Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to attract people with cybersecurity and artificial intelligence skills to apply to settle in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the importance of attracting world-class cybersecurity and AI talent to maintain the UK’s position as a global tech leader.
Through the AI Action Plan, we are taking action to strengthen the domestic talent pipeline and ensure the UK remains attractive to global innovators. The AI Spärck Master’s programme will offer up to 100 fully funded places for exceptional graduates, while the Turing AI Global Fellowships provide up to £5 million per fellow to relocate to the UK, build a highly skilled team, and undertake transformative core AI research. Moreover, the AI Security Institute provides comprehensive visa and relocation support for frontier AI researchers, ensuring the UK remains a global centre for safe and responsible AI development.
The Global Talent Taskforce has also been launched to address barriers to international recruitment and promotes the UK to top-tier talent. Domestically, the TechFirst and CyberFirst programmes are growing UK-based expertise. CyberFirst has reached 415,000 young people and offers scholarships with an 88% job placement rate.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people with skills in (1) cybersecurity, and (2) artificial intelligence, have applied to settle in the UK in the past 12 months, and how many of those applications were successful.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not available from published statistics and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the importance of railways in improving economic growth, in particular the importance of opening new lines and stations.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
New rail lines and stations can help drive economic growth by opening up new development opportunities, unlocking housing, reducing costs for businesses and supporting people into work. The Government recognises the crucial role rail plays in kickstarting economic growth and is backing this with the funding needed to deliver.
The 2025 spending review committed £10.2bn provided for rail enhancements in the period over the next four years. Estimates of the impact of new rail stations and lines on growth are assessed on a case-by-case basis so as to reflect local economic conditions.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the European Convention on Human Rights; and if so, what aspects of that Convention they will review.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, commitment does not mean complacency, and we need to make sure the Convention evolves to face modern challenges. We do not need to leave to deliver meaningful reform and modernisation.
We are bringing forward legislation to clarify how Article 8 ECHR (right to a private life) operates domestically in relation to immigration rules to ensure an appropriate balance between the rights of individuals and the national interest. We are also looking at the interpretation of Article 3 ECHR (prohibition against torture, inhuman and degrading treatment) so that varied prison conditions or access to healthcare is not a bar to extradition or deportation.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the 1951 Refugee Convention; and if so, which aspects of that Convention they will review.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer of 7 October 2025 to question HL9967.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
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.