theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-18 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-18 conversation_14

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of alcohol industry messaging focused on personal responsibility in hindering progress on population-level measures to reduce alcohol harms. \p Baroness Merron: The Government recognises alcohol as a public health issue which requires a multi-faceted approach that includes prevention, harm reduction and treatment. There are numerous independent resources available which frame alcohol through a public health lens and provide accurate and independent advice and guidance to increase awareness of risks and harms associated with alcohol consumption, protect health and promote wellbeing in relation to alcohol consumption, such as the National Health Service website, the All Our Health: Alcohol e-training in NHS England, and various pieces of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on alcohol.

The recently published 10-Year Health Plan includes a commitment to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages. A mandatory requirement will bring alcohol labelling in line with existing health and nutritional labelling requirements for tobacco, food and alcohol-free drinks. This will ensure greater public awareness of the health risks of alcohol consumption and help consumers make more informed, healthier choices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to classifying alcohol as an unhealthy product under high fat, sugar and salt marketing restrictions (1) to strengthen limits on alcohol advertising, and (2) to reduce alcohol exposure among vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents. \p Baroness Merron: We recognise the need for more action to address the impact of alcohol on health.

We are working across Government to determine the best ways to reduce alcohol-related harms. To strengthen the evidence base on the impact of alcohol marketing on levels of consumption, the Department has commissioned a study to examine the causal association between alcohol marketing and alcohol related attitudes and consumption. Further information on the study, Examining the causal association between alcohol marketing and alcohol-related attitudes and consumption: A longitudinal cohort study with adults in the United Kingdom, can be found on the University of Stirling’s website, in an online only format.

For this reason, there are no plans, currently, to reclassify alcohol as an unhealthy product under the existing high fat, sugar, and salt marketing restrictions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the Professional Standards Authority's Accredited Registers programme for the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy. \p Baroness Merron: The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates an accredited voluntary register scheme for professions not subject to statutory regulation.

The Government values the scheme and the PSA quality mark demonstrates a register’s commitment to high standards of care and provides assurance around professional standards and ethical behaviours.

The scheme covers voluntary registers across a range of professions, including a number relating to counselling and psychotherapy.

The NHS.UK website sets out that professionals must be on one of the PSA’s accredited registers in order to work as a counsellor in the National Health Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what urgent assessment they have made of patient safety at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary's Accident and Emergency considering reported data showing that only approximately 10 per cent of the sickest patients are being seen within the four-hour waiting time standard. \p Baroness Merron: No such assessment has been made. The latest available data for June shows that 83.5% of patients in the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust were discharged, admitted, or transferred within four hours of arrival.

The Government is clear that patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service and care from the National Health Service, and that people should be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect. Patients attending emergency departments will always be prioritised based on clinical need.

We are committed to reducing long waits in accident and emergency. Our urgent and emergency care plan for 2025/26, sets out action across the system to deliver improvements for patients this year, backed by nearly £450 million of capital investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Viscount Camrose:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of their software assets to ascertain usage, year-over-year spend and potential dependencies for the purpose of realising maximum cost efficiencies for digital transformation. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes in digital purchasing, including development of a digital sourcing strategy, central buying of commodity services, creation of technical enablers and joined up management of strategic digital suppliers.

Through our digital sourcing strategy and digital supplier management we will engage with suppliers to ensure appropriate licensing to achieve our digital transformation outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Viscount Camrose:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of software licences that restrict specific uses of that software, such as customisation of capabilities, on the digital transformation programmes set out in the Spending Review 2025 (CP1336). \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Digital Commercial Centre of Excellence is pursuing multiple strategies to improve value for money and outcomes in digital purchasing, including development of a digital sourcing strategy, central buying of commodity services, creation of technical enablers and joined up management of strategic digital suppliers.

