Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of establishing a specific policing unit to support local councillors who are experiencing threats and intimidation.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The safety of our elected representatives is essential to the security of our country. All elected representatives should be able to participate fully in our democracy, without fear for their safety and security. Instances of abuse, intimidation and criminal offences are unacceptable, and that is why the Government will take every possible step to safeguard the people, processes, and institutions upon which our democracy relies.

On 28th February the Prime Minister announced the Government was investing an additional £31 million in funding to protect the democratic process and our elected representatives. Through this funding we are enhancing police capabilities, increasing private sector security provision for those facing a higher risk, and expanding cyber security advice to elected representatives.

The investment also enables the expansion of the Operation BRIDGER network, which already provides support to MPs, so that all elected representatives and candidates are given a dedicated, police contact to liaise with on security matters, where needed. Through this network elected representatives – including local councillors - will have access to security briefings from their local force.

The funding is accompanied by a new Defending Democracy Policing Protocol, agreed with police to enhance the safety of elected representatives, and protect the UK’s democratic process from disruption. Further information about the Protocol is available on GOV.UK.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce will continue to review the effectiveness of arrangements for protective security of elected representatives.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to support local authorities with cyber security and the rise in related threats.

Answered by Baroness Swinburne

The Government has set out its approach to cyber resilience the Government Cyber Security Strategy (GCSS). Cabinet Office are the lead department for the implementation of the GCSS, local government are responsible for the resilience of their networks and systems, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is assigned stewardship of local government, with responsibility for cyber policy and assurance.

Since 2020, DLUHC has provided £19.9 million of grant funding and technical support to 192 English local authorities to improve their cyber maturity. In collaboration with the Local Government Association and the National Cyber Security Centre, DLUHC have been raising the awareness of cyber risk and fostering cyber-first cultures and practices in local government.

To support councils to assess and improve their cyber security, DLUHC are introducing the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) for the English local government sector later this year, providing a clear cyber security standard and method for local authorities to assess their cyber health.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Project Adjustment Requests were received in respect of Levelling Up Fund applications; and how many of these requests have been approved.

Answered by Baroness Swinburne

Recognising the challenging economic backdrop environment, we continue to work with local areas to find practical solutions to project delivery issues. We are working with projects to make sensible adjustments to the scope and phasing of their Levelling Up Fund (LUF) projects where necessary to mitigate delivery challenges whilst maintaining value for money. To date the Levelling Up Fund has received 61 project adjustment requests – 37 have been approved, 1 has been rejected, 16 were withdrawn, and a further 7 are currently being considered.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether additional new burdens funding will be committed to local authorities who will require additional enforcement capacity within trading standards teams to enforce the policies included in the 2023 Department For Health and Social Care policy paper Stopping the Start.

Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department published the command paper, Stopping the Start, in October 2023, which sets out our plans to create the first Smokefree Generation, to tackle youth vaping, and to strengthen tobacco and vape enforcement. These measures amount to the most significant public health intervention in a generation.

The policies announced in the command paper are being introduced through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently undertaking its passage through Parliament. The bill changes the age of sale of tobacco so that those born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold tobacco. It also prohibits the sale of non-nicotine vapes to under 18-year-olds, and the free distribution of vapes to under 18-year-olds, and introduces fixed penalty notices for breaches of the age of sale legislation.

To help tackle the rise in youth vaping, the bill provides powers to restrict vape flavours, point of sale displays, and packaging, and the Government has also confirmed that under environmental legislation, we will ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes. Any new burdens on local trading standards to enforce these new measures will be assessed ahead of any future regulations.

We are strengthening our enforcement activity through £30 million of new funding per year for enforcement agencies, including for trading standards, to boost the enforcement of underage tobacco and vape sales. In addition, fixed penalty notices introduced in the bill will support trading standards to take quicker action against irresponsible retailers, through using on-the-spot fines rather than going through lengthy magistrate’s court processes. Local authorities will keep the proceeds, to invest back into their enforcement activity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any risks to a woman's health are accurately assessed before she may be sent abortion pills to be taken at home.

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

The wellbeing and safety of women accessing abortion services, including early medical abortion at home, is our first and foremost priority. Before prescribing abortion medicine for use at home, either an in-person or a virtual consultation is held with the woman concerned. If any health issues are identified during a virtual consultation which could make home use of early medical abortion medicine potentially unsuitable, the woman will be asked to attend an in-person appointment for further assessment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to ensure that the freedom to pray silently will be upheld when section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 comes into effect.

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

Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 does not make any reference to silent prayer.

Section 9 makes it a criminal offence for a person who is within a Safe Access Zone to do any act with the intent of, or reckless as to whether it has the effect of, influencing any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services, obstructing or impeding any person accessing, providing, or facilitating the provision of abortion services, or causing harassment, alarm or distress to any person in connection with a decision to access, provide, or facilitate the provision of abortion services.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to consult local authorities before Government contractors decide to use hotels in those respective areas for the purpose of housing asylum seekers.

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

In ensuring that views of key external stakeholders are sought and partners engaged with, the Home Office has dedicated Regional Engagement Leads who liaise directly with local authorities or via Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMP). SMPs are Local Government led partnerships funded by, but independent of, the Home Office, whose role is to coordinate and support delivery of national programmes in asylum and refugee schemes as well as agreed regional and devolved migration priorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to allowing local authorities to veto the use of hotels for the purpose of housing asylum seekers in their respective areas.

