Tag: Lord Judd

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh about (1) the arrest of Shafik Rehman on 16 April, and (2) the recent harassment of other journalists in Bangladesh; and what was the outcome of those representations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Consular officials in Dhaka have registered the British Government’s interest in Mr Rehman’s case with the Director, Consular Affairs at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and requested consular access to Mr Rehman. Our High Commissioner in Dhaka raised this case with the MFA’s Director General EU.

We have made clear our concerns about freedom of expression in Bangladesh, most recently in a press statement about the murder of Nazimuddin Samad. In that statement the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), restated the Government’s position that the right to freedom of expression and open debate in Bangladesh must be upheld.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards the future of the European Youth Orchestra, and the role of the EU in its future.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Last week the commission announced the continuation of the orchestra for a further year, until the end of 2016. British donors and foundations are prominent among its funders, reflecting the generosity of British philanthropy in the arts.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are providing to the Kurdish authorities to help them cope with the number of people who have fled fighting in Iraq and are now displaced within the region.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In response to the crisis in Iraq, since summer 2014 the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016. To date, we have provided cash assistance, access to clean water, food, medicines and other life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable – irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. This funding has supported the response in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), as well as helping other vulnerable people across the country.

Given the importance of a coordinated response, we have provided £1 million of funding to UNDP to support the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Centre (JCC), as well as its equivalent for the Government of Iraq, the Joint Crisis and Monitoring Centre (JCMC). In close collaboration with the JCMC, the United Nations, donors and non-governmental organisations, the JCC is leading humanitarian efforts in the Kurdistan Region.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made at the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe about the treatment of the Crimean Tartar leader, Akhtem Chiygoz, and other Crimean Tartars about their detention and about the general harassment of Crimean Tartars and its incompatibility with the membership of the council of Europe; and what has been the outcome.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK has raised the treatment of Crimean Tatars and the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea on a number of occasions in the Committee of Ministers during debates on Ukraine. We will continue to do so. This issue was also raised on 15 October during the meeting between Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Judd on 2016-04-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) about the condition of Palestinian refugees and UNRWA staff following the recent bombing near Qabr Essit camp, Sayyida Zeinab, including threats to life, and access to food, water, and health services; and what action they are taking both multilaterally and unilaterally to relieve the situation.

Baroness Verma

Da’esh has claimed responsibility for indiscriminate attacks in the Sayyida Zeinab area that have killed dozens of civilians since the beginning of the year. We share UNRWA’s concerns about the volatile situation on the ground, including its impact on the Palestinian refugee camp at nearby Qabr Essit.

We have given over £59 million to UNRWA to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria. Through the International Syria Support Group and UN Security Council, we are pushing for improved humanitarian access to all those in need across Syria and supporting attempts to find a political settlement that will end the conflict.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they regard as the main objectives of the forthcoming autumn UN Peacekeeping Conference.

Earl Howe

The Secretary of State for Defence will host a UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial at Lancaster House in London on 8 September 2016. This is a follow-on event to the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping hosted by President Obama last September. The event will be an opportunity to take stock of progress made on pledges since last year, as well as to focus on how we can improve peacekeeping and on the role and participation of women in peacekeeping.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to ensure that people from Iraq who have been displaced as a result of the current fighting in that country have access to assistance.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UN’s latest assessment is that over 3.3 million Iraqis have been internally displaced, with over 10 million people across Iraq requiring some form of humanitarian assistance. The UK is working with the Government of Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Government, United Nations, and non-governmental organisations to make sure that humanitarian support is provided to the most vulnerable, including internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Since summer 2014, the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support for Iraq. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016. Through our contribution, as the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, UK funding has helped a number of programmes supporting IDPs leaving Fallujah.

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.