Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require platforms (1) to assess and mitigate the risks of hosting or organising illegal sexual harm communities, and (2) to respond promptly to credible notifications of such communities.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Online Safety Act requires user‑to‑user services to assess risks of different kinds of illegal harm on their platforms, including child sexual exploitation and abuse, grooming, intimate image abuse and extreme pornography, and to take proportionate steps to mitigate those risks, including where they are facilitated through groups.
Services must also have effective systems and processes to prevent, detect and act against illegal content and activity, both proactively and in response to notifications. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, sets out expected measures in statutory codes of practice, which came into force in July 2025, including on proactive technologies such as hash‑matching.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what national assessment they have made of drug-facilitated sexual assault within relationships; and whether they have a strategy to address the online facilitation of such crimes.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individual police forces retain operational ownership of investigations. However, several international cooperation tools can support cross‑border enquiries. This includes engagement with INTERPOL and Europol, as well as other mechanisms such as international biometric exchange. Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) can be used where evidence is required from overseas jurisdictions. Eurojust can support coordination of prosecutions and judicial cooperation in relevant cross‑border cases, where appropriate.
We have limited data on the prevalence of drug-facilitated sexual assault within intimate relationships. We have however taken several steps to tackle spiking in England and Wales, including where it is linked to drug facilitated sexual assault. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a new criminal offence for spiking, which will give greater clarity to victims and raise the maximum sentence for the offence of administering a poisonous or noxious substance in section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
We are working with three police forces to roll out a sample collection pilot in Spring 2026, which aims to improve the timeliness and accessibility of urine sample collection following suspected spiking incidents. We have commissioned the University of Birmingham to undertake academic research into the motivations of spiking perpetrators. finally, the Police are developing a new guidance and training package on spiking for frontline officers, which will enable better support to be provided to suspected victims, as well as more timely evidence-gathering which should help to bring perpetrators to justice.
Statutory guidance on controlling or coercive behaviour has been issued to the police and other agencies, which highlights that perpetrators of domestic abuse may use substances such as alcohol or drugs to control a victim through dependency. More details can be found here: Controlling or coercive behaviour: statutory guidance framework (accessible) - GOV.UK. The Government has committed to updating the controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance by the end of 2026.
All NHS staff receive national mandatory safeguarding training that is being strengthened for launch in December 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and responding to victims of violence and abuse.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what mandatory training exists for police and health services on recognition and evidence capture regarding drug-facilitated sexual assault in intimate contexts.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individual police forces retain operational ownership of investigations. However, several international cooperation tools can support cross‑border enquiries. This includes engagement with INTERPOL and Europol, as well as other mechanisms such as international biometric exchange. Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) can be used where evidence is required from overseas jurisdictions. Eurojust can support coordination of prosecutions and judicial cooperation in relevant cross‑border cases, where appropriate.
We have limited data on the prevalence of drug-facilitated sexual assault within intimate relationships. We have however taken several steps to tackle spiking in England and Wales, including where it is linked to drug facilitated sexual assault. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a new criminal offence for spiking, which will give greater clarity to victims and raise the maximum sentence for the offence of administering a poisonous or noxious substance in section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
We are working with three police forces to roll out a sample collection pilot in Spring 2026, which aims to improve the timeliness and accessibility of urine sample collection following suspected spiking incidents. We have commissioned the University of Birmingham to undertake academic research into the motivations of spiking perpetrators. finally, the Police are developing a new guidance and training package on spiking for frontline officers, which will enable better support to be provided to suspected victims, as well as more timely evidence-gathering which should help to bring perpetrators to justice.
Statutory guidance on controlling or coercive behaviour has been issued to the police and other agencies, which highlights that perpetrators of domestic abuse may use substances such as alcohol or drugs to control a victim through dependency. More details can be found here: Controlling or coercive behaviour: statutory guidance framework (accessible) - GOV.UK. The Government has committed to updating the controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance by the end of 2026.
All NHS staff receive national mandatory safeguarding training that is being strengthened for launch in December 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and responding to victims of violence and abuse.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government who owns the operational lead and what interagency co-ordination exists for cross-border aspects of drug-facilitated sexual assault.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individual police forces retain operational ownership of investigations. However, several international cooperation tools can support cross‑border enquiries. This includes engagement with INTERPOL and Europol, as well as other mechanisms such as international biometric exchange. Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) can be used where evidence is required from overseas jurisdictions. Eurojust can support coordination of prosecutions and judicial cooperation in relevant cross‑border cases, where appropriate.
