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 Syria about rising sectarian violence; and what action they are taking to strengthen efforts to combat extremism, sectarianism and hate speech to ensure the protection of all civilians, including vulnerable religious minorities.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement (HLWS1285) I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) prosecutions, (2) CPS referrals, (3) acquittals, and (4) convictions there have been under (a) sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, and (b) the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929, for each of the last 10 years for which data are available.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not hold any data which shows the number of defendants prosecuted, referred, acquitted, or convicted of offences created by s58-59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and s1 of the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. To establish number and outcomes of prosecutions where these offences were charged would require a manual review of case files and this would be at disproportionate cost.
Management information is available which shows the number of offences of charged by way of Sections 58 and 59 (administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion / procuring drugs, instruments to cause abortion) and Section 1 (child destruction) in which a prosecution commenced. The table below shows the number of these offences from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2025.
| Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 { 1(1) } | Offences Against the Person Act 1861 { 58 } | Offences Against the Person Act 1861 { 59 } |
2015-2016 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
2016-2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
2017-2018 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
2018-2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019-2020 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
2020-2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021-2022 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
2022-2023 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
2023-2024 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
2024-2025 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System | |||
The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. No data are held showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.
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 by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 14 October 2025 (HL10633), what assessment they have made of whether there are lessons to learn from their decision not to require Lord Mandelson to divest himself of his shares in Global Counsel while serving as Ambassador to the United States, and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the Government's response to the Urgent Question tabled in the House of Commons on 12 February (Hansard, Volume 780, Column 923), the Written Ministerial Statement in the name of the Leader of the House of Lords that same day, and the Oral Statement in the House of Commons on 23 February (Hansard, Volume 781, Column 41) which set out an update on the Government's process. We will set out further details in due course. The Government wishes to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask The Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 9 February (HL13919), what discussions she has had with the Cabinet Office on the failure to answer expeditiously the Written Question asked by Lord Jackson of Peterborough on 3 December 2025 (HL12630).
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
My office has kept in close contact with the Cabinet Office regarding the written question HL12630, the question was answered on Monday 9th March. I apologise for the delay in response.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 20 November (HC88718), why Westminster City Council was not informed until May that the then Deputy Prime Minister was occupying Admiralty House as a second home for council tax purposes when the second home premium came into effect on 1 April.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government Property Agency (GPA), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, is responsible for the administration and payment of any tax liabilities for Admiralty House. The Government Property Agency wrote to Westminster City Council in June to confirm that the former Deputy Prime Minister was residing in Admiralty House on a second home basis. Westminster City Council issued a bill applying the second home premium in July, which was paid in full the same day. The bill was paid for the full year of 1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026.
The Cabinet Office accepts that it was delayed in notifying Westminster City Council that the Admiralty House flat allocated to the former Deputy Prime Minister was being used on a second home basis. This was not the former Deputy Prime Minister’s error or responsibility. It is regrettable that this delay occurred. The Cabinet Office is taking steps to change its internal processes to ensure this does not happen again.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Cabinet office on 23 December 2025 (HC97797), whether Tim Allan has recused himself from government business relating to the Strand Partner clients (1) Uber, (2) Netflix, (3) Liberty Global, and (4) the British Horseracing Authority; and whether he has also recused himself from government business relating to clients of Thorndon Partners.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There is an established system in place for the declaration and management of special advisers' interests. As has been the case under successive administrations, interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office. As set out in the answer referred to, before joining the government, Mr Allan sought and received advice on his interests. He has followed every element of the advice received.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they discussed the impact of the European Union's "Made in Europe" plans on UK competitiveness at the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meeting on 2 February.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Given the UK is one of Europe’s largest economies, and an integral part of existing supply chains, we have been clear with EU counterparts that the UK and EU should be working together to tackle the challenges we all face in terms of promoting economic security as well as boosting growth and productivity. At the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council on 2 February, the UK raised these issues and stressed the need to work together to address shared challenges. The agenda was published ahead of the meeting on GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in discussions with the European Union to facilitate closer cooperation on law enforcement.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
At the May 2025 UK-EU Summit we were pleased to agree with the EU a package of work to further strengthen our extensive law enforcement and judicial cooperation capabilities, making our streets safer and ensuring criminals are brought to justice. Work is now underway to deliver on those commitments. We are not going to provide a running commentary on those discussions but will keep Parliament updated on any significant developments.
Both sides have also agreed to hold regular Summits which will provide an opportunity to build on our strategic partnership, including implementing the undertakings published in the 2025 Common Understanding, and to further strengthen our relationship over time.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish an impact assessment for the UK–US Economic Prosperity Deal.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
Through EPD negotiations, the UK has agreed preferential trading terms with the US in a range of sectors. This includes a 10% “reciprocal” tariff, 0% for aerospace and pharmaceuticals, and 10% for cars within quota. The UK is also the only country to have avoided 50% steel and aluminium tariffs.
Discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal continue, covering tariff and non-tariff barriers, including digital and services trade.
We will keep the House fully informed on these developments along with the expected economic outcomes of the final deal.
Impact assessments are completed at the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States of America about restarting the Technology Prosperity Deal.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The United States is our close ally and tech partner, and we are committed to ensuring that bond delivers real benefits for hardworking people on both sides of the Atlantic.
As the Prime Minister has stated, we are in daily contact with all the key figures in the US administration. This includes regular discussions on resuming work on the Technology Prosperity Deal as quickly as we can, and to continue shaping the emerging technologies of the future.