theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Beamish:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions have taken place between the UK ambassador to Japan and Fujitsu about the company's contribution to the compensation scheme for the victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: His Majesty's Ambassador to Tokyo has not held discussions with Fujitsu concerning the financial redress scheme related to the Post Office Horizon IT system. The scheme is led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Post Office. Department for Business and Trade officials have met with Fujitsu three times since the General Election to discuss their contribution to the cost of the Horizon scandal.

The Government has been clear that those responsible for the Horizon scandal must be held accountable. This will be determined by the public inquiry, which is ongoing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Baroness Helic:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Serbia’s response to recent demonstrations, including reports of incidents against peaceful protesters; and what steps they have taken to encourage that government to conduct a full, impartial, and swift investigation into reports of violence against demonstrators. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are closely following developments in Serbia, where large-scale peaceful street protests continue after the tragic collapse of a station canopy last November. When the Minister of State for Europe visited Belgrade in January 2025, he raised the worrying incidents of violence against peaceful protesters. It is important that these incidents are investigated swiftly. The Minister of State for Europe underlined the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly, and of continuing responsible policing of protests. When the Minister of State for Europe visited Belgrade last month, he discussed with the Serbian government and others, the importance of respect for citizens' rights of freedom of expression and assembly, and the importance of peaceful dialogue on all sides.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build a strong relationship with the Trump administration in the United States of America. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary look forward to working with President Trump and the new Administration, to continue our shared mission to ensure the prosperity and security of our two great nations. The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump on 26 January and congratulated him on his inauguration. The two leaders stressed the importance of the close and warm ties between the UK and the US and agreed to meet in-person in the near future. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Secretary Rubio on 27 January. They both welcomed the opportunity for the UK and the US to work together to address shared challenges, including the situation in the Middle East, Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, the challenges posed by China and the need for Indo-Pacific security. The pair said they looked forward to working together and to meeting in person soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government how long, on average, it takes (1) the Army, (2) the Royal Navy, (3) the Royal Air Force, and (4) Strategic Command, to process a service complaint; and what estimate they have made of the cost of each complaint. \p Lord Coaker: This information is available in the public domain. The average time required to process a Service Complaint is contained within the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces Annual Report statistics which are available at the following link: https://www.scoaf.org.uk/annual-statisticals-tables.

The information you have requested on the average time required to process a Service Complaint is shown in Annex A, below.

No information is held about the cost of each complaint. This information is not routinely recorded and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Annex A

Average¹ time taken² to close a Service Complaint, by Service and complaint category, 2023

Service

Career management

Bullying, harassment or discrimination

Pay, pensions and allowances

Other

All closed Service Complaints

Royal Navy*

20

37

22

23

23

Army

18

34

30

24

24

RAF

16

22

14

19

18

Tri-Service

18

29

20

22

22

* includes Royal Marines

1 Median.

2 Time taken is measured in weeks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Gascoigne:To ask His Majesty's Government on what date was the decision to name HMS Achilles agreed by the Government; which Minister had final sign off on the naming process; and on what basis was the name HMS Agincourt ruled out. \p Lord Coaker: Potential ship names are proposed by the Royal Navy's Ships Names and Badges Committee, ahead of approval by Ministry of Defence Ministers and His Majesty The King.

There are no current plans to rename any other Royal Navy ships.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum’s top two global risks over the next ten years, namely extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, and biodiversity loss. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We recognise the importance of these global risks highlighted by the World Economic Forum. No society can thrive without protecting the environment on which we rely. That is why this Government is committed to ambitious action on climate and biodiversity. The UK is providing global leadership to end poverty on a liveable planet.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are key elements of the Government’s National Risk Register.

Internationally, we work closely with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, who provide the best available science to assess these risks. We are building global environmental ambition by accelerating delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, including through our domestic actions.

Domestically, our independent Climate Change Committee is working on the 4th Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA). We are building global environmental ambition – accelerating delivery of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, including through our domestic actions. Defra is responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008, including preparing a National Adaptation Programme every five years, informed by the CCRA. The State of Natural Capital report shows how to mitigate risks from biodiversity loss. We have also launched a rapid review environmental improvement plan to deliver on our legally binding environment targets.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of compliance with the littering enforcement guidance for local authorities; and what plans they have, if any, to place it on a statutory footing. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government has not made an assessment of local authority compliance with the existing, advisory littering enforcement guidance.