We have limited data on the prevalence of drug-facilitated sexual assault within intimate relationships. We have however taken several steps to tackle spiking in England and Wales, including where it is linked to drug facilitated sexual assault. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a new criminal offence for spiking, which will give greater clarity to victims and raise the maximum sentence for the offence of administering a poisonous or noxious substance in section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
We are working with three police forces to roll out a sample collection pilot in Spring 2026, which aims to improve the timeliness and accessibility of urine sample collection following suspected spiking incidents. We have commissioned the University of Birmingham to undertake academic research into the motivations of spiking perpetrators. finally, the Police are developing a new guidance and training package on spiking for frontline officers, which will enable better support to be provided to suspected victims, as well as more timely evidence-gathering which should help to bring perpetrators to justice.
Statutory guidance on controlling or coercive behaviour has been issued to the police and other agencies, which highlights that perpetrators of domestic abuse may use substances such as alcohol or drugs to control a victim through dependency. More details can be found here: Controlling or coercive behaviour: statutory guidance framework (accessible) - GOV.UK. The Government has committed to updating the controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance by the end of 2026.
All NHS staff receive national mandatory safeguarding training that is being strengthened for launch in December 2026. This will reinforce to staff their safeguarding responsibilities and support them in identifying and responding to victims of violence and abuse.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of ratifying the Ljubljana-Hague convention; and what steps they are taking to ensure that they can cooperate with other states on mutual legal assistance in relation to investigating and prosecuting international crimes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is firmly committed to the rule of law and ending impunity for the most serious international crimes. It is of fundamental importance that issues of domestic and international accountability continue to be discussed seriously and collaboratively by the international community.
The UK already has well-established legal frameworks to facilitate international co-operation on the investigation and prosecution of international crimes and we are committed to continuing to work with international partners to this end. The UK was an active participant at the Ljubljana-Hague Convention negotiations in 2023, where we made it clear that we needed further time to review the Convention text, including to consider how ratification might impact on the UK's cooperation in this area. To date, only one country has ratified the Convention.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in addition to humanitarian assistance, to prevent atrocities in Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Further to my statement on Sudan on 19 November, and my remarks in the House of Lords debate on 27 November, the Government took direct action on 12 December to sanction senior commanders of the Rapid Support Forces suspected of involvement in the atrocities committed in El Fasher, Sudan, including mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians. This sends a clear message that those who commit and orchestrate these crimes will be held to account, and reflects our determination to prevent and deter further atrocities.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address gender apartheid and gender persecution in Afghanistan; what steps they are taking to support Afghan women and girls in the country; and what assessment they have made of how this assistance is affected by any cuts to UK overseas development assistance.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 21 October in response to Question 81211, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The Government condemns the Taliban's appalling repression of Afghan women and girls. Officials regularly engage with the Taliban on UK Government priorities, including human rights. The Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions.
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries as a matter of principle, and in all circumstances, including through UN and Human Rights Council resolutions.
In October, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls and the UK Special Envoy to Afghanistan met Afghan women leaders. Upholding the human rights of all Afghans is not only a moral imperative, but essential for building a stable, inclusive, and prosperous country.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since July 2024 to pursue justice and accountability for Uyghurs, and what further action they will take within the next year.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghur Muslims. We continue to refer to the OHCHR's 2022 Xinjiang Assessment, which is based on independent evidence and China's own records. We raise our concerns on human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations, for example, joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure Ahmed al-Doush receives a fair trial in Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.
The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.
Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.
Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Ahmed al-Doush is released by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
For data protection reasons, we are unable to comment publicly on the details of Mr Al-Doush's case; however, the Minister for the Middle East is following the case closely.
The UK Government is bound by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which prohibits interference in the judicial affairs of another state.
Individuals detained overseas are encouraged to seek local legal advice and raise any due process concerns with their local lawyer who is best placed to raise these with the courts. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides families with a list of local lawyers to support them with this process. Our consular staff will aim to stay in regular contact with British nationals detained overseas and where British nationals feel they are not treated in line with international standards, with their consent, the FCDO can raise concerns with the appropriate authorities.
Consular officials do not routinely attend court hearings involving British nationals. Any exceptions to this are made on a case-by-case basis and will depend on several factors including the circumstances of the case and the local context.