theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between domestic abuse and victim suicide. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office is working to develop the evidence base on suicides that follow domestic abuse through funding the Domestic Homicide and Suspect Victim Suicides Project, which captures information on suicides with a known history of domestic abuse from all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

In the latest published data capturing deaths from April 2023 to March 2024, 262 deaths were counted, with 98 deaths (37%) classified as suspected victim suicides following domestic abuse. The full report can be found online: https://www.vkpp.org.uk/vkpp-work/domestic-homicide-project/

The Home Office also funds the organisation Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse to support families bereaved by suicide and unexplained deaths following domestic abuse. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to understand the link between domestic abuse and suicide and ultimately prevent future deaths. Our upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy will outline the Government's work going forward to better understand and prevent all domestic abuse related deaths.

4 Year Report  (pdf, 1077.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord German:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report published on 17 March by Women for Refugee Women, A Decade of Harm: Survivors of gender-based violence locked up in immigration detention, what action they will take regarding the finding that women under constant supervision are being watched by male staff. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.

The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the feasibility study on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates of female genital mutilation and forced marriage, and their response to that study. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: To prevent and respond effectively to forced marriage and FGM it is essential that we understand the prevalence of these crimes.

As such, the Home Office commissioned a feasibility study in 2023 to examine whether it is possible to produce robust prevalence estimates for FGM and forced marriage. We are currently considering the next steps in this area, and will set these out in due course.

While not markers of prevalence, the Government monitors other indicators of forced marriage and FGM to inform its understanding. These indicators include police recorded crime, contacts to the joint Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit, and data from the National Health Service in England and the courts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend how long a person with a Skilled Worker visa can remain in the UK. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government currently has no plans to extend how long a person with a skilled worker visa can remain in the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 13 December 2024 (HL Deb cols 2010–12), whether the pilot will involve newly recognised refugees with lived experience of the moving on period; what the criteria will be to evaluate success; who is undertaking the pilot; and whether the interim findings will be published, and if so when. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) & RSM have been contracted to undertake an evaluation of the changes to the move on period on behalf of the Home Office. This evaluation will cover the extension of the move on period to 56 days, the provision of liaison officers to support those granted asylum, and the provision of £2.8m recognition payment for select local authorities. It will assess the implementation, early outcomes and value for money of these initiatives. It will also assess the early impact of the rollout of eVisas and how this interacts with the above initiatives.

The following outcomes are of interest, and the evaluation will assess how/whether the changes to the move on period have:

Evaluation methods include interviews with newly granted refugees to capture insights from those with lived experience of the move on process.

Interim evaluation findings are due to be delivered shortly, with final evaluation findings delivered this summer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Sugg:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to define the charity Karma Nirvana’s definition of honour-based abuse in statute. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Ensuring that 'honour'-based abuse (HBA) is well understood by frontline professionals, Government agencies, and impacted communities, is essential to preventing abuse, supporting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Currently there is a definition of HBA used by the Criminal Justice System, but we recognise there is more that can be done to raise the level of consistency of understanding regarding HBA in Government and beyond and we are aware of the proposals for a statutory definition of HBA.

On 6 February 2025, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls hosted a roundtable on HBA which was attended by multiple Government departments and specialist sector organisations, including Karma Nirvana. The question of what a statutory definition could look like was discussed at length. Home Office officials are working through the next steps following that discussion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom:To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers are currently assigned to the Operation Olympos investigation into the Post Office Horizon case; what ranks they hold; whether they are full time or part time; and where they are based. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office does not hold the requested information. The resourcing of individual police investigations are operational matters for the force responsible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government when they will provide the Office for Budget Responsibility with the necessary information to enable an assessment of the impact on poverty of the measures announced in the Spring Statement on 26 March that includes those aimed at increasing employment. \p Baroness Sherlock: The government’s impact assessment regarding Health and Disability reform is available at: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.

