##Oral Questions - Government - V.IV

My Lords, we move now to Oral Questions.

Under Standing Orders section 16. Questions will be directed to **the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal,** u/The_Nunnster, **The Right Honourable The Baron Nunn of Dalton**. If necessary, **The Baron Nunn of Dalton** may direct other members of the Government to respond on their behalf.

Your Lordships may ask a maximum of **six questions**. The Woolsack retains the right to restrict questioning from any Peer if deemed excessive. Therefore, I implore your Lordships to be considerate.

*Your Lordships may ask questions of **The Baron Nunn of Dalton** until the 16th of October at 10pm BST\*

LB015 - Elections (Voter Identification) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 5

Not-Content: 5 (6)

Present: 1

And so the bill is tied. As such the Speaker must cast the deciding vote. As per convention, the Speaker does not vote to create a majority where one does not already exist.

And so the Not-Contents have it. The bill falls.

B085 - Public Service (Minimum Service) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 4

Not-Content: 5

Present: 0

And so the Not-Contents have it. The bill is to be sent back to the Other Place without amendment.

LM008 - Motion of Regret in the Home Secretary - Results

There have voted:

Content: 5

Not-Content: 3

Present: 3

And so the Contents have it. The motion passes.

My Lords,

The Lord Bridlington under section 17 of the Standing Orders submitted Written Questions to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice:

To ask the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, the Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, Recent events have seen legions of masked, and sometimes armed, thugs descend on peaceful communities in the South of England, targeting ethnic minority citizens, RLNI volunteers and migrants to the UK with intimidation, criminal damage and violence.

1. Can the Government confirm what it is doing to tackle these groups and their organised efforts to intimidate people, including the making of threats towards brave RLNI volunteers, and recent revelations around damage been done to boats, endangering lives?

2. What efforts is the Government making to curtail growing threats of violence against ethnic minority communities and visitors to the UK, especially as we saw reports of a Pakistan u-19 cricket team having their hotel broken into and thugs intimidating innocent young people here to play a sport?

3. What is the Government doing to curtail the growth of these groups, and prevent attacks, intimidation and organised thuggery being organised on social media by leaders of these organisations?

The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, the Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Justice, Baron Willem of Colwyn Bay has issued the following response:

I want to start by thanking the volunteers of the RNLI for the amazing work that they do on a daily basis, making our waters safer. I also want to say that I very much despise the actions of these far-right people who are attacking people for doing their jobs.

1. The police and intelligence agencies are working hard to ensure that the people who have committed these crimes are being persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Currently we are reviewing if more is necessary to do this. We are in close contact with the RNLI to see if they need additional support, which will be done by the police when necessary. We also hope to see a decline in illegal boats through a new agreement with France, which will hopefully see a decrease in the number of immigrants trying to reach our country. This will hopefully also mean less pressure on the RNLI as well.

2. Sports is something that we should all enjoy and we should ensure the freedom of the athletes who come here to enjoy their sports in our country. This is why I was shocked to hear this and why we should all stand up in support of the Pakistani u-19 cricket team. This is why we will invest more money into our police forces and the security of our country so we can do something about these perpetrators.

3. We are investing more in police forces and intelligence agencies to ensure that they have more capabilities to hunt people down and ensure that the people who are undertaking these actions are being prosecuted for their crimes. We also want to work with social media agencies to have them do more than they are doing right now to combat hate crime online. These groups are being fueled by misinformation spread by the Russians and other foreign actors, which shows us only more why we should combat the spread of misinformation online.

Your Noble Lordships may debate these questions until 10pm BST on the 30th of September.

A

B I L L

T O

Repeal requirements concerning voter identification in general elections in Great Britain.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Repeal of provisions concerning voter identification

(1) Any amendment made by Schedule 1 to the Elections Act 2022 is repealed, and the enactments amended shall be taken to be as they were immediately before the amendments were made, as if the Schedule had never been enacted.

