Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the outcomes for university students being taught by franchises, with particular regard to their (a) future income, (b) knowledge and subject understanding, (c) health and wellbeing, and (d) capacity to participate in public life, and (2) the impact inducements to sign up to franchise-taught courses are having on prospective students, including those who otherwise lack interest or ability to complete university studies.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on student outcomes in higher education (HE), including broken down by those studying at franchised providers, is published by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS also publishes National Student Survey results.
The government has identified concerns about parts of the franchised HE sector, including recruitment practices, quality and the protection of public money. In response, we have introduced a requirement for larger franchise providers to register with the OfS as a condition of access to student finance. Registered providers must meet the OfS's conditions of registration, including requirements relating to quality, student outcomes and the interests of students as consumers.
The government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of inducements on prospective students, including those who might otherwise lack the interest or ability to complete HE. However, HE providers must comply with consumer protection law and have regard to Competition and Markets Authority guidance, and OfS works with relevant regulators where concerns arise.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional steps they plan to take following the spillage of an estimated 1 billion nurdles into the River Tyne on 19 July, in particular the steps they plan to take to protect environmentally sensitive areas such as Marsden Bay.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through a multi-agency effort, this Government is working closely with a range of partners to monitor and respond to the nurdle spill in the River Tyne. Clean-up operations are underway, with particular attention being given to environmentally sensitive locations, including Marsden Bay.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that communities affected by the construction of Sizewell C are kept fully informed of the impacts of the construction and the efforts to ameliorate those impacts; and what opportunities communities have had to co-create mitigation measures.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Sizewell C Ltd is committed to listening to and working with local communities to minimise disruption caused by the project’s construction.
The company undertook extensive consultation with local communities prior to applying for a development consent order (DCO), and since commencing its DCO has established multiple community forums. The company also has a dedicated local engagement team leading a programme of engagement with local communities, and an online works tracker.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that communities affected by multiple nationally significant infrastructure projects are protected by coordinated mitigation efforts, kept informed about the cumulative impacts of projects, and have opportunities to co-create mitigation measures with developers.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises that some communities may be affected by multiple Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). NSIP applications are likely to require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). All EIAs must assess cumulative effects, including those arising from existing and reasonably foreseeable developments in the vicinity. The EIA process is a statutory requirement, providing robust safeguards to ensure that cumulative impacts are identified and addressed before any development proceeds. There remains opportunities for communities to scrutinise proposals and inform mitigation measures through examination.
We also published updated guidance on 14th July which summarises the process for undertaking cumulative effects assessments in the context of NSIPs under the Planning Act 2008, which can be found on gov.uk here
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of water supplies for the Sizewell C nuclear facility, in light of the extension of the life of the Sizewell B nuclear facility and the increasing levels of water stress in Suffolk.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
An assessment of water supply formed part of the review of Sizewell C’s DCO application. Development consent was granted by the Secretary of State in June 2022. The company is working with water companies and other stakeholders to ensure a resilient supply of water during construction, both for the project and for local consumers.
Water use and environmental impacts at Sizewell B will remain regulated through the relevant environmental permitting regime; the ONR would not permit Sizewell B to continue operating beyond its current planned life unless it was satisfied that the station could continue to operate safely, including in relation to water supply.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to set up an independent structural research organisation, in the model of the Building Research Establishment.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government considers that public sector testing and research capacity is an essential part of an effective building safety regime. In December 2025, the Government confirmed that it would take forward work to establish new public sector testing capacity to enable both enforcement testing and research testing to be performed. This will provide regulators and the Government with increased capacity and an authoritative voice on building safety.
The Government sought views on models for delivering this new capacity in the Construction Products Reform White Paper, published in February 2026.
We intend to publish the Government response to the White Paper consultation later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure regular, independent assessment of the safety of high-risk complex buildings similar to that required for bridges and tunnels.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a new regime to improve the safety of higher-risk residential buildings, overseen by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Dutyholders must report safety issues, maintain a golden thread of information, produce a safety case report, and engage residents.
Through the building assessment certificate process, the BSR assesses whether dutyholders are meeting their legal duties and taking reasonable steps to manage building safety risks. These measures provide independent oversight and support the ongoing management of building safety risks.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they intend to allocate to upland peat restoration; and what plans they have to ensure such restoration occurs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to peatland restoration, and we have recently extended the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme for a further year, until March 2027.
This scheme has already restored around 28,000 hectares of peatland and this extension will support the restoration of thousands more hectares, including in the uplands.
As a condition of funding, delivery partners provide regular reports on restoration progress.
Upland peatland restoration is also being delivered through Environmental Land Management schemes, including Landscape Recovery, which supports restoration through 20-year agreements.
We have also launched the £1.15 million Peatland Restoration Sector Capacity Grant Scheme to boost peatland skills, training, apprenticeships and equipment across the sector.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that physician associates do not act as prescribers.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The law does not currently allow physician assistants (PAs), still legally known as physician associates, to prescribe.
The General Medical Council, which regulates PAs, states on its website that PAs cannot prescribe, even if they hold prescribing rights from a previous profession and have previously been authorised to prescribe in that role by their employer.
Employers and system regulators, alongside professionals, are responsible for ensuring that individuals do not work outside of their scope of practise.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the results of the lamb welfare consultation on proposed changes to castration and tail docking methods, which closed on 9 March.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently analysing the consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course.