Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of the chemicals industry in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government recognises the importance of the chemicals sector. The Industrial Strategy identifies chemicals as a vital foundational sector that underpins the UK’s high-growth industries, while also being essential to many supply chains.

Government is committed to tackling competitiveness issues facing the sector. These challenges are not unique to any one company and are impacting chemical and wider energy intensive businesses across Europe.

We are backing the chemicals sector through the Industrial Strategy with targeted support to bring down energy costs and recently through a targeted support package at INEOS Grangemouth to protect vital chemical production and jobs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and its impact assessment, what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of judicial approval as a safeguard in countries with assisted suicide regimes, including the proportion of applications refused in those countries and the reasons for refusal.

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

The purpose of the impact assessment was to appraise the assisted dying service as described in the bill at the end of committee stage. Judicial approval is not one of the steps an applicant must follow to access the assisted dying service. Therefore, no assessment was made regarding the effectiveness of judicial approval as a safeguard.

The Government remains neutral on the policy choices in the bill, and it is rightly a matter for Parliament to decide if the safeguards in the bill are sufficient.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the full responsibilities of the Minister for Digital ID are.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Josh Simons MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, serving as a joint Minister between the Cabinet Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Minister Simons is responsible for supporting and providing assurance to the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the Cabinet Office and the Secretary of State for DSIT on the design and cross-government delivery of the digital ID programme. He will work closely with Minister Murray, Minister of State for Digital Government and Data, who retains ownership of related areas including data policy and other Government Digital Products.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, how many stab proof vests have been issued to frontline officers following the announcement by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice about prison staff safety on 21 September 2025.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The volume of body armour required for all prison officers in the Long-Term and High-Security Estate represents a significant undertaking. Our priority is to ensure that we continue to provide the most appropriate and effective protective equipment as swiftly as possible. We are currently preparing for further procurement and delivery. This work is progressing at pace, and we expect to begin implementation across the estate during 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice about prison staff safety on 21 September 2025, how many of the 5,000 stab proof vests for staff working in high security prisons have been issued.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The volume of body armour required for all prison officers in the Long-Term and High-Security Estate represents a significant undertaking. Our priority is to ensure that we continue to provide the most appropriate and effective protective equipment as swiftly as possible. We are currently preparing for further procurement and delivery. This work is progressing at pace, and we expect to begin implementation across the estate during 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice about prison staff safety on 21 September 2025, how many prison officers are trained to use tasers.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

On 21 September, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that 500 prison-based staff would be trained and equipped to use Taser devices as part of a wider effort to enhance safety across the prison estate. We currently have 25 specially trained officers who work within the Operational Response and Resilience Teams. At present, no frontline officers are trained in the use of Tasers.

Delivering this capability is a significant undertaking: work to train and equip additional officers is in progress.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 20 January, whether external recruitment will take place for the new taskforces modelled on the Vaccine Taskforce.

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

Taskforces focus on Prime Ministerial priorities and will remove obstacles to delivery, drawing on lessons from the Vaccine Taskforce and other relevant examples.

They will have the freedom to hire the best talent from within the civil service at pace and expedited approvals for short-term appointments of external expertise.

Departmental Ministers will be accountable for their policy areas as now and will have a direct line to the top of government in Number 10, the Cabinet Office, and the Treasury to help support delivery.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 20 January, whether the budgets for the new taskforces modelled on the Vaccine Taskforce will come from existing budgets; and how many new taskforces will be created.

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

Number 10 and the Cabinet Office are continuing to work together and with departments to consider a range of options for Taskforces across the Prime Minister’s priorities, and will determine how many will be created.

They will be funded from existing budgets with prioritised business case approvals and increased delegated authority limits, if necessary, from the Treasury.

Departmental Ministers will remain accountable for their policy areas and will have a direct line to the top of government in Number 10, the Cabinet Office, and the Treasury to help support delivery.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the speech by the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 20 January, what the budget will be for the new National School of Government and Public Services.

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

The National School of Government and Public Services will be part of the Cabinet Office. Its annual budget will be defined through normal Cabinet Office processes with any relevant information published as part of the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts. The creation of the National School is expected to deliver efficiency savings of between £4m-£15m across the spending review period 2026-29.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how frequently police officers will have to renew a licence to work under proposed policing reforms; and what training officers will need to do, if any, to secure the licence that they do not currently undertake in the course of their duties.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

As set out in the White Paper ‘From local to national: a new model for policing’, a Licence to Practise will signify the unique position our officers hold through the Office of Constable while ensuring that all officers are provided with the right wellbeing support, training and development to succeed. It is important that we carefully consider all options for Licence model, including how a Licence is issued and renewed, and we will work closely with policing to make sure that we develop a model that is beneficial for officers and the public.

A Licence to Practise will provide a system that brings together mandatory training alongside consistent professional development. We will explore how a Licence can build on accreditations and licensing which are currently delivered by the College of Policing in specialist operational areas.

Our first priority is to ensure the service is set for a Licence model which includes developing a strong performance management system and delivering consistent leadership standards and wellbeing support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan for the proposed National Police Service to be operational; and whether this is expected to be by the end of the present Parliament.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The salary for the Commissioner of the National Police Service will be determined in due course.

The Government has started work to set up the National Police Service and will legislate for it as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the salary will be for the proposed Commissioner of the National Police Service.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The salary for the Commissioner of the National Police Service will be determined in due course.

The Government has started work to set up the National Police Service and will legislate for it as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the net departure of business owners from the UK in the past two years.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not made a formal assessment on the net departure of business owners from the UK in the past two years.

Through the Industrial Strategy and Plan for SMEs, the government is backing entrepreneurs to start, scale and stay in the UK. DBT continues to focus on its core mission of supporting businesses to invest, grow and export, helping to ensure the UK remains an attractive destination for business activity.

DBT provides a range of services for UK firms - including business support, access to finance, investment facilitation, and export assistance - aimed at helping companies manage rising costs, expand markets, and navigate economic uncertainty.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison officers in long term and high security estate prisons have been assaulted in each of (1) close supervision centres, (2) separation centres, and (3) segregation units from 7 January 2025 to date.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Assaults statistics, including assault on staff incidents by prison, are published quarterly. These were last published in January 2026, covering data up to September 2025: Safety in custody: quarterly update to September 2025 - GOV.UK.

Centrally collated data on assaults does not go into the depth of specific residential location requested, meaning the data requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how many acts of passive or active concerted indiscipline have taken place at HMP Whitemoor in the last 6 months, (2) on which dates they took place, (3) what injuries to staff or prisoners resulted, if any, and (4) what disciplinary or police action has been taken against perpetrators.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Three incidents recorded as concerted indiscipline have taken place at HMP Whitemoor in the last six months: on 6, 12 and 17 February.

Six staff responding to one of the incidents reported minor injuries that did not require hospitalisation. No prisoners or staff were injured in the other incidents.

The three incidents resulted in a total of 12 adjudications, 10 of which were referred to the police for investigation. 11 prisoners were relocated to another wing, and 10 were downgraded to a basic regime under the Incentives Policy Framework.

Found: am copying this letter to Lord Banner, Baroness Goudie, Baroness D’Souza, Lord Clement-Jones, Lord Kempsell