Tag: Lord Alton of Liverpool

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any projects funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are within one hundred miles of Kyo-hwa-so camps, Kwan-li-so camps, Ku-ryu-jang centres, Jip-kyul-so prisons or Ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae centres; and what steps they are taking through the British Embassy in Pyongyang to access prisoners in those camps.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are not aware of any Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded projects that take place within one hundred miles of Kyo-hwa-so camps, Kwan-li-so camps, Ku-ryu-jang centres, Jip-kyul-so prisons or Ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae centres. Together with other EU member states resident in Pyongyang, our Embassy has requested access to these camps on numerous occasions, and will continue to do so. However, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to refuse access by independent observers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of engagement by the Disasters Emergency Committee, and other international donors, with representatives of Nepal’s civil society and charities such as Childreach Nepal.

Baroness Verma

The role of national Nepali civil society after the earthquake has been key to the emergency response, and will be important into the recovery and reconstruction phases. International humanitarian organisations who acted as part of the earthquake response, such as the UK Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) members, have partnered with Nepal civil society organisations to deliver assistance to those most in need. These partnerships have combined international funding flows with local knowledge and expertise.

Over the course of the humanitarian response UK government representatives in Nepal have met regularly with DEC members and other international donors in order to share situation analysis and learning, as well as jointly advocate on collective issues. The UK has supported over 20 trusted partners as part of its own Nepal earthquake response, including the UN, INGOs and the Red Cross. All have worked in partnership with Nepali civil society organisations on the ground. We have conducted three rounds of field-based monitoring, meet regularly with our partners, and receive frequent reporting, which has enabled us to assess with confidence the effectiveness of our direct partners and their Nepali civil society partners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-03-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 22 February (HL5963), and with regard to Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request 0986-15, why there is a discrepancy between the Minister’s quoted figure of £270,046.61 being spent on projects in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with a human rights focus and a quoted figure in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Freedom of Information response of £9,499 being spent; and what differentiates the FCO projects with a human rights rationale” and a human rights “element”.”

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The figure of £270,046.61 relates to projects which are not exclusively focused on promoting human rights, but which significantly contribute to our human rights objectives in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. These include humanitarian projects aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable people in North Korean society, and English language projects which make North Korean participants aware of other ideas and cultures. The figure of £9,499 relates to projects solely focused on promoting human rights.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Leader of the House whether time will be made in the Parliamentary timetable for a full debate on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston

My Noble Friend the Government Chief Whip does not expect to be able to facilitate a full debate on the report before the end of this session, but from the start of the new session, the usual mechanisms – which include balloted debates, Thursday debates, and questions for short debate – will be available to secure a debate on the Report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by the Syriac Military Council and its militia in recapturing territory, including Assyrian villages, from ISIS.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome all successes against Daesh. Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding minorities such as the Assyrians and the majority population is by defeating Daesh and establishing a lasting peace in both Syria and Iraq.

The Syriac Military Council has been a component part of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the SDF’s formation in late 2015. The SDF receives support from the Global Coalition in its efforts to combat Daesh in Northern Syria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-05-18.

to ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the new Education Cannot Wait fund will focus on the most marginalised children, including girls and children with disabilities.

Baroness Verma

The UK has played a leading role in the development of Education Cannot Wait – a fund for education in emergencies. A key focus for Education Cannot Wait will be on ensuring that marginalised children and young people are able to access a quality education. This includes refugees and internally displaced children, as well as children facing barriers to their education because of their gender, disability or other factors.

This focus is reflected in the Fund’s indicative headline results, which commits to providing “Inclusive education [that] reaches the most marginalised children and young people in crises” with a target of “100% of supported education opportunities demonstrate increase in education for girls, disabled and those in remote locations”.

The UK will continue to engage closely during Education Cannot Wait’s inception phase, to ensure that this commitment is fully reflected in its final design and results frameworks.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-06-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of stateless children living in China with one North Korean parent.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government has not made an assessment of the number of stateless children living in China with one North Korean parent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of research published in Nature regarding mitochondrial and nuclear DNA matching shapes metabolism and healthy ageing; and how that assessment relates to the recommendations contained within guidance note 33.23 on the HFEA website.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The noble Lord appears to be referring to the recent work by Latorre-Pellicer et al (2016). The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that this research will be considered by the reconvened Expert Panel which will assess the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques more widely.

The guidance referred to by the noble Lord refers to haplotype matching in the provision of mitochondrial donation treatment. At present, no clinics in the United Kingdom are licenced to provide such treatment. The HFEA has further advised that the research published in Nature is consistent with that guidance. The HFEA will continue to advise clinics to keep themselves up to date with the scientific research in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of India’s National Crime Records Bureau that, in a three-year period there was an almost 40 per cent increase of crime against Dalits throughout India; that in 2015, in Gujarat, there was a 163.3 per cent increase in crime against Dalits; and that sexual assaults against women and rape are listed as the top crimes against scheduled castes.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

India has a strong democratic framework, independent and accountable law enforcement and judicial institutions. Its constitution guarantees fundamental human rights. However, it also faces numerous challenges relating to its size and social and economic development.

We are aware of the particular concerns around violence against minority groups and women and girls in India. We are committed to working with the Government of India, international partners and civil society groups on these important issues.

The British High Commission works with civil society and government bodies on projects which provide advice to lawyers and grassroots organisations that directly support the protection of minorities and Dalits. For example, we support a project which helps survivors of sexual violence understand their legal rights in the Indian criminal justice system. UK Government-funded training has helped to empower over 1000 Dalit women and men to exercise their legal rights. In November 2015, I met a group of senior Indian women advocates to discuss the challenges faced by women in India and how the UK Government could support their efforts to strengthen enforcement of the law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-09-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to work with other countries to seek the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have no plans to seek the establishment of an International Commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.