theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a social energy tariff for community organisations. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

In the short-term, the Government wants to provide businesses and community organisations with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers. The Government published a summary of consultation responses earlier this month, and a Government response will follow in due course.

Since 19 December 2024, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees have been able to access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards.

For domestic customers, we recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from next winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the barriers faced by charitable organisations, financial or otherwise, when looking to join heat networks; and whether they will provide support to charitable organisations to overcome these barriers. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Charitable organisations use a diverse range of buildings, thus there is no one-size-fits-all solution for how they decarbonise their buildings. In high-density urban areas, heat networks are often the lowest-cost, low-carbon heating solution.

The Government has a number of schemes to support the development and growth of heat networks, including the Green Heat Network Fund, which provides funding to develop new and existing low carbon heat networks across England.

We are working across Government and with the National Wealth Fund to explore further funding opportunities for the heat networks sector that will catalyse more private investment and support more connections.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial barriers faced by charitable organisations when looking to change the heating in their buildings from oil and gas systems to renewable systems; and whether they will provide support to charitable organisations to overcome these barriers. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Charities may access various forms of energy efficiency support, including funding for energy-saving upgrades, tailored advice. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) continues to provide grants up to £7,500, to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems for domestic and small non-domestic buildings, including charitable organisations. The maximum capacity for a single system installation under the BUS remains 45kWh.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with Ofgem to publish updated planning and grid connection guidance for digital infrastructure to prevent bottlenecks in the grid connections queue and to ensure that other sectors are not deprioritised in favour of data centres. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: As announced in the Industrial Strategy, my department is developing measures to accelerate the connection of high-value strategic demand projects in a wide range of sectors, while continuing to support all users to connect to the grid more quickly through broader grid upgrades.

The Department is also working with Ofgem on its End-to-End Review of the obligations and incentives pertaining to network companies in the delivery of grid connections. This will improve customer communications and ensure high levels of service for all customers. This complements ongoing, fundamental reforms to the connections process that will significantly reduce congestion and bottlenecks.
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Lord Offord of Garvel:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the national security risks of a strike by unionised energy sector workers; what plans they have to minimise those risks; and what steps they are taking to ensure that clean energy industries are appealing to private sector investors as workers in that industry unionise. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: This Government continually assesses risks to national energy security, including from industrial action, as reflected in the National Risk Register. Under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), critical sectors including energy infrastructure must have in place plans for maintaining key services in the event of significant workplace absences including strikes.

As set out in our Industrial Strategy: Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, we work in strong partnership with unions, industry, and investors to foster a thriving and skilled workforce, safeguard energy security, and maintaining investor confidence in the UK’s clean energy future.
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Lord Offord of Garvel:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs associated with manufacturing infrastructure for clean energy industries in the UK, and what assessment they have made of the impact those costs have on energy prices for households and industries in the short and long term. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Our Clean Power Action Plan will deliver Clean Power by 2030, with an expected £40bn of investment on average per year our to 2030. Government is also determined to secure associated growth and resilience opportunities alongside our world-leading deployment plans, by increasing domestic manufacturing in Clean Energy Industries and associated innovation and services. Clean Energy Industries have been prioritised as a frontier industry in the Industrial Strategy to enable us to capture these opportunities. This sets out a comprehensive policy package to secure private investment in clean energy manufacturing. These decisions lay the foundations for a future energy system that will grow the economy for local communities and real people by securing and creating new quality jobs and protecting bill payers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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Lord Offord of Garvel:To ask His Majesty's Government how small businesses will be included in the Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, published on 23 June, and what mechanisms will be available for local, non-corporate organisations to build onshore wind turbines and solar farms, such as the Orkney Community Wind Farms. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan, launched on 23 June 2025 under the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, targets regional growth and aims to double clean energy investment to over £30 billion a year by 2035, with small businesses playing a key role. The Plan proposes streamlining planning, improving grid access, and supporting innovation to benefit SMEs and local firms.

Additionally, Great British Energy will boost investment in local and community energy projects, ensuring communities play a central role in the UK’s clean energy transition. For 2025/26, we have set up £5 million in grant funding through the Great British Energy Community Fund, which is available to community energy groups to help communities develop their own clean energy projects, including solar-powered generation and onshore wind.
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Lord Offord of Garvel:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the carbon capture projects in Aberdeenshire and the Humber are successful. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The government has announced its support for the Acorn (Scotland) and Viking (Humber) clusters and is providing the development funding to advance their delivery. A final investment decision (FID) will be taken later this Parliament, subject to project readiness and affordability.

The government has been working with clusters to understand what they need to keep them progressing to FID and are confident the Spending Review outcome will enable us to continue collaborating on that.

As agreed with Acorn, the government has established a ministerial-led forum, where UK and Scottish governments, regulators and industry representatives come together on a regular basis to drive forward momentum for the Scottish cluster. The forum convened for the first time on 22/07/25 and was chaired by the Minister for Industry.
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Lord Offord of Garvel:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the Scottish Government to develop new nuclear power stations. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Planning policy is devolved to the Scottish Government and they have made it clear they oppose the building of new nuclear power stations.

The UK Government works productively with the Scottish Government on a range of energy issues and we would welcome engagement on new nuclear given the growing interest in the potential for projects in Scotland and the opportunity for jobs and skills across the country, should the position on planning change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-29)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value for money, and (2) environmental impact, of providing grants to householders to install types of air conditioning which are environmentally friendly. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Warm Homes Plan will reduce energy bills and transform homes to be comfortable and low carbon by accelerating the installation of new technologies like heat pumps. The department is also conducting research to ensure homes are resilient to the future climate by identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat. This research is informing the adaptation solutions in the Warm Homes Plan which will publish in October.

The department recently consulted on expanding the scope of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to allow air-to-air heat pumps to receive grant funding. The Government Response will be published in due course. Advantages of air-to-air heat pumps include the ability to provide cooling, dehumidification, and air filtration in addition to space heating.
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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prioritise access to electricity grids for port electrification, including in relation to onshore power supply for ferries and cruise ships. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Department is working closely with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator, and network companies on fundamental reforms to the connections process. This is expected to release up to 500GW of capacity from the queue enabling quicker connections for many demand projects. This may include acceleration of shore power projects where capacity is released in port locations.

As announced in the Industrial Strategy, my department is also developing measures to accelerate the connection of strategic demand projects in a wide range of sectors, including through a new Connections Accelerator Service, to be launched this year.
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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the speech delivered by the Prime Minister at the Cambridgeshire Police headquarters on 10 April was written in whole or in part by (1) special advisers, (2) permanent civil servants, or (3) the 10 Downing Street political office. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The visit in question was initially designated as an official event. It was subsequently rescheduled and redesignated as a political event. No further support was provided by permanent civil servants after this point.
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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with the Federation of Small Businesses about their report Windsor Framework Realities, published on 24 June. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland discussed the findings of the report at the East West Council in June, which was attended by representatives of Intertrade UK who are also considering the report as part of their work to promote trade across the UK. The Government has engaged extensively with Northern Ireland businesses and representative organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses on the implementation of the Windsor Framework. We will continue to do so, including in relation to the report in question.
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Lord Snape:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the consequentials under the Barnett Formula for each of the devolved administrations resulting from approval of the Lower Thames Crossing. \p Lord Livermore: The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. Where funding for the Lower Thames Crossing has been allocated at a fiscal event or Estimates, the publication will confirm the total Barnett consequentials received by the devolved governments. The most recent report was published in July 2023 [1]. An updated report will be published in due course.

At spending reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to the overall change in a department’s settlement using the department’s comparability factor. This means Barnett consequentials generated at spending reviews in relation to the Lower Thames Crossing specifically cannot be determined.

