theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Carrington:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the National Audit Office report Energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation, published on 14 October (HC 1334), what steps they will take to ensure that lessons are learned from existing government energy efficiency schemes before extending similar measures to the rented housing sectors. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Lessons learned from ECO and related schemes will be utilised in the design of any future schemes to ensure high-quality delivery and clear accountability, with focus on streamlining processes and improving consumer outcomes.

The upcoming Warm Homes Plan will outline reforms to simplify the consumer protection landscape, strengthen installation standards, and ensure swift remediation and redress for consumers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Carrington:To ask His Majesty's Government what action they will take to ensure that all properties affected by defects under the Great British Insulation Scheme and the Energy Company Obligation scheme are remediated promptly and safely. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Due to the level of non-compliance in EWI, the Government is offering audits to all households where External Wall Insulation (EWI) was installed under ECO4 or GBIS.

If non-compliance is found, the original installer is responsible for the cost of putting the work right. Should the installer have ceased to trade, the protections under the 25-year guarantee can be invoked.

Checks across all measures under ECO4 and GBIS, will continue to be carried out by TrustMark and certification bodies as part of routine surveillance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government by what date they expect the National Grid to have sufficiently updated capacity to use or store the power available from renewable sources. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: We are working closely with Ofgem and National Energy System Operator (NESO) to deliver an electricity network ready for clean power by 2030 and beyond, accelerating infrastructure delivery by reforming planning, regulation and supply chains. The same is true for electricity storage where government has set out capacity ranges in the Clean Power Action Plan and has introduced measures to support this, such as the long duration electricity storage (LDES) cap and floor investment support scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the solar panels imported over the last three years were made in China; and whether they have plans to increase the proportion of solar panels manufactured domestically. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Department does not hold this information. HMRC publishes the value and mass of solar panels imported, by country, on its data portal at www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/ots-custom-table/.

While the UK has no large-scale conventional solar manufacturing, the Solar Roadmap sets out a number of actions to strengthen domestic supply chains, such as considering the case to further support companies looking to scale up the production of innovative solar technologies and balance of system components, and an online directory to make it easier for solar manufacturers to locate their operations in the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Bradshaw:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the blades used for wind turbines imported into the UK over the last three years have been made in (1) China, and (2) the rest of the world. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Whilst the Government does not hold data on specific importation dates, the majority of all blades used in wind turbines that have become operational in the last three years in the UK have been manufactured in the UK or supplied from Europe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government which components of the supply chain for nuclear power stations will be manufactured in the UK, and which components will be brought in from abroad. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The use of components manufactured in the UK will differ on a project-by-project basis. However, the building of nuclear power stations creates significant opportunities for UK companies, with EDF estimating that the current Hinkley Point C project spends 64% of construction value with British businesses. Sizewell C Ltd plan to award 70% of construction value to UK businesses, while separately Great British Energy – Nuclear’s ambition is to deliver 70% UK content across the small modular reactor fleet.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK’s fiscal framework remains sustainable following the International Monetary Fund's warning that public debt may exceed 100 per cent of GDP by 2029. \p Lord Livermore: This government’s priority is delivering a renewed economy, that works for working people after years of instability.

The fiscal framework puts debt on a sustainable path. The framework supports the long-term growth needed to rebuild Britain by repairing the public finances, providing certainty to families and business, and prioritising sustainable public investment.

This is the responsible choice – to live within our means and reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead. According to IMF data, we are set to deliver the largest primary deficit reduction in both the G7 and G20 over the next five years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Baroness Alexander of Cleveden:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reform the pensions system to increase investment. \p Lord Livermore: The Pension Schemes Bill was introduced on 5 June, implementing the reforms outlined in the Pensions Investment Review.

The Bill sets out a vision for a pensions market with fewer, larger schemes which can use the benefits of scale to invest in a wider range of productive assets as well as deliver better outcomes for savers.

These reforms support the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led pledge to invest at least 10 per cent of defined contribution default funds into private markets by 2030, of which at least half is in the UK.

