial oversight and may include provisions that prevent disclosure of their very existence.
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John Lamont:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase transparency on the (a) ownership and (b) control of litigation funders. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice. That is why we are committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.

The Civil Justice Council published its comprehensive review of litigation funding in England and Wales on 2 June, which will help inform the Government approach to any potential reforms in this area. The Government welcomes this review and is carefully considering the recommendations in the final report. Our response will consider how best to strike the balance between supporting access to justice through third party litigation funding and increasing the transparency and fairness of such arrangements. We will outline next steps in due course.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help reduce the backlog in (a) crown and (b) family courts. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days this financial year to deliver swifter justice for victims, 4,000 more than in 2024/25 under the previous Government. However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. We are carefully considering the recommendations from Sir Brian Leveson’s review of efficiency to reduce crown court backlogs in a once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims.

In family courts, good progress is being made to reduce backlogs. In public law they have reduced from 10,533 to 10,282 from May 2024 to May 2025, and in private law from 40,628 to 37,225 from May 2024 to May 2025. Areas delivering the Pathfinder model in private law have made significant progress addressing delays.

The Family Justice Board has agreed system-wide targets for 2025/26, focussed on further reducing delay and outstanding caseloads, and supporting areas with higher backlogs such as London. The Family Justice Strategy for London includes additional investment over 2025/26 to tackle the outstanding private law caseload by providing additional capacity and a judicial-led initiative to reduce delays.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the contract for the acting National Armaments Director has been extended in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Georgia Gould: Andy Start continues to be the acting National Armaments Director. The substantive appointment of the National Armaments Director is underway.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) transparency, (b) impartiality and (c) equality of the public procurement process for government contracts. \p Georgia Gould: The Government has recently implemented the Procurement Act 2023 which has introduced significantly enhanced transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle. Alongside this, a new Central Digital Platform has been rolled out and captures this data in the public domain- from publishing tender notices to contractual key performance indicators. Other measures introduced include requiring conflicts of interest assessments to ensure impartiality and equal treatment obligations that require suppliers participating in the procurement to be treated the same. A new Procurement Review Unit will additionally provide oversight for the regime and ensure it is functioning well. The Government is considering new legislation and has launched a consultation that is currently seeking views.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the register of interests for the National Security Adviser. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office. The 24/25 Publication of Relevant Special Adviser Interests can be found here.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department measures the diversity performance of the College for National Security; and whether there are safeguards to help ensure that oversight mechanisms do not (a) create bias and (b) unlawfully process protected data. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The College for National Security provides the national security community and wider civil service access to learning and development.

The College’s offer is open to all civil and crown servants and safeguards are in place to ensure content is only accessed by staff with appropriate clearances.

Diversity data of learners engaging in this initial offer is not currently collected as standard and is not used for performance purposes. In some cases, additional information such as location, disability or nationality information may be collected for operational purposes, for example to ensure we meet accessibility requirements.

Personal data is currently collected and processed in line with the College’s Privacy Notice, which can be accessed on GOV.UK here.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62334 on Cabinet Office: Labour Party, what the journeys were. \p Georgia Gould: As is longstanding practice, specific details regarding the allocation of vehicles are not disclosed due to security considerations.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Having honours taken away (forfeiture), published on 27 December 2017, whether political views may be grounds for the removal of an honour. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Honours can be revoked if an individual is deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute. Each case is considered on its own merits, but holding a particular political viewpoint would not be grounds for forfeiture.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the reduction in expenditure from the cancelling the electrification of the midland mainline north of Wigston. \p Simon Lightwood: The decisions taken in the Spending Review on rail enhancements were about prioritising the schemes that provided the greatest contribution to the government’s missions affordably. Rail enhancements are funded as a portfolio and this portfolio received increased funding from the Spending Review, meaning expenditure is expected to increase overall. The final investment decision on the electrification of the Midland Mainline north of Wigston had not been taken at the time of Spending Review, and it was not prioritised for progression in the period. While further Midland Main Line electrification is no longer expected to be funded over this Spending Review period, it has not been cancelled and will be kept under active review as part of our longer-term pipeline of schemes. This decision has not led to a reduction in expenditure on rail enhancements.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase confidence in the UK as a reliable manufacturing base for global trade. \p Sarah Jones: Manufacturing is crucial for the UK's economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and boosting national security and resilience. This government recognises that we need to maximise growth in manufacturing to maintain a global competitive edge and uphold our reputation as a trusted reliable international trading partner.

