Tag: Lord Hylton

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 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 13 October (HL2417), what is their assessment of the impact of air attacks in the United Arab Emirates, on Sa’da and its region; and whether these amount to war crimes.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is supportive of the military intervention in Yemen by the Saudi-led Coalition, which includes the United Arab Emirates. This came at the request of President Hadi, the legitimate President of Yemen, to deter aggression by the Houthis and forces loyal to the former president Saleh. The Coalition has played a crucial role in reversing the military advance of the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Saleh, which is now helping to create the conditions for the return of the legitimate Yemeni government. We are aware of reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen including by the Saudi-led Coalition – alleged airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure – in Saada and elsewhere across the country. We take such allegations very seriously and have raised our concerns with all parties to the conflict in Yemen, including the Emiratis. Any judgement on whether specific international war crimes have occurred is a matter for international judicial decision rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the PKK’s declaration of a unilateral cease-fire, what representations they have made to the government of Turkey following Turkish air attacks in south-east Turkey and northern Iraq.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s announcement that they will refrain from attacks is a positive step but they now need to ensure it is respected. The British Government’s position is that: Turkey has the right to defend itself against PKK attacks; PKK violence must end; and, we support a resumption of the peace process. We stand ready to help in any way we can.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the governments of France, Japan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, with respect to their contributions to the budgets of the United Nations agencies which assist refugees and displaced people; and whether those contributions are not as large as those of other countries with comparable gross domestic product.

Baroness Verma

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the Syrian crisis. To date, we have committed over £1.1 billion, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US.

We are concerned that UN appeals for the Syria crisis remain severely underfunded. Donors must do more to support the needs of millions of Syrians across the region. That is why the UK continues to play a leading role in encouraging the international community, including EU member states and Gulf countries, to contribute generously to the UN appeals. We lobbied hard to mobilise funding from other donors ahead of the third Kuwait Pledging Conference on 31 March 2015 which raised $3.6 billion. We are exploring with the UN and major donors how best to ensure that the momentum on fund-raising is maintained in the longer term, including in response to the upcoming 2016 Appeals.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Oxfam’s proposals for the worldwide resettlement of the most vulnerable 10 per cent of the Iraqi and Syrian refugees who are outside their home countries.

Lord Bates

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US. Approximately half of UK assistance is targeted towards the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. By meeting basic humanitarian needs and helping to create new opportunities we aim to help Syrians to build a life in neighbouring countries.

The UK’s position is that funding provided to the region is a more sustainable way of dealing with the refugee crisis rather than encouraging dangerous onward migration journeys. For this reason, the UK’s resettlement offer focuses on supporting the most vulnerable Syrians directly from the region who would best be protected in countries like the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered a comprehensive mandatory ban on the supply of arms and equipment to all of the combatants in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We do not consider that a comprehensive mandatory ban on the supply of arms and equipment to all of the combatants in Syria would be advisable. EU-Syria trade embargoes prohibit the exportation of jet fuel, chemical weapons (and precursors) to Syria. EU sanctions have denied many of the regime’s pre-war funding streams, limited its supply of non-conventional arms, reduced its access to key resources and increased pressure on Assad from those close to him. UN Security Council Resolution 2170 prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of arms and equipment to ISIL, Al Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida. The UK supplies non-lethal goods to the Moderate Opposition to protect civilians and save lives. We assess all export licence applications on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, and have one of the most robust export licensing systems in the world.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will revise the country guidance for Eritrea so that asylum applicants from that country are favourably considered for protection as refugees, in the light of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights on Eritrea and other reports of human rights abuses in that country.

Lord Bates

We have updated our country information and guidance on Eritrea. This takes into account the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report as well other sources reporting on the human rights situation. The revised documents, covering illegal exit and national service, were published on 9 September and are available on the Gov.uk website. They recognise that there are human rights challenges in Eritrea – particularly around the national service programme – but, as with all asylum applications, stress the need to consider each claim on its individual merits.

All EU Member States have a responsibility to respect the principle of non-refoulement. We are confident that our European partners understand and apply this, whether to Eritrea or anywhere else. We are in regular discussions with our EU counterparts – individually and via the European Asylum Support Office – to discuss various aspects of asylum policy and practice.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to call upon all European Union member states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement for refugees from Eritrea.

Lord Bates

We have updated our country information and guidance on Eritrea. This takes into account the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report as well other sources reporting on the human rights situation. The revised documents, covering illegal exit and national service, were published on 9 September and are available on the Gov.uk website. They recognise that there are human rights challenges in Eritrea – particularly around the national service programme – but, as with all asylum applications, stress the need to consider each claim on its individual merits.

All EU Member States have a responsibility to respect the principle of non-refoulement. We are confident that our European partners understand and apply this, whether to Eritrea or anywhere else. We are in regular discussions with our EU counterparts – individually and via the European Asylum Support Office – to discuss various aspects of asylum policy and practice.