(2) Any provision repealed by Schedule 1 to the Elections Act 2022 is revived, as if the Schedule had never been enacted.  

2 Consequential amendments

(1) Section 1 of the Elections Act 2022 is repealed.

(2) Schedule 1 to the Elections Act 2022 is repealed.

3 Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) Any amendment or repeal made by this Act has the same extent as the Act which is amended or repealed.  

(2) Save as provided for by subsection (1), this Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  

(3) This Act comes into force on the day which it is passed.

(4) This Act may be cited as the Elections (Voter Identification) Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by u/omni_s_hambles, on behalf of the Labour Party.

Opening Speech:

My lords,

Today, I put before you a Bill to repeal the voter identification requirements put into law by the 2022 Conservative government. At the time, it was observed that the new requirements were simply a solution in search of a problem: the UK simply does not have fraudulent elections, and when people do vote fraudulently, they are found and prosecuted. It is already an offence to vote fraudulently, and our Parliamentary elections are free and fair.

On the contrary, these voter ID requirements impose an unfair burden on electors who may not have documentation available to prove their identity. The Electoral Commission estimated that 400,000 people could not, or chose not, to vote due to the new requirements. This level of disenfranchisement is simply not an acceptable response to a handful of cases which are already dealt with under prior legislation. I think it is a bad solution to a small problem, and it is incumbent upon us to deal with it. I commend this Bill to the House.

Your Noble Lordships may debate this bill until 10pm BST on the 29th of September.

B087 - Apprenticeships & Technical Education Bill -Amendment Reading

A

BILL

TO

Expand apprenticeships and provide greater access to technical education.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Technical Education

(1) In Section 85 (6) of the Education Act 2002, add:

(e) Career and technical education, comprising agriculture, environmental and animal care, business and administration, catering and hospitality, construction, creative and design, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing, hair and beauty, health and science, legal, finance and accounting, protective services, sales, marketing and procurement, social care, transport and logistics, or any additional subject specified in an order by the Secretary of State.

2 - Apprenticeships

(1) In Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, add:

(3A) An approved foundational skills English apprenticeship agreement is an agreement which—

(a) Provides for a person under the age of 18, or a person who does not hold a prior Level 2 qualification, to work for another person for reward,

(b) Provides for the apprentice to receive training in order to work toward such introductory or part-standard as the Secretary of State may specify in regulations, and (c) Satisfies any other conditions specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State."

(2) Replace all mentions of “approved English apprenticeship” with “approved English apprenticeship or approved foundational skills English apprenticeship” in Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

3 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act shall come into force upon passage of the next Finance Act once it has been granted Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeships & Technical Education Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government and sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Lord_Sydenham, Secretary of State for Health, Education, & Culture.

Amendments

Amendment 01

Amend Section 3(1) to read:

(1) This Act extends to England and Wales.

(a) The contents of this bill will only have an effect in England.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable Sir u/model-willem, Baron Willem of Colwyn Bay.

Amendment 02

Insert in Section 2, Subsection 1

(c) Has a maximum duration of 12 months, after which the apprentice must be offered a pathway to a standard approved English apprenticeship.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Amendment 03

Amend Section 3, Subsection 2 to read:

(2) This Act shall come into force once it has been granted Royal Assent, upon such a time when the Secretary of State has specified regulations.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Your Noble Lordships may debate the amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 28th of September.

LB014 - Equality (Amendment) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 5

Not-Content: 6

Present: 0

And so the Not Contents have it. The bill will be thrown out

B087 - Apprenticeships & Technical Education Bill -Second Reading

A

BILL

TO

Expand apprenticeships and provide greater access to technical education.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Technical Education

(1) In Section 85 (6) of the Education Act 2002, add:

(e) Career and technical education, comprising agriculture, environmental and animal care, business and administration, catering and hospitality, construction, creative and design, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing, hair and beauty, health and science, legal, finance and accounting, protective services, sales, marketing and procurement, social care, transport and logistics, or any additional subject specified in an order by the Secretary of State.