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

In ensuring that views of key external stakeholders are sought and partners engaged with, the Home Office has dedicated Regional Engagement Leads who liaise directly with local authorities or via Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMP). SMPs are Local Government led partnerships funded by, but independent of, the Home Office, whose role is to coordinate and support delivery of national programmes in asylum and refugee schemes as well as agreed regional and devolved migration priorities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to invite officials in the Department for Transport to sit on, and become members of, the Flood Resilience Task Force.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and developing policy. It brings together a range of partners in national, regional and local Government, including the Environment Agency, Devolved Administrations, selected Regional Mayors and Lead Local Flood Authorities. Membership of the Taskforce from national, regional and local partners is flexed to meet the specific agenda and priorities but the Taskforce will also work with a wider range of flood risk partners as needed.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce spoke to the Department for Transport (DfT) before the first meeting and received information on the Transport Sectors’ readiness for flooding. This builds on Defra’s existing close work with the Department for Transport. DfT will be invited to attend future Taskforce meetings when the agenda requires and the Taskforce will work with DfT as needed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to invite officials in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to sit on, and become members of, the Flood Resilience Task Force.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and developing policy. It brings together a range of partners in national, regional and local government, including the Environment Agency, Devolved Administrations, selected Regional Mayors and Lead Local Flood Authorities. Membership of the Taskforce from national, regional and local partners is flexed to meet the specific agenda and priorities but the Taskforce will also work with a wider range of flood risk partners as needed.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce liaised with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero before the first meeting and received information on the Energy Sectors’ readiness for flooding. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will be invited to attend future Taskforce meetings when the agenda requires and the Taskforce will work with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as needed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources will be provided to local authorities to carry out their enforcement obligations under the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We will consider enforcement of single-use vapes alongside other types of illicit vapes. In the coming months we will be working closely with the Department for Health & Social Care and relevant enforcement bodies to understand how we can support those enforcing the ban.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency holds regional data on the average time taken to respond to reports of environmental incidents and faults in relation to flood defences.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

For calendar year 2024 to date, 75% of incident reports received by the Environment Agency (EA) have been assessed within the target time of one hour. All incidents reported to the EA are classified by their risk to the public and environment. The EA cannot report the time taken to respond to individual incidents by locality but plans for future upgrades to systems should enable this.

The EA inspects flood risk assets on a frequency of between six and 60 months, depending on risk. If the EA is alerted to a concern with an asset, an inspection can be undertaken before the due date. If an asset is identified below required condition, it is fixed within 60 days or, if the damage is significant, a more detailed assessment is completed to determine appropriate actions. Where an asset is likely to remain below required condition for more than 60 days, mitigation measures are put in place to ensure the asset can operate until the full repair is complete. If an asset requires urgent repairs and there is an immediate risk, emergency repairs are undertaken.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Environment Agency is taking to support Internal Drainage Boards in maintaining flood defences in low-risk flooding areas.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities for Defra.

The Government fully supports the important work internal drainage boards (IDBs) do in managing water and flood risk, benefiting communities, businesses and the environment. To support this important work, and in recognition of the significant impact flooding has on farms and rural communities, the Government has announced [Written Ministerial Statement HCWS214] additional financial support for IDBs.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the Environment Agency’s maintenance budget for flood defences has been spent on assets in (1) flood zone 1, (2) flood zone 2, (3) flood zone 3, and (4) flood zone 3b during the current financial year.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Whilst the Environment Agency (EA) has flood risk assets in many locations, many of these are in the river channels or are the line of defence between water and dry land. For this reason, flood zones do not provide the best measure of what flood risk areas the EA’s assets protect.

The EA instead looks at assets based on their 'consequence system' which rates the impact of assets on people, property and land.

Below are the planned maintenance costs for April 2024 to March 2025 split over these flood risk consequences:

These totals are based on work planned for 2024-25 and are subject to change. These Totals also include wider asset management costs that are integral to delivering and supporting works in these consequences areas.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Environment Agency will publish the findings of its investigation into the faults of the Horncastle Flood Alleviation Scheme.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I can confirm that the Environment Agency has published its reports of their investigation into the fault at the Horncastle flood storage reservoir. The reports were published on the Horncastle Town Council website in February and a public meeting held in April for the community to raise questions. The reports conclude that the flooding was caused by heavy rainfall downstream of the reservoir and to the east of Horncastle in excess of the flood storage reservoir scheme design. It was not caused by the delayed closure of the reservoir sluice gate.

The reports can be found Flooding – Horncastle Town Council. The report from February and the notes of the April meeting are attached to this answer.

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Moylan (The Chair); Baroness Andrews; Lord Bailey of Paddington; Baroness Eaton

Found: Baroness Eaton: Can you explain how expert support works a bit more? Is the door closed?

Found: following members attended each session : Session 1 (Lancaster) • Lord Moylan (Chair) • Baroness Eaton

Found: Q172 Baroness Eaton: Good morning. My question has two parts and it is about private investment.

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Moylan (The Chair); Baroness Andrews; Lord Bailey of Paddington; Baroness Eaton

Found: Mr Kevin Blacoe Ms Anna Bogutskaya Professor Shirley Congdon Ms Amanda Dickins The Rt Hon The Baroness Eaton

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