Tag: Lord Hylton

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) whether Turkey has breached the Geneva Conventions by (a) killing and wounding unarmed civilians in south-east Turkey, and (b) firing across its frontiers with Syria and Iraq; and (2) whether there may be scope for prosecuting individuals responsible for those actions before the International Criminal Court and for claiming compensation for individuals whose property has been destroyed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are closely monitoring Turkish government security operations in south-east Turkey and actions it has taken in northern Iraq and northern Syria. Our condolences are with civilians caught up in the violence, as well as Turkish soldiers and police who continue to be targeted in terrorist attacks by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and our Ambassador in Ankara have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights, avoid civilian casualties and return to the peace process. We understand that the Government of Turkey has committed to compensating those whose properties were damaged in recent violence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about Palestinian refugees besieged by Government forces in Khan Eshieh near Damascus; and in particular, whether they intend to take action to press for a ceasefire to allow the evacuation of non-combatants, including women and children.

Baroness Verma

The UK is extremely concerned about the volatile situation in southern Damascus in recent weeks. We strongly condemn the indiscriminate attacks in the Khan Eshieh camp on 17 May 2016, killing five Palestinian refugees and a Syrian. We are particularly concerned by reports that the Khan Eshieh area has been placed under siege, blocking essential supplies from entering and risking the lives of thousands of civilians. We continue to call on all sides of the conflict, and their supporters, to respect and ensure respect for International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.

The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might saves lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Khan Eshieh, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, though the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), we will continue to support the fulfilment of the cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access.

The UK has given support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas. We will continue to use our position in the UN Security Council to push for humanitarian access across Syria. As a core member of the International Syria Support Group we agreed with other members of 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered at least 25 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to southern Damascus.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-29.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will increase the minimum permitted flying height for helicopters in central London with a view to improving safety and reducing noise and air pollution.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government keeps the operational requirements for helicopters under constant review, but has no plans to make any adjustments at the present time.