Tag: Lord Judd

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their plans to strengthen UK contributions of military, police and civilian personnel both in operational activities and at headquarters level of the UN.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Strategic Security and Defence Review sets out the Government’s plan to: double the number of military personnel the UK contribute to UN peacekeeping operations; increase UK law enforcement and civilian experts on UN peace operations and in UN headquarters; and continue to train international peacekeepers.

We are working with the UN to finalise the new military deployments announced in September 2015 by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Member for Witney (Mr Cameron). The UK will deploy up to 70 personnel to UN peacekeeping operations in Somalia, and 250-300 to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. We will continue to identify and offer policing expertise where UK skills match UN missions’ requirements, with the objective of steadily increasing the number of officers the UK deploys. We will also continue to support British candidates for senior positions in the UN, and deploy civilian staff with relevant expertise to key roles in UN missions and at UN headquarters.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they have had with (1) the Howard League for Penal Reform, (2) The Children’s Society, (3) Barnardo’s, (4) the NSPCC, (5) other children’s charities, and (6) the police, about the number of children in care who become entangled in the criminal justice system, and what action they are taking to reduce that number.

Lord Nash

The Government remains committed to ensuring that children in care avoid criminality. As of 31 March 2015, there were 69,540 looked after children. Of the 31,820 10-17 year olds who had been in care for a year or more, 5% had been convicted of an offence or were subject to a final warning or reprimand (Department for Education Statistical First Release – 34/2015).

To improve residential care, Sir Martin Narey has been asked to undertake an independent review of children’s homes. As part of this, Sir Martin will consider how to reduce any inappropriate criminalisation of children in children’s homes. As part of his review of the youth justice system, Charlie Taylor has consulted a wide range of organisations, including about children in care who offend. He will report this summer with recommendations on how to improve the treatment of young people in the youth justice system. The National Offender Management Service has also established a National Care Leavers’ Forum which brings together stakeholders from a range of internal and external bodies, including the Care Leavers’ Association.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-07-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific action they are taking in response to the number of Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territories.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

On 5 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), issued a statement expressing deep concerns about the announcement of new Israeli settlement units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson statement, on 22 June, also expressed concern about Israel’s decision to provide an additional £12 million of funding for settlements. The position of the UK on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We will continue to raise our objections to settlements with the Israeli government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2015-11-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government at what level the UK will be represented in the Open Ended Working Group established on 5 November by the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (Disarmament and International Security) and to be convened in Geneva.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK and the four other Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Weapons States voted against the Resolution “Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations” in the UN General Assembly First Committee earlier this month which established an Open Ended Working Group. The Government believes that productive results can only be ensured through a consensus-based approach that takes into account the wider global security environment. We remain open to an appropriately-mandated Open Ended Working Group provided that it is conducive to a constructive dialogue and we are considering whether to attend the meeting in Geneva in 2016.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to promote operational and headquarters experience in the UN for career development in the armed forces and police.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Multinational relationships are key to the security of the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recognises and values the experience that military personnel gain from deployments and postings to multinational operations and Headquarters, including the UN. This has been demonstrated by the increase in the number of UN Staff Officer posts filled by the UK in recent years and the UK’s Strategic Defence and Security Review commitment to double the number of troops deployed to UN Peace Operations.

Career development in the Armed Forces is based on a range of factors including such multinational deployments and postings. Relevant experience and performance from deployment to UN operations and headquarters would form part of an individual’s career assessment. Requirements for such deployments and postings are initiated and developed centrally by the MoD then apportioned to the Single Services to fill.

The UK also recognises the benefits of international deployments to the police service. Through the National Police Chiefs’ Council we are encouraging police forces to consider releasing officers to undertake international roles. The newly-established Joint International Policing Hub will consider ways of incorporating international deployments into careers in the police service.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what comparative analysis they have conducted of the number of children in privately operated children’s homes and those in other homes who become entangled in the criminal justice system, and what action they are taking as a result.

Lord Nash

As at 31 March 2015, there were 4,390 looked after children in privately operated children’s home provision[1] of which 60 were looked after under a youth justice legal status[2]. A further 2,180 children were looked after in children’s homes not run by private sector providers (e.g. local authority or voluntary sector provision) of which 20 were looked after under a youth justice legal status.

The Government has asked Sir Martin Narey to undertake an independent review of children’s homes. As part of his review, Sir Martin will consider how to reduce any inappropriate criminalisation of children in children’s homes.

[1] Includes children in secure, regulated and unregulated children’s homes.

[2] Includes children remanded to local authority accommodation or to youth detention accommodation; children placed in local authority accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act; and those sentenced to a Youth Rehabilitation Order (Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, as amended by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, with residence or intensive fostering requirement).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-07-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq about building a socially, religiously and politically inclusive society in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We strongly support the Iraqi government in its efforts to build a more inclusive society, including uniting Iraq’s communities against Daesh and extremism, restoring public trust in the state, and delivering the services and opportunities that all Iraqis want and deserve. We welcome the commitments that the Government of Iraq has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, and addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. We continue to promote progress against these commitments in our engagements with the Government of Iraq at both official and ministerial levels, emphasising the importance of political reconciliation to defeating Daesh and eradicating radicalism.

For the 2016/17 financial year we have allocated £3.7 million from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund towards reconciliation in Iraq. This funding will support efforts to encourage political reform and reconciliation, including the passage and implementation of legislation. And following our announcement at the Iraq Pledging Conference on 20 July the UK is contributing £9.25m to the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation. This will help the Iraqi government stabilise areas recently liberated from Daesh and re-establish security, basic services and inclusive local governance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2014-06-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that any extension of the mutual defence agreement with the United States is designed to assist the fulfilment of the purposes of the non-proliferation treaty and to fulfil the undertaking in that context given by the existing nuclear powers.

Baroness Warsi

We are committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons and firmly believe that the best way to achieve this is through gradual disarmament negotiated through a step-by-step approach within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The UK has a strong record on nuclear disarmament and continues to be at the forefront of international efforts to control proliferation, and to make progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament. The UK-USA Mutual Defence Agreement is, and will continue to be, in full compliance with our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following their policy of prioritising survivors of sexual violence for their Syrian refugee resettlement programme, what similar action they are taking in respect of the situation of Yazidi women and girls.

Lord Bates

The Government is deeply concerned about the crises in Syria and Iraq and the suffering and hardship they are causing for millions of people, particularly those who have endured appalling violence, persecution and abuse. We are committed to helping those in need and have so far provided £39.5 million to help the 2.2 million displaced Iraqis, many of whom were victims of ISIL’s persecution. These funds provide food, shelter, water and medical care to thousands of vulnerable families.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the Government. The action we are taking includes providing funding to support the UN Population Fund in the coordination and information management of the international response to support victims of sexual and gender based violence. The UK has also specifically committed funding to help establish community outreach teams that are providing psychosocial support and referrals to appropriate services for survivors of sexual and gender based violence.

We will continue to be actively involved in the region and will closely monitor developments but we have no current plans to expand the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, or implement a similar scheme specifically for Iraq.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 17 September (HL1861 and HL1991), what further steps remain in the process of taking a decision about extending the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, and what timetable they have set for those further steps to be taken.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Secretary of State is giving careful consideration to the inspector’s report on the inquiry into proposed extensions to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks and will issue her decisions in due course.