Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the environmental impact on rural and coastal areas of energy storage solutions in the event of renewable energy shortfalls. Individual energy storage projects are subject to relevant planning and environmental assessment requirements, with potential impacts considered on a site-specific basis by the appropriate decision-making authority in line with relevant planning policy and environmental legislation.

The Government considers the costs and benefits of energy storage through its wider assessment of future energy system requirements. NESO is assessing the relative costs of delivering different generation, network and storage technology types as part of its Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) analysis. The Government has now received NESO’s SSEP Pathway Options Report, which we are carefully considering. Electricity storage projects are delivered through private investment and participation in energy markets.

Transmission operators (TOs) plan their projects in line with the Security and Quality of Supply Standard, which sets criteria for the safe operation of the National Electricity Transmission System. TOs also have regard to the Electricity Transmission Design Principles which includes principles for safe siting.

Siting must comply with Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002, which sets requirements such as the height, position and insulation of overhead lines. British Standards for overhead line design are based on IEC/EN international standards.

TOs must also comply with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines on exposure to electric and magnetic fields.

Government does not prescribe a minimum separation between occupied buildings, such as homes and offices, and electricity transmission lines or battery energy storage units. However, for battery energy storage units Planning Practice Guidance advises applicants and planning authorities to consider National Fire Chiefs Council guidance, which recommends an initial 30-metre distance before mitigations are considered. For electricity transmission lines appropriate separation distances are determined on a case-by-case basis through compliance with applicable safety requirements, relevant planning and consenting considerations, and site-specific assessments.

The Government believes that the accelerated rollout of clean energy generation is compatible with protection of the natural environment.

All energy proposals are subject to a rigorous planning process, in which the views and interests of local communities are considered. This includes any impact on biodiversity, the environment, and fire risk.

Project developers typically must complete an Environmental Statement (ES) as part of any application. The ES requires developers to consider all potential impacts throughout a project’s life from pre-development to construction, operation, and decommissioning.

The copper landline network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network, is a privately-owned network and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry. The industry’s decision to upgrade the PSTN is due to necessity, as the network is increasingly unreliable and prone to failure. In 2024, Ofcom (the independent telecoms regulator) recorded a 45% increase in PSTN resilience incidents. The PSTN is not being retained anywhere.

In the event of a power cut caused by extreme weather events, telecoms companies have a regulatory obligation to ensure that customers have access to emergency services for a minimum of one hour, for example by providing them with battery back-ups that power telephones during a power outage. In practice, many are offering solutions which exceed these minimum standards.

Superfast broadband (>=30Mbps) is now available to 98% of UK premises, with Project Gigabit delivering gigabit-capable broadband (>=1000 Mbps) to those not included in suppliers' commercial plans.

Over 86% of UK premises can now access gigabit-capable broadband, according to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com. Our goal is that at least 99% of UK premises will be able to access gigabit coverage by 2030.

Some rural and remote premises will remain too expensive to build a gigabit-capable connection to. The government is considering what policy measures may be required to help provide them with ultrafast (>=100Mbps) connections.

This is a very important issue which the government has been closely engaged with since it took office. It is important to note that landlines are not being withdrawn, but their underlying technology is being moved from Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The switchover is an industry led programme. The Government is determined to ensure that any and all risks of the industry-led migration from PSTN to VoIP are mitigated. Communication providers and network operators signed voluntary charters in December 2023 and March 2024, ensuring their commitment to protect vulnerable consumers during the PSTN migration. On 18 November 2024, the major communication providers agreed to adhere to further safeguards set out in the non-voluntary migrations checklist before restarting non-voluntary migration of customers from PSTN to VoIP.

The cyber attack on the British Library caused multiple capabilities to be destroyed simultaneously which has required a rebuild of its entire technology infrastructure, a process of considerable complexity.

Significant steps to recover have already been taken, including restoring on-site access to the entire print collection, and restoring access to electronic Legal Deposit material via the National Libraries of Wales and Scotland, the Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library and the Library of Trinity College Dublin.

However, a range of online systems and services continue to be disrupted for users, both on-site and via the web. The Library is committed to urgently restoring these, safely and securely, and has apologised for the ongoing impact on its users. It expects to take further significant steps toward full online access over the coming months, however this does remain a complex process. Regular updates are provided via the British Library website and further details will be communicated with users as soon as these are confirmed.

