theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of artificial intelligence technology being trained on real patient data, and whether they intend to introduce regulation around the use of health records in training artificial intelligence \p Baroness Merron: There are strict safeguards in place throughout the National Health Service to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), and the Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where artificial intelligence (AI) is used in relation to patient records.

The NHS AI Lab and Sciencewise, part of UK Research and Innovation, held a public dialogue on how the public feels decisions should be made about access to their personal health data for AI purposes. The AI Lab conducted a discovery exercise to design approaches based on insights from the public, which is now informing broader data stewardship initiatives, for example, as part of the Secure Data Environments.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from the use of data in AI, the Information Commissioners Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. They have also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of patient demand for antibiotics from pharmacists; and what action, if any, they are taking to reduce this. \p Baroness Merron: Under Pharmacy First, pharmacists can supply prescription-only medicines, including some antibiotics, under Patient Group Directions (PGDs). PGDs are strict protocols that allow certain healthcare professionals to supply prescription-only medicines in very specific circumstances and without a prescription from a general practitioner. The service design was informed by best practice with input from an expert panel of clinicians.

The impacts of the service are being assessed via multiple routes. As part of the Pharmacy Quality Scheme 2025/26, participating contractors will be expected to complete a clinical audit, focusing on the clinical advice and consultations provided to patients. NHS England has completed a review of the Pharmacy First service. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to assess the impact, safety, and effectiveness of Pharmacy First. NHS England will keep the clinical scope of the service under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Bradley:To ask His Majesty's Government how many speech and language therapists are employed in each integrated care board area in England, and how many of these work in criminal justice settings. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold information on the total number of speech and language therapists employed in each integrated care board area in England. Therapists will be employed by National Health Service trusts, where data is held, but will also be directly employed by other providers, including schools, local authorities, and third sector or charitable organisations, for which data is not held centrally. The following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) speech and language therapists employed by NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England, as of January 2025, by integrated care board area:

Integrated care board area

FTE speech and language therapists

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire

44

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes

11

Birmingham and Solihull

288

Black Country

126

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

70

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West

155

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

225

Cheshire and Merseyside

436

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

79

Coventry and Warwickshire

157

Derby and Derbyshire

134

Devon

135

Dorset

113

Frimley

93

Gloucestershire

62

Greater Manchester

548

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

160

Herefordshire and Worcestershire

100

Hertfordshire and West Essex

134

Humber and North Yorkshire

174

Kent and Medway

220

Lancashire and South Cumbria

201

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

123

Lincolnshire

57

Mid and South Essex

65

Norfolk and Waveney

69

North Central London

548

North East and North Cumbria

516

North East London

438

North West London

304

Northamptonshire

47

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

164

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

46

Somerset

70

South East London

394

South West London

194

South Yorkshire

224

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent

104

Suffolk and North East Essex

126

Surrey Heartlands

53

Sussex

205

West Yorkshire

328

England total

7,739

These staff will provide services in a range of settings, but the Department does not hold information on how many may work in criminal justice settings.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Incisive Health, Getting upstream: creating an early intervention service for cancer, published on 5 May. \p Baroness Merron: We have received Inclusive Health’s report on creating an early intervention service for cancer, and we are currently considering this. We have received over 11,000 responses to our call for evidence for the National Cancer Plan from individuals, professionals, and organisations who have shared their views on how we can do more to achieve our ambition. These submissions will be used to inform our plan to improve cancer care.

