theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_22

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young skilled workers remain in the UK, particularly in the cyber industries. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government are delivering several initiatives to support young skilled workers enter and remain working in cyber industries in the UK. Alongside bootcamps and apprenticeships, we provide sector specific initiatives aimed at fostering talent and providing clear career pathways for the cyber sector.

The CyberFirst programme supports young people aged 11 to 25 with a range of educational courses, competitions and events, designed to develop tech skills and inspire interest in cyber careers. The CyberFirst bursary scheme provides a clear route to support UK talent into cyber jobs with 87% of bursary graduates now working in the cyber sector.

The UK Cyber Security Council, the professional body for the cyber workforce, is making it easier for young people to understand how to enter and navigate a career in cyber industries. The Government supports the work of the Council with grant funding.

We are also supporting young entrepreneurs and researchers to develop cyber products and companies through initiatives like CyberASAP and CyberRunway. These programmes offer resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities to help young people develop innovative ideas and contribute to the UK cyber sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK elections remain free and fair amid the rising potential for AI interference. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is well prepared to ensure the integrity and security of UK electoral processes. The Defending Democracy Taskforce and broader cross-government election structures have robust processes in place to respond to threats, including novel threats from AI.

Further bolstering our response to this risk, the Central AI Risk Function works to continuously identify, assess and prepare for risks associated with AI, including to the online information environment.

Where such content amounts to a criminal offence, the Online Safety Act requires platforms to remove disinformation aimed at disrupting elections, including where it is AI-generated, as soon as they become aware of it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_24

Baroness Morgan of Cotes:To ask His Majesty's Government what their understanding is of the timescales of the work of Ofcom’s new ‘small but risky’ taskforce; and specifically when they expect any platforms that are prioritised as being particularly dangerous and which do not comply with requirements under the Online Safety Act 2023 to be subject to takedown orders. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: Ofcom's recent enforcement update highlights its focus on scrutinising platforms that present risks of harm from illegal content, due to their size or nature. This includes smaller sites where users might encounter priority offences such as content that encourages or assists suicide. In its January industry bulletin, Ofcom detailed its approach to driving improvements under the Online Safety Act, such as requiring specific firms - including smaller services of concern - to submit illegal content risk assessments by 31 March. Ofcom also outlined the conditions for enforcement action, including takedown orders, such as in cases of ongoing non-compliance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government how many childcare places are provided in each local authority. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department does not hold the data for public sector providers of childcare places in the format requested. The 2024 childcare and early years providers survey estimated there to be 54,700 Early Years providers in total, made up of 21,200 group-based providers, 9,700 school-based providers and 23,800 childminders. The survey estimated there to be 1,602,500 registered places, made up of 1,100,100 group-based provider places, 359,200 school-based provider places and 143,200 childminder places. The survey can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/childcare-and-early-years-provider-survey/2024.

For private providers, Ofsted publishes information in ‘Childcare providers and inspections: management information’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/childcare-providers-and-inspections-management-information, with reference to Table 2, column J which provides a detailed breakdown of places by private providers in each local authority. Table 2 is also provided in the attached excel document.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract. We do not currently have any reports of sufficiency issues in any local authority.

HL5346_HL5348_HL5350_Childcare_providers_and_place (xlsx, 128.4KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_26

Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether an impact assessment has been made of the impact of the planned rise in national insurance contributions on the number of childcare places to be provided (1) in total, and (2) by private sector providers. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government has agreed that public sector employers will receive compensation in recognition of their increased National Insurance contributions from April 2025. For early years, public sector employers are school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools. For the early years sector, the department is providing £25 million of additional funding. This does not include support for the private sector, including private sector firms contracted by public sector entities.

All providers will benefit from the £75 million expansion grant to support the early years sector to deliver the final phase of the expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025. This funding is being provided in recognition of the significant level of expansion required to support early years settings provide sufficient places for the new childcare entitlements.

This additional funding is on top of the over £8 billion the government expects to spend on early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year and the additional £25 million being provided to the sector as a result of the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium. The early years pupil premium rate will increase by over 45% in the 2025/26 financial year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_27

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they propose to take to stop illegal gambling on the black market (1) domestically, and (2) from offshore sites. \p Baroness Twycross: We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Gambling Commission assesses information gathered from multiple sources and works closely with partner agencies to prevent access to illegal websites by consumers in Great Britain, regardless of where the website itself is based.

