Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Mexico on the protection of the Christian and indigenous communities displaced in May by organised criminal violence in Guerrero State.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 8 June in response to Question 5388 - which for ease of reference is reproduced below:

The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief and to the freedom of expression globally. We are concerned by reports of violence against indigenous and rural communities in Mexico. Any violence against indigenous communities must be fully investigated. We regularly engage with the Mexican authorities and civil society on the issue of the protection of civilians, as well as with the UN in Mexico on the effective investigation of crimes against human rights defenders.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provisions of the Windsor Framework relating to VAT on the ability to reduce the rate of VAT for the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The UK’s standard VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent and is forecast to raise almost £190 billion in 2026/27.VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT on services, including hospitality, does not fall within the scope of the Windsor Framework.

There are no current plans to introduce regionally differentiated VAT rates for hospitality, which would add complexity to the tax system.

The Government has announced the Great British Summer Savings scheme. This provides a temporary reduction in VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent from 25 June to 1 September 2026 on eligible children’s meals, family leisure tickets and admission to summer attractions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, providing targeted support for families and for hospitality and tourism businesses across the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions have been held with the Northern Ireland Executive about differential VAT rates for areas of the UK which are in direct competition with hospitality businesses in another jurisdiction.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The UK’s standard VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent and is forecast to raise almost £190 billion in 2026/27.VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT on services, including hospitality, does not fall within the scope of the Windsor Framework.

There are no current plans to introduce regionally differentiated VAT rates for hospitality, which would add complexity to the tax system.

The Government has announced the Great British Summer Savings scheme. This provides a temporary reduction in VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent from 25 June to 1 September 2026 on eligible children’s meals, family leisure tickets and admission to summer attractions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, providing targeted support for families and for hospitality and tourism businesses across the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment has been made of the impact of the 20 per cent VAT rate on the competitiveness of the UK tourism and hospitality sectors.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The UK’s standard VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent and is forecast to raise almost £190 billion in 2026/27.VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT on services, including hospitality, does not fall within the scope of the Windsor Framework.

There are no current plans to introduce regionally differentiated VAT rates for hospitality, which would add complexity to the tax system.

The Government has announced the Great British Summer Savings scheme. This provides a temporary reduction in VAT from 20 per cent to 5 per cent from 25 June to 1 September 2026 on eligible children’s meals, family leisure tickets and admission to summer attractions across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, providing targeted support for families and for hospitality and tourism businesses across the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of restrictions on Protestant churches in Algeria; and what representations they have made to the government of Algeria on the registration and reopening of churches in the past 12 months.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including for Protestant congregations in Algeria. Our Embassy in Algiers is in regular contact with minority religious groups in the country on how best we can support FoRB, and we raise these issues regularly with the Algerian authorities, most recently when the Minister for the Middle East visited Algiers in October 2025. We will continue to advocate for freedom of religion in Algeria, including in relation to the operation of Protestant churches.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average time it takes for representatives of Border Force senior management to meet with a member of either House of Parliament following a request to do so.

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

Requests for meetings are considered individually, taking into account the urgency of the issue, whether information has already been provided in writing, and operational demands. Border Force aims to engage with Members in a timely way where needed, with such engagement agreed in line with ministerial oversight. Ministers remain accountable to Parliament for the work of Border Force

There is no centrally held data on the average time taken for Border Force senior officials to meet Members of either House following a request.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the willingness of Border Force senior management to engage or meet with members of both Houses of Parliament.

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

Border Force senior officials engage with Parliament in line with the Civil Service Code and relevant Cabinet Office guidance. This includes supporting Ministers in their accountability to Parliament and, where appropriate, engaging with Members on factual or operational matters through written correspondence or in-person briefings.

No specific assessment is made of the “willingness” of Border Force senior management to meet Members of either House. As such, engagement is considered on a case-by-case basis on direction from Home Office Ministers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Syria, and (2) other international partners, about the protection of Christian places of worship and Christian communities in Syria.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

Further to the written ministerial statements I made to the House on 28 January (HLWS1285) and 29 April (HLWS1560), UK ministers and officials continue to support the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country, where Christian communities and other religious minorities are protected from persecution and allowed to play their full part in Syria's transition. The importance of that inclusive political transition was further emphasised with President Al Sharaa, during his visit to the UK on 31 March.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Ethiopia on the protection of Orthodox Christian communities and historic places of worship following recent attacks in the Arsi Zone.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

We are concerned by reports of violence affecting communities in Ethiopia's Oromia region, including in Arsi Zone. The UK condemns all violence against civilians, including attacks against places of worship and people because of their religion. We continue to call on all parties to engage in dialogue to address the underlying causes of conflict. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, the UK supports dialogue efforts by local peacemakers, women's groups and the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia alongside Early Warning Human Rights Networks raising security alerts. The UK also supports the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's capacity to monitor, investigate and act upon violations affecting civilians.

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: July 2026 10.45 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: June 2026 10.45 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: June 2026) Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE KC (Chair) • No relevant interests to declare Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: June 2026 10.45 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 3 June 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: June 2026 10.45 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn

Found: Meeting, held at 10:30am on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn