Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of warnings by US-based group International Christian Concern on 28 October that China’s pledge of support for Iran could intensify the persecution of Christians in both China and Iran.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The conditions for freedom of religion or belief in both China and Iran are restrictive, particularly for Christians, who face persecution. This Government stands firm in its advocacy of human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Foreign Secretary has raised human rights in every meeting with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including during his recent visit to China on 18 October. We have also repeatedly expressed concern at the ongoing incarceration and sentencing of members of Christian churches for practicing their faith in Iran. More broadly, this Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for members of all faiths worldwide. We will work to uphold this freedom through our positions at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the interim government of Bangladesh following reports by Amnesty International on 24 October that Bangladeshi border authorities have forcibly returned Rohingya people fleeing violence.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to support Rohingya refugees and the communities which host them. In Bangladesh, this includes engaging with the UN and non-governmental organisations to address protection risks, including reports of Rohingya being forcibly returned. In October, the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation of Rohingya refugees with Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser when they met during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The UK will continue to promote the rights of Rohingya refugees, including in our discussions with the Interim Government of Bangladesh.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any shortfalls in the funding of the World Food Programme in Somalia, and of any impact of such shortfalls on the Programme's ability to provide assistance to those who need it in that country.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The food security and livelihood component of the UN's Somalia appeal, which includes World Food Programme (WFP) operations, is less than 45 per cent funded. Vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of this funding shortfall with 17 per cent of Somalis facing food insecurity. The UK remains a key humanitarian donor, including to the WFP. Last year in Somalia the UK reached 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance including nearly 370,000 people with food aid. This year the UK will allocate £38 million in life-saving humanitarian aid. The UK continues to leverage its leadership role in Somalia to mobilise funding from across the international community to address critical needs and support longer-term resilience.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Environment Agency is able to monitor and investigate illegal sewage discharges.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is working closely with the water industry regulators, including the Environment Agency (EA), to ensure they are properly equipped to carry out investigation and enforcement action against illegal sewage discharges.

The EA is recruiting up to 500 additional staff for inspections, enforcement and stronger regulation by March next year. This will enable them to increase compliance checks, quadruple the number of water company inspections and conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents.

The Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a requirement for water companies to publish information on discharges from emergency overflows in near real-time (within an hour of a discharge occurring). This data will be independently scrutinised by the regulators, supporting investigations into possible permit breaches, and will fulfil the government’s commitment to ensure independent monitoring of every outlet.

An independent commission on the water sector regulatory system was recently announced, in conjunction with the Welsh Government. The commission will make a set of recommendations which will include ensuring that water industry regulators are effective, have a clear purpose and are empowered to hold water companies to account.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, published on 24 October, that the harms to health and wellbeing that result from gambling are more substantial than previously understood.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to reducing gambling-related harm, and recognises the far-reaching negative impact gambling can have not only individuals who gamble, but also on those close to them and wider society.

We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to changing the statutory definition of domestic abuse to that those under the age of 16 can be considered victims of domestic abuse.

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

The government is considering a range of actions to address teenage relationship abuse, including considering whether any changes to the law are needed, and supporting our education system to teach children about respectful and healthy relationships and consent.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of cases of bluetongue in Hertfordshire.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. Disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England, including Hertfordshire where there have been 3 cases to date.

The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements. Some animals were humanely culled to prevent establishment at the outset and infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone have also been humanely culled.

Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3 which are now available for vets to prescribe in England.

Defra and APHA continue surveillance and epidemiological assessments, remaining vigilant for any changes, and are working closely with key industry stakeholders to review how we approach controls for BTV-3 for the coming winter months, in 2025 and beyond.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.

Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General

This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and addressing female genital mutilation (FMG) is critical to achieving this.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) takes prosecuting FGM seriously. It secured the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales this September and is taking steps to actively increase prosecutions.

Each CPS area has access to a dedicated FGM lead based within the Complex Casework Unit who have expertise in the prosecution of FGM cases. They share best practice to improve the CPS’ response to FGM cases to help increase prosecution rates.

The CPS will provide early investigative advice to the police in all FGM cases, and through the CPS and Police Joint Protocol on FGM, investigators are encouraged to refer every case to the CPS at the earliest stage. The protocol ensures a robust and appropriate criminal justice response and aims to achieve improved and consistent performance in the identification, investigation and prosecution of FGM.

Additionally, the CPS has revised the prosecution guidance for FGM to address common areas of challenge, including the need for expert evidence. The guidance helps prosecutors to navigate the complexities of FGM cases and online training is also available to all prosecutors. The guidance is available here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/female-genital-mutilation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many cases the Forced Marriage Unit provided advice and support to in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, and (5) 2023.

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

The joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) lead efforts to combat forced marriage both at home and abroad, providing support and advice for victims, those at risk, and professionals, through its public helpline and inbox. The support offered ranges from providing information on forced marriage general enquiries and guidance to assistance in repatriation to the UK (for victims overseas).

The FMU publishes annual statistics that represent only the cases that have been reported to the FMU. Forced marriage is a hidden crime, so these figures will not reflect the full scale of the abuse. For this reason, the FMU is also involved in activities to raise awareness of forced marriage among key professions.

