Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) the Attorney General's Office, and (2) the Government Legal Department, received a free portrait of the King as part of His Majesty The King’s Portrait Scheme.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
In 2024 Public Bodies, including Government departments were able to request a free portrait of the King, for display in the department.
The Attorney General’s Office received a portrait through the Cabinet Office’s scheme. The Government Legal Department did not receive a portrait.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an estimate of the lifetime net cost of a small boat migrant accepted by the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not carried out an assessment of the lifetime net cost of a small boat migrant who arrives in the UK and we have no plans to do so.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government what correspondence the Law Officers have had with Greta Thunberg since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The Law Officers have not had any such correspondence.
Asked by: Derek Twigg (Labour - Widnes and Halewood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to her oral answer of 17 November 2025, Official Report column 524, what steps she will take to stop asylum seekers who have committed crimes and are deported making a new asylum application after deportation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to ensuring that any asylum seeker who commits a serious crime in the UK is not granted asylum and is removed or deported as quickly as possible. If deported, the person is prohibited from returning to the UK as long as the deportation order made against them remains in force. Anyone who is subject to a deportation order is liable to have their fingerprints retained beyond the standard 15-year retention period.
Once abroad, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel back to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
If someone returns to the UK and re-enters the further submissions process has to be followed. Due to our robust biometric checks, face and fingerprints, individuals who have re-entered in this way will be detected upon being encountered, have their further submissions heard quickly, and they will be removed as swiftly as possible if their further submissions are without merit. We will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit serious crimes and are a danger to the community, or those who are a threat to national security.
We are clear that serious criminals are not welcome here.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether proof of a ADHD diagnosis is required for its impact on daily life to be included in a PIP assessment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with the extra costs that arise from long-term health conditions or disabilities. Entitlement is determined by the functional impact a person’s condition has on their daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. This approach applies to all conditions.
Health professionals delivering assessments receive comprehensive training in disability analysis including specific training on health conditions and how to identify their impact on claimants’ ability to carry out the activities in the assessment.
PIP case managers consider information provided by claimants on claim forms, along with any other supporting evidence, further medical evidence that we receive from treating health professionals, and advice from our contracted assessment providers.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence of a ADHD diagnosis on the impact on daily life is required for PIP assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is designed to help with the extra costs that arise from long-term health conditions or disabilities. Entitlement is determined by the functional impact a person’s condition has on their daily living and mobility activities. The assessment looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. This approach applies to all conditions.
Health professionals delivering assessments receive comprehensive training in disability analysis including specific training on health conditions and how to identify their impact on claimants’ ability to carry out the activities in the assessment.
PIP case managers consider information provided by claimants on claim forms, along with any other supporting evidence, further medical evidence that we receive from treating health professionals, and advice from our contracted assessment providers.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to review the UK Emissions Trading Scheme once the International Maritime Organisation rules come into force.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Addressing international emissions from shipping is critical and it is important action is taken globally through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). If the IMO Net-Zero Framework is introduced, the Government will review the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to assess the effectiveness and fairness of the system for operators.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Attorney General has recused himself from providing legal advice on the International Court of Justice's arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu; and what declarations of interest, if any, have been made by the Attorney General about past representations about Israel.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers. It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:
“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Indicating whether or not the Law Officers have recused themselves from a particular matter would itself breach the Law Officers’ Convention.
However, the Attorney General’s Office has a rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts and potential conflicts that arise from Law Officers’ former practice. As part of that process, the AGO adopts a cautious and beyond reproach threshold to any conflicts or potential conflicts. These arrangements are long-standing and part of a standard practice that has applied across successive Administrations.
Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they collected through the Apprenticeship Levy in financial years (1) 2024-25, and (2) 2025-26; and how much in each of those years was subsequently allocated towards investment in apprenticeship delivery.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Apprenticeship receipts in 2024-25 were £4,100 million. Full year figures for 2025-26 will not be available until the end of the 2025-26 tax year.
The apprenticeship budget funds all apprenticeship training in England, covering both existing and new apprenticeships, across all employers. The English apprenticeship budget in the 2024-25 financial year was £2,769 million. This increased to £3,075 million in the 2025-26 financial year at mains estimates, any further updates will be reflected at supplementary estimates. As announced by the Prime Minister in September, responsibility for apprenticeships has now transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions, and from 2026‑27 apprenticeships funding will be part of its budget.
While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK-wide, apprenticeship policy and spending are devolved. This means the devolved governments receive Barnett consequentials on apprenticeship spending in England through the Barnett formula. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investment in their own skills programmes, and they are accountable to their respective legislatures for those decisions.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I meet frequently with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on a range of issues. Most recently, my officials and I have been working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland. Additionally, at the East-West Council in Belfast earlier this month, we discussed how the Connect Fund is supporting the work of voluntary organisations in sectors directly affecting Northern Ireland communities and encouraging civic East-West collaboration across the UK. I acknowledge the excellent work of voluntary organisations and the important services that they provide for communities in Northern Ireland. I am committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to support the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland now and in the future.