Tag: Baroness Tonge

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mr Tobias Ellwood, on 18 January (HC21629), what action they propose to take to prevent the forcible transfer of Bedouin in the West Bank by Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We continue to raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and the treatment of the Bedouin community. We have supported Bedouin communities in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to Rabbis for Human Rights and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) legal aid programme. This helps individuals challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. The NRC has successfully suspended demolitions and evictions so that Palestinians can remain in their homes in 99 per cent of the cases they represent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the light of the news that the HALO Trust has been granted approval to clear mines around the site of the baptism of Christ, what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel about clearing mines along the River Jordan that were laid during the 1967 war.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome the HALO Trust’s work in the West Bank and are pleased that the UK has provided support to this. We will continue to liaise with Israeli and Palestinian authorities on these activities. The British Government has not lobbied the Israeli government to clear mines laid in 1967 along the rest of Jordan River.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Clinical Commissioning Groups’ midwifery workforce planning has taken into consideration the impact on the workload of midwives of an increase in the number of older mothers.

Lord Prior of Brampton

At a national level, it is Health Education England’s (HEE) responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient future supply of staff, including midwives, to meet the workforce requirements of the English health system taking in to account issues such as demographic changes, for example, increases in older mothers.

The Workforce Plan is built upon the needs of local employers, providers, commissioners and other stakeholders who, as members of its Local Education Training Boards (LETBs), shape the 13 local plans.

The Workforce Plan is predominately an aggregate of the local LETB plans, but the final national plan is only agreed with the advice and input of its clinical advisory groups and Patients’ Advisory Forum, as well as the royal colleges and other stakeholders.

At a local level, it is ultimately the responsibility of National Health Service trusts, working with their clinical commissioning groups, to ensure they have sufficient staff on their wards with the right skills to treat patients in their care and this would include taking account of changes in patient condition profile, for example, any rise in non-communicable diseases, in their workforce planning.

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 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the level of collective punishment being imposed on Palestinians by both Jewish settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces, and in particular about the use of live fire in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the implementation of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as the occupying power, including the point that any use of force must be proportionate. Our Ambassador to Tel Aviv most recently raised our concerns on 26 October about the use of force, including live fire, with the Israeli Commander of Government Activities in the Territories, General Mordechai. Israel, like all countries, has a legitimate right to self-defence, and the right to defend its citizens from attack. But in doing so it is vital that all actions are in line with International Humanitarian Law.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the state of emergency declared by the Palestinian Red Crescent on 4 October.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not raised this issue specifically with the Israeli authorities, we are clear that medical staff should have the protection that allows them to do their jobs in safety. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority on the need to de-escalate the tensions.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the bulldozing of agricultural land owned by Palestinian farmers near the city of Nablus in the West Bank to open new roads to connect Jewish outposts and settlements south of the city.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not made any representations on this specific issue, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue of demolitions with the Israeli Ministry of Defence Director of Political-Military Affairs on 21 October. The British Government has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlement activity. The UK position is clear:- settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and take us further away from a two state solution.