theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Berkeley:To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Port of London Authority regarding the requirement set out in its latest draft Harbour Revision Order for property owners to pay for licences for use of balconies overhanging the River Thames; and whether it is their understanding that such a requirement will apply to the parliamentary estate. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: Harbour Revision Orders (HRO), and the associated consultations for these orders are conducted by the Marine Management Organisation who handle direct discussions with HRO applicants in the majority of cases.

Unusually in the case of this HRO, the department had initial discussions with the Port of London Authority around some of its proposed changes, which would have made changes to the powers of the Department within the ports’ operational area.

The Department has been made aware of the concerns of some property owners around the issues of balcony charges, but as the order has gone to an independent public inquiry, the department judged the inquiry to be the correct body to handle this issue.

The department has not made any investigations as to whether this would apply to the parliamentary estate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Swire:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to exercise their option to extend the current Great Western Railway franchise. \p Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill: There are no plans to extend the Great Western Railway franchise. Under the provisions of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, services operated under contract with the Department will transfer into public ownership as existing contracts expire, and will be kept there, rather than public ownership merely being a temporary ‘last resort’. This delivers the Government’s manifesto commitment to bring passenger services into public ownership as a first step towards wider rail reform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Pickles:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to implement via secondary legislation the provisions in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 on street votes for new development and street referendums on renaming streets; and, if not, why not. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government is monitoring the arrangements for locally supported street name changes put in place by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and does not currently consider there is a need for regulations or guidance to support local authorities. Other policies inherited from the last government in the Act that have not been implemented, including street votes, continue to be kept under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government which sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 they intend not to be (1) implemented via further secondary legislation, or (2) commenced. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 27566 on 7 February 2025.

PQ 27566 (pdf, 78.1KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Jamieson:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the evidential or methodological basis for having a higher candidacy age than voting age under their plans to lower the latter to 16; and what assessment they have made of the capacity of 16 and 17 year-olds in the holding of elected office. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Pursuant to previous debate [Column 569 Volume 844] where this issue was raised, the Government was elected on a manifesto promising to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all UK elections, strengthening our democracy and increasing the engagement of young people. This commitment does not extend to lowering the age at which an individual can hold elected office. The Government has no plans to change the candidacy age for any elections. We are therefore rightly focusing our efforts on delivering our manifesto commitment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term impact on social housing of prospective successful applications for indefinite leave to remain until 2029. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: Eligibility for social housing is tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Only eligible individuals can join waiting lists and be given a social housing tenancy.

Where foreign nationals are eligible, they will have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants in accordance with the local authority’s housing allocation scheme. People who are homeless, in overcrowded housing or who need to move for medical reasons are prioritised.

The previous government consulted on changes to social housing allocation tests. This government’s response was published on 2 September and can be found on gov.uk here.

The Government are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation.

The government response (pdf, 461.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Katz:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of furniture poverty among social housing tenants. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: My department engages actively with a range of stakeholders on issues facing social housing tenants, and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.

