theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-11 conversation_17

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the child poverty strategy. \p Baroness Sherlock: The Child Poverty Strategy was published on Friday 5 December.

It sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to change the course we’re on and create long-term change.

The action we are taking includes removing the two child limit on Universal Credit, support for working families to stop children growing up in B&Bs, expanding childcare for families on UC and helping parents save up to £500 on baby formula

The Strategy will lift around 550,000 children out of poverty and will see the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Hunt of Wirral:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on small drink manufacturers, including administrative burdens, of the proposed changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, including its extension to milk-based and plant-based drinks and the lowering of the sugar threshold to 4.5 g per 100 ml. \p Lord Livermore: The changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) confirmed at the Budget in November 2025 were informed by the ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, which was open from 28 April to 21 July 2025. Representations from small manufacturers, and the trade bodies representing them, were received and considered as part of this process.

On 25 November 2025, the government published its summary of responses to the consultation, including a full assessment of the impacts of the announced policy changes to the levy. This is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy/outcome/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy-summary-of-responses

The smallest producers, producing less than a million litres a year, will remain exempt from the SDIL.

PDF (pdf, 11607.7KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of extending the income tax threshold freeze on the number of people paying income tax, in particular the number of higher rate and additional rate taxpayers. \p Lord Livermore: The Government assesses every measure in the Budget and has published a tax information and impact note (TIIN) outlining our assessment of the policy. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maintaining-income-tax-and-equivalent-national-insurance-contributions-thresholds-until-5-april-2031/income-tax-maintaining-the-personal-allowance-and-the-basic-rate-limit-for-income-tax-and-equivalent-national-insurance-contributions-thresholds-unt.

The number of people forecast to pay tax by marginal rate can also be found in Table 3.19 in the OBR’s November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which is available here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-november-2025/

Income Tax PDF (pdf, 240.1KB)

OBR EFO PDF (pdf, 1634.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the &pound;2,000 cap on national insurance-free salary sacrifice pension contributions on costs for (1) employees, and (2) employers. \p Lord Livermore: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice. The TIIN sets out the impact on employees and employers and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/salary-sacrifice-reform-for-pension-contributions-effective-from-6-april-2029/salary-sacrifice-reform-for-pension-contributions

SalSac in PDF (pdf, 232.6KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the annual reduction in taxation revenue due to the decision to leave the European Union. \p Lord Livermore: The Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy or the public finances. Forecasts of future tax receipts are produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as part of its Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO).

The OBR has set out how the UK's exit from the European Union (EU) has affected its forecast. The OBR assessed the impact of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on UK trade in Box 2.4 of the March 2024 EFO and reconfirmed that assessment in the latest EFO, which is available here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-november-2025/

OBR (pdf, 1634.3KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Economic Outlook for the United Kingdom, published on 2 December. \p Lord Livermore: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an independent international organisation. The OECD’s forecast following the Budget has upgraded UK growth and reduced inflation for 2026. This follows stronger than expected growth this year, though there is much more to do.

The Budget is boosting economic growth and delivers on the country’s priorities of cutting the cost of living, reducing NHS waiting lists, and driving down our borrowing and debt.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Pickles:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the high value council tax surcharge valuations by the Valuation Office Agency will include (1) drive-by site visits, or (2) site visits within the curtilage of the dwelling, by valuation staff. \p Lord Livermore: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are currently developing their approach to the targeted revaluation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.

In general, when valuing domestic properties, the VOA uses modern technology and industry standard techniques combined with freely available information including sales data, property attribute details and government records.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Smith of Llanfaes:To ask His Majesty's Government how much the Welsh Government received in Barnett consequentials in 2025&ndash;26 from the childcare offer in England. \p Lord Livermore: The Barnett formula applies to all changes to UK Government department Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) funding.

At Spending Reviews, the Barnett consequentials associated with individual programmes cannot be identified because the Barnett formula is applied to the overall change in a departments’ DEL, and not to the individual programmes driving the change in a UK department’s DEL budget. This is the case for the additional funding for childcare in England provided at Spending Review 2025.