Through our digital sourcing strategy and digital supplier management we will engage with suppliers to ensure appropriate licensing to achieve our digital transformation outcomes, as well as ensure we do not over customise capabilities risking them becoming legacy in the future.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-18 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 10 June (HL7655), whether the assurance review by an independent assessor was conducted by a contracted supplier. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The independent assurance review was conducted by an independent accredited third party according to the requirements of GovAssure. GOV.UK One Login was subject to GovAssure, the cyber security scheme run by the Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group (GSG), in Q4 2024.

The GovAssure scheme comprises of five stages which is available on the GOV.UK website. Stages 1 through 3 involve a mix of self-assessments and supported assessments by the Government Security Group against the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)’s Cyber Assessment Framework. Stage 4 involves a review by an accredited third party.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-18 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect HMP Millsike to be operating at full capacity. \p Lord Timpson: HMP Millsike officially opened in March 2025 and received the first cohort of prisoners on 23 April. To ensure stability, the prison will ramp up to full capacity gradually and is intended to be at full capacity by spring 2026. Ramp up will be strictly monitored and can be adjusted or paused should the safety or stability of the prison require it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of issued passports in each of the past five years have been returned to His Majesty's Passport Office due to errors not of the applicant’s making. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Moylan:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the contractual arrangements between Network Rail, Southeastern and DfT Operator Limited which enable the formation of a single leadership team for Southeastern and the Kent Route of Network Rail; and if not, what are the reasons for that decision. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Department is not a party to the contractual arrangements between Network Rail and Southeastern and cannot therefore comment on publication.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will outline the consultation steps taken in advance of the allocation of funding under the neighbourhood trailblazer programme which was announced on 11 June; and specifically the consultation process with (1) the relevant local authority in whose area funding has been allocated and (2) with the member of Parliament, whose constituency incorporates the neighbourhoods concerned. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: In advance of the funding allocation under the Neighbourhood Trailblazer Programme announced on 11 June, 25 trailblazer areas were selected through a metric-based methodology which assessed the most in-need communities across the UK. Further details will be published in due course.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth has met with MPs who have a trailblazer neighbourhood in their constituency, and my officials continue to engage relevant local authorities. The Communities Delivery Unit will work in partnership with local people and with local authorities to empower communities through long-term, place-based investment, with a strong emphasis on local leadership, community engagement, and social cohesion.

Full details on programme governance, including consultation processes, will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the £11.7 billion allocated to London to build homes over the next 10 years, how many homes will be built with that funding; how they will ensure those homes are delivered; what milestones they have set to ensure delivery of those homes within the 10-year period; and what assessment they have made of whether that funding will be sufficient to support delivery of the London building target of 88,000 homes per year. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Delivering historic levels of housebuilding in London is a critical part of this government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes within this parliament.

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor confirmed £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. Our ambition is to deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime.

Up to 30% of the funding over the programme (up to £11.7 billion over the 10 years) will be delivered by the GLA to use in London. We will set initial targets for Homes England and the GLA after we have received bids from providers, and will review these targets through the lifetime of the new programme to drive progress towards our ambition. It is our intention to publish a full prospectus for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme in autumn 2025 and open it for bids in the winter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government how many hectares of (1) brownfield land, and (2) greenfield land, there are in (a) the Metropolitan Open Land, and (b) the Green Belt, in each local authority in Greater London. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The department does not hold data on Metropolitan Open Land, which is entirely a matter for the Mayor.

The information requested is not recorded in that form. However, our general statistical estimates do record the hectarage of Green Belt land within each local authority that is in Non-Developed Use and Developed Use. These are available here.

For other information on Metropolitan Open Land and Green Belt, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer in the other place to Question 53097 of 28 May here.

Land Use in England (pdf, 166.9KB)

53097 (pdf, 81.8KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the target to build 1.5 million homes in this Parliament is deliverable. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: We have always been clear that building 1.5m homes is an ambitious target – which is vital given we have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory. It will require a rate of housebuilding and infrastructure construction not seen in over 50 years. We recognise the scale of the challenge, and we are taking bold action to deliver the homes our country needs and unlock economic growth, but it will take time before that translates into delivery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of introducing a two-week timeframe for companies and individuals that offer properties for short-term let to respond to enquiries from the local council. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: While short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government appreciates that excessive concentrations in some areas of the country can impact on the availability and affordability of homes to buy and rent, as well as having a detrimental impact on local services.

That is why we remain committed to introducing a national mandatory registration scheme for short-term lets, which will give local authorities access to valuable data to help address housing impacts and to protect the spirit of our communities. Public testing on the register is due to start in September. This means that we are on track to launch a full version of the scheme by next year. From April 2025, the furnished holiday lettings tax regime was abolished, eliminating the tax advantages that short-term let owners had over private rented sector landlords.

We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the Sea Link Project. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Sea Link project has submitted its Development Consent Order application. Given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in taking consenting decisions for energy infrastructure proposals, it would not be appropriate to comment on specific matters related to the project, as this could be seen as prejudicing the decision-making process.

Electricity network reinforcements are only approved where they are in the interests of consumers and help reduce overall system costs. Ofgem reviews proposed project costs and ensures that network companies spend efficiently.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will be permitting new development licences for oil and gas in the North Sea. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Government recently consulted on the implementation of its commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields, and we will publish a response in due course. We are committed to accelerating the transition to the North Sea’s clean energy future to harness the power of the North Sea, boost Britain’s energy security and ensure good, long-term jobs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the RAF Voyager aircraft are leased; who are the real ultimate owners; and what payments have been made to them since 2008. \p Lord Coaker: All RAF Voyager aircraft are leased. A Private Finance Initiative arrangement allows for all 14 Voyager aircraft owned by AirTanker Limited to be leased to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), with 11 being leased to the MOD at this time.

The payments since 2008 for the AirTanker Limited concession contract total approximately £6 billion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Banner:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments of former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case that the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent should be expanded to include a second means of launch in addition to the existing submarine capability. \p Lord Coaker: This Government keeps the UK’s nuclear posture under constant review considering the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries. Our nuclear deterrent can respond to any emerging crises.

The recent announcement that the UK is acquiring 12 nuclear capable F35-A fighter jets, and will join the NATO nuclear mission, is not a decision to acquire a second sovereign delivery system. It complements Continuous At Sea Deterrence, our operationally independent, sovereign deterrent, which remains the ultimate guarantor of our security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government how much it would cost to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product. \p Lord Coaker: Under current plans the Government is expected to spend 2.6% of GDP on defence and national security by April 2027, the biggest sustained increase since the end of the Cold War. At the NATO Summit, we made the historic commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security by 2035, including 3.5% on core defence. This will be fully funded with details set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-18)

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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government when they will set out a timetable and plan for the establishment of the Creative Content Exchange, and which department or agency will have prime responsibility for that marketplace. \p Baroness Twycross: The establishment of the Creative Content Exchange is being scoped as swiftly as possible across government, although the concept is still embryonic. DCMS is leading this work with DSIT. We will set out timelines in due course and keep peers up to date in the meantime.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_1

Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government how many employers have had criminal prosecutions brought against them for non-payment of the statutory minimum wage since its introduction. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforces the National Minimum Wage on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Criminal prosecution is reserved for the most serious cases involving deliberate underpayment or reckless pay practices. This is usually for cases where there is a wider public interest, or where employers are persistently non-compliant, or refuse to cooperate with HMRC.

Between 2007/08 and 2022/23, 21 employers have been successfully prosecuted for underpaying the minimum wage with an additional case accepting a caution. For more information about these prosecutions, see Table 12 of the supplementary data for: National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance, 2023 - GOV.UK

National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage (pdf, 447.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government how many employers have received the maximum financial penalty for failing to pay the statutory minimum wage since its introduction. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: There is no total maximum financial penalty for underpayment. The penalty is set at 200% of total arrears due to workers, subject to a minimum of £500 per case and a maximum of £20,000 per worker.

The number and maximum values of penalties per year since 2015/16 are outlined in Table 3 of the supplementary data for the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance 2023.