Furthermore, last year the British Business Bank announced the establishment of the British Growth Partnership, designed to crowd in investment from UK pension funds for our most innovative, fastest growing companies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-03)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the potential of the Sterling 20 investment initiative to support infrastructure and high-growth sectors, and what role will the Treasury play in overseeing its deployment. \p Lord Livermore: The Sterling 20 is a new grouping of institutional investors announced by the Chancellor at the inaugural Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham. Members of the group include signatories of July’s Mansion House Accord, as well as two insurers and the Pension Protection Fund. There will also be attendance from the Local Government Pension Scheme pools where appropriate.

The Mansion House Accord saw pension providers representing 90% of active defined contribution scheme savers commit to invest at least 5% of their main default funds in UK private markets by 2030. This commitment will unlock over £25 billion for the UK with investment including new housing, infrastructure and high-growth industries. Establishing the Sterling 20 also delivers on a specific government pledge to “curate a pipeline” of investment opportunities.

The grouping will further support mobilising institutional investment by raising awareness among investors of government-led programmes and initiatives. This will allow members to help shape and co-design investment opportunities, so they are attractive and relevant to their regulatory and fiduciary requirements. By promoting knowledge sharing, the Sterling 20 can help remove investment blockers and improve the investability of government-led projects.

The forum is industry-led and delivered in partnership with the City of London Corporation as well as the relevant leading trade associations. The Office for Investment act as the secretariat and are responsible for curating the programme for the group. His Majesty’s Treasury will take an oversight role through the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Minister for Investment, as well as cross-government investment governance structures, to hold the Office for Investment and contributing departments to account on delivery and ensure the success of the initiative.

More broadly, delivering the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy’s ambitious programme for transforming the UK’s infrastructure will require significant increases in private investment to complement and maximise the value of the extensive public investment underway. The government will continue to work in partnership with the private sector to unlock capital for UK infrastructure, including through the Sterling 20.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that one in 12 residents of London are “hidden and transient”, which includes people living at secondary addresses, visitors and tourists and irregular migrants. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Noble Lord will wish to be aware that those media outlets who published those reports have subsequently published corrections accepting that they were not accurate. Estimates of the illegal population are inherently uncertain, and no current accurate assessment is available.

Robust procedures are in place to ensure that individuals with no right to be in the UK are removed, either voluntarily or through enforcement action.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Cameron of Lochiel:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on the rural economy in Scotland of the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 2025. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: On 15 January 2025, the Government laid a statutory instrument before Parliament that will increase fees charged by police forces to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications, in line with the Government's manifesto commitment on firearms fees. The fees were last increased in 2015 and they are now considerably below the cost of the service provided. It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that increased fees are introduced so that service improvements can be made. The new fees will come into effect on 5 February.

The new fees are based on data produced by a review of firearms licensing costs in 31 police forces in January 2023. This data has since been updated to reflect increases in costs since then. The review was discussed at the Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office, which met in 2022 and 2023 with representation from:

· National Police Chiefs' Council

· Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

· Police Scotland

· Scottish Government

· Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

· British Shooting Sports Council

· British Association for Shooting and Conservation

· Gun Trade Association

· National Rifle Association

· Countryside Alliance

· National Gamekeepers Organisation

· Scottish Association for Country Sports.

A full impact assessment, which covers the impact of increased fees on rural communities, was published alongside the statutory instrument. The Policing Minister met with both the BSSC and BASC on the 13 January 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of remote working and its impact on productivity levels. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working.

According to recent ONS data, the trend in working only from home has fallen since 2021, and a hybrid working model has become the ‘new normal’ for around a quarter of workers.

Reported benefits of remote working include improved recruitment, inclusivity, wellbeing, and productivity, and reduced employer overheads. Furthermore, the ONS’ Business Insights and Conditions Survey covering 18 November to 1 December 2024 found that, of those that have adopted or extended homeworking, 43% reported that this was due to increased productivity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the economy continues to grow due to any low business confidence. \p Lord Livermore: Securing economic growth is the government’s number one priority. In her speech on January 29 of this year, the Chancellor outlined the next steps forwards in the government’s plan for growth, including a new approach to the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and support for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The government has also announced an ambitious programme of reform across planning, infrastructure, pensions, industrial strategy, and the labour market. We have also increased capital investment by over £13 billion for 2025-26 compared to 2024-25 and created the National Wealth Fund.

Britain was recently ranked the second most attractive investment destination globally in PwC's Annual CEO Survey.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Gilbert of Panteg:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 17 December (HL3301), what steps the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is taking to discourage local authorities from translating into foreign languages, in line with the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May, and the associated guidance in 2013. \p Lord Khan of Burnley: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN HL2739 on 4 December 2024.