The Welsh Government are free to allocate Barnett consequentials as they see fit across their devolved priorities, and they are accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the additional &pound;370 million allocated to Northern Ireland is an annual uplift in the block grant or a cumulative figure spread over a number of financial years. \p Lord Livermore: As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive an additional £240 million RDEL excluding depreciation and £130 million CDEL over the Spending Review 2025 period (2025-26 to 2029-30) through the operation of the Barnett formula.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any measures in the Budget 2025 specifically designed to support families in small family farms. \p Lord Livermore: The Government has taken significant steps to support farmers. The Government allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this Parliament at the Spending Review 2025.

The Government also announced at the Budget in November 2025 that any unused £1 million allowance for the 100% rate of agricultural property relief and business property relief will be transferable between spouses and civil partners. This means a surviving spouse or civil partner can benefit from an allowance of up to £2 million for combined agricultural and business assets depending on their circumstances. It also reduces the complexity and planning for spouses and civil partners seeking to make best use of the allowance between them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government how much money they estimate will be allocated to (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland, as part of the Budget 2025. \p Lord Livermore: As a result of decisions at Autumn Budget 2025, through the operation of the Barnett formula:

(1) The Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDELex and £185 million CDEL.

(2) The Scottish Government will receive an additional £510 million RDELex and £310 million CDEL.

(3) The Northern Ireland Executive will receive an additional £240 million RDELex and £130 million CDEL.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Pickles:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 14 May (HL7072), whether (1) garden sheds, (2) conservatories, (3) fish ponds, and (4) garden gnomes, within the curtilage of a domestic dwelling, are deemed to be a material consideration by the Valuation Office Agency when a property is valued for council tax in (1) England, and (2) Wales, including when valuing homes under the high value council tax surcharge. \p Lord Livermore: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are developing their approach to the targeted revaluation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.

In general, when valuing domestic properties, the VOA uses modern technology and industry standard techniques combined with freely available information including sales data, property attribute details and government records.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness O'Neill of Bexley:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to deal with historic dedicated schools grant debt. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government recognises that the rising costs of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision is putting a strain on local government finances. The government will work with local authorities to manage their SEND system, including deficits, alongside an extension to the dedicated schools grant statutory override until the end of 2027/28. The government will set out further details on its plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits and conditions for accessing such support through the upcoming local government finance settlement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Hussein-Ece:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming Schools White Paper will address the inclusion of children with long-term conditions such as epilepsy. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government understands the impact of epilepsy and other long-term medical conditions on the way pupils feel included and supported in school life. The government has committed to reviewing the statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’, and we intend to consult on the revised guidance. The current guidance is available attached.

Our aim is to ensure that all schools are confidently able to meet the needs of pupils with medical conditions, including those with epilepsy, as part of our wider ambition to create more inclusive schools through the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

HL12413_pdf (pdf, 309.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Lister of Burtersett:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the links between child poverty and school absence due to ill health or other circumstances. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: We know that disadvantaged pupils face barriers to engagement with education. A recent report from the Child Poverty Action Group found that more than 1 in 4 pupils aged 11 to 18 eligible for free school meals in the UK say they have missed school at least once because they did not have something they needed to attend. Absence data reinforces this with the rate of overall absence for pupils eligible for free school meals continuing to be almost twice that of pupils not eligible.

The government’s landmark decision to remove the two-child limit will lift almost half a million children out of poverty; this comes alongside our actions to tackle the cost of the school day, through expanding free school meals, cutting the cost of uniform and delivering free breakfast clubs in primary schools, which will all remove barriers to school attendance and attainment. Mental health support teams are also providing earlier support in school for young people.

