Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities for the growth of the London insurance market and emerging services relating to operations by the space sector; and whether they plan to bring forward proposals for a reduction of operators’ regulatory compliance costs.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the importance of the London insurance market as the global leader in space insurance. It is looking at options to further support its growth and future development of emerging services, such as Active Debris Removal. The Government is committed to driving growth and innovation through regulation. It is currently consulting on a range of regulatory financial tools for growth of both the orbital operations and insurance sectors, and intends to set out its latest thinking shortly. These measures will contribute to a reduction of operators’ regulatory administrative costs in line with the Prime Minister’s target of a 25% reduction across sectors by 2030.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence entitled Adoptee Voices, published on 28 January 2026, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering every adoptee at least one adoptee-specific peer group and space during adolescence and early adulthood.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Young people involved in Adoption England’s National Youth Forum and regional adoption agency peer groups have spoken about how these groups have helped them explore and strengthen their identity, as well as to develop friendships with peers who understand their background. That is why our new consultation on the future of adoption support, “Adoption support that works for all”, includes proposals to increase opportunities for all young people to be involved in peer-led support groups, mentoring schemes, and wider community-based activities. This will help young people develop friendships and networks which can last a lifetime. The consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/adoption-support-that-works-for-all.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government policies on rural economies and high streets on the social and community value of pubs.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Pubs are at the heart of rural communities, supporting the local economy, providing a space for people to come together, and offering essential services. The Government is investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify. Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we will also introduce a new community right to buy to empower communities to bring valued assets such as pubs into community ownership and protect them for future use.
Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 5 September 2025 (HL Deb col 1118), what steps they have taken to consult the space sector on proposals to revise how the limit of operator liability is determined for satellite operations.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to driving growth and innovation through regulation. It is currently consulting with the space sector on options to revise how the limit of operator liability is determined for satellite operations, as part of development of a wider set of regulatory financial tools to support the growth of the UK’s orbital operations sector.
The Government intends to set out its latest thinking to the sector shortly in response to the feedback received. These measures will contribute to a reduction of operators’ regulatory administrative costs in line with the Prime Minister’s target of a 25% reduction across sectors by 2030.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence entitled Adoptee Voices, published on 28 January 2026, if she will take steps to provide (a) a safe space in school and colleges for adoptees and (b) a teacher in each school to support adoptees.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive, but too many face barriers holding them back. The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a system that delivers educational excellence for every child and young person, no matter their background or circumstance.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of previously looked-after children, including children adopted from state care, and must appoint a Virtual School Head to discharge this duty. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to provide advice and expertise on the needs of previously looked-after children on their roll. Previously looked-after children have highest priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,630 per child per year to support improved educational outcomes.
Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are committed to updating statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads, including strengthening sections on promoting the educational outcomes of previously looked-after children. In doing so, we will consider the findings of the report to ensure guidance reflects the experiences and needs raised by adoptees. This will support greater consistency and ensure good practice is shared across the system.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Waverley Borough Council and (b) East Hampshire District Council on the provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces and housing delivery.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).
Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.
Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the availability of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace capacity within local planning authorities covering the (a) Thames Basin Heaths, (b) Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons, and (c) Wealden Heaths Phase II Special Protection Areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).
Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.
Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department collects or holds data on the number of residential planning permissions that cannot be implemented due to a lack of available Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace capacity.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities must ensure that development does not adversely affect the integrity of sites protected under the Habitats Regulations (including through mitigation measures where appropriate).
Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) is one type of mitigation for the recreational pressures that new housing can place on protected habitats like Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). It provides an attractive alternative green space for new residents, drawing visitors away from sensitive habitats.
Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring that developers deliver SANGs where they are needed, following an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Regulations of a relevant development. It is therefore for local planning authorities to monitor local capacity of SANGs.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the regulatory and consumer protection implications of the use of AI as financial guidance tools; and what safeguards they are putting in place to protect consumers.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government aims for the UK to be a global leader in AI, using our strengths in financial services and AI to boost growth, productivity and consumer benefits. Safe adoption is central to this.
Organisations must handle personal data fairly, lawfully, transparently and securely, with individuals retaining rights such as access, correction and deletion.
The Financial Conduct Authority is also acting in this space, including publishing guidance for consumers on using AI tools for investment research and highlighting risks like inaccurate or outdated information.
The FCA’s Supercharged Sandbox and AI Live Testing service give firms access to computing, data and safe real‑world environments to support responsible AI use in UK financial markets.
More broadly, the Government recognises that people often lack the support they need when making financial decisions. To improve this, we are introducing a new targeted support regime enabling trusted firms to suggest suitable products or actions based on a customer’s circumstances. Targeted Support will launch in April 2026.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of Local Authorities commissioning gambling harms prevention; and of their capacity to do so.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In April 2025, the statutory gambling levy came into effect to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm across Great Britain. In its first year, the levy has raised nearly £120 million, with 30% allocated to gambling harms prevention activity.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, responsible for the implementation and oversight of the gambling levy, remains confident that levy commissioners are best placed to make decisions on the future of their work programmes regarding the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms.
As prevention commissioners, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in England and Scottish and Welsh Governments continue to work collaboratively on the development of their respective work programmes, drawing on expertise from across the system. OHID will employ a ‘test and learn’ approach as they transition to the new levy system, to better-understand what interventions are most effective in preventing gambling harms at a local, regional and national level.
Local authorities are well placed to play a central role in preventing gambling‑related harms across local communities. An OHID-led stocktake of local authority activity in this space indicated that whilst some activity is already underway, there is appetite within local authorities to do more.
OHID is developing a fund for all upper-tier local authorities across England, which will aim to strengthen local capacity to tackle gambling‑related harm by facilitating improved understanding of local need and supporting the development of effective local and regional networks. This will be delivered alongside the Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) grant fund which will fund VCSE organisations to deliver prevention activity across England from April 2026 to March 2028.