I remind Members that they should bob if they wish to be called in the debate. I also ask you to be mindful about issues of sub judice; we have been given some flexibility by the Speaker, but I urge you to err on the si...

I beg to move, That this House has considered the Second Report of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, The Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland, HC 586, and the Governme...

I thank the hon. Member for all her efforts on behalf of victims of the troubles and others. This is a chance to put in place accountability mechanisms that we should have put in place decades ago, particularly for thos...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which unpaid carers are consulted before a patient is discharged from hospital, and what plans they have to monitor this.

My Lords, the Health and Care Act 2022 requires NHS trusts to involve patients and unpaid carers in discharge planning, reinforced by 2024 discharge guidance. However, this is not always done consistently and carer invo...

I thank my noble friend for her Answer. It was important, though not easy, to win for carers the right to be consulted at the point of discharge. I am sorry that better statistics are not being kept, but I am glad to he...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the use of technological assistance for flood detection and prevention.

My Lords, the Environment Agency routinely uses technology to improve flood detection and prevention, including enhanced warning systems, drones, and digital tools to support early detection and preparedness. It is expa...

I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer. The severe flooding that we have experienced again this winter makes it clear that increasingly urgent further action is surely needed to protect homes, businesses and comm...

1. If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing private sea defence charges.

We are committed to supporting coastal communities, and that is why, between April 2024 and March 2026, over £600 million has been invested in protection from sea flooding, tidal flooding and coastal erosion.

Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne is the only marina of its kind in Europe; thousands of residents, rather than the Government, have to cover the cost of sea defences through an annual charge. The charge this year increas...

I beg to move, That this House has considered the accessibility of banking services. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for permitting me the...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for securing this debate, because so many people in my area of Devon, as well as his area of Cornwall, feel strongly about the issue. Not only are fewer services available when a bank clo...

I strongly agree with my hon. and gallant Friend. I will come to questions to the Minister in a moment; I believe that the Government need to look at the robustness and sustainability of those services. What has been pu...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the resilience of rail infrastructure against future storms and floods.

My Lords, my department’s climate adaptation strategy for transport embraces detailed work on the railway infrastructure by Network Rail. That organisation has produced weather resilience and climate change adaptation p...

My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend for that Answer and to know how much work Network Rail is doing to mitigate the effect of global warming. But when we look at the south-west, we see most of it cut off for...

2. What progress she has made on banning snare traps.

As outlined in our manifesto, this Government are committed to bringing an end to the use of snare traps. We set out this commitment in our animal welfare strategy, and are actively looking to bring a ban on snares into...

I and many others in my constituency of Melksham and Devizes, and no doubt across England, welcome the new animal welfare strategy for England, particularly the banning of snares, which are indiscriminate and cruel. Wha...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

My Lords, the Government are gravely concerned about the conflict in Lebanon and the humanitarian impact. We strongly condemn Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks against Israel. These must cease immediately. The forced displace...

I am grateful to the Minister for that response, and particularly for his call for de-escalation in the conflict. I imagine that many of us are shocked by the Israeli Defence Minister drawing parallels with Gaza, and I...

3. What steps she is taking to help reduce air pollution.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the excellent progress made on reducing air pollution in London, which was recently identified as one of 19 leading cities in reducing air poll...

I published the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, also known as Ella’s law, this month alongside the Ella Roberta Foundation, Mums for Lungs, Clean Air in London, Asthma and Lung UK and Global Action Plan. Together, we aff...