theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Wei:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Department for Education has issued any guidance, formal or informal, to further education colleges or local authorities encouraging them to restrict direct applications from electively home educated students aged 14–16 to avoid any administrative burdens which might be placed on them by the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill; and if not, what steps they are taking to ensure that public statements by such institutions do not misrepresent government policy. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: ​​The department has not issued any guidance, formal or informal, to further education colleges or local authorities encouraging them to restrict direct applications from electively home educated children.

​Home educating parents can supplement their child’s education through attendance at part-time further education courses, as part of securing an efficient, full-time and suitable education for their child. The department supports parents’ right to exercise this choice, and this position will not change with the implementation of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

​Decisions regarding the availability of such courses are at the discretion of each college, who may make decisions based on factors such as available capacity and resources, and may liaise with their local authority as part of this. Funding for part-time courses below level 3 is available to colleges so long as the 14-16 funding arrangements detailed in the funding rates and formula guidance are followed.

​To support implementation of Bill measures, the department will issue statutory guidance to aid local authorities and parents.​
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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The Lord Bishop of Leicester:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the under-registration of eligible children for free school meals following the extension of entitlement to all children in households receiving Universal Credit; and whether they plan to introduce free school meal auto-enrolment to ensure all eligible children receive the support to which they are entitled. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 back in families’ pockets.

We want to ensure that all families who need it are able to claim the support they are eligible for. Expanding FSM to all children in households claiming Universal Credit will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals.

To support take-up of free meals, we are also rolling out improvements to the checking system that we make available to all local authorities to help verify eligibility for free meals. This will make the process of claiming free meals more seamless for families by allowing them to directly check whether they can receive this entitlement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Meston:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the most recently available data showing the gender breakdown, by age, of children with 'child in need' status in England. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Information on the numbers of children in need in England by gender and age as at 31 March 2024 are published in the statistics release ‘Children in need in England’. This data has been available since 31 October 2024 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/017e9ab0-556a-4e52-0c34-08de07233b94.

Figures for the year ending 31 March 2025 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/39cc1f07-37e5-4b8c-e315-08de1acd7617.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Curriculum and Assessment Review will take autistic children into account. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is looking closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

Throughout the Review, the impact and experiences of children and young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs, are being considered to ensure the curriculum works for all children.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published shortly. The government will then consider the recommendations and its response.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of death threats made against a professor at City St George's, what steps they are taking to protect university professors from intimidation and violence, and to hold students who engage in violent or intimidating behaviour to account. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The campaign against a professor at City St George’s University is unacceptable. Antisemitic abuse has no place in our lecture halls, on campus or anywhere else.

Where a student has been found to be responsible for racially motivated harassment, intimidation or incitement to violence, the department expects universities to act swiftly and use the full force of their disciplinary powers, involving the police where necessary.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has written to the professor to offer her support, and senior officials have met with the Vice Chancellor. I am pleased that the University’s Senior Leadership Team has publicly affirmed its support for the professor and has taken swift steps to protect his safety on campus.

We are supporting universities to address antisemitism on campuses through the Tackling Antisemitism in Education programme, with Government-funded training for university staff commencing soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they hold data on the number of professional and vocational qualifications awarded in the field of construction and bricklaying in 2024. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Further education and skills:

For the full 2023/24 academic year, there were 12,840 apprenticeships achievements in the construction, planning and build environment sector subject area covering all ages. An additional 48,750 adult achievement regulated qualifications in construction, were supported by Adult Skills Budget.

T Levels:

T Levels completions that count towards performance tables in 2023/24 were:

Key Stage 4:

In 2023/24, 9,548 pupils took construction Technical Awards that count towards performance tables.

16 to 18:

Published in the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical release.

For 2023/24, vocational qualifications counting towards performance tables were taken by:

More information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results/2023-24.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government, in fulfilling its strategy for 16 and 17 year-olds to take up education and training as set out in 1.4.2 of its Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper (CP 1412), what funding they will provide for transport in rural areas. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The responsibility for post-16 transport lies with local authorities, who have a duty to publish a transport policy statement each year that sets out the travel arrangements they will make to support young people to access further education. ​

​Arrangements do not have to be free, but the department expects local authorities, including those in rural areas, to make reasonable decisions based on the needs of their population, the local transport infrastructure, and the resources they have available. ​

​The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is also used to help students with travel costs, including those on low incomes. It enables schools, colleges and training providers to support students with transport costs where these have been identified as a barrier to participation.​

​In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16 to 19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of removing the initial teacher training bursary for music on access to the teaching profession for candidates from lower-income backgrounds. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: ​​Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. The department reviews the bursaries annually to take account of ITT recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. The bursaries we offer also take account of the high earning potential of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. Whether a bursary is offered or not, student trainee teachers can access a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and additional support dependent on their circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

​Between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for music increased by 53%, one of the largest increases for any subject. Acceptances for ITT courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year indicate a further improvement. At the same time, demand for music trainee teachers has fallen due to this higher ITT recruitment and more favourable teacher retention forecasts. As a result, the postgraduate ITT target in music reduced by 31% for courses starting in 2025/26.