People currently living without important pieces of furniture may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally. The Deputy Prime Minister is also part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing on children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any plans the Office of Environmental Protection may have to publish advice regarding the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: The government welcomes continued collaboration with the Office for Environmental Protection as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill progresses. As an independent body, it is for the Office for Environmental Protection to decide whether to advise on proposed changes to environmental law within the Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 6 February (HL4386) about correspondence from the Tees Valley Mayor, whether they have now made a determination about the value for money of the Teesworks project and, if not, why not; and when they expect to publish a response to the Tees Valley Review and to the Mayor’s letter issued on 27 September 2024. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: On 3 April 2025 my department issued Tees Valley Combined Authority with a non-statutory Best Value Notice for an initial period of 12 months. The Notice seeks assurance from the authority that it is complying with its Best Value Duty and has a clear strategy for improvement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-10)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the UK’s role as a member of the Troika, and as a co-signatory of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, what specific action they have taken during March, and what action they plan to take in the coming weeks, to prevent further escalation of armed violence in South Sudan. \p Lord Collins of Highbury: Following increases in fighting in South Sudan, and the house arrest of First Vice President Machar, we have called on President Kiir to reverse this action and prevent further escalation - including through engaging with regional efforts towards de-escalation. On 27th March we published a joint statement with the Troika and other likeminded partners and reiterated this message at the UN Human Rights Council. We will continue to work with partners, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN, to press for the full implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Baroness Thornhill:To ask the Leader of the House when she expects a Written Answer to be given to the question asked by Baroness Thornhill on 3 July (HL9096). \p Baroness Smith of Basildon: The question was answered by the Department for Health and Social Care on the 4 September 2025. I apologise for the delay.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Jopling:To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of GDP which the government of Belgium has spent on defence over the last five years in accordance with their obligations as a NATO member; and what representations they have made to that government regarding meeting pledged defence spending targets under NATO, including the new target of 5 per cent. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) collects defence expenditure data from Allies and publishes it on a semi-regular basis. NATO spending reports are published online here: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm. At the NATO Summit, Allies committed to investing 5 per cent of gross domestic product annually on defence and security, composed of 3.5 per cent core defence spending and 1.5 per cent security and resilience spending, by 2035. We encourage all Allies to meet their NATO commitments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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The Lord Bishop of Southwark:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of arrests made in the Republic of Armenia of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan; and the impact the arrests may have on freedom of religion in Armenia. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is monitoring the recent arrests of opposition figures in Armenia, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. It is important that due process is allowed to take its course, ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly under the law and that judicial proceedings remain transparent and impartial. The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief globally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rights to freedom of religion or belief, and of association and assembly, in Armenia; and what representations they have made to the government of Armenia in this regard in recent months. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief, as well as the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, globally. Upholding international human rights is essential to ensure everyone can enjoy these freedoms without fear or discrimination. The UK raised human rights issues during Armenia's recent Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 1 May, where a number of recommendations were made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent arrests of actual or perceived opposition leaders in Armenia, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, on allegations of plotting terrorist acts to seize power. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK is monitoring the recent arrests of opposition figures in Armenia, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. It is important that due process is allowed to take its course, ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly under the law and that judicial proceedings remain transparent and impartial. The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief globally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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The Lord Bishop of Gloucester:To ask His Majesty's Government what diplomatic support and business assistance they provide to UK-registered companies that trade in goods and services that facilitate and profit from the construction and growth of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Baroness Gustafsson: The UK Government has a clear position that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity.

The overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, provides information for UK operators. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the potential reputational implications of involvement in economic and financial activities in settlements, as well as possible abuses of the rights of individuals that such activity may entail. Those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Sikka:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the collapse of Wilko in 2023, what action they have taken against directors and auditors of Wilko. \p Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: The Insolvency Service received the administrators’ reports in November 2023. After reviewing the reports, the Insolvency Service concluded that there were either no grounds or insufficient grounds to commence a disqualification investigation.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has not taken any enforcement action against the auditors, and responsibility for investigating the auditor's conduct in this case lies with the relevant professional body. The FRC continues to monitor developments given the public interest in this case.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the evidence used to evaluate the provision of chiropractic services through the NHS. \p Baroness Merron: There are no plans to review the evidence used to evaluate the provision of chiropractic services through the National Health Service. Integrated care boards can make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ, and they may commission a limited amount of chiropractic services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Taylor of Warwick:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence technology in MRI scans at NHS hospitals in Hull, and whether they plan to support wider adoption of that technology across all hospitals. \p Baroness Merron: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in National Health Service hospitals, and this includes MRI acceleration software, which is an AI-driven technology that allows MRI scans to be delivered in shorter time frames. Over the past three years, from 2022 to 2025, NHS England has led significant transformation in diagnostic imaging and digital enablement, funding 275 imaging assets, including 27 new or replacement MRI scanners, and delivering 198 MRI acceleration upgrades to enhance MRI speed and efficiency.

In the North East and Yorkshire, including in Hull, 85 MRI scanners now operate, with an average age of just 6.3 years, underscoring our commitment to maintaining a modern, high-performing imaging fleet.