Co-productions are integral to the success of the UK film industry, not only providing varied sources of funding and broadening audience reach, but allowing filmmakers to collaborate creatively with diverse partners from across the globe.Our film sector has strong ties with partners across Europe and a rich history of co-production both under the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-production and through unofficial collaborations.

To further stimulate international exposure of the UK film industry the government has committed an additional £7 million for the UK Global Screen Fund for 2025/26. In addition to offering support for business development and distribution of UK films internationally, this fund offers specific support to promote international co-productions.

We are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Gambling Commission assesses information gathered from multiple sources and works closely with partner agencies to prevent access to illegal websites by consumers in Great Britain, regardless of where the website itself is based.

In the past year, the Commission has significantly increased its disruption activity and has a renewed focus on finding innovative ways to tackle the illegal market. The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced in Parliament on 25 February 2025, will also grant the Gambling Commission with new powers to more quickly and effectively take down illegal gambling websites.

The government is committed to ensuring that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill delivers for all children, including those living in rural areas.

The Bill includes measures designed to be delivered flexibly by local authorities, regional bodies and schools, enabling them to respond to local contexts. For example, provisions in the Bill to reform the children’s social care placement market include Regional Care Cooperatives which will assist local authorities by analysing the future accommodation needs for looked-after children across the region. This will support improved planning across geographic areas. We are also legislating on a package of measures which will help ensure that decisions on school place planning and admissions support the needs of communities, including rural communities.

The department is keen to learn what will support providers in rural areas to implement measures in the Bill. That is why schools in rural areas are included in the early adopter scheme for breakfast clubs. Home educating families and out-of-school education providers in rural areas will also have the opportunity to engage when we consult on the implementation of the children not in school measures.

Having the opportunity to study a modern foreign language should be part of the broad and rich education that every child in this country deserves.

Languages provide an insight into other cultures and can open the door to travel and employment opportunities. They also broaden pupils’ horizons, helping them flourish in new environments.

The government is committed to providing enriching opportunities for students and young people to experience other countries and cultures, including through school trips and exchanges. We also recognise the difficulties that schools have faced in recent years when it comes to organising visits. The UK has agreed measures with France which make school trip travel between the UK and France easier.

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. Students can develop new skills, including language skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. The scheme has been helping tens of thousands of UK students to study and work abroad for four years and we have recently announced that the scheme will be running for a fifth year.

The UK has a bilateral student exchange programme with Germany, the UK German Connection (UKGC), which provides opportunities for children, young people, and a limited number of language teachers in the UK and Germany to engage in a range of activities, including seminars, exchanges, visits and study courses. UKGC seeks to support current German learners in the UK and encourage more to learn the language.

The department also has a long-standing Language Assistants Programme, delivered by the British Council, to improve modern foreign language skills through direct interaction with native speakers from around the world. This includes arranging placements in the UK for non-UK residents to assist with teaching French, Spanish, Mandarin, German and Italian (as Modern Language Assistants). In the 2024/25 academic year, there are 700 Modern Language Assistants allocated to UK schools.

The Farm Tenancy Forum most recently met on 18 June 2026 as part of its regular quarterly meeting schedule.

Safety regulation applies to raised reservoirs holding 25,000m³ or more of water. Research over the next two years gathering evidence about reservoirs storing between 10,000m³ and 25,000m³ of water - their number, condition and hazard posed for communities downstream - will inform a decision whether to reduce the threshold to 10,000m³. Regulation, if taken forward, would also be dependent on a new reservoir safety regime being established.

The number of small reservoirs built on farmland in the last year is not collected centrally. Many small reservoirs are not subject to regulation and there is no requirement for farmers to report on these.

A review of agricultural tenancy legislation which provides the framework for agricultural tenancy agreements will be delivered by the Law Commission as part of their fourteenth law reform programme. The Government will consider and respond to outcome of the Law Commission review and recommendations as part of any plans to reform agricultural tenancy agreements in future. In the meantime, Defra is working with the Farm Tenancy Forum to ensure a thriving and collaborative farm tenancy sector.

The UK is currently negotiating an SPS Agreement with the EU. These negotiations are at an advanced stage and expected to remove the requirement for Export Health Certificates (EHC). The Agreement will have implications for Official Veterinarians undertaking export certification, including the demand for EHC services. Defra isworking with the veterinary profession and wider industry stakeholders to monitor this capability and ensure an effective and well-managed transition.