For any future spending on the Lower Thames Crossing, Barnett consequentials will be confirmed when UK Government departmental budgets change.

[1] You can access this report via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023
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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government how many traders are registered on the Trader Support Service. \p Lord Livermore: Over 60,000 businesses have registered with the Trader Support Service to date.
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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to Northern Ireland under the Barnett Formula as a consequence of spending on HS2; and how much additional funding they expect to allocate to Northern Ireland as a consequence of the project in each of the next five years. \p Lord Livermore: The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. Where funding for HS2 has been allocated at a fiscal event or Estimates, the publication will confirm the total Barnett consequentials received by the Northern Ireland Executive. The most recent report was published in July 2023 [1]. An updated report will be published in due course.

At Spending Reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to the overall change in a department’s settlement using departmental comparability factors. This means that Barnett consequentials generated in relation to HS2 specifically cannot be determined.

[1] You can access this report via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023
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Lord Sarfraz:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate pound sterling-backed stablecoin; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the United States GENIUS Act on any such regulation. \p Lord Livermore: The Government has confirmed that it will bring forward final legislation this year to create a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK. The Government recognises the growth and competitiveness opportunities of stablecoins, and its regime will allow firms to be licensed in the UK to issue stablecoins.

Following the passing of the GENIUS Act by the US Congress, the Government’s approach to cryptoassets positions the UK well to work with the US in advancing our shared ambition to foster world-leading cryptoasset markets.
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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) calls, and (2) online submissions, have been made to HMRC fraud hotline services in relation to illicit tobacco in each of the past ten years. \p Lord Livermore: The table below shows the number of contacts received by HMRC’s Fraud Reporting Gateway in relation to illicit tobacco. The data is only available for the last 7 years due to HMRC’s retention policies.

Year

Online Submission

Telephone Submission

Total

24/25

7,605

2,094

9,699

23/24

5,416

1,873

7,289

22/23

5,625

2,060

7,685

21/22

1,558

2,424

3,982

20/21

1,988

1,535

3,523

19/20

2,012

6,323

8,335

18/19

2,182

8,285

10,467
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase of the inflation rate to 3.6 per cent, and what steps they are taking to manage the effects on consumers. \p Lord Livermore: The independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England are responsible for controlling inflation. The Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to the 2% target.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what level of equity share they will obtain for their funding support for Casement Park through Financial Transactions Capital. \p Lord Livermore: The UK Government has committed £50m of Capital Financial Transactions funding to redevelop Casement Park. The UK Government will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive; however, it is up to the Executive to take decisions on the design and implementation of the Financial Transaction, including whether to take long-term equity stake in the project. The Financial Transaction will be provided to the Executive on a net basis, it does not need to be repaid to the UK Government and the Executive can recycle any repayments indefinitely.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the intention to reduce travel costs in the Civil Service, as outlined in the Spending Review of 11 June, will apply to ministerial travel. \p Lord Livermore: The Ministerial Code sets out that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Ministerial travel in the UK is the responsibility of individual government departments with each department accountable for arranging the travel of its ministers, in line with the Ministerial Code.

The Spending Review 2025 confirmed that UK government departments will deliver reductions in administration budgets of at least 11% in real terms by 2028-29, and 16% in real terms by 2029-30.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the breach of security which allowed data to be stolen from the Legal Aid Agency, and what action they are taking to mitigate the damage which could ensue. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: On Wednesday 23 April, the department became aware of a cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services.

In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to bolster the security of the system, and informed all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised.

Since then, we have worked closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to bolster the security of our systems so we can safely continue the vital work of the agency, as well as informing the Information Commissioner.

On Friday 16 May we discovered the attack was more extensive than originally understood and that the group behind it had accessed a large amount of information relating to legal aid applicants. It became clear that to safeguard the service and its users, we needed to take the online service down.

We have put in place the necessary contingency plans to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time.

The Ministry of Justice published a statement at 08:15 on the 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.