UIN HL2739 (pdf, 81.3KB)
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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timescale for the next local elections in the devolution areas on the Devolution Primary Programme where the May 2025 local elections have been postponed. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government has been clear that our intention is that elections for mayors for the Devolution Priority Areas will be held in May 2026. The election to the county councils of East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and West Sussex and the unitary councils of Isle of Wight and Thurrock will be postponed to take place alongside the Mayoral election in May 2026. Elections to other councils in the Devolution Priority Programme areas are also scheduled to take place in May 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 May 2024 (HC Deb cols 975–6) that £18 million had already been spent on the planned UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, how much they have spent since that date and what the additional spending relates to. \p Lord Khan of Burnley: From 1 April 2023 to 22 January 2025 £2.71 million has been spent on project costs, including work on the Holocaust Memorial Bill, preparations for redetermination of the planning application and preparation for the commencement of construction. £1.66 million of that money has been spent since 22 May 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Thornhill:To ask His Majesty's Government whether it will be possible to take account of geographical coherence when establishing a unitary council. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The statutory invitation letter of 5 February sent to leaders of all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring unitaries set out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed and decisions made on whether proposals are to be implemented. The criteria includes that proposals should be for a sensible geography which will help to increase housing supply and meet local needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government, following recent red weather warnings issued by the Met Office, what plans they have to activate a Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government is ready to consider local authority requests for Bellwin Scheme support. This can reimburse immediate eligible response costs for authorities affected by emergencies and disasters in their area including severe weather events after they occur.

Link to the Bellwin guidance: Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities: guidance notes for claims - GOV.UK.

Guidance  (pdf, 16.3KB)
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Lord Green of Deddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the conclusions of the Communities and Recovery Steering Group regarding the causes of the violent disorder in summer 2024. \p Lord Khan of Burnley: As set out in PQ 20983, we will publish further information about the CRSG in due course.

PQ 20983 (pdf, 78.4KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Fuller:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter regarding local government reorganisation sent by the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to the leaders of all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitary authorities, published on 15 January, what assessment they have made of the capacity of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Boundary Commission for England to meet the Government’s proposed timetable for devolution; and in how many areas is it practical to cancel local council elections to achieve the Government's objectives. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Devolution Priority Programme will provide a fast-track to mayoral devolution, aiming to see a new wave of mayoral elections in May 2026. The areas on the Devolution Priority Programme will receive the full backing of government to deliver to these ambitious timescales. We will commence Government-led consultations in early in February, and we have a team in the department who will be focused on supporting these places through the process.

My department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England so that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authorities.

The Government wrote to local authorities in December setting out that, where it will help deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe, the government would be prepared to postpone local elections from May 2025 to May 2026. Of the 18 requests, Government agreed that for Norfolk and Suffolk; Essex and Thurrock; Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; East Sussex and West Sussex postponement is essential for the delivery of the Devolution Priority Programme and complementary reorganisation. Government has also agreed to postpone elections in Surrey, where reorganisation is essential to unlocking devolution options.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Reay:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 November 2024 (HC13602), what guidance they have issued regarding people who have a different sex recorded at birth participating in competitive sport, including where biological sex gives a competitive advantage. \p Baroness Twycross: Sporting bodies have a responsibility to protect the integrity and fairness of women's sport and the safety of all participants, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions. Our UK sports councils have produced guidance to help domestic sports bodies determine the right position for their sport. The guidance covers transgender participation in sport, and makes clear that fairness and safety cannot be balanced with inclusion in gender-affected sport.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Mackinlay of Richborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reducing the costs of improving the energy efficiency of listed properties with respect to (1) planning fees, (2) professional support, (3) materials, and (4) labour. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government is committed to supporting all homeowners in installing energy efficiency measures to drive down bills and reduce our overall energy consumption. Many of these measures will support listed buildings. In November 2024, the Government announced the Warm Homes Plan which has committed £3.2 billion of investment for energy efficiency across 2025 to 2026, including an increased budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Historic England is Government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. It has resources available online to support owners of listed buildings in installing appropriate energy efficiency measures. Last summer, Historic England updated their advice note on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency to provide clarity and support consistent decision-making to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Altmann:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the powers in the Football Governance Bill for the independent football regulator to require football clubs to set out action they are taking on equality, diversity and inclusion. \p Baroness Twycross: Clubs will be required to report on what action they are taking with regard to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as part of the corporate governance code included within the Football Governance Bill.

