To ask His Majesty's Government whether they favour the deployment of hydrogen fuel cells in trains and heavy goods vehicles in replacement of diesel engines.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they favour the deployment of hydrogen fuel cells in trains and heavy goods vehicles in replacement of diesel engines.

My Lords, I begin by declaring that my British wife is also an African Zimbabwean. My father-in-law, who as a young man taught Robert Mugabe, resisted Mugabe’s regime with humour and disparagement. The Zimbabweans have a sophisticated understanding of democracy, which is their cultural tradition. Their democratic sentiments were eloquently expressed in the protests that accompanied Mugabe’s steps to appoint himself president for life. The symbol of the protests was a little red card held aloft. It signified that politics is a game that must be played according to the rules, which Mugabe had violated. It behoves us—

My Lords, I begin by declaring that my British wife is also an African Zimbabwean. My father-in-law, who as a young man taught Robert Mugabe, resisted Mugabe’s regime with humour and disparagement. The Zimbabweans have a sophisticated understanding of democracy, which is their cultural tradition. Their democratic sentiments were eloquently expressed in the protests that accompanied Mugabe’s steps to appoint himself president for life. The symbol of the protests was a little red card held aloft. It signified that politics is a game that must be played according to the rules, which Mugabe had violated. It behoves us—

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the range and traction power requirements of non-electrified rail services; and how these factors are informing technology choices where full electrification is not currently planned, particularly where battery-powered trains may face operational constraints.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the range and traction power requirements of non-electrified rail services; and how these factors are informing technology choices where full electrification is not currently planned, particularly where battery-powered trains may face operational constraints.

I thank the Minister for that reassuring Answer. The NHS has had a disastrous history of outsourcing its IT technology, which has wasted millions of pounds. A requirement of outsourcing is that there must be sufficient in-house expertise to properly assess the need for outside assistance and the quality of whatever assistance is on offer. In the absence of such expertise, outsourcing can be perilous. Moreover, given the requisite in-house expertise, outsourcing may become unnecessary. At a time when a host of novel IT solutions are becoming available, the IT staff of NHS England are seeing their numbers radically reduced. At the same time, the NHS is becoming increasingly dependent on the services of large American IT corporations. Can we be assured—genuinely assured—that history will not be repeating itself?

I thank the Minister for that reassuring Answer. The NHS has had a disastrous history of outsourcing its IT technology, which has wasted millions of pounds. A requirement of outsourcing is that there must be sufficient in-house expertise to properly assess the need for outside assistance and the quality of whatever assistance is on offer. In the absence of such expertise, outsourcing can be perilous. Moreover, given the requisite in-house expertise, outsourcing may become unnecessary. At a time when a host of novel IT solutions are becoming available, the IT staff of NHS England are seeing their numbers radically reduced. At the same time, the NHS is becoming increasingly dependent on the services of large American IT corporations. Can we be assured—genuinely assured—that history will not be repeating itself?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have for sustaining and enhancing the in-house software capabilities of the NHS.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have for sustaining and enhancing the in-house software capabilities of the NHS.

My Lords, the UK has been a premier destination for foreign investment. This has enriched the financial sector, which has mediated the inflows of capital. However, in the process, we have experienced a loss of economic sovereignty. We no longer own our airports, seaports, energy industry, water industry, rolling stock and much else besides. Moreover, the heightened demand for sterling has led to its overvaluation and to the collapse of our export industries. What can the Government do to lessen the detriment of foreign direct investment?

My Lords, the UK has been a premier destination for foreign investment. This has enriched the financial sector, which has mediated the inflows of capital. However, in the process, we have experienced a loss of economic sovereignty. We no longer own our airports, seaports, energy industry, water industry, rolling stock and much else besides. Moreover, the heightened demand for sterling has led to its overvaluation and to the collapse of our export industries. What can the Government do to lessen the detriment of foreign direct investment?