This is why we have recently published our Modern Industrial Strategy, Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, Trade Strategy and SME Strategy. These interlocking strategies will work together to set out the government's offer to support growth, strengthening businesses at home to ensure success abroad.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of nightlife venue closures on local communities. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government recognises the vital role nightlife venues play in supporting local economies and community cohesion. We also recognise the pressures they are operating under.

That's why we set up the Licensing Taskforce last April, which involved representatives from the nightlife sector to help shape reforms to the licensing system. I published the Government's response on 31st July, outlining a clear plan to support businesses, including the introduction of a new National Licensing Policy Framework to simplify outdated rules, making it quicker, easier, and more affordable to open and run hospitality venues, while helping small businesses grow and communities thrive.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent supply chain disruption for automotive retailers. \p Sarah Jones: We regularly keep the resilience of our automotive supply chains under review to ensure a strong and viable automotive sector. As part of our plan for growth, we will continue to work with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK, including through new strategic investments such as DRIVE35 and export support for automotive and battery manufacturing.

In parallel, we will explore how to maximise supply chain resilience, including by collaborating with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to cluster electric vehicle manufacturing across our regions starting with pilot projects in the North East and West Midlands.
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Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the independent evidence review commissioned by the previous government and undertaken by scientists from the British Geological Survey, National Oceanography Centre, and Heriot-Watt University will be taken into account in his determination of the sponsored exploration licences for Deep Sea Mining. \p Sarah Jones: The 2021 independent evidence review, commissioned by the previous government, remains a valuable contribution to our understanding of the environmental impacts of deep sea mining. The government will take all relevant information into consideration when reviewing its sponsorship of exploration licences.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include non-disparagement clauses within the definition of contractual duties of confidentiality in Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill. \p Justin Madders: Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination.

Where an agreement includes a non-disparagement clause, this would be void in so far as it limits a worker's ability to speak out about relevant harassment, discrimination or their employer's response to it.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require that any confidentiality clause within an (a) employment and (b) settlement agreement (i) cannot be (A) requested and (B) required by an employer and (ii) may only be included at the request of the complainant. \p Justin Madders: Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination.

The Government intends to consult on the regulations that will set out the criteria for when an NDA can still be validly entered into in the case of relevant harassment and discrimination. The regulations are aimed at shifting the balance of power away from employers who misuse NDAs.
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Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what matters he plans to consult on in relation to the regulations required under Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill. \p Justin Madders: Under Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill, the Secretary of State will be able to set conditions for when an NDA can still be validly entered into in the case of relevant harassment and discrimination. ('excepted NDA'). Regulations can also be made to specify who workers with excepted NDAs can speak to, for which purposes and/or in which circumstances. Finally, they can also be made to expand the types of individuals the legislation applies to beyond the standard definitions of "employee" and "worker" in the Employment Rights Act 1996.

The Government will consult on the regulations in respect of these powers.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the manufacture of low earth orbit satellite systems. \p Sarah Jones: As we set out in the Modern Industrial Strategy, the manufacture of small satellites and payloads are a clear priority and strength of the UK space sector that this Government will support. Small satellites and their payloads are key to unlocking the benefits of Low Earth Orbit and several of our Industrial Strategy interventions will support this ambition. This includes a stronger focus on specific capabilities in Low Earth Orbit, new financial support mechanisms to accelerate scaling up manufacturing capacity and increased work with investors to identify suitable routes to private growth capital.
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Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to assess the suitability of Glomar Minerals Ltd as a licence holder for deep sea exploration. \p Sarah Jones: UK Seabed Resources Limited remains the holder of the UK’s two deep sea mining licences following its sale to Glomar Minerals Ltd. The UK government is carrying out a thorough review of Glomar Minerals Ltd and the UK’s sponsorship of UK Seabed Resources Limited under UNCLOS and the Exploration Regulations.
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Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish the records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the site reclamation of the Corby Steelworks in the 1980s. \p Sarah Jones: Records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the reclamation of the Corby Steelworks site should be held by the local authority that managed the reclamation, in this case North Northamptonshire Council.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support post offices. \p Gareth Thomas: The Post Office provides critical services that are valued by communities across the UK and the Government is committed to strengthening the network.

We are backing that commitment with over £500 million of investment during this Parliament, including this financial year up to £136m to invest in new technology and replace Horizon.

Government recently published a Green Paper which seeks to open a dialogue on the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to how we change the culture at the Post Office. We want to hear from everyone with a stake in the Post Office’s future.
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Ms Stella Creasy:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government plans to include provisions in the forthcoming regulations under Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill to ensure that any confidentiality agreement includes (a) a time limit and (b) an opt-out mechanism. \p Justin Madders: Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination.

The Government intends to consult on the regulations that will set out the criteria for when an NDA can still be validly entered into in the case of relevant harassment and discrimination. The regulations are aimed at shifting the balance of power away from employers who misuse NDAs.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating an independent artificial intelligence regulator. \p Feryal Clark: Artificial intelligence is the defining opportunity of our generation, and the Government is taking action to harness its economic benefits for UK citizens.

As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use, with our expert regulators best placed to do so. Departments are working with regulators to provide clear strategic direction and support them on their AI capability needs. Through well-designed and implemented regulation, we can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how unsuccessful applicants to Innovate UK funding streams can seek feedback on their applications. \p Feryal Clark: Assessor feedback is provided to successful and unsuccessful applicants and is comprised of the comments supporting the scores given by assessors. A notification email states when feedback will be available, which is then published on the applicant’s Innovation Funding Service dashboard.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to increase the cybersecurity workforce. \p Feryal Clark: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is increasing the number of individuals entering the UK’s cyber security workforce through CyberFirst, which has engaged over 415,000 young people with bursaries, competitions and training. The recently announced TechFirst programme will expand this effort across cyber and wider tech sector workforces.

Alongside this, DSIT fund the UK Cyber Security Council, established by Royal Charter, to set professional standards and maintain a practitioner register to simplify career pathways and improve workforce quality. These efforts are supported by international collaboration and regular labour market analysis to ensure a steady supply of talent across the cyber workforce.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance his Department provides to departments using suppliers who operate (a) Foundry, (b) Gotham and (c) other cross-sector data platforms on the risk of cross-domain data use. \p Feryal Clark: All departments must adhere to the UK Data Protection legislation to manage risk and protect personal data when they are using cross-sector data platforms provided by suppliers. All departments are controllers of the personal data they hold and are individually responsible for demonstrating compliance with the data protection principles, and take appropriate technical and organisational mitigations in line with the UK GDPR to reduce risk. Under the same legislation, all departments are required to appoint a data protection officer (DPO), who must be an adequately resourced expert in data protection to assess compliance of data platforms, provide advice regarding Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to identify and mitigate risks.

The Government Digital Service has published the principles for securing personal data in government services, which includes a principle that outlines the actions that departments need to take for best compliance with the data protection legislation when they use platforms provided by third-party suppliers. The actions departments are expected to take include commercial agreements with robust terms and conditions for protection of data, appropriately assigned liabilities, risk assessments, audits, monitoring and oversight of compliance with processing terms and conditions as well as seeking further assurances of compliance from platform suppliers.

The Government Security Group and the Government Digital Service have developed the Security by Design Policy, which covers the management of third-party product security risks.

Government Digital Marketplace is a resource for departments and the wider public sector organisations to find reliable and secure technology for their digital projects. Departments are provided with guidance that covers features, security arrangements, standards, certifications and compliance information of supplier platforms, which fall under existing government frameworks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

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Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable regional access to national cancer (a) research funding and (b) clinical trial opportunities. \p Feryal Clark: Cancer research is a critical priority for the Government. The Government is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients across the UK have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research Institute (UKRI) have made research inclusion a condition of its funding. Applicants to domestic research programmes are required to demonstrate how inclusion and health inequalities are being built into their research. NIHR’s Be Part of Research service on the NHS App, will provide patients with access to life-changing clinical trials and innovative therapies across the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_193

Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of certification and professional standards on the (a) quality and (b) resilience of the UK’s cybersecurity workforce. \p Feryal Clark: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology works closely with the UK Cyber Security Council, the professional body for the UK’s cyber workforce, supporting its efforts to develop professional standards. The Council was formed on the back of work by a coalition of professional bodies including the British Computer Society, the Engineering Council and the Institute of Engineering and Technology. The Council and DSIT continue to work with these bodies to develop professional standards.

The Council’s work creating professional standards and a register of cyber professionals is building pathways to enable more people to join the cyber workforce. Professional registration is a mark of quality that is already required for persons permitted to secure certain government systems. A stronger cyber profession will make the UK more resilient against cyber threats.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_194

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to prevent the (a) collection and (b) sharing of personal data by tracking pixels when using (i) police, (ii) council and (iii) other public websites for reporting (A) crimes and (B) abuses. \p Chris Bryant: The use of online tracking technologies—such as tracking pixels—are regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), which require user consent unless certain limited exemptions apply. Where these technologies collect personal data, the UK's data protection laws also apply. Under the UK GDPR’s lawfulness principle, organisations must ensure that any processing is not only compliant with data protection rules but also lawful more broadly. For public sector organisations such as the police and local authorities this includes acting lawfully under the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Data (Use & Access) Act 2025 modernises PECR so that the Information Commissioner has the tools he needs to enforce the legislation effectively.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_195

