Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Black of Brentwood, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A bill make provision for an inquiry into police conduct of Operation Conifer to be established
A bill to make provision about the commercial breeding of cats; and for connected purposes.
First reading took place on 24 July. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.The 2014-15 session of Parliament has prorogued and this Bill will make no further progress. A bill to make provision about the commercial breeding of cats; and for connected purposes.
Lord Black of Brentwood has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Government has made no assessment on the impact of the energy price cap on pet ownership. The Government is committed to supporting households struggling with their energy bills, and we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero does not administer the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have policy responsibility for the Press Recognition Panel to ensure that there is no Government interference in its independent work. There is a long-standing principle that public bodies must be politically impartial, and must ensure the proper use of public money at all times. As a public body, the Press Recognition Panel is bound by the Cabinet Office rules for all such bodies.
The department does not hold this information for private schools. However, data from the 2024 Independent Schools Council (ISC) shows that there are 62,708 non-British pupils at ISC schools. There are 1,411 ISC schools, which make up roughly half of all private schools in England. This research can be found here: https://www.isc.co.uk/research/annual-census/.
The government is working to carefully consider the impact of charging VAT on private schools’ fees. Following scrutiny of the government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, details of the government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget.
This Government has been clear that we will change existing policies to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and other vital pollinators before the next General Election. This includes thiamethoxam.
A decision on the emergency authorisation application from British Sugar and the National Farmers’ Union to use the neonicotinoid Cruiser SB, which contains thiamethoxam, on sugar beet in 2025 will be taken in line with legal requirements. The Secretary of State will take full account of the available evidence and expert advice, and a decision will be made in due course.
At the time of writing, Defra has received a significant number of representations on this issue, reflecting the strength of interest from a range of interested organisations and members of the public.
This Government has been clear that we will change existing policies to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten bees and other vital pollinators by the next General Election. This is because there is clear and abundant evidence that neonicotinoids are harmful to species other than those they are intended to control, and particularly pollinators, including bees.
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, anyone breeding and selling cats as pets needs a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.
Local authorities are charged with enforcing the 2018 Regulations and may retain records of enforcement activity relating to illegal cat breeding. Information about local authority enforcement activity is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to carry on a licensable activity without a licence. Upon conviction, an offender faces 6 month's imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. Section 30 of the Animal Welfare Act allows for local authorities to prosecute for any offences under that Act.
The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation and will bring forward plans in due course. The Government is considering available evidence around the use of electronic collars and their effects on the welfare of animals.
While the information is not collected in the format requested, the following table shows the most recent HIV Action Plan monitoring and evaluation framework report, where UKHSA presented an estimated number of HIV-related deaths (30% of all-cause mortality in people with HIV) in England. Below is a summary table:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Total number of deaths (all-cause mortality) | 571 | 741 | 732 | 603 |
Estimated number of HIV-related deaths (30% of all-cause mortality) | 171 | 222 | 220 | 181 |
An in-depth analysis of 2022 deaths showed that 25% (103) of the 402 deaths from known causes were HIV related or possibly HIV related and 14% (55 deaths) included an AIDS-related condition as primary cause of death.
HIV is a priority for the government and, as set out in the Labour manifesto, the government have committed to commissioning a new plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. Ministers have commissioned officials for advice including engaging stakeholders from across the system to build upon the work of the previous Plan.
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health, and will be considering how to take forward the Women’s Health Strategy for England in due course.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Commonwealth leaders will discuss upholding the human rights and freedoms of all Commonwealth citizens. In Samoa, I will be speaking at multiple events including at the launch of The Commonwealth Equality Network's (TCEN) Shadow CHOGM report, and at a plenary session on intersectional leadership where I will be advocating for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in all Commonwealth countries.
The UK consistently pressed the Government of South Sudan to conduct a thorough and credible investigation into the death of Christopher Allen which resulted in the formation of the South Sudan Investigative Committee in 2023. We continue to press the Government of South Sudan to ensure protection of journalists and humanitarian workers. We champion the importance of media freedom and civil space, including urging the government to hold to account those who abuse or restrict media freedom.
The Government has carefully considered the impact that changes to the tax treatment of private schools will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny of the Government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October, and set out its assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes the usual way.
Structural differences in countries’ education systems mean that there are limited meaningful comparisons that can be drawn between the UK and other nations. For example, comparatively high fees in the UK mean that private school participation in the UK is particularly concentrated in the wealthiest families relative to countries such as Germany, France, or the US.
Where parents or families are paying fees for their child to attend a private school, they will pay VAT on those fees following this change.
Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact they will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), details of the Government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget on 30 October in the usual way.
On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.
The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with the UK’s obligations under the Human Rights Act.
The Government is confident that the measure to introduce VAT on private school fees is compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Government recognises the importance of tackling wildlife crime. We are committed to safeguarding rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing, and stronger laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.
Along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) to help tackle these crimes. Future funding will be subject to a forthcoming Spending Review.
The NWCU works on behalf of all police forces to assist in the prevention and detection of wildlife crime and reduce the harm posed by organised crime.
The Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Unit is a separate MPS unit and as such is a matter for the Mayor of London.
Child sexual abuse is a despicable crime, and this Government will be taking robust action to better safeguard children and ensure that perpetrators face the full force of the law.
In its final report, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommended the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty for certain individuals. We thank the Independent Inquiry for all their work on this important matter and pay tribute to all the brave survivors who shared their experience. We will be quickly identifying how we can move forward with delivery of the Inquiry’s recommendations.
As outlined in the King’s Speech, the Government will implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 so that leaseholders can benefit from more rights, power and protections over their homes. A small number of provisions came into force on 24 July, two months after Royal Assent, relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners. The implementation of many of the reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will require a programme of secondary legislation. Any reforms to leasehold law are highly complex, and the Government will take the time required to get those changes right.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides funding for the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) annually. MoJ made a payment to the PRP of £430k for the 2024/25 financial year in April 2024. Whilst the Lord Chancellor is the conduit for the PRP with HM Treasury, they have no responsibility under the Royal Charter that created the PRP, for setting the PRP’s success criteria. Instead, the Royal Charter sets out that the PRP Board must have regard to the need to ensure the PRP achieves value for money. The PRP report against this criteria, and other deliverables, in its annual report and accounts which are publicly available.
Value for money lies at the heart of all Government decisions, and the Royal Charter sets out that the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) Board must have regard to the need to ensure it achieves value for money. The PRP has an objective of ‘Ensuring our systems and processes are effective and provide value for money’ and reports on this annually in its annual report and accounts, which are published on its website.