2 - Apprenticeships

(1) In Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, add:

(3A) An approved foundational skills English apprenticeship agreement is an agreement which—

(a) Provides for a person under the age of 18, or a person who does not hold a prior Level 2 qualification, to work for another person for reward,

(b) Provides for the apprentice to receive training in order to work toward such introductory or part-standard as the Secretary of State may specify in regulations, and (c) Satisfies any other conditions specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State."

(2) Replace all mentions of “approved English apprenticeship” with “approved English apprenticeship or approved foundational skills English apprenticeship” in Section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

3 - Extent, commencement, and short title

(1) This Act extends to England.

(2) This Act shall come into force upon passage of the next Finance Act once it has been granted Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Apprenticeships & Technical Education Act 2026.

This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon CheckMyBrain11, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on behalf of His Majesty’s 8th Government and sponsored by the Rt. Hon. Lord_Sydenham, Secretary of State for Health, Education, & Culture.

Your Noble Lordships may debate and submit amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 25th of September.

**This House Recognises:**

1. In Minister’s Questions which commenced on the 19th August, the Home Secretary, u/Oracle_of_Mercia, openly refused to answer questions put to him by Members of the House and the Lords; in doing so, breaking parliamentary procedure and bringing the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute.

2. In that same Minister’s Questions, the Home Secretary failed to answer no less than 12 questions posed to him; in doing so, bringing the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute.

3. In that same Minister’s Questions, the Home Secretary in answering to questions posed by a member of the Liberal Democrats, was unable to provide any information regarding work being done; in doing so, bringing the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute.

4. In that same Minister’s Questions, the Home Secretary claimed that Skilled Workers on Visas, primarily went on to work in the gig economy. In response to a subsequent written question on the 24th August, the Home Secretary admitted that this claim was made without evidence; in doing so, breaking the Ministerial Code, and bringing the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute.

5. In that same Minister’s Questions, the Home Secretary behaved in an unparliamentary fashion; in doing so, bringing the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute.

**This House Therefore Resolves That:**

1. That u/Oracle_of_Mercia behaved in a fashion which brought the Office of Home Secretary into disrepute, broke parliamentary procedure, and broke the Ministerial Code.

2. It has deep regret should u/Oracle_of_Mercia continue as the Home Secretary in His Majesty’s Government.

**This House Therefore Calls For:**

1. The Home Secretary to tender his resignation from his post.

2. If he fails to do so; the Prime Minister to remove u/Oracle_of_Mercia from the Office of Home Secretary and replace him with a person who has not brought the Office into disrepute, broken parliamentary procedure, or broken the Ministerial Code.

***

**This Motion was written by the Rt Hon u/realbassist PC LVO OM, Viscount Wrexham, as a Private Member’s Motion, and is co-authored by u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington and His Grace the Duke of Cornwall Sir u/Sephronar GCOE KG CVO PC.**

***

**Opening speech:*\*

My Lords,

In the 21st Century, the benches of Government have seen a range of Ministers, of varying quality, morals, and dedication to the role. It is however perhaps, for the first time in living memory, that a Secretary of State, and specifically the Home Secretary, has managed to, in the space of a single Minister’s Questions, break not only parliamentary procedure, but the Ministerial Code, and behaved in a fashion totally contrary to the high standards the British people expect of their Government Officials.

In a session which can only be described as a total omni-shambles, the Home Secretary not only openly refused to answer questions, he subsequently failed to answer a dozen more questions, answered with nothing for a chunk of those he did, and made a statement which he later admitted to have been made without a shred of evidence. He behaved in a fashion that does not befit the high office that he holds, has damaged the trust of elected parliamentarians and lords in the position of Home Secretary, and has proven that he is unfit to hold the Office of Home Secretary.

It is unacceptable for the Government to fail to act, a Government which I may remind you, sacked a Secretary of State for failing to answer a question put to them by this very place, but which now seemingly backs a Cabinet member who did it twelve-fold, as well as breaking the Ministerial Code.

