theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_50
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_50

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government how many Research and Development tax advisers His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has referred to a professional regulatory or disciplinary body in each of the past five years; and under what statutory authority HMRC is empowered to refer or sanction such advisers. \p Lord Livermore: HMRC can disclose the misconduct of a tax advisor to any professional regulatory body they are a member of, under section 20(3) of the Commissioners of Revenue and Customs Act 2005.

The table below provides the total number of disclosures made to professional regulatory bodies between 2019-2020 and 2023-2024. The table refers to the total number of referrals and HMRC does not publish relief specific breakdowns of disclosures it makes to professional regulatory bodies.

Year

Number of disclosures

2019-2020

25

2020-2021

13

2021-2022

14

2022-2023

31

2023-2024

45

The government has recently consulted on options to enhance HMRC’s powers to tackle poor tax adviser behaviour, which includes Research & Development agents. This consultation closed on 7 May 2025. It is the government’s intention that any legislative changes following the consultation will be included in the 2025 Finance Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of Research and Development tax relief claims submitted in each of the past five financial years that involved the use of nominee or third-party bank accounts to receive payment. \p Lord Livermore: HMRC does not publish the proportion of Research and Development (R&D) claims involving nominee or third-party bank accounts for the past five financial years.

Since November 2023, no new assignments of R&D tax credits have been possible and since April 2024, claimants have not been able to nominate a third-party payee. The changes were made as analysis showed that more than 90% of R&D claims that were fraudulent or displayed some markers of fraud used nominee bank accounts. These changes reduce the incentive for agents to submit spurious claims, as customers will receive the payment direct. They provide customers with more visibility over claims made on their behalf and allow them to correct any inaccuracies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_52

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total value of Research and Development tax relief identified as fraudulent and subsequently reclaimed by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs in each of the past five financial years; and what proportion of that amount has been successfully recovered. \p Lord Livermore: Estimates of the level of error and fraud in Research and Development (R&D) tax relief and information regarding additional tax revenue generated by HMRC’s compliance activity are published in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts. The latest publication can be found on Gov.UK and the next publication is due in July.

The methodology used to calculate the level of error and fraud for 2020-2021 was significantly improved for the 2022-2023 Annual Reports and Accounts. Estimates of the level of error and fraud in R&D tax relief for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis.

Analysis shows that around half of all claims, by volume, contained some element of non-compliance with fraud indicators found in fewer than 10 per cent of claims and accounting for less than 5 per cent of the total value claimed.

HMRC’s Approach to Research and Development tax relief 2023 to 2024 details the overall amount of tax recovered through HMRC’s compliance activity for the past two financial years, this information is also set out in the table below.

2022-23

2023-24

Proportion of compliance checks resulting in an adjustment being required

71%

77%

Tax recovered from compliance checks

£288 million

£441 million

HMRC seeks to recover R&D tax relief where it was not claimed in accordance with the law and in line with statutory time limits. In the majority of cases, adjustments for incorrect R&D claims will be limited to claims investigated within the normal time limit of 12 months from the date the claim is submitted. HMRC also considers raising assessments outside of this normal time limit where relevant legislative conditions are met, including where there is evidence of deliberate non-compliance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_53

Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish all formal correspondence with local authorities about local government reorganisation, and whether they will place copies of that correspondence in the Library of the House. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Useful documents, including letters to councils, announcements and news items on the local government reorganisation programme will appear on gov.uk at Local government reorganisation: Policy and programme updates - GOV.UK. We anticipate that during this programme of local government reorganisation there will be a significant volume of correspondence with local authorities. We do not anticipate publishing all of that correspondence, nor do we consider it appropriate to place copies in the Library of the House. We will ensure that the House is updated at key moments, as we have done since the publication the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024. I am of course happy to meet Noble Lords at any point.

Local government reorganisation (pdf, 168.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allocate the £7.6 million of capacity funding for local government reorganisation, and when that funding will be made available. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: On 24 March the government announced it has made £7.6 million available as ‘proposal development contributions’ to support the 21 areas undergoing local government reorganisation.

This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated soon, and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure new houses are not built on areas prone to flooding without necessary defences in place. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government is committed to building the homes the country needs while ensuring they are safe from flooding.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk. Where development is, exceptionally, found to be justified in areas at risk of flooding, the Framework requires that it be appropriately flood resistant and resilient, and safe for its lifetime.

