Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to establish a taskforce to oversee the implementation of Exercise Pegasus findings.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to communicating the findings and lessons of the exercise as recommended by the COVID-19 Inquiry, and a post-exercise report will be delivered in due course. The evaluation of Exercise PEGASUS is ongoing and once complete, recommendations will be generated. The implementation and appropriate governance of these recommendations and findings is being actively considered as part of the United Kingdom’s commitment to pandemic preparedness. Exercise PEGASUS has provided valuable experience which is being used to inform the pandemic preparedness strategy and response plans.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans are in place to monitor progress towards the recommendations arising from Exercise Pegasus.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has committed to communicating the findings and lessons of the exercise as recommended by the COVID-19 Inquiry, and a post-exercise report will be delivered in due course. The evaluation of Exercise PEGASUS is ongoing and once complete, recommendations will be generated. The implementation and appropriate governance of these recommendations and findings is being actively considered as part of the United Kingdom’s commitment to pandemic preparedness. Exercise PEGASUS has provided valuable experience which is being used to inform the pandemic preparedness strategy and response plans.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with pharmaceutical providers as part of Exercise Pegasus about procurement of testing for immunocompromised patients.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in the United Kingdom’s history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners in the pharmaceutical sector and focus groups on clinically vulnerable patient populations. These groups have included the views of mental health organisations and organisations advocating for immunosuppressed individuals.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with mental health bodies as part of Exercise Pegasus about impact on immunocompromised patients.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Exercise PEGASUS, the largest simulation of a pandemic in the United Kingdom’s history, involved thousands of participants across different parts of the exercise. Multiple other non-Governmental organisations representing the breadth of society were engaged and will continue to be in advance of phase four of the exercise in 2026. This includes engagement with partners in the pharmaceutical sector and focus groups on clinically vulnerable patient populations. These groups have included the views of mental health organisations and organisations advocating for immunosuppressed individuals.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they recognise the concept of regions only in England; or whether they recognise them also within Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Prime Minister has been clear that rebuilding the country requires UK wide delivery, working effectively with all levels of government, in every nation and indeed in every region.
The UK Government is directly responsible for working with Mayors and regional partners such as local government to drive delivery across England’s regions. We also work closely with regional local partners and in collaboration with the Devolved Governments to deliver the UK Government's responsibilities across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to implement via secondary legislation the provisions in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 on street votes for new development and street referendums on renaming streets; and, if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is monitoring the arrangements for locally supported street name changes put in place by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and does not currently consider there is a need for regulations or guidance to support local authorities. Other policies inherited from the last government in the Act that have not been implemented, including street votes, continue to be kept under review.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to build consensus among international partners on halting the supply of arms to all parties funding, sheltering or supporting proscribed terrorist groups, including Hamas.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty and fully implements its provisions. While the Treaty does not explicitly prohibit transfers to non-state actors, the UK considers that the requirements in Article 7 (Export and Export Assessment) and Article 11 (Diversion) require States Parties to take all appropriate steps to prevent the sale or diversion of arms to undesirable end uses or end users, including terrorist groups. Specifically, Article 7 deals with exports which would 'undermine peace and security' or could be used to breach international conventions or protocols relating to terrorism to which the exporting state is a party.
The Government will also not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 1: respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments. An export licence will also be refused if there is a risk that the items will be diverted to an undesirable end-user or for an undesirable end-use, including to terrorist organisations.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the UK’s foreign policy of Israel’s claims to have discovered a Hamas intelligence command centre and terror tunnels beneath UNWRA’s Gaza headquarters.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK takes allegations of neutrality violations seriously including any incidents related to UN installations. This is something we monitor closely in our annual assessment of UNRWA. When violations have been identified in the past, UNRWA has taken action including raising the issue with relevant parties.
We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General. Their independent investigations include assessment of the policies and systems UNRWA has in place to ensure neutrality.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved governments about the possibility of expanding the National Parking Platform to the whole of the UK, so that motorists can use a parking app of preference and are no longer faced with up to 30 separate parking apps.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
My Department recognises the importance of the National Parking Platform which is why we have provided £800,000 to fund the pilot in Manchester. We are considering the governance and funding requirements for a nationwide roll out of the platform in England. There have been no discussions to date on this topic with the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expand the National Parking Platform, given the dismantling of many car parking payment machines and their replacement with mobile apps.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
My Department recognises the importance of the National Parking Platform which is why we have provided £800,000 to fund the pilot in Manchester. We are considering the governance and funding requirements for a nationwide roll out of the platform in England. There have been no discussions to date on this topic with the devolved administrations.