House of Lords Business

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the residents of Tower Hamlets who may be affected by the planned new Chinese Embassy have sufficient opportunity to voice their concerns to the Government about the proposed development.  HL2372

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the latest Hunger Hotspots report, published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme on 31 October, what plans they have to prevent the further deterioration of the hunger crisis across the 22 countries listed in the report; and, in particular, w… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the projection in the WFP–FAO Hunger Hotspots report, published on 31 October, that the La Niña weather phenomenon is expected to exacerbate acute hunger in many regions; and what assistance they are providing to the countries and territories most affected.  HL2374

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the adequacy of the Planning Inspectorate's capacity to consider human rights impacts in the sourcing of materials during the examination of applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects relating to energy.  HL2375

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the National Policy Statements under the Planning Act 2008, which require the consideration of human rights impacts in the sourcing of materials in the examination of applications for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects related to energy.  HL2376

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration Ministers and the Supervisory Board of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have given to ensuring that the impacts on freedom of religion and belief are taken into account when decisions on Official Development Assistance allocations are made; whether this is being considered as part of the rev… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Banner to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to bring into force section 73B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, pursuant to section 110 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; and if so, when.  HL2378

Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government how many platforms are being built at the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common for Great Western trains.  HL2379

Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government how many trains per hour will be affected, diverted or cancelled between Reading and London Paddington as a result of the construction of the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common; how these figures compare to the current number of trains per hour from (1) the South West, (2) South Wales, (3) Bristol, and (4) Bath; and for how long are any… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government how many passengers they expect to use the new station at Old Oak Common travelling between Reading and Birmingham using HS2.  HL2381

Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Gower on 15 December 2023 (HL801), what are their latest estimates of journey times for passengers arriving at the planned new station at Old Oak Common by HS2 travelling to Bond Street station via (1) HS2 to Euston and then the Northern Line, and (2) the Elizabeth Line directly, includi… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government what is their expected timescale for drivers with 12 or more points on their licence to be brought to court to be disqualified from driving, or to be disqualified in their absence.  HL2383

Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the (1) design, and (2) safety of major roundabouts with multiple lanes, entrances and exits.  HL2384

Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the RAC's estimate that there were over one million potholes on UK roads in 2023, as set out in the RAC Pothole Index, published on 23 April 2024; what plans they have to review and identify the most effective methods of road construction for reducing the number of potholes that form; and what pla… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Blunkett to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS England provide the RSV vaccine to all relevant primary care practices by 1 September 2025 so that the vaccine can be delivered in advance of the peak transmission period of the virus.  HL2386

Lord Botham to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to differentiating between independent schools with (1) fewer than 200 pupils, and (2) more than 200 pupils, with regard to the imposition of VAT.  HL2387

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 14 October (HL Deb cols 17GC–20GC), when they intend to publish the terms of reference for the Home Office review into immigration detention, including Rule 34 and 35 of the detention centre rules.  HL2388

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 14 October (HL Deb cols 17GC–20GC), whether the review into immigration detention will consider the recommendations of the Brook House Inquiry and reassess which of its recommendations to accept.  HL2389

Lord Clement-Jones to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 28 February 2023 (HL5643), what plans they have to reissue the 2019 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse as binding statutory guidance on local councils and outsourced firms.  HL2390

The Lord Bishop of Derby to ask His Majesty's Government, as part of Anti-Bullying Week, what steps they are taking (1) to collect, record and monitor data on reports of bullying in schools and subsequent responses, and (2) to improve the availability and quality of anti-bullying training and support for teachers  HL2391

Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the Environment Agency’s maintenance budget for flood defences has been spent on assets in (1) flood zone 1, (2) flood zone 2, (3) flood zone 3, and (4) flood zone 3b during the current financial year.  HL2392

Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency holds regional data on the average time taken to respond to reports of environmental incidents and faults in relation to flood defences.  HL2393

Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency will publish the findings of its investigation into the faults of the Horncastle Flood Alleviation Scheme.  HL2394

Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Environment Agency is taking to support Internal Drainage Boards in maintaining flood defences in low-risk flooding areas.  HL2395

Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources will be provided to local authorities to carry out their enforcement obligations under the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024.  HL2396

Lord Hain to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 7 November (HL1982), whether they will provide a more precise answer to the question of how much funding under the Barnett formula they estimate will go to (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland as a result of the latest total for public investment in HS2.  HL2397

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will include in their forthcoming "Get Britain Working" White Paper plans to (1) support older people to be economically active; (2) support older people to volunteer; and (3) address existing barriers for older people in the workplace, including ageism and health-related barriers.  HL2398

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Vallance of Balham on 22 October (HL1416), what involvement (1) officials, and (2) Ministers have had in the drafting and content of the review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, since the gener… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government, for the purposes of increases in undergraduate tuition fees in the 2025–26 academic year, which higher education providers in the Approved (fee cap) category of registration with the Office for Students are providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework award but with an Access and Participation Plan.  HL2400

Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government what is the reason for limiting higher education providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework award but with an Access and Participation Plan to undergraduate tuition fee increases of only £25 for full-time courses in the 2024–25 academic year.  HL2401

Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the change in total fee incomes to all higher education providers resulting from the increase in undergraduate tuition fees for the 2025–26 academic year.  HL2402

Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget on higher education providers.  HL2403

Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the commitments set out in the Autumn Budget, by how much the Continuity of Education Allowance will increase.  HL2404

Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government how many staff making decisions on asylum cases are employed by the Home Office; and how many additional staff they plan to recruit by the end of 2025.  HL2405