EDI is a key part of good corporate governance. Good EDI on boards and in clubs promotes better governance, decision-making and transparency, all of which links to improved financial sustainability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Ministry of Justice projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio have been delayed due to planning permission in each of the past five years, broken down by (1) project, (2) length of delay, and (3) additional costs incurred. \p Lord Timpson: The Ministry of Justice’s Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) includes 21 projects. 7 of these make up the 20k Prison Place Programmes, which developed from the original 10,000 places commitment announced in 2019 under the previous Government.

These projects are:

10k Additional Prison Places – New Build

10k Additional Prison Places Estate Expansion Category D

10k Additional Prison Places Estate Expansion Houseblocks and Refurbishments

Accelerated Houseblocks Delivery Programme

PFI Expiry and Transfer Tranche 2

Rapid Deployment Cell Project

Small Secure Houseblocks

Several of the 20k programmes experienced a range of delays due to planning determination outside of the statutory timeframe. It means that despite promising to deliver 20,000 prison places by the mid 2020s, the previous Government only delivered approximately 6,000 as set out in the 10-year Capacity Strategy.

Within the New Prisons Programme, known as the 10k Additional Prison Places – New Build within the GMPP, delays to planning determinations have been documented in the recently published 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. The strategy outlines challenges in securing planning permission at the new prisons in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire and Leicestershire, which were in the planning system for 40 months, 30 months and 29 months respectively. The strategy notes that each three-month delay to a new prison adds around £8 million in construction cost inflation.

We are unable to draw out the specific, quantifiable time and cost impact of individual planning delays alone on the overall delivery of the majority of the 20k programmes, as the delays were cumulative with planning being one of several factors, including site-specific requirements and administration of key contractors.

No other Ministry of Justice GMPP projects on the list published in January 2025 have been delayed due to planning permission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024 on the ability of waste disposal authorities to generate an income from disposing of recyclable materials. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The DRS (Deposit Return Scheme) aims to reduce littering of in-scope containers. Once the DRS is operational, our Impact Assessment analysis estimates savings to local authority street cleaning costs of around £30 million per year.

Many of the containers not returned through the scheme may continue to travel through local authority waste streams such as kerbside recycling. The introduction of a DRS has a varying impact on local authorities recycling collections; there may be efficiency savings from collecting and processing less material, however we also understand the DRS will remove a material from local authority recycling streams. Details can be found in the Final Impact Assessment.

We anticipate the scheme administrator – the Deposit Management Organisation – working closely with local authorities to ensure as much material is returned as possible and to help meet collection targets and keep material within the closed-loop model of the DRS.

Final Impact Assessment (DRS) (pdf, 2513.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that water bills are expected to rise by £10 per month from April, what steps they are taking to support customers with rising costs. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We understand the financial pressures hardworking families are currently facing and the Government is therefore committed to take action to address water poverty and ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills.

All water companies have measures in place for people who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. We expect all companies to make sure households are aware of the measures available to them and do everything they can to support all customers who are vulnerable.

The Government is also improving protections for customers, with new and increased compensation for water companies to pay to customers and businesses in the event of issues like water supply outages, sewer flooding or low water pressure. In addition, the Government has recently introduced a new clause to the Water (Special Measures) Bill to add to existing powers for water companies to provide for special charging arrangements for customers in need.

Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to deliver this.
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Baroness Hussein-Ece:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of inequalities in access to, and the quality of, reproductive, maternal and newborn healthcare services in fragile states. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is proud to champion and protect reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services, and seeks to take a 'no regrets' approach to supporting the provision of sexual and reproductive health services in all settings, including in conflict and crises.

Reproductive, maternal, child and newborn health outcomes are inextricably linked to strong health systems and the attainment of universal health coverage. The UK works with partners to enable health systems to respond quickly including in humanitarian disasters: from access to skilled health workers, to clean and sanitary health facilities to prevent infection and strong, predictable, supply chains. We provide core funding to the International Confederation of Midwives to strengthen midwifery globally, enabling midwives to save lives, reduce complications, and uphold the fundamental rights of women and girls including in humanitarian settings.

