The issuing of shotgun and firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces in processing licensing applications are matters for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.

Firearms licensing fees charged by police forces were increased significantly from 5 February 2025 to provide full cost recovery for police forces, and they were increased again on 6 June this year by the rate of inflation to ensure that the fees keep in line with police costs. The extra income from fees is helping police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams and to improve performance.

The Home Office has not routinely collected data on the time taken to process the time taken to renew shotgun and firearms licences by police forces over the past five years. However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing now publishes quarterly performance data for firearms licensing in all police forces in England and Wales which includes a new performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months of receipt. We welcome this greater transparency and forces making improvements in performance, subject to ensuring public safety remains the priority and suitability checks are carried out properly.

The issuing of shotgun and firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces in processing licensing applications are matters for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.

Firearms licensing fees charged by police forces were increased significantly from 5 February 2025 to provide full cost recovery for police forces, and they were increased again on 6 June this year by the rate of inflation to ensure that the fees keep in line with police costs. The extra income from fees is helping police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams and to improve performance.

The Home Office has not routinely collected data on the time taken to process the time taken to renew shotgun and firearms licences by police forces over the past five years. However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing now publishes quarterly performance data for firearms licensing in all police forces in England and Wales which includes a new performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months of receipt. We welcome this greater transparency and forces making improvements in performance, subject to ensuring public safety remains the priority and suitability checks are carried out properly.

I reassure the noble Lord that we are not receiving any reports—I checked this specifically—of problems with aid from the Philippines Government reaching the affected communities in the Bangsamoro area. We are committed to supporting the peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and will continue to do that even once this disaster is behind us.

Whether or not it goes underground is a matter for each individual project and is something that happens during the consent process. Access to nature is important for many people, and you can find nature in urban environments as well; it does not have to be just for the countryside.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) recommends necessary transmission infrastructure through its independent strategic network planning processes. Notably the upcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP). The SSEP will identify optimal locations for generation technologies across Great Britain. The CSNP will use this modelling as an input to produce holistic design recommendations, ensuring onshore and offshore routes and associated assets such as converter stations are considered with demand in mind.

While the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) independent strategic network planning processes (including the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and the Centralised Strategic Network Plan) will identify the need for new infrastructure at a system level, the detailed routing of onshore and offshore routing of transmission assets is a matter for the Transmission Owners. In Scotland, planning and consenting of onshore electricity infrastructure is devolved, and decisions are taken by Scottish Ministers in accordance with Scottish planning policy and statutory processes.

It is a longstanding principle maintained across multiple administrations not to comment on individuals’ security clearance.

The Government’s top priority remains the safety and security of the United Kingdom and its citizens.

The Home Secretary has the power to deprive an individual of British citizenship where it was obtained by fraud, or where deprivation is conducive to the public good.

Deprivation on conducive grounds is used only for individuals who pose a threat to the UK or whose conduct is considered to involve very high harm, for example activities relating to national security (including terrorism and espionage), war crimes, serious and organised crime, or extremism and the glorification of terrorism.

The Government does not comment on individual cases or on operational activity however any referrals the Home Office receives relating to serious organised crime are subject to thorough investigation and decisions on deprivation are taken on a case-by-case basis.

I am slightly puzzled by the noble Lord’s enunciation of that question, in that renewable wind and overhead power lines go closely

together, because the overhead power lines have to deliver the power that is being generated by the renewable power sources. As for the requirement that that variable output be matched by various other sources of energy when, for example, the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining, that is well taken care of by the back-up that is already in the system—due, I might add, to a number of renewable sources also being non-variable.

I absolutely recognise that. The prolonged closure after the recent flooding has meant that Network Rail’s attention has been very sharply drawn to the need for both the structures and the earthworks to be more resilient, and for the inspection process for bridges, which I referred to earlier, to be done in a more expeditious way. I entirely recognise that many communities in north Devon rely solely on that railway, and that it must perform better in the future.

The guidance was developed and agreed upon by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Number 10.

There are no plans to discontinue the use of "His Majesty's Government". This term continues to be used on relevant official communications and records, and this will not change.

I refer the the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 9 June 2025 in response to question HC56774 which, for ease of reference, is reproduced below:

We are appalled by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents, in which Palestinians have been killed when trying to access aid sites in Gaza. Desperate civilians who have endured 20 months of war should never face the risk of death or injury to simply feed themselves and their families. We call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events, and for the perpetrators to be held to account. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all types of aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.

