Tag: Lord Collins of Highbury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo over the continued detention of the two Filimbi activists who were arrested in March 2015 and are now awaiting trial for allegedly forming a criminal gang and attempting to overthrow the regime of President Kabila.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Our Chargé d’Affaires’ in Kinshasa called on the Justice Minister, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, with other EU Heads of Mission, in March and April 2015 to voice our concern at the arrest and detention without charge of the activists Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala. Officials from our Embassy in Kinshasa have also joined other international observers in monitoring court hearings in the case, and those of a number of other activists detained in early 2015.

We continue to urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to act on the recommendations of its Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the arrests. The Commission found that there is no evidence that participants in the workshop were involved in activities of a terrorist nature, and recommended that a political solution be found in order to enable the release of activists Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala. We also continue to stress to the DRC government that civil society organisations must be allowed to hold workshops on democratic processes without fear of arrest or reprisal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made in their recent Evaluation of Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 of the evidence from the Gambling Commission that 633 cases of suspected money laundering were reported last year in the use of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals; and what conclusions they reached.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Government takes the issue of money laundering in gambling very seriously, including these cases. The Gambling Commission already requires operators to take measures to prevent money laundering through its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice – and it is currently consulting on proposed regulatory changes to strengthen the fight against crime linked to gambling. In additon, the Treasury is planning to consult on the EU’s forth Directive on Money Laundering, which brings all gambling services within scope of the money laundering requirements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Collins of Highbury on 2016-09-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding has been allocated from the Magna Carta fund for projects related to freedom of religion or belief.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In 2016/17, the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy is funding seven projects, with a total value of £670,037, that directly relate to strengthening freedom of religion or belief (FORB). This represents an 18% increase in funding from 2015/16, when the fund supported freedom of religion or belief projects worth £550,016. Freedom of religion or belief remains a core strand of the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy. Many of the Fund’s other projects also indirectly support the creation of more tolerant societies, through strengthening representation of minority groups, supporting freedom of expression and promoting just and fair rules-based systems of government.

The seven FORB projects this year promote positive FORB outcomes through different methods and strategies, from attempting to working with NGOs to lobby for the removal of laws which discriminate on religious grounds, to more upstream interventions which seek to change public opinion and promote a culture which is more accepting of religious diversity. A good example of a hybrid of these methods is a project this year working with teachers across the MENA region to develop a school curriculum that supports freedom of religion and belief. This project promotes a more progressive education curriculum, and ensures the next generation of students have a greater awareness of the important right to freedom of religion or belief.