Tag: Baroness Tonge

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the demolition of the homes of Palestinian suspects as an act of collective punishment and deterrence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We regularly raise the issue of demolitions with the Israeli government. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the issue most recently 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. Our Consul-General to Jerusalem also raised the issue of demolitions with the Mayor of Jerusalem on 28 October.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are being taken in the UK to safeguard moderate Muslims from Islamophobic crime, in the light of the recent terrorist attacks around the world.

Lord Bates

The Government takes the safety of the Muslim and all other communities extremely seriously, and deplores all forms of hate crime. We are concerned by reports of increased attacks against Muslims in recent weeks, and we are working with the police and community groups on monitoring the situation and taking appropriate action where required.

The police constantly review events and potential threats to ensure everything is being done to protect our communities from terrorism, hate crime and the impact of public protest.

After the attacks in Paris the police have increased their presence on some streets and at some locations, and they will be intensifying their approach at events in big cities. Officers are working closely with London’s communities and businesses to provide advice and reassurance. Government officials are also speaking to community organisations such as Tell MAMA to ensure that we are aware of the current issues around anti-Muslim hatred and to ensure that we increase reporting of it.

The Government is committed to tackling hate crime. That is why we have announced a new cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan. This will be taken forward in partnership with the communities that it seeks to protect, and will include a range of actions across Government. We have also announced that from 2016, police forces will be expected to record data on hate crimes against Muslims and members of other religious groups, to allow us to properly assess the scale of the problem we are facing.

Our Counter-Extremism Strategy, published in October, outlines how we will further protect British Muslims, including communities worried about Neo-Nazi groups who may be planning crimes such as attacks on Muslims.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2015-12-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about data revealing that seven per cent of Jerusalem building permits go to Palestinian neighbourhoods.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We frequently bring up the issue of the lack of building permits issued to Palestinians and the challenges this causes to the Palestinians. Most recently, on 24 November our Deputy Head of Mission in Tel Aviv raised the issue with Israel’s Head of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of involvement of the British company G4S in running prisons in Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While the British Government has not made an assessment of the level of involvement of G4S in the running of Israeli prisons, we have made clear in meetings with G4S our concerns about Israel’s conduct of the occupation. In April 2013, G4S publicly confirmed that they would not renew a number of security contracts in the West Bank ‘to ensure that G4S Israel business practices remain in line with our own business ethics policy’. These include the servicing of security equipment at Ofer Military Prison, at West Bank checkpoints and at a police station in the contentious E-1 area of the West Bank.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding its latest land appropriation in the Jordan Valley.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities. However, we have been clear that Area C (including a significant proportion of the Jordan Valley) is an integral part of a future Palestinian State. Our Consul-General in Jerusalem recently authored an article in the Israeli press about Area C. Officials from our Consulate General have also hosted several events in Area C, including in the Jordan Valley, highlighting our support for Palestinian communities in Area C.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their priorities are at the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit in May.

Baroness Verma

The UK has four objectives for the Summit. Most importantly we want to see a renewed commitment to the protection of civilians in conflict, but also more effective financing, a new approach to building resilience to natural hazards before they take place, and a stronger focus on protecting and empowering women and girls. The global community – humanitarian, development and political actors – must come together to address these challenges.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of progress in Bahrain towards democracy and respect for human rights following training and guidance from UK personnel for that country’s police and security forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We believe that UK support to Bahrain’s reform programme is the most constructive way to achieve long-lasting and sustainable reform in Bahrain. While it will take time to see the full results, UK support is having a direct, positive impact on areas of concern. All Foreign and Commonwealth Office programmes and project work is routinely monitored and evaluated to inform and improve future assistance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allegations that excessive force by the Israeli army has not resulted in investigations in the majority of cases.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the appropriate use of force by the Israel Defence Forces, as well as the need for Israel to implement the recommendations of the Turkel Commission on improving how the Israeli authorities investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning its possession of nuclear weapons and the admission of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have regular discussions with the Government of Israel on a wide range of nuclear-related issues. Israel has not declared a nuclear weapons programme.

Israel does have a facility-specific safeguards agreement in place with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agreement applies to a single facility in Israel, which is the Soreq Nuclear Research Reactor. The facility is inspected by the IAEA to ensure that it is not used for weapons purposes. We continue to call on Israel to upgrade this arrangement to a full scope Comprehensive Safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

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 regarding its decision to refuse to renew permits for Palestinian stone quarries on private land in Area C, while approving permits for 11 quarries under Israeli ownership in the same area.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While we have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we remain concerned about the restrictions the Israel’s planning system places on Palestinian communities. We regularly call on the Israeli authorities to offer an accessible legal route to construction for Palestinian communities.