In the past year, the Commission has significantly increased its disruption activity and has a renewed focus on finding innovative ways to tackle the illegal market. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in Parliament on 25 February 2025, will also grant the Gambling Commission with new powers to more quickly and effectively take down illegal gambling websites.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_28

Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what interdepartmental collaboration exists between the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to develop a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable growth of Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry as both a manufacturing sector and a cultural asset. \p Baroness Twycross: The Government recognises Stoke-on-Trent’s rich ceramics heritage and its potential for economic growth. While no formal assessment has been made of the potential economic benefits of a dedicated Cultural Heritage Zone, we are continuing to support the city’s creative and heritage sectors through a range of initiatives. Our support includes £370,000 to boost creative industry skills in Stoke-on-Trent College, alongside the Small Community and Heritage Assets Grants Programme which has supported creative businesses in the region.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_29

Baroness Berridge:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will commission the Animal Sentience Committee to conduct an assessment of the treatment of pets as chattels for the purposes of section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Animal Sentience Committee was established by the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 to furnish accountability to Parliament for the consideration of the welfare of sentient animals in Ministerial decisions. The Committee decide which policy decisions to select for the purpose of producing a report. There is no power in statute for the Government to direct the work of the Committee.

There are currently no distinct statutory provisions relating specifically to the ownership or treatment of pets for the purposes of financial proceedings on divorce.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_30

Lord Teverson:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will extend 'right to repair' legislation (1) further to encourage reuse and repair practices, and (2) to ensure that manufacturers provide appropriate parts and service information. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to scrap the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our holistic programme of reforms for the water sector.

Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. In 2024/2025, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

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The Lord Bishop of Lichfield:To ask His Majesty's Government what the average caseload of probation officers in England and Wales was in each year of the last decade. \p Lord Timpson: The average caseload of Probation Officers has been presented from the period July 2021 to February 2025. This is because the Probation Service unified in June 2021, with some Probation Officers and caseload held by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) prior to this point. The Probation Service does not have access to data for caseload held by CRCs .

Table One: Probation Officer average annual caseload across England and Wales

Period

Annual average caseload per Probation Officer

July 21 – June 22

36.0

July 22 – June 23

37.1

July 23 – June 24

35.2

July 24 - Feb 25*

34.2

*Data presented based on an eight-month period rather than a full year.

Notes:

• The data within the Workload Measurement Tool (WMT) are manually entered by Senior Probation Officers (SPOs) for the purposes of ensuring that contracted hours and adjustments are accurate. These data are subject to inaccuracy as a result of the manual nature with which data are submitted.

• Annual average caseload per Probation Officer has been calculated by taking the average caseload on the last day of each month in that period.

• Even if staff do not have contracted hours, they can still have cases allocated to them by SPOs.

• There may be cases where staff who have left the Probation Service still appear to hold caseload on the WMT and so the data should be treated with caution. Furthermore, some staff on long-term absences (e.g. career breaks / long-term sickness) may still have a caseload allocated to them.

• Data have not been presented for the period prior to June 2021, the point at which unification of the Probation Service took place. Prior to June 2021, some Probation Officers and caseload were held by CRCs, data for which is not included in the WMT. It would not be consistent to present a time series of caseload per Probation Officer before and after unification.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_33

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield:To ask His Majesty's Government how many deaths by suicide there have been of people in prison in England and Wales for each year in the last decade. \p Lord Timpson: Self-inflicted deaths are any deaths of a person who has apparently taken his or her own life irrespective of intent. This not only includes suicides, but also accidental deaths as a result of the person's own actions.

Year

Self-inflicted deaths 1,2,3,4

2015

90

2016

124

2017

73

2018

93

2019

86

2020

67

2021

89

2022

77

2023

96

2024

89

Data Sources and Quality:

These figures are derived from the HMPPS Incident Reporting System and the HMPPS Deaths in Prison Custody database. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Although the figures are shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

1 - Deaths in prison custody figures include all deaths of prisoners arising from incidents during prison custody. They include deaths of prisoners while released on temporary license (ROTL) for medical reasons but exclude other types of ROTL where the state has less direct responsibility.

