Lords
Debate
13 July 2026
Clean Water Bill: Chalk Streams
My Lords, I thank the Minister for her response. Does she regret that, despite repeated assurances that chalk streams were an urgent priority during the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, they still do not have statutory protection? Can she assure the House that they will not be le…
Lords
Proceedings
13 July 2026
Farming Practices: Sustainable Farming Incentive
My Lords, does the Minister agree that species-rich grassland is one of the clearest examples of regenerative farming in practice? Why, then, has support for it been removed from SFI 2026? How does that sit with the Government’s commitment to regenerative agriculture?
Lords
Proceedings
8 July 2026
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
My Lords, does the Minister agree that making it so much harder for working people on low incomes to serve as coastguard rescue officers may jeopardise this life-saving service? Therefore, in this period of reflection that he has described, will he ensure that assessment is made of the impact on the…
Lords
Committee Stage
7 July 2026
Justification Decision (Generation of Power by the RR SMR) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I welcome these regulations. This is the right thing to do, and it is the right time to do it, because our energy security is under real pressure. We need every credible part of the low-carbon mix working as hard as it can.
This order will give legal effect to the decision that the Rolls-…
Lords
Proceedings
1 July 2026
Drink-Driving
My Lords, UK courts can disqualify drink-drivers, but they cannot currently require an alcolock as a condition of returning to the road. Will the Government consider giving courts this option, in particular for repeat and high-risk drink-driving offenders?
Lords
Proceedings
1 July 2026
Farming Road Map and Profitability Review
My Lords, I thank the Minister for the Statement. I have several questions and would be more than happy for her to write if she is short of time or the relevant information. I also join in the thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, and there will be more about the Rock review later.
For these …
Lords
Proceedings
29 June 2026
Food Security
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the real test of this policy and the new farming road map is whether it leaves the poorest households better protected against disruption to food supply and prices? Given that the poorest fifth of households would need to spend 70% of their disposable income fo…
Lords
Proceedings
17 June 2026
Thames Water
My Lords, I want to return to a point I raised in this House only last week when I asked whether the Government were delaying the clean water Bill pending resolution of the Thames Water situation. We were told then that the Government were ready to deploy a special administration regime, if required…
Lords
Proceedings
11 June 2026
Sustainable Drainage Systems
I thank the Minister for her reply. Does she agree that flooding continues to blight thousands of families and businesses and that the threat is growing? Can she explain why the standards on drainage set out in my Question are still not mandatory for every new development? Only this month, experts i…
Lords
Proceedings
10 June 2026
Farming and Food Production
My Lords, does the Minister agree that true food security cannot exist without climate resilience? Considering the recent severe weather disruptions to UK crop yields, will the Government’s priorities in this parliamentary Session include a legally binding good food Bill to formalise national self-s…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 June 2026
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (Amendment) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank the Minister for his clear explanation of this instrument and other Members of this Committee for their enlightening speeches. I welcome the return of the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, after a limited period away.
As we consider these regulations, it is important that the framew…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 June 2026
Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026
My Lords, I thank the Minister for setting out this statutory instrument. We support the implementation of the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction—BBNJ—agreement and welcome this SI, which enables the United Kingdom to meet its international obligations under the global oceans treaty. We have …
Lords
Proceedings
9 June 2026
E-scooters and E-bikes
My Lords, we see a widespread issue with gig economy on-demand delivery riders illegally operating private e-scooters on public infrastructure. Will the Government introduce robust statutory duties for delivery companies to actively audit, monitor and enforce legal compliance among their riders?
Lords
Proceedings
9 June 2026
Water Companies
My Lords, are the rumours true that the Government will not publish the water Bill until Thames Water is resolved? The company is in breach of its licence conditions by not having held any grade credit ratings for nearly the last two years and by having failed to tell Ofwat and the Government about …
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
South East Water: Disruption of Supply
At what critical point of failure are the Government willing to act in the interests of customers in the South East Water area, who have been failed time and again? Will the Government now urgently consider a different model from the previous Government—one which rejects shareholder profit being pla…
Lords
Proceedings
3 June 2026
Access to Nature Green Paper
Will the Minister explain how the Government’s planning reforms will improve access to nature and identify the most nature-deprived communities, given what feels like the absence of a clear strategy? Access to nature is the strongest driver of local pride, and there is significant public support for…
Lords
Proceedings
18 May 2026
EU-UK SPS Agreement: Food-related Standards
My Lords, how will the Minister ensure that farmers, consumer groups and innovators are not only consulted but that their concerns get to directly shape the final SPS agreement? Although I understand that the negotiations are ongoing, is she able to give any kind of guarantee here today that there w…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
27 April 2026
Agriculture (Delinked Payments) (Reductions) (England) Regulations 2026
My Lords, it has been a pleasure to hear the final contributions of departing noble Lords who have been such stalwart supporters of the rural economy. It is a huge loss both to the House and to the rural economy, which will have a much-diminished voice in debates in this place, when there is limited…
Lords
Committee Stage
27 April 2026
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing this SI forward. This is a complex and wide-ranging area. It is about protecting our country’s health as much as it is about animal welfare. It involves scientific authorities, Border Force and police inspections, and compliance checks.
Let me begin by sa…
Lords
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Sustainable Farming Incentive: Flood Prevention and Drought Resilience
The noble Baroness makes some really good points. The Government are keen to look at how we can encourage more private funding and support for much of the work that needs to be done, whether that is in the climate sector or in nature restoration. I completely take on board the points she has made.
Lords
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Home Ownership: First-Time Buyers
I hope I set out in my earlier answer the importance we place on the mix of tenures. The £39 billion programme to increase the provision of social and affordable homes is designed to do exactly that. We are taking measures, particularly confidence measures for consumers, to help some of our young pe…
Lords
Oral Questions
22 April 2026
Plastic Pollution Reduction
I am quite shocked to hear that the Greens are not as good as we would have expected them to be. I am sure the noble Baroness opposite may have something further to say on that.
Lords
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
Farming Road Map
It has been important in developing a number of strategies, not just the farming road map, to have regular contact and input with stakeholders—and not just talking to stakeholders but listening to what they are saying to us. We are not going to make the kind of progress that we want to if we do not …