Lord Alton of Liverpool Portrait

Lord Alton of Liverpool

Crossbench - Life peer

Became Member: 12th June 1997


Human Rights (Joint Committee)
31st Jan 2023 - 30th May 2024
International Relations and Defence Committee
1st Jul 2019 - 31st Jan 2023
Privileges
18th Nov 1993 - 17th Oct 1996


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Alton of Liverpool has voted in 72 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
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Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(36 debate interactions)
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour)
Minister of State (Development)
(30 debate interactions)
Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(18 debate interactions)
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Department Debates
Leader of the House
(26 debate contributions)
Home Office
(15 debate contributions)
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View all Lord Alton of Liverpool's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Alton of Liverpool, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


9 Bills introduced by Lord Alton of Liverpool


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for the regulation of the re-export of military equipment and goods further to their original exportation from the United Kingdom.

Lords Completed
Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Thursday 27th January 2011

A Bill to provide for the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Court of Session in Scotland to make preliminary determinations concerning the undertakings made by the United Kingdom as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) under international law; for the referral of such determinations to relevant international courts or organisations; for response to reports on genocide; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 28th October 2022
(Read Debate)

A Bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014.

Lords - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading : House Of Lords
Friday 20th November 2015

A Bill to provide for the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Court of Session in Scotland to make preliminary determinations concerning the undertakings made by the United Kingdom as a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (“Genocide Convention”) under international law; for the referral of such determinations to relevant international courts or organisations; for response to reports on genocide; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 4th December 2023
(Read Debate)

A Bill to prohibit the falsification of slavery and human trafficking statements; to establish minimum standards of transparency in supply chains in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking; to prohibit companies using supply chains which fail to demonstrate minimum standards of transparency; and for connected purposes

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 15th June 2021
(Read Debate)

A bill to provide for the High Court of England and Wales to make a preliminary finding on cases of alleged genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes; and for the subsequent referral of such findings to the International Criminal Court or a special tribunal

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 5th February 2020
(Read Debate)

A Bill to provide for the High Court of England and Wales to make a preliminary finding on cases of alleged genocide; and for the subsequent referral of such findings to the International Criminal Court or a special tribunal.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading : House Of Lords
Monday 13th June 2016

A bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Thursday 17th July 2014

First reading took place on 21 January. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.The 2013-14 session of parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress. A bill to amend the Mesothelioma Act 2014

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Tuesday 21st January 2014

Lord Alton of Liverpool has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
6th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the New Media Unit based in the Cabinet Office, and the individuals within it, including the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, have an exemption to use TikTok on government devices.

The Government continues to look at ways to make sure the government’s digital communications better reflect the way the public now consumes information online. The policy around the use of TikTok on government devices hasn’t changed.

Baroness Twycross
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Basildon on 9 October (HL1436), how many civil servants have currently been granted a formal exemption and are approved to have TikTok on Government devices.

Cabinet Office does not collect this data centrally. Where an essential business requirement necessitates the use of TikTok, this is managed through a formal exemptions and approvals process which takes place at departmental level.

Baroness Twycross
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
9th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their policy that TikTok is banned from Government phones and devices.

The restriction on use of the TikTok app on government devices remains in place. Where an essential business requirement necessitates the use of TikTok, this is managed through a formal exemptions and approvals process.

In March 2023 the previous government introduced a precautionary ban on the TikTok application on government electronic devices following a security review. This review looked at the potential vulnerability of government data on government devices and risks around how sensitive information could be accessed and used.

Restricting use of the TikTok application on government devices is a prudent, proportionate measure to protect government device data. This data can be sensitive, particularly in relation to ministers' devices given the sensitive nature of their role.

All government organisations and their Arm's Length Bodies are required to control which third-party applications are permitted for use on their corporate devices under the cross-government Mobile Device Management policy. We keep our cyber security policies under constant review.

Baroness Smith of Basildon
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
26th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking across all departments to ensure that British supply chains are free of slave labour.

Public procurement is a key lever for enabling delivery of the Government’s missions, both in terms of sourcing the goods and services required by the public sector but also in using procurement policy to drive up standards.