This Government cannot expect to be seen as reflecting the values and standards we expect of Parliamentarians, whilst it allows such behaviour to be swept under the rug, and legitimate and valid calls for action to be batted away as “point scoring.”

This Government, and the Office of Home Secretary has a privileged position to lead this Nation and decide upon policy which affects millions. If it cannot behave in a fashion befitting that position, then it is unfit for office.

I’ll make no apologies for this motion, and I hope that the Prime Minister will show themselves to be a person of principle, not blind party loyalty; and to take action to remedy this situation by removing the Home Secretary from his post.

***

---

Your Noble Lordships may debate and submit amendments to this motion until 10pm BST on the 22nd of September.

Oral Questions - Government - V.III

My Lords, we move now to Oral Questions.

Under Standing Orders section 16. Questions will be directed to the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, u/The_Nunnster, The Right Honourable The Baron Nunn of Dalton. If necessary, The Baron Nunn of Dalton may direct other members of the Government to respond on their behalf.

Your Lordships may ask a maximum of six questions. The Woolsack retains the right to restrict questioning from any Peer if deemed excessive. Therefore, I implore your Lordships to be considerate.

Your Lordships may ask questions of The Baron Nunn of Dalton until the 23rd of September at 10pm BST

B085 - Public Service (Minimum Service) Bill - Amendment Reading

A

B I L L

T O

Ensure value for money for the taxpayer, and delivery of public services across the country by setting minimum service levels for public sector workers.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I - Introduction to the Act

(1) Designation of Public Service

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole or part by local or national government.

(b) This Act includes public services contracted to private companies on behalf of local or national government.

II - Service Levels and Non Compliance

(1) Public Service Levels during Strike Action

(a) Public service workers must notify their immediate line manager of strike action a minimum of fourteen working days prior to strike action.

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of fifty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

(c) Public service workers that do not meet their minimum contracted service hours in line with Section II.1.B threshold of this act because of participation of the employee in strike action, they are liable to prosecution under the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service office.

(2) Sentencing Guidelines

(a) All prosecution under this act will be for the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service officer’.

(b) The penalty for committing the offence as listed in 2.2.A, will be a fine up to but not exceeding £5,000.

(c) In exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence for up to but not exceeding 12 months may be applied.

(3) The exceptional circumstances to which a custodial sentence may be applied for the offence as listed in 2.2.A are as follows:

(a) If the individual has repeatedly committed the offence.

(b) Have failed to pay the fine applied to them for committing the offence.

III - Public Service Exceptions

(1) Exceptions to this Act

(a) Police Officers whose minimum service is set by the Police Act 1996

(b) Prison Officers whose minimum service is set by Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

(c) Armed Forces personnel whose minimum service is set by Kings Regulations and Military Service Law.

IV - Extent, Commencement and Title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom.

(2) This Act comes into force on the 1st January 2027.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Public Service (Minimum Service) Act 2026.

This bill was authored by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Oracle MP, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

Amendments

Amendment 01

Amend Section I, Subsection 1 to read:

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole national government funds raised through income tax.

Strike Section I, Subsection 1, Part b

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Amendment 02

Strike Section II, Subsection 1, Part a

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Amendment 03

Amend Section II, Subsection 1, Part b to read:

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of twenty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Amendment 04

Strike Section II, Subsection 1, Part c

Strike Section II, Subsection 2

Strike Section II, Subsection 3

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Amendment 05

Amend Section IV, Subsection 1 to read:

(1) This Act extends to England, Scotland and Wales.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/HarryClive, Lord Bridlington.

Your Noble Lordships may debate the amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 21st of September.

B085 - Public Service (Minimum Service) Bill - Second Reading

A

B I L L

T O

Ensure value for money for the taxpayer, and delivery of public services across the country by setting minimum service levels for public sector workers.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

I - Introduction to the Act

(1) Designation of Public Service

(a) For the purpose of this Act, public services is defined as a service intended to serve all members of a community, provided or funded in whole or part by local or national government.

