Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that those in the criminal justice system benefit from the National Year of Reading.

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

The National Year of Reading is a welcome opportunity to promote a wide range of activity to improve literacy and engagement with reading for people in custody and on probation.

As part of this work we have appointed the first ever Prison Reading Laureate, the author Lee Child. He will champion the transformative power of reading across the criminal justice system, continue expansion of his successful literacy pilot programme which has been running in a number of prisons since 2025 and will bring in more authors to work with prisons across the country, promoting the benefits of reading to rehabilitation.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS who work with many voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations such as the Reading Agency and National Literacy Trust. A programme of work is planned throughout this year to improve national access to books and facilitate workshops with authors. The Youth Custody Service is also launching its first ever Literacy Festival to inspire reading amongst some of the most complex children in our society.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase library engagement during the National Year of Reading.

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

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading across the UK. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Within Northern Ireland, The Department of Communities funds the public library service and it is administered by the Northern Ireland Library Authority, known as Libraries NI. The National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland was launched on 2 February at Stormont with a roundtable event that brought together primary school pupils, authors, government officials, community groups, charities and businesses to explore how the initiative can help more of the nation’s children, young people and adults to rediscover reading through the things they already love. Libraries NI is actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches throughout the year.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

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

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading across the UK. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Within Northern Ireland, The Department of Communities funds the public library service and it is administered by the Northern Ireland Library Authority, known as Libraries NI. The National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland was launched on 2 February at Stormont with a roundtable event that brought together primary school pupils, authors, government officials, community groups, charities and businesses to explore how the initiative can help more of the nation’s children, young people and adults to rediscover reading through the things they already love. Libraries NI is actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches throughout the year.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a restriction or obligation in the provisions, outworking or implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol or the Windsor Framework to prevent Northern Ireland from phasing in animal-free medical or scientific testing.

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

We are not aware of any such restrictions or obligations for human medicines or other scientific testing, although any such proposal would need to be considered based on its specific details. For human medicines, it is already an expectation across the UK to demonstrate that non-animal testing has been used where possible. For veterinary medicines, the Government is also committed to phasing out the use of animals in testing where possible, although it may be required in some cases to ensure only safe and effective veterinary medicines are marketed, e.g. during the development of new veterinary medicines.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what role Young Futures Hubs will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

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

The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. Local Authorities participating in the programme will co-design the services in each hub alongside young people in the community to ensure it meets local needs.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape, and will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what sanctions or penalties they plan to impose on (1) Hamas, (2) members of Hamas, and (3) anti-Jewish terrorist organisations, in addition to those already in place.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK proscribed Hamas in its entirety in November 2021, making it a criminal offence to be a member of or support the organisation, and we have also sanctioned Palestinian Islamic Jihad, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, and a number of associated individuals. We do not comment on potential future sanctions, as to do so would risk reducing their impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what sanctions or penalties they have imposed on (1) Hamas, (2) members of Hamas, and (3) anti-Jewish terrorist organisations, since September 2025.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK proscribed Hamas in its entirety in November 2021, making it a criminal offence to be a member of or support the organisation, and we have also sanctioned Palestinian Islamic Jihad, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, and a number of associated individuals. We do not comment on potential future sanctions, as to do so would risk reducing their impact.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assurances, if any, they have received from the government of China that sanctions will not be imposed on UK parliamentary representatives in the future.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the Prime Minister's statement on China and Japan on 2 February in the House of Commons, and the Private Notice Question that was debated on 2 February.

In his meeting with the Prime Minister, President Xi Jinping confirmed that all parliamentarians are free to travel to China.

This Government has been clear that China's retaliatory sanctions on UK parliamentarians and others are unwarranted and unacceptable. The lifting of restrictions for all parliamentarians is a positive step, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is engaging with Chinese officials to get more clarity on what the latest changes mean in practice, including for non-parliamentarians sanctioned by China.

Except for the sanctions announced by the Chinese authorities in March 2021, the Government is not aware of any other UK citizens who are subject to official sanctions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to ensure sanctions imposed by China on former Members of Parliament are removed.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the Prime Minister's statement on China and Japan on 2 February in the House of Commons, and the Private Notice Question that was debated on 2 February.

In his meeting with the Prime Minister, President Xi Jinping confirmed that all parliamentarians are free to travel to China.

This Government has been clear that China's retaliatory sanctions on UK parliamentarians and others are unwarranted and unacceptable. The lifting of restrictions for all parliamentarians is a positive step, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is engaging with Chinese officials to get more clarity on what the latest changes mean in practice, including for non-parliamentarians sanctioned by China.

Except for the sanctions announced by the Chinese authorities in March 2021, the Government is not aware of any other UK citizens who are subject to official sanctions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many UK citizens are subject to sanctions by China.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the Prime Minister's statement on China and Japan on 2 February in the House of Commons, and the Private Notice Question that was debated on 2 February.

In his meeting with the Prime Minister, President Xi Jinping confirmed that all parliamentarians are free to travel to China.

This Government has been clear that China's retaliatory sanctions on UK parliamentarians and others are unwarranted and unacceptable. The lifting of restrictions for all parliamentarians is a positive step, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is engaging with Chinese officials to get more clarity on what the latest changes mean in practice, including for non-parliamentarians sanctioned by China.

Except for the sanctions announced by the Chinese authorities in March 2021, the Government is not aware of any other UK citizens who are subject to official sanctions.