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House of Lords Business

See what is going on in the House of Lords today, as well as what has happened since June 1998. This includes the relevant Order Paper, Minutes of Proceedings, questions tabled and edition of House of Lords Business. These documents can also all be downloaded.

Questions for Written Answer for 8 October 2024

Tabled on 7 October 2024 and due for answer by 21 October 2024.

Lord Allen of Kensington to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Labour Force Survey released by the Office for National Statistics on 10 September, which shows there were 597,000 young people aged 16 to 24 who were unemployed from May to July, an increase of 51,000 from the previous year; and what steps they are taking to take to reduce youth unemplo… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Allen of Kensington to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 94 per cent increase of food parcels distributed to people in hardship by the Trussell Trust in the five years to March 2024; and what action they are taking to eliminate the need for people to use foodbanks.  HL1139
Answered
Lord Allen of Kensington to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the waiting list of people in England who are currently waiting for their first specialist appointment with an ophthalmologist.  HL1140
Answered
Lord Allen of Kensington to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the rise in homelessness as published on 3 October in the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government's report Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2023–24HL1141
Answered
Baroness Altmann to ask His Majesty's Government what is the average total income of Pension Credit recipients, including all additional passported benefits.  HL1142
Answered
Baroness Altmann to ask His Majesty's Government how many pensioner households they estimate will be eligible but not receiving Pension Credit by January 2025.  HL1143
Answered
Baroness Altmann to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; ho… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Altmann to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in the Cabinet Office are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; how many hours are allocated in total;… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Altmann to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 7 August (HL344), how many staff in the Government Equalities Office are permitted to undertake diversity-related network time during core working hours; what is the percentage of overall working time they are permitted to spend on such network activity; how many hours are alloc… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what communication they have had with the government of Nicaragua regarding two Catholic lay leaders who have been detained without proof of life since 10 August, Carmen María Sáenz Martinez and Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda.  HL1147
Answered
Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to secure the release of the Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti.  HL1148
Answered
Baroness Anelay of St Johns to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to engage in diplomacy that specifically highlights the connection between conflict and hunger, as acknowledged in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2417 in 2018 and the G7 famine prevention and humanitarian crises compact in 2021.  HL1149
Answered
Baroness Anelay of St Johns to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Collins of Highbury on 13 September (HL Deb cols 1811–16), what steps are they taking, together with the African Union, United Nations and Intergovernmental Authority on Development, to support the development of a civilian protection mission in Sudan.  HL1150
Answered
Baroness Anelay of St Johns to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Collins of Highbury on 13 September 2024 (HL Deb cols 1811–16), what steps they are taking (1) to pursue accountability for ongoing atrocities and other violations of international human rights law in Sudan; (2) to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) with its ongoing Darfur inves… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Anelay of St Johns to ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in securing agreement at the United Nations Human Rights Council for the resolution tabled by the UK which seeks, in the words of the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, to "keep UN resources focused on the human rights situation, most importantly for a fact-finding mission" and an "independent inte… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Bailey of Paddington to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide the Mayor of London with additional support for housebuilding.  HL1153
Answered
Lord Bailey of Paddington to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to require lenders to consider rental payment history when making decisions on mortgage applications.  HL1154
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government whether VAT will be levied on the school fees of children of military families who claim the Continuity of Education Allowance.  HL1155
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the impact of VAT on school fees for pupils studying subjects that are not available at their local state school, particularly those in years 11 and 13.  HL1156
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the level of university undergraduate fees in the future.  HL1157
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more specialisation in universities between research and teaching.  HL1158
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether it is possible to reduce the monthly repayments for every single new graduate without increasing government borrowing or general taxation.  HL1159
Answered
Baroness Barran to ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to ensure that students being taught by franchise providers are getting a high quality education.  HL1160
Answered
Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government, following cancellation of parts of HS2 in October 2023, which remaining HS2 investments they plan to re-designate for short-term rail projects over the next 10 years.  HL1161
Answered
Lord Berkeley to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reason for the failure of the Class 802 trains at Dawlish during a sea storm on 29 September.  HL1162
