Tag: Baroness Berridge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2016-04-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow, what action they are taking to restrict access to websites that espouse extremism in Pakistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The tragic murder of Asad Shah demonstrated the powerful influence of extremist online content. In the UK, the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) is responsible for the referral of terrorist-related content to online communication service providers (CSPs) for removal. Upon receipt of a referral, CSPs remove material on a voluntary basis where it breaches their terms and conditions.

Referrals made to CSPs by CTIRU have led to over 160,000 pieces of terrorist-related content being removed to date world-wide, including websites, user accounts and videos. Overall, removals at the request of CTIRU have increased from around 60 items a month in 2010, when CTIRU was first established, to over 4,000 a month in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2016-03-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the ongoing problems faced by the Yazidi community and children affected by the conflict in Iraq and Syria, they will reassess the criteria for eligibility for the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme and other UK resettlement schemes.

Lord Bates

Under the current scheme, only UNHCR registered Syrian refugees are eligible under the Syrian Resettlement Scheme, which has been expanded to resettle up to 20,000 during this Parliament. We work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement according to seven agreed vulnerability criteria for the Syrian Resettlement Scheme.

The Syrian Resettlement Scheme is operated in addition to our global resettlement schemes: Gateway and Mandate, which are not nationality specific.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Yazidis have been given asylum in the UK under (1) the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme, (2) the Gateway Protection Programme, and (3) the Mandate Refugee Scheme, in the last six months.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We continue to work closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to identify appropriate cases that they deem in need of resettlement for the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, the Gateway Protection Programme and the Mandate Refugee Scheme.

Statistics on arrivals under each of these schemes are published in the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The next set of statistics will be in the quarterly release on 26 May 2016 and will cover the period January – March 2016. We do not publish a breakdown of these statistics by religion or ethnicity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2016-04-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to respond to anti-Ahmadiyya hate literature in the UK in the light of recent reports that leaflets endorsing the execution of Ahmadi Muslims were found in Stockwell Green mosque on 10 April.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

Religiously motivated hate crime and hate speech has absolutely no place in British society. This Government is clear that everybody should be free to live their lives free from fear of attack simply because of what their beliefs are, and that tragic events such as the recent murder of Asad Shah in Glasgow will not be tolerated. We have a strong legal framework in place against discrimination on the basis of religion, and criminal penalties for offences such as racially or religiously aggravated assault and criminal damage. Those who perpetrate hate crimes of any kind will be punished with the full force of the law. This Government has done more than any other to tackle anti-Muslim hatred. As of 1 April 2016, police forces in England and Wales are disaggregating religious hate crime data to reveal the true scale and nature of the problem. The Government also plans to publish its new Hate Crime Action Plan in the summer, which will set out our approach to tacking all forms of hate crime, including Islamophobia. This will build on the success of ‘Challenge It, Report It, Stop It’, which was published in 2012 and updated subsequently in 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the security situation in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is grave. Outside the capital Bangui, violence, looting, road-blocks, hostage-taking and human rights abuses continue to occur with relative impunity.

The security situation in Bangui is more stable than the rest of the country, having improved following the surge in violence in late September, but tensions still run high and we continue to advise against all travel to CAR.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the United Kingdom contributes to the cost of the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK contributes £23.2 million for the financial year 2014/15, and a projected £33.02 million for the financial year 2015/16, to the UN Peacekeeping Budget for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). These are assessed (i.e. mandatory) contributions which are based on funding a fixed percentage of MINUSCA’s budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the need for funds to enable the disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration of those perpetrating violence in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) is essential to create the conditions for stability and security in the Central African Republic (CAR). The UN peacekeeping force in CAR, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), is the lead on DDR work in CAR. The UK works closely with MINUSCA to ensure it provides adequate support to CAR authorities to launch DDR in CAR.

MINUSCA has budgeted $28 million for a DDR programme aimed at what they expect will amount to 3,500 ex-Seleka fighters in total and 1,500-3,500 dependants. Through the UK’s contribution to MINUSCA, we support this vital work on pushing DDR forward in CAR.

MINUSCA is currently in the pre-DDR phase, preparing for the launch of DDR. This entails a sensitisation process/education process for former combatants who will take part in DDR.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Berridge on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Central African Republic should be included in the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Work in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been an important part of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in recognition of the large role that sexual violence has played in the conflict in CAR which has included the sexual abuse of women and children, sexual slavery and rape. This work has, to date, been primarily carried out through our work with the African Union (AU). Since the launch of the initiative, the UK has provided £1.3 million to support the AU’s Gender Peace and Security Programme. This includes the deployment of sexual violence experts that were deployed to the CAR in 2014. These experts provided support to victims in the districts of Paoua, Kaga-Bandoro and Bambar. This Programme also supported the AU’s Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, Madame Bineta Diop. We are working with the AU to build on this deployment and increase AU capacity to carry out similar deployments in the future.