theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-24 conversation_69

Lord Young of Cookham:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal from The Share Foundation for automatic release of Child Trust Funds at 21 years old. \p Lord Livermore: The government is aware of suggestions that a system could be developed for paying out the savings held in matured Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts that have not been accessed by the account owners by the age of 21.  The savings in these accounts belong to the account owners and are held by private sector CTF providers. The government does not have authority to close the accounts or to access and transfer the savings in them. The infrastructure required to implement the proposal does not currently exist within government departments or CTF providers.

The Government is committed to reuniting all young adults with their CTFs. HMRC works with CTF providers, industry representatives and others such as the University and Colleges Admissions service, to explore ways of enabling account owners to be aware of and trace their accounts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

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Lord Cameron of Lochiel:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) repairs, and (2) upgrades, that are needed to rail tracks in Scotland; on what date each of those repairs or upgrades was identified; and when each of those repairs or upgrades is expected to be completed. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: No assessments have been made. The management of the railways in Scotland is fully devolved to Ministers in the Scottish Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government whether bikes with different forms of power assistance used by food delivery drivers on roads and pathways are required to carry front and rear lights. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 specify that cycles, must be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors. The Highway Code, which incorporates the requirements of these Regulations, clarifies in Rule 60 that cycles must have white front and red rear lights lit when being ridden at night. These requirements apply to all cycles, as well as e-cycles which comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983, and are thereby applicable to all cyclists, including delivery riders.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve transparency and scrutiny in government appointments following breaches of the Governance Code on Public Appointments by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in her appointment of the new independent Football Regulator. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Commissioner for Public Appointments routinely provides independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Principles of Public Appointments and the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Following the Commissioner’s investigation into the appointment of the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, the Government welcomes his findings against which we are reviewing the robustness of the current guidance with a view to learning the lessons from the report.

The Government published a revised Governance Code on 30 October. In addition, the Cabinet Office will be required to publish departmental performance information for the first time, to enable effective scrutiny of performance on public appointments.

That approach is a strengthening of the public appointment process, which was not in place under the previous Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

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Lord Birt:To ask His Majesty's Government which public offices in the United Kingdom are barred to individuals practising the Roman Catholic faith. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government recognises that there are historical restrictions in statute on Roman Catholic and Jewish people making and advising the Crown on Church appointments. The Government keeps this matter under review, but, given other pressing issues, this is not a current priority.

As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the Sovereign must be in communion with the Anglican Communion. Individuals practising the Roman Catholic faith therefore cannot become Sovereign, Regent or a Counsellor of State.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-24)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) appointments, (2) tests, and (3) operations, were delivered by independent providers for NHS patients in 2024–25. \p Baroness Merron: Independent sector providers have a role to play in supporting the National Health Service as trusted partners to recover elective services by using additional capacity to tackle the backlog whilst delivering value for money.

Independent sector providers delivered 5,098,290 outpatient appointments in 2024/25. This includes first and follow-up appointments.

They delivered 2,099,923 tests in 2024/25. This includes only the 15 key diagnostic tests that form the Diagnostics Waiting Times and Activity dataset and excludes activity subcontracted from NHS trusts where responsibility for the pathway remains with the NHS trust.

There were 986,480 inpatient admissions in independent sector providers in 2024/25. This includes ordinary electives and day case electives.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-24 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 7 January (HL3639 and HL3640), how many local authorities have requested an extension to the deadline on 10 January for expressions of interest about establishing combined authorities following the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December; and whether they have responded to such requests sympathetically. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: We have had no formal written requests to extend the deadline for expressions of interest.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government how the Northern Ireland Enhanced Investment Zone will operate, which government department has responsibility for it, and how much funding it has been allocated to date. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: At Autumm Budget the government confirmed the continuation of the Investment Zones programme across the UK, which will promote investment opportunities, create additional jobs, and drive economic growth. This includes £150m, available over 10 years, for the delivery of the Enhanced Investment Zone in Northern Ireland.

