Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure and enforce oversight and governance of (1) sharia courts, and (2) Muslim arbitration tribunals.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government has no plans to regulate religious dispute resolution processes (such as sharia courts) where all parties consent to those processes. This is consistent with Britain’s long history of freedom of worship and religious tolerance, and the legal rights and remedies of the parties involved remain in place.

Decisions of such bodies are only enforceable if there is a valid arbitration agreement by which all parties have consented to the process, as provided under the terms of the Arbitration Act 1996 for any arbitration panel.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the Independent Office of Police Conduct in pursuing gross misconduct charges arising from Operation Midland.

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

Disciplinary proceedings concerning Operation Midland remain ongoing and it would therefore be inappropriate for the Government to comment while that remains the case.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any plans to revisit or otherwise further investigate the operational conduct of Operation Midland.

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

Police forces and the Independent Office for Police Conduct are independent of government and decisions concerning investigations are operational ones for them to make.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat fly-tipping.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and the environment and dealing with it imposes significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment, and other actions to tackle fly-tipping, in due course.

In the meantime, Defra will continue to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local authorities, the Environment Agency and National Farmers Union, to promote good practice with regards to tackling fly-tipping, including on private land.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of United Nations buildings in Gaza that have been destroyed during the last 11 months.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The September 2024 UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) damage assessment shows two-thirds of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023. Schools, warehouses and offices run by UN agencies have been severely affected along with much of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip, hindering efforts to preserve access to basic services - safe drinking water, shelter and healthcare. We remain deeply concerned over aid workers' safety in Gaza. Israel must take concrete steps to improve deconfliction at all levels of its command-and-control structures, so the UN and its humanitarian partners can operate safely and effectively.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation regarding the frozen funds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club.

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

This government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible, in line with the UK's unilateral declaration. The government is fully committed to that position, as part of our iron-clad support for Ukraine. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are doubling down on our efforts to reach a resolution.