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  • – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom Ambassador to North Korea has raised with the authorities there the terms of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution (A/HRC/25/L.17) condemning long-standing and ongoing systematic

    Baroness Warsi

    We regularly raise concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic
    of Korea (DPRK) during our meetings with the DPRK authorities. We have raised the Commission of Inquiry report and will be raising the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (UNHRC) in our next meetings. The UK played a key role in ensuring a strong Resolution and will continue to work with partners to ensure the matter remains in the spotlight. It is unfortunate that some UNHRC members chose to either abstain or vote against the Resolution and, as we made clear in the UK statement at the time of the vote, we consider that doing so was a failure in their responsibility to help resolve the crisis and improve the lives of the North Korean people. Nevertheless, the resolution was passed with a significant majority and provides a solid platform for ongoing work in this area, not least through increased support for the Special Rapporteur. We are pleased that it includes a provision encouraging all states who have relations with the DPRK to use their influence to encourage the DPRK to take immediate steps to end all human rights violations. In our bilateral contacts with these states we will be encouraging them to act in accordance with this provision.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that officials in the North Korean Workers’ Party who were associated with Jang Song-thaek have been sentenced to death; and what recent representations the United Kingdom Ambassador to North Korea has made to the authorities there about the use of capital punishment, torture and political prison camps.

    Baroness Warsi

    We are aware of media reports that 200 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) government officials believed to be close Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in December 2013, have been sentenced to death. Personnel changes within various organisations suggest the purge of those related to Jang Song-thaek is continuing. However, the lack of transparency means we are unable to confirm what has happened to those who have been removed from their positions. The UK is appalled but not unsurprised by reports of executions in DPRK. During meetings with DPRK authorities we regularly raise concerns about the horrific human rights situation. Our Ambassador in Pyongyang raised these concerns during a meeting with a Vice-Minister from the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January and we have raised them with other officials in March.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of North Korea’s launch of two mid-range missiles, its statement that it would not rule out a new form of nuclear test for bolstering up its nuclear deterrence” and China’s decision to support the United Nations Security Council’s condemnation of those developments.”

    Baroness Warsi

    We are extremely concerned that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired two medium range missiles into the Sea of Japan, in a further clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. We are also concerned by the DPRK’s statement implying that they are considering further missile or nuclear tests.

    We urge the DPRK to comply with all of its obligations under relevant UNSCRs and to refrain from any further provocations that would only further destabilise the peninsula.

    We welcome China’s support in in the UN Security Council condemning North Korean provocations, and we encourage all countries to call on the DPRK to abide by its international obligations.

  • Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Alton of Liverpool – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report, Asbestos in Schools, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health; what assessment they have made of the view of the Committee on Carcinogenicity of the vulnerability of children to asbestos; what recent figures they have for the incidence of asbestos-related diseases in children and teachers; and when they intend to publish their response to the evidence submitted to their review of policy on asbestos management in schools.

    Lord Nash

    The Department for Education is currently reviewing its policy on asbestos management in schools and intends to publish the outcome of the review by the end of June.

    The scope of the review includes the conclusions of the Committee on Carcinogenicity’s statement on the relative vulnerability of children and the recommendations from the report “Asbestos in schools: the need for action” produced by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health. The Health and Safety Executive publishes figures on asbestos related deaths – including occupational information – on its website. We do not know of any figures detailing the incidence of asbestos related diseases in children.

  • Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Lord Lexden – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Lexden on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many super-injunctions on matters relating to libel or privacy are in place in Northern Ireland; and whether any have been granted since 1 January 2014.

    Baroness Randerson

    Libel and Privacy law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and is a matter for the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland.

  • Lord Myners – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Myners – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Myners on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance HM Treasury has given to the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority on the use of selective press briefing of unannounced policies or position statements on matters judged to be market price-sensitive.

    Lord Newby

    The Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are operationally independent of Government. HM Treasury does not issue them with operational guidance about how they should discharge their statutory duties.

  • Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote ethnic minority recruitment to the police.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    Improved diversity in policing is absolutely necessary to cut crime in a modern, diverse society, while building the trust and confidence of local
    communities. It is important police forces reflect the communities they serve. While progress has been made to increase diversity of the workforce, the Government has said that there is still more for forces to do.

    This Government’s reforms have already made improvements, for example we set up the College of Policing which has embarked on a major programme to improve the recruitment, retention and progression of black and minority ethnic officers. Locally Police and Crime Commissioners will ensure that the public’s priorities on crime and community safety are acted upon.

    The Home Office is actively engaged with the College and forces to ensure that this work is given appropriate priority and that learning, best practice and opportunities are identified and shared.

  • Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the safety of pedestrians.

    Baroness Kramer

    The Government has already taken a range of steps to improve and promote pedestrian safety, including making it easier for local authorities to implement 20 mile per hour zones and launching a new THINK! resource centre to help teachers educate children and teens on road safety.

    We will continue to work with delivery partners, including local authorities, to identify further opportunities for improving pedestrian safety.

    We welcome vehicle manufacturers developing autonomous emergency braking systems which can automatically detect pedestrians and, where necessary, apply the brakes.

  • Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in relation to tensions between North and South Korea following North Korea’s artillery shelling and detonation near the border between those countries.

    Baroness Warsi

    On 31 March 2014, during a pre-planned and pre-advised live-fire exercise, a small number of artillery shells from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea landed in waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea. The Republic of Korea military responded with its own artillery fire into waters on the northern side of the NLL. There were no reported casualties.

    We have been monitoring the situation closely and are in contact with international partners. The situation is currently calmer but tensions remain high. In a Written Ministerial Statement on 31 March, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), urged both sides to exercise restraint and not to retaliate further.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the influence of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and its impact on the region; and what action they plan to take to reverse that influence.

    Baroness Warsi

    The Government continues to analyse the full range of political and militant actors in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad. We have noted with concern Islamic Jihad’s growing involvement in attacks against Israel in 2014. We have called for the full implementation of the ceasefire of November 2012 between Palestinian militant factions and Israel.