Tag: Baroness Tonge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment has been made of the access to clean drinking water and adequate water supplies for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories.

Baroness Verma

Water and sanitation facilities in Gaza are declining. Demand for water exceeds supply by nearly four times and 96% of extracted water currently fails WHO safety standards. 40% of Gaza’s population receive just 5-8 hours of water every 3 days. In the West Bank the Joint Water Committee has not met for a number of years, which continues to stall agreement of water projects. In the West Bank, there are reports of reduced water supplies in large parts of the West Bank during Ramadan.

UK officials are in regular dialogue with Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), the UN, World Bank, EU and other development actors on energy and water issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to press both parties to reconvene the Joint Water Committee to facilitate approval of projects that will improve Palestinian access to water. Through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, DFID has invested up to £1.24m to help vulnerable rural farmers in Area C and improve irrigation efficiency by rehabilitation of water systems. The UK supports partners such as the UN Works and Relief Agency, who provide basic services and repair water infrastructure in Gaza. Through the Climate Action for Middle East and North Africa programme, DFID has provided €600,000 to develop project preparation documents for the Gaza Desalination Plant.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Israel following reports that Israeli forces prevented an ambulance from taking an injured person from Fawwar refugee camp on 16 August.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not made representations to the Israeli authorities over this specific issue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s total overseas development aid was spent on sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health in (1) 2013, (2) 2014, and (3) 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Department of International Development spent 12.4% of its official development assistance on sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in each year 2013 and 2014. Data for 2015 is not yet published.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-10-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning (1) the status of, and (2) the distribution of water resources from, the Golan Heights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

​The UK regularly raises the issue of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether their plans to introduce rules to stop local councils from taking boycott or divestment initiatives in relation to Israel are compatible with their guidance on overseas business risk in Israel recognising the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Cabinet office will shortly issue guidance that reminds public authorities of their international obligations when letting public contracts. Foreign policy is not a matter for local authorities. The guidance will make clear that boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate and may be illegal, outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions that have been put in place by the Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that Israeli vehicles entered the northern Gaza Strip near Jabalia and created earth mounds to prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their land.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not made representations on this specific issue, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv discussed the need to create economic sustainability in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Public Security and Information on 19 November. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv also discussed the issue of access to Gaza with the Head of the Civil Department of the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) on 24 November. During this meeting we welcomed the indefinite continuation of permissions for agricultural exports to Israel and the lifting of restrictions on exporting textiles, furniture and scrap metal to Israel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the 38 herding communities located in West Bank areas that have been designated by the Israeli authorities as closed for military training zones.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not made representations on these specific issues to the Israeli authorities. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and settlement-building.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding its use of administrative detention.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should only be used when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees. We have raised these concerns with the Israeli authorities on many occasions, including at Foreign Minister, Attorney General and National Security Adviser levels. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the matter of the use of administrative detention on 3 November 2015 with Israeli officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allowing Mohammed Al -Qeeq to transfer to a hospital in Ramallah from Afula Hospital; and what further representations they plan to make concerning the use of torture in Israeli prisons.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not made any representations on this specific case, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv are following this case and those of the other hunger strikers closely and have spoken to Amnesty International about them. Officials from our Consulate General in Jerusalem maintain a dialogue with the relevant Palestinian organisations about the condition of the hunger strikers. The EU in Jerusalem recently issued a local statement on administrative detentions, including the case of Mr Al Qeeq. We have been informed that Mr al-Qeeq is in a stable condition and has not been forced-fed as alleged.

We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We also have concerns about mistreatment of Palestinian detainees and about Israel’s respect of its obligations in this regard as an Occupying Power under applicable international law. We have raised concerns over treatment of Palestinian detainees with the Israeli authorities on many occasions, including at Foreign Minister, Attorney General and National Security Adviser levels.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action the Prime Minister intends to take regarding the continued construction of the illegal settlements in the West Bank following his comments that those settlements are genuinely shocking” and an “infringement into Palestinian lives and land”.”

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We will continue to raise our objections to settlements with the Israeli government. On 18 February during his visit to Israel, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), discussed the issue of settlement with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating the UK’s position.