Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to reports that a former client of the Attorney General, Mahdi Al Harati, is bringing legal proceeding against them, what steps they have taken to avoid any conflicts of interest arising in this case.

Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General

It is an important legal principle, as confirmed by the Bar Council, that “barristers do not choose their clients, nor do they associate themselves with their clients’ opinions or behaviour by virtue of representing them”.

Law Officers, by their experience and professional nature have an extensive legal background and may have previously been involved in a wide number of past cases. That is why there is a robust system for considering and managing any conflicts that may arise, in line with the professional obligations of lawyers.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That check will necessarily include consideration of matters in which a Law Officer was instructed before taking up their current role. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.

This rigorous process for identifying and managing conflicts sits alongside the system relating to ministerial interests, overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Both the Director General of the AGO and the Independent Adviser were provided with the Attorney General’s list of conflicts following his appointment.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to appoint anyone with a paramilitary background to the proposed legacy commission.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill already sets out that a person may not be appointed as a Commissioner, a Director of Investigations or a Judicial Panel member if they have been convicted of an offence. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland therefore cannot, and will not, appoint anyone to the Commission who has been convicted of an offence, related to paramilitary activity or otherwise.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term consequences of the recent storm damage in Jamaica; and what plans they have to offer long-term financial support and other contributions.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to my statement to the House on 4 November 2025, UIN HLWS1016. The UK will continue working with Jamaica and Caribbean partners on disaster preparedness and climate resilience to deliver long-term recovery projects, including sustainable infrastructure, and to advocate internationally for increased climate finance for vulnerable states, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to deploy a naval vessel in the Caribbean during hurricane season in addition to HMS Trent; and if so, whether that vessel will have better capabilities than HMS Trent to provide support to the relief of storm damage.

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

There are no current plans to deploy other naval vessels in addition to an Offshore Patrol Vessel during the Caribbean hurricane season. As part of an FCDO-led response, the MOD provides scalable support options under Operation VENTUS. While our immediate response is primarily delivered through the Royal Navy persistent presence and an embarked crisis response troop, there are a wide range of options retained at high readiness in the UK to be deployed in advance of, or subsequent to, a demand for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of feedback from businesses that use the Trader Support Service.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

In 2024, the TSS had a customer satisfaction score of 89%. Traders score on information, ease of use, whether they would recommend the service and overall satisfaction. This feedback is used to make improvements to the TSS portal, communications and education materials.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the cost of running the Trader Support Service for each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The costs of the Trader Support Service by financial year are set out below.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have budgeted for the operation of the Trader Support Service for the current financial year.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The total budget for the current financial year (25/26) for operating the Trader Support Service is £76.99 million.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect negotiations on the review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement to take place.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is focused on negotiation and implementation of the commitments from the UK-EU Summit. We do not expect an expansive programme of work on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement review clause.

Found: response you provided on 9 December 2025 to a written question (HL12280) put to the Government by Lord Empey

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn; Lord Empey