Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 June (HL7528), whether the revised NHS constitution consultation will include the previous proposals about recognising biological sex and protecting single-sex spaces.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A consultation on the NHS Constitution, as part of a 10-year review, was launched by the previous administration in May 2024, and was superseded by the General Election in July 2024. The Government will launch a new consultation on the NHS Constitution, with the exact timings for this to be set out in due course.
The proposals that will be included within the upcoming consultation have been developed from a range of evidence, including feedback from the previous consultation, intelligence gathered as part of the 10-Year Health Plan engagement exercise, and the Government’s ambitions for the National Health Service.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on the (1) funding, and (2) engagement, with the band Kneecap, with reference to the guidance published on 14 March 2024 Government's principles of engagement.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lady to the answer I gave on 22nd May to question UIN HL7319 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the consultation published on 30 April 2024 by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Constitution: 10 year review, including with regard to biological sex and single-sex spaces.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
A consultation on the NHS Constitution as part of a 10-year review was launched by the previous administration on May 2024, and was superseded by the General Election in July 2024.
The Government will launch a new consultation on the NHS Constitution, with the timeline for this to be set out in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, and the statutory guidance Toilet Accommodation: Approved Document T, updated on 1 October 2024, what is the policy of (1) the Government Property Agency, and (2) the Cabinet Office, in relation to (a) the removal of legacy gender-neutral toilets on the government estates, and (b) the provision of self-contained universal toilets in addition to single-sex toilets.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Neither the Cabinet Office nor the Government Property Agency (GPA) have a specific policy in relation to (a) the removal of legacy gender-neutral toilets on the government estates, or (b) the provision of self-contained universal toilets in addition to single-sex toilets.
The GPA does have a guidance document that is used in new build or refurbishment projects across the part of the GPA estate where it is accountable for WC provision. This guidance follows the current requirements of the statutory guidance Toilet Accommodation: Approved Document T.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what discussions they have had with the Financial Conduct Authority regarding possible changes to the UK Listing Rules Sourcebook with regard to UKLR 6.6.6R(9) to (11), UKLR 6.6.14 and UKLR 6 Annex 1R.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As the independent financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority is responsible for the UK Listings Rules.
The Government regularly discusses a range of issues with the FCA.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office) on 7 April (HC43082), whether they have changed the policy that Equality, Diversity and Inclusion guidance for the Civil Service should be publicly published.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The controls outlined in the Civil Service Equality Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which was published on 14 May 2024, remain in place.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office intends to fund Stonewall in (1) 2025–26 and (2) 2026–27.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through following the decision to reduce UK ODA from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the spending review.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect free speech within the law and the expression of gender critical beliefs in relation to (1) views expressed by staff of Arts Council England, and (2) the awarding of grants by Arts Council England.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to freedom of speech, including in the cultural sector, and the Secretary of State for Culture has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over. The government is clear that whilst it is right that protections from discrimination exist for LGBT+ people, such as those contained in the Equality Act, this does not prohibit people from expressing their views, opinions or beliefs which are also protected. However, it is important to protect people from illegal discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.
The government meets with Arts Council England on a regular basis to discuss and hold it to account on a wide range of issues. All Arts Council Staff are expected to uphold the Nolan principles, which includes Objectivity. That principle notes that holders of public office must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
Arts Council England has clearly stated its commitment to freedom of expression for artists and cultural organisations, which it views as a foundational value. Darren Henley, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, has been unequivocal to parliament on this matter: for any legally constituted organisation that is entitled under Arts Council rules to make an application to them, that application will be considered absolutely fairly, and Arts Council will be looking at the artistic and creative content of that in the same way as they would any other application.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government who is conducting their study on the effects of smartphone and social media use on children, announced on 20 November, and what are its terms of reference.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The study is being conducted by the University of Cambridge but includes a wider consortium of experts from a range of universities. The project team will be led by Dr Amy Orben, a Programme Leader at the University of Cambridge.
The study’s objectives are to review existing research on the impact of social media and smartphones on children’s developmental outcomes, evaluate methodologies to develop causal evidence on the topic and to recommend an approach to produce causal evidence in the next 2-3 years.
Asked by: Baroness Jenkin of Kennington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to avoid any conflicts of interest arising for individuals or organisations involved in their study on the effects of smartphone and social media use on children, announced on 20 November.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The procurement was run through a fair and open competition with pre-agreed terms and conditions. Suppliers were required to declare any conflict of interest during the procurement and give a full account how they would avoid any future conflict of interest. All supplier responses were thoroughly reviewed by the evaluation panel, with no concerns raised.