Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much, if any, student debt is outstanding that is owed by EU nationals formerly participating in the Erasmus+ scheme and how much of that is overdue.

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

Students on Erasmus+ placements are exempt from tuition and registration fees at their host institution.

This means that EU nationals who previously came to the UK through Erasmus+ would not have taken out UK student loans, as their placements were supported through Erasmus+ funding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they intend to provide to the National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers to be appointed under the Rare Cancers Act 2026, including (1) budget, and (2) number of full-time equivalent staff.

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

The Government will implement the Rare Cancers Act 2026 by ensuring that a National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers is appointed by summer 2026.

The National Specialty Lead will be based in the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) and will support research delivery for rare cancers research.

The National Specialty Lead will not directly manage a budget or full-time equivalent (FTE) staff direct reports. Instead, as part of the RDN’s Health and Care Leadership team, the National Specialty Lead will work closely with researchers to develop their national funding bids for rare cancers research and deliver strategic work supported by FTE staff across NIHR partners, including the RDN, NIHR Industry Hub, and NIHR Infrastructure.

Implementing the Rare Cancers Act 2026 will make it easier for clinical trials on rare cancers to be delivered in England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 10 February (HL14013), what are the consolidated figures from Network Rail’s Annual Report and Accounts and Regulatory Financial Statements of Network Rail’s (1) maintenance expenditure, and (2) renewals expenditure, for each financial year from 2015–16 to 2024–25, broken down by asset category, including track, signalling, telecoms, electrical power and fixed plant, overhead line equipment, drainage, earthworks, civils, structures, buildings, property and other relevant categories; and, for each asset category, the amount spent and its percentage of total Network Rail expenditure in that year.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Please see the attached document which contains the information requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the Common Travel Area Forum last met; whether ministers attended that meeting; whether minutes of that meeting will be published; and when the Common Travel Area Forum most recently discussed passport-free direct air travel between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

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

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security. That collaboration includes a joint commitment to protect the Common Travel Area from abuse, while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens. Conversations on this are ongoing including through the Common Travel Area Forum (CTAF).

The CTAF is an official level meeting co-chaired by the UK Home Office and Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and last met at the beginning of May this year. The minutes are not published.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign visits have been undertaken by Baroness Harman as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls since March 2025.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

Since being appointed UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls in March 2025, Baroness Harriet Harman has undertaken eight overseas visits, including attending multilateral meetings, and carrying out a three-country regional visit to the Gulf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 15 April (HL Deb col 59GC), whether the staff transferred from the Department for Transport (DfT) to DfT operator are, or will be, physically located in Network Rail premises in Waterloo; and whether they plan to maintain managerial and operational distance between DfT operator and Network Rail in the context of the formation of Great British Rail.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Staff transferred from the Department for Transport (DfT) to DfT Operator are based in a range of office locations, including Network Rail premises in Waterloo and other locations across the country. NR and DFTO are separate companies with different legal duties. On the journey to GBR they are co-locating and working closely together - for example co-designing GBR with DfT - to ensure that benefits for customers and taxpayers can be delivered as soon as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 27 January (HL13602), whether they have now made an estimate of the capital and ongoing operating costs of developing, launching and maintaining the proposed Great British Railways ticketing website and mobile application.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Thank you for your continued interest in this project; we are still developing the proposition and preparing for the procurement. The procurement process will involve engagement with suppliers which will be commercially sensitive, so sharing costs at this stage would not be appropriate. We will provide updates at the appropriate time.

Found: In his speech, Shadow Transport Minister Lord Moylan said the aims of the bill were welcome, but raised