theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lord Birt:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will review the impact of the failure of supply by Amazon Web Services and identify how best to ensure the future resilience of essential national services. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is already working with departments to assess the high-level impacts of the outage, and will use the data gathered to inform future resilience plans for essential national services.

Government is also working to fully understand the broader impact of the outage. Under the Security of Network and Information Systems Regulations (2018) relevant digital service providers - including cloud providers like AWS - are required to have measures in place to boost the physical and cyber security and resilience of the systems they rely on to provide those services. The forthcoming Cyber Security & Resilience Bill will boost those protections and bring managed service providers and critical suppliers into scope.

DSIT will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which sets out a clear approach for Government and the public sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth:To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to attract people with cybersecurity and artificial intelligence skills to apply to settle in the UK. \p Baroness Lloyd of Effra: The Government recognises the importance of attracting world-class cybersecurity and AI talent to maintain the UK’s position as a global tech leader.

Through the AI Action Plan, we are taking action to strengthen the domestic talent pipeline and ensure the UK remains attractive to global innovators. The AI Spärck Master’s programme will offer up to 100 fully funded places for exceptional graduates, while the Turing AI Global Fellowships provide up to £5 million per fellow to relocate to the UK, build a highly skilled team, and undertake transformative core AI research. Moreover, the AI Security Institute provides comprehensive visa and relocation support for frontier AI researchers, ensuring the UK remains a global centre for safe and responsible AI development.

The Global Talent Taskforce has also been launched to address barriers to international recruitment and promotes the UK to top-tier talent. Domestically, the TechFirst and CyberFirst programmes are growing UK-based expertise. CyberFirst has reached 415,000 young people and offers scholarships with an 88% job placement rate.
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Lord Cameron of Lochiel:To ask His Majesty's Government how many times (1) the Secretary of State for Scotland, and (2) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, met the Scottish Fishermen's Federation specifically to discuss the proposed fishing and coastal growth fund, and on what dates. \p Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent: Decisions over how the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund is spent in Scotland are devolved, granting the Scottish Government discretion to allocate funding in line with local priorities and the specific circumstances of Scotland’s fishing and coastal communities. As fisheries overall is devolved, the Scottish Government also has an important role in engaging with industry and stakeholders.

The funds awarded sit in addition to the baseline funding provided to the Scottish Government through their block grant. The Scottish Government has received the biggest funding settlement since devolution, with Scotland generally receiving around 20% more per capita. This funding can be allocated to other priorities, including fisheries.
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Baroness Coffey:To ask His Majesty's Government whether legitimate undercover journalism is considered a "reasonable excuse" for the purposes of the offence of taking or recording intimate photograph or film under Schedule 9(2) of the Crime and Policing Bill. \p Baroness Levitt: The proposed new section 66AA(5) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that: “It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) to prove that the person had a reasonable excuse for taking the photograph or recording the film”.

This would be a fact-sensitive decision to be made by the court on a case-by-case basis.

That said, the position of a journalist working undercover is one of the situations in which the Government has envisaged that the defence might apply.

The public-facing CPS Legal Guidance Assessing the Public Interest in Cases Affecting the Media [Media: Assessing the Public Interest in Cases Affecting the Media | The Crown Prosecution Service] provides further guidance to prosecutors in dealing with scenarios such as this, including the application of the Public Interest Test.

Therefore, any journalist being investigated for an offence would also be entitled to make representations to the Director of Public Prosecutions, relying on the Legal Guidance, that a prosecution should not take place because it did not meet the Full Code Test for prosecution.
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Baroness Whitaker:To ask His Majesty's Government what account they will take of (1) Places we’re proud of published by the National Policy Advisory Board on Gypsy and Traveller Housing, and (2) the Gypsy and Traveller Site Design Guide, published by Leeds City Council in September 2020, in their plans for new towns as announced on 13 October. \p Baroness Taylor of Stevenage: On 28 September, the government published the independent New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response. The government welcomes all 12 of the potential new towns locations recommended by the Taskforce.

Ministers and officials will now begin work with local partners to develop detailed proposals and enhance our understanding of how different locations might meet the government’s expectations of what a future New Towns Programme can deliver, with all promising sites and reasonable alternatives assessed and considered through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. This will support final decisions on precisely which locations we take forward as well as the final approach to placemaking and delivery.

We also made clear that we support the placemaking approach recommended by the Taskforce and are encouraged by the aims of its recommended placemaking principles.

