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  • Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Lester of Herne Hill – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ministers are under a duty to comply with international law including treaties signed and ratified on behalf of the United Kingdom.

    Lord Bridges of Headley

    I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to the Noble Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 5 November 2015 to HL3046,HL3047,HL3048,which I have attached for ease of reference.

    The Ministerial Code is normally updated and reissued after a General Election. The updated Code makes clear that Ministers must abide by the law. The obligations of Ministers under the law including international law remain unchanged.

    Information relating to internal discussions and advice is not disclosed.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the level of collective punishment being imposed on Palestinians by both Jewish settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces, and in particular about the use of live fire in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the implementation of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as the occupying power, including the point that any use of force must be proportionate. Our Ambassador to Tel Aviv most recently raised our concerns on 26 October about the use of force, including live fire, with the Israeli Commander of Government Activities in the Territories, General Mordechai. Israel, like all countries, has a legitimate right to self-defence, and the right to defend its citizens from attack. But in doing so it is vital that all actions are in line with International Humanitarian Law.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the state of emergency declared by the Palestinian Red Crescent on 4 October.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not raised this issue specifically with the Israeli authorities, we are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the need to de-escalate the tensions.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the bulldozing of agricultural land owned by Palestinian farmers near the city of Nablus in the West Bank to open new roads to connect Jewish outposts and settlements south of the city.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    While we have not made any representations on this specific issue, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue of demolitions with the Israeli Ministry of Defence Director of Political-Military Affairs on 21 October. The British Government has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlement activity. The UK position is clear:- settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and take us further away from a two state solution.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the September UN OCHA Bulletin report that Israel has added additional restrictions on the entry of wood into Gaza, and that those restrictions have impeded the Catholic Relief Services’ installation of prefabricated wooden housing units to serve as transitional shelter solutions for the winter.

    Baroness Verma

    DFID is aware of the issue of restrictions on the import of wood into Gaza and senior DFID officials have raised it with the Government of Israel at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in September this year. We support calls to ease the number of items on the dual use list whilst recognising Israel’s legitimate security concerns about the use of materials for the manufacture of weapons. We urge Israel to make the process of listing materials as dual use more transparent and in line with internationally recognised dual use items. In the interim, DFID funding to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism is helping to ensure that construction materials reach Gaza.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following the September UN OCHA Bulletin report that Israel had demolished a two-storey building in Area A of the West Bank during a search and arrest operation in Jenin refugee camp and damaged an adjacent home, displacing four people.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK raises concerns about demolitions and displacement with the Government of Israel on a regular basis and at the highest levels. We assess that demolition of Palestinian structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by Israel is harmful to the peace process. As of 14 September, in 2015, 393 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished in Area C and a further 56 in East Jerusalem. Demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and in all but the most limited circumstances are contrary to international humanitarian law.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to oppose the UN decision to put Saudi Arabia in charge of a human rights panel, and, if so, what action they will take.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The British Government has no locus to oppose the appointment of the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia as Chair of the UN Consultative Group. Saudi Arabia was nominated by the Asian Group. The Council is made up of five ambassadors, serving in their personal capacity, from each of the five regional groups in the UN. The Ambassador has served on the Consultative Group since 1 January 2015. It is standard procedure for the chairmanship of the Group to rotate during the course of the year.

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether initial teacher-training programmes delivered using core places allocated to universities are as schools-led as those delivered through School Direct.

    Lord Nash

    A school-led training course gives trainees the chance to train on the job in at least two schools.School-led initial teacher training is made up of School Direct (tuition fee), School Direct (salaried) and School-centered ITT provider (SCITT) routes. One of the key principles of the School Direct training route is that it gives schools the decision-making power they need to work with their preferred partners in the design and delivery of ITT, and to select and recruit the best possible candidates. A number of different models have been developed by schools working with appropriate ITT providers based on local needs.

    Many schools are choosing to work with universities in the delivery of School Direct training. The same ITT criteria, which specify the minimum amount of time that trainees must spend in schools, apply to all ITT routes, whether school or university-led.

    The increasing availability of school-led routes alongside university-led courses allow applicants to choose the right course depending on personal circumstances, qualifications, and the subject and age group they want to teach.

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government why a cap has been imposed on recruitment to initial teacher-training programmes by universities but not on school-centred initial teacher training and School Direct recruitment.

    Lord Nash

    The government is committed to the ongoing expansion of school-led initial teacher training (ITT). The move towards school-led ITT has created new opportunities for universities to grow their business: engaging directly with schools to become their chosen partner; and working with school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) to offer academic awards. In addition, the university sector as a whole has the opportunity to recruit trainees up to the same overall level as they have for the 2015/16 academic year. It is, therefore, not expected that this change of approach will have a substantial impact on the higher education sector.

  • Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Baroness Donaghy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Donaghy on 2015-10-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the different controls placed on recruitment to university initial teacher training and recruitment to School Direct and school-centred initial teacher-training programmes in 2016–17 on the choice available to prospective trainee teachers.

    Lord Nash

    The government is committed to the ongoing expansion of school-led initial teacher training (ITT). The move towards school-led ITT has created new opportunities for universities to grow their business: engaging directly with schools to become their chosen partner; and working with school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) to offer academic awards. In addition, the university sector as a whole has the opportunity to recruit trainees up to the same overall level as they have for the 2015/16 academic year. It is, therefore, not expected that this change of approach will have a substantial impact on the higher education sector.