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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 15 January 2025

Tabled on 14 January and due for answer by 28 January.

Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty's Government how many cargo flights from Urumqi in China to Stansted Airport carrying e-commerce goods for department stores have been searched by UK border officials to ensure they are not carrying goods made by Uyghur forced labour since this route was established in December 2024.  HL4022
Answered
Lord Bradley to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 13 January (HL3801), where the information sought in the question is held if not centrally.  HL4023
Answered
Baroness Buscombe to ask His Majesty's Government how many contracts managed by the Cabinet Office under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 meet the financial thresholds for key performance indicator reporting set out in section 52 of the Procurement Act 2023 but are exempt from such reporting under the Act's transitional provisions; and what is the total value of those contrac… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Buscombe to ask His Majesty's Government how many government contracts with a value above £20 million excluding VAT have been re-awarded to incumbent suppliers without a competitive tendering process by central government in each of the last five years; and what is the total value of those contracts in each of those years.  HL4025
Answered
Lord Colgrain to ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of the executive boards of the 13 Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations.  HL4026
Answered
Lord Colgrain to ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to reintroducing prison farms with a view to the mental wellbeing of prisoners.  HL4027
Answered
Lord Dodds of Duncairn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), who are the members of the Horticulture Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework.  HL4028
Answered
Lord Dodds of Duncairn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), what secretarial support is being provided to the Horticulture Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework; how many meetings have taken evidence; and whether there is any timetable for the group to reach concl… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Dodds of Duncairn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), who are the members of the Veterinary Medicines Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework.  HL4030
Answered
Lord Dodds of Duncairn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 20 December 2024 (HL3387), what secretarial support is being provided to the Veterinary Medicines Working Group set up in relation to the implementation of the Windsor Framework; whether any report or correspondence has yet been issued by the group; and whether there is an… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to BBC Northern Ireland after it described the Special Air Service in an article published on 11 January as “one of the British Army's most infamous regiments”.  HL4032
Answered
Baroness Finn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether the Civil Service Board, People Board, Civil Service Operations Board, Location and Property Board, Data and Digital Board, or Senior Leadership Committee have any formal sub-committees or working groups; and if so, what is their scope and members… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Baroness Finn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the products of the April 2024 review that streamlined Civil Service governance structures and forums.  HL4034
Answered
Baroness Finn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 18 December 2024 (HL3603), whether the reported Wednesday Morning Colleagues group still meets, and whether it exercises any management functions in relation to the Civil Service.  HL4035
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 7 January (HL3653), what future policies relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions are (1) under consideration and (2) in development.  HL4036
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 7 January (HL3653), what is the projected reduction in emissions from each of the future policies under consideration or in development; and what is the estimated total reduction in emissions as a result of these policies.  HL4037
Answered
Lord Foster of Bath to ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68 per cent on 1990 levels by 2030, as set in the United Kingdom’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution.  HL4038
Answered
Baroness Freeman of Steventon to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have formulated an evaluation plan for the Renters’ Rights Bill; and if so, what are their outcome measures and evidence gaps, and how the proposed landlord database will support the evaluation plan in its design and contents.  HL4039
Answered
Baroness Freeman of Steventon to ask His Majesty's Government how many evaluations are currently registered in the Evaluation Registry by each government department; and what metrics the Evaluation Task Force reports to departmental directors of analysis regarding the uptake of the Registry.  HL4040
Answered
Baroness Freeman of Steventon to ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of evaluations being proposed or carried out by departments that are not currently registered in the Evaluation Registry; and of those, how many are exempted from registration because of exclusions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  HL4041
Answered
Baroness Goudie to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce mandatory obligations on businesses and financial institutions to respect human rights and the environment in a similar way to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.  HL4042
Answered
Baroness Goudie to ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to convene a cross-department unit on business and human rights that consults with civil society and those with lived experience of business harms on a frequent basis.  HL4043
Answered
Baroness Goudie to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to open a public consultation on introducing requirements on businesses and financial institutions to incentivise them to respect human rights, including those of indigenous peoples and human rights defenders.  HL4044
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of funds committed to the Integrated Security Fund are dedicated to funding peacebuilding and mediation support programmes.  HL4045
