Reform Urged, Delay Endures: Lords Challenge Government Caution

High-Level Summary

The House of Lords examined policy on creative worker visas, Gulf security, and EU–UK cultural mobility; questioned Ministers on tackling youth unemployment following Alan Milburn’s interim report; and held major debates on modernising fertility regulation, the implications of declining birth rates, and preventing atrocity crimes. Ministers highlighted the UK’s creative sector support and a forthcoming immigration Bill, described current basing and deployments in the Gulf alongside diplomacy, outlined engagement with the EU on touring barriers, and set out cross‑government work on NEETs. On fertility, peers urged updating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act and regulating digital providers; Ministers accepted the case for targeted reform but said immediate legislation this Session is not planned. In debates on demographics and atrocity prevention, peers pressed for coordinated strategies; Ministers reaffirmed support for multilateral justice but said they would not support the Genocide Determination Bill.

Detailed Summary

Temporary Skilled Worker Visas for Creative Occupations – Oral Question

Baroness Bonham-Carter asked about changes to temporary skilled worker visas for creative occupations, citing dancers’ reliance on the shortage list and seeking a sports‑style exemption. Lord Hanson of Flint said: “The United Kingdom has one of the most generous visa offers in Europe for workers in the creative industries”, and noted the sector’s industrial strategy “including £380 million in targeted funding”. He undertook to follow up specifically on dancers: “I will look at the specific issue of dancers and correspond with her”.

Peers raised administrative burdens and sectoral cases (e.g., opera singers, fishing, sheep‑shearers). Hanson emphasised facilitating inbound and outbound creative mobility: “The Government’s objective in all this is to ensure that we support the creative industries” and that “UK citizens can travel elsewhere in the world as frictionlessly as they possibly can”. He referred to last year’s immigration White Paper and a forthcoming Bill: “we have announced in the King’s Speech an immigration Bill that will be coming forth shortly”. No policy change or exemption was announced; the Minister agreed to consider dancers and other points, reiterating that the Government “see [the creative industries] as an engine of employment and wealth”.

Military Presence in the Gulf – Oral Question

Lord Empey asked whether the Government intends to locate a permanent military presence in the Gulf to protect allies and freedom of navigation. Lord Coaker set out current basing in Bahrain and the UAE, the UK Joint Logistics Support Base at Duqm, Oman, and said the UK and France are leading planning for a multinational mission in the Strait of Hormuz. He described recent support to partners: “we have provided further fighter jets, drone capabilities, radar and anti-air defensive capabilities”.

Responding to questions on maritime tracking, capability and diplomacy, he said “the First Sea Lord has talked about the hybrid Navy, the importance of artificial intelligence”, confirmed “HMS ‘Dragon’ is in the region”, and stressed that “diplomacy is the first option in any problem”. He added the defence investment plan would be published “before 7 July and the Ankara summit”. There was no commitment to a new permanent forward deployment; points about priorities and autonomous systems would feed into discussions.

EU–UK Cultural Exchange Arrangements – Oral Question

Baroness Caine asked about progress in securing better cultural exchange with the EU, including touring barriers such as digital carnets. Baroness Twycross cited engagement: “On 24 March, the Minister for Creative Industries co-led the first UK-European Commission high-level meeting on culture”, and confirmed: “Supporting touring artists is a government manifesto commitment”.

Pressed on red tape, 90/180‑day limits, and wider cultural mobility, she said: “We are fully aware of this and talk regularly to both the creative sector and EU partners”, and acknowledged “the 90-day and 180-day limits continue to pose a significant challenge”. She also noted non‑EU cultural arrangements and that the UK and European Commission “each committed £250,000 to support cultural heritage protection in Ukraine”. On a full EU creative mobility scheme, she reiterated: “We are not looking … to re-enter a situation where we would have free movement”. No immediate new measures or subsidies were announced; work continues with the EU and member states.

Young People and Work (Alan Milburn interim report) – Oral Question

Baroness Stedman-Scott asked about Alan Milburn’s interim report on young people and work and steps to address rising NEET numbers. Baroness Smith of Malvern said: “This Government’s priority is to ensure that young people have the best opportunities to get on in life” and that the Government had commissioned Milburn because the challenge is systemic.