Defra recognises the role that appropriate and proportionate enforcement can play in helping local authorities keep streets clear of litter. Defra is considering the benefits of bringing forward statutory litter enforcement guidance and any new guidance will be announced in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the assumed monetary value of atmospheric carbon emissions per tonne they use when evaluating the total cost of different energy generation technologies. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government adopts a target-consistent approach to valuing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is based on estimates of the abatement costs needed to meet specific emissions reduction targets. The value placed on changes in GHG emissions has been reviewed and updated as of October 2021. The carbon values are used to quantify and value the emissions for appraisal purposes.

Specifics are detailed within supplementary guidance to HMT’s Green Book found on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/valuation-of-energy-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-for-appraisal#:~:text=This%20guidance%20provides%20government%20analysts,methodology%20for%20UK%20policy%20appraisal
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Lord Roborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations have been carried out with renewable energy project developers to assess the impact of the National Energy System Operator strategic capability review. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is an independent public body. We do not hold information on the strategic capability review. I have asked NESO to write to the noble Lord and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review railcards as part of the move to Great British Railways; and if so, what is their timescale for that review. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: As set out in the current consultation document, our intention is that, once established, Great British Railways should be required in legislation to retain discounts targeted at groups for which cost is more likely to be a barrier to rail travel. There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways but it will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 18 September (HL Deb cols 2398–2400) about genome screening of newborn infants, how long (1) newborn infants' DNA samples, and (2) genome sequencing data, will be kept. \p Baroness Merron: Data and samples are stored for 16 years. At approximately 16 years old, children who participated in the study will be asked to give their own consent to remain in the programme. If they choose not to or if they cannot be contacted, they will be withdrawn from the study, which includes removing their sample. If they consent to remain in the study, then their data and sample would be stored throughout the child’s life, unless consent is withdrawn. Parents are also able to withdraw their children from the study at any time before children reach the age of 16 years old.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 22 September (HL10271), what assurance mechanisms NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care have in place to monitor (1) the trusts and NHS organisations that are implementing learning disabilities mortality review (LeDeR) report recommendations, and (2) the improvements that are made directly as a result of implementing LeDeR report recommendations. \p Baroness Merron: Integrated care boards (ICBs) and National Health Service organisations have a key role to play in reducing the health inequalities and premature mortality experienced by people with a learning disability and autistic people.

ICBs are responsible for ensuring that learning disabilities mortality (LeDeR) reviews are completed in their local area so that NHS organisations can implement the learning from those reviews and improve the quality of services. ICBs are expected to prioritise LeDeR reviews within their delivery plans, and as part of their local governance to learn from deaths. The analysis of findings from local LeDeR reviews should inform which areas organisations prioritise for quality improvement activity. In its Action from Learning Report, NHS England shares improvement initiatives being taken across England and provides guidance on what action needs to be taken by health and care organisations.

The 2025/2026 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance requires that integrated care systems and NHS trusts work together to reduce health inequalities. The NHS England Operating Framework sets out further information on how NHS England operates and works together with ICBs and NHS providers to deliver health and care services and improve health outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan for the Genomic Laboratory Hubs to adopt standardised reporting templates for genomics reports. \p Baroness Merron: Professional groups, including the Association for Clinical Genomic Science, produce best practice guidance and standard templates for members on reporting genomic results to clinicians. In line with the data and digital elements in the NHS Genomics Strategy, NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs will be mandated to provide standardised reporting and structured data. This would support a consistent approach to reporting genomic data and will enable the development of a unified genomic record which, in turn, would enable patients to access insights from their genomic data when and where they are needed, as well as facilitating access to clinical trials, supporting other research, and informing population health initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 18 September (HL Deb cols 2398–2400), whether any DNA samples collected for the Generation Study are (1) tested for conditions that may develop after five years old, and (2) kept for genome sequencing again at five years old. \p Baroness Merron: The Generation Study is designed to inform policy around the use of genomics in newborn screening. The study is only testing for treatable conditions where there is robust evidence that the condition is highly likely to develop within the first five years of life. Suspected positive results are reviewed and confirmed through further tests. If genomic testing is used within future screening programmes, informed parental consent will still be required. There are no plans to screen for conditions that appear later in life or remain asymptomatic. If genomic testing becomes part of routine screening, parental consent would be required.

