Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of individuals looking for reputable lawyers being directed by AI chatbots to solicitors' firms which have been sanctioned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government recognises that the increased use of AI to identify legal services providers presents both opportunities and risks for consumers, including the possibility of inaccurate or outdated information being provided. It is crucial to ensure that consumers can access reliable information when choosing legal services.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority, as the independent regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, is responsible for setting and enforcing professional standards and protecting consumers of legal services. The SRA assists consumers in making informed decisions about legal services. It publishes a wide range of regulatory and disciplinary decisions through its website and Solicitors Register.
Whilst the Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of this risk, we continue to work closely with the SRA and other legal services regulators to better understand the implications of AI for the legal services sector and ensure that appropriate consumer protections remain in place. The Ministry of Justice intends to raise this issue with the SRA as part of this ongoing engagement.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will appoint a new director of the Serious Fraud Office.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Cluny - Advocate General for Scotland
Preparation to recruit the next Director of the Serious Fraud Office is progressing as planned and the Attorney General intends to publish the job advert at the end of this month. This will be a rigorous recruitment exercise in line with the Civil Service Commissioners’ recruitment principles. It is designed to attract and test the strongest field of talent and the selection process is expected to last at least until the end of November. The Attorney General expects to appoint a permanent Director by the end of this year, to take up the post in 2027.
The SFO plays a critical role in prosecuting fraudsters, delivering justice for victims and ridding the economy of corruption, making Britain better off. It is vital that we take the time to find and appoint the correct candidate to lead the organisation for the next five years.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will appoint the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Cluny - Advocate General for Scotland
Preparation to recruit the next Director of the Serious Fraud Office is progressing as planned and the Attorney General intends to publish the job advert at the end of this month. This will be a rigorous recruitment exercise in line with the Civil Service Commissioners’ recruitment principles. It is designed to attract and test the strongest field of talent and the selection process is expected to last at least until the end of November. The Attorney General expects to appoint a permanent Director by the end of this year, to take up the post in 2027.
The SFO plays a critical role in prosecuting fraudsters, delivering justice for victims and ridding the economy of corruption, making Britain better off. It is vital that we take the time to find and appoint the correct candidate to lead the organisation for the next five years.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any funding provided through the REDD+ Early Movers programme will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, which programmes are affected, and what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. The majority of UK ICF will continue to be provided through grants. No existing ICF programmes, including the REDD+ Early Movers programme, have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent work by the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government remains committed to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. The Independent Monitoring Panel’s insights play a vital role in evaluating this commitment in accordance with the UK internal market guarantee.
In accordance with the Panel’s recommendations in its first report, the Government is working to improve the quality of guidance and support to businesses through a ‘one stop shop’ advice service. The Government has also provided clear guidance on its approach to deforestation-free products and carbon pricing, which is relevant to businesses trading with Northern Ireland.
The Government looks forward to receiving the Panel’s report for its next monitoring period, from 1 July 2025 - 31 December 2025, in due course.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent Northern Ireland veterans facing further legal proceedings relating to their service during the Troubles.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will ensure a fair and transparent framework that gives all communities confidence in legacy processes and will allow victims, survivors and their families, including service families to obtain the answers they have long sought. Alongside this, we are putting in place robust, deliverable protections specifically designed to support the welfare of veterans, including protection from duplicating investigations.
This measure will ensure that the Legacy Commission and coroners conducting inquests will be required not to duplicate the work of any previous investigation or inquest unless doing so is essential, which is a very high threshold in law.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether funding provided through the REDD+ Early Movers programme in Colombia will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, how much funding is affected, and what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ uses a combination of grants and other instruments, including loans, as most appropriate to deliver the intended outcomes and provide the best value for money. The majority of UK ICF will continue to be provided through grants. No existing ICF programmes, including the REDD+ Early Movers programme in Colombia, have been switched from grants to loans linked with the recent announcement of £2 bus fares.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial and strategic implications of transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Lord Wood of Anfield - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has set out its assessment on numerous occasions, including in the Explanatory Memorandum that accompanied the Diego Garcia Treaty. Maintaining long-term operational control of the Diego Garcia base is the entire basis for the UK-Mauritius Treaty.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of power blackouts over the next five years.
Answered by Baroness Curran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great Britain has a highly resilient energy system. Government works closely with industry and regulators to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure and is confident the likelihood of a large-scale power outage remains low.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) takes a holistic view of the changing energy landscape to assess the future operation of Britain's electricity networks and has tools available to manage the system under a wide range of scenarios.
Where localised power disruptions do occur, for example due to faults or severe weather, established response arrangements are in place to minimise impacts and restore supplies as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current security situation in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Despite the recent disorder, and the security incidents in Belfast, Lurgan and Dunmurry, the Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) in Northern Ireland threat level remains SUBSTANTIAL, following its reduction in March 2024.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre keeps the Threat Level from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism in Northern Ireland under constant review and formally reviews it twice a year.
I wish to recognise the tremendous efforts of the PSNI and security partners, who work day in, day out to keep our communities safe.