To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, the Secretary of State for Wales has to meet with the Welsh Government to discuss continuing support for Opera in Wales.

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, the Secretary of State for Wales has to meet with the Welsh Government to discuss continuing support for Opera in Wales.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have taken place between the UK and Welsh governments since May 8 2026.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings have taken place between the UK and Welsh governments since May 8 2026.

Lords private notice question on, given reports that PC Andrew Harper's killers may be eligible for early release, what assessment they have made of the prisoner early release scheme and; when will they set out whether any changes to the scheme will be implemented before the first tranche of releases in September.

Lords private notice question on, given reports that PC Andrew Harper's killers may be eligible for early release, what assessment they have made of the prisoner early release scheme and; when will they set out whether any changes to the scheme will be implemented before the first tranche of releases...

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of social security in achieving their aim of reducing child poverty.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of social security in achieving their aim of reducing child poverty.

My Lords, social security provides a safety net to support families when they need it most. This is why we have removed the two-child limit, lifting 450,000 children out of poverty, and delivered the first ever sustained rise in the standard allowance of universal credit. While important, our ambition on child poverty goes beyond social security. We are taking substantive action on the drivers of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials and making work pay.

My Lords, social security provides a safety net to support families when they need it most. This is why we have removed the two-child limit, lifting 450,000 children out of poverty, and delivered the first ever sustained rise in the standard allowance of universal credit. While important, our ambition on child poverty goes beyond social security. We are taking substantive action on the drivers of poverty by cutting the cost of essentials and making work pay.

My noble friend is right. We want to make sure that the social security system is there to support all families when they need it, while taking action to make sure that work pays. Our ambition is that social security provides a safety net where needed and that it supports families to increase income through work where possible. At the same time, the Government are committed to ensuring that welfare spending remains on a sustainable path. We set a new welfare cap at the Autumn Budget 2024 to ensure that welfare spending remains under control over the course of this Parliament. Overall, forecast welfare spending is virtually unchanged from the last OBR assessment, increasing by only 0.1% in 2029-30. Tackling child poverty requires investment, including in our social security system. The cost of failing to tackle poverty is too high, both for children and for the country. This Government are investing up front to avoid those costs of failure.

My noble friend is right. We want to make sure that the social security system is there to support all families when they need it, while taking action to make sure that work pays. Our ambition is that social security provides a safety net where needed and that it supports families to increase income through work where possible. At the same time, the Government are committed to ensuring that welfare spending remains on a sustainable path. We set a new welfare cap at the Autumn Budget 2024 to ensure that welfare spending remains under control over the course of this Parliament. Overall, forecast welfare spending is virtually unchanged from the last OBR assessment, increasing by only 0.1% in 2029-30. Tackling child poverty requires investment, including in our social security system. The cost of failing to tackle poverty is too high, both for children and for the country. This Government are investing up front to avoid those costs of failure.

The noble Lord is right. We want to see everyone who can work working. That is why we have taken a number of actions to fix our broken social security system and to get people into work, particularly when it comes to targeting the over 1 million NEETs—young people not in education, employment or training—and giving them a start. For instance, the new youth jobs grant incentivises employers to take on young people who have been on universal credit for over 18 months, giving them jobs, with a £3,000 grant.

The noble Lord is right. We want to see everyone who can work working. That is why we have taken a number of actions to fix our broken social security system and to get people into work, particularly when it comes to targeting the over 1 million NEETs—young people not in education, employment or training—and giving them a start. For instance, the new youth jobs grant incentivises employers to take on young people who have been on universal credit for over 18 months, giving them jobs, with a £3,000 grant.

The noble Baroness is right about the impact of free school meals. The unprecedented expansion of free school meals that this Government are implementing will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the final year of this Parliament, which is equivalent to increasing each family’s income by £500 a year. On auto-enrolment, extending free school meals to all households in receipt of universal credit will make it easier for parents to understand their entitlement. We are updating the eligibility checking system, which will make it easier for local authorities and schools to check whether children are eligible. We are closely monitoring this and will consider further action if necessary.

The noble Baroness is right about the impact of free school meals. The unprecedented expansion of free school meals that this Government are implementing will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the final year of this Parliament, which is equivalent to increasing each family’s income by £500 a year. On auto-enrolment, extending free school meals to all households in receipt of universal credit will make it easier for parents to understand their entitlement. We are updating the eligibility checking system, which will make it easier for local authorities and schools to check whether children are eligible. We are closely monitoring this and will consider further action if necessary.

That is absolutely the case. Alan Milburn’s interim report set out starkly the real stickiness there. When young people do not go into work or finish a course of education or training, there is a stickiness that we need to combat. We are determined to stop failing our young people, our communities and our economy. That is why we commissioned the Milburn report and we await his final report and recommendations.

That is absolutely the case. Alan Milburn’s interim report set out starkly the real stickiness there. When young people do not go into work or finish a course of education or training, there is a stickiness that we need to combat. We are determined to stop failing our young people, our communities and our economy. That is why we commissioned the Milburn report and we await his final report and recommendations.

My noble friend is absolutely on the button. This is about not just improving the lives of children in poverty but future-proofing our country, our economy and our society. We have taken the decision to pull the single biggest lever that we could to tackle child poverty. By this move alone, as my noble friend said, we will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament. Our child poverty strategy not only deals with the two-child limit but shows how we can boost families’ income through employment, drive down the cost of essentials so that parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs and give them the best start in life, and strengthen local support so that families can access vital services.