Our real-time attendance data and toolkits for schools enable early identification of pupils at risk of persistent absence and include a self-assessment tool that explicitly asks schools how they track and respond to the absence of pupils entitled to free school meals. Schools can also use Pupil Premium funding to provide attendance support for disadvantaged students.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Scott of Bybrook:To ask His Majesty's Government how they account for the projected fall in net additions to the housing stock to just 215,000 in 2026&ndash;27. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: I understand that the noble Baroness is referring to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) November 2025 forecast of net additions to the housing stock. The OBR is independent from government, and their forecast is not directly comparable to the government's target to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes this parliament.

We expect housing supply to ramp up over the parliament as our ambitious reforms, including those contained in the revised National Planning Policy Framework, take effect.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the statutory duties of local highway authorities for the public rights of way network are integrated into the Local Government Outcomes Framework. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government has no plans at this stage to integrate local highway authorities’ statutory duties for public rights of way into the Local Government Outcomes Framework. The Local Government Outcomes Framework will include key national priorities delivered at the local level, so will not have metrics measuring all local authority statutory duties. Local highway authorities have clear statutory responsibilities for managing and maintaining the public rights of way network within their individual areas, including ensuring routes are kept free from obstruction. They are also required to prepare and keep under review a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which assesses the condition of the network and sets out planned improvements for all users. These plans are published on each authority’s website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI to generate planning objections to energy infrastructure proposals, and the implications for the operation of the planning system. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Representations on major infrastructure projects, such as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects are designed to support the Examining Authority to identify and understand relevant matters in an application. Providing a representation is received within the allotted timeframe, is from a real person, includes a reason or reasons for that person's position and is not vexatious, it will be accepted. Once accepted, the topic(s) raised will be factored into the examination preparation and design. Submissions which simply repeat generic elements add less value and repetitive submissions, however produced, could be disregarded under the legal rules.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Newby:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to implement the proposals on modernising parish poll regulations on which they consulted from December 2014 to January 2015. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government has no plans to amend the regulations on parish polls.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Thornhill:To ask His Majesty's Government how many homes for social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership were promised to planning authorities in England as part of section 106 agreements, but not delivered following viability assessments in each financial year from 2016&ndash;17 to 2024&ndash;25; whether these figures can be broken down by local authority and compared to the numbers of affordable, social rent and shared ownership properties required by those local authorities&rsquo; policies; and how these figures compare to the total numbers of homes built by private developers that do not fit into those three categories. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The requested information is not held by the Department.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to include saltmarshes in the UK's greenhouse gas inventory. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Defra is actively exploring the role of marine nature-based solutions, such as seagrass and saltmarsh restoration, to deliver both carbon sequestration and broader benefits.

Defra is working in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Devolved Governments – through the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership – to address evidence gaps that currently prevent the inclusion of saltmarsh in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Defra Group have funded five flux towers to provide important carbon emissions data for saltmarsh habitats. Alongside investment to deliver a roadmap setting out the steps needed for potential inclusion of saltmarsh in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Other marine habitats will be kept in consideration as the evidence base around them develops.

Reflecting this ongoing work, saltmarsh was included within Defra’s Net Zero pathway for Carbon Budgets 4–6 as an early-stage policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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The Lord Bishop of Norwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for legislation to make it mandatory for insurance companies to provide flood cover at an affordable and fair price, to supersede the temporary Flood Re scheme. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: In 2024/25, Flood Re provided cover for over 346,000 household policies. 650,000 properties have benefitted since the scheme’s launch and 99% of householders at high risk of flooding can now obtain quotes from 10 or more insurers.

Flood Re have a statutory purpose to manage the transition to a risk-reflective market of flood insurance between 2016 and 2039 when the scheme is expected to end. Flood Re publishes a Transition Plan every five years outlining progress and actions to manage this transition. Flood Re's next Transition plan (Transition Plan 4) will be published in 2028.

We recognise that climate change and population growth could further impact on the future costs of home insurance. This is why we have committed to reviewing, by the end of this Parliament, how both government and industry are responding to these new challenges and creating the conditions for this transition.