The government will be ensuring that the powers in the Procurement Act are utilised to support the new government’s priorities. New measures in the Act, which are due to come into force in October 2024, strengthens the rules on disregarding bids and excluding suppliers where there is evidence of modern slavery. This will apply even in circumstances where there has not yet been a conviction or technical breach of an international treaty.

Baroness Twycross
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
12th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by Global Rights Compliance Risk at the Source: Critical Mineral Supply Chains and State-Imposed Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, published on 11 June, that output of titanium, magnesium and lithium from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is set to increase; and what action they are taking to decrease UK dependency on these products where slave labour has been used.

This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.

The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
12th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by Global Rights Compliance Risk at the Source: Critical Mineral Supply Chains and State-Imposed Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, published on 11 June, that supply chains of minerals from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are traced to global brands.

This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.

The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
12th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by Global Rights Compliance Risk at the Source: Critical Mineral Supply Chains and State-Imposed Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, published on 11 June, that China controls at least one stage of many key mineral value chains.

This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.

The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
12th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Global Rights Compliance Risk at the Source: Critical Mineral Supply Chains and State-Imposed Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, published on 11 June, in particular the findings that China has expanded critical minerals operations in Xinjiang, and that the extraction industry relies on state-imposed forced labour programmes.

This government will continue to speak up on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. The new Critical Minerals Strategy will help secure the supply of critical minerals vital for the UK's economic growth and clean energy transition.

The strategy will promote responsible and transparent supply chains, including through greater adoption of responsible business practices to protect local communities and the environment. The strategy will set the long term ambition of securing supply of critical minerals and harnessing our competitive advantage in midstream and recycling. It will also set out how this will be achieved by optimising domestic production and by working collaboratively with international partners to achieve this. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools to tackle forced labour in supply chains and take action where appropriate.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their discussions under clause 6(a) of the UK–USA Economic Prosperity Deal will include measures to search cargo plans from Xinjiang to ensure that they are not carrying goods made with forced labour.

We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing. Conversations on labour practices, including forced labour in supply chains will form part of the broader discussions on a wider UK-US Economic Deal.

This government will continue to stand firm on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang, and will continue to hold China to account. I raised the UK's concerns over human rights abuses, including in Xinjiang, with counterparts during my recent visit to China.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review the China Investment Corporation's board seat and 10-percent stake in Heathrow Airport as part of measures to implement clause 4(b) of the UK–USA Economic Prosperity Deal.

We have concluded a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This is a unique deal that ensures UK industries are protected; talks with the US are ongoing.

The UK will continue to use investment screening measures that are already in place. The agreement is an opportunity to build on our economic security collaboration and further increase the resilience of our supply chains.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
19th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to align the UK with the EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, and what assessment they have made of the impact of such alignment on reducing trade barriers with EU.

The Government has noted the European Commission’s recent Omnibus proposal to update the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This Directive will apply to UK companies generating over €450 million in turnover within the EU.

We continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK’s existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools that are emerging, including in the EU, to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices.

Baroness Gustafsson
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Jan 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel on 28 April 2022 (HL7909), what is the current status of Project DEFEND; and what assessment they have made of its success in (1) strengthening national resilience, and (2) reducing supply chain dependency on China.

Under the previous government the then Department for International Trade (DIT) ran Project Defend from April 2020 to March 2021 when the project closed.

We recognise the importance of strengthening the resilience of UK supply chains to boost our preparedness for potential disruptions and shocks, Further consideration will be given to this in our forthcoming Trade Strategy. More widely, we are carrying out a full and comprehensive audit of the UK’s interests with regards to China, which will bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
5th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's re-export of goods from Xinjiang that are made with Uyghur forced labour to Europe and North America.

No UK business should be complicit in forced labour. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36m or more are required to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.

This Government will stand firm on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang and will continue to hold China to account. The Government continues to review how we can best tackle forced labour in supply chains and continues to consider measures that would improve supply chain transparency and traceability.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
19th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and to encourage other member states to endorse its bid; and whether they are seeking to expedite Taiwan’s CPTPP application and to ensure that it is considered independently of, or prior to, the application of China.

