The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government who will represent the UK at the World Humanitarian Summit meeting to be held in Istanbul.
Baroness Verma
Preparations for the Summit are proceeding and a final decision on who will be in the UK delegation will be taken nearer the time.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-05-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received concerning the welfare of refugees and migrants removed from Greece to Turkey, in the light of reports that some are being detained in camps at Düziçi and elsewhere, without access to legal advice or medical services.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government takes very seriously any allegations of the inappropriate treatment of migrants or refugees, and we would urge any evidence substantiating the allegations to be made available to us and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We note Turkey’s strong assurances about the treatment of migrants and refugees in its camps and removal centres. And also note the recent agreements reached betweenTurkey, the European Commission and the UNHCR, providing them with access to the Düziçi Camp and Kirklareli Removal Centre, and the UNHCR’s positive view following its initial visit. We will be following the outcome of future visits closely.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-07.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with the government of Iraq and the regional government of Kurdistan about the protection needs of people likely to be displaced by current, and proposed, offensives against Daesh, in particular women and children.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is in regular contact with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government, and regularly raises with them the protection needs of internally displaced persons arising from the conflict – including the protection needs of girls and women. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq to fulfil its commitments to develop and implement plans to stabilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh by providing the governance, services and security necessary to enable the safe return of people to their homes.
The UK has committed £79.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Iraq since summer 2014. This includes cash assistance for vulnerable displaced Iraqis, allowing them to prioritise what they need most. Through the UN Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, we fund a number of projects designed to meet the most urgent needs of displaced Iraqis including emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, and protection services for girls and women. Our partners consider gender related differences in needs when developing all Department for International Development funded projects.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Philippines regarding the enforcement of the Anti-Child Pornography Act 2009, in particular the provisions requiring internet service providers to filter and block images of child abuse.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Philippines is a committed partner in the WePROTECT Global Alliance and is serious about tackling child sexual exploitation online and offline. We have ongoing and regular dialogue with the Philippine Government on child sexual exploitation, including the implementation of the Anti-Child Pornography Act 2009. The Philippine Government is working to ensure the Act is fit for purpose. The Philippine Interagency Council against Child Pornography has requested that the Department of Justice order internet service providers to comply with the Act.
In April 2016, the British Embassy participated in an Online Child Sexual Exploitation technical working group, hosted by the Philippine Committee for the Special Protection of Children. Experts from the Philippine Department of Justice, prosecutors, representatives from UNICEF, other diplomatic missions and foreign law enforcement also participated. The Act and other legislation formed part of the discussion. In June 2016, the National Crime Agency participated in further discussions on the Philippine Government’s strategy and the WePROTECT national model.
We have supported the Philippine Government’s participation at the WePROTECT Summits in London and most recently in Abu Dhabi. The National Crime Agency also works closely with Filipino partners in the fight against child sexual exploitation and provides training on the forensic analysis of digital media.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of England is covered by Local Welfare Assistance Schemes; and what assessment they have made of whether those schemes have the necessary resources to make known the emergency financial support that is available to benefit claimants suffering from delays or other problems connected with Universal Credit.
Lord Freud
From April 2013, non-ring fenced funding was passed to local authorities in England and to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, who all now administer Welfare Assistance Schemes on a devolved and localised basis. How those local authorities administer this support is for them to decide and outside of my Department’s remit.
In 2014 the Department undertook a review of this change and confirmed that local authorities were delivering targeted support more effectively than was the case with the previous provision under the Social Fund. This confirmed the Government’s wider view that local authorities are best placed to deliver help and support at a local level, ensuring effective provision for those who need it most, and coherent links with wider social care.
Further support is available from Universal Credit and Universal Support for claimants who are in financial difficulty or who are awaiting a Universal Credit payment. This includes advance payments, Alternative Payment Arrangements (more frequent payments, split payments within a household and the payment of rent direct to landlords) and Personal Budgeting support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the consequences to date of the reduction in the foreign aid budget to the Palestinian Authority between 2013 and 2016.
Lord Bates
The UK provided £88 million in financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) from 2013-2016. UK aid has supported the PA to deliver basic services and promote economic growth. The PA continues to face challenges to ensure fiscal stability. As the Development Secretary is new to her role, she is conducting a full examination of DFID’s work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including UK financial assistance to the PA.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-10.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have refused to interview and assess some of the boat people who arrived at the British Sovereign base in Cyprus; whether they plan to deport them as individuals to Lebanon; and what assessment they have made of whether deporting those individuals to Lebanon would be an instance of refoulement.
Lord Bates
Under an existing agreement with the Republic of Cyprus, those who claim asylum will be processed by the Cypriot authorities on behalf of the Sovereign Base.
Those migrants who do not claim asylum and have no other basis on which to remain, face removal to their country of origin or Lebanon.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey, following the killing on 15 November in Nusaybin of Selamet Yesilmen; and whether they intend to call for full compensation for killed and injured civilians and property damaged throughout south-eastern Turkey.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of the case of Selamet Yesilmen, who was killed in clashes between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish authorities in Nusaybin, and closely monitor the human rights situation across Turkey, including the southeast. As we have made clear, the PKK must cease its violence and the peace process needs to be resumed, in the interests of Turkey and the wider region.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-09.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that torture survivors who reach the UK, in particular those from Syria, have access to specialist rehabilitation; and whether they have plans to increase the number of places available via the Gateway Protection Programme for torture survivors from all states.
Lord Bates
Asylum seekers and refugees have access to health services and if they raise torture as part of their asylum claim, they are signposted to organisations that specialise in providing support for torture survivors.
We have no current plans to increase the number of places available under the Gateway Protection programme. The responsibility for identifying and referring refugees to the UK rests with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We will continue to work closely with them to identify those in most need of protection.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-21.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the £275 million offered by the Prime Minister to Turkey to secure its southern border” will be spent; whether that funding is intended to stop refugees entering Turkey in advance of any general ceasefire or peace agreement; and how that expenditure will be verified.”
Lord Bates
Turkey is a key partner in the response to the migration crisis and we should commend its generosity in hosting over 2.2m refugees from Syria and Iraq. Acknowledging this pressure, the EU has recently agreed an Action Plan with Turkey. Within this and building on the UK’s existing funding, our contribution of up to £275m (part of a wider European package of €3 billion) will be spent helping Turkey address the consequences of the Syria conflict. This funding will help control the flow of migrants to the EU from Turkey and improve education, health and labour rights for Syrian refugees in Turkey addressing potential push factors for further migration. Implementation of the funding will be jointly overseen by the European Commission and the Turkish government through the establishment of an EU-Turkey high-level working group on migration.