My Lords, our much vaunted nuclear revival is based on the deployment of pressurised light-water reactors. These are grossly inefficient in their use of uranium fuels, which will be in short supply within a decade. They will need to be replaced by safer and more efficient reactors, such as thorium reactors and fast-neutron reactors that breed their own fuels. However, within the past 12 months we have seen the departure from the UK or the closure

of projects aimed at developing such reactors. Are there any remaining prospects of developing advanced reactors in the UK, or will we be dependent in future on foreign technologies based on technologies pioneered in the UK?

My Lords, our much vaunted nuclear revival is based on the deployment of pressurised light-water reactors. These are grossly inefficient in their use of uranium fuels, which will be in short supply within a decade. They will need to be replaced by safer and more efficient reactors, such as thorium reactors and fast-neutron reactors that breed their own fuels. However, within the past 12 months we have seen the departure from the UK or the closure

of projects aimed at developing such reactors. Are there any remaining prospects of developing advanced reactors in the UK, or will we be dependent in future on foreign technologies based on technologies pioneered in the UK?

To ask His Majesty's Government whether a compulsory retirement age of 70 years old for Church of England clergy has legal sanction; and whether they plan to encourage the Church of England to allow incumbent ministers to remain in post for longer, where they have the capacity to do so.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether a compulsory retirement age of 70 years old for Church of England clergy has legal sanction; and whether they plan to encourage the Church of England to allow incumbent ministers to remain in post for longer, where they have the capacity to do so.

My Lords, I fear that the revisions to the nuclear regulatory framework have come too late. We have lost to other countries the projects to develop fourth generation nuclear reactors that were intending to conduct their criticality tests in the UK. Can the Minister envisage any way of bringing these projects back to the UK?

My Lords, I fear that the revisions to the nuclear regulatory framework have come too late. We have lost to other countries the projects to develop fourth generation nuclear reactors that were intending to conduct their criticality tests in the UK. Can the Minister envisage any way of bringing these projects back to the UK?

My Lords, in Britain we are persisting with the development of pressurised water reactors, both large and small. However, the future of nuclear technologies rests with fourth-generation advanced modular reactors that are endowed with passive safety, which will allow them to be close to clusters of population and industrial applications. In recent months, three projects that were pursuing the development of such reactors in the UK have either closed or moved to more welcoming countries. What can the Government do to ensure that we will not be dependent on foreign suppliers to provide the next generation of nuclear reactors?

My Lords, in Britain we are persisting with the development of pressurised water reactors, both large and small. However, the future of nuclear technologies rests with fourth-generation advanced modular reactors that are endowed with passive safety, which will allow them to be close to clusters of population and industrial applications. In recent months, three projects that were pursuing the development of such reactors in the UK have either closed or moved to more welcoming countries. What can the Government do to ensure that we will not be dependent on foreign suppliers to provide the next generation of nuclear reactors?

My Lords, the registration is wholly inadequate. Independent research suggests that numerous UK-registered companies have no UK resident director. Such companies are 17 times more likely to commit fraud, as the Government are in no position to impose UK law on directors living abroad. How will the Minister curb the frauds of such companies?

My Lords, the registration is wholly inadequate. Independent research suggests that numerous UK-registered companies have no UK resident director. Such companies are 17 times more likely to commit fraud, as the Government are in no position to impose UK law on directors living abroad. How will the Minister curb the frauds of such companies?

My Lords, since the announcement by President Macron in the autumn of 2021 of the France 2030 agenda, France has been committed to closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This means that it intends to use its uranium more efficiently and to deploy nuclear waste in its reactors. It is motivated by the supposition that, by 2050, the stocks of uranium will be pre-empted by the Chinese and the Americans. What is the Minister’s reaction to this supposition? Is the UK likely to follow the lead of France?