There are currently no plans as part of the study to sequence the genome again at five years old.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish a single digital tracking system for cancer tissue samples provided for genomic testing so they can be tracked at every point of their journey. \p Baroness Merron: Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (GMS) and delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs.

The NHS GMS has a national digital programme to develop an order management system, which will enable the ordering and tracking of genomic test requests from the initial request of the genomic test, through to sample processing, and the return of genomic testing’s clinical results to clinicians. This system will include the ability for all appropriate users of the system to track the progress of cancer diagnostics, with the physical sample handling being managed by specialist Cellular Pathology Genomic Centres that are being established in each NHS GMS geography.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current functions of NHS England, and where those functions will be distributed after its abolition. \p Baroness Merron: The functions of NHS England are set out in legislation, and these include, but are not limited to:

The proposed new Department is not simply a merger of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, where both organisations’ current functions are added together. Rather, it is a fundamental redesign of the size, shape, and role of the centre in relation to the rest of the health and care system. The proposed abolition of NHS England and associated transfer and modification of functions is subject to legislation and the will of Parliament.

Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a minimum age requirement to be a practitioner of non-therapeutic male circumcision. \p Baroness Merron: There is no requirement in law for a practitioner performing non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) to be medically trained or to be of a minimum age. If an NMTC procedure is carried out by a regulated healthcare professional, they will be subject to oversight by the relevant professional regulator such as the General Medical Council for doctors or the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses and midwives.

If a regulated healthcare professional is acting in a religious or spiritual role, they cannot ‘opt out’ of their core duties and responsibilities, and therefore any registered healthcare professional wishing to carry out NTMC must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity of surgical procedures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to abolish NHS England and redistribute its functions. \p Baroness Merron: The abolition of NHS England requires primary legislation, and as such is subject to the will of Parliament. We are working with the Leader of the House and business managers to ensure an appropriate schedule that enables us to work towards the two-year delivery timetable already announced.

Until such a time when appropriate changes are made, the Department and NHS England will continue to carry out their respective statutory functions. In the interim, teams will increasingly start working closely together under an interim joint leadership team.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson:To ask His Majesty's Government what staff reductions have been made as a result of their plan to abolish NHS England and restructure integrated care boards; and what reductions they expect to have made by (1) March 2026, (2) March 2027, and (3) March 2028. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to a large reduction in the headcount of the two organisations in order to invest more resources in frontline services. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out the ambition of a 50% reduction over time, and the exact number and process will be agreed following careful design, deliberation, and consultation with staff, as would be rightly expected.

This is in the spirit of treating people fairly and making sure that how these organisations are set up is sustainable for the longer term.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Naseby:To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to ensure that all visitors to the UK pay for their use of the National Health Service, except for emergencies. \p Baroness Merron: Overseas visitors’ healthcare costs are recovered through three routes: direct charging; the Immigration Health Surcharge; or reciprocal healthcare arrangements.

The Department works closely with a dedicated team in NHS England to ensure that charging is applied fairly and consistently to overseas visitors. The Department and NHS England actively support the National Health Service to improve cost recovery through the monitoring of data and activity, the sharing of best practice and guidance, targeted follow-ups with trusts where issues are identified, and by working closely with the Home Office to improve data quality and reporting consistency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Farmer:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer on by Baroness Merron on 10 September (HL9969), whether the father’s name, NHS number, date of birth and current address will be routinely added to child NHS records so that this information is accessible to medical practitioners for the purposes of child safeguarding and well-being. \p Baroness Merron: The national Patient Demographic Service (PDS) holds records of demographic information for each person with a National Health Service number. When a baby’s PDS record is created at birth, the mother’s details are included.

NHS England is currently working to integrate additional data from the General Register Office, which will also add fathers and second parents to a child’s record, after the child has been registered. A health professional will then be able to look up the NHS number of any parent on a child’s record, to access more details about the parent. This work is expected to start delivering in December 2025.

