Tag: Lord Hylton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to remind the government of Turkey of its undertakings contained in the Dolmabahçe Declaration of 27 February.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcomed previous steps taken by the Turkish government to take forward the Kurdish peace process, including through discussions with Abdullah Öcalan and his representatives. We understand that the Government of Turkey did not commit itself to specific undertakings following the talks at the Dolmabahçe Palace in February. We have been very clear that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) violence must end and that the peace process should be resumed, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of white phosphorus weapons in civilian areas by Russian forces in Syria and of the level of harm done to persons and the environment; and what action they plan, if any, as a result of that assessment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are concerned at reports that White Phosphorus was used in Idlib Province on 12th November. We have seen reports that this was Russian in origin but this has not been confirmed.

Protection of civilians in Syria is a priority for the UK. Attacks on civilians are prohibited by International Humanitarian Law. The UK condemns the indiscriminate use of weapons in civilian areas and calls on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK will continue to provide support to civil defence organisations in Syria to protect civilians and save lives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Turkey about the murder of Tahir Elci and the attempted murder of Selahattin Demirtaş; and whether they will place any response in the Libraries of both Houses.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Mr Elçi’s murder is a tragic case. While the facts are not yet known, this illustrates the need for the peace process to be resumed and an end to violence from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Our Ambassador in Ankara has publicly expressed his shock and sadness at Mr Elçi’s murder, and passed condolences to the families of the policemen also killed in these clashes. We understand that the Turkish authorities have completed an initial investigation into reports of an attack on Mr Demirtaş and that a fuller investigation is ongoing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have received, if any, of civilian casualties in Syria caused by Russian military action by air, by land, or by cluster weapons; and what assessment they have made of the means available to them to prevent Russian military action from increasing casualties in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

It is difficult to ascertain with complete certainty the numbers of civilian casualties as a direct result of Russian attacks, though there are numerous, credible open source reports of civilian casualties as a result of Russian air strikes. Although Russian claims to be targeting Daesh, 75 per cent of their strikes have been against other targets. We continue to urge Russia to end strikes against the moderate opposition and, instead, to use its political leverage over the Assad regime to stop the regime’s indiscriminate bombing against civilians. In February 2014 we co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2139 calling for the protection of civilians and an end to indiscriminate attacks, including the use of barrel bombs and obstructing the flow of humanitarian aid.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Russia about civilian casualties resulting from its aerial bombing in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have repeatedly made clear to the Russian government our serious concerns about its bombing campaign in Syria. We have consistently called on Russia to focus its targeting on Daesh and to cease the targeting of moderate opposition groups. We have also expressed concern over the numbers of civilian casualties being reported as a result of Russian strikes. These have been evidenced by human rights groups such as Amnesty International who have claimed that at least 200 civilians have been killed by Russian airstrikes in Syria since September 2015, accusing Russia of “serious failures to respect international humanitarian law”. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has raised our concerns about Russia’s approach with Foreign Minister Lavrov, including at meetings of the International Syria Support Group. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed Syria with President Putin at the G20 Summit in Antalya, and in a telephone conversation on 9 December following Parliament’s vote to support military action against Daesh in Syria.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Corston review in 2007, how many women’s centres there are in the UK; where those centres are located; to what extent those centres support women on remand or serving community sentences; and what plans they have to establish additional centres.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

We do not collate information centrally about the numbers and locations of women’s centres across the UK or the services that they offer.

The Government believes that future funding for women’s centres should lie at the local level, as local experts know what works in their community and how best to deliver services. We are encouraging and supporting areas to bring together local agencies in the criminal justice, statutory and third sectors to develop a joined-up, multi-agency approach to address the often complex needs of female offenders.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to use the UN Security Council Resolutions on Syria to organise air-drops of food by the World Food Program to besieged areas, and to provide air cover for such drops with the US air force.

Baroness Verma

At the "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference on 4 February, more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total more than £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

The most effective way to get food and other essential aid to people who are starving and in desperate need is for Assad and all parties to the conflict to adhere to international law. Across Syria, Assad and other parties to the conflict are wilfully impeding humanitarian access on a day-by-day basis. It is an outrageous, unacceptable and illegal mechanism to use starvation as a weapon of war. That is why the UK will continue to call on the Assad regime and all parties to the conflict to allow immediate and unfettered access to all areas of Syria.

Right now, aid delivered by road, by UN agencies and by others who know the situation on the ground and who can ensure it gets to those who need it most is the best way of getting help through. But we always consider the most effective way to get assistance to the people in need, and we do not rule anything out.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the proposals contained in Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict published on 29 February by the Chairman of the Zionist Union and of the Israeli Labour Party.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not made any assessment of the proposals contained in the document ‘Separation: Putting a Border on the Conflict’. We will judge any proposals on the basis of whether we assess they support progress towards the two-state solution.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why NATO land forces have so far not been used in aid of the civil powers in both Italy and Greece; and whether there are plans to do so.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK and its European partners are trying to find a collective solution for what has been described as ‘the worst refugee crisis facing Europe since the Second World War’.

To that end the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has agreed to support international efforts in the Aegean. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), announced that the UK has deployed Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay to the Aegean.

It is right that our immediate priority is to ensure this new NATO activity is up and running effectively. Whilst there are no requests from Italy or Greece for the sort of assistance described, the UK would be open to considering how NATO could make an effective further contribution to this crisis.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of Palestinian students in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to sit their exams this year, without experiencing delays at checkpoints.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While no assessment has been made about this particular issue, we consistently urge Israel to ease movement and access restrictions across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, not least because of the impact the restrictions have on children and continuity of their education.