Lords
Oral Questions
22 January 2026
Creative Industries: Freelance Champion
There are a number of tax incentives within the system currently. We are very clear that there is significant investment in creative industries in this country. I outlined some of those in relation to the rollout of the sector plan. We are very confident that we are working across government on the …
Lords
Debate
19 January 2026
2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, while His Majesty’s loyal Opposition agree that these amendments are sensibly drafted and—as was highlighted by the noble Lord, Lord Storey—that the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Manchester clearly has the best interests of looked-after children in mind in wanting to see stronger du…
My Lords, we thank the Minister for her clarification of the reasons behind these consequential amendments. They seem entirely reasonable, and His Majesty’s loyal Opposition support them.
Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
In-game Purchases: Protections for Children
As the noble Earl will be aware, most schools—90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools—have a mobile phone policy limiting students’ use of mobile phones during school hours. We do not want to exclude children from services which are age appropriate. In relation to screen time, the Gove…
Lords
Proceedings
14 January 2026
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
My Lords, this is all happening on social media, so does the Minister agree with the largest union representing teachers in the UK on banning social media for under-16s?
Lords
Debate
14 January 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Storey, for his focus on bringing forward these amendments. They are obviously well intentioned, but His Majesty’s loyal Opposition harbour certain reservations. We of course recognise that safe- guarding arrangements should, wherever possible, be consistent ac…
Lords
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Schools and Universities: Language Learning
My Lords, as the heavyweight bookend closing this debate, let me say what a good debate it has been. I thank my fellow bookend, the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, for having introduced it in the first place. There was a clear consensus during the debate that having the opportunity to study a modern …
Lords
Oral Questions
5 January 2026
Toilet-training: Support for Parents
The most important aspect of the agenda that the noble Earl raises is that we work from the emerging evidence base, taking into account the findings that are being made and looking into this in great detail. We must not rush forward and make assumptions. However, he raises important points. Readines…
Lords
Oral Questions
18 December 2025
Lithuania: Balloon Incursions
We are doing all that we can. Lithuania is telling us that it is cigarettes and tobacco smuggling, in the vast majority of cases, with respect to the balloons and the drones. It sees this as criminal activity. Lithuania is saying to us that the weaponisation of that criminal activity is being used b…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 December 2025
Special Educational Needs: Investment
As the noble Earl knows, or should know, primary numbers have been falling since 2019, which is why our additional investment—the 10% pay award for teachers, which applies across primary and secondary schools and which will bring in additional teachers—has, as I have already identified, increased th…
Lords
Oral Questions
15 December 2025
Breast Cancer
Part of the 10-year plan, as we move from analogue to digital, will be ensuring that digital exclusion will not be a barrier. As I mentioned in response to my noble friend, it is indeed the case that women aged 71 and over can have screening every three years, and that can happen by women calling th…
Lords
Oral Questions
15 December 2025
Emergency Adrenaline
We have been focusing our efforts, as I said, on whether changes to the law are required to allow wider access to, for example, adrenaline nasal sprays, which are a welcome development. Our focus is on that, rather than on the appointment of a tsar, to which the noble Earl referred. We will be estab…
Lords
Proceedings
9 December 2025
Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure
My Lords, I am grateful for the various points raised—I was going to say questions too, but I am not sure there were any. I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Harris, for her helpful summary and to her and the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, for their support for both Measures. I…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
Schools: Funding
The Treasury’s analysis of this policy suggested that it would be able to raise around £1.8 billion a year by the 2029-30 financial year. As I identified in my first Answer, in this year alone we are increasing the amount of money that is going into our core schools budget by £3.7 billion. I think t…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
Wales: Further Devolution
My Lords, for 14 years, the party opposite cut funding to the people of Wales. We have increased the funding settlement for Wales, to ensure that the Welsh Government can deliver public services. With respect to the NHS, which the noble Earl raised, that has meant that the waiting list fell in the l…
Lords
Proceedings
24 November 2025
ExxonMobil: Mossmorran
My Lords, does the Minister know any chief financial officer who talks down prospects for their company? Why does she think the Chancellor spent nine months talking down the UK economy, which has contributed to Grangemouth, Mossmorran and other factories closing down and the subsequent loss of jobs?
Lords
Debate
21 November 2025
Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill
My Lords, before my noble friend from the Front Bench responds, I ought to say, in the spirit of this morning, that there is a four-legged member of this House here beside me who would like to thank everyone involved on behalf of his species.
Lords
Statutory Instrument
20 November 2025
Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025
I exhort my noble friend the Minister to implore his colleagues to provide speedy, expeditious responses to those reports, because they are vital in addressing the operational issues and challenges of the Windsor Framework.
Lords
Proceedings
18 November 2025
Budget: Press Briefings
My Lords, the Minister mentioned October 2022 in his previous response, so I ask him: is the yield on the 30-year UK government bond higher now than it was in October 2022?
Lords
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
Hillsborough Law
My Lords, it would be customary to begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for securing this debate, but I am sure he will agree with me when I say that I should open my reply on behalf of His Majesty’s Government by paying tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster and their families…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 November 2025
Environmental Protection (Wet Wipes Containing Plastic) (England) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for taking part in today’s debate and for their contributions. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to bring this important debate to the House of Lords. It has been a really interesting discussion. I am grateful for the broad support but, clearly, there is a r…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 November 2025
National Health Service (Procurement, Slavery and Human Trafficking) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord and the noble Earl. I apologise that I will have to write on a number of issues, but I will try my best.
The noble Lord, Lord Scriven, asked what the difference is between PPN 009 and the regulations. PPN 009 sets out policy expectations, but the new regulations pro…
Lords
Proceedings
4 November 2025
Huntingdon Train Attack
My Lords, as mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Davies, according to the Statement, the Government are committed to halving knife crime within a decade. However, recent research shows that last year there were 1,300 offences in schools. Does the Minister agree that a watertight, zero-tolerance policy…
Lords
Oral Questions
30 October 2025
National Curriculum: Religious Education
The noble Earl puts his finger on one of the most sensitive issues in education at the moment. I reassure noble Lords that we are absolutely committed to making improvements in this area. Hate crime, discrimination and racism have no place in Britain, particularly not in our schools. I am delighted …
Lords
Oral Questions
29 October 2025
Corruption: Low and Middle-income Countries
Of course, the noble Earl is right, and nobody would like to see that money released and able to be spent in Ukraine more than me. We have to act within the law as it currently stands and as his Government left it last year. We do not have the power, as he knows, to seize those assets in a way that …