In consultation with relevant government Departments, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is currently working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive to co-develop proposals for the design and delivery of the Enhanced Investment Zone. The Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland is acting as the lead Department for the Executive on Enhanced Investment Zone development, working with a range of partners across Northern Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Lord Foulkes of Cumnock:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing additional resources or support from UK criminal law enforcement agencies to assist Police Scotland with the ongoing investigation into neurosurgeon Muftah Salem Eljamel, given the concerns regarding the duration of the investigation. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: That it is a matter for Police Scotland. No request for assistance has been made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their definition of school readiness, and how "school readiness" is measured. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Children’s earliest years are crucial to their health, development and life chances. That is why the department has set a milestone of a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn in the classroom. We will measure our progress through 75% of children at the end of reception reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile assessment by 2028.

The statutory EYFS framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure all children have the best start in life and are prepared for school. It requires that children be assessed against the EYFS Profile in the summer term of the academic year in which they turn five.

The EYFS Profile seeks to measure children’s level of development to support their successful transitions into year 1 and to support parents, carers and early years educators to recognise children’s progress and understand their needs. It comprises an assessment of the child’s outcomes in relation to 17 early learning goals (ELGs) across seven areas of learning.

Children are defined as having a good level of development at the end of the EYFS if they are at the expected level for the 12 ELGs within the five areas of learning. These relate to communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, literacy and mathematics. This is the definition that will be used to measure progress on school readiness, as set out in the Plan for Change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the primary drivers of children not being school ready. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: As set out in the Plan for Change, antenatal classes, health visitors, parenting support, baby and toddler groups and access to affordable, high quality early education and childcare are all vital to guiding parents, improving the home learning environment and supporting child development.

A strong and stable family environment is the foundation for better health, education and earnings. It is parenting, alongside the home-learning environment, that has a significant influence on these outcomes. The department knows parents struggle to access services and the support they need. Childcare is also too often unaffordable or not available. This lack of support contributes to too many children not being ready to start school.

That is why the department has set a milestone of 75% of five year-olds reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessment by 2028.

To deliver this, we are rolling out expanded government-funded childcare entitlements and creating thousands of school-based nurseries to increase quality childcare, working in partnership with early years providers to drive up standards by reforming training and support for staff and strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

The government remains committed to working with the early years sector, teachers, health professionals and families to ensure every child has the best start in life.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury:To ask His Majesty's Government when the Department of Education’s tendering process will take place for the Dance and Drama Awards scheme for academic year 2026–27 onwards, and whether they anticipate any delays to their usual timeframe. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department hopes to soon announce the tendering arrangements for the Dance and Drama Awards scheme for 2026/27 academic year onwards. Funding for the 2026/27 academic year onwards is subject to the forthcoming spending review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government what benefits the £1.6 billion contract with Thales Air Defence Limited in Belfast to supply 5,000 missiles to Ukraine will bring to the Northern Ireland economy. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The deal to increase production at Thales is a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland's valuable defence sector and we want to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits fully from increases in defence expenditure in the UK. The deal will also provide a major boost to the UK economy, creating 200 new jobs and supporting 700 existing jobs at Thales in Belfast.
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Lord McInnes of Kilwinning:To ask His Majesty's Government how many XL Bully dogs without an exemption certificate have been seized since September 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra does not hold information on the number of XL bullies that have been seized by police forces in England and Wales. This information will be held by individual police forces.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to progress the implementation of a national digital equine identification system to ensure the traceability of all horses. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification and traceability. We have no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but we remain in close touch with the industry to look at potential improvements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of non-assured grain being imported and undercutting the price of home-grown grain. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: UK Farm Assurance schemes are industry led and managed, therefore government has made no assessment on the level of assured grain in the UK supply chain.

British farmers are world-leaders and know their own land best - carefully planning their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy. In 2023, domestically produced wheat accounted for 83% of the wheat used in the milling grist.

