theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_22

Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government why they have not yet fully commenced the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023. \p Baroness Sherlock: The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 recognised that Direct Pay may not always be appropriate for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Act intended to provide them greater protection when using the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) by allowing them to access Collect & Pay where there is evidence of domestic abuse.

However, it can be difficult to evidence and verify who is a victim of domestic abuse, which is a necessary stage within this process as any decision will impact both parents. Many victims and survivors of domestic abuse will not be able to provide evidence, and for the cases where evidence is available, it could be traumatic for victims and survivors to discuss. Where evidence could be provided, the CMS would need to verify this with the appropriate bodies which could lead to delays for these customers.

As a result, the CMS have looked to resolve the issue by reforming our services to make them safer for domestic abuse victims without needing to identify who those victims are.

The Government recently completed a consultation proposing the removal of Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster and better support victims and survivors of domestic abuse who use the CMS. The response will be published in in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_23

Baroness Fookes:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect hares and their young during breeding season by establishing a legally enforceable close season for them. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only, with the potential for relevant policy to extend and apply to Wales.

While the Government has no immediate plan to introduce a close season for hares in England, the policy remains under consideration as part of the Government’s plans to introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_24
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is taking to work more closely with UNESCO on the Global Geoparks initiative for mutual benefit. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Natural England works with the UK Committee for UNESCO Global Geoparks and the UK National Commission for UNESCO to mentor and support existing and aspiring UNESCO Global Geoparks. We are responsible for designating and enabling good management of geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) many of which are of international value and provide the primary mechanism for protecting the geological value of our Geoparks. In return Geoparks are exemplars of best geoconservation practice.

More recently we have enabled the participation of Geoparks in the cross-government Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage Shared Outcomes Fund project and facilitated Geopark participation in the UNESCO Local to Global initiative which has focused on capacity and resilience building, notably including the urban Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark.

In 2025 we anticipate new applications from the Charnwood Forest Aspiring Geopark as well as the Cross-Channel/Transmanche Aspiring Geopark which is a unique transboundary collaboration between the Kent Downs National Landscape and the Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d'Opale.

Geoparks are locally driven and are a key part of our ambition to restore nature, at scale, and to enable more people to both act for and connect with nature through our rich geological heritage.

UKRI funded a project that partnered with Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geoparks, see GtR (attached as a PDF), between July and November 2022.

GtR (pdf, 532.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_25

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk posed by the illegal wildlife trade to emerging infectious diseases. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Most recently, Defra funded an assessment of the zoonotic potential of trade in species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/964ae259-410e-4205-8ec7-e2c54f5c6e3d. This assessment was developed in conjunction with a study by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Study scopes potential of global wildlife trade to harbour zoonotic disease - UNEP-WCMC.

The UK also has in place robust measures to support our ability to understand, detect, prevent, respond and recover from disease outbreaks. This includes established systems to monitor for new and emerging biosecurity threats such as our Veterinary Risk Group (VRG) and the Human and Animal Infections Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) Group.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_26

Lord Browne of Belmont:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to safeguard the flow of veterinary medicine from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the end of the grace period on 31 December. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government remains committed to safeguarding the supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland to protect animal health and welfare and will be setting out its approach on this in due course. This area remains a priority, and officials continue to engage regularly with the EU. The Government continues to work at pace to offer clarity on ensuring the supply of veterinary medicines after the grace period ends on 31st December 2025.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_27

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade; and what assessment they have made of the links between the illegal wildlife trade and financial crime. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: £30 million has been invested between 2022 and 2025, including through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. To date the fund has supported 179 projects in over 67 countries, including projects to change behaviours, strengthen wildlife crime legislation, and help communities to protect the wildlife they rely on for their livelihoods.

Domestically, UK Authorities, including the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and UK Border Force, work closely together to combat illegal wildlife trade. This includes through joint enforcement operations (e.g. Operation Thunder), intelligence sharing, and the identification of enforcement priorities.

In 2021, the Home Office commissioned an independent assessment of illegal wildlife trade and financial crime in the UK. This is available here. This was followed by the first illegal wildlife trade risk assessment by the NWCU in 2022 - https://www.nwcu.police.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Initial-Risk-Assessment-of-IWT-Public-Version.pdf.

Illegal wildlife trade risk assessment (pdf, 1292.6KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government what checks are carried out by DEFRA or the Environment Agency in relation to 'end of life' tyres exported to India to ascertain whether operators involved in the shipment of tyres have taken all necessary steps to ensure waste is managed in an environmentally sound manner. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To assess if ‘end of life tyres’ will be managed in an environmentally sound manner, the Environment Agency operates on a risk-based basis to carry out checks on destination sites, to ensure that they operate to broadly equivalent UK standards.

Checks may include internet based open-source data, requesting the GPS co-ordinates of the site location, verification from the overseas competent authority responsible for issuing the environmental permit, the contractual details of the shipment and a copy of the permit from the exporter.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_29

Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support farmers to implement crate-free farrowing for pigs. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway supports farmers to improve their animals’ health and welfare through funded vet visits as well as targeted grants. We continue to work with the industry on how the Pathway can encourage improvements in indoor pigs’ welfare.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_30

Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to save England's chalk streams. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top Government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector.

Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), over 1000 improvement projects are planned within chalk stream catchments between 2024-2029.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the agreement with the European Union to dynamically align on sanitary and phytosanitary matters, what assessment they have made of the implications on trade deals with countries other than those in the EU. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is committed to tackling trade barriers wherever they emerge as we have shown by securing a new free trade agreement with India and a new deal with the US.

The SPS agreement will reduce delays and paperwork at the border with the EU, make it easier and cheaper to take pets on holiday into the EU, and trade in products such as fresh sausages and seed potatoes will be able to resume.

We will always consider our economic interests in the round. The EU is our largest trading partner and there are significant opportunities from an SPS agreement. We will continue to work with trading partners throughout this process, both bilaterally and at the WTO.

The agreement with the EU does not impact on our ability to agree Free Trade Agreements with other trading partners. Any practical impacts on imports from the rest of the world will be communicated to traders in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have set a deadline for the Marine Management Organisation to issue byelaws for consultation for the remaining Marine Protected Areas. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Department has not set a deadline for consultation due to the need to follow due process and consider how we can best meet the Government’s priorities. The Government recognises the need for action to protect and restore our marine environment, including meeting the Environment Act target for Marine Protected Areas, while supporting a sustainable fishing industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the removal of regulatory barriers on the supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is a priority issue in their discussions with the European Union; and when they expect an agreement on that issue to be reached. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Ensuring the continued supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland remains a priority for His Majesty’s Government. On 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, and while we do not expect this to cover veterinary medicinal products, the Government remains committed to protecting animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland by safeguarding supply. Officials continue to engage regularly with the EU, and the Government will be setting out its approach on this in due course.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any enforcement action has been commenced by (1) DEFRA, (2) the Environment Agency, or (3) other authorities responsible for waste shipping in the UK, in relation to the export of 'end of life' tyres to India to ensure that the waste is treated in an environmentally sound manner. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: (1) The four UK regulators, the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, The Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency enforce legislation on shipments of waste.

(2) The Environment Agency is currently undertaking an internal review into its regulation of waste tyres and their export, particularly to India. This review will be finalised by the end of June and the outcomes made publicly available. The Environment Agency is not able to provide details of ongoing enforcement investigations.

(3) The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has stopped the export of eight containers of waste tyres since January 2024. Six of these were destined for India.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of 'end of life' tyres exported to India in the past 12 months have been exported with a T8 waste exemption. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This information is not available as T8 exemption holders are not currently obligated to provide this information under the conditions of the exemption.

Exporters of waste tyres to India are also not currently required to provide information of their exports routinely.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_36

Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have discussed the incidence of litter on urban towpaths with the Canal and River Trust since 4 July 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We have discussed the general upkeep of towpath conditions with the Canal and River Trust, but have not specifically discussed the incidence of litter on urban towpaths since July 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_37

Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings they have had with representatives of the Canal and River Trust since 4 July 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Since 4 July 2024 there has been one formal grant review meeting between officials and Canal and River Trust senior management, which was part of the regular series of three such meetings per year. There are also ongoing working level meetings between the Trust and officials to support grant management.

The Canal and Rivers Trust is also a member of the Flood Resilience Taskforce.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_38

Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent agreement, if any, they have had with the European Union about the issue of Northern Ireland veterinary medicine. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: After the summit with the EU on 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, which will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses, and improving consumer choice. While we do not expect this Agreement to cover veterinary medicinal products, this remains a priority for Government and we remain committed to safeguarding supply to protect animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland. Officials continue to engage regularly with the EU, and the Government will be setting out its approach on this in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_39

Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 14 January (HC22186), whether the Ministerial Code permits Ministers to depart from international law when it is in the UK national interest. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Paragraph 1.6 of the Ministerial Code states that "The Ministerial Code should be read against the background of the overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law, including international law and treaty obligations, and to protect the integrity of public life."

As set out in Chapter 2 of the Ministerial Code, Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. The Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_40
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_40

Lord Foster of Bath:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with their EU counterparts about an exemption from the requirements of the forthcoming Entry/Exit System for British citizens. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: UK national travellers will be required to register in the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). Exemptions will be in place for UK nationals who are Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries or otherwise long-term resident in the EU. Implementation of the EES is a matter for the EU and its Member States, and subject to ongoing EU legislative processes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_41

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Integrated Security Fund will be cut as a result of the planned reduction in spending on overseas development aid and, if so, whether they will conduct an equalities impact assessment. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Decisions on how official development assistance will be used, including in the Integrated Security Fund, will be taken as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_42

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the time commitments for the posts (1) Advisory Committee on Business Appointments Chair, (2) First Civil Service Commissioner, (3) Commissioner for Public Appointments, (4) Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, (5) Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body, and (6) Chair of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The anticipated time commitments for the various posts are as follows:

Chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments - two to three days per month

First Civil Service Commissioner - three days per week

Commissioner for Public Appointments - two days per week

Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards - the time commitment is unspecified and varies according to workload

Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body - on average, 25 days per year

Chair of the Security Vetting Appeals Panel - 40 days per year
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_43

The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of paragraph 15 of the UK-EU Summit Common Understanding stating that "the European Commission and the United Kingdom recognise the value of travel and cultural and artistic exchanges, including the activities of touring artists", how they intend to progress an agreement between the UK and the EU on touring by creative professionals, and whether it will form part of a wider cultural agreement. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: We are proud of the international reputation of our arts and creative industries, which is why we committed to support the activities of touring artists in our manifesto. The summit was an important milestone towards a new strategic partnership where the UK and EU committed to support travel and cultural exchange, including the activities of touring artists. We will engage with the EU and Member States in discussions after the summit to support touring across the European continent. We will also work with music and arts industry stakeholders, trade bodies and organisations to engage their European counterparts.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_44
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_44

Baroness Featherstone:To ask His Majesty's Government will they ask the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to open registration for people who are infected, people who are affected and the estates of people who have died, who are not currently registered for compensation. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The roll out of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is an operational decision for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) as an independent body.

IBCA are contacting an average of 100 people to start their claim every week and expect to have brought in to claim all those who are infected and registered with a support scheme this calendar year. On fast-tracking for specific claimants, IBCA have announced how they are prioritising claims for infected people nearing the end of their lives. IBCA have also committed to starting other groups as soon as they can, and the Government expects IBCA to begin payments to people who are affected by the end of this year.

