theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to restricting the contracts and investment for small nuclear modular reactors to UK-based companies, with the majority of component parts to be produced in the UK. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Following a robust, two-year procurement process, Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to build the UK’s first small modular reactors, subject to final government approvals and contract signature.

Further details will follow in due course, but the government's long-term ambition is to bring forward one of Europe's first SMR fleets, with GBE-N's ambition being to deliver over 70% UK content across the fleet, which could benefit communities right across the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to classify onshore wind farms as critical infrastructure to combat the theft of copper cabling from wind turbines. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: On 9 June 2025, the Government made legislation to reintroduce onshore wind into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime. Government has concluded that low carbon infrastructure entering the NSIP regime, including renewables such as onshore wind, should be deemed as critical national priority infrastructure. Security arrangements for onshore wind farms are a matter for individual developers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Baroness Gale:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to update legislation to include species-specific requirements for the slaughter of farmed fish; and what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of such measures for improving animal welfare standards and enhancing the competitiveness of the English aquaculture sector. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was finalised in 2023. Since then a GB-wide joint government-industry working group on farmed trout has been examining the issues raised in the report to explore potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. This co-design work has made good progress and we are now exploring all the potential next steps. The Scottish Government is also working closely with the salmon industry on more detailed welfare at killing requirements.

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme also recently opened for applications. The Scheme offers financial support to catching, processing and aquaculture businesses, including for improvements to animal health and welfare such as equipment to protect farms from wild predators or equipment to kill fish in a more humane way.

AWC Opinion on welfare (pdf, 371.2KB)
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage the public to eat more wild fish as an alternative to farmed salmon. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We have no plans to encourage the public to eat more wild fish as an alternative to farmed salmon. Both wild caught and farmed seafood have an important role to play in providing a sustainable and healthy source of protein. Farmed salmon, in particular, is an important source of oily fish, with the NHS recommending that adults eat at least two portions of fish per week, including one portion of oily fish.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Lord Lucas:To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) police officers of the rank of constable up to chief inspector, and (2) police civilian employees, have been made redundant in the last year from each police force. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers, police community support officers, police staff, designated officers and special constables leaving the police force as at 31 March each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. However, this does not include a specific category for redundancies, and that information is not centrally held by the Home Office.
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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure transparency in the use of facial recognition technology by the police. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government wants to ensure that facial recognition operates on a firm footing, providing maximum confidence to both the public and the police on the use of these tools. To that end, the Government has been listening carefully to stakeholders and partners and have held a series of roundtables with policing, civil society groups, regulators and others. Formal evaluation work on the impact of the technology is also underway, and we intend to set out our plans in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Lord Gascoigne:To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the project titled 'cortical and subcortical control of movement' in Non-technical summaries for project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act between January to March 2025 that require a retrospective assessment, published on 11 June, what assessment they have made of the expectation that over 95 per cent of non-human primates will experience some infection as a result of long-term implants used for purposes such as head fixation. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Each application to use animals in science is subject to a harm benefit assessment by a trained Home Office Inspector whom is a member of either the veterinary or medical profession. This ensures that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.

All applications must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement); the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum. The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. All licence holders have a responsibility to fully implement the 3Rs and demonstrate this requirement at audit.

Licence holders are also required to complete retrospective assessments for licences if the protocols in the studies are severe. Retrospective assessments must consider whether any lessons can be learnt from the programme of work which may contribute to the further implementation of the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of banks and other financial institutions declining to provide financial services to UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises which operate in the defence industry. \p Lord Livermore: The government recognises that access to banking services is vital for people and businesses across the UK. It is this government's firm position that no firm should be denied access to banking services solely on the grounds they work in defence. The upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will have small and medium-sized enterprises at its heart and will lay out the steps the Government is taking to support them.

We continue to monitor wider access to bank account provision but recognise this is largely a commercial matter. Firms have strict obligations to ensure the legitimacy of a business and protect against financial crime.
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Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ratio of dependents, young and old, to the working age population (dependency ratio); and the risk to the long-term economic sustainability of the public finances posed by an ageing population and a declining birth rate. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the Government's official forecaster responsible for assessing the UK economic and fiscal outlook. Its annual publication the Fiscal Risks and Sustainability (FRS) report incorporates biennial long-term projections and analysis of major potential fiscal risks.

In their July 2025 FRS report, the OBR identified that the ageing of the UK population and the associated decline in average health as risks to the UK’s fiscal outlook. Both are expected to increase health spending pressures over the longer-term, with the projected rise in spending on the state pension being the second-largest increase in non-interest spending after health in the OBR’s long-term projections. These are underpinned by OBR judgements on old-age and young-age dependency ratios.

In the last Autumn Budget, the government set out a clear fiscal strategy to stabilise the public finances and underpin growth. This involved introducing new fiscal rules which provide stability, put the public finances on a sustainable path and ensure our public services are sustainably funded.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the availability of cash individual savings accounts offered by banks and building societies on mortgage rates. \p Lord Livermore: HM Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy. These forecasts, including assessments of the impact of policy decisions on the macroeconomy, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The OBR does not typically publish estimates of the impact of individual policies. Instead, the net effect of the government’s policy package is assessed by the OBR. The pricing and availability of mortgages is ultimately a commercial decision for lenders.

The Government is looking at options for reforms to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) that get the balance right between cash and equities to earn better return for savers, boost the culture of retail investment, and support the growth mission. The Government recognises that cash savings play an important role in helping households build a financial buffer for a rainy day.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

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Baroness Stedman-Scott:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of increased employer National Insurance contributions on employment opportunities for young people in the hospitality sector, and of the consequences for the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training. \p Lord Livermore: A detailed assessment of the policy has been published by HMRC in their Tax Information and Impact Note. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances. With all policies considered, the OBR's March 2025 EFO forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.

This Government is committed to providing young people with the best start to their working lives. The Government will deliver a Youth Guarantee so that all 18 to 21-year-olds in England have access to education, training or help to find a job or an apprenticeship. To support this, we are funding eight trailblazers across England to test how different elements of the Guarantee can be brought together into a coherent offer for young people. The Government is also expanding Sector-based Work Academy Programmes to provide 100,000 places in 2025/26, providing a work placement, training and a guaranteed interview that can kickstart a new career and support young people into work.
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Lord Polak:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Fujitsu's suitability for the re-tendering of the Trader Support Service contract, given the company's role in the Post Office Horizon scandal. \p Lord Livermore: The Trader Support Services contract was procured in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Existing service delivery is managed robustly by contract management teams in compliance with this legislation and to ensure that the requirements of UK traders are met under the Windsor Framework.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on the employment rate, particularly in the hospitality sector. \p Lord Livermore: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

With all policies considered, the OBR's March 2025 EFO forecasts the employment level to increase from 33.6 million in 2024 to 34.8 million in 2029.

The Government protected the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.
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Lord Polak:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any independent assessment has been conducted of the risks associated with continuing to rely on Fujitsu for critical government services, including the Trader Support Service. \p Lord Livermore: As a public contracting authority, HMRC follows government procurement rules, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, to ensure value for money and robust risk management. The current Trader Support Service (TSS) contract was procured in full compliance with these regulations, as will the replacement contract. HMRC applies the government’s Sourcing Playbook throughout its commercial activity, which includes rigorous risk assessments and financial due diligence. These processes are designed to ensure that suppliers can deliver critical services and that risks—whether operational, reputational, or legal—are identified and mitigated. HMRC maintains active contract management arrangements to monitor performance and ensure continuity of service.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the funds allocated to the devolved administrations they have been compelled by the Treasury to return on the basis of underspending as of 5 April. \p Lord Livermore: Each devolved government is able to carry forward funding into future financial years. The Scottish and Welsh Governments each have a Reserve, and the Northern Ireland Executive has access to Budget Exchange. Details of these arrangements are outlined in the Statement of Funding Policy.

Outside of these arrangements, and for ringfenced non-Barnett funding, the devolved governments are required to return underspends to the UK Consolidated Fund at the end of the financial year, as with UK Government departments. This is the normal operation of the public spending framework, as set out in the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

Historical outturn data for the devolved governments up to the 2023-24 financial year is published in the most recent HMT Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) publication from July 2024. [1] This publication will be updated later this year with Provisional Outturn for 2024-25.

[1] You can access this publication via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-pesa.
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Lord Fink:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development about economic projections for the UK, and whether those discussions raised specific policy concerns. \p Lord Livermore: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an independent international organisation. As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages regularly and constructively with the OECD, and values their independent advice.

The latest OECD forecasts for the UK and other economies were published alongside policy recommendations in their Economic Outlook report in June.
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Baroness Neville-Rolfe:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate investment in British assets; the timing of any proposed mandate; and when an impact assessment will be published. \p Lord Livermore: On 13 May 2025, 17 of the UK’s largest pension providers signed the Mansion House Accord.

The Accord is an industry-led voluntary commitment by signatories to invest 10% of their main defined contribution default funds in private markets, half of which will be in the UK, by 2030. This will mean £50bn of investment in private markets from these providers, including over £25bn in the UK.

As announced in the Final Report of the Pensions Investment Review, the Pension Schemes Bill includes powers that will enable the government, in future, to apply binding asset allocation requirements on workplace DC default funds.

The government does not anticipate it will use the reserve powers, which are designed to serve as a backstop for use if the defined contribution pensions industry fails to make sufficient progress following the voluntary commitment.

The legislation contains a range of safeguards, including a requirement that, prior to introducing any requirements, the government publish a report regarding the impact of the proposed measures on savers and economic growth. Additionally, the powers are time-limited and will expire in 2035 if they have not been exercised.
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The Lord Bishop of Oxford:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the cost implications of children who (1) remain longer in care, and (2) are returned to care, as a result of the changes made to the adoption and special guardianship support fund. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This, of course, includes assessing the cost implications of decisions.
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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 8 July (HL8602), what plans they have, if any, to conduct a survey on the integrity of university examinations, including the use of examination adjustments arising from claims of self-assessed neurodivergence. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Universities have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students where necessary. Reasonable adjustments are offered at the discretion of the university based on an assessment of a student's individual needs.

In England, the management of university exams is guided by a combination of national regulatory bodies, university-specific policies and sector-wide frameworks.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator for higher education in England. While it does not set specific exam rules, its conditions of registration ensure that universities maintain high academic standards and fair assessment practices. It requires institutions to uphold principles of fairness, transparency and accessibility in assessments.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education provides the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, outlining expectations for academic standards and quality. This includes guidance on assessment design, marking and academic integrity.

Each university is autonomous and sets its own assessment regulations, including:

The department does not have evidence which suggests that reasonable adjustments are impacting the integrity of exams or assessments and have no current plans to conduct a survey on the integrity of university examinations.
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Baroness Benjamin:To ask His Majesty's Government, following their recent announcement to provide funding for Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, what assessment they have made of the case for putting these new services in legislation to ensure that they are recognised as a key public service. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026 to 2029 spending review period.

Best Start Family Hubs will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.

We will also explore whether a more detailed outcomes framework under the Best Start in Life umbrella, drawing on the lessons of Every Child Matters, would improve join up among services locally.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the of the ability of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to operate in a timely and effective manner. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The Lord Chancellor has appointed Dame Vera Baird DBE KC to carry out a thorough review of the operation of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, to increase public confidence in the organisation and the important work it undertakes investigating potential miscarriages of justice.

The terms of the reference for the review can be viewed at: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/48553/documents/254582/default/.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans for courts to sit at weekends and other times outside of normal sitting hours and sitting days to clear the backlog of cases awaiting trial. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: Courts are already sitting at, or close to, maximum judicial capacity in almost every jurisdiction, with record investment this year, and a record allocation of sitting days in the Crown Court. It is worth remembering that judicial maximum does not equal the maximum the system can run. The Government must be mindful of managing the wider system capacity - the availability not just of judges to sit in the Crown court but of the lawyers, prosecutors, legal aid and defence barristers that underpin the rest of the system.

Existing allocations can and will be accommodated within existing court operating hours. Magistrates’ courts already routinely sit on Saturdays and bank holidays.
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Baroness Stedman-Scott:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of rising labour costs on businesses operating in the hospitality and retail sectors, and what steps they are taking to ensure employment remains viable in those sectors. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts. A full Impact Assessment on NMW was published and received a Green ‘fit for purpose’ from the Regulatory Policy Committee on Tuesday 4 February 2025.

The Government will protect the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

The Hospitality Sector Council and the Retail Sector Council continue to consider key issues and opportunities, including employment and how to encourage growth across both sectors.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of United States tariffs on UK businesses, and what steps they are taking to reduce those impacts. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The UK and the US have reached a deal which was announced on 8th May 2025. We continue to negotiate a wider economic deal with the United States that will further support our industries and safeguard jobs.

We have announced an additional £500 million in lending capacity under the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), delivered by the British Business Bank and we are also expanding UKEF’s business support package by £20 billion, £10 billion of which will be used specifically for businesses impacted by the current US tariffs.

Businesses concerned about the impact of US tariffs can also find clear guidance on business.gov.uk.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the compensation payable to those victims of the Post Office Horizon errors who initially agreed to a smaller amount than might now be payable due to financial pressures arising from their wrongful convictions. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Previously convicted postmasters can accept a £600,000 fixed-sum settlement or opt for a detailed assessment if they wish to claim more. All eligible applicants will receive a preliminary payment of £200,000 while making this decision, to help with any immediate financial pressures.

We recognise the fixed sum may not suit everyone’s circumstances, which is why we fund legal advice and disclosure to help assess whether this is the right option. There is no time limit to make a decision.

Claimants can instead opt to submit a full claim We also fund legal advice to help prepare these claims and if a claimant disagrees with their offer, their case can be referred to an Independent Panel for consideration.
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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry Report Volume 1 (HC 1119), published on 8 July, what action they are taking to ensure that compensation claims are urgently paid to victims in full. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: We welcome the publication of the first volume of the Horizon IT Inquiry report and are actively considering Sir Wyn William’s 19 recommendations; a formal response will be provided by the 10 October 2025 deadline. We have however already accepted 2 recommendations: to extend redress to family members, and to ensure claimants have access to the ‘best offer’ before appealing to the independent panel.

We continue to seek options to speed up redress, in discussion with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board. As of 30 June 2025, approximately £1,098 million has been paid in total redress to over 7,900 claimants. This represents a fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 5,000 victims receiving compensation for the first time. There is however, a lot more to still do.
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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the delays in the compensation payments which are due to sub-postmasters following the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry; and who is responsible for them. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: When we came into government we inherited a compensation system that was widely seen as too slow, too legalistic and too adversarial. In addition, significant numbers of victims were not covered by the redress schemes then in existence.

As of 30 June 2025, approximately £1,098 million has been paid in total redress to over 7,900 claimants. This represents a fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 5,000 victims receiving compensation for the first time.

However, there is still more to do, and the recent publication of the first volume of the Horizon IT Inquiry report gives clear recommendations on how we can improve this further.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of trade finance regulations on small businesses. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: An area of regulation that impacts the availability of trade finance to small business is the implementation of Basel 3.1 standards.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is responsible for setting capital requirements for UK credit institutions, such as banks and building societies, including those for trade finance-related activities. The PRA is currently implementing the final set of international banking reforms designed in response to the 2008 global financial crisis, known as Basel 3.1. The PRA's final Basel 3.1 proposals for trade finance tailor the Basel 3.1 standards to maintain capital requirements for the most material trade finance related activities. The PRA made this adjustment to its original proposals in light of the evidence provided by the International Chamber of Commerce which demonstrated that the current treatment was more appropriate.

In addition to regulatory reform, the Government is supporting small businesses to export by increasing UK Export Finance's capacity by £20bn to £80bn, allowing them to access government-backed finance and support to grow their presence both domestically and overseas.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve punctuality and service quality on the East Coast Mainline. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Department has invested £1.2 billion in route-wide upgrades across the East Coast Main Line (ECML) as part of the ECML Enhancements Programme. These investments will deliver significant improvements in journey times, reliability, and capacity, which will be realised through the introduction of the major timetable change in December 2025.

In addition, a further £105 million has been allocated to a package of enhancements at Darlington Station. Once completed by the end of the year, these works will support improved performance and reliability for passenger services across the northern section of the route.

The December 2025 major East Coast Upgrade Timetable will deliver a range of benefits, including:

Faster Anglo-Scottish journeys operated by LNER and Lumo

An additional hourly LNER service between London and Newcastle

Over 60,000 extra seats per week between London and Newcastle

Improved connectivity across East Coast Main Line stations

Increased local services north of Newcastle

Additional services between Newcastle and Reading, enhancing both capacity and connectivity

New trains operating between Sheffield and Leeds

Faster commuter services on the Cambridge line, supporting a full service at the new Cambridge South station

Provision for new services linking Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Newcastle, as well as Nottingham and Lincoln

To ensure successful implementation, an industry readiness taskforce is in place to support the delivery of the new timetable from day one with a focus on maintaining high performance standards across the route.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_53

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to remove rail bottlenecks such as those at Ely and Haughley junctions to ensure that rail freight can move smoothly and efficiently between East Anglia and Yorkshire. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the 2025 Spending Review. The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction were not among those projects funded at this time.

We are focused on prioritising the schemes that will make the greatest difference for passengers and support economic growth as quickly as possible. The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this includes the EACE and Haughley Junction schemes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_54

Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities (1) to reduce clutter on, and (2) to improve maintenance of, footways. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government allocates capital funding to local highways authorities to enable them to maintain and improve their road networks. This includes footways and the provision of street furniture such as benches, bins and cycle racks. In 2025/26, the Department has made a record investment of £1.6 billion which is a £500 million increase compared to 2024/25, and £24 billion of capital funding was committed at the Spending Review to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country between 2026/27 and 2029/30.

The Department also provides guidance to local authorities and encourages best practice. The “Inclusive Mobility” guidance document provides advice on designing an accessible public realm and includes recommendations on placing street furniture in a way that does not create obstructions for disabled people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_55

Lord Harper:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that rail services run effectively and to prevent derailments such as that at Denbigh Hall South Junction. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: There is a robust legislative framework governing rail safety, which places mandatory requirements on the rail industry to ensure the safe operation of rail services.  This includes a statutory duty to put in place safety management systems, which are enforced by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain fit for purpose and support the overall safety and performance of the rail network.  The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) supports the rail industry by investigating the causes of incidents such as derailments and by making recommendations to industry.

The rail industry is currently investing in a range of new technologies including sensors, artificial intelligence, predictive modelling and diagnostics to improve its capability to understand, detect and manage derailment risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_56

Lord Colgrain:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in securing funding under a private finance initiative or similar model for the Lower Thames Crossing. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government is providing £590m of capital funding to progress work on the Lower Thames Crossing. The Government is looking to bring private sector finance and expertise into this project, and further work will now be undertaken with the private sector to design a long-term funding model which delivers value for money for the taxpayer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_57

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investigations into the tax status of workers engaged by contractors or subcontractors on the delivery of HS2. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Transport Secretary has been clear allegations of fraud need to be investigated urgently and rigorously. Wherever fraud is found, there will be consequences for those involved. All whistleblower allegations received by HS2 Ltd are treated seriously and thoroughly investigated.

Danny Sullivan Group (DSG), a labour supply subcontractor to Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV), has been under investigation for allegedly inflating invoices by including PAYE and NIC charges for self-employed workers who are not subject to these deductions.  The matter was reported to HMRC on 29 May 2025, but further details cannot be disclosed in line with HMRC guidance. On Friday 4 July 2025, BBV terminated its labour supply agreement with Danny Sullivan Group following an independent investigation into the status of workers.

