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899956

registered interest
date	08/05/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Israel: Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published on 20 April, in particular (1) its reference to the conclusion of the UNICEF Report of 2013 that “the maltreatment of Palestinian children appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalised”, and (2) its reference to the findings of the Military Court Watch, based on 400 testimonies collected since 2013, that 90 per cent of children continue to be denied access to a lawyer prior to questioning; and what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel on those issues.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL7619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>The treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention remains a human rights priority for the UK. We will continue to call upon Israel to improve its practices in line with international law and obligations. We have offered to help the Israeli authorities through expert-to-expert talks with British officials. That offer still stands. While we recognise that Israel has made some improvements, it needs to do much more to safeguard vulnerable people in its care. Most recently I raised the issue of children in detention with Israeli Justice Minister Shaked during my trip to the region in April 2018.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/05/2018 13:48:03 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

899957

registered interest
date	08/05/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Occupied Territories: USA
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of the United States on the decision no longer to refer to the West Bank and East Jerusalem as “occupied territories” in the United States State Department’s report, Israel and the Golan Heights 2017 Human Rights Report, published on 20 April, for the first time since the State Department began to issue Human Rights Reports in 1999; what is their assessment of the implications of this change for international law and United States policy; and whether they will re-affirm their own position on those territories and on Gaza.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL7620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2018 answer text <p>While we have not raised this specific issue with the US, the UK position remains clear. We consider that the level of control that Israel retains over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza amounts to occupation under international law, Hence Israel’s presence is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, to which Israel is a state party. The UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and compliance with international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and we continue to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/05/2018 11:37:15 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

897094

registered interest
date	02/05/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Cameroon: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 1 May (HL6988), in which they state that their policy towards preventing mass atrocities and promoting prevention and peace building activity “begins with actively looking out for countries with signs of instability, to reduce the risks of violence, promote good governance, support the rule of law, building inclusive societies, and enabling effective judicial and security sector reform” what progress they are making to assist reducing tensions in Cameroon.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL7518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2018 answer text <p>The British Government remains concerned by the situation in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. We are keen to see the violence stop, political prisoners released, and creation of a meaningful process of national dialogue to address the core issues.</p><p>During the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Yang, and the Minister for Africa met Commonwealth Minister Mbayu. Both pressed for action to resolve the dispute, making clear that the UK stands ready to help. The Minister for Africa pressed these points again when she met the Secretary General of the Presidency on Thursday 3 May. President Biya has committed to dialogue. The British Government believes a meaningful, inclusive process must start swiftly.</p><p>We will continue to engage with the Government of Cameroon and underline that all parties have a responsibility to work for peace and stability and to use legal and peaceful means to voice grievances.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/05/2018 16:13:59 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

890724

registered interest
date	24/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Nuclear Weapons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to Leading by Example: Reforming UK Nuclear Declaratory Policy, the briefing by the British American Security Information Council, and, in particular, its recommendation that the UK should maintain its lead role in multilateral disarmament by (1) explicitly declaring that UK nuclear weapons are only there to deter nuclear use or blackmail when the survival of the UK is in question, (2) strengthening the UK's negative security assurances to non-nuclear states, (3) committing never to use nuclear weapons first, and (4) clarifying that the UK's nuclear weapons are weapons of last resort, and what is meant by that.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL7244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2018 answer text <p>The UK's independent nuclear deterrent remains essential for our security. But we are committed to maintaining the minimum amount of destructive power needed to deter any aggressor. We also have a strong track record on nuclear disarmament, reducing our nuclear forces by over half since the Cold War peak in the late 1970s. We intend to maintain a leading role in multilateral disarmament efforts; unilateral disarmament would undermine our security and not make the world a safer place. We regret that Russia is making a number of destabilising nuclear and missile investments and undermining existing arms control Treaties, and DPRK is developing its illegal nuclear programme in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions; this makes progress more difficult. We are fully committed to ensuring that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains the cornerstone of international efforts to achieve our long term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.</p><p>Our policy remains as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence &amp; Security Review. This said, &quot;We would use our nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances of self-defence, including the defence of our NATO Allies. While our resolve and capability to do so if necessary is beyond doubt, we will remain deliberately ambiguous about precisely when, how and at what scale we would contemplate their use, in order not to simplify the calculations of any potential aggressor&quot;. The Review also said that &quot;The UK will not use or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against any Non-Nuclear Weapons State Party to the Treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This assurance does not apply to any state in material breach of those non-proliferation obligations.&quot; We will continue to keep our nuclear posture under review in the light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 10/05/2018 16:45:03 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

886897

registered interest
date	18/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking action (1) bilaterally, and (2) multilaterally, to seek to ensure that Joseph Kabila does not stand as a candidate in the next presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL7057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2018 answer text <p>The British Government has repeatedly called for President Kabila to honour both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Constitution and the 31 December agreement and conduct a peaceful transfer of power in DRC via credible elections. The Minister for Africa, Harriett Baldwin MP, made these points directly with representatives of the DRC government when she visited DRC last week. Our Embassy in Kinshasa regularly presses the DRC authorities to ensure they enable the Congolese people to meet their democratic aspirations by electing a new President.</p><p>The UK continues to coordinate closely with the EU and at the United Nations on the DRC's electoral commitments. We are also working alongside regional partners; for example, in February in Addis Ababa the UK Special Envoy to the Great Lakes joined other members of the International Contact Group on the Great Lakes (ICGGL) to discuss presidential elections in DRC.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 30/04/2018 16:24:35 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

885887

registered interest
date	17/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Peace Negotiations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances, if any, they have received from the government of Saudi Arabia that, in response to the statement by the UN Security Council of 15 March 2016, that government will negotiate directly with Houthi leaders in Yemen without preconditions and in a way that ensures the participation of women and other under-represented groups at all levels of society.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL6984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>A negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue is the only way to end the Yemeni conflict and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and we continue to work with all our Yemeni, regional and international partners in support of this goal. As the 15 March UN Security Council Presidential Statement made clear, this will require the full involvement of women and other under-represented groups to ensure that the process goes beyond politics and reflects the aspirations of all Yemenis.</p><p>The imperative of reaching a political solution to the conflict in Yemen was agreed in the Joint Declaration by the UK and Saudi Arabia during the visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in March. The Joint Declaration expressed the UK's and Saudi Arabia's strong support for the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, and our resolve to work together closely to achieve a political solution.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/05/2018 15:42:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

885888

registered interest
date	17/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that there is monitoring of the situation in Yemen by the UN Security Council; and whether they intend to seek Security Council agreement of substantive resolutions and statements on the situation in Yemen, including references to the conduct of Saudi Arabia.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL6985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>The UN Security Council continues to receive regular updates regarding the situation on Yemen. Both the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, briefed the Security Council on 17 April. We will continue to use our role as penholder on Yemen at the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian crisis and support progress towards a political resolution of the conflict. In March this year, the UK proposed and coordinated a UN Security Council Presidential Statement (PRST). The PRST builds upon the text agreed on 15 June 2017, also sponsored and coordinated by the UK, by expressing deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen; calling for the parties to agree steps towards a ceasefire; welcoming the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen, and calling for a vaccination programme and unhindered humanitarian access. We will continue to work with our Yemeni, regional and international partners to ensure that words are converted into action.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/05/2018 15:23:25 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

885889

registered interest
date	17/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Yemen: Peace Negotiations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they are pursuing to table a UN Security Council resolution which gives substance to the statement on Yemen of 15 March 2016, in particular that the parties to the conflict should enter peace talks without preconditions.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL6986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government keeps under consideration whether a new UN resolution would support progress towards a political settlement in Yemen. Given the lack of agreement between the parties to the conflict at present, we judge that following the UN Security Council Presidential statement proposed by the UK in March, the best opportunity for progress comes through the appointment of Martin Griffiths as the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen. We encourage the parties to return to negotiations without pre-conditions and participate constructively in the UN-led political process.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/05/2018 15:26:34 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

885892

registered interest
date	17/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Crimes against Humanity
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategy they are developing to promote the prevention of atrocity crimes; and how that strategy relates to Yemen.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL6988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government's approach to preventing mass atrocities is rooted firmly in our wider conflict prevention and peacebuilding activity. This begins with actively looking out for signs of countries at risk of instability, to reduce the risks of violence, promote good governance, support the rule of law, building inclusive societies, and enabling effective judicial and security sector reform. We aim to foster environments where atrocity crimes are less likely to take place.</p><p>In Yemen we play a leading role in support of UN-led efforts political resolution of the conflict. We are also supporting a range of conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund (with £7 million budget this financial year for Yemen). We take very seriously allegations of any violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by actors in the conflict in Yemen, and call upon all parties to abide by their obligations under IHL. We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/05/2018 15:41:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

885893

registered interest
date	17/04/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they are making of the continued provision of arms to Saudi Arabia following the announcement by other European countries of restrictions on the provision of such support; and what estimate they have made of the number of civilian deaths that have been caused by arms supplied from the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL6989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government takes its arms export licensing responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those items subject to the licence might be used in a serious violation of IHL. The situation is kept under careful and continual review.</p><p>We do not maintain records of casualty figures for the conflict in Yemen. Gathering data is extremely challenging considering the complexities of the situation and the challenges faced by humanitarian monitors across the country. Estimates by the UN and non-govermental organisations vary considerably.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 01/05/2018 16:29:16 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd