Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people received a driving lessons grant from the Motability scheme in each of the past five years, broken down by the qualifying benefits those people received in each year.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Data about the receipt of driving lesson grants from the Motability Scheme is not held by the Department.

The Motability Scheme is overseen by the Motability Foundation and is delivered by Motability Operations Ltd.

Motability is independent of the government and is wholly responsible for the terms and administration of the Scheme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what work they have undertaken following the findings in the report by the National Audit Office The Motability scheme (HC 1681), published on 7 December 2018, in particular in relation to the findings on the remuneration of senior staff.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is responsible for the disability benefits which passport people to the Motability scheme. Motability Foundation is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to help disabled people with their mobility and transport needs. They own and have oversight of the Motability Scheme which is delivered by an independent commercial company Motability Operations.

The National Audit Office made a number of recommendations in their 2018 report. Those relating to remuneration of senior staff were directed to Motability and Motability Operations. The Department has worked closely with Motability Foundation since then in relation to developing a long-term strategy to put its charitable funding to best use and governance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Motability Scheme support is available to applicants with (1) a food intolerance, (2) alcohol misuse, and (3) obsessive compulsive disorder; and if so, what are the reasons for making that support available.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is responsible for the disability benefits which passport people to the Motability Scheme. To be eligible for the Scheme individuals must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment, higher rate mobility Disability Living Allowance, War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement and Armed Forces Independence Payment (including equivalent Scottish benefits).

Disability benefits are awarded based on how conditions affect a claimant, a determination of their functional needs and not the condition itself.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many super-injunctions are currently in force in England and Wales.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

The Government does not routinely publish or hold centralised data on the number of super-injunctions currently in force, due to the sensitive and often confidential nature of such orders.

Where such orders are made, they are typically issued by the High Court under strict judicial oversight and may include provisions that prevent disclosure of their very existence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals resettled in the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy were identified as a case of interest, broken down by the case of interest reason of (1) criminality, (2) hate crimes, (3) Prevent referrals, (4) perceived failing, and (5) potential media coverage.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Available data on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the quarterly immigration statistics release. Afghan Transparency data is released quarterly. These are available to view on GOV.UK.

The data published in the Immigration System Statistics release gives the number of individuals under ARAP as 21,316. Available rules and guidance on the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy can be found on GOV.UK.

The above is the best available operational data, as of 31 March 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the case of interest guidance distributed to local authorities for assessing applications under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Available data on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the quarterly immigration statistics release. Afghan Transparency data is released quarterly. These are available to view on GOV.UK.

The data published in the Immigration System Statistics release gives the number of individuals under ARAP as 21,316. Available rules and guidance on the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy can be found on GOV.UK.

The above is the best available operational data, as of 31 March 2025.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask His Majesty's Government what their position is on seeking super-injunctions to restrict reporting of public policy issues.

Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General

The filing of an application for a super-injunction on behalf of His Majesty’s Government is recognised as a truly exceptional measure and would be justified only by the most compelling evidence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the breakdown of costs, by month, of flights used on the Afghanistan Response Route since its inception, including costs of (1) any Royal Air Force or government flights, and (2) any charter flights, with details of which organisation provided the charter.

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

In February 2022, under the previous Government a spreadsheet with names and other information relating of individual applicants of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – the resettlement scheme for Afghan citizens who worked for or with the UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan – was emailed outside of official Government systems.

The previous Government decided to seek an injunction concerning the breach and the High Court granted a super-injunction. They also decided to set up a new secret resettlement route, called the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR). The ARR was created to support a limited cohort of people who were affected by the data loss incident and who were previously thought to be at the highest risk, into the UK.

The current Secretary of State then commissioned an independent policy review from former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Paul Rimmer. This began earlier this year and was presented to Ministers in June. The review examined the overall policy context in spring 2025, three years since the data incident and concluded that it appears “highly unlikely” that merely being on the dataset would be grounds for targeting.

As the Defence Secretary outlined in his oral statement of 15 July 2025, the Rimmer review was a very significant element in the Government’s decision to change policy to close the ARR, though not the sole element. We have now made the matter public so it can be subject to full Parliamentary scrutiny.

To resettle those under the ARR, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses mixed cohort flights to relocate Afghans to the UK under the schemes that make up the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). This includes the ARR and ARAP scheme. These flights have also included a small number of persons eligible for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).

The MOD has used both RAF and charter flights. Additionally, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to resettle eligible Afghans has run charter flights. For reasons that are commercially and operationally sensitive, we cannot name the companies that organised the charter flights.

