theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-17 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-17 conversation_46

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Forty-Seventh Annual Report on Senior Salaries, published on 22 May (CP 1329), whether they have published online the letter from the Director of Civil Service Talent at the Government People Group regarding Permanent Secretary pay; if not, why not; why that letter was sent by an official rather than a minister; and whether they will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The letter from the Director of Civil Service Talent sent to the Senior Salaries Review Body was official level correspondence and not formal written evidence.

As outlined in the Written Ministerial Statement on 22 May, recommendations made in relation to the Permanent Secretary group by the Senior Salaries Review Body will be considered by the Permanent Secretary Remuneration Committee. Final recommendations on Permanent Secretary remuneration will be presented to the Prime Minister in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of capital in the United Kingdom being invested overseas, particularly in the United States of America; and whether they intend to introduce measures to encourage greater investment within the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Gustafsson: The total stock of UK assets invested abroad was £13.4 trillion in 2023 according to the ONS Pink Book of this £4.7 trillion was invested in the United States. While the total stock of foreign investment in the UK was £14.1 trillion in 2023. The UK government promotes and facilitates inward foreign direct investment in the UK through the newly expanded Office for Investment (OFI), FDI leads to direct economic benefits for the UK. The UK allows free movement of international capital, both inward and outward investment can lead to business opportunities, higher economic growth and higher investment returns.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify deposits of manganese in the sea bed within UK territorial waters. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: His Majesty's Government have not taken any steps to identify deposits of manganese in the sea bed within UK territorial waters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the British Business Bank holds any board, observer, or voting rights on investment vehicles supported under the Long-term Investment for Technology and Science initiative. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The British Business Bank is represented on the Schroders' advisory board but does not hold a vote on the LTAF investment decisions.
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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Department for Business and Trade annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024, published on 24 April (HC 391), what evidence supports the decision to reduce the estimated 9.7 per cent fraud and error incidence rate in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme to 6.8 per cent; and whether the assumption that 29.8 per cent of fraudulently obtained loans will be repaid is consistent with observed repayment behaviour for loans confirmed as fraudulent. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: On 30 January, the Department for Business and Trade published its annual report and accounts for 2023/2024.

The report states that the “fraud and error incidence rate” in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has increased from 8.0% at 31 March 2023 to 9.7% at 31 March 2024.

There is no published figure for the expected repayment of loans where fraud is suspected. However, the 6.8% figure quoted in the question represents an estimate of “expected lifetime fraud and error loss”. This is based on the observable behaviour of a statistically representative sample.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Berkeley:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration has been given to using cats for vermin control across the Parliamentary Estate. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: On advice given previously to the House of Commons, the decision was made not to bring a cat on the Estate on the following grounds:

We continue to work with our pest control contractor to implement targeted and effective regimes across the Palace. The Department of Estates and Facilities is in discussion with Churchill Cleaning Services to increase the level of intervention and with a view to this being in place by beginning of the summer recess.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support pro-democracy actors and civil society organisations in Myanmar and among the diaspora. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK works closely with pro-democracy actors, and civil society organisations to help further peace and stability in Myanmar. This includes engaging closely with Myanmar diaspora groups and civil society organisations, including Rohingya groups, to ensure their voices are helping inform our policy. As penholder at the UN Security Council, the UK continues to ensure the international community does not forget about the people of Myanmar, and their vision for a peaceful, democratic future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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The Lord Bishop of Gloucester:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Defence Force’s reported use of the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; and of whether it is compatible with international humanitarian law. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments consider Israel's commitment to and compliance with IHL in a number of areas including compliance with the principle of distinction in the conduct of hostilities. We take any allegations of deliberate or indiscriminate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure very seriously. In the context of Gaza, it is also understood that Hamas has extensively embedded its military assets in Gaza's densely built environment, including civilian buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Christians in Eritrea, particular with regard to prolonged detention without trial; and what steps they are taking with international partners to seek the release of prisoners of conscience and to hold Eritrean authorities accountable for any violations of religious freedom under international law. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We consistently raise human rights with the Eritrean government, including religious freedoms. We advocate for the end of detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council. We call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released. The UK's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea raised human rights during her most recent visit to Eritrea in April and the UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2024.
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The Lord Bishop of Southwark:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt concerning the ruling of the Ismailia Court of Appeal on 27 May on the world’s oldest continuous Christian monastery at St Catherine, Sinai, regarding the ownership of the site and of the surrounding area. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK Government recognises St Catherine's Monastery's historical and religious importance and tracks this long-standing land ownership dispute. Our Embassy in Cairo participated in discussions with the Egyptian government on this issue on Friday 30 May. We will continue to monitor developments and engage on issues of heritage protection and religious freedoms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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The Lord Bishop of Southwark:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to ensure there are no changes to the shape of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem that would be illegal. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK recognises that Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It has been the position of the UK Government since 1967 that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) are not lawfully part of the State of Israel. In line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. His Majesty's Government continue to support the cultural presence and identity in East Jerusalem. Officials at our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly meet with members of the Christian community and Churches in Jerusalem, including the Armenian Patriarchate, to understand the impact of issues affecting their community.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address ageism in society; and what steps they are taking to raise awareness of age-related discrimination. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) has protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including the provision of services, employment and recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.