Local planning authorities should consider the use of conditions or planning obligations to make development acceptable, which may include flood mitigation works. They have powers to take enforcement action against any breach of planning requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_56

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposals in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on delivering the target in the Environment Act 2021 to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill would introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that would unlock and accelerate development while delivering overall benefits for nature through investment in strategic improvements for protected habitats and species.

The fund will support the preparation of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP), which will only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied that the delivery of the conservation measures the EDP sets out are likely to outweigh the negative effects of development. In doing so EDPs will support the government’s target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to redefine affordable housing according to local incomes instead of market rates. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government believes that affordable housing must be affordable to local people and address local needs. This is why we amended the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to give local authorities greater flexibility to deliver the right mix of affordable homes to respond to housing need in their areas, while also making clear that they should address the particular needs of those who require Social Rent homes.

To reflect the government’s commitment to prioritise the building of new Social Rent homes, we amended the definition of affordable housing in the NPPF to provide a separate definition of Social Rent – rather than referring to it as just one of a number of types of affordable housing for rent. We have also committed that new investment to succeed the current Affordable Homes Programme will have a particular focus on delivering Social Rent homes.

We will consider what further steps we can take to support social and affordable housing as part of our intent to produce a set of national policies for decision making in 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Baroness Thornhill:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that registered providers communicate any new guidance affecting shared owners subletting as a result of the building safety problems arising following the Grenfell Tower fire proactively and in a timely manner. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government has considered the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill on affected housing sectors. The Bill contains measures to ensure the shared ownership model can continue to function, by excluding it from the assured tenancy regime to prevent shared owners from losing possession for rent arrears.

Regarding subletting requests, the Government’s guidance is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.

We are discussing with stakeholders their concerns about situations where shared owners are unable to sell their property due to building safety issues and are subletting. We will ensure that the implications of the Renters’ Rights Bill for shared owners, who are subletting properties affected by building safety issues, are communicated clearly through guidance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Baroness Thornhill:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of potential barriers to registered providers using the Recycled Capital Funding Grant to fund buybacks of non-mortgageable shared ownership properties in London. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Social housing providers have the option to repurchase homes where shared owners are unable to sell due to building safety issues. They can use Recycled Capital Grant Funding or alternative resources to do so. This is not an automatic entitlement for shared owners and is available at providers’ discretion. Providers will have their own policies setting out when this option is available, including any relevant eligibility criteria, and they are expected to publish all relevant policies on their websites in a clear and accessible format.

The Government does not collect information about shared ownership providers’ policies regarding repurchase of homes from shared owners where building safety issues are present.

Regarding subletting requests, Homes England’s Capital Funding Guidance for shared ownership is clear. For properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let, including up to a market rent, should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England. Where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

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Baroness Morris of Yardley:To ask the Leader of the House when she expects His Majesty's Government to provide a response to the report of the Public Services Committee Think Work First: the transition from education to work for young disabled people (1st Report, HL Paper 12) which was due on 15 December 2024. \p Baroness Smith of Basildon: The Department of Education is working with the Department of Work and Pensions to respond to the report as soon as possible. Both departments have been working hard on the Government’s response to the Public Services Committee’s report, but due to several factors, including policy developments announced since the report’s publication, the response has been delayed to ensure it reflects the Government’s latest position. The Departments aim to formally respond to the Committee report by the end of May and will keep the Committee updated in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_61

Lord Young of Acton:To ask His Majesty's Government whether clause 20 of the Employment Rights Bill will mean the House of Commons and the House of Lords will be liable in their capacity as employers for the harassment of their employees by members of both Houses, and will therefore have to take all reasonable steps to prevent it. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Clause 20 in the Employment Rights Bill will amend the Equality Act 2010 to introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties. Employers will be in breach of this obligation if they fail to take all reasonable steps to prevent the harassment of their staff, in the course of their employment, by third parties.

‘Employment’ as defined by the Equality Act 2010 includes relevant staff employed by the UK Parliament, including the administrations of both houses, and the obligation would also include those employed by individual MPs or by any political party.

