Tag: Lord Chidgey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries the receipt of BBC World Service programmes via the internet has been blocked in each year from 1999 to 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The BBC World Service has advised that blocks via the internet occurred in the following years:

1999 to present – China (BBC Chinese)
1999 to 2008 – China (BBC News – English)
2010 – China (BBC News – English was again blocked in December 2010 for a number of days and then lifted)
2014 – China (BBC News – English was again blocked in October 2014 for two weeks)
2002 – Vietnam
2004 – Uzbekistan
2006 to present – Iran
2013 to present – Sri Lanka
2014 – Rwanda

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to commit to include safe and legal routes of passage from the Horn of Africa into the Khartoum Process.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government is continuing its Chairmanship of the Khartoum Process, and remains committed in its support for human rights. Our focus remains on the implementation of the actions agreed at last year’s EU-Africa Valletta Summit on migration.

We are working with EU and international partners to ensure that EU funding underlying the Khartoum Process is properly monitored and overseen, including compliance with the EU Treaties which includes respect for human rights.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which countries local FM radio stations broadcasting BBC World Service programmes in-country have been closed down by the authorities in each year from 1999 to 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The BBC World Service has advised that they experienced closures to their service in the following countries: 2006 – Tajikistan 2008 – Oman 2009 –Azerbaijan 2010 – Somalia 2010 – Sudan 2008 to 2011– Israel 2014 – Rwanda

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2016-07-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they plan to take in the design of an international migration policy, based on respect for human rights, when they no longer chair the Khartoum Process.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government is continuing its Chairmanship of the Khartoum Process, and remains committed in its support for human rights. Our focus remains on the implementation of the actions agreed at last year’s EU-Africa Valletta Summit on migration.

We are working with EU and international partners to ensure that EU funding underlying the Khartoum Process is properly monitored and overseen, including compliance with the EU Treaties which includes respect for human rights.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2015-11-30.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the changes in audience sizes in African countries or regions following the switch from short wave to FM transmission of BBC World Service programmes between 1999 and 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The BBC World Service has advised that they make the following assessment of the changes in audience sizes in African countries or regions:

Sub -Saharan Africa –

Total audience across all platforms has risen from 52.7 million in 2005 to 81.8 million in 2015 (55 per cent increase).

In 2005, Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 63 per cent of total audiences; by 2015 Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 39.3 per cent of total audiences.

Short Wave and Medium Wave audiences in the region have dropped 3.9 per cent, while BBC’s direct FM audiences have grown by 125 per cent.

Middle East and North Africa –

Total audience across all platforms has risen from 15.3 million in 2005 to 48.2 million in 2015 (215 per cent increase).

In 2005, Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 78 per cent of total audiences; by 2015 Short Wave and Medium Wave delivered 8.5 per cent of total audiences.

In this period, Short Wave and Medium Wave audiences in the region have dropped by 62 per cent, while the BBC’s direct FM audiences have dropped by 59 per cent.

BBC Arabic TV reaches 30.3 million people across Middle East & North Africa.

The World Service use Global Audience Measurement (GAM) data to track performance by platform and by market. This data provides clear records from 2005 onwards.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, alongside the current international intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR), they are ready to assist in the growth of economic activity and in building an effective public governance system that serves all CAR citizens, both Muslim and Christian.

Baroness Warsi

Together with other partners, our immediate priorities are to help de-escalate the levels of violence and ensure life-saving assistance is delivered to those in acute need. At the same time, we are working with international organisations such as the World Bank and the UN so that a longer-term strategy of economic recovery and effective governance is developed by these organisations to address the needs of all communities in the Central African Republic.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider assisting the international community in its fight against international trafficking originating from the Central African Republic, by creating a mechanism to fight against diamond, gold, and ivory trafficking and militarised poaching.

Baroness Warsi

International mechanisms to tackle illegal trafficking already exist, including the Kimberley Process to regulate the global trade in rough diamonds, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to protect endangered species. However, these are reliant of having an effective national government in the Central African Republic (CAR). To this end, our immediate priority is to de-escalate the levels of violence and improve the level of security, so that a legitimate government can be established in CAR with the support of the UN and other international organisations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will assist in the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for diamonds coming from the Central African Republic.

Baroness Warsi

The Government implements its commitments under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in full. In order to maintain the integrity of the KPCS, the Central African Republic (CAR) was temporarily suspended from the KPCS in May 2013, preventing the possible introduction of rough diamonds produced in CAR into the legitimate diamond trade. This suspension was upheld in June 2014. It is likely to remain in place until the security situation in CAR improves significantly and the government of CAR is able to re-establish compliance with the KPCS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to deploy Stabilisation Unit experts to work as counterparts to the Central African Republic’s civil servants, to assist in financial, taxation and budgeting reform in that country.

Baroness Warsi

The UK will continue to work with and through international organisations, such as the World Bank and the UN, to ensure a coherent strategy for the Central African Republic, including on public financial management and public sector reform. We would be happy to consider the deployment of Stabilisation Unit experts to support the work of these international organisations, as necessary.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Chidgey on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to deploy the Stabilisation Unit to assist the G5 countries in providing capacity-building assistance to civil society organisations so that they can monitor public sector financial management in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Warsi

The UK will continue to work with and through international organisations, such as the World Bank and the UN, to ensure a coherent strategy for the Central African Republic, including on public financial management and public sector reform. We would be happy to consider the deployment of Stabilisation Unit experts to support the work of these international organisations, as necessary.