Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed designs for East West Rail include any structures which are solely for the protection of bats.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The proposed designs for East West Rail do not include any structures which are solely for the protection of bats. The proposed structures along the line of route, including the tunnel at Chapel Hill, are designed to provide the best solution based on a range of factors, including engineering and cost as well as impacts to communities and the environment.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of Heritage Lottery Fund grants have been awarded in each of the devolved nations in each of the last 15 years.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The National Lottery Heritage Fund awards funding to projects in all of the UK’s devolved nations.

The proportion of National Lottery Heritage Fund funding awarded in Northern Ireland over the last 15 years is; 2010 - 4%, 2011 - 2%, 2012 - 2%, 2013 - 8%, 2014 - 1%, 2015 - 2%, 2016 - 4%, 2017 - 5%, 2018 - 4%, 2019 - 2%, 2020 - 4%, 2021 - 1%, 2022 - 7%, 2023 - 3%, 2024 - 4%.

The proportion of National Lottery Heritage Fund funding awarded in Scotland over the last 15 years is; 2010 - 10%, 2011 - 10%, 2012 - 14%, 2013 - 9%, 2014 - 6%, 2017 - 11%, 2018 - 11%, 2019 - 7%, 2020 - 3%, 2021 - 5%, 2022 - 5%, 2023 - 9%, 2024 - 12%.

The proportion of National Lottery Heritage Fund funding awarded in Wales over the last 15 years is; 2010 - 10%, 2011 - 5%, 2012 - 3%, 2013 - 3%, 2014 - 6%, 2015 - 5%, 2016 - 6%, 2017 - 11%, 2018 - 11%, 2019 - 7%, 2020 - 3%, 2021 - 5%, 2022 - 5%, 2023 - 9%, 2024 - 12%.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have discussed the transfer of responsibility for the Heritage Lottery Fund to Historic England with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England or the devolved administrations.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Under the previously announced Cabinet Office Arm’s Length Bodies review, Government is considering how to ensure all its public bodies, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, are as efficient and effective as possible and where we can bring certain functions under closer ministerial scrutiny to deliver better outcomes for communities and the places they live in. This initiative aligns with the Government's wider strategy to foster a more productive and agile public sector and has involved wide ranging discussions on a number of areas. If there are implications for the devolved nations on this, the department will reach out to them for discussions.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of Heritage Lottery Fund grants have been awarded for the natural environment in each of the last 15 years.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded over £2 billion to more than 4,500 land, nature and biodiversity projects across the UK.

Protecting the environment is one of the National Lottery Heritage Fund's four investment principles and they are prioritising landscape and nature projects that support nature’s recovery, deliver nature-based solutions to address climate change, and reconnect people with landscapes, marine environments and nature. Recent targeted work in this area has included the launch of Nature Towns and Cities, a partnership initiative that brings together organisations from across the UK to improve the quality of and access to urban green spaces, and Landscape Connections, a £150million strategic initiative supporting world-class landscapes across the UK to become better for nature and people.

The following proportionates of National Lottery Heritage Grant funding awarded to the natural environment are; 2010 - 28%, 2011 - 23%, 2012 - 23%, 2013 - 17%, 2014 - 25%, 2015 - 23%, 2016 - 26%, 2017 - 25%, 2018 - 19%, 2020 - 26%, 2021 - 28%, 2022 - 21%, 2023 - 24%, 2024 - 15%.

Found: BARONESS YOUNG OF OLD SCONE 251A_ Clause 55, page 92, line 25, at end insert— “(7A) A conservation