Baroness Sheehan
Liberal Democrat - Life peer
Joined House of Lords: 2nd October 2015
6 APPG Memberships
Afghan Women and Girls, Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Global Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Nutrition for Development, United Nations Global Goals7 Former APPG Officer Positions
Air Pollution, Britain-Pakistan Trade and Tourism, Global Tuberculosis, Population, Development and Reproductive Health, Rohingya, Tuberculosis, Vaccinations for AllDivision Voting information
Baroness Sheehan voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 48 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 61 Noes - 178
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(25 debate interactions)
(10 debate interactions)
(4 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(23 debate contributions)
(16 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(1,412 words contributed)
(393 words contributed)
(219 words contributed)
Lords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Sheehan, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
3 Bills introduced by Baroness Sheehan
A Bill to require large companies to appoint a named director responsible for compliance with statutory waste duty of care obligations; to make such companies financially responsible for the clean-up and clearance of waste they have generated or controlled where that waste is mismanaged and the duty of care has not been discharged; and for connected purposes.
Friday 20th November 2026
Order Paper number: 2
(Likely to be Debated)
A Bill to prohibit licensing to search and bore for petroleum and onshore hydraulic fracturing activities; to amend the principal objective for the Oil and Gas Authority to be to meet the carbon reduction target for 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008; and to provide for the Oil and Gas Authority to produce strategies which include the phasing out of the extraction and use of petroleum and transitional planning towards renewable energies
A Bill to prohibit licensing to search and bore for petroleum and onshore hydraulic fracturing activities; to amend the principal objective for the Oil and Gas Authority to be to meet the carbon reduction target for 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008; and to provide for the Oil and Gas Authority to produce strategies which include the phasing out of the extraction and use of petroleum and transitional planning towards renewable energies
Baroness Sheehan has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 22 Written Questions
(View all written questions)9 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Baroness Sheehan's Defra questions)Estimates of deforestation associated with UK consumption of these commodities are published through the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator.
These estimates cover UK consumption rather than imports alone. The latest available data is for 2023, as the underlying datasets take time to gather, verify and process.
Estimated deforestation associated with UK consumption, in hectares, for 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively:
Cattle products: 5,280; 4,130; 4,040
Soy: 2,100; 2,120; 1,630
Palm oil: 1,450; 1,290; 964
Cocoa: 4,810; 3,110; 3,120
Coffee: 798; 587; 511
Rubber: 1,010; 822; 781
This Government is strengthening its approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government plans to consult later this year on the GB approach to deforestation, including on the design of regulations under Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. Defra has been continually engaging with businesses and trade associations in the run-up to consultation (including at least 5 meetings in 2025 and at least 17 meetings in 2026) and will continue close engagement to seek views and encourage responses from businesses and trade associations on our proposed approach.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government announced the proposed UK approach to deforestation regulations in June and will consult on the approach in Great Britain later this year. To protect the UK internal market, the proposed Great Britain policy aims to operate alongside the EUDR. This Government also aims to achieve due diligence consistency for businesses working in both the UK internal market and EU single market.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government recognises the urgency of tackling deforestation globally and the important role the UK has internationally. It plans to consult later this year on the GB approach to deforestation. The proposed approach includes updating existing requirements under the UK Timber Regulation and introducing regulations under Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. It is expected that legislation to implement this regime will be laid in 2027, with a scheme coming into force in 2028.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Legislation has been laid to implement reforms to the carriers, brokers and dealers system as laid out in the waste crime action plan. The legislation will come into effect from summer 2027.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are finalising the drafting of the necessary legislative amendments, and these will be progressed as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Subject to parliamentary time, we expect to introduce secondary legislation mandating digital waste tracking before the prorogation of this Parliament.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra routinely conducts and updates assessments on a range of threats. HMG publishes assessments in the National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis, including on biodiversity loss and its interactions with ecosystems, on GOV.UK
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
13 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Questions
(View all Baroness Sheehan's FCDO questions)Further to my response of 8 December 2025 to the Noble Baroness's Question HL11828, we remain seriously concerned about the treatment of Palestinian children in detention, and we continue to raise the issue regularly with the Israeli authorities. On 22 June, the Minister for the Middle East also met with Save the Children to discuss our shared concerns.
Further to my response of 8 December 2025 to the Noble Baroness's Question HL11828, we remain seriously concerned about the treatment of Palestinian children in detention, and we continue to raise the issue regularly with the Israeli authorities. On 22 June, the Minister for the Middle East also met with Save the Children to discuss our shared concerns.
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 13 October to Question 76963, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK regularly raises our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We are clear that children must always be protected, and their rights upheld in accordance with international law. We are horrified by reports of mistreatment or abuse of Palestinian children in detention and call on the Israeli authorities to investigate these urgently and to ensure any perpetrators are held to account. Children must only be detained in line with internationally agreed juvenile justice standards or other applicable international law, and we call for an end to the military detention of Palestinian children where this is incompatible with those principles. We continue to call on Israel to immediately facilitate urgent, unhindered access to all child detainees from the West Bank and Gaza to persons providing legal assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross and appropriate experts for the purposes of monitoring and reporting.
Throughout the conflict, the UK regularly raised our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We continue to call on Israel to immediately facilitate urgent, unhindered access to all child detainees from the West Bank and Gaza to persons providing legal assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appropriate experts for the purposes of monitoring and reporting.
Throughout the conflict, the UK regularly raised our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We continue to call on Israel to immediately facilitate urgent, unhindered access to all child detainees from the West Bank and Gaza to persons providing legal assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appropriate experts for the purposes of monitoring and reporting.
Throughout the conflict, the UK regularly raised our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We continue to call on Israel to immediately facilitate urgent, unhindered access to all child detainees from the West Bank and Gaza to persons providing legal assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appropriate experts for the purposes of monitoring and reporting.
Throughout the conflict, the UK regularly raised our concerns about Palestinian children in detention with the Israeli authorities. We continue to call on Israel to immediately facilitate urgent, unhindered access to all child detainees from the West Bank and Gaza to persons providing legal assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appropriate experts for the purposes of monitoring and reporting.
We are aware of a number of international organisations who are documenting and responding to allegations of violations during the conflict in Gaza, including agencies of the UN system. We consider all such reports seriously. We are clear that all parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, including to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.
Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.
Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.
Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.