Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Ministry of Defence's response of 29 May 2024 under FOI2024/06992, if he will provide details of the 82 Northern Ireland Legacy claimants that received compensation payments between 2019/20 and 2023/24.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I am withholding the information as it contains personal data which cannot be released.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 82701 on Troubles-related civil cases, whether he will provide a list of all 700 cases that remain in the judicial system.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I am withholding the information as it contains personal data which cannot be released.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of her Department's officials informed US authorities that they would not observe the interrogation of Omar al Bayoumi in 2001.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments not to comment routinely either on individual cases or intelligence and security matters.
These questions relate to ongoing civil legal proceedings in the United States; this imposes legal and procedural limits on the information that can be disclosed at this stage. The Government is therefore unable to comment further while litigation remains active.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contact her department had with counterparts in the US on the release and ongoing surveillance of Omar al Bayoumi in 2001 and 2002.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments not to comment routinely either on individual cases or intelligence and security matters.
These questions relate to ongoing civil legal proceedings in the United States; this imposes legal and procedural limits on the information that can be disclosed at this stage. The Government is therefore unable to comment further while litigation remains active.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the operation of it complaints procedure for matters involving alleged Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on ensuring the adequacy of legal protections for journalists, academics, campaigners and other public-interest actors facing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation that fall outside the scope of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on their approach to complaints involving alleged Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation activity, including concerns that such complaints are being closed without substantive investigation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen protections against non-economic crime Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has not held any discussions with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regarding its handling of complaints relating to Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The SRA operates independently of Government, and it would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to comment on its decisions.
The SRA has taken a series of regulatory, guidance-based, and enforcement-related actions to address SLAPPs to tackle reports of related misconduct within the legal profession. This includes issuing a warning notice in 2022 setting out expectations on solicitors’ conduct in SLAPP-type cases, which was updated in 2024, and publishing accompanying guidance reminding solicitors and law firms of their wider professional obligations not to bring unmeritorious or abusive claims. However, I will raise this with the SRA to determine what additional action they might be able to take in this area.
The Government implemented the SLAPPs measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in June 2025, which provides protection against SLAPPs relating to economic crime. While this represents a positive first step, we are considering all options for reform to ensure that all types of SLAPPs are addressed comprehensively.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which of her Department's officials informed the Metropolitan Police that the US would not be extraditing Omar al-Bayoumi in 2001.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The attacks on 9/11 were an appalling assault on freedom. The courage displayed by the American people in the aftermath and in the years since is extraordinary and our thoughts remain with the victims and survivors, as well as all who loved them.
It would be inappropriate to comment on an individual case. It is also long standing government policy, followed by successive governments, to neither confirm nor deny any extradition request in these circumstances.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the work of the Metropolitan Police in September 2001 on the possible extradition of Omar al Bayoumi.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The attacks on 9/11 were an appalling assault on freedom. The courage displayed by the American people in the aftermath and in the years since is extraordinary and our thoughts remain with the victims and survivors, as well as all who loved them.
It would be inappropriate to comment on an individual case. It is also long standing government policy, followed by successive governments, to neither confirm nor deny any extradition request in these circumstances.