To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 September 2024 (HL Deb cols 1065-69), whether they had discretion not to suspend the arms exports to Israel which they suspended.

To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 September 2024 (HL Deb cols 1065-69), whether they had discretion not to suspend the arms exports to Israel which they suspended.

I thank the Minister for that answer but, when the Foreign Secretary announced the suspension, he was careful not to use the word “required”, and specifically referred to the fact that international humanitarian law was not the only factor to be taken into account. Whether one thinks that all arms exports to Israel should be suspended or no arms exports to Israel should be granted, surely we can all agree that Parliament must be given an accurate reason for the Government’s decision. Is not the very fact that the suspension is only partial proof that, contrary to what the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman of Darlington, told your Lordships on 3 September and subsequently, the Government had a discretion in this matter that they chose to exercise in a particular way?

I thank the Minister for that answer but, when the Foreign Secretary announced the suspension, he was careful not to use the word “required”, and specifically referred to the fact that international humanitarian law was not the only factor to be taken into account. Whether one thinks that all arms exports to Israel should be suspended or no arms exports to Israel should be granted, surely we can all agree that Parliament must be given an accurate reason for the Government’s decision. Is not the very fact that the suspension is only partial proof that, contrary to what the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman of Darlington, told your Lordships on 3 September and subsequently, the Government had a discretion in this matter that they chose to exercise in a particular way?

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the advice of the Attorney General on arms exports to Israel required certain export licences to be suspended.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the advice of the Attorney General on arms exports to Israel required certain export licences to be suspended.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 September (HL Deb col 1065), whether ministers were required to suspend certain export licences for items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 3 September (HL Deb col 1065), whether ministers were required to suspend certain export licences for items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza.

My Lords, I ask the Minister now to take the opportunity to correct the misleading Answer given to your Lordships’ House on 3 September by his noble friend the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, when she told your Lordships’ House that the Government were

“required to suspend certain export licences

”—[Official Report, 3/9/24; col. 1065.]

to Israel. Is it not clear that what she said was in complete contradiction to what the Foreign Secretary told the other place on 2 September, when, in justifying the decision not to impose a ban on equipment for the F35, he made it plain that the Government had discretion on whether to ban or not?

My Lords, I ask the Minister now to take the opportunity to correct the misleading Answer given to your Lordships’ House on 3 September by his noble friend the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, when she told your Lordships’ House that the Government were

“required to suspend certain export licences

”—[Official Report, 3/9/24; col. 1065.]

to Israel. Is it not clear that what she said was in complete contradiction to what the Foreign Secretary told the other place on 2 September, when, in justifying the decision not to impose a ban on equipment for the F35, he made it plain that the Government had discretion on whether to ban or not?

I am grateful to the noble Lord. The Foreign Secretary in his Statement said that the commitment to comply with international humanitarian law is not the only criterion in making export licensing decisions, and he justified the decision

to exempt the F35 equipment on other criteria. So does it not clearly follow from that the Government could, had they wished, have decided against a ban on the ground that Israel is acting in self-defence against an organisation committed to its destruction and recognised by our own Government as a terrorist organisation? In the light of that, will the Minister now accept that when she told your Lordships’ House on Tuesday that the Government were required to suspend certain export licences, what she said was both factually inaccurate and grossly misleading?

I am grateful to the noble Lord. The Foreign Secretary in his Statement said that the commitment to comply with international humanitarian law is not the only criterion in making export licensing decisions, and he justified the decision

to exempt the F35 equipment on other criteria. So does it not clearly follow from that the Government could, had they wished, have decided against a ban on the ground that Israel is acting in self-defence against an organisation committed to its destruction and recognised by our own Government as a terrorist organisation? In the light of that, will the Minister now accept that when she told your Lordships’ House on Tuesday that the Government were required to suspend certain export licences, what she said was both factually inaccurate and grossly misleading?

My Lords, I begin by paying tribute to my noble friend Lord Tebbit, who has been such an inspiration to so many of us on the Government Benches for so very long. We were all deeply moved yesterday by the words of President Zelensky. I am sure his words will lead to further donations to the committee. Sadly, the torrent of words which have registered support for Ukraine has not always been matched by action. Given the lamentable decision of President Biden to veto the ability of Poland to send its MiG-29s to an American base in Germany, will Her Majesty’s Government match the courage of the Government of Poland—not to mention of the Government of Ukraine—and make available facilities in this country to which those MiGs could be flown and collected by Ukrainian pilots, then flown to Ukraine?

My Lords, I begin by paying tribute to my noble friend Lord Tebbit, who has been such an inspiration to so many of us on the Government Benches for so very long. We were all deeply moved yesterday by the words of President Zelensky. I am sure his words will lead to further donations to the committee. Sadly, the torrent of words which have registered support for Ukraine has not always been matched by action. Given the lamentable decision of President Biden to veto the ability of Poland to send its MiG-29s to an American base in Germany, will Her Majesty’s Government match the courage of the Government of Poland—not to mention of the Government of Ukraine—and make available facilities in this country to which those MiGs could be flown and collected by Ukrainian pilots, then flown to Ukraine?

My Lords, I declare my former interest as the chair of Hospice UK. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that, even in the crude terms of value for money, because of its extraordinary ability to attract a huge amount of volunteer effort, the hospice movement is almost certainly the most effective sector in our entire healthcare system? Can he assure me that the Government will give full weight to that factor when they consider the urgent need of hospices for further support during this crisis?

My Lords, I declare my former interest as the chair of Hospice UK. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that, even in the crude terms of value for money, because of its extraordinary ability to attract a huge amount of volunteer effort, the hospice movement is almost certainly the most effective sector in our entire healthcare system? Can he assure me that the Government will give full weight to that factor when they consider the urgent need of hospices for further support during this crisis?

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of Hospice UK. Would my noble friend agree that the greater the extent to which hospices can discharge their functions, the greater the extent to which the pressure on NHS beds will be relieved? Is that not therefore a compelling reason for ensuring that a pay increase is met with regard to hospices?

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of Hospice UK. Would my noble friend agree that the greater the extent to which hospices can discharge their functions, the greater the extent to which the pressure on NHS beds will be relieved? Is that not therefore a compelling reason for ensuring that a pay increase is met with regard to hospices?

My Lords, I declare an interest as chairman of Hospice UK. Is the crux of this issue not the fact that most people do not want or need to die in hospital, and that not enough help is given to allow and help those people who do not need to die in hospital to leave hospital and get the palliative care which can be provided in hospices or elsewhere? Is my noble friend the Minister aware that Hospice UK has put forward a plan to the Government which would enable 50,000 people a year to leave hospital before they die, so that they can get the proper palliative care that they need? That would save the Government money, and all we need is a modest sum to carry out an evaluation exercise to see what is the best way of achieving this eminently desirable objective. Will he go back to the department and urge his colleagues to make this modest sum available?

My Lords, I declare an interest as chairman of Hospice UK. Is the crux of this issue not the fact that most people do not want or need to die in hospital, and that not enough help is given to allow and help those people who do not need to die in hospital to leave hospital and get the palliative care which can be provided in hospices or elsewhere? Is my noble friend the Minister aware that Hospice UK has put forward a plan to the Government which would enable 50,000 people a year to leave hospital before they die, so that they can get the proper palliative care that they need? That would save the Government money, and all we need is a modest sum to carry out an evaluation exercise to see what is the best way of achieving this eminently desirable objective. Will he go back to the department and urge his colleagues to make this modest sum available?

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of those arrested in the recent public disorder had served a sentence of imprisonment.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many of those arrested in the recent public disorder had served a sentence of imprisonment.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any further research has been carried out to bring up to date the result of the survey referred to in Paragraph 25 Appendix 6 of Making Punishments Work—The Result of a Review of the Sentencing Framework for England and Wales (July 2001).

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any further research has been carried out to bring up to date the result of the survey referred to in Paragraph 25 Appendix 6 of Making Punishments Work—The Result of a Review of the Sentencing Framework for England and Wales (July 2001).

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners in England and Wales carried out work in each of the years 1990–2010.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners in England and Wales carried out work in each of the years 1990–2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of maps issued have been returned due to error during the course of the 2009 update of the Rural Land Register; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse...

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of maps issued have been returned due to error during the course of the 2009 update of the Rural Land Register; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the financial effect of the repeal of furnished holiday letting rules on persons operating holiday lets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the financial effect of the repeal of furnished holiday letting rules on persons operating holiday lets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the European Commission on the legal status of the furnished holiday letting rules.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has made to the European Commission on the legal status of the furnished holiday letting rules.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal advice his Department took in advance of the decision to abolish tax relief on furnished holiday lettings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal advice his Department took in advance of the decision to abolish tax relief on furnished holiday lettings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the effect on the tourism industry of the abolition of (a) the furnished holiday lettings rules and (b) tax relief on furnished holiday lettings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the effect on the tourism industry of the abolition of (a) the furnished holiday lettings rules and (b) tax relief on furnished holiday lettings.