The average total monthly costs from MOD charter flights, Royal Air Force flights and IOM charter flights is to date £457,833.33.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish all external contractors that worked on the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

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

A wide variety of contractors have supported the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), with some involved in sensitive operational activities. As a result, a comprehensive list of external contractors that worked on ARAP cannot be published due to both operational risks and commercial sensitivity.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish any documents about vetting or security clearance processes that were given to applicants of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

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

When the Taleban seized control in 2021, many thousands of people who served and supported our British Armed Forces were left in Afghanistan.

The UK made a commitment to honour the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us and there was cross party support for this at the time. This became the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.

All those resettling in the UK under Afghan resettlement schemes are coming to the UK legally. As with all those arriving to the UK, all those found eligible for ARAP have to undergo robust security checks, including for national security. If they don’t pass these checks, they are not granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK

An application must first be made, by the applicant, to the Ministry of Defence, who will decide if the applicant is eligible. If they are eligible for relocation to the UK, the second stage is that the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) will on behalf of the applicant, make an application to the Home Office for entry clearance (if they are outside the UK) or settlement (if they are in the UK). Eligibility does not guarantee resettlement in the UK. Those who are eligible must first undergo checks in accordance with the UK Immigration Rules

The MOD, as part of the first stage, sends an offer letter to Eligible Persons (EPs) which details the vetting and security process that applicants must go through to enter the UK and signposts EPs to the Government's Immigration Rules for further guidance. Permission to enter the UK is subject to the enrolment of biometrics and security checks run by the Home Office as part of the second stage.

National security is a priority for this Government and all ARAP eligible individuals who arrive in the UK will have undergone thorough security checks.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many special advisers are in post, broken down by department; and how many special advisers left their posts between July 2024 and June 2025.

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

A breakdown of how many special advisers are in post by department is available in the Annual Report on Special Advisers is attached. Between July 2024 and June 2025, 19 special advisers left their posts.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with officials in China regarding potential escalation in Taiwan during the recent visit of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to Beijing.

Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK has consistently been clear on the continued need for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. This government has raised this issue with China several times, including at the UK-China Strategic Dialogue earlier this year.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government which prisons have been visited by (1) the Director General Chief Executive, and (2) the Chief Operating Officer, of the Prison and Probation Service in the past 12 months, including the date on which those visits took place.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The table attached provides details of prison visits undertaken by the Director General Chief Executive (DGCEO), the Director General of Operations (DGOps) and the Chief Operating Officer for Prisons (COO Prisons) of HM Prison & Probation Service during the past 12 months.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the review of prison officer training.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) remains committed to improving prison officer training and will be implementing the recommendations from the Independent Review of Prison Officer Training.

The Department has made progress in relation to recommendations of the Independent Review, including reviewing and improving uniform policy and leveraging technology to support and recognise learner performance, whilst also looking at opportunities to improve prison learning facilities. Furthermore, efforts are underway to automate onboarding processes for new prison officers using new technologies.

Meanwhile, the Enable Programme in HMPPS is leading a full redesign of prison officer training, aiming to strengthen the training offer through more robust, evidence-based approach. The new 12-month model will support the development of the knowledge, skills, behaviours and confidence needed for the modern prison officer role.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison risk drone assessments have been carried out to date; where those assessments have taken place; and what assessment they have made of the results of that work, and the impact of those assessments on disrupting the influx of drugs into prisons.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of illegal drones that deliver contraband, in order to create a safe and stable rehabilitative environment in our prisons. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes legislative measures and physical security countermeasures, as well as work across Government and with international partners.

As part of this work, we conduct drone vulnerability assessments across the prison estate to understand and mitigate risk. For operational security reasons, we cannot disclose further details surrounding these assessments.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the roll-out of stab vests to high-risk prison staff.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

In June, the Government announced that protective body armour would be issued to frontline prison officers working in the highest risk areas of the prison estate. Delivery of this equipment began in September and is expected to be completed by the end of the month. This initiative is part of our wider commitment to enhancing safety and security across the prison estate, ensuring staff are properly equipped to carry out their duties in demanding environments.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisons have operational enhanced gate security funded by the Security Investment Programme, and whether they will publish the names of those prisons.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Department is committed to taking every possible measure to strengthen prison security.

The Security Investment Programme was a £100 million investment to strengthen prison security. It was aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including the smuggling of illicit items such as drugs and other contraband.

Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, comprising of metal detectors and X-ray baggage scanners, is used to search staff and visitors as they enter the prison. It is in use in 54 high-risk prison sites (both private and public sector), including all of the High Security prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate. The Security Investment Programme funded Enhanced Gate Security to 42 of the total 54 high-risk prisons that have these physical countermeasures.

The following prisons have operational Enhanced Gate Security:

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the job of Director General Chief Executive of the Prison and Probation Service was advertised, what the format of the selection procedure was for that job, how many applicants applied, and who was on the selection panel.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Appointments to critical Director General or Senior Civil Service Pay Band 3 roles are overseen by the Senior Leadership Committee (SLC), a cross-Government governance board led by the Cabinet Office. The SLC is responsible for approving how these senior roles are filled, ensuring consistency and rigour across Departments. The previous Director General Chief Executive of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), Amy Rees CB, was temporarily appointed to the role of interim Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice in April 2025, while a selection process for the Permanent Secretary post took place. Phil Copple CB, the appointed Director General of Operations at HMPPS, was identified through succession planning as the interim CEO of HMPPS, and his temporary appointment was subsequently confirmed by the SLC. In September 2025, Amy Rees moved to a new role as Chief Executive of Homes England. Following SLC approval, on 18 September 2025, James McEwen, Director General and Chief Operating Officer at the Ministry of Justice, was confirmed as the permanent successor to the HMPPS CEO role in a managed move. He will formally take up the post in October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase mandatory random drug testing in prisons in England and Wales, and to expand the range of drugs tested for.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to tackling drug use in prisons, which threatens prison safety and security, undermines our work to rehabilitate prisoners and drives reoffending. We therefore need to have a multi-pronged approach that tackles the supply of drugs, drives down demand and supports recovery – drug testing plays an important role in delivering this.

Random mandatory drug testing (rMDT) forms one part of our wider approach to tackling drug use in prisons. In custody, we also conduct more targeted testing, such as suspicion-based testing, when staff have reason to believe an individual has used drugs illicitly, as well as voluntary testing, which forms part of our approach on our Incentivised Substance Free Living Units, where prisoners sign a compact to remain drug free, receive access to improved conditions compared to a standard wing and are regularly tested. In probation settings, we are expanding our drug testing powers through the Sentencing Bill, meaning that any offender on licence can be tested.

We test for a wide range of substances and keep this under regular review to ensure we identify emerging trends to keep both staff and prisoners safe. Our new drug testing contract supports this by giving us greater flexibility to identify areas for improvement in our drug testing capabilities, ensuring we can keep pace with changing patterns of drug use and target support where it is most needed.

In recent years, levels of rMDT have fallen short across the estate because of staffing constraints, and as a result, volumes have not been sufficient nor consistently high enough to produce publishable data – though results are still used as part of adjudication proceedings. There has been some encouraging progress made in recent months to increase levels, and we will continue to keep performance under close review.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what funding they will provide for the Emergency Alerts service once its initial three-year funding comes to an end.

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

As set out in the 2025 Resilience Action Plan, the Emergency Alerts system is one of many public warning and informing capabilities that the UK Government, Devolved Governments and Category 1 responders have at their disposal. It is an integral part of keeping the public safe as it allows for quick sharing of life-saving information.

Since the launch of Emergency Alerts in 2023, the system has been activated five times, in conjunction with other local warning methods, during emergencies to minimise risk to life.

On Sunday 7th September at around 3pm tens of millions of phones across the country received the test message, marking the largest simultaneous public communications event since the Second World War.

The UK Government will continue to ensure that Emergency Alerts capability is maintained and it is expected that the funding of the system will continue through routine departmental spend.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much the continuity of education allowance has increased since January and whether they plan to increase it further.

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

Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) helps Service families to provide stability in their children’s schooling where mobility might otherwise cause disruption. The Ministry of Defence engages with Service families through the Families Federations, the chain of command and Pay Colonel teams, who ensure that their views are represented in policy discussions.

With regards to allowance calculations, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given by the then Minister for Veterans on 9 July 2025 to question 66168.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Armed Forces families and representatives since January regarding the continuity of education allowance.

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

Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) helps Service families to provide stability in their children’s schooling where mobility might otherwise cause disruption. The Ministry of Defence engages with Service families through the Families Federations, the chain of command and Pay Colonel teams, who ensure that their views are represented in policy discussions.

With regards to allowance calculations, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given by the then Minister for Veterans on 9 July 2025 to question 66168.