Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representation, if any, has been made to the government of Israel regarding reports of the continued forced displacement of Palestinians by settlers in the occupied territories; and what sanctions, if any, they plan to impose in response.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representation, if any, they have made to the Government of Israel on furthering a two state solution, in light of their approval of the E1 settlement construction plan.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made on any violation by Israel of the Fourth Geneva Convention over illegal settlements on occupied territory in the West Bank.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are taking to prevent the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and the forcible transfer of its residents.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of British citizens who have joined the Israel Defence Forces in their occupation of Gaza and conflict in Lebanon.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 24 October 2024 in response to Question 9184, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

"We are aware of reports of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defense Force (IDF), but the Government does not estimate the numbers of those who have done so. The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities."

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking any measures to sanction Israel in response to reports of violations of the latest ceasefire agreement in Gaza which prevent humanitarian aid from reaching families.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 29 April in response to Question HL14316.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of women entering the construction industry.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The £625 million Construction Skills Package investment is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, supporting a sustainable talent pipeline across the sector. This includes increased teaching provision, improved teaching quality through ten Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (C‑TECs), teacher industry exchange programmes, and expanded on-site experience for learners. A new Foundation apprenticeship will provide a clear entry route into the sector, alongside existing apprenticeships, and supported by close collaboration with industry and targeted incentives for employers.

As part of the Construction Skills Package, we are using targeted communications campaigns to raise awareness of opportunities in construction and highlight the sector’s role in creating pathways to good jobs and progression. This includes tailored promotion of construction skills opportunities for individuals, including women, and those returning to the workforce, working closely with partners across government such as DWP and local job centres.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supports a range of initiatives designed to encourage more women into construction careers, including Onsite Experience hubs, SkillBuild, Go Construct and Women into Home Building. These programmes help raise awareness of opportunities in the sector, support entry into training and employment, and widen the pipeline of talent available to employers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to review and manage the impact on British data sovereignty of data currently being held by Palantir.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Government takes the protection and sovereignty of UK data seriously. Within the Ministry of Defence, all Defence data used and developed through Palantir software remains under the ownership and control of the Ministry of Defence. None of the UK Defence Data is held by Palantir. The data remains sovereign, is managed within UK-governed security frameworks, and is subject to contractual, technical and governance controls designed to protect it from unauthorised access or transfer. Any changes to arrangements governing Defence data require Ministry of Defence consent. Government departments keep supplier, security and data protection arrangements under regular review to ensure they remain appropriate and compliant with UK legal and security requirements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they apply when deciding whether to convene a COBR meeting following violent attacks against communities; and what consideration they have given to convening a COBR meeting to discuss recent attacks on British Muslims.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)