Answered
Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance of the Drax Group with (1) biomass sustainability rules, and (2) relevant regulatory standards; and what plans, if any, they have to change regulatory standards to improve the sustainability of the power generated at Drax power station.  HL1163
Answered
Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings in Ofgem’s investigation into Drax Power Limited published 29 August; and what steps they will take in response.  HL1164
Answered
Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the challenges posed by the nascency of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technology; and whether they plan to support the piloting of CCUS technology in advance of committing to any full roll-out.  HL1165
Answered
Lord Birt to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider the case for not requiring the payment of VAT on compulsory school and boarding fees of full-time cathedral choristers who are required to board at specific schools and to live close to their choir's place of worship in order to fulfil their musical commitments throughout the religious calendar.  Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Black of Brentwood to ask His Majesty's Government whether the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Commonwealth countries is on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa.  HL1167
Answered
Lord Black of Brentwood to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of imposing VAT on school fees for peripatetic music teachers who teach at independent schools.  HL1168
Answered
Lord Blencathra to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will examine the activities of pro-Iran Shia groups in London as part of the rapid review of extremism being conducted by the Home Secretary.  HL1169
Answered
Lord Blencathra to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Charity Commission has sufficient resources and investigative expertise to examine complaints against charities accused of being influenced by hostile foreign states, including the Abrar Islamic Foundation and the Dar Alhekma Trust.  HL1170
Answered
Lord Blencathra to ask His Majesty's Government why the United States is able to prevent the United Kingdom supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, and whether it is able to prevent the supply of other weapons to Ukraine which do not contain parts manufactured in the United States.  HL1171
Answered
Lord Blunkett to ask His Majesty's Government how many times since the 2021 Census the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has (1) varied a published official statistic, (2) reverted a statistic to “development stage", and (3) downgraded a forecast; and how often the ONS has published data since April 2021 on (a) quarterly economic growth, and (b) migration statistics.  <… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Blunkett to ask His Majesty's Government at what point in September the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for infants and those aged 75 to 80 was made available in the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board area.  HL1173
Answered
Lord Blunkett to ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of primary care practices in Sheffield did not have availability of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine by 20 September.  HL1174
Answered
Lord Blunkett to ask His Majesty's Government what was the process for selecting members of the panel who will assess the candidates for the position of Cabinet Secretary.  HL1175
Answered
Lord Bradley to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to extend the powers of RSPCA inspectors under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ensure better enforcement in the protection of animal welfare.  HL1176
Answered
Lord Bradshaw to ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to announce their policy on buses to ensure that the Traffic Commissioners have sufficient notice before timetable changes need to be made.  HL1177
Answered
Lord Bradshaw to ask His Majesty's Government how much of the money that has been refunded to passengers under the Delay Repay scheme during the last two months has come from services under public ownership.  HL1178
Answered
Lord Bradshaw to ask His Majesty's Government how much of the money refunded to privately franchised train operators or open access operators within the last two months under Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 arrangements in Track Access Agreements come from public funds.  HL1179
Answered
Lord Bradshaw to ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers responsible for roads or traffic actively monitor driving standards on the roads, and how this compares to 10 years ago.  HL1180
Answered
Lord Bradshaw to ask His Majesty's Government whether their franchise agreement with Great Western Railway allows for the running of suburban multiple units on their inter-city services.  HL1181
Answered
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to sustain and increase the stocks of trout and salmon in rivers and lakes in England and Wales in the face of predation by cormorants and other native and non-native birds.  HL1182
Answered
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any proposals to license the increased culling of cormorants and other predatory native and non-native birds in England and Wales.  HL1183
Answered
Lord Carlile of Berriew to ask His Majesty's Government what proposals they have for encouraging and developing private and business leisure fishing in rivers and lakes in England and Wales.  HL1184
Answered
The Earl of Clancarty to ask His Majesty's Government whether providers offering higher-level diplomas funded through the Dance and Drama Awards Scheme will be subject to VAT on school fees.  HL1185
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision to suspend peace talks between the government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army.  HL1186
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, as penholder on the United Nations Security Council for Colombia, of the social-legal dialogue between the government of Colombia and the AGC/Clan del Golfo.  HL1187
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of Colombia about increasing protection for the Wiwa indigenous peoples currently being displaced by high-impact, armed organised crime groups; and, if so, what was the outcome.  HL1188
