Tag: Lord Hylton

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what influence they and the EU will exert to secure the lifting of restrictions imposed on Palestinians in and near Hebron.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement in and near Hebron as well as elsewhere in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv, we continue to lobby the Israeli authorities on the issue of movement and access, most recently on 24 November when our Deputy Head of Mission discussed with the Head of the relevant unit at Israel’s Ministry of Defence. We continue to work closely with EU partners to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they were represented as observers or otherwise at the conference in al-Hassakeh on 8–9 December that formed the Council of Democratic Syria; and what assessment they have made of that conference’s final statement.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK was not an observer or participant at the Democratic Syria Conference for Opposition Forces. The UK does not have any diplomatic presence in Syria and staff are unable to travel to Syria due to significant security threats. This conference brought together Syrian Kurdish and Arab parties that reside in Northern Syria. They discussed the future of the country after four years of war and agreed on the creation of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political branch of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Their final statement says that the Syrian crisis must be solved through negotiation, the fight against terrorism and political change through a transition, followed by free and fair elections and a new constitution. The UK continues to work towards transition in Syria on the basis of the Geneva Communiqué.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting the governments of Iraq, the United States and Italy about the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River, and in particular about the case for downstream flood warnings and preparations, and repairs and maintenance work, to prevent collapse.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are in close touch with the Governments of Iraq, the US and our European partners, as well as the UN, about the Mosul Dam.

The Government of Iraq has begun to take measures to improve the structural integrity of the Mosul Dam as there is a risk the dam could fail. It is currently impossible to accurately predict if or when this might occur. A failure could lead to major flooding in the Tigris river valley, from Mosul to Baghdad.

Alongside the US, we are working with the Government of Iraq, the UN and other partners to ensure Iraq has effective contingency planning in place, including early warning and humanitarian planning, to enable ordinary Iraqis and the international community to respond in the event of failure. Our Embassy has plans to ensure staff are safe and we have updated our travel advice to highlight the risk to the general public.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for new or additional housing to which single and other occupants of existing hostels could move; what assessment they have made of the plans of London boroughs, and others, to provide such housing; and when they expect that additional housing to be completed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This Government is committed to increasing the supply of housing. We have doubled our plans for affordable housing delivery from 2018-19 to £8 billion, to deliver 400,000 affordable housing starts.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan and assess the likely housing needs for their areas as part of the process for bringing forward a Local Development Plan. Our planning guidance asks local planning authorities to factor in market signals such as household affordability and land prices, as well as forecast employment trends when calculating their overall housing need. The primary objective of identifying need is to identify the future quantity of housing needed, including a breakdown by type, tenure and size.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no safe areas have been established in Syria, in particular in Idlib, Darra, Jazira, and Afrin.

Baroness Verma

At the Syria conference in London on 4 February, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double our support in response to the Syria crisis from £1.12 billion to over £2.3 billion, our largest ever humanitarian response to a single crisis. We will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. However, experience suggests that so-called ‘safe’ areas can prove difficult to demilitarise and protect against all threats. In fact, there is a risk that they can become targets.

For a safe area to work, all parties to the conflict and relevant regional authorities would need to agree to its establishment. In the absence of such consent, this would require foreign military intervention, authorised by a UN Security Council Resolution. Any party seeking to establish a safe area would need to ensure sufficient military capability to guarantee safety from both aerial and ground attack, including by unconventional means. Credible measures would also be needed to prevent human rights abuses and to provide humanitarian assistance within the protected area. In addition, the existence of a ‘safe’ area near an international border should not be used to repatriate refugees against their will, or to deny access to asylum.

The UK plays a key role in ensuring humanitarian access to Syria. By 31 January 2016, at least 257 shipments of cross-border aid had been delivered as a direct result of the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258 which enables the UN to deliver aid into Syria without the consent of the regime. We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Israel about the case of Mohammed Al-Qeeq; and in particular what representations they have made in the light of the reports of force-feeding and drips being inserted against his will.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We understand that Mr Al Qeeq has now ended his hunger strike. We have been following the case closely and officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have spoken to Amnesty International about Mr Al Qeeq. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem has received regular updates on the condition of Mr Al Qeeq from Palestinian officials and organisations. We remain concerned about Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention. Administrative detention should, according to international law, be used only when security makes it absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than a punitive measure. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the matter of Mr Al Qeeq’s condition with Israeli authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-03-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 March (HL6554), whether they have assessed the impact of having red routes managed by Transport for London, rather than London boroughs; whether they are satisfied that the London Permit Scheme is not increasing delays and disruption; and whether current work on cycleways will be completed before the main tourist season starts.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Government has not carried out an assessment of the impact of having Transport for London (TfL), rather than the London Boroughs, managing the Transport for London Road Network (“red routes”), and has no intention of doing so.