This assessment does not include the impact of the £1 billion a year, by 2029/30, funding for measures to support those with disabilities and long-term health conditions into employment, which we expect to mitigate the poverty impact among people it supports into work.

We are engaging with the OBR to enable them to make a full assessment of the policies including employment impacts ahead of the next fiscal event.

spring statement (pdf, 392.2KB)
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government when they have met the Lipoprotein(a) Taskforce in the past six months, and when they are next scheduled to meet the taskforce. \p Baroness Merron: Neither the Department nor NHS England have met with the Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) Taskforce in the past six months, and there are no meetings scheduled.

Routine Lp(a) testing is not recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance, and there are currently no treatments available which specifically target Lp(a).

The Government continues to focus on improving the uptake of lipid lowering therapies and treatment, as per NICE targets, to manage cholesterol for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Manzoor:To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that palliative care for seriously ill children is not dependent on where they live. \p Baroness Merron: We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. We know there are inequalities in access to high-quality palliative and end of life care, and we, alongside NHS England, are looking at how best to reduce these.

NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications, which outline areas for consideration when commissioning palliative and end of life care services and, within this, there is reference to improving equity of access and reducing inequity in outcomes and experiences. Additionally, NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population, enabling integrated care boards to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly, based on prevalence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government when the actions outlined in the response to the consultation on fixed recoverable costs in lower damages clinical negligence claims will be implemented. \p Baroness Merron: Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on a wide range of matters, including fixed recoverable costs, and we will announce our position in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to engage stakeholders in local health services in adopting shared decision-making practices to improve patient choice and care outcomes for blood cancer. \p Baroness Merron: As part of the National Cancer Plan, we are committed to working closely with partners and patient groups to shape the long-term vision for cancer, including for blood cancer. The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care, including the design of services and the experience and outcomes for people with cancer. The Department does not currently have plans to engage in shared decision-making for blood cancer services specifically.

The Department is planning to engage blood cancer partners, charities, and those within the cancer community, seeking the views of individuals, professionals, and organisations to understand how we can do more to achieve this ambition. You may wish to share your views on the new online platform, which can be done via an online only format.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that care for people living with long-term conditions is provided in their local area. \p Baroness Merron: Most services for long-term conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local population. It is the responsibility of ICBs, working with clinicians, service users, and patient groups, to develop services and care pathways that are convenient and meet patients’ needs.

We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver an NHS fit for the future. While it’s too soon to say exactly what will be in the plan, it will set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with long-term complex health needs.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions closer to home.

As of December 2024, community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are now delivering additional tests and checks at 168 sites across the country. Since July 2021, CDCs have delivered over 12.2 million additional tests.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that patients at higher risk of severe illness from respiratory syncytial virus infection, such as those with pre-existing conditions or children who were born prematurely, are protected ahead of winter. \p Baroness Merron: In line with independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes were introduced in England in September 2024 to protect infants, via maternal vaccination, and older adults at the greatest risk of harm from RSV infection. The JCVI did not provide advice on other groups, as the analysis that informed their advice looked at burden by age.

When advising on the introduction of the RSV programmes, the JCVI said that an extension to the initial programmes would be considered when there was more certainty about protection for patients at higher risk of severe illness from RSV, including people aged 80 years old and older, and the real-world impact of the programme for 75 to 80 year olds. Advice for individuals less than 75 years old in clinical risk groups, including the immunocompromised and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, would be guided by emerging evidence on disease incidence.

At their October 2024 main committee meeting, the JCVI agreed that it would need to formally review the evidence for a potential extension to the programme for people aged 80 years old and older and those in clinical risk groups. During the main committee meeting of 5 February 2025, the JCVI noted that it planned further discussions on potential advice towards extending the programme to those over 80 years old. JCVI meeting minutes are publicly available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format. The Department will consider any further JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV vaccine in due course.

The National Health Service also offers high-risk eligible infants a monoclonal antibody called palivizumab over the RSV season. Palivizumab is typically reserved for premature infants with specific major underlying medical conditions. In February 2023, the JCVI advised that existing infant risk groups eligible for RSV monoclonal antibody immunisation should preferentially be protected with nirsevimab over palivizumab. In October 2024, the committee supported work being taken forward for such a programme for all very/extremely premature infants, ideally from 2025/26. However, to date it has not been possible for the NHS to obtain a supply of nirsevimab for the programme. We are continuing to explore all options to ensure there is effective protection against severe RSV illness for this high-risk group.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff:To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are (1) currently in place and (2) planned in future, to protect staff and patients in hospitals, care homes and hospices from carbon monoxide poisoning. \p Baroness Merron: The Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 require hospitals, care homes, and hospice owners to ensure gas appliances are installed and maintained properly by a competent gas safe registered engineer. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that this is the most effective way to reduce the risk from carbon monoxide. We have no current plans to change the regulations in place for hospitals, care homes, and hospices, unless experts at HSE revise their advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have published guidance endorsing the use of selective internal radiation therapy; and what plans they have, if any, to encourage hospitals to achieve ENETS centre status, as awarded by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society. \p Baroness Merron: No guidance has been published endorsing this particular treatment. Radiotherapy treatment for cancer is highly individualised and decisions about cancer treatment are typically made by clinicians and multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals. They consider all aspects of a patient's health and circumstances when recommending treatment options. While certain treatments may not be advised for some patients, these decisions are based on medical assessments, and what is best for the individual's overall health and well-being.

There are no plans to specifically encourage hospitals to achieve this status. Currently there are 10 European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society Centres of Excellence in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Crawley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the skin cancer detection pilot scheme “Map My Mole” conducted by a small number of NHS GP surgeries in the South West, in particular with regard to potential for reducing unnecessary referrals and for saving NHS time and expense; and whether they plan to deliver home-use technology for detecting and assessing skin cancer risks. \p Baroness Merron: The Department has not made a formal assessment of Map My Mole, the skin cancer detection pilot scheme. The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, including skin cancer. To achieve this, the NHS has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

Since 2023/24, NHS England has also been rolling out teledermatology services, which allow a virtual review of dermoscopic images. In providers where this has been fully implemented, improvements in workforce capacity have been seen doubling the number of patients that can be reviewed per clinic in some cases, and improving faster diagnosis standard performance.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) national report has provided recommendations to encourage the wider use of technology to ensure skin cancer patients get faster and more equitable access to care. GIRFT is also planning a programme to support primary care colleagues, offering training for new staff to recognise harmless skin lesions, like moles and warts, with the aim of reducing unnecessary referrals to hospital and freeing up capacity for other patients on the waiting list.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards introducing guidelines for routine lipoprotein(a) testing. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone is able to benefit from evidence-based health care. Routine lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) measurement is not currently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The Department, and NHS England, will continue to look to the NICE for guidance on the role of Lp(a) testing. Should the NICE’s guidance change regarding the role of Lp(a) testing, the Department will assess any recommendations to inform future cardiovascular disease prevention policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have held, or plan to hold, discussions with the government of South Korea on the potential for joint projects to accelerate the roll-out of nuclear-generated electricity in the UK. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The UK has a strong civil nuclear relationship with the Republic of Korea, including an annual Civil Nuclear Dialogue, where officials from both governments discuss shared challenges and opportunities to collaborate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report published on 25 March by Offshore Energies UK, Business Outlook Report 2025, that by 2050 the UK could produce half of its projected demand for oil and gas. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: On its website, the North Sea Transition Authority publishes projections on oil and gas production and demand, and reports on remaining reserves and resources.

The offshore basin is mature. The most accessible hydrocarbons have already been extracted. Future licences would not meaningfully increase production, nor change our status as a net importer of oil and gas. Nevertheless, oil and gas will be with us for decades, and the Government will continue to support existing fields.

