theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_6

Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government what advice they provide to local authorities on taking out insurance for potential cyber attacks. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government Cyber Security Strategy sets a clear target for all public bodies to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and common attack methods by 2030. Cyber insurance should be considered as part of wider cyber security resilience measures taken by organisations. The NCSC (The National Cyber Security Centre) has provided helpful guidance for organisations thinking about taking out cyber insurance.

In 2024 MHCLG introduced the Cyber Assessment Framework for local government to help councils assess and improve their cyber security. The framework also aims to promote good cyber security practices and cultures within councils to minimise the impact of cyber-attacks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in law enforcement and intelligence agencies to help defend against increasing cyberattacks. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Tackling cyber crime and improving the UK’s cyber resilience is fundamental to our national security and prosperity.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Programme has boosted investment and expanded training to improve the law enforcement response to cyber attacks. We provide law enforcement with the necessary cyber skills and training at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to deal with the perpetrators and victims of cyber crime. The National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU), part of the National Crime Agency, continues to bring together law enforcement experts into a single elite unit and, together with the network of Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs), provides access to specialist capabilities at a regional level.

We do not comment on United Kingdom intelligence community spending, but their work is a crucial part of our wider cyber resilience capacity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_8

Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will advise His Majesty the King to withdraw the invitation to the President of the United States of America to visit the United Kingdom later this year. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are pleased that the President of the United States accepted His Majesty's invitation for a historic second State Visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump as planned.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_9

Lord Randall of Uxbridge:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the policy of the United States regarding deep-sea mining exploration licences could have on areas owned and licensed by the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government has noted the US Executive Order on 'Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources'. UK Seabed Resources Limited (UKSR), a UK-registered company sponsored by the UK Government, holds two licences for exploration in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) from the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the body mandated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to organise and control activities in the seabed, ocean floor and subsoil thereof beyond national jurisdiction. The CCZ is an area beyond national jurisdiction and is not owned by the UK or any State. UKSR will continue to hold those licences under the auspices of the ISA.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Foreign Secretary has met Chagossian groups and representatives since 5 July 2024, and on what dates. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK Government regularly meets Chagossian groups and representatives at both official and Ministerial levels, with the Minister for the Overseas Territories the Ministerial lead for Chagossian interests and outreach. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for Europe, North America & UK Overseas Territories have had one meeting with Chagossian groups since 5 July 2024, on 22 May 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government from which departmental budget payments to Mauritius regarding the Chagos Islands will be paid. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The costs associated with the deal will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_12

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding plans to build settlements in the E1 area of the West Bank. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK condemn categorically the development of settlements. Settlements are illegal under international law and do not protect Israel. As the Foreign Secretary said on 20 May, the two-state solution is in peril, endangered not only by the war in Gaza, but by the spread of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts across the Occupied West Bank, with the explicit support of this Israeli government. The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Israeli counterparts that settlement expansion must stop and we continue to monitor Israeli developments in the West Bank.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government how many post implementation reviews completed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since October 2024 entailed consultation with external stakeholders. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: As of 10 June 2025, Defra has completed 42 post implementation reviews since October 2024. Of these, 36 involved consultation and engagement with external stakeholders. Methods included targeted stakeholder surveys, questionnaires, and interviews in addition to evidence gathered in the course of business-as-usual stakeholder engagement and wider policy consultations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_14

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what contribution, if any, the vaping industry makes to the cost of the appropriate disposal of vapes. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations make producers responsible for electrical products (including vapes) they place on the market when they become waste. This week, following a consultation under the previous Government, we laid an amending SI to create a new category of electrical equipment for vapes (previously included in category 7: Toys, and Leisure), to ensure vape producers pay their fair market share towards separate collection, treatment, and recycling costs of their products.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Banner:To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to conclude a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement that includes provisions for the movement of zoo animals, and what recent discussions they have had with zoos and aquariums on the inclusion of conservation transfers in such an agreement. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone, aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of trade and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our aim is to start talks straight away and we want to remove barriers as soon as possible.

