Tag: Lord Hylton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the present conditions of (1) the Gaza Strip, and (2) the Mosul Dam in Iraq, are suitable candidates for examinations under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reductions; and if so, what action they plan to take.

Baroness Verma

The UK is deeply concerned by the conditions in Gaza and the risk of the Mosul Dam failing in Iraq. The Sendai Framework is a non-binding framework that covers natural disasters and therefore is not the most appropriate tool for Gaza and Mosul. The UK is a strong advocate for the framework’s aims. We remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable countries and communities to better withstand and recover from the impact of disasters. The framework reflects fully a number of longstanding priorities and areas of expertise which are already being taken forward by DFID to support developing countries to help them to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks and build resilience, through its support to multilaterals and through its country programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose that the three billion euros offered to Turkey from the EU be transferred to the UNHCR World Food Programme for work in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan for refugees and displaced people, in particular for continuing child and adult education.

Baroness Verma

The purpose of the EU-Turkey Refugee Facility is to provide support to refugees and host communities in Turkey. We expect that the Facility will provide immediate humanitarian support, as well as help meet longer-term development needs, such as education.

The first projects funded through the Facility are starting to be implemented, for example through the World Food Programme and UNICEF.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy regarding Somali refugees in Kenya and the presence of Kenyan armed forces in Somalia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government recognises the significant burden that the Government of Kenya faces in housing a large number of Somali refugees. We encourage the Government of Kenya to maintain its global leadership role on this issue as well as its international obligations. We, and the international community, support the continued dialogue with the Government of Somalia and the Tripartite agreement which provides a legal framework for the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees.

We strongly support Kenyan troops deployed to Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). AMISOM has made important progress against Al Shabaab since 2007, who continue to pose a significant terrorist threat in Somali and the region. We greatly value the contribution made by Kenya and the other troop contributing countries, and recognise the sacrifices that the Kenyan Defence Forces are making.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the events surrounding the murder in August 2008 of the Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and the convictions of seven men for that crime.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

India’s constitution provides for an independent judiciary. The court case and conviction are a matter for the Indian courts.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of torture by Israeli Security Forces and Israeli authorities in the West Bank and Gaza; and whether they plan to prosecute alleged torturers who reach the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Whilst we have not made any assessment on this issue, the UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as compliance with international humanitarian law. We regularly discuss implementation of those obligations with the Israeli authorities. We have confirmed with the Israeli authorities that Israel is in the process of incorporating the crime of torture into national legislation. The appropriate authorities in the UK for the investigation and prosecution of crimes are the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, which function independently of Government in these matters.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why fees in the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal are to be increased, and what percentage of requests for a waiver of such fees were refused in each quarter since the beginning of 2015 to date.

Lord Keen of Elie

The financial challenges faced by the Government means taking tough decisions on reducing public spending across a wide range of services.

That is why the Government consulted on proposals to increase fees in asylum and immigration proceedings.

Breaking down the data requested by quarter would incur disproportionate costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have, and what representations they have made to the government of China, concerning the well-being and whereabouts of Bishop Shao Zhumin, newly appointed to Wenzhou diocese in China; and what steps they are taking to support negotiations for reconciliation between the recognised and the underground Catholic churches in China.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are concerned by reports about the well being and whereabouts of Bishop Shao Zhumin and will raise his case at the next round of the UK-China human rights dialogue, scheduled to take place this month.

We are robust in promoting religious freedoms with the Chinese authorities. While we have not yet raised the case of Bishop Shao Zhumin, I raised the destruction of churches and religious symbols with the Director of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee on 7 July 2016. The Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma) raised the case of Ding Cuimei, who reportedly died while protesting the demolition of her church in Zhejiang province, with the Chinese Ambassador, in writing, on 1 August 2016.

We are aware of ongoing negotiations between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities, however these are a matter for the parties involved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Shaker Aamer has yet been released from detention at Guantanamo Bay to rejoin his family in England; if not, why not; and what representations they are making to the government of the United States on his behalf.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We can confirm that Shaker Aamer was released from Guantanamo Bay and returned to the UK on 30 October.

It has been a longstanding British Government policy to secure Mr Aamer’s return to the UK. We welcome his release and continue to support President Obama’s commitment to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the call by the European Commission as part of the EU enlargement strategy for Turkey to lift media restrictions to improve respect for human rights and the rule of law, and to re-start comprehensive peace negotiations with Kurdish militants and constitutional nationalists.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome the Commission’s EU enlargement strategy, which commends Turkey’s considerable efforts on refugees and recognises the progress Turkey has made in recent years. The strategy also highlights where Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing reform, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, and rule of law. As we have made clear, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) needs to cease its attacks and we fully support a resumption of peace talks. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they and the major aid agencies have made for protecting refugees who are still in, or are crossing, south-east Europe this winter.

Baroness Verma

The UK has so far provided nearly £16 million to ensure migrants and refugees arriving in and travelling through Europe are provided with warmth, comfort and lifesaving humanitarian support and protection during the winter. DFID is funding humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, as well as humanitarian NGOs in southern Europe and the Balkans. These organisations are tailoring interventions to meet the needs of children, families and older people. This includes medical assistance, special transport services to help keep families together and support the most vulnerable, referral of children and other vulnerable people to specialised services, and efforts to reunite families that have become separated during their journey. We have also delivered in-kind assistance via the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. Through this, the UK has provided migrants and refugees in Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia with blankets, sleeping bags and tents so that 11,000 people in each country are provided with warmth and comfort during the winter.