Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues

Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wills]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made with the Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues in fulfilling the remit of that role; and what plans they have to deliver on every part of that remit by the end of 2026.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Winterton of Doncaster) (Lab)]

Since his appointment in February, the UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues has undertaken a range of international engagements to progress work on Holocaust remembrance and education, restitution and tackling antisemitism. The envoy regularly meets international counterparts and domestic stakeholders to discuss practical areas for co-operation on these issues. He reports to the Minister for Human Rights on progress, as outlined in his terms of reference.

[Lord Wills (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Does she share my view about the urgent need to tackle the poison of antisemitism that is once again seeping into our public life? Does she share my view about the importance of the role that our Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues has to play in that? In that context, what discussions has the envoy had with international partners about advancing outstanding Holocaust-era restitution claims across Europe and other ways of recognising victims of the Holocaust, such as Stolpersteine? What progress has been made with Poland in particular?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for his question. He is absolutely right. We have a shared responsibility to tackle the abhorrent rise in antisemitism. Recognising the Holocaust is a crucial part of this, which the envoy continues to work on. In September, the envoy attended the post-Holocaust issues special envoys network meeting on movable restitution, where participants agreed to focus on fixed private property restitution. At last week’s Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism meeting in Dublin, the envoy agreed a co-ordinated approach to Holocaust-era restitution in Poland with his US counterpart. He also raised the issue with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. The Stolpersteine initiative to which my noble friend referred is excellent. We are supporting communities in Guernsey to lay Stolpersteine outside the homes of residents who resisted the Nazi occupation.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, while we are on the subject of antisemitism, is the Minister aware that Parliament has been discussing Israel more than any other issue—not just international issues such as Yemen or Sudan, but even domestic issues such as the cost of living, the NHS and immigration? Does she share my concern that this obsessive focus on the world’s only Jewish state is bound to drive hostility towards people who are identified with it, which is the vast majority of Jewish people in the UK? I think Parliament and the media are playing a large part in the explosion of antisemitism that we are seeing here in Britain.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes an important point about the role of the media and Parliament in discussing these issues. However, I feel that, as a Parliament, we have to back the work of the special envoys, for example, so that we are supporting that work and endorsing the actions that are taken.

[Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (LD)]

My Lords, given that the envoy’s remit includes securing progress on Holocaust-era property and art restitution, where survivors and their families have waited decades for justice, will the Government commit to publishing a clear assessment of progress against every objective, identifying which countries have been pressed to act, what tangible progress has been achieved—not just meetings—and what remains outstanding? How will they ensure that the deadline of the end of 2026 produces measurable progress on restitution rather than simply a record of meetings?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question. The special envoy reports to the Minister for Human Rights, and we have answered a number of questions about the extensive work that he has undertaken. I might suggest, because I know the special envoy is certainly willing to do this, that he briefs Peers on the work that has been undertaken so far and on future work that is being planned. I hope that might be helpful to Peers, because I know there is a lot of interest in this and it is right that we draw attention to the work that the special envoy has done.

[Lord Pickles (Con)]

My Lords, for 10 years I was the Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues. I commend to the House the work of my successor, Jon Pearce, who has done a remarkable job. However, the noble Lord hits the nail on the head: there is no restitution in Poland that is recognised. That is not an accident; it is a deliberate policy of its Government. I ask the Minister for another attempt at the highest level of government between ourselves, the United States and the European community to press upon Poland the need for action, because this remains a stain on that great nation’s reputation.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question and for the work that he did as special envoy. I wonder if it might be helpful if he came along to the briefing as well, because it is important to show the continuity between the work that he did and the work that Jon Pearce is doing as the current special envoy. The noble Lord makes an important point. I emphasise again that the special envoy recently agreed a co-ordinated approach to Holocaust-era restitution in Poland with his US counterpart. He also raised the issue directly with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. With international partners—it is important that that is how we do this—we continue to press Poland to confront this historic injustice and deliver a fair, comprehensive and final settlement of outstanding restitution claims.

