Tag: Tom Brake

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29390, what definition of principle of distinction his Department uses to assess whether an incident counts as a violation of international humanitarian law.

Penny Mordaunt

International Humanitarian Law is founded in customary international law but now extensively codified in international agreements, most notably the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols. The UK’s interpretation of the principles of proportionality, military necessity, humanity and distinction is set out in the Ministry of Defence’s Joint Service Publication (JSP) 383, the Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict, which is available online (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jsp-383).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31488, how many British officials who have provided advice to Saudi Arabia’s internal investigation into the breaking of international humanitarian law in Yemen have visited Yemen as part of this investigation; and where each of those officials was based.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We will provide advice to the independent committee that will assess Saudi Arabian military activity in Yemen, drawing on a range of information as required. Our Embassy operations in Yemen are suspended and since March 2011 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice has consistently advised against all travel to Yemen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iranian government about reports of 24 Bahais sentenced to imprisonment by a court in Gorgan on 1 February 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK regularly raises our concerns at the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran. We call on Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the local authorities concerned on amending the legislation that created the Lee Valley Regional Park levy in order to allow the London Borough of Sutton and other London local authorities the option of investing the money they currently contribute to the Lee Valley Regional Park through that levy into the Wandle and other regional parks.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Secretary of State has not held discussions about amending the Lee Valley Regional Park funding levy with the local authorities concerned.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department makes available to UK Special Forces and intelligence agencies on the dissemination of intelligence relating to individuals who are at risk of targeted lethal strikes by the US.

Penny Mordaunt

It is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on our Special Forces or intelligence activities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Ethiopian government on the cases of Tibebu Mekuria, Dawit Jemberu and Belete Tilahun.

James Duddridge

We are aware of the ongoing court case of Tibebu Mekuria, Dawit Jemberu and Belete Tilahun, who were convicted of burning down the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Gulema Iyesus in June 2015. As all three are still pursuing their appeal case through the courts in Ethiopia, with their final appeal hearing set for the 29 June, it would be inappropriate to comment on their case at this time.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts on the compatibility of recent sentencing decisions by the Israeli judiciary with the human rights standards set in the EU-Israeli Association Agreement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We have no plans to hold such discussions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that EU citizens who have acquired permanent residence under Free Movement Directive 2004/38 will automatically retain their permanent residence in the UK after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living in the UK, and the only circumstances in which that wouldn’t be possible is if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its humanitarian response in Mosul minimises child protection risks.

Rory Stewart

On 21 September, the UK announced an extra £40 million of humanitarian funding to Iraq, taking our total commitment to £169.5 million since June 2014. This new support will be targeted specifically to enable a scale up of humanitarian assistance ahead of Mosul operations. An element of this support will aim to help protect civilians displaced as a result of the operations – including children.

The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, which has supported specialist protection and rehabilitation for people escaping from Daesh, including women and children. The UK regularly lobbies the Iraqi authorities to ensure the protection of its people as they flee Mosul and other areas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the people responsible for the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988 are brought to justice.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The British Government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously. The Iranian Government has repeatedly denied that a mass execution took place, though we are aware that between July 1988 and January 1989 executions did take place. However, even with the recording and media reporting on the incident, we have no confirmation of the numbers involved. Although we have no plans to pursue this specific matter we will continue to take action with the international community to press for improvements on all human rights issues in Iran, including ending the death penalty.