Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what number of people have been arrested as a result of mistaken identity due to Live Facial Recognition in the last year.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is not aware of anyone being arrested as a result of mistaken identity, due to live facial recognition in the last year. Forces also publish information about their deployments on their website. More details on LFR deployments can be found in the Met Police Force report Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025.
Police use of live facial recognition is subject to safeguards that are designed to minimise the risk of misidentifications. These are set out in the Authorised Professional Practice guidance by the College of Policing found here: Live facial recognition | College of Policing]. They must also comply with data protection, equality, and human rights laws and are subject to the Information Commissioner’s and Equality and Human Rights Commission’s oversight.
Following a possible live facial recognition alert, it is always a police officer on the ground who will decide what action, if any, to take. Facial recognition technology is not automated decision making – police officers and trained operators will always make the decisions about whether and how to use any suggested matches. This means that the technology is not the deciding factor on any arrest.
In November we launched a 10 public consultation, ending on 12 February to help shape a new framework on biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current elections in Myanmar, (2) the impact of those elections on human rights in Myanmar, and (3) the implications for the regions of the county that are excluded from voting in those elections.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. However, there is little sign that the recent elections will achieve an end to violence, advance dialogue, or address the urgent requirements to allow access for humanitarian assistance and bring an end to human rights violations.
In December 2025, the UK convened the UN Security Council to discuss the Myanmar elections, emphasising ongoing human rights concerns and the humanitarian situation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
We have also continued to signal concern over the election conditions, including at the UN Third Committee on Human Rights in November 2025:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based
We continue to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis, including the work of the Special Envoy and the need for full implementation of the Five Point Consensus. In addition, we will continue to use our penholder role to spotlight the Myanmar crisis and raise our concerns with international allies within the UN Security Council and other international fora.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take steps to place Myanmar as an urgent item on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council following the military-run elections in that country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. However, there is little sign that the recent elections will achieve an end to violence, advance dialogue, or address the urgent requirements to allow access for humanitarian assistance and bring an end to human rights violations.
In December 2025, the UK convened the UN Security Council to discuss the Myanmar elections, emphasising ongoing human rights concerns and the humanitarian situation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
We have also continued to signal concern over the election conditions, including at the UN Third Committee on Human Rights in November 2025:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based
We continue to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis, including the work of the Special Envoy and the need for full implementation of the Five Point Consensus. In addition, we will continue to use our penholder role to spotlight the Myanmar crisis and raise our concerns with international allies within the UN Security Council and other international fora.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking with international allies in response to the military regime's elections in Myanmar.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. However, there is little sign that the recent elections will achieve an end to violence, advance dialogue, or address the urgent requirements to allow access for humanitarian assistance and bring an end to human rights violations.
In December 2025, the UK convened the UN Security Council to discuss the Myanmar elections, emphasising ongoing human rights concerns and the humanitarian situation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
We have also continued to signal concern over the election conditions, including at the UN Third Committee on Human Rights in November 2025:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based
We continue to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis, including the work of the Special Envoy and the need for full implementation of the Five Point Consensus. In addition, we will continue to use our penholder role to spotlight the Myanmar crisis and raise our concerns with international allies within the UN Security Council and other international fora.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that employers participating in the Disability Confident scheme do not unfairly dismiss employees due to health-related absence or long-term conditions.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All employers are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments, and we expect all employers including those in the Disability Confident scheme to act within the law.
The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. When an employer signs up to the scheme, they agree to commitments which include anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required and supporting any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.
To help employers meet these commitments in practice, Disability Confident provides a range of guidance and resources. This includes the Disability Confident Manager’s Guide [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-and-cipd-guide-for-line-managers-on-employing-people-with-a-disability-or-health-condition], which explains how managers can make and review reasonable adjustments, consider flexible working, and sets out examples of other types of workplace adjustments. In addition, the Department has developed the ‘Support with Employee Health and Disability’ digital service [https://www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/support-with-employee-health-and-disability], which offers employers tailored guidance on supporting employees with health conditions or disabilities, including advice on legal obligations, making reasonable adjustments, and signposting to sources of expert support.
The scheme also signposts employers and employees to Access to Work, a discretionary grant that provides support for people with a disability or health condition to move into or retain employment, by helping with extra disability related costs of working that go beyond the standard reasonable adjustments an employer is expected to provide under the Equality Act.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Levitt on 22 December 2025 (HL12744) and the then Prime Minister on 20 March 2024 (HC18492), whether the Attorney General considers (1) the European Court of Human Rights, and (2) the International Criminal Court, to be foreign courts.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and International Criminal Court (ICC) are international courts based respectively in France and the Netherlands. The UK is a State Party to both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Rome Statute, the international treaties which established the ECtHR and ICC respectively. It is also a founding member of both instruments.
The Human Rights Act 1998 and the International Criminal Court Act 2001 give effect to the UK's obligations under the ECHR and Rome Statute. We respect the independence of both courts.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of compensation schemes for people wrongly identified by live facial recognition technology used by the police.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not assessed the potential merits of a specific compensation scheme for people wrongly identified by live facial recognition used by police.
The Home Office has not set a threshold for an acceptable proportion of misidentifications arising from police use of live facial recognition. However, police use of live facial recognition is subject to safeguards that are designed to minimise the risk of misidentifications. These are set out in the Authorised Professional Practice guidance by the College of Policing found here: Live facial recognition | College of Policing]. They must also comply with data protection, equality, and human rights laws and are subject to the Information Commissioner’s and Equality and Human Rights Commission’s oversight.
Following a possible live facial recognition alert, it is always a police officer on the ground who will decide what action, if any, to take. Facial recognition technology is not automated decision making – police officers and trained operators will always make the decisions about whether and how to use any suggested matches.
In November we launched a 10 public consultation, ending on 12 February to help shape a new framework on biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We want to hear views on when and how the technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed. We are aware there have been concerns with the existing laws governing the use of facial recognition, and the consultation has been designed to explore these concerns by asking questions on additional safeguards around transparency, oversight and proportionality
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has set a threshold for an acceptable proportion of misidentifications arising from police use of live facial recognition.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not assessed the potential merits of a specific compensation scheme for people wrongly identified by live facial recognition used by police.
The Home Office has not set a threshold for an acceptable proportion of misidentifications arising from police use of live facial recognition. However, police use of live facial recognition is subject to safeguards that are designed to minimise the risk of misidentifications. These are set out in the Authorised Professional Practice guidance by the College of Policing found here: Live facial recognition | College of Policing]. They must also comply with data protection, equality, and human rights laws and are subject to the Information Commissioner’s and Equality and Human Rights Commission’s oversight.
Following a possible live facial recognition alert, it is always a police officer on the ground who will decide what action, if any, to take. Facial recognition technology is not automated decision making – police officers and trained operators will always make the decisions about whether and how to use any suggested matches.
In November we launched a 10 public consultation, ending on 12 February to help shape a new framework on biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We want to hear views on when and how the technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed. We are aware there have been concerns with the existing laws governing the use of facial recognition, and the consultation has been designed to explore these concerns by asking questions on additional safeguards around transparency, oversight and proportionality
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on tackling Islamophobia.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent Non Departmental Public Body and Great Britain’s national equality and human rights body. The Government regularly engages with EHRC on a range of areas covered in their remit.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with its counterparts in Guinea on the rights of political prisoners.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly raises concerns with the authorities in Guinea over human rights, democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law, including arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on political freedoms, civil society and peaceful protest.
Since the December 2025 elections, our Ambassador has pressed the Guinean authorities, including security officials, to ensure due process, and release detainees being held without charge. The UK is also continuing to support efforts to strengthen good governance and access to justice.