[Baroness Deech (CB)]

My Lords, Poland has been an outlier in this for many decades. One feels that it is waiting for everyone to die so it can avoid making restitution. I encourage the Minister to take this issue to the Council of Europe, which is the best forum for this. It should be proposed to Poland that it allow litigation outside Poland, provide access to relevant records, establish a central fund as other countries have done to pay at least partial compensation and preserve the memory of the dispossessed by placing Stolpersteine outside their former homes. It has so far refused to do this, in an attempt to obliterate the memory, as I have seen there for myself.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her question and her long-standing campaigning on this issue. I know how deeply she feels about it. The special envoy has already been looking at some of the issues she has raised, but I will have further discussions with him about her point on the Council of Europe. Obviously, there are parliamentary delegations to that, so she may wish to raise it with representatives from this House who are on the Council of Europe too.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

My Lords, building on the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, and my noble friend Lord Pickles, many Jewish families have not been reunited with their property looted by the Nazis and the special envoy, as has been said, has a responsibility to support restitution. Could the Minister say what estimate the Government have made of the number of British families who have not been reunited with property stolen by the Nazis and when the special envoy last met the independent Spoliation Advisory Panel?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I do not have the figure on the number of British families to hand, but I will certainly see what I can find out and write to the noble Lord. I did not quite hear the body that he named, but I will ensure that the special envoy is aware of the point he has raised and, if it would be helpful, arrange a briefing for him with regard to that international body.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, as my noble friend knows, I have the honour of being one of the representatives of this Parliament to the Council of Europe. I assure the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, that we will make sure that this is taken up. On another matter, will the Minister ask the envoy to look into the revelations in the ITV documentary shown on Sunday night about some of the antisemitic and other racist remarks made by members of Reform UK and consider what action might be necessary?

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[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for his offer with regard to the Council of Europe, of which he is a distinguished member. I am confident he will discuss with the noble Baroness what action may be taken. I will certainly ensure that the special envoy is aware of the programme to which he referred and see whether there is any action that needs to be taken in that area.

Falkland Islands

Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Excerpts

Monday 7th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan]

To ask His Majesty’s Government, what recent discussions they have had, if any, with (1) the Government of Argentina and (2) the Government of the United States pertaining to the future of the Falkland Islands; and what steps they are taking to ensure the security of those islands.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Winterton of Doncaster) (Lab)]

My Lords, the UK remains steadfast in its support for the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination. This is not the first time Argentina has made economic threats against the Falklands. These threats have not prevented the community’s remarkable economic development, and we have made clear to Argentina that the measures announced by President Milei will not change the UK’s unwavering commitment to the islands. The US is our closest ally. It can have no doubt about our unwavering support for the islanders.

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I thank the noble Baroness for her reply and, indeed, welcome her to the Dispatch Box and her new job. I look forward to many happy exchanges with her in the future.

The Falkland Islands are British. We fought to defend them in 1982 and there should be no doubt of our national resolve. Argentina’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric in respect of the Falkland Islands has no doubt been emboldened by news that the United States is reviewing its position on British sovereignty and, of course, by this Government’s restated policy of handing over another UK overseas territory, the Chagos Islands, to Mauritius. They have been emboldened by our weakness.

Can the Minister reassure us that the Government are preparing for all eventualities, including military scenarios, and can she confirm that they could provide a real deterrent to Argentina by ditching their failed policy of handing over the Chagos Islands?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his kind welcome, and I remember our CPA trip to Singapore and Malaysia.

[Noble Lords]

Oh!

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

Very fond memories.

Let me be clear. The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. It always has been and it always will be. The whole House will I am sure agree with me that we need to reiterate that fundamental principle. Political unity here is really important. The noble Lord mentions defensive forces. We have a variety of military capabilities there for defensive purposes, but it is very important that we do not speculate and get into hypothetical situations.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

I also welcome the Minister to her brief. I should perhaps declare I was on that visit too, but I saw nothing untoward between the Minister and the noble Lord, Lord Callanan. This is also my first opportunity—since she is here—to thank the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, for her service as Minister as well.

I have had the privilege of visiting the Falkland Islands and I will relay to the House what I said to the Falkland Islanders. As far as these Benches are concerned, sovereignty has been, is and always will be in the hands of the Falkland Islanders themselves; sovereignty should be under no question whatever.

There will be obvious concern among the islanders that, as a result of what President Trump has been saying, there could be question marks over the health arrangements with our relationship with Chile and Uruguay; there could be concerns over the integrity of the territorial waters, which have seen almost-ingressions by foreign-flagged vessels from China; and there could be question marks over the lifeline satellite communication services. So can the Minister reassure not only this House but the islanders themselves that, when we send very strong signals to our closest ally in the White House, all those services are part of sovereignty too.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

First, let me thank the noble Lord for his kind words and fond memories of the CPA visit. I also echo what he said about my noble friend Lady Chapman.

