Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with their Indian counterparts concerning recent reports of increasing arrests of Muslims in BJP-controlled states; and what diplomatic steps they are taking to protect that community.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government is committed to freedom of religion and faith for all, and to the protection of religious minorities. We condemn all forms of intimidation or persecution against individuals based on their religion or belief. Our High Commission in New Delhi and Deputy High Commissions across India track developments in this space and engage with civil society organisations and religious representatives to promote tolerance and respect between communities.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Egyptian authorities concerning the arrest of 14 religious leaders and human rights activists since 13 September; and what diplomatic steps they are taking to ensure their release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK champions human rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and we regularly raise human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Cameroon authorities concerning attacks against Christian communities in the far north, including recent reports of (1) abduction, and (2) murder; and what diplomatic steps they are taking to ensure the promotion of religious freedom in the country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK continues to support Cameroonian efforts to counter terrorism in the Far North and assist communities affected by violence and displacement. This includes regular diplomatic engagement, both bilaterally and through multilateral fora, and through frequent visits to the region to engage with affected communities and authorities. While we have not had specific discussions with the Cameroonian authorities about the recent reports of abduction and murder, we continue to advocate for the protection of all vulnerable communities. Over the past five years, the UK has provided over £20 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Cameroon, much of it focused on the Far North, and we continue to back stabilisation efforts in the Lake Chad region. The UK Government continues to monitor civil and political rights in Cameroon and is committed to upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the 5 pence-per-litre fuel duty reduction permanent.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget in October 2024, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut and cancelling the planned increase in line with inflation for 2025/26. The temporary 5p cut is currently scheduled to expire in March 2026. The Government considers the impact of fuel duty on households and businesses, with decisions on rates made at fiscal events.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 September (HL10489), what estimate they have made of the cost of collecting, collating and verifying the data mentioned in the question.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
I thank the Noble Lord for his question. I am sure he will know that the Advisory Guide to Parliamentary Work published by the Cabinet Office sets out that there is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.
The Procedure Committee recommended that the threshold “be calculated only with regard to policy team time—it should not account for any central processing in parliamentary branches or WPQ teams, or the time taken by Ministers or their advisers”.
We estimate that the cost of locating and collating any relevant information and extracting the information to meet your request would exceed the appropriate limit.
This is because in order to respond to your request for information we would need to match, collate and verify information from multiple immigration data systems owned by Home Office to multiple systems containing the relevant information on Organised Crime Gangs.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 6 October (HL10578), what international data and systems they have relied on when completing security checks, including biometric and criminality checks, for students coming to the UK from Gaza; and what assessment they have made of their adequacy in supporting such checks.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Robust security checks will be undertaken on all individuals who enter the UK through this process. Biometrics will be collected as part of the visa application process and prior to travel to the UK.
The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists. The Home Office works with both law enforcement and wider government partners to ensure appropriate action is taken before travel or at the border when individuals of concern are identified.
It would not be appropriate to provide further detailed information about the nature and scope of security checks.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the incidence of debanking without good reason by financial institutions.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Banking services fulfil a vital role for millions of people and businesses across the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring high standards of consumer protection and financial inclusion across the financial services sector.
Earlier this year, the Government legislated to enhance protections for customers in cases where their bank account is terminated by their provider. Under these new rules coming into force for relevant new contracts from April 2026, Banks and other payment service providers will be required to give customers at least 90 days’ notice before closing their account or terminating a payment service and provide a clear and specific explanation so the customer can understand why it is being terminated.
These changes will ensure more transparent and predictable access to banking, giving customers the time and information they need to challenge decisions or find alternative arrangements.
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 Tunisia concerning the ongoing targeting of Christian communities, including instances of (1) physical violence and (2) forced marriage; and what steps are they taking to ensure religious freedom in the country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We regularly engage with Tunisian authorities and civil society organisations to promote human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and we will continue our dialogue with the Tunisian government on human rights as part of our annual Association Council, most recently held in July 2025.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 September (HL10489), why the requested data regarding migrants with suspected links to organised crime groups is not published and collected currently.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 26 September (HL10489), for what reason is the data requested not published and collected currently.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.