Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of conflicts between protesters in Manchester following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including reports of men on horseback wearing armbands and threatening individuals.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government upholds the democratic right that people must be free to peacefully express their views, but they must do so within the bounds of the law.
Where the activity of protestors breaks the law, the police have the government’s backing to use their powers to respond.
It would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene in those operational decisions, but we continue to work closely with policing to ensure they have the right capabilities and support in place to keep the public safe and uphold the law.
The Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October 2025 led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review will ensure police powers remain fit for purpose, are used consistently, and strike the right balance between protecting the public and upholding the right to lawful protest. It is expected to report in the spring.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Union's decision to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation; and whether they plan to make a similar designation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK stands proudly on the side of freedom and human rights, and we have long criticised Iran’s authoritarian regime and taken robust action to protect UK interests from Iranian state threats. On 13 January, the Foreign Secretary set out the action that the Government taking in coordination with allies in response to the consistent threat that the Iranian regime poses to stability, security, freedom and the UK national interest. We are now working further with the EU and other partners to explore what sanctions will be needed to respond to the horrific escalation seen in recent weeks.
It is the Government’s long-standing position not to comment on the detail of security and intelligence matters, including whether or not a specific organisation is being considered for proscription.
We are acting decisively to disrupt threats posed by Iran here in the UK. We have placed the Iranian state on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), meaning that anyone working for or directed by the Iranian state to conduct activities in the UK must declare that activity, or risk up to five years in prison. The National Security Act 2023 also strengthens our powers to counter state threats, including from Iran, and provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt these threats. Furthermore, we have committed to take forward plans recommended by Jonathan Hall KC for a proscription-like power for state and state-linked bodies to tackle malign activity more appropriately than is offered under the existing powers. We will introduce legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
The UK now has over 550 sanctions against Iranian linked individuals and entities, including the IRGC, which has been sanctioned in its entirety. Over 220 designations have been imposed since this Government came into office. In concert with international partners, we will use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and our interests, from state threats.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria are applied to determine how many diplomatic visas are issued to countries with embassies in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
His Majesty's Government does not set criteria for limiting the number of diplomatic staff accredited to the UK. However, as set out in the 1985 Government Report on the Review of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, His Majesty's Government may limit the size of a mission in cases where there are issues relating to the nature of a mission's activities, or to take account of the size of the UK mission in the country concerned. Such considerations are made on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the 'one in, one out' scheme agreed with the government of France in deterring asylum seekers from entering the United Kingdom in small boats.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK-France Treaty on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys is a pilot scheme, and evaluation is a crucial part of its success. We will continuously monitor and evaluate the pilot as it progresses, with a full evaluation to be completed at the end of the pilot period.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost per day of accommodating asylum seekers.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Wider asylum accommodation costs other than hotels are not routinely published by the Home Office.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 17 July (HL9083), whether they will now answer the question put; namely what is the current daily cost of providing accommodation for asylum seekers other than in hotels; and how this compares with the daily cost in 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently 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 Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal costs they have incurred in dealing with claims for asylum, including appeals, launched by those arriving in the United Kingdom through irregular and illegal means in the past three years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what grants they have given to non-government organisations and other groups assisting those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom during the past three years, and to which organisations and groups.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The requested information could only be collated and verified through manual checks by all grant making policy teams within the Home Office, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current daily cost of providing accommodation for asylum seekers other than in hotels; and how this compares with the daily cost in 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The 2024/25 annual report, published on 17 July 2025, states on p75 that £2.1bn was spent on hotels in 2024-25, at an average of £5.77m per day, compared to 3.0bn spent on hotels in 2023-24, at an average of £8.3m per day.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the integration of immigrants in the UK, and what programmes they provide to encourage integration.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s Immigration White paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced proposed reforms in a wide range of areas – including integration, community cohesion, and language requirements – further details of which will be set out in due course.