Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have asked the Equality and Human Rights Commission to make any changes to their draft code of practice for services, public functions and associations; and if so, whether they will set out the changes they have suggested.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The EHRC revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following its consultation after the UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland, and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Secretary of State will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the draft Code.

We have always been clear that there is a due process that needs to be followed by all. Our priority is getting this right. We will continue to work with the EHRC to ensure Ministers are able to make a fully informed decision.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 2 February (HL13733), whether they will now answer the question put; whether they responded to the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations after consultation with the Scottish and Welsh Governments; whether they responded on 30 June 2025; and if not, on which date they responded.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are following the process in the Equality Act 2006 and are consulting the Devolved Governments at the relevant stages, as required under section 14(9). Consultation with Welsh and Scottish Ministers is required if, or in so far as, the Code relates to a duty imposed by or under the Public Sector Equality Duty. As part of the consultation, the draft Code has been shared with the Devolved Administrations. It is important that the correct process for laying the Code is followed.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has powers to publish the draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations in non-statutory form in the event that that code is (1) not rejected, or (2) not laid in Parliament; and what are the conditions, if any, set out in the Equality Act 2006 or associated legislation, guidance or policy that prevent the EHRC from publishing that code.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The EHRC revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following its consultation after the UK Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland, and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities.

The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Secretary of State will lay it before Parliament. Parliament will then have a 40 day period to consider the draft Code.

EHRC’s powers are set out in the Equality Act 2006. The EHRC operates independently of the Government.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 4 March (HL14583), when the decision to appoint the current ambassador to NATO was made, and by which previous foreign secretary and Prime Minister.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The appointment was approved in December 2024 by the current Prime Minister and the former Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon Member for Tottenham.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office has declined to lay before Parliament a draft statutory code submitted by an arm's-length body between January 2015 and December 2025, where that code has not been subject to litigation.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The information requested is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 4 March (HL Deb col 1269), whether Commonwealth citizens who do not also hold British nationality are subject to any qualifying period before they are entitled to vote in UK elections.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Qualifying Commonwealth citizens are entitled to register as Parliamentary and as local government electors provided that on the relevant date, they also fulfil the age and residence requirements for such registration and are not subject to any other legal incapacity. A ‘qualifying Commonwealth citizen’ is defined as one who has leave to remain in the UK or does not require it. To register in a particular area, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen must meet the same residency requirements as any other person seeking to register. There is no additional qualifying period in electoral law; if a Commonwealth citizen has been granted leave to remain, or does not require it, they are entitled to register to vote subject to the conditions above.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has declined to lay before Parliament a draft statutory code submitted by an arm's-length body between January 2015 and December 2025, where that code has not been subject to litigation.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have no central record of declining to lay a draft statutory code submitted by an arm’s length body before Parliament.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has rules regarding officials having sexual relationships with subordinate staff, including interns; and if so, whether those rules apply to secondees to international organisations where that organisation has no such rules.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

All Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff are subject to the Civil Service Code, and expected to meet the standards of behaviour set down in the Department's internal safeguarding policy. It is for their managers to determine whether an individual's conduct meets, or falls short of, those requirements, and what action may be required as a result.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 2 October 2025 (HL10716), when they intend to publish the statutory guidance to accompany the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims, who are disproportionately likely to be women, feeling very unsafe. That is why tackling it is an important part of our mission on VAWG.

The “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published on 18th December 2025, committed to commence the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 on 1 April 2026. This includes publication of the statutory guidance for police on the same day, which is a requirement of Section 2 of the Act. We are working directly with policing to ensure everything in is in place to support them in enforcing the aggravated offence from 1 April 2026.