Ministers have actively engaged with the zoo and wildlife sector through multiple visits and discussions to understand its challenges and opportunities. This dialogue will continue as we work together to support the zoo and wildlife sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_16

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the environment of the disposal of vapes. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Single-use vapes are a blight on our environment with an estimated 5 million incorrectly disposed of each week. This is why on 1 June 2025 we banned the sale and supply of these products. We have published our impact assessment which considers the environmental, economic and other impacts of this policy and will continue to monitor the impact of the ban.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many sites of special scientific interest in England were assessed in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, (3) 2023, and (4) 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: On 1 April 2023 Natural England changed from a unit (or area)-based assessment and corresponding reporting process to one based on the features within each site, called Whole Feature Assessment. A feature is a habitat, species or geological characteristic for which the site is important.

More information is available here TIN216 Edition 2 Environment Act Interim Target for protected sites - TIN216 and a copy is attached.

As of March 2025, the proportion of SSSI features that had an up-to-date condition assessment in England is 31.6%

The breakdown of the number of assessments in England in each of those years was as follows:

2021- 939 assessments

2022- 781 assessments

2023- 591 assessments

2024- 921 assessments

The number of assessments in a year refers to either an assessment of a unit (pre-2023), or a feature (from 2023) on a site and not to a whole site. More than one unit or feature may be assessed on a site in a year, and the same site may have been visited in more than 1 year to monitor different units or features.

Environment Act Interim Target for protected site (pdf, 340.8KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of education policy on the future take-up of foreign languages at GCSE level. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education policy has a strong role to play in the future take up of languages at GCSE. That is why the department is continuing to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education to deliver online continuing professional development for teachers and a new model of languages support for schools. The new programme will have national reach as it is not constrained by geography or limited by the number of schools it can support.

The department announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package worth up to £233 million for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, which is a £37 million increase on the last cycle. This includes tax-free bursaries available to eligible trainee teachers of modern foreign languages of £26,000. We have also increased tax-free scholarships to the value of £28,000 for trainee teachers of French, German and Spanish, and are continuing to offer bursaries and scholarships to all non-UK national trainees in languages.

Oak National Academy has also been funded to provide modern foreign languages lesson resources for schools in England across key stages 2, 3 and 4. These resources will be released in full by autumn 2025, helping the languages teachers who use them to prepare high quality classroom teaching and reduce their workload.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_19

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 15 May (HL6980), whether they will place in the Library of the House (1) the data collection template, and (2) the data from the voluntary local authority data collection exercise on home-to-school transport. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The voluntary local authority data collection exercise closed in mid-March. We will place the data collection template in the Libraries of both Houses. Once analysis of the returns is complete, we will consider whether the information is of suitable quality to make available taking account of response rates for this voluntary survey.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-13 conversation_20

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Education and Skills Funding Agency Annual report and accounts 2023–24, published on 29 July 2024 (HC13), what estimate they have made of the overall fraud and error rate, including undetected losses, across the £72 billion of distributed funding; whether they hold disaggregated estimates of fraud and error by programme areas; and if so, whether they will publish those estimates. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has not completed a formal estimate of fraud and error rates across its distributed funding.

In 2025, the ESFA delivered year 2 of its Counter Fraud Strategy. Part of this strategy is built on the ‘Prevent’ and ‘Protect’ duties.

With regards to the Prevent duty, the ESFA focuses on fraud prevention through its use of data analytics and collaboration with other government departments to identify and tackle risks and issues early. We continue to identify risk through a programme of fraud risk assessments, with a fraud and error reduction plan to mitigate individual and strategic risks.

With regards to the Protect duty, sector working groups have been developed which enable the sharing of alerts and risks. The publication of the ESFA investigation outcome reports also enhances the sharing of lessons learnt across the sector. In addition, the ESFA successfully benchmarked against the Government Counter Fraud Functional Standards to assess counter fraud maturity.

The ESFA annually publishes its common findings from funding assurance work in relation to education providers. The purpose of this is to raise awareness of common compliance issues and to ultimately reduce error. The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-assurance-work-on-post-16-funding/common-findings-from-funding-assurance-work-on-post-16-education-providers.