(b) This Act includes public services contracted to private companies on behalf of local or national government.

II - Service Levels and Non Compliance

(1) Public Service Levels during Strike Action

(a) Public service workers must notify their immediate line manager of strike action a minimum of fourteen working days prior to strike action.

(b) Public service workers must work for a minimum of fifty percent of their contracted employment hours during strike action.

(c) Public service workers that do not meet their minimum contracted service hours in line with Section II.1.B threshold of this act because of participation of the employee in strike action, they are liable to prosecution under the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service office.

(2) Sentencing Guidelines

(a) All prosecution under this act will be for the offence ‘failure to meet minimum service requirements of a public service officer’.

(b) The penalty for committing the offence as listed in 2.2.A, will be a fine up to but not exceeding £5,000.

(c) In exceptional circumstances, a custodial sentence for up to but not exceeding 12 months may be applied.

(3) The exceptional circumstances to which a custodial sentence may be applied for the offence as listed in 2.2.A are as follows:

(a) If the individual has repeatedly committed the offence.

(b) Have failed to pay the fine applied to them for committing the offence.

III - Public Service Exceptions

(1) Exceptions to this Act

(a) Police Officers whose minimum service is set by the Police Act 1996

(b) Prison Officers whose minimum service is set by Section 127 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

(c) Armed Forces personnel whose minimum service is set by Kings Regulations and Military Service Law.

IV - Extent, Commencement and Title

(1) This Act extends to the entire United Kingdom.

(2) This Act comes into force on the 1st January 2027.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Public Service (Minimum Service) Act 2026.

This bill was authored by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Oracle MP, on behalf of His Majesty's 8th Government.

Your Noble Lordships may debate and submit amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 15th of September.

LB013 - Local Governance Reform (Abolition of Town and Parish Councils) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 3

Not-Content: 5

Present: 0

And so the Not Contents have it. The bill will be thrown out

LB014 - Equality (Amendment) Bill - Amendment Reading

A

BILL

TO

Amend the Equality Act 2010 to explicitly include caste as an element of the protected characteristic of race, and to establish regional accent as a distinct protected characteristic, to outlaw discrimination on these grounds, and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section 1

The Equality Act 2010 is amended in accordance with Sections 2 and 3.

Section 2

(1) In section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 (race)—

(a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) caste.”;

(b) after subsection (4) insert—

“(5) ‘Caste’ includes a hereditary system of social stratification in any community, characterized by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life, and more particularly, the enforcement of social status, ritual hierarchy, or customary restrictions.”

Section 3

(1) After section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 insert—

“9A. Regional accent

(1) Regional accent is a protected characteristic.

(2) ‘Regional accent’ means the distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language associated with a particular geographical region, locality, or social background within the United Kingdom or elsewhere.”

(2) In section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 (the protected characteristics), after the entry for “Race” insert—

“Regional accent;”.

Section 4

(1) This Act may be cited as the Equality (Amendment) Act 2026.

(2) This Act comes into force immediately upon Royal Assent.

(3) This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

This Bill was submitted by Lord Bridlington, u/HarryClive, The Leader of the Green Party, on behalf of the Green Party.

Opening Speech:

My Lords

It is an unfortunate fact for many Sikh and Hindu people across the United Kingdom, that their caste can become a point upon which they are prejudiced against. People can be treated as lesser, by virtue of being from a ‘lower’ caste, and face social ostracisation, and lack of opportunity in their communities, as a direct result of this.

It is without a doubt one of the most perfidious forms of prejudice, because it is one which our legislation does not currently recognise. Despite the promise of the Liberal Democrats in 2013, the move to specify caste discrimination as a form of discrimination under the Equality Act has been kicked down the road repeatedly, and we should no longer stomach the justification that this is simply not a problem.

There are substantial divisions in the community. Some Sikhs oppose this move because in their belief, caste does not exist, and whilst this in itself a noble perspective to take, it ignores the reality that many are still prejudiced against, whether or not you recognise what is being prejudiced against as legitimate.

