Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report published on 22 April by Friends of the Earth International, Climate and biodiversity in freefall, particularly the finding that 78 per cent of the top 50 carbon offsetting projects are likely ineffective or worthless.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The UK is a strong advocate for carbon pricing and a pioneer on carbon markets, through domestic action and our support for the uptake of pricing and market schemes globally.

Harnessed properly, carbon markets can help deliver global climate ambition, mobilise much-needed finance to tackle climate change, and deliver cost-effective abatement and wider development benefits. They can play a crucial role in protecting forests internationally and in the UK.

Stakeholders have called for greater clarity on what constitutes a high-quality carbon credit and how credits should be used. Therefore, in November last year the UK Government published a set of guiding principles for high-integrity voluntary carbon and nature markets and in April this year we launched a consultation into steps that can be taken to implement these.

Through our climate finance programmes the UK has helped address the challenges linked with ‘project-based’ forest credits , for example, the ‘leakage’ of carbon emissions. We have worked with countries to develop jurisdictional approaches to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), which cover entire countries or states, allowing greater transparency and the generation of higher-integrity carbon credits.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce cross-subsidy between rural and urban areas for franchised bus services where routes exist that are not themselves profitable.

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

Local authorities can choose to subsidise bus services, including those that span urban and rural areas, where commercial provision alone is not sufficient to meet the needs of local communities, and where it represents value for money. This is a decision for local authorities to make.

Under franchised bus services, the local authority can have responsibility for all elements of the bus network including routes, timetables and fares. There are many different options available for franchising for local authorities and cross subsidy between profitable and non-profitable routes is a possible feature of some models.

The Government is investing in bus and has committed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £12.2 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services across the area. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they plan to take to reduce microplastic pollution.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recognises the importance of addressing contaminants in soil, including microplastic pollution. To tackle microplastics in soil, we need to tackle plastics up-stream. The plastic problem is one of management, not removal or eradication, to reduce, reuse, and recycle the material we have and not let it escape into, and damage, our environment.

The Environment Agency is supporting collaborative research which will support future policy and regulatory decisions on microplastics. This includes six investigations with the water industry under the Chemical Investigations Programme, considering generation of microplastics within wastewater treatment works through breakdown of plastic equipment, emerging sewage treatment technologies, and pathways of microplastics from biosolids applied to land to soils and groundwater. The Environment Agency are also conducting research into tyre wear particles and associated chemicals which is due to be published later this year, and supporting National Highways on research into microplastics generated during driving.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the Gambling Commission complies with its obligations under the Gambling Act 2005, including taking regulatory action against operators if necessary to protect vulnerable people from harm.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Gambling Commission is an independent regulator, but as the sponsoring department we have a number of channels available to assess the Commission’s delivery against its objectives and duties, including regular meetings with the Commission’s senior leadership. There are a range of regulatory interventions that the Commission is able to make, and the outcomes of this regulatory action are published on its website. Since 2016/17, the Commission has taken over 100 enforcement actions, and this has resulted in more than £207 million in fines and regulatory settlements being paid by gambling operators.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to redefine affordable housing according to local incomes instead of market rates.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government believes that affordable housing must be affordable to local people and address local needs. This is why we amended the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to give local authorities greater flexibility to deliver the right mix of affordable homes to respond to housing need in their areas, while also making clear that they should address the particular needs of those who require Social Rent homes.

To reflect the government’s commitment to prioritise the building of new Social Rent homes, we amended the definition of affordable housing in the NPPF to provide a separate definition of Social Rent – rather than referring to it as just one of a number of types of affordable housing for rent. We have also committed that new investment to succeed the current Affordable Homes Programme will have a particular focus on delivering Social Rent homes.

We will consider what further steps we can take to support social and affordable housing as part of our intent to produce a set of national policies for decision making in 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce specific legal protection for chalk streams.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Chalk Streams will be prioritised as part of the record £11 billion of investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows in England and Wales during Price Review 2024, with 75% of such High Priority Sites needing to be improved by 2035 and the rest by 2045. By 2050, we expect no storm overflow spill to cause any adverse ecological harm and spill no more than 10 times per year.

The Government is committed to securing better environmental outcomes alongside securing the development we need and is considering how best to reform environmental assessment processes with this objective in mind.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support farmers in the light of dry conditions this spring.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food supply chain that has frequently demonstrated its ability to adapt when required.

The Met Office’s 3-month weather outlook for May, June, and July indicates near average rainfall is most likely for the UK but with a slightly higher than normal chance of wet weather. Defra is aware of the current concerns around the ongoing dry conditions. However, it is too early to understand the impact of this period of dry weather on livestock, horticulture and crop plantings, and the subsequent impact this may have on yield and quality later in the year at harvest time.

We continue to engage and work closely with the industry and to monitor the weather impacts on domestic food production, through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), which was established by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the UK market across all key agricultural commodities.