UK investment in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports delivery of emergency reproductive health and dignity kits to meet immediate needs in acute crises and focuses on strengthening supply and healthcare systems in fragile states.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Baroness Coussins:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are holding with foreign language professionals and their representative bodies about the regulation of machine translation in the context of developing AI policy. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: We recognise that the vast majority of AI systems - including machine translation - are best regulated at the point of use and in the context in which they are deployed. That’s why in response to the AI Action Plan, the government has committed to supporting regulators in evaluating their AI capabilities and understanding how these can be strengthened.

In regard to foreign language professionals, the GCHQ-chaired cross-Government Languages Group brings together government language professionals, developers and commissioning officers who have a stake in machine translation capability, to capture use cases and develop best practice for its development and deployment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many government departments met the April 2023 deadline to confirm an adoption strategy for One Login, as set out in the 2022–2025 Roadmap for Digital and Data, published on 29 November 2023; whether the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government sets a new deadline for full adoption; and if not, why no specific timeframe has been included in the strategy. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: In the 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, Mission Two states that 'All departments will confirm an adoption strategy and roadmap for One Login by April 2023 and their services will have begun onboarding by 2025.'

In April 2023, 16 of the 17 departments in scope had a delivery plan and were working with GDS to onboard their first services. All departments in scope have now committed to onboarding services to GOV.UK One Login, and are actively implementing delivery plans. 59 services have onboarded to GOV.UK One Login, with an extensive roadmap of new services scheduled to onboard over the course of the next 12 months. They are supported by the GDS Onboarding and Engagement team who provide advice and assets to enable technical service teams to onboard their services smoothly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the 2022–2025 Roadmap for Digital and Data, published on 29 November 2023, how many of the 50 government services that were due to reach a “great” standard by 2025 have now met that standard; whether they remain committed to this target; and if not, why this commitment has been omitted from the Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, published on 21 January. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology has provided a report to the Public Accounts Committee on the closure of the 2022-25 Roadmap. The report indicates that 29 of the Top 75 Services have reached the ‘Great’ standard, an increase from 8 ‘Great’ services at baselining.

The Government Digital Service has established a Service Transformation team to drive delivery of the next phase of service transformation work set out in Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, building on the learnings from the Top75 Services Programme.

As set out in the Blueprint, the government will develop a detailed Government Digital & AI Roadmap alongside the second phase of the Spending Review, to be published in summer 2025. This will supersede the 2022-2025 Roadmap, and will include details of how we plan to measure progress through the next phase of digital transformation.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_22

Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 30 January (HL4226), what discussions officials in any department have had with European Union officials before rejecting a request from members of the Northern Ireland assembly to apply "the Stormont Brake" procedure to the Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/2865). \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government routinely engages with the European Commission on the Windsor Framework and those discussions are confidential. However, I can confirm that no discussions were held between Government and European Union officials that affected the decision by the Secretary of State on the notification in question, which was made solely in accordance with the terms of Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_23

Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the level of growth expected during this parliament as a result of the expansion of Gatwick Airport to two runways. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: An application for a Development Consent Order has been made by Gatwick Airport Limited to bring their existing Northern runway into routine use alongside their main runway.

The Planning Inspectorate submitted its recommendation report to the Department for Transport on 27 November 2024 and the Secretary of State for Transport has until the 27 February 2025 to make a decision.

As this is a live planning application, it would not be appropriate to comment.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_24
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-13 conversation_24

Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 29 January (HL4088), where the Climate Change Committee has advised that "it did not consider it necessary for Government to reset existing targets". \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In December 2020, the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) presented a report to the Secretary of State entitled “The Sixth Carbon Budget: The UK’s Path to Net Zero.” This report, a statutory obligation under Section 34 of the Climate Change Act, included recommendations for the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget, set to run from 2033 to 2037. In the report, the CCC noted that “it is for the Government to decide whether the currently legislated budgets [the fourth and fifth, covering 2023-2027 and 2028-32] should be amended to bring them in line with the Net Zero 2050 target, however the Committee does not consider it necessary to change the budget level in law – the focus should be on developing policy to deliver the new Sixth Carbon Budget and the UK’s NDC for 2030.” We will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_1

