theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_10

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their proposed timescale for achieving the aim of having two-thirds of young people in higher level education or apprenticeships. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department published the Post-16 education and skills white paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out our reforms to the skills system to support the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs, delivering on our Plan for Change and driving national renewal.

This includes how we will make progress towards our ambition of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level study across universities, colleges or apprenticeships. This is supported by a sub-target of at least 10% of young people going into level 4 or 5 study, including apprenticeships, by 2040.

The reforms include further investment in further education, with an additional nearly £800 million extra invested into 16 to19 education for 2026/27 above previous plans.

The government is also slashing red tape to ensure businesses and training providers can focus more time on apprenticeships, such as making apprenticeship assessment simpler and introducing new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors such as construction and social care.

To support students on higher level provision the department is reintroducing maintenance grants for disadvantaged students studying priority courses aligned with the government’s mission and the industrial strategy at levels 4 to 6.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the removal of art and design teacher bursaries on the future supply of teachers in creative subjects; and on the wider creative industries skills pipeline. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. The department reviews the bursaries annually to take account of ITT recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. Whether a bursary is offered or not, student trainee teachers can access a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and additional support dependent on their circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

Between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for art and design increased by 95%, the largest increase of all subjects. Acceptances for ITT courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year indicate a further improvement. At the same time, demand for art and design trainee teachers has fallen due to this higher ITT recruitment and more favourable teacher retention forecasts. As a result, the postgraduate ITT target in art and design reduced by 38% for courses starting in 2025/26. The department will publish the ITT census for 2025/26 this December.

As part of our Opportunity Mission, we want high-quality arts education for every child in all state funded schools, which is why we announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education to deliver excellent continuing professional development for teachers in all the arts subjects, including in art and design.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_12

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government which officials of the government of China Jonathan Powell has met during his term as National Security Adviser; and whether they will publish a summary of the content of those meetings. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The government has a clear and consistent policy not to comment on any of the National Security Adviser’s meetings with external parties, for obvious reasons to protect sensitive information pertaining to this country’s national security. This has been the case under successive governments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_13

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government who the current and previous occupants of grace-and-favour accommodation under the present government have been, including the dates they moved in and out. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Since 5 July 2024, official residences have been allocated as follows:

Chequers - the Prime Minister (ongoing).

11 Downing Street - the Prime Minister (ongoing).

10 Downing Street - the Chancellor of the Exchequer (ongoing).

Dorneywood - the Chancellor of the Exchequer (ongoing).

Chevening - the former Foreign Secretary the Rt Hon David Lammy MP was allocated Chevening following the General Election. Following the appointment of a new Foreign Secretary in September 2025, the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP has been allocated Chevening.

1 Carlton Gardens - the former Foreign Secretary the Rt Hon David Lammy MP was allocated 1 Carlton Gardens following the General Election and this remains allocated to him as Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor.

Hillsborough Castle - available for ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland (ongoing).

Admiralty House, Flat 2. This was allocated to the Defence Secretary on a short-term basis between 9 September 2024 and 4 November 2024. Following this, it was allocated to the former Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP.

The former Deputy Prime Minister’s move in process commenced on 12 December 2024 and the flat is now vacant following the resignation of the former occupant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_14

Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of degree level apprenticeships within the civil service. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: This government remains committed to apprenticeships as one pathway to break down barriers to opportunity. It is for individual departments to identify the need and assess effectiveness of apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships, within their workforce and development plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about the construction of a third road bridge across the Menai Strait. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: There have been no recent discussions between His Majesty's Government (HMG) and Welsh Government regarding a possible third road bridge across the Menai strait. HMG, through the Union Connectivity Development Fund, provided some financial support to Transport for Wales to undertake a study of the resilience of the existing Menai crossings.

The maintenance and improvement of the road network in Wales is a matter devolved to the Welsh Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_16

Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to extending Sunday trading hours. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The government is not currently planning to make changes to Sunday trading rules.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they will be taking to ensure all parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, benefit from trade negotiations with Israel. \p Lord Stockwood: The UK Government is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of all the nations and regions in the UK. DBT understands that the devolved governments have a significant interest in international trade policy and works closely with them to deliver policy that reflects the interests of all parts of the UK.

The UK Government, however, suspended trade negotiations with Israel on 20th May, owing to the actions of this Israeli Government in Gaza and the West Bank. It will take a sustained shift in the positions of this Israeli government for the UK to consider restarting the FTA negotiations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards increasing the level of exports from the UK to countries in the European Union. \p Lord Stockwood: Exports (goods and services) to the EU in the 12 months to June 2025 totalled £377 billion, up 6% in current prices and up 5% when adjusted for inflation, compared to the previous 12 months, with exports of services reaching a record £198 billion.

DBT continues to offer a range of support for SME’s, with our Small Business Plan setting out the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation. This includes Unlock Europe, a programme from UK Export Academy designed to help businesses build relationships with European customers and increase exporting potential to the EU.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Lord Farmer:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in establishing a mechanism to collect tax information on a household basis, following the announcement from the Chancellor in the April 2024 Budget. \p Lord Livermore: The personal tax system applies on an individual basis and has done since the introduction of the independent basis of taxation in 1990. The government remains committed to the principle of independent taxation.

However, there is more the government can do to improve how it uses the data it collects to better target financial support to those who need it, including to households.

At the Budget in October 2024, the government confirmed it will explore how better data use and sharing across government departments can improve the targeting of economic support to households, especially in times of crisis. HM Revenue and Customs is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to take this forward.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_20

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enable the adoption of tokenised funds using public blockchains while safeguarding against financial crime and systemic risk. \p Lord Livermore: The Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy set out a comprehensive ten-year plan to deliver growth and attract investment. Championing innovation is a key priority within this strategy, and the Government is working closely with industry stakeholders and regulators to remove barriers and unlock opportunities presented by new technologies.

Using distributed ledger technology to tokenise funds could support financial market efficiency by enabling more efficient, real-time data sharing which could lower operational costs and enhance resilience.

The Government has published its Wholesale Financial Markets Digital Strategy, which sets out the key steps the UK has to take to digitalise its financial markets, including through the tokenisation of assets. The Government is taking forward various measures in this space, in particular the Digital Securities Sandbox. The DSS provides a bespoke regulatory framework that enables firms to test, scale and roll out the tokenisation of securities. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also recently launched a consultation for a new Direct2Fund model, allowing investors to engage directly with investment funds through blockchain technology.

To manage financial crime risks, fund managers and UK cryptoasset firms continue to be subject to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations, requiring strict supervision, customer checks and suspicious activity reporting.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the temporary duty suspension for cold-rolled aluminium alloy coils beyond 2027. \p Lord Livermore: Stakeholders were invited to apply for new business suspensions between 8 May and 3 July 2024. As part of this process a suspension was applied to CN76061211 – cold-rolled aluminium alloys coils.

The suspension will be in place until 30 June 2027, with a review on possible extension occurring before this date.

There will be further opportunities to apply for tariff suspensions in due course. Further information, including dates of the application window, guidance, and methods to apply, will be announced on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_22

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Fujitsu would be a suitable supplier for the Trader Support Service contract with HMRC. \p Lord Livermore: The Government does not comment on live procurements to protect the integrity of the process. In all its procurements, HMRC follows government procurement rules.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_23

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Bank of England’s updated remuneration rules on financial regulation and market stability. \p Lord Livermore: The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which is part of the Bank of England, is responsible for setting banks’ and building societies’ remuneration rules, alongside the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The PRA’s new requirements introduce greater flexibility around senior banker pay and strengthen the link between bonus awards and responsible risk-taking. In response to industry feedback, the final rules go further than the original proposals announced last year and apply retroactively to any awards not yet fully paid. The new requirements came into force on 16 October 2025.

The PRA assessed the impact of its updated remuneration rules against its statutory objectives, set by Parliament: a primary objective of promoting the safety and soundness of firms to avoid adverse effects on financial stability and secondary objectives of ensuring effective competition, and enhancing the growth and global competitiveness of the UK economy.

The PRA concluded that the new framework aligns with these objectives. The government supports the PRA’s assessment and decision which reflects our commitment to reinforcing the UK’s position as a competitive global financial sector, while maintaining the resilience and integrity of the financial system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_24

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the veracity of any information provided by Fujitsu in the most recent tender process for the Trader Support Service contact with HMRC. \p Lord Livermore: The Government does not comment on live procurements to protect the integrity of the process. In all its procurements, HMRC follows government procurement rules.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_25

Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government on what conditions they would agree to the Northern Ireland Executive introducing a different rate of corporation tax to the rest of the UK. \p Lord Livermore: The Stormont House Agreement between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive agreed, in principle, for the power to set the rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland on certain trading profits to be devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It was agreed that the Executive would need to formally request the power to change the Corporation Tax rate in Northern Ireland and to demonstrate that its finances were on a sustainable footing, and that the Executive’s block grant would need to be adjusted to reflect the Corporation Tax revenues foregone if the devolved power were exercised.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_26

Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any diesel fuel for sale in the United Kingdom is derived from crude oil produced in Russia. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The UK has taken strong action to limit energy revenues to the Kremlin. We have recently announced a ban on imports of oil products, including diesel fuel, which are refined in third countries from Russian-origin crude oil.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_27

Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that older adults with type 1 diabetes retain access to essential technologies upon entering residential care, and whether they will introduce statutory training and regulatory standards to support safe, consistent and dignified diabetes management in those settings. \p Baroness Merron: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for implementing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines and technology appraisals relating to diabetes care and access to diabetes technologies. NHS England supports ICBs by providing supportive funding, data, policy levers, and clinical leadership at national level. Locally, support for people with type 1 diabetes to access and use diabetes technology is provided by diabetes specialists, general practices, and community diabetes teams. Clinical care and support for people in residential care is locally organised.

All health and social care providers must comply with the fundamental standards set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These include requirements that the care provided be centred on the needs of the individual and that providers employ enough suitably qualified, competent, and experienced staff to ensure standards are met.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_29

Lord Hay of Ballyore:To ask His Majesty's Government why patients in England who suffer from gastroparesis cannot receive gastric pacemaker surgery on the NHS when such surgery is funded for patients with gastroparesis in other regions of the United Kingdom. \p Baroness Merron: In 2016, NHS England conducted a detailed evidence review and concluded that there was insufficient robust evidence to justify the routine commissioning of gastroelectrical stimulation, also referred to as a gastric pacemaker, for the treatment of gastroparesis. A copy of the policy statement which NHS England published is attached. The reason for this decision was that there was insufficient clinical evidence that the procedure is both clinically effective and cost-effective.

In April 2021, NHS England reviewed the position relating to the surgical insertion of gastric electrical stimulators for the treatment of refractory gastroparesis. The Clinical Panel noted that whilst the evidence base presented was newer, it was still not a strong enough clinical evidence base to prompt a review of the existing policy position.

Clinicians may trigger a review of NHS England’s commissioning policies if new evidence is published. NHS England remains committed to funding clinically effective treatments where they are supported by strong evidence and are affordable for the National Health Service.

Additional document (pdf, 290.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_30

Lord Lebedev:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of sleep deprivation on mental health and national productivity, and what steps they are taking to address that issue and to promote sleep health. \p Baroness Merron: While no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise the potential impact of sleep deprivation on mental health.

NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offer low-intensity therapy which may include interventions around sleep hygiene. Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression can be referred by their general practitioner, or can self-refer, to NHS Talking Therapies.

Individuals can also access helpful resources on sleep problems on the NHS Every Mind Matters website.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Prioritisation Board has recently agreed to prioritise digital technologies that deliver cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for insomnia and insomnia symptoms as a topic for the development of HealthTech guidance.

Advice for healthcare professionals is also available from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on its website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_31

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the barriers to local recruitment in areas of greatest deprivation. \p Baroness Sherlock: We recognise the importance of considering the needs of local labour markets in addressing barriers to recruitment. As our Get Britain Working White Paper set out, areas with higher levels of deprivation often have lower levels of educational attainment and there are more working-age adults living with major illness in the most deprived areas (14.6%), which is more than double the rate in the least deprived areas (6.3%).

The Get Britain Working White Paper set out our ambitions to transform employment support and tackle economic inactivity. As part of this, local areas in England are producing Local Get Britain Working Plans to develop a system-wide approach to identifying and addressing local labour market challenges. Further, Trailblazers to test how locally-led responses to tackling economic inactivity and young people not in education, employment and training are being delivered across England and Wales.

Furthermore, our supported employment programme, Connect to Work, has been designed alongside Local Authorities and is being delivered by local areas in England and Wales to help more disabled people, those with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment help to find sustainable work.

The UK Government will respect devolution settlements and work closely with the Devolved Governments, including the Northern Ireland Executive, to share best practice about how our reforms to reduce economic inactivity are working.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_32
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_32

Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing for employer-college apprenticeship collaborations and how they plan to extend this support. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Skills is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government provides a range of support to help employers and training providers, including colleges, to offer apprenticeships.

Government pays 100% of apprentice training costs for employers who do not pay the levy when they take on apprentices aged 16-21, and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, government pays 95% of training costs for employers that don’t pay the levy.

The government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.

In August, the government launched the first new foundation apprenticeships which are underpinned by an employer incentive payment of £2,000. This will be paid in three instalments, the first two spread across the foundation apprenticeship, with the final payment made when an apprentice progresses onto their next apprenticeship.

In addition, the government continues to simplify the apprenticeship system to make it easier for employers and providers to focus on delivering high-quality training. This includes reforms to the apprenticeship payment system which will cut red tape by stopping the need for providers to log the same data multiple times, and the introduction of a one click employer onboarding process which allows providers to complete the setup for an employer, who can then approve it in a single step.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_33

Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government which English counties, if any, do not have native wild otters. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Published evidence shows European otters are present in every county in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_34

Lord Colgrain:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the spread of ragwort. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The published Ragwort code of practice (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5cd93824e5274a38bf503d1d/code-of-practice-on-how-to-prevent-the-spread-of-ragwort.pdf ) is in place to provide advice to landowners and managers to prevent ragwort spreading where it presents a high risk of poisoning horses and livestock or spreading to fields used for the production of forage.

Ragwort code of practice (pdf, 612.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-28 conversation_35

Lord Mohammed of Tinsley:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the delay in implementing the due diligence requirements under the Environment Act 2021; and when those measures will take effect. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government is actively considering the best regulatory approach to address de-forestation in UK supply chains; we will set out this approach in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_1

Lord Lexden:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of acute hospital beds occupied by patients with fragility fractures. \p Baroness Merron: The Government has not made a specific estimate or assessment of the acute hospital bed occupancy rates referenced in the question.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_2

Lord Willis of Knaresborough:To ask His Majesty's Government how many general practice surgeries in England and Wales currently employ nursing associates. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England does not hold this information centrally. Nursing associates are one of a number of roles through which Primary Care Networks (PCNs) can claim reimbursement for salaries, and some on costs, through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. These roles provide appointments and perform clinical and administrative tasks as part of the wider general practice multi-disciplinary team. Staff recruited under the scheme are employed at a PCN level.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_3

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of concerns raised by the Royal College of Psychiatrists about the impact of the use of video monitoring technology on some mental health patients, whether they will commission independent research on the efficacy of such technology and its effect on patients; and whether they will suspend the use of Oxevision until such research is carried out. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England has commissioned a rapid evidence review of vision based monitoring systems. These insights have been used to work in partnership with people with lived experience, clinicians, and stakeholders to develop national guidance, which will be published imminently. There is currently no guidance to suspend oxevision until such research is carried out.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_4

Lord Mendelsohn:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking steps to prioritise the use of cost and clinically effective cancer medicines that result in fewer patient visits to hospital. \p Baroness Merron: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether all new medicines, including cancer medicines, should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive draft NICE guidance.

In determining whether a medicine represents a clinically and cost effective use of NHS resources, the NICE takes into account the impact of new medicines on health outcomes and the health and care system, including where costs may be incurred and where savings may be realised.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_5

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many "yellow card" reports the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received for each antidepressant in 2024. \p Baroness Merron: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses the available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the MHRA’s independent advisory committee, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions, including amending the product information.

The MHRA has received a total of 2,911 reports through the Yellow Card scheme for all antidepressant medications between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024. The following table shows the number of United Kingdom Yellow Card reports received for adverse reactions, suspected to be associated with antidepressants, in 2024:

Drug substance

Total number of reports

Agomelatine

9

Amitriptyline

337

Citalopram

267

Clomipramine

3

Dosulepin

2

Doxepin

3

Duloxetine

270

Escitalopram

160

Fluoxetine

246

Fluvoxamine

5

Imipramine

5

Lofepramine

6

Mianserin

2

Mirtazapine

333

Nortriptyline

34

Paroxetine

46

Phenelzine

3

Sertraline

868

Tranylcypromine

1

Trazodone

38

Tryptophan

40

Venlafaxine

240

Vortioxetine

69

It is important to note that the inclusion of a particular report on the MHRA’s Yellow Card system does not necessarily mean that the adverse reactions reported have been caused by the suspect drug. Additionally, the number of reports received should not be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction, as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug, is known. Some antidepressants are licensed for several different mental health conditions and may be recommended before other treatments in clinical guidance. It is therefore important not to compare numbers of reports for each antidepressant, as usage will differ.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

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Lord Willis of Knaresborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to meet the targets for increasing the number of nursing associates included in the 2023 NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. \p Baroness Merron: As of September 2024, there were 6,161 full time equivalent nursing associates employed across National Health Service trusts and integrated care boards in England. This is 424, or 7.4%, more than a year previously.

Training and retaining talented NHS staff is absolutely central to our mission of rebuilding a health service that is fit for the future. Our 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS will establish how to train and provide the staff the NHS needs, including nurses, to care for patients across our communities. The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and will ensure that the NHS has the right people, including nursing associates, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_7

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure artificial intelligence technologies used to aid healthcare diagnostics are available in every hospital. \p Baroness Merron: The Department has provided £113 million, through the National Health Service’s Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Awards, to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which have been live in 40% of NHS acute trusts in England, and hundreds of Primary Care Networks across the United Kingdom. This funding is helping us to generate the evidence needed to deploy effective AI tools across the NHS and improve the lives and health outcomes of our population.

Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated to aid healthcare diagnostics. For example, AI is being used to analyse and interpret acute stroke brain scans to support doctors making treatment decisions in 100% of stroke units in England. In addition, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-rays and chest computed tomography scans, to enable the faster diagnosis of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

Despite these exciting examples of AI use, the deployment of AI in the NHS is still at a relatively early stage. To address this, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed across the NHS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_8

Lord Beamish:To ask His Majesty's Government what contracts the Home Office has awarded to Fujitsu since July 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office has awarded two contracts with Fujitsu during the period in question, in both cases to renew existing services provided by the company where it was considered essential for law enforcement purposes to do so. Details of both contracts are published on Contract Finder:

Law Enforcement (LECN) Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) continuity

ES Hosting Hardware
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_9

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of parents illegally accessing cannabinoid epilepsy treatments for their children. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: To date no assessment has been made. Both licensed cannabis-based medicines (i.e., those with a marketing authorisation granted in accordance with the medicines legislation applicable in the UK) and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medical use (CBPMs) can be lawfully prescribed. Anyone buying medicines from illicit or unregulated markets cannot be sure what they contain or whether they will cause them harm.

CBPMs are placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. They are available for prescribing by specialist clinicians. All other cannabis-based products containing controlled drugs, other than licensed cannabis-based medicines that have been separately scheduled, remain in Schedule 1 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and cannot ordinarily possessed except under a Home Office licence.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and the penalties for unauthorised possession, supply and production remain unchanged.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_10

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the benefits of limiting the amount of alcohol sold to customers in bars and restaurants at airports; and what consideration they have given to imposing such restrictions. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The vast majority of airline passengers drink responsibly when travelling.

However, individuals who are drunk can be denied from boarding an aircraft, and tough penalties are in place for being drunk and disruptive on an aircraft (including imprisonment for up to two years or an unlimited fine, or both).

A call for evidence carried out in 2019 on imposing licensing restrictions on airside premises did not provide new evidence to make a compelling case for additional restrictions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_11

The Earl of Shrewsbury:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average time taken for (1) all, and (2) individual, police forces in England and Wales to process (a) applications for, and (b) renewals of (i) shotgun, and (ii) firearms, certificates. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners. However, the performance of forces is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, who is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams, which it is planned to be published to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times. This will include a performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months, unless there are concerns about the suitability of the applicant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_12

Lord German:To ask His Majesty's Government how many notices of intent the Home Office issued to asylum applicants deemed potentially inadmissible under sections 80B and 80C of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 between July and September 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office publishes data on asylum on gov.uk as part of the 'Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release'. Data on inadmissibility is published in tables Asy_09a and Asy_09b in the 'Asylum and resettlement summary tables'. Inadmissibility data for January 2024 onwards is currently unavailable due to ongoing work on a new case working system.

Between 2021 and 2023, 34,113 'notices of intent' were issued to individuals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_13

Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) trial and (2) introduce artificial intelligence to speed up legal processes and reduce the courts backlog. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The Government continues to explore the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of courts and legal processes.

The Ministry of Justice has established a new Justice AI Unit, led by the Department’s first Chief AI Officer, to develop a comprehensive AI strategy for the Department and its agencies.

With regards to the criminal courts, the Government is committed to bearing down on the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court and the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts led by Sir Brian Leveson will assess how the use of new technologies, including AI, could be used to improve efficiency across the criminal courts. Furthermore, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has ambitious plans to leverage new technologies to redesign and enhance legal systems and processes. Plans include the integration of AI into casework, potentially unlocking thousands of hours in improved productivity.

In the Family Courts, we are considering where both policy and technology can work together to improve services. We are seeking to reduce demand by using AI to signpost people to the right information to assist in their situation and provide AI tools such as parent arrangement planners to help separating parents to resolve issues quickly and without the need to involve courts. We aim to blend both AI, other technologies and policy to form cohesive services that address both court backlogs and court demand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_14

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the proposal of the Law Commission in its Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022 (HC 557), to place regulatory conditions on the officiant rather than the location in which the wedding takes place. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the wholesale reform of weddings law, including recommendations for an officiant-based weddings model. This would shift the focus of regulation from the building or venue where the wedding takes place to the officiant. The Law Commission set out its view that its recommendations would provide greater choice for couples in deciding how and where they get married, and the form and content of the ceremony.

I am sure you will agree that marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider any changes to the law carefully. As a new Government, we need time to consider this issue, and we will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_15

Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government what performance management system is used by HM Prison and Probation Service; when it was last reviewed; and whether it requires managers to submit annual appraisal markings for staff. \p Lord Timpson: HMPPS adheres to an internal Performance Management Policy that applies to all staff in Ministry of Justice Headquarters and its agencies upon confirmation of successfully completing probation. The policy includes setting agreed performance expectations, having regular performance conversations, supporting performance and holding quarterly reviews to identify members of staff who are high performing and those that may require support.

The HMPPS policy was published in April 2022, with no imminent date for review. There is no requirement to submit annual appraisal markings for individual staff.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_16

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have decided not to introduce a formal wild release licensing system for beavers, and if so, what assessment they have made of the implications for their climate change and sustainability strategies. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-29 conversation_17

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the increase in the uptake of pension credit since the announcement that winter fuel payments will be means-tested; and what estimate they have made of the likely cost of this to the Exchequer next winter. \p Baroness Sherlock: The latest take up figures were published in October 2024. They showed that in financial year 2022/23, 65% of those entitled to Pension Credit claimed the benefit.

Data on Pension Credit claims and awards was published in November. It showed that there has been a 145% increase in Pension Credit claims received by DWP in the 16 weeks following the Chancellor’s Winter Fuel Payment announcement on the 29 July, compared to the number received in the 16 weeks prior to the announcement.

Benefit expenditure and caseload forecasts are regularly made publicly available by the Department. The latest published forecasts estimate that Winter Fuel Payments will cost £330m in nominal terms, for financial year 2025/26.