Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of legal challenges when relying on the provision in Article 21 of the Cluster Munitions Convention allowing the United Kingdom to fight alongside states that are not party to that Convention.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Article 21 of the Cluster Munitions Convention allows for co-operation between States Parties and non-State Parties. The UK's interpretation of Article 21 is clear. UK personnel are not prohibited from military cooperation and operations with non-States Parties which may engage in activities prohibited to a State Party, but the use, production or transfer of cluster munitions remains prohibited in all circumstances for UK personnel as does the express request for the use of cluster munitions where the choice of munitions used is within the UK's exclusive control. This position is enshrined in UK law by the 'Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Act 2010', establishing criminal offences to enforce the prohibitions, while providing a defence for international military operations or co-operation activities. We also recognise our obligations under Article 21 to discourage States not party from using cluster munitions.

As Baroness Chapman laid out at the House of Lords debate on 3 April regarding Landmines and Cluster Munitions, the UK remains a committed State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The UK continues to discourage the use of cluster munitions and further calls on all non-State Parties to ratify and accede to the Convention. Nevertheless, we have a long history of operating alongside states with different legal obligations whilst adhering to and promoting our own.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) operational, and (2) net, assessments they have made of the effectiveness of cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines.

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

Cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines present an enduring risk to civilians in the wake of conflict. The UK has successfully operated without anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions for fifteen and twenty-five years respectively, and in that time have developed alternative policies and systems.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what formal governance structures underpin the Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF), including whether it operates under a constitution or terms of reference; who is accountable for oversight of the CSRF; which department sponsors or hosts the CSRF; whether the departmental sponsor has changed since the inception of the CSRF; and what formal responsibilities the sponsoring department has in relation to CSRF governance, cost and activity.

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

The Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF) was established in 2016 as a cross-government volunteer network. CSRF has developed their own Terms of Reference which govern their ways of working. These are informed by the Civil Service Code and CSRF’s own Governance Committee.

Cross-Civil Service networks do not have a sponsoring department. All network members are bound by the Civil Service Code. It is the responsibility of their employing department to make sure as civil servants they adhere to the Civil Service Code at all times including whilst conducting network activity.

CSRF does not hold a budget and there has been no cost to the public purse of the CSRF since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many meetings of the Civil Service Race Forum's network leaders have taken place in each of the past four years; whether minutes are recorded and published; and how many ministers or Permanent Secretaries participated in those meetings in the past 12 months.

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

Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF) is a cross government volunteer network which is responsible for arranging its own meetings. The network has held a total of 48 meetings over the past four years which have included its network leaders. Due to the informal and often personal nature of these discussions formal minutes are not recorded or published. In the past 12 months, no Ministers or Permanent Secretaries have participated in CSRF network meetings.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impartiality of the Civil Service Muslim Network, and whether the principles of Civil Service impartiality are understood and adhered to by that body.

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

All civil servants are bound by the Civil Service Code. All civil servants are expected to follow the standards of behaviour as set out in the Code, including the core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. It is the responsibility of the employing Department or Agency to make their employees aware of the Code and its values.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what formal governance framework underpins the Civil Service Muslim Network, and whether that network operates under a written constitution, charter or terms of reference agreed with the Cabinet Office.

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

The Civil Service Muslim Network (CSMN) is a cross-government volunteer network. CSMN operates under Terms of Reference that were agreed at Senior Civil Service level by the (then) Faith and Belief Champion.

The Civil Service Code, which is published and available here, sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria determine eligibility for membership of the Civil Service Muslim Network, and whether membership is open to all Civil Servants regardless of faith or belief.

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

Staff networks are volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department.

The only membership criteria the Civil Service Muslim Network has is for members to be a current civil servant.

The Network openly invites civil servants of all backgrounds, beliefs, and non-beliefs to join the Civil Service Muslim Network.