Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Remove LGBT content from the Relationships Education curriculum
Gov Responded - 30 Jan 2023 Debated on - 18 Mar 2024 View Lloyd Russell-Moyle's petition debate contributionsWe believe kids shouldn't learn about this at an early age. I am sure there are many parents who do not want their or other children taught about LGBT in primary school.
Do not remove LGBT content from the Relationships Education curriculum
Gov Responded - 31 Jan 2023 Debated on - 18 Mar 2024 View Lloyd Russell-Moyle's petition debate contributionsWe believe kids should learn about this at an early age. I am sure there are many parents who want their and other children taught about LGBT issues in primary school.
Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex
Gov Responded - 26 Jan 2023 Debated on - 12 Jun 2023 View Lloyd Russell-Moyle's petition debate contributionsThe Government must exercise its power under s.23 of the Gender Recognition Act to modify the operation of the Equality Act 2010 by specifying the terms sex, male, female, man & woman, in the operation of that law, mean biological sex and not "sex as modified by a Gender Recognition Certificate"
Commit to not amending the Equality Act's definition of sex
Gov Responded - 25 Jan 2023 Debated on - 12 Jun 2023 View Lloyd Russell-Moyle's petition debate contributionsIt has been reported that the Government may amend the Equality Act to "make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender." The Government has previously committed to not remove legal protections for trans people, an already marginalised group, but this change would do so.
Reform the Gender Recognition Act.
Gov Responded - 7 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Feb 2022 View Lloyd Russell-Moyle's petition debate contributionsReform the GRA to allow transgender people to self-identify without the need for a medical diagnosis, to streamline the administrative process, and to allow non-binary identities to be legally recognised.
These initiatives were driven by Lloyd Russell-Moyle, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to prohibit practices whose predetermined purpose is to change a person’s sexual orientation or to change a person to or from being transgender; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to establish a single custodial tenancy deposit scheme; to provide for that scheme to invest deposits; to require interest on such investments to be used for the provision of tenant advocacy, tenant support and arbitration services; to establish a mandatory arbitration service for the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Secretary of State to promote and secure youth services and provision of a requisite standard; to impose a duty on local authorities to provide youth services and establish local youth service partnerships with youth participation; and for connected purposes.
Teenagers (Safety and Wellbeing) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alex Norris (LAB)
Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Zarah Sultana (Lab)
Electricity Supply (Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Sam Tarry (Lab)
Essay Mills (Prohibition) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Chris Skidmore (Con)
Business Standards Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - John McDonnell (Lab)
Nurse Staffing Levels Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Maria Caulfield (Con)
Assaults on Retail Workers (Offences) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alex Norris (LAB)
The Committee last met on 8 November 2023. The Committee publishes minutes of all its meetings on its website. These record which meeting agenda items were taken in public and in private. Between November 2019 and 15 November 2023, 15 meetings were held of which 11 were wholly in private and four had public sessions.
In the past ten years, the IPSA staffing budget has been increased in each financial yearc, including a mid-year uplift to budget in 2020-21 in response to the coronavirus pandemic:
Financial year | Budget envelope (non-London) | Budget envelope (London) |
2013-14 | £137,200 | £144,000 |
2014-15 | £138,600 (1% increase) | £145,500 (1% increase from the previous year) |
2015-16 | £140,000 (1% increase) | £147,000 (1% increase) |
2016-17 | £141,400 (1% increase) | £148,500 (1% increase) |
2017-18 | £150,900 (6.7% increase) | £161,550 (8.8% increase) |
2018-19 | £153,620 (1.8% increase) | £164,460 (1.8% increase) |
2019-20 | £155,930 (1.5% increase) | £166,930 (1.5% increase) |
2020-21 | £177,550 plus mid-year £16,480 covid uplift (£194,030 or 24.4% if including covid increase) | £188,860 plus mid-year £18,270 covid uplift (£207,130 or 24.1% if including covid increase) |
2021-22 | £179,330 plus £24,970 covid uplift (£204,300 or 5.3% if including covid increase) | £190,750 plus £27,680 covid uplift (£218,430 or 5.5% if including covid increase) |
2022-23 | £221,750 (8.5% if incorporating covid uplift for 2021-22) | £237,430 (8.7% if incorporating covid uplift for 2021-22) |
2023-24 | £236,170 (6.5% increase) | £252,870 (6.5% increase) |
The IPSA Board considered market benchmarking, data, and MP and staff representations at it meetings of 19 October 2022, 7 December 2022 and 14 December 2022.
IPSA conducts an external benchmarking exercise on MPs’ staff salaries every three years. In September 2019, Hays conducted a pay and job description review, which IPSA published in March 2020.
Whilst IPSA cannot enter into formal negotiations that would have any binding effect on the individual decisions of MPs as employers, IPSA is happy to work in any effective way that it can with staff representatives to ensure that their voice is heard, and seen to be heard.
