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

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the al Mustafa Welfare Trust about Sheikh Mishary Alafasy's speaking tour.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is alert to the damage to community cohesion caused by antisemitism and is absolutely committed to rooting out this abhorrent form of hatred. We understand the concerns that have been raised by some Jewish organisations in relation to Sheikh Mishary Alafasy’s speaking tour and, whilst we are not aware of a broader impact on community cohesion, we will continue to be watchful as part of our routine community tensions monitoring. The Government has not met with al Mustafa Welfare Trust about the speaking tour.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the speaking tour by Sheikh Mishary Alafasy on community cohesion.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is alert to the damage to community cohesion caused by antisemitism and is absolutely committed to rooting out this abhorrent form of hatred. We understand the concerns that have been raised by some Jewish organisations in relation to Sheikh Mishary Alafasy’s speaking tour and, whilst we are not aware of a broader impact on community cohesion, we will continue to be watchful as part of our routine community tensions monitoring. The Government has not met with al Mustafa Welfare Trust about the speaking tour.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research note by the Policy Exchange The Muslim Council of Britain's New Leadership.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

HMG does not engage with the Muslim Council of Britain. No assessment has been made of this research note.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Charity Commission about Sheikh Mishary Alafasy's speaking tour.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission. In relation to this specific case, the Charity Commission is aware of the concerns raised, but as the Charity Commission is independent from the Government in its regulatory decision making, it will be for them to assess the matter further.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Ambassador of North Korea about the deployment and loss of life of their soldiers in Ukraine.

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

The North Korean Chargé d'Affaires was summoned to FCDO on 29 October 2024 where FCDO officials raised reports of North Korean troops arriving in Russia. We outlined the UK's position of unequivocally supporting Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, condemned Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and warned that DPRK would likely suffer heavy casualties. We called for DPRK to immediately cease its support of Putin's war, either through the deployment of DPRK troops, or the provision of munitions. We continue to engage with the DPRK embassy on a regular basis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) evacuation work in Ukraine, and what support they provide to MOAS.

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

Humanitarian assistance in Ukraine is essential to protecting the lives of innocent civilians. The FCDO is providing at least £120 million in humanitarian aid through to the end of FY 24/25 bringing the total contribution to £477 million to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion, making us one of the largest bilateral humanitarian donors to Ukraine. Although some of our humanitarian partners support frontline medical evacuations like those undertaken by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), we do not directly fund such services.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan respond to proposals by the government of Spain prohibiting non-EU citizens from buying property by prohibiting non-resident Spanish citizens from buying houses in the United Kingdom.

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

The government does not have plans to place specific restrictions on Spanish citizens buying UK residential property. We have already acted on overseas buyers in the housing market by raising the Stamp Duty Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings by 2 percentage points to 5%. This will raise £310 million by 2029-30 and help to rebalance the housing market towards those who want to buy property for use as a primary residence.