The aim is to improve the existing infrastructure to facilitate better coordination between existing records. This will support health professionals to offer more informed, joined-up care.

NHS England is working on making it easier for parents to digitally manage their children's health. Improvements which will roll out through 2026 include proxy access to book appointments, order prescriptions, and access medical records.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect to have completed the abolition of NHS England by March 2027. \p Baroness Merron: The abolition of NHS England requires primary legislation, and as such is subject to the will of Parliament. We are working with the Leader of the House and business managers to ensure an appropriate schedule that enables us to work towards the two-year delivery timetable already announced.

Until such a time when appropriate changes are made, the Department and NHS England will continue to carry out their respective statutory functions. In the interim, teams will increasingly start working closely together under an interim joint leadership team.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to roll out a national screening programme for prostate cancer. \p Baroness Merron: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the evidence for prostate cancer screening in 2020 and recommended against it due to the insufficient reliability of the best available test, the prostate specific antigen test, and harms from treatment.

The UK NSC is currently undertaking a new evidence review of prostate cancer screening at both a population level and for targeted high-risk groups such as black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer. We anticipate a public consultation on the findings of this review later this year and a recommendation by the UK NSC in the first quarter of next year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pathologists and genomics scientists work together to speed up the delivery of genomics results for lung cancer tissue samples. \p Baroness Merron: Genomic testing in the National Health Service in England is provided through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service (NHS GMS) and is delivered by a national genomic testing network of seven NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLHs).

NHS England undertakes several activities to improve the delivery of cancer genomic testing, including through quarterly assurance meetings with the NHS GLHs and NHS GMS Alliances to address reporting delays and resolve backlogs, working with clinical experts to establish clinically relevant cancer genomic testing turnaround times and optimising cancer pathways to meet these times.

To support more extensive cancer genomic testing, NHS England is working to ensure collaboration between pathology and genomics networks to address issues including capacity, networking, and the optimisation of cancer tissue pathways, including for lung cancer tissue samples.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equitable screening participation based on (1) socioeconomic status, (2) ethnicity, and (3) smoking status, in the targeted lung cancer screening programme. \p Baroness Merron: We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify cancer at an earlier stage and is aimed at high-risk individuals or people with a history of smoking between the ages of 55 to 74 years old.

The National Health Service is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking. The public health functions agreement between NHS England and the Department sets out that the Lung Cancer Screening Programme has a target to invite 50% of the eligible population by the end of March 2026.

Additionally, reducing inequalities is a key priority for the National Cancer Plan, which will look at the targeted improvements needed across different cancer types to reduce disparities in cancer survival. This includes looking at protected characteristics, such as ethnicity, as well as inequalities related to socioeconomic status, and geographic location.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the staff of an NHS hospital to which an A&amp;E patient has been admitted have access to that patient's records kept at their usual NHS hospital. \p Baroness Merron: The Connecting Care Records programme ensures that authorised health and care professionals in England have safe and secure access to the person-related information that they need to provide care when they need it, where they need it, and how they need it. Every integrated care board has a Connecting Care Record, but the information that can be seen in an accident and emergency department will depend on the local approach.

The Government is developing a single patient record which will enable all providers delivering care to access the information they need and which will also end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the National Health Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations about the roll-out of NHS Online throughout the UK. \p Baroness Merron: In September 2025, we announced an “online hospital”, NHS Online, which will give people on certain pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. The first patients will be able to use the service from 2027. NHS England is developing the online hospital for England but ministers proactively welcome discussions on expanding the capabilities further with the devolved administrations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government what were the total severance payments made to (1) ministers, and (2) special advisers, who left government in the past 12 months; and what was the total amount of those payments. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The cost of severance payments for Ministers is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office as individual departments are responsible for administering severance payments to their Ministers.

The cost of severance payments for special advisers between 1st April 2024 and 31st March 2025 was £3.1 million.
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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK-China Trade in Services Working Group in November will be held in the UK; what is the budget for that event; and who is expected to attend from the UK Government and the government of China. \p Lord Stockwood: The UK-China Trade in Services Working Group will be held in Beijing, and led by a Director-level senior official from the UK Department for Business and Trade and China’s Ministry of Commerce. The size of the UK team will depend on the agenda and programme negotiated with the Chinese side, taking into account Value for Money and in line with the Civil Service Code. As set out in official guidance, the costs of the event will be in line with accommodation and subsistence expense rates for official travel to Beijing.

