Tag: Lord Hylton

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reports they have received of infringements of international law or the personal rights of civilians during the official total curfew imposed on Cizre, eastern Turkey, from December 2015 to March 2016, and the subsequent partial curfew.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

I refer the noble Lord to the written answer of 6 June given by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) in response to Written Question 38761 from the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Mr Benn), copied below for ease of reference:

‘We are aware of several public reports regarding alleged events in Cizre. We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ráad al Hussein that it is essential that authorities respect human rights at all times while undertaking security or counter-terrorism operations.

We believe Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the PKK, a terrorist organisation which has killed hundreds of innocent people in the past year. A PKK offshoot – the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK – has also claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks, including an indiscriminate suicide car bombing in central Ankara on 13 March that killed over 30 people. Our thoughts are with the victims of PKK attacks, and the civilians who have been caught up in the recent conflict.

Our Ambassador to Turkey and I have discussed with the Turkish government the importance of respecting human rights and avoiding civilian casualties in the fight against terrorism. We believe the first responsibility for investigating any alleged violations falls to Turkey. And that the PKK needs to cease violence in order to create the conditions for political resolution of the difficulties in the south east.’

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-07-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they and the UNHCR plan to take to protect Eritrean and Somali families now in Ethiopia, the Sudan, or South Sudan without legal status.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Irregular migrants in Africa are extremely vulnerable. We are working through the Khartoum Process, of which the UK is currently chair, and bilaterally to improve conditions for all migrants in the Horn of Africa. The Khartoum Process is a regional initiative bringing together the Governments of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Libya and the EU, the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Malta to better manage migration in the region, including the protection of irregular migrants. The Khartoum Process is part of a plan of action agreed between African nations and the EU and its member states in Valletta in November 2015. The protection of migrant rights is a critical element of that plan.

In Sudan, we are advocating through the Khartoum Process for increased rights for refugees in national legislation, including work permits for Eritreans in Sudan. Alongside this, DFID contributes through the European Development Fund to the €100 million EU Trust Fund (EUTF) package of Special Measures for Sudan, which aims to protect and address the development needs of refugees in Eastern Sudan. The EUTF has been supporting UNHCR and local law enforcement efforts over the past 18 months to make camps in the East of Sudan more secure. With this EU support, UNHCR also hosts a unit for unaccompanied minors (UM) in Shagarab Camp, which works to return them to their families in Eritrea wherever possible, houses them separately from other migrants in purpose built dormitories, and provides free meals for all the children.

In April 2016, the UK together with World Bank and UNHCR signed up to a set of principles on programming to support long term refugees. These principles recommend increased support to a shift from relief provision for refugees towards a more sustainable approach. In line with this, DFID in Ethiopia is providing £125 million over the next five years for basic service and economic opportunities alongside protection programming, working with both refugees and host communities. Research into push and pull factors around migration also forms a part of DFID’s package of support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Saudi Arabia about foreign workers now unemployed and owed pay; and whether they plan to consult the governments of Pakistan, India and the Philippines on that issue.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are aware of reports of some third country migrant workers not receiving payments. This is a matter for the parties involved in each situation to find a solution.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they are giving to the six steps towards peace in Syria proposed by Lord Williams of Baglan in the October and November edition of the Chatham House publication The World Today.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The issues suggested by the noble Lord Williams of Baglan are being addressed through the UK’s work to tackle the Syria crisis. The International Syria Support Group meets weekly at official level and is supported by the team of the UN Special Envoy for Syria. At UK urging, the UN has established a Working Group with a small secretariat to lead on stabilisation planning for when a political settlement is reached, which the UK is helping fund. Clearly, Russia must be a part of any solution and we support engagement but Russia must stop bombing civilian areas and encourage the regime to do the same if it is genuinely interested in finding a political solution to the conflict.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are consulting (1) Barnardos, (2) Save the Children, (3) Oxfam, (4) Citizens UK, (5) the Trussell Trust, (6) Magic Breakfast, (7) FareShare, (8) FoodCycle, (9) Baby Basics, (10) The Children’s Society, and (11) any other organisations, about food and fuel poverty and the relationship between benefit sanctions and food and fuel poverty; and if not, why not.

Lord Freud

The Department for Work and Pensions constantly engages with a wide range of stakeholders, interested parties and other organisations across a wide range of issues that affect those receiving benefits.

The All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Hunger, and the Church report ‘Time to rethink benefit sanctions’, amongst others, all recognise that the reasons that people use food banks are complex and overlapping. There is no robust evidence that links sanctions and food bank use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value of Palestinian universities as a human resource for Palestine and the wider Middle East; and what additional resources and support they plan to provide for their development and contribution to peace-building.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

While the British Government has not made any assessment of the value of Palestinian universities, we do continue to encourage links between UK and Palestinian institutions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the number of Palestinian civilians, including children, killed in the Occupied Territories by Israeli Forces and by settlers, whether they will call on the government of Israel to review its policy on the use of lethal force and to eliminate all impunity for the use of excessive force.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK has repeatedly raised with the Israeli government our concerns about incidents of settler violence and intimidation, including the importance of the Israeli authorities bringing extremist settlers to justice and providing adequate protection for the Palestinian civilian population. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised our concerns over the use of force, including lethal force, most recently on 19 November with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs and Public Security. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv also raised the issue of force with the Head of the Civil Department of the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Civil Department on 24 November, and the Israeli National Security Council on 18 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-12-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last made representations to the government of Turkey about freedom of expression and information, as provided for by the European Convention on Human Rights, and with what result.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We continue to monitor specific cases and regularly underline the importance of freedom of expression and all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government. Our Ambassador to Turkey highlighted his concerns about the number of journalists detained in Turkey, including Mr Dündar and Mr Gül, in his public blog released on International Human Rights day. We welcomed the EU Commission’s Annual Progress Report on Turkey, released on 10 November, which highlighted the need for further reforms from Turkey in these and other areas. Freedom of expression must be respected and all media outlets must be allowed to report freely without intimidation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-01-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have for achieving access in compliance with UN Resolutions to food and medicines for those Syrians now cut off from external supplies.

Earl of Courtown

The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second largest bilateral donor after the US.

The UK plays a key role in ensuring humanitarian access to Syria. By 30 November 2015, at least 222 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.

The UK worked with partners in the UN Security Council to put humanitarian access in Madaya, and across Syria, on the Security Council’s agenda on Monday 11 January.

We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many persons are now officially held in detention without charge in Iraq, and their affiliations, and what steps they are taking to collect accurate data about such detainees.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We do not have accurate figures on the numbers being held without charge or their affiliations. During my visit to Iraq in November, I met the Iraqi Minister of Justice, Haider Al Zamili, and raised a number of issues relating to the justice system, prison system and rehabilitation processes. Our Ambassador in Baghdad has raised detention without charge with the Minister of Justice on several occasions.

Last year, the Iraqi Minister of Justice visited London to gain a better understanding of how the prison system operates in the UK. The Minister has committed to ensuring that the issue of detention without charge is addressed and is investigating how the process of charge and trial can be speeded up, as part of the Government of Iraq’s strategy to combat overcrowding in prisons. We will continue to encourage the Ministry to improve the prison system and offer assistance where we can.