Tag: Baroness Tonge

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to promote the education of United Kingdom citizens about the events of 1948 in Palestine.

Lord Nash

The new national curriculum for history, to be taught in maintained schools in England from September 2014, requires that 11-14 year olds be taught about the challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world from 1901 to the present day. This can cover Britain’s place in the world since 1945, including the events of 1948 in Palestine. It is for schools to decide what to teach and how to teach it. In accordance with Section 407 of the Education Act 1996, we would expect that the teaching of any issue in schools be consistent with the principles of balance and objectivity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

Baroness Warsi

The British Government still sees negotiations towards a two state solution as the best way to meet the national aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians and lead to a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state, living in peace and security alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Bahrain concerning the number of children who have been arrested there since 2011.

Baroness Warsi

Our Embassy in Manama has raised the rates of imprisonment of young people with the Ministry of the Interior and senior members of the Government of Bahrain on several occasions. This included supporting the decision by the Ombudsman’s Office of the Ministry of the Interior to investigate fully concerns about the imprisonment of children set out by human rights non-governmental organisations last year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take to support access to Israeli courts for Palestinian civilian victims of military or settler violence.

Baroness Warsi

The British Government provides funding through our Conflict Pool for the Israeli non-governmental organisation Yesh Din to provide legal aid to victims of settler violence. We do not currently have plans to expand this support to those affected by Israeli military actions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government with whom they have had discussions about including Millennium Development Goal 5b in the World Health Organisation’s draft health goal for the post-2015 framework.

Baroness Northover

The UK Government has had discussions with a broad range of interested parties about the importance of including universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in the post-2015 framework, recognising the unfinished business of MDG5b on universal access to reproductive health. These parties include other national governments, international organisations and NGOs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the United States’ Secretary of State’s prediction that Israel risks becoming an apartheid state.

Baroness Warsi

The British Government has made no assessment of this issue. A negotiated two-state agreement remains the only way to resolve the conflict.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to advocate the inclusion of Millennium Development Goal 5b in the World Health Organisation’s draft health goal for the post-2015 framework.

Baroness Northover

As we have already made clear, the UK supports a target to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. Language on this is included in the most recent draft goals and targets list released by the co-chairs of the Open Working Group (OWG) on 2 June.

The final targets in the post-2015 development framework will however be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take, other than increasing the aid budget, to reduce food insecurity and unemployment in the Gaza Strip.

Baroness Northover

UK support to Gaza includes providing food vouchers to 5,750 households. Our support provides work and an income to 5,300 vulnerable refugees in Gaza, and short term placements to boost the skills and employability of around 1,000 refugee women. We provide long term, predictable support to UNRWA’s General Fund, around 33% of which is spent in Gaza. Our support to the UN Access Coordination Unit helps 24 UN agencies and 90 INGOs get aid and goods into Gaza. Through our programme we are also helping to develop the Palestinian private sector. Movement and access restrictions prevent sustainable recovery of the Palestinian economy, so we continue to press the Government of Israel to ease those restrictions and allow the export of goods from Gaza to Israel and transfers to the West Bank.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-06-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with their European partners with regard to listing Israeli settler groups such as Hilltop Youth as terrorist groups, following the United States State Department’s description of recent settler acts of violence as terrorist incidents.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

We do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.

A decision to proscribe an organisation must be based on a belief that it is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000, and it must be proportionate.

The list of proscribed terrorist organisations can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301777/ProscribedOrganisationsApril14.pdf.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of Christian pilgrims being fired on with tear gas by the Israeli military at the Tomb of Lazarus in East Jerusalem.

Baroness Warsi

An official from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this incident with an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson on 8 May. The spokesperson maintained that the Israeli soldiers did not fire tear gas directly at the pilgrims but at Palestinian protesters nearby who were throwing stones at the IDF soldiers.