​As part of our Opportunity Mission, we want high quality music and arts education for every child in all state-funded schools. This is why we announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education to deliver excellent continuing professional development for teachers in all the arts subjects, including music. The Curriculum and Assessment Review final report is also considering all the arts subjects, and final report and government response will be published shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) graduate recruitments, and (2) apprentice recruitments, there have been in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland, and (d) Northern Ireland, in each year since 2020. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The exact data requested is not held by the department, but we publish data on the number and proportion of first degree graduates and apprenticeship achievers that are in sustained employment at around one year after graduation, for UK-domiciled graduates graduating from English higher education providers only and apprentices achieving their qualification in England. The latest available data is for learners qualifying in 2020/21 who were in sustained employment in the 2022/23 tax year. More recent data is unavailable due to lags in data availability.

Number in sustained employment at 1 year after graduation

Graduated in academic year:

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

First Degree Graduates

241,000

244,000

255,000

Apprenticeship Achievers

170,000

134,000

129,000

These statistics are available in the following publications:

The data is also available at the following linked tables derived from those publications:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of permanently linking university tuition fees rises to inflation on access to higher education and student debt levels. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education (HE). That is why the government will introduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students from low-income households studying courses aligned with our missions and industrial strategy.

The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so. Student loans carry significant protections for borrowers. Monthly repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed, so will not change with fee rises. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance will be written off.

The HE sector needs a secure financial footing, which is why the department has taken the difficult decision to increase tuition fee caps for the next two years, in line with inflation. In future years, only institutions which meet a quality threshold will be able to continue to raise their fees in line with inflation to ensure a focus on teaching quality and outcomes for students.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that citizenship is treated equally with other statutory national curriculum subjects in Ofsted's inspection framework, and that Ofsted inspections and public reporting reflect schools' statutory obligations to delivery citizenship education. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to my noble Friend directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that specialist citizenship teachers are recruited and retained, and whether they will extend bursaries to that subject in line with other shortage areas. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Recruiting and retaining expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child and delivery is already under way. The government agreed a 5.5% pay award for 2024/25 and a 4% pay award for 2025/26, meaning teachers and leaders will see an increase of almost 10% over two years.

We are already seeing improvement. The workforce has grown by 2,346 full time equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25, and this year has one of the lowest leaver rates since 2010.

Recruitment to citizenship initial teacher training (ITT) courses is unrestricted, allowing ITT providers and schools to recruit the specialist citizenship teachers they need. Citizenship trainee teachers are eligible for a tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and additional funding depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant.

The department reviews bursaries annually before announcing the offer for those applying for ITT courses to ensure bursaries are focused on subjects experiencing teacher shortages.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what further measures will be taken in schools, colleges and universities to combat antisemitism. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government has made available £7 million in funding to tackle antisemitism in education settings. £500,000 has been awarded to University Jewish Chaplaincy to support student welfare on campuses and, following a competitive procurement, we have awarded contracts to the Union of Jewish Students (£1 million) and Palace Yard Ltd (£1.32 million) to upskill and train university, college and school staff to recognise and address antisemitism.

In November, we will also launch a £4 million tackling antisemitism in education innovation fund, to test approaches to help young people spot mis- and dis-information and improve their media literacy, and to strengthen interfaith collaboration.

On 7 October 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education wrote to Vice Chancellors, urging them to take immediate action to protect Jewish students following the appalling terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. She highlighted the need for enhanced security, community engagement, and staff training to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive, and respectful spaces. She has also made clear that universities should not hesitate to use the full force of their disciplinary processes to deal with acts of harassment and abuse on campus.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what primary and secondary legislation is required in the future to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework fully. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Windsor Framework is implemented in domestic law through a variety of legislative instruments, encompassing both bespoke instruments and provisions integrated into broader legislation. Any compilation of laws would not accurately reflect this fact.

