Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance she has issued to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Solicitor General has not issued any guidance to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Attorney General has recused himself from advising on (1) all aspects of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, or (2) only those clauses of that Act that prevent payment of compensation to Gerry Adams.

Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General

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.

As I set out to the house in January 2025, there has always been an established rigorous system in place within the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that a Law Officer would not be consulted on any matter that could give rise to a potential conflict of interest. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This process also sits alongside the declaration of interest system overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards.

Found: VIII clauses, including from parliamentary committees.398 In October 2024, Lord Hermer KC, the Attorney General

Found: clauses, including from parliamentary committees.398 In October 2024, Lord Hermer KC, the Attorney General

Found: manslaughter, and rape, should be exclusively tried in the Civilian system, except for cases where the Attorney General

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 April 2026 on Syria, HCWS1552, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Syrian Government, the Syrian Democratic Forces and international partners on preserving evidence relating to Daesh crimes against Yazidis and other religious minorities following the closure of al-Hol camp.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 12 February in response to Question HL13863. In my meeting with President Al Sharaa and Foreign Minister Al Shaibani on 31 March, I pressed UK concerns on human rights and securing justice for all Syrians. The Attorney General also offered UK support on transitional justice and accountability for crimes committed during Syria's civil war and the actions of the brutal Assad regime.

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