The review will consider current and future actions to ensure that the insurance market can enable access to affordable flood insurance from 2039, without the need for ongoing government intervention.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the implementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023, and when they plan to lay secondary legislation under that Act. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.

We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of section 147ZA of the Highways Act 1980 on the rights of disabled people to access the outdoors with ease and confidence. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This Government is supportive of the provision within section 147ZA of the 1980 Act that enables an authority to work with landowners and relevant parties to replace or improve existing structures so that they can be used more easily by individuals that may experience mobility challenges. There is currently no national assessment available of the impacts of this provision. However, we will continue to improve access to green and blue spaces, ensuring that it is safe and appropriate for all users, through our various initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government how plans to introduce nine new river walks and three new national forests will contribute towards ensuring that everyone in England has access to green or blue spaces within fifteen minutes' walk from their home, as committed to in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, published on 1 December. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Government is pleased to commit to progress in ensuring everyone should live within a 15-minute walk of a green or blue space. We have recently published for the first time green and blue space interim statistics and will continue to mature the metric and map the status.

As part of our work to improve public access to nature, we are also progressing plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will announce further details on this in due course.

Our new national forests will support delivery of environmental improvement goals including improving access to green space and better connecting people with nature. The ‘Western Forest’ will see 20 million trees planted across the West of England over the coming years and serve over 2.5 million residents, bringing trees and woodlands closer to where people live.

The second new national forest will be in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, and a competition will be launched for a third new national forest in the Midlands or North of England in early 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts:To ask His Majesty's Government whether their plans to introduce nine new river walks and three new national forests will include the creation of new permanent legal rights of access. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Our nine new river walks and three new national forests will both increase available natural space and make it more accessible.

We are progressing plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature and are currently considering several delivery options. Further details will be announced in due course.

Our three new national forests in the West of England, the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and the Midlands or North of England, once confirmed, will support delivery of environmental improvement goals including improving access to green space and better connecting people with nature. The Government will set out plans for new national forests in the coming months which will incorporate many factors, including a consideration of new permanent legal rights of access.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Baroness Berger:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery on competition and consumer prices in the UK streaming market, on investment in UK film and TV productions, and on the viability of the UK cinema sector. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government is aware that Netflix has submitted a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets as part of an ongoing acquisition process. As the bidding process is ongoing and no transaction has been finalised, it would not be appropriate to provide comment further on this individual case.

As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government recognises that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers. The Government has committed to asking the CMA, working with Ofcom, to set out how changes in the sector could be taken into account as part of any future assessment of the television and advertising markets.
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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the BBC about introducing pro-rata refunds when a TV licence is cancelled part way through the year, as is currently the case with road tax. \p Baroness Twycross: The BBC is responsible for administering the Television licence, and as the BBC is independent from Government, refunds are an operational issue for the BBC. The Television Licensing website sets out that households can apply for a refund if they won’t need their licence again before it expires, and they have at least one complete month left on it. Households eligible for an over 75 or blind concession can apply for a refund at any time and for any length of time left on their licence.
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Lord Truscott:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the BBC about abolishing the licence fee. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government has committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period, meaning that there will be no changes to the model until at least 31 December 2027.

Looking further ahead, the forthcoming Charter Review will consider a range of issues, including how the BBC can continue to prosper supported by a sustainable funding model. DCMS has been engaging with the BBC on a range of issues as we prepare to launch the review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Spellar:To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect (1) to respond to, and (2) to implement the recommendations of, the Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The government endorses the report’s approach and accepts the principles of all recommendations it set out.

My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has issued a Strategic Steer which sets clear expectations for the civil, defence, and decommissioning nuclear sectors to accelerate safe and efficient delivery through proportionate regulation and stronger collaboration.

