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1718573

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: China and Hong Kong
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Amnesty International report published on 13 May “On my campus, I am afraid": China's Targeting of Overseas Students Stifles Rights; and what action they are taking with allies to protect Chinese and Hong Kong students studying abroad who are subject to intimidation and surveillance from Chinese agents.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The government’s International Education Strategy and its recent update make clear that the internationalisation of the higher education (HE) sector cannot come at any cost. Universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risk.</p><p> </p><p>The department recognises concerns about overseas interference in the HE sector and regularly assess the risks facing staff and students.</p><p> </p><p>The Integrated Review Refresh, which this government published in March 2023, sets out in clear terms the UK’s policy towards engagement with China and Chinese entities.</p><p> </p><p>Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK, or on campuses abroad, will not be tolerated. This is an insidious threat to democracy and fundamental human rights.</p><p> </p><p>The department passed the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 to further protect the UK’s campuses from interference and other threats to lawful freedom of speech. The Act strengthens existing freedom of speech duties placed upon HE providers in England and creates new routes of redress if these duties are breached.</p><p> </p><p>The department has made the Commencement Regulations to ensure the main provisions of the Act are in place for 1 August 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Where providers are operating campuses abroad, they must take, and should already be taking, reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law on those campuses.</p><p> </p><p>HE providers are independent autonomous organisations and therefore responsible for ensuring they have adequate governance and risk management procedures in place when accepting donations. The department expects the HE sector to be alert to risks when collaborating with any international partners.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 24/05/2024 12:12:43 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1717000

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept id	216
answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
hansard heading	Universities: China
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what collaborations on medical research are currently taking place between government-funded universities in the UK, and medical and research institutions based in China; and whether any of these collaborations relate to organ transplantation.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4495
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The International Science Partnerships Fund and Newton Fund have active medical research programmes involving collaborations between UK Higher Education Institutions and Chinese counterparts. These predominantly focus on antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness and none of them relate to organ transplantation.</p> answering member printed Viscount Camrose question first answered 23/05/2024 09:57:14 answering member 4939 label Biography information for Viscount Camrose
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1713708

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Freedom of Information
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response to the issuing of practice recommendations to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office by the Information Commissioner’s Office, following its assessment that the information request handling processes of that department "do not conform to parts 1, 4 and 5 of the section 45 Freedom of Information Code of Practice".
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>The FCDO takes its responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act very seriously and will continue to strive to answer Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within the required timescales.</p><p>We welcome the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) Practice Recommendations and have agreed to publish a full response by the 31 May 2024 as requested. We are considering all of their recommendations and are constructing a detailed implementation plan to improve our timeliness.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/05/2024 15:59:39 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1698011

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Visas: British National (Overseas)
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Hong Kong Watch report, Tuition Fees for BNO Visa Holders: The Case for Home Fee Status, and the impact of the cost of international fees on the ability of young British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa holders to attend university; and whether they will follow the Scottish Government in introducing home fees status for BNO visa holders after three years of residency in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL3505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2024 answer text <p>To qualify for home fee status in England, a person must have settled status or ’a recognised connection’ to the UK. A recognised connection includes persons who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement, have long residence in this country or who have been granted international protection by the Home Office. There are also requirements associated with ordinary residence in the UK.</p><p>Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for home fee status and student finance once they have acquired settled status in the UK (usually after 5 years). Education is fully devolved, and administrations are able to make their own arrangements for accessing home fee status.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 08/04/2024 11:13:03 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1697302

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Smart Devices: China
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Coalition on Secure Technology, Chinese cellular (IoT) modules: Countering the threat, published in March, and its conclusions that Chinese-made cellular internet of things modules should be banned from UK critical national infrastructure.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL3355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2024 answer text <p>The security of the UK's critical national infrastructure is of utmost importance to the Government. We continue to monitor potential security threats, including the unique challenges posed by cellular internet-of-things (IoT) modules. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) produce advice and guidance on the security implications of internet connected components, which the Government follows where appropriate.</p><p>Existing legislation such as the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act (PSTI) 2022 are designed to address the emerging security threats posed by IoT technologies. These include a range of measures that can be employed even in an evolving threat landscape. Any action is only taken after a rigorous assessment.</p><p>The UK's approach to China is to enhance our national security protections, align with our partners, and to engage where it is in the UK's national interest.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/04/2024 15:51:57 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1692582

registered interest
date	28/02/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Sanctions: Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps through the Financial Action Task Force against Russia for violating sanctions on North Korea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2823
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2024 answer text <p>On 23 February, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) expressed its concern about the growing financial connectivity of Russia with countries subject to countermeasures, namely North Korea and Iran, and the potential risks of proliferation financing, malicious cyber activities and ransomware attacks.</p><p>The UK’s recent joint statement (12 January 2024) is clear that Russia’s procurement of North Korean ballistic missiles and their use against Ukraine violate multiple UNSCRs. Actively facilitating the circumvention of UNSCR 1718 and violating its prohibitions undermines the global fight against proliferation, the UN sanctions regime, and consequently the financial sanctions requirements of the FATF standards. The UK will continue to call out Russia’s violation of UNSCRs both at the UN and within the FATF.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 05/03/2024 12:28:19 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1688019

registered interest
date	06/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	INTERPOL: Databases
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Interpol regarding (1) arrest warrants being issued by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for Hong Kong dissidents and (2) their targeting through Interpol, including through its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2218
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government strongly supports INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place that protect individuals’ human rights in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution which strictly forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office continues to work with INTERPOL and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which acts as the UK’s National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL, to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. We encourage INTERPOL to uphold international human rights obligations and we won’t hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to strengthen our collective efforts to deter the misuse of INTERPOL systems and support organisational reform and governance at INTERPOL.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL2219 HL2220 question first answered 20/02/2024 12:36:17 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1688020

registered interest
date	06/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	INTERPOL: Databases
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of the Turkish government's use of the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database to target dissidents abroad, what representations they have made to Interpol regarding misuse of the SLTD database.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government strongly supports INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place that protect individuals’ human rights in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution which strictly forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office continues to work with INTERPOL and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which acts as the UK’s National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL, to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. We encourage INTERPOL to uphold international human rights obligations and we won’t hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to strengthen our collective efforts to deter the misuse of INTERPOL systems and support organisational reform and governance at INTERPOL.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL2218 HL2220 question first answered 20/02/2024 12:36:17 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1688021

registered interest
date	06/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	INTERPOL: Databases
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of the Turkish government's misuse of the Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database, what assessment they have made of the Chinese government's ability to use the SLTD database to target Chinese and Hong Kong dissidents abroad.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government strongly supports INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place that protect individuals’ human rights in line with Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution which strictly forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office continues to work with INTERPOL and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which acts as the UK’s National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL, to monitor the effectiveness of existing safeguards. We encourage INTERPOL to uphold international human rights obligations and we won’t hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to strengthen our collective efforts to deter the misuse of INTERPOL systems and support organisational reform and governance at INTERPOL.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL2218 HL2219 question first answered 20/02/2024 12:36:17 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1686084

registered interest
date	30/01/2024
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Citizenship: Young People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Sweden's decision to reinstate civic duty for 18-year-olds, including training in emergency services and the maintenance of vital infrastructure, and of the similar model in Norway; and what consideration they have given, if any, to introducing a comparable model in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>Resilience is a top priority for this government. Ministers and officials regularly engage with International partners to learn from and share good practice in relation to resilience. There are no current plans to replicate Sweden’s model of civic duty.</p><p> </p><p>The UK already has many reservist programmes: these include programmes for the armed forces, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Mountain Rescue, Retained Firefighters, Coastguard volunteers, NHS volunteers and special constables.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has set out its ambition for a whole of society approach to resilience in the Resilience Framework. The Deputy Prime Minister’s first annual statement to Parliament on resilience offered more detail on plans to build on the community spirit in our country and the willingness of individuals to volunteer in a crisis by developing an index of volunteering opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>To support the broader training offer the Government has committed to the development of a UK Resilience Academy that will provide a full suite of learning and training opportunities for the whole of society.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 13/02/2024 16:30:48 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool