The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the Strategic Defence and Security Review to be (1) completed, and (2) published.
Lord Bridges of Headley
Work on the Strategic Defence and Security Review is progressing well and we expect it to be completed and published by the end of the year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-08.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on the extent to which Daesh is establishing and consolidating control of territory in Afghanistan, in particular in the east, and what action they plan to take to prevent that.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Daesh affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan which identifies as Islamic State in the Khorasan Province (ISKP) primarily consists of former Taleban. While ISKP has influence in the eastern province of Nangahar, it has not yet demonstrated any national presence. The Taleban see ISKP as a threat and there have been repeated clashes between the two groups in Nangahar. The UK, through our support to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), provides Train, Advise and Assist support to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to help them tackle the extremist threat in Afghanistan. Together with our NATO partners we continue to monitor the situation closely.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current situation in Burundi; and whether they are concerned that the present levels of violence could lead to genocide.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The current situation in Burundi remains grave. The number of fatalities is high with at least 130 killed in December 2015. There is a daily rhythm of violence during the nights followed by quiet mornings. We were deeply concerned to hear of allegations that the police and the ruling party’s youth league are responsible for much of the violence, including sexual violence. The conflict remains essentially political in nature. Whilst there have been some limited signs of ‘ethnicisation’ of the crisis, these have not yet formed the kind of pattern that was seen in the run-up to previous genocides. The immediate risk is of a decline into multi-sided civil war. We continue to work closely with African and international partners to bring an end to the violence.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-03-16.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia in the case of the death sentence by crucifixion of Ali al-Numr.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government is very concerned about the case of Ali al-Nimr, and has raised this case with the Saudi Arabian authorities, most recently on 12 March, at a very senior level. Our expectation remains that he will not be executed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-05-25.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average number of people who visited a hospital Accident and Emergency department in the UK on (1) a weekday, or (2) a Saturday or Sunday, in 2015.
Lord Prior of Brampton
In 2014-15, there were an average of 52,883 attendances at accident and emergency per day on weekdays (Monday to Friday) and of 52,426 attendances per day at the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-09-12.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they will be putting forward to assist in the adoption of a new global framework on refugees at the forthcoming UN High Level Summit on Refugees and Migrants on 19 September.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK fully supported the UN General Assembly’s High Level Meeting on Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants on 19 September, and the New York Declaration on refugees and migrants which was adopted at the meeting.
We will work with others following the High Level Meeting to achieve specific outcomes that will be better for migrants, for refugees, and for all countries in the migration chain – source, transit and destination.
In New York, the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) argued that alongside stepping up our efforts on humanitarian assistance and development, the international community needs to build a more effective policy approach: addressing the root causes of forced displacement, providing proper protection for refugees, and reducing today’s unmanaged population movement.
At the High Level Meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the principle of providing asylum in the first safe country, thereby discouraging dangerous secondary movements; ensuring clarity in the different protections afforded to refugees and economic migrants; and maintaining the rights of all states to control their own borders.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-11-03.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current state of relations between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK and Saudi Arabia have a strong and broad relationship. We work closely on mutual security interests and also in areas as diverse as education, energy, defence, trade, culture and the challenges facing the Middle East. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said during a press conference in Riyadh on 28 October, “the UK and Saudi Arabia have a long and deeply established relationship. We have worked together over many many years including difficult times as well as easier times”.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-12-17.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reported decline in the population of resident and regular migrant butterflies in the UK, and whether they are taking any action to prevent further decline.
Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra publishes an annual indicator on butterfly abundance, using data collected by volunteers. Large fluctuations are typical of butterfly populations but in England the indicator shows that butterfly numbers have generally fallen since 1990, although with numbers of some common species stabilising over the last five years.
In England, we will take forward our manifesto commitment to produce a 25 year strategy for the environment, which will include biodiversity. Our approach will be designed to meet the habitat needs of many species including butterflies. In England’s National Pollinator Strategy we are aiming to expand flower rich habitats across different types of land to benefit pollinators including butterflies.
The England network of protected areas provides benefits for many species even when those areas are not specifically designated for the conservation of those particular species. This network includes local and national sites protected under domestic legislation and international sites protected under European and International law. Some of these sites are specifically designated for species of particular importance, including the marsh fritillary butterfly, which is a notified feature of a number of Special Areas of Conservation, designated under the Habitats Directive.
Agri-environment schemes play a major role in the conservation of butterflies in England. For instance, across grassland habitats in Dorset, between 1990 and 2010 the marsh fritillary increased in abundance by around 278% on land managed under these schemes.
In the summer of 2014 the critically endangered high brown fritillary experienced its best season since 2004 with numbers increasing by more than 180% as compared to 2013 across Dartmoor, Exmoor, and Morecambe Bay in Lancashire and sites in the Lake District.
The Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package in the new Countryside Stewardship scheme contain options to improve habitats and provide nectar sources for butterflies. It will play a key role in supporting the National Pollinator Strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-02-01.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action, if any, they plan to take as a result of the recent report of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers that 40 per cent of teachers in the UK have experienced violence from pupils in the past year.
Lord Nash
The government has already taken steps to empower teachers to tackle poor pupil behaviour in schools. We have extended teachers’ searching powers; allowed them to impose same-day detentions; and clarified their power to use reasonable force. In 2014, we updated our advice on pupil behaviour to make clear the range of sanctions it is permissible to use in order to manage poor behaviour. We also produced a range of case studies showing good practice and issued separate advice for schools to help teachers identify and support pupils whose behaviour may be related to an unmet mental health or special educational need.
The Teacher Voice Omnibus survey, a nationally representative survey of teachers in England, found that 76 per cent of teachers say that behaviour in schools is ‘good or better’ compared to 70 per cent in 2008. However, we recognise that poor behaviour is still a problem in some schools. On 16 June 2015, the Secretary of State appointed the behaviour expert, Tom Bennett, to lead a behaviour review to ensure new teachers are fully trained in dealing with disruptive children and to consider all of the challenges of managing behaviour in the 21st century.
To complement this review, Tom Bennett will lead a further review of behaviour management in schools with a particular focus on leadership, culture and systems used to tackle disruptive behaviour.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-04-19.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why journalists from some Commonwealth countries were denied visas to attend the recent Commonwealth Journalists Association conference in London, and what assessment they have made of whether those decisions are compatible with the Foreign Office’s commitment to promote human rights, democratic values and the rule of law in the Commonwealth.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Her Majesty’s Government is committed to promoting efforts to supporting human rights, democratic values and the rule of law in the Commonwealth and beyond. We believe that it is important for all Commonwealth members to live up to the values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.
All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with UK immigration rules and guidance.
The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate that they satisfy the immigration rules. Decision makers will take account of an applicant’s personal and financial circumstances as well as the prevailing country situation.