Tag: The Marquess of Lothian

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 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Syrian opposition fighters trained by British military personnel have defected or surrendered to Syrian Islamist groups.

Earl Howe

We have no evidence to suggest that any Syrian opposition fighters trained by British military personnel have defected to extremist Syrian Islamist groups. Some of the Syrian opposition fighters have been detained by extremist groups.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they made representations to the UN Human Rights Council in September for the establishment of an international investigation into the conduct of the conflict in Yemen, in the light of the recommendation for such an investigation by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

A resolution on Yemen was adopted by consensus at the last session of the UN Human Rights Council on 2 October. The Human Rights Council has no mandate to call for investigations into breaches of International Humanitarian Law, but the resolution does contain mechanisms for monitoring the human rights situation in Yemen. It calls on the UN to provide technical assistance to the Government of Yemen, assist the Yemeni National Independent Commission of Inquiry, and report back to the next session of the Human Rights Council. We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen and continue to work with all parties to find a political solution to the conflict. This will help create the conditions for the legitimate government to improve its capacity to protect human rights. The UK welcomes Yemen’s commitment to cooperate with the UN on protection of human rights.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered making representations at international level for a system of humanitarian visas in the light of the current migrant crisis.

Lord Bates

There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to make representations at international level for a system of humanitarian visas.

Instead, we are focusing our efforts on resettling vulnerable people in need of international protection from the region, including 20,000 Syrians by the end of the Parliament. This provides refugees with a direct and safe route to the UK and uses established UNHCR processes. This is in addition to the £1.12 billion in humanitarian aid provided by the UK for those most in need in the region – more than any other country in the world except the United States.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British military personnel (1) have been sent to train Syrian opposition fighters since January 2015, and (2) are currently engaged in training Syrian opposition fighters.

Earl Howe

A total of 34 British military personnel have been involved in training Syrian opposition fighters since January 2015. There are currently 21 British military personnel deployed for the purposes of training.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-10-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) how many Syrian opposition fighters have been trained by British military personnel since January 2015, (2) what military equipment has been supplied to them and by whom, and (3) how many are actively involved in military operations at this time.

Earl Howe

Since January 2015, 268 Syrian opposition fighters have been trained at sites where British military personnel are training. Of these 268, 180 have completed their training and the majority of that number have returned to Syria. The 88 who left prior to completing their training were either removed for disciplinary reasons or opted out of the programme. Whilst they might not all have been specifically trained by a British trainer, it is likely that most had interaction with a member of a British training team at some point during their tenure.

The UK has not supplied military equipment to the Syrian opposition fighters. We do not comment on the provision of equipment by other coalition partners.

We cannot say with certainty how many of the trained Syrian opposition fighters are actively involved in military operations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the threat posed by Islamist military action in Nigeria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Nigeria faces a serious threat from Boko Haram. We believe that more than 4000 people were killed by the group last year in north-east Nigeria. The UN estimates that over 1.5 million people have been displaced by terrorist activities and at least 3 million have been affected by the insurgency.
Addressing the threat from Boko Haram is primarily the responsibility of the Nigerian authorities. However, the UK, along with other international partners, is providing support to Nigeria and its neighbours in their efforts to defeat Boko Haram. This support includes a range of intelligence, military and development assistance, both to support current operations and to help tackle the long term causes of instability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2015-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Foreign Secretary last met the Spanish Foreign Minister to discuss Gibraltar; and whether there are any plans to do so again in the near future.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has regular discussions with his Spanish counterpart. While they have not yet met to discuss Gibraltar directly, the Foreign Secretary made clear the Government’s well-known position on Gibraltar to the Spanish Foreign Minister in writing when he took office last year. The Foreign Secretary hopes to visit Spain soon and would certainly raise Spain’s policy towards Gibraltar when he does. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), frequently raises Gibraltar when he speaks to his Spanish counterpart, as do other Government ministers. The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Mr Fallon), recently raised unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters when speaking to Spanish Defence Minister, Pedro Morenés. We stand by our commitment never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their wishes. And we will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. Ministers and officials continue to make this position clear to the Spanish government.