theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers are currently placed in (1) hotels, (2) houses of multiple occupation, and (3) other locations and facilities in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in contingency and dispersed accommodation, including houses of multiple occupation, across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. To the year ending 30 June 2025, these figures are as follows:

Country

Hotels

Dispersed Accommodation

Other

England

30,164

57,000

4,120

Scotland

1,573

3,978

332

Wales

76

3,028

76

Northern Ireland

246

2,228

45

This Government is delivering on its pledge to close asylum hotels; drastically reducing taxpayer costs and giving control back to local communities. This Government is committed to ending the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of the Parliament.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that political activists, journalists and human rights defenders, including Jimmy Lai, are protected from politically motivated prosecution or extradition from Hong Kong. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: This Government will never allow a situation where Hong Kongers or any other nationality is extradited for politically motivated purposes. UK courts have extensive powers under the Extradition Act 2003 to assess whether any individual extradition would be compatible with the requested person's human rights or if it is politically motivated. If a UK judge ever determines any extradition request is politically motivated, they have the power to bar extradition.

The 1997 UK-Hong Kong Extradition Treaty remains suspended and the government is updating Hong Kong's designation under the Extradition Act 2003 to reflect the absence of international extradition arrangements with the UK. This formalises the severing of ties between the British and Hong Kong extradition systems for the purposes of the Extradition Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Mendoza:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 July (HL9620), when they will publish the first quarterly report of data on the scale of mortality linked to synthetic opioids. \p Baroness Merron: The Department has developed the report on deaths linked to synthetic opioids and ambulance call-outs in which the opioid antidote naloxone was administered that was previously referred to. The report is being prepared for publication in the coming weeks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will work with diabetes and eating disorder charities to support national campaigns aimed at reducing stigmatisation of type 1 diabetes and eating disorders (T1DE) in the media, drawing on NHS England's Language Matters guidance. \p Baroness Merron: The national diabetes programme works closely with charity partners including Diabetes UK who take a multi-pronged approach to reducing stigma experienced by those with all types of diabetes. This includes raising awareness of the complex and serious nature of type 1 diabetes, including type 1 disordered eating (T1DE), providing support to those that experience stigma, and supporting research into stigma and how it can be reduced or prevented.

NHS England is partnering with the National Institute for Health and Care Research to deliver a qualitative evaluation of the five current T1DE pilot sites. A core element of this approach has been engagement with service users to understand their experiences of having the condition, both before and during their involvement with the T1DE service.

The National Diabetes Experience Survey led by NHS England is a further mechanism for understanding the experiences of those living with type 1 diabetes including T1DE to inform national and local approaches to improvement.

In response to feedback on the experiences of people of all ages who live with diabetes, NHS England published the document, Language Matters: language and diabetes, a guide for health care professionals which sets out the good practice principles for interactions with people living with diabetes including around reducing stigma. The guide is available on the NHS website in an online-only format.
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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address inequalities in access to cardiovascular care, and how those actions will be reflected in the development on a new modern service framework for cardiovascular disease. \p Baroness Merron: This Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke and halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions of England. The National Institute for Health and Care Research has launched the ‘Inequalities Challenge’ for cardiovascular disease (CVD), investing £50 million into innovative new research to tackle preventable premature mortality from CVD and reduce inequalities across the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Elective Reform Plan identified cardiology as one of the main priority specialities for significant reform, including increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways, and improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests. These improvements will help standardise patient care, reduce inequalities and improve access to all stages of CVD care for patients across England.

The 10-Year Health Plan will help us to accelerate progress in addressing inequalities in access to CVD prevention and care by prioritising ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches. In 2026, we will publish a new CVD Modern Service Framework which will support consistent, high quality, equitable care and foster innovation across the CVD pathway.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and eating disorders (T1DE) among healthcare professionals in diabetes and eating disorder services; and whether they plan to establish a national framework for preventing T1DE, including risk screening tools for use in clinical practice. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) Pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.

Pilot sites are delivering a national high level service specification alongside testing local novel approaches to improving care including to awareness raising of the condition amongst both diabetes and eating disorder health care professionals.

A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of Type 1 disordered eating amongst healthcare professionals.