Legislation relevant to the Windsor Framework and the UK’s exit from the European Union can be found on the "legislation.gov.uk" website. The Government will continue to take forward any legislation required in future to give effect to any of our international obligations, in line with usual parliamentary procedure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Young of Old Scone:To ask His Majesty's Government what was discussed and what actions were agreed under agenda item 4(c) regarding the Planning and Infrastructure Bill at the meeting on 15 October of the Trade Specialised Committee on Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development under the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: At the meeting in question, UK officials provided an overview of the Bill’s contents and an update on its progress through Parliament. The UK agreed to provide a further update once the Bill receives Royal Assent.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 21 October (HL11034), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of Baroness Shafik’s declaration of interests provided to the Cabinet Office as a direct ministerial appointment in accordance the Cabinet Office guidance on direct appointments published May 2022; and what specific management or mitigation measures have been agreed with Cabinet Office in relation to those declared interests. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: In line with the longstanding approach over multiple administrations, it is not appropriate to publish confidential declaration of interests documentation.

As the Noble Lord will be aware, the process for declaring and managing any outside interests in relation to this role has been conducted robustly and in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies and other government guidance. There are mitigations in place to manage any potential issues.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Earl Russell:To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers have held with climate scientists and scientific advisory bodies on climate change since July 2024; and whether they will publish a list of those meetings comparable to the published data on meetings with representatives of the fossil fuel industry. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: Ministers engage regularly with the scientific community and trusted experts, including the Climate Change Committee, to ensure our climate policies are based on the best available advice and evidence. A list of ministers’ meetings with external organisations is published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Carrington:To ask His Majesty's Government why they do not plan to achieve the targets set out in the Clean Energy Jobs Plan before the proposed dates for meeting the minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector. \p Lord Wilson of Sedgefield: The Clean Energy Jobs Plan sets out the workforce needed to deliver our clean energy ambitions and how the government will work in partnership with industry and trade unions to deliver it. As outlined in the plan, the Government will shortly be bringing forward the Warm Homes Plan. This plan will detail initiatives specifically designed to facilitate growth of the retrofit supply chain.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the 5 pence-per-litre fuel duty reduction permanent. \p Lord Livermore: At the Budget in October 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The temporary 5p cut is currently scheduled to expire in March 2026. The Government considers the impact of fuel duty on households and businesses, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they taken to make a quantitative assessment of the impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the economies of Wales and Scotland. \p Lord Livermore: The Government considered the impact of all measures announced at the Budget in October 2024 on the economies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These considerations also form part of the process for the Budget that the Chancellor is due to deliver on 26 November.

The Government provides information to the Office for Budget Responsibility to enable it to deliver its forecast for those elements of taxation which are devolved.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 14 October 2024 (HC7020), whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer is provided with an official car outside of the provision of the Government Car Service by (1) the Metropolitan Police, or (2) a private contractor. \p Lord Livermore: We do not comment on the specific arrangements in place for the Chancellor for security reasons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Cameroon authorities concerning attacks against Christian communities in the far north, including recent reports of (1) abduction, and (2) murder; and what diplomatic steps they are taking to ensure the promotion of religious freedom in the country. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK continues to support Cameroonian efforts to counter terrorism in the Far North and assist communities affected by violence and displacement. This includes regular diplomatic engagement, both bilaterally and through multilateral fora, and through frequent visits to the region to engage with affected communities and authorities. While we have not had specific discussions with the Cameroonian authorities about the recent reports of abduction and murder, we continue to advocate for the protection of all vulnerable communities. Over the past five years, the UK has provided over £20 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Cameroon, much of it focused on the Far North, and we continue to back stabilisation efforts in the Lake Chad region. The UK Government continues to monitor civil and political rights in Cameroon and is committed to upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the right to freedom of religion or belief of the potential forced displacement of the Protestant pastor Aristides Chocue from the Caldono Municipality in Colombia; and whether they have made representations to the government of Colombia on this matter. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is concerned about threats to religious freedom around the world, including forced displacement of religious leaders in Colombia. The UK supports human rights defenders and victims through programming and diplomatic engagement, and UK officials regularly raise concerns with the Colombian Government and at the UN. We fund protection mechanisms for at-risk individuals, including religious leaders. The UK urges Colombian institutions to act on early warnings and protect those at risk. We remain committed to defending freedom of religion or belief globally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their partnership with the World Bank on the position of the City of London as a global financial centre. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK works closely with the World Bank (WB) to strengthen the position of the City of London as a global financial centre. The World Bank Group has 70 staff members in London, which is one of three International Finance Corporation (IFC) Treasury Hubs.

IFC, WB's private sector arm, has an active committed investment portfolio of over $5.2 billion with UK businesses. The UK is the largest investor country for the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), with an exposure of $7.4 billion.

