Lords Debate Fiscal Strain, Data Access and Home Ownership
High-Level Summary
The House of Lords considered two introductions, four oral questions, an announcement of planned 2027 recess dates and three substantive debates. The questions concerned the proposed merger of Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service, defence spending, funding for Jodrell Bank Observatory, and social-media algorithms. The fiscal outlook debate examined debt sustainability, taxation, spending, welfare, pensions and growth ahead of the Budget, and the motion was agreed. Short debates then considered patient data for research and home ownership, with the home-ownership motion agreed and the House adjourning at 5.36 pm.
Detailed Summary
Introductions of Lord Jabbar and Lord Davey of Chalk Farm
Parvais Jabbar, MBE, having been created Baron Jabbar of Little Venice in the City of Westminster, was introduced and made the solemn affirmation, supported by Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws and Lord Hermer. The transcript states that he signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct: “having been created Baron Jabbar”. Marcus John Davey, CBE, having been created Baron Davey of Chalk Farm, of Chalk Farm in the London Borough of Camden, was introduced and made the solemn affirmation, supported by Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall and Baroness Rebuck. He also signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct: “having been created Baron Davey of Chalk Farm”.
Jobcentre Plus and National Careers Service merger
Baroness Stedman-Scott asked about progress on merging Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service and about the costs. Baroness Sherlock said that the services were on track to merge in England on 1 October 2026. She said that the current annual cost of outsourcing the National Careers Service’s community-based contracts was £40 million, while the cost of the new service would depend on how many employees transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and how the service was transformed: “we are on track to merge”.
The questions focused on support for disabled people, rural and disadvantaged communities, people with learning disabilities, access for disabled people of working age, and the cost of the merger. Baroness Sherlock said the merged service would provide more personalised support, use pilots for people with health or disability problems, and place careers advisers alongside jobcentre staff. She also referred to vans, youth hubs and community settings such as libraries. She said she would examine how training and guidance addressed learning disabilities, and said that the merger was not intended simply to replicate the existing service; however, no final cost was stated in the transcript. She also referred to a planned White Paper on broader devolution in the autumn.
Defence spending and the 3% of GDP target
Baroness Goldie asked about progress towards spending 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030. Lord Coaker said the defence investment plan had increased defence spending by £15 billion over the amount agreed at the previous spending review, bringing Ministry of Defence spending over the next four years to almost £300 billion. He said current plans would take defence spending to 2.7% of GDP from 2027, while the Government would set out a path towards NATO’s commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence by 2035, including a target date for reaching 3%: “defence spending will reach 2.7% of GDP from 2027”.
Peers also raised welfare spending, defence diplomacy, ballistic-missile defence, munitions, shipbuilding, the Chagos deal, arms exports, and defence research and development. Lord Coaker said welfare should not be presented as competing directly with defence, while stating that the Government intended both to reduce the welfare bill through employment support and increase defence spending. He referred to £11 billion of investment in six munitions sites and said that difficult spending choices had already included delaying road projects. He said the next spending review would set out the path towards 3.5% by 2035. No decision or division was recorded.
Jodrell Bank Observatory funding
Viscount Stansgate asked about the implications of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) withdrawing funding for Jodrell Bank Observatory. Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath said funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network would remain in place until March 2028 but would not continue beyond the current agreement following an evidence-based prioritisation process. She said this was not a withdrawal from radio astronomy and referred to £327 million of UK investment in the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, headquartered at Jodrell Bank: “This is not a withdrawal from radio astronomy”.
Peers asked about the prioritisation of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory over e-MERLIN, the transparency of the evidence, jobs, teaching, public engagement and the wider economic contribution. Baroness Ramsey said Jodrell Bank was not closing, that the Lovell telescope was exploring alternative funding arrangements, and that its visitor and engagement arrangements would not change. She referred to a figure of around £160 million by 2029-30 and £135 million of transitional support, but said that specific job changes were not known: “We do not have details of any particular job changes at this moment”. No decision or division was recorded.
Australia’s proposed legislation on social-media algorithms
Baroness Berger asked what assessment the Government had made of Australia’s draft legislation allowing users to disable social-media algorithms. Baroness Twycross said the draft had been published only recently and that the Government had not made a full assessment, but were following developments. She referred to the Online Safety Act’s requirements concerning algorithmic risks, measures to switch personalised recommendation algorithms off by default for 16 and 17 year-olds, and commitments to give users greater control over their feeds: “we are following developments closely”.