My noble friend is absolutely on the button. This is about not just improving the lives of children in poverty but future-proofing our country, our economy and our society. We have taken the decision to pull the single biggest lever that we could to tackle child poverty. By this move alone, as my noble friend said, we will lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament. Our child poverty strategy not only deals with the two-child limit but shows how we can boost families’ income through employment, drive down the cost of essentials so that parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs and give them the best start in life, and strengthen local support so that families can access vital services.

The right reverend Prelate touches on a really important point: the shame and stigma of being in poverty. That is why we are taking steps such as removing the two-child limit and extending free school meals so that, when children go to school, they have a hunger to learn rather than a hunger in their bellies. It is important that we are lifting people out of poverty, but the best thing we can do is to make work pay and put people into good, decent jobs, so that young children in those families understand that the way to success is through education, employment and training.

The right reverend Prelate touches on a really important point: the shame and stigma of being in poverty. That is why we are taking steps such as removing the two-child limit and extending free school meals so that, when children go to school, they have a hunger to learn rather than a hunger in their bellies. It is important that we are lifting people out of poverty, but the best thing we can do is to make work pay and put people into good, decent jobs, so that young children in those families understand that the way to success is through education, employment and training.

The rather esoteric answer is in the recent baseline report, which sets out how we are going to monitor the child poverty strategy. We follow two headline metrics: relative low income, which understands the breadth of the problem, and deep material poverty, which understands that, in some cases, it is about how the basic items needed for survival cannot be accessed because of poverty. By using those two metrics, alongside a number of contextual indicators which look at household employment, debt and costs, we will be able to properly understand poverty in the round.

The rather esoteric answer is in the recent baseline report, which sets out how we are going to monitor the child poverty strategy. We follow two headline metrics: relative low income, which understands the breadth of the problem, and deep material poverty, which understands that, in some cases, it is about how the basic items needed for survival cannot be accessed because of poverty. By using those two metrics, alongside a number of contextual indicators which look at household employment, debt and costs, we will be able to properly understand poverty in the round.

I am pleased to say that I agree entirely with the noble Lord. We are taking a cross-government, holistic approach to sorting out this problem. That goes as far as our £39 billion 10-year programme for more social and affordable housing, so that we can tackle some of the outrageous things we have seen around the use of temporary accommodation and make sure that people have access to a good standard of living.

I am pleased to say that I agree entirely with the noble Lord. We are taking a cross-government, holistic approach to sorting out this problem. That goes as far as our £39 billion 10-year programme for more social and affordable housing, so that we can tackle some of the outrageous things we have seen around the use of temporary accommodation and make sure that people have access to a good standard of living.

It is always a delight to hear from those in the party opposite on this, because of their childlike wonder and astonishment as they discover new features and issues in a system that they designed and have overseen for quite some time. I am happy to write to the noble Earl with more details on that scenario. We are considering all the ways to ensure that we have an affordable welfare bill, including making sure that we have efficiencies across the board.

It is always a delight to hear from those in the party opposite on this, because of their childlike wonder and astonishment as they discover new features and issues in a system that they designed and have overseen for quite some time. I am happy to write to the noble Earl with more details on that scenario. We are considering all the ways to ensure that we have an affordable welfare bill, including making sure that we have efficiencies across the board.

I begin by thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, for all her hard work on the profitability review. The Government have responded to a number of her recommendations, including ensuring that the new round of funding for the SFI opens up with a focus on active farmers, rather than just landowners. As she will know, through the Farming and Food Partnership Board, we are focusing on sector growth plans, with an initial focus on the sectors that need boosts, help and support the most, including horticulture and poultry, as well as focusing on a workforce strategy. However, I heard what she said about the targets. There is a lot of detail in the new farming road map. The Government are of course always open to listening to these ideas.

I begin by thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Batters, for all her hard work on the profitability review. The Government have responded to a number of her recommendations, including ensuring that the new round of funding for the SFI opens up with a focus on active farmers, rather than just landowners. As she will know, through the Farming and Food Partnership Board, we are focusing on sector growth plans, with an initial focus on the sectors that need boosts, help and support the most, including horticulture and poultry, as well as focusing on a workforce strategy. However, I heard what she said about the targets. There is a lot of detail in the new farming road map. The Government are of course always open to listening to these ideas.

I point out to the noble Baroness that, even in the most ambitious scenarios under the Government’s solar road map, only 0.4% of total UK land and up to 0.6% of total agricultural land is expected to be occupied by solar farms. Indeed, the changes that we made to the National Planning Policy Framework strengthened the ability of food businesses to grow and improve the productive use of their land. I gently say that there is a way that we can balance both clean energy generation and a growing and profitable farming sector.

I point out to the noble Baroness that, even in the most ambitious scenarios under the Government’s solar road map, only 0.4% of total UK land and up to 0.6% of total agricultural land is expected to be occupied by solar farms. Indeed, the changes that we made to the National Planning Policy Framework strengthened the ability of food businesses to grow and improve the productive use of their land. I gently say that there is a way that we can balance both clean energy generation and a growing and profitable farming sector.

Absolutely. We celebrate and enjoy the contribution that Northern Ireland makes to the agri-food sector. It is an important part of our UK economy.

Absolutely. We celebrate and enjoy the contribution that Northern Ireland makes to the agri-food sector. It is an important part of our UK economy.

I do not have an update to hand on the follow-up from the precision breeding Bill, so it will probably be best, in the interest of time, if I undertake to write to my noble friend with some more detail.

I do not have an update to hand on the follow-up from the precision breeding Bill, so it will probably be best, in the interest of time, if I undertake to write to my noble friend with some more detail.