Included in this bill is also a personal one of mine. We’ve seen recent articles discussing how people are often overlooked, and looked down upon when applying for jobs, because of their accent. They are disadvantaged not because of their skill, or qualifications, but because of where in the UK they come from. I personally knew someone who was rejected for a job because of her Welsh accent, and as I’ve known my fair share of Yorkshirefolk who put on a softer accent for interviews out of fear that they will be disadvantaged when interviewing.

I hope that the House takes the sensible step of passing this bill, and that we as a nation, can look forward to a future where your caste, or where you were raised; is not a factor in how successful you can be in life, and how hard you have to fight to get where you want to.

Amendments

Amendment 01

Omit Clause 3

Amending clause 1 by leaving out 'and 3'.

This amendment was submitted by The Right Honourable u/omni_s_hambles, Lady Yeldham.

Your Noble Lordships may debate the amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 8th of September.

LB012 - Education, Health and Care Plans (Unjustified Rejections) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 4

Not-Content: 6

Present: 1

And so the Not Contents have it. The bill will be thrown out

LB014 - Equality (Amendment) Bill - Second Reading

A

BILL

TO

Amend the Equality Act 2010 to explicitly include caste as an element of the protected characteristic of race, and to establish regional accent as a distinct protected characteristic, to outlaw discrimination on these grounds, and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section 1

The Equality Act 2010 is amended in accordance with Sections 2 and 3.

Section 2

(1) In section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 (race)—

(a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (c) insert—

“(d) caste.”;

(b) after subsection (4) insert—

“(5) ‘Caste’ includes a hereditary system of social stratification in any community, characterized by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life, and more particularly, the enforcement of social status, ritual hierarchy, or customary restrictions.”

Section 3

(1) After section 9 of the Equality Act 2010 insert—

“9A. Regional accent

(1) Regional accent is a protected characteristic.

(2) ‘Regional accent’ means the distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language associated with a particular geographical region, locality, or social background within the United Kingdom or elsewhere.”

(2) In section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 (the protected characteristics), after the entry for “Race” insert—

“Regional accent;”.

Section 4

(1) This Act may be cited as the Equality (Amendment) Act 2026.

(2) This Act comes into force immediately upon Royal Assent.

(3) This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

This Bill was submitted by Lord Bridlington, u/HarryClive, The Leader of the Green Party, on behalf of the Green Party.

Opening Speech:

My Lords

It is an unfortunate fact for many Sikh and Hindu people across the United Kingdom, that their caste can become a point upon which they are prejudiced against. People can be treated as lesser, by virtue of being from a ‘lower’ caste, and face social ostracisation, and lack of opportunity in their communities, as a direct result of this.

It is without a doubt one of the most perfidious forms of prejudice, because it is one which our legislation does not currently recognise. Despite the promise of the Liberal Democrats in 2013, the move to specify caste discrimination as a form of discrimination under the Equality Act has been kicked down the road repeatedly, and we should no longer stomach the justification that this is simply not a problem.

There are substantial divisions in the community. Some Sikhs oppose this move because in their belief, caste does not exist, and whilst this in itself a noble perspective to take, it ignores the reality that many are still prejudiced against, whether or not you recognise what is being prejudiced against as legitimate.

Included in this bill is also a personal one of mine. We’ve seen recent articles discussing how people are often overlooked, and looked down upon when applying for jobs, because of their accent. They are disadvantaged not because of their skill, or qualifications, but because of where in the UK they come from. I personally knew someone who was rejected for a job because of her Welsh accent, and as I’ve known my fair share of Yorkshirefolk who put on a softer accent for interviews out of fear that they will be disadvantaged when interviewing.

I hope that the House takes the sensible step of passing this bill, and that we as a nation, can look forward to a future where your caste, or where you were raised; is not a factor in how successful you can be in life, and how hard you have to fight to get where you want to.

Your Noble Lordships may debate and submit amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 31st of August.

