theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_45
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_45

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that County Council elections cannot be cancelled for purely partisan political purposes. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead unless there is strong justification for postponement. On 16 December, my colleague, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, wrote to leaders of all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring small unitary authorities to set out further detail on our plans for a joint programme of devolution and local government reorganisation. In that letter, he explained that he would only consider requests to postpone elections where it was clear this will help the area to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe. The Minister is now considering the requests he has received and a decision will be made in due course.

The Minister’s letter of 16 December has been published and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas

Local government reorganisation letter (pdf, 153.1KB)
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_46

Lord Hain:To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 19 December 2024 (HL3442), how many small fire outbreaks in the Palace of Westminster there were in each year from 2014 to 2024. \p Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The number of small fire outbreaks in the Palace of Westminster each year from 2014 to 2024 are as follows:

Year

Number of Incidents

2014

5

2015

6

2016

10

2017

4

2018

4

2019

3

2020

1

2021

2

2022

1

2023

5

2024

4
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_47
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_47

Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist Key Stage 4 pupils in state schools whose study is disrupted by the closure of the Latin Excellence Programme; and what plans they have to ensure these students are able to complete their exam courses. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The fiscal situation this government inherited means there are difficult decisions to take on how money is spent right across the public sector to ensure we deliver on our priorities. Given this, the decision has been made to not extend the Latin Excellence Programme beyond the end of the agreed initial three-year contract, which will end on 28 February 2025. This was not an easy decision, and we are grateful to the Centre for Latin Excellence for its work to deliver the programme and that of the schools who have participated.

Over the course of the programme Latin was delivered to over 4,000 pupils in over 40 schools across England, with an emphasis on schools outside London and the South East. All schools on the programme will continue to have access to the curriculum resources and we hope that many schools will continue to deliver Latin after the programme ends.

The department will work closely with the Centre for Latin Excellence to ensure that teachers currently delivering the Latin curriculum to key stage 4 pupils will be prioritised and will receive extra support in the lead up to the end of the programme on 28 February.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_48

Lord Mackinlay of Richborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 19 December 2024 (HL2929), how many high quality apprenticeships in the level 2 stonemason apprenticeship standard have been (1) made available and (2) filled, to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need, in each year since 2010. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The table below provides details of Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK since the 2020/21 academic year. There have been no vacancies for the Level 2 Thatcher standard, which will be available for starts once a suitable end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) has obtained Ofqual recognition, or the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard advertised on the FAA service.

The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices, but not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore may not represent the total number of vacancies advertised.

Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies on FAA by year*

Academic Year

Number of positions

2020/21

<5

2021/22

30

2022/23

20

2023/24

10

* Numbers rounded to nearest 10.

The table below provides apprenticeship starts on the Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson apprenticeship as published in the ‘Apprenticeships statistics’ publication. The Level 2 Stonemason standard was approved for delivery in June 2021 and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard was approved for delivery in February 2023.

There have been no starts on the Level 2 Thatcher apprenticeship standard, which was approved for delivery in February 2024.

Starts by academic year*

Apprenticeship standard

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

Stonemason

<5

70

50

30

Stained Glass Craftsperson

-

-

0

<5

* 0 indicates a true zero value and '-' indicates data not applicable.

* Source is the Individualised Learner Record.

* Apprenticeships, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

More broadly, employers are encouraged to take working on heritage buildings into account when designing or revising construction occupational standards. Apprenticeship standards which may also support the heritage sector include the Level 2 Bricklayer standard and the Level 3 Craft Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship standard.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure students leave education with sufficient skills in (1) financial literacy, and (2) financial education. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 21188.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_50

Lord Knight of Weymouth:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the capacity of local authorities to assess children for the purposes of education, health and care plans. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. EHC plans must be issued within 20 weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need. The most recent dataset shows that there were 138,200 initial requests for an EHC plan and 90,500 assessments took place in 2023. 50.3% of new EHC plans in 2023 were issued within 20 weeks.

The department recognises the critical role of educational psychologists within the special education needs and disabilities (SEND) system, including in their statutory contribution to EHC assessments. To support this, we are investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from 2024. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in a cohort of over 200 trainees who began their training in September 2023. As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support the capacity of local authority educational psychology services, including in delivering assessments.

Furthermore, the department is providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.

