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 Jackson of Peterborough, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to disapply the European Union Free Movement Directive 2004/38/EC; and for connected purposes
Lord Jackson of Peterborough has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
None of these organisations are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall.
The government expects regulators to ensure organisations comply with their legal requirements. Should regulators wish to go beyond the scope of the 2010 Act’s requirements, that is a matter for them, but they should not seek to label such additional requirements as arising under the 2010 Act.
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to the Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP on 30 January 2025 by Minister Gould which states that:
‘Government departments are responsible for decisions about whether to buy services from third sector organisations to support equality, diversity and inclusion in their organisations. Currently no government department is a member of Stonewall’.
Ministers’ meetings are a matter of public record, and are published periodically on gov.uk.
As previously indicated in answer to HL3815 and HL3671, the Government has and will continue to meet with stakeholders as we develop this important work. This engagement encompasses a wide range of stakeholders, both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation. Such meetings will be disclosed in due course as part of relevant Departmental transparency releases on gov.uk and more generally when we are ready to share our approach to this legislation.
Officials have a good understanding of legislation on conversion practices across a number of overseas nations and territories, including in the Australian state of Victoria. A jurisdiction’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area will depend on their specific legal framework and context. This Government has been clear that the draft Bill we publish will respect the important role that religious leaders have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Government has and will continue to meet with numerous stakeholders representing a wide range of views as we develop this work. This includes an array of organisations both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation.
The research undertaken by Coventry University was commissioned by a previous administration and published in October 2021. This Government’s work to develop draft legislation is informed by the available evidence base on conversion practices, which includes but is not limited to the Coventry University study.
Finally, I can also confirm that the Government is considering all possible impacts and relevant rights in relation to this work, in line with the requirement to consider the compatibility of legislation with Convention rights as an integral part of the policy-making process.
Officials have a good understanding of legislation on conversion practices across a number of overseas nations and territories, including in the Australian state of Victoria. A jurisdiction’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area will depend on their specific legal framework and context. This Government has been clear that the draft Bill we publish will respect the important role that religious leaders have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Government has and will continue to meet with numerous stakeholders representing a wide range of views as we develop this work. This includes an array of organisations both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation.
The research undertaken by Coventry University was commissioned by a previous administration and published in October 2021. This Government’s work to develop draft legislation is informed by the available evidence base on conversion practices, which includes but is not limited to the Coventry University study.
Finally, I can also confirm that the Government is considering all possible impacts and relevant rights in relation to this work, in line with the requirement to consider the compatibility of legislation with Convention rights as an integral part of the policy-making process.
Officials have a good understanding of legislation on conversion practices across a number of overseas nations and territories, including in the Australian state of Victoria. A jurisdiction’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area will depend on their specific legal framework and context. This Government has been clear that the draft Bill we publish will respect the important role that religious leaders have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Government has and will continue to meet with numerous stakeholders representing a wide range of views as we develop this work. This includes an array of organisations both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation.
The research undertaken by Coventry University was commissioned by a previous administration and published in October 2021. This Government’s work to develop draft legislation is informed by the available evidence base on conversion practices, which includes but is not limited to the Coventry University study.
Finally, I can also confirm that the Government is considering all possible impacts and relevant rights in relation to this work, in line with the requirement to consider the compatibility of legislation with Convention rights as an integral part of the policy-making process.
Officials have a good understanding of legislation on conversion practices across a number of overseas nations and territories, including in the Australian state of Victoria. A jurisdiction’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area will depend on their specific legal framework and context. This Government has been clear that the draft Bill we publish will respect the important role that religious leaders have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Government has and will continue to meet with numerous stakeholders representing a wide range of views as we develop this work. This includes an array of organisations both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation.
The research undertaken by Coventry University was commissioned by a previous administration and published in October 2021. This Government’s work to develop draft legislation is informed by the available evidence base on conversion practices, which includes but is not limited to the Coventry University study.
Finally, I can also confirm that the Government is considering all possible impacts and relevant rights in relation to this work, in line with the requirement to consider the compatibility of legislation with Convention rights as an integral part of the policy-making process.
There has been no engagement with governments of international jurisdictions on conversion practice policies since the election of the new government.
The Ministry of Defence answered the question for written answer (HL1878) on 5th December 2024. As is sometimes the case when a Minister asks for further contextual information, a response may be later than the target 10 days. As Leader of the House I continue to remind Ministers of the 10 working day target.
All Government Ministers are fully aware of their responsibility to respond to questions for written answer within the 10 day target. When further information is required from other departments it may take longer to answer.
I have personally reminded Ministers of the 10 day target for their department. My office also routinely contacts departments who have breached the target, reminding them of their duty to ensure the target is met and to ascertain the reasons why deadlines have been missed.
I refer the Noble Lord to my answer to his previous question (HL2460), given on 26 November.
As outlined in my previous answer of 29 October (HL 1459), officials have and will continue to engage with international and devolved governments as part of their work relating to conversion practices. Clearly, any country’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area depends on their legal framework and context.
We are currently working toward publication of the draft Bill later this session and will engage Parliamentarians across both Houses and key stakeholders on our proposals in further detail.
