Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the effective management of artificial light in new build homes.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Part L of the Building Regulations sets standards for the energy efficiency of new build homes. As part of this, it includes standards for lighting efficacy and aims to minimise the energy needed to appropriately light homes. A consultation on updates to Part L of the Building Regulations closed last year. We are carefully considering the feedback received in advance of publishing the new version of Part L later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of lost work-days due to stress, depression, or anxiety in women.

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

Improving mental health outcomes is critical to achieving the Health Mission aims of reducing years lived with prevalence of ill-health, disability, and premature mortality, reducing the demand for services within the National Health Service. The Centre for Mental Health estimates that in 2022, mental ill health cost the United Kingdom economy approximately £300 billion.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes. This demonstrates our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and provide support for people, including women, to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.

We are continuing to roll out employment advisors in our NHS Talking Therapies services to support people, including women, with common mental health conditions seek and retain employment. Our advisors help people who are in work but struggling or facing difficulties in the workplace, off work sick or looking for work, so we can provide the right support at the right time.

Individuals can also access helpful resources about work-related stress on the Every Mind Matters website, which is available in an online-only format.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to give local government new powers to prevent adult gaming centres from opening.

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

Local authorities play a crucial role in the regulation of gambling at a local level and have a range of powers in relation to gambling premises. We want local authorities to feel empowered to make decisions that are in their communities’ best interests. We will look to complement local authorities’ existing powers in relation to licensing of gambling premises, in line with the gambling white paper published in April 2023.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Government cybersecurity roles are (1) vacant, and (2) filled by contractors.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government Security Group gathers data from cyber security teams across government through a planned workforce commission every two years. The 2023 Workforce Commission reported 251 vacancies and 295 contractors across government.

The 2025 Government Security Workforce Commission, being undertaken currently, will provide updated data on vacancy and contractor numbers.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk posed by the illegal wildlife trade to emerging infectious diseases.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Most recently, Defra funded an assessment of the zoonotic potential of trade in species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/964ae259-410e-4205-8ec7-e2c54f5c6e3d. This assessment was developed in conjunction with a study by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Study scopes potential of global wildlife trade to harbour zoonotic disease - UNEP-WCMC.

The UK also has in place robust measures to support our ability to understand, detect, prevent, respond and recover from disease outbreaks. This includes established systems to monitor for new and emerging biosecurity threats such as our Veterinary Risk Group (VRG) and the Human and Animal Infections Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) Group.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade; and what assessment they have made of the links between the illegal wildlife trade and financial crime.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

£30 million has been invested between 2022 and 2025, including through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. To date the fund has supported 179 projects in over 67 countries, including projects to change behaviours, strengthen wildlife crime legislation, and help communities to protect the wildlife they rely on for their livelihoods.

Domestically, UK Authorities, including the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and UK Border Force, work closely together to combat illegal wildlife trade. This includes through joint enforcement operations (e.g. Operation Thunder), intelligence sharing, and the identification of enforcement priorities.

In 2021, the Home Office commissioned an independent assessment of illegal wildlife trade and financial crime in the UK. This is available here. This was followed by the first illegal wildlife trade risk assessment by the NWCU in 2022 - https://www.nwcu.police.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Initial-Risk-Assessment-of-IWT-Public-Version.pdf.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN special rapporteur Thomas Andrews on 15 May regarding allegations that Rohingya refugees were forced off an Indian naval vessel.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We are aware of recent reports alleging that Rohingya refugees have been cast into the sea by the Indian Navy near the maritime border with Myanmar. We understand that the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar will investigate these allegations. The UK Government will examine their conclusions closely.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will meet Amaher Nour, the wife of Ahmed al-Doush who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials have been in touch with authorities in Saudi Arabia to formally request details of the charges against Mr Al-Doush.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Consular officials aim to stay in regular contact (including through meetings when requested), and provide support within our remit, to the families of British nationals detained abroad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to appoint a special envoy for British nationals arbitrarily detained overseas.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is committed to strengthening support for British Nationals overseas, including through the appointment of an Envoy for complex detention cases. Further details will be announced in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the release of Ahmed al-Doush; and what steps they are taking to request further information from the government of Saudi Arabia regarding his conviction and sentence.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely, and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials have been in touch with authorities in Saudi Arabia to formally request details of the charges against Mr Al-Doush.