The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the problems and put in place an effective recovery plan. This includes, where needed, securing specialist SEND adviser support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_51

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government how much additional money has been provided to the government of Scotland to respond to recent instances of acute bad weather. \p Lord Livermore: The Scottish Government receives funding from the UK Government through the mechanical operation of the Barnett formula when there are changes to UK Government department funding.

Following Autumn Budget 2024, the Scottish Government is receiving £47.7 billion in 2025-26. This includes an additional £3.4 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula. This settlement is the largest in real terms since devolution.

Barnett-based funding for the Scottish Government is not ringfenced for a specific policy area such as responding to bad weather. This allows the Scottish Government the flexibility to allocate its funding across devolved areas as it sees fit, according to its own priorities and local circumstances. The Scottish Government is accountable to Scottish Parliament for these decisions.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_52
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government when the eighth Type 26 frigate will join the Royal Navy. \p Lord Coaker: The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates in time to replace the anti-submarine warfare T23s. All ships are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.

Type 26 will allow the Royal Navy to continue to play a leading role in the anti-submarine theatre in the North Atlantic and beyond.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_53

Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK is the largest European NATO contributor of maritime military capability to the Arctic region. \p Lord Coaker: The UK makes a leading contribution to European security, and the Armed Forces have a long history of operating in the High North. UK Forces are committed to NATO’s warfighting plans which cover the breadth of Allied territory in the Euro-Atlantic. NATO and the UK dynamically adjust presence in the High North; Forces operating in the High North at any specific time are therefore subject to change.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_54

Lord Colgrain:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of volunteer hours put in by non-executive board members and the wider membership of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Associations. \p Lord Coaker: The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) is a centrally coordinated national body that delivers its outputs locally, by local people, to support the sustainment and generation of Reserve Forces. The RFCA and the 13 Regional RFCAs purposefully sit outside of the Chains of Command (as an Arm’s Length Body) in order to support better outcomes for the public.

The RFCA has an extensive volunteer membership (numbering around 8,000), bringing a wide breadth of expertise and community links. The RFCAs’ extensive network of volunteer members, based within communities across the UK, enable the RFCAs to better connect to society.

Volunteers assist in providing the RFCAs with the information and knowledge needed to discharge their duties. While the number of hours volunteered is not formally recorded either for the volunteer membership or non-executive board members, it is estimated that this figure is around 69,000 hours per year.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_55

Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to regulate the use of AI in the defence sector following the deployment of The Nordic Warden System by the Joint Expeditionary Force. \p Lord Coaker: The UK and the Joint Expeditionary Force are at the forefront of supporting Allies to protect crucial offshore infrastructure from threats, including using integrated technology with logic flows to identify vessels of interest at the pace of relevance.

The Department has a history of successfully incorporating new technologies and takes its responsibility to use AI safely and ethically very seriously, adhering to legal commitments and societal values.

We continue to collaborate with the Department for Science, Technology and Innovation and Defence Regulators to adapt our strategies to the evolving challenges of AI.

The Dependable AI JSP 936 part 1, published in 2024, gives clear guidance on applying the MOD’s AI ethical principles to create safe, effective AI-enabled capabilities with appropriate human oversight. This policy governs all Defence AI capabilities.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_56
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government when HMS Victorious' refit will be completed. \p Lord Coaker: I am withholding details of when HMS VICTORIOUS' Deep Maintenance Period will be completed as to do so would suggest the operational availability of vessels, potentially impacting national security.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_57

Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of speeding up the Type 45 Power Improvement Project programme. \p Lord Coaker: Completing the Type 45 Power Improvement Project (PIP) work is dependent on the availability of ships to undertake the upgrade, balanced against the Royal Navy’s (RN) current and future operational commitments.

PIP conversions have been aligned to the routine Class Upkeep cycle, which has been optimised where feasible to accelerate delivery and increase availability. This has enabled an increase in the number of ships undergoing PIP Upkeep in parallel at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, where historically there was only a single Type 45 in Upkeep at any one time. Class availability is now maximised to ensure that the RN has been able to fulfil all its operational commitments.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_58
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_58

Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the present status of HM Ships Albion and Bulwark; and whether there are plans for the ships to be sold for scrap or used by another navy. \p Lord Coaker: HMS Albion and Bulwark are currently laid up awaiting disposal.