Discussion among CPTPP Members is progressing on how to take forward accession applications. The UK and other CPTPP members have reaffirmed on several instances that the CPTPP is open to Accession Requests by economies that can satisfy the “Auckland Principles”, namely being able to meet the agreement’s high standards, having a track record of compliance with trade commitments, and commanding consensus of the Parties. It is right that we work within the principles of the group to achieve a consensus decision, rather than providing our own individual narrative on the applications of specific economies.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
19th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support UK firms participating in renewable energy projects in Taiwan to enhance energy resilience in that country.

In November 2023, the British Representative in Taipei and the Taipei Representative in the UK signed an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) Arrangement setting out the UK and Taiwan’s priorities for the future cooperation, including an energy and net zero pillar. The Government regularly promotes international business opportunities to UK firms and has previously supported business delegations to Taiwan. UK Export Finance, the Government’s credit agency, has also provided over £900million of financing to Taiwanese offshore wind projects, supporting Taiwan’s energy transition and UK businesses.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
19th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure continued support for military and dual-use technology exports to Taiwan, including through the maintenance of existing export licences.

The UK operates one of the most transparent export licensing systems in the world. There is a long record of the UK granting licences for exports of controlled goods to Taiwan, on a case-by-case basis, where those applications are consistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The Department for Business and Trade provides advice and support to prospective exporters of controlled goods where there is a reasonable expectation of securing licenses, but the support will vary with an individual case’s circumstances.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
17th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reports from Sheffield Hallam University In Broad Daylight: Uyghur Forced Labour and Global Solar Supply Chains and Over-Exposed: Uyghur Region Exposure Assessment for Solar Industry Sourcing in framing their trade policies.

No company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. The Department for Business and Trade will be working with colleagues across Government to tackle forced labour in supply chains, including polysilicon used in the manufacture of solar panels.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is relaunching the Solar Taskforce, which will focus on identifying and developing supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and free from forced labour.

The Government's Overseas Business Risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
17th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of (1) the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of 2021 from the United States, or (2) the European Union’s proposed ban on goods made by slave labour, in shaping their trade policies, especially with regard to ethics, diversification and resilience.

This Government is clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. The Department for Business and Trade will work with international partners to understand the impact of measures to combat forced labour.

There are a wide range of priorities the Department need to consider within our trade strategy. The Department's trade strategy will be growth-based, and aligned with its industrial strategy, as well as wider foreign-policy and economic security objectives.

It is important that the Department take a strategic approach to trade policy development that considers how its economic objectives can be achieved through the use of trade levers while being aligned with its values and our geo-strategic positioning.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
24th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero raised the use of Uyghur slave labour in the manufacture of solar panels and in other forms of green technology during his recent visit to China, and, if so, what response he received.

This Government continues to stand firm on the issue of human rights in China, including relating to forced labour. The recent visit by the Secretary of State gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.

24th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero raised the use of Congolese child labour in the mining of minerals used in green technologies exported to the United Kingdom during his recent visit to China, and if so, what response he received.

My department is committed to working closely across Government and industry stakeholders to take forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, innovative and free from forced labour.

The Secretary of State's recent visit to China gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.

12th Feb 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to UK national security and to resilience of the role and involvement of Mingyang Smart Energy Green Vault North Sea Wind Farm Project.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given on 12 February by my hon Friend the Minister for Climate (Kerry McCarthy) to the hon Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine).

We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.

6th Jan 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number and cost of solar panels which have been purchased from China over the past ten years; how many solar panels they expect will be purchased (1) over the next ten years and (2) to meet to objectives of the Great British Energy Bill; and what is the estimated expenditure for each of these periods.

The Government recently set out its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which requires significant deployment of solar electricity. Developing sustainable, diverse and resilient solar supply chains, free from forced labour, is an absolute priority for this Government and the solar industry.

The Government does not hold data on the supply chains of individual businesses and therefore cannot provide details of overall expenditure or quantities of Chinese imports of solar panels. As Great British Energy will be operationally independent, it will be for the company to determine the projects and technologies it chooses to invest in, in accordance with its objectives.

9th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in the number of whistleblowing complaints in respect of the Drax power station, from 14 in 2022 to 49 in 2023.

The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and the Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

3rd Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Ukrainian children are currently receiving an education in primary and secondary schools.

Information about the nationality or country of birth of children in schools in England is not collected by the department.

However, ad hoc surveys of admission officers were conducted in 2022 and are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk.

This shows that, between 1 September 2021 and 27 September 2022, when adjusted for non-response, there had been an estimated 22,100 applications for school places for children from Ukraine. 13,100 of these were for primary school places and 9,100 were for secondary school places.

Of these 22,100 applications, 20,500 offers had been made at that point in time. This figure is also adjusted for non-response. This represents 92% of applications. 12,300 of these were for primary school places and 8,100 were for secondary school places.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
3rd Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider teaching Ukrainian to GCSE and A-level standards in some schools and commit to overcoming any obstacles preventing this from happening.

Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by the four independent awarding organisations, AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC, rather than by central government. Awarding organisations are free to produce a GCSE in any modern language, including Ukrainian. This decision would be informed by several factors, including the level of demand from schools and the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language.

The government stands steadfast behind the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government. The department is proud to support children and families from Ukraine during their transition to a new life and to do our part to support the Ukrainian people. The department launched the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme in January, which supports UK-based Ukrainian students’ cultural ties to Ukraine and builds cross-cultural understanding among our pupils.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
25th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, following a letter from Baroness Smith of Malvern to Hong Kong Watch on 3 October, in which it was suggested that Hong Kong British National (Overseas) students who cannot afford international university fees could appeal to have their fees waived, what assessment they have made of the number of international students that have successfully waived their fees, in whole or part, due to financial shortcoming.

Higher education (HE) institutions in England are autonomous bodies and it is for them to assess whether applications for fees which do not meet the criteria for automatic home fee status should be reduced or waived in line with individual circumstances. The department has not made an assessment on the number of international students that have successfully had their fees waived.

There are a range of resources and support for international students looking for scholarships, which can be found on the UK Council for International Student Affairs website and the British Council’s Study UK page.

Many HE institutions in the UK offer a range of bursaries and scholarships to international students and the department encourages students to contact their institution to find out what support may be available. We have not carried out an assessment of the number of university scholarships or bursaries available to prospective students on British National (Overseas) visas.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
25th Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of university scholarships or bursaries available to prospective students on British National (Overseas) visas to help them afford international fees for tuition.

Higher education (HE) institutions in England are autonomous bodies and it is for them to assess whether applications for fees which do not meet the criteria for automatic home fee status should be reduced or waived in line with individual circumstances. The department has not made an assessment on the number of international students that have successfully had their fees waived.

There are a range of resources and support for international students looking for scholarships, which can be found on the UK Council for International Student Affairs website and the British Council’s Study UK page.

Many HE institutions in the UK offer a range of bursaries and scholarships to international students and the department encourages students to contact their institution to find out what support may be available. We have not carried out an assessment of the number of university scholarships or bursaries available to prospective students on British National (Overseas) visas.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
2nd Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the independence of the UK higher education sector has been compromised by a reliance on funding from China.

The government has made significant strides to protect our values against those who do not respect the UK’s fundamental rights and freedoms, or whose strategic intent is hostile to UK interests. The department has committed, in the Integrated Review Refresh, to review the full set of legislative and other provisions designed to protect our academic sector, in order to identify what more the department could or should be doing.

The department recognises the potential for overseas interference in our higher education (HE) sector and we are committed to ensuring ways to increase transparency, improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security, whilst respecting the autonomy of universities.

A key part of the department’s International Education Strategy is diversification. Our universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or a single country. The Office for Students, the regulator of HE in England, monitors the risk of over-reliance on overseas income at a sector level.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
10th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of diseases being spread into the UK from illegal imports of (1) bush meat from Africa, and (2) meat from eastern Europe; and what steps they have taken to mitigate those risks.