The Government fully supports IBCA’s commitment to moving forward as swiftly as possible and the Cabinet Office will assist IBCA to speed up the payments in any way we can.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_45
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_45

Baroness Featherstone:To ask His Majesty's Government why the Infected Blood Compensation Authority needs to conduct further medical checks for individuals who are recipients of interim compensation through the core route. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: IBCA does not conduct medical checks on people who are claiming compensation. IBCA will request medical information to assess what severity band they sit within, and therefore, what compensation they are due. This is done by a person’s dedicated Claim Manager, and where needed, supported by a Clinical Adviser. This is critical to ensure that a person receives the compensation they are entitled to under the tariff-based compensation Scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_46

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of contracts for consulting services awarded by departments and arm's-length bodies in each of the past five years were (1) let through competitive tendering processes, and (2) were direct awards. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023 above £12,000 inc VAT are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service. The details published online include whether each contract was let through competitive tendering or via direct award.

Conducting a detailed analysis of contracts awarded, specifically tailored to the parameters requested, would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_47

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how new trade agreements with the European Union will uphold the outcome of the 2016 EU referendum. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, and this government respects that result. This government has closed deals in the national interest with the USA, India and the EU as an independent, sovereign nation.

The renewed agenda we have agreed with the EU looks to build upon the 2020 Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The 2025 agreement covers a wide range of areas such as energy cooperation, SPS and a security and defence partnership. This package delivers for the British people, without compromising on our red lines - no return to the customs union, no return to freedom of movement and no re-joining the single market.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the European Court of Human Rights will have more involvement in matters of the United Kingdom following the UK–EU reset agreement announced on 19 May. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: There will be no increased involvement for the European Court of Human Rights in the United Kingdom resulting from the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit held on 19 May.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Jenkin of Kennington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the consultation published on 30 April 2024 by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Constitution: 10 year review, including with regard to biological sex and single-sex spaces. \p Baroness Merron: A consultation on the NHS Constitution as part of a 10-year review was launched by the previous administration on May 2024, and was superseded by the General Election in July 2024.

The Government will launch a new consultation on the NHS Constitution, with the timeline for this to be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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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, what plans they have to ensure that GP practices, NHS hospitals and clinics have dedicated changing facilities for staff of female biological sex; and what guidance they will issue about disciplinary action against staff of male biological sex who seek to use those facilities. \p Baroness Merron: We have always supported the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex. Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by the Government.

The Supreme Court ruling about the meaning of ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 case has provided much needed confidence and clarity to service providers. We expect all providers to follow the clarity this ruling provides.

The Government expects the National Health Service to deliver health services in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, having appropriate regard to protected characteristics as defined in the Act where relevant. NHS England is reviewing its ‘delivering same-sex accommodation’ guidance and will ensure it reflects the Supreme Court ruling.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Sharkey:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor spending on specialised services (1) delegated to integrated care boards, and (2) retained by NHS England. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England receives monthly management information on commissioner and provider expenditure. This identifies spend on specialised services, both where they are delegated to integrated care boards or retained by NHS England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address age-related disparities in mental health provision, particularly in access to talking therapies. \p Baroness Merron: The Government’s mission is to improve mental health care across the spectrum of need so that people of all ages can access the right support at the right time.

NHS England is committed to ensuring that the proportion of people aged 65 years old and over receiving a course of treatment through NHS Talking Therapies is maintained or increased. Currently, approximately 7% of NHS Talking Therapies’ courses of treatment are for individuals in this age group.

The Positive Practice Guide, published in 2024 by NHS England and other stakeholder organisations, is designed to support therapists working with older adults. This resource addresses the diverse needs of older people and seeks to challenge misconceptions that may have acted as barriers to older people accessing psychological therapies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Baroness Manzoor:To ask His Majesty's Government how many student midwives are expected to graduate in England and Wales in 2025; and, of these, how many are expected to find employment as midwives following graduation. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold an expected figure for midwives graduating in England and Wales for 2025, or for how many of these graduates will find employment as midwives following graduation.