Due to environmental and climate conditions the UK milling industry require a certain level of imports of high protein milling wheat year on year to meet con-sumer demand. Cereals are internationally traded commodities. Subsequently, their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments in price and availability.  This is a good example of food security, built as it is on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. The import part of this supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.  Due to environmental and climate conditions the UK milling industry require a certain level of imports of high protein milling wheat year on year to meet consumer demand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Thames Water will increase its prices, and what steps they are taking to support customers. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Unfortunately, bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector.

All water companies offer affordability support through WaterSure and social tariff schemes to help reduce bills for households who struggle to pay their bills in full. Water companies also offer a range of financial support measures to assist households to better manage their budgets and provide flexible payments including payment holidays, payment matching, benefit entitlement checks and money/debt advice referral arrangements.

Water companies should continue to actively engage with households and inform them of support measures they offer. The Consumer Council for Water works with water companies and Defra to monitor the uptake of affordability measures, and the Government continues to explore options to improve the affordability of water bills.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to extending the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to political parties in receipt of Short Money in respect of (1) their policy-making, and (2) their fundraising activities. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Registered political parties are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of any of their functions.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office on 22 October 2024 (HC8818), and further to the Written Statement by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 14 May 2024 (HLWS462), whether the equality, diversity and inclusion spending controls announced in that Written Statement apply to decisions by arm’s length bodies to use public funds to affiliate, or pay services, or renew subscriptions to Stonewall. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Guidance applies to the Civil Service workforce. That includes arm’s-length bodies that fall within the Civil Service. Affiliations, services or subscriptions to external organisations fall within the scope of external EDI expenditure, as set out in paragraph 7 of the guidance.
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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 25 February (HL5027), whether the (1) Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, (2) Government Legal Department, and (3) Government Recruitment Service, are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Neither the Government Legal Department nor the Government Recruitment Service are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government and we do not therefore hold information on any of its memberships or affiliations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Mawson:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number and percentage of hereditary Peers in the House of Lords with experience of running and growing a business, and how this compares with the rest of the House; what assessment they have made of the impact of the removal of hereditary Peers from the House of Lords on its scrutiny of legislation and its role in holding the Government to account; and what steps they are taking to ensure that relevant business experience is maintained in the House. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The Government recognises and values the contributions hereditary peers have made to the House of Lords.

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill delivers the Government’s manifesto commitment to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords, completing the work of the House of Lords Act 1999. In the 21st century there should not be places reserved in the legislature for people born into certain families.

The Government is supportive of the inclusion of individuals from all backgrounds in the House of Lords and believes the second chamber is enriched by members who bring diverse experience and expertise. This includes members with business experience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 25 February, why the publication of the Civil Service diversity spending dataset is delayed, following the commitment made to publish the dataset in the Written Statement by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 14 May 2024 (HLWS462). \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The data from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Review will be published in due course.
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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government which government departments currently employ people on zero-hour contracts. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The number of (a) civil servants and (b) contractors employed on zero hour contracts is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Zero hours contracts are not the normal practice or a recommended approach within the Civil Service. Departments may use them in very limited circumstances to help meet exceptional or fluctuating demands on the business.

The flexibility offered by zero hours contracts, zero hour arrangements and low hour contracts can benefit both workers and employers, but without proper safeguards this flexibility can become one-sided, with workers bearing all the financial risk. The Government’s Employment Rights Bill will end one-sided flexibility, ensuring that jobs provide a baseline of security and predictability so workers can better plan their lives and finances. We will consult extensively on the implementation of the legislation to ensure it works for workers and employers alike, and anticipate this meaning the majority of reforms will take effect no earlier than 2026. Government understands that adjusting to these new reforms will take time and is committed to ensuring that all stakeholders receive appropriate time to prepare for these changes ahead of their commencement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister at the Downing Street news conference on 25 February, how they calculated that 0.2 per cent of GDP equates to £13.4 billion. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: In 2027/28 we will be spending £13.4 billion more on defence than we do today. Our cash spend in 24/25 is £66.3 billion and our cash spend in 27/28 will be £79.7 billion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of increasing the certificate of sponsorship fee from £239 to £525 per individual on the ability of care providers to recruit care workers. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The need for an Impact Assessment will be kept under review. A provisional estimate of the impact of increasing sponsorship fees is a less than 0.2% increase in the cost of hiring an average skilled worker.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Naseby:To ask His Majesty's Government when they last made an assessment of the success or otherwise of the role and cost to the Exchequer of the Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: As the directly elected representative for policing in their area, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have an important local role acting as the voice of the public and victims in policing, holding Chief Constables to account and leading local partnerships to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.