Defra monitors animal disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk that they might enter the United Kingdom (UK) through legal or illegal trade in animal products. Its team of veterinary and risk experts provide rapid outbreak assessments to inform import decisions and enforcement action and undertake full qualitative risk assessments in certain cases. These assessments are published on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

Meat imported commercially via Border Control Posts is subject to local authority-led official controls to ensure that it complies with UK import conditions. The Home Office’s Border Force has lead responsibility for identifying and seizing meat imported illegally other than via Border Control Posts.

To further mitigate the risks, it is illegal in the UK to feed catering or domestic food waste to livestock, including pigs.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the paper, 'Insights into the primate trade into the European Union and the United Kingdom', by Svensson et al, published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research on 25 April 2023; and what steps they will take to quantify the illegal importation of wildlife into Britain and to end it.

We have made no formal assessment of the paper by Svensson et al.

All primates are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ensuring any international trade in these species is sustainable. Each year thousands of illegal products containing endangered species are seized by Border Force. These seizures are quantified in the UK’s annual illegal trade report to CITES and made available in the CITES Illegal Trade Database.

The UK is committed to combatting the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and through the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s Strategic Assessment for Wildlife Crime which aims to support UK and Global enforcement responses to IWT.

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Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by Professor Chris Elliott of Queen's University Belfast in June that a series of threats to food security are converging to create “chaos” because it is "now much easier to get food that is not of the same quality and standards into the UK”; and what steps they are taking to improve border checks and information-sharing to mitigate these threats.

The Government published the UK Food Security Report 2024 last week and remains committed to protecting our biosecurity and will maintain the appropriate level of controls to achieve this in accordance with the Border Target Operating Model. Please also see the Border Target Operating Model web page on gov.uk for detailed information on the rationale for border controls (at Final_Border_Target_Operating_Model.pdf).

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what further consideration they will give to the recommendations of Horticultural Sector Committee in its report Sowing the Seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector, published in November 2023; and how they intend to deliver a cross-government, industry-backed and growth-focused environmental horticulture strategy.

The Government appreciates and values the vital work of the horticulture industry, and we welcomed the Committee’s report ‘Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector. As part of our mission-driven government we are currently considering how we can achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for all our farming sectors.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of media reports that puréed tomatoes produced by Uyghur slave labour in Xinjiang are sold in UK supermarkets as having been produced in Italy; and what steps they are taking to require products produced in a state accused of genocide and slave labour to be labelled as such.

The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

We work to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy. When the country of manufacture of a processed food, such as tomato puree, is provided on the label, the label must also show if the origin of the primary ingredient (the tomatoes in this case) is different. In any case, all information must be accurate and not mislead.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
19th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timeframe for considering improvements to east-west rail links; what progress they have made in providing a regular passenger service on the Hellifield Link between Lancashire and Yorkshire.

In May 2024 Northern Trains launched the Yorkshire Dales Explorer, which links Manchester and Ribblehead, restoring passenger services to the line between Clitheroe and Hellifield for the first time in more than two decades. Northern has worked with local bus providers to co-ordinate services and with stakeholders including the Yorkshire Dales National Park and rambling groups, who organised walks around the timetable. This service has been a great success and won a silver award in the tourism category at the 2025 Community Rail Awards.

Rail North Partnership and Northern are now working with stakeholders including Lancashire County Council and York & North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to assess whether additional services on this line could be operationally practical and offer value for money.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
5th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to suspend cargo routes from Xinjiang to UK airports.

His Majesty's Government have no plans to restrict cargo operations between Xinjiang and UK airports. The decision to operate particular routes is a commercial decision for airlines.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that there is always a dedicated person or point of contact in the workplace to support colleagues with Down's syndrome.

The Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 require employers to make reasonable adjustments and to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. These legal provisions mean that, in appropriate cases, a dedicated person or point of contact may be required for employees with Down’s Syndrome.

DWP’s efforts to ensure that all disabled people can thrive in work include a digital information service for employers to help them support disability at work and the Disability Confident scheme. The Department’s specialist initiatives for jobseekers and employers alike includes Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, and Access to Work grants which can help with the costs of support.