Further information can be found on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/expenses-rates-for-employees-travelling-outside-the-uk#countries-a-to-c
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government, following proposals by the European Commission to double the tariff on steel and to limit tariff-free import volume, what steps they intend to take to safeguard the future of the steel industry in (1) Port Talbot, and (2) Llanwern. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: We are engaging with the EU on how their proposed trade measure will apply to the UK, while honouring our existing agreements and minimising disruption. We reserve the right to take any action in response to changes to our trading relationships.

The government is working with UK industry, including Tata Steel, which operates the Port Talbot and Llanwern sites, to understand potential impacts and solutions. Minister McDonald held a roundtable with industry and unions on 9 October.

Our steel strategy will set a clear vision for a competitive industry and we are developing proposals for future steel trade measures.
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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government which meetings the Secretary of State for Business and Trade attended during his trip to China in September. \p Lord Stockwood: In September, the Secretary of State met with China’s economic Vice Premier He Lifeng, co-chaired the Joint Economic and Trade Commission with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and co-chaired the Industrial Cooperation Dialogue with Industrial Minister Li Lecheng. He also held meetings and briefings with UK officials, UK businesses and Chinese automotive and retail investors Geely, Chery, and JD.Com. He discussed challenges in the bilateral relationship with counterparts, including level playing-field issues that undermine fair competition for UK business. He raised concerns on national and economic security issues. The visit pushed forward market access outcomes worth over £1 billion over 5 years.

Further information published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-state-for-business-and-trade-visit-to-china-factsheet/secretary-of-state-for-business-and-trade-visit-to-china-factsheet
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_22

Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what consideration they have given to setting a legally binding deadline to end overfishing. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Fisheries Act 2020 contains a commitment to recover stocks to sustainable levels through the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs). We are taking this approach having learned from the well-intentioned but ultimately unachievable single deadline set out in the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy for getting all fish stocks to “Maximum Sustainable Yield” (MSY). Our FMPs allow us to assess the state of the stocks and set out a series of tailored and evidence-based short-, medium- and long-term measures to maintain or restore stocks to MSY.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_23

Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what steps they are taking to ensure that North Sea cod is fished at sustainable levels. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is committed to restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. This is in line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with the EU and Norway to set annual catch limits for shared North Sea cod stocks, informed by the best available scientific advice on the state of these stocks. This is principally advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The UK continues to lead the trilateral (UK, EU and Norway) cod management working group to further our joint understanding and collaboration on existing management measures, and to consider improvements or modifications which could provide additional protection to cod substocks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_24

Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what steps they are taking to ensure that all commercial fish stocks have catch limits set that do not exceed scientific advice. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is committed to restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. This is in line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with international partners to set annual catch limits for shared fish stocks, informed by the best available scientific advice on the state of those stocks. This is principally advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_25

Lord Krebs:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what proportion of commercial fish stocks currently have catch limits set at or below levels recommended by scientific advice. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We strive to improve the sustainability of our fisheries and publish an annual independent assessment of the outcomes of our negotiations to set catch limits with other coastal States. The Government’s independent report for 2025 (copy attached) found that 46% of all assessed stocks had catch limits that were set at or below the recommended scientific advice.

Assessing sustainability of catch limits (pdf, 663.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_26

Baroness Primarolo:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 28 July (HL9517), what assessment they have made of the current living conditions for Palestinians in Gaza. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains appalling, and it is vital that - as part of the US-led peace initiative - we see the urgent resumption of unrestricted aid flows into Gaza, at the volume and pace required to meet the scale of the crisis. The UK has provided £139.5 million in humanitarian funding in response to the conflict in Gaza, with a further £60 million of humanitarian funding allocated so far this financial year.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-24 conversation_27

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for paying for prisoners with addictions released on the early release scheme to continue their recovery in alcohol and drug rehabilitation centres. \p Lord Timpson: This Government inherited prisons days from collapse and had to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. SDS40 is a temporary measure to provide relief to the system, and following the Independent Sentencing Review, we have now introduced the Sentencing Bill to Parliament. This will introduce a new Progression Model, as a key part of delivering a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

We know that continued engagement with drug and alcohol treatment both within and beyond custody is vital to reduce reoffending. It is crucial that those released early can access support effectively within the community, especially as the first few weeks of release are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending.