NHS England works alongside its partners to support the delivery of key messages around diabetes education and awareness. This includes through a digital diabetes platform which is developing educational resources for T1DE.

No assessment has been made of the merits of creating a national framework.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will support the creation of an international symposium of experts on type 1 diabetes and eating disorders to share best practice and guidance on diagnosis and treatment. \p Baroness Merron: No assessment has been made of the merits of creating an international symposium of experts on type 1 diabetes and eating disorders. NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.

A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of T1DE amongst healthcare professionals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the details of a new modern service framework for cardiovascular disease. \p Baroness Merron: This Government is committed to reducing premature mortality from heart disease and stroke and the 10 Year-Health Plan sets out our intention to publish a cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF). The CVD MSF will be published in 2026, and the Department and NHS England are working closely to tackle one of the country’s biggest killers head on. We will say more on this in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of long waits for diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases on patient outcomes; and what steps they are taking to address those waits as part of the new modern service framework for cardiovascular disease. \p Baroness Merron: No current assessment has been made of the impact of long waits for diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) on patient outcomes. However, cardiology is one of five priority specialties identified for significant elective reform in the Elective Reform Plan. Reforms include increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways and improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests. These improvements to common cardiology pathways are helping to standardise patient care, reduce inequalities and improve access to care, especially in early stages of pathways, for patients across England.

To accelerate progress on the Government’s CVD ambition, to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke, we will publish a new CVD Modern Service Framework. The framework will be published in 2026 and will support consistent, high quality and equitable care whist fostering innovation across the CVD pathway.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Bradley:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the NHS guidelines for the installation of defibrillators in (1) hospitals, and (2) community and primary care buildings. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England does not directly commission installation of defibrillators in hospitals, community care buildings or primary care buildings. ICBs have responsibility for locally commissioned services and estate management. However, NHS England does provide public guidance on installing a defibrillator via the NHS England website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Wills:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of employer National Insurance contributions on the financial sustainability of regulated adult social care providers. \p Baroness Merron: The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care, including changes to employer National Insurance Contributions and increases to the National Living Wage, into account as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the 2024 Autumn Budget process.

To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government has made available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26.

In addition, the Spending Review 2025 allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require integrated care boards to provide sustainable funding for successful pilot projects on type 1 diabetes and eating disorders to enable them to become regional centres of excellence. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England has provided up to £1.5 million a year for the five current Type 1 Disordered Eating pilots for three years. This funding is transferred to integrated care boards on an annual basis and in 2025/26 has been ringfenced.

Decisions on funding for future years have yet to be taken.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Mendoza:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times naloxone has been administered by (1) police officers, and (2) paramedics, since June 2019. \p Baroness Merron: The Home Office publishes data on the carriage of naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, by police officers and police staff. The data cannot be broken down into how many times naloxone has been administered by police officers.

There have been 1,232 administrations of naloxone in the United Kingdom by the police from June 2019 to 30 December 2024. The following table shows the breakdown of these administrations:

England and Wales

554 administrations

Scotland

630 administrations

Northern Ireland

46 administrations

British Transport Police

2 administrations

The Department is planning to publish counts of ambulance call-outs where naloxone was administered in the coming weeks. The figures reported will be analysis of data collected by the Department for surveillance purposes rather than official national statistics and it will cover from January 2022 as it does not hold complete data from England from before then.
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Lord Lebedev:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study relating to ultra-processed food and national dietary guidelines published in Nature Medicine on 4 August; and what steps they will take to ensure that national dietary guidelines take account of food processing. \p Baroness Merron: A randomised, crossover trial evaluating the effects of ultra processed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health was published by Dicken et al in Nature Medicine on 4 August 2025. A formal assessment of the study has not yet been carried out.

United Kingdom dietary recommendations are based on robust independent risk assessments by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The SACN assessed the evidence on processed foods and health in a position statement in 2023 and a rapid evidence update in April 2025.

The SACN has concluded that the observed associations between higher consumption of ultra processed foods and adverse health outcomes are concerning. The SACN recommends that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt, and free sugars, and which are low in fibre

The SACN has made a number of research recommendations to help understand whether processing is a risk factor, over and above the nutrients and energy intake. The SACN will consider the evidence published since its rapid evidence update, including this study, at its horizon scanning meeting in 2026.