Ageism has no place in our society where we want to see and build inclusion, not exclusion. We continue to monitor and support legislation to tackle ageism or age discrimination. We are also committed to the “age friendly” exception in The Act that permits age-based concessions from retailers, hair salons and museums.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Lord Framlingham:To ask His Majesty's Government why and when they authorised the use of cost-plus instead of fixed-price contracts for payment of contractors on HS2; what consultations they held prior to the change; and who authorised that change. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: This government has been clear that the position on HS2 is totally unacceptable for passengers and taxpayers. It is acknowledged by this government and new CEO Mark Wild that the past contractual performance of our delivery partners has failed to meet cost and schedule expectations.

We have taken action to grip the project and tasked Mark Wild to reset the project, including reforming and resetting the relationship with the supply chain, and to deliver Phase 1 safely and at the lowest reasonable cost.

Throughout the development of the HS2 programme there has been engagement with industry, and input sought from wider government stakeholders, to seek to ensure that the commercial approaches and contracts adopted are appropriate for the individual assets being delivered. Consequently, a variety of different contract forms are in use across the HS2 programme including both fixed price and defined cost contracts (similar to cost plus), as well as other contract forms. For example, HS2 Ltd’s Main Works Civils Contracts (MWCC) are defined cost, incentivised, two-stage design and build contracts based on the NEC 3 Option C target cost contract model. Such NEC contracts are in common usage throughout the UK construction industry as they provide flexibility and encourage a collaborative approach.

Notice to Proceed was granted on HS2 Ltd’s Phase One Main Works Contracts in 2020. At that time there was no prospect of determining a reliable fixed price, nor getting the supply chain to agree to such a model given the residual risk. Therefore fixed price contracts were not viewed as viable.

As with all procurement activity on HS2, these contracts were let in line with HS2 Ltd’s governance and assurance requirements which conform with UK procurement law.
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Lord Hain:To ask His Majesty's Government why the new Oxford–Cambridge railway line is classified as an England and Wales project. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The UK Government is responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales so spends money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
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Viscount Goschen:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with major delivery organisations regarding the importance of ensuring compliance with regulators governing the use of electric bicycles; and what has been the outcome of those discussions. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: In December last year the Minister for Local Transport wrote to the main food delivery companies to remind them of their obligations including the use of modified e-cycles by some delivery riders. The letter signposted government guidance on the safe use of e-cycle batteries including the Office for Product Safety and Standard’s ‘Buy Safe, Be Safe’ campaign. The Department is considering next steps in the light of the responses received.
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Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government how much they provided to local authorities for the planning and construction of cycle lanes in the past year. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: In the 2024/25 financial year, Active Travel England provided £40.5m of revenue funding through the Capability Fund, and £54.2m of capital funding through the Active Travel Fund 5 to local authorities outside of London. This funding supports a range of activities to boost active travel, including the planning and construction of schemes to improve walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure. Further funding for active travel has been confirmed for 2025/26.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted:To ask His Majesty's Government how many intellectual property licences the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology holds under contracts or terms of reference for (1) grants, (2) pre-procurement or proof of concept work, and (3) procurement; how many of those have sub-licensing rights; how many of those have resulted in sub-licensing; and how many of those sub-licences are for patents, and for which countries. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: DSIT Commercial do not hold this information but all contracts awarded by DSIT are published on contracts finder and can be accessed at GOV.UK and find a tender service.

