Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the results of the Department for Education’s consultation on Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children, opened on 19 December 2023; and what is their response to the consultation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review, before setting out next steps.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to take the recommendations of the Cass Review into account when updating their guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, in addition to reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review, before setting out next steps.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure taxpayer value for money in respect of the work of the Independent Monitoring Authority.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, the Department has a responsibility to ensure the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) makes effective and efficient use of public funds, whilst also ensuring the IMA’s operational independence is protected, including its ability to make impartial assessments when exercising its functions, and that it is appropriately funded to do so. The IMA’s current level of funding is deemed to be appropriate, however will be reviewed, alongside all the Department’s public bodies, as part of the Department’s settlement at spending review 2025.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the proposal of the Law Commission in its Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 18 July 2022 (HC 557), to place regulatory conditions on the officiant rather than the location in which the wedding takes place.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the wholesale reform of weddings law, including recommendations for an officiant-based weddings model. This would shift the focus of regulation from the building or venue where the wedding takes place to the officiant. The Law Commission set out its view that its recommendations would provide greater choice for couples in deciding how and where they get married, and the form and content of the ceremony.
I am sure you will agree that marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider any changes to the law carefully. As a new Government, we need time to consider this issue, and we will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 14 January (HL3815), when they intend to disclose details of meetings they have had with stakeholders about the prospect of legislation on conversion practices since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As previously indicated in answer to HL3815 and HL3671, the Government has and will continue to meet with stakeholders as we develop this important work. This engagement encompasses a wide range of stakeholders, both in favour of, or concerned by, the prospect of this legislation. Such meetings will be disclosed in due course as part of relevant Departmental transparency releases on gov.uk and more generally when we are ready to share our approach to this legislation.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to restrict visas for individuals implicated in alleged illegal activity who are associated with the former Bangladeshi regime of Sheikh Hasina.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.
The Immigration Rules provide for the refusal of entry clearance, permission to enter and permission to stay on general grounds, regardless of the category in which an individual makes an application. A person will usually be refused on general grounds if there is any evidence in their background, immigration history, criminal records or past behaviour which shows that they should not be allowed to enter or stay in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Crime Agency’s International Corruption Unit is assisting the government of Bangladesh to identify assets allegedly stolen from its banks and institutions by officials.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK is committed to fighting corruption and illicit finance both domestically and internationally. The UK is fully committed to recovering and returning corruptly-obtained assets. This must be done in accordance with legal due process, which can take time, but ensures a fully fair and transparent process.
The National Crime Agency is part of the UK's effort to support Bangladesh in this area, as well as wider engagement on law enforcement issues. As a matter of policy, we do not routinely confirm or deny NCA investigations.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist in identifying, seizing, and returning assets located in the United Kingdom illicitly acquired by Bangladeshi officials.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK is committed to fighting corruption and illicit finance both domestically and internationally. The UK is fully committed to recovering and returning corruptly-obtained assets. This must be done in accordance with legal due process, which can take time, but ensures a fully fair and transparent process.
The National Crime Agency is part of the UK's effort to support Bangladesh in this area, as well as wider engagement on law enforcement issues. As a matter of policy, we do not routinely confirm or deny NCA investigations.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential implications for Syrian Christians and other vulnerable minorities of removing Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham from the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is proscribed in the UK, having been added as an alias of Al-Qaeda in 2017. We will judge HTS by their actions and continue to monitor closely how they and other parties to this conflict treat all civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, in areas they control. The FCDO has consistently underlined the importance of protecting religious minorities publicly and in our engagement with the interim Syrian authorities, regional and international partners. We will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria and for an inclusive political transition.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 23 December 2024 (HL3397), what is the evidential basis for the answer given; and by whom, when, and at what cost to the public purse was the analysis which gave rise to it expedited and completed.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The disproportionate cost threshold is used by Government departments to determine whether the transparency benefits of answering a particular question can justify costs involved in retrieving the requested information. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850, calculated at 140% of the Freedom of Information Act cost limit, currently £600, to the nearest £50.
Upon receipt of the previous Parliamentary Question (PQ) on this issue, the Home Office team primarily responsible for decisions of this nature (Status Review Unit) carefully considered the time and administrative resource it would take to retrieve the information requested. It was considered that a manual review of every decision to revoke (or cancel) a person's visa, between 7 October 2023 and the date of the PQ, would be required to retrieve the information. Taking account of the volume of decisions involved, it was concluded that this action would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.