The UK’s national food model, The Eatwell Guide, which is based on the SACN’s recommendations, already indicates that many foods classified as ultra processed, such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, confectionery, and ice cream, are not part of a healthy, balanced diet. It advises that people should eat more fruit and vegetables and wholegrain or higher-fibre foods, as well as less red and processed meat and food and drink that is high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and salt.

The Government continues to invest in research on ultra processed foods through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and UK Research and Innovation.
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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to embed multi-modal 'prehabilitation' and rehabilitation services, in particular (1) exercise, (2) nutrition, and (3) wellbeing support, into standard NHS cancer care pathways in England. \p Baroness Merron: The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support the National Health Service to deliver cost-effective, lifesaving prehabilitation and rehabilitation services.

Local planning for prehabilitation and rehabilitation services is a matter for NHS trusts and Cancer Alliances to take forward in their local areas. NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The ‘PRosPer’ Cancer Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation learning programme, launched in partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing prehabilitation and rehabilitation, including in areas such as exercise, nutrition, and wellbeing support.

The Government and NHS England recognise that for most people living with long term conditions, including people living with cancer, physical activity is safe and can support recovery after treatment and promote quality of life. The NHS is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England have access to personalised care, including a needs assessment, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the national cancer plan will (1) provide further detail on the plans to introduce opt-out smoking cessation in all routine care in hospitals, and (2) expand smoking cessation services to non-routine care settings such as accident and emergency departments. \p Baroness Merron: Our 10-Year Health Plan for England has set out a series of national actions to address the major risk factors associated with cancer. The National Cancer Plan, due to be published later this year, will build on the shift from sickness to prevention set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan will seek to reduce cancer risk factors, including smoking, and will include further detail about how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients.

The 10-Year Health Plan also committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Within their 2025/26 allocations, integrated care boards have access to funding in order to support the rollout of tobacco dependency treatment services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Future funding decisions, including any decision to expand tobacco dependency treatment services to additional settings beyond routine care, are subject to the Spending Review process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Godson:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review sentencing guidelines or judicial training for the sentencing of repeat knife carriers. \p Lord Timpson: Knife crime has destroyed far too many lives. That is why, as part of the Safer Streets mission, we are working to halve knife crime within a decade. To date, we have taken action to ban zombie knives, and the ban on ninja swords came into force on 1 August 2025 – it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons. We have also implemented “Ronan’s Law”, a range of measures which will include stricter rules for online sellers of knives.

The maximum penalty for carrying a knife or threatening with an offensive weapon is 4 years’ imprisonment. In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, Parliament has provided for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and offences that involve threatening with a weapon. Where someone is physically harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that they may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.

Sentencing guidelines are produced by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. In 2018, the Council issued a package of guidelines on offences involving possession of and threatening with bladed articles and offensive weapons. These are available on its website at: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/. The Council published an evaluation last year which found that the package of guidelines are working as intended.

To preserve judicial independence, statutory responsibility for judicial training is held by the Lady Chief Justice, Senior President of Tribunals and Chief Coroner. The responsibilities are fulfilled by the Judicial College. The training programme is published online in an annual prospectus.
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Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 60th anniversary of the Race Relations Act 1965; and what steps they will take to reassure the British Jewish community that the police will take seriously racially-motivated crimes in all forms. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The UK has a long and proud history of tackling race discrimination, with the first Race Relations Act 1965 introduced 60 years ago. The King's Speech announced our intention to build on this legacy through the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which we intend to publish in draft this session.

Making sure that British Jews are not only safe, but also feel safe, remains one of our top priorities. This year, the Government has allocated £18 million to the Community Security Trust through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites.

The Government works closely with the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism along with Jewish community voices on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism. We also recently established an Antisemitism Working Group to provide advice on antisemitism and how government should engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews. We are committed to tackling antisemitism and support the police in taking robust action against all forms of hate crime, wherever these crimes occur and whoever is responsible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

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Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any government department maintains a list of local councils and organisations that have taken up twinning or friendship agreements with Ukrainian counterparts since the start of the full-scale invasion; and, if so, whether they will publish it. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: No government department maintains a list of local council twinning or friendship agreements.
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Lord Rooker:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since July 2024 to prevent (1) Russia, (2) China and (3) the United States of America, from interfering in future UK general elections. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: We are committed to ensuring we have robust systems in place to defend the UK from foreign interference in UK democratic processes.

