Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK’s placement in the recent NATO rankings of defence spending as a percentage of GDP.

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

The UK is the third largest cash spender in NATO and this Government has increased defence spending as a proportion of GDP as well as committing to the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.

Defence spending will rise to 2.6% of GDP from 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament. At the Hague Summit last July, the Prime Minister also committed to spending 5% on national security.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many UK diplomats are accredited to (1) the Russian Federation, (2) the People's Republic of China, and (3) the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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

The number of accredited diplomats to the UK at these three embassies are: 1) Russia – 30; 2) China – 143 and 3) Iran - 15. This information is publicly available on the London Diplomatic List at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk

UK citizens who are members of the Embassies and Consulates of the United Kingdom in (1) the Russian Federation (2) the People’s Republic of China, and (3) the Islamic Republic of Iran are notified to relevant offices of each Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in line with Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR 1961) and Article 19 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR 1963).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many diplomats from (1) the Russian Federation, (2) the People's Republic of China, and (3) the Islamic Republic of Iran, are accredited in the UK.

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

The number of accredited diplomats to the UK at these three embassies are: 1) Russia – 30; 2) China – 143 and 3) Iran - 15. This information is publicly available on the London Diplomatic List at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk

UK citizens who are members of the Embassies and Consulates of the United Kingdom in (1) the Russian Federation (2) the People’s Republic of China, and (3) the Islamic Republic of Iran are notified to relevant offices of each Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in line with Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR 1961) and Article 19 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR 1963).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of the United Arab Emirates will not provide scholarships to students seeking to attend UK universities on the grounds that they might be subject to radicalisation by Islamic extremists on UK campuses.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The UK offers one of the best education systems in the world, especially teaching and research in high growth sectors of the future. We welcome high quality students from across the world, including from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

No form of extremism has any place in our society, and we have some of the strongest laws in the world to protect our citizens from hatred and terrorism. The government maintains stringent measures to safeguard all students and our Prevent strategy, recently updated to address evolving threats, and our consistent review and proscription of extremist organisations, underline our ongoing commitment to student welfare and campus safety.

The education sector continues to play a vital role in safeguarding learners from radicalisation, being the highest contributor of referrals to the Prevent programme. To support this effort, we provide resources through the Educate Against Hate website, helping pupils and staff understand terrorism risks and challenge extremist views.

The UK and UAE have a deep and long-standing bilateral relationship and we will continue to discuss this matter with their government.