2 - Due to the number of deaths that remain unclassified (awaiting further information) in recent years, and the latest year particularly, caution should be used when comparing with earlier periods.

3 - A proportion of the most recent two years' figures for 'other' deaths are expected to be re-classified as natural causes or self-inflicted deaths.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-03-13 conversation_34

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to make an announcement on the future of the Community Energy Fund. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government recognises the important role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change and the sector’s asks around future funding. Great British Energy will build on existing support for community energy by partnering with, and providing funding and support to community energy groups, to roll out up to 8GW of cleaner power. Further details will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-13)

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The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Simon Counsell and Survival International Blood Carbon: how carbon offset schemes are devastating Indigenous peoples and their forests in Cambodia, published October 2024, in particular the adequacy and effectiveness of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+ projects in reducing carbon emissions. \p Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The report highlights the importance of getting forest carbon projects right. Carbon markets could provide billions of dollars of much needed finance to protect the forests in the UK and internationally but we will only be able to build these markets if they have environmental and social integrity. That is why the UK government has been supporting tropical forest countries to develop high integrity forest carbon credits. It is also why the Government will soon be launching a consultation on how it could support higher integrity in voluntary carbon and nature markets. While the evidence for the effectiveness of forest carbon projects has been mixed, the UK focuses its efforts on scaling Jurisdictional REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), which covers entire countries or states. This approach helps to address the challenges linked with more traditional ‘project-based’ REDD+, for example, the ‘leakage’ of carbon emissions.

The Government will continue to work through international fora to ensure that the voices of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are heard and respected. To this end, the UK welcomes the agreement of the Appeals and Grievances Procedure for the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, which provides an important route for safeguarding.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_1

Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets on 26 July 2024 (HC675), what new corporate reporting requirements they intend to introduce; and whether they intend to introduce new net-zero or 'environmental, social and governance' reporting requirements. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is keen to ensure the UK's corporate reporting requirements support economic growth by providing the information that investors need to allocate capital effectively, while helping users of reporting understand how business activities align with the UK's net zero and environmental goals. The Government will shortly publish a consultation covering the endorsement of UK versions of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_2

Baroness Penn:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of making statutory paternity leave and pay available to the self-employed. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: This Government has not made an estimate of the cost of making Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay available to the self-employed or of making Statutory Paternity Pay available from the first day of employment. This Government has committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports all working families. We will publish cost estimates of any policy options being taken forward following the Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_3

Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of 'environmental, social and governance' corporate reporting requirements. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Government is currently conducting a review of the UK's non-financial reporting regime, which includes requirements for companies to report on various matters relating to governance, environment and wider society. The Government intends to consult on proposals to reform the UK's non-financial reporting framework later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Kempsell:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the potential future volume and value of exports to the United States of America as a result of the UK–US trade deal in comparison to March 2025. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The US is the largest single country partner for both UK exports and imports into the UK.

The Economic Prosperity Deal announced on 8 May will reduce tariffs for UK exporters in critical sectors.

For the car industry, we have negotiated a 100k quota that reduces tariffs from 27.5% to 10%. We’re pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to additional 50% tariffs. We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the US tariffs on steel brought back down to MFN level. We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef – with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate, British farmers now have a major opportunity to sell their high-quality British beef to a market of over 300 million people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown:To ask His Majesty's Government how many hotels are being used to accommodate migrants; how many migrants are being housed in hotels across the United Kingdom; and whether those numbers have increased or decreased since July 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: According to the latest official data, published on 22 May 2025, there were 32,345 individuals staying in hotel accommodation as of 31 March 2025.

The current number of hotels in use is lower than it was at the time of the election, and significantly lower than the peak of 400 in use in autumn 2023.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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The Lord Bishop of Bristol:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the changes to the qualification period for indefinite leave to remain apply to people who are already living and working in the United Kingdom or whether the changes will apply to new visa applicants only. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at the time.
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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of administrative data and data intermediaries in improving understanding of employment patterns in the cultural and creative sectors. \p Baroness Twycross: DCMS publishes official statistics on Culture and Creative Industries employment. These include statistics on the number of filled jobs using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey, both household surveys, and skills gaps and shortages from the Department for Education’s Employer Skills Survey.

