Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 4 August (HL 9670), when they intend to share the findings of the review of the over 43,000 files relating to nuclear test veterans and how they intend to share those findings.

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

The review of records commissioned by my colleague, the Minister for Veterans and People, is ongoing. This work will enable us to better understand what information the Department holds regarding medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests, ensuring that relevant information has been examined thoroughly. We will update Parliament at the earliest opportunity once this work is complete.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 4 August (HL 9670), how many nuclear rest veterans have applied for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme; how many have been granted compensation; and how many have died before their applications were considered.

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

The War Pensions Computer System currently lacks the capability to uniquely identify individuals who participated in nuclear tests. While the claim file might contain a copy of the Nuclear Test Veterans Priority Claim Request or other relevant information indicating the claimant's involvement in nuclear testing, this information is not consistently available.

To accurately determine the number of Nuclear Test Veterans who applied for or received compensation, or those who passed away before their application was reviewed, would require a manual interrogation of all War Pension files and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Statistics on the War Pensions Scheme are published by the Ministry of Defence at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/war-pension-recipients-index

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to promote stability in the property market.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government’s Plan for Change includes our commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England in this Parliament. This sends a clear signal to the market of the scale of our ambition in boosting housing supply.

We are supporting a healthy and sustainable market through bold planning reforms, a significant package of investment including £39 billion for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme confirmed at the Spending Review, and supporting first-time buyers in purchasing their own home through a new permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect the first returns of illegal migrants to take place under the UK-France Returns Agreement.

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

Under the UK France returns agreement, the first arrivals have already been detained and readmission requests referred to France. We expect the first returns to start in the coming weeks.

The Home Office will provide further updates in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what international agreements, if any, they are developing with other countries to try to reduce net migration to the UK; and when they anticipate any such agreements being concluded.

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

The Government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration.

We are committed to strengthening existing relationships with international partners, including resetting our relationship with the EU and further deepening our co-operation with France, Germany and Italy. We have also been seeking out new international partnerships, and most recently signed a new agreement with the Government of Iraq to fast-track the repatriation of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK.

We continue to have discussions with partners across the globe, strengthening our collaborative efforts to address migration challenges.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution made by the charity Samaritans to society; and what assistance, if any, they are providing to it.

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

This government recognises the invaluable contribution that Samaritans make every year to the lives of thousands of people experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts.

We engage with Samaritans and other voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations closely and will continue to work with them in their important role in suicide prevention efforts. Minister Peacock has met with Samaritans on World Suicide Prevention Day and this discussion focused on government support for the VCSE sector.

This government recently announced the publication of the Civil Society Covenant, which sets out the terms of a new relationship between government and civil society, and is a clear statement that government sees civil society as an indispensable partner in building a better Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to the economy of the tube strike in London.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As transport in London is devolved to TfL, the Mayor of London is managing the impact of strike action on London’s transport network. Nevertheless, the Government understands this is disappointing for passengers and businesses and we continue to encourage all sides to work together to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce ID cards for UK citizens; and, if so, what consideration they have given to the timescale and cost.

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

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.

The Government will announce further details in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of lengthy court delays on victims of sexual offences.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government inherited a record court backlog, and we recognise the impact that long waits for trials may have on victims of sexual violence. We are committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness: we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Courts can focus on the most serious cases and this year we have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days to tackle the outstanding caseload and delays. The record number of sitting days we have funded will mean more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard.

We recognise victims are impacted when trials do not proceed as planned. The National Witness Service provides support on the day of trial. This may include giving explanations for any delays. Pre-trial, victims can receive support from Victim Liaison Officers, or from Ministry of Justice funded victim support services, throughout the criminal justice journey.

Judicial initiatives to expedite rape and other sexual offence cases are already taking place at a local level, for example, in Bristol and Guilford. The judiciary already prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, which includes victims of rape.

However, it is clear that we must go further and do things differently if we are to deliver swifter justice and long-lasting change for victims.  That is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims across the board - including for victims of rape and other sexual offences. Part one of the Review has been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the Autumn.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the problems caused by lengthy court delays on the availability of witnesses and the reliability of evidence.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Official Statistics (www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics) show that in the period between the end of June 2024 and the end of June 2025, of the 29,341 trials in the Crown Courts, 573 were ineffective due to witness unavailability. This number is down from 673 trials the previous year (June 2023 - June 2024).

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. We are committed to creating a more stable and sustainable criminal justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. That is why we took immediate action, funding a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days this financial year. We have also committed to investing up to £92 million more a year in criminal legal aid solicitors and boosted Magistrates’ sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months.

However, fundamental reform is necessary. That is why the previous Lord Chancellor asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose once-in-a-generation reform that will improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims.

Part one of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will publish a government response in due course, then introduce legislation when parliamentary time allows. Part two of the Review, considering how the criminal courts can operate as efficiently as possible, is expected to be finalised later this year.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Coaker on 4 August (HL 9670) relating to nuclear test veterans, when they reset their relationship with test veterans and the organisations that support them; when and whether any announcement was made about this change in the relationship; and what precisely was announced.

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

This Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

A priority for the Government when we entered office was to reset our relationship with Nuclear Test Veterans. This has been done through Ministerial and official-level meetings with organisations representing Nuclear Test Veterans and with Parliamentarians, and initiatives including the records review. No standalone announcement was made about this reset, but we have referred to it in public statements and in Parliament. The Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister for Veterans and People most recently met a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation and members of Parliament on 1 September 2025.

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Found: BARONESS WHITAKER BARONESS BAKEWELL OF HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE LORD BOURNE OF ABERYSTWYTH THE LORD BISHOP

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