DSIT Grants are mostly awarded the standard grant funding agreement recommended by Cabinet Office.

To provide the detail requested would incur disproportionate costs to the department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted:To ask His Majesty's Government how many intellectual property licences the Ministry of Justice holds under contracts or terms of reference for (1) grants, (2) pre-procurement or proof of concept work, and (3) procurement; how many of those have sub-licensing rights; how many of those have resulted in sub-licensing; and how many of those sub-licences are for patents, and for which countries. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

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Baroness Anelay of St Johns:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations joint report Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, published on 5 June, what steps they are taking to prevent further food insecurity in the 22 countries mentioned; and assistance they will provide to (1) Haiti, (2) Mali, (3) Palestine, (4) South Sudan, and (5) Sudan, who were found to be at the highest risk of famine. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the 2024 Hunger Hotspots report. We are the third largest government donor to the World Food Programme (WFP) and in 2024 have contributed over $600 million (£495 million) to WFP programmes, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Sudan, South Sudan and Haiti. In November 2024, the UK doubled its support for those affected by the war in Sudan and we committed £112 million to the OPTs this financial year. On 30 December 2024, the Minister for International Development announced further humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities, including up to £8 million for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
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Lord Oates:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the whereabouts and safety Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We are concerned by the reports of the IDF operation at Kamal Adwan hospital, and the reported detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. In recent weeks, the Minister for the Middle East raised this case, along with the wider need to ensure healthcare facilities in northern Gaza are protected, and to enable WHO and ICRC access, with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed. On 27 December, the Minister for the Middle East made it clear to Israel's government that the situation in northern Gaza cannot continue and raised our serious concern about repeated strikes on Kamal Adwan hospital, and the safety of civilians and medical workers there.

Furthermore as the Minister for the Middle East reiterated on 8 January, Israel must urgently clarify the reasons for detaining health workers in Gaza, including Hassam Abu Safiya and Mohammed Hamouda, to ensure Gazans have access to effective healthcare and that civilians are protected at all costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to press the United Nations Security Council to extend the International Criminal Court mandate from Darfur to cover the whole of Sudan; and, if not, why not. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's (ICC) active investigation into the situation in Darfur, including allegations of crimes committed since April 2023. We welcomed Prosecutor Khan's announcement in July 2023 that the current conflict was in scope of the existing ICC referral and subject to their investigations. Our assessment is that a new ICC referral beyond Darfur would not have the required support from members of the UN Security Council. It would not advance the cause of accountability in Sudan for an ICC referral to fail to win Security Council support or to be vetoed. The UK continues to support the work of the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) to gather open-source evidence on the ongoing fighting, with a view to supporting future accountability efforts. In November, the UN Security Council sanctioned two senior Rapid Support Forces Commanders for involvement in human rights abuses.
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Lord Alderdice:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the safety and release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza; and what representations they have made to facilitate him to re-institute emergency medical facilities. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We are concerned by the reports of the IDF operation at Kamal Adwan hospital, and the reported detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. In recent weeks, the Minister for the Middle East raised this case, along with the wider need to ensure healthcare facilities in northern Gaza are protected, and to enable WHO and ICRC access, with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed. On 27 December, the Minister for the Middle East made it clear to Israel's government that the situation in Northern Gaza cannot continue and raised our serious concern about repeated strikes on Kamal Adwan hospital, and the safety of civilians and medical workers there.

