To ask His Majesty's Government, under the new National Planning Policy Framework, where an authority does not have a five-year supply or scores below 75 per cent in its most recent Housing Delivery Test, under what conditions a need for additional housing would outweigh the requirement for affordable housing as defined...

To ask His Majesty's Government, under the new National Planning Policy Framework, where an authority does not have a five-year supply or scores below 75 per cent in its most recent Housing Delivery Test, under what conditions a need for additional housing would outweigh the requirement for affordable housing as defined...

Lords question for short debate on what assessment they have made of the economic benefits of giving sports clubs special enterprise zone status.

Lords question for short debate on what assessment they have made of the economic benefits of giving sports clubs special enterprise zone status.

My Lords, I had the privilege and honour of serving in the Blair Government under Richard Caborn and Tessa Jowell for five years and being in the private discussions around the Olympic legacy and the Olympic Park. The one thing more than anything that I took from that was that...

My Lords, I had the privilege and honour of serving in the Blair Government under Richard Caborn and Tessa Jowell for five years and being in the private discussions around the Olympic legacy and the Olympic Park. The one thing more than anything that I took from that was that...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Mann, makes a very good case and I hope that what I say is interpreted as supportive of it.

My support for Brighton and Hove Albion is well known, and I declare it as a relevant interest in this debate. In fact, I have often...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Mann, makes a very good case and I hope that what I say is interpreted as supportive of it.

My support for Brighton and Hove Albion is well known, and I declare it as a relevant interest in this debate. In fact, I have often...

My Lords, I thank the Grand Committee for allowing me to speak in the gap. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for this disappointingly short but important debate. It is important because it is clear how much sports clubs contribute to civil society, our health and our economy....

My Lords, I thank the Grand Committee for allowing me to speak in the gap. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for this disappointingly short but important debate. It is important because it is clear how much sports clubs contribute to civil society, our health and our economy....

My Lords, when I first saw the title of this debate, I immediately asked myself, which sports clubs? My reflex was to think of small amateur sports clubs, which are the backbone of many a social structure. They are microstructures for employment and so on. Then, after two seconds I...

My Lords, when I first saw the title of this debate, I immediately asked myself, which sports clubs? My reflex was to think of small amateur sports clubs, which are the backbone of many a social structure. They are microstructures for employment and so on. Then, after two seconds I...

My Lords, I am very pleased to respond to this QSD. I thank my noble friend Lord Mann for securing this debate and opening it—because it gives me an opportunity to talk about football, which is never a bad thing as far as I am concerned, but also because it...

My Lords, I am very pleased to respond to this QSD. I thank my noble friend Lord Mann for securing this debate and opening it—because it gives me an opportunity to talk about football, which is never a bad thing as far as I am concerned, but also because it...

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of the “well-connected stations” within the meaning of Policy S5(1)(h) and Annex B of the August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework; and, if not, why not.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of the “well-connected stations” within the meaning of Policy S5(1)(h) and Annex B of the August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework; and, if not, why not.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning policy safeguards existing and future on-site hospital helipad infrastructure and does not restrict its availability for 24/7 air ambulance operations.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning policy safeguards existing and future on-site hospital helipad infrastructure and does not restrict its availability for 24/7 air ambulance operations.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning policy maintains safeguards for existing and future on-site hospital helipad infrastructure, and does not restrict its availability for continuous air ambulance operations.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning policy maintains safeguards for existing and future on-site hospital helipad infrastructure, and does not restrict its availability for continuous air ambulance operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 118165 on the East West Rail Line business case, what progress her Department has made on (a) developing the business case and (b) refining the project; and when her Department expects planning...

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 118165 on the East West Rail Line business case, what progress her Department has made on (a) developing the business case and (b) refining the project; and when her Department expects planning...

Motion that this House has considered the potential merits of a full ban on fracking. Agreed to on question.

Motion that this House has considered the potential merits of a full ban on fracking. Agreed to on question.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the potential merits of a full ban on fracking.

I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for selecting this debate and giving me the opportunity to lead it. In December 2025, the Minister for Energy told this House that:

“the evidence base is...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the potential merits of a full ban on fracking.

I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for selecting this debate and giving me the opportunity to lead it. In December 2025, the Minister for Energy told this House that:

“the evidence base is...

Could the hon. Lady try to clarify that a little? Take an event with a seismicity of one—for ease of maths—with a hydraulic frack for the energy treasure of gas; how is that different from the seismicity of one on a geothermal site? It is the same seismicity. It is...

Could the hon. Lady try to clarify that a little? Take an event with a seismicity of one—for ease of maths—with a hydraulic frack for the energy treasure of gas; how is that different from the seismicity of one on a geothermal site? It is the same seismicity. It is...

I would like to clarify that. I am not suggesting that we should measure and judge these things by seismicity, because that is not something that can be predicted in advance. The point is that in one case fossil fuels are being extracted, but that is not the effect with...

I would like to clarify that. I am not suggesting that we should measure and judge these things by seismicity, because that is not something that can be predicted in advance. The point is that in one case fossil fuels are being extracted, but that is not the effect with...

North Yorkshire council’s planning committee rejected the Burniston site that the hon. Lady has mentioned not just on seismicity grounds, but because of issues of groundwater pollution, traffic and a whole range of other issues. Although these low-level fracking sites are technically legal, they still have a range of issues...

North Yorkshire council’s planning committee rejected the Burniston site that the hon. Lady has mentioned not just on seismicity grounds, but because of issues of groundwater pollution, traffic and a whole range of other issues. Although these low-level fracking sites are technically legal, they still have a range of issues...

I quite agree. The hon. Gentleman better explains the point that I was trying to make, which is that other issues, such as the potential for groundwater contamination, are different in the situation of fracking for fossil fuels.

Ministers tell us that the evidence base is not there to show that...

I quite agree. The hon. Gentleman better explains the point that I was trying to make, which is that other issues, such as the potential for groundwater contamination, are different in the situation of fracking for fossil fuels.

Ministers tell us that the evidence base is not there to show that...

Is it not true that fracking is a massive scar on the countryside and is far more visible and disruptive than, for example, an onshore wind turbine?

Is it not true that fracking is a massive scar on the countryside and is far more visible and disruptive than, for example, an onshore wind turbine?

Absolutely, and I was just about to come to that point. In many cases, the very same people who would argue for fracking would argue for fewer wind farms, solar farms and other renewable energy sources due to their blighting of the countryside. I ask those voices, how is fracking...

Absolutely, and I was just about to come to that point. In many cases, the very same people who would argue for fracking would argue for fewer wind farms, solar farms and other renewable energy sources due to their blighting of the countryside. I ask those voices, how is fracking...

I thank the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) for securing a debate on this important issue. I first became aware of small-scale fracking when Europa Oil & Gas applied to explore for gas at Burniston, a village just on the edge of the picturesque North York moors...

I thank the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) for securing a debate on this important issue. I first became aware of small-scale fracking when Europa Oil & Gas applied to explore for gas at Burniston, a village just on the edge of the picturesque North York moors...