To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has been given by UK Security Vetting on whether support by a partner or spouse for a proscribed organisation is grounds for the revocation of Developed Vetting clearance.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance has been given by UK Security Vetting on whether support by a partner or spouse for a proscribed organisation is grounds for the revocation of Developed Vetting clearance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled 'Lead sponsor applications open in step towards refugee arrivals', published 29 October 2026, whether the Home Office will examine the relationships between prospective lead sponsors and other charities or campaigning organisations where...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled 'Lead sponsor applications open in step towards refugee arrivals', published 29 October 2026, whether the Home Office will examine the relationships between prospective lead sponsors and other charities or campaigning organisations where...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any organisation whose trustees, directors or senior officers have been involved in organising or facilitating activities on behalf of a proscribed terrorist organisation will be eligible for accreditation as a lead sponsor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any organisation whose trustees, directors or senior officers have been involved in organising or facilitating activities on behalf of a proscribed terrorist organisation will be eligible for accreditation as a lead sponsor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that guidance on proscription offences distinguishes lawful political advocacy from conduct that may constitute an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that guidance on proscription offences distinguishes lawful political advocacy from conduct that may constitute an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to designate the Houthis as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to designate the Houthis as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the Houthis to be an Iranian-backed proxy organisation; if so, on what basis they distinguish the Houthis from Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000; and what assessment they have made of the provision of weapons,...

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the Houthis to be an Iranian-backed proxy organisation; if so, on what basis they distinguish the Houthis from Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000; and what assessment they have made of the provision of weapons,...

We agree that the scenes from Gaza and the west bank are deeply distressing, and that is why the Foreign Secretary has taken the action that he has. We will not stand by when the viability of the two-state solution is threatened, and he has made a further statement in relation to that this week. The proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based process that came before this House and was endorsed by Parliament. The matter is a live legal case, so I will not comment further.

We agree that the scenes from Gaza and the west bank are deeply distressing, and that is why the Foreign Secretary has taken the action that he has. We will not stand by when the viability of the two-state solution is threatened, and he has made a further statement in relation to that this week. The proscription of Palestine Action followed a rigorous and evidence-based process that came before this House and was endorsed by Parliament. The matter is a live legal case, so I will not comment further.

Q8

.

Claire Hanna (Belfast South and Mid Down) (SDLP):

Last week, three-year-old Maryam Ghanem was pulled from her home in Gaza, badly burned, having watched her mother be killed by an Israeli airstrike. On the same day, Irish writer Sally Rooney’s publisher announced that it would stop distributing her books across the UK because she is donating her royalties to Palestine Action, which was proscribed by Keir Starmer’s Government. The Prime Minister has acknowledged that the previous Government’s response to Gaza was inadequate, and his Foreign Secretary, making a powerful move on sanctions last month, has said that those campaigning for change were right, but the proscription remains in place. That has had extraordinary consequences for freedom of expression, including for constituents of mine who are facing terror charges for peaceful protest. Will the Prime Minister commit to reviewing the proscription of Palestine Action and righting this unnecessary wrong?

Q8

.

Claire Hanna (Belfast South and Mid Down) (SDLP):

Last week, three-year-old Maryam Ghanem was pulled from her home in Gaza, badly burned, having watched her mother be killed by an Israeli airstrike. On the same day, Irish writer Sally Rooney’s publisher announced that it would stop distributing her books across the UK because she is donating her royalties to Palestine Action, which was proscribed by Keir Starmer’s Government. The Prime Minister has acknowledged that the previous Government’s response to Gaza was inadequate, and his Foreign Secretary, making a powerful move on sanctions last month, has said that those campaigning for change were right, but the proscription remains in place. That has had extraordinary consequences for freedom of expression, including for constituents of mine who are facing terror charges for peaceful protest. Will the Prime Minister commit to reviewing the proscription of Palestine Action and righting this unnecessary wrong?

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, what evidential standard he will apply when deciding whether a person has (a) been a member of and (b) given support to a proscribed organisation for the purposes of (i) appointment to and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, what evidential standard he will apply when deciding whether a person has (a) been a member of and (b) given support to a proscribed organisation for the purposes of (i) appointment to and...

Lords statement on the threats posed by Iran to British interests.

Lords statement on the threats posed by Iran to British interests.

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for the opportunity to ask further questions on this matter. The Prime Minister has confirmed that Iran is “highly likely” to have been behind the incident at RAF Fairford. Iran has aided and abetted the Houthis, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for the opportunity to ask further questions on this matter. The Prime Minister has confirmed that Iran is “highly likely” to have been behind the incident at RAF Fairford. Iran has aided and abetted the Houthis, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...

I thank the noble Lord for those questions. On RAF Fairford, he is right that we are highly confident that this attack was co-ordinated in Iran and certainly directed by the IRGC. He is also right that Iran is responsible for direct attacks not just on the UK in the...

I thank the noble Lord for those questions. On RAF Fairford, he is right that we are highly confident that this attack was co-ordinated in Iran and certainly directed by the IRGC. He is also right that Iran is responsible for direct attacks not just on the UK in the...

My Lords, I support these measures. During the consideration of the National Security Act in this House, I said that these Benches would work on a cross-party basis on national security because we know that the need is going to be even greater. We also now know that Iran is...

My Lords, I support these measures. During the consideration of the National Security Act in this House, I said that these Benches would work on a cross-party basis on national security because we know that the need is going to be even greater. We also now know that Iran is...

The noble Lord, as usual, raises an excellent point. It is an issue and a difficulty in our continuing attempts to clamp down on Iranian activity. As we know, Iran funds, supports and arms proxies, from Lebanese Hezbollah to the Houthis, Hamas and militia groups in Iraq. It also sponsors...

The noble Lord, as usual, raises an excellent point. It is an issue and a difficulty in our continuing attempts to clamp down on Iranian activity. As we know, Iran funds, supports and arms proxies, from Lebanese Hezbollah to the Houthis, Hamas and militia groups in Iraq. It also sponsors...

My Lords, I commend the Government for the major sanctions already taken against malign actors sponsored or directed by Iran. Will the Minister accept that there must be no let-up whatever in the surveillance and, if necessary, further legislation because of the multiplicity of vehicles through which Iran is operating?...

My Lords, I commend the Government for the major sanctions already taken against malign actors sponsored or directed by Iran. Will the Minister accept that there must be no let-up whatever in the surveillance and, if necessary, further legislation because of the multiplicity of vehicles through which Iran is operating?...

Unsurprisingly, my noble friend is completely right about this. I am pleased to say that back in July—as noble Lords will remember—we updated the national security framework to enable us to incorporate state threats into the category of actions that we can take action against, which resulted in the designation...

Unsurprisingly, my noble friend is completely right about this. I am pleased to say that back in July—as noble Lords will remember—we updated the national security framework to enable us to incorporate state threats into the category of actions that we can take action against, which resulted in the designation...

My Lords, for decades, the Iranian Government have poured money into this country to destabilise our democratic institutions and sow dissent among community groups. Their contact with organised crime goes way beyond the inquiry currently being undertaken by the Charity Commission. Will the Minister care to tell the House the...

My Lords, for decades, the Iranian Government have poured money into this country to destabilise our democratic institutions and sow dissent among community groups. Their contact with organised crime goes way beyond the inquiry currently being undertaken by the Charity Commission. Will the Minister care to tell the House the...

The noble Lord is right. There is no single pot for this money, so it is difficult to provide a single estimate, but a significant amount of resource is flowing into not only extensions of the IRGC and IMCR—and other official Iranian bodies, as it were—but rather informal organisations. I...

The noble Lord is right. There is no single pot for this money, so it is difficult to provide a single estimate, but a significant amount of resource is flowing into not only extensions of the IRGC and IMCR—and other official Iranian bodies, as it were—but rather informal organisations. I...