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

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Baroness Thomas of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are enough English for Speakers of Other Languages classes throughout the country to meet demand, and whether those classes are free for asylum seekers and refugees. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department supports adults aged 19+ in England to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF. This allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning.

Adults who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection by the Home Office, and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or longer, are eligible for the same skills funding as any other English resident and are not subject to the normal three year qualifying period to access ASF funding.

Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine mayoral strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.

The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the specific needs of their communities.

In non-devolved ASF areas, adults eligible for ASF funding, including those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or more, can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL, depending on their employment status and salary.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult on the issue of hydrogen transmission blending in 2025. \p Baroness Curran: In December 2024 we set out an intention to consult on transmission-level blending within GB in early 2025 to gather evidence to inform the case for Transmission-level blending. We confirm that we intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the National Transmission System in the near future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial benefits to businesses of a core hydrogen network, instead of a small cluster network that requires business to provide local infrastructure. \p Baroness Curran: We continue to assess the benefits that a core network could deliver to the hydrogen economy.

In the early years of the hydrogen economy, it is likely that most industrial demand for hydrogen will be located within industrial clusters where sites can share infrastructure. We are therefore prioritising the development of regional network infrastructure while we continue to review the case for a core network to connect regional networks in the future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that destruction of the world's forests reached the highest level ever recorded in 2024, primarily due to a surge in fires. \p Baroness Curran: The UK is deeply concerned by the record-breaking levels of forest loss, linked to climate-driven wildfires, identified in the recent World Resources Institute report (WRI-latest-analysis-deforestation-trends, 21/05/25).

The UK remains steadfast behind the shared commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. We are working with partners to strengthen ambition and accelerate delivery of efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably manage critical ecosystems, including by supporting global action on wildfires through the G7. As co-chair of the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), we are pushing for greater political focus on tackling deforestation as we approach COP30.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of hydrogen power stations to complement renewable energy. \p Baroness Curran: Hydrogen to power can play a key role in a Clean Power system by providing low carbon dispatchable generation during lower renewable output periods. Hydrogen to power can deploy at a range of scales, providing a decarbonisation pathway for unabated gas generation, and when connected to large-scale hydrogen storage, can enable inter-seasonal low carbon electricity storage.

The government has committed to implement a hydrogen to power business model to support hydrogen to power deployment. The December 2024 hydrogen to power consultation response outlines the next steps government will take to deliver the business model.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of Ireland about the gas interconnector from the UK that supplies blended gas. \p Baroness Curran: None of the UK’s gas interconnectors currently supply or receive gas blended with hydrogen. The Department is engaging with officials from the Irish government and transmission system operator of Ireland to understand the implications of the EU hydrogen and gas decarbonisation package regarding hydrogen blending and to ensure continued cross-border trade of gas.

We intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the GB gas transmission network in the near future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of hydrogen in the energy network to improve energy security. \p Baroness Curran: The government believes that the only way to guarantee our energy security is to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.

Low carbon hydrogen will be a crucial enabler of a low carbon and renewables-based energy system and will help to deliver new clean energy industries which can support good jobs in our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.

Low carbon hydrogen will play a key role in delivering a decarbonised power system and can also provide very long duration energy storage, making use of curtailed electricity, which will support both a decarbonised electricity grid and increased energy security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what technical assessment they have made of the potential level of hydrogen blending with natural gas in the National Transmission System. \p Baroness Curran: The GB transmission system operator (National Gas) has conducted trials on the safety of hydrogen blends of up to 2%, 5% and 20% by volume in the National Transmission System. The Department is working with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that this evidence is assessed as efficiently as possible.

