Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria they use when determining whether money provided in overseas aid can be counted as climate finance.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We account for all our International Climate Finance (ICF) using internationally agreed OECD guidelines. Programmes (or elements within them) can be counted as ICF if they address the impacts or causes of climate change, and programme teams report against the Rio Markers for adaptation, mitigation, biodiversity, and desertification as appropriate to capture this.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to report to Parliament annually about species reintroduction projects underway in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
There are no plans to report to Parliament annually about species reintroductions projects underway in the UK. In the Environmental Improvement Plan, Defra has committed to provide opportunities for conservation translocations and reintroductions of native species where benefits to the environment and people are clear.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential to reintroduce previously native animals to the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the Environmental Improvement Plan [see attached], Defra committed to support conservation translocations and reintroductions of native species where benefits to the environment and people are clear. This broad policy work can include extensive work, such as by Defra and Natural England on beaver reintroductions to shape the framework for wild releases. However, most projects are delivered by external organisations and landowners, including in collaboration with our arms-length bodies.
To support best practice, Defra has published the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations in England [see attached]. The Code sets clear expectations for projects, including demonstrating a conservation need, assessing feasibility and risks, securing permissions and meeting legal requirements, and ensuring appropriate release, monitoring and advice from Natural England where needed.
Defra continues to support the England Species Reintroduction Taskforce in their provision of evidence-led advice and guidance on existing and potential species conservation translocations in England. Current projects include clarifying the contribution of conservation translocations to species recovery targets and developing a framework to inform decisions on conservation reintroductions.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether additional resources will be allocated to counter-terrorism policing to address state-backed espionage activities linked to Iran.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Funding for counter-terrorism policing increased by £140 million in 2025-26 and will increase by a further £52 million in 2026-27, taking the budget to a record £1.2 billion.
This funds a range of capabilities, as well as approximately 800 live investigations, which allows policing to respond swiftly and decisively to hostile state and terrorist threats.
We do not disclose specific breakdowns of funding for security reasons.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat posed by charities and cultural centres operating in the UK with known or suspected links to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government does not routinely comment on the detail of operational matters or specific threats. But we have been clear that we take threats to, and interference in, the functioning of our democracy and our civil society extremely seriously.
We work closely with a range of partners to tackle malign state-backed influence in our society. Where there is clear evidence that Iranian-linked or aligned organisations are undertaking unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly.
Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of state threats to the charity sector and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there has been wrongdoing.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with Jewish community organisations following the arrests of four men on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence by spying on individuals linked to the Jewish community in London.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government have engaged with multiple Jewish leaders following the arrests of four men under the National Security Act. We continue to engage closely with these leaders to ensure that our communities are supported.
The Jewish community and the wider public will understandably be concerned by the arrests on Friday 6 March. We continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with those affected.
Our police and security services are world leading and won’t hesitate to take action to counter any threat to the UK. They will continue to use the full range of tools and powers available to them to keep this country safe. They have the government’s full support as they carry out their vital work. Given the investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current operational capabilities of the Iranian intelligence services in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to over 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents. We recognise the serious threat posed by the Iranian Intelligence Services and will not hesitate to take the most effective measures against the Iranian regime and its proxies.
Last year the Security Minister outlined the government’s response to the unacceptable threat we face from the Iranian state, and the steps we are taking to ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to disrupt and degrade Iran’s malign activity on UK soil.
The National Security Act 2023 provides a significant toolkit for our intelligence services and law enforcement agencies in the fight against state threats, including those posed by Iran. This means that the UK is now a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, including espionage, interference in our political system, sabotage and assassination.
The UK now has over 550 sanctions against Iranian linked individuals and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which has been sanctioned in its entirety. Over 220 designations have been imposed since Government came into office reflecting our ongoing commitment to countering Iran’s malign activity and safeguarding British citizens.
We take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms and safety in the UK very seriously. We will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from any Iran-linked threats.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat posed by Iranian intelligence operations in the United Kingdom to the Jewish community.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK Government continually assesses potential threats to the UK and its residents. Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to over 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents. It is no secret that there is a long-standing pattern of targeting Jewish and Israeli people internationally by the Iranian Intelligence Services.
We take any threat to these threats extremely seriously. Through the police and the security and intelligence agencies, we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to address any threat.
Last year, the Security Minister outlined the government’s response to the unacceptable threat we face from the Iranian state, and the steps we are taking to ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to disrupt and degrade Iran’s malign activity on UK soil.
The UK now has over 550 sanctions against Iranian linked individuals and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which has been sanctioned in its entirety. Over 220 designations have been imposed since Government came into office reflecting our ongoing commitment to countering Iran’s malign activity and safeguarding British citizens.
More broadly, we are taking action to protect our Jewish communities including allocating up to £28 million to the Community Security Trust this year- providing security to schools, synagogues and Jewish communities.
The Government's top priority is national security, and we will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from any Iran-linked threats.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to continue the Blue Planet Fund initiative beyond March 2026 at the current level of financial provision.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is taking action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks at home and overseas, investing in ocean protection and supporting the transition to more sustainable food and livelihoods globally. Defra has an official development assistance (ODA) allocation of £115 million per year until 2028‑29. Defra will use a significant portion of this to continue to support a marine portfolio which protects coastal and ocean habitats and reduces poverty in coastal communities. The Blue Planet Fund will continue to work alongside coastal communities to sustainably manage their ocean resources, drive action on plastic pollution, and pilot innovative approaches to mobilise more finance for the ocean. For example, in January 2026, we committed £14 million to eight projects in our OCEAN grant scheme to support locally led solutions to protect the ocean and communities most affected by declining ocean health.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the Iranian diaspora and journalists in the UK from transnational repression by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. We will not tolerate any Iran-backed threats on UK soil. We continually assess potential threats to the UK, and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety incredibly seriously. Attempts by foreign Governments to intimidate, harass or harm individuals, are unacceptable.
The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect those identified as being at risk. The National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing continue to provide protective security advice and support to individuals and organisations threatened by the Iranian regime and its criminal proxies.
It is vital that journalists are able to continue their jobs without the fear of attack or threat. A free and robust media is essential - for national security, for human rights, and for democratic governance. That is why we remain an important member of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), which we co-founded in 2019.
Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
We will continue to prioritise the safety and security of UK citizens and interests, working swiftly and in partnership to confront all aspects of Iran’s hostile actions.