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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 18 Mar 2026
Crime and Policing Bill

"That was your choice. I am going to follow instructions.

It is becoming easier to obtain these pills not least because of the balkanisation of American states on abortion issues, which has also turbocharged the use of pills in the United States. If, as seems likely, obtaining and administering an …..."

Baroness Wolf of Dulwich - View Speech

View all Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Crime and Policing Bill

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 18 Mar 2026
Crime and Policing Bill

"No, I am going to continue. I agree with the Chief Whip on this; we should just keep going...."
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich - View Speech

View all Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Crime and Policing Bill

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 18 Mar 2026
Crime and Policing Bill

"I am grateful to the Minister for her comments, and indeed to everybody who was engaged in the debate. I completely accept that an abortifacient is a drug that can be used for other things. I am not sure what that has to do with my amendment, which is to …..."
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich - View Speech

View all Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Crime and Policing Bill

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 18 Mar 2026
Crime and Policing Bill

"..."
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich - View Speech

View all Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Crime and Policing Bill

Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 16th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average duration to apprenticeship gateway and what was the maximum apprenticeship funding available in (1) 2015, (2) 2022, and (3) 2025 for the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:

Starts

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154)

1,080

1,510

1,900

2,050

2,220

Engineering Operative (ST0537)

1,090

1,460

1,500

1,800

1,850

Engineering Technician (ST0457)

5,040

5,660

6,030

5,490

4,120

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214)

810

1,220

1,040

1,120

870

Hairdressing Professional (ST0213)

5,650

5,770

4,630

5,230

4,050

Starts

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Total

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

30

910

1,020

1,090

Engineering Operative

no data

no data

140

480

Engineering Technician

600

3,080

4,310

4,770

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional

no data

no data

no data

30

Hair Professional

640

6,220

6,700

5,330

Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).

The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.

Standard Name

Typical Duration (months)

Maximum funding 2022

Maximum funding 2025

Advanced and creative hair professional

12

£5,000

£5,000

Engineering operative

12

£6,000

£10,000

Engineering technician

42

£26,000

£26,000

Hairdressing professional

24

£7,000

£11,000

Maintenance and operations engineering technician

36

£26,000

£26,000

Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 16th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people started apprenticeships in (1) 2015, (2) 2017, (3) 2022, and (4) 2024 in the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:

Starts

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154)

1,080

1,510

1,900

2,050

2,220

Engineering Operative (ST0537)

1,090

1,460

1,500

1,800

1,850

Engineering Technician (ST0457)

5,040

5,660

6,030

5,490

4,120

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214)

810

1,220

1,040

1,120

870

Hairdressing Professional (ST0213)

5,650

5,770

4,630

5,230

4,050

Starts

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Total

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

30

910

1,020

1,090

Engineering Operative

no data

no data

140

480

Engineering Technician

600

3,080

4,310

4,770

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional

no data

no data

no data

30

Hair Professional

640

6,220

6,700

5,330

Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).

The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.

Standard Name

Typical Duration (months)

Maximum funding 2022

Maximum funding 2025

Advanced and creative hair professional

12

£5,000

£5,000

Engineering operative

12

£6,000

£10,000

Engineering technician

42

£26,000

£26,000

Hairdressing professional

24

£7,000

£11,000

Maintenance and operations engineering technician

36

£26,000

£26,000

Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.


Division Vote (Lords)
11 Mar 2026 - Crime and Policing Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB) voted Aye and in line with the House
One of 29 Crossbench Aye votes vs 9 Crossbench No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 227 Noes - 221
Division Vote (Lords)
11 Mar 2026 - Crime and Policing Bill - View Vote Context
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (XB) voted No and against the House
One of 19 Crossbench No votes vs 14 Crossbench Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 215 Noes - 180
Written Question
NHS: Workplace Pensions
Wednesday 11th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid into the NHS pension scheme by (1) NHS employers, and (2) NHS pension scheme members, in (a) 2023, and (2) 2024.

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

The following table shows how much was paid into the NHS Pension Scheme in the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, broken down by the contributions paid into the scheme by employees and employers:

Financial year

2024/25

2023/24

Employer contributions

£17,326,697,000

£13,764,474,000

Employee contributions

£7,152,279,000

£6,561,252,000


The employee contribution figures include the standard employee contributions, added years, additional pension purchases, and early retirement reduction buy‑out contributions. The employer contribution figures include National Health Service employer contributions for exiting staff, as well as other contributions payable on retirement/redundancy.

Annual accounts for the scheme are published for each financial year online and record the total value of all payments made. The annual accounts are available on the GOV.UK website and on the NHS Business Service Authority’s website.


Written Question
NHS: Workplace Pensions
Tuesday 10th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much was paid out to NHS pension scheme members in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.

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

The following table shows the value of pension benefits paid to NHS Pension Scheme members in financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25:

Financial year

2024/25

2023/24

Pensions

£13,760,850,000

£12,577,538,000

Commutations and lump sum benefit on retirement

£4,050,330,000

£3,095,639,000


These figures comprise the value of annual pensions and lump sums paid. It does not include other payments made by the scheme such as contribution refunds or pension tax payments to HM Revenue and Customs.

Annual accounts for the scheme are published for each financial year and record the total value of all payments made. The annual accounts are available on the GOV.UK website and on the NHS Business Service Authority’s website.