theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_30

Lord Cameron of Dillington:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of ending operator self-monitoring of sewage overflows. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Since 01 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning (under section 141DA of the Water Industry Act 1991 as inserted by section 81 of the Environment Act 2021).

Data must be published in a way that is accessible to the public and in a form that allows the public readily to understand it. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website.

To further support understanding of the impact that sewage discharges have on the receiving watercourse, a programme to rollout Continuous Water Quality Monitors near storm overflows and sewage treatment works is beginning in Price Review period (PR24), which runs from 2025-2030. Monitors will be installed at 25% of assets in scope for the continuous water quality monitoring programme in the next Price Review 24. Sites prioritised for monitoring will be based on Defra’s priority areas, such as those that impact designated bathing and shellfish waters.

Combined, these measures are creating an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and to hold water companies to account. Where breaches of legal requirements are identified as a result of this data, regulators won't hesitate to take action.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to DEFRA’s press release ‘Government to crack down on waste incinerators with stricter standards for new builds’ published on 30 December 2024 which stated that “the country will only need to manage 17.6 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste by 2042”, what estimate they have made of the weight of residual waste from (1) household and (2) other sources to arrive at that figure. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: There is a statutory target to ensure that the total mass of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) in England does not exceed 287kg per person in 2042. This is roughly equivalent to reducing residual waste arisings on a kg per person basis by 50% by 2042 from 2019 levels. This includes residual waste from both municipal (household and ‘household-like’) and non-municipal sources. It excludes major mineral wastes, the predominant and largely inert waste typically arising from construction and demolition sources, such as soils, concrete, ceramics and dredging spoils.

The figure of 17.6 million tonnes of residual waste arisings in 2042, in the context of meeting the 2042 target, is calculated by taking the 287kg figure and multiplying this by the Office for National Statistics population projection for 2042. We do not have estimates of the proportion or weight of this that will be made up of municipal waste and the proportion or weight that will be made up of non-municipal waste.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of reintroducing beavers on landscape recovery and natural flood management. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Government has assessed the impact of reintroducing beavers on landscape recovery and natural flood management. This includes an evidence review of the impacts of beavers on the natural and human environment in England.

The evidence shows that beavers can transform landscapes, improve water quality, reduce the risk of flooding, increase biodiversity, and increase climate resilience in landscapes. At the river catchment scale, beaver activity has the potential to benefit agricultural land through flood attenuation, slowing the flow of water and maintaining baseflow. Beavers also contribute to the Environment Improvement Plan objectives through wetland creation and restoration.

Beavers can both positively and negatively impact agricultural land, with factors like topography, soil structure and texture, hydrology, type of agriculture and proximity to watercourses affecting the likelihood of impacts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current level of bad debt in the water sector and what plans they have to reduce that debt. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The occupier of a property has a legal responsibility to pay the water bill of that property. Water sector bad debt is money owed to water companies which customers are failing to pay off.

This Government expects all water companies to proactively engage with supporting their customers and to put robust support in place to help customers make payments on any outstanding debt.

Between 2019 and 2024 bad debt cost the sector £2.205 billion. Under Ofwat’s PR24 Final Determinations, companies have committed to contributing £197 million of funding to reduce the number of households in debt.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to change or restrict open access operations on the railway network. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Secretary of State recently wrote to the Chair of the ORR to set out her expectations for the future of Open Access. She was clear on the benefits that Open Access can bring, but equally that balance must be struck between passenger benefits and impacts upon taxpayers and network performance. This does not represent a ‘restriction’ on Open Access, but rather that it is important to ensure that this balance is applied when ORR undertakes its statutory duties in relation to each application. We remain committed to a role for Open Access where it provides benefits for both passengers and taxpayers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans are in place to protect rail customers and staff following reports that dozens of British Transport Police stations are facing possible closure. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The safety of passengers and rail staff on the network is a priority for the Department and the rail industry, including the British Transport Police (BTP).

