Tag: Baroness Tonge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-04-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take to enable UNRWA to deliver urgent aid to Palestinian refugees trapped in Yarmouk camp in Damascus.

Baroness Verma

The UK is extremely concerned about the situation in Yarmouk camp in Syria, especially given intense fighting between Daesh and Al-Nusra Front in recent weeks. According to UNRWA, the intensified fighting has acutely aggravated shortages of food and clean water for the approximately 6000 civilians residing inside Yarmouk. We condemn in the strongest terms the grave crimes committed by Daesh and Al-Nusra Front against civilians in the camp, and continue to call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access to the area, and allow the safe passage and evacuation of civilians.

We welcome UNRWA’s efforts in protecting and assisting vulnerable Palestinian refugees. To date, the UK has allocated over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region.

The UK has given support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas and continue to use our position in the UN Security Council to push for humanitarian access to be granted to these areas. We are also part pf the International Syria Support Group that agreed at its meeting on 11 February that humanitarian access would be opened to a number of priority areas, including Yarmouk, as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered 21 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to 19,000 people in Yalda, Babella, Beit-Sahm, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they intend to make to ensure that decisions on follow-up and review of the World Health Organization’s report Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are fully integrated into the work of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum when following-up and reviewing the United Nations 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

Baroness Verma

The UK is fully engaged in the development of the follow up and review mechanisms for the United Nations High-Level Political Forum.

As these mechanisms become clearer we will promote alignment with the accountability processes for specific goals and themes in the 2030 Agenda, including the World Health Organization’s report: Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-06-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Home Office refused visas to two marathon runners from Palestine who were due to compete in the Derry Walled City marathon on 5 June.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

All applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with the Immigration Rules. In order to safeguard an individual’s personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel asking them to take financial responsibility for the territories they occupy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have no plans to make any representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take in the light of the call by the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities for international support to improve the living conditions of those living in Gaza and to lift the blockade.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK remains deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. As my hon friend the Minister of State Rory Stewart is new to his role, he is conducting a full examination of our work in the OPTs, including our support to Gaza. UK aid helps to provide basic services and support economic development in Gaza. The UK government continues to press for a sustainable political solution which will address Israel’s legitimate security concerns whilst opening up movement and access.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent polling of the views of parents on religious selection in state-funded schools.

Lord Nash

We are consulting on proposals to enable more high quality providers of schools to establish new schools and we are keen to hear the views of parents as part of the consultation. Many faith schools are successful and popular with parents and we want to provide sufficient high quality places to meet demand. We will take account of all the responses received when considering the government’s response to the consultation.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what distinction they draw in issuing visas between Israeli citizens who live in Israel and those who live in illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

All applications for visas, entry clearances and leave to enter at the border are considered against the criteria set out in the published Immigration Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules) regardless of the applicant’s nationality or where they live.

A variety of factors may be taken into account when considering the application, but that would depend upon the applicant’s personal circumstances and what they had applied to do in the UK.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to the urgent call from UN agencies for respect for health premises and the right to health care in Jerusalem for Palestinians after Israeli security forces stormed an East Jerusalem medical facility on 29 October.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not responded to this issue specifically, we are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv met Physicians for Human Rights on 9 November to discuss trends in human rights violations against medical staff. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions.

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 concerning the use of hollow-point bullets by the Israel Defence Forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. However, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv regularly raises UK concerns over the use of force, including lethal force, most recently on 19 November with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs and Public Security. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv also raised the issue of force with the Head of the Civil Department of the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Civil Department, on 24 November and the Israeli National Security Council on 18 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the IDF Fence that separates nursing ewes from their lambs at Qalqilyah in the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not discussed this specific incident with the Israeli authorities, we remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue of freedom of movement with Israeli National Security Advisor Cohen on 2 November. Our Consul-General in Jerusalem also raised this issue with the Mayor of Jerusalem on 28 October.