In her Written Ministerial Statement of 19 November 2024 (HCWS232), the Home Secretary announced her intention to present a White Paper to Parliament this year on reforms to deliver more effective and efficient policing, to rebuild public confidence and to deliver the Government's Safer Streets mission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what action has been taken, if any, against Gofer Mining Plc and its directors for failure to file annual accounts at Companies House since 2019. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: His Majesty’s Government takes the failure of companies to file statutory accounts seriously.

Companies House routinely takes prosecution action against company directors who fail to file their company’s accounts. In addition, financial penalties are applied when accounts are delivered late. These actions are aimed at ensuring that companies meet their statutory obligations. Over 97% of companies meet their obligations to file statutory accounts.

Companies House are aware of concerns that have been raised about the highlighted company. Companies House will look into these matters further and, where necessary, take appropriate action.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Lord Inglewood:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage annual increase in construction costs in central London in each of the last ten years. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government does not collect data on annual increases in construction costs at local level. At national level, ONS data shows that the overall cost of construction, which takes into account materials, labour and overheads, has increased by 24% between December 2019 and December 2024. In addition, data published by DBT show that the cost of construction materials has increased by 37.1% between January 2020 and January 2025. Construction wage rates correspond to activity in the sector. ONS statistics show that the annual growth for regular pay in the construction sector was 6.6% in the year to December 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

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Baroness Scott of Bybrook:To ask His Majesty's Government how many policy reviews and consultations the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched since the General Election on 4 July 2024; what the subject of each review is; and what the anticipated timescales are for their completion. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given to Question UIN xx-xxxx-xxxx on 04 December 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 24046 on 11 February 2025.

A full list of all live and closed consultations is published on GOV.UK.

UIN xx-xxxx-xxxx (pdf, 81.2KB)

UIN 24046 (pdf, 81.2KB)
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Lord Fink:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small and medium-sized housebuilders, particularly those that are building homes that are well insulated and airtight. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government recognises the important role of SME housebuilders in delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes and we welcome the innovation shown by those that drive energy efficiency improvements with high levels of insulation and airtightness. The government also wants to go further, and we are committed to introducing new legislation through the Future Homes Standard (FHS) this year which will see all new homes future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting consumer energy bills.

We are actively engaging with SMEs and the wider sector to understand the impact and ensure the standards remain deliverable. Once the FHS is published, there will be a transitional period to give housebuilders time to prepare and adjust.

SMEs will play a crucial role in delivering 1.5m homes and we are committed to supporting the sector. In December 2024, the government announced a £700m extension to the Home Building Fund which provides loans and finance to SME and will support the delivery of 12,000 homes. In addition, SME housebuilders can access lower-cost lending through the ENABLE Build scheme which was allocated an additional £1 billion guarantees capacity at the Budget on 30 October 2024.
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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government whether secondary glazing and infrared heaters are included in energy performance certificate (EPC) assessments; and if not (1) why, and (2) what consideration they have given to including secondary glazing and infrared heaters in EPC assessments in future. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Energy Performance of existing homes is assessed through the model known as the RdSAP, which enables EPC assessors to record instances of secondary glazing so this can contribute towards a higher EPC score for the dwelling. Infrared heaters are currently treated as a standard direct electric heater under this methodology. Although infrared heating is not modelled as its own category, the Government acknowledges its potential to offer efficiency benefits over other direct electric heating appliances. The ‘Appendix Q’ process enables the recognition of additional technologies such as infrared heating and manufacturers or industry groups can pursue that route for recognition in RdSAP subject to the completion of appropriate testing.
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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there will be exemptions for listed buildings under the proposed new energy performance certificate regulations. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Currently buildings protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historical merit are exempt from the requirements to have an energy performance certificate insofar as compliance with minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance.

We have recently consulted on EPC Reform and we are proposing that all heritage buildings are required to have an Energy Performance Certificate. The act of obtaining an EPC does not have any effect on the building materially and even if obtaining an EPC were to bring a heritage building into scope of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, there are relevant exemptions if consent by the relevant authorities cannot be obtained, or if any of the recommendations on the EPC that need to be made, devalue the property by more than 5%. We would plan for this to be further balanced by ensuring EPC recommendations are tailored appropriately to consider the nature of the buildings.
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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to page 15 of the consultation document, UK Emissions Trading Scheme Scope Expansion: Maritime, on what date they intend the UK-wide Islands Forum to meet; and when the last meeting of the Islands Forum took place. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The last meeting of the Islands Forum took place on the 8th of May 2024 on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales.

At present, there are no dates set for future meetings of the Islands Forum. My department is continuing to work closely with other UK Government departments to determine the future of the forum, which we will communicate in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_26

Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the consultation Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England which opened on 18 December 2024, what is their estimated budget for a new standards appeal body. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The consultation to which the Noble Lord refers, which closed on 26 February, sought views from across the local government sector on the appropriateness of creating a national body to consider appeals, alongside a range of other proposed measures to strengthen the local government standards framework.

We are now in the process of analysing those responses to ensure we are taking full account of sector views on all of the measures proposed. The government Response will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing detailed implementation plans and, as appropriate, determine the budget implications of the proposals Government commits to pursuing.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_27

Lord Reid of Cardowan:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the affordability of homes on new housing developments for first-time buyers. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This Government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.

The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. That is why the government committed to deliver 1.5m homes over the Parliament in the Plan for Change.

In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme meaning first-time buyers will be able to take their crucial first step on to the property ladder.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_28
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_28

Lord Reid of Cardowan:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of social homes built each year. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.

UIN 31737 (pdf, 88.5KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_29

Baroness Hoey:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how much has been spent on the consultants employed in developing the Behaviour Code and implementing its associated training programmes. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: It is not possible to separate the sums paid to consultants and other third parties for developing the Behaviour Code and delivering its associated training programmes from those associated with the development of the wider Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

The total of such costs across Parliament since the 2019/20 financial year is £1,144,307. This includes sums paid to consultants for developing the Behaviour Code, designing the associated training sessions and delivering them on a rolling basis to members, staff and members’ staff across both Houses. Also included in this figure is the wider training provided to ICGS staff on investigating complaints and on supporting the phone lines for reporting bullying; meetings with the independent reviewers of the ICGS; and training for House of Commons staff supporting new MPs after the General Election.

As the ICGS is a shared service, these costs are split according to a 70/30 ratio between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The cost to the House of Lords since 2019/20 is therefore £343,292.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_30

Lord Robathan:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the salary of the Director of Security for Parliament. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Director of Security for Parliament is a bicameral role, but for administrative purposes is employed by the House of Commons. The salary of the Director of Security is published alongside other Commons Executive Board members in the annual accounts of the House of Commons. In 2023-24 the salary and benefits in kind of the Director of Security were £140-145,000.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_31

Lord Robathan:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any restrictions on the movement of Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles onto Ministry of Defence barracks or training areas. \p Lord Coaker: The Ministry of Defence takes the security of defence assets very seriously, and is working with other Government Departments to understand and mitigate any potential threats to national security from vehicles. Our policies and procedures take account of the potential threats from all types of vehicle, not just those manufactured in China, and we have issued appropriate internal direction to all drivers and passengers.

