Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Hayward, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A Bill to make provision for ensuring the secrecy of ballots cast in polling stations at elections; and for connected purposes
This Bill received Royal Assent on 2nd May 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to enable competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided at their request with specified assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.
Lord Hayward has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Finance Committee considered the use and cost of traffic marshals on the parliamentary estate at its meeting in February. Once agreed, the minutes of that discussion will be available on the Committee’s website.
Two of the eight near misses referred to involved pedestrians. All of the near misses demonstrate the inherent risk in a mixed-use occupied estate, where it is not possible to segregate pedestrians and traffic, and the importance of a range of mitigations to that risk, including the use, where appropriate, the use of traffic marshals.
Please see the attached table for date, time, and location of the near misses.
The eight near misses I referred to on 8 February (HL Deb col 1740) did not occur within 30 metres of a marshal on duty, with half occurring outside the working hours of the marshals. The near misses demonstrate the inherent risk in a mixed-use occupied estate, even during quieter times of the day or night. They highlight the importance of a range of mitigations to that risk, including the use, where appropriate, the use of traffic marshals.
Please see the attached table for further information.
The number of traffic marshals is reviewed on a quarterly basis to ensure we have sufficient cover to support ongoing projects. Estate-based colleagues remain on site during most recesses, and it is common for construction work to be undertaken more intensely during recess than in sitting times. In addition, Strategic Estates would consider any opportunity to reduce numbers, for example from 22 December to 2 January 2023 when there were no traffic marshals on the Estate.
The answer given on 19 September 2023 (HL9892) of circa 3,500 vehicles per week in sitting times and 2,500 in recess reflects the rough average of vehicle movements. As more information has been collected by Strategic Estates, the accuracy of the vehicle movement recording has improved and the more up to date figures give an average of 4,052 vehicles in sitting times and 2,285 in recess.
The nature of the estate means that full segregation of works traffic from pedestrian routes is not possible, unless large sections of the estate were closed during construction works. As outlined in the response to QWAs HL5748 and HL9893, the current need for traffic marshals on the estate is a result of construction work underway as part of the New Palace Yard Security project. This means that the safety benefits of traffic marshals cannot be achieved by other means. As corporate officers, the Clerks of both Houses are legally responsible for the safety of members, staff and visitors on the estate. The need for marshals has been identified through risk assessments, up to date guidance from the Health and Safety executive, and construction industry best practice.
All visitors on the Parliamentary Estate must be accompanied by a full pass holder at all times when in all non-public areas of the Parliamentary Estate. As the internal spine road is a non-public area, visitors without a pass are required to be accompanied by a passholder when crossing it.
Wednesdays are the busiest days for the River Restaurant since the COVID-19 pandemic. There were an average of 945 transactions per day across four sitting Wednesdays between 18 October and 15 November 2023, and 429 transactions per day across three recess Wednesdays between September and October 2023.
Pedestrian movements are monitored at the point of access and when leaving the estate, therefore no such calculations have been made. Pedestrian usage on the estate more widely remains broadly consistent between sitting and recess periods, and vehicle traffic reduces by around 30% in recess. The requirement to maintain the safety of users of and visitors to the estate in all locations does not change.
Strategic Estates procures traffic marshal support for Parliament via a public sector procurement framework. It contracts for a service rather than paying individual marshals directly. It is therefore not possible to identify accurately the cost of individual marshals.
The risk assessment did take into consideration existing control measures.
There are users with differing levels of driver certification on the estate and this is taken into consideration when implementing traffic control measures. Moreover, a large proportion of drivers with a high level of driver certification using the Estate does not lessen Parliament’s legal responsibilities, or commitment to industry best practice, to provide safe access and egress for pedestrians through segregation or management of areas where vehicles and pedestrians share the same space.
The role of traffic marshals has been reviewed regularly since their implementation. Over the summer, a thorough review of the current traffic management system, including traffic marshals, was carried out. The review recommended the one-way traffic system remain in place, but also recognised that users of the Estate have become used to the traffic system and that it is now part of “business as usual.” This means that while the risk assessment still recommends traffic mitigations, including traffic marshals, the number of marshals can be reduced. The number will be revised to five operating traffic marshals, plus one supervisor and two relief marshals, down from a previous 11 marshals.
Aside from the review mentioned above, the traffic management system is reviewed whenever there is a change or incident related to logistics and traffic on the Estate.
For vehicles, the Palace of Westminster typically shows a 30% reduction in vehicle movements during recess periods. During sitting periods, a typical week will have circa 3,500 vehicle movements compared to 2,500 vehicle movements during recess periods.
Pedestrian usage remains remarkably consistent during recess periods. This is because staff remain working on the Palace of Westminster and visitor numbers increase, particularly during the summer recess periods.
Direct comparisons were not made to other sites which have multiple police on duty at exits on to the public highway. The traffic control measures that have been put in place were based on risk assessments, traffic modelling carried out prior to the operation of the one-way system, stakeholder engagement, and construction industry best practice. On construction sites pedestrians and traffic are almost always segregated, but where this is not possible, such as on the Parliamentary Estate, additional mitigations are required.
