Written questions by Huq.

For what reason Jared Taylor was permitted to attend the Patriotic Alternative Conference in October 2025.

In accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018, I am unable to comment on the immigration status of individuals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on the destruction of two Ahmadiyya places of worship in Chahur Mughliyan and Chahur Kotli on 2 September 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 29 October to question 83844.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterparts on the attack on the Ahmadiyya community at Bait-ul-Mahdi Mosque in Rabwah on 10 October 2025.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October to question 82128.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterparts on recent reports of six Baha’i women facing imminent imprisonment for their beliefs in Hamadan, Iran.

The UK Government and our Ambassador in Iran regularly raise our human rights concerns directly with the Iranian Government and in international fora. We are deeply concerned by the heightened threat currently faced by Baha'is in Iran.On 23 September 2025, at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), UK Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization and UN, Kumar Iyer, highlighted the recent targeting and scapegoating of marginalised groups during and following the 12-day war, including Baha'is. On 25 March 2025, at the UNHRC, we called out Iran's escalation in the arrest and detention of Baha'i women, which was an effort to suppress their religious identity and autonomy as women. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UNHRC on 3 April 2025, which renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, and renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission, to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of ongoing and recent human rights violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief.

Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made in delivering the TechFirst programme; and what discussions her Department has had with organisations in Ealing Central and Acton constituency on supporting TechFirst.

TechFirst has recently launched its expanded undergraduate scholarships programme, which will find and support promising young talent from across the country. The Department plans to shortly launch new programmes that support more home students access Master’s scholarships and PhD top-ups in digital and tech.TechFirst supports local partnerships between industry, academia and third sector and will recruit regional partners to maximise impact – including a London partner. We encourage organisations based in Ealing Central and Acton to apply, as well as commit to regular opportunities for stakeholders, such as those from Ealing Central and Acton constituency, to engage and support TechFirst’s objectives.

What cross-Government work is being undertaken to help tackle identity fraud when no financial loss is incurred.

The Home Office is working across Government to consider whether to include initiatives to prevent the misuse of stolen identities and to strengthen protections for the public through the Government’s upcoming Fraud Strategy.We recognise the evolving nature and increasing prevalence of identity fraud and are taking additional proactive steps to address it. That is why the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences will consider whether a specific offence for identity theft is needed.We have likewise announced a mandatory digital ID system which will enable people to prove their identity securely, without physical documents.It is also important to empower the public to protect themselves and keep their identities safe. That is why we have introduced a checklist, providing advice and steps on how to prevent the misuse of identities: Identity fraud victims' checklist.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Moroccan counterpart on ensuring protection for (a) human rights activists and (b) religious minorities in that country.

The UK remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including freedoms of expression and association. The UK also champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and it is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe.Officials, including up to Ambassador level, engage on these issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities accordingly. The UK shares a bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, the third session of which is due to take place in London by the end of the year.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) Community and Environment Fund and (b) Business and Local Economy Fund in supporting communities affected by HS2 works in the London Borough of Ealing; if she will review the potential impact of restrictions that limit local authorities to submitting a maximum of two bids to those Funds at a time on the London Borough of Ealing, in the context of the remaining level of funding available for London as a whole; and what steps she is taking to ensure that people in the London Borough of Ealing are able to access a level of funding that is proportionate to the level of HS2 disruption in that Borough.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that all ‘line of route’ communities affected by HS2 construction, including those in the London Borough of Ealing, receive a fair share of funding through the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF). Whilst there is no specific allocation for London as a whole, the funds are managed in a way that ensures a proportionate balance across the whole HS2 route. Awards are recorded online at: https://hs2funds.org.uk/home/projects-funded-by-hs2-funds/ The London Borough of Ealing is a priority area for funding. HS2 Ltd and the fund administrators, Groundwork UK, have carried out community engagement in the borough to promote availability of funding and to date 18 projects have been approved, totalling over £753,000 of investment. In the interests of ensuring that there is a fair and inclusive spread of projects there are limits on the number of applications any one organisation can make to the funds. However, local authorities play an important role in delivering outcomes supported by CEF and BLEF and greater flexibility is provided to these organisations. Currently Ealing Council has five live awards and has been granted permission to submit two further applications.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support work to eradicate polio globally.

The UK is a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), having contributed £1.4 billion since 1995. This has enabled GPEI to reduce wild poliovirus cases by over 99 per cent. The UK is also the largest investor in Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recently announcing a new investment that will support eligible countries with polio vaccines as part of an essential package of childhood immunisation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Georgian counterpart on the treatment of (a) political opponents and (b) journalists in that country.

I remain gravely concerned by Georgia's democratic backsliding, attacks on the opposition and journalists. The former Foreign Secretary's 11 July statement condemned politically motivated detentions of opposition leaders in Georgia. On 6 August, the UK, with the Media Freedom Coalition, condemned the politically motivated sentencing of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli to two years in prison. Georgia must reverse course, uphold European values, and protect civil society and press freedom.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Iranian counterpart on (a) the illegal obtention of (i) property and (ii) assets of and (b) other attacks on the Baha’i community; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the (a) protection of that community and (b) promotion of religious freedom in that country.

Our Ambassador in Iran and the former Foreign Secretary raised have human rights directly with the Iranian government and we regularly highlight Iran's repression of Baha'is in multilateral fora, including at the UN Human Rights Council in March. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. On 3 July, the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic repression of Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, the Special Envoy delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.

Whether HS2 plans to revisit the allocation of strategic funding to the London Borough of Ealing.

HS2 Ltd continues to meet its commitment to fund any new financial burdens on LB Ealing as a result of the HS2 project, and is also funding a dedicated officer post. On top of this, people in Ealing continue to benefit from HS2’s Community and Environment Fund and Business and Local Economy Fund. So far, these have funded projects worth £720,000 in Ealing. There is also a HS2 Road Safety Fund and Highway Deterioration Fund available to Ealing. Ealing has recently applied for its full allocation from the Road Safety Fund. HS2 Ltd is not funded to make additional financial contributions to Ealing over and above these, and the other commitments agreed during the passage of the hybrid Bill.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Iranian authorities on attacks on the Baha’i community including the illegal obtention of property and assets; and what steps is he taking to ensure (a) their protection and (b) the promotion of religious freedom in the country.

The UK strongly condemns the repression of religious minorities in Iran, including Baha'is. On 18 March, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN highlighted the continued systematic targeting and repression of religious minorities at the UN Human Rights Council. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. On 3 July, the Special Envoy met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic situation of  Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of protections for defendants under the Single Justice Procedure.

The Government acknowledges the criticisms in relation to the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) and the importance of ensuring that the SJP is accessible and fair to all defendants. That is why we launched a consultation on the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors which included a chapter on the adequacy of safeguards in the SJP. The consultation closed on 8 May and work is ongoing to analyse the responses received and look at ways to reform the SJP, which improves safeguards and efficiency in the process.The Government response to the consultation is expected to be published later this year.There are several existing safeguards built into the SJP process to ensure a defendant’s fair trial rights are protected. The defendant retains the right to have a full hearing in open court. SJP is available where they waive that right, either expressly or by failing to respond to the process, but only in circumstances where the court has first satisfied itself that the relevant documents were served on the accused.If a defendant does not know about the case until after it has finished, they can make a statutory declaration to that effect, which will restart the proceedings again from the beginning. Magistrates can adjourn the case if further information is required, or refer the case to be heard in open court if it would be more appropriate than continuing under SJP.Where a defendant pleads not guilty, the case is listed for summary trial before a bench of magistrates in open court.

What steps she is taking to help improve pay and conditions for court interpreters in the contracted service.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on Friday 5 September to Question 73395: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-08-29/73395.

With reference to the Independent Technical Review of Qualifications and Experience Requirements for the Provision of Spoken Language Interpreting of 17 March 2025, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the sufficient recruitment of qualified Level 6 interpreters.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the importance of ensuring a sufficient supply of qualified Level 6 interpreters to meet the needs of the justice system. Following the publication of the Independent Technical Review of Qualifications and Experience Requirements for the Provision of Spoken Language Interpreting on 17 March 2025, the Department has taken steps to support recruitment and professional development in this area.The review established Level 6 as the default professional standard for all interpreters working in complex justice settings, and its recommendations have been incorporated into the new Qualifications Framework now embedded in the upcoming contract specifications.To support long-term sustainability, the Department has established two key stakeholder groups: the External Stakeholders Forum and the Future Pipeline Advisory Group. The latter is specifically focused on addressing ongoing challenges in interpreter supply, including qualification development.The Future Pipeline Advisory Group will look at ways to expand access to Level 6 qualifications, particularly in rare languages where formal qualifications may not currently exist.

With reference to the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024, whether citizens who naturalised prior to 22 July 2025 will be included in the new registration route.

Those who have already become a British citizen through naturalisation are not able to apply for British citizenship as they already hold that status.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the Prevent programme in schools.

Schools have a statutory duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. This includes referring individuals susceptible to radicalisation to Prevent, for support.In the most recent departmental survey, 98% of school leaders responsible for Prevent were confident in their school’s ability to train staff to recognise and refer radicalisation concerns. 94% were confident in their school’s ability to deal with a safeguarding incident related to terrorism or extremism.Schools are already highly experienced in safeguarding children, and the department has confidence in the professional judgement of teachers if they decide a referral is appropriate.

Whether an agreement to link the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes will be in place before the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism comes into force on 1 January 2026.

At the UK-EU Summit on 19 May, both sides agreed in the Common Understanding to work towards establishing a link between their respective carbon markets by way of an agreement linking the United Kingdom Emission Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS). The UK is looking to secure a linking agreement with the European Union as fast as is feasible. We are taking forward preparations at pace and look forward to beginning negotiations.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK’s energy (a) policy and (b) regulatory frameworks support the sustainable growth of data centres by (a) providing long-term clarity on low-carbon power generation and flexibility technologies, (b) introducing planning and connection guidance for new data centres, (c) reviewing private wire network regulations, (d) enabling timely and strategic electricity network connections, (e) reducing non-domestic electricity costs and (f) coordinating infrastructure planning across (i) land, (ii) water and (iii) energy systems.

The AI Energy Council, chaired by the DESNZ and DSIT Secretaries of State, is working to understand the future energy demand of data centres and the policy and regulatory options for enabling faster connections that are compatible with Clean Power 2030. It has five working groups, co-led with partners from industry and academia, respectively considering demand forecasting, grid connections, sustainability, AI opportunities and corporate PPAs in more detail. In terms of infrastructure planning more broadly, the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan provides detail on this for 2025-30, while the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan currently being developed will do so for 2030-50.