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  • The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, General Kamalesh Sharma, about the role Commonwealth countries can play in supporting peace and development in Burundi, and what plans they have to raise that matter with the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland of Asthal.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The UK recognises the important role Commonwealth countries can play in supporting peace and development in all countries, including Burundi. Commonwealth members Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya play a particularly important role in supporting peace and development in Burundi as part of the East African Community-led dialogue with Burundi. In December 2015, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Uganda and Rwanda where he highlighted the deteriorating situation in Burundi and urged regional players to take concrete steps together to find a political solution. The Parliamentary Under Secretary for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Nick Hurd), discussed the situation in Burundi with the Tanzanian Foreign Minister on 29 January.

    The UK did not have any conversations specifically on peace and development in Burundi with former Commonwealth Secretary-General, General Kamalesh Sharma but we will look for opportunities to discuss Burundi with the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon the Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to ensure that the UK is represented at ministerial level during the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House on the 21 March, and in my answers of 5 April, and the noble Baroness Verma’s answer of 31 March, the British Government will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July.

    The Government is clear in its belief that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people everywhere. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. We support the key objectives of the conference: to provide an important opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to better coordinate work to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    Precise composition of the UK delegation to the conference remains to be confirmed. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge it likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the key objectives of the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference that will take place in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July, which include the protection and promotion of LGBTI rights around the world.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House on the 21 March, and in my answers of 5 April, and the noble Baroness Verma’s answer of 31 March, the British Government will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July.

    The Government is clear in its belief that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people everywhere. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. We support the key objectives of the conference: to provide an important opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to better coordinate work to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    Precise composition of the UK delegation to the conference remains to be confirmed. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge it likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of including the Department for International Development in discussions and representations at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House on the 21 March, and in my answers of 5 April, and the noble Baroness Verma’s answer of 31 March, the British Government will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July.

    The Government is clear in its belief that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people everywhere. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. We support the key objectives of the conference: to provide an important opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to better coordinate work to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    Precise composition of the UK delegation to the conference remains to be confirmed. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge it likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Cashman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Cashman on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support better co-ordination of financial and political support amongst governments and multilateral organisations in the advancement of the human rights of LGBTI persons at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Uruguay from 13 to 15 July.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    As I set out to the House on the 21 March, and in my answers of 5 April, and the noble Baroness Verma’s answer of 31 March, the British Government will send a delegation to the Global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Intersex (LGBTI) Human Rights Conference taking place in Montevideo in July.

    The Government is clear in its belief that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people everywhere. We are opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBTI people in all circumstances. We support the key objectives of the conference: to provide an important opportunity to share information, best practice and lessons learned with partners and to discuss how to better coordinate international efforts to support the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTI people worldwide. We are committed to working with those countries that will be represented at the conference, and others, to better coordinate work to combat discrimination and violence against LGBTI people. This forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

    Precise composition of the UK delegation to the conference remains to be confirmed. With the exception of the co-hosts, the Governments of the Netherlands and Uruguay, we judge it likely that countries will be represented at official level.

  • Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Deech – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK aid to Palestine is not given, directly or indirectly, to the families of suicide bombers or to convicted prisoners.

    Baroness Verma

    UK aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is subject to rigorous scrutiny, with safeguards in place to ensure its being used for proper development purposes. Our financial assistance to the PA is used to pay the salaries of civil servant and pensioners. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of PA expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible, and the vetting process ensures that our funds do not benefit terrorist groups. The process is subject to independent auditing.

  • Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dobbs on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 17 February (HL5966), how many statutory instruments have now been laid before Parliament in the 2015–16 session to date.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    As of 21 April, 706 UK statutory instruments had been laid before the House of Commons/Parliament in the 2015-16 session. For completeness, the numbers of statutory instruments laid in previous sessions since 1997 are detailed below:

    • 1997-98: 1856

    • 1998-99: 1479

    • 1999-00: 1456

    • 2000-01: 868

    • 2001-02: 1788

    • 2002-03: 1474

    • 2003-04: 1281

    • 2004-05: 793

    • 2005-06: 1885

    • 2006-07: 1361

    • 2007-08: 1319

    • 2008-09: 1302

    • 2009-10: 823

    • 2010-12: 1809

    • 2012-13: 964

    • 2013-14: 1173

    • 2014-15: 1378

    • 2015-16: 706 (so far in this session)

  • Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dobbs on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Leader of the House how many government defeats there have been on delegated legislation in the House of Lords, (1) in total, and (2) in each Session, since 1950.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    Since 1950, there have been 35 Government defeats on motions relating to delegated legislation in the House of Lords. There have been five such defeats in this session to date – a fifth of the total over the last 65 years.

    The number of government defeats on motions relating to delegated legislation since 1950, broken down by session, is detailed below:

    Session

    Total

    Session

    Total

    Session

    Total

    1950

    1972-73

    1994-95

    1950-51

    1973-74

    1995-96

    1

    1951-52

    1974

    1996-97

    1952-53

    1974-75

    1997-98

    1

    1953-54

    1975-76

    1998-99

    1954-55

    1976-77

    1999-00

    2

    1955-56

    1977-78

    2

    2000-01

    1956-57

    1978-79

    2001-02

    1957-58

    1979-80

    2002-03

    4

    1958-59

    1980-81

    2003-04

    1959-60

    1981-82

    2004-05

    1

    1960-61

    1982-83

    2005-06

    1

    1961-62

    1983-84

    1

    2006-07

    2

    1962-63

    1984-85

    1

    2007-08

    1963-64

    1985-86

    2008-09

    2

    1964-65

    1986-87

    2009-10

    4

    1965-66

    1987-88

    2010-12

    1966-67

    1988-89

    2012-13

    4

    1967-68

    1

    1989-90

    2013-14

    1968-69

    1990-91

    2014-15

    1969-70

    1991-92

    2015-6

    5

    1970-71

    1992-93

    3

    1971-72

    1993-94

    TOTAL

    35
  • Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    Lord Dobbs – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Leader of the House of Lords

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Dobbs on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Leader of the House, further to her Written Answer on 16 November 2015 (HL3174), what percentage of House of Lords divisions resulted in Government defeats in (1) the 1997–2001 Parliament, and (2) the current Parliament.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    The rate of defeats in the present Parliament is more than twice that of the 1997-2001 Parliament: the Government were defeated in 22% of divisions in that Parliament, compared to 49% in the present one (up to Thursday 21 April). These figures are based on statistics compiled by the Journal Office.

  • Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Featherstone – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Featherstone on 2016-04-11.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the 10 year rule that is given as the reason that Lord Owen’s and Lord Jenkin of Roding’s ministerial papers in regard to contaminated blood were destroyed.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We do not recognise that a ten year rule has been established for the destruction of records created by ministers. The Department works to the guidance published by The National Archives on the appraisal and selection of official records which are retained and transferred for permanent preservation.