Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to disabled war refugees from Ukraine including, but not limited to, in relation to employment opportunities.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. Councils can use this funding flexibly to support households as best suits the local area, this could include supporting individuals to access education and employment.
All Ukrainian guests have access to public services, including benefits to support housing, healthcare, education, and other essential services.
Guidance is available on GOV.UK in English, Ukrainian and Russian, which provides Ukrainian guests with information on finding a job, accessing benefits and healthcare provision. This also provides guidance on social care and support for carers.
We recognise that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK. The STEP programme which launched this month, will provide intensive English language lessons and employment support for up to 4,000 individuals across the Ukraine and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) visa schemes. This builds on the success of the STEP Ukraine pilot which has supported over 13,000 Ukrainians, with an impressive 84% successfully completing the programme and 73% achieving 100% in their English language test.
The Department for Education also supports adults aged 19+ in England who do not have English as a first language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision via the Adult Skills Fund (ASL).
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent comments by Baroness Manningham-Buller, former Director General of MI5, that the United Kingdom may already be at war with Russia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The actions of the Russian State pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of the UK and our allies. Russia continues to intensify its aggressive hybrid campaign, including sabotage, violence and cyber-attacks. We are working in partnership with our allies to deter and defend against the full spectrum of threats emanating from Russia.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their policy that a deal to end the war in Ukraine should not result in the release of frozen Russian state assets held in the UK until Russia financially compensates Ukraine for the damage caused by the illegal invasion.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is firmly committed to ensuring Russia pays for the damage it has caused and is causing. That is why, in 2023, the UK legislated to take powers to maintain Russian sanctions until Russia pays compensation to Ukraine. We are also contributing £2.26 billion to a G7 scheme totalling $50 billion in support to Ukraine, using the profits from sanctioned Russian assets.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether it was assessed that the new security fence outside the House of Lords amounted to “substantial harm” or “less than substantial harm” to the Palace of Westminster as a Grade I Listed Building; if “less than substantial harm”, where within the range of “less than substantial harm” the harm falls.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
I am informed that the assessment of harm was conducted by the bicameral Strategic Estates department of Parliament and submitted to Westminster City Council as part of the planning application.
Westminster City Council, through the planning process, recognised that the fence would cause some harm to designated heritage assets, but in its design and due to the temporary nature of the proposal, this harm was assessed to be less than substantial and in the low to moderate end of that spectrum.
In circumstances of less than substantial harm, the proposals must be justified and the public benefits of the scheme considered. In this case, the justification of providing a secure perimeter to the palace was considered by Westminster City Council to be compelling and the public benefits of providing a greater level of security to both the building and its users is assessed to outweigh the harm caused.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the new security fence outside the House of Lords was determined to be in accordance with relevant policies of the City of Westminster’s City Plan 2019–2040 and the London Plan 2021; if so, on what basis; and if not, what alternatives were taken into account in considering whether material considerations indicated otherwise than in accordance with the development plan.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
I am informed that Westminster City Council considered whether the planning application relating to the newly installed Abingdon Street Fence was in accordance with relevant policies of the City of Westminster’s City Plan 2019–2040 and the London Plan 2021 as part of the consideration of the planning application for the works.
Westminster City Council determined the proposals were in accordance with its development plan, when considered as a whole.
Throughout the design process, the Parliamentary Authorities carefully considered the proposals, in reference to the policies set out in the statutory development plan.
The planning permission for the ‘siting of a boundary fence’ is temporary and was granted for ten years.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether Historic England, SAVE Britain’s Heritage and Buckingham Palace were consulted on the specific design of the new security fence outside the House of Lords.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The safety and security of all those who work on and visit the Parliamentary Estate is a top priority. I am informed that Parliamentary authorities carefully considered the importance of improving safety on the Parliamentary Estate alongside their need to protect the Palace of Westminster and its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is vital to ensure that this iconic building is safeguarded for future generations to visit and enjoy.
Historic England is a statutory consultee and was included as part of pre-application discussions and consulted by Westminster City Council, as part of the application.
Neither SAVE Britain’s Heritage nor Buckingham Palace are statutory consultees and therefore were not consulted as part of the planning process.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker on what basis it was determined that, having regard to potential alternatives, the public benefits of the new security fence outside the west front of the House of Lords outweighed any heritage harm.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The need for an effective perimeter was identified during independent reviews of Parliament’s security and the designs were progressed on that basis. The safety and security of all those who work on and visit the Parliamentary Estate is a top priority.
The fence design was endorsed on the balance of all considerations, including security, above and below ground heritage, deliverability, and value for money.
The newly installed fence can be removed for significant state or ceremonial events.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments of former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case that the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent should be expanded to include a second means of launch in addition to the existing submarine capability.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government keeps the UK’s nuclear posture under constant review considering the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries. Our nuclear deterrent can respond to any emerging crises.
The recent announcement that the UK is acquiring 12 nuclear capable F35-A fighter jets, and will join the NATO nuclear mission, is not a decision to acquire a second sovereign delivery system. It complements Continuous At Sea Deterrence, our operationally independent, sovereign deterrent, which remains the ultimate guarantor of our security.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to conclude a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement that includes provisions for the movement of zoo animals, and what recent discussions they have had with zoos and aquariums on the inclusion of conservation transfers in such an agreement.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders’ Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone, aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of trade and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our aim is to start talks straight away and we want to remove barriers as soon as possible.
Ministers have actively engaged with the zoo and wildlife sector through multiple visits and discussions to understand its challenges and opportunities. This dialogue will continue as we work together to support the zoo and wildlife sector.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban all airline companies that fly to and from Russia from UK airspace (and not merely specific aircraft); whether they plan to encourage the European Union to impose a similar ban; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport (DfT) is aware of several third-country airlines which continue to operate to and from Russia, while also separately operating services to and from the UK. The UK’s international connectivity benefits considerably from the operations of third-country airlines, particularly those operating to/from points beyond their home hubs. Any action, in respect of third-countries, must, therefore, be balanced against the consequences for the wider economy, which includes the needs of UK exporters and the travelling public, as well as considering potential reciprocal prohibitions against UK airlines. Where sanctions are specifically being considered, we must consider whether a proposed action meets the stated purposes of The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“2019 Regulations”).
The Government’s position also has to be considered in the context of the UK’s international obligations under its portfolio of bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASA), which guarantee market access for UK airlines abroad, and for foreign airlines to/from the UK.
The Government remains committed to supporting Ukraine and exerting pressure, through the UK’s sanctions regime, on Russia to cease its war of aggression. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the enforcement of transport sanctions in place against Russia. Transport sanctions include prohibitions on the movement of aircraft and ships. In respect of the aviation prohibitions against Russia, this includes prohibiting Russian aircraft as defined in The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“2019 Regulations”), from landing in the UK or using UK airspace. In addition, and as noted in our previous response to your WPQ (HL3716), under the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Russian Aircraft) Regulations 2022 the Department has imposed a prohibition on any aircraft flying to and from Russian aerodromes from using UK airspace.
The UK has imposed one of the most substantive transport prohibitions under both UK sanctions and aviation law against Russia. This enabled the government to take significant enforcement action under the 2019 Regulations including the detention of aircraft and ships with links to Russia. The Government also prevented key Russian airlines from selling their unused landing slots at UK airports worth millions. Furthermore, ensuring ongoing compliance with UK transport sanctions remains a priority for the UK government and we continue to explore new ways to encourage compliance. These actions have had a material impact on Russia and its aviation sector and has prevented them from profiting from the UK’s aviation and maritime sectors.
We continue to balance these priorities and are working closely with our G7 partners, particularly the US and EU, in our engagement with a range of third-countries. However, this remains a deeply complex area. We continue to review the transport sanctions we have in place and explore additional ways we can support Ukraine.