Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the government of Libya's transition to democracy, including by assisting with the encouragement of national elections and providing advice on curbing the power of armed groups.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The status quo in Libya is unsustainable and deeply damaging for ordinary Libyans. It leaves Libya extremely vulnerable to third state actors set on pursuing control over Libya's security, politics and economy. The UK continues to support the UN's efforts to broker a Libyan-owned and led political settlement. We engage regularly with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and Libyan interlocutors in support of this effort, including discussing the role and influence of armed groups and security actors.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are ensuring that Daesh members who return to the UK are investigated and prosecuted for involvement in international crimes, including sexual violence and genocide.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on existing or potential criminal investigations, but we will continue to do anything necessary to protect our national security.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of age discrimination in recruitment and employment; and what measures are being taken in response.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) has protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including the provision of services, employment and recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Yazidi community are able to return to Sinjar; how many aid projects they fund for that purpose; and how that aid is distributed, via the government of Iraq or the United Nations.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's embassy and consulate-general in Iraq regularly speak to the Iraqi government about this issue. Most recently on 24 April, the Deputy Head of Mission met the Iraqi Prime Minister's adviser on Yazidi affairs to discuss the importance of the Sinjar agreement and reconstruction for the safe return of Yazidis to Sinjar.
The UK's 'Building Peace and Stability in Iraq' (BPSI) programme, extended to Sinjar in 2025/2026, supports the return and reintegration of internally displaced people into communities. BPSI funding is allocated to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Development Programme and the International Rescue Committee, not to the Government of Iraq. The UK also funds the UN Durable Solutions Adviser, who coordinates UN efforts on tackling displacement.
Until April 2025, UK funding through the IOM went towards strengthening Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs, ensuring they effectively deliver reparations and rehabilitation to Yazidi (and other minorities) survivors of Daesh violence as per the Yazidi Survivors' Law.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are providing assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh; and what steps they are taking to ensure that evidence collected by the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL can be used by prosecutors globally.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has not provided assistance to establish an ad hoc tribunal for Daesh. We would look at any proposal with interest but it would be vital to have wide international support, including from Iraq.
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council established the National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation (NCIJC) in October 2024. The centre is Iraq's legally-designated authority for international judicial cooperation and evidence-sharing on counter terrorism, and it holds the majority of evidence collected by the UN Investigative Team. All requests for evidence for foreign prosecutions go to the NCIJC, which will then arrange for evidence to be obtained and provided.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help find the missing Yazidi women and girls taken by Daesh in 2014.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Although the UK has not provided direct funding to help locate the missing Yazidi people, we have supported Iraq to develop capacity for Daesh accountability.
The UK strongly condemns atrocities committed against the Yazidis in Iraq by Daesh. We remain committed to the safety and security of the Yazidi community in north-east Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including those who have been displaced, are currently located in internally displaced peoples camps like al-Hol, and who face challenges returning to Yazidi communities.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address age-related disparities in mental health provision, particularly in access to talking therapies.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s mission is to improve mental health care across the spectrum of need so that people of all ages can access the right support at the right time.
NHS England is committed to ensuring that the proportion of people aged 65 years old and over receiving a course of treatment through NHS Talking Therapies is maintained or increased. Currently, approximately 7% of NHS Talking Therapies’ courses of treatment are for individuals in this age group.
The Positive Practice Guide, published in 2024 by NHS England and other stakeholder organisations, is designed to support therapists working with older adults. This resource addresses the diverse needs of older people and seeks to challenge misconceptions that may have acted as barriers to older people accessing psychological therapies.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoner death inquests were heard on the Isle of Wight in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024; and how many prisoner death inquests on the Isle of Wight are outstanding for those years.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No inquests were concluded in 2023 and 2024 relating to prison deaths in the Isle of Wight coroner area. There were 13 such deaths in 2023 and 6 in 2024.
The data is unpublished management information derived from administrative systems and has not been subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics which are published by the Ministry of Justice.
My response to the Noble Lady’s Question HL7660 set out the steps which the Isle of Wight Council is taking, together with the Senior Coroner and the Chief Coroner, to address the issue of inquest backlogs. As I also confirmed in that response, the Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible, and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Integrated Security Fund will be cut as a result of the planned reduction in spending on overseas development aid and, if so, whether they will conduct an equalities impact assessment.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Decisions on how official development assistance will be used, including in the Integrated Security Fund, will be taken as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the average time from death to inquest on the Isle of Wight.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There has been significant pressure on accommodation for inquest hearings and in terms of staffing in the Isle of Wight coroner area. To address this, the refurbishment of a court is now nearing completion; and the Isle of Wight Council is currently recruiting for two additional Assistant Coroners. I anticipate that, once in place, these measures will help address the issue of inquest backlog. The Chief Coroner is also engaging directly with the Senior Coroner and local authority on this issue.
The Government is committed to supporting an inquest process which is as swift as possible, and which puts the bereaved families at the heart of the process. We recognise the impact of delays on bereaved families and wider systems and will continue to work closely with the Chief Coroner, local authorities and other key partners to reform and deliver a framework for the future development of coroner services.