Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of foreign nationals or asylum seekers travelling from the Republic of Ireland to the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls of individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.
There is a high level of cooperation on migration and border security between the UK and Ireland to identify and tackle migration trends as they emerge. As per the commitment made at the 2026 UK-Ireland Summit, between the previous Prime Minister and the Taoiseach, the UK and Ireland continue to work together, which includes expanding immigration data sharing.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of foreign nationals or asylum seekers travelling to the Republic of Ireland from the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls of individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.
There is a high level of cooperation on migration and border security between the UK and Ireland to identify and tackle migration trends as they emerge. As per the commitment made at the 2026 UK-Ireland Summit, between the previous Prime Minister and the Taoiseach, the UK and Ireland continue to work together, which includes expanding immigration data sharing.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what entry requirements apply to UK citizens travelling to Gibraltar and who will inspect any documents.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Noble Lord to the FCDO travel advice for Gibraltar: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/gibraltar/entry-requirements UK citizens entering Gibraltar must have a passport issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after they depart either Gibraltar or the Schengen Area. They can spend up to 90 days in Gibraltar without a visa. This period will count towards the 90-day limit in any 180-day period for time spent in the Schengen Area. On arriving at the airport, they undergo two checks: Gibraltar immigration controls performed by the Gibraltar authorities, and Schengen immigration controls performed by the Spanish authorities.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what directions and support they give to Local Housing Authorities in order for asylum seekers to be housed; and whether asylum seekers take priority over local people on housing waiting lists.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Home Office is responsible for delivering asylum policy and ensuring eligible destitute asylum seekers are accommodated.
Eligibility for social housing in England is tightly controlled. If a person's immigration status does not allow them recourse to public funds then they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing.
Where foreign nationals are eligible, they will have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants in accordance with the local council’s housing allocation scheme. People who are homeless, in overcrowded housing or who need to move for medical reasons are prioritised.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) serviceability, and (2) availability, of the Astute class submarines.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Mr Pollard), in the House of Commons on 8 June 2026 to the hon. Member for Huntington (Mr Obese-Jecty) in response to Question 4887.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-05-29/4887
I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that I cannot provide the specific details requested as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of any relevant forces.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial cuts or efficiencies the Ministry of Defence has been asked to make in the financial years 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have asked the government of Greece to provide naval protection to UK interests in Cyprus in the absence of Royal Naval vessels in the Mediterranean.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has not asked the government of Greece to provide naval protection to UK interests on the island of Cyprus.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have entered into any arrangement with the government of the Republic of Ireland with regard to providing naval protection to the seas off Ireland.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
On 13 March 2026 the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Irish Minister for Defence announced the signing of the refreshed UK-Ireland Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The refreshed MoU will see the UK Armed Forces and the Irish Defence Forces strengthen their maritime security cooperation to better protect critical undersea infrastructure and develop improved response mechanisms to maritime security incidents. This will strengthen UK-Ireland naval cooperation however UK does not provide defence cover for Ireland. Matters relating to Ireland’s defence remain for the Irish Government.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of conflicts between protesters in Manchester following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including reports of men on horseback wearing armbands and threatening individuals.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government upholds the democratic right that people must be free to peacefully express their views, but they must do so within the bounds of the law.
Where the activity of protestors breaks the law, the police have the government’s backing to use their powers to respond.
It would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene in those operational decisions, but we continue to work closely with policing to ensure they have the right capabilities and support in place to keep the public safe and uphold the law.
The Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October 2025 led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review will ensure police powers remain fit for purpose, are used consistently, and strike the right balance between protecting the public and upholding the right to lawful protest. It is expected to report in the spring.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of economic predictions submitted to them by the Office of Budget Responsibility.
Answered by Lord Livermore
Economic forecasts, including assessments of the impact of policy decisions, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The OBR is required to produce a Forecast Evaluation Report (FER) each year under the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act (2011). The OBR is required to explain the reasons for divergence between its forecasts and subsequent outturns, to support future forecast improvements.
The latest Forecast Evaluation Report was published in July 2025 and can be found on their website.