The Royal Navy is exploring options to sell both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in a government-to-government sale. These vessels had, in effect, been retired by the previous Government. Their sale will save £9 million a year in maintenance costs in addition to the receipt from the sale, unlocking as much funding as possible to invest in modernisation, as well as reinforcing relationships with international partners.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_59
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_59

Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the economies of both Wales and the UK, of the recent closure of shipping facilities at the port of Holyhead; and what discussions have they had with the company that manages the port and the government of Wales about minimising the impact of the closure. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: DfT is working closely with the Welsh Government, which is leading on this matter. Welsh officials have had regular contact with operators, including Stena, which operates the port of Holyhead. UK Government officials (including DfT, Border Force, DBT and HMRC) have supported them in the implementation of additional routes. DfT is also working very closely with the Irish Government and British Embassy Dublin, to support the response.

The Government recognises that this will have been a challenging time for the people and businesses of Ynys Mon. The Isle of Anglesey County Council business support portal will give the opportunity for businesses to express concerns to the Welsh Government. The Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales has also announced a new multi-stakeholder task force to help deliver a new strategy for the future of Holyhead Port.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_60
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_60

Lord Banner:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban all airlines that fly to and from Russia from UK airspace to ensure that the UK does not indirectly support the Russian aviation sector; whether they will encourage the EU to adopt a similar ban; and if not, why not. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: My Nobel Lord, there is currently a prohibition on any aircraft flying to and from Russian aerodromes from using UK airspace. This prohibition was implemented on 5 April 2022 under the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Russian Aircraft) Regulations 2022 (the ‘RoF’). Specifically, the RoF prohibits (at regulation 2(1)(c)) flights by any aircraft flying in accordance with a flight plan filed after 8.49 p.m. on 5th April 2022 which includes an aerodrome in Russia.

In addition, the RoF and the UK’s aviation sanctions established under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the ‘Russia sanctions regulations’) imposes further restrictions on flights in UK airspace by certain Russian aircraft. These include aircraft; owned, chartered or operated by a ‘person connected with Russia’ (as defined in regulation 57O(3) of the Russia sanctions regulations), or which are registered in Russia.

The UK remains committed to applying pressure on Russia through sectors such as aviation and we continue to encourage all our international partners to match our actions and ensure their sanctions’ effectiveness and impact.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_61
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_61

Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government why the Apple Hearing Aid feature is not currently permitted in the UK although it is allowed in many other countries. \p Baroness Merron: We published guidance on the 16 January 2025 to clarify the regulatory position and set out case studies on the sale of hearing aids to support people to access innovative devices.

Apple have publicly stated that they intend to launch the hearing aid functionality in the United Kingdom within weeks.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_62
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-01-20 conversation_62

The Lord Bishop of London:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the respite care options for adults with complex needs, including for holiday breaks. \p Baroness Merron: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are responsible for how they support people with complex needs, including the commissioning of respite support and services for family carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. In addition to core social care funding, local authorities can use the Better Care Fund and Accelerating Reform Fund towards funding for unpaid carer support, including short breaks and respite services.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_1

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the BBC World Service to help it perform its functions. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: At a time of global challenges and uncertainty, the Government is committed to a successful BBC World Service. This is why it awarded a grant funding uplift of £32.6 million (31 per cent) for the World Service in 2025-26, taking our total contribution this year to £137 million.

That uplift secured the World Service's ability to reach audiences in acute need. Services like the emergency radio service for Gaza, reaching over 700,000 people each week; the lifeline service for Syria established within 5 days of Assad's fall; and most recently, the Myanmar service, providing critical information following the horrific earthquake.

It is also enabling the BBC to continue innovating and modernising - see for example their launch of an AI-supported pilot Polish-language news offer, BBC News Polska.

The World Service's Grant-in-Aid funding for the next three years will be decided through Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office allocations process. This will allocate budgets between 2026/27 & 2028/29. The BBC is editorially and operationally independent.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_2

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the British Council to help it perform its functions. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: This financial year (2025/26), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is providing the British Council with £163.1 million in Grant-in-Aid to support its aims of promoting the English language, UK arts and culture, and education.

