Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Defending Democracy Taskforce has made of the implications for its work of the use of AI in election campaigns in (a) Pakistan and (b) Indonesia.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF) is committed to working with international partners to build collective democratic resilience and share best practice to tackle shared challenges including from dis/misinformation and AI.
In Indonesia, the UK is working with the government and civil society to strengthen their democratic processes against threats. We are also working with Indonesia to progress work on AI safety, following the AI Safety Summit in November 2023.
In Pakistan, the FCDO supported efforts to counter the influence of disinformation in the electoral process through the CSSF Hate Speech and Disinformation Programme, which supported the development of a fact-checking tool called iVerify.
The UK will continue to work with international partners holding elections this year to exchange best practice on shared threats to our election systems, including from AI. We will continue to monitor international electoral events to inform our work to protect the UK from interference in our democratic process, including elections.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of universities sharing academic research with Chinese investors on UK security.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
China poses an epoch-defining and systemic challenge under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) across almost every aspect of national life and government policy. We continually assess potential threats to UK security, and the Integrated Review and Integrated Review Refresh committed to strengthening the UK’s domestic resilience and international partnerships.
The Integrated Review Refresh 2023 also committed to launching a new and comprehensive review of legislative and other protections designed to protect our academic sector, to identify what more we could or should be doing, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This review will conclude in the spring and will include an understanding of potential vulnerabilities relating to foreign access to academic research.
We have also introduced measures in recent years to protect our science and innovation base from state threats and misuse. This includes the establishment of the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) within DSIT, which supports the academic sector to recognise, manage and mitigate national security risks in international collaborations. RCAT has been positively received by the sector and is part of advice and guidance from Government helping to move research institutions beyond basic legal compliance to a more robust understanding of research security risks.
The National Security Act 2023 will make the UK an even harder target for states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, steal our information for commercial advantage, or interfere in our society covertly. The Act creates a whole suite of measures designed to enable our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to deter, detect and disrupt the full range of modern-day state threats, including those related to academia.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he plans to take to support the work of the Defending Democracy Taskforce in the next 12 months.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is an enduring government function which seeks to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference in our democratic processes, institutions and society.
The Prime Minister asked me to set up and lead the Taskforce as a cross-Government endeavour. As a cross-departmental and inter-agency initiative it is already supported by ministers and officials from a range of departments, including the Home Office, the Cabinet Office, DSIT, DLUHC, law enforcement, the UK intelligence community and Parliament, amongst others.
The work done by the Taskforce to defend democracy will remain vital over the next 12 months.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his planned timetable is for the introduction of the foreign interference offence.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The National Security Act introduces new measures to modernise counter-espionage laws and address the evolving state threat to national security.
Parts 1 to 3 of the Act, including the foreign interference offences, will come into force on 20 December this year.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish an impact statement for the Illegal Migration Bill.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We will publish an equality impact assessment and economic impact assessment in respect of the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government is taking steps to support female judges, journalists and human rights activists remaining in Afghanistan who are not eligible for Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
On 13 June, we announced the opening of the second and third pathways of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, after the first pathway opened in early January. In the first year of pathway three, the government will consider only eligible at-risk British Council, GardaWorld contractors and Chevening Alumni for resettlement.
Beyond the first year of pathway three, the government will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk. Further detail will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how vulnerable Afghan nationals who remain in Afghanistan are able to apply for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.
There is no application process for the ACRS. Instead, eligible people will be prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK under one of three ‘pathways’, as set out in the policy statement of 13 September 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement
o For Pathway One, individuals to be resettled under the ACRS will be some of those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, and Afghan family members of British Nationals. Those eligible who were called forward during the evacuation but were not able to board flights will also be resettled through Pathway One if they subsequently come to the UK.
o For Pathway Two, we are working at pace to start to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection from UNHCR. Those referred will be assessed for resettlement by UNHCR using their established processes.
o In the first year of Pathway Three, the government will offer ACRS places to eligible at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors and Chevening alumni. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be in touch with those eligible to support them through the next steps.
Beyond the first year, to respond to the challenging and complex situation in Afghanistan, the government will work with international partners and NGOs to design and deliver Pathway Three and allow us to welcome others at risk, as well as continuing to resettle refugees referred by UNHCR. Further information on future years will be made available in due course.