Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Gustafsson on 11 March (HL5279), whether they are meeting rural partners to discuss the industrial strategy; and if so, which rural partners they have met so far.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises that it is essential that the industrial Strategy is informed by the experiences of the individuals, businesses, and local communities it will support. To achieve this, we have been engaging widely across the UK, including with regional stakeholders such as Devolved Governments, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Pan-Regional Partnerships and Business Representation Organisations. Additionally, we have worked through our regionally based teams in England to engage with individual Local Authorities, key local businesses, and local networks and organisations in areas where our eight growth driving sectors are located. We are also considering over 3000 responses to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper Consultation, which has included representations from rural areas.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Gustafsson on 11 March (HL5279), which rural partners they are engaging with as they design the industrial strategy.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises that it is essential that the industrial Strategy is informed by the experiences of the individuals, businesses, and local communities it will support. To achieve this, we have been engaging widely across the UK, including with regional stakeholders such as Devolved Governments, Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Pan-Regional Partnerships and Business Representation Organisations. Additionally, we have worked through our regionally based teams in England to engage with individual Local Authorities, key local businesses, and local networks and organisations in areas where our eight growth driving sectors are located. We are also considering over 3000 responses to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper Consultation, which has included representations from rural areas.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the proposal to deliver a gambling ombudsman, as set out in the White Paper High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published 27 April 2023.

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

We continue to explore options for improving Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), including the establishment of a gambling ombudsman. We are working closely with all stakeholders in the sector to deliver on this, including the BGC, the Gambling Commission, existing ADR providers and the Ombudsman Association. Further steps will be outlined in due course.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Gustafsson on 11 March (HL5279), whether "regional growth" mentioned in the Answer includes and accounts for sparsely populated areas or areas classified as predominantly rural.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Regional growth is a core objective of this Industrial Strategy, which will be ambitious and targeted. It will unleash the full potential of our cities and regions, by concentrating efforts on clusters and city-regions with the greatest potential for our growth-driving sectors.

Clusters often cut across local government boundaries, sitting both within and outside of major cities, including extending into in rural areas – particularly for growth-driving sectors which require access to suitable land, water and other natural resources.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health implications of using nicotine pouches, particularly for oral health.

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

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. A copy of the report in which this data is contained is attached.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches, including implications for oral health. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

We will continue to monitor the use of these products and will update public health guidance and messaging accordingly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of children and young people using nicotine pouches.

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

Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. A copy of the report in which this data is contained is attached.

There is currently limited research and evidence into the harms of nicotine pouches, including implications for oral health. However, they are never recommended for children. Nicotine, the active ingredient in pouches, is a highly addicted drug, and we have a duty to protect children and young people from future harm and addiction. Advice on the health impacts of nicotine can be found on the Talk to Frank website.

That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.

We will continue to monitor the use of these products and will update public health guidance and messaging accordingly.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the proposed staking limit of £5 for online slots sooner than the outlined five-year period.

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

As set out in the legislation, the online slots stake limits regulation must be reviewed within five years. We are able to review the stake limits at any time if there is evidence to do so.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on their plan to consult on proposals to bring remote gambling into a single tax, as outlined in the 2024 Autumn Budget.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to modernising and simplifying the tax system and will publish the consultation on proposals to bring remote gambling into a single tax in due course.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the gambling industry’s spending on advertising, sponsorship and marketing, including online forms of advertising and marketing such as content marketing.

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

According to GambleAware’s research in 2017, the total advertising and marketing spend by gambling companies totalled £1.5 billion, of which:

• £747 million was spent on online advertising and direct marketing

• £234 million on TV advertising

• £149 million on social media advertising

• £60 million on sponsorship

• £301 million on advertising through market affiliates

• £70 million on other offline advertising

There are existing robust rules in place to ensure that advertising, whenever it appears, is socially responsible, with a particular regard to the need to protect children, young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed and exploited. Gambling adverts cannot be targeted at children and cannot be of ‘strong appeal’ to children, for example they cannot feature Premier League footballers and celebrities popular with children.