We will continue to work with BTP and the rail industry to consider how best to deploy their available budget in the coming financial year to ensure the safety of those on the rail network. It is important to stress that no final decisions have yet been made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many outstanding claims for compensation they have received and are processing from relatives of those shot or killed by soldiers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. \p Lord Coaker: The Ministry of Defence is processing 107 claims relating to individuals shot or killed by soldiers in Northern Ireland, during the Troubles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 28 November 2024 (HL2549), how many individual claims were included in the £4,682,122 compensation paid out in the past five years to families of victims of the Troubles. \p Lord Coaker: My written Answer on 28 November 2024 referenced £4,682,122 of compensation paid to 'relatives of those shot and killed by soldiers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles'. That cohort included 20 individual claims.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK becomes the global leader in AI technologies, particularly regarding how they will encourage (1) firms to invest in the UK, and (2) talent to move to and remain in the UK. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The UK is the leading destination for AI growth and investment in Europe. We remain committed to building an AI sector that can win globally, ensuring AI companies want to call the UK home. The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will achieve our AI ambitions.

The UK’s immigration offer enables top AI talent to come to the UK through several visa routes such as the Skilled Worker, the Global Talent, and the High Potential Individual visas, and we continually keep our policies under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that AI regulation does not create a digital border between (1) the UK and the EU, and (2) the UK and Northern Ireland. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: Government is committed to building a regulatory regime that is proportionate and keeps pace with new advancements and risks. This includes delivering on our manifesto commitment to place new binding requirements on the developers of powerful models. It also means ensuring UK regulators have the right resources to effectively regulate AI in their respective domains.

AI knows no borders and through international cooperation, we can make progress towards ensuring effective global AI collaboration. The UK will continue to work closely with international partners, building on the work of existing multilateral and multistakeholder initiatives to achieve this critical objective.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Hampton:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue the holiday activities and food programme into the 2025–26 financial year; and what plans they have for this funding. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20959.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Reid of Cardowan:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are accessible to under-represented groups, including those in rural areas and disadvantaged communities. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, we will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs. This will align with the industrial strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.

The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. Foundation apprenticeships will be a work-based training offer that will provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment.

The department is engaging with relevant stakeholders as it develops the offer to maximise the positive impact of foundation apprenticeships on young people, including those in disadvantaged areas. More detail on foundation apprenticeships will be set out in due course.

The department continues to pay additional funding to employers and training providers to support them to take on young apprentices, apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities and care leavers. Apprentices under the age of 25 that have been in local authority care can claim a bursary of £3,000 when they start an apprenticeship to support them as they transition into employment.

The department also continues to promote apprenticeships through the Skills for Life campaign and in schools and colleges across England through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) Programme. Through the ASK Programme, the department increases awareness of apprenticeships amongst students in years 10 to 13, as well as parents, carers, teachers and careers advisers. During the 2023/24 academic year, ASK engaged with 2,366 schools and colleges and reached over 575,000 students.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Penn:To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the next iteration of the National Behaviour Survey. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The National Behaviour Survey annual report for the 2023/24 academic year is expected to be published in spring 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Reid of Cardowan:To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to monitor and improve the quality of training provided through apprenticeship programmes to ensure they meet industry standards. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department is making sure that apprenticeships continue to meet employers’ needs in a fast-changing world. All standards are developed by employers to ensure their credibility and applicability, and all standards are reviewed periodically by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Employers can also request exceptional reviews if they feel a major update is required.

High-quality training is crucial and apprentices' success hinges on the commitment and collaboration of an employer, apprentice, and training provider. The department’s Apprenticeship Accountability Framework sets minimum standards for various quality performance indicators, and we actively intervene if a provider's performance falls below the expected levels. Ofsted are also inspecting apprenticeship providers, and the department is using their judgements to support and drive the delivery of high-quality apprenticeship provision. The department is providing targeted support to employers, and the Apprenticeship Service gives employers and learners the opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences which we use to improve the apprenticeship experience. Every apprentice completes a robust End-Point Assessment to give apprentices and employers the confidence that they have achieved occupational competence.