The government will publish draft proposals and a final SEA for public consultation early next year, before confirming the locations that will be progressed as new towns later in the Spring alongside a full response to the New Towns Taskforce’s report, including further detail on delivery and funding models.
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Merron on 21 October (HL Deb col 125 GC), what is the expected timetable for the reforms to the General Medical Council’s governing legislation. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.

As a first step, we aim to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s (GMC) regulatory framework in early 2026 and to lay this legislation before Parliament in the same year.

As part of the consultation, we will be consulting on the professional titles which should be protected in law within the GMC’s regulatory framework.
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Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to support NHS trusts and integrated care systems to trial and adopt drone technology for time-sensitive healthcare logistics, such as blood samples. \p Baroness Merron: The Government is committed to innovation in drones and other growth sectors. Work is ongoing across the Government, including between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to support the safe and effective introduction of drones into healthcare logistics. The Future of Flight Programme, led by the Department for Transport and taking place across the Government, will deliver routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLS) drone use in the United Kingdom by 2027. As part of this programme, the Department for Transport, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the CAA continue to work closely together to unlock BVLS drone use cases for the National Health Service.

To enable NHS trusts and integrated care systems to trial and adopt drones, the Department of Health and Social Care works with organisations from across the Government such as Innovate UK, who have funded 20 projects exploring the use of drone technology to support a range of health and social care applications, with a total investment exceeding £20 million.

As part of the 2025/26 Future of Flight Programme, delivered by the Department for Transport, two new projects, namely Dragon’s Heart and London Health Bridge Growth, have been announced to advance the use of drones in healthcare logistics. Together, these projects will receive funding of £820,000.

The Department of Health and Social Care continuously reviews the available evidence surrounding the use of drones in medical logistics and is supportive of new trials to further build this evidence base, in particular regarding the benefits of the use of drones to deliver urgent medical supplies in remote and urban areas.

Enabling drones to safely operate to trial NHS services currently requires airspace segregation to ensure the safety of other crewed aircraft. This is a complex process, and the CAA and Department for Transport are working to simplify it as part of the Future of Flight Programme and the Airspace Modernisation Strategy while we work towards full airspace integration. Progress on this work is monitored through the Future of Flight Industry Group which is co-chaired by the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security.
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Lord Mott:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of regional variations in the uptake of prostate specific antigen testing in men. \p Baroness Merron: Routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing is not offered on the National Health Service, and therefore the Department has not taken a formal assessment of uptake. However, men aged 50 years old or over can ask their general practitioner for a PSA test, even if they do not have symptoms. This applies to anyone aged 50 years old or over in any part of England.

Whilst it is recognised that the PSA test can be a valuable diagnostic tool in certain contexts, its limitations mean it is not currently recommended for population-level screening. To find better ways of testing for prostate cancer, the Government is investing £16 million into the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which aims to identify more effective approaches for detecting prostate cancer earlier.

The UK National Screening Committee, which independently advises ministers, is also reviewing the evidence for both population-wide and targeted prostate cancer screening. Depending on the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation regarding screening for prostate cancer, an impact assessment may also be produced using the HM Treasury Green Book methodology, which considers wider social and economic impacts.
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government, regarding Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November, what approach they plan to take to granting licences for (1) pharmacopoeial pyrogen testing, (2) pharmacopoeial adventitious agent testing, (3) skin irritation testing, (4) eye irritation testing, (5) skin sensitisation testing, (6) fish acute toxicity tests for chemicals registered under UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, and (7) other tests not listed in the 'baskets'. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office regulates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with the robust protections afforded to animals used in science. Licences for animal testing are only granted when applicants demonstrate compliance with the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs). This means, animals may only be used where there is no non-animal alternative, the number of animals is minimised, and the most refined methods of testing are used to minimise harms.

On 11 November 2025, the government published “Replacing animals in science: a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”. This strategy sets out a timeline to phase out specific animal tests including those referenced in the question.

Of these, tests 1-5 are in Basket 1 (where mature replacement technologies exist), and test 6 is in Basket 2 (where alternatives could be developed in the medium term). The strategy provides details on each of these tests. The government is committed to supporting the development and adoption of alternative methods for other tests wherever possible.

