Tag: Baroness Tonge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding reports of the confiscation and sinking of fishing boats by Israeli forces in the past three months.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Government of Israel, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have expressed our concern previously over the Israel Defence Forces’ use of live fire against fishermen and also about the confiscation of their boats.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding (1) night raids of Palestinian refugee camps in Area A of the West Bank, (2) the number of injuries to the youth in that camp as a result of those raids, and (3) reports that the Israeli commander responsible for the Dheisheh area threatened to disable the Palestinian youth living there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not made specific representations to the Israeli authorities over these issues.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-10-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following the interception of the Zaytouna-Oliva in international waters by Israel and its rerouting to the port of Ashdod.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have no plans to take any action over this issue. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Gaza including the waters off Gaza. We also advise British Nationals against participating in flotillas or overland convoys to Gaza because of the risks involved.

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 the repatriation of Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this specific issue, we continue to be clear with both sides that there must be a just, fair and agreed settlement for refugees as part of a negotiated two-state solution.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the undercover raid by Israeli armed forces on a hospital in Hebron, resulting in the death of a relative of the suspect.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, 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 action they have taken to ensure that local authorities do not enter into contracts with companies that also work in countries that they believe are breaking, or have broken, international law and the Geneva Convention.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 impose a legal obligation on public authorities when awarding contracts above certain thresholds to treat EU and GPA suppliers equally. Decisions on sanctions for breaking international law and the Geneva Convention are for the Government’s foreign policy, and it is inappropriate and illegal for local authorities in some cases to prejudice suppliers on the basis of their "beliefs". This policy has been in place for many years under successive governments.

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 its plan to strip Jerusalem residency rights from Palestinians in the wake of recent violence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We make clear our concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem, including on Palestinian residency rights, to the Israeli authorities and the Municipality of Jerusalem, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. Our Consul-General to Jerusalem raised this issue most recently with the Mayor of Jerusalem on 28 October 2015.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they have made to Israel’s reported decision to reject recommendation 13 of UNICEF’s report Children in Israeli Military Detention: Observations and Recommendations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and our Ambassador in Tel Aviv have spoken and written to the Israeli Justice Minister and Israeli Attorney General to urge Israel to take action on the report. While we welcome recent improvements made by the Israeli authorities, we remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention. We will continue to raise these concerns with the Government of Israel to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained. We are also funding a further visit in February for the authors of the independent report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for International Development, Mr Desmond Swayne on 10 February (HC25684) on recent demolitions by the Israeli authorities of properties funded by the EU and international donors, what action they intend to take in response.

Baroness Verma

We have discussed the recent demolitions in South Hebron with our EU counterparts. The EU is proposing to reassess their position on seeking compensation from the Israeli Government in the context of the ongoing structured dialogue. The UK government remains extremely concerned by reports that there have been nearly 300 demolitions since the start of 2016, representing more than a trebling of demolitions compared to the monthly average in 2015. The Embassy in Tel Aviv have recently raised demolitions with the Israeli authorities and will continue to raise this at the political level.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made in providing safe abortion for women who are raped in conflict situations.

Baroness Verma

Women and girls raped in conflict situations need access to a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health services. The UK funds partners to deliver such services. For example, we are working with agencies such as UNFPA to provide essential sexual and reproductive health care within our humanitarian responses, including in Ukraine and Syria. We encourage other donors and partner agencies to increase provision of sexual and reproductive health services including full implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP). These may include access to safe abortion services as set out in our policy paper on safe and unsafe abortion.

The Secretary of State made a commitment at the UN General Assembly in 2015 that in humanitarian crises, DFID calls for proposals will require the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls to be considered. We are working with our partners to operationalise this commitment.