The ESFA Counter Fraud and Funding Assurance functions were moved into the department as of 1 April 2025 following the ESFA’s closure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of pupils entered for a GCSE in the current year are taking (1) French, (2) Spanish, (3) German and (4) other foreign languages; and what proportion took those exams in 2010, 2015 and 2020. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The requested information is shown in the following table. Data relating to 2025 will be published in autumn 2025.

Percentage of pupils entering modern language GCSEs at the end of key stage 4

Language

2019/20 Academic Year

2014/15 Academic Year

2009/10 Academic Year

French

20

25

25

German

7

9

10

Spanish

17

14

9

Arabic

Z

0

Z

Chinese

Z

1

Z

Italian

Z

1

1

Polish

Z

1

Z

Urdu

Z

1

Z

Other Modern Language

4

2

3

To note:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of maths teachers currently employed in state-funded primary schools have a relevant post-A-level qualification; and what was the equivalent figure in 2020, 2015 and 2010. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in each school phase and type, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2023.

As of November 2023, there were 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers employed in state-funded schools. There were 461,105 FTE teachers in 2020, 456,973 in 2015 and 441,354 in 2010. There was a ratio of 18.1:1 pupils to teachers in state-funded schools in the 2023/24 academic year, 18:1 in 2020/21, 17.3:1 in 2015/16, and 17.1:1 in 2010/11.

School workforce statistics as of November 2024 will be published in June 2025.

The department does not have forecasts of the number of teachers that will be employed by schools. However, as part of the calculations to estimate postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) recruitment targets, the Teacher Workforce Model estimates the likely supply of teachers for state-funded primary and secondary schools in England for the next two years.

Within modelling calculations published as part of the ‘2025/26 postgraduate ITT targets publication’, the department estimated a primary qualified teacher supply of 213,031 in 2024/25 and 211,909 in 2025/26. For secondary, the equivalent figures were 209,171 in 2024/25 and 209,763 in 2025/26. This modelling can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets/2025-26.

The 2025/26 target for primary PGITT trainees has fallen by 1,750 compared to 2024/25, from 9,400 to 7,650, which represents an 18.6% fall. This fall was principally a result of more rapidly falling pupil numbers, and more favourable forecasts for both the future retention of teachers and the recruitment of newly-qualified entrants that defer entry into the profession.

The 2025/26 target for secondary PGITT trainees decreased by 4,685 compared to 2024/25, from 23,955 to 19,270, which represents a 19.6% fall.

This fall was driven by more favourable secondary supply forecasts this year, helped by a boost in PGITT recruitment, which is expected to deliver greater numbers of newly qualified teachers in the future. In particular, there was an increase of 2,000 trainees in secondary initial teacher training recruitment between 2023/24 and 2024/25. Additionally, the department’s most recent pay award is forecasted to improve teacher retention levels further and thus reduce future workforce losses.

The department does not collect information on subjects taught in primary schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Dubs:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the education of Ukrainian GCSE and A level students who will be unable to sit their exams because their visa, or visa extensions, expire before the exam date. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: If any student is impacted by events outside of their control at the time of exams and assessments, schools and colleges can apply for special consideration. It may be possible for a student to be awarded a grade if they have unavoidably missed an exam or assessment, as long as they have completed at least one other exam or assessment for that qualification. More information about special consideration and the eligibility criteria is attached and can be found at: https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/JCQ-A-guide-to-the-special-consideration-process-24-25_FINAL_accessible.pdf.

In February 2025, applications opened for the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme. This scheme is for individuals who have been given permission to be in the UK under one of the Ukraine Schemes to apply to remain in the UK for a further 18 months.

HL7416_Attachment (pdf, 2305.6KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what guidance they will issue about teaching biological sex in relationships, sex and health education classes. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The review of the relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance is ongoing, and the department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence, such as the Cass Review which was published since the draft guidance, and talking to key stakeholders before issuing revised guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Baroness Alexander of Cleveden:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce government bureaucracy. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The government is committed to creating a productive and agile state. This means reducing bureaucracy through adoption of digital technology and AI tools; stripping back duplication and inefficiency in arms-length bodies; streamlining approval processes; and improving accountability for Civil Service performance. The Cabinet Office will drive and track delivery of this important programme of work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an analysis comparing the per-member administrative costs of the (1) Civil Service Pension Scheme, (2) NHS Pension Scheme, (3) Teachers' Pension Scheme, (4) Armed Forces Pension Scheme, and (5) Local Government Pension Scheme, to comparable private sector schemes; and if so, whether they will place a copy of that analysis in the Library of the House. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) is a participant in an annual benchmarking of both public and private sector pension schemes, provided by an external supplier for schemes willing to participate in the benchmarking survey.

