Tag: The Marquess of Lothian

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have that air strikes in Syria would reduce ISIL’s ability to attack the UK; and what assessment they have made of the terrorist threat to the UK posed by British-born ISIL recruits as a direct result of such air strikes.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The threat to the UK is already at Severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. In just over a year, our police and security services have stopped no fewer than 7 different terrorist plots in Britain, all linked to or inspired by Daesh. By attacking Daesh in its heartland in Syria, from where many of its plans are directed, we are taking the fight to Daesh and degrading their capability to plot to kill British people. There is already a significant threat to the UK from British Islamist extremists who have travelled to Iraq and Syria. Around 800 Britons of national security concern are known to have travelled to Iraq and Syria, and over half of those have already returned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-01-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the French Prime Minster concerning his recent statement that total, global and ruthless war must be conducted against Daesh; and whether he considers that total war would require the deployment of ground troops.

Earl of Courtown

The British Government shares a commitment with the Government of France to comprehensively defeat Daesh, and we are determined to work together to this end as part of an international coalition, as demonstrated by UN Security Council resolutions 2249 and 2254, amongst others. We continue to work very closely with the French government in a number of areas in order to coordinate as effectively as possible the international effort to degrade and defeat Daesh. France is one of our closest and most valued partners in the Global Counter-Daesh Coalition.

We frequently discuss cooperation against Daesh with a range of French colleagues. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), met the French Foreign Minister in Rome on 2 February and discussed the campaign against Daesh and counter terrorism, amongst other issues.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said that the UK will not deploy troops in ground combat operations. We and our Coalition partners, including France, have been clear that defeating Daesh in Syria and Iraq will not be achieved by the large scale deployment of foreign ground troops.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-03-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect the UK to face a power deficit in winter 2016–17, and if so, what action they are taking to prevent electricity shortages.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The UK will not face a power deficit in winter 2016/17. National Grid has the right tools they need to manage the system and will ensure that they continue to do so.

National Grid has already procured 3.6GW of reserve capacity for next winter and, in January, the Capacity Market Transitional Arrangements auction bought 800MW of demand side response capacity for winter 16/17 which will also help secure the system. In addition, National Grid has the option to procure further demand side balancing reserve for 2016/17.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British Ambassadors based in the Middle East and North Africa (1) speak Arabic, and (2) are able to conduct official business in Arabic.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to the noble Viscount Waverley on 28 April 2016 (HL7839), namely that, in the Middle East and North Africa region approximately 95 per cent of our Heads of Mission speak Arabic or other local languages (e.g. French or Hebrew).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current security situation in Afghanistan and the stability of that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The security situation in Afghanistan remains challenging. It is the second year of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces’ (ANDSF) independent operations and their capability continues to gradually improve. The work of NATO’s non-combat advisory mission, Resolute Support, remains critical to this effort. In 2016, ANDSF have faced particular pressure from the insurgency in Helmand and Kunduz. Where significant population centres have been threatened, government forces have repelled Taleban assaults.

At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO agreed to sustain Resolute Support’s “Train, Advise and Assist” mission through 2017. Donors also pledged around $4.5bn in funding to the ANDSF through to 2020 and reaffirmed NATO’s Enduring Partnership with Afghanistan. This clear signal of international resolve demonstrates our collective commitment to safeguarding the gains made in Afghanistan and to supporting the Government of Afghanistan to deliver security for its citizens.

HMG Ministers will be discussing these issues, and related development issues, with partners at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan on 4-5 October.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what practical assistance they are providing to Burma to help that country in its democratic transition following the elections on 8 November.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Our package of development assistance to Burma this year is £82 million and we have allocated £25 million between 2014 and 2019 specifically to strengthen democratic governance in Burma. This sum included support to elections through the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and building capacity in monitoring and observation of the electoral process.

Following the November elections, we will continue to engage with Burma to encourage the country along its journey of democratic reform. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on 10 November to offer continued political and economic support for the people of Burma. We will of course keep in close contact on a range of topics and look forward to working with the new administration, which takes office in March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-02-01.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans are in place, or in preparation, to address all possible outcomes of a referendum on the UK’s continued membership of the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK, so we can get a better deal for our country and secure our future. We are confident that the right agreement can be reached. The civil service are working round the clock to support the renegotiation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-03-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take in the light of the recent report by the Office of the UNHCR detailing atrocities committed against civilians, particularly women, in the civil war in South Sudan; whether the Responsibility to Protect policy applies in that case; and if so, how it will be applied.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is deeply concerned by the findings of the recent UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report. The Responsibility to Protect was agreed by all UN member states; it imposes an obligation on all states to protect their populations, and for the international community to assist. Due to the severity of the situation in South Sudan we are taking action on multiple levels. We are raising our serious concerns directly with the government, encouraging the African Union to establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, and pressing the UN Security Council to agree an arms embargo. At the UN Human Rights Council we are pressing for a UN Special Rapporteur to be agreed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made towards implementation of the provisions of the EU–Turkey Joint Action Plan to tackle the migrant crisis in line with EU principles.

Lord Keen of Elie

The UK is committed to ensuring the EU Turkey deal is implemented in an effective and sustainable way. We believe it is going to make a genuine difference to managing the flows of migrants; preventing people from putting themselves in the hands of smugglers and from dying while attempting the crossing. The UK is working with our European partners to ensure that most migrants can be returned quickly, fairly and securely to Turkey. We have offered 75 expert personnel including staff to help with the processing and administration of migrants in Greek reception centres. This will help to ensure that vulnerable people, including children, are identified and can access asylum systems as quickly as possible, while other migrants will be returned to Turkey in accordance with the EU-Turkey deal. The first cohort of staff are due to arrive in Greece next week. The UK also continues to deploy three vessels in the Aegean assisting in Search & Rescue missions, and a Royal Navy vessel operating as part of the NATO mission.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Iran seeking the return of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her daughter to the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

I am deeply concerned by recent reports that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sentenced without confirmation of the charges against her. On 11 September our Acting Ambassador raised our concerns with the Iranian Government and pressed for urgent confirmation of the charges and sentencing against her. We continue to raise our strong concerns about British prisoners in Iran, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, at the highest levels in both London and Tehran. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), did so in her introductory call with Iranian President Rouhani on 9 August and again on 20 September at the UN General Assembly in New York. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), similarly raised this case in his introductory call with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 4 August, and followed up in writing on 29 August. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) met Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family on 8 September to reassure them that we will continue to do all we can and that we remain ready to help them bring Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s daughter back to the UK if requested.