The discussion covered user control over feeds, platform responsibility, Ofcom’s enforcement powers, trusted news, misinformation, positive role models and the possible future review of the Online Safety Act. Baroness Twycross said the Act’s user-empowerment duties would come into force the following year and that Ofcom was consulting on them. She also said the Secretary of State had asked Ofcom to publish an enforcement strategy and report to Parliament. In response to Lord Tarassenko, she undertook to discuss the future of the expert panel on growing up online with Minister Murray and return to him: “I will speak to my colleague, Minister Murray, about the future of the panel and come back to the noble Lord as soon as possible”. No decision or division was recorded.
Announcement of planned 2027 recess dates
Lord Kennedy of Southwark announced planned dates for the 2027 Whitsun and Summer Recesses, subject to the progress of business. The House was planned to rise at the conclusion of business on Thursday 27 May and return on Monday 7 June for the Whitsun Recess. For the Summer Recess, it was planned to rise on Wednesday 28 July and return on Monday 6 September: “Subject to the usual caveat of the progress of business”. Notices were to be placed in the Royal Gallery and the Printed Paper Office, and an email was to be sent to Members. He also thanked House staff for their work.
Fiscal outlook
Lord Bridges of Headley opened the debate by arguing that public debt remained on an unsustainable path, with high debt-servicing costs, a small fiscal buffer and weak underlying growth. He called for spending restraint, stronger growth and clear political choices over taxation and the role of the state. Asked whether the current trajectory of national debt was sustainable, he said: “My answer to that question is a firm no”. Other speakers discussed the pressures created by an ageing population, defence spending, welfare, decarbonisation and debt interest. They proposed or examined tax reform, benefit restraint, changes to the pensions triple lock, public-sector productivity, private finance for infrastructure, artificial intelligence, devolution, investment and innovation.
Speakers including Baroness Alexander of Cleveden and Lord Pitt-Watson disputed attributing the fiscal challenges solely to the present Government and pointed to low growth and successive global shocks. Lord Pitt-Watson said the Government would meet the fiscal rules at the Budget with a buffer for uncertainty. He described rules requiring day-to-day spending to be balanced by revenues and debt to fall as a proportion of GDP, while allowing additional capital spending, and said: “fiscal discipline will underwrite every promise that this Government make”. The debate produced no amendment or division, and the motion to take note was agreed.
Patient data for research
Lord Patel introduced a Question for Short Debate on the use of patient data for research. He argued that linked, high-quality data could improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment and support the life sciences sector, while identifying fragmented records, inconsistent coding, lengthy access procedures and public trust as challenges. Other participants included Baroness Nargund, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, Lord Tarassenko, Lord Davies of Brixton, Lord Mair, Lord Weir of Ballyholme, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Baroness Freeman of Steventon, Baroness Gill, Baroness Murphy, Baroness Brinton and Lord Kamall. Lord Patel summarised the potential benefits by saying: “Better data means fewer deaths”.
The debate covered secure data environments, trusted research environments, UK Biobank, the SAIL database, dementia research, commercial access, cybersecurity, representative datasets and possible oversight. Several speakers said that public support was conditional on transparency, privacy, security and benefits returning to patients and the National Health Service. Baroness Merron said the Government were moving from data sharing to secure data access by default, with a network bringing together around 300 local and regional datasets. She also referred to powers to mandate information standards across general practices and trusts, clearer opt-out arrangements and investment in a data workforce. She said the Government had published a value-sharing framework and would charge organisations for access, and described the intended outcome as: “a simpler, safer and more accountable set-up”. No further decision was recorded in the transcript.
Home ownership and levels of home ownership
Baroness Eaton opened a debate on home ownership and the barriers facing younger people and households on modest incomes. Speakers discussed deposits, mortgage access, stamp duty, planning, housing supply, social and affordable housing, right to buy, shared ownership, leasehold, renting, regional disparities, and the quality and location of new homes. Participants differed over whether the main obstacles were planning restrictions, taxation, regulation, finance, demand or wider economic conditions. Baroness Thornhill highlighted the central issue by saying: “affordability lies at the heart of almost every aspect of housing policy”.
The Government defended a commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes during the Parliament, a £39 billion social and affordable housing programme, the National Housing Bank, planning reforms, mortgage guarantees and changes to the home-buying process. Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the Government would continue to support shared ownership, reform right to buy to protect social housing stock, and introduce commonhold and leasehold reforms. She also referred to existing stamp-duty relief for first-time buyers and consultation on a replacement for the lifetime ISA. In response to questions, she said discussions on site viability were continuing and that she would respond in writing on issues not reached. Baroness Eaton then closed the debate, and the motion was agreed: “the direction is settled”. The House adjourned at 5.36 pm.