A wide range of stakeholders were engaged before the implementation of the one-way traffic management system by Strategic Estates Construction Management Team. The key stakeholder groups were Parliamentary Safety Assurance Board (PSAB) and the Logistics Steering Group, a sub-group of PSAB. Concerns for stakeholders were the management of interface between pedestrians and traffic, the need to accommodate quick changes to traffic management due to events or incidents, and that Police are there for security and not to direct traffic. As such, traffic marshals were identified as best practice to meet the needs of the Estate. The traffic management solution, including use of traffic marshals, was approved by PSAB and the Logistics Steering Group prior to implementation.
Strategic Estates are reviewing the number of traffic marshals on the Parliamentary estate, including the cost. A period of review is necessary to analyse the operation and impact of the one-way system and the role of traffic marshals. The review will look to reduce the number of marshals, if appropriate.
When building work is undertaken on the estate there is an obligation to do everything reasonably practicable to ensure safety and minimise the impact to the business of both Houses. The introduction of traffic marshals was based on risk assessments and follows the published guidance from the Health and Safety Executive. The guidance states that pedestrians and traffic should be segregated on construction sites. As this is not possible on the Parliamentary Estate, additional mitigations are required. It is deemed, therefore, that traffic controllers on the estate are necessary while construction work is taking place.
In the last five years there have been three accident reports which are detailed below. The three incidents resulted in injury. ‘Near misses’ and incidents without injury have not been included.
The total number of reported injuries should be considered in the context of lower vehicle and pedestrian numbers as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in the five-year period.
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We have a robust electoral system that commands public confidence. Electoral fraud is unacceptable on any level and the Government committed in its 2019 manifesto to introduce a range of measures to strengthen further the electoral process, including introducing a requirement to show identification to vote at polling stations and tightening up postal vote provisions to close off opportunities for fraud in the system.
The current election petition process is designed to ensure certainty of election results and to avoid vexatious challenges by candidates or electors. The Government is aware that issues have been raised with the current challenge system, notably the high cost and complexity of the process, and will consider these matters further in consultation with stakeholders.
We have a robust electoral system that commands public confidence. Electoral fraud is unacceptable on any level and the Government committed in its 2019 manifesto to introduce a range of measures to strengthen further the electoral process, including introducing a requirement to show identification to vote at polling stations and tightening up postal vote provisions to close off opportunities for fraud in the system.
The current election petition process is designed to ensure certainty of election results and to avoid vexatious challenges by candidates or electors. The Government is aware that issues have been raised with the current challenge system, notably the high cost and complexity of the process, and will consider these matters further in consultation with stakeholders.
The conduct of the next boundary review is a matter for the independent Boundary Commissions.
We are in regular contact with the Boundary Commissions to ensure that any issues, such as the data to be used in the next boundary review, are appropriately addressed.
The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that Electoral Statistics for the 2 March 2020 are scheduled to be published on 5 January 2021.
The conduct of the next boundary review is a matter for the independent Boundary Commissions.
We are in regular contact with the Boundary Commissions to ensure that any issues, such as the data to be used in the next boundary review, are appropriately addressed.
The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that Electoral Statistics for the 2 March 2020 are scheduled to be published on 5 January 2021.
The conduct of the next boundary review is a matter for the independent Boundary Commissions.
We are in regular contact with the Boundary Commissions to ensure that any issues, such as the data to be used in the next boundary review, are appropriately addressed.
The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that Electoral Statistics for the 2 March 2020 are scheduled to be published on 5 January 2021.
There is no place for racism, sexism, homophobia or any other kind of discrimination in sport. Government’s sport and physical activity strategy ‘Sporting Future’ sets out the ambitions for sport to be at the forefront of equality and inclusion.
Government has frequent discussions with the Rugby Football League on a range of issues including equality. It continues to support national governing bodies and other sports organisations on anti-homophobia initiatives, for example Stonewall's Rainbow Laces Campaign.
The government is aware that the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in increased pressure on the full range of organisations which provide support to children and young people, including local authorities’ children’s services and voluntary sector organisations, as well as schools, colleges and early years settings.
The department has been working closely with local authorities to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, setting up dedicated Regional Education and Care Teams (REACTs), comprising of education and social care staff from the department and Ofsted. The teams work closely with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and with local authorities. The REACTs have weekly calls with directors in each region of the country and follow up with individual councils of concern as necessary.
The department also conducts the fortnightly Vulnerable Children and Young People survey, which goes out to all local authorities in England. This provides an overview of how children’s services are operating and includes information such as the number of referrals to children’s social care services, social worker contact with vulnerable children and numbers of children going into care. A report of data from Waves 1 to 8 of the survey can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vulnerable-children-and-young-people-survey.
The government has provided an unprecedented package of support for those that support vulnerable children through both statutory and voluntary services. This support package includes £3.7 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19-related pressures, including in children’s services. This funding is un-ringfenced, recognising local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major COVID-19 service pressures in their local area. The support also includes the Adoption Support Fund, which has provided £8 million to help families under pressure as a result of the outbreak. It also includes the Innovation Programme, which has funded more than £12 million for 14 projects related to areas including domestic violence and supporting teenagers at risk of exploitation.