Until these deadlines are reached, the Home Office will continue to apply the same rigorous licensing framework to all project licence applications proposing these tests, ensuring animals are only used where no validated non-animal alternative exists.
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Lord Touhig:To ask His Majesty's Government whether any unaccompanied migrant children are housed in hotels. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office closed the last of the Home Office-run unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children hotels on 31 January 2024 and since then arriving unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children have been accommodated by local authorities in line with their statutory duties.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have regarding the future of Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Government announced on 13 November that it is abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales at the end of their current term of office in May 2028. PCC functions will transfer either to Mayors of Strategic Authorities, where possible, or to elected council leaders where it is not. We will create new Police and Crime Boards to bring local council leaders together to oversee the force in their area, supported by an appointed day to day Police and Crime lead.

In Wales, the Welsh government have no plans to create Mayors. We will work with the Welsh Government and other stakeholders on arrangements to transfer PCC functions to local government leaders, recognising the unique nature of devolved arrangements in Wales.
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Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee:To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been under section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 in (1) England and Wales, (2) Scotland and (3) Northern Ireland. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: There have been 52 prosecutions for offences under section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006 in England and Wales since 2011, when data first became available. These statistics are routinely published by the Home Office as part of its quarterly reporting on the ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act2000 and subsequent legislation’. Data on prosecutions in Scotland is covered by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Annual statistics regarding Northern Ireland Terrorism Legislation are separately published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
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Lord Wigley:To ask His Majesty's Government what are the latest available figures for (1) the number of refugees from Ukraine in the UK, (2) the number of refugees from Ukraine who have entered the UK in 2025, and (3) the number who have given up their refugee status and returned to Ukraine or moved elsewhere during 2025. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The Home Office publishes data on the Ukraine schemes in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.

As at the end of September 2025 229,900 individuals have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine schemes.

Whilst the number of Ukrainians currently within the UK is not published within the data tables, the statistics do refer to how many people are believed to be out of the UK at a snapshot in time (although some may later return to the UK) in the chapter ‘How many people come to the UK via safe and legal (humanitarian) routes?’

“Management information indicates that as of the end of September 2025, around 97,100 people (42%) who had previously arrived on the Ukraine schemes had exited the UK and were believed to be out of the country, although some may subsequently return.”

The Home Office does not publish information on how many on the Ukraine schemes have returned to Ukraine or moved elsewhere during 2025.

The Ukraine Schemes do not confer refugee status; therefore, they would not lose their status if returned.

In addition to the Ukraine schemes, some Ukrainians have claimed asylum via the UK asylum process. Since the start of 2022 to the end of September 2025, 68 Ukrainians have been granted refugee status (main applicants and dependants). There is no published data to confirm how many of these remain in the UK, also whether those who were granted refugee status in the preceding years also remain in the UK.
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Lord Oates:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for the Home Department, after being appointed on 5 September, has had introductory conversations with the interior ministers of (1) France, (2) Germany, (3) Italy, (4) Belgium and (5) the Netherlands, regarding international cooperation on tackling organised immigration crime. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: International co-operation is vital to address organised immigration crime. The Home Secretary continues to engage with counterparts across the EU and further afield on what further can be done to tackle this issue. Most recently the Home Secretary chaired the 11th Western Balkans Summit where the impact of illegal migration was discussed. This was attended by representatives of the European Union and its Member States including the Chancellor of Germany, alongside representatives from France and Italy.
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Lord Black of Brentwood:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in addressing acts of animal sexual abuse, including non-penetrative and coercive activity; and, for each of the past five years, how many cases of potential animal sexual abuse were reported to the police, how many resulted in a charge, and how many led to a successful prosecution. \p Lord Hanson of Flint: The number of offences of intercourse with an animal recorded by police each year since 2020 varies from 40 to 57. Specifically, police recorded 40 of these crimes in 2020, 48 in 2021, 49 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 51 in 2024, 54 in the year up to June 2024 and 42 in the year up to June 2025. The proportion of recorded cases that resulted in a charge or summons varied from 20% to 2%.

The Home Office do not hold information on non-penetrative or coercive activity against animals.

The court proceedings database shows that the number of individuals proceeded against by criminal courts where the offence of intercourse with an animal was the principal offence was 4 in the year to June 2021, 1 in the years to June 2022, 2023 and 2024, and 0 in the year to June 2025.
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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 10 November (HL Deb cols 35-7), what modelling they have done of the impact of the absence of the English Baccalaureate on the uptake of (1) modern foreign languages, (2) history, and (3) geography. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The Curriculum and Assessment Review found that English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measures have unnecessarily constrained subject choice, affecting student engagement and achievement, and that uptake of EBacc subjects has not translated into increased study of them at 16 to 19. Although the EBacc was intended to support GCSE entries of modern foreign languages, history and geography, full EBacc entry was just 41% in 2024/25.

The new model protects the important place of humanities and modern foreign languages. Under our proposed model, students will have to take at least one humanity or language whilst currently schools can satisfy expectations of Progress 8 without pupils taking any of these subjects.

The department will consult on the improved Progress 8 and Attainment 8 measures.
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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 29 October (HL Deb cols 1378-79), how long they estimate it will take to address concerns raised following a referral of a university to the Office for Students under the new E6 condition. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This is a matter for the Office for Students (OfS), which has dedicated resources to investigate potential breaches of its conditions.
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Baroness Grey-Thompson:To ask His Majesty's Government what the timeline is for delivering (1) the new primary oracy framework, and (2) the combined secondary oracy, writing and reading framework. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department welcomes the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s focus on oracy. Expressing oneself fluently and communicating well is crucial for life and work, and an important vehicle for social justice.

We will make sure that communication skills are more clearly expressed through revised programmes of study. We will also create a primary oracy framework and a combined secondary oracy, writing and reading framework to be published following the revised national curriculum.

The primary oracy framework will support teachers to help their pupils become confident, fluent speakers by the end of key stage 2. This will build on our primary frameworks for reading and writing.
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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks of Baroness Smith of Malvern on 22 May (HL Deb col 393) and the publication in July of Families first for children pathfinder: implementation and process evaluation report, when the evaluation of the impact of multi-agency child protection teams will be published. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department is running an evaluation of the families first for children pathfinder programme until 2028, with the next publication scheduled for 2027. This report will assess the aggregate impact of the full reform package, which includes multi-agency child protection teams, and will highlight progress on indicators such as multi-agency collaboration, information sharing, and decision making.

Alongside formal evaluation, the department continues to monitor progress and extract learning more broadly, including through data returns, local monitoring and working closely with the ten pathfinder areas.
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Baroness Grey-Thompson:To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote multimodal literacy as part of the new curriculum rollout. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: This government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative education.

The department agrees with the Curriculum and Assessment Review that building the skills for young people to critically engage with and assess information from a range of sources, including multi-modal texts, is increasingly important.

The reformed English programme of study and English language GCSE will expose students to the study of a wider range of text types and genres, including transient texts, supporting them to analyse and challenge arguments, building media literacy.

Media literacy is an increasingly important skill to enable young people to identify “fake news” and to spot different types of mis- and disinformation, especially online.

Secure, well-founded knowledge is essential for students to understand how arguments are constructed across different types of media and to recognise the various ways in which language can be used to persuade.
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Baroness Garden of Frognal:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed international student levy on universities’ capacity to support artificial intelligence research, skills development and commercialisation, and the Government's ambitions for AI-driven economic growth. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government will set out further details on the international student levy at the Autumn Budget. This will include setting out the amount of the levy and the way in which proceeds will be reinvested into our higher education (HE) and skills system through targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students studying courses that support our missions and Industrial Strategy.

The department has engaged with many HE providers and representative bodies regarding the levy since the publication of the Immigration White Paper, and we will set out our plans for further engagement on the levy in due course.

We will also publish an impact analysis of the levy in due course.
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Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Supreme Court's ruling in JR87 [2025] UKSC 40, what assessment they have made of the statutory requirements on collective worship in schools in England and Wales. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Education is a devolved matter and as such this reply relates to England only.

The legislative framework for providing collective worship is different in England than in Northern Ireland. The Supreme Court ruling has only recently been published and the department will consider it carefully.
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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 22 May (HL Deb col 427), whether the planned user testing to identify key safeguarding practitioner information happened; and, if so, what the main themes were that emerged. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: Between May and September 2025, the department consulted nearly 500 practitioners from children’s social care, education, health, police, and probation. Key findings included:

We are using these insights to inform future work, ensuring that design and development align with practitioner needs. User research will continue to maintain a user-centred approach throughout.
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Baroness Barran:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 17 November (HL Deb col 537), on what evidence their decision not to implement the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommended Year 8 diagnostic maths test is based. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The government has considered the Curriculum and Assessment Review panel’s recommendations carefully and supports their recommendations for a renewed focus on assessment in key stage 3. We will expect schools to undertake formative assessments in maths and writing during the key stage, supporting them to identify high quality materials.

