My Lords, can the Minister confirm whether the Sycamore Gap tree felling was the result of a TikTok challenge?

My Lords, can the Minister confirm whether the Sycamore Gap tree felling was the result of a TikTok challenge?

My Lords, I also congratulate the quartet of Peers who have spoken their maiden speeches: my noble friend Lord Hobby, the noble Lord, Lord Blackwater, the noble Baroness, Lady Leaman, and finally the noble Lord, Lord Dixon, who had to live up to quite a billing before he managed to...

My Lords, I also congratulate the quartet of Peers who have spoken their maiden speeches: my noble friend Lord Hobby, the noble Lord, Lord Blackwater, the noble Baroness, Lady Leaman, and finally the noble Lord, Lord Dixon, who had to live up to quite a billing before he managed to...

The planning presumption during the Tories’ 14 years in power was that if a single objector objected to an onshore power plant, it was rejected automatically. Can the noble Lord say whether the planning presumption will change in favour of onshore power plants rather than against them?

The planning presumption during the Tories’ 14 years in power was that if a single objector objected to an onshore power plant, it was rejected automatically. Can the noble Lord say whether the planning presumption will change in favour of onshore power plants rather than against them?

My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware of the space department at Northumbria University? If not, would she accept an invitation to visit it and see its extraordinary, cutting-edge research?

My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware of the space department at Northumbria University? If not, would she accept an invitation to visit it and see its extraordinary, cutting-edge research?

My Lords, I welcome the noble Lord’s statement regarding Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford. There is also Newcastle, as the right reverend Prelate just said. The journey time from Newcastle to Manchester is longer than from Newcastle to London. Is the plan designed to improve that particular journey?

My Lords, I welcome the noble Lord’s statement regarding Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bradford. There is also Newcastle, as the right reverend Prelate just said. The journey time from Newcastle to Manchester is longer than from Newcastle to London. Is the plan designed to improve that particular journey?

My Lords, I speak as a Member replacing the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, on the Environment and Climate Change Committee and as a resident of the North Shields Fish Quay on the mouth of the Tyne—you will find it if you go to Newcastle and turn right—which is currently celebrating...

My Lords, I speak as a Member replacing the noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, on the Environment and Climate Change Committee and as a resident of the North Shields Fish Quay on the mouth of the Tyne—you will find it if you go to Newcastle and turn right—which is currently celebrating...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the annual number of serious injuries and deaths on the roads.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the annual number of serious injuries and deaths on the roads.

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that helpful Answer. This week sees the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. For me, this is a deeply personal issue. My brother Magnus died exactly a year ago today, having spent four months in Addenbrooke’s Hospital following a crash between a van and his motorbike. Bedfordshire Police attending the crash failed to collect evidence, failed to pursue the crash, failed to breathalyse the van driver involved in the crash and failed my brother’s immediate family in their ongoing search for the truth of the cause of this crash.

Magnus’s family are extremely grateful to Tim Blackwell, a trustee of DocBike, a growing national charity determined to reduce the number of accidents and victims of motorbike crashes, for supporting them in their fight for justice. Magnus became one of the 30,000 or so victims and the 1,800 or so deaths on the road last year that the Minister mentioned. If these numbers were victims of, say, knife crime, there would be a public outcry and appropriate action taken. So I ask the Minister what specific plans the Government have to significantly reduce these shocking figures?

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that helpful Answer. This week sees the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. For me, this is a deeply personal issue. My brother Magnus died exactly a year ago today, having spent four months in Addenbrooke’s Hospital following a crash between a van and his motorbike. Bedfordshire Police attending the crash failed to collect evidence, failed to pursue the crash, failed to breathalyse the van driver involved in the crash and failed my brother’s immediate family in their ongoing search for the truth of the cause of this crash.

Magnus’s family are extremely grateful to Tim Blackwell, a trustee of DocBike, a growing national charity determined to reduce the number of accidents and victims of motorbike crashes, for supporting them in their fight for justice. Magnus became one of the 30,000 or so victims and the 1,800 or so deaths on the road last year that the Minister mentioned. If these numbers were victims of, say, knife crime, there would be a public outcry and appropriate action taken. So I ask the Minister what specific plans the Government have to significantly reduce these shocking figures?

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, one of the things we discussed in the Climate Change Committee was the performance of the regulator. An issue raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, in her instructive comments, was the revolving door between the water companies and the regulator, in both directions. What action will the...

My Lords, one of the things we discussed in the Climate Change Committee was the performance of the regulator. An issue raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, in her instructive comments, was the revolving door between the water companies and the regulator, in both directions. What action will the...

Can my noble friend say how the Government’s plans for greater devolution and multiyear funding settlements will help local authorities improve parking infrastructure and services?

Can my noble friend say how the Government’s plans for greater devolution and multiyear funding settlements will help local authorities improve parking infrastructure and services?

My Lords, when will the Government make a decision about the awarding of a contract for advanced small modular reactors in this country?

My Lords, when will the Government make a decision about the awarding of a contract for advanced small modular reactors in this country?

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, with apologies to the Liberal Democrats, following on from the Minister’s opening remarks, could she say what assessment has been made about the effects on the north-east tourism industry following the avian flu outbreak, which closed visits to the Farne Islands and other islands off the north-east coast?...

My Lords, with apologies to the Liberal Democrats, following on from the Minister’s opening remarks, could she say what assessment has been made about the effects on the north-east tourism industry following the avian flu outbreak, which closed visits to the Farne Islands and other islands off the north-east coast?...

My Lords, what was the level of storage at the Rough facility when Labour last left office in 2010 and what happened to that storage facility after the Tories took power?

My Lords, what was the level of storage at the Rough facility when Labour last left office in 2010 and what happened to that storage facility after the Tories took power?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to compensate individuals or households who have had pre-payment meters wrongly installed.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to compensate individuals or households who have had pre-payment meters wrongly installed.

I thank the Minister for that Answer. However, as he said, the assessment was carried out by the selfsame people who supplied the enforced prepayment meters in the first place. Does he not see that there is a potential conflict of interest here? Will he say whether the Government have arranged for any independent checks to show that these assessments are accurate and are not simply letting companies mark their own homework?

I thank the Minister for that Answer. However, as he said, the assessment was carried out by the selfsame people who supplied the enforced prepayment meters in the first place. Does he not see that there is a potential conflict of interest here? Will he say whether the Government have arranged for any independent checks to show that these assessments are accurate and are not simply letting companies mark their own homework?

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, before I begin my comments on sustainable industry rewards, I want to place on record my congratulations to Gateshead Football Club, which on Saturday beat Solihull Moors at Wembley, after extra time and penalties, in the FA Trophy. I am sure that the Minister would want to join...

My Lords, before I begin my comments on sustainable industry rewards, I want to place on record my congratulations to Gateshead Football Club, which on Saturday beat Solihull Moors at Wembley, after extra time and penalties, in the FA Trophy. I am sure that the Minister would want to join...

Moved by

Lord Lennie

3: Clause 1, page 1, line 6, at end insert—

“(aa) the climate change test (see section 4ZD);”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, together with the other in the name of Lord Lennie, sets out the climate change test to be applied by the Oil and Gas Authority before inviting applications...

Moved by

Lord Lennie

3: Clause 1, page 1, line 6, at end insert—

“(aa) the climate change test (see section 4ZD);”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment, together with the other in the name of Lord Lennie, sets out the climate change test to be applied by the Oil and Gas Authority before inviting applications...