Tag: Lord Alton of Liverpool

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-07-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to table a resolution for discussion at the UN Security Council drawing attention to the failure of member states to assist the International Criminal Court in bringing to justice those indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has an established procedure for dealing with instances of non-cooperation and reports regularly to the UN Security Council on this matter. We continue to follow closely developments in the ICC, including the level of States’ cooperation with the Court, and will consider further measures as appropriate.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much development aid has been provided to South Sudan in each of the last three years, and how much of that aid was specifically focused on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Through DFID the UK provided £158m in 2013/14 and £188m in 2015/16 of development aid to South Sudan, a further £165 million is budgeted to be spent this financial year.

The UK remains committed to helping bring an end to the cycle of violence in South Sudan. Many of our programmes have components aimed at conflict resolution and reconciliation. In terms of specific programming, a £12 million ‘Community Security and Arms Control’ project running from 2012-16 helps to control and regulate small arms, enhance dispute resolution mechanisms and improve security within communities. In addition, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) the UK spent almost £1.4 million on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation in 2015/16, and is forecasting to spend a further £1 million in 2016/17, including on community level peacebuilding and the Conflict Sensitivity Programme. DFID works very closely with the FCO, who, along with ‘Troika’ partners the US and Norway, are working to help end the conflict through the implemention of the 2015 peace agreement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to raise the issue of stateless North Koreans with the government of China; and what steps they plan to take to aid stateless North Koreans in need if the government of China is unwilling to assist them.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are aware of reports of thirty North Koreans being sent back to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) after a period of detention in China.

Despite claims by the DPRK authorities that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, reports suggest that they are often mistreated by the authorities.

We will raise the issue of non-refoulement at the next UK-China Human rights Dialogue, scheduled to take place this month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-10-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to evaluate the use of €46 million earmarked for the Khartoum Process; what benchmarks and agreed criteria have been developed to guide the Process; and what procedures have been put in place to monitor, audit, and review the efficacy of the Process.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Khartoum Process does not have a defined single fund, but draws from several different sources of EU funding; including the Better Migration Management Fund and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.

The UK, as the current Chair of the Khartoum Process, works closely with the Secretariat to maintain a map of current and proposed projects, and ensure effective coordination and monitoring. The European Commission has responsibility for assessing implementation against the Valetta benchmarks and outcomes, and conducting the full audit and review of the EU funding programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Burma about the enactment of four race and religion laws; what discussions they are having with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy about those laws; and what they are doing to monitor and counter the role of religious extremism in Burma’s political life.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have been concerned by the increase in religious intolerance in Burma. This has been evidenced starkly in the four discriminatory race and religion laws, but also by restrictions on the Rohingya community, their disenfranchisement from the 8 November elections, the rise of Buddhist nationalism, hate speech and anti-Muslim violence. We have raised our concerns about the four laws in detail with the Burmese authorities both bilaterally and in company with our partners in the EU, and will continue to do so with any incoming government. Our representations on the four laws in Burma have focussed on the government and parliament who proposed, introduced and approved these bills, rather than with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party which opposed the laws. We will continue to monitor this concerning trend and raise our ongoing concerns with any incoming administration following the election.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to the risks posed by asbestos in schools and the safest ways to deal with those risks.

Lord Nash

The Government takes the risks posed by asbestos in schools extremely seriously.

In March 2015, under the coalition government, the Department published a review of its policy on asbestos management in schools and the risks posed.

The department is led in its consideration of asbestos risks and the safest way to deal with these by the expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). They advise that it is best to manage asbestos-containing materials in situ, reviewing their risk assessments by monitoring condition and likelihood of disturbance, and repairing or encapsulating as necessary. Removal may be needed where asbestos is damaged or when refurbishment work demands prior removal.

The department continues to take steps to understand the risks posed by asbestos in schools even better. As a result of the review the department has committed to collect data from schools about how they manage their asbestos and also to exploring ways to improve the evidence on the risk posed by asbestos in schools. In addition, the Asbestos in Schools Steering Group advises the department on some of the particular issues schools face in managing their asbestos.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-12-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the state government of Andhra Pradesh to enable the enforcement of the Andhra Pradesh Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act 1988 through the Andhra Pradesh Devadasis Prohibition of Dedication Rules 2015, and of the impact of that decision on Dalit women and girls in that state.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

This is ultimately a matter for the Union Government of India and state government of Andhra Pradesh. The UK has worked closely with the Union and state governments in India to strengthen women’s rights and welcomes any new legislation which seeks to further protect women and girls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to press the government of the Maldives for the unconditional release of former President Mohamed Nasheed for medical treatment in the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), visited the Maldives on 17 and 18 January. He met key members of the Maldives government, including President Yameen and reiterated our call for the release of all political prisoners. The UK welcomed the Maldivian government’s decision on 18 January to allow former President Nasheed to travel overseas for medical treatment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2016-01-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 27 January (HL5040), what assessment they and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) have made of the case for all women and their children receiving equal protections; and what recommendations the HFEA has made to the Department of Health on that issue.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Human Fertilisation and Embyrology Authority has not made an assessment of the case for women who obtain sperm in a private arrangement (and any resulting children) to have the same protections as women who obtain sperm through a licensed clinic, for the reasons set out in the response to the Noble Lord on 27 January (HL5040).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the publication of the latest report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, what assessment they have made of how many television channels in North Korea may be accessed by the North Korean population.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are aware of three television channels which operate within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea: Korean Central Television (KCTV) which broadcasts news, sport, dramas and films; Mansudae which focuses on culture; and Ryongnamsan which covers education. KCTV broadcasts nationwide while Mansudae and Ryongnamsan broadcast in Pyongyang only. We also understand there are reports that some North Korean citizens, including those living in Pyongyang, are able to access foreign television services. However, we have been unable to verify if these reports are accurate.