The Government has renewed the mandate of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which brings together Government Ministers, representatives from law enforcement and the intelligence community, to coordinate work to protect UK political parties, elected officials and electoral infrastructure.

We continue to steer robust implementation of the National Security Act, introduced in 2023 to address evolving state threats to national security, including a new foreign interference offence.

The Government has operationalised the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, introduced under the National Security Act 2023. The scheme encourages transparency, deters harmful covert state threat activity and increases opportunity for earlier disruptions.

The Government has also published a new strategy for modern, secure and inclusive elections. This will strengthen oversight and safeguards against known and emerging threats, including foreign interference through covert political funding.
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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect, if any, of levels of street violence, drug dealing and rough sleeping on London’s international reputation and standing as the capital city. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government recognises the serious impact that robbery and theft from the person offences have on public safety, both in terms of the harm caused to victims and the wider implications for communities.

Through the Home Offices Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles. This will provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues, including robbery and theft from the person.

We also recognise that homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25).

As part of the Rough Sleeping Recovery and Prevention Grant (RSPARG) £63,964,330 was allocated across London in 25/26. The RSPARG gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services required to meet local need.
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Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, Baroness Shafik, will attend the Labour Party Conference; and whether attendance at a Party Conference by the Chair of the Victoria and Albert Museum is in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3.11 of the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies and associated government guidance. \p Baroness Twycross: Baroness Shafik has been appointed to be the Chief Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister as a Direct Ministerial Appointment. This role is therefore subject to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, which sets out requirements on political activity.

The management of relevant outside interests for this role has been agreed in line with relevant guidance and processes. Baroness Shafik will continue in her role as Chair of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Lord Frost:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commemorate in 2027 the 1100th anniversary of England's establishment as a unified state under King Athelstan in 927. \p Baroness Twycross: I am not aware of any government plans to specifically commemorate the 1100th anniversary of England's establishment as a unified state under King Æthelstan in 927.

However, DCMS's Arms-Length Body, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has recently funded 2 projects that explore Æthelstan and his history.

In the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, where Æthelstan was crowned in 925, in November 2024 the NLHF gave a grant of over £178k to support the council to deliver Kingston 2025: Celebrating our past, present, and future. The project invites visitors to ‘immerse themselves in all things Saxon’, showcasing the skills and trade of Æthelstan’s era.

In Malmesbury, the town in which Æthelstan was buried at his own request, in April 2024 a NLHF grant of over £14k has supported local organisation, Malmesbury Town Team, to deliver Æthelstan 1100's The Big Dig - Revealing Malmesbury's Story. Working with archaeologists and historians, the project has engaged schools, volunteers and residents in a wide range of activities exploring the town's past. The Big Dig uncovered finds from every period of Malmesbury's history except Roman, including pottery from the time of Æthelstan.
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Lord Bassam of Brighton:To ask His Majesty's Government what conclusions were drawn from any recent assessments by Historic England of sites for inclusion on the UK's UNESCO tentative list, and whether they will publish those assessments. \p Baroness Twycross: DCMS and Historic England, as our statutory advisers on heritage, regularly discuss sites and places we know to be interested in UNESCO World Heritage status, and have previously met and written to representatives from UK Cluniac sites.

With the large number of UK World Heritage Sites and our commitment to supporting UNESCO’s ambition for a more globally balanced and representative World Heritage List, the UK Government does not currently have plans to consider additional sites for nomination to UNESCO, beyond those already included on the UK’s Tentative List.

No recent formal assessments have been made by Historic England of sites for inclusion on the UK’s Tentative List. Applications to the 2022/23 Tentative List Review were assessed by an independent expert panel and the Government response was published in July 2023.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution made by the charity Samaritans to society; and what assistance, if any, they are providing to it. \p Baroness Twycross: This government recognises the invaluable contribution that Samaritans make every year to the lives of thousands of people experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts.