A “third party” is a person other than the employer or a fellow employee. Therefore, as MPs and Peers are not considered employees for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, if they are not the employer of the member of staff, they would be a third party.

If they are the employer of the member of staff, they are prohibited from harassing their staff by existing provisions in the Equality Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_62

Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many homes in Northern Ireland do not have access to fast fibre broadband. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Fast fibre broadband covers several different speeds and platforms. According to Ofcom’s Spring Connected Nations update, as of January 2025, 99% of residential premises in Northern Ireland can access a superfast broadband connection (>=30 Mbps), and 95% can access a gigabit-capable connection (>1000 Mbps). More premises in Northern Ireland have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection than in any of the other UK nations.

In addition, as part of the UK Government’s Project Gigabit, the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy is seeking to connect up to a further 10,900 premises that are not expected to be reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-21)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-05-21 conversation_63

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require safety assessments for AI models before they are released to market to ensure they cannot be used to generate child sexual abuse material. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government takes AI generated images of child sexual abuse extremely seriously.

Creating and possessing CSAM is already a criminal offence, but we are committed to ensuring there are no gaps in the law for criminals to exploit. The Government is therefore banning AI models optimised to produce CSAM and extending existing law for criminalising ‘paedophile manuals’ through the Crime and Policing Bill.

Earlier this year the Government announced that the AI Security Institute will partner with the Home Office to research the most serious emerging risks from AI to criminality, including how it can be used to enable crimes such as child sexual abuse.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_1

Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have created the £10 million fund to boost investment in strategically important ports linking Northern Ireland and Great Britain as set out in Annex B of Safeguarding the Union (CP 1021); and if not, why not. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Safeguarding the Union command paper was clear that the commitment ‘to propose the creation of a dedicated fund worth £10 million to support infrastructure development, including green growth opportunities at a small number of strategically important NI ports’ would be carried out in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland ports.

We are considering how the aim of supporting infrastructure development can be achieved in the most impactful way across the UK - including as part of the Government’s Growth Mission and Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_2

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer:To ask His Majesty's Government what legislation protects boat dwellers whose boat is their only home; and whether any additional legal protections for those individuals have been introduced in the last 25 years, and if so, which. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: A boat owner will require the agreement of the mooring owner to moor their vessel. The terms of the agreement issued by the mooring owner must comply with the unfair terms in consumer contracts requirements in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Boat owners with residential moorings will also benefit from the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. This requires mooring owners to get a court order to evict boat owners who continue to moor after their license agreement has ended.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_3

The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses with three employees or fewer are still paying back Government-backed loans provided during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what consideration they have given to cancelling the remainder of what is owed by those businesses. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government does not hold data on the number of businesses with three employees or less who have taken out a Covid support loan.

There is no specific repayment policy relating to businesses with three employees or less.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Parminter:To ask His Majesty's Government how many inpatient beds are currently available to the NHS England for eating disorder patients in (1) England as whole, (2) the North East and Yorkshire, and North West regions, (3) the Midlands and East of England regions, (4) London, and (5) the South East and South West regions; for each area, how many are available for (a) children and young people, and (b) adults; and how many are in general child and adolescent mental health or general adult mental health facilities, as opposed to specialist eating disorder units. \p Baroness Merron: The information requested is held by NHS England, but it is management information and is not centrally validated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_5

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government how the National Cancer Plan will reduce waiting times for cancer treatment and reduce the length of time from referral to diagnosis. \p Baroness Merron: As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times to meet national targets. Further details are available in the National Health Service’s annual operational planning guidance.

Meeting these targets for cancer will ensure no patient waits longer than they should for diagnosis or treatment, and we have started by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment.

NHS Planning Guidance set stretching targets for cancer. By March 2026, approximately 100,000 more people every year will be told whether they have cancer or not within 28 days, and 17,000 more people will begin treatment within two months of a referral.

To achieve this, we have launched a National Cancer Plan call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations to help shape this plan, including ideas on how to meet national targets. The call for evidence is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_6

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of people diagnosed with lung cancer over the past five years who have never smoked. \p Baroness Merron: No assessment has been made on this issue, as smoking data is not routinely collected, except for specific circumstances such as data on access to stop smoking services. A difficulty in collecting and using data on smoking is that ‘never’ smoked can be interpreted in different ways and can result in under-estimation of smoking.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Lord Bethell:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the impact of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's advice for the Spring and Autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme on the delivery of their core health shifts. \p Baroness Merron: Vaccination plays an important role in the Government’s Plan for Change and the Health Mission, including in the shift from sickness to prevention. The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the approach to vaccination and immunisation.

