To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb col 2), how many Fracture Liaison Services are there between the 23 reconfigured Integrated Care Boards which have these services; how many of those services were operating before July 2024; and how many have...

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Merron on 6 July (HL Deb col 2), how many Fracture Liaison Services are there between the 23 reconfigured Integrated Care Boards which have these services; how many of those services were operating before July 2024; and how many have...

My Lords, I warmly welcome this devolution of power. In declaring my interest as chair of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, I ask my noble friend if he shares my concern about the impact of disinformation, especially from the United States of America, on reduced visitor figures to London this year. Will he also join me in welcoming the campaign of my newly ennobled friend the Mayor of London to showcase our wonderful city and tackle this online disinformation?

My Lords, I warmly welcome this devolution of power. In declaring my interest as chair of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, I ask my noble friend if he shares my concern about the impact of disinformation, especially from the United States of America, on reduced visitor figures to London this year. Will he also join me in welcoming the campaign of my newly ennobled friend the Mayor of London to showcase our wonderful city and tackle this online disinformation?

My Lords, like my noble friend, I pay my respects to Ann Widdecombe and her family. She was an extraordinary woman. Like my noble friend, I did not agree with her, but I respected her. I associate myself with the comments that have been made about respecting politics, and the...

My Lords, like my noble friend, I pay my respects to Ann Widdecombe and her family. She was an extraordinary woman. Like my noble friend, I did not agree with her, but I respected her. I associate myself with the comments that have been made about respecting politics, and the...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what recent progress they have made towards developing safe refugee routes for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what recent progress they have made towards developing safe refugee routes for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

My Lords, I am delighted to hear that there is progress and that the Government are determined that the scheme should be in operation by the next academic year. However, I ask my noble friend for his assurance that those students who might be able to take up the offer being provided by the Government, and who meet the criteria and have scholarships, will know that they will be able to take up the places by 2027. Further, is the Home Office consulting with UUK to ensure that universities are not overburdened by whatever scheme is put in place?

My Lords, I am delighted to hear that there is progress and that the Government are determined that the scheme should be in operation by the next academic year. However, I ask my noble friend for his assurance that those students who might be able to take up the offer being provided by the Government, and who meet the criteria and have scholarships, will know that they will be able to take up the places by 2027. Further, is the Home Office consulting with UUK to ensure that universities are not overburdened by whatever scheme is put in place?

My Lords, I understand that many of the responses to messages that are put out on X come from bots, and they foment social and civil unrest. What are the Government doing to try to deal with these bots? They really are dangerous to our society.

My Lords, I understand that many of the responses to messages that are put out on X come from bots, and they foment social and civil unrest. What are the Government doing to try to deal with these bots? They really are dangerous to our society.

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, raised a very important question to do with the quashing of convictions, and I am delighted and very proud that the Government are dealing with the quashing of convictions for prostitution. However, there are other offences which, in the view of many people,...

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, raised a very important question to do with the quashing of convictions, and I am delighted and very proud that the Government are dealing with the quashing of convictions for prostitution. However, there are other offences which, in the view of many people,...

My Lords, like many in this House, I had the privilege of knowing Jo. Ten years on from that devastating loss, I pay my respects and send my condolences to her remarkable family, who have shown such strength and courage. We know that this week will be particularly challenging for...

My Lords, like many in this House, I had the privilege of knowing Jo. Ten years on from that devastating loss, I pay my respects and send my condolences to her remarkable family, who have shown such strength and courage. We know that this week will be particularly challenging for...

My Lords, what a glorious way to finish; I thank my noble friend the Minister. To think that we are a unifying force—that is a wonderful way to finish; I thank her so much. I am also grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed to this debate for sharing...

My Lords, what a glorious way to finish; I thank my noble friend the Minister. To think that we are a unifying force—that is a wonderful way to finish; I thank her so much. I am also grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed to this debate for sharing...

Lords motion to take note of the Government's steps to strengthen communities and implement the recommendations of the Jo Cox Civility Commission 10 years on from her murder.

Lords motion to take note of the Government's steps to strengthen communities and implement the recommendations of the Jo Cox Civility Commission 10 years on from her murder.

My Lords, I warmly welcome the Government’s £42 million investment in the TRANSFORM trials, and I am extremely grateful. AI MRI tools are often trained on populations that underrepresent Black men, and they are at double the

risk of prostate cancer. Will the Government require AI diagnostic tools to be independently validated on diverse populations before wider NHS use?

My Lords, I warmly welcome the Government’s £42 million investment in the TRANSFORM trials, and I am extremely grateful. AI MRI tools are often trained on populations that underrepresent Black men, and they are at double the

risk of prostate cancer. Will the Government require AI diagnostic tools to be independently validated on diverse populations before wider NHS use?

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for initiating this debate, but he would not expect me to agree with him on every point he has made. I remind the noble Lord that it was years of austerity that helped to undermine the money going to...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, for initiating this debate, but he would not expect me to agree with him on every point he has made. I remind the noble Lord that it was years of austerity that helped to undermine the money going to...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a trustee of the charity Full Fact, which produced an annual report this week entitled A System Under Strain: Strengthening the UK’s Democratic Information Environment. Would my noble friend the Minister agree that the UK needs to treat the information environment as critical democratic infrastructure? Would he further agree that this requires clearer institutional co-ordination, stronger accountability for platforms and AI systems, better visibility for high-quality public interest information, and investment in public resilience?

My Lords, I declare an interest as a trustee of the charity Full Fact, which produced an annual report this week entitled A System Under Strain: Strengthening the UK’s Democratic Information Environment. Would my noble friend the Minister agree that the UK needs to treat the information environment as critical democratic infrastructure? Would he further agree that this requires clearer institutional co-ordination, stronger accountability for platforms and AI systems, better visibility for high-quality public interest information, and investment in public resilience?

My Lords, like the noble Lord, I have not been a councillor, but I was married to one and am the mother of one. We have heard all the appalling facts and stats. As chair of the Jo Cox Foundation, I am deeply concerned about the impact that abuse and...

My Lords, like the noble Lord, I have not been a councillor, but I was married to one and am the mother of one. We have heard all the appalling facts and stats. As chair of the Jo Cox Foundation, I am deeply concerned about the impact that abuse and...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation from the UK’s National Screening Committee that there should only be a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer, as opposed to population screening.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation from the UK’s National Screening Committee that there should only be a targeted screening programme for prostate cancer, as opposed to population screening.

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that Answer; I think that I am pleased with it—I will have to think about it more fully. Given the known risk factor of family history when it comes to the likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, what are the Government doing to create a more specific definition of the term to enable better targeting of those men most at risk? I know it is important for hundreds of thousands of men up and down the country and their loved ones. My husband died of prostate cancer because it was diagnosed too late, and I have two sons.

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that Answer; I think that I am pleased with it—I will have to think about it more fully. Given the known risk factor of family history when it comes to the likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, what are the Government doing to create a more specific definition of the term to enable better targeting of those men most at risk? I know it is important for hundreds of thousands of men up and down the country and their loved ones. My husband died of prostate cancer because it was diagnosed too late, and I have two sons.

My Lords, it is an honour to speak in this debate on the gracious Speech and to follow the noble Lord. I must congratulate him on his collection of sanctions.

We live in a fragile world in which democracies and rights are being threatened. Currently, there are 116 million displaced people...

My Lords, it is an honour to speak in this debate on the gracious Speech and to follow the noble Lord. I must congratulate him on his collection of sanctions.

We live in a fragile world in which democracies and rights are being threatened. Currently, there are 116 million displaced people...

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Civil Society Council will maximise opportunities for civil society to contribute across government in relation to the environment and climate change.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Civil Society Council will maximise opportunities for civil society to contribute across government in relation to the environment and climate change.

My Lords, last year, OCHA and organisations on the ground working with the humanitarian aid agency reached 17 million people in Sudan. This year, the aim is to reach 20 million people. They do a fantastic job, working in great danger. Will my noble friend join me in paying tribute to their courage?

My Lords, last year, OCHA and organisations on the ground working with the humanitarian aid agency reached 17 million people in Sudan. This year, the aim is to reach 20 million people. They do a fantastic job, working in great danger. Will my noble friend join me in paying tribute to their courage?

My Lords, there can be no excuse for violence, but does my noble friend the Minister agree that there is an epidemic of loneliness in this country at the moment? Sometimes, individuals who spend a lot of time in their rooms alone are somehow encouraged to engage in violent acts. Does he further agree that perhaps it is time for the Government to renew their strategy on loneliness so that we can make a real inroad into this epidemic?

My Lords, there can be no excuse for violence, but does my noble friend the Minister agree that there is an epidemic of loneliness in this country at the moment? Sometimes, individuals who spend a lot of time in their rooms alone are somehow encouraged to engage in violent acts. Does he further agree that perhaps it is time for the Government to renew their strategy on loneliness so that we can make a real inroad into this epidemic?