Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the proposal of the Law Commission in its Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022 (HC 557), to place regulatory conditions on the officiant rather than the location in which the wedding takes place.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the wholesale reform of weddings law, including recommendations for an officiant-based weddings model. This would shift the focus of regulation from the building or venue where the wedding takes place to the officiant. The Law Commission set out its view that its recommendations would provide greater choice for couples in deciding how and where they get married, and the form and content of the ceremony.

I am sure you will agree that marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider any changes to the law carefully. As a new Government, we need time to consider this issue, and we will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure taxpayer value for money in respect of the work of the Independent Monitoring Authority.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, the Department has a responsibility to ensure the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) makes effective and efficient use of public funds, whilst also ensuring the IMA’s operational independence is protected, including its ability to make impartial assessments when exercising its functions, and that it is appropriately funded to do so. The IMA’s current level of funding is deemed to be appropriate, however will be reviewed, alongside all the Department’s public bodies, as part of the Department’s settlement at spending review 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the results of the Department for Education’s consultation on Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children, opened on 19 December 2023; and what is their response to the consultation.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

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.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to take the recommendations of the Cass Review into account when updating their guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that those EEA citizens convicted of an offence for which a custodial sentence of 12 months or more in the United Kingdom has been given will not be migrated from the pre-settled to settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is introducing a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without the need for them to make a further EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application. This process reduces the burden on thousands of individuals and supports our ambition to ensure people have the right EUSS status.

To convert a pre-settled status holder to settled status, the Home Office will conduct automated checks against tax and benefit records to confirm they have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more. Criminality checks will also be made to ensure status holders meet the existing suitability requirements of the EUSS. These automated checks are the same checks that are undertaken when a person makes an application to the EUSS and have been conducted since the scheme opened to ensure EUSS status is only granted to those who are eligible for it.

The most recent estimate of the number of people holding pre-settled status under the EUSS is 1.7 million. However, the number of pre-settled status holders who could automatically be converted to settled status under the Home Office's automation plans is contingent upon customer behaviour which is difficult to predict.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what specific checks they will undertake to ascertain that the cohort of EEA citizens being migrated to settled from pre-settled status are properly eligible under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is introducing a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without the need for them to make a further EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application. This process reduces the burden on thousands of individuals and supports our ambition to ensure people have the right EUSS status.

To convert a pre-settled status holder to settled status, the Home Office will conduct automated checks against tax and benefit records to confirm they have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more. Criminality checks will also be made to ensure status holders meet the existing suitability requirements of the EUSS. These automated checks are the same checks that are undertaken when a person makes an application to the EUSS and have been conducted since the scheme opened to ensure EUSS status is only granted to those who are eligible for it.

The most recent estimate of the number of people holding pre-settled status under the EUSS is 1.7 million. However, the number of pre-settled status holders who could automatically be converted to settled status under the Home Office's automation plans is contingent upon customer behaviour which is difficult to predict.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what factors they will consider specifically in respect of (1) criminal records, (2) public safety and security, and (3) being conducive to the public good, when undertaking their assessment of which EEA citizens will be migrated from pre-settled to settled status in the next 12 months under changes to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is introducing a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without the need for them to make a further EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application. This process reduces the burden on thousands of individuals and supports our ambition to ensure people have the right EUSS status.

To convert a pre-settled status holder to settled status, the Home Office will conduct automated checks against tax and benefit records to confirm they have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more. Criminality checks will also be made to ensure status holders meet the existing suitability requirements of the EUSS. These automated checks are the same checks that are undertaken when a person makes an application to the EUSS and have been conducted since the scheme opened to ensure EUSS status is only granted to those who are eligible for it.

The most recent estimate of the number of people holding pre-settled status under the EUSS is 1.7 million. However, the number of pre-settled status holders who could automatically be converted to settled status under the Home Office's automation plans is contingent upon customer behaviour which is difficult to predict.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of EEA citizens who are likely to be migrated from pre-settled to settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is introducing a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without the need for them to make a further EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application. This process reduces the burden on thousands of individuals and supports our ambition to ensure people have the right EUSS status.

To convert a pre-settled status holder to settled status, the Home Office will conduct automated checks against tax and benefit records to confirm they have been continuously resident in the UK for five years or more. Criminality checks will also be made to ensure status holders meet the existing suitability requirements of the EUSS. These automated checks are the same checks that are undertaken when a person makes an application to the EUSS and have been conducted since the scheme opened to ensure EUSS status is only granted to those who are eligible for it.

The most recent estimate of the number of people holding pre-settled status under the EUSS is 1.7 million. However, the number of pre-settled status holders who could automatically be converted to settled status under the Home Office's automation plans is contingent upon customer behaviour which is difficult to predict.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost and feasibility of implementing the High Court approval mechanism proposed in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Now that Parliament has voted to give the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill a Second Reading, the Government will assess the impacts of the bill, and we expect to publish an impact assessment before Members of Parliament consider the bill at the Report stage.

Found: The Chair); Baroness Anelay of St Johns; Lord Frost; Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: Baroness Ashton of Upholland; Baroness Blackstone; Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town; Lord Jackson of Peterborough

Found: LORD JACKSON OF PETERBOROUGH BARONESS LAWLOR 34_ Clause 2, page 1, line 16, leave out “2025-26” and