The primary aim of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme remains the prevention of severe illness, namely hospitalisations and deaths, arising from COVID-19. On 13 November 2024, the JCVI published advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025 and spring 2026. This advice is available on the GOV.UK website, in an online-only format.

On 12 December 2024, the Government accepted the JCVI advice that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered in spring 2025 to adults aged 75 years old and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and the immunosuppressed aged six months and over. Eligibility for the spring 2025 campaign is the same as in previous spring campaigns.

The JCVI also advised on eligibility for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Grey-Thompson:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the additional annual cost to the NHS and social care in England incurred as a result of cheap absorbent continence products leading to (1) additional, avoidable treatments being required, (2) laundry and other associated costs, including energy, and (3) staff time spent changing patients and undertaking the additional laundering of bed linen and clothing. \p Baroness Merron: Continence is an important component in a person’s health and well-being at any stage of life, and is also an important factor in the use of health resources. Early assessment by an appropriately trained professional allows a patient centred and cost-effective care pathway to be followed. After assessment, the use of containment products, medication, and the level of intervention can be triaged and escalated.

An absorbent incontinence pad is the ‘most commonly used product for absorbing and containing both light and moderate/heavy leakage’, as per the Continence Product Advisor in 2017. An incontinence pad is classified as a medical device, as per the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2014, and therefore safety and fitness for purpose is fundamental in achieving quality care. The clinician who assesses an individual to provide an absorbent product is accountable for that decision, and needs to ensure that the chosen product is fit for purpose and safe to use at the time of assessment, in accordance with the MHRA.

No current assessment has been made in determining the difference between the brands of continence pads in relation to additional or avoidable treatments being required, laundry and other associated costs, including energy, or staff time spent changing patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff:To ask His Majesty's Government how the cross-government delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome will reflect their commitment to embracing the opportunities of digitalisation for NHS services. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to better care and support for people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We have reconvened the ME/CFS Task and Finish Group, including senior Department and cross-Government officials, ME/CFS specialists and researchers, representatives from NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the devolved administrations, ME/CFS charities, and organisations and patients with lived experience of ME/CFS.

We cannot comment on the exact content of the final delivery plan at this time, but it will be shaped by responses to the 2023 consultation on the interim delivery plan, alongside continued stakeholder engagement via the ME/CFS Task and Finish Group, with three broad themes of boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of those living with ME/CFS. We aim to publish the final delivery plan by the end of March 2025.

Research is an important pillar of the delivery plan for ME/CFS. Future planned action to support research in this area will take a cross-sectoral and inclusive approach, recognising the value of patient and public representatives in particular.

The Department funds research on ME/CFS through the NIHR and the MRC. The NIHR and the MRC remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment of ME/CFS, and are actively exploring the next steps for stimulating further research in this area. The MRC and NIHR currently fund research through a variety of routes, including infrastructure, research programmes, capacity building, through for example research fellowships, and, in the case of the NIHR, research delivery to support recruitment to studies. The NIHR welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with partners, including patient representative groups and industry, to stimulate further research in this area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Grey-Thompson:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of avoidable skin infections, pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections caused or aggravated by issuing to patients the cheapest absorbent continence products rather than products which are most clinically appropriate. \p Baroness Merron: Continence is an important component in a person’s health and well-being at any stage of life, and is also an important factor in the use of health resources. Early assessment by an appropriately trained professional allows a patient centred and cost-effective care pathway to be followed. After assessment, the use of containment products, medication, and the level of intervention can be triaged and escalated.

An absorbent incontinence pad is the ‘most commonly used product for absorbing and containing both light and moderate/heavy leakage’, as per the Continence Product Advisor in 2017. An incontinence pad is classified as a medical device, as per the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2014, and therefore safety and fitness for purpose is fundamental in achieving quality care. The clinician who assesses an individual to provide an absorbent product is accountable for that decision, and needs to ensure that the chosen product is fit for purpose and safe to use at the time of assessment, in accordance with the MHRA.

