Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to consider establishing the necessary legal arrangements for potential UK participation in Operation Althea in advance of any operational requirement, without prejudging any future decision by the United Kingdom to deploy military personnel.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union is an example of this Government delivering on its commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.
The Security and Defence Partnership outlines that the UK will consider its participation in EU CSDP civilian and military crisis management activity. This cooperation can take many forms and officials are in discussions with the EU to explore potential options. Discussions on the necessary framework to support engagement with the EU’s civilian missions are underway.
The Government is supportive of the role EUFOR Althea has in driving regional security, and will continue to endorse the renewal of its mandate at the UN.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the European Union, in the context of the UK–EU security and defence partnership of May 2025, concerning a framework participation agreement or an operation-specific third-country participation agreement that would enable the United Kingdom to contribute to Operation Althea.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Security and Defence Partnership agreed with the European Union is an example of this Government delivering on its commitments to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO.
The Security and Defence Partnership outlines that the UK will consider its participation in EU CSDP civilian and military crisis management activity. This cooperation can take many forms and officials are in discussions with the EU to explore potential options. Discussions on the necessary framework to support engagement with the EU’s civilian missions are underway.
The Government is supportive of the role EUFOR Althea has in driving regional security, and will continue to endorse the renewal of its mandate at the UN.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Malta about the implementation of the recommendations of the independent public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia relating to the protection of journalists, media freedom and the rule of law.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly discusses media freedom, the protection of journalists and the rule of law with the government and interlocutors in Malta. In October 2025, Our British High Commissioner discussed the continuing legacy of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Malta's reform record with the Maltese Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
In March 2026, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Americas, visited Malta and gave an interview to the Times of Malta in which he called for full implementation of the public inquiry recommendations. He met journalists, civil society representatives, and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation to discuss media freedom and the implementation of the inquiry's recommendations. After the September 2026 verdict in the trial of the individual accused of commissioning the assassination, the UK and Finland, as Co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition, note the outcome and called for the full and timely implementation of the public inquiry's recommendations.
Our High Commission in Malta consistently supports independent media in Malta. As part of this work, we have brought together Maltese journalists and journalism students to learn from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. We have also facilitated an annual Daphne Caruana Galizia memorial lecture to highlight the importance of press freedom.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) arrested, (2) prosecuted, and (3) convicted, for offences related to hare coursing in each of the last five years; and what assessment have they made of trends in illegal hare coursing during this period.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing £530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ‘notifiable crime’. Hare coursing can also be ‘hidden’ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with police forces and rural organisations to ensure that the powers introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 are being used effectively to deter offenders of hare coursing and secure prosecutions.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing £530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ‘notifiable crime’. Hare coursing can also be ‘hidden’ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of hare coursing on rural communities; and what steps they are taking to strengthen enforcement and protect wildlife.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Hare coursing remains a national wildlife crime priority and is one of the offences for which police forces most frequently seek support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). Defra is providing £530,000 to the NWCU in 2026/27, strengthening its intelligence, data analysis and financial investigation capabilities to help disrupt criminal networks, identify illicit profits, and bring offenders to justice.
New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing came into force on 1 June 2026. These should help ensure the courts fully recognise the significant harm and intimidation this serious crime poses to wildlife, farmers, and others across rural areas.
This Government cannot confirm offending levels as hare coursing is not a ‘notifiable crime’. Hare coursing can also be ‘hidden’ under notifiable offences such as criminal damage if it has taken place as part of the same incident.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make future UK assistance for education and reconstruction in Syria contingent upon demonstrable progress towards a national curriculum that promotes pluralism, respect for religious and ethnic minorities, gender equality, peace education and inclusive citizenship, to support an inclusive and stable political transition in Syria.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting the rights of women and minority groups in Syria is a UK priority which we promote through our humanitarian work and via our support to the education sector. The UK's 'Syria Education Programme' has delivered quality, inclusive education to over 980,000 primary aged children in Northwest Syria since 2018, improving learning outcomes with a strong focus on gender equity and disability inclusion. We are providing technical assistance to the Syrian Ministry of Education to enhance national education policy and planning, building on areas of our technical expertise including inclusive education. We will continue to advocate that the process of curriculum change in Syria should be transparent and consultative, and, with other development partners, will continue to monitor significant changes.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider that Israel’s continued refusal to permit the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli places of detention since October 2023 is compatible with its obligations under international humanitarian law; and, if not, what practical consequences will follow for their future engagement with Israel.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Baroness to the answer of 16 April 2026 to Question HL6417.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent escalation of fighting in El Obeid, Sudan; what steps they are taking, including through international partners, to help prevent further escalation; and what action they are taking to protect civilians and ensure the safe, rapid, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance to El Obeid and other conflict-affected areas of Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 9 July in response to Question HL1347.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of schools in England and Wales that operate beagle packs, and (2) the extent to which such packs are being used to pursue or kill hares; and what plans they have to review the adequacy of the current regulatory and enforcement framework for these activities.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has not undertaken an assessment of the number of schools operating beagle packs or the extent to which such packs may be being used to kill hares. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing. In addition, the previous Government made changes to address illegal hare coursing through a package of measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This broadened the circumstances in which police can investigate and bring charges for hare coursing related activity.