Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have considered replacing the census with in-depth sampling in the light of ongoing issues at the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 15 July 2025 HM Government confirmed its commitment to hold a mandatory, questionnaire based census in England and Wales in 2031. The Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed their commitment to hold tradition censuses in their nations at the same time.
HM Government reached this decision after the UK Statistics Authority conducted extensive research and consultation into alternative options and concluded that a traditional census best met the needs of the UK’s government, local authorities, businesses, charities and citizens. Their reasoning is set out in their detailed recommendation, which was also published on 15 July 2025.
The Government remains committed to delivering the census in 2031 and is working closely with the ONS to ensure the programme’s success.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking towards the use of 3D printing for maintenance and repair in all three branches of the armed services.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The National Armaments Director Group are accelerating Defence adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) through Project TAMPA, working with industry, including Defence primes and small and medium enterprises, to improve supply chain resilience and platform availability. UK Defence Innovation is funding a 2-year sprint to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing. This will support coherence across the Military Commands, facilitate regulatory compliance and adoption of safe and secure practices in alignment with the Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy.
The Royal Navy (RN) are employing additive manufacturing across multiple shore locations and selected vessels to produce spare parts as part of ongoing innovation efforts. This technology has primarily been utilised for low-complexity, non-critical but important components, allowing the RN to build experience and confidence in its application. HMNB Clyde, the home of the Submarine Service, have AM capabilities to support in-service submarines through obsolescence and supply limitations. Multiple components were additively manufactured for HMS ANSON using Australian sovereign AM capabilities during her recent maintenance period at HMAS Stirling.
The Army Equipment Support Publication for Land Systems Expedient Repair outlines the process for applying AM across the Army in the delivery of maintenance and repair. The Army have a permanent capability deployed in Estonia on Op CABRIT, and have recently placed capability in Cyprus, with forward locations supported by a network of advanced manufacturing nodes across the UK.
Since 2020 the RAF have delivered multiple AM parts to front line platforms, helping to return aircraft to availability months earlier. This year, the RAF will release a strategy outlining their ambition by 2030 to make AM business‑as‑usual within the supply chain for both on‑ and off‑aircraft components.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the Fingleton review.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham
This Government is taking forward all of the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s recommendations and has published an implementation plan. Delivery is already under way, including establishing a lead regulator model and taking forward reforms to cut duplication and improve proportionality.
Our reforms focus on outcomes over process, accelerating nuclear deployment while maintaining the UK’s robust safety and environmental standards.
Delivery is overseen by a cross sector Nuclear Regulatory Implementation Panel, ensuring accountability and pace. I will chair this Panel with the first meeting scheduled for 30 June.
The Government response commits to completing implementation by the end of 2027, supporting faster, more cost-effective delivery of new nuclear projects.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what ratio of apprentices to professional staff they consider appropriate when inviting bids to build ships for naval or civil purposes.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department does not require a specific ratio of apprenticeships to professional staff from shipbuilders as part of the tendering process, but all of the shipyards currently delivering major programmes have significant apprenticeship schemes.
We fully recognise the powerful value that apprenticeships offer to boost employment and as an important part of building a diverse and highly skilled workforce. The Government works closely with employers to encourage and support them to invest in training and development at all stages to build a sustainable pipeline of labour.
The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) works closely with businesses across the sector to understand their skills requirements and challenges and will set out more detail in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Action Plan.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect directed energy weapons designed to combat low cost drones to be available to the UK armed forces.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK Government is committed to accelerating the development and deployment of directed energy weapons to counter low-cost drones. The UK is a world leader in research on High-Energy Lasers and Radio Frequency weapons, working with key allies who share our mutual aims in this field. The first DragonFire high-energy laser system is due to be installed on a Type 45 destroyer in 2027, five years ahead of the original plan. This will make the UK the first European NATO nation to operationally deploy advanced laser directed energy technology.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cases were considered by the Certification Officer in the last year and in how many cases they upheld the complaint of the applicant.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Details of the cases considered by the Certification Officer, including those upheld, are published in the Certification Officer’s Annual Report.
