Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that osteoporosis in women is not underdiagnosed or treated as a normal consequence of ageing within NHS services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise that women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the decrease in oestrogen production at the menopause, which accelerates bone loss.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research has published a clinical knowledge summary on osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures, which is designed to support healthcare professionals in the early diagnosis of osteoporosis.
The Royal College of General Practitioners has an e-learning module for general practitioners on the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis, which was developed in collaboration with the Royal Osteoporosis Society. The e-learning module supports the early diagnosis of osteoporosis by highlighting which groups are at higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. The module also discusses the monitoring of patients at risk of fragility fractures.
Since 2022, two new drugs have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, namely abaloparatide and romosozumab. These medications help to strengthen the bones and prevent bone loss, reducing the risk of fractures.
The renewed women’s health strategy commits to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) nationwide by 2030, recognising FLS as a proven, evidence-based approach to preventing secondary fractures, particularly for women aged 50 years old and over who have experienced a fragility fracture.
The strategy expects FLSs to be integrated with wider local services, including community diagnostic centres, neighbourhood health centres, women’s health hubs, rehabilitation services, and falls and frailty services.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether building societies exercise their powers to terminate membership of their members fairly and proportionately.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is keen to ensure that regulation is proportionate and gives building societies the flexibility to choose what works best for them within the mutual model. It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment on specific governance decisions taken by a building society within the legal framework.
A building society's membership policy is set out in the society's rulebook. If an individual feels procedure has not been followed, they can raise a formal complaint with the building society directly.
Where termination of membership also results in loss of access to a payment service, further protections may also apply. In June 2025, the Government legislated to require payment service providers to give customers at least 90 days’ notice before closing their account or terminating a payment service and provide a sufficiently detailed and specific explanation so the customer can understand why it is being terminated. These rules come into force for relevant new contracts from April 2026 and will ensure more transparent and predictable access to payment services, giving customers the time and information they need to challenge decisions or find alternative arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ratify the Beijing Treaty for Audiovisual Performances, following their consultations in 2021 and 2023.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government keeps legal frameworks under review, including those relating to copyright and related rights, and data protection. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 contains a number of updates to the data protection framework. The Government's Report and Impact Assessment on AI and copyright, as required under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, was published on 18 March and can be found at GOV.UK.
Alongside this the Government is considering options for ratifying the Beijing Treaty and will announce its intended approach in due course. We will take the time to get this right and we will do so in a way that is in line with British interests and values.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of an unwaivable performers' remuneration right for streaming.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ensuring that music creators are fairly compensated for their work is crucial to the ongoing success of our world-class music industry, as this is what allows them to invest their time, effort, and money into creating music.
As part of the government’s work to explore creators’ concerns related to music streaming, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) commissioned independent research on the impacts of three potential legislative interventions, including equitable remuneration. Based on the evidence and recommendations presented in that research, the government decided not to pursue legislative intervention for equitable remuneration.
We have since worked with key stakeholders from across the music industry on the matter of creators’ pay from music streaming through the Creator Remuneration Working Group. The working group comprised senior representatives from across the recorded music sector, including record labels, music streaming platforms and creator representatives. We were delighted to welcome the new label-led principles as an output of these discussions, as well as the individual commitments made by the UK’s major labels, to deliver real benefits for UK creators. We are monitoring the progress of this work and will evaluate outcomes in 2027.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the implementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Independent Society of Musicians, Brave New World? Justice for creators in the age of Gen AI, published on 30 January; and whether they have made an assessment of the impact of AI on the creative economy and employment opportunities.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are aware of the “Brave New World?” report. Officials have read this and engaged with its findings as we ensure our proposals are evidence-led and tested with industry and experts. Our creative industries are one of this country’s greatest economic and cultural strengths and we are determined that they continue to thrive. We want to support rightsholders in licensing their work in the digital age and allow AI developers to benefit from access to high-quality material in the United Kingdom. The right approach here will unlock new opportunities for innovation across the whole economy.
By March 18 2026, we will publish a full economic impact assessment on AI and the creative economy.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial support they provide to state-funded schools to assist with copyright licensing costs and to ensure compliance with intellectual property regulations regarding printed music teaching materials.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
High-quality music education must not be for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. It is an essential part of the broad and rich education every child deserves. It is a decision for schools which resources they want to purchase and use to support them to teach the national and wider school curriculum, including musical scores and texts.
The department buys copyright licences for all state-funded schools in England covering almost all their copyright requirements. Funding for this comes from the Core Schools Budget.
Purchasing these licences directly saves schools money and administrative time, while ensuring that intellectual property rights are respected.
The department appreciates the importance of educational licences to the music publishing sector and negotiate with Copyright Management Organisations to obtain licences for an appropriate range of content and usage at a fair and transparent cost.
Guidance and advice for state schools in England on copyright licences is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/copyright-licences-information-for-schools.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanisms they have in place to ensure that all state-funded schools have universal access to the musical scores and texts required to support the delivery of the national curriculum for music.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
High-quality music education must not be for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. It is an essential part of the broad and rich education every child deserves. It is a decision for schools which resources they want to purchase and use to support them to teach the national and wider school curriculum, including musical scores and texts.
The department buys copyright licences for all state-funded schools in England covering almost all their copyright requirements. Funding for this comes from the Core Schools Budget.
Purchasing these licences directly saves schools money and administrative time, while ensuring that intellectual property rights are respected.
The department appreciates the importance of educational licences to the music publishing sector and negotiate with Copyright Management Organisations to obtain licences for an appropriate range of content and usage at a fair and transparent cost.
Guidance and advice for state schools in England on copyright licences is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/copyright-licences-information-for-schools.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of educational licensing agreements to the financial sustainability of the UK music publishing sector; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the use of copyright material in education continues to provide fair remuneration to rights holders.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
High-quality music education must not be for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. It is an essential part of the broad and rich education every child deserves. It is a decision for schools which resources they want to purchase and use to support them to teach the national and wider school curriculum, including musical scores and texts.
The department buys copyright licences for all state-funded schools in England covering almost all their copyright requirements. Funding for this comes from the Core Schools Budget.
Purchasing these licences directly saves schools money and administrative time, while ensuring that intellectual property rights are respected.
The department appreciates the importance of educational licences to the music publishing sector and negotiate with Copyright Management Organisations to obtain licences for an appropriate range of content and usage at a fair and transparent cost.
Guidance and advice for state schools in England on copyright licences is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/copyright-licences-information-for-schools.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any implications of the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery on (1) the UK's commercial public sector broadcasters, (2) the BBC, and (3) the UK's independent film production sector; and if they have not made any such assessment, whether they intend to do so.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Given the legal and commercial sensitivities involved, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on any live or potential media merger involving Warner Bros Discovery or other US‑based companies. As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, we recognise that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers.
The Government recognises the vital role that cinemas and independent British content play in local communities and in supporting economic growth. That is why we have committed to backing the UK's film and TV industry in the Sector Plan, which includes a £75 million Screen Growth Package with an £18 million per year expansion of the UK Global Screen Fund to support independent UK content. We continue to offer world-leading tax credits - 53% for independent film and 34% for high-end TV - the latter providing over £1 billion in support to British television. We remain in close contact with the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, and UK Cinema Association on the challenges facing content producers and exhibitors.
The Government has also committed to taking action to support the future of public service media, which is why we are getting on with implementing the Media Act 2024 and have recently launched the BBC Charter Review. Ofcom’s Public Service Media review also makes a number of recommendations that will inform that work.