Furthermore as the Minister for the Middle East reiterated on the 8th of January, Israel must urgently clarify the reasons for detaining health workers in Gaza, including Hassam Abu Safiya and Mohammed Hamouda, to ensure Gazans have access to effective healthcare and that civilians are protected at all costs.
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Viscount Waverley:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of a "G2", similar to the G20, between China and the United States, and what steps they are taking to influence the establishment of such a group. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We take a close interest in the relationship between the US and China as P5 members. We engage with the countries individually in pursuit of our interests. The US is an indispensable ally, and we are committed to the depth and breadth of the UK-US relationship across defence, intelligence and foreign policy. We will continue to work with the US on the basis of our shared values and interests. With China, we will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing our relations, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.
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Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide any consular support to citizens of Israel in the Republic of Ireland, following the closure of Israel’s Embassy in Dublin. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and UK embassies, high commissions and consulates provide consular assistance to British nationals abroad who need our support. An Israeli national would only be eligible for FCDO consular support in Ireland if they also held British nationality. Israeli/British dual nationals would be entitled to full FCDO consular services in Ireland.
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Lord Banner:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Georgia to ensure that police violence towards protestors and journalists in that country ceases. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: On 16 December in a call with the Georgian Foreign Minister, the Minister for Europe, the Americas and Overseas Territories stressed that police violence targeting peaceful demonstrators, opposition figures and journalists is unacceptable. The Foreign Secretary's statement of 9 December condemned the excessive use of force and outlined the suspension of programme support as a result of the violence. Protesters in Georgia are making clear their opposition to Georgian Dream's decision to stall the country's progress towards a European future, undermining the commitments in the Georgian Constitution. We continue to call on the Georgian authorities to realign with European values.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 11 December (HL2987), when the new IT system to provide more reliable data currently under development will be fully operational, and what will be the cost. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The IT system which will provide centrally held, reliable data for cancellation of permission to stay decisions remains under development. It is currently progressing through standard test phases before becoming fully operational at a date to be determined.

The IT system referred to forms part of the wider Immigration Project Technology (IPT) project. Information regarding the cost of the wider project can be found here in the UKVI transparency data information, last updated 6 December 2024.
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of their funding for agriculture goes to agroecological practices \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Agroecological practices promote sustainable and resilient approaches to farming. This aligns with the goals of the Government’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which will fund improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. We consider much of the funding under our ELM schemes as supporting agroecological practices.

As announced in October 2024, Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. ELM schemes remain at the centre of our offer for farmers, which will be funded by the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history of £1.8 billion.
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The Earl of Caithness:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of their commitment to introduce secondary legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for a new trade deal with the European Union. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The European Commission has proposed to adopt a new, less restrictive, regulation for the marketing of plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and their use for food and feed. An approach similar to that used in the Precision Breeding Act.

The proposal is still under consideration in the European Council and its contents are subject to change.

We will continue to monitor progress in the EU to understand implications for trade, including in the context of the Government's commitment to seek to negotiate a veterinary / Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
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Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning on 21 November (HCWS244), whether, in light of the “serious flaws” identified in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, they intend to institute a review of the performance of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. \p Baroness Taylor of Bolton: As outlined in the Written Ministerial Statement on November 21st, the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act contains a small number of specific but serious flaws. Given the nature of the flaws, no review into the performance of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is needed.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop an AI policy for healthcare services to ensure the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence when accessing patient records. \p Baroness Merron: Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have huge potential in improving efficiency across the National Health Service by supporting clinicians with faster and more accurate diagnosis, enhancing clinical decision-making about treatment plans and reducing the administrative burden faced by healthcare staff. The Department and NHS England are developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools and how they can be rolled out to make the day-to-day operations of the NHS more efficient.

There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), and Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where AI is used in relation to patient records.

We are considering how regulators should approach issues of privacy such as accessibility only to authorised users and how to safeguard against bad actors.

The NHS AI Lab and Sciencewise (UK Research and Innovation) held a public dialogue on how the public feels decisions should be made about access to their personal health data for AI purposes. The AI Lab is now procuring further research to design approaches to data stewardship based on these insights.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. They have also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the support available to those on low incomes to access cancer treatments and appropriate care. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities in England are met, including to those on low incomes to access cancer treatments and appropriate care.