To date, MRI acceleration software has been deployed across 216 scanners in 80 trusts, significantly reducing scan times. Early evidence indicates scan durations may be cut by 30% to 35%, and when paired with best practice booking and scheduling, can deliver an overall 20% efficiency gain, equivalent to approximately 120,000 additional tests annually.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what targets have been set for the first year of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. \p Baroness Merron: The 10-Year Health Plan is a plan to make the National Health Service fit for the future.

It sets out a wide range of commitments to be delivered over both the short and long term, the implementation of which is already underway, supported by the financial framework set out in the recent Spending Review. The plan will deliver the three shifts from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. The first year will include immediate actions to, for example, develop neighbourhood health services and the app, a workforce plan, and a suite of actions on prevention as well as actions which lay the foundation for future commitments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve early and accurate dementia diagnosis as part of the 10 Year Health Plan. \p Baroness Merron: Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10-Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.

We recognise the importance of a timely diagnosis and remain committed to increasing diagnosis rates. The Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has already invested £13 million into a range of biomarker innovation projects, which include a broad range of biomarker technologies, ranging from an artificial intelligence tool designed to improve the accuracy of blood tests for dementia, to using retinal scans to detect early-onset dementia decades before symptoms. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.

We will deliver the first ever Modern Service framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure that the Neighbourhood Health Service integrates community chiropractors with existing musculoskeletal expertise elsewhere in the healthcare system. \p Baroness Merron: The Neighbourhood Health Service will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and this could include community chiropractors. Integrated care boards can make independent decisions on which health professionals they employ, and they may commission a limited amount of chiropractic services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of shortages of medicines on patients. \p Baroness Merron: While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Medicine supply chains are complex, global and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes, or distribution issues and regulatory issues. We have drawn on up-to-date intelligence and data on the root causes of medicine supply issues, with manufacturing problems being the most dominant root cause.

The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and to strengthen our resilience. As part of that work, we continue to engage with industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and other colleagues across the supply chain as we progress work to co-design and deliver solutions. We have plans underway to increase the awareness of our work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 7 July (HL8984), why Hertfordshire and West Essex integrated care board's planned elective hub at St Albans City Hospital will now only provide extra funding and capacity for two acute trusts, instead of three as originally intended. \p Baroness Merron: The Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System was allocated funding from the national Elective Recovery Fund in 2025/26. Hertfordshire and West Essex’s Surgical Centre Programme Board undertook a full options appraisal to consider how to get the best use out of the new surgical centre facilities within their financial envelope for 2025/26.

The programme board agreed that when it first opens in November, the surgical centre will be used primarily by the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals Trust for treating patients. The Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust is also planning to use the facility to operate over the winter months.

The availability of the surgical centre for patients across Hertfordshire will continue to be reviewed alongside future funding announcements. Subject to future funding, the system will look to accelerate full opening in 2026/27.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Alton of Liverpool:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 1 July (HL8570), whether any scientific studies authored by Michael Briggs were included in the Expert Working Group review, published in November 2017. \p Baroness Merron: An Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Commission on Human Medicines reviewed the available evidence on the possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Its review considered all available scientific evidence, including information collected from a public call for evidence.

The purpose of the EWG was to ascertain whether the available data could establish a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

One publication by Briggs was considered as part of the review of non-clinical evidence of reproductive and developmental toxicity for norethisterone acetate and ethinylestradiol and is therefore referenced on page 97 of this review. This publication is not cited within the text of the report as it did not contribute towards the final paper and its conclusions.

The EWG reported its findings in November 2017 and concluded that the totality of the available scientific data does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency remains committed to reviewing any new scientific data which becomes available following the conclusion of the EWG.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the collection DHSC: workforce management information, why the total paybill and staffing costs have increased by more than £20 million since July 2024. \p Baroness Merron: The Department’s total paybill and staffing costs have not risen by £20 million since July 2024; rather, they have risen, but by £2.5 million in that time.

Since the General Election, the Department’s staff numbers have needed to increase to ensure the right skills and capability to deliver several of the Government’s major priorities. These include the 10-Year Health Plan, the Assisted Dying Bill, ending the longest-running pay dispute with resident doctors, publishing an elective reform plan, and publishing a new NHS Mandate, as well as ensuring we can continue to deliver vital services across the health system. During this period, payroll costs have also increased because of annual pay increases.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the health and social care system, as part of the Spending Review, the Department is working on reducing its headcount down to pre-election levels during 2025/26. This is a key step towards a streamlined centre, to support continued prioritisation towards front-line services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord McColl of Dulwich:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why some local authorities have proposed (1) no increase, or (2) an increase below the rate of inflation, to fees for adult social care services. \p Baroness Merron: Local authorities negotiate fees individually with care providers to achieve a sustainable balance of quality, effectiveness, and value for money.

We recognise the importance of fee rates, which meet the costs of delivery of care, which is why the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund has been provided to local authorities since 2023/24, which can be used based on their areas’ needs. Improving fee rates to providers is one of the three target areas local authorities can spend their allocation on.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Benjamin:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they collect information about the length and frequency of gaps in education for children in care that are the result of placement moves. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Information about the length and frequency of gaps in education that are the result of placement moves is not held centrally by the department.

Existing statutory data is collected for children missing education, school attendance, and children in care. However, it is not possible to accurately link these datasets to obtain the information requested, as the children missing education data is collected at a local authority level, while data for children looked after and school attendance is collected at a child level.

We recognise the need to improve the data available about children’s social care, including making it more relevant to the experience of young people during periods of change. Addressing data gaps in children’s social care will be a long-term endeavour due to the need to agree data standards and definitions, as well as redesigning local authority and departmental systems before rolling out nationally.

This work includes understanding the data needs of the children’s social care sector as a whole and scoping ways in which data gaps may be addressed over time. This year, the department has published data on stability measures for children looked after, providing insights into the placement, school, and social worker stability for these children. The data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/stability-measures-for-children-looked-after-in-england/2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to rural proof the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government is committed to ensuring that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill delivers for all children, including those living in rural areas.

The Bill includes measures designed to be delivered flexibly by local authorities, regional bodies and schools, enabling them to respond to local contexts. For example, provisions in the Bill to reform the children’s social care placement market include Regional Care Cooperatives which will assist local authorities by analysing the future accommodation needs for looked-after children across the region. This will support improved planning across geographic areas. We are also legislating on a package of measures which will help ensure that decisions on school place planning and admissions support the needs of communities, including rural communities.

The department is keen to learn what will support providers in rural areas to implement measures in the Bill. That is why schools in rural areas are included in the early adopter scheme for breakfast clubs. Home educating families and out-of-school education providers in rural areas will also have the opportunity to engage when we consult on the implementation of the children not in school measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Patten:To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of care leavers between the ages of 18 to 21 (1) die, (2) die by suicide, (3) have a mental health disorder, (4) have been sexually abused, and (5) are out of education, training or employment. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Information on the number of care leavers is submitted to the department on an annual basis and is published in our statistical release, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.

The department publishes figures on the number of care leavers who have died in this age range in the methodology document accompanying this statistical release in the section ‘Data Quality and Uses’ (‘Care leavers aged 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 years’). Information for 2022 to 2024 can be found in the attached table 1.

The department does not hold information centrally on the cause of death, the mental health of the care leaver or any details of past history of sexual abuse.

The total number of 18 to 21-year-old care leavers and the number and proportion of care leavers who are not in education, training and employment is shown in table 2.

HL8660_table (xlsx, 29.3KB)
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Baroness Anelay of St Johns:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to involve young people in the development and co-design of Young Futures Hubs. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.

Officials from across a range of departments are already working jointly, using evidence of what works to start to shape the Young Futures Hubs model. As part of this we are engaging with local areas, communities, statutory partners, charities, and other key stakeholders, including assessing evidence they have supplied, to support the design of the Young Futures Hubs and explore options for their delivery, including considering how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from support.