Apprentices who complete see the best outcomes from their experiences. Our focus on driving up quality is resulting in year on year increases in achievement rates and will continue to drive up standards to ensure every learner gets the greatest benefit from their apprenticeship.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Penn:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken with teacher training providers to incorporate the latest evidence on mobile phones, social media and mental health into their curricula. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The mandatory Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework have been designed to set out the minimum entitlement of knowledge, skills and experiences that trainees need to enter the profession. This includes requiring all trainees to learn how to contribute positively to the wider school culture and develop a feeling of shared responsibility for improving the lives of all pupils in the school.

The framework is not a curriculum and ITT and Early Career providers, or those schools adopting the school-led approach to deliver the Early Career Teacher Entitlement, must use the framework to create a full curriculum. This includes integrating additional analysis and critique of theory, research, and expert practice as they consider best suited to their curriculum. We recognise that research and evidence is constantly evolving, including evidence on mobile phones, social media and mental health and providers may seek to incorporate this in their curricula.

Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge the development and training that teachers in their schools need to support their pupils.

Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. Additionally, the government’s non-statutory guidance supports schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day. Headteachers are responsible for implementation of guidance within their schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Baroness Penn:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans Ofsted has to incorporate evidence on mobile phones into its Education Inspection Framework and inspector training. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the noble Lady directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-28 conversation_46

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make apprenticeships more financially viable for young people and their families. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 6 January 2025 to Question HL3616.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Storey:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, and according to what timetable, for the schools and colleges which are still affected by issues relating to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to be repaired, or to be provided with new building. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of their buildings was 237.

All schools with identified RAAC have been made safe. The department has supported schools and colleges to put in place mitigations and the government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England.

The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme.

The requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools having RAAC removed through the School Rebuilding Programme, schools are prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. We will also take into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation they are using. We have confirmed to responsible bodies when works are expected to start.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The scope of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. We are working with responsible bodies to support them as they take this forward.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Petitgas:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 27 November 2024 (HC14948), what assessment they have made of the potential effect of proposed changes to the non-domiciled tax regime on the UK's international reputation as a destination for high-net-worth individuals; and whether they plan to update the value for money assessment and scenarios for the changes to the non-domiciled tax regime in view of the reported current migration of such individuals. \p Lord Livermore: The Government is making elements of the non-dom reforms simpler to use and more attractive, whilst retaining the structure announced at the Budget. We do not expect these changes to impact the £33.8 billion of tax revenue that the OBR forecast to raise over five years from this government’s and the previous government’s changes to the non-dom tax regime.

Evidence from reforms in 2017 shows that the vast majority of former non-doms who became liable for tax on their worldwide income and gains remained UK resident and continued to contribute to the UK economy.

The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note for this policy on 30 October, which can be found on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current levels of (1) personal, (2) national, debt in the United Kingdom. \p Lord Livermore: The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances and debt levels. According to the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee in its November 2024 Financial Stability Report, household debt as a share of income fell to 130% in Q2 2024 from 132% at the end of 2023, and borrowers slightly increased their aggregate savings buffers in 2024 making them more resilient to potential economic shocks. The Money and Pensions Service conducts an annual survey of people in financial difficulty in the UK. The results of their latest survey were published on 29 February 2024.

As of December 2024, Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) was 97.2% of GDP. Net financial debt (PSNFL), the measure targeted by the Government’s fiscal rule, was 84.5%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-28)

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Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer raised the issue of transnational repression with the government of China during her recent trip to Beijing; and if so, how the government of China responded. \p Lord Livermore: This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.

The Chancellor raised a range of UK concerns in meetings with the Chinese government counterparts, including human rights and the restrictions on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong and the case of Jimmy Lai. The Chancellor also published a written ministerial statement about her visit to China on the morning of Monday 13 January and delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 January.

The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe and it is committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take very seriously the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of SumUp's UK Business Confidence Report 2025, and of the implications of those findings for policies relating to the cost pressures faced by small and independent retailers. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: We recognise the challenges facing businesses at the moment. This is why we are taking action – including through creating a fairer business rates system which includes introducing permanently lower rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

We're protecting the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.

We also recognise the challenge in accessing the right skills which is why we've created Skills England, the new Growth and Skills Levy, the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, as well as qualifications reform and the Independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, this Government is ensuring employers will be better supported to recruit and train the domestic workforce with the skills they need.

Finally, our Plan for small and medium-sized businesses aims to tackle late payments, boost access to finance, and remove red tape to enable SMEs across the country to grow and thrive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord Sharpe of Epsom:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the domestic metal-recycling base to secure the feedstock required for a decarbonised steel industry, and to reduce reliance on imported virgin materials. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The Government recognises the importance of a circular economy and the need for domestic supply of scrap to meet demand, whilst also ensuring the market remains fair and beneficial for all stakeholders. We are actively listening to the perspectives of all involved parties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord Sharpe of Epsom:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure parity of treatment between metal recyclers and steel producers in relation to energy pricing and the proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The Government has recently published a consultation on eligibility for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme which, from 2027, will lower electricity prices for businesses in manufacturing frontier industries and foundational industries in their supply chains. Support is also available through the British Industry Supercharger and the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme.

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will ensure that highly traded, carbon-intensive imported goods face a comparable carbon price to UK-produced equivalents. Imported scrap products, including those from aluminium, iron and steel, will remain outside CBAM scope due to their low carbon leakage risk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any people with disabilities applying to the Access for Work scheme have been waiting nine months or more for their assessment; why the time needed for an assessment to the Access to Work scheme rose from an average of 56.9 days for the period April 2024–February 2025 to 84.6 days in February 2025; what plans they have to reduce the waiting time for such assessments; and what are the implications for challenging willingness to work. \p Baroness Sherlock: Access to Work (AtW) provision data is provided at Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and relates to approvals and payments. The data details the number of people who have had AtW provision approved, the number of people who received at least one AtW payment, AtW expenditure and the annual payment per customer for AtW provision. It is broken down into several categories including financial year, type of provision, primary medical condition, region and others. At present, data on waiting times for assessments is not published.

Increased waiting times reflect growing demand for the AtW scheme. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims. We have streamlined delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. We also prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks, or those whose existing grant requires renewal.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Baroness Hodgson of Abinger:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announced staff cuts at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps they will take to ensure that gender and conflict considerations will remain central to the UK’s diplomatic and development work. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to becoming a smaller, more agile organisation, better able to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. Staff reductions are being made strategically, with decisions guided by an organisational prioritisation exercise. The FCDO plans to publish indicative Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations for the next three years in the coming months, which will continue to reflect our commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with technology companies and child safety agencies on regulatory frameworks for detecting child protection risks in artificial intelligence systems. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: Illegal provisions have been in place since March, and additional protections for children since July of this year. Under the Online Safety Act, AI services that allow users to share content with one another or search live websites to provide results must protect all users from illegal content and children from harmful content.

The Government engages with a range of stakeholders on the impact of AI and will continue to act to address new and emerging AI harms. Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are introducing an offence to criminalise AI models which have been optimised to create child abuse material and have tabled amendments to support the stringent testing of AI systems for child sexual abuse material risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

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Lord McColl of Dulwich:To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum applications have been (1) made, and (2) accepted over the last 10 years, in total and in each of those years. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Please find the figures in the table below.

Table 1: Number of Asylum Claims and Number of Grants of Protection or Other Leave at Initial Decision (October 2015 – September 2025)

Period

Asylum Claims

Grants of Protection or Other Leave (at initial decision)

October 2015-September 2016

41,981

10,556

October 2016-September 2017

34,645

9,279

October 2017-September 2018

36,717

9,186

October 2018-September 2019

44,145

13,867

October 2019-September 2020

39,979

10,697

October 2020-September 2021

45,535

11,897

October 2021-September 2022

88,213

15,533

October 2022-September 2023

94,132

38,098

October 2023-September 2024

97,091

52,742

October 2024-September 2025

110,051

58,148

Total

632,489

230,003

Source: Asy_D01- Asylum Claims and Asy_D02 Asylum Initial Decisions of the ‘Asylum claim and initial decisions detailed datasets’, as part of Home Office’s ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.

Figures include both main applicants and dependants. Grant figures reflect outcomes at the initial decision stage only.
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Lord Moylan:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have taken to ensure that Great British Railways will treat all its retail market participants, including the Great British Railways retailing unit, on a fair, equal and non-discriminatory basis. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government is committed to a fair and open rail retail market, in which Great British Railways (GBR) will sell tickets alongside, and compete with, independent retailers. Moreover, the retail industry management functions currently performed by the Rail Delivery Group will move to GBR.

To ensure fairness when GBR takes on these functions, the Government has announced a range of safeguards, including an industry code of practice. The code of practice will incorporate clear requirements for how GBR interacts with all market participants and impose separation of decision-making where relevant. It will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road, and GBR’s licence will require compliance with it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_9

Lord Austin of Dudley:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the stability of funding for national active travel programmes. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: At the 2025 Spending Review, the Government announced £616 million of capital funding for active travel over the years 2026/27 to 2029/30. Long term funding settlements for local authorities will be agreed as part of wider Integrated Settlements for Mayoral Strategic Authorities and consolidated local transport settlements for other authorities.

The Government also announced £15.6 billion in total by 2031-32 for the Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements, supporting them to invest in their local transport priorities, including promoting modal shift from cars to public transport, walking and cycling.

The Government plans to offer long term funding settlements over the 2025 Spending Review period for other national active travel programmes run by wider organisations, such as Bikeability and the National Cycle Network, following the conclusion of DfT business planning.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_10

Baroness Pidgeon:To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they intend to implement to support schools in educating children about road safety and in reducing the number of road traffic accidents involving school children. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: The Government’s flagship road safety campaign THINK! provides a wide range of free educational resources to help improve children's road safety.

THINK! launched its ‘Safe Adventures’ campaign to help parents across the country prepare their children for independent travel ahead of moving to secondary school: This activity focuses on the risky behaviours assigned to child pedestrian casualties, which includes failing to look and distractions, finding a safe place to cross and being in a hurry.

The Government is also committed to Bikeability training, a national cycle training scheme funded by the Department, which to date has trained over 4 million children to cycle safely on today’s roads. Recent funding aims to train 1 million more.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_11

Earl Attlee:To ask His Majesty's Government how many abnormal load movement notifications were received by National Highways Yorkshire and North East in each of the past five years for which figures are available. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: For the years that information is available, the figures are:

2022 – 71,849

2023 – 115,931

2024 – 156,591

2025 to end October – 149,619
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_12

Baroness Northover:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of changes to local planning authority agendas with regard to house building upon companies directly linked to the Industrial Strategy. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The Government is committed to building 1.5 million homes over this Parliament and delivering our modern Industrial Strategy.

Reforming the planning system is key to delivering on both of these commitments. The revised National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies should set out a clear economic vision and strategy which positively and proactively encourages sustainable economic growth, having regard to the national Industrial Strategy and any relevant Local Industrial Strategies. We will ensure that the planning system supports growth in our eight priority sectors, as reflected in the revised Framework. This prioritisation will be further embedded when we consult on a set of national policies for decision-making before the end of the year.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure – including infrastructure relevant to delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.

The Government engages regularly with relevant stakeholders to understand and monitor the impacts of our proposed reforms.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_13

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of any overspend by local authorities in England in this financial year; and how much has been allocated to cover that overspend in the final local government finance settlement for this year. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: I refer the noble Lord to the statement made by my hon Friend the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness on 20 November 2025 (attached) (HCWS1080), which sets out our plans for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement, which includes allocating £3.4 billion of new grant funding over the multi-year period.

Local authorities are required to set a balanced budget. Any council that has concerns about its ability to set or maintain a balanced budget should approach the department in the first instance. The government does not collect data on overspends of budgets, but Revenue Account Budgets and Revenue Outturn are published as official national statistics.

HCWS1080 (pdf, 122.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_14

The Earl of Lytton:To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to their Research and Analysis Building Safety Remediation: monthly data release - June 2025, updated on 2 October, what are the reasons for the difference between (1) their new estimate as of January 2025 for the total number of mid-rise residential buildings with dwellings in England of 39,000–59,000, and (2) the previous estimate published in 2021 of 71,000–79,000, in the context of the margin of uncertainty increasing from 8,000 to 20,000. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: A description of the methodology for the revised estimate as of January 2025 can be found in the technical note that accompanies the monthly data release. It can be found here: Building Safety Technical Note June 2025

The revised estimates are based on the recently released Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database data which was not available when the original estimates were calculated. The key assumptions section of the Technical Note refers to the use of Ordnance Survey unique building identifiers in the higher building ranges and this was a key driver for the increase in the range of uncertainty.

Building Safety Technical Note (pdf, 500.8KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_15

The Earl of Lytton:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate for the total number of dwellings in mid-rise residential buildings in England. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: There are an estimated 858,000 – 1,298,000 dwellings in mid-rise (11-18m) residential buildings in England.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_16

Lord Shinkwin:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enable accurate data capture on the number of rough sleeping veterans. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: MHCLG collects a range of data and research on veteran homelessness and rough sleeping, including through the Homelessness Case Level Collection (H-CLIC), Rough Sleeping Data Framework, Rough sleeping single night autumn snapshot, and Rough Sleeping Questionnaire (RSQ). These statistics and research are available (attached) at Homelessness statistics - GOV.UK and (attached) Rough sleeping questionnaire: initial findings - GOV.UK.

Homelessness Statistics (pdf, 527.1KB)

Rough Sleeping  (pdf, 161.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-11-28 conversation_17

Lord Kamall:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the NHS Federated Data Platform uptake and benefits, updated on 30 October, how many of the 563,239 people removed from the waiting list were removed for the reason of (1) receiving treatment, (2) improved conditions, (3) opting for alternative care, (4) returning to general practice for primary care, (5) returning to optometry for primary care, (6) returning to pharmacy for primary care, (7) returning to primary care not otherwise specified, and (8) other reasons not otherwise specified. \p Baroness Merron: The Federated Data Platform’s referral to treatment validation tool supports National Health Service staff to better manage the waiting lists of patients who have been referred for non-urgent elective care.

The Department does not hold the data required to detail the breakdown of reasons patients were removed from the waiting lists as this is patient-level data which is held by trusts themselves in their electronic patient records.

Waiting list validation is a core part of providers’ management of waiting lists which involves ensuring patients’ records are accurate and up to date, that patients still want their treatment, and that they have opportunities to update their clinical team about changes in their condition or relevant circumstances.

This ensures providers have an accurate understanding of the true size of their waiting list, whilst helping minimise missed or cancelled appointments and ensuring the most effective use of clinicians’ time.

Waiting list validation is a well-established component for the effective management of waiting lists, with detailed guidance available for trusts, including safeguards to ensure patients are not incorrectly removed from waiting lists. NHS guidance states there “must be agreement from a clinician before any patient is returned to the referrer”. Any patient removed should receive a letter that would also be sent to their general practitioner.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-29 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-29 conversation_1

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 September (HL10489), what estimate they have made of the cost of collecting, collating and verifying the data mentioned in the question. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: I thank the Noble Lord for his question. I am sure he will know that the Advisory Guide to Parliamentary Work published by the Cabinet Office sets out that there is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.

The Procedure Committee recommended that the threshold “be calculated only with regard to policy team time—it should not account for any central processing in parliamentary branches or WPQ teams, or the time taken by Ministers or their advisers”.

We estimate that the cost of locating and collating any relevant information and extracting the information to meet your request would exceed the appropriate limit.

This is because in order to respond to your request for information we would need to match, collate and verify information from multiple immigration data systems owned by Home Office to multiple systems containing the relevant information on Organised Crime Gangs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-10-29 conversation_2

Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the 'one in, one out' scheme agreed with the government of France in deterring asylum seekers from entering the United Kingdom in small boats. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The UK-France Treaty on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys is a pilot scheme, and evaluation is a crucial part of its success. We will continuously monitor and evaluate the pilot as it progresses, with a full evaluation to be completed at the end of the pilot period.