The Government’s approach to burying these cables underground is well known, really, because, essentially, where we can do it, we will, in order to protect the local area. It is cheaper to put them overhead, but even if you bury them, there is still a lot of disruption to the local area with the kind of access you need to the cables themselves. It is not actually the answer to all our concerns. We know that we need to think about how we develop these pylons and whether we should lay the cables under the ground, but to do that is not the answer in all cases.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Whilst there may have been an increase in the number of urban areas with resident foxes, we are not aware of an increased health or environmental risk to the public.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has published guidance which indicates that the risk of catching an infection from a fox in the UK is very low and that whilst there may be a health risk if a person comes into direct contact with fox faeces, this can be reduced with appropriate hygiene.

Members of the public are advised not to feed foxes because it can be detrimental for their health and change their natural behaviours, increasing potential for pathogen transmission.

The Government has not specifically assessed fox numbers in London.

In 2018, Natural England published the “Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals” which included an assessment of the fox population size and status in Britain; this was not specific to London.

In 2018, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) co-authored research which measured fox group density in urban areas, which included London. Whilst this showed a general increase in the number of urban areas with resident foxes, fox density was not specifically higher in London than that of some other cities and no direct analysis has been carried out.

The Government has not had any discussions with local authorities about the number of foxes in London.

Foxes are not protected for conservation purposes in England, and the owner or occupier of the property can decide whether to control them. Local authorities do not have a statutory responsibility to control them.

In conjunction with Government advice, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health published guidance on the management of urban foxes for the benefit of local authorities, pest controllers and the public as part of their public health and protection resources.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Members of the public are advised not to feed foxes, regardless of whether they are ill, because it can be detrimental for their health and change their natural behaviours, increasing potential for pathogen transmission.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health advise that whilst S. scabiei infestations (which in non-humans is referred to as ‘sarcoptic mange’) is contagious among foxes, there are few confirmed reports of mange being passed to dogs and little evidence to suggest outbreaks amongst domestic pets. The UK Health Security Agency advise that mange transmission between humans and animals has not been reported in the UK.

Animals with sarcoptic mange should be treated by a veterinarian but as foxes are wild animals, no one is responsible for seeking treatment for them and they can be dealt with by local landowners and vets as considered to be appropriate.

However, any suspicion of a notifiable disease such as rabies or influenza of avian origin in mammals must be reported immediately by calling 03000 200 301 in England.

For information relating to stakeholder engagement, I refer the Noble Lord to Question HC112168:

Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister, as the King's principal adviser, (a) was consulted on and (b) approved the decision to change the HM Government identity to the UK Government; and whether the Prime Minister was advised by Tim Allan in this regard when Mr Allan was Executive Director of Communications. 112168

Answer: There are no plans to discontinue the use of “HM Government”.

Please refer to https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/marketing/branding-guidelines/ for guidance on logo use. There are no plans to publish the revised guidance held by the Government Digital Service and the Government Communication Service.

Communications teams are advised to use "UK Government" rather than departmental names and logos for announcements, to provide clarity to the public. This does not affect the use of "His Majesty's Government", which continues on relevant official communications and records.

"UK Government" has long been the term used for the government in public-facing communications. All governments have regularly reviewed and updated government branding guidance to ensure that communications with the public are clear.

This guidance was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and in accordance with standard protocols in Summer 2025.

The noble Lord touches on a very sensitive point. The ward in Leeds that I represented had the M1 going right through it, and all the litter on the side of the motorways was the responsibility of National Highways. It is a crucial factor, particularly where safety is involved. Given the new smart technology that so many people have in their cars, their ability to report things as soon as they see them should help with improving the performance.

We need some standardised pattern books. We need a fairly extensive housebuilding programme and we must ensure that those houses are built to a minimum standard of quality. However, I take the noble Lord’s point about the importance of vernacular building in certain places. It is my understanding that, within its planning advice, the MHCLG is looking at how it can best train planning officers as well.

I will have to come back and write to the noble Lord specifically about the drink-driving regulations; I do not have that to hand for this Question. I can tell the noble Lord that this Government are committed to supporting the great British pub. Like many Peers who started their careers in the industry, I worked both as a waiter and as a barman. The Budget is looking not just at the commitments we can make financially but at positive licensing reforms overall, including the first national licensing policy framework. However, I will come back specifically to write to the noble Lord on the question of drink-driving.