The Government is also engaged with research on climate change and adaptation measures through our work with the Met Office Hadley Centre Food Farming and Natural Environment (FFNE) service.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 5Rights Children and AI Design Code, and what steps they are taking to assess the impact of AI on children.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government recognises the importance of this issue and welcomes proposals on how to ensure technology keeps children safe. The Government engages with a range of stakeholders on the impact of AI, including child safety organisations and experts.

Regarding the impact of AI, the majority of AI systems are regulated by existing regulators, a range of which have specific measures for protecting children. The strongest protections in the Online Safety Act are for children, who will be protected from both illegal content, and legal content which is nonetheless harmful to children, including where that content is AI generated.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the advice to parents from primary schools in St Albans to ban smartphones for children under 14 years old; and whether they plan to ban smartphones for children under 14 years old nationwide.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to keeping children safe online. The Department for Education’s ‘Mobile Phones in Schools’ guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks. We expect all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

We are focused on implementing the Online Safety Act which will protect children from both illegal and legal but nonetheless harmful content, including pornography and violent content. We continue to keep under review all evidence of options to protect children online.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 24 March (HL5621), what are the parameters of the task they have set the gambling industry to raise standards, and how this work will be monitored.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As I set out in my speech at the GambleAware Annual Conference, the industry can and should do more to work together to ensure that gambling advertising and sponsorship is appropriate, responsible and does not exacerbate harm. This includes the need for an assessment of current levels of gambling advertising across the full range of channels. The Betting and Gaming Council has commissioned an advertising report which will be published in due course. We will closely consider any findings to inform next steps.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the risk of drought in England this summer, following reports from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology that reservoir levels are 10 per cent less full than they should be.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency has declared Prolonged Dry Weather status in Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and Northeast areas. Drought plans have been activated in these areas to help mitigate any dry weather impacts. Water company reservoir levels in northern and central England are below storage levels expected for the time of year.

The National Drought Group, including the water minister, met on the 7 May to coordinate the strategic management of drought across government, regulators, water industry, and stakeholders. Frequency of these meetings have increased due to the current dry weather situation. Specific actions include:

• Water companies to increase action on leakage and communicate with customers about using water wisely.
• Advising farmers and growers to plan their water needs this summer and seek advice from the Environment Agency and the National Farmers Union if they have concerns.
• Environment Agency to work with fishery owners to ensure dry weather contingency plans are in place

An updated irrigation prospect report has been published to inform the agriculture community of the current water resources situation to help farmers plan their water needs for the summer. The Environment Agency has also issued some restrictions on abstraction licences to protect river flows where these are low.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the White Nile river remains open as a humanitarian supply corridor into Upper Nile in South Sudan.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the safety and security of aid workers in our engagement with the Government of South Sudan and other regional partners. On 27 March, alongside the Troika and other likeminded partners, we called for de-escalation following rising violence. The Minister of State for International Development raised the issue of humanitarian access when she met South Sudan's Foreign Minister on 16 April in the margins of the Sudan Conference, and our Ambassador in Juba called for a ceasefire when he met with South Sudan's President Kiir on 14 May. The UK continues to support our UN partners to advocate for access to those displaced by the current conflict and to continue to deliver a humanitarian response in Upper Nile.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 24 March (HL5621), whether they have commissioned an industry-led assessment of the impact of gambling advertising.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have set the gambling industry a clear task to do more to work together to ensure that gambling advertising and sponsorship is appropriate, responsible and does not exacerbate harm. The Betting and Gaming Council has since commissioned an advertising report which will be published in due course. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all key stakeholders to inform next steps in this space and ensure effective measures are in place to protect those at risk.

Strengthened measures on socially responsible incentives (SRI) are being delivered through the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). As the statutory regulator, the implementation date is a matter for the Gambling Commission and the rationale for its decision was set out in their formal response to the SRI consultation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the new rules increasing the safety and simplicity of consumer promotional offers in gambling cannot be introduced sooner than 19 December.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have set the gambling industry a clear task to do more to work together to ensure that gambling advertising and sponsorship is appropriate, responsible and does not exacerbate harm. The Betting and Gaming Council has since commissioned an advertising report which will be published in due course. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all key stakeholders to inform next steps in this space and ensure effective measures are in place to protect those at risk.

Strengthened measures on socially responsible incentives (SRI) are being delivered through the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). As the statutory regulator, the implementation date is a matter for the Gambling Commission and the rationale for its decision was set out in their formal response to the SRI consultation.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the effective management of artificial light in new build homes.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Part L of the Building Regulations sets standards for the energy efficiency of new build homes. As part of this, it includes standards for lighting efficacy and aims to minimise the energy needed to appropriately light homes. A consultation on updates to Part L of the Building Regulations closed last year. We are carefully considering the feedback received in advance of publishing the new version of Part L later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of lost work-days due to stress, depression, or anxiety in women.