The City is also a centre of innovation. For example, last month, with support from the UK, the IFC sold $500 million of assets on the London Stock Exchange in a breakthrough transaction which will create a new asset class for UK and international investors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Scott of Needham Market:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the status of the next DEFRA stakeholder engagement survey; whether it will cover access to nature and outdoor recreation; and if not, why not. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The annual stakeholder engagement survey is now closed, and the results are currently being reviewed. The survey covers issues across the Defra brief, including nature and outdoor recreation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Scott of Needham Market:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish detailed allocations for public access funding for 2025–26 and subsequent financial years; and how these will support delivery of commitments to expand public enjoyment of the natural environment. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

While we are unable to publish funding allocations for future years, we continue to invest significantly in improving access to nature across the country. For example, our four-year £33 million Access for All programme has supported a targeted package of measures across our Protected Landscapes, National Trails, Forestry England sites and the wider countryside to make access to green and blue spaces more inclusive. In 2025–26, £17.06 million was allocated to this programme. This funding has supported practical improvements such as resurfaced paths, replacing stiles with accessible gates, and installing changing places and toilets, enabling more people of all abilities to enjoy the outdoors.

Additionally, we continue to invest in completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which at around 2,700 miles will be the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. Over 2,500 miles have now been approved, and more than 1,800 miles are already open. The route will also create around 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin. We are also investing in improvements to Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route so that it can be designated as a National Trail.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Scott of Needham Market:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue a green paper on access to nature, and according to what time frame. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the Nature Restoration Fund is accessible to individual farmers. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Nature Restoration Fund will provide opportunities to fund farmers, habitat banks, and environmental and conservation groups to deliver conservation measures. This will represent a source of revenue diversification for these businesses and organisations.

The Bill is drafted to enable delegation and partnership working, allowing Natural England to fund farmers to supply conservation measures directly or through third-party arrangements. The Government will publish guidance to Natural England on how they should work with the third parties to deliver EDPs.
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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on procuring more locally produced foods for schools, prisons, and hospitals. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is currently assessing the food that the public sector currently buys, specifically its provenance and the standards it conforms to. In due course, this will enable us to determine the extent to which public sector settings are serving food from local producers and what more can be done.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Code of Practice for Brown Hare Management and Welfare in England, published by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust March 2013, and its effectiveness in preventing the shooting of hares during the breeding season. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra has not made a formal assessment of the Code of Practice for Brown Hare Management and Welfare in England and its effectiveness in preventing the shooting of hares during the breeding season. Defra holds no official statistics on the number of hares shot in England and can therefore make no official estimate of the number of hares shot during the breeding period. While the Code urges those who might lethally control hares to not carry out such activity from 1 March to 31 July, the Government’s understanding is that most hare shooting currently occurs in February when the gamebird season ends, despite many adult female hares being pregnant or even already nursing their young.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_49

Baroness Tyler of Enfield:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks made by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 24 April (HL Deb col 756–7), what progress has the Forestry Commission made in its investigation into the illegal felling of the Whitewebbs Oak that took place on 3 April. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: It is acknowledged that the works to this ancient tree caused public concern. The Forestry Commission has carried out a site inspection and detailed review to determine whether there have been any breaches of the Forestry Act 1967 in relation to the tree works on the Oak.

The Forestry Commission review has concluded that in this case, there have been no breaches of the Forestry Act 1967 or the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999.

The decision of the Forestry Commission does not reflect the decisions or actions of other public bodies or individuals who may be conducting investigations or initiating proceedings in relation to any other alleged offences or civil matters other than those set out within the Forestry Act 1967 and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_50

Baroness Scott of Needham Market:To ask His Majesty's Government, following reporting from the BBC in January 2024 that investigators had found 32,000 blockages on public rights of way, whether they will take action to remove obstructions preventing the public from using such ways. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way, including ensuring that they are free from obstructions and available for public use. They have statutory duties to assert and protect the public’s right to use these routes and to take action where obstructions are identified.

Each authority is also required to prepare and maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which assesses the condition of the local network and sets out how it will be improved for all users. These plans are publicly available on the relevant authority’s website.

Local authorities are best placed to determine local priorities and allocate resources accordingly, taking account of the needs of their communities and the condition of the rights of way in their area. The Government continues to provide local authorities with funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and it is for them to decide how best to use this funding, including for maintaining and improving public rights of way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_51

Baroness Scott of Needham Market:To ask His Majesty's Government what legislative vehicle they will use to implement their commitment, announced on 26 December 2024, to repeal the 2031 deadline for recording historic rights of way. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We have announced our intention to remove the 2031 cut-off date for the recording of historic rights of way, to support and enhance public access to nature. Removing this deadline will ensure that historic routes valued by communities can continue to be identified and protected for future generations.

