Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allowing international media access to Gaza.
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 3 October 2025 in response to Question HC76551, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK is appalled by the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions of media workers in the State of Palestine. We have called on all parties to fully uphold International Humanitarian Law and ensure protection of civilians including journalists. In a recent joint statement with 28 other members of the Media Freedom Coalition, we called on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem can conduct their work freely and safely. The statement also called for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law. Earlier this year the UK provided funds to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Special Fund for Gaza, supporting locally based journalists and providing vital equipment.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impacts of Israel’s attacks on oil facilities in Iran, following reports of toxic smoke and acid rain in Tehran.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessments are available at this time, but the UK continues to (a) work for a resolution of the conflict in the Gulf, and (b) call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental implications of attacks on Kharg Island.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessments are available at this time, but the UK continues to (a) work for a resolution of the conflict in the Gulf, and (b) call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of land in Syria under the control of the government of Israel.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessments are available at this time, but the UK continues to (a) work for a resolution of the conflict in the Gulf, and (b) call on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity, and lay out timelines for their withdrawal from the Area of Separation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - 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 18 March (HL15286), what assessment they have made of the number of (1) schools, and (2) hospitals, in Iran that have been hit or destroyed since 28 February; and if there is not yet an assessment or estimate available, when they expect that an assessment or estimate will be made available.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer he cites in his question. The position has not changed in the intervening week.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what requirements are in place for private companies to inform their customers that facial recognition software is being used on the premises.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The use of facial recognition technologies is already governed by existing legal frameworks including equalities and data protection laws, which provide significant and proportionate protections. Under UK GDPR, there is a high bar for using such technology, as the processing of biometric data for identification purposes falls into the existing definition of special category data processing.
Under the UK’s data protection framework, organisations must process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently, which means being clear with people about how and why their personal data is being processed. Any personal data should also be kept secure and not processed for longer than is necessary. Organisations must also carry out an impact assessment when processing activities involving new technologies are likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the independent data protection regulator, has issued guidance on the use of facial recognition systems and continues to monitor developments in this area.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a legislative framework for the use of facial recognition software by private companies.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The use of facial recognition technologies is already governed by existing legal frameworks including equalities and data protection laws, which provide significant and proportionate protections. Under UK GDPR, there is a high bar for using such technology, as the processing of biometric data for identification purposes falls into the existing definition of special category data processing.
Under the UK’s data protection framework, organisations must process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently, which means being clear with people about how and why their personal data is being processed. Any personal data should also be kept secure and not processed for longer than is necessary. Organisations must also carry out an impact assessment when processing activities involving new technologies are likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the independent data protection regulator, has issued guidance on the use of facial recognition systems and continues to monitor developments in this area.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what privacy protections are in place around the use of facial recognition software by private companies.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The use of facial recognition technologies is already governed by existing legal frameworks including equalities and data protection laws, which provide significant and proportionate protections. Under UK GDPR, there is a high bar for using such technology, as the processing of biometric data for identification purposes falls into the existing definition of special category data processing.
Under the UK’s data protection framework, organisations must process personal data fairly, lawfully, and transparently, which means being clear with people about how and why their personal data is being processed. Any personal data should also be kept secure and not processed for longer than is necessary. Organisations must also carry out an impact assessment when processing activities involving new technologies are likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the independent data protection regulator, has issued guidance on the use of facial recognition systems and continues to monitor developments in this area.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of (1) schools, and (2) hospitals, in Iran that have been hit or destroyed since 28 February.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
No such assessment or estimate is available at this time.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken since 28 February to ensure that access to Gaza is maintained for humanitarian aid.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 11 March in response to PQ 118368 which, for ease of reference, has been reproduced below:
Despite some progress on humanitarian supplies entering Gaza since the ceasefire, aid flows remain insufficient and the majority of the population - including tens of thousands of children - are still experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with severe implications for their vulnerability and long-term health.
The temporary closure of all crossings into Gaza following the start of hostilities in the wider region has exacerbated these concerns. We welcome the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, but we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to lift all restrictions on humanitarian relief agencies, and enable the resumption of aid at scale and through all crossings, so that supplies of aid can reach all those who desperately need them.