Our priority is to deliver a fair, orderly and prosperous transition to clean energy industries, driving towards energy security, lower bills, and good, long-term jobs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 19 March (HL5463), how many people the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero employs on zero-hour contracts. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not employ people on 0 hour contracts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the National Farmers Union on 25 February, when the requirements to favour high-welfare products in government catering contracts will come into effect, and what sectors other than hospitals and schools are being targeted. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: As announced at the National Farmers Union Conference, the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), which sets out the Government’s strategic priorities for public procurement, came into effect alongside the Procurement Act on 24 February. The NPPS underscores the Government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts, including catering contracts. Defra officials are currently exploring the options for any future changes to public sector food and catering policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Freeman of Steventon:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to appoint an expert in biodiversity and nature conservation to the Food Strategy Advisory Board to support the priority of reducing the impact of farming and food production on nature, biodiversity and climate. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The membership of the Food Strategy Advisory Board was published on GOV.UK on 21 March 2025. A range of representatives from the food sector and NGOs were invited to sit on the Food Strategy Advisory Board. We kept it deliberately small, whilst reflecting the scope of the food supply chain.

While the membership of the FSAB has been announced, we are developing a plan for much wider stakeholder engagement over the coming months. That needs to include representatives from the length and breadth of food chain sectors as well as environmental NGOs, civil society organisations, academics and citizen engagement. We’ll be able to say more on this soon.

The food strategy will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help people live longer, healthier lives and support the Farming Roadmap to reduce the impact of farming on nature and biodiversity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce a national monitoring system for wild boars and feral pigs. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra encourages all pig keepers and members of the public to be vigilant and help protect our pig sector and wildlife from the threat of African swine fever and other notifiable diseases. Found dead feral wild boar and feral pigs in England should be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Sightings of live feral wild boar and feral pigs can be made through the Mammal Societies Mammal Tracker app or directly through the National Biodiversity Network, the work of which is supported Natural England, Environment Agency and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Defra have no plans at this time to introduce alternative monitoring systems for live feral wild boar and feral pigs. However, Defra work closely with Forestry England to actively monitor and control the population of feral wild boar in the Forest of Dean and work closely with stakeholder organisations share intelligence and monitor the population of feral wild boar and feral pigs nationally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government whether inshore fishers are able to use their full fishing quota without being subject to a cap based on size of vessel or other factors; how this situation has changed since the UK left the European Union; and when the quota was last revised. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The 350kg licence cap on some English 10 metre and under vessels was removed in December 2024 enabling them to fully utilise their fishing opportunities. The capping of UK fishing licences is a domestic decision and has not been affected by the UK leaving the EU. The measures used to manage the UK fleet, including quota allocation, are reviewed regularly with the most recent change being the decision to remove the cap in December 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of homes at risk of coastal flooding, broken down by (1) those built, (2) those under construction, and (3) those with planning permission awaiting construction. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Environment Agency’s (EA) new national assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk in England report estimates that 2.4 million properties are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. The EA also estimates that 4.6 million properties are in areas at risk of surface water flooding.

The number of properties at risk relate to properties that are already built, not properties that are under construction or those awaiting construction. The EA does, however, have a list of planning applications where the EA made an initial objection based on flood risk. This can be found at the gov.uk page ‘Environment Agency objections to planning applications based on flood risk and water quality’.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including areas at risk of coastal flooding.

Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Rogan:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 25 March (HL5539), how many people will be employed at ports in Great Britain to facilitate non-commercial pet movements under the Northern Ireland pet travel scheme, and what estimate they have made of the cost. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: UK authorities will be available to support and assist those travelling under the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme. The scheme will enable travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a simple lifelong pet travel document. We expect that the vast majority of people will comply, and the Government will be providing comprehensive support to those travelling with their pets to ensure they can do so. In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, the UK authorities will be undertaking checks to ensure that GB pet owners hold a valid pet travel document and that their pet is microchipped to mitigate against abuse of the scheme and disease risks.

In order not to undermine that approach, as is the case across the UK, we do not disclose the specific number of staff undertaking, or the nature of, interventions made by UK authorities. Facilitating these activities, including staffing, equipment and infrastructure, will cost an estimated £3.4 million over financial years 25/26 to 26/27 inclusive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of (1) religious, and (2) non-religious, groups who wish to conduct legally recognised marriages in England and Wales and are unable to do so. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The Government is aware that humanists have long been campaigning to conduct legally binding weddings, and we are grateful for the contributions that humanists make to our society.

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the wholesale reform of weddings law, including recommendations that would enable non-religious belief groups, such as humanists, to conduct legally binding weddings. The Law Commission also concluded that weddings law is not working for couples belonging to many different groups, and that it is unfair and inconsistent.

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions and we have a duty to consider any changes to our marriage law carefully. As a new Government, it is right that we take the time to consider this issue, and we will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what losses or profits have been made from the sale of government gilts and corporate bonds originally acquired through the quantitative easing programme. \p Lord Livermore: The Bank of England has operational independence from the government to carry out its statutory responsibilities for monetary policy and financial stability. Monetary policy, including quantitative easing, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England.

The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK’s economic framework, it is in line with international standards and essential for the effective delivery of monetary policy, so the government does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy.

Since October 2022, HM Treasury has transferred £85.9bn to the Bank of England to cover losses arising from the indemnity of the Asset Purchase Facility, the vehicle used to implement quantitative easing. This covers losses incurred from net interest costs and the sale and redemption of bonds as the portfolio is unwound.

Data on these cash transfers between HM Treasury and the Bank of England are made publicly available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its monthly Public Sector Finances publication. The data are available in the ONS data series ID MF7A in worksheet PSA9B [1].

1 : https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/datasets/publicsectorfinancesappendixatables110

worksheet PSA9B (pdf, 513.2KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of quantitative tightening on the interest rate yield curve. \p Lord Livermore: The Bank of England has operational independence from the government to carry out its statutory responsibilities for monetary policy and financial stability. Monetary policy, including quantitative easing, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England.

The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK’s economic framework, it is in line with international standards and essential for the effective delivery of monetary policy, so the government does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy.

Since October 2022, HM Treasury has transferred £85.9bn to the Bank of England to cover losses arising from the indemnity of the Asset Purchase Facility, the vehicle used to implement quantitative easing. This covers losses incurred from net interest costs and the sale and redemption of bonds as the portfolio is unwound.

Data on these cash transfers between HM Treasury and the Bank of England are made publicly available by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its monthly Public Sector Finances publication. The data are available in the ONS data series ID MF7A in worksheet PSA9B [1].

1 : https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/datasets/publicsectorfinancesappendixatables110

worksheet PSA9B (pdf, 513.2KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government how the Office for Value for Money plans to scrutinise investment proposals to ensure they offer value for money. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Value for Money will scrutinise investment proposals where it can make the most impact, while avoiding duplication of the work of others. The Office for Value for Money has developed a short set of appraisal criteria to inform its assessment of investment proposals, which it has shared with departments and published [1].

[1] Gov.UK (2025) OVfM Investment appraisal criteria.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessments the Office for Value for Money has made of where and how to tackle waste and inefficiency. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Value for Money is working with departments to deliver technical efficiency targets, supported by robust delivery plans. This process seeks to realise efficiencies worth at least 1% of day-to-day spending in each year of the Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been saved by the Office for Value for Money since it was established. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Value for Money has an immediate focus on supporting value for money decisions surrounding the spending review, including developing efficiency targets and plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting value for money studies. It will also recommend system reforms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_57

Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Office for Value for Money has made more savings than it has spent in staffing costs. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Value for Money has an immediate focus on supporting value for money decisions surrounding the spending review, including developing efficiency targets and plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting value for money studies. It will also recommend system reforms. The Office for Value for Money will publish its budget for 2024-25 with HM Treasury’s annual report and accounts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Finn:To ask His Majesty's Government what interventions the Chair of the Office for Value for Money has made to drive better value for money. \p Lord Livermore: The Office for Value for Money has an immediate focus on supporting value for money decisions surrounding the spending review, including developing efficiency targets and plans, scrutinising investment proposals and conducting value for money studies. It will also recommend system reforms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_59

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how apprenticeship schemes can stimulate economic growth by attracting more young people into the workforce. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth with the support of a strong skills system, including apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships for young people generate significant economic value. The department estimates that £56,000 and £104,000 of economic value is created per 16 to 18-year-old who start an apprenticeship at level 2 or level 3 respectively. More information can be found in ‘The net present value of further education in England 2021 to 2022’, which is attached and can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67adc0ba69d39abb04adce22/The_net_present_value_of_further_education_in_England_2021_to_2022_.pdf.

Too many young people are struggling to access high-quality opportunities and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships. We are developing new foundation apprenticeships, which will be a work-based training offer that will provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.

Construction will be one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships, which will be launching in August 2025. This will inspire more young people into the construction industry and allow them to progress and specialise in advanced apprenticeships, giving them the tools they need for a sustained and rewarding career. As part of this new offer, employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the construction industry, on top of fully funding the training costs through the new growth and skills levy.

HL6082_The_net_present_value_of_further_education (pdf, 631.8KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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The Earl of Clancarty:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to increase the £45,000 threshold of combined household income per family as part of the support package for the Music and Dance Scheme; and whether they plan to make that support package permanent. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: For the 2024/25 academic year, the department adjusted the Music and Dance Scheme bursary contribution for families with a relevant income below £45,000 to account for the VAT introduction from January 2025. This methodology will be reviewed for future years and details will be set out in due course.

With reference to employer National Insurance contributions and the minimum wage, the Music and Dance Scheme grant funding of both private schools and Centres for Advanced Training relates to financing places for individual students via means-tested bursaries only and is not intended as direct funding to meet wider employment costs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-04-08 conversation_61

Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government which elements of the £600 million investment in construction skills they announced on 23 March have previously been announced or committed to, and which are new and in addition to previous commitments. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an additional £625 million of funding to support construction skills training, with the detail set out in the Spring Statement 2025. This additional support had not previously been announced or committed. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers this Parliament.

The measures will support the expansion of existing skills programmes, including Skills Bootcamps and apprenticeships, as well as help deliver new initiatives such as establishing ten Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction in every region in England.

Additional detail on these measures is available from page 29 of the Spring Statement 2025 document, which is attached and can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e3ecff55239fa04d411fc3/E03274109_HMT_Spring_Statement_Mar_25_Text_PRINT_.pdf.

HL6097_HMT_Spring_Statement_Mar_25_Text (pdf, 1030.4KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Baroness Hoey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to abolish university tuition fees for nursing. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Currently, there are no plans to abolish tuition fees for nursing courses for the 2025/26 academic year. Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses qualify for non-repayable grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. In addition, for the 2025/26 academic year, we will be increasing loans for living costs by 3.1%. This ensures that the most support is targeted at students from the lowest income families, while keeping the student finance system financially sustainable.

The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade, and to ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve. This is why, after seven years of frozen fee caps under the previous government, the department has taken the difficult decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation.

In recognition of the increased investment students are being asked to make, the department expects the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country. We will publish our plan for HE reform in the summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-08)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the video game industry to increase (1) diversity of characters shown in games, and (2) the diversity of main characters in games. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. The Fund includes diversity criteria in its assessment process for grant funding and encourages applicants to consider the British Film Institute’s Diversity Standards

Video games companies can also benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, and can access support from the Create Growth Programme and UK Global Screen Fund, all of which require applicants to consider diversity criteria.

In January, the British Business Bank also committed to increase its support for the UK’s Creative Industries, including video games, to help them realise their full growth potential.