Debate focused on employer national insurance and incentives. Smith cited the report: “those under 21 remain exempt from employer NICs” and “the increase in youth inactivity long precedes any recent changes”. She pointed to the £2.5 billion youth guarantee, including “a £3,000 youth jobs grant … available from next month”, and rejected a ‘scattergun’ characterisation: “That is not scattergun; it is consistent cross-government action”. She said the Government had taken powers on social media harms and a consultation is under way, and that they are “working across government to identify the impact of AI on the future workforce”.

First Readings – Corporate Waste Responsibility Bill [HL]; Genocide Determination Bill [HL]

Two Private Members’ Bills were introduced and read a first time. The Corporate Waste Responsibility Bill would require large companies to appoint a director for waste duty of care and make firms financially responsible for clean‑up where duty of care was not discharged. The Genocide Determination Bill would enable the High Court and the Court of Session to make preliminary genocide determinations and provide for referrals and responses. Both were ordered to be printed.

Fertility Treatment Regulation – Motion to Take Note

Baroness Deech argued that the UK’s pioneering framework is now outdated amid new technologies, family structures and commercial models, endorsing HFEA proposals to modernise patient safety, consent and donor information. She said the Act “now contains significant technical gaps, outdated consent rules and insufficient regulatory powers”, and warned that surrogacy reform is “hotly contested”. On donor information, she noted HFEA proposals “removing anonymity from birth for all future donations”.

Peers highlighted clinic ‘add‑ons’, data gaps and regulation of digital‑first providers following Apricity’s closure, with Baroness Owen citing the HFEA’s own call that: “The Act should be revised to accommodate developments in the way fertility services are provided”. Baroness Nargund urged an explicit statutory focus on patient protection: “Protection must follow the patient, not the premises” and argued for proportionate sanctions where “a financial penalty would be a more proportionate … response”. Lord Winston contended the HFEA is “now no longer fit for purpose”.

Minister Baroness Blake said licensed treatment “continues to be very safe” with incidents in less than 1% of cycles, recognised the case for targeted reforms in the HFEA’s 2023 recommendations, but added: “we are not able to pursue immediate legislative reform of the Act in the current Session”. She would consider options including a Select Committee, confirmed surrogacy reform would not proceed immediately, and noted Apricity’s digital model “did not fall under the HFEA’s regulatory remit”. The Motion was agreed to.

Declining Birth Rates – Question for Short Debate

Baroness Nargund warned of fiscal and workforce effects from falling fertility and an ageing population, calling for family‑friendly policies, equal access to fertility treatment and cross‑government leadership. She said: “Deaths are now projected to outnumber births in the UK every single year” and that “The UK fertility rate fell to 1.39 in 2025”. Contributors addressed women’s choices, housing affordability, parental leave, skills and social care.

The Government (Lord Wilson of Sedgefield) emphasised growth and participation, stating: “Fair access is a priority for the Government” on fertility services, and outlined funding, including “an addition £4.6 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028-29”. He described coordination through “establishing a Growth and Living Standards Committee”, and recent measures such as “£1 billion more to unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships” and Best Start family hubs totalling £500 million. No specific new commitments or timetables beyond these were stated in the debate.

Combating Atrocity Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide – Motion to Take Note

Lord Alton urged more consistent recognition, earlier action and stronger accountability. He contrasted delayed recognition of the Yazidi genocide with removal of UK recognition of Darfur, and highlighted impunity: over 400 ISIS returnees to the UK with “not one of whom has been prosecuted for the crime of genocide or crimes against humanity”; and a UN mechanism finding “all the hallmarks of genocide” at El Fasher. He stressed that the genocide prevention duty is “triggered the moment a state learns or should have learned that there is a serious risk of genocide”, and criticised Trade Act Section 3 as one “which does nothing for victims survivors of genocide”.

Peers called for a national atrocity‑prevention strategy, wider universal jurisdiction, support for courts, and action on Sudan, Myanmar, Xinjiang, Ukraine and organ harvesting. Baroness Kennedy quoted Elie Wiesel: “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim”, and warned against weakening prevention capacity. Baroness Helic said: “We cannot speak credibly about preventing genocide while disregarding existing mechanisms for confronting it”, and urged appointing a new special envoy on conflict‑related sexual violence.

Replying for the Government, Lord Collins set out human rights priorities and reaffirmed support for multilateral institutions, saying: “we strongly support an effective and independent ICC”. He described Sudan‑focused efforts via the UN Human Rights Council, said sensitive assessments such as JACS “must remain confidential”, and stated of Lord Alton’s Bill: “we will not be supporting it”. The Motion was agreed to.