Found: Security (State Threats) Bill Correspondence with the Minister of State at the Home Office, Lord Hanson of Flint

Found: Letter from Lord Hanson of Flint to the Chair informing the Committee of changes to the immigration rules

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 19 June (HL904), whether they have received the final report of the Independent Review of Police Force Structures; and if so, when they expect to publish their response.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Lord Hogan-Howe submitted his report of the Independent Review of Police Force Structures to the Home Secretary on 17 September 2026.

The Government is considering the report and will set out its formal response in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 10 September (HL3067), of the animals authorised for use under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 since the beginning of 2026, how many are authorised to be used in procedures classified as severe.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The number of procedures conducted each year at each severity level is reported in the annual statistics on scientific procedures. The 2026 data will be collected in early 2027 and published as national statistics that year. The latest published statistics show that 17,593 experimental scientific procedures involving living animals were assessed as having an actual severity of severe in Great Britain in 2025. This is in the context of a total of 1.3 million experimental procedures.

Project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2026, to date, have authorised the use of a maximum of approximately 321,200 animals in protocols with a maximum severity classification of severe. This represents less than 8% of the maximum number of animals authorised across all severity classifications.

This figure represents the maximum numbers authorised across project licences and does not necessarily reflect the numbers that will actually be used. In project licence applications, applicants are required to specify the highest severity that an animal could experience under each protocol and estimate the proportion of animals likely to experience that level of severity. Consequently, the number of animals authorised for use in protocols with a maximum severity classification of severe is not equivalent to the number expected to experience severe effects.

This figure also does not account for the continued use or re-use of animals across a project. Taken together, these factors mean that it is likely to overestimate the number of individual animals expected to be used under a licence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 27 July (HL2056), whether the Ministry of Defence plans to publish a timetable for the reopening of Cameron Barracks for use by all previous user groups; and whether they plan to ensure Highland Council and other affected user groups receive formal notification as soon as the handover from the Home Office is complete.

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

Cameron Barracks is planned to return to Defence use this Autumn following the announcement by the Home Office in June 26 that they were no longer considering the site for asylum accommodation. As the site was never used for temporary accommodation, there is limited refurbishment and remediation works required.

Previous user groups and the military families whose service families accommodation is located at the barracks, were notified over the summer that the site is returning to Ministry of Defence (MOD) use. The MOD has continued to engage with local stakeholders throughout, although they would not normally notify the Highland Council about the routine use of Defence sites within their jurisdiction.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 28 July (HL2268), what is the anticipated timeline for the publication of a standalone bill-level Child’s Rights Impact Assessment analysing the impact of measures in the draft Immigration and Asylum Bill against the UN Convention on Rights of a Child.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 places a legal duty on the Secretary of State to make arrangements for ensuring immigration, asylum, nationality and general customs functions are carried out with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.

This legal duty requires us to develop policy in respect of children through the lens of safeguarding and welfare, as well as the best interests of children as a primary (although not the only) consideration, as set out in our statutory guidance.

Accordingly, throughout our policy development, careful consideration has been and will continue to be given as to how children will be impacted by the measures within the Immigration and Asylum Bill, in line with Section 55.

A Home Office Children’s Impact Assessment is underway and will continue to be a living document, noting that Section 55 is a continuous and active duty. Section 55 is a bespoke statutory duty for the Home Office, and it is not an equivalent to assessments conducted by other government departments. Home Office Ministers have committed to complete Children’s Impact Assessments in accordance with Section 55 but have made no such commitments to complete Children’s Rights Impact Assessments.

There is no legal requirement to publish a Children’s Impact Assessment and to commit to do so would be premature noting that this is an ongoing assessment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 15 July (HL1735), what steps they are taking to ensure compliance with regulations UK261 and to protect passengers lawfully resident in the UK with a valid digital-only eVisa who are denied boarding by airlines on the basis they are not adequately documented, and prevented from claiming compensation under the regulations due to airlines not following Home Office guidance on checking permission to travel to the UK.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for enforcing UK261. Whether compensation is payable where a passenger is denied boarding depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Passengers who consider that an airline has not complied with its obligations should first raise the matter with the airline and may then pursue the available redress arrangements.

Since 25 February 2026, all commercial aviation carriers flying directly to the UK have been integrated into the interactive Advance Passenger Information system and use it to verify passengers’ permission to travel to the UK. Over the last three years, the Home Office has worked extensively with carriers through direct communications, carrier forums and awareness sessions to support the transition to eVisas and minimise the risk of passengers being incorrectly denied boarding. The Home Office continues to engage closely with carriers to ensure they understand and correctly apply the processes for verifying a passenger's permission to travel, including the use of digital immigration status. Where a carrier is unable to confirm a person’s permission to travel, it can contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for advice and support.

eVisa holders are advised to keep their UKVI account up to date and ensure that the passport or travel document they intend to use is linked to their account. More than 11 million eVisas have been issued, and most people use them without issue.

Found: State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office The Rt Hon Lord HANSON of Flint

Found: Science Committee’s advice on strengthening leading practice in the animals in science sector, Lord Hanson of Flint

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Found: Return Nil Return Nil Return Anna Turley Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Lord Hanson of Flint

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Found: The Rt Hon The Lord Hanson of Flint, Minister of State 5.

Found: Science Committee’s advice on strengthening leading practice in the animals in science sector, Lord Hanson of Flint