The National Health Service in England runs schemes to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital, or other NHS premises, for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. This includes the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS), which provides financial assistance to patients who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of England's international ranking in terms of access to new and effective treatments for NHS patients. \p Baroness Merron: The Department has made no assessment of the number of medicines that are available for the treatment of National Health Service patients in England compared with other countries. Analysis from the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ Waiting to Access Innovative Therapies Indicators compares availability of new medicines across European countries. The availability in England of medicines that received a European Union marketing authorisation between 2019 and 2022 was slightly higher than the European average.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_15

Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government whether and how they expect the plans for NHS reform announced by the Prime Minister on 6 January to improve per capita productivity in the health sector; and from which local examples of good practice these plans draw. \p Baroness Merron: The Government has now published its plan, Reforming elective care for patients, to tackle the National Health Service waiting lists. This plan sets out the reform and productivity efforts needed to ensure that patients are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, so that we can return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral. A copy of the plan is attached.

It prioritises reforms that help deliver a system which is not just better for patients but also more productive in every pound spent, for example, through cutting down on missed or unnecessary appointments.

The plan focusses on learning from best practice already in the system and includes a number of case studies that display examples of where trusts have made services more productive to improve the outcomes and experiences of their patients, for example, South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre’s use of surgical hubs or the use of primary and secondary care interface working at Berkshire West.

Document for HL3750  (pdf, 615.1KB)
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_16

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have  any further plans to use public deliberation methods in healthcare beyond the 10 Year Health Plan. \p Baroness Merron: People and communities are at the heart of everything the Government and the National Health Service does. The Department’s and NHS England’s statutory guidance sets out how the health system at both a local and national level has a legal and ethical duty to involve the public in planning, proposals, and decisions regarding NHS services.

Public deliberations are one method that can be used to involve the public in decision making and are already in use, beyond the 10-Year Health Plan, in national health policy, for example our current national engagement on data in health and social care.

Public engagement will remain a core part of all elements of the healthcare system, and we encourage local and national teams to consider deliberative methods depending on the type of project and resources available. Any other future public engagement or deliberative events would be considered on an as-needs basis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_17

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the NHS and other services are following the prescribing standards stating that, from 13 December 2024, healthcare professionals working in designated physician associate or anaesthesia associate roles should not prescribe medicines, even if they hold prescribing rights from a previous profession or have previously been authorised to prescribe by their employer. \p Baroness Merron: The physician associate (PA) and anaesthesia associate (AA) professions do not have prescribing responsibilities. Prescribing responsibilities are conferred upon specific professions by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and are not transferable to another regulated role or profession.

NHS Employers has recently published guidance which sets out information for employers on the PA and AA roles and how they fit within the National Health Service. This includes setting out information about prescribing and the supply and administering of medicines.

Subject to locally determined governance arrangements, a PA or AA may administer medicines under a patient specific direction (PSD). A PSD is a written instruction, signed by an authorised prescriber, for medicine or medicines to be administered to a named person after the prescriber has assessed the patient.

As the regulator of PAs and AAs, the General Medical Council has also published information on its website confirming that the roles are not able to prescribe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_18

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government how many patients self-fund access to ruxolitinib to treat myelofibrosis, which is available privately but not on the NHS. \p Baroness Merron: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends ruxolitinib as an option for treating disease-related splenomegaly or symptoms in adults with primary myelofibrosis, also known as chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis, post polycythaemia vera myelofibrosis or post essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis, in people with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease. Ruxolitinib is available to National Health Service patients in line with NICE’s recommendations.

