Tag: Baroness Tonge

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following reports from Physicians for Human Rights in Israel that wounded Palestinians have been deliberately left untreated by Israeli medical orderlies for as long as two hours.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not made representations to the Government of Israel about this particular issue, we have concerns about treatment of Palestinian detainees. We have raised these concerns with the Israeli authorities on many occasions, including at Foreign Minister, Attorney General and National Security Adviser levels. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly monitors this issue and meets with Physicians for Human Rights in Israel (PHRI). Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv met a group of Israeli civil society organisations, including PHRI, on 3 February.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel regarding the targeting of Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza strip, including the sinking and confiscation of fishing boats on 15 May north of the Gaza strip.

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 2016-06-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have instigated, or plan to instigate, undercover police investigations into potential female genital mutilation perpetrators in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

How the police enforce the law in any particular case, including decisions on arrests, is an operational matter. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament. It is for the police to decide what might assist them in enforcement. The instigation of undercover investigations and the deployment of undercover officers is an operational matter for chief officers. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. We will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls. To support the police in investigating cases of FGM, in March 2015 the College of Policing published Authorised Professional Practice and on 1 April we published updated multi-agency guidance on FGM for all professions, which we have put on a statutory footing to support compliance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are supporting the government of Rwanda in its work to provide civil and political rights for its citizens.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Rwanda has made impressive gains in securing economic and social rights; we want to see these continue. We support the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 development programme which sets out their commitment to “the rule of law and the protection of human rights”.

We speak candidly with Rwanda, publicly and privately, and have been clear that Rwanda needs to do more to make these aspirations a reality. For example, we submitted recommendations on media freedoms and political space during the Universal Periodic Review on Rwanda. The Department for International Development’s work in Rwanda is underpinned by an agreement on four Partnership Principles, which include respect for human rights and promoting good governance. Our regular private discussions with the Government of Rwanda are reinforced at Ministerial level, including during visits to Kigali by the former Minister of State at the Department for International Development, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfied (Grant Shapps), in September and the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) in December last year.

We are also delivering training in partnership with the Rwandan National Police on a range of topics from public order management to gender based violence. This training supports the security forces to carry out their role of protecting the population in a human rights compliant manner.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much Official Development Assistance was disbursed via non-grant financing mechanisms for sexual and reproductive health and family planning in (1) 2014–15, (2) 2013–14, (3) 2012–13.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

DFID primarily provides support in developing countries through grants to delivery partners. We work in the poorest countries, including fragile and conflict affected states, for whom non-grant options can pose more risk.

No DFID resources that are specifically disaggregated as supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights or family planning were provided via non-grant mechanisms during those periods. While we do support World Bank IDA, which is a non-grant source of finance, we believe it is important that countries establish their own priorities for spending these resources.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for International Development will provide funding to the International Planned Parenthood Federation in 2017.

Lord Bates

The International Planned Parenthood Federation, together with other civil society organisations, has long played an important role in promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of the world’s poorest girls and women. The Government is committed to this agenda, for example through the delivery of our commitment to work for access to family planning for everyone who wants it.

The Government intends to publish the reviews of our development assistance, including the Civil Society Partnership Review (CSPR), shortly. The ways we will deliver our commitments globally and at country level, including with civil society partners, will be set out and further developed following publication of the reviews.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning the case for ensuring accountability for violence both by Israeli settlers and by the Israel Defence Forces as a means to restore calm in the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We regularly raise the issue of settler violence and the need for accountability with the Israeli authorities. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv most recently raised our concerns over the use of force, including lethal force, on 4 November with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Envoy on the Peace Process, Isaac Molho, stressing the need for proportionality and proper accountability. Our Ambassador also raised this issue with the Israeli Commander of Government Activities in the Territories, General Mordechai, on 26 October, and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General on 28 October.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the use of skunk water on children, homes, and streets, in the Qitoun neighbourhood of Hebron in November.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli government, our Ambassador in Tel Aviv regularly raises UK concerns over the use of force by Israeli security authorities, most recently with the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 October. We continue to stress the need for proportionality and proper accountability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take following the announcement that the government of Israel is to end its diplomatic links with the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

It is not our understanding that the Government of Israel is ending its diplomatic links with the EU. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, discussed this issue with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 30 November. Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified that Israel will continue to work with the EU on the Middle East Peace Process. In December 2009, the UK introduced voluntary guidelines to enable produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories to be specifically labelled as such. We therefore also welcome the EU’s ‘Interpretative notice on the indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967’, a technical clarification of existing rules, adopted on 11 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the destruction of structures in al Hadidiya in November 2015, despite an injunction by the Israeli Civil Administration, in particular a one-kilometre section of road serving that community and funded by an international donor.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not made representations on these specific issues to the Israeli authorities. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities over demolitions and settlement-building.