Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that charities have entered asylum hotel accommodation to baptise asylum seekers.

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

As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards, including security arrangements. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect.

All asylum claims, including those based on religion conversion, are carefully assessed individually in accordance with our international obligations and in line with our published guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the data on how many asylum claims have been granted on the basis of fear of persecution in their country of origin because of sexual orientation.

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

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release on GOV.UK.

Data on the number of grants where sexual orientation forms part of the claim is published in table SOC_00. The latest data relates to 2023. In 2023, 2,133 claims were granted where sexual orientation formed part of the basis for the asylum claim. For further information on the data, see the notes pages of the tables.

Not all these individuals will necessarily have been granted protection on the basis of their sexual orientation. Similarly, other asylum seekers may be granted protection without referencing their sexual orientation in their claims and therefore would not be included in these figures.

Updated published data from 2023 onwards is currently unavailable due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new case working system and it will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics Release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they hold on the number of asylum seekers who are baptised while in asylum accommodation.

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

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what security arrangements are in place in asylum hotels to prevent third parties such as churches and charities from entering accommodation.

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

As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards, including security arrangements. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect.

All asylum claims, including those based on religion conversion, are carefully assessed individually in accordance with our international obligations and in line with our published guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision by the Metropolitan Police Force to stop recording non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), whether they plan to put an end to the existence of NCHIs altogether.

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

This Government has been clear that a consistent and common-sense approach must be taken with non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs).

The Home Secretary has asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing to expedite its review of NCHIs which began earlier this year. The review is considering the recording of information that has not yet reached the criminal threshold, but which may still be useful for the purposes of monitoring community tensions and keeping the public safe. It is also considering the fundamental right of freedom of expression and recent court rulings in this area.

The Home Office is working closely with the NPCC and the College as they develop their findings.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what resources they are making available to support training and resourcing for artificial intelligence and large language models in planning departments for the purpose of (1) assessing good design, and (2) boosting productivity in those departments and local authorities.

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

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the research by Create Streets, AI Judging Architecture for Well-Being: Large Language Models Simulate Human Empathy and Predict Public Preference, published on 13 October, for the purpose of supporting the use of good design in the planning system.

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

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the use of artificial intelligence by planning departments and local authorities to support good design.

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

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prevent those who convert to Christianity following an unsuccessful asylum appeal from avoiding deportation on the grounds of a fear of persecution in their country of origin.

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

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. This is regardless of where or how a person may have entered the UK, or how they might be accommodated while in the UK.

People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. This is also the process for further submissions lodged on protection grounds by failed asylum seekers.

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prevent asylum seekers who convert to Christianity while in asylum accommodation from claiming asylum on the grounds of a fear of persecution in their country of origin.

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

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. This is regardless of where or how a person may have entered the UK, or how they might be accommodated while in the UK.

People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. This is also the process for further submissions lodged on protection grounds by failed asylum seekers.

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prevent those who convert to Christianity after arriving illegally in the UK from claiming asylum on the grounds of religious conversion.

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

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin. This is regardless of where or how a person may have entered the UK, or how they might be accommodated while in the UK.

People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. This is also the process for further submissions lodged on protection grounds by failed asylum seekers.

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 24 September (HL10412), whether they will place in the Library of the House (1) the stakeholders they have met to improve policy guidance on asylum claims based on religious conversions, and (2) the minutes of those meetings.

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

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country. Our guidance for considering claims based on religious conversion is publicly available on GOV.UK and we do not consider it is appropriate to place detailed discussions with stakeholders in the Library of the House.

Detailed Home Office policy instructions are regularly reviewed and provide a framework for considering asylum claims. All caseworkers receive extensive training to consider claims objectively and impartially and receive mentoring support before interviewing claimants and making such decisions. Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, fake claims are rooted out, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, and including those from claimants who were accommodated on the Bibby Stockholm, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. In some circumstances it is appropriate to revoke protection status where evidence emerges that status was obtained by deception; where protection is no longer needed; or where someone commits a serious crime, represents a threat to our national security or demonstrates extremist behaviour.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they investigated reports that asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge sought to convert to Christianity to avoid deportation; and if so, whether they will publish the findings of that investigation.

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

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country. Our guidance for considering claims based on religious conversion is publicly available on GOV.UK and we do not consider it is appropriate to place detailed discussions with stakeholders in the Library of the House.

Detailed Home Office policy instructions are regularly reviewed and provide a framework for considering asylum claims. All caseworkers receive extensive training to consider claims objectively and impartially and receive mentoring support before interviewing claimants and making such decisions. Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, fake claims are rooted out, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, and including those from claimants who were accommodated on the Bibby Stockholm, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. In some circumstances it is appropriate to revoke protection status where evidence emerges that status was obtained by deception; where protection is no longer needed; or where someone commits a serious crime, represents a threat to our national security or demonstrates extremist behaviour.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to amend the assessment of religious conversion as a basis for an asylum claim since March 2024.

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

We engage with stakeholders, including faith leaders, to ensure asylum claims based on religious persecution, including those based on religious conversion, are well considered, that those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country. Our guidance for considering claims based on religious conversion is publicly available on GOV.UK and we do not consider it is appropriate to place detailed discussions with stakeholders in the Library of the House.

Detailed Home Office policy instructions are regularly reviewed and provide a framework for considering asylum claims. All caseworkers receive extensive training to consider claims objectively and impartially and receive mentoring support before interviewing claimants and making such decisions. Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims are properly considered, decisions are sound, fake claims are rooted out, and protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system, including those based on religion or belief, and including those from claimants who were accommodated on the Bibby Stockholm, is determined on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. People may become refugees ‘sur place’ due to activities they engage in or beliefs they have come to hold since leaving their country. As with all asylum claims, claims involving sur place activity are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. In some circumstances it is appropriate to revoke protection status where evidence emerges that status was obtained by deception; where protection is no longer needed; or where someone commits a serious crime, represents a threat to our national security or demonstrates extremist behaviour.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to issue immigration rules on the weight immigration tribunals should put on baptism while in asylum accommodation in the UK when assessing an asylum claim on the grounds of religious conversion.

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