This repeal will require primary legislation, and we will bring forward the necessary provisions when parliamentary time allows.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_52

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in particular through diplomatic representations and support for scientific information sharing, to prevent the use internationally of paraquat and similar toxic herbicides banned in the UK. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: British businesses can only export Paraquat under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime. GB companies intending to export Paraquat must notify and exchange information with the importing country via the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the explicit consent of the importing country is required before export can take place. This process allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import, handling and safe use.

The UK also works internationally to manage pesticides safely. We support the listing of Paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty the UK is party to that promotes shared responsibilities and information sharing in relation to the international trade of hazardous chemicals. We recently supported the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution which will support scientific information sharing to enhance global decision making on the management of chemicals and pesticides.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_53

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many officials were working on the Farming and Countryside Programme on (1) 4 July 2024, and (2) 16 September 2025. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Delivery of the Farming & Countryside programme spans across many organisations within the Defra group, and we use our resource flexibly according to demand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_54

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 19 September (HL10017), whether they will publish a list of the subsidy payments that do not provide returns on investment and as a result are being rapidly wound down. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We are backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history to support farmers and land managers to help restore nature and boost farm productivity, which in turn protects food security and builds resilience to climate change. This means carrying on the transition away from area-based payments and towards paying to deliver public goods.

We are winding down subsidy payments that do not provide returns on investment and increasing funding in Environmental Land Management schemes, from £1.8 billion in 2025/26 to more than £2 billion a year by 2028/29.

Continuing to phase out delinked payments will enable us to invest more in environmental schemes that will make a significant contribution to our Environment Act targets and will ensure that funding is targeted where it can have the greatest impact.

Furthermore, the latest FCP annual report (attached) sets out what FCP schemes delivered over 2024/25.

latest FCP annual report (pdf, 424.6KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_55

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the annual number of insects killed in the UK by wind turbines, and what impact this may have on the sustainability of insect populations. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government has not made an assessment of the annual number of insects killed in England by wind turbines, nor on the sustainability of insect populations accordingly.

International research estimates that individual turbines in temperate regions may kill millions of insects per year. However, to understand the impacts of wind turbines on the sustainability of insect populations, it is necessary to evaluate them in the context of other pressures. Factors operating at larger scales likely have a greater overall impact, e.g. land management and pesticide use.

The Natural Environment Research Council is funding the DRUID project to understand the drivers and repercussions of UK insect declines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_56

Lord Allen of Kensington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the offer and uptake of apprenticeships. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the industrial strategy.

In August we introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support employers to offer apprenticeships, the government provides £1,000 payments to employers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19 to 24-year-old apprentices who have an education, health and care plan or have been, or are, in care. Government also pays employers up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_57

Lord Moraes:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making to ensure that the UK–EU data adequacy decision is renewed before its expiration on 27 December. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The Government recognises the importance of our EU adequacy decisions and continues to engage with the European Commission to support their successful renewal, acknowledging that this is a unilateral process undertaken by the EU.

The Government welcomed the publication of the European Commission’s draft adequacy decisions in July, which conclude that the UK continues to provide an adequate level of data protection, and looks forward to the completion of the adoption process ahead of the 27 December deadline.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_58

Lord Moraes:To ask His Majesty's Government what review they are undertaking, if any, of the duty under the Online Safety Act 2023 for internet service providers to take action to prevent child users accessing harmful and illegal suicide and self-harm content online. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: Monitoring and evaluation are key to understanding the effectiveness of the online safety regime. The government and Ofcom are monitoring the regime’s impact through a programme of evaluation work to track the effect of the regime and feed into a statutory Post Implementation Review. The Online Safety Act applies to online user to user services and search services.

Further, Ofcom’s Online Experiences Tracker survey is issued twice a year. The most recent data was published in October covering the experiences of adults (aged 18+). The first wave of data from the new Children’s Online Safety Tracker will be published later this year, and the second wave will be published in Spring 2026.

We also engage with civil society and monitor research and reports they publish on online harms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-04 conversation_59

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the new blueprint for AI regulation, announced on 21 October, including the creation of 'AI Growth Labs' and sector-specific regulatory sandboxes. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The AI Growth Lab would be a cross-economy sandbox. The Lab aims to drive responsible AI innovation and adoption and generate an evidence base for agile regulatory reform, by enabling time-limited, closely supervised regulatory modifications to be piloted in live environments.

A call for evidence on the AI Growth Lab is now live, closing on 2 January, seeking input from a range of stakeholders on the Growth Lab design.

Responses will help inform further policy development, shaping more detailed proposals for the Lab and its implementation, ensuring that any changes balance innovation with public trust.