Lord Frost:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the economy of aligning the United Kingdom with the requirements of the European Union General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988). \p Baroness Gustafsson: The UK enjoys a high level of product safety. The updated GPSR therefore largely formalises the reality of how businesses are already operating across the UK, and many UK businesses will already be going further than many of these requirements.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_2

Lord Frost:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to British businesses selling to customers in the European Union and Northern Ireland of complying with the European Union General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988). \p Baroness Gustafsson: The UK enjoys a high level of product safety. The updated GPSR therefore largely formalises the reality of how businesses are already operating across the UK, and many UK businesses will already be going further than many of these requirements.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_3

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Department for Business and Trade has sufficient resources to attract inward investment into the UK. \p Baroness Gustafsson: We are expanding the Office for Investment to ensure it is fit for purpose and has the capability needed to continue to showcase the UK as the first choice for investment and the best place in the world to do business. The enhanced OfI will originate and execute major deals, develop commercially attractive investment propositions, market the UK to investors globally, and coordinate investment activity across Government. This will ensure that the UK continues to be a world leader for attracting international investment which is central to our mission to drive growth, job creation and productivity across the UK.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_4

Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Gustafsson on 11 February (HL Deb cols 1104–07), what plans they have to provide a further update to the House on the remedial actions they have taken following the Post Office Horizon scandal; and what steps they have taken to improve the skills of, and accountability measures relating to, directors from the Civil Service who represent the Government on the boards of organisations of which the Government owns a share. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: I provided the House an update on the redress schemes on the 27 February.

There are currently over 300 public bodies, many of whom operate with independent Boards. The decision on whether to place a representative on the Board is for the sponsoring Department.

UK Government Investments (UKGI) currently provides a Shareholder Representative function on behalf of Departments for 25 of government's most commercially-focused bodies, including providing Board representatives for 22 of these bodies. UKGI provides extensive training for its representatives covering a range of corporate governance issues. This training has developed significantly in recent years and is regularly updated.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_5

Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions they have in place to audit adherence to treaty agreements between the UK and countries in the Middle East. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK enjoys a wide range of agreements with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. We keep all aspects of our relationships, including participation in any bilateral or multilateral agreements, under review.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_6

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the study by Arpita Ghosh, Heather Flowe and James Rockey Estimating excess mortality due to female genital mutilation, published August 2023, and (2) the number of avoidable deaths resulting from female genital mutilation (FGM); and of the organisations which receive FGM aid grants from the UK, how many provide medical assistance to women and girls suffering life-threatening complications as a result of FGM, including severe bleeding, obstructed labour, and infection. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is very interested in the study conducted by the University of Birmingham, estimating the excess mortality due to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Officials are meeting with authors this month to discuss the findings.

The UK funds the Support to the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM: Phase 2 programme (ALM). The programme funds a Model Health Facility (MHF) in Narok, Kenya, which provides direct medical assistance to women and girls suffering because of FGM. The ALM programme has developed a FGM-specific curriculum for healthcare professionals undergoing pre-service training, equipping them to contribute towards the prevention of FGM and improving healthcare services for women with FGM-related complications. The MHF trained 239 faculties and 2,534 students across Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Senegal by October 2024.

The UK also funds the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM through which 86, 823 women and girls received healthcare services related to FGM last year.

In 2024, the Sudan Free from FGM: Phase 2 programme provided 97,601 women and girls with health-related services to mitigate, prevent or respond to a combination of FGM, Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage. In addition, 206,407 women and girls received mental health and psychosocial support.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_7

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the bid by the China North Industries Corporation to buy copper and cobalt assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo owned by Chemaf; and of the implications for security, resilience, and supply chain transparency, especially with regard to the use of child labour. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK government understands this is a commercial deal between foreign businesses, though we have not assessed further at this time. Our resources are focused on supporting British business in this sector. The UK is committed to addressing risks around conflict minerals through promoting responsible business practice, and protecting human rights, including against the use of child labour.  We work through a number of international mechanisms to deliver on this, including supporting the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables businesses to continue to operate responsibly from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-12 conversation_8

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government from which law firms and individuals they have commissioned external legal advice in relation to negotiations over the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government has sought external legal advice at various times throughout the negotiations with Mauritius. The specific counsel instructed has depended on the nature of the legal issues involved. Counsel has a professional obligation not to accept instructions where there is a conflict of interest.