Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Answer by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 25 November (HC91373), whether guidance has been given informally to special advisers through cross-government special adviser meetings about (1) including, or (2) excluding, information on email or other corporate communications.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There is guidance in place when it comes to the use of non-corporate communications channels, available on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Public Appointments Data Report 2024/25, published on 2 December, whether they plan to set targets for the number of public appointments based on social class.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to ensuring that public appointments are more representative of our nations and regions and will set out its approach in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the Director General of the Propriety and Constitution Group has been removed from the 'our management' section of the Cabinet Office website homepage; and whether that position has been downgraded.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Director General, Propriety and Constitution group remains a SCS3 civil service post. The Cabinet Office gov.uk page will be updated in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government on what dates calls have been held between the government and corporate lobbyists since 4 July 2024; which lobbying firms joined those calls; and which ministers have joined those calls.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Details of Ministers and Senior Officials' meetings, including those held using video or audio-conferencing technology, and including phone calls where these replace or take the format of an official meeting, are published by departments on GOV.UK every quarter.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the legal basis for the Prime Minister's occupation of his residence in Downing Street.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The registered legal title of Downing Street is held in the name of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as has been the case under successive governments. Under all recent governments this accommodation is allocated to the Prime Minister.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many freedom of information requests the Government Art Collection has received asking for details of the works currently displayed in departments since 4 July 2024; and whether the information was (1) refused, or (2) disclosed, in each of those cases.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

All Freedom of Information requests are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the relevant legislation.

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.

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.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider (1) the European Court of Human Rights, and (2) the International Criminal Court, to be foreign courts.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and International Criminal Court (ICC) are international courts based respectively in France and the Netherlands. The UK is a State Party to both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Rome Statute, the international treaties which established the ECtHR and ICC respectively. It is also a founding member of both instruments.

The Human Rights Act 1998 and the ICC Act 2001 give effect to the UK's obligations under the ECHR and Rome Statute. We respect the independence of both courts.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Prime Minister on 12 November (HC Deb col 148), whether (1) the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, or (2) his special advisers, had any involvement in media briefings.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

No.