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

Improving mental health outcomes is critical to achieving the Health Mission aims of reducing years lived with prevalence of ill-health, disability, and premature mortality, reducing the demand for services within the National Health Service. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that in 2022, mental ill health cost the United Kingdom economy approximately £300 billion.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes. This demonstrates our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and provide support for people, including women, to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.

We are continuing to roll out employment advisors in our NHS Talking Therapies services to support people, including women, with common mental health conditions seek and retain employment. Our advisors help people who are in work but struggling or facing difficulties in the workplace, off work sick or looking for work, so we can provide the right support at the right time.

Individuals can also access helpful resources about work-related stress on the Every Mind Matters website, which is available in an online-only format.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to give local government new powers to prevent adult gaming centres from opening.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Local authorities play a crucial role in the regulation of gambling at a local level and have a range of powers in relation to gambling premises. We want local authorities to feel empowered to make decisions that are in their communities’ best interests. We will look to complement local authorities’ existing powers in relation to licensing of gambling premises, in line with the gambling white paper published in April 2023.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Government cybersecurity roles are (1) vacant, and (2) filled by contractors.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through a planned workforce commission every two years. The 2023 Workforce Commission reported 251 vacancies and 295 contractors across government.

The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on vacancy and contractor numbers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk posed by the illegal wildlife trade to emerging infectious diseases.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Most recently, Defra funded an assessment of the zoonotic potential of trade in species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/964ae259-410e-4205-8ec7-e2c54f5c6e3d. This assessment was developed in conjunction with a study by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Study scopes potential of global wildlife trade to harbour zoonotic disease - UNEP-WCMC.

The UK also has in place robust measures to support our ability to understand, detect, prevent, respond and recover from disease outbreaks. This includes established systems to monitor for new and emerging biosecurity threats such as our Veterinary Risk Group (VRG) and the Human and Animal Infections Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) Group.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade; and what assessment they have made of the links between the illegal wildlife trade and financial crime.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

£30 million has been invested between 2022 and 2025, including through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. To date the fund has supported 179 projects in over 67 countries, including projects to change behaviours, strengthen wildlife crime legislation, and help communities to protect the wildlife they rely on for their livelihoods.

Domestically, UK Authorities, including the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and UK Border Force, work closely together to combat illegal wildlife trade. This includes through joint enforcement operations (e.g. Operation Thunder), intelligence sharing, and the identification of enforcement priorities.

In 2021, the Home Office commissioned an independent assessment of illegal wildlife trade and financial crime in the UK. This is available here. This was followed by the first illegal wildlife trade risk assessment by the NWCU in 2022 - https://www.nwcu.police.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Initial-Risk-Assessment-of-IWT-Public-Version.pdf.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN special rapporteur Thomas Andrews on 15 May regarding allegations that Rohingya refugees were forced off an Indian naval vessel.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We are aware of recent reports alleging that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea by the Indian Navy near the maritime border with Myanmar. We understand that the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar will investigate these allegations. The UK Government will examine their conclusions closely.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will meet Amaher Nour, the wife of Ahmed al-Doush who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials have been in touch with authorities in Saudi Arabia to formally request details of the charges against Mr Al-Doush.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Consular officials aim to stay in regular contact (including through meetings when requested), and provide support within our remit, to the families of British nationals detained abroad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to appoint a special envoy for British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the release of Ahmed al-Doush; and what steps they are taking to request further information from the government of Saudi Arabia regarding his conviction and sentence.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials have been in touch with authorities in Saudi Arabia to formally request details of the charges against Mr Al-Doush.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Consular officials aim to stay in regular contact (including through meetings when requested), and provide support within our remit, to the families of British nationals detained abroad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the Sudanese Armed Forces, and (2) the Rapid Support Forces, about the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As part of ongoing efforts to push for an end to the conflict in Sudan, the UK engages with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Senior officials including the FCDO's Director General for Africa, the Americas and Overseas Territories, the UK's Special Representative to Sudan as well as the FCDO's Africa Director have each recently travelled to Port Sudan including in both the lead up to, and aftermath of, the 15 April London Sudan Conference to meet with key members of the SAF, including General Burhan. In these engagements, UK officials have continually pressed the warring parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, to allow unrestricted humanitarian access, to protect civilians, and to commit to a meaningful peace process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Water Quality Monitoring Network Annual Report 2023/24 published by the Angling Trust on 20 May.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has seen the Angling Trust report and will consider its findings alongside the recommendations from the Independent Water Commission. We recognise that citizen science is a valuable tool for enhancing monitoring and engaging the public in scientific and environmental issues and we thank everyone for their involvement in this.

Found: six-month post-Royal Assent assessment of the impact of the bill/act on rural areas.186 The Lord Bishop of St Albans

Found: six-month post-Royal Assent assessment of the impact of the bill/act on rural areas.186 The Lord Bishop of St Albans