Baroness Sherlock
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
18th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the claims by Joanne Briggs that her father Michael Briggs, a scientist employed by Schering, had falsified his studies about the effects of Primodos, and whether they plan to take further action in response.

An Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) reviewed the available evidence on the possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. Its review considered all available scientific evidence, including information collected from a public call for evidence.

The purpose of the EWG was to ascertain whether the available data could establish a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The EWG reported its findings in November 2017 and concluded that the totality of the available scientific data does not support a causal association between the use of hormone pregnancy tests during early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) committed to review any new scientific data which became available following the conclusion of the EWG. Accordingly, two new CHM EWGs were established to review two new studies of hormone pregnancy tests published in 2018. The reviews concluded that they did not present evidence that was sufficient or robust enough change the scientific position since the report of the EWG was published. The MHRA also sought a further independent scientific opinion on these two studies from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, who concluded that they have no clinical implications.

In November 2024, the publication by Danielsson et al was reviewed by the MHRA and advice has been sought from the Government’s independent advisory body, the CHM. Following their review, the CHM concluded that a further review by an ad hoc EWG was not warranted at this time and supported the MHRA’s conclusion that no new evidence, with respect to a possible association between hormone pregnancy tests and adverse outcomes in pregnancy, was identified.

The MHRA remains committed to reviewing any new scientific evidence which may come to light.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
12th May 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance NHS England provides to people who are prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the risks of developing post-SSRI sexual dysfunction; whether they plan to recognise post-SSRI sexual dysfunction as a condition; and what support is available for people discontinuing SSRIs.

The product information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) provides advice on the risk of withdrawal/discontinuation reactions, and advises patients not to stop their medication suddenly. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning health services for their local population. This includes consideration of services for patients taking medicines associated with dependence and withdrawal symptoms, based on local population needs.

An increasing number of non-pharmacological alternatives have become available on the National Health Service, such as NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, with over 670,000 courses of treatment provided in 2022/23. NHS England is encouraging ICBs to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop prescribed medicines that can cause dependence and withdrawal.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved product information, provided to healthcare professionals and patients for all SSRIs, was updated in 2019 to inform them that reports had been received of long-lasting sexual dysfunction, where symptoms continue despite discontinuation of the SSRI. The MHRA was an integral part of the European Union wide review of the available evidence which underpinned the current warnings.

The term Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction was added to the regulatory dictionary in 2021, which will help with the recording and retrieval of Yellow Card data and literature cases, and in the future, will contribute to the much-needed research into this important health issue. Persistent sexual dysfunction following withdrawal of an SSRI as a disorder was added to the electronic health records system, known as SNOMED, in October 2024, as a code that will help with the clinical identification of patients with persistent sexual dysfunction, including those after taking SSRIs.

An Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines has been established by the MHRA to consider how the risk of sexual dysfunction which continues after stopping antidepressants is communicated in patient information leaflets, however this work will not address the clinical recognition of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, as that is outside the remit of the MHRA.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Mar 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the men’s health strategy announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 28 November 2024.

On 28 November 2024, we announced plans for England’s first Men’s Health Strategy, to be delivered this year. The strategy will consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men.

We will shortly be launching a call for evidence to seek views on what is currently working and what more needs to be done to support the health of all men.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Feb 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many anti-depressant prescriptions have been prescribed to patients (1) under the age of 18, and (2) under the age of 25, in each year since 2015.

The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The following table shows the total number of items for antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, dispensed to patients aged under 18 years old and patients aged under 25 years old, which includes the items for under 18 year-olds, for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24, and a year-to-date figure for 2024/25:

Financial year

Aged under 18 years old

Aged under 25 years old

2015/16

312,113

2,477,798

2016/17

332,706

2,759,953

2017/18

346,126

2,910,607

2018/19

367,850

3,202,784

2019/20

393,762

3,525,602

2020/21

406,391

3,890,347

2021/22

437,365

4,170,154

2022/23

448,515

4,119,463

2023/24

435,992

4,033,211

April to September 2024

176,082

1,911,788

Total

3,656,902

33,001,707

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Feb 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of all people in England between the ages of 18 and 24 were prescribed anti-depressants in each year since 2015.

The NHS Business Services Authority publishes statistics for anti-depressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. The Office for National Statistics publishes estimates of population. Data for 18 to 24 year-olds specifically is not published, but data for 15 to 24 year-olds is available. The following table shows the total number of male and female patients aged 15 to 24 years-old prescribed antidepressants, British National Formulary section 0403, and that number as a percentage of the estimated mid-year population, in the first financial quarter of each year from 2015 to 2023:

Mid-year population year

Financial quarter

Identified patients

Mid-year population estimate

Percentage

2015

2015/16 Q1

240,392

6,838,939

3.5%

2016

2016/17 Q1

277,747

6,789,198

4.1%

2017

2017/18 Q1

288,848

6,705,571

4.3%

2018

2018/19 Q1

306,444

6,667,086

4.6%

2019

2019/20 Q1

332,886

6,649,338

5.0%

2020

2020/21 Q1

332,336

6,607,988

5.0%

2021

2021/22 Q1

383,737

6,638,826

5.8%

2022

2022/23 Q1

382,009

6,746,650

5.7%

2023

2023/24 Q1

369,270

6,861,435

5.4%

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Jan 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government how many anti-depressant prescriptions were prescribed to patients under the age of 19 by (1) psychiatrists, (2) general practitioners, and (3) other medical specialists, in each year since 2015.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) does not hold data on anti-depressant prescriptions authorised by psychiatrists specifically, but does hold data for the following three categories: hospital prescriber; general practitioner prescriber; and additional prescriber.

This answer is based on the information extracted from the NHSBSA’s ePACT2 database, using British National Formulary section 0403 for antidepressant drugs, prescribed in England.

The following table shows the total number of prescriptions for antidepressant items prescribed to patients aged 18 years old and under, by prescriber type, for the financial years 2015 to 2024, and the financial year to date for 2024/25, from April to October:

Financial year

General practitioner prescriber

Hospital prescriber

Additional prescriber including non-medical prescriber

Total items

2015/16

515,803

8,737

8,873

533,413

2016/17

551,901

6,143

11,056

569,100

2017/18

580,772

5,853

14,254

600,879

2018/19

611,785

7,150

17,681

636,616

2019/20

640,218

11,832

23,367

675,417

2020/21

648,252

11,334

30,274

689,860

2021/22

702,546

12,975

33,895

749,416

2022/23

720,132

16,917

36,994

774,043

2023/24

692,467

20,393

38,775

751,635

2024/25

384,561

14,755

24,381

423,697

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
8th Jan 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking (1) to end the delays at the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit which are reportedly up to 50 hours, and (2) to address the decision of the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to declare a "critical incident" due to "exceptionally high demand".

NHS England’s regional teams are working closely with the integrated care boards to ensure that appropriate action is being taken to address and mitigate the issues identified within each declared critical incident, including at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. This includes actions to support the flow of patients through the hospital and the reprioritising of resources to support urgent and emergency care.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Dec 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the quantity by weight of (1) illegal bush meat products and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the UK each year.

The Food Standards Agency does not collect the inland data required at a commodity or establishment level to be able to estimate the quantity by weight of illegal, non-compliant, or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the United Kingdom each year. Local authorities in England and Wales hold primary responsibility for acting against businesses identified as importing, trading, or selling such products. As such, data on these seizures is held by each individual local authority.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
30th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency about expediting the use of phage treatments in last-resort medical cases.

The Government is committed to supporting innovation and the development of new, safe, and effective medicines. Officials in the Department are working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to explore the use of bacteriophages, also known as phages.

Although there are currently no licensed bacteriophage medicines in the United Kingdom, patients may still access them as part of a clinical trial, as unlicensed medicines, or as medicines prepared under the supervision of a pharmacist.

The MHRA is actively developing non-binding, regulator-agnostic information to help innovators understand what type of quality, safety, and efficacy data is needed by regulators to evaluate phage products for market authorisation.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)