Lords Dissect Crime Bill as Palestinian Embassy Confirmed

High-Level Summary

The House of Lords undertook oral questions on online child protection, public sector productivity, national security cases and foreign affairs, followed by further Committee stage scrutiny of the Crime and Policing Bill. Peers pressed Ministers on Ofcom’s role in tackling computer‑generated child sexual abuse material, measurement and investment for public sector productivity, and policy on Shamima Begum and Venezuela. In Committee, a wide range of amendments on rail safety, vehicle‑theft technology, rural equipment theft, SIM farms, cyber legislation, fare evasion, freight crime and mobile‑phone theft were debated and then withdrawn after Ministers pointed to existing powers or forthcoming work. A statement on the Middle East and North Africa covered Gaza aid access, protests in Iran, Yemen de‑escalation, Syria, and the Alaa Abd el‑Fattah case, including confirmation of a Palestinian embassy in London.

Detailed Summary

Computer‑generated child sexual abuse material (CG‑CSAM) – Question

Lord Carlile asked about protecting children in private messaging and Ofcom’s role under Section 121 of the Online Safety Act. Lord Hanson said the Government expects Ofcom to use its powers: “The simple answer to the noble Lord is yes” [ref: a1181.4/1], and added of Grok’s images: “Ofcom will act, and if it does not the Government will” [ref: a1181.6/1]. He referenced an Ofcom consultation and advice to Ministers, but timings varied—“by April this year” [ref: a1181.4/1] versus “April 2026” [ref: a1182.5/1; a1183.1/1]. He stressed illegality and penalties: “It is illegal, it will be punished” [ref: a1182.3/1]. No decisions were taken; Ministers emphasised Ofcom’s expected action and forthcoming advice.

Public Sector Productivity – Question

Baroness Neville‑Rolfe asked about the UK’s capacity to increase productivity. Lord Livermore highlighted weak growth since 2010 and said reversing low public sector productivity—5.6% below pre‑pandemic—was the Government’s top mission [ref: a1184.6/1]. He cited NHS gains—“NHS productivity has grown by 2.4% in April to July 2025 compared to the same period last year” [ref: a1185.1/1]—and investment: “We are investing £10 billion in digital technologies within the NHS” [ref: a1185.3/1]. He rejected a four‑day week as current policy [ref: a1186.0/1], noted the ONS is improving public sector productivity metrics [ref: a1186.3/1], and referenced public‑private partnerships [ref: a1187.2/1]. No new policy changes were announced.

Shamima Begum – Question

Lord Hanson said Shamima Begum’s citizenship removal “has been upheld by the courts” and declined further comment due to proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights [ref: a1188.3/1; a1188.5/1]. He underlined that “consular support is not available from within Syria” and assistance is considered case by case [ref: a1188.3/1]. The Official Opposition stated she “should never be allowed to return to Britain” [ref: a1189.1/1]; Hanson confirmed the Government is contesting in Strasbourg [ref: a1189.2/1]. He said the UK would “consider requests for consular assistance … on a case-by-case basis” for British nationals in north‑east Syria [ref: a1190.0/1]. No policy change was announced.

Venezuela – Question

Asked if the UK would sanction the United States over its actions in Venezuela, Baroness Chapman replied: “We do not have plans to impose sanctions on the US” and stressed the depth of the UK‑US partnership [ref: a1191.6/1]. On a reported US seizure in the North Atlantic using UK bases, she deferred to remarks from the Defence Secretary [ref: a1192.2/1]. She affirmed UK support for international law and said it was for the US to explain legality [ref: a1192.4/1; a1194.2/1]; noted the UK’s continuous diplomatic presence in Caracas [ref: a1193.7/1]; and confirmed the UK did not recognise Nicolás Maduro’s presidency [ref: a1193.3/1]. No sanctions or policy shifts were proposed.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: VAWG on trains; transport workers; CCTV access

Baroness Morgan of Cotes proposed a duty on the British Transport Police (BTP) to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG) on trains. Lord Hanson said BTP is already required to prevent crime and highlighted specific commitments in its plan, including “Effective and sensitive investigation and robust offender management” [ref: a1203.0/5], and pointed to Rail Safety and Standards Board guidance to enhance personal security, intended for consultation and publication in spring 2026 [ref: a1203.0/10]. On a proposed offence of assaulting transport workers, he argued a new offence was unnecessary because “the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 makes offences against public-facing workers … an aggravating factor” [ref: a1203.0/14]. On railway CCTV, he announced £17 million for remote access across Great Britain, with accelerated delivery after the Huntingdon incident [ref: a1205.1/3–a1205.1/5]. All amendments were withdrawn; Ministers relied on existing powers and forthcoming guidance.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Electronic devices used in vehicle theft

Lord Davies of Gower sought to extend Clause 110 to cover possession with intent to supply electronic devices used in vehicle theft. Lord Katz said this would “weaken” the offence by raising the bar to prove intent [ref: a1210.1/2], explaining that the Bill already lets courts infer intent and provides a defence where the accused “did not intend or suspect that the device would be used” for theft [ref: a1210.1/6–a1210.1/7]. The amendment was withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Rural equipment theft and GPS

Baroness Doocey proposed explicitly including GPS equipment in the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023. Lord Katz confirmed the regulations will cover “removable GPS systems” [ref: a1215.0/2] and said secondary legislation would be brought forward “as soon as possible”, while declining to give a firm timetable when pressed [ref: a1216.1/1]. The amendment was withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: SIM farms and virtual SIMs (eSIMs)

Lord Vaux of Harrowden proposed expanding the SIM farm definition to include eSIMs. Lord Hanson said current evidence shows the “most significant threats arise” from physical SIM farms, while virtual SIM misuse is not at the same scale [ref: a1222.1/2–a1222.1/4]. He noted the Bill lets Ministers update the definition by regulations if eSIMs become a material threat [ref: a1222.1/5–a1222.1/6], cited a telecoms fraud charter with “50 really strong actions” [ref: a1222.1/7], and said a fraud strategy would be published “in very short order” [ref: a1222.1/12]. The amendment was withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Creating an offence of digital identity theft

Lord Clement‑Jones proposed a new offence of digital identity theft to enable earlier intervention. Lord Hanson responded that “there are … several criminal offences already in existence to cover the behaviour” (Fraud Act, Computer Misuse Act, Data Protection Act) [ref: a1232.0/2], and pointed to an independent review of fraud offences examining whether current offences are fit for purpose [ref: a1232.0/5]. The amendment was withdrawn pending that review and a forthcoming fraud strategy.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Computer Misuse Act (CMA) reforms and a public interest defence

Peers proposed statutory defences under the CMA for actions to detect or prevent crime and broader updates to the Act. Lord Hanson said the Government has “made real progress in developing a proposal for a limited defence” to the Section 1 offence, while emphasising this is a “complex” area with further engagement ongoing [ref: a1239.0/3]. He offered a ministerial meeting to discuss the proposals [ref: a1241.3/1]. All amendments were withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Fare evasion penalties and freight crime recording

Lord Davies of Gower proposed higher penalties for fare evasion and a statutory freight crime code. Lord Katz noted penalty fares had already been raised to £100 in 2022 [ref: a1248.0/2] and said the Government accepted ORR recommendations to improve consistency and fairness in revenue protection [ref: a1248.0/3–a1248.0/4]. On freight crime, he announced a new national “freight crime flag” for crime recording, currently being piloted before national rollout [ref: a1248.0/9]. The amendments were withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Blocking cloud services on stolen mobile phones

Baroness Neville‑Rolfe pressed for cloud‑level blocks to make stolen smartphones unusable. Lord Hanson agreed with the intent but warned of practical issues: “disabling all cloud services could … stop tracking and recovery of mobile phones” [ref: a1258.0/4]. He cited a February summit where companies and police agreed data‑sharing and operational steps [ref: a1258.0/6], and said he would raise reconvening the main group with the Home Secretary [ref: a1258.0/7]. The amendment was withdrawn; Ministers will continue working with industry.

Middle East and North Africa – Statement and Questions

The Government updated the House on Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Syria and the Alaa Abd el‑Fattah case. On Gaza aid, the Minister said: “Israel’s decision to ban 37 of them is unjustifiable” [ref: a1261.2/3], confirmed £116 million of UK support and the establishment of a Palestinian embassy in London [ref: a1261.2/4]. On Iran, Ministers were “disturbed by reports of violence” against protesters [ref: a1261.2/5]. On Yemen, they welcomed de‑escalation efforts [ref: a1261.2/9]; and on Syria, noted an RAF strike on a Daesh facility [ref: a1261.2/12]. In questions, Ministers said “El Fasher is a crime scene” in Sudan [ref: a1266.0/2], Gaza aid inflows remain short by “around 100 or so trucks” per day [ref: a1266.0/7], and on the IRGC: “We do not talk about proscription before we do it” [ref: a1269.2/1]. They supported press access in Gaza—“Yes, that needs to happen” [ref: a1272.0/1]—and explained citizenship removal is rare: “It takes a lot for us to remove someone’s citizenship” [ref: a1271.2/1].

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: APP fraud liability for tech and telecoms firms

Lord Vaux proposed requiring tech and telecoms firms to owe a duty of care to prevent fraud and contribute to reimbursing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud victims. Lord Katz pointed to Online Safety Act duties, with non‑compliance risking fines of up to “10% of their global revenue” [ref: a1278.0/3], highlighted the second Telecoms Fraud Charter with 50 actions agreed in November 2025 [ref: a1278.0/6], and cautioned that mandatory cost‑sharing could undermine the intermediary liability regime [ref: a1278.0/9]. The amendment was withdrawn.

Crime and Policing Bill – Committee: Statutory right to protest

Lord Marks proposed inserting an express statutory right to protest into the Public Order Act, while Lord Blencathra sought to add duties to prevent hindrance to the public. Lord Hanson reaffirmed support for peaceful protest but argued a new clause was unnecessary, as protections already exist under the Human Rights Act: “these protections are already firmly established in UK law” [ref: a1298.0/3]. He noted an independent review of public order and hate crime law announced on 5 October, with Lord Macdonald expected to report by spring 2026 [ref: a1300.1/1]. On prosecutions for support of a proscribed group, he said both Houses approved the proscription and that police are implementing the law [ref: a1300.1/2–a1300.1/3]. All amendments in this group were withdrawn; the broader review will proceed.