Tag: The Lord Bishop of Bristol

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Bristol on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the need to regulate or license the private drone market in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Commercial drone operations already require permissions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Operators must satisfy the CAA that they can operate safely and are aware of all relevant legislation. Last year the CAA granted approximately 1100 permissions for light-weight, low risk operations. There are charges for new permissions and processing renewals.

There are also existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. Guidance on tackling the risks of criminal drone use has been provided to constabularies across the UK.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is currently working with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop consistent, EU-wide safety rules for drones. We have also completed a series of public dialogues ahead of a public consultation which will help to inform a government strategy to be published this year. The consultation will look at a range of options including regulation, registration and licensing options, and the potential for restrictions on purchase and use.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Bristol on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and in particular its commitment to freedom of religion or belief.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Saudi Arabia is a Foreign & Commonwealth Office priority country because of the human rights situation, particularly on the death penalty, access to justice, women’s rights, restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion or belief. The British Government strongly supports the right to freedom of religion or belief. Islamic law is strictly enforced in Saudi Arabia and the public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal. The Saudi authorities do accept foreign workers privately practising religions other than Islam.

We believe that the key to increasing freedom in this area is to focus on tolerance. We have worked with Saudi Arabia to identify areas where different faiths could work together and foster trust.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Bristol on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the appointment of Saudi Arabia to head a panel at the UN Human Rights Council.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The appointment of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the UN Consultative Group as Chair was an internal decision of the Consultative Group, which is comprised of five Ambassadors, one from each of the five regional groups of the UN. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador is the Asian Group representative in the Consultative Group, to which appointment lasts for one year.