The benchmarking outlines the CSPS administration, compared to a peer group of 11 schemes of similar size and nature , including those mentioned in the question.

The benchmarking report contains information on the ‘per member costs’ associated with the CSPS, benchmarked against the 11 peer groups.

As was the case under the previous administration, these annual benchmarking reports are not published.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government how many contracts, and at what financial value, they granted to WPI Strategy (1) between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024, and (2) between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2025. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Cabinet Office has not awarded any contracts to WPI Strategy. Central Government departments are responsible for their own procurement and contract awards within their departments. Details of central government contracts above £12,000 and public sector contracts above £30,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. This includes the names of winning suppliers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the should-cost model or equivalent in-house delivery estimate used to inform the decision to outsource each of the five highest-value outsourcing contracts awarded by central government since the start of the 2022–23 financial year. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Under the Procurement Act 2023, central government departments are required to publish a pipeline notice which sets out what they are intending to procure over an eighteen month period- this will cover the re-procurement of some current services. This is available in the public domain on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. The Cabinet Office does not hold this information centrally beyond what is set out on the platform.

The Cabinet Office does not centrally collate all delivery assessments that inform the decision to outsource the highest-value contracts awarded by central government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Civil Superannuation Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, published 18 December 2024 (HC 481), what factors explain the increase in administrative costs in 2023–24 compared to 2022–23, and whether they will provide a breakdown of cost drivers for material elements of that increase. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The increase in the administration cost is driven by the future services procurement programme aimed at supporting the transition to a new scheme administrator by December 2025, and the 2015 remedy programme that addresses and removes the age discrimination in the transition from older public sector pension schemes to the new Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme.

Further details of both projects can be found in the Civil Superannuation Report and Accounts for 2023-24. There is no requirement to provide a breakdown of these cost drivers in the annual report and accounts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Civil Superannuation Annual Report and Accounts 2023–24, published 18 December 2024 (HC 481), why no individual losses of the 11,118 write-offs are itemised or described, and whether they will place in the Library of the House a breakdown of all of those cases exceeding £75,000, including the cause of loss and any recovery action taken. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: As stipulated in Managing Public Money and the Government Financial Reporting Manual, disclosure requirements only require entities to provide specific details of individual cases over £300,000. There were no individual losses in excess of £300,000 in 2023-24 (2022-23: nil).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Forty-Seventh Annual Report on Senior Salaries, published on 22 May (CP 1329), whether they will place in the Library of the House the letters from the Cabinet Office Director of Civil Service Pay, Policy and Pensions (1) to Mark Polin regarding requests for evidence and data ahead of oral evidence, dated 12 February, and (2) to Lea Paterson regarding the oral evidence session, dated 4 April; and if not, why they have not published these documents on Gov.uk. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: As has been long standing practice under successive administrations, the Government does not intend to place copies of official-level correspondence to the Senior Salaries Review Body in the Library of the House. All Government Written Evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body has been published on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Civil Servants at Senior Civil Servant pay band 4 are paid above the pay band maximum of £200,000. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: There are nine Permanent Secretaries paid above £200,000. Data on pay is published in departments' quarterly transparency reports.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Civil Superannuation Annual Report and Accounts 2023–24, published on 18 December 2024 (HC 481), what proportion of the £12.2 billion reduction in the total liability of the Civil Service Pension Scheme was attributable to the change in the discount rate from 4.15 per cent to 5.10 per cent; and whether they will publish a breakdown of the liability reduction that is attributable to (1) discount rate changes, (2) demographic assumptions, and (3) benefit payments. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The accounts are prepared under the financial reporting manual (FReM) and there is no requirement to disclose the breakdown of the liability reduction that is attributable to discount rate changes or demographic assumptions. The effect of benefit payments on the liability are set out in note 19.4 on page 52 of the Civil Superannuation annual report and account for 2023-24.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-13)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the 10 highest-value call-off contracts made through Crown Commercial Service management consultancy frameworks, including but not limited to MCF3, since the start of the 2022–23 financial year; and, for each contract, whether they will include the supplier, customer department, contract value, date and a brief description of the work commissioned. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: This information is not held by the Cabinet Office.

