The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-04-28.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to review the laws relating to surrogacy.
Lord Prior of Brampton
The Government has no current plans to review the legislation relating to surrogacy but is keeping this issue under consideration.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-05-04.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on charities operating in Gaza of the freezing of financial transfers to them owing to the orders of the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian banks.
Baroness Verma
The UK remains supportive of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) efforts to strengthen its revenue generation. A transparent and effective tax system is an important part of this. It is also important that the tax system is implemented in a way that does not negatively impact the vital role which NGO’s play in responding to the needs of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is an importtant part of this.
DFID officials have raised concerns with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) about this, particularly the need for clarity on the implications of the tax system for NGOs, and how this could affect issues such as operations in Gaza and banking signatory authorities. The UK, along with other donors, UN OCHA and the NGO community, will continue to be in close contact with PA to clarify their approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-05-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 April (HL7413), how the pre-approved EU list of named civil servants is approved, and by whom; and how that process is subject to independent auditing, and by whom.
Baroness Verma
The UK uses the EU PEGASE mechanism to earmark funds to payment of vetted PA civil servants and pensioners. The list of PEGASE Direct Financial Support eligible beneficiaries is determined each month by Deloitte auditors on the basis of the EU eligibility criteria. The list of approved recipients is subject to a vetting process that includes screening against international (including Israeli) ad hoc sanctions lists.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-05-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have given any consideration to suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority in the light of its decision to transfer over £85 million a year to the Palestine Liberation Organisation for the purpose of paying salaries to convicted terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
Baroness Verma
DFID is currently reviewing all its programmes following the publication of the updated Official Development Assistance strategy last year. DFID provides financial support to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to help deliver peace and support progress towards a two state solution. DFID funding helps build Palestinian institutions and promotes economic growth so that any future Palestinian state will be a prosperous and effective partner for peace. UK funding to the PA is for vetted civil servants only.
The PA has reaffirmed that prisoner payments are administered by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. We continue to lobby that the payments to prisoner’s families are more transparent and needs-based.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-06-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 11 May (HL8116), whether the Deloitte auditors who determine the eligible Palestinian beneficiaries under the PEGASE mechanism are regulated by any British regulator.
Baroness Verma
Deloitte is a registered audit firm that employs certified public accountants who conduct their assignment in compliance with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority concerning incitement to violence in the light of the Palestinian Ministry of Health referring to Nashat Milhem as one of the dearest martyrs”.”
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our Consul-General in Jerusalem met the Palestinian Minister of Health on 21 January and strongly condemned the language used in the statement.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-06-06.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 25 April (HL7413), whether the independent auditor of UK payments to the Palestinian Authority that are channelled through a trust fund administered by the World Bank is regulated by any British regulator.
Baroness Verma
Deloitte is a registered audit firm that employs certified public accountants who conduct their assignment in compliance with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-01-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority concerning the alleged torture by Hamas of the Palestinian journalist Ayman al-Aloul, and respect for press freedoms.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
While we have not raised this issue with the Palestinian Authority, we are clear that journalists should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Freedom of the media is an important principle of human rights .
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-06-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Decision on health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory adopted at the 69th World Health Assembly, whether they will bring forward resolutions at the Assembly concerning people in urgent need of health care in Yemen and attacks on medical facilities in Syria.
Baroness Verma
Tackling emergency healthcare needs in Yemen is absolutely critical. According to the United Nations, more than 14 million people lack access to basic healthcare in Yemen in 2016 and 2.1 million women and children are malnourished, of which an estimated 320,000 are severely malnourished children. We are currently focussed on helping to meet those needs and have no plans for a resolution at this stage. Since January 2015, UK assistance has helped provide healthcare to more than 120,000 Yemenis and improved sanitation for over 650,000 people.
In Syria, it is unacceptable that parties to the conflict continue to carry out flagrant human rights violations, indiscriminate attacks against densely populated areas and targeting of civilian infrastructure. We are particularly concerned by continued attacks against health facilities and personnel, with only 40 percent of public hospitals reported as functioning.
The UK has consistently supported the need for accurate reporting and accountability for the atrocities that have been committed in Syria. The UN Secretary General and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, already provides monthly reports to the UN Security Council on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law inside Syria. These updates include detailed reports on attacks on medical facilities.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Deech on 2016-02-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 2 February about private representations to Saudi Arabia concerning the number of executions (HL Deb, col 1580), and the Written Answer on 1 February (HL5108) regarding private representations made to the Palestinian Minister of Health concerning incitement to violence, and in the light of their public statements condemning Israeli settlement policy, what criteria they use to determine whether criticisms of foreign governments should be made in public or in private.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government makes decisions about how to deal with different situations on the basis of how it believes it can best achieve its objectives. It therefore uses different approaches in different circumstances.