No current assessment has been made in determining the difference between the brands of continence pads in relation to additional or avoidable treatments being required, laundry and other associated costs, including energy, or staff time spent changing patients.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to release the report by William Shawcross on compensation for victims of IRA attacks and the use of semtex supplied by Libya. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK Government has profound sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorism and indeed for all victims of the Troubles. The Shawcross report was commissioned by the previous government as an internal report drawing on a series of private and confidential conversations. We will keep decisions on publication regarding the Shawcross Report under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the bombing of Tishreen Dam in northeastern Syria; what is the potential humanitarian impact; and what steps they are taking in response. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Since late 2024, ongoing fighting between the Syrian National Army and Syrian Defence Forces, as well as airstrikes, have affected Tishreen Dam, placing civilians at risk as well as depriving over 400,000 people of water and electricity. Ongoing damage to the dam could lead to the loss of lives and livelihoods of up to one million people should the dam collapse. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funds humanitarian agencies who are undertaking critical repairs. We continue to call on all parties to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers, safe access to affected areas for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as to protect civilian infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Lord Roberts of Llandudno:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 4 February (HL4182), which states were sanctioned for conflict-related sexual violence sanctions in (1) December 2022, (2) March 2023, (3) June 2023, and (4) February 2024. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK has designated fourteen perpetrators of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) related crimes since 2022. These include perpetrators in Mali, Myanmar, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These designations under the UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime are narrowly targeted at individuals and groups for their involvement in CRSV.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing for the healthcare of women and girls in Syria; and whether they intend to ringfence funding within the Official Development Assistance budget for that purpose. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK does not ringfence funding specifically for women and girls. However, we put support to women and girls at the heart of all our work in Syria and require our partners to provide sex and age disaggregated data on the outcomes of UK-funded programmes. In financial year (FY) 2023/24, 53 per cent of UK humanitarian programming in Syria helped provide health, sexual and reproductive health services, education, and vocational training to over 690,000 women and girls. Through our health partner we delivered 783,649 medical consultations, of which 61 per cent were delivered to female beneficiaries. Through funding to UN organisations such as the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UK provided Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) services to 145,490 Syrians, of which 96 per cent were female.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_15

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the release of imprisoned human rights defenders and political activists in Bahrain; and what discussions they have had with Bahrain, if any, about the cases of (1) Abduljalil Al-Singace, (2) Hasan Mushaima, and (3) Sheikh Ali Salman. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: We continue to follow and discuss the cases of Abduljalil Al Singace, Hasan Mushaima and Sheikh Ali Salman with the Bahraini Government, as well as with the independent oversight bodies, where appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_16

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the award of Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order to King Hamad of Bahrain was proposed by the Government. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by The King. With advice from His Majesty's Government, The King invested King Hamad of Bahrain with his Honorary Knighthood at Windsor Castle on 11 November 2024 in the year of his Silver Jubilee.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, concerning the ongoing imprisonment of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in Bahrain; and whether they plan to endorse calls for his unconditional release. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK continues to follow and discuss the case of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja with the Bahraini Government. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain and to encouraging the government to meet its human rights commitments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_18

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent reports of human rights abuses in Bahrain’s Jau Prison, including arbitrary solitary confinement, physical assaults, and the prolonged use of shackles causing injury; what representations they have made to the government of Bahrain regarding these alleged violations; and what assessment they have made of the role played by Brigadier Abdulsalam Al Oraifi, the Director General of Reformation and Rehabilitation in Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK maintains a dialogue with Bahrain on issues including detention and prison conditions at Jau. We encourage individuals alleging concerns about treatment in detention to report them to Bahrain's independent oversight bodies, which are established to deal with such matters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_19

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any taxpayer-funded training has been provided to Brigadier Abdulsalam Al Oraifi, the Director General of Reformation and Rehabilitation in Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior in the past ten years; and, if so, what assessment they have made of allegations he has been implicated in human rights abuses. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not provide direct funding to the Bahraini government or related security bodies or individuals. All FCDO-funded projects are delivered through implementing partners who provide training or technical assistance to local beneficiaries. Implementing partners have provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Interior in the last ten years. The FCDO does not hold records of individuals within the Ministry who have received technical assistance.