It is the responsibility of individual customer departments to publish their contracting information.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-27 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Royall of Blaisdon:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to change the system of immigration health surcharges for students so that, if they have to leave the UK and return home in their first year, they could receive a refund on four- or five-year health surcharge that they have had to pay upfront. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: There are no such plans at present, but the Government keeps all aspects of the Immigration Health Surcharge under regular review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence technology in assisting the police, particularly regarding knife crime. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: AI, and other technologies, can provide a wide range of benefits such as efficiency and increased productivity as well as improving public confidence in policing through improving the prevention, detection and investigation of crime.

The Home Office is investing in AI across a number of areas which will benefit the response to all crime types, including automating back-office tasks like redaction to free officers up to be on the frontline.

We have also supported a number of bespoke investments in AI to help fight knife crime including knife recognition AI tools, and tools which facilitate mark retrieval from knives creating a semi-automated method for examining a knife’s surface that can be operated by non-specialists. This is being done, in part, alongside the Office of Police Chief Scientific Advisor, and will speed up investigations.

It is also important that any adoption of AI is done so responsibly, and the Home Office has provided funding to support the National Police Chiefs Council AI Portfolio to drive consistency and create guidance for forces to develop and deploy AI tools.

The Home Office has commissioned research into public attitudes towards police use of AI which is underway. The results will contribute to policy development considerations for police use of AI.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Mobarik:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential measures to facilitate trade between the UK and Northern Cyprus. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. Several United Nations Security Council Resolutions and international court rulings limit links between the UK and the north. Nevertheless, we are committed to alleviating the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots within these constraints. We regularly engage the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce to discuss how we can deepen trade links within the relevant parameters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Mobarik:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to facilitate UK businesses seeking to operate in Northern Cyprus. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' as an independent state. Trade between the UK and the north of Cyprus, including our ability to facilitate UK businesses seeking to operate in the north of Cyprus, is limited by Security Council Resolutions and international court rulings. However, we recognise that the status quo in Cyprus causes serious difficulties for Turkish Cypriots. We regularly engage the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce to discuss how we can deepen trade links within the relevant parameters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that professional sports teams do not associate themselves with illegal gambling sites, particularly regarding sponsorship. \p Baroness Twycross: Under current rules, sports organisations who engage in sponsoring and advertising arrangements with unlicensed gambling operators are at serious risk of committing the offence of advertising unlawful gambling under section 330 of the Gambling Act 2005. Sports organisations engaging in such arrangements with an unlicensed brand must ensure that online gambling activity for that unlicensed brand is blocked and inaccessible to consumers in Great Britain. Its officers may also be liable to prosecution in certain circumstances. If found guilty, they could face a fine, imprisonment or both.

The Gambling Commission is therefore clear that sports organisations must diligently and continuously ensure that they are not advertising unlawful gambling. In such instances, the Commission will seek assurance from clubs that they have carried out due diligence on their gambling partners and that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed websites. The Commission may also take steps to independently verify effective blocking measures are in place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is taking to support the creative arts sector in its discussions with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on artificial intelligence and copyright. \p Baroness Twycross: The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuring they retain control over and receive fair payment for their work, especially as technology advances to include AI.

This is an area where the Department for Culture, Media and Sport works closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). We are actively working with stakeholders to ensure copyright protections remain robust and fit for purpose.

As part of this commitment, we have launched a public consultation on Copyright and AI, which opened on the 17 December and closed on the 25 February. This consultation sought to engage stakeholders across AI and the creative industries to assess and address the evolving challenges of copyright regulation.

We will now consider the full range of responses we have received through our consultation on any new approach. No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives. We will continue to develop our policy approach with DSIT and the IPO in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders - supporting our brilliant artists and the creative industries to work together with the AI sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure intellectual property remains protected from artificial intelligence training models, particularly regarding scriptwriting. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception to copyright applies.