IPSA does not set MPs’ staff pay as MPs are the individual employers of their staff as a matter of law. IPSA has, however, proactively sought meetings and discussions with staff representatives and has significantly increased engagement with MPs’ staff over recent years. This has included regular meetings with its MP Staff User Group, joining the House of Commons’ Office Manager group, and through inviting staff representatives, such as Unite, the Members and Peers’ Staff Association (MAPSA), and Wellness Working Group, to IPSA Board meetings to share their insight and views. IPSA has also liaised in recent years with the GMB trade union.
IPSA is very grateful for the high volume of valuable feedback it has received through these series of feedback channels. This has enabled IPSA to survey MP staff on casework workload, budgets, and wellbeing, and check in at each House Office Manager meeting, with such engagement valuable to IPSA in proposing a staffing uplift during the covid-19 pandemic and in establishing an exceptional funding process for the pressures created during the Afghan withdrawal in August 2021.
In addition to the channels above, direct representations from staff groups were considered as part of the proposals which IPSA made on MPs’ staffing budgets. Specific examples for 2023/24 budgets include meetings with Unite and MAPSA on 26 May, 14 June, and 21 November 2022, and with the GMB union on 16 December.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
The Government has engaged with a wide range of international counterparts including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Malta, to understand the approaches they have taken to ban conversion therapy. We will continue to engage with counterparts around the world that are committed to protecting everyone from conversion practices to share insight and develop our approach.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
Since May 2022, the Government has launched a support service open to all victims or those at risk of conversion practices regardless of their background or circumstances. The Government has committed up to £360,000 over three years to this service. The service includes a helpline, instant messaging service, and website to enable people to get the support they need.
More widely, the Government remains committed to protecting everyone from these practices. We are carefully considering the responses to the public consultation which closed earlier this year and will respond in due course.
The 2018 LGBT Action Plan was introduced by the previous administration. We have set out our plan for LGBT advancement for this Government and our priorities are banning Conversion Therapy and hosting the Global LGBT Conference. The objective was, and continues to be, to defend, extend and promote the rights and freedoms of LGBT people here and abroad.
We have achieved a great deal for LGBT people since 2018, including appointing the UK’s first National LGBT Health Adviser, more than doubling the number of places available on the PrEP Impact Trial, running a world-leading anti-homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying programme in schools and working with the Home Office to update the Hate Crime Action Plan.
Any ban we bring forward must work for those who need it most, especially victims and survivors. We have also already met with conversion therapy survivors, to hear about their experiences. We have committed to launching a consultation in September and this will be vital for ensuring the action we take is informed, effective and proportionate. I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of conversion therapy to respond to our consultation when it launches in September.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 July 2020 to Hywel Williams MP.
As stated in the guidance published at the link below, the limited set of circumstances under which gatherings in groups of larger than 30 people will be permitted will be set out in law before 4 July.
Further to the answer given to PQ 43737 on 11 May 2020, it is taking longer than usual to compile a new List of Ministerial Responsibilities document including as a result of the challenges of Covid-19. An update will be published in due course.
Further to the answer given to PQ 43737 on 11 May 2020, it is taking longer than usual to compile a new List of Ministerial Responsibilities document including as a result of the challenges of Covid-19. An update will be published in due course.
Further to the answer given to PQ 43737 on 11 May 2020, it is taking longer than usual to compile a new List of Ministerial Responsibilities document including as a result of the challenges of Covid-19. An update will be published in due course.
Details of ministerial responsibilities can be found on GOV.UK. The List of Ministerial Responsibilities document was last updated in October 2019 and was made available in PDF and CSV formats. An update will be published in due course.
In line with WTO rules of origin, Russian oil which has been substantially processed (refined) in a third country is no longer considered to be of Russian origin.
The Financial Conduct Authority recently took action to ban providers of debt advice from receiving payments in exchange for referring debtors to Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) providers. In addition, the Insolvency Service introduced new regulatory guidance to the insolvency profession in relation to the take up of new IVAs.
The Government has announced that it will further strengthen the regulatory regime by introducing new legislation to regulate firms providing insolvency services, in addition to individual insolvency practitioners, which will include companies providing IVA solutions.
The Government has no plans to change the daylight saving arrangements. The Government believes that the current daylight saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK.
While there is the potential for some benefits from a change in the current arrangements, there is also a real risk of negative impacts. A change to permanent summertime or double summertime may also have significant impacts on certain sectors and businesses.
The Government believes that clients who commission work from small firms or individual tradespeople, should pay invoices as swiftly as possible. This ensures that they have the cash flow to enable them to continue to operate. Firms and tradespeople have recourse to the Small Claims Court, in cases where clients persistently refuse to pay. On 2 October, the Government announced new measures to back small businesses and tackle late payments as part of the Prompt Payment and Cash Flow Review, including extending and improving the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017. The full review will be published shortly.
We are committed to introducing Neonatal Care Leave and Pay as quickly as possible. Work is ongoing across Government to deliver these new entitlements.
Delivery requires updates to HMRC IT systems and parliamentary consideration of a significant amount of secondary legislation, which will take approximately 18 months.
It is also necessary to align the ‘go live’ date with the start of a tax year. This means April 2025 is the earliest date for the introduction of Neonatal Care Leave and Pay.
The Government increased Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant available for air source heat pumps (ASHP) by 50%. The £7,500 grant is available for both ASHP and ground source heat pumps, making it one of the most generous grant schemes of its kind in Europe. This is in addition to the 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps which is in place till March 2027.
BUS is part of a wider programme of measures supporting the deployment of heat pumps including the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Energy Company Obligation Scheme.
The oil and gas sector currently supports around 200,000 jobs. Research by Robert Gordon University predicts that the workforce may decline by 2030 as production from the North Sea declines, the scale of which depends on future commercial decisions.
The Offshore Wind Industry Council estimates that the total UK offshore wind workforce was 32,257 in 2022, and forecasts that the UK offshore wind industry could support over 100,000 jobs by 2030.
The UK is considering views from a range of stakeholders to inform its position on the Energy Charter Treaty, including civil society stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations, campaign groups, academia and thinktanks in the environment and development sectors.
On 1 September 2023, the UK announced it would review its membership of the Energy Charter Treaty if the modernised Treaty was not adopted by November 2023. The Government is considering the views of stakeholders in business, civil society, and Parliament as part of this review.
The Department does not have the breakdowns for workforce groups in the combined oil and gas sector. I refer the hon Member to the 2022 OEUK Workforce Insights Report which includes breakdowns of the workforce including by region and job description.
The UK is a net importer of both gas and oil. Gas produced in the UK is the equivalent to about half of our demand; offshore crude production is equivalent to around 90 per cent of refinery demand (5-year average 2018-2022). However, due to UK refinery specifications and global market conditions, around 80% of the oil produced in the UK is refined overseas into the products demanded by the UK market. It is not desirable to force private companies to “allocate” oil and gas produced in the North Sea for domestic use.
The Climate Change Committee was not asked to comment on the risk tables.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State keeps under review the UK's progress towards net zero and its interim carbon budgets and will take further action, if needed, to ensure that there are sufficient proposals and policies in place to meet her legal duties.
The Department does not intend to publish the risk tables, which were internal documents created to support the development of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, published in March this year.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero closely engages with developers and relevant stakeholders to help facilitate the delivery of interconnection projects as part of the Government’s energy security and net zero strategy.
In June, officials from the Department held a meeting with the National Grid Electricity System Operator and NeuConnect developers to discuss the progression of the project. Once completed, the interconnector would be the first direct link between the UK and Germany’s electricity grids.
The Secretary of State regularly meets with Cabinet colleagues to discuss major updates and developments in the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, including progress made towards our electricity interconnection and energy security ambitions.
A cost-benefit analysis of the NeuConnect electricity interconnector shows that the project is set to create over £1.7bn in UK consumer benefits over 25 years and support up to 500 jobs across the UK and Germany during construction, including in the supply chain sector. Developers of the project have also committed to employing local contractors whenever possible.
The final licencing decision, including determining the terms of the licence, sits with The Crown Estate. The Secretary of State does not assess the adequacy of the licensing agreement.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not provide direct funding for interconnectors. Electricity interconnectors can be supported by a cap and floor regime regulated by Ofgem which provides developers with a minimum return and a limit on potential earnings.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero does not work directly on contracts for developing interconnectors. Ofgem is responsible for operating the cap and floor regime and licensing arrangements. Due to changes in staff over the length of this engagement, it is not possible to quantify the time my ministry and its predecessor has spent overseeing the work on NeuConnect.
Government support is needed both for net zero innovation and for small businesses to adopt low carbon measures.
Research and innovation is a key enabler for net zero, driving down the costs of key technologies and processes and creating economic opportunities for innovative UK businesses, including SMEs. This is underpinned by £4.2 billion of government support for net zero research and innovation for 2022-2025.
For supporting businesses to adopt low carbon measures, the Government has launched a campaign aimed at increasing the energy efficiency in businesses, charities and public sector bodies. It is also supporting UK businesses to meet their net zero commitments via the UK Business Climate Hub. SMEs are also encouraged to join the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ initiative and over 4,200 UK small businesses have joined so far.
The setting of energy tariffs, including the standing charge is a commercial matter for individual energy suppliers. The standing charge is decoupled from energy unit price. It is a flat daily rate that reflects the costs energy suppliers incur to provide a live gas or electricity supply, regardless of a consumer’s usage, and includes, amongst other things, transmission and distribution costs. Under the Energy Price Guarantee, average standing charges for customers on default tariffs remain capped in line with the levels set by Ofgem.
I refer the Hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17th January 2023 to Question 120076.
The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year, providing the £150 rebate to over 3 million households, an increase of 800,000.
Energy suppliers can also provide additional support to households through the Industry Initiatives portion of the scheme, through measures such as financial assistance, debt write-off, benefit entitlement checks, energy advice and energy efficiency. This support can be provided to households, irrespective of whether they are eligible for a rebate.
The scheme comes on top of additional support the Government is providing this winter and next winter, including through the Energy Price Guarantee and Cost of Living Payments.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for St Albans on 20th June 2022 to Question 18990.