Tag: Lord Roberts of Llandudno

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-01-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date they expect to be able to invite (1) local authorities, and (2) national organisations, to apply for (a) funding to boost voter registration, and (b) funding for wider voter registration activities.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

I refer the noble peer to the answer I gave on 20 January, Official Report, Column WA299.

The Government will outline further detail about the use of the funding in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what diplomatic or alternative measures are being taken to secure the release of the several hundred children abducted by Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria.

Baroness Warsi

In the days following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, we have offered our assistance to the highest levels of the Nigerian government. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April immediately after the abductions and offered the UK’s assistance.

On 7 May the Prime Minister, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), spoke to President Jonathan and offered to send a team of UK experts to Abuja. The President accepted and the team, led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), arrived in Abuja on 9 May. The team will provide expertise in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, military mentoring and training, victim support and economic development. Human rights compliance is, and will remain, an essential element of any UK assistance in Nigeria. The Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds) visited Nigeria on 14 May, and reiterated our support with President Jonathan.

We are coordinating closely with international partners. An FCO team was in Washington on 5 May for talks with the US on Nigeria. Our expert team in Abuja will be coordinating closely with a US team also in Abuja. We are also speaking to the French and are encouraging other EU partners to lend their support. Given Boko Haram’s exploitation of Nigeria’s porous borders and indications that some of the girls may have been taken to Cameroon or Chad, we are engaging with Nigeria’s neighbours.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-05-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they decide which retailers can be accessed using the Azure prepayment card given to asylum seekers.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach

The Azure card is provided to failed asylum seekers supported under the provisions of section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Any retail outlet that provides food and other essential living items and accepts visa transactions can apply to join the Azure card scheme.

The card is currently accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Boots, Peacocks, Early Learning Centre, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers. There are ongoing discussions with other outlets that may be interested in joining the scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent stonings in Pakistan; and what steps they will take to ensure that the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter are being upheld in that country.

Baroness Warsi

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement on 29 May urging the Government of Pakistan to do all in its power to eradicate honour killings and calling on the Pakistani authorities to investigate fully the murder of Farzana Parveen. We continue to urge the Pakistan government to bring the perpetrators to justice. I am pleased that Prime Minister Sharif condemned the murder and immediately demanded action.

Pakistan is included as a “country of concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report and we regularly raise the subject of human rights for all Pakistan’s citizens with the Pakistani government. We continue to encourage Pakistan and all Commonwealth countries to uphold the values as set out in the Commonwealth Charter signed in 2012.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent hangings in India; and what steps they will take to ensure that the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter are being upheld in that country.

Baroness Warsi

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), expressed his concern about the recent gang rape and death of the two girls in Budaun on 28 May.

We are committed to working with the Government of India and international partners to address the problem of gender-based violence, human trafficking and child exploitation in India. Through the Department for International Development (DFID) programme, the UK supports measures in India’s 120 poorest districts to promote the empowerment and access to benefits and services of excluded groups. DFID India also provides support to national and state governments in India which includes helping girls to complete basic education and further tackling violence against women and girls. We will continue with work with the government of India on this important issue, and continue to encourage all Commonwealth countries to uphold the values set out in the Commonwealth Charter.