I recognise the significant contribution that non-EU NATO Allies make to European defence and security, including the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Norway and Canada. As NATO Allies, we share responsibility for collective defence and Euro-Atlantic security, providing substantial military capabilities, operational expertise and leadership that underpin the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture. The UK works closely with other non-EU NATO Allies to strengthen NATO's collective capability and readiness, including through major bilateral partnerships such as the UK-Norway Lunna House Agreement, which deepens defence cooperation and is supporting the delivery of a joint Type 26 frigate programme.

The UK engages regularly with NATO and EU partners to promote cooperation that complements NATO and enables non-EU NATO Allies to contribute fully to fundamental Euro-Atlantic security.

The £625 million Construction Skills Package investment is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, supporting a sustainable talent pipeline across the sector. This includes increased teaching provision, improved teaching quality through ten Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (C‑TECs), teacher industry exchange programmes, and expanded on-site experience for learners. A new Foundation apprenticeship will provide a clear entry route into the sector, alongside existing apprenticeships, and supported by close collaboration with industry and targeted incentives for employers.

As part of the Construction Skills Package, we are using targeted communications campaigns to raise awareness of opportunities in construction and highlight the sector’s role in creating pathways to good jobs and progression. This includes tailored promotion of construction skills opportunities for individuals, including women, and those returning to the workforce, working closely with partners across government such as DWP and local job centres.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) supports a range of initiatives designed to encourage more women into construction careers, including Onsite Experience hubs, SkillBuild, Go Construct and Women into Home Building. These programmes help raise awareness of opportunities in the sector, support entry into training and employment, and widen the pipeline of talent available to employers.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 29 April in response to Question HL14316.

The Government takes the protection and sovereignty of UK data seriously. Within the Ministry of Defence, all Defence data used and developed through Palantir software remains under the ownership and control of the Ministry of Defence. None of the UK Defence Data is held by Palantir. The data remains sovereign, is managed within UK-governed security frameworks, and is subject to contractual, technical and governance controls designed to protect it from unauthorised access or transfer. Any changes to arrangements governing Defence data require Ministry of Defence consent. Government departments keep supplier, security and data protection arrangements under regular review to ensure they remain appropriate and compliant with UK legal and security requirements.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 24 October 2024 in response to Question 9184, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

"We are aware of reports of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defense Force (IDF), but the Government does not estimate the numbers of those who have done so. The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities."

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

Together with our cross-government work to tackle the root causes of all forms of hatred and strengthen cohesion through the suite of measures set out in our Protecting What Matters action plan, the Government is taking sustained action to keep Muslims safe, support victims, and challenge hatred.

This includes: adopting a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility that protects individuals while safeguarding freedom of speech; providing record funding of £40 million for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme; launching a new Faith Security Training Scheme; committing up to £4 million to help tackle anti-Muslim hostility including funding the British Muslim Trust to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims; and committing to appoint a Special Representative to champion efforts across the UK to tackle anti-Muslim hostility.

Ministers stand with Muslim communities against all forms of anti-Muslim hostility, and we will continue to work closely with Muslim communities and relevant organisations to ensure that our actions are effective, proportionate and grounded in lived experience – and that they, too, drive real change.

Ministerial engagement has included visits to mosques and Muslim community centres by the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, Home Office and MHCLG Ministers. These visits include targeted places of worship:

• Minister Jones visited Peacehaven Mosque on 6 October 2025.
• The Prime Minister and Home Secretary visited Peacehaven Mosque on 23 October 2025.
• Minister Fahnbulleh visited Peterborough Darassalaam Mosque on 15 Jan 2026.
• Minister Caliskan and Lord Lemos visited the British Muslim Heritage Centre on 17 June 2026 as part of a wider visit. The centre had also been targeted with religiously motivated graffiti in December 2025.
• Minister Caliskan also visited Lincoln Green Mosque in Leeds on 20 May 2026, following the attack on a mosque in San Diego, to listen to their views and to reassure Muslim communities in the UK of the Government’s commitment to tackling anti-Muslim hostility.

There are further ministerial visits to places of worship scheduled for the coming months, providing continued reassurance to communities across the country that the Government is taking action to tackle anti-Muslim hostility.

Together with our cross-government work to tackle the root causes of all forms of hatred and strengthen cohesion through the suite of measures set out in our Protecting What Matters action plan, the Government is taking sustained action to keep Muslims safe, support victims, and challenge hatred.

This includes: adopting a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility that protects individuals while safeguarding freedom of speech; providing record funding of £40 million for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme; launching a new Faith Security Training Scheme; committing up to £4 million to help tackle anti-Muslim hostility including funding the British Muslim Trust to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims; and committing to appoint a Special Representative to champion efforts across the UK to tackle anti-Muslim hostility.

Ministers stand with Muslim communities against all forms of anti-Muslim hostility, and we will continue to work closely with Muslim communities and relevant organisations to ensure that our actions are effective, proportionate and grounded in lived experience – and that they, too, drive real change.

Ministerial engagement has included visits to mosques and Muslim community centres by the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, Home Office and MHCLG Ministers. These visits include targeted places of worship:

• Minister Jones visited Peacehaven Mosque on 6 October 2025.
• The Prime Minister and Home Secretary visited Peacehaven Mosque on 23 October 2025.
• Minister Fahnbulleh visited Peterborough Darassalaam Mosque on 15 Jan 2026.
• Minister Caliskan and Lord Lemos visited the British Muslim Heritage Centre on 17 June 2026 as part of a wider visit. The centre had also been targeted with religiously motivated graffiti in December 2025.
• Minister Caliskan also visited Lincoln Green Mosque in Leeds on 20 May 2026, following the attack on a mosque in San Diego, to listen to their views and to reassure Muslim communities in the UK of the Government’s commitment to tackling anti-Muslim hostility.

There are further ministerial visits to places of worship scheduled for the coming months, providing continued reassurance to communities across the country that the Government is taking action to tackle anti-Muslim hostility.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the responses I gave when this issue was raised in the House on 6 July by Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Official Report, vol. 858, cols. 5-8.

The Government regularly engages with representatives of British Muslim communities to understand their concerns, including around the rise in attacks against Muslim communities and Muslim women.

As part of this engagement, the Government also works closely with the British Muslim Trust, which we fund to monitor anti-Muslim hate and provide a helpline service to support victims. Data shared through this work helps improve our understanding of the nature and scale of anti-Muslim hatred and informs our policy response.

The Government remains committed to tackling anti-Muslim hatred in all its forms and ensuring that Muslim communities feel safe and supported. We will also appoint a special representative on anti-Muslim hostility, with further details on this role to be set out in due course.

The UK is deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of ongoing hostilities on civilians, particularly children in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Last financial year, the UK provided £81 million of humanitarian and early recovery support to Palestine, including £9.7 million for UNICEF to support the provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection for children. We continue to call on the Government of Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to deliver essential humanitarian aid. The UK has also provided £30 million of vital humanitarian funding to Lebanon to support those most in need during the current crisis.

The UK is deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of ongoing hostilities on civilians, particularly children in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Last financial year, the UK provided £81 million of humanitarian and early recovery support to Palestine, including £9.7 million for UNICEF to support the provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection for children. We continue to call on the Government of Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to deliver essential humanitarian aid. The UK has also provided £30 million of vital humanitarian funding to Lebanon to support those most in need during the current crisis.

The UK is deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of ongoing hostilities on civilians, particularly children in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Last financial year, the UK provided £81 million of humanitarian and early recovery support to Palestine, including £9.7 million for UNICEF to support the provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection for children. We continue to call on the Government of Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to deliver essential humanitarian aid. The UK has also provided £30 million of vital humanitarian funding to Lebanon to support those most in need during the current crisis.

We want people to have the option to use the digital ID to make their lives easier. There will be no legal obligation for people to have or present the national digital ID. If someone does not want a digital ID they will not have to get it.

Legislation on the digital ID will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny in the usual way. Any changes to the scope of this legislation after it passes would need further parliamentary scrutiny.

The Government has launched a national conversation to ensure the digital ID system is shaped by all communities.

The digital ID consultation will involve 8 weeks of open engagement – running from 10 March to 5 May - where anyone who wants to take part can share their views in ways that work for them. You can do this online via an online form, by email or by post.

We will also support local conversations and events across the UK to spread awareness and encourage participation. This includes roadshows, roundtables, as well as resources such as a ‘workshop in a box’ to help communities run their own discussions in ways that work for them. To request materials for ‘workshop in a box’, please email workshop@digitalid.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

After the 8-week open engagement period, we will bring together a broadly representative group of 100-120 people from across the UK to take part in a more in-depth deliberative engagement process.