We intend to publish a consultation on blending hydrogen into the GB gas transmission network in the near future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Wales in the last month on public safety of coal tips. \p Baroness Curran: The Mining Remediation Authority is in regular contact with the Welsh Government to discuss the management of Welsh coal tips.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring coal tip safety and just how much this issue resonates with local communities, particularly in the South Wales valleys, that is why the Government announced funding of £25m in 25/26 to the Welsh Government in the Budget, for making coal tips safe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 14 January (HC22186) and Attorney General's speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council on 30 January, what guidance they have given on whether Ministers can (1) derogate from or (2) disregard rulings of the European Court of Human Rights where such issues are against (a) UK national interest or (b) the stated view of the UK Parliament. \p Lord Hermer: The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. The Convention applies to your question.

It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Royal Navy vessels are currently equipped with the naval strike missile; when they expect the naval strike missile to equip the type 23 frigate and type 45 destroyer fleets; and whether any Royal Navy vessels equipped with the naval strike missile have deployed alongside HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales. \p Lord Coaker: The Royal Navy is in the process of outfitting Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to eleven of its Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers in collaboration with the Norwegian Government. These missiles will provide a potent new surface-to-surface maritime and land strike capability for the Surface Fleet.

HMS SOMERSET, PORTLAND and RICHMOND are now fitted with NSM. HMS RICHMOND is part of Operation HIGHMAST, accompanying HMS PRINCE OF WALES as part of the Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The Strategic Defence Review will determine the roles, capabilities and reforms required by UK Defence to meet the challenges, threats and opportunities of the twenty-first century. Outfitting further ships with NSM will be progressed according to SDR outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Lee of Trafford:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to develop battlefield nuclear weapons. \p Lord Coaker: It will remain the case that none of the UK’s nuclear weapons are designed for tactical use during a conflict.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to amend the legislation governing the Mutuals Public Register to enable the publication of its electronic data holdings for public and research use. \p Lord Livermore: The Mutuals Public Register is the official record of mutual societies in the UK and is maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Following an FCA programme of work that concluded in 2021 to digitise paper records, the register is available in electronic format. While some historic records remain in paper form, members of the public can request their digitisation via the FCA website.

The Government is not planning any legislative changes affecting the FCA’s authority in this area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a tax on ultra-processed foods. \p Lord Livermore: A fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy. Reducing rates of obesity, along with preventing ill health, remains a priority for the Government.

The ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, published in April 2025, seeks ways to encourage producers to remove added sugar from soft drinks. It sets out proposals to reduce the minimum sugar threshold at which the levy applies from 5g to 4g sugar per 100ml, and to remove the current exemptions for milk-based and milk substitute drinks with added sugar. These changes are estimated to reduce calorie consumption by 15 million kcal per day in children and 46 million kcal per day in adults, achieving health and economic benefits of around £4.2 billion over 25 years.

More broadly, the Government has stated its intention to work with the food industry to consider the available levers to encourage further food and drink reformulation, in a way that protects consumers and is focused on voluntary and regulatory measures in the first instance. For example, the voluntary sugar reduction programme has reduced levels of sugar by around 15% in breakfast cereals, over 13% in yogurts and fromage frais and around 7% in ice creams and sorbets between 2015 and 2020.

The Government is also taking forward a number of further actions to make it easier for consumers to have a healthier diet. This includes restricting television and online advertising of less healthy foods to children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s, and restricting the locations in supermarkets where products high in salt and sugar can be placed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the National Cyber Security Centre in preventing cyber attacks; and what advice is being provided to (1) individuals, (2) businesses, (3) Government departments and (4) national agencies to prevent cyber attacks and limit any damage caused. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Since its inception in 2016, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been working to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

The NCSC continue to provide digital and assured industry services to help bring about a real-world, positive impact against threats and are delivering real benefits for the nation, from dealing with significant cyber incidents to defending citizens against online harm and developing a skills pipeline for the future.

Active Cyber Defence (ACD) continues to be one of the NCSC's most successful ways to help bring about a real-world, positive impact against threats. 2.2 million cyber-enabled commodity campaigns were removed by Takedown Service in 2024, up from 1.8 million from the previous year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Caine:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 22 May (HL Deb col 244), what assessment they have made of the risk that elderly veterans will be compelled to appear in coroners' courts in Northern Ireland as a result of their decision to re-open legacy inquests and because of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: This Government's commitment to our Armed Forces community is unshakeable. The vast majority of veterans who served in Operation Banner did so with distinction in very difficult circumstances.

