Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the resilience of critical national infrastructure, democratic processes and supply chains against cyber and hybrid threats from hostile state actors.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has taken significant action to respond to threats posed to the UK from hostile state actors.
The Resilience Action Plan (RAP), published in July 2025, establishes an ‘all hazards approach’ to national resilience, with specific pledges to improve cyber resilience within our CNI. The Government works closely with public and private sector operators to manage cyber risk and minimise the impact of incidents.
The National Cyber Action Plan will be published shortly, setting out concrete actions for the government to take alongside businesses to tackle the growing threat and strengthen our collective resilience.
Under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, the Government retains powers to intervene in investments that pose risks to national security. The Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan sets out the full range of actions HMG is taking to strengthen our legislation, help those who work in politics to recognise, resist and report the threat, as well as delivering disruptive action against proxy organisations.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the use of public sector procurement in supporting the growth of UK-based AI companies, and (2) the impact of that procurement on the development of domestic technology capabilities.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
As outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, this Government is committed to supporting growth of the UK AI sector. This commitment is underpinned by the establishment of 5 AI Growth Zones across the UK, which provide the sovereign processing power and the required energy security for homegrown firms to scale and secure our national digital resilience.
Furthermore, the Government will publish new guidance for central government organisations procuring from the AI, steel, shipbuilding and energy infrastructure sectors regarding the appropriate use of national security exemptions. This will help to ensure we maintain sovereign supply chain resilience when it is a critical factor in supporting national security.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enhance data accuracy and accountability in the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Access to accurate and impartial statistics and data is fundamental to a thriving democracy. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority commissioned a review on the performance and culture of the Office of National Statistics (ONS) after concerns were raised about the quality of our economic statistics.
The Devereux Review, the Cabinet Office and UKSA Board's official response to the Devereux Review, and the ONS’ plan for improving their economic statistics were published in June and are available on both the Cabinet Office and UK Statistics Authority websites.
Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are now working closely with ONS to progress the recommendations of the Devereux Review to enhance the quality of our data.
A new post of Permanent Secretary of the ONS has been created and filled, and a new Director General overseeing economic statistics has been appointed. The ONS is undergoing a prioritisation exercise which is focusing its resources on its core remit of producing economic, population and migration statistics. Progress is being tracked through regular meetings between Cabinet Office and the ONS.
The Cabinet Office is also clarifying the accountability and oversight arrangements of the UK Statistics Authority and ONS. The impartiality and operational autonomy of the UK Statistics Authority and ONS is essential for public trust and confidence in our official statistics, but the department must be accountable to both HM Government and Parliament for their performance and the quality of the data they produce. This relationship will be set out in a new Framework Document which will be published soon.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in cyberattacks by state actors, and what steps they are taking to protect against those attacks.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The National Security Strategy concluded that state-sponsored cyberattacks represent a persistent and intensifying threat to the UK’s national security, with hostile actors using cyber operations to undermine our democratic institutions, economic stability and critical infrastructure.
The Government is taking decisive action to counter this threat by strengthening the UK’s cyber resilience, expanding the capabilities of the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Force, and introducing the Cyber Security Resilience Bill to enhance protections for critical national infrastructure. We are also deepening cooperation with international partners to deter hostile activity and respond collectively to malicious cyber operations.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of changes in the age at which adults are able (1) to buy a house, (2) to have children and (3) to get married, due to the financial strain of these milestones.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Emma Rourke | Acting National Statistician
The Lord Taylor of Warwick
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
14 July 2025
Dear Lord Taylor of Warwick,
As Acting National Statistician, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of changes in the age at which adults are able (1) to buy a house, (2) to have children and (3) to get married, due to the financial strain of these milestones (HL9248).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not make any direct assessment of the extent to which financial strain impacts the age that people buy a house, have children or get married.
The ONS does publish the average age for different types of house buyers, including first time buyers, for years from 1990 to 2023, available in our House Price Data: annual tables - Table 37[1], and based on a sample of the Regulated Mortgage Survey.
