Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK's electricity is imported via interconnectors from European countries; and what percentage of electricity in each of those countries is produced from the burning of coal, oil or gas.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK's electricity is imported via interconnectors from European countries; and what percentage of electricity in each of those countries is produced from the burning of coal, oil or gas.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

In 2025, imports contributed 14% of gross UK electricity supply (excludes exports). Volumes of electricity imported by the UK, by country, and shares of electricity for those countries, produced by burning fossil fuels, are presented in the following table:

Sources: Energy Trends tables 5.2 & 5.6 and Eurostat (provisional data from monthly Net electricity generation by type of fuel - nrg_cb_pem)

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of barrels of oil stocked and days of average demand for gas held as strategic reserves by the UK before the start of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz compared to other countries, including Germany and France.

Answered by Lord Whitehead

Data on the amount of oil held by the UK is published monthly in Energy Trends Table 3.11. As of February 2026, UK oil stocks were 10.6 million tonnes (equivalent to 81 million barrels) which exceeds the requirements as a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The government does not hold strategic reserves of gas. The government does not publish international comparisons on stock levels for either oil or gas. Oil stocks of IEA countries are published on the IEA website.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify and speedily remedy potholes the depth of which is most likely to cause serious damage to vehicles on national highways.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

For potholes on the English Strategic Road Network which are most likely to cause damage to vehicles, National Highways identifies defects via routine condition surveys, asset inspections, and reports from operational teams and stakeholders using the network. Identified defects are then assessed and categorised using a risk-based approach (assessing likelihood and consequence) to determine the appropriate speed of response.

Potholes most likely to cause serious damage to vehicles are classified into two categories: “Immediate/Go-Now”, requiring attention within two hours for the most severe defects; or “Safety Defect”, typically requiring action within 24 hours.

Alongside reactive repairs, National Highways takes a proactive approach to network renewals, such as resurfacing or reconstruction, to help maintain the resilience and safety of the network.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the financial controls in place in all UK political parties are fit for purpose.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises the vulnerability of the UK to malign interference in its political finance system, and is committed to strengthening the rules governing political donations. The Representation of the People Bill introduces a comprehensive package of reforms to address these risks, including Know Your Donor requirements, tighter rules on company donations to ensure a genuine connection to the UK, enhanced transparency around the source of funds, and stronger enforcement provisions

These measures build on the findings of the independent Rycroft Review, which identified risks of foreign financial influence and areas where safeguards could be strengthened. The Government is working through the Review’s recommendations as part of its wider approach to strengthening the regime.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to legislate to ensure a Prime Minister of any religious faith can discharge all of his or her responsibilities.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

While religious faith does not prevent anyone from becoming Prime Minister, the Government recognises that there are some historical restrictions on duties in statute. In such cases the Government would make alternative arrangements, so that it can discharge its responsibilities in full.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK consumers of the decision by Google to mandate the use of their platform following their acquisition of Fitbit.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government has not made an assessment of the impact on UK consumers of the decision by Google to mandate the use of its platform following its acquisition of Fitbit. As the UK’s principal competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for investigating the impact of firms’ conduct on markets and consumers.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission an impartial and independent review of the impact of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, including the benefits and disbenefits.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Government has no plans to commission an independent review of the impact of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Our focus is firmly on strengthening the UK’s Strategic Partnership with the EU to make the people across the UK safer, more secure and more prosperous.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of completed probate applications are granted within eight weeks.

Answered by Baroness Levitt

Grants of representation¹ issued within 8 weeks, England and Wales

2025

Source: HMCTS Core Case Data

Notes:

1) All grant types including letters of administration with/without a Will.

2) Timeliness figures are calculated from the date of application (which may be from an earlier period) to the date the grant was issued.

3) Timeliness figures are calculated from the date of document receipt (which may be from an earlier period) to the date the grant was issued.

4) Document receipt occurs after payment has been made and all accompanying paperwork has been received by HMCTS. As such, it does not reflect the entire case journey from when an application is submitted by the user to when a grant is received. Instead these figures reflect the timeliness from when HMCTS staff are able to start working on the case.

5) Includes cases up to and including 8 weeks (56 days)

Due to revisions these figures may differ slightly to those published in Family Court Statistics Quarterly

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a detailed plan to invest 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence spending by 2035; and if so when.

Answered by Lord Livermore

On 30 June, the Government published the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), committing an additional £15bn over four years to defence spending. From 2027-28 onwards, the UK will spend 2.7% of GDP on core NATO defence spending, solidifying its position as the NATO Alliance’s third-largest cash spender, behind only the US and Germany.

The Government has committed to increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP in the next Parliament, with funding and plans to be set out at the next spending review. Alongside NATO allies, the UK has committed to reach 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035. The UK remains committed to meeting its obligations to the Defence Investment Pledge. All Allies will review the trajectory and spend in 2029, when NATO next reviews its capability plans.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of new tariffs on steel imports on (1) the construction industry, (2) the automotive industry, and (3) other industries which use large volumes of steel.

Answered by Lord Leong - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government engaged extensively with both primary steel producers and downstream users to inform development of the steel trade measure, including a Call for Evidence in July 2025. This includes direct engagement with construction industry representatives through the Construction Leadership Council. The Government is clear that a strong domestic steel sector and a competitive manufacturing base depend on one another, and our approach seeks to support both.

We will closely monitor the impacts and continue to engage with businesses. We will review the measure after 12 months.

Found: Letter dated 13/05/2026 from Lord Whitehead to Lord Birt in response to a Written Parliamentary Question