This Government’s approach will ensure that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively, efficiently and lawfully, and that veterans who engage with legacy mechanisms are provided with the appropriate support. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is working closely with the Defence Secretary and Minister for Veterans and People on how to ensure that their interests are fully considered in the changes we are going to make.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the purposes of the solar radiation modification projects funded by the Advanced Research and Innovation Agency, and what assessment has been been made of any possible negative effects. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s (ARIA) ‘Exploring Climate Cooling’ programme, backed by £56.8 million, has been designed to build an evidence base which will enable scientists to better understand and properly assess whether or not Earth cooling approaches could help to mitigate climate change safely.

ARIA is an independent research body, and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of the risks and impacts of Solar Radiation Modification. This will produce important information for decisions around the world.

ARIA have put in place an independent oversight committee, made up of international experts, to support effective governance of outdoor experiments and communication of their findings. Projects with field trial components will be subjected to risk and impact assessment by an independent team of experts and subjected to a degree of co-design with local communities; the results of both exercises will be publicly available prior to any outdoor experiment taking place. An independent assessment will also take place on completion of any outdoor experiment, also to be made publicly available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in technology to defend the United Kingdom against cyber attacks. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The government is taking a multi-faceted approach to driving up the cyber security of the UK economy. Programmes such as CyberASAP, CyberRunway and CyberLocal are supporting the development of new technologies, bringing together expertise in UK academia and industry. Alongside industry, government has funded the Digital Security by Design programme to address memory security bugs, which research from Google and Microsoft suggests accounts for 70% of cyber vulnerabilities. We advocate for the adoption of good cyber security through the provision of best practice guidance, ranging from our recently-published codes of practice on cyber governance, AI cyber security and software development, and via schemes like Cyber Essentials. We are driving up standards in critical infrastructure through the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and will publish a new National Cyber Strategy by the end of the year. In the public sector, the Government Cyber Security Strategy (2022-2030) sets a clear target for all public bodies to have technology resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030. To date we have delivered GovAssure as our new cyber assurance regime and the Government Cyber Coordination Centre to support cross government incident response.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Golding:To ask His Majesty's Government whether funds are allocated to local education authorities to ensure that elective home education students can access free testing for level 1, 2, 3, and 4 qualifications. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Parents who choose to educate at home assume full responsibility for the education of their child, including financial responsibility, as a state school place (or state-funded place) is available.

Home educators are not required to follow the national curriculum but if they choose to, local authorities can be a source of information and advice for parents.

As part of the children not in school measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is introducing the first ever duty on local authorities to provide support for home educating families, in the form of advice and information. This will include signposting to high-quality, reputable educational materials, such as those offered by the Oak National Academy.

Government does not provide funding to local authorities for the specific purpose of assisting home educating families accessing examinations. Local authorities do have discretion to provide such financial assistance from within their existing budgets, and we are aware that some do so.

To sit an exam as a private candidate, students need to find an exam centre to enter them for all aspects of their chosen subject or subjects, including any assessments.

The department is committed to supporting home educated students to access exams and as such have worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) to better support home educating families. This includes a search function on JCQ’s website, which enables students to locate the nearest centre available to sit their GCSE, AS or A level exams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund the free and subsidised milk schemes for schools through a multi-year guaranteed budget rather than through annual renewal. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) who request it. Overall, the department spent over £1.5 billion on FSM and free milk in 2023/24.

To assist with the cost of providing milk, schools can take part in the voluntary National School Milk Subsidy Scheme run by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In 2023/24, over £2 million was paid out through the National School Milk Subsidy Scheme.

Schools can claim reimbursement from the Nursery Milk Scheme in respect of their pupils aged under five. In 2023/24, the total cost of reimbursements for all settings from the Nursery Milk Scheme was over £54 million.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of pupils who receive free school meals receive free milk daily. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Section 512ZB(3) of the Education Act 1996 relates to the provision of free milk. Milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for FSM who request it, we do not hold data on the number of children who make such requests. We expect schools to follow their statutory duty around the provision of free milk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government how many of those granted asylum in 2024 were accommodated in (1) dispersal accommodation, (2) hotel accommodation, and (3) other accommodation provided under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, at the time of the decision on their asylum claim. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Specific information on the support status asylum seekers at time of initial decision is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord German:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish an update on the note published by the Home Office on 24 February 2022, Statistical note: FNO appeals lodged and allowed on human rights grounds, 2008 to 2021, to include data up to 2025 and the proportion of foreign national offender appeals allowed solely on Article 8 grounds. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office keeps its statistical products under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Grantchester:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend that any future reinterpretation of the Sustainable Farming Incentive would comprise a universal scheme open to all farm types on an equal basis. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced following the spending review in summer 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted a review on the balance of public investment between agricultural genetic modification and alternative strategies for sustainable farming and food security. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Department recognises that we need a variety of approaches to address sustainable farming and food security. For example, the industry-led Farming Innovation Programme funds a range of approaches to address how innovation can increase farming productivity sustainably. This is complemented by Defra’s agri-food science programme which develops R&D to enable sustainable farming and help ensure food security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government how much public funding has been allocated to research and development for the commercialisation of crops, livestock, foods and micro-organisms produced by agricultural genetic modification since 2014; and what proportion of this funding has been awarded to UK-based companies. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Since 2014 UKRI, through BBSRC (approximately £13.9 million) and Innovate UK (approximately £1.35 million), has invested more than £15 million in research involving genetic modification (including genome editing) of crops and farmed animals for agricultural- and food-based research based in the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government how many, and which, of the 39 outcomes in the National Cyber Security Centre Cyber Assessment Framework are complied with by Gov.uk One Login; and what steps they are taking to ensure Gov.uk One Login achieves all 39 outcomes. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government does not routinely comment on operational security matters. GOV.UK One Login works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to identify and mitigate risks and align to the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF). The programme is committed to achieving CAF compliance by the end of 2025/26, in line with Government standards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that artificial intelligence start-up firms founded in the United Kingdom remain based here as they scale their businesses. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government is committed to supporting the digital economy, removing barriers to inclusive economic growth, and ensuring that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for our great tech businesses to start, scale and stay.

Programmes such as the SEIS/EIS schemes and R&D Tax Credits demonstrate the UK’s commitment to supporting tech companies in thriving in the UK.

The AI Action Plan sets out our intention to support the growth ambitions of businesses across the AI sector. Initiatives include opening the AI Research Resource to a wider pool of SMEs to drive forward new AI-enabled innovations, fostering national champions within the UK startup ecosystem, and unlocking data assets for startups to access.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how current net zero targets will affect the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies and investment in these technologies. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Embracing the opportunities that AI can provide to drive growth and productivity in the economy is a government objective. Building the low carbon economy of the future will lead to significant increases in electricity demand across many sectors. These projected increases were a key part of the analysis that underpinned the department’s Clean Power Action Plan, consistent with our net zero targets. By unlocking new low carbon electricity generation, improving access to the electricity grid and the efficient operation of the energy system we will achieve Clean Power by 2030. We will maintain secure, resilient energy supplies that can be used to enable these technologies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government what value of humanitarian aid they have provided to Myanmar following the recent earthquake. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK has announced up to £25 million in life-saving support for people affected by the recent earthquake in Myanmar. This includes up to £5 million to match the British public's generous donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

The UK's earthquake support is funding local actors on the ground, who can directly access affected populations. UK-funded food, water, healthcare and shelter supplies are already reaching affected areas, helping over 300,000 people so far.

