Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of sites of special scientific interest in each county in England are in a favourable condition.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 1 April 2023 Natural England changed from a unit (or area)-based assessment and reporting process to one based on the features within each site, called Whole Feature Assessment. A feature is a habitat, species, or geological characteristic for which the site is important.
The table below shows the percentage of Sites of Special Scientific Interest features in each county that are assessed as being in favourable condition as of 31st October 2025:
County | % of SSSI features in favourable condition |
Bedfordshire | 40.0% |
Berkshire | 68.7% |
Bristol | 45.2% |
Buckinghamshire | 57.1% |
Cambridgeshire | 41.8% |
Cheshire | 27.3% |
Cornwall | 51.5% |
Cumbria | 36.9% |
Derbyshire | 28.0% |
Devon | 46.8% |
Dorset | 23.0% |
Durham | 40.8% |
East Riding of Yorkshire | 49.5% |
East Sussex | 34.5% |
Essex | 43.6% |
Gloucestershire | 49.9% |
Greater London | 62.1% |
Greater Manchester | 36.2% |
Hampshire | 35.2% |
Herefordshire | 35.4% |
Hertfordshire | 50.0% |
Isle of Wight | 46.0% |
Kent | 39.9% |
Lancashire | 43.4% |
Leicestershire | 40.4% |
Lincolnshire | 47.9% |
Merseyside | 23.6% |
Norfolk | 42.4% |
North Yorkshire | 46.5% |
Northamptonshire | 37.0% |
Northumberland | 39.3% |
Nottinghamshire | 17.4% |
Oxfordshire | 55.2% |
Rutland | 51.1% |
Shropshire | 46.7% |
Somerset | 38.0% |
South Yorkshire | 43.1% |
Staffordshire | 18.2% |
Suffolk | 37.0% |
Surrey | 50.8% |
Tyne & Wear | 46.5% |
Warwickshire | 68.7% |
West Midlands | 45.3% |
West Sussex | 26.5% |
West Yorkshire | 35.1% |
Wiltshire | 44.1% |
Worcestershire | 48.4% |
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Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of rivers in each county in England are in a good overall condition.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The most recent comprehensive assessment in 2019 shows that 16% of rivers in England are achieving good ecological status. This information is available on the Environment Agency’s Catchment Data Explorer, where it is presented for individual water bodies, river catchments and river basin districts. The next comprehensive assessment of the condition of the water environment is underway and will be published next year.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the Gambling Levy Programme Board and the Gambling Levy Advisory Group were established, and whether they will publish the membership of both of those bodies.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Gambling Levy Programme Board first met in June 2025. The Board is chaired by the DCMS Director of Sport and Gambling, and its membership consists of government officials from relevant HMG departments, and the Scottish and Welsh governments.
The Advisory Group first met in May 2025. It is chaired by a DCMS official and membership consists of working level representation from UK Research and Innovation, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England, the appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales and the Gambling Commission.
We will continue to regularly monitor the levy’s governance arrangements to ensure that there is effective oversight of delivery against objectives. We will publish the Terms of Reference and details of membership for the Levy Board and Advisory Group in due course.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 22 September (HL10345), whether the positions of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons have now been filled on a permanent basis; and what role the Senior Leadership Committee has played in recruitment to these posts.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The roles of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons are currently being filled on an interim basis. The recruitment position is unchanged from my reply of 22 September.
Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) membership is currently made up of: Permanent Secretary, Home Office (who serves as the Chair); Permanent Secretary, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury; Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government; Permanent Secretary, Department for Education; Government Chief People Officer (Cabinet Office), Permanent Secretary, Department for Work & Pensions; and Director General, MI5. As set out in the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol, the First Civil Service Commissioner also sits on the SLC as a permanent member. There are currently no representatives from the Ministry of Justice on the SLC.
Civil Service Commissioners must chair all permanent competitions for posts at SCS Pay Band 4 (Permanent Secretary) and SCS Pay Band 3 (Director General) level. This requirement applies both to open (external) competitions and to Civil Service-wide (internal) competitions. Commissioners do not have involvement in appointments where an exception is granted, although these are reported to the Commission on a quarterly basis. The current appointments were made under exceptions due to the temporary nature of the arrangements. Any future permanent recruitment will follow the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and be chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 22 September (HL10345), whether the Senior Leadership Committee included representatives from the Ministry of Justice; and whether the recruitment process involved the Civil Service Commission or the use of an exception under the Civil Service recruitment principles.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The roles of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons are currently being filled on an interim basis. The recruitment position is unchanged from my reply of 22 September.
Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) membership is currently made up of: Permanent Secretary, Home Office (who serves as the Chair); Permanent Secretary, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury; Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government; Permanent Secretary, Department for Education; Government Chief People Officer (Cabinet Office), Permanent Secretary, Department for Work & Pensions; and Director General, MI5. As set out in the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol, the First Civil Service Commissioner also sits on the SLC as a permanent member. There are currently no representatives from the Ministry of Justice on the SLC.
Civil Service Commissioners must chair all permanent competitions for posts at SCS Pay Band 4 (Permanent Secretary) and SCS Pay Band 3 (Director General) level. This requirement applies both to open (external) competitions and to Civil Service-wide (internal) competitions. Commissioners do not have involvement in appointments where an exception is granted, although these are reported to the Commission on a quarterly basis. The current appointments were made under exceptions due to the temporary nature of the arrangements. Any future permanent recruitment will follow the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and be chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the positions at the Prison and Probation Service of (1) Director General Chief Executive Officer, (2) Director General of Operations, and (3) Chief Operating Officer Prisons, were most recently vacant; how long those positions have been vacant or filled on an interim basis over the past three years; whether each of those vacancies has been filled internally or externally; and whether all of those vacancies have been advertised externally.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Over three years ago, Amy Rees CB was appointed Director General CEO of HIs Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS); Phil Copple CB was appointed Director General of Operations; and Michelle Jarman-Howe CBE was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Prisons. In April 2025, Amy Rees was temporarily appointed to the role of interim Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice while a selection process for the Permanent Secretary post took place.
This necessitated a number of consequential interim appointments, on a temporary basis, in HMPPS. Phil Copple was identified through succession planning to be the interim CEO; the Chief Operating Officer for Prisons, Michelle Jarman-Howe, was identified to be the interim Director General of Operations; and the Area Executive Director for London, Sarah Coccia, was identified to be the interim Chief Operating Officer for Prisons.
In September 2025, following the appointment of a new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Justice, Amy Rees left the Department to take up the post of Chief Executive of Homes England. The Senior Leadership Committee (SLC), a cross-Government governance board led by the Cabinet Office responsible for approving senior appointments, confirmed James McEwen, Director General and Chief Operating Officer at the Ministry of Justice, as the permanent successor to the HMPPS CEO role in a managed move. He will formally take up the post in October 2025.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a public health campaign to encourage those with suicidal thoughts to engage with mental health services, and for family and friends to not be afraid to raise the subject of suicide.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies eight priority groups for targeted and tailored support at a national level, including people in contact with mental health services. The strategy also identifies key risk factors for suicide, providing an opportunity for effective early intervention.
The purpose of the suicide prevention strategy is to set out our aims to prevent suicide through action by the Government and other organisations. One of the key visions of the strategy is to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health, so people feel able to seek help, including through the routes that work best for them. This includes raising awareness that no suicide is inevitable.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to evaluate the effectiveness of relationships and sex education and health education teaching on gambling-related harms, and how they will measure the impact of that teaching on student understanding and wellbeing.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As with all curriculum subjects, schools are responsible for ensuring the quality of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) they provide. This includes ensuring their staff are properly trained and equipped to teach these subjects accurately and confidently.
However, the department is keen to support schools to implement the updated RSHE curriculum, which will come into effect from 01 September 2026, and plan to pilot a new RSHE training grant, starting from 2026. This will also give us the opportunity to monitor implementation going forward.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what training and support they will provide to teachers to help them to deliver the revised Relationships and sex education and health education guidance, published on 15 July, in a way that is evidence-based and age-appropriate.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As with all curriculum subjects, schools are responsible for ensuring the quality of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) they provide. This includes ensuring their staff are properly trained and equipped to teach these subjects accurately and confidently.
However, the department is keen to support schools to implement the updated RSHE curriculum, which will come into effect from 01 September 2026, and plan to pilot a new RSHE training grant, starting from 2026. This will also give us the opportunity to monitor implementation going forward.
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when and how they plan to assess the quality and accuracy of teaching about gambling-related harms under the revised Relationships and sex education and health education guidance, published on 15 July.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As with all curriculum subjects, schools are responsible for ensuring the quality of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) they provide. This includes ensuring their staff are properly trained and equipped to teach these subjects accurately and confidently.
However, the department is keen to support schools to implement the updated RSHE curriculum, which will come into effect from 01 September 2026, and plan to pilot a new RSHE training grant, starting from 2026. This will also give us the opportunity to monitor implementation going forward.