Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much the Department for Work and Pensions spent in the last year for which figures are available on advertising to inform the public about benefits; and of that sum how much was spent on advertising (1) online, (2) on radio, and (3) via leaflets.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The contract with the government’s media buying agency for the requested period has now ended, therefore the requested information is not held by the department.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Tunisia regarding the sentencing of Rached Ghannouchi, former Speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, to 20 years' imprisonment; and what steps they are taking to press for his release in light of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s finding (Opinion No. 63/2025) that his detention is arbitrary.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK monitors the political context in Tunisia closely, including changes to the sentences of Mr Rached Ghannouchi and others. The UK regularly encourages respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. Our Ambassador to Tunisia has raised the case of Mr Ghannouchi with the Tunisian authorities, and Ministers have underlined the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. To date, the UK has used a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open and inclusive society in Tunisia.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the continued detention and sentencing of political figures in Tunisia, including Rached Ghannouchi, is consistent with the UK Government’s stated commitment to democracy and human rights in its engagement with Tunisia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK monitors the political context in Tunisia closely, including changes to the sentences of Mr Rached Ghannouchi and others. The UK regularly encourages respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. Our Ambassador to Tunisia has raised the case of Mr Ghannouchi with the Tunisian authorities, and Ministers have underlined the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. To date, the UK has used a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open and inclusive society in Tunisia.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conversations they have had with the government of Pakistan to ensure that Imran Khan is allowed access to his own doctors.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Pakistan's judicial processes are a domestic matter; however, we expect the Pakistani authorities to respect fundamental freedoms, including due process, humane detention, and access to appropriate medical treatment for all detainees, including Mr Imran Khan.
UK ministers and officials - including our High Commissioner in Islamabad - regularly raise these principles with the Government of Pakistan and continue to monitor developments. We do not advocate for specific medical arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of their statements denouncing the lack of democratic legitimacy of the Venezuelan election of 28 July 2024, whether they plan to evict the representatives of the government of Venezuela from the legation building at 1 Cromwell Road, and to make the premises available to representatives of those they consider won the election.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK has been clear that the outcome of the presidential elections on 28 July 2024 was neither free nor fair and that Nicolas Maduro's claim to power is fraudulent. The results published by the opposition appear to show Edmundo Gonzalez secured the most votes by a significant margin. Whilst the UK does not accept the legitimacy of the current administration put in place by Nicolás Maduro, we maintain limited engagement with Venezuelan officials where necessary.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Venezuela about the whereabouts of Jesús Armas and reports that he is being held in El Helicoide.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK strongly condemns the ongoing repression against civil society and members of the opposition in Venezuela. Over 1900 Venezuelans remain arbitrarily detained, including Jesus Armas whose whereabouts remain unknown. The UK has repeatedly called for human rights to be protected and for the immediate and unconditional release of those arbitrarily detained, most recently through a UK statement at the Human Rights Council on 13 December. The UK was also party to the G7 Foreign Ministers' statements of 24 September and 26 November, calling on Venezuelan representatives to publish the election results in full and calling for all unjustly detained political prisoners to be released.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the continuing detention of Imran Khan; and what assessment they have made of reports that he has been denied phone calls and visits.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Foreign Secretary met with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on 4 September and 24 October to discuss a range of key issues, including Pakistan's domestic political situation. We have consistently urged the Pakistani authorities to demonstrate their democratic credentials by acting in line with their international obligations and with respect for the fundamental freedoms of all its citizens, including the right to a fair trial, due process and humane detention.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the International Commission of Jurists that the passing of the 26th Constitutional Amendment by the government of Pakistan is a “blow to judicial independence, the rule of law, and human rights protection”; and what representations they have made to that government in that regard.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Any amendment to Pakistan's constitution is a matter for Pakistan. An independent judiciary able to check and balance other state organs is a critical element of a functioning democracy.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what impediments remain in the way their ambition to eliminate tariffs on fresh produce imported from Morocco.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are working closely together to negotiate a balanced and equitable outcome for the Morocco Agriculture Tariff Review, which is a commitment both sides made under the UK-Morocco Association Agreement. We continue to work closely with the Moroccan government to further liberalise any remaining tariffs and maximise trade under the agreement. At the launch of the tariff review last year, we discussed a range of priority sectors, including fresh produce like fruits and vegetables which constitute around 35% of all goods imported from Morocco to the UK. Whilst we are keen to diversify the supply of imported Moroccan goods on UK shelves and seek opportunities to expand exports of British food and drink, we will ensure that this is not done at the expense of British farmers, their produce, and the seasonal nature of UK production more generally.
Asked by: Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will seek an investment facilitation memorandum between the UK and Morocco at the forthcoming Association Council to support UK investment in Morocco ahead of the 2030 World Cup, similar to the agreement signed with Peru ahead of the 2019 Pan-American Games.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
The UK Government is keen to strengthen trade ties with Morocco, which deliver mutual benefits. Both countries will be hosting major football tournaments later this decade, and the Government is working closely with Morocco to share knowledge ahead of the delivery of these events.
In 2017, HM Government signed a government-to-government agreement with Peru to support the delivery of infrastructure for the 2019 PanAmerican Games on-time and on-budget. We plan to share our experience with the Moroccan government at the forthcoming UK-Morocco Association Council.