1-20 of 2,732 results for askedby:"Baroness Teather"
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.387 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.01 seconds
- Search query
- askedby:"Baroness Teather"
- We searched for
- tablingMember_ses:303940 OR askingMember_ses:303940
Type
House
Session
Year
Department
More
Member
More
Primary member
Answering member
More
Legislative stage
Legislation
More
Subject
More
Publisher
In May this House’s Environment and Climate Change Committee asked the Government to publish a prioritisation plan for emergency drought this autumn. The Government only partially accepted this, saying that any approach will be developed with critical national infrastructure sectors and not published in full. Can the Minister say when Parliament will be told how households, food production and data centres would be ranked if it came to it?
In May this House’s Environment and Climate Change Committee asked the Government to publish a prioritisation plan for emergency drought this autumn. The Government only partially accepted this, saying that any approach will be developed with critical national infrastructure sectors and not published in full. Can the Minister say when Parliament will be told how households, food production and data centres would be ranked if it came to it?
I am not able to give the noble Baroness that information today, but the department is taking the issue of drought very seriously, as it has done with floods previously. We need to understand what the impacts of both floods and drought are in this changing environment, and many of the issues she has talked about will be part of those discussions.
My Lords, many people with disabilities and long-term conditions want to work and, with a lot more flexibility and support, would be able to do so. I welcome the new disabled persons bus pass with free travel, something for which my Lib Dem colleague Tom Gordon long campaigned. Does the Minister also support giving disabled people more rights to flexible working, including, for example, a right to work from home unless there is a strong business case against it?
My Lords, many people with disabilities and long-term conditions want to work and, with a lot more flexibility and support, would be able to do so. I welcome the new disabled persons bus pass with free travel, something for which my Lib Dem colleague Tom Gordon long campaigned. Does the Minister also support giving disabled people more rights to flexible working, including, for example, a right to work from home unless there is a strong business case against it?
I am very glad that the noble Baroness welcomes the extension of bus passes. The credit should probably go to my friend Andy Burnham rather than to anyone else, but I am delighted that she welcomes it none the less. We are working extensively with sick and disabled people to support them back into work, but we must first make sure that they have the support they need, the motivation they need and, crucially, the jobs they need. We also need to work with employers. We are doing a lot of work with employers who are trying to hire people and want to make sure that they know what they can best do. Our connect to work programme is working with both the individual and the employer, to find people, connect them with jobs and make sure that they get the help they need. That is the most important step to take now.
My Lords, in the light of the news today that one of OpenAI’s agents went rogue in an experiment and attacked another AI start-up, does the Minister agree that this indicates an urgent need for global co-operation to agree safeguards and accountability frameworks? It seems that companies cannot be trusted to control the technology they are developing without this. Furthermore, does this not also indicate the need for us to develop a sovereign AI capability strategy so that we have the influence and expertise to shape these critical global conversations?
My Lords, in the light of the news today that one of OpenAI’s agents went rogue in an experiment and attacked another AI start-up, does the Minister agree that this indicates an urgent need for global co-operation to agree safeguards and accountability frameworks? It seems that companies cannot be trusted to control the technology they are developing without this. Furthermore, does this not also indicate the need for us to develop a sovereign AI capability strategy so that we have the influence and expertise to shape these critical global conversations?
With the AI Security Institute, we have a world-leading, world-class institution that is able to test frontier models and provide advice, including with the National Cyber Security Centre, in order to equip companies against the risks that are prevalent with the advances in these technologies. That is exactly what happened earlier, and we encourage all firms and other organisations to take the mitigations that are necessary to reduce vulnerabilities and increase resilience. On the question of AI sovereignty and technological developments, we are absolutely taking an approach to build out AI capabilities. That is why we have the AI hardware plan to support development in that area, as well as the sovereign AI fund.
My Lords, it is hugely welcome that all children in families receiving universal credit will be eligible for free school meals from September, but we know that many who are already eligible do not receive their free school meal for a whole host of reasons, including stigma. Will the Government consider adopting auto-enrolment to ensure that no child who needs this meal misses their chance of receiving it?
My Lords, it is hugely welcome that all children in families receiving universal credit will be eligible for free school meals from September, but we know that many who are already eligible do not receive their free school meal for a whole host of reasons, including stigma. Will the Government consider adopting auto-enrolment to ensure that no child who needs this meal misses their chance of receiving it?
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.
My Lords, does the Minister accept that AI-driven recommender algorithms are not neutral channels but active amplifiers of hateful content? What assessment has been made of the systemic risk duties in the Online Safety Act to address algorithmic amplification specifically, rather than individual pieces of content?
My Lords, does the Minister accept that AI-driven recommender algorithms are not neutral channels but active amplifiers of hateful content? What assessment has been made of the systemic risk duties in the Online Safety Act to address algorithmic amplification specifically, rather than individual pieces of content?