National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage (pdf, 3489.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government how many registered companies have failed to declare their persons with significant control. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: 49,521 companies have not provided details of any current persons of significant control (“PSC”) or any PSC statements giving us information about their current PSC status.

764 companies that have not provided details of any current PSCs, have submitted a statement showing that they believe they have at least one, for which they are not yet able to provide the full details.

919 companies that have provided details of at least one current PSC, have also submitted a statement showing that they believe they have at least one, for which they are not yet able to provide the full details.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to engage private finance and the private sector in efforts to support a lasting peace within eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the surrounding region. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is committed to supporting a thriving private sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - recognising the enormous potential for climate-smart growth and that a more resilient economy will mean a more resilient DRC. UK officials regularly engage with the private sector on the conflict in eastern DRC, including on how we can best support sustainable peace. British Embassy Kinshasa has also offered support to British companies affected by the conflict. The UK also supports improved transparency and governance in the mining sector, in support of sustainable peace in the region. Exploitation of natural resources fuels the business models of armed groups and we are clear that this must stop. The UK therefore supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the flow of minerals and other natural resources to Rwanda from territory occupied by M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The exploitation of natural resources fuels the business models of armed groups. We are clear that this must stop. Everyone in the region stands to benefit from peace. That is why we announced in February a set of actions, alongside action from other international partners, to encourage all parties to return to the negotiating table. We will not let this conflict be forgotten. The UK also supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which aims to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of Leeds:To ask His Majesty's Government what financial support, debt relief and development assistance they are providing to Rwanda, and what steps they will take to review these arrangements as a result of the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 revels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK has condemned the offensives by M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force as an unacceptable violation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of the UN Charter. On 25 February, the UK issued a statement following the Foreign Secretary's visits to Kinshasa and Kigali announcing several measures impacting Rwanda. These included a suspension of future defence training assistance to Rwanda, revoking relevant extant licences for the armed forces in Rwanda, and a pause in direct bilateral financial aid to the Government of Rwanda, excluding support to the poorest and most vulnerable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2 January (HL3636), what assessment they have made of the progress made to address intercommunal violence following the implementation of the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK's strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme (SPRiNG) is working to reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response. Whilst SPRiNG is still in the early phases of implementation, its partnership with the Institute for Integrated Transitions has achieved encouraging results already. Mediation efforts in Nasawara State have fostered a negotiated agreement between the Bassa and Egbura People, enabling the return and resettlement of 5000 internally displaced persons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current protests and demonstrations in Zimbabwe and the detention of opposition party members by the Zanu PF government. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is monitoring political developments in Zimbabwe, including demonstrations on 31 March when a number of protestors were arrested. The UK supports the rights to peaceful protest and due process guaranteed by Zimbabwe's constitution.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of Gloucester:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make a further response to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and the subsequent UN General Assembly resolution of 13 September 2024; and what steps they are taking to ensure an end of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. We continue to consider the Court's Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.

We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as rapidly as possible - but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards a two-state solution. On settlements, we said in the UN Security Council on 21 March that 'Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians. Violent settlers must be held to account. The UK has introduced three rounds of sanctions on violent settlers and their supporters to bring accountability for abuses of human rights, in the absence of sufficient Israeli action. We will consider all further options.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Curran:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement to reduce Official Development Assistance and ahead of the Third Global Disability Summit, what steps they are taking to protect disability inclusion in giving development aid both now and in the future. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK remains committed to investing internationally to build a safer world. As the Prime Minister has made clear we must increase our security and defence spending now. We remain committed to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance (ODA) when the fiscal circumstances allow.

At 16 per cent of the global population, people with disabilities are among the world's most vulnerable, including in times of crisis, climate and humanitarian emergencies. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to mainstreaming a disability inclusion and rights approach across our work and we will also drive stronger international coordination to advance global disability inclusion progress. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Equality impact assessments, which consider impacts on disability inclusion, are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Hampton:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the development of an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the rights to early childhood education, free pre-primary education and free secondary education. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is committed to investing in children and ensuring equal access to education. In the UK we already provide free pre-primary (reception years), primary and secondary education and have been leading globally on ensuring education for all. The UK considers that States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child should already be providing free education under the existing provisions of the Convention.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reduction in deaths and serious injuries from road accidents that has occurred since the introduction of 20 mph speed limits in built-up areas in Wales; and what studies they have undertaken to determine what reduction could be expected if a 20 mph speed limit was similarly applied to roads in built-up areas of England. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Setting and evaluating national limits in Wales, including the restricted road limit on street-lit roads, is a matter for the Welsh Government. The power to introduce 20mph limits on roads in England rests with local authorities.

The Department for Transport published a comprehensive three-year evaluation of the effect of 20mph limits, which are 20mph schemes relying only on signage, on 22 November 2018. The evaluation looked at twelve case studies in England, including two in city centres.

The evaluation found insufficient evidence to conclude that that there had been a significant change in collisions and casualties following the introduction of 20mph limits in residential areas.

There is some evidence to suggest a positive 20mph impact in one city centre location in Brighton. A blanket 20mph limit was introduced, covering both major and minor roads, and there is sufficient data to show a statistically significant change in collisions and casualties relative to the 30mph comparator area. It should be stressed that this represents just one case study, and the extent to which the findings are transferable to other locations is unclear.

The Department for Transport has regular discussions with our counterparts in the devolved governments, including on road safety.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the provision of hot food options on long-distance inter-city train services that are under public ownership. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: There are two train companies under public ownership that operate long-distance inter-city services: London North-Eastern Railway (LNER) and TransPennine Express.

LNER provides catering facilities on all of its services in both standard and first class. Many services include hot food options depending on time of day and route. There are no current plans to expand LNER’s offer.

On TransPennine Express, an enhanced catering option including hot food was introduced on services between Liverpool and Newcastle on 17 February 2025. This followed a successful trial of enhanced catering options on West Coast routes in 2024. The ‘West Coast Kitchen’ initiative exceeded forecasted revenue uplift and has crated additional employment opportunities for onboard catering staff.

As a principally short-distance and commuter operator, Northern does not offer catering on its services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with disabled passenger groups about achieving independent travel for disabled travellers on all forms of public transport. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The government is committed to making transport more inclusive and accessible right across the country, so that it enables disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. Ministers are advised on accessible transport policy by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, whose membership is required to include at least 50% disabled people.

The Department for Transport also regularly meets with stakeholders to discuss a range of issues, including improving accessibility across the transport network. For example, the Department has engaged with organisations representing disabled passengers throughout the development of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill and the continuing consultation on the forthcoming Railways Bill, as well as through the engagement activities for the Integrated National Transport Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to work with partners to reintroduce flight announcements for visually impaired travellers at UK airports. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Aviation must be accessible to all. The Department for Transport launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, bringing together industry and consumer advocates with first-hand experience, to consider the barriers to air travel for disabled passengers and to develop practical and achievable actions to improve aviation accessibility across the consumer journey. Two key areas the Group is considering are around communication with passengers so that they have the right information, and ensuring passengers receive a tailored service that meets their needs. The Group is set to report to the Transport Secretary with their agreed recommended actions by Summer 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the use of £105 million of public money being made available to reopen Sheffield Doncaster Airport, and what assessment they have made of the value for money of that project. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Regional airports like Doncaster Sheffield Airport serve our local communities and businesses, support thousands of jobs and act as a gateway to international opportunities. They also help to maintain social and family ties and strengthen the bonds between our four nations.