We engage with Samaritans and other voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations closely and will continue to work with them in their important role in suicide prevention efforts. Minister Peacock has met with Samaritans on World Suicide Prevention Day and this discussion focused on government support for the VCSE sector.

This government recently announced the publication of the Civil Society Covenant, which sets out the terms of a new relationship between government and civil society, and is a clear statement that government sees civil society as an indispensable partner in building a better Britain.
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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will allow high-resolution images of works of art that are in the Government Art Collection and in the public domain to be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government Art Collection (GAC) does not assert Crown Copyright over images of 2D original artworks in the Collection, where the image has been taken by its employees (i.e. Civil Servants). This is a recent change in approach to copyright assertion, with all affected documentation in the process of being updated.

GAC continues to license images for commercial and non-commercial use through a contractual agreement.
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Lord Inglewood:To ask His Majesty's Government how many people were employed by Historic England in (1) 2015, (2) 2020 and (3) 2025. \p Baroness Twycross: The average full time equivalent staff number employed by Historic England in (1) 2015/16 was 878, (2) 2019/20 was 828 and (3) 2024/25 was 982.
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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of video games designed to support the mental health of young people. \p Baroness Twycross: The government recognises the potential mental health benefits for young people that can come from playing video games.

Independent studies from the University of Oxford, the United States National Library of Medicine and The Royal Society found positive health and wellbeing impacts from playing video games. The global video games industry also published the “Power of Play” report in 2023, providing insights into video games’ social and emotional benefit, showing 71% of players turning to video games to relieve stress.

In 2023, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published a Video Games Research Framework which seeks to improve understanding of the impacts of video games. It sets out the Government’s research topics and priorities, including the mental health impacts on players interacting with video games and how the application of video games has health tools impacts on players.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-09-17 conversation_42

Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of marine mammals that have been caught by fishing vessels in UK waters in 2023 and 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Bycatch Monitoring Programme is currently producing the 2024 report on marine mammal bycatch estimates and is expected to be published by the end of the year.

According to the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme there were twenty cases of cetacean bycatch and entanglement in 2023 and fifteen in 2024. This data is taken from necropsy data only and does not include data collected on beaches/at sea by volunteer schemes from non-necropsied animals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-09-17 conversation_43

Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government how many reports of marine mammal bycatch were made in 2023 and 2024. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: In 2023 there were 17 reports of marine mammal bycatch, six incidents of which resulted in injury or death. In 2024 there were 12 incidents reported, and none resulted in injury or death.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-09-17 conversation_44

Baroness Boycott:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they made to the government of the United States as part of their application for a comparability finding under the Marine Mammal Protection Act import provisions. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: In 2021 the Government worked with the Devolved Administrations, Marine Management Organisation, Joint Nature and Conversation Committee and academia, to submit a suite of evidence to support the UK’s application for a comparability finding in respect of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The MMPA Import Provisions require that harvesting nations maintain a regulatory programme to address the intentional and incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in their export fisheries that is comparable in effectiveness to the U.S. regulatory programme. In August 2025, having reviewed this this evidence, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States found the United Kingdom’s regulatory programme to be comparable to the US, meaning trade in fisheries products can continue as before.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-09-17 conversation_45

Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review the provisions of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 to provide exemptions and protection from prosecution for British citizens who have served in the armed forces of Ukraine. \p Lord Coaker: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice to Ukraine states: 'If you travel to Ukraine to fight, or to assist others engaged in the war, your activities may amount to offences under UK legislation. You could be prosecuted on your return to the UK'.

The Crown Prosecution Service, which acts independently of police and Government, will consider any information that is referred by the police and any decision to prosecute will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-09-17 conversation_46

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what changes they have made over the past five years in the application of comparability factors to the Barnett formula for determining cash payments to the Welsh government consequential to expenditure on railway services located solely in England. \p Lord Livermore: Comparability factors are used to determine the extent to which a UK Government department’s spending is comparable (where policy is devolved) to the Welsh Government.

Comparability factors are generally updated prior to each spending review. In the past five years, the Department for Transport’s comparability factors were updated at the Spending Review in 2020 and again at the Spending Review in 2025. The most recent comparability factor applied to changes in the Department for Transport budgets at the Spending Review in 2025 was 33.5% for Wales. A comparability factor of 36.6% was applied at the Spending Reviews in 2020 and 2021.

Full details of changes to comparability factors over the past five years, including those for the Department for Transport, are published in the relevant Statement of Funding Policy:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684859e3d0ca5d7801e4e6f6/Statement_of_Funding_Policy.pdf
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_1

Baroness Caine of Kentish Town:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop new qualifications to align with the needs of The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Skills England will help ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access. It will focus on the industrial strategy priority growth sectors to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the industrial strategy.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will give greater flexibility to employers and learners and increase access to talent across the eight industrial strategy sectors. We will continue to roll out shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships to give more people across the country the opportunity to learn and earn in industrial strategy sectors. We will also introduce short courses, funded through the growth and skills levy, which will support industrial strategy sectors starting from April 2026.

Post-16 qualifications are being reformed to offer high-quality options aligned with economic needs. From August 2025, 140 reformed qualifications at levels 2 and 3 will be available, with more level 3 qualifications launching in August 2026. These include areas such as digital, health, and science, aligned with occupational standards and new funding criteria to meet the needs of both learners and employers.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_2

Baroness Bull:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 19 June of new plans to give every child access to high-quality physical education and sport at school, whether dance activities will count towards the two hours of physical education schools will offer each week; and whether local dance schools and clubs will be included in the new national network of schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: ​​Dance is part of the physical education (PE) national curriculum at key stages 1, 2, and 3.

​One of the roles of the new national network is to support the delivery of high-quality PE, including dance. The department will engage schools and stakeholder organisations when drawing up the detailed design of networks, including how to make links to dance providers.

​In March the department also announced plans to establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education from September 2026 onwards. Its aim is to ensure young people across the country have greater access to high-quality arts education and wider creative opportunities. It will do this by supporting the delivery of high-quality arts education subjects, including art and design, drama, music and dance, through training and development for teachers, promoting opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school, and by boosting partnerships between schools and cultural providers.

​The government is also developing an Enrichment Framework, ensuring that all young people have equal access to high-quality extracurricular activities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_3

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich:To ask His Majesty's Government whether a sixth form college that has moved to academy status will be covered by the provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill will provide a core guarantee of quality education in every school. It will create a floor but no ceiling, enabling healthy competition and innovation beyond a core framework to bring all schools to the level of the very best.

16 to 19 academies are principally concerned with the education of young people above compulsory school age and below the age of 19. They are defined separately to academy schools under the Academies Act 2010 and operate within a policy, financial and operational framework that reflects the type of education that they provide. In keeping with the existing regulatory approach, 16 to 19 academies, including those that were previously sixth-Form colleges, remain out of scope of most of the measures in the Bill that will apply to schools, including academy schools. Under clause 36 of the Bill, 16 to 19 academies remain outside of the scope of Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, which is the main regulatory framework for independent schools, including academy schools.

Clause 49, which introduces a power to secure the performance of an academy proprietor’s duties, will apply to 16 to 19 academies, as well as academy schools. Robust accountability mechanisms play a critical role in the school system by setting clear requirements and expectations, encouraging behaviours that put children first, help them to achieve and thrive, and keep them safe.

This measure will allow my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to direct any academy trust to comply with their legal duties and address unreasonable actions in a way that is more proportionate than the current intervention regime provided through academy funding agreements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_4

Baroness Redfern:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a single unique identifier for children in care. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The single unique identifier for children which the government promised in its manifesto is intended to apply to all children, including those in care, and is part of the solution to improve data sharing to stop children falling through the cracks. The legislation to enable its designation and use is currently before Parliament as part of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_5

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 28 April (HL6277), how many pupils were attending the 20 schools referred to. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The information is available on Get Information about Schools and shows these schools had over 1,500 pupils.

Overall pupil numbers at these schools combined were only at 51% of the combined capacity of these schools in January 2024 - before details of tax changes were announced. Low pupil numbers relative to capacity can be a risk factor associated with subsequent closure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-07-09 conversation_6

Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen the home learning environment to support literacy in early years and school-age children. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 08 July 2025 to Question 60798.