My Lords, since the announcement by President Macron in the autumn of 2021 of the France 2030 agenda, France has been committed to closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This means that it intends to use its uranium more efficiently and to deploy nuclear waste in its reactors. It is motivated by the supposition that, by 2050, the stocks of uranium will be pre-empted by the Chinese and the Americans. What is the Minister’s reaction to this supposition? Is the UK likely to follow the lead of France?

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that the police return confiscated phones to individuals who have not been charged with any crime.

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that the police return confiscated phones to individuals who have not been charged with any crime.

Does the Minister not recognise that we are in the process of destroying our universities through swingeing cuts to their staff that have been occasioned by their financial distress? A denuded universities sector will not be attractive to foreign students. Moreover, the present conditions of service of university staff deter people from joining the academic profession.

Does the Minister not recognise that we are in the process of destroying our universities through swingeing cuts to their staff that have been occasioned by their financial distress? A denuded universities sector will not be attractive to foreign students. Moreover, the present conditions of service of university staff deter people from joining the academic profession.

The Minister is doubtless aware that the pension fund of university lecturers is mainly invested in Thames Water. Traditionally, the munificence of the university pension scheme was regarded as a compensation for penurious academic salaries. Is the Minister aware of how difficult it will now be to attract people of talent into the profession, given the collapse of the pension scheme?

The Minister is doubtless aware that the pension fund of university lecturers is mainly invested in Thames Water. Traditionally, the munificence of the university pension scheme was regarded as a compensation for penurious academic salaries. Is the Minister aware of how difficult it will now be to attract people of talent into the profession, given the collapse of the pension scheme?

My Lords, is the Minister aware of the extent of a stratagem whereby companies have acquired freeholds with the intention of removing the leaseholder occupants by undertaking works on the properties that the leaseholders cannot possibly afford to pay for? By these means the freeholder expects to compel the occupants to sell up. What redress is there against this stratagem?

My Lords, is the Minister aware of the extent of a stratagem whereby companies have acquired freeholds with the intention of removing the leaseholder occupants by undertaking works on the properties that the leaseholders cannot possibly afford to pay for? By these means the freeholder expects to compel the occupants to sell up. What redress is there against this stratagem?

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Several projects aimed at developing advanced fourth-generation modular reactors are under way in the UK, but they are wilting through a lack of the support that should be forthcoming from the

Government. They require licences and test facilities in order to prove their designs. All the leading projects are seeking foreign affiliations and may be lost to this nation. Would the Government be happy to rely on foreign enterprises to provide the next generation of nuclear technology, to the detriment of our own nuclear industry?

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Several projects aimed at developing advanced fourth-generation modular reactors are under way in the UK, but they are wilting through a lack of the support that should be forthcoming from the

Government. They require licences and test facilities in order to prove their designs. All the leading projects are seeking foreign affiliations and may be lost to this nation. Would the Government be happy to rely on foreign enterprises to provide the next generation of nuclear technology, to the detriment of our own nuclear industry?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assistance they provide to the developers of advanced modular reactors to enable them to conduct criticality tests.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assistance they provide to the developers of advanced modular reactors to enable them to conduct criticality tests.

My Lords, I understand that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the United Arab Emirates to provide it with nuclear technology; if we do not provide it with that technology, the Russians most certainly will. The technology will be of no use unless there are trained personnel to mediate it. Do we intend to train those UAE personnel? If so, where and when should the training begin?

My Lords, I understand that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the United Arab Emirates to provide it with nuclear technology; if we do not provide it with that technology, the Russians most certainly will. The technology will be of no use unless there are trained personnel to mediate it. Do we intend to train those UAE personnel? If so, where and when should the training begin?

Is the Minister not aware that freeholders are frequently motivated to consolidate the ownership of their properties by driving the leaseholders into unsustainable debt, by dint of exorbitant service charges?

Is the Minister not aware that freeholders are frequently motivated to consolidate the ownership of their properties by driving the leaseholders into unsustainable debt, by dint of exorbitant service charges?