Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of preparedness for a Carrington-class event, in particular whether (1) a warning of an event can be received in good time to act, (2) the people receiving the warning can authorise the disconnection of all grid transformers, (3) the people operating those transformers are aware of that authorisation, and (4) plans are in place to inform the public and ensure access to food and water for the duration of the grid shutdown.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Government works with Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC), National Energy System Operator (NESO) and DESNZ to issue early alerts, providing awareness calls as soon as severe activity is suspected and formal storm watches at least 12 hours before impact.

The UK is a global leader in space weather forecasting, MOSWOC deliver 24/7 forecasts to operators, including NESO, enabling timely protective actions.

NESO and industry are developing the Space Weather Industry Protocol to set out how forecasts are received and acted upon to manage electricity system risks.

The Government has robust contingency plans for major disruptions. While no plans exist specifically for a Carrington scale event, any large-scale outage would follow established national arrangements, including public preparedness guidance, Pre-Agreed Written Science (PAWS) scientific advice, and Cabinet Office planning to support access to essential services

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to start the consultation on the proposed natural history GCSE.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We plan to consult on the subject content for the new natural history GCSE this year. The public consultation will be an opportunity to gather views on the proposed subject content before it is finalised.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and the government’s response were published on 5 November 2025. We are working to ensure the natural history GCSE aligns with the Review’s recommendations, is high-quality, and distinct from other GCSEs such as geography and the sciences.