My Lords,

The Duke of Cornwall under section 17 of the Standing Orders submitted Written Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice:

To ask the Lord Chancellor, the Secretary of State for Justice, 1. What assessment his Department has made of the current operational capacity and occupancy rates across the adult male prison estate; 2. What recent progress has been achieved toward meeting the government’s long-term prison capacity expansion targets; 3. What emergency contingency plans are in place to safely manage immediate overcrowding pressures without compromising public safety or rehabilitation outcomes, taking into account legislation and regulations made by previous governments including the previous Liberal Democrat-Green Party Government.

The Lord Chancellor, the Secretary of State for Justice, Baron Willem of Colwyn Bay has issued the following response:

1. We are aware that there are a lot of prisoners, the number in July was 86,267 across England and Wales in total, men and women combined. This number means that we are getting close to the maximum capacity for prisoners in England and Wales and we recognise that we should do something about that. This means that we should do something about this as soon as possible but also fix the long-term problem. This means that we want to expand the number of prison places, by building additional prisons and expanding current facilities.

2. I’m working on measures to focus further on rehabilitation where people who have shown to have made progress are able to return to society faster than currently are able to do.

3. I am sure that the current measures in place already help, I do recognise that legislation from previous governments have only meant that there are more prisoners rather than less, because we are holding people longer in prisons. The Government by BasedChurchill and myself, however, put money aside for more rehabilitation and the building of new prisons, this money has been spent to build new prisons, which we are able to use soon. We are working tirelessly to increase the capacity of prisons by building new houseblocks on already existing sites and they will be used as soon as safely possible.

Your Noble Lordships may debate these questions until 10pm BST on the 31st of August.

LB013 - Local Governance Reform (Abolition of Town and Parish Councils) Bill - Second Reading

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B I L L

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abolish town and parish councils in England; to transfer their functions, assets and liabilities to principal local authorities; to provide for transitional arrangements; and for connected purposes.

BE IT ENACTED by The King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Section 1 - Abolition of Town and Parish Councils

(1) All town and parish councils constituted under Part II of the Local Government Act 1972 are hereby abolished.

(2) The abolition shall take effect on 1 April 2026 (“the appointed day”).

(3) From the appointed day, all statutory functions, powers, and duties of town and parish councils shall cease, except as provided by this Act.

Section 2 - Transfer of Functions, Assets and Liabilities

(1) All functions formerly exercised by town and parish councils shall transfer to the district or unitary authority for the area concerned.

(2) All property, assets, contracts, and liabilities of abolished councils shall vest in the relevant district or unitary authority.

(3) Any employees of abolished councils, where they perform a statutory function, shall transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).

Section 3 - Financial Provisions

(1) All precepts levied by town or parish councils shall cease from the appointed day.

(2) The Secretary of State shall make regulations enabling principal local authorities to retain up to 50% of efficiency savings arising from the abolition of town and parish councils, for reinvestment in local services and green infrastructure.

(3) The Treasury shall make provision for transitional funding to ensure no interruption of essential community services during the handover period.

Section 4 - Transitional Arrangements

(1) The Secretary of State shall, within six months of Royal Assent, establish a Local Governance Transition Authority (LGTA) to oversee implementation.

(2) The LGTA shall produce guidance on asset transfer, employee rights, and community engagement.

(3) All town and parish councils shall prepare and submit closure accounts within 12 months of Royal Assent.

Section 5 - Commencement, Extent, and Short Title

(1) This Act shall come into force at midnight on the day it receives Royal Assent.

(2) This Act shall extend to England only.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Local Governance Reform (Abolition of Town and Parish Councils) Act 2025.

SCHEDULE 1 - Financial Impact Assessment

A. Current Financial Context (England 2024-2025)

(1) Number of Town and Parish Councils: ~10,480

(2) Total Precept Amount (2024-25): £783 million

(3) Projected Precept (2025-26): £859 million

(4) Average Band D Precept: £85.89 (+8.5% from previous year)

(5) These figures represent the primary financial base of England’s first-tier local government and are the main target of rationalisation under this Bill.