With regard to the US, I assure him that we, of course, engage regularly with the US on a range of foreign policy issues. I am sure he will understand that I cannot give a running commentary on all of our engagement with the US, but it is our closest ally. We engage on a number of issues, including this one, and of course I take on board the points that he has made about the areas that may be of particular concern to the Falkland Islanders.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

The Minister is aware that the UK is a prominent member of the CPTPP. Argentina applied to join a few weeks ago. Is this a point of leverage that can be used against a country that is threatening our sovereignty?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises an important point but, just to be clear, accession to the CPTPP is a matter for the member states themselves. We do not comment on individual applications for accession.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, I commend the Minister for the forthright statement in support of the Falklands and the Falkland Islanders. But does she share my concern at the interview given last week on Radio 4’s “Today” by the noble Lord, Lord McDonald, the previous head of the Foreign Office, which indicated quite outrageously that, in effect, Britain should consider handing them over and gave arguments regarding how much money was being spent and whether the British public would wear that? This was extremely unhelpful. Can she dissociate the department from that?

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[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question. Let me be clear that we do not agree with that position. As I have said, the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. I welcome the political unity that has been shown today, because it is important that this House and the other House send that message, so that it is very clear that all political parties are united on this issue.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, as a former Overseas Territories Minister, I too welcome the noble Baroness to the Dispatch Box, and her strong statement. I also recognise the services of the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman. What representations have been made to Argentina directly? As someone who served in the Foreign Office for a long time, I know that diplomacy matters, but that diplomacy comes with the hard metal glove of our military strength. I commend the fact that the Minister of Defence is sitting to the noble Baroness’s right. Would she reiterate, once again, as my noble friend said, that military action is on the table if required. That message may be sent privately to the Argentinians. What bilateral representations have been made directly?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question and I should say that I am always very reassured when the noble Lord from the Ministry of Defence is sitting next to me. I am very confident that Argentina understands the message that the UK Government and this House are sending. The Foreign Secretary posted on X:

“The UK’s position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering. The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders. Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it”.


I touched previously on the defensive forces that we have in the area, but I hope the noble Lord will understand that I do not want to enter into hypothetical discussions.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I welcome the noble Baroness to her position and the unanimity of the House on this issue. Argentina obviously has a lot of international support for its claim, which worries me. If a UN advisory council committee were to say that the Falklands were actually Argentinian, would we then do exactly as we have with the Chagos Islands and say that that has to be complied with?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

Our position is clear, as I have said. When it comes to raising this issue in international fora, I should say that my noble friend Lord Collins attended the Organization of American States on 24 June to provide a right of reply on the Falkland Islands on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, asserting UK sovereignty over the islands and their right of the islanders to choose their own future. We use those opportunities, at international level, to make our position absolutely clear.

[Lord Dubs (Lab)]

I welcome my noble friend to her post. Is it not a good thing that we are demonstrating clarity in our determination to defend the Falkland islanders and their right to self-determination? It stands in marked contrast to the Thatcher Government, who displayed weakness, took ships away from the Falklands and almost said to the Argentinians, “There you are, it’s yours if you want it”. We are standing in contrast to that and I congratulate the Government on it.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his welcome and for his support for our position. I reiterate again how important it is that there is a clear message from this House itself, so I welcome the political consensus that we have seen this afternoon and thank the noble Lord for his kind words.

[Lord Swire (Con)]

I also join in the congratulations to the noble Baroness on her recent appointment to the Front Bench. It is extremely important that, whatever we say in this country, we say it together. I think the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, were unfortunate and an attempt to rewrite history. That is not what happened last time.

Would the noble Baroness consider calling in the Argentinian ambassador? I am all for not ratcheting this up, because it is purely electoral posturing by the President of Argentina, but would she take this opportunity to call in the Argentinian ambassador to make these points again: that the future of the Falkland Islands depends on the people of the Falkland Islands? As they remain British and wish to remain British, they will enjoy the full protection of this country and everything that that may mean.

At the same time, would she remind those who suggest that this is a transplanted population that there have been many generations of people living on those islands: far longer, perhaps, than the ancestors of the President of Argentina have been living in Argentina, having arrived from Calabria in 1926?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his welcome. The message that will be heard today from this House reiterates our position. Our position is clear: the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is non-negotiable as far as the UK Government are concerned. That is a clear message. I have every confidence that that message will have been heard.

[Lord Redwood (Con)]

I warmly welcome the Minister to her well-deserved new post. Will she update the House on where we have got to with the important investment in the oil field 140 miles north of the Falklands? Is that not also going to be transformational for the people of the Falklands, who rightly wish to remain British?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his kind comments. With regard to the oil field and the investment there, that is decided by the Falklands Islands people. It is their investment. We are absolutely supportive of the decision that they have made in that regard.