Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many British citizens or former British citizens who are (1) male, (2) female, and (3) minors under 18 years old, have been repatriated from (a) Al-Roj, and (2) Al-Hawl, detention camps in Syria to the UK in the past 12 months; and what were the grounds for those repatriations.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 6 February 2025 in response to Question 27530, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
"Our priority remains to ensure the safety and security of the UK. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect the UK from those who pose a threat to our security.
"All requests for consular assistance from Syria are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances including, but not limited to, national security."
As a long-standing rule, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not comment on individual cases, or on the number or type of cases.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 December 2025 (HL12793) and 5 January (HL13110), and with reference to paragraph 223 of the Guide to Parliamentary Work and paragraph 1.6(d) of the Ministerial Code, what is the public interest basis in terms similar to those in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for neither confirming or denying whether Lord Mandelson has received a severance payment in relation to his role as Ambassador to the USA.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It has been the normal practice under successive governments, including the one in which the Noble Lord served, for the details of individual severance payments received by ministers to be disclosed on a named basis in departmental annual reports, but for payments made to senior officials, special advisers and other employees to be disclosed anonymously.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 December 2025 (HL12793) and 5 January (HL13110), and the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 18 December 2025 (HC97798), whether Lord Mandelson left the his role as UK Ambassador to the USA (1) for gross misconduct justifying summary dismissal, (2) on the grounds of efficiency, (3) as a result of disciplinary proceedings in circumstances where summary dismissal is not justified, (4) during the probation period, (5) on medical grounds, (6) on other compulsory grounds, or (7) in exceptional circumstances.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It has been the normal practice under successive governments, including the one in which the Noble Lord served, for the details of individual severance payments received by ministers to be disclosed on a named basis in departmental annual reports, but for payments made to senior officials, special advisers and other employees to be disclosed anonymously.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether exit payments paid to departing Ambassadors and Heads of Mission are published in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's annual reports and accounts (1) by both name and amount, or (2) anonymised by grade and amount.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It has been the normal practice under successive governments, including the one in which the Noble Lord served, for the details of individual severance payments received by ministers to be disclosed on a named basis in departmental annual reports, but for payments made to senior officials, special advisers and other employees to be disclosed anonymously.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 17 December (HL12793), whether they will now answer the question put: namely whether Lord Mandelson received any severance payment at the conclusion of his role as Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer cited in his question.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reasons they were unable to conclude negotiations with regard to the United Kingdom’s accession under Articles 16.10 and 16.11 to the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) through the Reinforcement of the European Defence Industry Instrument.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided by the Ministry of Defence in the House of Commons on 4 December in response to Question 95829, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union on 19 May is an example of this Government's commitment to delivering on its manifesto pledges to strengthen European security, support economic growth, and reinforce NATO.
We are working swiftly with the EU to implement the Partnership and are prioritising cooperation on key areas, including support for Ukraine, countering hybrid threats, and promoting stability in the Western Balkans.
As the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on 1 December, the Security and Defence Partnership also unlocked the possibility for enhanced UK participation in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument. Earlier this autumn, the UK and the EU entered into formal negotiations on a bilateral agreement to facilitate UK participation in SAFE. The UK entered these negotiations in good faith, reflecting our shared strategic interests. However, it was not possible to conclude these negotiations with an agreement.
This Government has been clear that we will only enter into agreements that serve the national interest. In this case, the negotiations did not yield an agreement that met this standard.
It is disappointing that an agreement on UK participation in the first round of SAFE could not be reached; however, the UK's defence industry will retain access to SAFE under standard third-country terms, with the potential to contribute up to 35% of the content of SAFE contracts.
This Government remains committed to pursuing cooperation with the European Union on defence and security that aligns with our NATO First policy, supports our defence objectives and delivers for the UK taxpayer.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the exclusion of Ahmadi Muslims from the National Commission for Minorities in Pakistan; and what recent engagement they have had with the government of Pakistan on this issue.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government is concerned by reports that Pakistan's new National Commission for Minority Rights will exclude Ahmadi Muslims from its protections. We have urged the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all citizens in line with international standards, and our High Commission in Islamabad raises the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims at the highest levels. The Minister for the Middle East has also raised these issues repeatedly with senior counterparts, including most recently with Deputy Prime Minister Dar in August 2025 when he highlighted the importance of safety and dignity for Ahmadis and the need for inclusive institutions. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Lord Mandelson has received, or will receive, a severance payment in relation to his role as UK Ambassador to the USA.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 25 November in response to Question 91398, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
Lord Mandelson's withdrawal was subject to normal HR processes within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Uzbekistan about the imprisonment of Alisher Tursunov, and what diplomatic steps they are taking to secure his release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to standing up for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the Uzbek authorities and maintains a dialogue with local human rights groups. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review, the UK raised concerns over FoRB amongst other human rights issues and continues to consider when is most impactful and appropriate to raise individual cases.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent diplomatic discussions they have had with the government of Tunisia about the arrest of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi, and what steps they are taking to ensure their release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Our Embassy in Tunis has closely followed the case of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi since their arrest in May 2024. We have raised the case with Tunisian authorities, including at senior levels, and participated in trial observation alongside other Diplomatic missions. Both individuals were released on suspended sentences on 24 November given time served, after being found guilty of assisting migrants to enter and remain in Tunisia. We continue to engage with Tunisia and international partners on the protection of civil society and human rights.