Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) arrested, (2) prosecuted, and (3) convicted, for offences related to hare coursing in each of the last five years; and what assessment have they made of trends in illegal hare coursing during this period.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing ÂŁ530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ânotifiable crimeâ. Hare coursing can also be âhiddenâ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with police forces and rural organisations to ensure that the powers introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 are being used effectively to deter offenders of hare coursing and secure prosecutions.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing ÂŁ530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ânotifiable crimeâ. Hare coursing can also be âhiddenâ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of hare coursing on rural communities; and what steps they are taking to strengthen enforcement and protect wildlife.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing ÂŁ530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ânotifiable crimeâ. Hare coursing can also be âhiddenâ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make future UK assistance for education and reconstruction in Syria contingent upon demonstrable progress towards a national curriculum that promotes pluralism, respect for religious and ethnic minorities, gender equality, peace education and inclusive citizenship, to support an inclusive and stable political transition in Syria.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting the rights of women and minority groups in Syria is a UK priority which we promote through our humanitarian work and via our support to the education sector. The UK's 'Syria Education Programme' has delivered quality, inclusive education to over 980,000 primary aged children in Northwest Syria since 2018, improving learning outcomes with a strong focus on gender equity and disability inclusion. We are providing technical assistance to the Syrian Ministry of Education to enhance national education policy and planning, building on areas of our technical expertise including inclusive education. We will continue to advocate that the process of curriculum change in Syria should be transparent and consultative, and, with other development partners, will continue to monitor significant changes.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider that Israelâs continued refusal to permit the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli places of detention since October 2023 is compatible with its obligations under international humanitarian law; and, if not, what practical consequences will follow for their future engagement with Israel.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Baroness to the answer of 16 April 2026 to Question HL6417.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent escalation of fighting in El Obeid, Sudan; what steps they are taking, including through international partners, to help prevent further escalation; and what action they are taking to protect civilians and ensure the safe, rapid, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance to El Obeid and other conflict-affected areas of Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 9 July in response to Question HL1347.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of schools in England and Wales that operate beagle packs, and (2) the extent to which such packs are being used to pursue or kill hares; and what plans they have to review the adequacy of the current regulatory and enforcement framework for these activities.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has not undertaken an assessment of the number of schools operating beagle packs or the extent to which such packs may be being used to kill hares. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing. In addition, the previous Government made changes to address illegal hare coursing through a package of measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This broadened the circumstances in which police can investigate and bring charges for hare coursing related activity.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme provides sufficient transparency where influence activities in the UK are undertaken on behalf of a foreign political entity whose senior leadership includes persons subject to UK sanctions; and if so, on what basis they have reached that conclusion.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
FIRS is a two-tier scheme introduced as part of the National Security Act (2023). The political influence tier aims to provide transparency of foreign state-directed political influence activities in the UK, while the enhanced tier requires transparency of a broader range of activity where Government has determined that a greater level of scrutiny is needed to protect the safety or interests of the UK.
We will be publishing an annual report setting out, amongst other things, the number of registrations received. The first report will be published after the scheme has been live for a year and is one of the key transparency benefits of FIRS, providing an insight over time into activities and arrangements that would otherwise have remained unknown.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the objectives of the UK sanctions regime are compatible with UK-based public policy professionals and lobbyists representing, directly or indirectly, the interests of foreign political entities associated with persons designated under UK sanctions; and what assessment they have made of risks to the integrity of the UK's sanctions regime.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK's sanctions regimes are a key foreign policy and national security tool, used to deter and disrupt malign behaviour and demonstrate support for international norms.
Designations are targeted, lawful and transparent, with due process protections and the ability to challenge them. The Government keeps sanctions under review to ensure they remain effective, proportionate and aligned with policy objectives, including how they interact with professional service providers and others exposed to sanctions risk. UK sanctions must be complied with by any individual, business or organisation undertaking activities in the UK, as well as UK nationals and UK-incorporated entities operating anywhere in the world.
A robust compliance and enforcement framework, alongside engagement with industry, helps identify and mitigate risks, maintaining the credibility and integrity of each regime.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 1 August 2025 (HL9685), what assessment they have made of reports since of abductions, disappearances and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls from minority communities in Syria, in particular from the Alawite community; and what recent representations they have made to the Syrian authorities about this.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK firmly supports the documentation and investigation of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Syria. We remain concerned about allegations around forced abduction, and we have consistently emphasised to the Syrian Government that civilians must be protected from violence, and those responsible held to account. Over half of UK humanitarian programming in Syria was focussed on women and girls in FY 2024/25 with 271,000 women reached with VAWG-related support.
On the international stage, during the UK's UN Security Council Presidency in February, we focused on the rights of women and girls, delivering a joint statement calling for women's full, equal and meaningful participation and an end to discriminatory Assad-era laws. The UK continues to engage with both the Government of Syria and civil society to press for a genuine political transition that protects the rights of all Syrians, including women.