In order to give a sense of scale, data published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service shows that there were 3,395 acceptances to undergraduate midwifery courses in England in 2022, and a further 180 in Wales. These students would largely be expected to complete their three-year studies in 2025. The Department does not have a forecast rate of attrition for these students to forecast graduating numbers.

To give a sense of the level of recent midwifery graduates joining the profession, data published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council shows that the number of United Kingdom trained midwives joining the register who had a resident address in England or Wales in the 12 months to March 2024 was 2,503.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor trauma and orthopaedics training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of trauma and orthopaedics specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:

Region

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

East Midlands

19

11

East of England

18

11

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

15

17

London

20

36

North East

6

8

North West

16

13

South West

13

13

Thames Valley

3

3

Wessex

7

10

West Midlands

13

17

Yorkshire and the Humber

13

14

Total

143

153

Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.

The table presents the number of posts offered at specialist training stage three, meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant core training or equivalent before entry to this specialty training programme.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.      We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of investing in technology that uses artificial intelligence to analyse full body scans to aid in the early detection of cancer. \p Baroness Merron: The Department is testing artificial intelligence (AI) in areas that cause the most harm to health and to our economy. Through the £113 million AI award, a number of technologies that support with cancer detection and diagnosis have been tested.

The £21 million AI diagnostic fund was also focused on technologies that support with lung cancer diagnosis, such as chest x-ray and computed tomography scans.

On 4 February 2025, the Department announced that nearly 700,000 women across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test how cutting-edge AI tools can be used to catch breast cancer cases earlier. The Early Detection using Information Technology in Health trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor medical oncologist training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of medical oncology specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:

Region

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

East Midlands

5

4

East of England

7

11

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

8

8

London

11

19

North East

4

1

North West

11

10

South West

8

6

Thames Valley

4

5

Wessex

5

2

West Midlands

8

5

Yorkshire and the Humber

7

6

Total

78

77

Source: NHS England, available on the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.

The table presents the number of posts offered at specialist training stage three, meaning medical professionals will already have undertaken at least two years of relevant core training or the equivalent, before entry to this specialty training programme.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.      We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-04 conversation_57

Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government how many resident doctor paediatric training places were offered by each integrated care board in England in 2023–24 and 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: The Department does not hold data on medical specialty training places by integrated care board, but is able to present data by National Health Service training region. The following table shows the number of paediatric specialist training posts available in the 2023 and 2024 entry rounds by region:

Specialist training stage one

Specialist training stages three and four

Region

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

2023 round posts

2024 round posts

East Midlands

32

32

14

7

East of England

42

31

6

n/a

Kent, Surrey and Sussex

18

25

n/a

4

London

107

107

24

15

North East

19

19

2

1

North West

47

42

9

8

South West

26

28

18

4

Thames Valley

20

16

4

2

Wessex

14

16

n/a

n/a

West Midlands

36

37

6

2

Yorkshire and the Humber

56

59

18

5

Total

417

412

101

48

Source: NHS England, available at the NHS.UK website, in an online only format.

The table presents the number of posts offered at both specialist training stage one, and at stages three or four. The latter stages mean that the medical professionals will likely have already undertaken at least three or four years of relevant training, or an equivalent, before entry to this later stage of the specialty training programme.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.      We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the NHS in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
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Earl Howe:To ask His Majesty's Government how many medical graduates did not continue training by taking a speciality as a resident doctor in (1) 2023–24, and (2) 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: Medical graduates initially complete a two-year foundation programme after their graduation. It is common for doctors not to progress from the completion of the second year of their foundation programme directly into specialty training. The following table shows the proportion of doctors in year two of their foundation programme who had not progressed into medical specialty training programmes within each 12-month period of the end of their foundation training, in each of the last 10 years:

Foundation second year

Years since the second year of foundation

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

2014

42.6%

20.8%

12.5%

9.9%

8.6%

2015

49.1%

24.4%

14.1%

10.2%

9.0%

2016

54.2%

28.9%

16.3%

11.6%

10.1%

2017

59.3%

29.8%

16.4%

11.4%

9.7%

2018

62.5%

33.1%

17.4%

11.8%

10.3%

2019

66.4%

36.5%

19.6%

12.7%

10.6%

2020

69.3%

40.5%

22.6%

14.3%

2021

70.4%

43.7%

25.3%

2022

75.1%

47.7%

2023

77.6%

Source: General Medical Council, Education Data Tool Progression Reports, available on the General Medical Council’s website, in an online only format.
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Earl Howe:To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total number of medical school places compared to the total number of resident doctor training places in each of the past five years for which data are available. \p Baroness Merron: We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This is central to the vision in our 10 Year Plan.  The following table shows the size of the medical school intake in England for each of the last five annual intakes available, the number of foundation programme trainees in years one and two in England, and the number of core and run through level one specialty training posts offered across all specialty pathways in England:

Year

Entrants to first year medicine courses in England

Foundation programme trainees in England, for years 1 and 2 combined

Total number of core and run-through level one specialty medical training posts offered each year in England

2020

8,405

12,243

8,081

2021

8,485

12,475

8,494

2022

7,625

12,574

7,936

2023

7,820

13,004

7,810

2024

8,045

14,104

7,929

Sources: the Office for Students: Medical and Dental Students survey 2024, available at the Office for Students’ website in an online only format, the National Training Survey from the General Medical Council, available at the General Medical Council’s website in an online only format, and the Specialty Training Places: NHS England, Fill Rates dataset, available at the NHS.UK website in an online only format.

Notes:

In 2020 and 2021 the Government temporarily lifted the cap on medical school places for students who completed A-Levels and who had an offer from a university in England to study medicine, subject to their grades.

The UK Foundation Programme Office works to ensure that all eligible applicants receive a foundation training place.
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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff:To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of references to Year 1 Foundation Doctors in the impact assessment of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, whether new graduates will be expected to be involved in the assisted dying process. \p Baroness Merron: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill continues to be a matter for Parliament. The Government is neutral on the substantive policy questions relevant to how the law in this area could change, and on the principle of assisted dying.

The impact assessment considered different scenarios for illustrative purposes only, and does not indicate a Government position. If the bill progresses, detailed work on a delivery model would need to be developed.

As part of this work, the Government would consult with relevant stakeholders before bringing forward affirmative regulations on the training requirements for assessing doctors.
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Earl Howe:To ask His Majesty's Government how many student doctors received their first choice for speciality training in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024. \p Baroness Merron: Medical students completing their studies will initially apply to a two-year foundation programme of employment, and after completing that they will be able to apply to enter medical specialty training.

The Department does not hold information on doctors completing foundation year placements and entering specialty training as doctors are not required to rank applications where they are applying across multiple specialties. However, many individual specialties do utilise a single national process where geographical locations can be ranked.

The United Kingdom’s Foundation Programme Office does publish information on the success of medical graduates in accessing foundation programme placement choices. This shows that 84% of the 10,634 applicants across the UK got their first preference foundation school for the 2025 foundation programme. This compares to 75% of the 9,702 applicants in the 2024 foundation programme.
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Lord Sharkey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the results of NHS England's review of direct commissioning functions which is scheduled to report back by the end of June. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England's Executive has commissioned a review of all direct commissioning functions to determine where accountability and responsibility should sit in future and how these functions can most effectively be supported. The review is due to be completed by the end of June 2025 following which decisions and next steps will be publicly communicated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-04)

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Lord Sharkey:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult patients and patient organisations as part of NHS England's review of direct commissioning functions which is scheduled to report by the end of June. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England is committed to working closely with stakeholders on the future of all its direct commissioning functions and will use strong and well-established patient and public involvement mechanisms to secure engagement and involvement.

With the review to be completed by the end of June 2025, NHS England direct commissioning teams will meet directly with charities, patient organisations and professional organisations, including through the Specialised Services Stakeholder Forum, to engage and seek advice on the review.