The plan will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Bradley:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 6 May (HL6997), which organisation holds the information requested regarding speech and language services in prisons in England. \p Baroness Merron: This information would be held at a local level by the prison healthcare providers.
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Baroness Deech:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of non-democratic states currently serving on the United Nations Human Rights Council and of their record of upholding human rights. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: UN Human Rights Council members are elected by the entire UN membership, based on an equitable geographic distribution of seats. We expect all Human Rights Council members to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people who benefit in Afghanistan from projects funded by UK development aid, and what steps they are taking to guarantee that UK development aid benefits women and children. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The rights and needs of women and girls are at the core of the government's humanitarian response in Afghanistan. We are equally committed to protecting the safety, health and development of Afghan children. In financial year 2023-24 (the most recent period for which we have verified data), UK aid provided over 2.7 million people, including over 1.3 million women, with humanitarian assistance. Implementing partners provide the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with data on the number of beneficiaries they have reached through UK funding, disaggregated by sex. We remain committed that at least 50% of people reached by UK aid in Afghanistan are women and girls and have met this target since financial year 2021-22 and expect to have to met this target in 2024-25 (data is currently being verified). UK aid is subject to strict monitoring and verification to ensure it is only used to help the vulnerable people for whom it is intended.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current condition of the Yazidi community in Iraq; what steps they are taking to assist the Yazidi community; and what assessment they have made of how such assistance will be affected by the cuts to the Official Development Assistance, and of the impact on the Yazidi community. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK remains committed to the Yazidi community's safety and security, recognising the hardships and persecution they have endured. Reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a difficult, but necessary decision. However, the Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme will continue facilitating the return and reintegration of Internally Displaced Persons, including Yazidis. We also continue to advocate with Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on stability, security and governance in Sinjar.

Prior to this year, the UK also funded Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking programmes. These programmes strengthened government and civil organisation capacity to advance transitional justice mechanisms, and support survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Syria about the mass killing of civilians from the Alawite minority by militia groups in March. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The protection of all civilians in Syria and their full inclusion in the transition process will continue to be a priority in our engagement with the Syrian Government. The Minister for the Middle East discussed this issue during his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March and the National Security Advisor discussed it in his call with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on 10 April.
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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government how many projects in Afghanistan are funded by UK development aid, and through which entities the funds are distributed. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: The UK is taking a leading role in the humanitarian response to support the people of Afghanistan. Last financial year (2024-2025), the government allocated £171 million in aid to Afghanistan making it one of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) largest bilateral aid programmes. We plan to publish final 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts this summer. Decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 onwards will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.

We do not give aid to the Taliban. UK aid is distributed through a range of international and national Non-Governmental Organisations and UN agencies. All funding is provided directly to implementing partners who are highly experienced at delivering in difficult circumstances and ensuring aid is only used to help those most in need.
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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government on what date the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme will open to applications under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025; and whether those who are already registered with the UK Infected Blood Support Scheme need to make a new application. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: In October 2024, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) opened the claim service to a small number of people. As of 6th May, a total of 677 people have been contacted to start their claim for compensation. Since they became law on 31 March this year, IBCA has been working under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2025. Going forward, IBCA is aiming to contact an average of 100 people to begin their claims every week. The Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected, to whom the 2025 Regulations also apply, by the end of this year.

Regarding the Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS), all those invited to claim so far are registered with IBSS. People are required to go through an application process for compensation, as the Compensation Scheme is separate to IBSS, but those registered with IBSS are automatically eligible for compensation. Additionally, IBCA holds details for all those people who are registered on existing support schemes and can request other information, such as medical records and information about a person's condition and severity, from organisations who already have it. This should mean those claiming will be asked for the least amount of information possible needed to calculate the compensation they are due.
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Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what plans they have to review training and awareness courses about biological sex across departments. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.
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Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 6 March (HL5057), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the comprehensive fraud risk assessments undertaken for the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is committed to being open and transparent, however, fraud risk assessments are sensitive documents, therefore they are not intended for public release.
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Baroness Stedman-Scott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many men aged 16 to 24 years old were employed in the manufacturing sector in April. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Baroness Stedman-Scott OBE

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

2 May 2025

Dear Lady Stedman-Scott,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many men aged 16 to 24 years old were employed in the construction sector in April (HL6964), and how many men aged 16 to 24 years old were employed in the manufacturing sector in April (HL6965).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects information on the labour market status of individuals through the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is a survey of people resident in households in the UK. The responses allow us to estimate how many people are in employment, as well as information on their age and sex. In addition, working respondents report the industry they believe best reflects their workplace. These responses are classified using the Standard Industrial Classification 2007 (SIC07).

Unfortunately, estimates for April 2025 will not be available until 10 June 2025. In the period December 2024 to February 2025, the latest LFS data available, the number of men aged 16 to 24 years who were working in the construction sector was 196,000, while the number of men aged 16 to 24 years who were working in the manufacturing sector was 155,000.

The ongoing challenges with response rates, response levels and weighting approach mean that labour market statistics based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are subject to increased volatility and are considered ’official statistics in development’ until further review.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond
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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to establish minimum standards for battery back-up of Digital Voice services during power outages; and what assessment they have made of whether these minimum standards are sufficient for rural areas. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is determined to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.

In November 2024, providers agreed to safeguards in the Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist including requirements to provide resilience solutions (e.g., battery back-up) for vulnerable customers, including the landline-dependent and those living in rural areas, to enable access to emergency organisations for at least one hour in a power outage. After discussions with government ministers, a number of communication providers have gone beyond this minimum, providing battery back-ups of 4-7 hours.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their response to the recommendation by the Children's Commissioner for England to ban 'nudification' apps that enable users to generate sexually explicit images of real people. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Government refuses to tolerate violence against women and girls. Sexually explicit deepfakes are degrading and harmful.

We are legislating to ban their creation in the Data (Use and Access) Bill and have introduced a further offence in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise the possession, creation or distribution of AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Government is also actively looking at options to address ‘nudification’ tools themselves.
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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on private digital identification service providers of the free use of One Login by Companies House; and whether they will refer this to the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure there is no market distortion. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: GOV.UK One Login is a centrally funded programme, to deliver one ‘front door’ for government services in order to replace the previous landscape of siloed and duplicative sign-in and identity-proofing methods. This will save time for users and taxpayer money by avoiding duplication across government. As an organisation within government, Companies House services are included in this government programme. As is the case with all other government services on GOV.UK One Login, the service is free to use to enable inclusive and easy access to public services.
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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what requirements they have placed on BT to consult customers about the implementation of the Digital Voice rollout, particularly for vulnerable customers or those in rural areas. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is determined to ensure that any risks arising from the industry-led migration of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated for all customers across the UK.

Major communication providers, including BT, signed a voluntary charter in December 2023 to protect vulnerable customers. A definition of vulnerable customers who may require additional support in the context of the PSTN switch-off was published in November 2024. It includes the landline-dependent and those living in rural areas. In November 2024, providers agreed to additional safeguards in the Non-Voluntary Migrations Checklist. This includes requirements for timely and repeated communication with customers ahead of their non-voluntary migration.
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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government which ministers, officials, and external experts attended the meeting held at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday 16 April regarding the establishment of UK sovereign AI capacity; and what criteria were used to select the expert participants. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The AI Opportunities Action Plan, launched in January, outlines 50 actions to drive AI development. We are committed to strengthening the UK sector and supporting the emergence of leading UK AI companies. A broad programme of engagement is a critical part of this commitment. The sovereign AI team has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including academics, founders, and investors throughout the UK and will continue to do so.

This recent event, focused on building UK capabilities, was part of that ongoing engagement, and participants were invited accordingly.

Ministerial meetings are published according to normal transparency requirements on the GOV.UK website.
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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons they learned from GOV.UK Verify, and how they will apply those lessons to the development and governance of the One Login digital identification system. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The lessons learned from GOV.UK Verify have formed a core part of how GOV.UK One Login has been developed. For example, GOV.UK One Login is a centrally funded programme to encourage adoption. GOV.UK One Login also accepts multiple types of evidence, and allows users to choose from three identity verification routes, including visiting the Post Office to prove their identity in person, increasing success rates and inclusion.

The programme is governed by a cross government programme board, to ensure that Departments using the service are kept at the centre of programme delivery and as a Government Major Portfolio Programme (GMPP) it is subject to cross government assurance. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has reviewed the programme positively in the last three Assurance Gateway Reviews.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what figures relating to (1) train service cancellations, and (2) the punctuality of arrival at final destinations, they require the major UK train service operators to provide; and how are these figures used to evaluate the performance of those operators. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Most operators currently have a National Rail Contract, which sets quantifiable performance targets for operators to earn a performance-based fee. There are six measures including train service cancellations and the punctuality at each station call. A proportion of the total fee is available for each of the six different measures designed to incentivise on-time operations and fewer cancellations.

Performance targets are intended to be stretching, balance a range of outcomes, and represent value for the taxpayer. These targets are set as part of a commercial contract and are subject to negotiation.

Work is currently underway on setting out new performance targets for train operators in public ownership.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authorities to improve disability accessibility on transport services which they provide. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The government is committed to delivering a transport network which allows disabled people to be able to travel easily and confidently, with dignity and without extra cost. The government expects local authorities and transport operators to make sure this happens, consistent with their legal equalities duties.

On 17th December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill that will give local leaders in England the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including for disabled people. The Bill includes measures to make the design of bus and coach stations and stops safer and more accessible and sets requirements on training for staff on disability-assistance and disability awareness to ensure bus drivers and staff dealing directly with the travelling public are better informed of the rights and needs of disabled passengers.

The Bill has also been amended so it now provides duties to consult disabled people, to consider the impact of Enhanced Partnership (EP) scheme requirements on accessibility, and to publish Bus Network Accessibility Plans, as well as clarifying that EP scheme requirements can include requirements aiming to improve accessibility.
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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 March (HL5461), how many marine disposal sites there are, and how many are monitored each year. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: There are 727 marine disposal sites in total. Of these, 251 are open, 432 are closed, and 44 are disused.

Before a disposal site is designated, an applicant must submit a disposal site characterisation report to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), or evidence to satisfy the MMO that the area is suitable for disposal. In addition, all sediment being disposed of to sea is regularly sampled and analysed, with continued disposal requiring sign off from the MMO. Monthly disposal volumes are reported to the MMO in line with OSPAR requirements.

The MMO, in conjunction with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), also undertakes an annual Disposal Site Monitoring programme. The programme sets out how sites are monitored based on location, activity level, public interest, age of current monitoring data for the area, and frequency of site usage.
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Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to integrate the planned updates to the Environmental Improvement Plan and the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Nature and climate action must be taken together and will underpin the delivery of this Government’s missions, from clean energy to economic growth.

Our revised Environmental Improvement Plan will set out the vital role of nature in mitigating and adapting to climate change, such as through tree planting and management and peatland restoration, recognising that tackling climate change in turn supports nature’s recovery.

DESNZ will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors by October 2025. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contribution commitments on a pathway to net zero.
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Lord Teverson:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 October 2024 (HC6250), whether it is their intention to ratify the International Maritime Organisation's 2012 Cape Town Agreement on the Safety of Fishing Vessels at the United Nations Oceans Conference in June 2025; and whether they will fully align their policies with the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The UK Government fully supports the Cape Town Agreement. It is the first global agreement on fishing safety. It provides mandatory minimum standards to safeguard fishers working at sea and deters vessel operators from engaging in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Agreement achieves this by making poor working conditions subject to detention and inspection globally.

We have worked to ensure that the UK can accede to the Cape Town Agreement. Subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession. This will be as soon as possible.

The UK Government also welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. We see considerable merit in its objective of improving transparency and accountability in global fisheries governance and management.

The UK has already implemented many of the policies set out in the Charter. We will continue to keep under active review the steps we can take to combat IUU fishing and will continue to welcome engagement with the organisations which have produced the Charter.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role of the Home Office on policy for tackling (1) anti-Palestinian racism, and (2) the dehumanisation of Palestinians. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: I refer the Nobel Lady to the Answer provided on 18 February 2025 to PQ HL4710.
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Lord Blencathra:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16 on 16 April, what guidance they will issue about the use of pronouns in email signatures. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The Supreme Court’s ruling has brought clarity for women and single-sex service providers.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to support service providers with updated guidance; we will engage them as necessary as they progress this work. All government departments should follow the ruling.
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Viscount Camrose:To ask His Majesty's Government how, in developing the industrial strategy following their consultation on Invest 2035: the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy published in October 2024, the Department for Business and Trade will work with Skills England to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled professionals in the technology and cybersecurity sector. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Industrial Strategy Green Paper is clear that the people that create and work in businesses will be central to the success of the growth-driving sectors and clusters. The government has established Skills England to better understand current and future skills requirements and is developing proposals to ensure the skills system supports employers to develop a pipeline of skilled workers to meet their needs, including in technology and cybersecurity. This will also complement existing skills efforts led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, who oversee the current CyberFirst programme and the work of the UK Cyber Security Council.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether goods exported by UK companies to the EU containing components made in the USA will be subject to EU tariffs on USA imports either fully or partially. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: For goods from the UK to be eligible for tariff-free access upon import into the EU, they must originate from the UK or EU according to the rules of origin of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. We will look closely at the details of the retaliatory tariffs announced by the EU (noting they are currently suspended) and any impact these might have on UK businesses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total expenditure of the contribution of the United Kingdom to the Joint Expeditionary Force in each year since 2021. \p Lord Coaker: The expenditure of the United Kingdom's Standing Joint Forces Headquarters (SJFHQ), acting as the operational headquarters of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), inclusive of their contribution to JEF operations and exercises since 2021 is:

Financial Year 2021-22 Not Known

Financial Year 2022-23 Not Known

Financial Year 2023-24 £521,000

Financial Year 2024-25 £500,00

Financial Year 2025-26 £172,700

The listed expenditure comprises the operational and exercise expenditure of SJFHQ, which leads on the planning and execution of JEF activity. It does not include the operational costs borne by single services in support of JEF activity, the figures for which are not held centrally. Total expenditure is not inclusive of the costs of staff employment, which cannot be accurately quantified within an HQ that is tasked by multiple services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint a veterans' commissioner for England to work alongside (1) the Veterans' Commissioners for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and (2) the Armed Forces Commissioner who is expected to be appointed in 2026. \p Lord Coaker: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Veterans and People in the House of Commons on 23 February 2025 to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr Obese-Jecty) in response to Question 35837.

Veterans (docx, 29.1KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Navantia UK about the role of the Harland &amp; Wolff shipyard in Belfast in delivering the National Shipbuilding Strategy. \p Lord Coaker: Navantia’s purchase of Harland and Wolff is a significant investment into the UK’s industrial base and demonstrates Navantia UK’s (NUK) continuing commitment to the UK. This investment will further strengthen UK capability, modernising the shipbuilding facilities in Belfast and leading to increased productivity and capacity.

NUK’s delivery of the Fleet Solid Support contract and the provisions within are delivering against key aspects of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, including greater UK content and build, inward investment, engagement with SMEs and shipyard recapitalisation.

The National Shipbuilding Office is committed to working with the whole shipbuilding industry, including NUK, in supporting jobs and sustaining and growing our shipbuilding sector across the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of damage caused by the conflict in Gaza to (1) the Gaza War Cemetery and, (2) the Deir El Balah War Cemetery. \p Lord Coaker: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) updates their website on the condition of sites in challenging locations around the world. The Commission reports that as a result of the recent conflict in Gaza, both the Gaza War Cemetery and the Deir al Balah War Cemetery have suffered extensive damage, including to approximately 10% of the headstones.

A more detailed assessment cannot be carried out until the current situation subsides. The CWGC will, however, restore those sites to a befitting standard as and when circumstances allow. Until then, the locally employed maintenance team remain temporarily relocated outside Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government on which dates since 2016 the Advisory Military Sub Committee has met. \p Lord Coaker: The Advisory Military Sub-Committee (AMSC) is a sub-committee of the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (the “HD Committee”) which provides advice to The Sovereign on honours and medals. Following the independent review of medallic recognition by Sir John Holmes in 2012, the AMSC met later in 2012 and 2013. It was then reconstituted in 2019 and has since met on the following dates:

Further information about the work of the AMSC, including Terms of Reference and a summary of past recommendations can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advisory-military-sub-committee
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what additional tax revenues would be raised by abolishing the allowance for Capital Gains Tax. \p Lord Livermore: To produce an estimate for the tax revenues raised from the abolition of the Annual Exempt Amount (AEA) on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) would require a disproportionate cost.