Data for the years 2019 – 2023, regarding FMU cases, is as follows:

• 2023: the FMU received 802 contacts relating to possible forced marriage or FGM (FMU can assist in relation to Forced Marriage and FGM where they impact British Nationals). This figure includes general enquiries and comprises 280 cases of forced marriage where advice and support were provided.
• 2022: the FMU received 847 contacts (including general enquiries) and provided advice and support in 302 cases.
• 2021: the FMU received 1,205 contacts (including general enquiries) and gave advice and support in 337 cases.
• 2020: the FMU received 1,159 contacts (including general enquiries) and provided advice and support in 759 cases.
• 2019: Reporting in this year did not distinguish between general enquiries and cases where advice and support were provided. A total of 1,355 cases were recorded.

A more detailed breakdown of these statistics is available for the years 2019 – 2023 and is accessible to the public via GOV.uk.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of introducing an arts premium to allow for schools to pay for arts opportunities such as music lessons, as recommended in the report by the Sutton Trust, A class Act: Social mobility and the creative industries, published on 13 November.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government believes that creative subjects like arts, music and drama are vital elements of the rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. Arts and music should not be the preserve of a privileged few, in or beyond the classroom.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, so that children and young people get a excellent foundation in the core skills of reading, writing and mathematics whilst ensuring they do not miss out on subjects such as music, arts, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.

This government does not currently plan to introduce an arts premium. However, the department continues to make significant investment in arts and music, over and above core school budgets. The department has already confirmed £79 million in revenue funding this academic year for Music Hubs, which support music education in 90% of primary schools and 82% of secondary schools in England, alongside capital funding of £25 million for musical instruments and equipment. The department has also confirmed more than £30 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, so it can continue to remove financial barriers to specialist music and dance education for children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The department has also recently announced a new £2 million initiative for the Music Opportunities Pilot over four years, supporting disadvantaged children to learn a musical instrument or to sing.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ban creative arts institutions and conservatoires that receive state funding from charging for auditions, as recommended in the Sutton Trust’s report A class Act: Social mobility and the creative industries, published on 13 November.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Creative education and a career in the Creative Industries should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The Government will support the aspiration of every person who wants to go to further and higher education. Universities and conservatoires are autonomous bodies, independent from government and are responsible for their own admissions decisions. Where providers deem it necessary for applicants to undertake auditions, interviews or other admissions tests, it is their responsibility to ensure these additional admissions processes are not creating or reinforcing barriers to opportunity and the ways they will ensure this are detailed in their Access & Participation plans.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much of their recently announced £10.3 million of additional funding to Bangladesh is dedicated to supporting Rohingya refugees.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is a leading donor to the humanitarian response in Bangladesh and has provided £401 million to support the Rohingya refugees and host communities since 2017. During Minister West's recent visit to Bangladesh, she announced a further £10.3 million of UK funding. This will provide additional support to Rohingya refugees with clean water, hygiene and sanitation services, primary healthcare, protection services and shelter materials. UK funding will also provide assistance to those impacted by natural disasters in Bangladesh earlier this year. The UK remains at the forefront of international efforts to support Rohingya refugees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure better co-ordination of guidance given to medical practitioners, teachers, and faith leaders on reporting and protecting girls from female genital mutilation.

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

Tackling Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an important part of this Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We are focused on preventing these crimes from happening in the first place, supporting and protecting survivors and those at risk, and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Frontline professionals and agencies with safeguarding responsibilities are crucial to protecting survivors and those at risk of FGM. Statutory guidance is therefore in place for agencies with safeguarding responsibilities to equip them with information on the law on FGM and to provide detailed advice on identifying FGM cases and how to coordinate appropriate responses.

The guidance also makes clear the importance of reporting for safeguarding professionals. It includes explicit reference to the mandatory reporting duty of some professionals (teachers, health and social care workers), making clear that under the law, they must rapidly inform the police of ‘known’ FGM cases among under-18s.

In addition to statutory guidance, there is an official FGM Resource Pack available for professionals which highlights what works in protecting survivors and those at risk of FGM. The Resource Pack includes training and assessment resources, as well as information about available specialist support services to enable coordinated responses.

Finally, the Government has developed free e-learning on FGM for frontline staff in healthcare, police, Border Force and children’s social care.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the calls in The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, published on 24 October, for stronger policy and regulatory controls for gambling.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that the sector can thrive, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the current remote gaming duty levels on economic growth.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government announced its intention to publish a consultation next year on proposals to bring remote gambling (meaning gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV, and radio) under a single tax, rather than taxing it through the current three-tax structure.

This consultation will consider the impacts of reforming gambling duties. Alongside any changes that are announced, the Government will publish a Tax Information and Impact Note, including an economic impact assessment, to detail the expected impacts.

Found: LORD ALTON OF LIVERPOOL BARONESS KENNEDY OF THE SHAWS LORD BLENCATHRA THE LORD BISHOP OF ST ALBANS

Found: LORD ALTON OF LIVERPOOL BARONESS KENNEDY OF THE SHAWS LORD BLENCATHRA THE LORD BISHOP OF ST ALBANS