Officials have liaised with a range of international counterparts in relation to conversion practices policy. The Government will continue to engage with a range of other jurisdictions as well as domestic stakeholders, as policy in this area develops. We are committed to listening to all viewpoints and concerns with respect.
Conversion practices are abuse and must be stopped. This Government is committed to delivering on the manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.
Officials routinely liaise with international counterparts regarding their work relating to conversion practices. A jurisdiction’s decision on whether and how to legislate in this area will depend on their specific legal framework and context.
We will continue to engage with counterparts as well as domestic stakeholders as policy in this area develops and are committed to listening to all viewpoints and concerns with respect.
Conversion practices are abuse and must be stopped. This Government is committed to delivering on the manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.
The Government is aware of work ongoing in Scotland regarding their plans to ban conversion practices. We will continue to engage with counterparts across the devolved administrations as policy in this area develops.
This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped.
As with all legislation, the Government is considering all possible impacts and relevant rights, in line with the requirement to consider the compatibility of legislation with Convention rights as an integral part of the policy-making process.
To be clear, any ban must not cover legitimate psychological support, treatment, or non-directive counselling. It must also respect the important role that teachers, religious leaders, parents and carers can have in supporting those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
There are various configurations of ministerial meetings. Cabinet committees are publicly listed on GOV.UK
Various forms of Ministerial meetings take place.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
The Lord Jackson of Peterborough
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
8 April 2025
Dear Lord Jackson,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what assessment has been made of the finding in the independent report published on 19 March, Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender, by Professor Alice Sullivan, that there is a 'partisan climate on certain issues, including gender' within the Office for National Statistics (ONS) (HL6248).
The ONS has a long history of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on all the census questions. We listen impartially and objectively to all voices to safeguard the production of official statistics that serve the public good in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics[1].
We welcome the Independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender and are reviewing the findings in detail. We are committed to working with others to improve the comparability, consistency, and coherence of government statistics. This year, the Government Statistical Service (GSS) is holding a series of regional listening events to inform ongoing work on the topics of sex and gender identity.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
[1]https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/
The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Guidance applies to the Civil Service workforce. That includes arm’s-length bodies that fall within the Civil Service. Affiliations, services or subscriptions to external organisations fall within the scope of external EDI expenditure, as set out in paragraph 7 of the guidance.
Neither the Government Legal Department nor the Government Recruitment Service are paid members or affiliates of Stonewall. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government and we do not therefore hold information on any of its memberships or affiliations.
The data from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Review will be published in due course.
There are currently no infringement cases against the UK before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
In 2020, the European Commission launched infringement case INFR (2020)2202 against the UK. The case concerns the implementation of aspects of the Free Movement Directive into UK law while the UK was an EU Member State and during the transition period.
The proceedings are ongoing, and on 25 October, the UK Government responded to a Reasoned Opinion which had been issued by the European Commission on 25 July.
There are no immediate plans to report to Parliament on these proceedings but this will be kept under review.
The Government engages with the European Commission and Member States on a range of issues relating to the rights of British nationals in the EU, including the issuing of documentation to UK citizens residing in the EU. We have consistently raised, both bilaterally with individual Member States and with the European Commission, the need to improve the speed at which documentation is issued in certain Member States. We also raise this issue through the structures created under the Withdrawal Agreement, such as the Specialised Committee on Citizens' Rights. We will raise this issue again at the upcoming Specialised Committee on Citizens' Rights on 14 November.
The Government has no such list. The Government uses terms which are designed to be inclusive, easy to understand and accessible to everyone.
Allocation of working time spent on cross-government staff networks is an agreement between the staff network volunteers and their departments as employers.
The majority of staff time spent on the Civil Service LGBT+ Network is voluntary and unpaid.
The Department of Business and Trade decided not to award a grant to Heavenly Records. My Department has not had any engagement with Kneecap and is currently reviewing how the scheme operates, with the intention of introducing appropriate eligibility criteria for any future grant rounds, to address the risk that an artist or the applicant awarded support may say or behave in a way that could bring the scheme into disrepute.
The Government has decided to pause the commencement of section 6 of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (REUL Act) to allow time to consider this within the wider context of our work to grow the economy and reset relations with the EU and Devolved Governments. Pausing the commencement of Section 6 gives businesses greater stability, and the Government remains free to reform inherited EU law in the best interests of our businesses and economy. While we do not currently intend to commence section 6, it remains open to us to do so at a later date.
The Government aims to strengthen arrangements on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications with the European Union. The regulatory environment for skills and professionals was on the agenda at the UK EU Trade Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade on 24 October 2024. The UK’s approach to the recognition of professional qualifications was discussed under that agenda item. The Government is engaging with businesses to understand views on recognition of professional qualifications between the UK and EU and looks forward to discussions with the EU in due course.
This was an independent review by a leading academic. As such, the Government has not made an assessment of the approach to data collection.
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to Question UIN HL5960 on 2 April 2025.