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of funds committed to the Integrated Security Fund have been dedicated to funding programmes and initiatives relating to (1) civil society peacebuilding and (2) women, peace, and security, since it replaced the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in 2024.  HL4046
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what resources have been dedicated by the Integrated Security Fund to initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict.  HL4047
Answered
Baroness Helic to ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of Official Development Assistance has been dedicated to peacebuilding and mediation support programmes in each year between 2016 and 2025.  HL4048
Answered
Lord Kamall to ask His Majesty's Government, following their decision to cancel the cap on social care costs, what plans they have to raise public awareness of the availability of 'immediate needs annuity' and 'deferred needs annuity' policies offered by insurance companies to allow individuals to fund their later life social care costs.  HL4049
Answered
Lord Kempsell to ask His Majesty's Government, what steps they are taking to ensure that all signs, notices and other displays of expired COVID-19 restrictions and guidance are removed from public places by the relevant authorities.  HL4050
Answered
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering to ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to introduce a zero rate of VAT for church repairs and renovation.  HL4051
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Centre for Social Justice report Lonely Nation - Part 4: Loneliness and food banks, published in December 2024, which found that over twice as many people who use food banks feel lonely most of the time compared to all adults, what steps they are taking to address loneliness and social isolation… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on 3 December 2024 showing that the number of alcohol-specific deaths in England in 2023 was the highest on record; and what steps are they taking to reduce this number, particularly in the region of the North East regio… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make apprenticeships more financially viable for young people and their families.  HL4054
Answered
Baroness Penn to ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the next iteration of the National Behaviour Survey.  HL4055
Answered
Baroness Penn to ask His Majesty's Government what plans Ofsted has to incorporate evidence on mobile phones into its Education Inspection Framework and inspector training.  HL4056
Answered
Baroness Penn to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken with teacher training providers to incorporate the latest evidence on mobile phones, social media and mental health into their curricula.  HL4057
Answered
Baroness Penn to ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 12 December 2024 (HL3041), what plans they have to introduce guidance for parents of babies and children under five on screen time and phone use through midwifery, health visiting or GP services.  HL4058
Answered
Baroness Penn to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 18 December 2024 (HL3350), what is the status of each of the recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officers in their commentary on Screen-based activities and children and young people’s mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: a systematic map of reviews, published on… Item text truncated - open link to view full item text
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are accessible to under-represented groups, including those in rural areas and disadvantaged communities.  HL4060
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to monitor and improve the quality of training provided through apprenticeship programmes to ensure they meet industry standards.  HL4061
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase funding for apprenticeship programmes, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that may struggle to support apprenticeship placements.  HL4062
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what data they have available regarding the long-term employment outcomes for individuals who have completed apprenticeships compared to those who have not.  HL4063
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate collaboration between educational institutions and industries to create apprenticeship programmes that align with current job market needs.  HL4064
Answered
Lord Reid of Cardowan to ask His Majesty's Government what support mechanisms are in place for employers who take on apprentices; and how they plan to incentivise more businesses to participate in apprenticeship schemes.  HL4065
Answered
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for appointing a specialist allergy nurse and dietitian in each Integrated Care System area.  HL4066
Answered
Lord Shinkwin to ask His Majesty's Government what recent work has been undertaken by the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle transnational repression.  HL4067
Answered
Lord Shinkwin to ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer raised the issue of transnational repression with the government of China during her recent trip to Beijing; and if so, how the government of China responded.  HL4068
Answered
Lord Swire to ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Ambassador of North Korea about the deployment and loss of life of their soldiers in Ukraine.  HL4069
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that AI regulation does not create a digital border between (1) the UK and the EU, and (2) the UK and Northern Ireland.  HL4070
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK becomes the global leader in AI technologies, particularly regarding how they will encourage (1) firms to invest in the UK, and (2) talent to move to and remain in the UK.  HL4071
Answered
Lord Taylor of Warwick to ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of anti-competition regulation on the growth of UK businesses.  HL4072
Answered
Lord West of Spithead to ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 19 November 2024 (HL2338), whether the investigations referred to are now complete.  HL4073
Answered
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Item that is new or altered.
* Item is an oral question.
Numbers starting HL are unique identifiers for written questions, Bills or papers.