The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Earl of Shrewsbury on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Environment Agency intends to publish a Waste Crime Report for 2013–14; and if so, when that report will be published.
Lord De Mauley
The Environment Agency is currently finalising its plans to publish waste crime and other data for 2013-14.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the human rights situation of Yazidi women in areas of Iraq controlled by ISIS.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government continues to condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) against all communities throughout the areas under its control. We are working closely with the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can.
The human rights situation for many living in areas under ISIL control is gravely concerning, including for Yezidi women. We have received reports, including a recently published Amnesty International report, of the ordeal faced by these women and others abducted by ISIL including rape, sexual abuse, forced marriage, forced conversion and women being sold as slaves. Through the Department for International Development we are funding activities to protect vulnerable civilians including through legal assistance and support groups for women. We continue to explore what further support we might be able to provide to vulnerable groups and internally displaced persons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Ukraine about the humanitarian situation in Eastern Ukraine and the role of pro-Kiev volunteers in that region.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The humanitarian situation in Ukraine is regularly raised by British Ministers and officials. Our Ambassador to Ukraine wrote to Prime Minister Yatseniuk on 14 January 2015 to express the UK’s concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the subsequent unrest in the eastern regions. He underlined UK support towards mitigating the humanitarian impacts of the situation in the Donbas. We are very concerned by reports from organisations such as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International on the actions of certain pro-Kyiv battalions operating in the eastern regions, who have allegedly been involved in abuses including abductions, unlawful detention and ill-treatment. Embassy officials have raised our concerns with the Ukrainian President’s Office and we will continue to call on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that independent investigations take place into all serious allegations of violations, whether by the pro-Kyiv forces or the separatists.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Pakistan about the proposed resumption of the use of the death penalty in Pakistan; and what is their assessment of the use of the death penalty in Pakistan.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have consistently pressed the Government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We fully understand Pakistan’s resolve to protect society from terrorism but there is no conclusive evidence that capital punishment is an effective deterrent. The UK remains opposed to the death penalty in all cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the state of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia; whether they have raised with the government of Saudi Arabia the sentence of 1,000 lashes against Raif Badawi; and whether the European Commission has made any representations in the case of Raif Badawi.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed to freely discuss and debate issues, peacefully challenge their governments, exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur. We have raised a range of human rights issues with the Saudi authorities including the right to freedom of expression. We are seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon.Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has raised the matter with the Saudi Ambassador. We have previously raised the case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities. Our embassy in Riyadh has supported two EU demarches on the Saudi government about this case.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the human rights situation in Nigeria; and whether they have offered any assistance to the government of Nigeria in connection with the terrorist threat by Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Over the last year, Boko Haram insurgents have committed widespread human rights abuses across north east Nigeria. These have included bombings, killings, abductions and sexual violence. A number of non-governmental organisations have also reported that human rights violations have been committed by the Nigerian Security Forces during their fight against Boko Haram. We have made clear to the Nigerian authorities at all levels that, while we support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, we do not condone human rights violations.
We are providing a substantial package of UK military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria to help its fight against Boko Haram. This includes training and advice to Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram, intelligence support and assistance to the Nigerians in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Armenia about the detention and trial of Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Askerov; and whether they recognise as legitimate Armenian court procedures in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK has not made any representations to the Government of Armenia about the detention of Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Askerov in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, we have discussed this case with the International Committee of the Red Cross who are able to access Nagorno-Karabakh and have visited the detainees several times. The UK does not recognise the so-called ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’ and therefore does not recognise the legal framework or Court proceedings in question.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date they expect to be able to invite (1) local authorities, and (2) national organisations, to apply for (a) funding to boost voter registration, and (b) funding for wider voter registration activities.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
I refer the noble peer to the answer I gave on 20 January, Official Report, Column WA299.
The Government will outline further detail about the use of the funding in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Framlingham on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to insist on the implementation of audit trails for all trees imported into the United Kingdom to enable them to be easily traced if necessary.
Lord De Mauley
The Government takes a risk-based approach to prioritise action on plant and tree pests and pathogens to improve resilience. We have produced, working with stakeholders from across industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the public, a prioritised plant health risk register of 750 known pests and diseases.
On that basis and where appropriate we have acted to introduce movement restrictions or requirements for importers to notify incoming consignments of particular species, for example for ash, oak, plane, sweet chestnut, pine and elm.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Framlingham on 2015-01-15.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are investigating the possibility of establishing a statutory quarantine system for all trees imported into the United Kingdom.
Lord De Mauley
The Government takes a risk-based approach to prioritise action on plant and tree pests and pathogens to improve resilience. We have produced, working with stakeholders from across industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the public, a prioritised plant health risk register of 750 known pests and diseases.
On that basis and where appropriate, we have acted to introduce movement restrictions or requirements for importers to notify incoming consignments of particular species – for example for ash, oak, plane, pine, elm and sweet chestnut.
We are also funding new research to ensure that we have a robust evidence base regarding the pests and diseases that could threaten our trees and plants.