The People, Culture, and Environment (PCE) pilot aims to assess the feasibility of integrating PCE elements, to guide the development of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029. Government acknowledges the important role of a positive research culture in attracting and retaining diverse talent, which is essential for maintaining the UK's global competitiveness in research. Final decisions on REF 2029's structure, including any potential PCE weighting, will follow the pilot’s conclusion and further sector consultation. While the proposed weighting for PCE is 25%, EDI initiatives only form a small proportion of this.
This Government recognises the importance of skills as a crucial factor in maximising the potential of our semiconductor sector, driving growth, and creating high-quality jobs throughout the UK. My officials are collaborating with stakeholders across industry and academia to understand the challenges faced by the semiconductor sector in order to take the necessary steps needed to expand the talent pool for the long term. The newly announced Skills England will play a vital role in bringing together government, industry and training providers to address the skills needs of the coming decade.
Given the global nature of semiconductor supply chains, international collaboration is crucial for both the UK’s resilience and economic growth. The government is working closely with international partners on supply chain resilience and developing its semiconductor skills base, including by implementing partnerships covering these issues with Japan, the Republic of Korea and India. It will support UK semiconductor organisations to participate in the EU Chips Joint Undertaking and drive international collaboration on semiconductors within the OECD’s ‘Informal Network on Semiconductors’ and the G7 ‘Point of Contact’ group, to further collective understanding of supply chains and coordinate resilience efforts.
Jonathan Ashworth has visited our London office in a personal capacity on two occasions since July 2024.
The department respects the work of yeshivas and other institutions in providing education to the Jewish community.
Parents are legally allowed to educate their children at home, providing this education is suitable. However, the department is aware of rising numbers of children not on a school roll due to them either being home educated, attending full-time non-school alternative provision or missing education completely, and we are concerned that some of these children may not be receiving a suitable education or known to the local authority at all.
As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the government will introduce compulsory Children Not in School registers in every local authority in England. These measures will help authorities to identify children that need support and to take prompt, appropriate action when needed.
The government’s proposal to require registration with the local authority will not interfere with parents’ right to educate their child in a way and with methods as they think best and appropriate, provided that the education being received by the child is suitable.
The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review, before setting out next steps.
The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review, before setting out next steps.
The European Union (EU) has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation agreement (TCA). The dispute proceedings are confidential therefore there is little more I can say at this time.
This Government committed in its manifesto to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. To deliver on this commitment, the UK Government has formed a cross-government Taskforce on motor insurance, co-chaired by the Department for Transport and His Majesty’s Treasury, which met for the first time on 16th October.
The Taskforce is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and by the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The Taskforce is supported by a separate Stakeholder Panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector.
This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover. It will evaluate the impact of increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.
Currently 7 National Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Networks are given pro rata time allocation to support respective network activity.
Time allocation
The National EDI Network Co-Chairs have a 25%-weekly time allocation and the Strand Lead/Board Member/Committee roles have a weekly 10%-time allocation. Each Network can recruit up to 10 Committee members (please note that not all Networks have up to 10 Committee members).
7 National EDI Networks with allocated time equates to:
1 x 25 % time allocation 37- hour week contract equates to 9.25 hours for each co-chair or 18.5 hours for both per week or 962 hours year for each of them
1x10% time allocation 37 – hour week contract equates to 3.7 per committee member, or for each committee member 10 x 10 % equates to 37 hours a week or 1,924 hours annually for all members of a Committee.
Across all 7 Networks:
*note that not all Committee roles are filled.
Cross Civil Service Networks
Alongside DWP EDI Networks there a number of cross Civil Service Networks. DWP colleagues who take up the role of Co-Chair for a recognised cross government EDI Network can receive 5% time allocation to carry out their duties. Colleagues are welcome to be a member of any Staff Network but are only able to receive time allocation for one role on an EDI Network at any time.
The 2 chairs of the Civil Service LBGT+ Network both sit in DWP. They have 37-hour week contracts and 5% of this equates to 1.85 hours each a week – or 96.2 hours a year for each them.
Taxpayers rightly expect value for money from the funding that is spent in the National Health Service.
The NHS and the Department’s arms-length bodies are continually expected to review their expenditure with a view to finding efficiency savings and ensuring value for money for the public purse.
Equality and diversity initiatives that exist within the NHS focus on targeting health inequalities as well as addressing the abuse and discrimination that some NHS staff face in the workplace. They also help NHS organisations comply with legal requirements set out for public bodies in the Equality Act 2010, and the public sector equality duty.
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes in the levels of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain on the National Health Service, and there are no current plans to undertake such an assessment.
Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. The Government remains committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS.
We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.
NHS England commissions gender services for children and young people in line with its interim service specification for children and young people with gender incongruence. These services do not make referrals for surgical interventions.
Children and young people are cared for holistically by specialist multi-disciplinary teams based in specialist children's hospitals. The multi-disciplinary team should include expertise in child and adolescent mental health, including family therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Following the publication of the Cass Review Final Report, NHS England assumed responsibility for progressing the data linkage study, which will help us learn from the experiences and outcomes of young adults who accessed previous models of National Health Service gender services care.
This work is being undertaken with oversight from the NHS England National Research Oversight Board and is progressing as intended.