While strong foundations in both literacy and numeracy are important for children to achieve and thrive, reading unlocks the wider curriculum. If a child cannot read, they cannot succeed in other subjects including, for example, maths, science and history. It is critical we focus on ensuring children and young people have strong foundations in reading in the first instance and this is why we will develop and deliver a new statutory assessment in reading in year 8.
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Lord Murray of Blidworth:To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings the departmental board of the Department of Education has had since 4 July 2024. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: The department has had eight meetings since 4 July 2024, which will rise to nine by the end of this calendar year (2025).
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Baroness Wolf of Dulwich:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 12 November (HL11389 and HL11390), how many of the qualifications approved as Higher Technical Qualifications in September had no students enrolled in the 2023–24 academic year. \p Baroness Smith of Malvern: In September 2023 there were 154 qualifications awarded the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) quality mark, and in September 2024 there were 227 qualifications awarded the HTQ quality mark.

The department’s data on learner enrolments does not distinguish between HTQs that were approved but had not yet started delivery, and those that were live and available but attracted no student enrolments. The department does not therefore have sufficient data to specify how many live HTQs had no students enrolled in any given academic year.
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Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle:To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current staffing level of the Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub, and what staffing level they expect that hub to have in 12 months. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The UK's work on conflict and atrocity prevention is vital and valued around the world.

Created in 2022, the Mass Atrocity Hub was integrated into the Conflict and Atrocity Prevention Department in 2024. It provides analytical and advisory support in a range of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's atrocity prevention and response workstreams.

We will continue to adapt to the challenges of the future and remain focused on this area of work.
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Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about the release of Ezra Jin Mingri and other pastors and members of the Zion Church who were arrested on 10 October. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 23 October in the House of Commons to Question 83339, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below: The UK Government is aware of reports concerning the detention of Zion Church members in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.
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Lord Lilley:To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the legal advice that ministers received about the right to self-determination in respect of the Chagos Archipelago. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government's position in relation to the UK-Mauritius treaty has been informed by legal advice throughout. A summary of the Government's legal position was set out on 22 May when the treaty was signed, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security
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UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_23

Lord Callanan:To ask His Majesty's Government whether a Minister of the Crown has been present at every meeting of their Chagossian contact group. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.

The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:

· Chagossian Voices

· UK Chagos Refugees Group

· Chagos Islanders Movement

· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)

· Association Chagossiens de France

· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_24

Lord Jackson of Peterborough:To ask His Majesty's Government what recent diplomatic discussions they have had with the government of Tunisia about the arrest of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi, and what steps they are taking to ensure their release. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: Our Embassy in Tunis has closely followed the case of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi since their arrest in May 2024. We have raised the case with Tunisian authorities, including at senior levels, and participated in trial observation alongside other Diplomatic missions. Both individuals were released on suspended sentences on 24 November given time served, after being found guilty of assisting migrants to enter and remain in Tunisia. We continue to engage with Tunisia and international partners on the protection of civil society and human rights.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_25

Lord Empey:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term consequences of the recent storm damage in Jamaica; and what plans they have to offer long-term financial support and other contributions. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, UIN HLWS1016. The UK will continue working with Jamaica and Caribbean partners on disaster preparedness and climate resilience to deliver long-term recovery projects, including sustainable infrastructure, and to advocate internationally for increased climate finance for vulnerable states, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_26
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_26

Baroness Whitaker:To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Slovenia about the human rights implications of the Šutar law for the Roma minority in that country, in particular with regard to warrantless home entry, expanded surveillance powers and military support for domestic policing. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: UK officials discussed the recently passed Šutar Law, including human rights implications, with Slovenian government officials at the UK-Slovenia biannual Strategic Dialogue meeting on 25 November.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_27

Lord Gold:To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 19 November (HL11658), whether any UK aid is being used to support teaching materials in Palestinian schools that promote hatred, extremism or the glorification of terrorism; and what steps they plan to take, should such use be identified, given part 6 of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Palestinian Government. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I gave on 27 November in response to Question HL11630.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_28

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the arrest of Ibrahim Sharif in Bahrain; whether they have made any representations to the government of Bahrain about his arrest; and what assessment they have made of the compatibility of his arrest with freedom of expression in Bahrain. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government is aware of reports concerning the arrest of Ibrahim Sharif in Bahrain. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Government of Bahrain on human rights issues, both bilaterally and through multilateral channels. We continue to encourage Bahrain to uphold its international commitments, including respect for freedom of expression, while recognising that these matters are subject to Bahraini law. We will monitor developments and engage with Bahraini authorities as appropriate.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_29