However, we recognise that more can be done to improve protections. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards and this work will be monitored closely.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the gambling industry’s self-regulation practices in relation to gambling advertising, sponsorship, and marketing.

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

According to GambleAware’s research in 2017, the total advertising and marketing spend by gambling companies totalled £1.5 billion, of which:

• £747 million was spent on online advertising and direct marketing

• £234 million on TV advertising

• £149 million on social media advertising

• £60 million on sponsorship

• £301 million on advertising through market affiliates

• £70 million on other offline advertising

There are existing robust rules in place to ensure that advertising, whenever it appears, is socially responsible, with a particular regard to the need to protect children, young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed and exploited. Gambling adverts cannot be targeted at children and cannot be of ‘strong appeal’ to children, for example they cannot feature Premier League footballers and celebrities popular with children.

However, we recognise that more can be done to improve protections. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards and this work will be monitored closely.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what specific consideration they have given to the impact of gambling advertising, sponsorship, and marketing on children and young people.

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

According to GambleAware’s research in 2017, the total advertising and marketing spend by gambling companies totalled £1.5 billion, of which:

• £747 million was spent on online advertising and direct marketing

• £234 million on TV advertising

• £149 million on social media advertising

• £60 million on sponsorship

• £301 million on advertising through market affiliates

• £70 million on other offline advertising

There are existing robust rules in place to ensure that advertising, whenever it appears, is socially responsible, with a particular regard to the need to protect children, young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed and exploited. Gambling adverts cannot be targeted at children and cannot be of ‘strong appeal’ to children, for example they cannot feature Premier League footballers and celebrities popular with children.

However, we recognise that more can be done to improve protections. We have set the gambling industry a clear task to raise standards and this work will be monitored closely.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that relevant information is shared with coroners investigating gambling-related deaths regarding concerns identified and action taken by the Gambling Commission during the period being investigated at inquest.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Coroners are independent judges, and the way in which they manage their investigations and inquests is a matter for them. Accordingly, it is for the coroner to determine the scope of an investigation into a death, and to identify the relevant Interested Persons and witnesses.

The statutory framework set out in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides the coroner with powers to require the production of evidence for the purposes of their investigation, with sanctions for non-compliance.

Where, as the result of an investigation, a coroner considers that action should be taken to mitigate or prevent the risk of future deaths, they must provide a report to the person(s) or organisation(s) which they believe may have power to take such action. Recipients must respond within 56 days, setting out details of what action has been or will be taken, or explaining why no action is proposed. Both the coroner’s report and the responses to it must be copied to the Chief Coroner and are published on the Judiciary website.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the forthcoming industrial strategy, Invest 2035, supports investment, infrastructure and productivity improvement in rural communities.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Green Paper sets out our vision for a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth mission, creating a pro-business environment and supporting high-potential clusters across the country.

The Strategy will focus on tackling barriers to growth in our highest potential sectors and places, creating the right conditions for increased investment and ensuring tangible impact in communities right across the UK. Regional growth is one of our objectives and we are engaging widely with businesses, trade unions, devolved governments, local leaders, and academia, to design a package that supports the whole country.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of government policy on rural areas, and how they intend to ensure that government policy takes the needs of rural communities into account.

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

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed.   Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

Defra works with government departments to encourage rural proofing by providing advice and guidance. As set out in our response to the House of Lords Select Committee report 2018, we have also published three annual reports detailing how rural proofing has been applied in England. All the reports were compiled with contributions from other Government Departments.

Our commitment to rural proofing remains strong and has been carried forward through meetings and discussions with other departments and external stakeholders. The government is also reviewing how we can improve the effectiveness of rural proofing for the future.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what methods they use to assess the impact of their policies on rural communities.

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

The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed.   Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

Defra works with government departments to encourage rural proofing by providing advice and guidance. As set out in our response to the House of Lords Select Committee report 2018, we have also published three annual reports detailing how rural proofing has been applied in England. All the reports were compiled with contributions from other Government Departments.

Our commitment to rural proofing remains strong and has been carried forward through meetings and discussions with other departments and external stakeholders. The government is also reviewing how we can improve the effectiveness of rural proofing for the future.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India regarding the admission of stateless Rohingya children to schools.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are looking into reports of Rohingya refugee children in India unable to access schooling. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our diplomatic network across India engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society. India is also a priority country in the UK Government's International Education Strategy and we are committed to building on the education partnership between the UK and India. In parallel we continue to raise concerns about discrimination of Rohingya minorities both within and outside of Myanmar. Our joint statement with international partners on 1 February condemned the persecution and discrimination against all religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar, and since 2017 the UK Government has provided over £52 million in cash assistance, including for education provision, for Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine state.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the study by Arpita Ghosh, Heather Flowe and James Rockey Estimating excess mortality due to female genital mutilation, published August 2023, and (2) the number of avoidable deaths resulting from female genital mutilation (FGM); and of the organisations which receive FGM aid grants from the UK, how many provide medical assistance to women and girls suffering life-threatening complications as a result of FGM, including severe bleeding, obstructed labour, and infection.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is very interested in the study conducted by the University of Birmingham, estimating the excess mortality due to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Officials are meeting with authors this month to discuss the findings.

The UK funds the Support to the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM: Phase 2 programme (ALM). The programme funds a Model Health Facility (MHF) in Narok, Kenya, which provides direct medical assistance to women and girls suffering because of FGM. The ALM programme has developed a FGM-specific curriculum for healthcare professionals undergoing pre-service training, equipping them to contribute towards the prevention of FGM and improving healthcare services for women with FGM-related complications. The MHF trained 239 faculties and 2,534 students across Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Senegal by October 2024.

The UK also funds the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM through which 86, 823 women and girls received healthcare services related to FGM last year.

In 2024, the Sudan Free from FGM: Phase 2 programme provided 97,601 women and girls with health-related services to mitigate, prevent or respond to a combination of FGM, Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage. In addition, 206,407 women and girls received mental health and psychosocial support.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to scrap the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack.

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

Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our holistic programme of reforms for the water sector.

Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. In 2024/2025, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Simon Counsell and Survival International Blood Carbon: how carbon offset schemes are devastating Indigenous peoples and their forests in Cambodia, published October 2024, in particular the adequacy and effectiveness of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+ projects in reducing carbon emissions.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The report highlights the importance of getting forest carbon projects right. Carbon markets could provide billions of dollars of much needed finance to protect the forests in the UK and internationally but we will only be able to build these markets if they have environmental and social integrity. That is why the UK government has been supporting tropical forest countries to develop high integrity forest carbon credits. It is also why the Government will soon be launching a consultation on how it could support higher integrity in voluntary carbon and nature markets. While the evidence for the effectiveness of forest carbon projects has been mixed, the UK focuses its efforts on scaling Jurisdictional REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), which covers entire countries or states. This approach helps to address the challenges linked with more traditional ‘project-based’ REDD+, for example, the ‘leakage’ of carbon emissions.

The Government will continue to work through international fora to ensure that the voices of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are heard and respected. To this end, the UK welcomes the agreement of the Appeals and Grievances Procedure for the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, which provides an important route for safeguarding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle drug-related crime in rural communities.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the considerable impact of drug use and dealing on individuals, families and communities in rural and urban constituencies. Tackling this is a vital part of our missions to deliver safer streets and improve health outcomes, and that is why we are taking a collaborative, cross-government approach to drugs at a national level.

We expect the police to intervene to tackle illicit drug use, recognising the significant harms it causes. We are dedicated to reducing these drug-related harms through prevention and treatment, while acting quickly and decisively to stop the criminals peddling these harmful substances.

County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.

Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.

As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 25 November to 1 December 2024 and resulted in 261 lines closed, as well as 1,660 arrests, 1,434 individuals safeguarded and 557 weapons seized.

Found: Diplomatic Service: Training 15 Feb 2024 | HL2046 Asked by: The Lord Bishop of St Albans To

Found: THE LORD BISHOP OF ST ALBANS LORD ROBATHAN 22_ After Clause 2, insert the following new Clause— “Closure

Found: THE LORD BISHOP OF ST ALBANS LORD ROBATHAN 22_ After Clause 2, insert the following new Clause— “Closure