Responsibility for the funding and commissioning of substance misuse treatment lies with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS Wales. The Ministry of Justice works very closely with health partners to ensure accessible pathways for offenders which meet their needs, including Residential Rehabilitation which can be an effective treatment option for some. This includes recruiting Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators nationwide, who strengthen links between prisons, treatment providers and probation, alongside secure laptops across prisons to enable prisoners to virtually meet with community treatment providers prior to their release. We have also established the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel, chaired by Lord Timpson, which brings together leading experts to identify opportunities to strengthen the Ministry of Justice’s approach.

The latest data from August 2025 shows that 54% of adults released with an ongoing substance misuse need engaged in treatment within 3 weeks of release, an increase from 38% in April 2021.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_1

Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ensure that its legal obligations to reduce nitrogen dioxide are met. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Officials from the Defra/Department for Transport Joint Air Quality Unit have been in regular contact and discussion with those in Greater Manchester Combined Authority, through Transport for Greater Manchester, throughout their development. We are currently considering the Greater Manchester proposals and will respond shortly.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_2

The Earl of Caithness:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 3 January (HL3645 and HL3646), what are their considerations on the impact of deer and grey squirrels on woodlands; whether they have consulted any stakeholders; and if so, who. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra is responsible for woodlands in England, and we are considering how to go further to reduce the impacts of grey squirrels and deer on our woodlands. We recognise the pressure on new and existing woodlands from the increasing damage caused by over-foraging of young trees and woodland flora by wild deer and from squirrels stripping bark from trees. In England this damage is primarily from grey squirrels due to their prevalence. As part of routine policy development, the department regularly engages with a variety of stakeholders, including the UK Squirrel Accord and the Deer Initiative Partnership.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_3

Lord Balfe:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 16 December 2024 (HL3055), what recent assessment they have made of the value and performance of current prison maintenance service providers. \p Lord Timpson: The value and performance of the Department’s private-sector service providers are subject to ongoing contract management, and current performance is in line with expected parameters.

As contracts approach expiry, assessments are conducted to inform decisions about future services. A 2023 assessment in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that a privatised solution was the preferred option for future prison maintenance services. These contracts will be competitively tendered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-09 conversation_4

Lord Balfe:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 16 December 2024 (HL3055), what is their timescale for tendering new contracts for prison maintenance service providers. \p Lord Timpson: The Government is currently running a competitive tender process that aims to award new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons by December 2025.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_1

Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 8 April (HL6130), whether they intend to publish the interim and final findings of the evaluation of the changes to the move on period for refugees who have been granted leave to remain in the UK. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office will consider in due course what can be published in this area, once the department has had an opportunity to study the findings.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_2

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 7 April (HL6174), what specific factors they have taken into account in deciding not to collect and publish data on the revocation of foreign student visas. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: I refer the Rt. Hon. Lord to the Answer he received on 26 March 2025 to UIN HL6174.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_3

Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle increasing levels of mobile phone theft. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: On 6 February the Home Secretary brought together law enforcement and leading tech companies to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves.

The Summit resulted in clear commitments from attendees to work in partnership, including to significantly boost the sharing of data and intelligence on mobile phone theft to build a comprehensive picture of the problem and better understand the role of organised crime networks.

To aid police investigations and recovery of stolen goods, our Crime and Policing Bill also includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property that has been electronically geolocation tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant.

Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles to provide a more visible and effective response, including in response to the activities of mobile phone thieves operating in our communities.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-30 conversation_4

Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent arrests of activists from the Youth Demand group in a Quaker Meeting House, what assessment they have made of the proportionality of (1) legislation governing protests in England; and (2) the enforcement of such legislation by the police. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The enforcement of protest legislation is an operational matter for the police. It is within their discretion to determine whether a particular action warrants police involvement, based on their operational expertise and the specific circumstances of each case.