Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Leader of the House, further to the reply by the Leader of the House on 21 April (HL Deb col 612), what progress has been made in the discussions she reported on regarding improvements to the efficiency, effectiveness and cost of scrutiny, particularly in relation to the handling of amendments.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The Procedure and Privileges Committee regularly reviews the Companion to the Standing Orders. As a result of the Committee’s 1st report of this session a number of changes were made to the Companion including in relation to the procedures around amending stages. Those changes included emphasising that when moving or withdrawing amendments, Noble Lords must be brief, reducing the advisory speaking time at report and subsequent stages from 10 to 8 minutes and reinforcing the existing guidance regarding third reading. The Usual Channels will continue to monitor these matters and bring forward suggested changes to the Companion when required.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Mayor of London regarding the governance of road bridges crossing the River Thames in London, and what plans they have if any to create an accountable body responsible for their resilience, maintenance, planning and coordination, with appropriate funding.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There have been no discussions regarding the governance of road bridges crossing the river Thames with the Mayor of London. Responsibility for the maintenance of these structures, as well as any associated planning or co-ordination, lies with the relevant local highway authority or owning organisation, such as the City Bridge Foundation.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why there is a limit on the number of oral and written questions that Members of the House of Lords may table to scrutinise the performance and the legislation of His Majesty's Government.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The maximum of 6 questions for written answer a day is a longstanding convention of the House. Following a recommendation in the Procedure Committee’s second report (1988-89), the House agreed that this convention should be recorded in the Companion to the Standing Orders. The Committee stated that this convention ‘helps ensure prompt attention for those questions which are tabled’. In 2012, the Procedure Committee recommended that members should be limited to a maximum of 12 questions for written answer each sitting week: this was agreed by the House on 26 March 2012.
The cap on the number of oral questions a member can table of 7 questions in each calendar year was recommended by the Procedure Committee and agreed by the House on 24 April 2013. This followed a consultation carried out by the Procedure Committee which concluded that the House should encourage participation by a greater number of members. Before the cap was implemented only six members tabled more than 7 questions a year. The limit of four topical oral questions was agreed by the House in the Procedure Committee’s fifth report (2001-02) as part of the recommendation of the Leader’s Group on working practices.
The Procedure and Privileges Committee keeps the procedures of the House under review, and I am always happy to discuss the procedures of the House with members.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker why there is no limitation on the number of amendments that Members of the House of Lords may table to legislation.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The arrangements for tabling amendments to bills are agreed by the House. No limit applies, in part, because the number of amendments required to achieve a desired change to a bill can vary depending on the structure and complexity of the bill in question and the nature of the change being sought. Members are not able to table an amendment to a Bill which is identical in form or effect to an amendment already in the list. The Procedure and Privileges Committee keeps the House’s procedures under regular review, and I am always happy to discuss these procedures with Members.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted research into the behavioural response of the public if alcohol labelling displayed the calorie, sugar and energy contents on the same basis as all other drinks; and, if so, when the research will be completed and published.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is funding research into alcohol labelling.
This includes a study which seeks to understand the impact of alcohol calorie labelling on alcohol and calorie selection, purchasing, and consumption. This study is due to end in 2026. The findings from this work will show the potential impact of calorie labelling on calorie intake and alcohol consumption.
In both the Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England and the National Cancer plan for England, the Government committed to strengthen and expand on existing voluntary guidelines for alcohol labelling by introducing a mandatory requirement for alcoholic drinks to display consistent nutritional information and health warning messages.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Leader of the House what steps they are taking, if any, to develop a methodology for assessing the cost of answering written questions; and, if so, whether this involves the use of artificial intelligence.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The current disproportionate cost threshold for written questions is £850. A review was undertaken in 2021 following the House of Commons Procedure Committee’s report, as a result the methodology in the 2022 version of the Guide to Parliamentary Work was updated. The threshold is set at 140% of the Freedom of Information Act cost limit which is currently set at £600, to the nearest £50. The Government will carry out an updated estimate on the cost of questions for written answer in due course. Any artificial intelligence used will adhere to Civil Service guidance in the “Artificial Intelligence Playbook for the UK Government” which sets out principles for the use of a wider range of artificial intelligence technologies safely, effectively and responsibly.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Leader of the House what is the current disproportionate cost threshold for written parliamentary questions and when was it last adjusted.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The current disproportionate cost threshold for written questions is £850. A review was undertaken in 2021 following the House of Commons Procedure Committee’s report, as a result the methodology in the 2022 version of the Guide to Parliamentary Work was updated. The threshold is set at 140% of the Freedom of Information Act cost limit which is currently set at £600, to the nearest £50. The Government will carry out an updated estimate on the cost of questions for written answer in due course. Any artificial intelligence used will adhere to Civil Service guidance in the “Artificial Intelligence Playbook for the UK Government” which sets out principles for the use of a wider range of artificial intelligence technologies safely, effectively and responsibly.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker how many written questions tabled in 2025 contained a declaration of a peer's relevant interest; whether those declarations of interest were published; and, if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Members are required to declare an interest which is on the Register of Lords’ Interests if the interest is relevant to the question for written answer tabled by the member. When this happens an [I] symbol appears next to the question in House of Lords Business and the interest may be viewed by clicking on the relevant question on the parliamentary website.
In 2025 an interest was declared in respect of 97 questions for written answer.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker how many written questions were tabled in 2025.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The number of written questions tabled in 2025 was 9489. This does not include 17 written questions tabled and then withdrawn.
Asked by: Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to develop a cross-department strategy on the use of artificial intelligence for children; and what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK leads in the use of safe and socially positive artificial intelligence by young people.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
DSIT engages with departments across government to ensure a coordinated approach to AI, including on child safety.
Generative AI services that allow users to share content with one another or that search live websites to provide search results are regulated under the Online Safety Act. These services must protect all users from illegal content and protect children from harmful content.
The Department for Education has also introduced the Generative AI Product Safety Expectations framework for educational settings.