Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their role in promoting long-term peace and stability in regions affected by religious persecution.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. Societies that respect and uphold human rights, including FoRB, are stronger, more stable and prosperous.
Faith leaders play a vital role in international mediation and reconciliation. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works internationally with faith-based organisations to support the UK's conflict resolution efforts and build trust and understanding between communities. In Colombia and South Sudan, the UK worked with faith leaders to call on warring parties to negotiate and to support the design and implementation of peace agreements.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to integrate freedom of religion or belief into their broader foreign policy and international development strategies
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. In December 2024, I detailed five Human Rights priorities including defending the rights of people belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups. By championing FoRB for all, we are fighting back against the threats so many people face for simply what they do, or do not, believe in.
Working with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, we are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our multilateral and bilateral engagement. Where FoRB is under attack, other rights are often threatened too. Our policy is to defend the full range of rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in international human rights treaties to which we are a state party - including FoRB. We work to fully integrate human rights across our wider policy and development agendas to support meaningful change on the ground.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications they have received to the Duty Reimbursement Scheme in each year since the scheme was set up, and how much has been reimbursed in each year.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Duty Reimbursement Scheme (DRS) has been operational since 30 June 2023, allowing businesses who move goods into Northern Ireland to reclaim or remit duty provided that the goods can be shown not to have subsequently entered the EU.
As of 3 April 2025, 1407 claims have been submitted under the DRS.
Period | Claims Submitted | Amounts Repaid |
30 June 2023 – 31 December 2023 | 92 | £134,925.30 |
1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024 | 873 | £1,706,950.41 |
1 January 2025 – 3 April 2025 | 442 | £1,720,655.27 |
Businesses also have a three-year window from the date they were notified of the duty being owed to make a claim under the DRS.
HMRC has published extensive guidance and will continue to support businesses to use the scheme effectively, as well as other schemes like the Customs Duty Waiver Scheme.