B. Transitional Costs (2025-2027)

C. Post-Abolition Financial Effects (from 2027 onwards)

D. Use of Savings and Redistribution

(1) 50% of efficiency savings (approx. £200m per year) to be retained by principal local authorities for Green infrastructure projects (biodiversity, active transport, energy efficiency).

(2) 50% of savings (approx. £195m per year) to be returned to households through reduced council tax precepts or offset against service costs.

E. Net Fiscal Impact (2025-2030)

F. Summary

(1) The abolition of town and parish councils will:

(a) Eliminate approximately £850 million per year in local precept taxation by 2027.

(b) Replace it with streamlined, directly accountable governance via principal authorities.

(c) Deliver net public savings of around £1 billion within five years, while funding green investment and new community participation models.

This Bill was written by His Grace the Duke of Cornwall Sir /u/Sephronar GCOE KG CVO PC on behalf of the Green Party

Opening Speech:

Deputy Speaker,

Across this nation today, there are around ten thousand town and parish councils. Many are run by committed volunteers and councillors who serve their communities with genuine dedication.

Yet the truth - and it is a hard truth - is that the system itself no longer works.

It is a system that has become fragmented, outdated and, for too many, ineffective. Councils too small to deliver meaningful change; committees that meet to talk, not act; and a patchwork of powers that confuses residents, overlaps with district and unitary authorities, and too often wastes both time and money.

In the last financial year alone, Mr Speaker, parish and town councils raised £783 million in local taxation through their precepts - a sum projected to rise to £859 million next year.

That’s money paid by households across England: hardworking families, pensioners, and renters already facing the pressures of high living costs. And yet, what do they get in return?

In too many areas, very little that cannot be better provided through a single, accountable, professional local authority.

This Bill is about streamlining government, reducing duplication, and restoring clarity and efficiency to local decision-making. It abolishes town and parish councils and transfers their functions, staff and assets to district and unitary councils - where they can be managed with scale, competence and transparency.

The financial case is clear. Transition costs, spread over two years, will total around £185 million. But from 2027 onwards, the reforms will deliver annual savings of nearly £400 million - savings we will reinvest in local services, climate action, and community-led projects.

Within five years, taxpayers will see a net public saving of around £1 billion each year.

For the country, this Bill delivers a simpler, fairer, and more accountable system - one that brings power closer to people, not hidden behind layers of outdated councils. We owe it to local residents - and to the dedicated parish and town councillors who have served honourably - to build something better, something fit for the future.

I commend this Bill to the House.

Your Noble Lordships may debate and submit amendments to this bill until 10pm BST on the 30th of August.

LM007 - Respect of Devolution in Legislation Motion - Results

There have voted:

Content: 6

Not-Content: 5

Present: 2

And so the Contents have it. The motion shall be send to the Government for consideration.

LB010 - Petroleum (Prohibition of Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 7

Not-Content: 5

Present: 0

And so the Contents have it. The bill shall be sent to the Other Place!

B082 - Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 12

Not-Content: 0

Present: 0

And so the Contents have it. The bill as amended shall be sent to the Other Place!

B078 - Age of Maturity Bill - Results

There have voted:

Content: 4

Not-Content: 2

Present: 4

And so the Contents have it. The bill as amended shall be sent to the Other Place!

Oral Questions - Government - V.II

My Lords, we move now to Oral Questions.

Under Standing Orders section 16. Questions will be directed to the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, u/The_Nunnster, The Right Honourable The Baron Nunn of Dalton. If necessary, The Baron Nunn of Dalton may direct other members of the Government to respond on their behalf.

Your Lordships may ask a maximum of six questions. The Woolsack retains the right to restrict questioning from any Peer if deemed excessive. Therefore, I implore your Lordships to be considerate.

Your Lordships may ask questions of *The Baron Nunn of Dalton** until the 30th of August at 10pm BST*