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Tag: Baroness Tonge

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-03-27.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with their European partners concerning whether Israeli security personnel convicted of violating human rights law in the West Bank should be refused free visas in line with the policy of the United States State Department.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    We have had no such discussions with EU partners. Israeli nationals coming to the UK as a visitor for less than six months do not require a visa. All other routes, will need a visa before travelling, where the usual rules, including fees and checks will be applied.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the Palestinian footballers, Adam and Johar Halabiya, who were reportedly arrested without charge at the Jordan and West Bank border, following their hospital treatment for gunshot wounds.

    Baroness Warsi

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have spoken to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on the issue. The IDF have informed us that Adam and Johar Halabiya were transferred to Jordan for medical treatment and that the IDF approved their continued treatment during detention. Upon their release from the hospital, they were arrested on a terrorism-related charge.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the reported armed ambush and killing of Yusef a-Shawamreh in the West Bank in March.

    Baroness Warsi

    The Government has not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities over this specific case. We have, however, raised our concerns over the increasing number of deaths of Palestinians by the Israel Defence Forces.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning thereported destruction of fruit trees belonging to the Tent of Nations farm outside Nahalin village on 4 May; and whether they intend to encourage the payment of compensation.

    Baroness Warsi

    We have not raised this specific issue, including compensation, with the Israeli authorities. However, we repeatedly make clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concerns about continued demolitions of Palestinian property and the need to abide by their other obligations under international law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the issue of demolitions in general on 28 May with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning recent reports of violence and racist graffiti by settlers in the village of Kifl Haris, during a religious ceremony.

    Baroness Warsi

    An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised our concerns over settler attacks with the Israeli National Security Council in early March.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-04.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning reports of two Palestinian youths killed by live fire, and one critically injured, during the Nakba Day demonstration.

    Baroness Warsi

    Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised the use of lethal force in this case with both the Israel Defence Force and the Israeli Border Police on 16 May.

    On 21 May, the local EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah issued a local statement expressing deep concern about the deaths of two Palestinian youths on 15 May in the West Bank and emphasising the importance of such incidents being investigated thoroughly. They reiterated the need for security forces, whether Israeli or Palestinian, to refrain from the use of lethal force, except in cases where there is a real and imminent threat to life.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-03.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to preserve Palestinians’ rights to worship at their own holy sites within Jerusalem.

    Baroness Warsi

    We regularly urge the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law as an occupying power in East Jerusalem, including with regard to the protection of holy sites. We will continue to raise with the Israeli authorities our concerns over restrictions on movement and access and the Separation Barrier that limits access for Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza to holy sites in Jerusalem.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had regarding the compatibility of Brunei’s human rights policies with the human rights values of the Commonwealth Charter, and with whom.

    Baroness Warsi

    We, along with the EU and other members of the international community, regularly discuss human rights with the Bruneian authorities. During Brunei’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 2 May, we called on Brunei to lift its state of emergency, to establish a national human rights institution and to ensure that the implementation of their new sharia criminal code was in line with international human rights standards. This includes the Commonwealth Charter which commits members to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I discussed this with His Majesty The Sultan, and other government figures during a visit to Brunei in April. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for East Devon also raised our concerns with Brunei’s Deputy Foreign Minister Pehin Kunis on 12 June. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), raised this with the Bruneian Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting on 6 May. The Secretary of State for Health, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), discussed this with his opposite number at a Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting on 18 May 2014.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-04-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the perpetration of forced marriage becoming a criminal offence later in 2014, they have any plans to increase funding to United Kingdom charities helping victims of forced marriage and honour-based abuse.

    Lord Taylor of Holbeach

    The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have collectively ring-fenced nearly £40 million of stable funding up to 2015 for specialist local support services and national help lines to tackle violence against women.

    The Forced Marriage Unit has also allocated £150,000 to the domestic programme fund, which supports local forced marriage-related projects in the UK.

    We keep funding for the provision of national services under review. Decisions on how best to fund local services for victims of forced marriage are a local matter and it is the responsibility of the Local Authorities to identify any gaps in service provision and put in place appropriate solutions to address this.

  • Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Baroness Tonge – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-10.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what current and future non-core funding they provide or plan to provide to (1) the United Nations Population Fund, (2) the International Planned Parenthood Federation, (3) Marie Stopes International, and (4) Women and Children First UK.

    Baroness Northover

    Marie Stopes International (MSI) currently receives non-core funding of approximately £41.5m for 2014-15, with future non-core funding estimated at £37.5m for 2015-16. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) does not currently receive non-core funding from DFID. Women and Children First UK currently receive non-core funding of £246,101 over three years from 2014 – 2016. Women and Children First UK have also been provisionally approved for a second grant worth £249,842 over three years from 2014 – 2017 through the Global Poverty Action Fund, pending successful completion of pre-grant assessment.

    During financial year 2013-14, DFID provided non-core funding of £100m to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The non-core component was made up of 20 contributing programmes which will each undergo annual reviews to assess performance and determine future funding. Any proposals for new funding undergo a comprehensive business case process. Therefore it is not possible to give figures for future non-core payments.