Since the 2021 coup the UK has provided more than £170 million in live-saving humanitarian assistance, emergency healthcare and education support, and support to civil society and local communities, in Myanmar.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Lord Gold:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Turkey's financial, military, and political ties with the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas; and what plans they have to address concerns about a member of NATO financing Hamas. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government has proscribed Hamas as a terrorist organisation and condemns its unacceptable attacks against civilians. Turkey has not proscribed Hamas, which is a sovereign decision. The UK supports Turkish efforts to encourage Hamas and Israel to end the conflict in Gaza and is working with a range of international partners, including our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally Turkey, to counter the threat of terrorism and secure a lasting peace in the Middle East.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

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Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will attend the trial of Ahmed al-Doush on 4 May in Saudi Arabia. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.

Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-16 conversation_15

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reported attacks in Khoznavar in Armenia allegedly by Azerbaijan in April, and what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan to protect civilian lives and infrastructure. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are aware of reporting that alleges ceasefire violations and we are following the situation closely. The UK government welcomes Armenia and Azerbaijan's agreement on a peace deal and urges them to sign it as soon as possible, to provide security and stability to the region. We continue to urge both sides to refrain from rhetoric or action that could undermine prospects for peace. The Minister of State, Stephen Doughty, underlined our support for a long-lasting peace deal with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 11 April at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, in a call with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 29 April and in a meeting with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev on 30 April.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-16 conversation_16

Lord Jopling:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 16 April (HL6564), whether they plan to insist on a loosening of impediments to access of the UK financial services sector to the United States financial services sector in seeking a new trade agreement with the United States. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: On 8 May the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. We are continuing talks which will look at increasing digital trade, access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

The US and the UK are each other's largest single country trading partners for financial services. Following discussions between the Chancellor and US Treasury Secretary Bessent, we agreed to use the upcoming Financial Regulatory Working Group (FRWG) to discuss collaboration on digital assets, including to support the use and responsible growth of digital assets, and the proposals put forward by the Commissioner on the Security and Exchange Commission for a transatlantic sandbox for digital securities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-16 conversation_17

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance NHS England provides to people who are prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the risks of developing post-SSRI sexual dysfunction; whether they plan to recognise post-SSRI sexual dysfunction as a condition; and what support is available for people discontinuing SSRIs. \p Baroness Merron: The product information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) provides advice on the risk of withdrawal/discontinuation reactions, and advises patients not to stop their medication suddenly. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning health services for their local population. This includes consideration of services for patients taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms, based on local population needs.

An increasing number of non-pharmacological alternatives have become available on the National Health Service, such as NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, with over 670,000 courses of treatment provided in 2022/23. NHS England is encouraging ICBs to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop prescribed medicines that can cause dependence and withdrawal.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved product information, provided to healthcare professionals and patients for all SSRIs, was updated in 2019 to inform them that reports had been received of long-lasting sexual dysfunction, where symptoms continue despite discontinuation of the SSRI. The MHRA was an integral part of the European Union wide review of the available evidence which underpinned the current warnings.

The term Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction was added to the regulatory dictionary in 2021, which will help with the recording and retrieval of Yellow Card data and literature cases, and in the future, will contribute to the much-needed research into this important health issue. Persistent sexual dysfunction following withdrawal of an SSRI as a disorder was added to the electronic health records system, known as SNOMED, in October 2024, as a code that will help with the clinical identification of patients with persistent sexual dysfunction, including those after taking SSRIs.

An Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines has been established by the MHRA to consider how the risk of sexual dysfunction which continues after stopping antidepressants is communicated in patient information leaflets, however this work will not address the clinical recognition of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, as that is outside the remit of the MHRA.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-16 conversation_18

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 8 May by the Health Foundation, Digitising the NHS and adult social care. \p Baroness Merron: Digital transformation offers substantial opportunities for the National Health Service to improve care outcomes and to lower cost, while improving the experience of patients. The impact of digital tools and programmes are measured individually, and organisations are required to identify, manage, actively track, and report impacts, outcomes, and benefits against agreed plans.