Lord Lexden to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 6 November (HL Deb col 1487) which indicated that the Windsor Framework (agreed in February 2023) negates the need to remove the legal duties on Ministers to promote an all-Ireland economy, why a commitment to remove those duties was therefore included in paragraphs 114–16 of the Com… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint statement of 3 October between the governments of Mauritius and the UK announcing that political agreement had been reached on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, what steps they are taking to ensure that all the Chagossian groups (1) in the UK, and (2) elsewhere, are consulted ahead of sign… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming treaty between the UK and Mauritius on the Chagos Archipelago will include (1) a guaranteed right-of-return to the outer islands for all Chagossians worldwide, and (2) adequate compensation and reparations; and whether any compensation scheme would be established in consultation with Chagossians,… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Human Rights Watch report That’s When the Nightmare Started: UK and US Forced Displacement of the Chagossians and Ongoing Colonial Crimes, published in February 2023, what assessment they have made of the lawfulness and implications of preventing Chagossians from returning to the island of Diego… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Lucas to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 15 October (HC7508), whether (1) the transgender pride flag, and (2) the bisexual pride flag, benefit from deemed consent under Class 7 of Schedule 3 to The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) (England) Regulations 200… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Lucas to ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the decision to display bisexual pride flags at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for Bisexual Awareness Week in September, whether an equality impact assessment or analysis was produced to assess the impact on people of other sexual orientations or gender identities; and what plans they have to display othe… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Lord Lucas to ask His Majesty's Government what plans there are, if any, for (1) the asexual, and (2) the aromantic pride flags, to be displayed at 10 Downing Street.  HL2412

The Lord Bishop of Norwich to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget's changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on nature conservation on small farms.  HL2413

The Lord Bishop of Norwich to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget's changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on the ability of young people to own an economically viable farm in the future.  HL2414

The Lord Bishop of Norwich to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget's changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on the ability of future generations of a family to farm the same land.  HL2415

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay to ask His Majesty's Government on what date Ministers were presented with the views of the panel judging bids made to Round 4 of the Cultural Development Fund; and when they plan to announce their decision about the successful bids.  HL2416

Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what definitions they intend by the use of the terms “small business”, “family business” and “family farm” in the Autumn Budget.  HL2417

Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there are categories of employed payers of income tax and national insurance who are not included in the category of “working people”.  HL2418

Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 November (HL1572), what assessment they have received, if any, from NHS England regarding the impact of working from home on efficiency and outcomes in that organisation.  HL2419

Baroness Pidgeon to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to supporting care leavers aged 18 to 25 with their access to public transport, including reviewing whether to extend the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to those individuals.  HL2420

Baroness Randerson to ask His Majesty's Government what options they are considering for the proposed new rail link between Birmingham and Manchester; and whether they plan to consider forms of public-private partnership.  HL2421

Baroness Randerson to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a high level of adulterated honey is sold in UK supermarkets; and what plans they have to strengthen product testing standards in the UK to bring them in line with those of the EU.  HL2422

Baroness Randerson to ask His Majesty's Government why this year's Innovation Accelerator funding was limited to three city regions in England and Scotland; and what plans they have to extend it to Wales and Northern Ireland.  HL2423

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government whether the new right to flexible working in the Employment Rights Bill will include a requirement for additional consideration of requests from those who are pregnant.  HL2424

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse gender disparity regarding women’s healthcare, and the consequential impact on (1) loss of working days, and (2) the economy.  HL2425

Lord Robathan to ask His Majesty's Government how many vehicles of the Government Car Service were available for ministerial use on 11 November in (1) 2016, (2) 2023, and (3) 2024.  HL2426

The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to changing the statutory definition of domestic abuse to that those under the age of 16 can be considered victims of domestic abuse.  HL2427

The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, published on 24 October, that the harms to health and wellbeing that result from gambling are more substantial than previously understood.  HL2428

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made over the last 18 months in improving the maintenance of the accommodation of military personnel.  HL2429

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that armed forces accommodation is sufficiently prepared for winter.  HL2430

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich to ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding the ownership and upgrading of married accommodation for serving personnel.  HL2431

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich to ask His Majesty's Government whether the appointment of the independent Armed Forces Commissioner for the UK will take place this year.  HL2432

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield to ask His Majesty's Government how many of the eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas will be located in the north of England.  HL2433

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield to ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of 11–18-year-olds in Sheffield currently have access to regular out of school activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer, in accordance with the goal set out in the National Youth Guarantee.  HL2434

Baroness Stedman-Scott to ask His Majesty's Government what different gender identities are recognised by the Office for Equality and Opportunity, and the Government People Group.  HL2435

Baroness Stedman-Scott to ask His Majesty's Government what is the policy of the Office for Equalities and Opportunities on white privilege.  HL2436

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of regional disparities in the use of smart meters.  HL2437

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the meeting of employment targets is not affected by the increase in National Insurance contributions for businesses.  HL2438

Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the changes announced in the Autumn Budget on (1) farmers, and (2) food security.  HL2439

Lord Truscott to ask His Majesty's Government when the digitalisation of the property possession process at the Ministry of Justice and Courts will be completed.  HL2440

Baroness Whitaker to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the inequalities faced by Romani, Roma, and Irish Traveller communities; and which team within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for leading that work.  HL2441

Baroness Whitaker to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the finding set out in the joint report by the Roma Support Group and Friends, Families and Travellers Enablers of digital inclusion in primary care for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities, published in June, that 46 per cent of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people surveyed reported they had no access to digital… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text

Baroness Wilcox of Newport to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for growth in South Wales and Western England over the next five years; and whether the English Devolution White Paper will include measures to maintain collaboration to support the cross-border economy in that area.  HL2443

Lord Young of Cookham to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to make it a criminal offence to re-sell driving test slots.  HL2444