This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was made possible by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. They knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

The Legal Aid Agency launched a dedicated helpline on 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the data breach.

To ensure that legal aid providers have the latest position with respect to legal aid applications and billing contingencies, and that affected parties can access the latest developments on the incident, the Legal Aid Agency has created a dedicated space with contingencies and useful resources: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/legal-aid-agency-cyber-security-incident.
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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoner death inquests were heard on the Isle of Wight in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024; and how many prisoner death inquests on the Isle of Wight are outstanding for those years. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: No inquests were concluded in 2023 and 2024 relating to prison deaths in the Isle of Wight coroner area. There were 13 such deaths in 2023 and 6 in 2024.

The data is unpublished management information derived from administrative systems and has not been subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics which are published by the Ministry of Justice.

My response to the Noble Lady’s Question HL7660 set out the steps which the Isle of Wight Council is taking, together with the Senior Coroner and the Chief Coroner, to address the issue of inquest backlogs. As I also confirmed in that response, the Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible, and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what practical steps they are taking to ensure the expeditious release of Jimmy Lai from prison, his reunion with his family, and whether they will arrange for the Prime Minister to meet Jimmy Lai’s son. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: This Government, from the Prime Minister down, continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and release Jimmy Lai. The Prime Minister raised his case with President Xi at the G20, and the Foreign Secretary raised it most recently with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in April.

The Prime Minister is following Jimmy Lai's trial closely. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific remains in regular contact with Mr Lai's son and last met him on 28 April and raised this case with the Hong Kong Government on 30 May.

Jimmy Lai's case remains a priority, and we will continue to press for consular access.
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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN special rapporteur Thomas Andrews on 15 May regarding allegations that Rohingya refugees were forced off an Indian naval vessel. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are aware of recent reports alleging that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea by the Indian Navy near the maritime border with Myanmar. We understand that the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar will investigate these allegations. The UK Government will examine their conclusions closely.
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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be obliged to consult with the EU in advance of any foreign or defence policy or operation as a result of the UK–EU reset agreement. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: At the UK-EU Summit, the UK and the EU adopted a Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). The SDP creates a strong basis to strengthen our foreign, security, and defence dialogue and cooperation. It does not oblige either party to consult the other on their respective foreign, security, or defence operations.

However, the SDP will enhance our cooperation across a broad range of areas including: maritime security; space security; hybrid threats; resilience of our critical infrastructure; irregular migration; global health; illicit finance; defence industry; and military mobility. It will complement our relationships through NATO - the bedrock of our Euro-Atlantic security, and other mechanisms such as the JEF.
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Baroness O'Loan:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of India on the death in custody of Father Stan Swamy SJ, and the continued imprisonment of those allegedly involved in the Bhima Koregaon violence. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: His Majesty's Government extends condolences, first and foremost, to those who knew and worked closely with Fr. Swamy at Jesuit Missions.

Jesuit Missions' work, partnering with organisations to empower local communities and to build a more just and sustainable future, is admirable.

The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. However, given this is an internal Indian legal matter, the ability of the UK Government to get involved directly on these matters is significantly limited.

The UK Government has a broad, deep and respectful partnership with the Government of India. This includes sharing perspectives on human rights issues and finding common ground.

Our High Commission in New Delhi and our network across India monitor human rights across the country. We engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society.

