United States: Intelligence Sharing

Lord Berkeley Excerpts

Thursday 11th December 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Berkeley]

To ask His Majesty’s Government why they have reportedly suspended some intelligence sharing with the United States of America.

[The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Hanson of Flint) (Lab)]

There are long-standing intelligence and law enforcement frameworks between the UK and its Five Eyes partners: the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Those frameworks continue. It is the long-standing policy of successive Governments to not comment on the detail of intelligence matters, but for the benefit of the House, I can say that the Foreign Secretary and the US Secretary of State have both dismissed recent reports.

[Lord Berkeley (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend the Minister for that response. There is one issue in particular which is of major concern to people: the American bombing campaign on small boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific. I am told that 76 people have died in these attacks on civilian ships. There have been 19 attacks, most of which people believe are criminal activities on the high seas. There are often quite a lot of UK personnel on American ships, and they could be implicated in criminal charges. Has my noble friend considered removing UK military personnel from these ships until things calm down?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

With regard to the strikes that have recently taken place, the United Kingdom was not involved. We are committed to fighting the scourge of drugs and organised crime with our partners in Latin America in accordance with legal obligations. I repeat that the UK was not involved.