Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide further funding to the Northern Ireland Executive beyond existing budget allocations; and if so, what conditions, reforms or performance measures would be attached.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Following a request for support, the UK Government has made a significant funding offer which takes into account Northern Ireland’s unique needs in return for measures which will promote and facilitate long term financial sustainability.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland continues to engage extensively with the Executive parties to encourage the setting of a sustainable budget which will support public services and deliver certainty for the people of Northern Ireland.
Discussions are ongoing and the Secretary of State will not be providing a running commentary on the detail of these discussions.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding or resources have been allocated to NHS trusts in England in the current financial year to support the procurement of aquablation equipment and the training of surgical staff to deliver the procedure.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Aquablation is one of a number of treatments available for 'bladder outlet obstruction', and it is for the medical professional in each case to decide whether that is an appropriate option to offer. There is no national work that mandates aquablation or assesses current levels of provision.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of expanding aquablation therapy within the NHS in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Aquablation is one of a number of treatments available for 'bladder outlet obstruction', and it is for the medical professional in each case to decide whether that is an appropriate option to offer. There is no national work that mandates aquablation or assesses current levels of provision.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many NHS hospitals in England currently offer aquablation therapy for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Aquablation is one of a number of treatments available for 'bladder outlet obstruction', and it is for the medical professional in each case to decide whether that is an appropriate option to offer. There is no national work that mandates aquablation or assesses current levels of provision.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on passengers of the flight disruption at London and other UK airports on 8 and 9 September.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government apologises to passengers across the United Kingdom who faced significant disruption as a result of the issues that impacted NATS’ operation on 8 September, resulting in delays and cancellations for a large number of passengers, as well as the disruption that it has caused for industry. Let us be clear that disruption of this kind is absolutely unacceptable.
The Civil Aviation Authority has reminded airlines of their responsibilities to passengers including providing refunds or re-routing for cancelled flights. The Department for Transport officials worked closely with NATS, airports and airlines throughout the incident and recovery period to monitor impacts on passengers and provide support where necessary.
The Secretary of State asked NATS to provide a report by Wednesday 16 September setting out the cause of the incident and the actions taken in response. She has also asked the CAA to conduct an independent review into this matter immediately to ensure appropriate steps are taken to minimise the risk of similar disruption occurring for passengers in the future.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the long-term resilience of the flight data processing systems in NATS Holdings.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Safety must always be the primary consideration for NATS when making operational decisions about the air traffic services it provides within UK airspace. NATS is responsible for ensuring that its systems are safe and resilient, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent regulator, providing regulatory oversight of NATS and the services it provides.
Following the technical incident on 8 September, NATS agreed to undertake a rapid review, reporting by 16 September. This will establish the cause of the incident, examine the actions taken by NATS in response and identify any immediate lessons or actions required.
The Transport Secretary has also asked the CAA to undertake a separate independent review of the incident, which will report within six months. This will provide independent scrutiny of the incident and its wider implications, including any lessons for the longer-term resilience of NATS’ systems.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of those who have claimed asylum in the UK since 2021 have been permitted to bring immediate family members to reside in the UK, and what percentage of those granted such permission have been required to meet the minimum income requirement that applies to British citizens.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Whilst the data specifically requested is not recorded in a reportable format, the Home Office does publish data on the number of people who have claimed asylum in the UK and the number of people granted asylum in the UK - Immigration system statistics, year ending September 2025 - GOV.UK.
In addition, the Home Office publishes data on the number of people who arrived under the Refugee Family Reunion route - How many people come to the UK via safe and legal (humanitarian) routes? - GOV.UK.
The Refugee Family Reunion Route was available to those granted protection status in the UK, until 4 September 2025, when the Government introduced a temporary suspension for all new applications, as we undertake a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system.
Under the Refugee Family Reunion route, applicants did not have to meet the minimum income requirement. Following the publication of the the Government’s asylum and returns policy statement last month, we intend to change the Refugee Family Reunion and end the automatic right for refugees to bring their immediate family to the UK.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK citizens are protected from online fraud and social media and text messaging scams.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Under the Online Safety Act regulatory framework, online platforms are required to take steps to reduce the risk their services are used to facilitate fraud, scams and other illegal activity. These duties have started to take effect on services. Ofcom is the regulator and has powers to enforce against non-compliance.
Government and industry are also currently developing a second Telecoms Charter. Under the first Telecommunications Charter, telecoms operators introduced firewalls that have stopped more than 1 billion scam text messages since January 2022. The Government will also ban “SIM farms”, devices used to send out scam texts to thousands of people at once.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to safeguard the flow of veterinary medicine from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the end of the grace period on 31 December.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government remains committed to safeguarding the supply of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland to protect animal health and welfare and will be setting out its approach on this in due course. This area remains a priority, and officials continue to engage regularly with the EU. The Government continues to work at pace to offer clarity on ensuring the supply of veterinary medicines after the grace period ends on 31st December 2025.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of cybersecurity professionals in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
The Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis and the Cyber Security Labour Market Survey, published by DSIT, show the cyber sector is creating more jobs every year, while the annual shortfall of cyber professionals is reducing.
To continue this progress, we deliver the CyberFirst programme that supports 11-25 year-olds across the UK with a range of opportunities, including educational courses, events and competitions, and financial support. DSIT also funds the UK Cyber Team Competition to identify our most talented 18-25 year-olds, who then go on to receive access to advanced training and mentorship to help develop their careers.
Additionally, DSIT funds the UK Cyber Security Council as the professional authority for cyber security. This body sets the standard for the profession, making it easier to recognise excellence and expertise for employers and practitioners alike.