Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in securing the release of £2.5 billion from Roman Abramovich's sale of Chelsea Football Club for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine; and what are the reasons for continuing delay.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government is working hard to ensure that proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners in pursuit of a resolution.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many "yellow card" reports the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received for each antidepressant in 2024.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion meet applicable standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. The MHRA rigorously assesses the available data, including from the Yellow Card scheme, and seeks advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the MHRA’s independent advisory committee, where appropriate, to inform regulatory decisions, including amending the product information.
The MHRA has received a total of 2,911 reports through the Yellow Card scheme for all antidepressant medications between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024. The following table shows the number of United Kingdom Yellow Card reports received for adverse reactions, suspected to be associated with antidepressants, in 2024:
Drug substance | Total number of reports |
Agomelatine | 9 |
Amitriptyline | 337 |
Citalopram | 267 |
Clomipramine | 3 |
Dosulepin | 2 |
Doxepin | 3 |
Duloxetine | 270 |
Escitalopram | 160 |
Fluoxetine | 246 |
Fluvoxamine | 5 |
Imipramine | 5 |
Lofepramine | 6 |
Mianserin | 2 |
Mirtazapine | 333 |
Nortriptyline | 34 |
Paroxetine | 46 |
Phenelzine | 3 |
Sertraline | 868 |
Tranylcypromine | 1 |
Trazodone | 38 |
Tryptophan | 40 |
Venlafaxine | 240 |
Vortioxetine | 69 |
It is important to note that the inclusion of a particular report on the MHRA’s Yellow Card system does not necessarily mean that the adverse reactions reported have been caused by the suspect drug. Additionally, the number of reports received should not be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction, as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug, is known. Some antidepressants are licensed for several different mental health conditions and may be recommended before other treatments in clinical guidance. It is therefore important not to compare numbers of reports for each antidepressant, as usage will differ.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the Strategic Defence Review to complete its work and to publish its findings and recommendations.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Reviewers will make their final report to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Defence in the spring of 2025. The Secretary of State for Defence will subsequently publish a version of that report to Parliament. It will then be implemented by the Department.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current levels of (1) personal, (2) national, debt in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government regularly engages with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances and debt levels. According to the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee in its November 2024 Financial Stability Report, household debt as a share of income fell to 130% in Q2 2024 from 132% at the end of 2023, and borrowers slightly increased their aggregate savings buffers in 2024 making them more resilient to potential economic shocks. The Money and Pensions Service conducts an annual survey of people in financial difficulty in the UK. The results of their latest survey were published on 29 February 2024.
As of December 2024, Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) was 97.2% of GDP. Net financial debt (PSNFL), the measure targeted by the Government’s fiscal rule, was 84.5%.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cargo flights from Urumqi in China to Stansted Airport carrying e-commerce goods for department stores have been searched by UK border officials to ensure they are not carrying goods made by Uyghur forced labour since this route was established in December 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.
The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.
Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding the prosecution of those who commit violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. The Minister for the Middle East raised the issue of Ahmadi rights when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. In a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister on 20 November, he and the British High Commissioner raised the issue of violence towards Ahmadi Muslims. The British High Commission continues to raise these issues, including the need for swift action in response to incidents of violence, at the highest levels. We urge the Pakistani authorities to ensure that perpetrators of violence are held to account.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding the safety and right to freedom of religion of Ahmadiyya Muslims; and what response, if any, they have received.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. The Minister for the Middle East stressed the importance of religious tolerance and harmony when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. In a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister on 20 November, he and the British High Commissioner raised the issue of violence towards Ahmadi Muslims. The British High Commission continues to raise the issue of safety for the Ahmadi community at the highest levels. We have received assurances that the Pakistani authorities will continue to work hard to protect minority communities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that sensitive cabling runs under the site of the proposed redevelopment of the Old Royal Mint; and whether such security considerations will be taken into account when deciding whether to permit the construction of a new embassy for China on the site.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
An independent Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry at which interested parties will be able to put forward evidence and representations, after which a decision will be made by MHCLG ministers. Decisions on planning applications are based on material planning considerations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase multi-year funding to support the most food-insecure people in Sudan and Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The next phase of the Spending Review will set departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2029/30.
In November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million of aid. With this announcement, the UK has doubled our aid to £226.5 million.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties for the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access. We did this recently at the UN Security Council on 19 December 2024 and 6 January 2025, where we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. The Minister for Development has also engaged directly with the new Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response. The UK Special Representative, Richard Crowder, met the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, during his first visit to Sudan and lobbied against current impediments such as visas. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary chaired a Sudan meeting with G7 and Arab Quint Foreign Ministers to discuss joint steps to improve humanitarian access and increase aid.