In addition, the ONS has published Milestones: journeying through modern life[2] which includes information on age at which people buy a home, first marriage and age of first time mothers.
To assess the changing age of purchasers buying homes, people most commonly use the English Housing Survey, conducted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This includes analysis of change over time[3].
Yours sincerely,
Emma Rourke
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/housepriceindexannualtables2039
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how new trade agreements with the European Union will uphold the outcome of the 2016 EU referendum.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, and this government respects that result. This government has closed deals in the national interest with the USA, India and the EU as an independent, sovereign nation.
The renewed agenda we have agreed with the EU looks to build upon the 2020 Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The 2025 agreement covers a wide range of areas such as energy cooperation, SPS and a security and defence partnership. This package delivers for the British people, without compromising on our red lines - no return to the customs union, no return to freedom of movement and no re-joining the single market.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of overseas demand for UK goods in April, and the consequential impact on private sector output.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord Taylor of Warwick
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
1 May 2025
Dear Lord Taylor of Warwick,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the level of overseas demand for UK goods in April, and the consequential impact on private sector output (HL6970).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK trade in goods data is currently available up to February 2025[1]. March data will be published on 15 May 2025, while April data will be published on 12 June 2025.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/bulletins/uktrade/february2025
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom is protested from large-scale cyber attacks; and what mitigations are in place to protect core infrastructure in the event of an attack.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is working tirelessly to improve the cyber resilience of the UK’s critical infrastructure. We published the Cyber Security and Resilience policy statement on April 1, which set out our plans for the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. It will strengthen the UK’s cyber defences and ensure that critical infrastructure and the digital services that UK citizens and businesses rely on are secure.
We welcome the findings of the recent National Audit Office report on Government Cyber Resilience, which highlight the need for an accelerated response. We are taking immediate steps to address its recommendations, including developing a cross-government implementation plan for the 2030 target and a new model to clarify and enforce cyber resilience responsibilities. We have published the Cyber Policy Handbook and the Secure by Design Framework to embed best practice throughout the UK’s public services. We are using GovAssure to define clear cyber resilience outcomes and develop an objective view of cyber resilience across the government technology estate.
Our commitment to improving the UK’s cyber resilience includes our engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC engages with government, regulators and critical national infrastructure (CNI) operators to improve the cyber security and resilience of CNI, this includes: supporting them to raise their security baseline, improving their understanding the cyber risks they need to manage, such as the Cyber Assessment Framework, and helping them prepare for how they would respond to an incident or a period of heightened risk, leveraging GCHQ expertise.
The NCSC coordinates the government response to significant incidents. In the event of a severe national cyber incident the Cabinet Office activates COBR for enhanced coordination.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure access to accurate and up-to-date statistics, following reports of delays and mistakes in releases of data from the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord Taylor of Warwick
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
31 March 2025
Dear Lord Taylor,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps have been taken to ensure access to accurate and up-to-date statistics, following reports of delays and mistakes in releases of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL6081).
In recent months, as part of routine quality assurance, the ONS identified issues with some of our statistical outputs, resulting in a small number of publications being delayed. Prioritising quality in our statistics is at the forefront of what we do. As such, we are consistently improving systems, investing in quality assurance, and undertaking vital transformation programmes. Further steps to ensure quality in our statistics will be communicated in our 2025/26 Strategic Business Plan. In early April, we will also be publishing our new survey strategy. This will build upon our existing surveys recovery plan, and will chart the pathway to a robust, sustainable survey system that can deliver the critical data required by Government and other key stakeholders.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Whitehall operates effectively, particularly regarding how different departments collaborate and coordinate with one another.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Mission-driven government means a focus on ambitious, long-term goals that require coordination and partnership across government and wider society. This a refocusing of the state onto active delivery across departmental boundaries. The Mission Delivery Unit in my departments works to ensure that all parts of government work together to deliver the Plan for Change.