There are no centrally mandated policy restrictions on the movement of Chinese manufactured vehicles. We are aware that individual defence organisations may have stricter requirements relating to electric vehicles on some sites, but we do not provide specific details for security reasons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_32

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions (1) regular members of the British Army, (2) members of the Army Reserve, (3) members of the Regular Reserve, (4) members of the recall reserve, and (5) civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence are subject to under service law; and what conditions immediate family members of each of these groups are subject to under service law. \p Lord Coaker: The Armed Forces Act 2006 (AFA 06) sets out the conditions under which different categories of individuals are subject to service law. Section 367 of the Act sets out the conditions for (1) Regular members, (2) members of the Army Reserve and (3) members of the Regular Reserve as follows:

(1) Every member of the regular forces is subject to service law at all times.

(2) Every member of the reserve forces is subject to service law while—

(a) in permanent service on call-out under any provision of the Reserve Forces Act 1980 (c. 9) or the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (c. 14) or under any other call-out obligation of an officer;

(b) in home defence service on call-out under section 22 of the Reserve Forces Act 1980;

(c) in full-time service under a commitment entered into under section 24 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996;

(d) undertaking any training or duty (whether or not in pursuance of an obligation); or

(e) serving on the permanent staff of a reserve force.

Individuals liable to recall (4) are not members of a reserve force under the Act and would only be subject to service law if they were recalled.

Civilians employed by the Ministry of Defence and immediate family members (if they are civilians) (5) would not be subject to service law under the AFA 06. In certain circumstances they could be subject to service discipline under Section 370 of AFA 06 and these circumstances are set out in Schedule 15 of the Act, such as when they are on an HM aircraft in flight or on a HM ship afloat or they are living or staying with someone who is subject to service law outside the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_33

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 25 February (HL5027), whether any of the Army, the Royal Navy, or the Royal Airforce are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall. \p Lord Coaker: I can confirm that neither the Royal Navy, the Army, nor the Royal Air Force are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_34

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend or replace the contract for the Defence Gateway. \p Lord Coaker: The Defence Gateway remains a valued digital portal which enables effective communication, information sharing, and system access to users across the Defence community. Work to address its contracting is underway, due to commercial sensitivities I am unable to disclose further detail at this time.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_35

Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NATO or European allies concerning the provision of a nuclear umbrella to Ukraine or any other European country by the United Kingdom. \p Lord Coaker: The conflict in Ukraine is not a nuclear matter for the United Kingdom. However, we have assigned our nuclear deterrent to the defence of NATO since 1962.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_36
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_36

Baroness Northover:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of EU sanctions against individuals in Georgia, and whether they plan to implement similar sanctions. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I am not aware of any EU sanctions on individuals in Georgia. The Foreign Secretary set out on 9 December 2024 that the UK was limiting engagement with the authorities, restricting defence engagement and suspending UK support to Georgian government programmes. Later in December we imposed sanctions on the Georgian Minister and Deputy Minister of the Interior and three police chiefs responsible for police brutality. We do not comment on future designations as this could affect their impact.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_37

Lord Monks:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the President of the United States of America about a possible American takeover of Greenland; and whether they have discussed this matter with the Kingdom of Denmark. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark. The Prime Minister met with the Prime Minister of Denmark in February. The readout is available on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_38

The Lord Bishop of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the ongoing detention and reported mistreatment of 23 Armenian hostages who were taken from Nagorno–Karabakh in September 2023; and what steps they are taking, in coordination with international partners, to ensure Azerbaijan upholds its commitments under international law. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK urges the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those detained during September 2023's military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, are afforded a fair trial and provided safe conditions, in accordance with Azerbaijan's international obligations and commitments. Our Embassy in Baku pays close attention to the cases and have sought regular updates to stay informed about progress. We have also been consistent in calling for the release of all remaining prisoners of war. The Minister of State Stephen Doughty raised these issues with Azerbaijan's Presidential Advisor, Elchin Amirbayov, during his visit to the UK in October. In a meeting with Azerbaijan's Principal Presidential Advisor, Hikmet Hajiyev, on 10 March, the Minister of State also urged Azerbaijan to seize the opportunity to sign an historic peace deal with Armenia. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have also conveyed these messages.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-19 conversation_39

Earl Howe:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the benefits claimed by individuals who are unable to work because of asthma in the most recent year for which figures are available. \p Baroness Sherlock: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.