The London Permit Scheme and cycle superhighways are both matters for TfL. TfL has published a report evaluating the first year of the London Permit Scheme which suggests that it is having a positive impact. This report is titled ‘The London Permit Scheme, First Year Evaluation Report’ and is available on the TfL website.

The construction timetable for the cycle superhighways is available via TfL’s website and summarised below:

Cycle superhighway 1

• A10 Tottenham High Road: 6 July 2015 to spring 2016
• Pitfield Street (Boot Street to New North Road roundabout): 6 July 2015 to early 2016
• Apex Junction to Old Street/Great Eastern Street: 3 August 2015 to spring 2016

Cycle Superhighway 2 upgrade

• Mile End Road and Bow Road between Harford Street and Harley Grove: February 2015 – November 2015
• Whitechapel Road between Osborn Street and Cambridge Heath Road: February 2015 – November 2015
• Mile End Road between Cambridge Heath Road and Harford Street: June 2015 – March 2016
• Bow Road between Harley Grove and Bow roundabout: July 2015 – March 2016
• Whitechapel High Street by Aldgate East station: September 2015 – April 2016

Cycle Superhighway East to West

• Lancaster Gate: April 2016 – October 2016
• Hyde Park: November 2015 – October 2016
• Hyde Park Corner: April 2015 – March 2016
• St James’s Park and Green Park: June 2016 – October 2016
• Parliament Square/Westminster Bridge: October 2015 – May 2016
• Victoria Embankment: April 2015 – April 2016
• Blackfriars Underpass/Puddle Dock: September 2015 – April 2016
• Castle Baynard Street: November 2015 – May 2016
• Upper and Lower Thames Street: April 2015 – April 2016
• Tower Hill: October 2015 – April 2016

Cycle Superhighway East to West

• Blackfriars Road: North of The Cut to Stamford Street: August 2015 – January 2016
• Blackfriars Road: South of The Cut: April 2015 – December 2015
• Blackfriars Bridge: January 2016 – February 2016
• Blackfriars Junction/Victoria Embankment: August 2015 – April 2016
• Farringdon Street: January 2016 – March 2016
• New Bridge Street/Ludgate Circus: November 2015 – April 2016

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the impact on levels of both homelessness and destitution of the enactment of the Immigration Bill.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We expect migrants with no lawful basis to remain to leave the UK. The Immigration Bill will provide the means by which accommodation and other support can be made available in appropriate circumstances prior to their departure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-04-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek to achieve a local ceasefire around the Yarmouk Camp in south Damascus so that UNWRA can deliver food to the population in the Camp.

Baroness Verma

The UK is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yarmouk camp in Syria, where intensified fighting between Daesh and Al- Nusra Front in recent weeks has exacerbated the suffering of approximately 6,000 civilians there, who are besieged by Syrian regime forces.

The UK will consider any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria. We do not think it would be feasible to broker a local ceasefire in Yarmouk camp, given the parties involved in the fighting there. However, through the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) the UK will continue to support the resumption of a nationwide Cessation of Hostilities as a step towards an inclusive, Syrian-owned political transition.

The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in need inside Syria wherever they are. As part of the ISSG we agreed with other members on 11 February that humanitarian access should be opened to a number of priority areas, including Yarmouk, as a first step to accelerating full and sustained access across Syria. Since then, UNRWA has delivered 21 convoys with multi-sectoral assistance to 19,000 people in Yalda, Babella, Beit-Sahm, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk. We welcome UNRWA’s efforts in protecting and assisting vulnerable Palestinian refugees. To date, the UK has allocated over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of action being taken in Greece to (1) increase capacity for processing asylum applications, (2) speed up family reunion cases from Greece to all EU member states, and (3) improve reception and living conditions for refugees and migrants.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We welcome the action that is being taken in Greece to: increase capacity for processing asylum applications; speed up family reunion cases from Greece to all EU member states; and improve reception and living conditions for refugees and migrants.

The UK continues to support Greece and other Member States. As notified in my statement of 21 April, HCWS687, 75 UK expert personnel will be deployed to Greece to support implementation of the EU-Turkey Migration Agreement and will conduct a number of duties. A proportion of the UK expert personnel will work closely with European Asylum Support Officer (EASO) coordinators and the Greek Asylum Service to process cases through the admissibility process and provide expert support to the Greek authorities and other EU partners on overall co-ordination of the response. Supporting the operation of the Greek asylum service is a fundamental part of this Government’s approach to identifying individuals in need of protection at the earliest possible opportunity and ensuring they are identified as eligible for family reunification consideration under the terms of Dublin Regulation.

This deployment is in addition to the support that we are already providing to the Greek asylum service. Two UK experts have already been deployed to the Greek Dublin Unit and have provided valuable assistance. A third was due to be deployed, however, EASO has informed us that support to the Greek Dublin Unit is currently at full complement. We stand ready to deploy further experts as soon as they are required. We are confident that through our cooperation and concerted joint efforts we can identify and facilitate the swift transfers of cases through our national systems and make effective use of the Dublin Regulation.