The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.

Consular officials aim to stay in regular contact (including through meetings when requested), and provide support within our remit, to the families of British nationals detained abroad.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the Sudanese Armed Forces, and (2) the Rapid Support Forces, about the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As part of ongoing efforts to push for an end to the conflict in Sudan, the UK engages with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Senior officials including the FCDO's Director General for Africa, the Americas and Overseas Territories, the UK's Special Representative to Sudan as well as the FCDO's Africa Director have each recently travelled to Port Sudan including in both the lead up to, and aftermath of, the 15 April London Sudan Conference to meet with key members of the SAF, including General Burhan. In these engagements, UK officials have continually pressed the warring parties to agree to a permanent ceasefire, to allow unrestricted humanitarian access, to protect civilians, and to commit to a meaningful peace process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of light pollution on wildlife and people.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Following publication of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s report, ‘Artificial light in the environment’ in 2009, Defra has supported assessments of impacts of artificial light on insects and on other wildlife such as bats. These are published on our science website.

Defra has also funded or co-funded national and international assessments of the drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production (2016), which notes that the effect of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the possible ecological impacts of artificial light should be considered in the planning system. It makes clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation, including where there may be impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Defra has contributed to associated guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Government recognises that artificial light offers valuable benefits for safety and amenity. Defra works closely with colleagues across Government whose policy areas affect the use of artificial light.

The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through the statutory nuisance regime. Under the Environmental Protection Act local authorities have a duty to investigate complaints about light emitted from premises which could constitute a nuisance or be harmful to health and have powers to take action where there is a problem.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that destruction of the world's forests reached the highest level ever recorded in 2024, primarily due to a surge in fires.

Answered by Baroness Curran

The UK is deeply concerned by the record-breaking levels of forest loss, linked to climate-driven wildfires, identified in the recent World Resources Institute report (WRI-latest-analysis-deforestation-trends, 21/05/25).

The UK remains steadfast behind the shared commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. We are working with partners to strengthen ambition and accelerate delivery of efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably manage critical ecosystems, including by supporting global action on wildfires through the G7. As co-chair of the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), we are pushing for greater political focus on tackling deforestation as we approach COP30.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a tax on ultra-processed foods.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

A fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy. Reducing rates of obesity, along with preventing ill health, remains a priority for the Government.

The ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation, published in April 2025, seeks ways to encourage producers to remove added sugar from soft drinks. It sets out proposals to reduce the minimum sugar threshold at which the levy applies from 5g to 4g sugar per 100ml, and to remove the current exemptions for milk-based and milk substitute drinks with added sugar. These changes are estimated to reduce calorie consumption by 15 million kcal per day in children and 46 million kcal per day in adults, achieving health and economic benefits of around £4.2 billion over 25 years.

More broadly, the Government has stated its intention to work with the food industry to consider the available levers to encourage further food and drink reformulation, in a way that protects consumers and is focused on voluntary and regulatory measures in the first instance. For example, the voluntary sugar reduction programme has reduced levels of sugar by around 15% in breakfast cereals, over 13% in yogurts and fromage frais and around 7% in ice creams and sorbets between 2015 and 2020.

The Government is also taking forward a number of further actions to make it easier for consumers to have a healthier diet. This includes restricting television and online advertising of less healthy foods to children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s, and restricting the locations in supermarkets where products high in salt and sugar can be placed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Water Quality Monitoring Network Annual Report 2023/24 published by the Angling Trust on 20 May.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has seen the Angling Trust report and will consider its findings alongside the recommendations from the Independent Water Commission. We recognise that citizen science is a valuable tool for enhancing monitoring and engaging the public in scientific and environmental issues and we thank everyone for their involvement in this.

Found: As a result, the Lord Bishop of St Albans, a member of the Committee, has been consulted on the terms

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Found: find full text enclosed as appendix 123 Myanmar: Rohingya People, 5th September 2017 Lord Bishop of St Albans