The noble Baroness raises important questions about how platforms operate in practice and the interaction between the online and offline worlds. The Government’s document Protecting What Matters looks across many different government departments and sets out what we can do to support cohesive communities. We have said that we need to explore further how to tackle the spread of hateful content online and that we will look at the way in which algorithms can increase the spread of harmful content. We will set out what we will do as a result of those considerations.
My Lords, the SMF report, referenced earlier by the noble Baroness, Lady Berger, recommends expanding the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service as a countermeasure to news deserts and fake news, which seems even more urgent after the shocking violence we have seen this week. Will the Government commit to ensuring that the BBC has additional funds to expand the LDR service and make it a condition of expansion that local independent publishers are prioritised over large regional corporates, which currently have more than 80% of LDR contracts?
My Lords, the SMF report, referenced earlier by the noble Baroness, Lady Berger, recommends expanding the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service as a countermeasure to news deserts and fake news, which seems even more urgent after the shocking violence we have seen this week. Will the Government commit to ensuring that the BBC has additional funds to expand the LDR service and make it a condition of expansion that local independent publishers are prioritised over large regional corporates, which currently have more than 80% of LDR contracts?
Local media plays a vital role in informing citizens, strengthening democratic accountability and fostering cohesive communities. We have provided funding of up to £12 million through our local media action plan, which aims to support a healthy and plural local media sector right across the country. It will help local newsrooms innovate and adopt sustainable business models for the digital age, while encouraging the production of high-quality and trustworthy journalism on which communities can rely, particularly at a time when misinformation and disinformation pose growing challenges.
I have seen the evaluation of the pilot that was published today. Has the Minister evaluated the impact of giving asylum seekers the right to work, which might make it more likely that they can resolve their own housing situations once they are granted refugee status?
I have seen the evaluation of the pilot that was published today. Has the Minister evaluated the impact of giving asylum seekers the right to work, which might make it more likely that they can resolve their own housing situations once they are granted refugee status?
There has been lot of discussion around the right to work, and we have taken the view that it is not a route we want to go down at the moment. Ultimately, through the whole of this scheme, I want to speed up the asylum process and get people’s decisions made quickly, so that individuals can know whether or not they have a long-term future in the United Kingdom. The right to work should be at the end of that process, not during it. We need to complete the process as quickly as possible.
My Lords, we know that AI will have a profound impact on work, particularly for young people. As it is already getting harder for graduates to get work, will the Minister urgently commission and publish research into the future impact of AI on the labour market, so that we can have a transparent evidence base for future policy-making?
My Lords, we know that AI will have a profound impact on work, particularly for young people. As it is already getting harder for graduates to get work, will the Minister urgently commission and publish research into the future impact of AI on the labour market, so that we can have a transparent evidence base for future policy-making?
The noble Baroness is absolutely right. AI is very much at the forefront of all our minds as we continue to grapple with the long-term impact that it will have on our economy. That is why, in January, we announced that every adult in the UK is eligible to take free courses to gain practical AI skills for work. This programme has already upskilled 1 million workers. Our ambition is to upskill 10 million by 2030. The noble Baroness mentioned research. We have already launched the AI and future work programme and are establishing an AI economic institute, which will lead cross-government analysis to monitor the emerging impact of AI on the economy and co-ordinate the Government’s response.
My Lords, last week, I attended the Cambridge Disinformation Summit run by the Judge Business School, where a key takeaway for me was that restricting young people’s access to social media is not on its own a sufficient response to the risks that we are discussing today. Does the Minister agree that we need accountability from social media companies on algorithms that promote and target extremist content to both adults and children?
My Lords, last week, I attended the Cambridge Disinformation Summit run by the Judge Business School, where a key takeaway for me was that restricting young people’s access to social media is not on its own a sufficient response to the risks that we are discussing today. Does the Minister agree that we need accountability from social media companies on algorithms that promote and target extremist content to both adults and children?
I largely agree with the noble Baroness. It is important that the strong powers within the Online Safety Act are implemented. However, the logic of her argument is that we need to make sure that we support children and young people and our schools to be able to challenge misogyny and avoid falling for the toxic influencers, while strengthening the good values and attitudes that most young people have. That is what we will be supporting our schools to do.
My Lords, as a former director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, I am concerned that the changes to the duration of refugee protection may create a state of permanent vulnerability and instability for refugee households. What assessment has the Minister made of the likely impact of these changes on the mental health of refugees, and their implications for provision of services by the NHS and others?
My Lords, as a former director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, I am concerned that the changes to the duration of refugee protection may create a state of permanent vulnerability and instability for refugee households. What assessment has the Minister made of the likely impact of these changes on the mental health of refugees, and their implications for provision of services by the NHS and others?
I think the noble Baroness will know and will want to be assured that the whole purpose of these changes is to make both asylum and refugee status quicker in dealing with those outcomes. We have made some changes, and during the 30-month period of protection, if it is granted, refugees will continue to have the sanctuary their protection requires, and it will be renewed if they still require it. But the important thing is to assess claims quickly in order to make sure that we grant status quickly, so that people can earn a living and integrate into society.