While the British Council's Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the British Council's financial sustainability, the FCDO is supporting the British Council to deliver a financial turnaround plan to ensure the finances are on a long-term stable footing.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_3

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year to enable ratification of the BBNJ Agreement. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has worked with the Commonwealth Secretariat to support smaller member countries with their implementation work, and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has published research to develop a shortlist of potential Area-Based Management Tools, including Marine Protected Areas that could be proposed once the Agreement is in force.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_4
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_4

The Lord Bishop of Southwark:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the BBC World Service on (1) global projection of the UK, and (2) global access to news reporting. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government highly values the BBC World Service and its role promoting the national interest, supporting our security and reflecting our culture and values to the world. According to a 2025 survey conducted for the BBC by the independent polling company, Tapestry, the BBC is a leader in driving favourable impressions of the UK and is the country's most recognised cultural export internationally. BBC users around the world are more likely to invest in the UK than non-users (73 per cent of BBC users intend to invest in the UK in the future compared with 51 per cent of non-users).

The World Service provides impartial, accurate news to a global audience of 320 million, 73 per cent in countries with low/no media freedom. For example: Iran (13.5 million weekly reach), Russia, (2.24 million weekly reach) and Afghanistan (4.9 million weekly reach). It remains the world's most trusted international news service.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_5

Lord West of Spithead:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Children's Hospice Grant will continue in 2026–27. \p Baroness Merron: Funding arrangements for 2026/27 will be confirmed in due course. The Government wants a society where every child receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the important contribution that children and young people’s hospices make in their care and support for babies, children, and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, as well as to their families.

NHS England has provided £26 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26, through what was, until recently, known as the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant.

Additionally, we are also supporting both the child and adult hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for 2024/25 and 2025/26, to ensure that eligible hospices throughout England have the best physical environment for care.

In February, the Minister of State for Care met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of the 10-Year Health Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial consequences of ending the overseas care worker visa route; and how many vacancies are likely to arise in the care sector as a result. \p Baroness Merron: The Department considered the potential impact of the Immigration White Paper (IWP) as part of its assessment to inform the Spending Review. The Home Office made an assessment in the technical annex of the IWP that closing the route could by reduce net migration by 7,000 people per year. As a guide to scale, there were nearly one million filled posts for care workers and senior care workers in the sector in 2023/24. Therefore, while the Department does not project the number of vacancies advertised by independent providers in the adult social care (ASC) sector, any direct impact on capacity is likely to be limited. This is partly because there will be a transition period until 2028, to be kept under review, where in-country switching for those already in the United Kingdom will continue to be permitted.

The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding for ASC in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support ASC, and an increase to the National Health Service contribution to ASC via the Better Care Fund compared to 2025/26. The Department continues to monitor ASC workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool, and intelligence from key sector partners. The Department primarily uses filled posts as the most accurate measure of ASC workforce capacity rather than the number of vacancies. As vacancies are the total number of posts advertised by the ASC sector’s independent and competing providers, they don’t reflect the number of workers required to meet ASC needs and are not necessarily a good indicator of capacity pressures.

In England, as per the Care Act (2014), it is the responsibility of local government to develop a market that delivers a wide range of sustainable high-quality care and support services, that will be available to their communities. English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet ASC needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in ASC.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

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Lord Booth:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 10 April (HL6032), what estimate they have made of the annual cost of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body. \p Baroness Merron: The form, operations, and membership of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body will be determined following engagement with the sector. These considerations will be part of a public consultation, which we aim to launch after the Employment Rights Bill receives Royal Assent later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_8

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the respiratory syncytial virus vaccination to include people aged over 80, clinical risk groups, and immunocompromised populations. \p Baroness Merron: During the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) meeting of 5 February 2025, the Department confirmed that any extension to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme, including to those aged 80 years old and above as well as other groups, would require an impact and cost effectiveness analysis.

Based on the burden data and the real-world studies, the JCVI considered that extending the programme required more evidence on the duration of protection, and how this might impact cost effectiveness.

The JCVI met again on 4 June 2025 and RSV was one of the agenda items discussed. Minutes of the JCVI’s meetings are usually published within six weeks, and are publicly available on the GOV.UK website, in an online only format.

The committee keeps all vaccine programmes under review and will continue to update its advice as new evidence emerges. The Department will consider any future JCVI advice on who should be offered an RSV immunisation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_9

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 14 May (HL6764), whether (1) the Department of Health and Social Care, and (2) NHS England’s Workforce, Training and Education Directorate, either (a) hold data on the number of individual applicants for medical speciality training places, or (b) can extract such data from their existing systems. \p Baroness Merron: NHS England holds data based on the application process for medical specialty training, which allows for the identification of unique applicants. The following data is part of management information systems summarising information supplied in historic medical specialty training cycles and has not been quality assured for routine publication purposes. Applicants may have chosen to only apply to one specialty programme or may have made multiple applications within any year. The following table shows the data held on the number of unique applicants in rounds one and two of medical specialty training for each of the years 2020 to 2024 across the United Kingdom:

Entry year

Round one unique applicants

Round two unique applicants

Total number of unique applicants in rounds one plus unique applicants in round two

2020

13,901

6,457

20,358

2021

17,154

6,685

23,839

2022

18,260

6,134

24,394

2023

20,297

6,081

26,378

2024

26,203

7,179

33,382

Source: NHS England Medical Specialty Programme Applications Data.

Round one of the medical specialty application process includes applications to first year specialty training and core training programmes, often referred to as ST1 and CT1, and some ‘higher’ medical specialty training programmes, usually at year three, often referred to as ST3. Round two is for entry to most ‘higher’ medical specialty training programmes, often referred to as ST3 or ST4. There will be a limited number of doctors who apply in a year to both rounds one and two, and therefore they will appear twice in the aggregated final column of this data.

The Department also has access to information held in the UK Medical Education Database (UKMED) which is managed jointly by the General Medical Council and the Medical Schools Council. NHS England submits specialty medical recruitment data to the UKMED. This includes more information on individual historical applications to medical specialty training, which underpins the data presented above.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_10

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Food Standards Agency’s position on the use of added nitrites in processed meats; and whether they intend to review current UK food additive regulations in line with evolving EU standards \p Baroness Merron: The Government supports the stance of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is the regulator for food safety in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The FSA considers that the existing levels of these approved food additives provide sufficient protection for consumers. The FSA is aware of the changes made by the European Union, but has no plans to alter the maximum levels currently in legislation, because they remain important preservatives in a range of foods. As with all food additives, they have undergone safety assessments before authorisation and have been subject to various reviews both at a national and international level.

The Government advises consumers to reduce overall meat consumption, both red meat and cured meats, as part of a healthy balanced diet.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_11

Lord Rennard:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statements by Baroness Merron on 22 April (HLWS587) and 22 May (HLWS662), what were the developments that led to the decision to delay the regulation of unhealthy food advertising in the time between those statements. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink on television and online, as part of its ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children ever.  The decision to exempt brand advertising from these restrictions was made following consultation and was understood and agreed by Parliament during the passage of the legislation in 2021.

The consistent position of the Government, as re-confirmed in a written statement in this House on 22 April 2025, is that brand advertising is not captured by the restrictions, as the legislation only restricts adverts that could reasonably be considered to be for identifiable less healthy products.

Industry raised significant concerns in response to the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) draft implementation guidance published for consultation in February 2025. We are aware that many brands have prepared advertising campaigns in good faith ahead of the previous coming into force date of 1 October 2025 and were concerned about how these adverts would be affected by the ASA’s implementation guidance.

There were several meetings between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to discuss a wide range of options for resolving this issue. This culminated in the successful resolution set out in the written ministerial statement on 22 May 2025. This announced that the Government will lay legislation to explicitly exempt ‘brand advertising’ from the advertising restrictions. Providing legal clarification on the existing policy intention will provide certainty to industry and support businesses to invest in advertising with confidence, while ensuring that we deliver our commitment to protect children from exposure to junk food advertising and the lifelong harms of obesity.

Industry stakeholders were engaged shortly prior to the announcement so that they had sufficient time to agree their voluntary commitment to implement the restrictions from 1 October 2025. We informed other stakeholders at the earliest opportunity and will continue to engage with all stakeholders throughout the consultation on the draft regulations, which will be published soon.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_12

Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government following the joint statement released on 9 June by the British Association of Urological Surgeons and Prostate Cancer UK regarding the poor utility of the digital rectal examination as a test for prostate cancer, whether they will review the current clinical guidelines and referral criteria to remove “outdated” testing and ensure men at highest risk of prostate cancer can be diagnosed faster, fairer and better. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to ensuring that all patients with cancer, including prostate cancer, are diagnosed faster and with the best diagnostic approaches. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidance on best practice for health and social care professionals in England.

Current NICE guidance does not recommend digital rectal examination for diagnosing prostate cancer. NICE does recommend digital rectal examination as part of the physical examination that should be offered to all men with lower urinary tract symptoms as part of their initial assessment. If their prostate is assessed as likely malignant, they should be referred using a suspected cancer pathway referral for prostate cancer. To date, NICE has found no evidence that affects these recommendations or the need to review the current guidelines.