The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

The consultation sought views on how to give rights holders of creative works, including script writers involved in theatre, radio, film and television production, greater control over use of their material, and greater transparency about when their material is used to train AI models, while supporting the development of world-leading AI models in the UK.

The consultation closed on 25 February.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 12 February (HL Deb col 1326), on what basis granting rights to all foreign performers would cost £5.9 million to the UK recorded music sector, and how the figure of £5.9 million was reached. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: This figure is the estimated equivalent annual net direct cost to business (EANDCB) over the period 2025-2034, were UK law to grant public performance rights to all foreign performers, relative to the option implemented by the Government. The basis for this is contained in the revised economic impact assessment that accompanied the Government’s response to the Intellectual Property Office consultation on the extension of public performance rights to foreign nationals, published on 5 November 2024. The figure corresponds to the difference in EANDCB between Option 0A (the option implemented by the Government) and Option 1 in that impact assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to incorporate requirements for bird-safe designs, such as fritted or UV-reflective glass, into future building design legislation. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Whilst there are no current plans on requirements for fritted or UV glass, our revised National Planning Policy Framework expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats and hedgehogs. The National Design Guide, National Model Design Code and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework set out how development can incorporate a range of nature friendly features including swift bricks.

The Building Regulations are designed to protect human safety by ensuring buildings are structurally sound, fire-resistant, and meet health and accessibility standards. They are not designed to directly address animal welfare.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Office for Environmental Protection intends to give advice to a Minister of the Crown with regard to the Great British Energy Bill on its own initiative, in line with section 30(3) of the Environment Act 2021. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Section 30(1) of the Environment Act 2021 states that the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) must give advice to a Minister of the Crown about any proposed changes to environmental law, or any other matter relating to the natural environment, on which the Minister requires it to give advice.

Section 30(3) of the Environment Act 2021 states that the OEP may give advice to a Minister of the Crown about any changes to environmental law proposed by a Minister of the Crown.

The Great British Energy Bill does not propose any change to environmental law. Therefore, as there is no basis for the minister to form a view on the need for advice from the OEP on any matter relating to the natural environment, the OEP is not providing advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to UK national security and to resilience of the role and involvement of Mingyang Smart Energy Green Vault North Sea Wind Farm Project. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 12 February by my hon Friend the Minister for Climate (Kerry McCarthy) to the hon Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine).

We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government which Ministers and Departments the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland consulted before withdrawing on 29 July 2024 the appeal against the section 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998 declarations of incompatibility made by the Northern Ireland High Court in the Dillon case. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: All relevant Ministers have been consulted on the Governments approach to addressing the legacy of the Troubles, including the decision taken in July 2024 to abandon the Government's appeal to the Court of Appeal on all European Convention on Human Rights grounds. This followed the ruling of the Northern Ireland High Court in February 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government which Ministers and Departments were consulted before the Government laid the Northern Ireland Troubles (Reconciliation and Information Recovery) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2024. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: All relevant Ministers have been consulted on the Government's approach to addressing the legacy of the Troubles, including the proposal for a Remedial Order to amend the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation Act) 2023, which was laid on 4 December 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 6 February on EU–UK relations (HC Deb cols 963–4), what is the breakdown by department of the 70 direct engagements between UK ministers and EU counterparts. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Responsibility for UK-EU Relations lies with the Cabinet Office and the Paymaster General and Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds, who has spoken with his counterpart Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič seven times. The Prime Minister has spoken with Commission President von der Leyen six times and with Council President Costa twice. Ministers across Government also regularly engage with their EU counterparts, including meetings held by FCDO, DSIT, DBT, DESNZ, HMT, HO, DEFRA, DCMS and others.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate the use of automated robots used for supermarket deliveries to ensure their safety, particularly regarding (1) pedestrians, (2) motorists, and (3) other road users. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government has no current plans to legislate in this space. However, we are determined to seize the opportunities of emerging micromobility and tackle any negative impacts which may arise. We are actively monitoring the industry, new vehicle types, and new business models, and we will keep under review the case for legislative change.