Estimates for the tax relief afforded by the AEA can be found in HMRC’s structural tax relief publication [1] . Please note that these estimates do not represent the gain to the Exchequer should the relief be abolished as they do not explicitly model additional behavioural responses or wider economic impacts that could result from changes to the relief. The latest published estimates also reflect the AEA being £12,300 for individuals in 2022/23, compared to the current AEA of £3,000.

You may also be interested in HMRC’s direct effects of illustrative tax changes publication [2] which includes estimates for an illustrative change to the AEA. Please note that these estimates are non-linear and asymmetrical. For example, doubling or halving the AEA estimates will not accurately predict the change in revenue for a proportionate change in the AEA.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/minor-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs/structural-tax-relief-statistics-december-2024

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/direct-effects-of-illustrative-tax-changes/direct-effects-of-illustrative-tax-changes-bulletin-january-2025
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 9 February by the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, Business case for an enhanced video games expenditure credit. \p Lord Livermore: The Government recognises the importance of the UK’s video games sector and the key role it plays in driving economic growth. As part of our modern Industrial Strategy, we are developing a creative industries sector plan with business, local leaders, and sector experts.

The Government supports the video games sector through the tax system and through funding. Video games companies already benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC), which provides a generous tax credit of 34 per cent on UK video games development costs.

In addition, companies may benefit from the £5.5 million UK Games Fund for 2025/26, which helps high-potential start-ups scale-up.

When considering new tax reliefs, the Government has to balance a wide range of factors, including the fiscal position and complexity of the tax system. The Government keeps the tax system under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government why there are different business rate liabilities for fee-charging (1) standalone nursery schools, and (2) nurseries within the curtilage of independent schools. \p Lord Livermore: Private schools in England no longer benefit from business rates charitable rate relief. The definition of a private school is set out in the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act. This definition includes private schools with nursery classes, which, despite the presence of some nursery provision are, by their nature, private schools.

Standalone nursery schools with their own business rates assessments remain eligible for charitable rate relief if they are eligible charities. This approach best ensures consistency with the underlying policy intent to remove eligibility from private schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the preparedness of small businesses for the ‘Making Tax Digital’ reforms, and whether additional support is needed before the reforms come into effect. \p Lord Livermore: Making Tax Digital (MTD) modernises the tax system, helps businesses to keep on top of their tax affairs and supports wider productivity.

Research measuring levels of understanding and readiness is underway and will be published once it is finalised. The Government is actively undertaking a range of activities to ensure that those needing to use MTD for Income Tax are ready and able to do so successfully from April 2026. A communications campaign is underway, raising customer awareness of MTD for Income Tax and encouraging agents and customers to sign up for testing.

HMRC are supporting customers and agents with a suite of guidance products, direct communications, webinars, live events and social media activity to help them to prepare.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-30)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that their intention to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 by spring 2026 does not cause an increase in homelessness and rough sleeping; and what plans they have to offer additional financial support to local authorities in England to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Vagrancy Act 1824 does nothing to tackle the root causes of homelessness, which is why we will be the government which repeals this punitive legislation.

At the same time, homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

The government have already taken the first steps to getting back on track to ending homelessness, including making a £1 billion investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year (2025/26), a £233 million increase on the previous year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-30)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the leasehold property system and what plans they have to reform it; and what assessment they have made of the case for making commonhold the primary model of ownership for flats in England and Wales. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024, for far too many leaseholders, the reality of home ownership has fallen woefully short of the dream. As set out in our manifesto, we are determined to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end, reinvigorate commonhold and take the first steps towards making it the default tenure by the end of this Parliament.

Draft legislation and a consultation on the best approach to banning new leasehold flats will be published later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-30)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that political finance law cannot be changed for partisan advantage. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government is committed to safeguarding the UK electoral system. As set out in our Elections strategy paper, we are introducing tougher rules on political donations to protect UK elections, striking the right balance between safeguarding against foreign interference while making sure legitimate donors can continue to fund electoral campaigns.

Our reforms build on recommendations from expert stakeholders such as the Electoral Commission and the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Any proposed changes will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the Bill process.