NICE is monitoring studies relating to the identification of prostate cancer in primary care and will consider the findings, when available, to assess if its recommendations need to be reviewed.

To further improve how we diagnose prostate cancer, the Government has invested £16 million in the United Kingdom-wide TRANSFORM trial, aimed at helping to find the best ways of detecting prostate cancer in men, even if they are not displaying any symptoms.

Furthermore, NHS England has introduced a best-practice timed pathway for prostate cancer so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures that only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. The AI in Health and Care Award has also been established, which aims to accelerate the testing and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that align with the NHS Long Term Plan. £113 million has already allocated to support 86 AI technologies, and three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford.

We will also publish a new National Cancer Plan later this year, which will include further details on how we will improve diagnostics, access to treatments, and outcomes for all tumour types, including prostate cancer.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_13

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing controls on the use of the terms non-toxic and quasi-ceramic in cookware. \p Baroness Merron: The Food Standards Agency recognises the importance of clear and accurate labelling in relation to food contact materials. Under the Materials and Articles in Contact with Food Regulations 2012, all materials intended for contact with food must be safe and must not transfer substances to food in quantities that could endanger human health. This requirement applies regardless of the terminology used in marketing.

The terms “non-toxic” and “quasi-ceramic” are not defined or recognised as official terms under current food contact materials regulations. There are no plans to introduce specific definitions for them. Their use is instead subject to general consumer protection laws, which prohibit false or misleading claims.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_14
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_14

Baroness Hamwee:To ask His Majesty's Government how many victims of trafficking referred to the National Referral Mechanism received a positive conclusive grounds decision at any time, and 'temporary permission to stay for victims of human trafficking or slavery’ in 2024. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: Statistics on modern slavery are published quarterly. The table sets out the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions issued annually between 2009 and 2024 and the proportion of overall decisions that were positive.

Year

Number of positive Conclusive Grounds decisions issued

Proportion of overall Conclusive Grounds decisions issued that were positive

2009

99

67%

2010

245

69%

2011

442

77%

2012

513

80%

2013

685

68%

2014

978

62%

2015

1,004

59%

2016

1,092

58%

2017

1,220

65%

2018

2,258

70%

2019

2,962

82%

2020

3,077

90%

2021

2,595

92%

2022

5,497

89%

2023

6,514

67%

2024

9,727

56%

The requested data on temporary permission to stay for victims of human trafficking or slavery is not currently available in a verified and published form.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_15

Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local authorities in enforcing trading standards to help reduce the resale of stolen phones. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: On 6 February the Home Secretary brought together police, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, local government representatives, leading technology companies and others to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves. The Summit resulted in commitments from the police to work in partnership across force boundaries as well as in collaboration with local partners such as Trading Standards and other local authority resources to tackle this criminality. This collaboration is ongoing.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property that has been electronically geo-location tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose.

Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will also place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles to provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues, including the theft of mobile phones.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_16
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_16

Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total annual cost of providing legal aid to foreign nationals appealing a deportation order or contesting a criminal conviction. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: Information on foreign national offenders contesting a criminal conviction is not centrally held.

Expenditure relating to deportation and removal appeals is published as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics as part of its ‘detailed civil data’ collection. Data for the last ten years can be found in the table below. Please note that due to the way information is recorded it is not possible to distinguish between costs relating to deportation matters (concerning foreign national offenders) and those relating to removal matters (e.g. individual’s whose asylum or immigration applications have been unsuccessful).

Financial Year

Immigration Deportation/Removal Appeal - Total Costs

2014-15

£875,322

2015-16

£662,880

2016-17

£615,822

2017-18

£552,301

2018-19

£516,453

2019-20

£931,934

2020-21

£767,773

2021-22

£858,623

2022-23

£878,051

2023-24

£955,947
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_17
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_17

Lord Lilley:To ask His Majesty's Government how many N1 claim forms (CPR Part 7) were submitted in the most recent year for which figures are available, and how many of them indicated that the claim does, or will, include any issues under the Human Rights Act 1998. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The information requested is not held.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the volume of claims received by claim type: Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_18
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-24)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-06-24 conversation_18

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the defence of reasonable chastisement has been raised in English courts since 2015; and whether it has led to any acquittals. \p Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede: The information requested is not held centrally.