Information on the number of patients who self-fund ruxolitinib for myelofibrosis is not held centrally.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_19

Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to use the NHS Planning Guidance to direct integrated care boards to establish and maintain high-quality Fracture Liaison Services. \p Baroness Merron: Patients around the country, including those suffering from osteoporosis, are waiting too long for care and treatment. Our Plan for Change will get the health service back on its feet and make it fit for the future.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has confirmed that planning guidance will be published in the new year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_20

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government how much it cost the NHS to treat patients with gambling disorders in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, (5) 2023, and (6) 2024. \p Baroness Merron: Each year, NHS England provides additional Service Development Funding for gambling disorders to integrated care boards (ICBs). The following table shows the annual allocation of funding for gambling treatment services since 2019/20:

Financial Year

Amount (£,000)

2019/20

970

2020/21

971

2021/22

1,346

2022/23

4,588

2023/24

5,400

Source: NHS England
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_21

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were treated by the NHS for gambling disorders in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, (5) 2023, and (6) 2024. \p Baroness Merron: The National Health Service collects data on the number of referrals into NHS gambling clinics. These referrals are for those requiring support for gambling-related harms because of either their own gambling or due to being impacted by someone else’s gambling. The data on those receiving treatment specifically for gambling disorder is not available.

Data on referrals into NHS gambling clinics is collected by financial year. The following table shows the number of such referrals in each year since 2020/21, as the data for 2019/20 is not held by the NHS:

Financial Year

Number of referrals

2020/21

775

2021/22

1,013

2022/23

1,389

2023/24

2,284

2024/25 (April-September 2024)

1,914

Source: NHS England
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_22

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people from under-represented communities are able to engage in the development of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. \p Baroness Merron: We want to ensure the 10-Year Health Plan reflects the diversity of the people who use the National Health Service every day, and it is important that everyone can have their say as we develop it.

The online Change NHS platform is available in multiple formats, with a range of ways to respond to help make it accessible. This includes easy-read, British sign-language formats, and language translations, with other formats available online and by request.

However, the online platform is one part of the wider engagement; we have run a series of in-person and online events in every region across England, and recruitment for these events has used recognised and best-in-class sampling methods to ensure people and staff from different backgrounds and experiences are included. Our in-depth deliberations with the public will consider their priorities and expectations on how we make the NHS fit for the future.

We are also working with partners who have an interest in health and care to hear from local communities, especially those whose voices often go unheard. We continue to monitor which groups we are hearing from and will tailor our approach to ensure we hear from under-represented groups.

We have also asked local health systems to plan engagement with their local communities, front line staff and partner organisations, taking care to ensure they cover their ‘Core20PLUS5’ groups and reach those who are under-represented. The NHS England Core20PLUS5 approach aims to inform action that targets the most deprived 20 per cent of the population and other inclusion health groups, with the aim of reducing health inequalities.

We have provided ‘workshop in a box’ materials to support local health systems and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to run workshops with their communities. These materials are also available in alternative formats, including easy-read and British sign-language formats. We have recently written to charities representing groups that are currently under-represented in the engagement exercise to ask them how we can help ensure that these voices are heard in the engagement exercise.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_23

Baroness Parminter:To ask His Majesty's Government when they next plan to review the Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 as required by regulation 13, and whether in doing so they will consider (1) relevant scientific studies, and (2) the impact that calorie labelling has on those with eating disorders. \p Baroness Merron: Legislation requiring large businesses in England, namely those with 250 or more employees, to display calorie information on non-prepacked food and soft drinks came into force in 2022. It aims to support consumers to make healthier choices for themselves and their families when eating out or getting a takeaway, with clear information about calorie content of potential purchases. It may also encourage businesses to reformulate and provide lower calorie options, helping to create a healthier food environment.

The published impact assessment, which included a summary of the evidence, estimated that by lowering calorie consumption amongst people living with overweight or obesity, the policy would produce savings to the National Health Service of £430 million and social care savings of £477 million over 25 years.

We continue to evaluate the impact of the Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations and have commissioned studies through the National Institute for Health and Care Research which includes an evaluation to understand the impact of the rules, including on people living with eating disorders.

We will publish a post-implementation review within five years of implementation which will consider the effectiveness of the policy and will include a review of relevant scientific studies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-13 conversation_24

Lord Bradley:To ask His Majesty's Government, how many prisoners arriving in custody were screened for a neurodivergent need in the year to March 2024, and what proportion this represented of the total. \p Baroness Merron: The information requested is not held centrally.