The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make further changes to the FCO travel advice for France following the terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We will continue to keep the travel advice for France under close review given the evolving security situation in France. We encourage anyone planning on travelling to France to subscribe to travel advice e-mail alerts.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contact, if any, they have had with the Assad regime in Syria over the last two months.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
There has been no contact with the Asad regime over the last two months. Since the closure of the Syrian Embassy in London in August 2012, the British Government has had only limited contact with the Asad regime in relation to consular matters. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), wrote to the Syrian Foreign Minister in August 2015 about a consular case.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-02-23.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, how much of the $5.8 billion pledged for 2016 has been received, and when they expect all pledges to be received.
Baroness Verma
On 4 February, the Prime Minister co-hosted the “Supporting Syria & the Region London 2016”, which brought together over 60 countries, international organisations, business, civil society, Syrians and people affected by the conflict to agree a comprehensive new approach on how we respond to this protracted crisis. Donors announced over $11 billion in funding for the Syria crisis response, of which almost $5.9 billion is for 2016. A further $5.4 billion has been committed for 2017-2020 to enable partners to plan ahead. Never has the international community raised so much for a single humanitarian crisis in a single day. The United Nations will track pledges made towards the 2016 UN-coordinated inter-agency appeals for Syria and the region, and we will work alongside the UN to ensure these pledges are disbursed quickly and maintain the momentum on fundraising over the longer-term. This information is being updated on UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Financial Tracking System.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat Daesh in Libya.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are extremely concerned about the rise of Daesh in Libya. We are engaging with the new Libyan government and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya. Initial planning has focused on building the capabilities of Libyan security forces.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-06-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Secretary of State for Energy will respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s report on the environmental impact of shale gas fracking submitted to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on 30 March.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has received the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) report. We are carefully considering the report to ensure it is given the proper consideration it is due.
Under the Infrastructure Act 2015, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is required to lay the CCC report and our response before Parliament together. They will be published as soon as practicable once our response is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-18.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent comments by European Council President Donald Tusk that Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees to Europe; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the US-led coalition’s military action on the number of Syrian refugees.
Baroness Verma
We continue to closely monitor the humanitarian impact of Russian airstrikes in Syria. We are particularly concerned at UN reports that Russian-backed regime offensives have caused the displacement of at least 140,000 people in Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib governorates since 5 October. We are currently not aware that the flow of refugees has increased as a result of Russian military action. However with displacement on such a scale we cannot rule out that it will have an impact on refugee flows.
Unlike the Assad regime and its allies, who are bombing indiscriminately, Coalition military efforts in both Iraq and Syria are specifically designed to minimise civilian casualties in line with International Humanitarian Law.
We continue to call upon all parties to the conflict to uphold International Humanitarian Law and protect civilians.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-01-13.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK airstrikes have been carried out against Daesh in Syria over the last two months; how many of those were against (1) economic targets, and (2) human targets; and what estimate they have made of collateral damage from those strikes.
Earl Howe
As at 18 January 2016 the Royal Air Force has conducted a total of 22 air strikes against Daesh targets in Syria, beginning on the 2 December 2015 after the House of Commons vote.
Of these, 11 strikes were against oil infrastructure, one was against a Daesh command and control centre and 10 were against Daesh fighters and their equipment. No collateral damage or civilian casualties arose from these strikes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-03-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to urge the Egyptian authorities to investigate fully the torture and death of Giulio Regeni in Cairo this year and what assessment they have made of the risks to the safety of British academics and journalists presently in Egypt.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have followed the case of Giulio Regeni closely since he disappeared on 25 January. We are saddened by his tragic death and are very concerned about reports that he was tortured. We pass our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
We have raised our concerns and the need for a full investigation with the Egyptian authorities both in Cairo and with the Egyptian Ambassador in London. We support the Italian and Egyptian efforts to investigate and have asked the Italians to let us know if there is anything we can do to support.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice provides objective information and advice to help individuals make better-informed decisions about their travel. We review our travel advice for Egypt on a regular basis and make necessary changes after careful analysis. Our only consideration is the safety of British Nationals.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-04-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many public libraries have closed since 2010; how many are currently under threat of closure; and what action they are taking to ensure that public libraries are maintained as a statutory service and to promote improvement of the public library service.
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport monitors closely proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. The Department does not maintain detail on the number of public libraries under review by local authorities, but based on desk research we estimate that from January 2010 to January 2016 approximately 110 static public libraries in England closed completely.
Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities and it is a matter for local authorities to determine how best to provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service to their local community, within available resources.
My Department, together with the Local Government Association, has set up a Leadership for Libraries Taskforce to help public libraries in England build on good practice and add value for the communities they serve. The Taskforce is currently consulting on the attached document at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-2021 which sets out the ambition for public libraries in the future. Furthermore, thanks to Government funding, free Wi-Fi is available to 99% of public libraries in England.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-06-27.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of bilateral relations with Iran a year after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna on 14 July 2015.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was agreed in July 2015 which, along with the subsequent lifting of international sanctions, represents a new era in Iran’s relationship with the wider world. Since my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) reopened our Embassy in August 2015, significant progress has been made in developing the bilateral relationship between the UK and Iran. We welcomed Foreign Minister Zarif to London on 4 February 2016, in what was the first bilateral visit of an Iranian Foreign Minister since 2003. We hope to be able to upgrade to the level of Ambassadors in the near future.