In the 2024–25 reporting year, the Certification Officer issued formal decisions on 13 complaints, of which 1 was upheld.
For the 2025–26 reporting year, the Annual Report has not yet been published. However, the Certification Officer issued 15 formal decisions covering 46 complaints. Of these, 7 were upheld, 33 were not upheld, 4 were struck out, and 2 were dismissed following withdrawal.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK's offshore wind capacity is generated by machinery manufactured in the UK; and what steps they are taking to increase UK manufacturing for future offshore wind projects.
Answered by Lord Whitehead
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with my noble Friend.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their procurement policy regarding priority for British produced chicken in food and catering contracts.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is open to considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.
The Government wants British farmers and producers to be well‑placed to bid for a fair share of the £5 billion spent each year on public sector food and catering contracts.
The Government has already published a new national procurement policy statement.
It sets expectations for Government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that we think high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.
Given the limited information on the origin and sustainability of food in the public sector supply chain, Defra has begun collecting new data to understand how far public sector settings are serving food, including chicken, from local and sustainable sources and what further action is needed.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many crown courts and magistrates’ courts there are in each of the boroughs in West Midlands County; and what is the case backlog in each of those courts.
Answered by Baroness Levitt
Table 1 - Crown Court open cases in West Midlands by court (December 2025)
Court | Open cases |
Birmingham | 2,525 |
Wolverhampton | 1,711 |
West Midlands LCJB | 4,236 |
Table 2 - Magistrates’ courts open cases in West Midlands by court (December 2025)
Court | Open cases |
Birmingham | 10,063 |
Coventry | 1,845 |
Dudley | 1,262 |
Sandwell* | 22 |
Solihull* | 80 |
Sutton Coldfield* | 4 |
Walsall | 1,591 |
West Bromwich* | 8 |
Wolverhampton | 1,433 |
West Midlands LCJB | 16,308 |
notes
1) Open cases are those without a final result record. At the Crown Court this excludes cases where one or more defendants is absent and have a live bench warrant.
2) Court location relates to where a case was first received.
3) * signifies magistrates’ courts which have permanently closed. Open cases for these courts will have been transferred to other courts but workload will continue to be reported under the initial location.
The Crown Court backlog currently stands at over 80,000 cases and, without decisive action, would rise to 100,000 by 2028. Behind each of those cases is someone awaiting justice – defendants seeking to clear their name and victims putting their lives on hold. The record and rising Crown Court caseload means that thousands of victims and witnesses are waiting years for their day in court. Justice delayed is justice denied and the status quo is unacceptable.
That is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson, one of our most distinguished judges, to conduct an independent review of the criminal justice system and make recommendations for the modernisation of the system and ways to tackle the backlog. His expert panel gathered evidence over many months. They concluded that reform is essential alongside additional investment in sitting days and the workforce, and a programme of efficiencies. Part 1 of the Review set out a blueprint for pragmatic structural reform in our criminal courts and made clear that action across all aspects of the criminal justice process is needed. Reform, investment and modernisation are all necessary to ensure that our courts deliver justice effectively and efficiently.
The Government has already invested significantly in the system – in record sitting days (increasing judicial capacity), court buildings and technology, and in legal professionals with significant investment in legal aid. However, these investments in growing the workforce, whilst vital, will take years to take effect.
The Government is committed to doing whatever is necessary to deliver swifter justice for victims. Only by pulling every lever we have – investment, efficiency and reform – can we turn the tide on the backlog and begin to deliver faster and fairer justice.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current specifications for police body armour, with regard to (1) protection against ballistics, and (2) long term stress injuries arising from design and weight.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office body armour standards, including for ballistic protection, are developed using expert scientific advice and in line with police operational requirements to ensure that body armour does not place an unnecessary burden on officers while protecting them.
Body armour certified to Home Office standards is rigorously and independently tested to ensure it meets the highest safety standards, based on operational requirements.