Our investment in digitising the frontline will ensure value for money and that health and care staff have access to health-related information when and where it is needed, supporting them to deliver care efficiently, effectively, and safely, reducing variation and improving outcomes.

Currently, 187 out of 206, or 91% of, secondary care trusts have an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) in place, with work underway to provide tailored support to the remaining 19 trusts that do not yet have an EPR. Our ambition is for all trusts to meet our stated core digitisation standards, including having EPRs in place, by March 2026.

In adult social care, 75% of registered care providers now have digitised care records, up from 41% in December 2021, benefiting 85% of people who draw on care.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-16 conversation_19

Lord Jones of Penybont:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the General Medical Council about reforming regulatory procedures for doctors using powers under section 60 of the Health Act 1999. \p Baroness Merron: Officials from the Department are working closely with the General Medical Council to develop the necessary legislation to modernise the legislative framework for doctors, as part of our professional regulation reform programme.

We anticipate being in a position to consult on this legislation, which will be made using the affirmative procedure under powers granted in Section 60 of the Health Act 1999, in late 2025.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-12 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-12 conversation_1

Baroness Altmann:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest cost-benefit analysis of rolling out fracture liaison services across the country, including (1) how many people are likely to avoid fractures and how many fractures could be avoided per year as a result of early detection, (2) how much NHS resource could be saved, and (3) how many days of work absence or years of early retirement could be avoided. \p Baroness Merron: We remain committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) across every part of the country by 2030. That is what my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care promised before the election, and what he is delivering.

In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech bone density DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans, to ensure that people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier

FLS are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%. They can play a vital role in improving quality of life and increasing the number of years that can be lived in good health.

The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services. Impacts will be assessed, as these options are considered, taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-12 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-12 conversation_2

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 30 January (HL3973), what was the total cumulative impairment of public dividend capital for each NHS provider listed in that answer in each of the past 10 financial years, broken down by financial year. \p Baroness Merron: The attached table shows the cumulative Public Dividend Capital impairment for each of the listed NHS Providers in HL3973, per year, for the past seven financial years.

Please note that as detailed on page 187 of the document, Department of Health and Social Care Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20, Public Dividend Capital impairments have only been recognised on an individual provider basis by the Department since the 2019/20 Annual Report and Accounts, which included a prior period adjustment to apply the same across 2017/18 and 2018/19. Due to the size of the document, a copy has been placed in the Library.

For this reason, the Department has been unable to provide data for the past 10 financial years, although the Department has provided the full information held.

Table for HL4610 (docx, 27.2KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-12 conversation_3

Baroness Golding:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace or update (1) medical diagnostic equipment that will become obsolete during the 2026–27 financial year, and (2) medical diagnostic equipment that is falling behind current technology. \p Baroness Merron: The Darzi Report highlights the significant underinvestment of capital in the National Health Service, with outdated scanners, too little automation, and a failure to enter the digital era. Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need, including diagnostic testing, which is key to the majority of elective and cancer pathways.

£1.65 billion of additional capital funding has been allocated in the budget for 2025/26 to support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care. This investment includes funding for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online, new beds across the estate to create more treatment space in emergency departments, reduce waiting times, and help shift more care into the community, and £70 million to invest in new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment.

As detailed in the 2025/26 capital guidance, published on 30 January 2025, NHS England has provided systems with their operational capital envelopes, which include funding for the replacement of diagnostic scanners, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging machines, and radiotherapy equipment, outside of national programme funding. These allocations are managed locally, with systems prioritising investments in line with their clinical and operational needs. Some targeted national programme funding is also available for strategic priorities, such as the expansion of Community Diagnostic Centres and the improvement of cancer treatment capacity.

Future capital investment beyond 2025/26, including funding for the replacement of medical diagnostic equipment from 2026/27 onwards, will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms needed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) constitutional standard by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The plan commits to transforming and expanding diagnostic services, and speeding up waiting times for tests, a crucial part of reducing overall waiting times and returning to the RTT standard.