This includes raising issues of concern where we have them.
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Rohingya refugees being cast into the sea by the Indian navy near the maritime border with Myanmar; and what representations they have made to the government of India about those reports and the treatment of Rohingya refugees. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are aware of recent reports alleging that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea by the Indian Navy near the maritime border with Myanmar. We understand that the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar will investigate these allegations. The UK Government will examine their conclusions closely. Our High Commission in New Delhi and our diplomatic network across India engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, including the situation of the Rohingya refugees, both within and outside of Myanmar. We ask all states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which is a fundamental tenet of international law that prohibits states from returning individuals to a territory where they face threats to their lives or freedom.
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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 14 May (HL7009), whether the individuals who conducted the risk assessments for the One Login programme held certifications in governance and risk recognised by the UK Cyber Security Council, or an equivalent accreditation; and if not, what steps they have taken to ensure that such assessments meet government and ISO 27001-equivalent standards for competence. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Yes. Individuals conducting risk assessments for GOV.UK One Login hold professional experience and qualifications aligned to knowledge areas and skills as defined by the UK Cyber Security Council.
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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out any operationally independent second-line security assurance on One Login documentation, in accordance with the Government Functional Standard 'GovS 007: Security', published on 30 July 2020. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Yes. We operate a three lines of defence process which includes employing a team of security experts, with additional scrutiny and assurance provided by GDS’s Chief Information Security Officer, the Cabinet Office’s central cyber teams and the National Cyber Security Centre.

The programme has continuously conducted multiple independent risk and threat assessments, such as regular IT Health Checks (ITHC) by NCSC accredited providers, and these will continue to be part of the programme’s operating approach. We follow the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) GovAssure process and completed an independent Cyber Assessment Framework security exercise in 2024, with continued work and collaboration with NCSC on future mitigations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_10

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 14 May (HL7013), whether the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee was formally notified of the letter from the National Cyber Security Centre that warned of shortcomings and risks in the One Login system in September 2023; and if so, on what date they notified that committee; and whether they will place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Representatives for GOV.UK One Login, attended two meetings into programme risks with the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee (COARC), once in June 2023 and then again in April 2024. On both occasions cyber security risks that took into account NCSC advice were presented. GDS also raised cyber security as its top risk to the Cabinet Office in its quarterly risk reporting, a process which is now replaced by DSIT risk reporting.

A copy of the letter will not be placed in the Library of the House, as it forms part of ongoing security measures and internal governance processes.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_11

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of patterns of ownership of electronic communications networks since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code; and what steps they are taking to ensure that cost savings from reduced land rents benefit end-users. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: This Government has not carried out any formal assessment of electronic communications network ownership patterns. We continue to work closely with industry to understand the evolving market dynamics and, where issues present, will consider what government can do to support investment and competition for the benefit of all end-users.

The 2017 changes to the Electronic Communications Code, which included changes to the valuation regime, were intended to support network deployment and facilitate infrastructure sharing. Based on Ofcom reporting, 4G geographic coverage from at least one operator has increased from 89% in May 2018 to more than 95% in the 2025 Spring Connected Nations Update. In terms of fixed broadband, Thinkbroadband reports that over 87% of UK premises can access a gigabit capable connection, this is up from 3.4% in January 2018.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_12

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of land access disputes between access seekers and providers in relation to electronic communications networks since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code; and what action they are taking in relation to increased costs or delays associated with tribunal referrals. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Government is aware of an increase in applications to the tribunal following the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. While Government understands most applications do not proceed to a full hearing, Government is keen that agreements are reached on a consensual basis wherever possible.

The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 introduced a requirement for operators to inform landowners of the availability of alternative dispute resolution and to consider using it before issuing legal proceedings. It is hoped that this will encourage more collaborative negotiations between operators and site providers, and reduce costs and litigation.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_13

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of reforms introduced by the Electronic Communications Code and Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, particularly on market entry and infrastructure investment; and how changing market dynamics have affected the achievement of the UK's 5G aims. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Following engagement with stakeholders about the impact of the 2017 reforms, government consulted on further changes to the Code. These were included in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022. The measures in that Act received Parliamentary scrutiny and were subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment. Most measures are in force, with some still to be commenced.

As market dynamics evolve, Government is working with industry to ensure we have a policy and regulatory framework that supports investment in 5G. Vodafone, VMO2 and EE have all rolled out standalone 5G in major towns and cities across the UK.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_14

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's mobile network performance and 5G roll-out compared to large European markets and the USA since 2017, specifically in relation to (1) network coverage, (2) download speeds, and (3) base station deployment. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Our ambition is that all populated areas will have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

Our most recent assessment on network coverage is from August 2024 where the most recent data available showed that 5G was available outside 92% of premises in the UK, compared to the EU average 5G population coverage at 89% and the USA at 98%. Since this assessment UK coverage has increased to 96%.

