The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the appropriation of 234 hectares of Palestinian land near Jericho by Israel on 10 March.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a press statement on 16 March condemning the Israeli government’s decision to take over 585 acres of land in the West Bank as ‘state land’.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the demolition of the new school in Abu Nuwar (east of Jerusalem) which had been designed to increase the capacity of the existing school and kindergarten.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this particular demolition with the Israeli authorities. However our position is clear; demolitions cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and are (in all but the most exceptional of cases) contrary to international humanitarian law. We regularly raise the issue of demolitions with our Israeli counterparts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will respond to question HL6501, about trade with Israel, tabled on 26 February.
Lord Bridges of Headley
On 17 February, the Government published procurement guidance for public authorities that makes clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate and may be illegal outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government. It is general guidance for public authorities on contracting with suppliers from WTO countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of Syrian refugees scheduled for resettlement to the UK are located in refugee camps in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Lord Keen of Elie
We work closely with The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement according to agreed vulnerability criteria for the Syrian Resettlement Scheme. The scheme is based on need and supports those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin.
We cannot therefore provide long term forecasts relating to the location of refugees within the region but have agreed a timetable of referrals. Volumes will vary, it is therefore not possible to give a percentage figure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of internally displaced persons (1) in Iraq, (2) in Iraq who have returned to their homes, and (3) in Iraq who have left Iraq.
Baroness Verma
As of 28 March, the International Organisation for Migration estimates that there are just over 3.4 million Iraqis who have been displaced by fighting since January 2014. 547,600 individuals are reported to have returned to their homes. We do not hold information on the number of Internally Displaced Persons who have left Iraq because those people leaving Iraq include both IDPs and economic migrants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support efforts to demine areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government of Iraq is committed to stabilising areas which have been liberated from Daesh. This includes providing security, including through demining efforts, to enable civilians to return. The UK, along with our partners in the Global Coalition, is supporting the Government of Iraq to do this. This includes providing £2.5 million to the UN Development Programme’s stabilisation fund for Iraq, and £225,000 to the UN Mine Action Service to establish a unit to assess the problem and coordinate donor support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s humanitarian effort in Iraq has been transferred to partners and agencies working in Iraq.
Baroness Verma
Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. With the exception of emergency humanitarian supplies delivered by the UK to Iraq in summer 2014, all of this funding is delivered through UN agencies and NGO partners working in Iraq – including through those who have access to some of the most challenging areas. The Department for International Development does not provide any direct financial support to the Government of Iraq or Kurdistan Regional Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any shortfall in international humanitarian funding in Iraq; and what steps they are taking to address that.
Baroness Verma
The UN has launched an appeal for $861 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Iraq in 2016. According to the UN, as of 29 March 2016, the appeal is 15% funded.
Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, which allocates funding to the most urgent gaps in the humanitarian response in Iraq. DFID is assessing future support to Iraq through the Bilateral Aid Review process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Scriven on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision by NHS England not to provide Truvada on prescription as a pre-exposure prophylaxis in the treatment and prevention of HIV.
Lord Prior of Brampton
NHS England does not now consider pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is suitable for prioritisation of specialised commissioning spend as it is a preventative measure. However given the potential benefits in this area, NHS England is keen to build on the work to date and will be making available up to £2 million over the next two years to run a number of early implementer test sites. These will be undertaken in conjunction with Public Health England and will seek to answer the remaining questions around how PrEP could be commissioned in the most cost effective and integrated way to reduce HIV and sexually transmitted infections in those at highest risk.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market on 2016-03-22.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they envisage for town and parish councils in the new devolution deals.
Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Government is engaging with areas across the country to explore how devolution to neighbourhood level can enable more effective co-ordination and tailoring of services and engage communities in delivery and design of services. However, agreeing devolution deals is a bottom-up process – it is up to areas to determine the nature of devolution and the role of town and parish councils, as well as other local groups.