In this Government’s view, the purchases do not help to bring about a two-state solution or peace and stability in the region. That is why we have taken the position that we have, and it is why we ultimately recognised the State of Palestine in the summer of last year. All these issues come about because of a failure by many to understand that, to have a two-state solution, you need safety, security and prosperity on both sides of the fence.

Social and affordable housing sit side by side. We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion social and affordable homes programme to kick-start social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. Our ambition is to deliver around 300,000 homes over the programme’s lifetime. At least 60% of the homes delivered will be for social rent, with the remainder available for other tenures, including shared ownership, affordable rent and intermediate rent in London. This programme is active now. The councils and housing associations are bidding into that programme, as are other bidders, and I hope we will be able to deliver at pace very quickly.

My noble friend raises an important point—we want girls to be able to feel safe and to report, as she suggests. However, it should be not only the responsibility of girls to stand up for themselves in the face of misogyny; it should be part of the whole-school approach to challenge that and part of a school’s safeguarding process. Support for that is clearly spelled out in the Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance, for staff to understand how to support girls when they report incidents and how to identify what is happening even if those incidents are not reported.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains appalling, and it is vital that - as part of the US-led peace initiative - we see the urgent resumption of unrestricted aid flows into Gaza, at the volume and pace required to meet the scale of the crisis. The UK has provided £139.5 million in humanitarian funding in response to the conflict in Gaza, with a further £60 million of humanitarian funding allocated so far this financial year.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains appalling, and it is vital that - as part of the US-led peace initiative - we see the urgent resumption of unrestricted aid flows into Gaza, at the volume and pace required to meet the scale of the crisis. The UK has provided £139.5 million in humanitarian funding in response to the conflict in Gaza, with a further £60 million of humanitarian funding allocated so far this financial year.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains appalling, and it is vital that - as part of the US-led peace initiative - we see the urgent resumption of unrestricted aid flows into Gaza, at the volume and pace required to meet the scale of the crisis. The UK has provided £139.5 million in humanitarian funding in response to the conflict in Gaza, with a further £60 million of humanitarian funding allocated so far this financial year.

We were horrified by the repeated reports of civilians being killed or injured while seeking humanitarian aid near distribution points in Gaza, and we are consistently reminding our Israeli counterparts that international law requires the protection of healthcare workers, journalists and civilians. We continue to work with partners, including the UN, United States and Israel, to ensure that civilians across Gaza are protected and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid is facilitated, most recently in the Foreign Secretary's discussions at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York and in a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 3 October.

As I told the House of Lords on 18 September, the International Court of Justice is currently considering a case brought under the Genocide Convention in respect of Israel's conduct in Gaza. This case is currently ongoing, and the UK fully respects the independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In the meantime, as I also made clear, our approach to genocide determination does not prevent us from taking action on the situation in the State of Palestine. We have been clear that we strongly oppose the expansion of Israel's operations in Gaza, that Israel must do much more to protect civilians, that Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change and that Israel must immediately lift its restrictions on aid.

The UK commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state at a time that has the greatest impact and is most conducive to long-term prospects for peace. We are clear that does not need to be at the end of a process. UK bilateral recognition is the single most important action the UK can take with regard to Palestinian statehood. That is why it is important to get the timing right so that it creates genuine momentum and is not simply a symbolic gesture. We are continuing to engage all partners on advancing a two-state solution and supporting the foundations of Palestinian statehood. That is why we welcomed Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohamad Mustafa to London in April. During the visit, we announced a package of £101 million which included support for governance reforms in the PA, and signed a UK-PA Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation.

The situation regarding healthcare facilities in Gaza is dire. The World Heath Organisation (WHO) reports that 94 per cent of hospitals are damaged or destroyed and the remaining functional hospitals, including Nasser Hospital, are overwhelmed. We continue to frequently and energetically engage with our Israeli counterparts to protect healthcare facilities and workers. We have been clear that we expect Israel to transparently investigate all attacks against humanitarians and to hold those responsible to account.

On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced a £7.5 million package of support to bolster vital medical care in Gaza and the region, which includes additional funding for UK-Med, WHO Egypt and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) Humanitarian Fund. UK funding to UK-Med has supported over 500,000 patient consultations across Gaza.

The situation in Gaza remains intolerable. Over 58,000 people have been killed, and 875 people have been killed at or near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, trying to access aid. Over 90 per cent of the population have been displaced, many repeatedly. The recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) snapshot report found that the whole of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine, and that half a million people are facing starvation.

The UK is taking steps to help those in need. Through our support at least 647,000 have received food and almost 300,000 people have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.

On 28 April the UK announced a package of support for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £101 million for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development, and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform.

We are appalled by Defence Minister Katz's proposal to create a new "humanitarian city", which would displace Gaza's entire population to Rafah. We have been clear that Palestinian territory must not be reduced, and Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild their lives. The Government of Israel must allow the full and unhindered resumption of aid into Gaza and facilitate the UN and aid partners to deliver aid safely and effectively to the population across the Gaza Strip.

We are horrified by repeated reports of mass casualty incidents in Gaza, with desperate civilians killed when trying to access aid. The UK calls for urgent investigations to establish what has happened and to ensure accountability. We have been clear that the Government of Israel must allow the full and unhindered resumption of aid into Gaza and facilitate the UN and aid partners to deliver aid safely and with dignity to Gazans wherever they are.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Not enough aid is getting in and vital services such as water supplies, ambulances and hospitals are at risk of shutting down due to fuel shortages. On 12 July, the UN stated that fuel shortages in Gaza had reached a critical level. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resurgence in the flow of aid into Gaza and to allow the UN and humanitarian partners to operate in line with humanitarian principles. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 12 July, where he reiterated our concerns about the situation on the ground and pressed for a return to a ceasefire. On 16 July, the UK co-called a session of the UN Security Council where we called on Israel to urgently open all access routes and allow fuel into Gaza.

My Lords, the Government’s priority is to deliver compensation as swiftly as possible and with the minimum possible delay, as advised by Sir Brian Langstaff and the inquiry. The infected blood compensation authority is up and running in shadow form already and will be formally established in law as soon as the Victims and Prisoners Bill receives Royal Assent.

My Lords, I recognise the noble Baroness’s long-standing interest in this very vexed area during her time as a Minister in the Treasury and the Department of Health. On that particular category of claimant, there is a GOV.UK page where those who have not already received payments in an interim form can register their interest. We have also said that we will pay interim payments of £100,000 to the estates of deceased infected people who were registered with existing or former support schemes, and that would apply where previous interim payments have not already been made.

Where artificial intelligence tools are used, or plan to be used, in policing they must comply with existing legal standards and principles. The Government is supporting the College of Policing and Police Chief Scientific Advisor to create guidance which will advise police forces on how to approach the adoption of new data driven technologies including AI. This will include sections on transparency and accountability. Where AI is used, the Government is enabling collaboration between police forces and independent experts to build trust in its performance. On 5 April 2023 the NPL published independent research, funded by the Government, looking at the performance of facial recognition algorithms in police operational settings.

The Government’s consultation on its AI regulation white paper closed on 21 June. The white paper proposed five cross-cutting principles - which included transparency and accountability - and, following an initial non-statutory period, proposed introducing a statutory duty requiring regulators to have due regard to the principles. The Government will update on the proposals in its response to the white paper consultation.

Where artificial intelligence tools are used, or plan to be used, in policing they must comply with existing legal standards and principles. The Government is supporting the College of Policing and Police Chief Scientific Advisor to create guidance which will advise police forces on how to approach the adoption of new data driven technologies including AI. This will include sections on transparency and accountability. Where AI is used, the Government is enabling collaboration between police forces and independent experts to build trust in its performance. On 5 April 2023 the NPL published independent research, funded by the Government, looking at the performance of facial recognition algorithms in police operational settings.

The Government’s consultation on its AI regulation white paper closed on 21 June. The white paper proposed five cross-cutting principles - which included transparency and accountability - and, following an initial non-statutory period, proposed introducing a statutory duty requiring regulators to have due regard to the principles. The Government will update on the proposals in its response to the white paper consultation.

Where artificial intelligence tools are used, or plan to be used, in policing they must comply with existing legal standards and principles. The Government is supporting the College of Policing and Police Chief Scientific Advisor to create guidance which will advise police forces on how to approach the adoption of new data driven technologies including AI. This will include sections on transparency and accountability. Where AI is used, the Government is enabling collaboration between police forces and independent experts to build trust in its performance. On 5 April 2023 the NPL published independent research, funded by the Government, looking at the performance of facial recognition algorithms in police operational settings.

The Government’s consultation on its AI regulation white paper closed on 21 June. The white paper proposed five cross-cutting principles - which included transparency and accountability - and, following an initial non-statutory period, proposed introducing a statutory duty requiring regulators to have due regard to the principles. The Government will update on the proposals in its response to the white paper consultation.

Where artificial intelligence tools are used, or plan to be used, in policing they must comply with existing legal standards and principles. The Government is supporting the College of Policing and Police Chief Scientific Advisor to create guidance which will advise police forces on how to approach the adoption of new data driven technologies including AI. This will include sections on transparency and accountability. Where AI is used, the Government is enabling collaboration between police forces and independent experts to build trust in its performance. On 5 April 2023 the NPL published independent research, funded by the Government, looking at the performance of facial recognition algorithms in police operational settings.

The Government’s consultation on its AI regulation white paper closed on 21 June. The white paper proposed five cross-cutting principles - which included transparency and accountability - and, following an initial non-statutory period, proposed introducing a statutory duty requiring regulators to have due regard to the principles. The Government will update on the proposals in its response to the white paper consultation.