The department also supports research into the creative industries and jointly with the Creative Industries Council has funded the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre to undertake the creative employers skills survey. This is a new survey of 1,300 businesses across the creative industries in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that aims to add to our understanding of the skills challenges of today and the talent and skills that will be crucial to the success of the industry in the future.

The understanding that we gain from this data is important for informing our policy work on workforce practice, job quality, careers and training pathways in the creative industries. The main data sources that DCMS currently draw on in these areas are survey based and are not based on administrative data. However, DCMS keeps its statistics and research requirements under review to ensure decision making is based on the best available evidence, including exploring administrative and other data sources where relevant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the case for requiring publicly funded arts councils in each of the four UK nations to publish per-organisation data on staffing costs, freelance volumes, and artistic expenditure on a consistent and comparable basis. \p Baroness Twycross: The Arts Councils of each of the four UK nations are devolved responsibilities.

Ministers have not made an assessment of the case raised in the question. However, we are aware of the need for data collection to be consistent, proportionate, and manageable for publicly-funded arts organisations. Baroness Hodge of Barking has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to conduct a Review of Arts Council England. This includes in its terms of reference to consider how effective the relationships between ACE and the organisations it funds are; and how far ACE cooperates and shares knowledge with the United Kingdom’s Arts Councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Arts Council England publishes an Annual Data survey of its National Portfolio Organisations, which provides a breakdown of expenditure for those organisations. Data from this survey is available on line from the year 2016-17 onwards. ACE also publishes data on its own staff and expenditure in its Annual Report - the latest of which covering 2023-24 can be found on their website.
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Lord Freyberg:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to supporting the development of national, machine-readable cultural data dashboards, such as those piloted in Bradford by MyCake, designed to identify financially at-risk cultural organisations using administrative data and predictive analytics. \p Baroness Twycross: DCMS is looking more widely into the cultural sector's data needs as the digital data ecosystem grows and evolves. This includes supporting both the Bradford City of Culture team's work on cultural data dashboards and North East Culture Connect, an open access data platform, delivered in collaboration with Northumbria University, North East Combined Authority, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The platform brings together a subset of cultural data from across the North East in a series of dashboards that are intended to be expanded with new data. The data includes information on income streams, funding recipients, and sector economic characteristics, which can support analysis of the financial health of the sector. Furthermore, DCMS is on the Steering Group for the National Cultural Data Observatory project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, led by the Centre for Cultural Value at the University of Leeds, with partners including MyCake, and The Audience Agency. The project aims to develop a blueprint for a national cultural data observatory for the UK, incorporating a range of data.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK-EU agreement on the movement of plant and horticultural products between Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and whether all plant and horticultural products from Great Britain will be available in Northern Ireland. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The new UK-EU Common Understanding agrees to remove a broad and wide-ranging set of requirements for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods and plants moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Once implemented, there will be no need for SPS paperwork such as health certificates to move agrifood or plant products to Northern Ireland, no mandatory identity or physical checks on those goods, no need for Plant Health Labels when moving plants for planting, seed potatoes, and used agricultural machinery, and no bans on ‘high risk’ plants.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that senior managers in the water industry are not awarded inappropriate bonuses. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. Water bosses taking bonuses when their companies criminally pollute our waterways is unacceptable.

As part of our Plan for Change, we’ve delivered on our promise to put water companies under special measures through our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act.

As part of the Act, Ofwat has new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if performance standards are not met. This means executives will no longer be able to take home eye-watering bonuses where companies fail to meet standards on environmental performance, financial resilience, customer outcomes or criminal liability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Hay of Ballyore:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timeline for implementing the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Prime Minister welcomed President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen and President of the EU Council António Costa to London for a UK-EU Summit on 19 May.

At that Summit we have agreed the parameters for a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement making agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.

We will start talks straight away and want to remove barriers as soon as possible.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government how many company directors and senior executives in the water industry have been charged with criminal offences in relation to pollution in rivers and waterways in each of the last three years. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

The Environment Agency (EA) generally commences criminal proceedings by way of summons. As of the date of this correspondence, no summons have been granted in respect of company directors and senior executives in the water industry over the past three years.

The EA is currently carrying out their largest ever criminal investigation into potential widespread non-compliance by water companies at over 2,000 sewage treatment works.

To drive this forward, the EA has hired 380 additional regulatory staff to carry out inspections and other enforcement activity. The most serious offences trigger a criminal investigation that could see water company fines and criminal prosecution for water bosses.

Earlier this year Ofwat proposed fines of £168 million against the first three investigated companies. These fines are alongside proposed enforcement orders, which require each company to rectify issues to bring them into compliance. OfWat’s investigations into eight further water companies continue.

In addition, the Water (Special Measures) Act has introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will enable the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging and hold water companies to account.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

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Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications and impact of the UK-EU agreement on the movement of pets (1) between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in both directions, and (2) between the United Kingdom and the EU in both directions. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We do not expect the arrangements for pet travel to change for movement of pets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of this deal.

We have agreed to establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Zone, which will mean travelling with pets into the EU and back will be easier and cheaper once the full agreement is finalised and implemented.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_15

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to integrate approaches to adapting to climate change in (1) the Land Use Framework, (2) the Environmental Improvement Plan, (3) the 25-year farming road map, and (4) the food strategy, in line with recommendations made by the Climate Change Committee in the report Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament, published on 30 April. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We welcome the Climate Change Committee's latest report and are carefully considering its recommendations. The Government is required under the Climate Change Act to respond by 15 October that same year. The Government response, led by Defra will include input from 12 departments addressing the 57 sectoral recommendations in the report.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_16

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation from the Climate Change Committee in the report Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament, published on 30 April, to restore coastal marine habitats by regulating bottom trawling and improving protection of marine protected areas. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: We welcome the Climate Change Committee's latest report and are carefully considering its recommendations. The Government is required under the Climate Change Act to respond by 15 October that same year. The Government response, led by Defra will include input from 12 departments addressing the 57 sectoral recommendations in the report.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_17

Lord Weir of Ballyholme:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure full access in Northern Ireland to veterinary medicines from Great Britain as a result of the UK-EU agreement. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: After the summit with the EU on 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, which will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses, and improving consumer choice.

While we do not expect this Agreement to cover veterinary medicinal products, this remains a priority for Government, and we are committed to safeguarding supply to protect animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland. The Government will be setting out its approach on the supply of veterinary medicines beyond the end of the grace period.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_18

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of light pollution on wildlife and people. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: Following publication of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s report, ‘Artificial light in the environment’ in 2009, Defra has supported assessments of impacts of artificial light on insects and on other wildlife such as bats. These are published on our science website.

Defra has also funded or co-funded national and international assessments of the drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production (2016), which notes that the effect of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the possible ecological impacts of artificial light should be considered in the planning system. It makes clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation, including where there may be impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Defra has contributed to associated guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government recognises that artificial light offers valuable benefits for safety and amenity. Defra works closely with colleagues across Government whose policy areas affect the use of artificial light.

The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through the statutory nuisance regime. Under the Environmental Protection Act local authorities have a duty to investigate complaints about light emitted from premises which could constitute a nuisance or be harmful to health and have powers to take action where there is a problem.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_19

Lord Hay of Ballyore:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring forward additional financial assistance and practical support to fishing fleet and processors across the UK. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: On 19 May 2025, we announced the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. This new fund will invest £360 million over the next 12 years in the fisheries and seafood sector, and coastal communities, to support the next generation of fishermen and our coastal communities.

We will work with the industry to target investment where it matters most. For example, considering investment in new technology and equipment to modernise our fishing fleet, delivering training and investing in skills to back the next generation of fishers, and promoting the seafood sector to export our high-quality produce across the world.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_20
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_20

Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the official statistics Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to December 2024, published 25 March, how many of the 68,000 paying parents who paid no maintenance via the Collect and Pay service in the last quarter of 2024 are undergoing an enforcement process; and how many of those have (1) agreed a repayment plan, (2) had deductions from earning applied, (3) had deductions from benefits applied, (4) had a request for deductions from earnings applied, (5) had a deduction order from a bank account or saving account applied, (6) had assets seized, (7) had passports seized, (8) had driving licences seized, (9) had criminal charged laid, and (10) had other enforcement action taken. \p Baroness Sherlock: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a wide range of enforcement powers and is committed to using these fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families to tackle non-paying Collect and Pay cases and challenge non-compliant behaviours. CMS will always attempt to secure alternative methods of payments to gain improved compliance in cases where this fails.

The CMS Collect and Pay service with ‘nil compliance’, i.e. those who paid no maintenance, in the quarter ending December 2024, is published on Stat-Xplore and shown in the table below.

Method of payment for Paying Parents using the CMS Collect and Pay service with ‘nil compliance’, October to December 2024

Method of Payment

No of Paying Parents with nil compliance

No Collect & Pay Liability

..

Bank Head Office Collection Account

..

Direct Debit

751

Deduction from Earnings Order

8,410

Deduction from Earnings Request

58

Deduction from Benefits

24,471

Standing Order (Default)

30,834

Payment Offset

9

Unspecified

92

Standing Order (Voluntary)

3,051

Not available

..

Total

67,673

Source: Stat-Xplore

Quarterly enforcement statistics are regularly published in the CMS National Tables, however it is not possible to link these statistics to the published compliance statistics within the disproportionate cost limit.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_21
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_21

Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government what was the number and total value of enforcement fees that have been (1) charged to, and (2) received from, paying parents in respect of child maintenance in the financial years 2023–24 and 2024–25, under (a) liability orders, (b) lump sum deduction order, (c) regular deduction orders, (d) deduction from earnings requests, and (e) deduction from earnings order. \p Baroness Sherlock: Financial Year

Volume Raised

Value Raised (£)

2023/24

88,030

£7,946,537

2024/25*

105,495

£8,335,937

Breakdown of volume and value charged to paying parents by Enforcement method

Enforcement Method (Charged)

2023/24 Volume

2023/24 (£)

2024/25 Volume

2024/25 (£)

Liability Orders

17,466

£4,319,632

16,300

£3,865,740

Lump Sum Deduction Order

2,579

£458,503

2,706

£460,985

Regular Deduction Orders

7,964

£376,604

8,300

£384,067

Deduction from Earnings Request / Order

60,021

£2,791,798

78,189

£3,625,145

Total

88,030

£7,946,537

105,495

£8,335,937

Note: Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) and Deduction from Earnings Requests (DER) are grouped together in reporting.

2.Total volume and value of Enforcement Fees received from paying parents.

Financial Year

Volume Received

Value Received (£)

2023/24

49,763

£2,086,180

2024/25*

66,694

£2,504,856

Breakdown of volume and value received from paying parents by Enforcement method.

Enforcement Method (Received)

2023/24 Volume

2023/24 (£)

2024/25 Volume

2024/25 (£)

Liability Orders

8,973

£607,974

12,234

£729,750

Lump Sum Deduction Order

3,431

£325,787

3,629

£352,870

Regular Deduction Orders

3,754

£115,725

4,635

£121,201

Deduction from Earnings Request / Order

33,605

£1,035,571

46,196

£1,301,035

Total

49,763

£2,086,180

66,694

£2,504,856

Note: Deduction from Earnings Orders (DEO) and Deduction from Earnings Requests (DER) are grouped together in reporting.

*Please note that 2024/25 figures are unaudited and subject to change
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_22
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_22

Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any specific action is being taken by Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence at The March Church of England Primary School in Chichester to improve academic standards. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The March Church of England Primary School in Chichester is not eligible to receive targeted support from a regional improvement in standards and excellence (RISE) adviser, as it was rated ‘Good’ in its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. However, the school will be able to access the new RISE universal support service which is being launched. Through this service, the school will have access to training packages, networking and best practice through specialist hubs, to support its improvement.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_23
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-06)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-06 conversation_23

Lord Tyrie:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of pupils in state-funded primary schools reached the expected standard in key stage 2 assessments in all of reading, writing and mathematics in 2024 in (1) West Sussex, (2) Newham, and (3) England. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The data is published in the annual key stage 2 attainment official statistical release and provided in the table below:

Percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics (combined), 2024

Newham

74%

West Sussex

57%

England

61%

The key stage 2 attainment official statistical release is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment/2023-24.