Across Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, the government is adopting a phased approach to learn from what works. To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, we will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. These early adopters and work in local areas will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government when they decided that their commitment to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers would include colleges. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The pledge to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this Parliament is focused on sectors where there is a need for more teachers, across secondary and special schools and our colleges.

Demographic changes throughout this Parliament mean pupil numbers will increase in secondary schools, and particularly in further education, while there has been a significant decrease in the number of pupils in primary schools. There are 60,000 fewer pupils in primary schools compared to last year, and around 172,000 fewer compared to the 2018/19 peak. The government is therefore targeting the 6,500 teachers pledge towards mainstream secondary schools and colleges, and also special schools to support pupils with special educational needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Benjamin:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the education and employment opportunities of children in care are not limited by missed education or lower grades that are the result of moving home or schools during Key Stage 4. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord German:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the information supplied to interested parties at information events held in June and July about the plans for the National Centre for Arts and Music Education. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The information presented at the National Centre for Music and Arts Education market engagement information events on 19 June, 23 June and 1 July will be available to anyone who registers on the department’s e-tendering portal, Jaggaer. The information includes the presentation slides and a log of questions asked during the sessions, with answers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the review of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and what format that review will be published in. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May set out proposals for reform in a range of areas, including clarifying the application of Article 8 of the ECHR, further details of which will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the letter from Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 June following the second reading of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, how they will play their part in supporting considered dialogue within the Council of Europe that seeks to balance "liberty and security, and justice and responsibility." \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The UK participates in regular engagement with the Council of Europe and its Member States, we look forward to a dialogue on the future of the ECHR as part of that process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Berger:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of the 2021 report by the Commission for Countering Extremism, Operating with impunity: legal review, to establish a legal and operational framework to tackle hateful extremist groups and individuals that undermine democratic norms. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism. We will continue to challenge extremist narratives and disrupt the activity of particularly those who radicalise others but deliberately operate below CT thresholds.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Bailey of Paddington:To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are offering Having Council and the local community to tackle the causes of wildfires at Arnolds Field. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: The Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency attend the local authority-led Launders Lane technical sub-group meetings, along with the London Fire Brigade and others. Ultimately the council is the lead authority on regulating the site and more information on the work of its technical sub-group can be found on the council’s website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government whether chlorothalonil is being manufactured in the UK; if so, in what quantities; what quantities are being exported; and whether they are considering further action in the light of new information about its impact on the health of insect pollinators. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: According to the Health and Safety Executive’s most recent published data, 14.16 tonnes of chlorothalonil were reported as having been exported from the UK in 2023, to the EU and Tunisia.

The export of pesticides from Great Britain (GB) is regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from GB must notify the importing country via the HSE. In addition, the explicit consent of the importing country is required before export of chorothalonil can take place. In this regard the UK goes beyond current international requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the increasing demand for water provision because of climate change into the 2030s and beyond. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: By 2050, England will need an additional 5,000 million litres of water per day due to the need to leave more water in the environment, climate change, population growth and to increase our resilience to drought. Combined with the challenges of ageing water infrastructure across England and new supply options taking years to come online, many areas may face a supply-demand deficit in years to come.

Approximately half of the shortfall between supply and demand needs to be met through reduction in water demand, the other half from new water resources. The Government have secured £104 billion in private sector investment over the next 5 years, to boost out water supply and manage demand. This will also drive major infrastructure projects – including nine new reservoirs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Thomas of Winchester:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to build more desalination plants. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: A secure water supply is essential for every home and business throughout the country. It is the foundation of our economy, our communities and our security.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans set out how each company will continue to meet its supply duty and manage water supply and demand, including fixing leaks, sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Within their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and new water resources including reservoirs and water transfers.

The latest WRMPs include proposals for nine new desalination schemes in England. Further information about the schemes can be found at: Appendix C: Revised draft water resources management plans supply options - GOV.UK.

Appendix C (pdf, 289.7KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the circular economy strategy with reference to environment, agriculture and rural affairs. \p Baroness Hayman of Ullock: This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.