Assessing the value for money case for public money being used to support the airport reopening is the responsibility of the relevant local authorities providing the funding. The City of Doncaster Council’s business case suggests the re-establishment of aviation within the region could support over 5,000 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs and boost the economy by £6.6bn when fully operational.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of housing affordability for first-time buyers. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The ONS publishes monthly indicators on house prices in Great Britain, including the average price and average percentage change for first-time buyers (at Worksheet 4):  UK House Price Index: monthly price statistics - Office for National Statistics . In January 2025, (the most recent data from ONS) the average house price for a first-time buyer in Great Britain was £227,000, an annual percentage increase of 5.3%.   The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. As well as committing to building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament, we are introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to support first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

UK House price index (pdf, 49.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff in determining devolution deals with (1) combined authority mayors, (2) council mayors, and (3) council leaders. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government has moved away from individual negotiated deals to a consistent devolution offer for new areas and to existing Mayors and combined authorities, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper. Discussions on new devolution agreements or unlocking further powers for existing combined authorities are led by the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution on behalf of the Government. There is no role for the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff in these negotiations.

New devolution agreements must be supported by all the proposed constituent councils and can only go ahead if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the statutory tests have been met to proceed with the necessary secondary legislation to establish the strategic authority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government by what date they expect the work to remove dangerous cladding from high rise residential buildings in England to have been completed. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: No leaseholder in a high-rise residential building should wait a day longer for remediation than necessary. The Remediation Acceleration Plan published last December states that by the end of 2029 all high rise buildings (18 metres and over) with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme will have been remediated. The joint plan with developers published alongside the Remediation Acceleration Plan established targets for developers to start or complete remedial works on all their buildings by the end of July 2027.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Gohir:To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total funding they allocated to Faith Matters for the Tell MAMA project for the 2025–26 financial year; what was the duration in months for which the funding was granted; and what specific activities will be supported by this funding. \p Lord Khan of Burnley: The government is committed to providing a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and providing support for victims, and on 2 April announced the Combatting Hate Against Muslims Fund. We are seeking grant applications to support organisations to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims. We welcome applications from Tell MAMA as well as alternative providers.

The government has also made available £500,000 for funding Tell MAMA in 2025/26, to support their work for Q1 and Q2 of 2025/26. This is subject to their signing of a Grant Funding Agreement for 2025/26 which will detail the specific activities the funding will support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Pinnock:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will amend the PAS 9980 Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls and Cladding of Flats code of practice to require compliance with building regulations and statutory guidance in force at the time of construction. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The British Standards Institution (BSI) developed and published PAS 9980 and Government has sponsored BSI to review it to make sure it captures best practices, meets market needs, and identifies any necessary revisions. BSI has commenced the review, which will include a six-week public consultation, and BSI anticipates publishing the updated guidance in early 2026. The consultation will provide the opportunity for industry and the public to participate in the review of PAS 9980.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Pinnock:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 24 March (HL Deb cols 1447–9), whether they have met insurance companies about the rising insurance costs of leaseholders due to the lower remediation required by PAS 9980. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Officials in my department engage regularly with the insurance industry and Minister Norris met representatives earlier in the year. PAS9980:2022 sets out steps that can be taken to identify and assess risk factors as well as mitigation steps that might improve the risk rating of a building via a holistic and fact-based assessment of a building’s construction.

Once buildings comply with Building Regulations or align with industry-accepted PAS 9980 standards, insurers should offer affordable premiums and should not be prescribing additional remedial works.

BSI has commenced the review, which will include a six-week public consultation, and BSI anticipates publishing the updated guidance in early 2026. The consultation will provide the opportunity for industry and the public to participate in the review of PAS 9980.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the trends in net immigration to the UK since 2021. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Under the previous Government, between 2019 and 2023, net migration more than quadrupled, driven by a big increase in overseas recruitment.

This Government has set out a new approach to end the over reliance on international recruitment and boost economic growth by linking the UK's immigration, labour market, and skills systems and by training up our domestic workforce

We have also commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to review key sectors, and our long-term plan will see departments working together across government, partnering with agencies and experts, to build our skills base and reduce our reliance on migration.

Building on the Prime Minister's speech on migration on 28 November 2024 - the Government will publish a White Paper later this year setting out measures to reduce net migration and link the points-based system with requirements for training in the UK.