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  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the tasks and role of the UK military personnel committed to service in Somalia.

    Earl Howe

    The UK currently has 27 military personnel deployed in Somalia. Of those, 25 personnel are supporting the UN and EU Missions, providing training, mentoring, and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and developing the Somali National Army. The purpose of those Missions is to counter the terrorist threat from Al Shabaab and to help strengthen security and stability within Somalia and the wider East Africa region. The 25 includes the first eight personnel committed by the Prime Minister to the UN in Somalia at the UN General Assembly session in September 2015. The total current UK deployment of 27 military personnel is completed by a Defence Attaché and Assistant Defence Attaché at the British Embassy in Mogadishu.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the tasks and role of UK military personnel committed to service in South Sudan.

    Earl Howe

    The UK currently has five military personnel deployed in South Sudan. Of those, four personnel serve as staff officers within the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and contribute to delivering the UNMISS mandate. The total current UK deployment is completed by a Defence Attaché at the British Embassy team in Juba. In addition, the UK is working with the UN on the details of a further UK military deployment to support UNMISS, following the Prime Minister’s commitment at the UN General Assembly session in September 2015.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they regard as the main objectives of the forthcoming autumn UN Peacekeeping Conference.

    Earl Howe

    The Secretary of State for Defence will host a UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial at Lancaster House in London on 8 September 2016. This is a follow-on event to the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by President Obama last September. The event will be an opportunity to take stock of progress made on pledges since last year, as well as to focus on how we can improve peacekeeping and on the role and participation of women in peacekeeping.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards the future of the European Youth Orchestra, and the role of the EU in its future.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    Last week the commission announced the continuation of the orchestra for a further year, until the end of 2016. British donors and foundations are prominent among its funders, reflecting the generosity of British philanthropy in the arts.

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparative analysis they have conducted of the number of children in privately operated children’s homes and those in other homes who become entangled in the criminal justice system, and what action they are taking as a result.

    Lord Nash

    As at 31 March 2015, there were 4,390 looked after children in privately operated children’s home provision[1] of which 60 were looked after under a youth justice legal status[2]. A further 2,180 children were looked after in children’s homes not run by private sector providers (e.g. local authority or voluntary sector provision) of which 20 were looked after under a youth justice legal status.

    The Government has asked Sir Martin Narey to undertake an independent review of children’s homes. As part of his review, Sir Martin will consider how to reduce any inappropriate criminalisation of children in children’s homes.

    [1] Includes children in secure, regulated and unregulated children’s homes.

    [2] Includes children remanded to local authority accommodation or to youth detention accommodation; children placed in local authority accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act; and those sentenced to a Youth Rehabilitation Order (Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, as amended by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, with residence or intensive fostering requirement).

  • Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Judd – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they have had with (1) the Howard League for Penal Reform, (2) The Children’s Society, (3) Barnardo’s, (4) the NSPCC, (5) other children’s charities, and (6) the police, about the number of children in care who become entangled in the criminal justice system, and what action they are taking to reduce that number.

    Lord Nash

    The Government remains committed to ensuring that children in care avoid criminality. As of 31 March 2015, there were 69,540 looked after children. Of the 31,820 10-17 year olds who had been in care for a year or more, 5% had been convicted of an offence or were subject to a final warning or reprimand (Department for Education Statistical First Release – 34/2015).

    To improve residential care, Sir Martin Narey has been asked to undertake an independent review of children’s homes. As part of this, Sir Martin will consider how to reduce any inappropriate criminalisation of children in children’s homes. As part of his review of the youth justice system, Charlie Taylor has consulted a wide range of organisations, including about children in care who offend. He will report this summer with recommendations on how to improve the treatment of young people in the youth justice system. The National Offender Management Service has also established a National Care Leavers’ Forum which brings together stakeholders from a range of internal and external bodies, including the Care Leavers’ Association.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about Palestinian refugees besieged by Government forces in Khan Eshieh near Damascus; and in particular, whether they intend to take action to press for a ceasefire to allow the evacuation of non-combatants, including women and children.

    Baroness Verma

    The UK is extremely concerned about the volatile situation in southern Damascus in recent weeks. We strongly condemn the indiscriminate attacks in the Khan Eshieh camp on 17 May 2016, killing five Palestinian refugees and a Syrian. We are particularly concerned by reports that the Khan Eshieh area has been placed under siege, blocking essential supplies from entering and risking the lives of thousands of civilians. We continue to call on all sides of the conflict, and their supporters, to respect and ensure respect for International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.

    The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might saves lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Khan Eshieh, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, though the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), we will continue to support the fulfilment of the cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access.

    The UK has given support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council to push for humanitarian access across Syria. As a core member of the International Syria Support Group we agreed with other members of 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered at least 25 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to southern Damascus.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the remit of the National Infrastructure Commission includes the provision of sufficient social and affordable housing.

    Baroness Williams of Trafford

    The National Infrastructure Commission will have a mandate to examine all sectors of economic infrastructure – including flood defences, energy, transport, water and sewage, waste and digital communications. While the Commission’s remit will not include housing supply directly, the Commission will consider the potential interactions between its infrastructure recommendations and housing supply.

  • Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of action being taken in Greece to (1) increase capacity for processing asylum applications, (2) speed up family reunion cases from Greece to all EU member states, and (3) improve reception and living conditions for refugees and migrants.

    Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

    We welcome the action that is being taken in Greece to: increase capacity for processing asylum applications; speed up family reunion cases from Greece to all EU member states; and improve reception and living conditions for refugees and migrants.

    The UK continues to support Greece and other Member States. As notified in my statement of 21 April, HCWS687, 75 UK expert personnel will be deployed to Greece to support implementation of the EU-Turkey Migration Agreement and will conduct a number of duties. A proportion of the UK expert personnel will work closely with European Asylum Support Officer (EASO) coordinators and the Greek Asylum Service to process cases through the admissibility process and provide expert support to the Greek authorities and other EU partners on overall co-ordination of the response. Supporting the operation of the Greek asylum service is a fundamental part of this Government’s approach to identifying individuals in need of protection at the earliest possible opportunity and ensuring they are identified as eligible for family reunification consideration under the terms of Dublin Regulation.

    This deployment is in addition to the support that we are already providing to the Greek asylum service. Two UK experts have already been deployed to the Greek Dublin Unit and have provided valuable assistance. A third was due to be deployed, however, EASO has informed us that support to the Greek Dublin Unit is currently at full complement. We stand ready to deploy further experts as soon as they are required. We are confident that through our cooperation and concerted joint efforts we can identify and facilitate the swift transfers of cases through our national systems and make effective use of the Dublin Regulation.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-23.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to ask the government of Ethiopia to release Andy Tsege following his alleged torture and sentencing to death without a court hearing, and if not, why not.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    The Government takes the detention and welfare of Mr Andargachew Tsege, who was transferred from Yemen and is imprisoned in Ethiopia, very seriously. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond), has raised Mr Tsege’s case with his Ethiopian counterpart over 20 times. The Minister for Africa, my Hon Friend, the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) has also raised the case, most recently on 8 January. Our focus has been on lobbying for Mr Tsege to have access to an independent lawyer who is able to advise him of his legal options. We believe that this is the best way to grant Mr Tsege the opportunity to resolve this case. Ministerial lobbying has already achieved the transfer of Mr Tsege to a normal federal prison and regular consular visits. We will continue to lobby the Ethiopian government until Mr Tsege is given access to a lawyer, and until our concerns about Mr Tsege’s case have been fully addressed.