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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to transition to a circular economy for construction; and what assessment they have made of (1) current construction and demolition waste levels; (2) targets and timelines for waste reduction; (3) methods to increase materials reuse and recycling; (4) economic opportunities in waste minimisation; and (5) any regulatory frameworks which may need to be implemented.

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

The Secretary of State has asked Defra to convene a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Additionally, the Secretary of State has convened a Small Ministerial Group on Circular Economy that will govern, join up and drive Circular Economy work across government departments to support the government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.

We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed in the construction and waste sectors as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of domestic construction materials production capacity, including; (1) the current proportion of construction materials used in the UK which are imported; (2) opportunities to increase domestic production; (3) strategic priorities for reducing import dependency; and (4) key materials for which domestic production could be expanded.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government's Plan for Change milestones of 1.5 million new homes over five years and 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament, will see a significant increase in demand for construction materials, that will provide greater certainty for construction material suppliers. Currently 75% of all construction materials used in the UK are made in the UK. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works closely with the Construction Leadership Council's Materials Supply Chain Group on product availability, and regularly reviews opportunities to address capability and capacity gaps, including through targeted Foreign Direct Investment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any skills gaps in the retrofit and green construction workforce; and whether they have identified any upskilling needs.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over this Parliament needs a strong, skilled workforce. So far, the government has taken steps to achieving this ambition, including overhauling the planning system and introducing 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs. These will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s Growth and Opportunity Missions.

Around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by the 2027/28 financial year from £140 million industry investment.

The specific skills needed for retrofit and green construction are increasingly in demand. Green construction skills include heat pump installation and historic building retrofit, as well as a breadth of traditional construction skills such as insulation and electrical. The sector needs a combination of upskilling and new recruits to meet the demand induced by new infrastructure projects, the 1.5 million houses target and ongoing steady-state demand.

As set out in Skills England’s first report, the Construction Industry Training Board (sponsored by but independent of government) forecast that, before any new projects had been factored in, 252,000 extra workers were needed between 2024 to 2028 across the UK. Also as mentioned in report, construction is one of the sectors where upskilling is required to enable workers to use new technology, particularly as pertains to retrofit and green building methods.

The construction sector faces some acute skills and workforce shortages. According to the department’s 2022 Employer Skills Survey, which is the latest available data, construction was the industry with the highest proportion of vacancies due to skills shortages. Roughly a third of construction occupations are in high demand (6% in 'critical demand' by Standard Occupational Classification Code). These include quantity surveyors, groundworkers and crane drivers.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is taking to support the creative arts sector in its discussions with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on artificial intelligence and copyright.

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

The government recognises the importance of the UK’s copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuring they retain control over and receive fair payment for their work, especially as technology advances to include AI.

This is an area where the Department for Culture, Media and Sport works closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). We are actively working with stakeholders to ensure copyright protections remain robust and fit for purpose.

As part of this commitment, we have launched a public consultation on Copyright and AI, which opened on the 17 December and closed on the 25 February. This consultation sought to engage stakeholders across AI and the creative industries to assess and address the evolving challenges of copyright regulation.

We will now consider the full range of responses we have received through our consultation on any new approach. No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives. We will continue to develop our policy approach with DSIT and the IPO in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders - supporting our brilliant artists and the creative industries to work together with the AI sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides.

Found: LORD BASSAM OF BRIGHTON LORD FREYBERG THE EARL OF CLANCARTY 57_ After Clause 132, insert the following

Found: REPORT [Supplementary to the Marshalled List] Clause 94 BARONESS KIDRON LORD CLEMENT-JONES LORD FREYBERG