Tag: Lord Hylton

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress achieved at the meeting of the Middle East Quartet on 10 September.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

On 30 September 2015, the Quartet met in the margins of the UN General Assembly. The Quartet released a statement reaffirming its commitment to the two state solution and noting the urgency of progress towards this objective, in the context of the intensifying threat of terrorism, sectarian extremism and radicalisation in the Middle East. Amongst other things, the Quartet expressed concern at current trends, and stressed the need for significant steps on the ground, consistent with past agreements. The UK, represented by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), attended the expanded second part of the meeting. The Foreign Secretary stressed the need for practical actions which would have impact on the ground and expressed concern at settlements, housing demolitions and population clearances.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2014-06-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any improvement in the balance and fairness of media reports of incidents of hate-motivated offences and of prejudice against religious and ethnic groups since the Leveson report was published.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

No such assessment has been made. In the Royal Charter we have introduced a new system of independent press self-regulation that protects press freedom whilst offering real redress when mistakes are made. Importantly, the Government recognises the importance of a free press and does not interfere with what it does and does not publish.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the present situation of the Yezidis displaced from the Sinjar/Shengal region, irrespective of their current location; what proportion of those displaced are in camps; and what plans there are for protecting those outside camps during the winter.

Baroness Verma

UK aid is reaching thousands of vulnerable people across Iraq, include the most vulnerable groups, such as Yezidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, Kurdish Regional Government, UN and the international community to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in greatest need.

Humanitarian actors have started the winterisation preparations. We regularly engage with the UN and other partners to ensure that the needs of those most requiring assistance are taken into account. As part of the humanitarian response in Iraq, populations outside of camps have been described as a priority target.

DFID announced an additional £20 million of humanitarian funding for Iraq on 29 September, taking our total contribution to £79.5 million since June 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will respond to Let’s make the difference: A manifesto to end homelessness by Homeless Link in advance of the general election.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department of Communities and Local Government has the lead on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. Formed in 2010, the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness brings Departments together to ensure that Departments across Government play their part in tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness. Throughout this Parliament, the group has worked together to coordinate action on the issues facing homeless people.

The Government have increased spending to prevent and tackle rough sleeping and homelessness making over £500 million available, giving councils the funding and tools needed to take action against rough sleeping locally.

There are a range of initiatives and projects in place to help rough sleepers, prevent single homelessness and to help those who have been homeless find and sustain accommodation.

Thousands of vulnerable people, including military veterans, who have slept rough or faced with the prospect of doing so have been given the help they need through No Second Night Out and Streetlink. By using Streetlink the public can help connect rough sleepers to the local services available so they can get the help they need to get them off the streets. Since 2012 Streetlink has made nearly 21,000 rough sleeping referrals to councils with over 9,000 having positive outcomes (such as accessing services) of which nearly 1,800 have had a specific housing outcome.

We have supported the roll-out of No Second Night Out nationally through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund for the voluntary sector ensuring rough sleepers are found quickly and that they do not spend more than one night on the street. In 20 key rough sleeping areas outside London 67% of rough sleepers were helped off the streets after a single night according to homelessness charities.

We have launched an £8 million Help for Single Homeless Fund for local authorities which will improve council services for single people facing the prospect of homelessness. 34 projects, working across 168 local authorities, will provide support for up 22,000 single homeless people.

Finally, the Government is helping single homeless people find and sustain accommodation in the private rented sector through our £13 million funding to Crisis. By 2016 we expect the Crisis scheme to have helped 10,000 single homeless people since it started in 2010.

We work closely with Homeless Link, who represent homelessness charities across England, and attended the launch of their homelessness manifesto at a recent parliamentary reception.

It is not for the Government itself to respond to the manifestos produced by Non-Governmental Organisations and pressure groups ahead of the general election, but we welcome the broader contribution to the debate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting the Foreign Minister of Italy on his proposal for enhanced aid and investment in the whole Mediterranean region.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), most recently discussed the Mediterranean region with the Italian Foreign Minister during his visit to London on 14 September. Ministers frequently meet their Italian counterparts to discuss the broad range of issues affecting the Mediterranean, including our close cooperation on migration.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government who is responsible for co-ordinating the services and provisions needed by those sleeping rough.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department of Communities and Local Government has the lead on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. Formed in 2010, the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness brings Departments together to ensure that Departments across Government play their part in tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness. Throughout this Parliament, the group has worked together to coordinate action on the issues facing homeless people.

The Government have increased spending to prevent and tackle rough sleeping and homelessness making over £500 million available, giving councils the funding and tools needed to take action against rough sleeping locally.

There are a range of initiatives and projects in place to help rough sleepers, prevent single homelessness and to help those who have been homeless find and sustain accommodation.

Thousands of vulnerable people, including military veterans, who have slept rough or faced with the prospect of doing so have been given the help they need through No Second Night Out and Streetlink. By using Streetlink the public can help connect rough sleepers to the local services available so they can get the help they need to get them off the streets. Since 2012 Streetlink has made nearly 21,000 rough sleeping referrals to councils with over 9,000 having positive outcomes (such as accessing services) of which nearly 1,800 have had a specific housing outcome.

We have supported the roll-out of No Second Night Out nationally through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund for the voluntary sector ensuring rough sleepers are found quickly and that they do not spend more than one night on the street. In 20 key rough sleeping areas outside London 67% of rough sleepers were helped off the streets after a single night according to homelessness charities.

We have launched an £8 million Help for Single Homeless Fund for local authorities which will improve council services for single people facing the prospect of homelessness. 34 projects, working across 168 local authorities, will provide support for up 22,000 single homeless people.

Finally, the Government is helping single homeless people find and sustain accommodation in the private rented sector through our £13 million funding to Crisis. By 2016 we expect the Crisis scheme to have helped 10,000 single homeless people since it started in 2010.

We work closely with Homeless Link, who represent homelessness charities across England, and attended the launch of their homelessness manifesto at a recent parliamentary reception.

It is not for the Government itself to respond to the manifestos produced by Non-Governmental Organisations and pressure groups ahead of the general election, but we welcome the broader contribution to the debate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Lord De Mauley on 13 January relating to United Kingdom milk production, whether they will examine the French system for the marketing of milk with a view to improving the economic prospects for dairy farmers in England.

Lord De Mauley

The French system for the marketing of milk helps dairy producers maximise their revenue through the use of Geographical Indicators (GIs). We are already supporting the marketing of high value cheese and other dairy products by encouraging British food specialities to apply for protected status.

We are also pushing for better Country of Origin labelling to help promote British dairy products. We have raised this with the new EU Agriculture Commissioner and the Commission is due to publish a report on the feasibility of mandatory labelling next month.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to assist rough sleepers, and in particular homeless military veterans.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Department of Communities and Local Government has the lead on tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. Formed in 2010, the Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness brings Departments together to ensure that Departments across Government play their part in tackling both the causes and consequences of homelessness. Throughout this Parliament, the group has worked together to coordinate action on the issues facing homeless people.

The Government have increased spending to prevent and tackle rough sleeping and homelessness making over £500 million available, giving councils the funding and tools needed to take action against rough sleeping locally.

There are a range of initiatives and projects in place to help rough sleepers, prevent single homelessness and to help those who have been homeless find and sustain accommodation.

Thousands of vulnerable people, including military veterans, who have slept rough or faced with the prospect of doing so have been given the help they need through No Second Night Out and Streetlink. By using Streetlink the public can help connect rough sleepers to the local services available so they can get the help they need to get them off the streets. Since 2012 Streetlink has made nearly 21,000 rough sleeping referrals to councils with over 9,000 having positive outcomes (such as accessing services) of which nearly 1,800 have had a specific housing outcome.

We have supported the roll-out of No Second Night Out nationally through the £20 million Homelessness Transition Fund for the voluntary sector ensuring rough sleepers are found quickly and that they do not spend more than one night on the street. In 20 key rough sleeping areas outside London 67% of rough sleepers were helped off the streets after a single night according to homelessness charities.

We have launched an £8 million Help for Single Homeless Fund for local authorities which will improve council services for single people facing the prospect of homelessness. 34 projects, working across 168 local authorities, will provide support for up 22,000 single homeless people.

Finally, the Government is helping single homeless people find and sustain accommodation in the private rented sector through our £13 million funding to Crisis. By 2016 we expect the Crisis scheme to have helped 10,000 single homeless people since it started in 2010.

We work closely with Homeless Link, who represent homelessness charities across England, and attended the launch of their homelessness manifesto at a recent parliamentary reception.

It is not for the Government itself to respond to the manifestos produced by Non-Governmental Organisations and pressure groups ahead of the general election, but we welcome the broader contribution to the debate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the alleged harassment by armed soldiers of refugees from the Kobane region of Syria at a camp near Suruç, Turkey.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are aware of reports of alleged harassment of Syrian refugees at a camp near Suruç, Turkey. We have not made representations on these specific allegations, but maintain regular dialogue with Turkey on the humanitarian situation in the region. We recognise the challenges facing Turkey because of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and appreciate the Turkish government’s considerable humanitarian efforts in the region. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Turkey is now hosting more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees and a further 200,000 Iraqi refugees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-02-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to increase the resources available to the United Kingdom Embassy in Tunis.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Staffing resources at our Embassy in Tunis have more than doubled since the 2011 revolution. An additional staff member is due to deploy later this year. We plan to focus programme resources on areas where the UK can offer unique comparative advantage, coordinating with other partners to maximise effect. Programme Fund budgets for future Financial Years are yet to be confirmed.