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the report Protecting What Matters, published on 9 March, how many times Ofcom have used powers to require companies to share information regarding their algorithms since the Online Safety Act 2023 came into force; what assessment they have made of the safety of...
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the report Protecting What Matters, published on 9 March, how many times Ofcom have used powers to require companies to share information regarding their algorithms since the Online Safety Act 2023 came into force; what assessment they have made of the safety of...
Ofcom has various powers under the Online Safety Act to obtain information from services, including information regarding their algorithms. However, Ofcom does not publish, or provide to DSIT, details of how many information notices they have issued.
In March 2026, Ofcom updated on its work on safer feeds for children. To inform Ofcom’s assessment of these systems, it issued legally-binding information requests to large platforms and has said it will publicly report on the responses in May.
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the report Protecting What Matters, published on 9 March, whether they will publish the scope of the evidence review being undertaken by the Chief Scientific Adviser on misinformation; and how organisations can make relevant contributions to that review.
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the report Protecting What Matters, published on 9 March, whether they will publish the scope of the evidence review being undertaken by the Chief Scientific Adviser on misinformation; and how organisations can make relevant contributions to that review.
The Government Office for Science commissioned an evidence review by an external academic group to synthesise the latest published literature on misinformation. It is a pre-registered study looking at the existing published evidence and is not therefore seeking direct contributions from organisations. The review will be published in due course. The findings from this desktop exercise will inform government's thinking on identifying and tackling harmful misinformation.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the size of the immigration detention estate.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the size of the immigration detention estate.
Detaining and removing people with no right to be in the country, with dignity and respect, is an essential part of effective immigration controls.
The future requirements of the detention estate, including its capacity and location, is kept under constant review.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that people held in immigration removal centres have access to the websites of organisations that provide advice and support services for those people.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that people held in immigration removal centres have access to the websites of organisations that provide advice and support services for those people.
The provision of internet access in immigration removal centres helps detainees to remain in contact with family, friends and legal representatives and to prepare for removal. It is a contractual requirement that all immigration removal centres provide detainees with reasonable and regulated access to the
internet and IT facilities. It is important that detainees can access legitimate websites including news, education, employment and legal sites, and we are taking steps to standardise internet access across the detention estate. This includes consultation with the voluntary sector on website access and the development of a new Detention Services Order to set out requirements for access and monitoring.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people resettled in the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme were principal applicants.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people resettled in the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme were principal applicants.
As of 31 December 2014, 143 people were relocated to the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, 34 of whom were principal applicants (i.e. head of family) and 109 their dependents.
This is the latest publicly available figure, as numbers are released as part of the Home Office official statistics each quarter. The number of arrivals under the scheme up to the end of March 2015 will be published on 21 May.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, over what time period the £800 million committed by the Government in response to the conflict in Syria will be spent.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, over what time period the £800 million committed by the Government in response to the conflict in Syria will be spent.
By the end of March 2015 we are expecting to have spent over £650 million and will have spent the full £800 million before the end of 2015.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the £800 million committed by the Government in response to the conflict in Syria has been spent; and how much of that sum is earmarked for future spending.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much of the £800 million committed by the Government in response to the conflict in Syria has been spent; and how much of that sum is earmarked for future spending.
By the end of March 2015 we are expecting to have spent over £650 million and will have spent the full £800 million before the end of 2015.
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
I understand that the Home Secretary has asked officials to carry out a detailed piece of work on the future requirements of the immigration detention estate, in conjunction with her decision to halt the expansion of Campsfield. What is the remit for that work, what is the timetable for it, and will it be made public? Will the Home Secretary direct the officials to look at the international evidence that was presented in our cross-party report on the immigration detention system, which suggests that we could substantially reduce our need for detention places?
I understand that the Home Secretary has asked officials to carry out a detailed piece of work on the future requirements of the immigration detention estate, in conjunction with her decision to halt the expansion of Campsfield. What is the remit for that work, what is the timetable for it, and will it be made public? Will the Home Secretary direct the officials to look at the international evidence that was presented in our cross-party report on the immigration detention system, which suggests that we could substantially reduce our need for detention places?
Let me take this opportunity to wish the hon. Lady well for the future, as that was probably the last Home Office question she will ask before she leaves the House.
We will certainly look at the all-party parliamentary group report, and I intend to write to the hon. Lady about it before the House rises on Thursday. We are examining the issue of the detention estate internally, but our work will be informed by Stephen Shaw’s review of the welfare aspects. It is important to ensure that we are providing a humane environment for people who are being detained.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules tabled on 16 March 2015, HC1116, on the number of applications made by Syrian nationals for asylum in the UK.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules tabled on 16 March 2015, HC1116, on the number of applications made by Syrian nationals for asylum in the UK.
An analysis of asylum claims made by Syrian nationals, in the eighteen month period ending November 2014, showed some Syrian asylum claimants were found to have abused the UK’s transit without visa provisions using a US issued visa. Applicants used their US visas to arrive in the UK to claim asylum rather than to transit to an onward destination as the provisions intend. The change made by HC1116 will stop this abuse.