Additionally, this support package includes funding of more than £7 million to Barnardo’s for the See, Hear, Respond service, which offers targeted help to vulnerable children, young people and their families affected by COVID-19 and the measures put in place to stop its spread. It also includes a £7.6 million joint fund between the department and the Home Office for national children’s charities operating in England and Wales that offer services to safeguard vulnerable children and that have financially suffered due to the impact of COVID-19. We have also provided funding to other charities working with vulnerable children, including Grandparents Plus, Family Rights Group, FosterTalk, the Care Leavers Association, Become, Drive Forward Foundation and Adoption UK.
This funding is in addition to the joint investment from the department and the Home Office in the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s helpline of £1.6 million and additional £310,000 to enhance Childline. In addition, approximately £10 million has already been committed to the Family Fund, helping families with children that have complex needs and disabilities through grants for equipment that makes their lives easier while implementing social distancing measures, including computers, specialist equipment and educational toys.
We know children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health has been affected in various ways during the last 6 months. We have advised schools and colleges to place emphasis on pastoral and wellbeing support, provided new resources on mental health as part of the relationships, health and sex education curriculum and hosted national webinars for education settings and local partners. The government is investing £8 million to launch the new Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which will train experts in local authorities to provide schools and further education providers all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The government is making available a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. Alongside the universal catch-up premium, we are launching a £350 million National Tutoring Programme to provide additional, targeted support for those children and young people who need the most help.
We have also made a wide-ranging package of support available to the early years sector. Many settings have used the furlough scheme and we have also continued to pay local authorities by bulk-buying childcare places under our entitlements for free hours for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. We will continue to pay local authorities for those hours this autumn term even if fewer children are attending settings. We have asked local authorities to pass this funding on in full.
Our latest guidance on supporting vulnerable children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services.
The Government will publish the revised impact assessment on extending the carrier bag charge to small and medium-sized retailers, which has been assessed as fit for purpose by the Regulatory Policy Committee, alongside the summary of the responses to the consultation and the Government response setting out next steps. We intend to publish these documents shortly.
The Government will publish the revised impact assessment on extending the carrier bag charge to small and medium-sized retailers, which has been assessed as fit for purpose by the Regulatory Policy Committee, alongside the summary of the responses to the consultation and the Government response setting out next steps. We intend to publish these documents shortly.
The Government will publish the revised impact assessment, which has been assessed as fit for purpose by the Regulatory Policy Committee, alongside the summary of the responses to the consultation and the Government response setting out next steps.
The 5p charge has been highly successful at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bags, doing so by over 90% in the main retailers since its introduction in 2015.
To build on this success and encourage further behaviour change, last year the Government consulted on increasing the charge to a minimum 10p and extending it to all retailers. Our initial assessment indicates that a 10p charge would bring a further 90% reduction at supermarkets and 80% reduction at high street retailers in year one. This would be followed by a 90% reduction at small retailers by year three. Changes such as these are complex and will take time, and we will publish the summary of responses and a Government response setting out next steps in due course.
Upon review, the Regulatory Policy Committee, an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, have agreed to the revised impact assessment and given it a positive ‘green’ rating. More information will be published along with the Government response in due course.
The 5p charge has been highly successful at reducing the use of single-use plastic carrier bags, doing so by over 90% in the main retailers since its introduction in 2015.
To build on this success and encourage further behaviour change, last year the Government consulted on increasing the charge to a minimum 10p and extending it to all retailers. Our initial assessment indicates that a 10p charge would bring a further 90% reduction at supermarkets and 80% reduction at high street retailers in year one. This would be followed by a 90% reduction at small retailers by year three. Changes such as these are complex and will take time, and we will publish the summary of responses and a Government response setting out next steps in due course.
Upon review, the Regulatory Policy Committee, an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, have agreed to the revised impact assessment and given it a positive ‘green’ rating. More information will be published along with the Government response in due course.
The estimated unemployment rates for the year to March 2010 and the year to December 2022 (the latest available data at a constituency level) are published and are given in the attached spreadsheet. As survey based estimates they are subject to sampling variation, which can be quite large for these small areas.
The information requested is also available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
Guidance for users can be found at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
The Government is exploring all options to ensure businesses can build resilience following the outbreak of COVID-19. We encourage businesses encountering financial difficulty as a result of this unprecedented situation to review the initiatives in the Government’s support package, such as Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, for which the application window has been extended to 30 November, and businesses rates holidays. We have taken steps to make our schemes deliverable, fair and targeted at those who need it the most. We continue to keep the Government support package under close review.
Following implementation of the health measures on the 8th June 2020, they will be continuously reviewed, including any systems issues with the first formal statutory review point due on 29th June. The review will be informed through continuing regular engagement with international partners and industry as well as through the monitoring of international comparators.
Officials first received counsel’s advice from the Electoral Commission on 26 August 2022, and a follow-up opinion on 29 September 2022.