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many employees in his Department earn (a) £100,000 and (b) £166,000 or more per year. \p Feryal Clark: The published 'DSIT Organogram of Staff Roles and Salaries' provides information on the number of civil servants earning over £100,000 and in other bandings. The latest information can be found here: DSIT Organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries - data.gov.uk.
wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_196
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_196

Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) violent and (b) abusive pornography on (i) the normalisation of misogynistic (A) attitudes and (B) violence against women and girls and (ii) society. \p Feryal Clark: The Independent Pornography Review looked at the relationship between online pornography and violence against women and girls; its findings and recommendations continue to be assessed in detail by the government.

The Review found violent pornography is common and widely accessible on mainstream pornography platforms, leading to acts like strangulation becoming normalised in real-life sexual encounters, with women and girls being the main victims.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, the government will make pornography depicting acts of strangulation illegal and from 25 July the Online Safety Act will prevent children from accessing pornography through highly effective age assurance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_197

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many long-tailed macaques have been imported into the UK for pre-clinical pharmaceutical testing since 5 July 2025. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra records the total number of macaques imported for scientific research but does not record the number of animals imported specifically for pre-clinical pharmaceutical testing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_198

Mims Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support small abattoirs. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.

Defra works closely with industry stakeholders including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the long-term sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_199

Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Ofwat on the performance of Thames Water. \p Emma Hardy: The Secretary of State meets with stakeholders regularly such as Ofwat to discuss a range of issues.

The Government will continue to work with water sector regulators to hold water companies to account on poor performance and drive improvements which benefit customers and the environment.

As part of our Plan for Change, we’ve delivered on our promise to put water companies under special measures through the introduction of The Water (Special Measures) Act which will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_200

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support hedgehog conservation initiatives in Lincolnshire. \p Mary Creagh: The Greater Lincolnshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) demonstrates strong local commitment to hedgehog conservation. Following online public consultation, where hedgehogs emerged as one of the most frequently mentioned priority species, the draft LNRS includes specific actions to support hedgehog recovery. These targeted measures include creating suitable feeding habitats, encouraging property owners to leave gaps in fencing to improve garden connectivity, and building hibernacula to provide essential winter shelter.

Nationally, there are several projects underway which will enable the conservation of our hedgehogs. The first National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy has been published by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Natural England (NE), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Forestry England all contributed to the strategy, which highlights the factors causing a decline in native hedgehog populations. In addition, NE is co-funding the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. The information gathered will also produce insights into the factors causing hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.

These hedgehog-specific initiatives complement broader environmental improvements in Lincolnshire, including the designation of the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve - the first in the new King's Series. Such landscape-scale conservation efforts create the connected habitats that hedgehogs and other wildlife need to thrive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_201

Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses to benefit from largest flood defence investment programme in history, updated on 2 July 2025, on what evidential basis the £7.9 billion commitment over 10 years represents (a) a record level of investment and (b) the largest flood defence investment programme in history; and whether this level of funding represents an increase in funding on an annual basis. \p Emma Hardy: Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, we’re investing a record £2.65 billion over two years (2024/25 and 2025/26) to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. We’re committing a further £4.2 billion over three years from April 2026, an increase of 5% compared to current investment levels, as announced at Spending Review 2025. These investments compare to an annual average of £1.09 billion spent under the previous government between 2021/22 and 2023/24.

On 16 June we announced a £7.9 billion capital commitment into flood defences for the next 10 years, to March 2036. This commitment represents a record level of capital investment and is the largest flood defence investment programme in history, both in terms of its total amount and the 10-year duration of the commitment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_202

Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to enact Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. \p Emma Hardy: The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this

Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months.

We intend to consult on national planning policy related to decision making later this year, including policies on flood risk and SuDS. Also, this year, we will consult on ending freehold estates, which will include options to reduce the prevalence of private management arrangements for community assets, including SuDS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-01 conversation_203

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to introduce a public awareness campaign on the impact of domestic pesticide usage on wildlife. \p Emma Hardy: All authorised plant protection products have statutory conditions of use that must be followed by all users, and strict, science-based regulation is supplemented with policies to encourage safe and minimal use. In March this year, the government published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) 2025, which sets out the actions that all four UK governments will take to reduce the potential harm from pesticide use.

Through events such as Bees Needs Week, the government highlights what the public can do to help pollinators – including thinking carefully about whether to use pesticides.