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have held any discussions with the government of Colombia about the increased conflict in Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria; and, if so, what was the outcome.  HL1189
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government how they will be participating in the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia.  HL1190
Answered
Baroness Coussins to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of the peace talks between the government of Colombia and the Segunda Marquetalia.  HL1191
Answered
Baroness Cox to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the claim that the mass displacement of Armenians from Nagorno–Karabakh constitutes ethnic cleansing.  HL1192
Answered
Baroness Cox to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations on page 20 of the report 'Disability Equality in Armenia', published by the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust in April, and in particular, the recommendation for the UK to provide further assistance to refugees from Nagorno–Karabakh in Armenia, including bespoke assistance for refugees w… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Cox to ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Azerbaijan since July regarding the release of Armenian hostages.  HL1194
Answered
Baroness Cox to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Foreign Secretary's statement in his Progressive Realism newsletter published on 16 September that Azerbaijan has been able to "liberate" territory it lost in the early 1990s, what is their assessment of the current situation in Nagorno–Karabakh.  HL1195
Answered
Baroness Crawley to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide the finances for a Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to those of a Muslim faith who gave their lives in two World Wars, as announced in the March Budget.  HL1196
Answered
Lord Davies of Brixton to ask His Majesty's Government, following the introduction of means-testing for the Winter Fuel Payment, what administrative arrangements they are making to deal with any increase in claims for Pension Credit; what assessment they have made of the impact of an increase in claims for Pension Credit on the processing of existing claims; and how many current c… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Davies of Brixton to ask His Majesty's Government how they arrived at their estimate that the introduction of means testing for the Winter Fuel Payment will result in savings of £1.5 billion in the current financial year, and what is the itemised breakdown of these calculations.  HL1198
Answered
Lord Davies of Brixton to ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the projected savings from the introduction of means testing on the Winter Fuel Payment in the event that the number of those claiming Pension Credit increases from its current level (1) to 80 per cent, and (2) to 90 per cent, of those eligible.  HL1199
Answered
Baroness Deech to ask His Majesty's Government in the light of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published for the Secretary-General on 20 April, what assessment they have made of subsequent reports, and videos, of UNRWA's involvement with Hamas and its infrastructure.  Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Deech to ask His Majesty's Government what information is held by the Consul General in Jerusalem on reported Hamas involvement in UNRWA.  HL1201
Answered
Baroness Deech to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to monitor UNRWA; and to ensure that international development funds do not indirectly support terrorist organisations.  HL1202
Answered
Baroness Deech to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any inconsistency between the diplomatic pronouncements of (1) the Consul General in Jerusalem, and (2) the British embassy in Israel; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure such statements are consistent.  HL1203
Answered
Baroness Eaton to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to invite officials in the Department for Transport to sit on, and become members of, the Flood Resilience Task Force.  HL1204
Answered
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure funding for and expand access to minimally invasive cancer therapies approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence across NHS Trusts.  HL1205
Answered
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS Trusts have the necessary funding and trained staff to deliver minimally invasive cancer therapies.  HL1206
Answered
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 16 September (HL602), what plans, if any, they have to conduct an impact assessment and cost benefit analysis of the introduction of VAT on private school fees prior to implementation; and what advice they received from the accounting officer regarding their plan… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 September (HL746), which Ministers in the House of Lords are unpaid and claim the daily attendance allowance.  HL1208
Answered
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean to ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 25 September (HL972), whether the Lord Speaker and the Commission were consulted regarding the recruitment of two external members to the Management Board, and whether they approved this recruitment exercise.  HL1209
Answered
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie to ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to levy VAT on fees for (1) students training at the 20 Centres for Advanced Training supported by the Music and Dance Scheme, and (2) children attending independent schools that are members of the Choir School Association.  HL1210
Answered
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie to ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Scottish Government, and with any other education providers in Scotland, regarding the impact on the state education sector of charging VAT on independent school fees from 1 January 2025.  HL1211
Answered
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of levying VAT on independent school fees on the schools listed in the Music and Dance Scheme in England and the schools supported by the Scottish Government's Aided Places Scheme.  HL1212
Answered
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of levying VAT on independent school fees on children in receipt of a bursary from the Government’s Choir School Scholarship Scheme.  HL1213
Answered
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie to ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to measure whether the requirement for public service broadcasters to produce programmes outside London and across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom has been met; and whether they expect public service broadcasters to work towards population-based production quotas for each nation and region. … Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to provide to facilitate the integration of eye scan technologies, like those used in the AlzEye study, into routine NHS screening programmes for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia.  HL1215
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand longitudinal studies, like AlzEye, which use linked healthcare datasets, to enhance public health efforts in detecting early signs of neurological and systemic diseases through non-invasive tests such as retinal scans.  HL1216
Answered
Lord Freyberg to ask His Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to encourage collaboration between optometrists and GPs to streamline the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions.  HL1217
Answered
Baroness Gale to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) assess case for the phasing-out of cages for layer hens, and (2) launch a consultation on phasing out such cages.  HL1218
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reopen Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, and if so, when.  HL1219
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reopen Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre, and if so, when.  HL1220
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the recommendations of the Brook House Inquiry report published on 19 September 2023, what changes will be made to the operation of Haslar and Campsfield immigration removal centres when they reopen.  HL1221
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government how many people were accommodated at Wethersfield asylum accommodation site on the first of every month from 1 May to date.  HL1222
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government whether a GP is present at Wethersfield asylum accommodation site on five days a week.  HL1223
Answered
Lord German to ask His Majesty's Government what is the make up of the on site medical team at Wethersfield asylum accommodation site.  HL1224
Answered
Lord Hacking to ask His Majesty's Government whether, in implementing their proposed VAT policy on independent school fees, they will be changing the current practice, where the only information (short of an audit or investigation) available to HMRC from quarterly VAT returns, is the total of VAT collected and the total VAT paid out without further identifications; and, if so, how… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Hacking to ask His Majesty's Government whether, in implementing the proposed VAT on Independent School Fees, they will be changing the current practice, where each VAT registered entity is not required to identify its commercial activity or activities or place itself in any specific category; and, if so, how.  HL1226
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Heritage Crafts "Red List of Endangered Crafts"; and what plans they have, if any, to support any of those listed to prevent extinction of those skills within the United Kingdom.  HL1227
Answered
Baroness Hodgson of Abinger to ask His Majesty's Government when they last met representatives of the footwear industry; when the next meeting is to take place; whether that meeting will include heritage craft makers in the footwear industry; and what plans they have to support the continued making and manufacture of shoes and boots in the United Kingdom.  HL1228&l… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Howard of Lympne to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 September (HL Deb col 1065), whether ministers were required to suspend certain export licences for items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza.  HL1229
Answered
Lord Howell of Guildford to ask His Majesty's Government whether a Final Investment Decision (FID) regarding Sizewell C will be scrutinised by the new Office of Value for Money, prior to the FID being taken.  HL1230
Answered
Lord Howell of Guildford to ask His Majesty's Government which power sector model is being used to assess value for money for Sizewell C.  HL1231
Answered
Lord Jackson of Peterborough to ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign-national offenders, having completed at least 12 months of a custodial sentence, have been removed from the United Kingdom, in each quarterly period since January 2020.  HL1232
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 16 September (HL694), which arm's-length bodies pay for an affiliation to Stonewall using public money.  HL1233
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 16 September (HL693), on what grounds responses to the call for input have been considered "invalid".  HL1234
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government what contributions they made to (1) core, (2) non-core, and (3) other funding, for (a) the United Nations Population Fund, (b) the World Health Organization, (c) the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, (d) the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, (e) the International Planned Parenthood Fe… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government what was their bilateral expenditure on programmes targeting HIV and AIDS in 2022 and 2023, through Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development input sector codes 13041 and 13042.  HL1236
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government what was their bilateral expenditure on programmes targeting reproductive health in 2022 and 2023, through Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development input sector codes 13010, 13021/22, 13030 and 13081.  HL1237
Answered
Baroness Jenkin of Kennington to ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of total United Kingdom Overseas Development Assistance was allocated to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in 2022 and 2023.  HL1238
Answered
Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the tender for market testing for Home Office English Language Testing services published on 28 August, what is the rationale behind the Home Office decision to tender this service; and what plans the Home Office has to engage and consult (1) other government departments, in particular the Department for… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Johnson of Marylebone to ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the review of the student finance system, (1) what steps they are taking to reduce opportunities for systemic and organised fraud identified by the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee; and (2) what was the rationale for paying postgraduate master's loans of up to £12,471 directly to stude… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 17 September (HL801), whether the compensation of existing shareholders is a pre-condition for the transfer of ownership of a water company in the Special Administrative Regime to a new owner.  HL1241
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people earning less than £17,000 a year to own bikes.  HL1242
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to secure residential cycle parking.  HL1243
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 16 September (HL638), whether they intend to make and publish their decision on the Health and Safety Executive's final restriction opinion on the risks of using lead in ammunition within three months of receipt of the opinion.  HL1244
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 16 September (HL800), whether they have an estimated cost for bringing the water industry into public ownership.  HL1245
Answered
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to conduct a review of whether Area and Regional Directors of the Environment Agency have any conflicts of interest with their role as regulators of the water industry, and if so, whether they intend to make any such conflicts public.  HL1246
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish an updated list of ministers' interests.  HL1247
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to open another round of the Community Ownership Fund.  HL1248
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of applying Value Added Tax to independent school fees on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff based abroad who have children studying at UK boarding schools.  HL1249
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government when the review of smart motorways is set to conclude.  HL1250
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make any changes to the statutory guidance for low traffic neighbourhoods.  HL1251
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in setting up a new returns and enforcement unit to fast-track removals to safe countries for people who do not have the right to stay in the UK, and in particular how many of the additional 1,000 staff allocated to the unit have been recruited.  HL1252
Answered
Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations Secretary-General's report Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, published on 20 August, and what further steps they will take to protect British lawyers working with the United Nations, in the l… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in the light of the urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture of 12 September regarding the detention conditions of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong.  HL1254
Answered
Lord Lamont of Lerwick to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on the 27 September (HL1042), whether they will now provide a substantive answer to Written Question HL1042.  HL1255
Answered
Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton to ask His Majesty's Government what were all the ministerial visits to Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory) since 1 January 2015.  HL1256
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Leeds to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report Infant Mortality in England published by Health Equity North in August; and what assessment they have made of the ethnic disparities in infant mortality rates in England set out in that report.  HL1257
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Leeds to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase infant and child vaccination levels in the north of England.  HL1258
Answered
Lord Lipsey to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of shops refusing to accept cash as payment insisting instead on card payment; and whether they plan to take steps to protect access to and the use of cash.  HL1259
Answered
Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to implement the Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Social and Economic Life published by the High Commissioner on National Minorities in October 2023, to ensure the representation of minorities including Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in t… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the potential impacts of reintroducing non-repayable maintenance grants for higher education students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and (2) the potential benefits of funding university students to deliver targeted tutoring to disadvantaged school pupils.  HL1261<… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 17 September (HL719), how much they have invested in football facilities between 2022 and 2024.  HL1262
Answered
Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government how they are implementing the public sector duty regarding socioeconomic inequalities in section 1 of the Equality Act 2010.  HL1263
Answered
Baroness Lister of Burtersett to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 2 September (HL141), what assessment they have made of the joint report by the APPGs on Poverty and on Migration, The Effects of the UK Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Policy on Poverty, published on 30 April.  HL1264
Answered
Lord Loomba to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take to work with local authorities to support and coordinate the establishment of local food partnerships, particularly in depriv… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Loomba to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take to set out plans to address holiday hunger after the Holiday Activities and Food Programme ends in March 2025, including effo… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Loomba to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what steps they will take (1) to make food available to young people in existing after-school clubs and youth services, including in Family Hubs and th… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Loomba to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the joint report by Barnardo's and the Co-op A recipe for success: How do children and young people want to access food in their communities?, published in September, what plans they have to review the Healthy Start programme to (1) assess its value, and (2) improve its uptake.  HL1268
Answered
Lord Markham to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the future of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as a stand-alone department.  HL1269
Answered
Lord Mawson to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a response to the consultation carried out in June 2022 on "Improving disabled people’s access to let residential premises: reasonable adjustments to common parts, a new duty".  HL1270
Answered
Lord Mawson to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commence and implement the remaining parts of the Equality Act 2010, including section 36, to place a duty on landlords to make reasonable adjustments to common areas for the benefit of disabled people.  HL1271
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government how many of those convicted to date in connection with rioting in early August (1) were of no fixed abode, and (2) lived within five miles of the scene of the rioting in connection with which they were arrested.  HL1272
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Arup report Opportunity through connectivity: Catalysing economic growth through a Midlands-North West Rail Link, published in September, what assessment they have made of proposals for an affordable Midlands-North West rail link.  HL1273
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 20 September (HL1065), what discussions they have had with the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority on their proposals for making diversity and inclusion reporting mandatory through regulation; and what assessment they have made of these regulatory measures… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of mandating equality, diversity and inclusion reporting on bodies which are not subject to the Equality Act 2010 public sector equality duty.  HL1275
Answered
Lord Moylan to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on (1) smaller UK wine producers, (2) smaller UK wine retailers, and (3) imports from smaller overseas wine producers, of the increased administration they will face following the planned termination of the temporary wine easement on 1 February 2025 and the introduction of a new excise regime… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 10 September (HL665), whether they hold any Ministerial Code declaration, and if so in relation to which Minister, regarding the initial appointment of Ian Corfield as a civil servant in July, prior to his subsequent conversion to a direct ministerial appointment.  &l… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of industrial action in the Office for National Statistics (ONS); how many days ONS staff are required to attend the office; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the industrial action on statistical publications.  HL1278
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government whether gifts to ministers of clothes are taxable.  HL1279
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 17 September (HL810), whether the application and correspondence for the Recruitment Principles exemption for Ian Corfield, sent by the Treasury, informed the Civil Service Commission of the previous political donation from Mr Corfield to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. �… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 19 September (HL812), whether the financial declaration by the then Shadow Secretary of State before the general election was re-submitted as a Ministerial declaration to the Permanent Secretary when they submitted the Recruitment Principles exemption request fo… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Neville-Rolfe to ask His Majesty's Government how many disclosures there have been in response to Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests on Civil Service workplace occupancy since the general election; and what are the reference numbers for those disclosures.  HL1282
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of not extending Rough Sleeping Initiative funding past the end of the current financial year on the provision of services to people experiencing rough sleeping.  HL1283
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend Rough Sleeping Initiative funding past the end of the current financial year.  HL1284
Answered
Baroness Northover to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to resolve the issues highlighted in the Care Quality Commission’s National review of maternity services in England, 2022–2024, including those concerning workforce planning and recruitment.  HL1285
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Norwich to ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, in accordance with the commitment of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference Canada in 2022, before COP 16 starts in Colombia on 21 October.  HL1286
Answered
Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway to ask His Majesty's Government what support they give to workers on Seasonal Worker visas to switch to a different scheme operator if the licence of their current scheme operator is revoked, so that those workers can stay in the United Kingdom horticultural sector for the remainder of the time left on their visa.  HL1287Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle non-compliance regarding removal of non-consensual content from websites that host image-based abuse material.  HL1288
Answered
Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge to ask His Majesty's Government what training members of the police are undertaking to communicate and assist victims of image-based abuse.  HL1289
Answered
Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge to ask His Majesty's Government what mental health support they currently offer to survivors of image-based abuse.  HL1290
Answered
Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the UK Infrastructure Bank.  HL1291
Answered
Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's ability to supply electricity generators to the Ukraine before the winter.  HL1292
Answered
Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the needs of the energy sector in Ukraine as a result of damage to energy infrastructure by conflict.  HL1293
Answered
Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the private funding received by think tanks operating in the (1) political, and (2) economic, policy areas in England and Wales; and whether they have any plans to reform the (a) funding regime, or (b) declarations of sources of funding, for such think tanks.  HL1294
Answered
Lord Patten to ask His Majesty's Government which councils in England are in special measures as of 8 October, and what is the level of overspending in each such council.  HL1295
Answered
Lord Pearson of Rannoch to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible implications of the proposed World Health Organization Pandemic Preparedness Treaty for British sovereignty; what assessment they have made of the benefits of the treaty; and whether they intend to sign it.  HL1296
Answered
Lord Porter of Spalding to ask His Majesty's Government how many of the prisoners who were given early release on 10 September had been imprisoned for a second or subsequent offence.  HL1297
Answered
Baroness Quin to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in NHS hospitals.  HL1298
Answered
Baroness Quin to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to setting limits for the consumption of ultra-processed foods served in state schools.  HL1299
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to encourage international students to pursue higher education in this country, and (2) to develop post-graduation opportunities for these students.  HL1300
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to ensure that the United Kingdom is meeting its international obligations towards asylum seekers and refugees, and (2) to improve the asylum application process.  HL1301
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Brexit has affected immigration from (1) all countries, and (2) EU member states, and what plans they have to address any resulting negative impacts on immigration.  HL1302
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to prevent illegal immigration, and (2) to balance immigration enforcement efforts with the protection of human rights.  HL1303
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government who is eligible to apply for family reunion, and what steps they are taking to ensure that family reunion decisions are humane and effective.  HL1304
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the long-term economic effects of a range of immigration scenarios.  HL1305
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 10-Year Cancer Plan for England.  HL1306
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the (1) European Union, and (2) G7, about action to be taken to end HIV, tuberculosis and malaria globally.  HL1307
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their proposals for a 10-year cancer strategy.  HL1308
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Local Food Partnerships and the impact that they can have on young people’s access to food in their community.  HL1309
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address holiday hunger after the Holidays Activities and Food Programme ends in March 2025.  HL1310
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to remove the reduced rate in Universal Credit for under 25s.  HL1311
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have produced a regulatory impact assessment for the Water (Special Measures) Bill; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1312
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have produced an equalities impact assessment for the Water (Special Measures) Bill; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1313
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have produced an environmental principles assessment for the Water (Special Measures) Bill; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1314
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have produced a justice impact test for the Water (Special Measures) Bill; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.  HL1315
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the Environment Agency to play a role in the planning system in order for improvements in slurry and dirty water handling infrastructure to be approved and implemented.  HL1316
Answered
Lord Roborough to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to negotiate an increased share of quota for UK-landed blue fin tuna in the ongoing negotiations with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.  HL1317
Answered
Lord Rooker to ask His Majesty's Government what response they have received to requests for consular access to Alaa Abd el-Fattah.  HL1318
Answered
Lord Rooker to ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Egypt regarding Alaa Abd el-Fattah.  HL1319
Answered
Lord Rose of Monewden to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimate in the Office for National Statistic's Labour market overview, UK: September 2024, that the UK economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 years was 21.9 per cent in May to July 2024; and what action they are taking to reduce economic inactivity of people of working… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that children with social work involvement are able to access a dedicated pathway to mental health support.  HL1321
Answered
The Lord Bishop of St Albans to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to develop the Children’s Social Care National Framework and outcomes further to include the voice of children and young people.  HL1322
Answered
Lord Snape to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will support the establishment of a Great British Railways online rail retailer to ensure a consolidated and transparent rail retail offer in addition to existing rail retailers.  HL1323
Answered
Lord Snape to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will allow Great British Railways to act as an online rail retailer.  HL1324
Answered
Lord Snape to ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to recommence the tendering process for the Consolidated Online Retail Solution to ensure that Great British Railways will be able to sell tickets online as well as at railway stations.  HL1325
Answered
Lord Snape to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for establishing a rail miles loyalty scheme to attract more people to the railways and to end the fragmentation of rail services and any resulting confusion about tickets.  HL1326
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Southwark to ask His Majesty's Government whether the plan to allocate additional Official Development Assistance (ODA) for (1) 2024–25, and (2) 2025–26, to compensate for the share of ODA being spent on refugees in the United Kingdom.  HL1327
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Southwark to ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Official Development Assistance was spent outside the United Kingdom in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, (5) 2023, and (6) 2024.  HL1328
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Southwark to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to apply a cap to the share of Official Development Assistance reported as "in-donor refugee costs".  HL1329
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Southwark to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to revise the fiscal tests used for determining when the Official Development Assistance Budget has returned to its required level of 0.7 per cent of gross national income.  HL1330
Answered
Baroness Stedman-Scott to ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any (1) Family Test, (2) environmental principles, and (3) equality analysis, documents that they have produced in respect of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024.  HL1331
Answered
Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services report, State of Policing: The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2023, published on 19 July, and in particular its findings in relation to efforts to address rape and sexual violence. &#… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Stone of Blackheath to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have considered to use trained and non-active military personnel in NHS accident and emergency departments to utilise their skills to provide rapid triage of patient’s needs.  HL1333
Answered
Lord Swire to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of United Nations buildings in Gaza that have been destroyed during the last 11 months.  HL1334
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that businesses have reduced their hiring rates because of uncertainty over taxation in the upcoming Budget.  HL1335
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers where water companies are facing financial difficulties.  HL1336
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect consumers this winter facing increased gas and electricity prices.  HL1337
Answered
Lord Teverson to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of a voucher scheme for people on low incomes to buy a cycle, proposed in Sustrans' report The Cycling Opportunity, published on 11 September.  HL1338
Answered
Lord Teverson to ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an Access to Nature White Paper and whether they will engage with stakeholders representing public access and recreation.  HL1339
Answered
Lord Teverson to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure energy efficiency improvements can be undertaken in private blocks of flats that are subject to lease constraints.  HL1340
Answered
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to renovate HMP Grendon and Spring Hill in response to the Independent Monitoring Boards’ 2022 annual report, published on 12 May 2023.  HL1341
Answered
Baroness Thomas of Winchester to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reduce waiting times for driving tests.  HL1342
Answered
Baroness Vere of Norbiton to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chief Secretary to the Treasury approved the salary of the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff as per the senior pay controls process.  HL1343
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Government Property Agency remains the Custodian of the Royal Naval Division War Memorial following transfer of the freehold.  HL1344
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether the fountain of the Royal Naval Division War Memorial is functioning correctly.  HL1345
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether the renovations due to be completed to the Royal Naval Division War Memorial in 2019 have been carried out; whether there have been any further renovations since; and, if not, whether the Government Property Agency will conduct a survey to start renovations as soon as possible.  HL1346
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have identified further ships in the "shadow fleet", in addition to the 10 already identified and sanctioned, which are breaking sanctions on trade of Russian oil.  HL1347
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in building three new Fleet Solid Support Ships for the Royal Navy.  HL1348
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government whether recent attacks by Hezbollah on Haifa and Northern Israel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon have led to reconsideration of the proscription of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.  HL1349
Answered
Baroness Wilcox of Newport to ask His Majesty's Government when the full operational model of the National Parking Platform will be available to local authorities.  HL1350
Answered
Baroness Wilcox of Newport to ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the savings for local authorities who join the National Parking Platform.  HL1351
Answered
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich to ask His Majesty's Government how many private sector organisations operating as independent training providers supplied publicly funded training to apprentices in the financial years (1) 2018–19, (2) 2019–20, (3) 2020–21, (4) 2021–22, and (5) 2022–23; and of those, how many (a) supplied such training in 2018–19 but not 2022–23, and (b) supplied training… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Young of Cookham to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of a voucher scheme to encourage cycle ownership for people on low incomes.  HL1353
Answered
Lord Young of Cookham to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Crown Estate has notified the Treasury of any risks to its reputation, further to section 15.1 of the Treasury's Framework Document: The Crown Estate, published in June 2023.  HL1354
Answered
Lord Young of Cookham to ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect the draft Memorandum of Understanding between the Treasury and the Crown Estates to be published before consideration of the Crown Estates Bill is concluded in the House of Lords.  HL1355
Answered
Legend for business item text
Item that is new or altered.
* Item is an oral question.
Numbers starting HL are unique identifiers for written questions, Bills or papers.