All cooperation through FCDO-funded programmes is subject to rigorous risk assessments, both at the outset and on an ongoing basis, to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations and values. We encourage individuals alleging concerns about treatment in detention to report them to Bahrain's independent oversight bodies, which are established to deal with such matters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_20

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 February (HL 4343), what steps they are taking to support interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance in Gaza's future governance structure. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is pressing for a Palestinian-led process for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza and a strong role for civil society. This is crucial to lay the groundwork for inclusive governance, accountability, and transparency so that the needs, desires, rights and freedoms and voices of all Gazans are protected. The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religious belief for all abroad. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_21

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of staff Ofcom employs in each directorate. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: This information is set out in Ofcom's Annual Reports and Accounts 2023-24.

Ofcom employs 1,483 employees (full time equivalents). Non-Executive Members of the Ofcom Board, Content Board, Advisory Committees and employees seconded to Ofcom are excluded from employee numbers.

The breakdown for each Directorate is as follows:

Broadcasting and Media Group - 118

Networks and Communications Group - 146

Spectrum Group - 242

Online Safety Group - 189

Economics and Analytics Group - 117

Legal Group - 119

Strategy and Research Group - 157

Corporate Group - 363

Central – 31

The Corporate Group includes Finance, HR, the Contact Centre, ICT, Public Policy and Nations teams, Communications, Governance and Accountability, and Data and Information.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_22

Lord Storey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of advertising revenue to websites hosting illegal content, as set out in the recent report by Adalytics. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The government continually assesses the impact of online services’ activities on UK citizens from a wide range of sources.

The Online Safety Act establishes a new regulatory regime for online services including platforms and search engines. It gives these services duties to tackle illegal content and protect children from harmful content. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime. It has strong enforcement powers if platforms fail to comply. These include business disruption measures. Through these powers, third-party service providers can be required, with court approval, to withdraw services from a non-compliant platform. For example, this could include a requirement on advertising services to withdraw from a particular non-compliant platform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_23

Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of that low-cost, open source AI models could be used to launch the risk of malicious attacks on UK security. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government has established a Central AI Risk Function (CAIRF), which brings together policymakers and AI experts with a mission to continuously identify, assess and prepare for AI associated risks.

CAIRF develops and maintains the UK Government’s AI Risk Register. The register is actively maintained by CAIRF to identify individual risks associated with AI that could impact the UK spanning national security, the economy and society.

In addition, the AI Security Institute's (AISI) work is part of this Government's efforts to tackle security threats from AI. AISI evaluates both closed and open-sourced AI models to assess the risks AI poses to security and public safety.

We are also mindful that open source can boost transparency and support AI safety research. The UK Government will carefully balance these important benefits alongside risks as it develops its regulatory approach.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_24

Lord Carlile of Berriew:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on the role of online advertising in financing criminal content online, and whether they have proposals to deal with the issue. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government continually assesses the impact of online services’ activities on UK citizens.

The Online Safety Act establishes a new regulatory regime for online services including platforms and search engines. It gives these services duties to tackle illegal content and protect their users from harm. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime. It has strong enforcement powers if platforms fail to comply. These powers include business disruption measures with court approval. Through these powers, third-party service providers can be required to withdraw services from a non-compliant platform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_25

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer:To ask His Majesty's Government what duties the Canal and River Trust has with regard to people whose boat is their permanent and only home. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Canal and River Trust is an independent charity, and the Government does not have a role in its management or operational decisions. The Trust’s charitable objects relate to the preservation of our inland waterways for public benefit, particularly for navigation, walking, and other forms of recreation, rather than the provision of permanent accommodation for private individuals, and the Trust’s boat licensing regime has no requirement to declare what a boat is used for or how many people are occupying it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-25 conversation_26

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Farm Retail Association forecasts that more than 700 farm shops could close in the coming decade. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government are introducing measures to support retail premises. We intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from 2026-27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have prevented RHL relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier. This year, we’re launching a new Business Growth Service, which will simplify SME support, bringing it all under a single, trusted banner. We’re also publishing our Small Business Strategy, setting out our shared vision to help all SMEs irrespective of their sector.