Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 14 October (HL1256), what plans they have for a ministerial visit to Diego Garcia before legislation relating to the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is introduced to Parliament.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

There are currently no plans for Ministers to visit Diego Garcia. The UK's Chief Negotiator, Harriet Mathews, and members of the UK's negotiating team visited the British Indian Ocean Territory in June 2024. Ministerial travel plans are not routinely published in advance of official Government visits.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the recent election in Georgia was free and fair.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In Minister of State Stephen Doughty's 27 October statement he made clear his support for the findings of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights' election monitoring mission preliminary report on Georgia's election. That report notes that the election day itself was well-organised and administered in an orderly environment. However, it also highlighted a range of concerns, including frequent breaches of voter secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, as well as reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process. Allegations of irregularities must be investigated thoroughly and independently.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement in the Autumn Budget of £2.9 billion additional funding for the Ministry of Defence, how this amount is broken down, and what restrictions will be placed on how it can be spent.

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

There will be no additional restrictions on the £2.9 billion increase in funding for the next financial year. The allocation of funding for financial year 2025-26 has yet to take place.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of revising the maximum allowed increase to council tax by local authorities of 4.99 per cent per year.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has confirmed that it will not increase council tax referendum principles above the current 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the OBR forecasting. This is a continuation of the previous government’s policy. Further details will be set out at the local government finance settlement.