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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for providing unmonitored mobile and internet communications to the people of North Korea as a contribution to breaking that country’s information blockade.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The provision of mobile and electronic communications are strictly controlled by the North Korean government. Supplying the population with mobile and internet equipment would require the consent and cooperation of the regime. Establishing an alternative system without the agreement of the North Korea government could be viewed as a violation of local laws; all our Missions overseas must abide by the law of their host countries and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We regularly raise human rights concerns and freedom of expression.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether any North Korean banks or businesses have direct or indirect access to the UK’s financial system, and whether any UK banks provide financial services to (1) North Korean individuals or entities, or (2) any third-party banks or entities that have engaged with North Korean individuals or entities engaged in sanctionable conduct.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

In 2006 the United Nations imposed restrictions on a range of goods from entering or leaving North Korea and imposed a travel ban and asset freeze against those persons designated as persons who engage in or provide support for North Korea’s nuclear-related, other weapons of mass destruction related and ballistic missile-related programmes. These restrictions were implemented in the EU in 2007, and have subsequently been expanded by the EU.

The EU regulation prohibits financial institutions establishing new correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions if there are reasonable grounds to believe that this could contribute to North Korea’s nuclear-related, other weapons of mass destructions related or ballistic missile-related programmes.

HM Treasury is responsible for implementing these financial sanctions in the UK. Failing to comply with financial sanctions is a criminal offence and HM Treasury works closely with law enforcement to ensure breaches of sanctions are dealt with appropriately.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase funding for human rights projects in North Korea, and what was the total UK funding for such work between 30 September 2013 and 8 October 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We will be assessing future human rights projects for the next year under the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, considering carefully the practicalities of delivering human rights projects in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the need to calibrate our approach in light of the recent nuclear test.

We use our bilateral programme to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in DPRK society with a wide range of humanitarian projects. This includes improving food and nutrition for people in rural areas, funding equipment for the disabled, and support for children affected by the recent floods in Rason. The total value of spending under our bilateral programme budget between 30 September 2013 and 8 October 2015 was £510,029.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking on behalf of enslaved Yazidi women who have been sold on to other Islamic countries; what assessment they have made of the countries to which such women have been transported; and what plans they have to help recover those women from those countries, in particular Turkey.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In the last few years, the UK has led the world on tackling sexual violence in conflict, working with international partners such as the UN, EU and Red Cross. In the Middle East, we are supporting vulnerable women and girls through our role in the international humanitarian relief effort. The more than £1.1 billion we are providing in response to these crises is the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

Turkey makes a critical contribution to the international campaign against Daesh as a key member of the Global Coalition, including by co-chairing the Coalition’s Foreign Terrorist Fighters working group. It continues to take steps to tackle smuggling into and out of Daesh-controlled territory across its border with Syria.

Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians, including Yazidi women, from Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no safe haven has been established for Yazidis and Assyrian Christians, Mandaeans, and Shabaks; when they last raised the failure to make such provision with their international partners; and what assistance they have given to those minorities to better provide for their self-defence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The British Government agrees that there is an urgent need to protect civilians in Syria and Iraq. However, for safe zones to be effective they must be truly safe. That would require an international mandate and a significant commitment of boots on the ground. Turkey has promoted the idea of safe havens along the border in northern Syria. However, all such previous proposals have foundered on the question of who will provide the defensive air cover, given the presence of a very sophisticated Syrian air defence system, and now the presence of Russian air-to-air offensive capability in the area. The priority remains an end to the violence and full, unhindered access for humanitarian agencies, so civilians can escape the fighting and aid can get through to save lives in the worst affected areas. Britain continues to lead the way in helping those suffering from the humanitarian crisis. The best way of safeguarding minority rights in the region is by defeating Daesh and establishing peace and stability in the region. The UK has been at the forefront of these efforts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why none of the Yazidi women who have escaped following enslavement by ISIS have been given refuge in the UK.

Lord Bates

We recognise the plight faced by vulnerable women and girls in the region, and particularly Yazidi women who have escaped following enslavement by ISIS. That is why we have funded the establishment of three community centres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which provide them with psychosocial and legal support, and the provision of two UN technical experts who will continue to improve the coordination of the humanitarian response to gender based violence in Iraq. Through the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, we are also providing life-saving maternal and child health-care, child protection services, and specialised support for escapees of Daesh terror.

We plan to continue to resettle Iraqi refugees currently in Syria under the Gateway programme and will consider any Yazidi cases that are referred by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as part of that caseload. We are also prioritising the most vulnerable refugees through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement, under which UNHCR is mandated to identify and refer cases for potential resettlement using its established vulnerability criteria, which include women and girls at risk.