We will present a full implementation plan within three months, taking account of international obligations, national security considerations, and planning, environmental and court processes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Earl Attlee:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), how many light vehicles, excluding those used for covert purposes, are operated by West Yorkshire Police. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of vehicles that are operated by West Yorkshire Police.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the construction of a plant for the production of medical radio isotopes at the Trawsfynydd nuclear site and what plans they have to collaborate with the Welsh Government to construct the plant. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including the Welsh Government’s project to establish a public sector laboratory for the supply of medical radioisotopes at the Trawsfynydd site in Gwynedd.

The UK Government continues to engage with the Welsh Government on the opportunities this proposal could create for Wales.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Lord Blunkett:To ask His Majesty's Government how many contracts (1) have been let, and (2) are in the process of being agreed, between the Department of Health and Social Care and Palantir. \p Baroness Merron: The Government had two contracts with Palantir Technologies UK which have expired. The first, worth £908,333.33, was for Foundry Software and implementation, between 12 June 2020 and 30 September 2020. The second, worth £750,000, was for the Adult Social Care Data Analytics Project, an extension of Palantir Foundry, between 12 October 2021 and 11 January 2022. There are no contracts in the process of being agreed.
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Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many additional staff will be recruited for neighbourhood health centres in the next twelve months. \p Baroness Merron: At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.

Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.

Integrated care boards will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for NHCs.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, including the workforce. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, that will mean the service will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities. A 10 Year Workforce Plan will be published in spring 2026, which will set out action to create a workforce to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-11 conversation_51

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimated percentage of the population with a learning disability who are recorded on the Quality and Outcomes Framework learning disability register in general practice in England. \p Baroness Merron: The Quality and Outcomes Framework indicator relating to the learning disability register was retired for the 2025/26 contract year.

National published data is recorded on a financial year basis from April to March. This published data shows that, at the end of October 2025, there were 342,928 people aged 14 years old and over on a general practice learning disability register. This is approximately a quarter of the estimated number of adults with a learning disability in England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-11 conversation_52

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported fall in the number of National Health Service staff taking up the flu vaccine and of the effects of this, and what steps they are taking to address this. \p Baroness Merron: All frontline health care workers should be offered a flu vaccination by their employer, with this year’s campaign starting from 1 October 2025 and remaining until 31 March 2026. In the NHS England Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, which was published in June 2025, a commitment was given to improve vaccination rates for frontline staff towards the pre-pandemic uptake level of 2018/19, and included the aim to improve uptake by at least 5% in 2025/26.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes monthly provisional vaccine uptake data for frontline healthcare workers from November to March. The first monthly data for this season was published on 27 November 2025 and includes all vaccinations given between 1 September and 31 October 2025.

The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to encourage everyone who is eligible to get their flu vaccine. For 2025/26, there is an enhanced communications campaign using multiple ways to reach staff including workplace communications, partnerships with unions and professional bodies, and materials tailored for different healthcare roles. All National Health Service trusts have been asked to have an accessible occupational health vaccination offer to staff throughout the entire flu campaign, including onsite bookable and walk-in appointments. Additionally, a range of digital services have been put in place, including to support individuals to make informed choices about when and where to receive the vaccinations.

NHS England has also developed bespoke data reports to monitor trust uptake in real time, working closely with NHS regions and trusts to determine influencing factors for staff uptake and promoting cross-system working to share best practice throughout the seasonal campaign.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_1

Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to investigate the affairs of Avis Capital Limited (Company number 10465466), given that it has reported that it is a dormant company which filed accounts with Company House indicating it had net assets of £58,155,255,471. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: His Majesty’s Government takes allegations of suspicious company filings and any concerns raised seriously. As such, the Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets has asked Companies House to investigate the allegations surrounding Avis Capital Limited.

Companies House are aware of concerns that have been raised about the highlighted company. Where such concerns are raised, Companies House will look into these matters further and, where necessary, take appropriate action.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_2

Viscount Waverley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to appoint trade envoys to (1) the United States of America, (2) India, and (3) China; and if not, why not. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: We have not appointed a Trade Envoy to the United States of America, India or China. We recognise the importance of each of these markets to the government’s growth mission, however, markets such as these already have significant diplomatic, trade and investment networks, as well as receiving regular high-level visits by Ministers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_3

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the productivity of businesses where employees work a permanent four-day working week. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: While the government routinely monitors the impact of flexible working, it has made no specific assessment of the four-day week. Additionally, the government has no plans to mandate a four-day week for five-days’ pay. However, we are, through the Employment Rights Bill, giving employees better access to flexible working arrangements, where feasible. Not all businesses will be able to accommodate all forms of flexible working. We want to create a framework that will encourage employers and employees to explore suitable options for flexible working arrangements that suit both parties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_4

Baroness Eaton:To ask His Majesty's Government what process local authorities should follow when producing a spatial development strategy as set out in the their English Devolution White Paper published on the 16 December 2024 where the local authority does not sit within a strategic authority. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Legislation regarding the production of spatial development strategies (SDS) will be included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which has yet to be laid before Parliament.

For areas that are not covered by a strategic authority, the duty to produce an SDS will rest with upper tier county councils and unitary councils. These areas should form groupings in order to produce their SDS. These groupings should be in accordance with our “sensible geography” criteria as set out in the English Devolution White Paper. We propose to take a power in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill for the Secretary of State to direct such groupings where they are not forthcoming.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_5

Baroness Thornhill:To ask His Majesty's Government whether it will be possible to alter existing council boundaries when establishing a unitary council. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Existing council boundaries should be considered the building blocks for new unitary councils, but where there is a strong justification more complex boundary changes will be considered.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_6

Lord Agnew of Oulton:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Civil Service People Plan 2024–2027, published on 10 January 2024, whether the Central Employee Identifier has been fully implemented across government. \p Baroness Twycross: No, the Central Employee Identifier has not been fully implemented across government. The capability to issue IDs is available but changing the legacy ERPs across government departments to hold this has been deemed inefficient with the new cluster ERPs about to commence rollout. These will be following the data standards laid out in the Nova model which includes holding the Central Employee Identifier.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_7

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how AI technologies could be used by local councils; and how this will directly benefit residents. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: As set out in the blueprint for modern digital government we are launching new collaborations to accelerate work in priority areas, such as in local government. The government has just launched the AI Playbook in collaboration across government and industry for the benefit of the public sector, including local councils. The AI opportunities action plan also sets out the opportunities for use of AI technology all across the public sector.

The government has recently published 10 transparency records from local councils on the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) repository. The ATRS enables local authorities to share examples of how AI is improving public services, learn from each other’s approaches, model best practice, and promote the responsible and transparent adoption of AI technologies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_8

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to their consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence (CP1205), whether a market impact assessment will be published relating to any proposed changes to copyright law for text and data mining for AI models. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government published the consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

Prior to its publication, the Government considered a range of approaches to clarify copyright law and meet its objectives for AI innovators and the creative industries. Further detail of the Government’s assessment of options can be found in the summary assessment (external link) published alongside the consultation.

Further information and evidence on economic impact is welcomed as part of the consultation, to help shape the Government’s thinking.

The consultation closes on 25 February.

Summary Assessment (docx, 176.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_9

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to their consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence (CP1205), what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of rights reservation mechanisms introduced by the EU. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024.

This consultation is seeking views on a similar approach to the EU’s, which many AI firms and right holders are already familiar with. However, we recognise that there is more work to do on technical standards and transparency before a rights reservation model can be considered workable for right holders and AI developers alike. We will use responses to the consultation to inform work on this detail and bring forward firm proposals.

The consultation closes on 25 February.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-02-11 conversation_10

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of transparency obligations on AI firms introduced by the EU. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The EU is developing its requirements for AI firms under the EU AI Act.

We recognise the importance of international collaboration on AI in order to drive safe, responsible innovation and continue to work closely with the EU and other international partners on AI to understand their approaches. This includes through bilateral relationships as well as through multilateral and multi-stakeholder initiatives, including the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris.