The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what part of the defence budget is allocated for military action in Syria.
Earl Howe
In agreement with Her Majesty’s Treasury, the Ministry of Defence draws upon the Special Reserve to meet the net additional costs for operations. As such, no part of the Defence budget is specifically allocated for military action in Syria.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what emergency arrangements are in place to care for those who are affected by bombings in Syria.
Earl of Courtown
The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US.
We continue to closely monitor the humanitarian impact of airstrikes in Syria. DFID’s partners are activating their own contingency plans and have scaled up their interventions to meet the evolving needs of the population. We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to respect and uphold all provisions of International Humanitarian Law.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive, in order to enable the welcoming of the maximum number of refugees.
Lord Bates
The UK Government is discussing and engaging closely with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that each is able to welcome refugees who will be resettled under the Syrian resettlement programme. We are also represented on the task forces in each of the devolved administrations.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities have agreed to accept Syrian and other refugees.
Lord Bates
Local authorities from across the UK participate in the four resettlement programmes which the UK operates. These run on a voluntary basis, and we do not disclose which are involved as resettlement can be a sensitive issue. Providing this information without their consent could deter other local authorities from participating in future.
It is at the discretion of Local Authorities to disclose whether or not they are involved with the Syrian Resettlement programme.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 19 November (HL3374), what assessment they have made of the mechanisms that are available to passengers in order to bring pressure on franchised train operators to ensure that appropriate toilet facilities are provided.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government is continually trying to improve passenger experience both on train and at station. Train operators have commitments in their franchise agreements for achieving improved levels of customer experience standards and accessibility, including appropriate toilet facilities.
During the consultation phase of the franchise competition passengers and other stakeholder groups have the opportunity to contribute towards these specifications.
During the life of the franchise, operators are measured against the national rail passenger survey scores which measures against the cleanliness of toilet facilities on trains and at stations.
Above this during the life of the franchise, operators are encouraged to seek continuous improvement to their service offering which government supports through various funding opportunities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of India concerning the case of six British ex-servicemen who were members of the crew of the US ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio, and who have been held in India since 2013.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have raised this case at the highest levels nearly thirty times since November 2013, making clear the enormous stress and difficulty the situation has caused these men and their families.
We will continue to use every opportunity to raise this case. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised it most recently for the third time with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to the UK in November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs at the UN General Assembly on 29 September, and Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised it on 24 November with Indian High Commissioner Mathai.
We cannot interfere in the Indian legal process, but will continue to press for this case to be resolved.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as penholder on the UN mission in Darfur in the UN Security Council, the UK is pressing for the introduction of community liaison assistants who would follow the model provided by MONUSCO in the DRC and would aim to provide camp residents with support in giving their views on their protection needs.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The mandate for the African Union/UN Hybrid Mission operation in Darfur (UNAMID) will be reviewed by June 30 2016. We will continue to work to strengthen the mission, including its engagement with vulnerable communities. We will assess the effectiveness of the use of community liaison assistants in the Democratic Republic of Congo and explore whether UNAMID’s community engagement would be improved by following a similar model.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of whether continuing efforts to press the government of Sudan to tackle sexual and gender-based violence in Darfur have been successful, in the light of (1) the incidence of rape in the areas currently monitored by the UN and (2) the requirement in the legal framework in Sudan for a victim to provide four male witnesses to confirm that a rape was without consent.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We remain deeply concerned by the reported prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in Darfur. While we welcome amendments to Sudanese law earlier this year that separated the crimes of rape and adultery we are concerned about how the law is implemented.
In addition to engaging the Government of Sudan, we will continue to support a wide-range of efforts to progress this issue. We strongly support the presence of the African Union/UN Hybrid Mission operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and have worked to ensure that the mission has a strong mandate to protect civilians across Darfur. We are also vocal – both bilaterally and through the UN’s Security and Human Rights Councils – in urging all armed actors to address sexual and gender-based violence in Darfur. The UK played a significant role in the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2242 reflecting the importance of Women, Peace and Security-related issues for the UN family. Bilaterally, we have provided support to over 150 survivors of rape in Darfur and contributed to the successful prosecution of members of the police and armed forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran concerning the case of Kamal Foroughi.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are very concerned for Mr Foroughi’s health and have frequently raised this with the Iranian authorities, urging them to provide regular medical assistance and access to a lawyer. Iran does not recognise dual nationality, and so will not allow us consular access.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), personally raised this case with President Rouhani in Tehran, and also with Foreign Minister Zarif. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has written to President Rouhani about this case. On 1 December the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met Mr Foroughi’s family to discuss the case. We will continue to raise this with the Iranian government at every opportunity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark on 2015-11-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact on the criminal offence of breach of official duty as a result of the changes relating to the correction of procedural error made by the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2015.
Lord Dunlop
Northern Ireland Office Ministers took the decision to lay the Northern Ireland (Elections) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2015 on 30 October 2015, following discussions with Ministerial colleagues at the Cabinet Office. Northern Ireland Office officials began work on the Order in May 2015, although work was delayed by the department’s focus on the Northern Ireland Talks process. The Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland was advised of the impact of the proposed changes relating to procedural error by letter on 31 July 2015. The Chief Electoral Officer expressed support for the proposed content of the Order in meetings in June 2015. The Electoral Commission was consulted on the Order on 1 October 2015. As the Explanatory Memorandum to the Order sets out, there are significant differences in the systems operating in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and a one size fits all approach is not justified.