Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety, security, and resilience of national and regional transport infrastructure, with particular reference to South Yorkshire.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport works closely with transport operators to assess the risks to transport infrastructure arising from, for example, severe weather, security threats or accidents. These risk assessments are used by national and local government and the transport industry to inform planning at all levels. This includes the South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum.
Following the publication of the UK Government’s Resilience Action Plan in July 2025, the Department for Transport is working with cross-government and transport sector stakeholders to identify transport-specific opportunities and interventions to address gaps identified in capabilities.
South Yorkshire will also receive £570 million in City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) funding by March 2027. Following this, the region will benefit from a £1.5 billion share of the £15.6 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement. This will fund a number of active travel improvement schemes—including segregated cycleways, improved footpaths, and highways upgrades—that will improve safety for both active travel and road users. The Magna Tinsley scheme, for example, incorporates safety by design. It has already delivered a new toucan crossing at the Sheffield Road/Raby Street junction to provide a safe crossing point from Tinsley Village across Sheffield Road. Further improvements are planned, including segregated cycleways and improved footways.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the origins and contents of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights are taught in primary and secondary schools in England.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Citizenship education provides a framework to prepare pupils to be active, informed and responsible citizens. The national curriculum for citizenship is mandatory at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach it.
Citizenship covers human rights and international law, and the need for mutual respect. Pupils should also be taught about international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. This could include teaching about the origins and contents of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work. The Review will publish its final report in autumn 2025.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the geographical distribution of overseas universities which have partnerships with UK universities.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK is home to globally recognised universities that operate in nearly every corner of the world, often in partnership with overseas institutions. These partnerships strengthen global ties, facilitate research partnerships and enable transnational education provision to reach over 200 countries and territories, allowing 621,065 students to study overseas for UK higher education qualifications in 2023/24.
The UK’s International Education Champion, Professor Sir Steve Smith, has led multiple missions and delegations to promote educational partnerships in a range of countries. The department is currently reviewing the UK’s international education strategy to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of the education sector, including UK universities, and global partners across the world.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current and future investment in diagnostic facilities and equipment at Goole and District Hospital.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity, including in Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire, to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including upgrading diagnostic facilities and equipment.
The Goole and District Hospital is currently providing key diagnostic services to patients across East Riding. The hospital currently offers imaging services, such as x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, as well as phlebotomy services.
NHS England work closely with each integrated care board (ICB), including the Humber and North Yorkshire ICB, to assess diagnostic capacity and prioritise investments. The ICB has invested £29.46 million of capital from the community diagnostic centre (CDC) programme to deliver seven CDCs, including the Selby Memorial CDC at the nearby Selby Memorial Hospital. This CDC offers a wide range of diagnostic tests, including x-ray, MRI, CT, electrocardiogram, non-obstetric ultrasound, Holter, and lung function tests, closer to home, and with a greater choice on where and how they are undertaken.
The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. Further details and allocations, including where any new diagnostics and equipment will be located, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the further education sector.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) will support with the delivery of the government’s Plan for Change.
The government has published the AI Opportunities Action Plan, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-opportunities-action-plan/ai-opportunities-action-plan. This considered barriers to AI take-up across the economy and made 50 recommendations. The further education sector will enable the delivery of short new courses in areas such as AI, digital, and engineering. These will be funded through the Growth and Skills Levy to support Industrial Strategy sectors from April 2026.
In August 2025, the department published a policy paper setting out the opportunities and challenges for the use of generative AI in the education sector. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education?pStoreID=Http.
We are working with the education sector, educational technology industry experts, and academics to build the evidence base and support the education sector to use AI safely, responsibly, and effectively. This includes publishing free support, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/using-ai-in-education-settings-support-materials.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations they are holding with the higher education and further education sectors regarding the implications of the policy reforms introduced in the White Paper Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The immigration White Paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.
This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education (HE) provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic HE and skills system. We will set out more details around the levy in the Autumn Budget.
We are committed to engaging with the sector on the design of the international student levy and want to understand specific concerns providers have as early as possible.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote and support vocational development and training between United Kingdom further education institutions and their equivalents overseas.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is committed to supporting educational partnerships between the UK and our overseas partners, including in further education.
The UK’s International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, spearheads overseas activities, opening up partnership opportunities and developing strong relationships. Sir Steve's international missions promote all sectors and areas of education. We are currently reviewing the UK’s International Education Strategy to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of the entire education sector and provides an attractive offer, including on vocational training and skills, to our global partners. We are working closely with the sector and aiming to publish the refreshed strategy this year.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the droughts declared by the Environment Agency, with particular reference to South Yorkshire.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is closely monitoring water levels and working with water companies and the Environment Agency (EA) to mitigate the impacts of drought across England, including in South Yorkshire.
Following the driest six-month period since 1929, the EA declared drought in Yorkshire on 12 June 2025. The EA is actively working with stakeholders in the region, monitoring the situation, mitigating environmental impacts, and balancing the needs of people and nature.
To support water supply resilience in South Yorkshire, the EA has granted Yorkshire Water seven Drought Permits for its reservoirs, conserving reservoir stocks and to secure public water supplies.
Water company drought plans set out how companies will maintain a secure water supply while minimising environmental impacts during dry weather and drought conditions. The Government expects all companies to take the necessary steps outlined in these plans to protect water supplies for their customers.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult charities, faith groups, and frontline support services to deliver a more sustainable approach for procuring short-term accommodation for asylum seekers in line with the recommendations on the procurement of short term accommodation set out in the Office for Value for Money's policy paper UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has already begun consultation with charities and frontline support services on future asylum accommodation plans. Officials met with voluntary and community sector stakeholders on the 5th August and plan to meet again in September. Minister Norris will be hosting engagement with faith groups later this year on future asylum accommodation plans.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Sheffield (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce material into the National Curriculum regarding the role of the United Kingdom in the creation of Council of Europe.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The national curriculum for citizenship (key stages 3 and 4) provides a framework that would enable schools to discuss this matter. For example, pupils should be taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.
There is also considerable flexibility within the current history curriculum which would allow for teaching about this matter, for example in the statutory theme ‘challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day’.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review seeks to deliver a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive.
The Review Group has now published its interim report, which sets out its initial findings and confirms the key areas for further work. The report highlights the successes of the current system, making clear that the most trusted and valued aspects of our system will remain, whilst setting a positive vision for the future. The report is attached and can also be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.
The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn with the government’s response.