According to user testing by Ookla (an independent analytics company) the UK median 5G standalone download speed in the 4th quarter of 2024 was 181.9 Mbps, the US 388.4 Mbps and tests in eight other European countries ranged from 132.1 - 547.5 Mbps.

Ofcom reports that there are 3,300 5G standalone base station deployments in the UK. This is not comparable across markets as it is dependent on factors including topology and spectrum availability.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_15

Lord Nash:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to page 20 of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023–24, whether the decision to increase expenditure by £181 million through reprofiling quality-related funding complied with the departmental expenditure limit control rules and ringfence restrictions in the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance 2023–24; and if not, whether Treasury consent was obtained in line with paragraph 2.52 of that guidance. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The reprofiling of quality-related funding payments to higher education institutions in 2023-24 complied fully with DSIT’s departmental expenditure limit control rules and Consolidated Budgeting Guidance. No payments in advance of need were made and spending across the DSIT portfolio remained within departmental control totals despite the reprofile, which is designed to ensure effective utilisation of R&D budgets within and across financial years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_16

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect intellectual property from being used in the training of artificial intelligence technology. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: Copying protected material continues to infringe copyright unless it is licensed, or an exception applies.

The Government recently consulted on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI). Its priority now is to complete the analysis of the consultation responses which will help inform next steps in this area.

The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and its proposals will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_17

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of scientists leaving the UK, and what steps they will take to attract scientists to the UK. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: While the government does not collect data on the exact number of scientists leaving the UK, the government is committed to ensuring the UK is the top destination for globally mobile research talent based anywhere in the world.

The UK boasts a world-leading science base, supported by top universities and research institutions, and has an ambitious funding offer through UKRI and the National Academies, which offer prestigious fellowships and professorships. On 19 May, the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering announced they will launch new Accelerated International Routes for their respective existing Faraday Discovery Fellowship and Green Future Fellowship schemes.

We keep our offer continually under review and will set out the details of any plans to enhance our offer in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_18

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the fraud and error rates of (1) the £20 Universal Credit uplift, (2) the suspension of the minimum income floor for self-employed claimants, and (3) the increase in local housing allowance, during the COVID-19 pandemic. \p Baroness Sherlock: They show that, as a result of the suspension of the MIF, the estimated rate of overpayments as a percentage of UC expenditure was:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_19

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount lost to fraud and error under the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme; and if not, why not. \p Baroness Sherlock: The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme was administered by HMRC.

HMRC estimates the amount lost to error and fraud for the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme is between 2% to 5% of the overall cost of the scheme. This equates to £2 million to £6 million in monetary terms.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_20

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the most common reasons for a presenting officer not to be sent to Social Security and Child Support Tribunal hearings by the Department for Work and Pensions. \p Baroness Sherlock: Staffing levels mean it is not possible to send a Presenting Officer to every hearing. We prioritise attendance at tribunals where HM Courts and Tribunals Service have specifically directed a Presenting Officer to attend.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_21

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government to what percentage of Social Security and Child Support Tribunal hearings the Department for Work and Pensions sent a presenting officer in (1) 2020–21, (2) 2021–22, (3) 2022–23, and (4) 2023–24. \p Baroness Sherlock: The percentage of hearings for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which were attended by a Presenting Officer (PO) can be found in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Proportion of tribunal hearings for selected Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) benefits which were attended by a DWP Presenting Officer

Benefit

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

PIP

6%

30%

26%

30%

ESA

7%

31%

21%

23%

Source: HMCTS administrative data shared with DWP

Notes:

Figures could not be provided for SSCS benefits other than PIP and ESA because the administrative data held by the department is not robust enough to answer the question.