Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to require lotteries that allow an unlimited number of people to subscribe for a chance to win a stated prize to publish the total amount subscribed by gamblers and the stated value of the prize, for each of their three previous similar lotteries; and to limit the amount that can be subscribed.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Gambling Commission is responsible for regulating society lotteries and Local Authority lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005.
Society lotteries licensed by the Commission are required to publish information about their lotteries, including a breakdown (estimated or actual) of how they use proceeds. The Commission also outlines regulatory expectations for society lotteries, including ensuring information on prizes available to enable consumers to make an informed choice to participate in a lottery. This includes how proceeds are used, the likelihood of winning a prize, and how prizes are allocated.
Under the Gambling Act 2005, all society lotteries, whether subscription-based or those selling tickets for individual draws, are subject to per draw and annual sales limits.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require services that assemble syndicates to subscribe for multiple lottery entries to publish prominently the proportion of the syndicate subscription which is spent on buying lottery tickets.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Gambling Commission is responsible for regulating the National Lottery under the National Lottery etc Act 1993, and non-commercial lotteries (such as society lotteries and Local Authority lotteries) under the Gambling Act 2005.
It is not within the Commission’s remit to regulate or licence syndicates as long as they operate in a specific way that avoids them being classed as “promoting a lottery” under the Gambling Act 2005. Consequently, the Commission does not mandate any requirements with regards to their operation.
The Government has no plans to make changes to the operation of syndicate lotteries.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
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
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
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.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the prosecution of Greg Hadfield in the Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 17 November, what discussions they have had with the Crown Prosecution Service about why they brought an exhibit to the court that the judge found was not an accurate record; what assessment they have made of the implications for freedom of speech; and what actions they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The Crown Prosecution Service makes prosecution decisions independently.
CPS prosecutors are committed to protecting the principles of free expression and to prosecuting objectively and fairly, in accordance with the two-stage test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what species are proposed to be planted in the new national forest in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor to generate an economic return given the relative lack of rainfall in that area and the expectation that there will be even less in future.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The design of the new forests will be led by delivery partners on the ground, so exact species mix is not known at this time. We know that the UK climate is more likely to experience frequent extreme weather events (such as summer droughts and winter storms) and therefore it is important for us to plant a wide range of tree species that will adapt to these future changes, in line with our National Adaptation Plan commitment to ensure new woodlands have current and future climate conditions considered in their design and species choice, whilst also being selected carefully on a site-by-site basis to suit multiple functions, such as recreation, flood management, timber production and wildlife habitat .
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure voltage stability if Torness power station closes as planned in 2028.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In December 2024, EDF announced the extension of the lifetime of Torness by a further 2 years until March 2030. As set out in our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, nuclear will continue to play a key role in the energy system beyond 2030 with the continued operation of Sizewell B and delivery of new build projects such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C and advanced nuclear projects including GBE-N's SMR programme.
Energy security is a priority for the government. The Capacity Market is the UK Government’s main tool for ensuring continued security of electricity supply.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is responsible for the secure and efficient operation of the electricity system, including maintaining voltage stability across the network. NESO has the necessary tools, expertise, and statutory powers to fulfil this role and ensure the continued stability of the system.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted any evidence-based research into the benefits of providing stable, ultrafast internet connectivity to train passengers, and if not, why not; and whether they will use this research to inform railway development policy and funding decisions with the aim of enabling passengers to make productive use of their rail journeys, stimulating economic growth, reducing road congestion, and supporting the environment.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As part of a project called the 'Yellow Trains Exercise', the Department has asked Network Rail to collect data related to mobile signal strengths (2G, 3G, 4G and 5G) along the rail network, using antennas mounted on the top of Network Rail’s yellow engineering trains (“the yellow trains”). We will use this data to understand where areas of intervention are needed based on the signal strength data collected and this will be used to inform policy making. We expect the exercise to be completed next year.
In addition to this, the Department was also successful in securing funding as part of the Spending Review to fit all mainline trains with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology to upgrade on-train Wi-fi.
This works by installing satellite panels on the roof of a train - either one or two depending on the length of the train and equipment on board the train coverts this satellite signal into a Wi-Fi connection for passengers.
Trials using LEO have proven this technology provides high speeds – up to 200 megabits per second, enabling passengers to receive a much better mobile connection through the on-train Wi-Fi than they receive today.
The Department has also been working with Network Rail to deliver improved connectivity on the rail network. Project Reach, which will renew fibre optic cables and address 4G / 5G mobile signals in key mainline tunnels and stations was signed 26 June 2025 between Network Rail, and telecoms companies, Neos Networks and Freshwave.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in view of the judgment in Lindsey Smith, R (on the application of) v The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, they intend to review the rules that allow civil servants to display political symbols.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government notes the judgment in Lindsey Smith, R (on the application of) v The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, and is considering any wider implications for the Civil Service.
Civil servants are expected to carry out their roles serving the government of the day in accordance with the core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality and the standards of behaviour set out in the Civil Service Code.
Asked by: Lord Lucas (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) police officers of the rank of constable up to chief inspector, and (2) police civilian employees, have been made redundant in the last year from each police force.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers, police community support officers, police staff, designated officers and special constables leaving the police force as at 31 March each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin. However, this does not include a specific category for redundancies, and that information is not centrally held by the Home Office.