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Bahrain's revocation of the visa of the Associated Press to cover the Manama Dialogue; and whether they have made any representations to the government of Bahrain about that action and compliance with obligations to uphold freedom of the press. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: We are aware of reports that the visa of Associated Press journalists was revoked ahead of this year's Manama Dialogue. The UK remains committed to supporting media freedom and regularly underlines the importance of this principle in our engagement with international partners, including Bahrain.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_30

Lord Scriven:To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Foreign Secretary made any representations to the government of Bahrain about high-profile imprisoned activists or human rights issues during the visit to that country. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: During her recent visit to Bahrain, the Foreign Secretary discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues. The UK maintains an open and frank dialogue with Bahrain on human rights.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_31
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_31

Lord Dodds of Duncairn:To ask His Majesty's Government what diplomatic discussions they have had concerning the recent increasing restrictions on the legal residency of Uyghurs by the Turkish authorities; and what steps they are taking to engage with international partners to address these concerns. \p Baroness Chapman of Darlington: The Government supports the rights of all minority groups in Turkey, including Uyghurs, and expects Turkey to uphold its international obligations to human rights and the rule of law.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_32

Lord Clement-Jones:To ask His Majesty's Government, regarding Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November, whether they will consider including monoclonal antibodies as part of their priority areas for targeted replacement of animal tests; and how the target to replace the use of animal-derived polyclonal-type antibodies by 2030 will be enforced. \p Lord Vallance of Balham: The Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science commits to, from 2026, publish biennially a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, to coalesce UK scientists and incentivise partnerships between research organisations, CROs and industry. These priority areas will be developed collaboratively between Government, academia, industry, and other partners. Monoclonal antibody testing will be considered as a potential area.

Enforcement of the target to replace animal-derived polyclonal antibodies is provided for by existing law which states animals cannot be used where a validated alternative exists. Therefore licences would not be granted once alternative methods have been validated and agreed.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_33
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_33

Baroness Northover:To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the secure supply of (1) critical minerals, and (2) industrial metals, to the delivery of the industrial strategy and net zero strategy. \p Lord Stockwood: The Government is committed to safeguarding the UK's economic security and delivering on our industrial and net zero strategies. Critical minerals and industrial metals are essential for clean energy, green jobs, and future prosperity. That is why critical minerals were identified as a foundational industry to the Industrial Strategy's growth sectors.

Through the UK Critical Minerals Strategy, we are taking decisive action to strengthen domestic production, reduce overreliance on imports from any one country, and work with global partners to build resilient UK and global supply networks. We are also developing a Steel Strategy to create a competitive business environment to secure and expand UK steelmaking capability and capacity which is aligned with our Net Zero goals.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_34

Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom remains internationally competitive in attracting foreign direct investment. \p Lord Stockwood: The Government has introduced a modern Industrial Strategy aimed at boosting nationwide growth by removing investment barriers and improving access to finance. The Office for Investment (OfI) has expanded its commercial expertise and regional presence, collaborating with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to link investors with high-potential UK opportunities. Additionally, UK Export Finance has enhanced support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, designed for overseas firms investing in UK export facilities.
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_35
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_35

Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the performance of foreign direct investment in the UK compared to that of the other G7 nations. \p Lord Stockwood: Data published by the United Nations Trade and Development Data Hub show that at the end of 2024 the UK ranked second in the G7 (behind the United States) for levels of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock.

Levels of inward FDI stock for G7 nations at the end of 2024

G7 Rank

G7 Nations

USD$ billion

Global Rank

1

United States

15,567

1

2

United Kingdom

3,254

3

3

Canada

1,819

7

4

Germany

1,209

8

5

France

1,049

12

6

Italy

494

20

7

Japan

220

35
lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_36
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: lordswrans/lordswrans2025-12-02 conversation_36

Lord Risby:To ask His Majesty's Government which areas of the United Kingdom have experienced the largest decreases in foreign investment since 2023; and what steps they are taking to ensure the even distribution of foreign investment throughout the UK. \p Lord Stockwood: DBT Official Statistics on inward investment show that FDI project numbers into the UK fell from 2023/24 to 2024/25, with London seeing the largest drop and the East of England recording the biggest percentage decline. Year-on-year changes remain volatile and should be interpreted cautiously.

To attract investment, mayoral strategic authorities are delivering growth plans aligned with local strengths and clear pipelines. Our strategy focuses on enhancing infrastructure, skills, and sector clusters to make all UK regions competitive for long-term foreign investment.