Lords Tighten Child Safety, Rework Pensions amid Vetting Row

High-Level Summary

The House of Lords met for formal announcements before an Oral Questions session on school swimming attainment, charitable giving, rail punctuality, and digital voting for Business Improvement District ballots. Peers then agreed several statutory instruments and approved Commons technical corrections to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. On the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the House backed an amendment requiring regulations to restrict under‑16s’ access to specified social media services or features, and insisted on stronger measures on mobile phones in schools. A Prime Ministerial Statement on security vetting set out failings around the appointment of the UK Ambassador to the United States and announced an independent review. The House also made substantial changes to the Pension Schemes Bill, including rejecting reserve powers to mandate asset allocation, creating targeted exemptions from scale requirements, requiring regard to competition, and insisting on a review of public sector pensions’ long‑term affordability.

Detailed Summary

House business announcements

The House recorded the death of Lord Skidelsky and sent condolences: “I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky”. It was notified that Lord Clarke of Hampstead, the Earl of Liverpool, and Lord Cunningham of Felling had retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014; thanks were given for their service: “I thank the noble Lords for their much‑valued service to the House”.

Oral Questions: Schoolchildren’s swimming attainment

Baroness Smith of Malvern said “The latest figures indicate that 73% of children can swim 25 metres by the time they leave primary school” and referred to forthcoming curriculum changes and support for PE and sport. She acknowledged pool closures since 2010, citing “591 fewer pools” and said DCMS had provided additional investment for community facilities. In response to concerns over ageing pools and costs, she noted that “the Government committed £400 million to transform sports facilities” over four years. She recognised disparities by ethnicity and disadvantage and referenced Inclusion 2028 funding to upskill teachers, including for pupils with SEND.

Oral Questions: Charitable giving and a culture of giving

Baroness Twycross acknowledged CAF data showing a fall in donations but said “charitable giving has broadly kept up with inflation over the last decade” and highlighted the plan Our Place to Give to grow place‑based philanthropy. She cited tax support: “HMRC is providing over £2.5 billion of relief through gift aid and higher rate relief” and process reviews to help charities. On youth engagement, she pointed to modernising volunteering via the civil society covenant and a national youth strategy, recognised trustees’ contributions, and noted widespread use of card readers while undertaking to check any link to lower cash use. She outlined support for small charities, including reduced employer contributions and offers of briefings on the place‑based approach.

Oral Questions: Trains—punctuality across seasons

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill said performance was improving as operations and infrastructure were being managed together and added: “Passing the Railways Bill will enable Great British Railways” to drive further action. He criticised a blame culture and stressed the need for accountable leadership and seasonal planning: “you want somebody in charge who has nowhere to go who fixes problems”. He hoped for imminent resolution of Northern’s Sunday conductor dispute; confirmed Delay Repay is already funded from the public purse but said the priority is “running the railway properly”; contrasted Britain’s split model with Japan’s integrated railways; linked recent pay deals to productivity; acknowledged poor on‑train catering experiences; underlined reliability’s role in supporting employment; and described HS2’s past as “comprehensively mismanaged” before current leadership sought to fix it.

Oral Questions: Digital voting in Business Improvement District (BID) ballots

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage confirmed a consultation to improve BID ballot procedures, “which will include introducing an option for digital voting”. She said the Government has “no plans to introduce online voting for statutory elections in the UK” due to cyber, fraud and anonymity risks. She aimed to run the consultation and analysis “as quickly as possible” and agreed to consider OSCE experience on election security. On town centres, she said decline pre‑dated the current Government and pointed to measures on business rates and shop theft.

