Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings, including those produced as part of another financial service or activity, will be regulated consistently by the FCA, to ensure that investors receive transparent and high-quality ESG ratings.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has introduced regulations to bring the provision of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings into the FCA’s regulatory responsibility. This will strengthen market integrity and boost investor confidence.
Recognising that ESG ratings are provided by a range of different persons, the scope of the regulated activity is designed to be proportionate to the risk of harm, and to avoid dual regulation. In line with this approach, where firms are providing ESG ratings solely as part of another activity for which they are already regulated, they are excluded from the ESG ratings regulations.
The FCA is consulting on draft rules for ESG ratings providers. As part of this process, the FCA will carefully assess whether existing frameworks for regulated products and services adequately address risks of harm where ESG ratings are provided as part of those activities. If the FCA identifies significant gaps, they will consult on changes to enhance those regimes. This approach is designed to minimise burdens on firms whilst consistently addressing risks of harm from all providers, regardless of their business model or regulatory status.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings are regulated consistently, regardless of the business model or regulatory status of the provider.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has introduced regulations to bring the provision of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings into the FCA’s regulatory responsibility. This will strengthen market integrity and boost investor confidence.
Recognising that ESG ratings are provided by a range of different persons, the scope of the regulated activity is designed to be proportionate to the risk of harm, and to avoid dual regulation. In line with this approach, where firms are providing ESG ratings solely as part of another activity for which they are already regulated, they are excluded from the ESG ratings regulations.
The FCA is consulting on draft rules for ESG ratings providers. As part of this process, the FCA will carefully assess whether existing frameworks for regulated products and services adequately address risks of harm where ESG ratings are provided as part of those activities. If the FCA identifies significant gaps, they will consult on changes to enhance those regimes. This approach is designed to minimise burdens on firms whilst consistently addressing risks of harm from all providers, regardless of their business model or regulatory status.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government who will be responsible for collecting the new ‘tourist tax’ on overnight stays in England and how revenue through the tax will be distributed.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The power is for Mayors, and potentially other local leaders, to introduce a visitor levy to raise revenue to drive growth and invest in their areas. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development. The Government has published a consultation which will run until 18 February 2026, to ensure that the public, businesses, and local government can shape the design of the power, including the administration process.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that access to Heathrow Airport from Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire are considered in any assessment of new rail links to the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will carry out an economic assessment, including a regional analysis, when evaluating rail access to Heathrow Airport as part of expansion proposals.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider surface rail transportation benefits of a southern link to Heathrow when evaluating proposals for the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway, including rail connectivity and mode share targets. This will include considering the impacts for travellers from different regions.
The Government has been clear that expansion must be affordable and delivered in the best interest of passengers. Scheme costs should be minimised and financed through private funding, including any surface transport costs.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish data on the number of investigations carried out into online race hate incidents related to football since the introduction of this as a specific offence in 2022.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of football-related race hate incidents in England and Wales in the annual ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The latest data covering the 2024 to 2025 domestic football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders statistics - GOV.UK
Data on the number of football-related race hate incidents for each of the last five years are available in table 11 of the accompanying data tables and are provided below:
Table 1: Matches with reported incidents of hate crime relating to race, England and Wales, 2019/20 season to 2024/25 season
Season | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Hate crime - Race | 214 | 2 | 283 | 248 | 226 | 287 |
The Home Office does not hold data on the number of investigations carried out into online race hate incidents related to football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish figures showing the number of race hate incidents reported that were football related for each of the past five years since 2020.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of football-related race hate incidents in England and Wales in the annual ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The latest data covering the 2024 to 2025 domestic football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders statistics - GOV.UK
Data on the number of football-related race hate incidents for each of the last five years are available in table 11 of the accompanying data tables and are provided below:
Table 1: Matches with reported incidents of hate crime relating to race, England and Wales, 2019/20 season to 2024/25 season
Season | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Hate crime - Race | 214 | 2 | 283 | 248 | 226 | 287 |
The Home Office does not hold data on the number of investigations carried out into online race hate incidents related to football.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish figures identifying the number of successful prosecutions of race hate crimes for each of the past five years since 2020.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
This Government is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms, including race.
The table below shows the number of convictions and prosecutions by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for defendants flagged with a racial hate crime monitoring flag for the five financial years from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025. In the last year alone, prosecutions have increased by 16%.
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Convictions | 7,115 | 8,426 | 7,630 | 7,848 | 9,202 |
% Convictions | 86.7% | 84.6% | 83.6% | 84.7% | 85.6% |
Prosecutions | 8,202 | 9,961 | 9,123 | 9,267 | 10,750 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System | |||||
The CPS defines racial hate crime as any incident which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s ethnicity or perceived ethnicity.
The volumes reported above for the financial year 2020/21 reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including court closures from mid-March to the end of June 2020 and the subsequent recovery period. Caution should therefore be exercised in making comparisons with previous or later years.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish figures setting out the number of incidents of reported race hate crimes for each of the past five year since 2020.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes official statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information on race hate crimes for the last five years can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - GOV.UK