While HS2 Ltd does not hold direct contracts with labour suppliers, it requires its supply chain to comply fully with contractual and tax obligations and HS2 Ltd is continuing to conduct further investigations into labour supply contracts across the supply chain.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_58

Lord Young of Cookham:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support (1) councils, (2) combined authorities, and (3) transport operators, to create mobility hubs. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.

The government has announced significant investment in public transport, which can be used by local authorities to improve accessibility. At the Autumn 2024 Budget, we confirmed £955 million to protect and improve bus services.  Funding allocated to local authorities to improve their bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including establishing new mobility hubs in their areas.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in public transport long-term at the Spending Review (SR). We confirmed additional funding from 26/27 to maintain and improve bus services and £2.3 billion through the Local Transport Grant over the Spending Review period for local transport improvements, funding could be used to invest in measures like mobility hubs.

The government has also committed to publishing an Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) later this year. Accessibility is at the forefront of the government’s public transport reforms and will be an important consideration as the Department develops the INTS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_59

Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government what chemicals Network Rail use to prevent regrowth from the stumps of trees or bushes they have cut down. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Network Rail currently uses chemicals to prevent tree regrowth as well as other methods such as coppicing. Network Rail is also trialling grazing on a number of parts of the network to manage vegetation. The chemicals Network Rail uses on the rail estate for vegetation management are included in the table below.

Location

Application method

Description

Active Ingredient 1

Non- water source protection area sites

On track

Handheld equipment

Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species

Diflufenican

Glyphosate

Flazasulfuron

Sulfosulfuron

Flumioxazin

Selective weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species

2,4-D Amine

Triclopyr 2

Dicamba

Glyphosate Max plugs 3

Rail mounted equipment

Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species

Diflufenican

Glyphosate

Flazasulfuron

Sulfosulfuron

Flail strip and off track areas

Rail mounted and handheld equipment

Selective weed control – for vegetation control

Citronella Oil

2,4-D Amine Aminopyralid 4

Fluroxypyr

MCPA

Triclopyr 2

Dicamba

Mecoprop P

Glyphosate Max plugs 3

Glyphosate 5

Identified water source protection area sites

(unless identified as no spray)

On track

Handheld equipment

Total weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species

Citronella Oil

Glyphosate

Selective weed control – vegetation management of broadleaf weed species

see note 1

Rail mounted equipment

Total weed control – vegetation management of grasses and broadleaf weed species

Glyphosate

Flail strip and off track areas

Rail mounted & handheld equipment

Selective weed control – for vegetation control

Glyphosate 5

Extra vulnerable water source protection area sites

No use of any herbicide is permissible unless prior permission and site-specific assessment has been agreed by all parties. An AqHerb01 Form is available from the Environment Agency to initiate this process.

In Scotland herbicides can be applied near water to control invasive non-native species (INNS) under general binding rule 23 of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2022. Application of herbicide near water to control non-INNS requires a registration under the same regulations to be applied for, an application form is available from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Notes:

1 Any active ingredient not listed requires prior permission and site-specific assessment agreed by all parties

2 Only as amine formulation and in mixtures

3 Stump treatment only

4 Not to be used within drip line of desirable trees

5 Spot application only
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_60

Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on wildlife of Network Rail cutting down trees, bushes and hedges during nesting season, and what plans they have to end this practice. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The government has not made an assessment of this. Network Rail has processes in place for managing tree removal around nesting season. In advance of any work there are, amongst other checks and surveys, specific checks to identify if there are any nesting birds within the vegetation Network Rail is planning to manage. Any identified or suspected nesting birds are left in situ and an exclusion zone created around them. Teams return after any chicks have fledged. If there are particular safety concerns with the vegetation, there are exemptions within the legislation which Network Rail could use following consultation with ecologists, lawyers and the British Transport Police.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-21 conversation_61

Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support community rail during and beyond the transition to Great British Railways. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: As we move towards establishing Great British Railways (GBR), the Community Rail movement will be integral to helping us deliver our priorities and will continue to deliver for passengers and communities. We will continue to work closely with the Community Rail Network to identify opportunities to support the community rail sector ahead of the standup of GBR.