Statutory Instruments: Motions agreed

The House approved the Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, the Credit Institutions and Investment Firms (Miscellaneous Definitions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, and the Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Commons technical amendments agreed

Peers agreed Commons Amendments 28A–C and 29A–C to correct an error affecting fixed penalty powers in Wales. Baroness Merron warned: “Without these amendments, trading standards officers in Wales would lose the ability to issue certain fixed penalty notices”. Lord Kamall said “we will not oppose it”. Baroness Merron described it as “a landmark Bill that will create a smoke‑free generation”; Motion A was agreed.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: social media access and mobile phones in schools

Baroness Smith of Malvern said the Government shared the aim of protecting children online: “The question is not whether but how and what action will be taken”, with a progress report to Parliament “within six months”. Concerns over wide regulation‑making powers were raised, while Lord Nash proposed requiring regulations to restrict under‑16s’ access to specified user‑to‑user services or features and included a two‑year sunset. The House agreed Lord Nash’s amendment (Motion A2) by division: Ayes 284, Noes 158, after an alternative approach (Motion A1) was withdrawn. On mobile phones, Ministers said they would table an amendment in lieu to put guidance on a statutory footing. The House nevertheless insisted on its own Amendment 106 via Motion D1 (Ayes 276, Noes 169).

School uniforms and admissions

On school uniform costs, the Government said a numeric limit on branded items is the clearest way to reduce costs and committed to monitor impact; the proposed review amendment was withdrawn. On admissions, Ministers promised to require adjudicators to take account of school quality and parental preference: “we will bring forward an amendment in the other place … placing in the Bill a requirement” to do so, and to consult key parties. The House nonetheless insisted on its Amendment 102 curbing reductions in published admission numbers, passing Motion C1 (Ayes 259, Noes 180).

Security Vetting Statement: ambassadorial appointment and review

Repeating the Prime Minister’s Statement, Baroness Smith of Basildon said: “I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision”. She disclosed that officials “granted him developed vetting clearance, against the specific recommendation of the United Kingdom Security Vetting” and did not inform Ministers. The PM said the UKSV recommendation “could and should have been shared with me” and announced: “I have appointed Sir Adrian Fulford to lead that review”. In questions, criticism focused on judgment and process—one Peer called it “a tortuous and … embarrassing Statement”. The Leader reiterated that FCDO approved clearance despite UKSV’s recommendation and Ministers were not informed, and assured the ISC chair that government would seek to provide outstanding documents.

Pension Schemes Bill: LGPS valuations and interim reviews

Ministers restated that Clause 2 powers would not be used to force asset pool companies to invest in particular assets or locations: “no intention of using the powers … to require” investment in specified assets or places. They committed to a Government Actuary’s Section 13 review examining prudence, methods and engagement, with publication next spring, and to consult on interim employer contribution rate reviews later this year. Related Motions were agreed and a proposed amendment in lieu was not moved.

Pension Schemes Bill: small pots—dormancy period

The Government opposed extending the automatic consolidation dormancy period beyond 12 months, arguing that a longer period “would be detrimental to members” due to extra charges and costs. After debate, a 24‑month proposal (Motion D1) was withdrawn. Ministers indicated dashboards should be available before consolidation and that members would receive transfer notices allowing them to opt out.

Pension Schemes Bill: asset allocation mandation, scale exemptions, competition, and public sector pensions review

Peers rejected the Government’s reserve power to mandate DC asset allocation. Baroness Bowles argued that mandation “traduces trustee fiduciary duty”; the House agreed Motion E1 by division (Ayes 219, Noes 144). Ministers defended safeguards and neutrality across asset classes. Peers then approved targeted scale exemptions, allowing the regulator to deem schemes as meeting scale where consolidation would not improve outcomes or where innovation benefits members, passing Motion F1 (Ayes 216, Noes 148), with a test including where there is “no reasonable prospect that consolidation … would be likely to improve outcomes for members”. The House also required Ministers and regulators to have regard to competition when making regulations—regulations “must have regard to the benefits of competition among providers of pension schemes”—agreeing Motion G1 by division. Finally, it insisted on a review of long‑term affordability of public service pensions (Motion J1 agreed: Ayes 162, Noes 151), despite Ministers noting OBR forecasts of costs falling from 1.9% to 1.4% of GDP.