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155379

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	Sudan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that systematic rape of women and girls occurred on 31 October and 1 November in Tabit village, North Darfur, and of the role United Nations Mission in Darfur forces reportedly played in those events.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2837
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text We remain deeply concerned by the recent reports of a mass rape at Tabit village in North Darfur. We have called on the Government of Sudan to allow the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) unhindered access so that the UN can conduct a full investigation into these alleged appalling crimes. We note that UNAMID was granted access to Tabit on 9 November, but are concerned by reports that their investigations took place under the close observation of Sudanese security officials. It is important that UNAMID now continue with a thorough and impartial investigation and that all relevant information is included in future public communications. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 25/11/2014 16:34:13 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

99965

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Iraq
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Amnesty International's report <i>Absolute Impunity: Militia Rule in Iraq</i> and its account of retaliatory attacks against IS by Shi’a militias in Baghdad, Samarra and Kirkuk.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2180
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text We have received reports from Amnesty International and others that Shia Militias have committed human rights abuses against Sunni Muslims in Iraq. The UK strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We welcome the commitments made by Prime Minister al-Abadi to reorganising the Iraqi Security Forces, integrating volunteer civilian fighters and dissolving militia groups. He has stressed the importance of bringing arms under State supervision in order to prevent abuses by armed civilians. The UK fully supports the Iraqi government in this as well as its efforts to uphold the rule of law and bring those responsible for all violations and abuses of human rights to justice. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/10/2014 16:41:06 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65930

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2014
	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	Burma
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to persuade the government of Burma to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and what is their assessment of Burma’s position in respect of the Covenant.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL857
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text We have had a number of discussions with the Burmese government on the importance of Burma ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). At the request of the Burmese government, our Embassy in Rangoon recently funded an experts’ visit to Burma for the purpose of identifying steps that would need to be taken and issues that would need to be considered in reaching the decision to ratify the ICCPR. We hope this will lay the foundations for further action in the coming months. answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 13:26:19 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

155688

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Qatar
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reported cases of abuse against North Korean workers in Lusail City, Qatar; and what steps they are taking to ensure that Qatar meets its International Labour Organisation obligations and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2872
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text We are aware of reports that state-run North Korean bodies have been expropriating large proportions of their workers’ salaries earned in Qatar. We take the issue of the treatment of migrant workers very seriously. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), recently raised human rights issues with the Qatari government during his visit to Doha on 15 October, and the issue of migrant workers was raised with the Emir of Qatar during his visit to the UK on 28-30 October. We support Qatar’s intention to reform the current labour law. We continue to encourage the Qatari government to address human rights concerns and stand ready to support those efforts where we can. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 27/11/2014 14:49:33 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

92766

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2014
	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	Iraq
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of a report by Human Rights Watch that Islamic State is detaining Yezidi men, women and children from Iraq in Iraq and Syria; and what they know about their situation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text The self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues to commit atrocities against Muslims, Christians, Yezidis, Turkmen and other communities throughout the areas under its control. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We are working closely with the Iraqi government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can. We are aware of reports from Human Rights Watch and others that Yezidi men, women and children are being detained by ISIL along with people from other religious groups. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 23/10/2014 15:56:43 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147343

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for providing overseas aid to members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria; and whether they consider that such Christian communities benefit from adequate protection from their governments against ISIL and other Islamic fundamentalists.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2747
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text The UK Government is horrified by the barbaric acts of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which is seeking to stoke sectarian conflict across the Middle East. Across Syria and Northern Iraq ISIL have launched a campaign of violence and terror and carried out appalling atrocities. They have attacked people of every faith and of none. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled ISIL advances. We are working closely with the Iraqi government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. The Syrian regime is seeking to heighten sectarian tension and fear within Christian, and other minority communities, painting the opposition as solely Islamic extremists, with Assad trying to paint himself as the only defender of the Syrian Christians. He is not; he continues to create the conditions for extremism in Syria by prosecuting a war he can’t win, destroying communities and the social fabric of the country. In the long run the only way to secure the position of Syria’s minority communities is to find an inclusive political solution to the crisis. The UK is determined to support the moderate opposition, who are working for an inclusive political settlement, and are committed to protect all of Syria’s communities and resist, extremists and authoritarian regimes. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:52:23 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

99966

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Iraq
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of Amnesty International’s reports of the discovery of unidentified bodies apparently subjected to executions and its allegations of human rights violations perpetrated by Iraqi government forces; and what discussions they have had with the new government of Iraq about entrenching fundamental human rights principles in law and practice and putting in place mechanisms to hold those responsible to account.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text The Government strongly condemns any and all abuses or violations of human rights. We have received reports from Amnesty International and others that Iraqi Security Forces have committed human rights violations in Iraq. Concerns also remain around unlawful detention, as well as deficiencies within the Iraqi justice system more generally. The newly formed Government of Iraq has committed to tackling these issues. We welcome the commitments made by Prime Minister al-Abadi to reorganising the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), integrating volunteer civilian fighters and dissolving militia groups, and his order on 13 September to ISF units fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) not to shell in civilian areas, with the aim of preventing civilian casualties. The UK fully supports the Iraqi government in this as well as its efforts to uphold the rule of law and bring those responsible for all violations and abuses of human rights to justice. At the Human Rights Council in September we co-sponsored a resolution which strongly condemns ISIL and also stresses the need for accountability. The resolution was passed by consensus and mandates the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to despatch an urgent mission to investigate and report on ISIL abuses. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 04/11/2014 17:17:20 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147345

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking and intend to take in the future to ameliorate the situation of members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria in the light of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in those countries.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We are concerned about the growing number of reports of Christians, and other minority groups, being targeted in Syria with many having already fled to camps in Lebanon, Turkey or Jordan. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Of this, £314 million has already been allocated to help ensure refugees from Syria are supported in neighbouring countries. We are supporting non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups in Syria, with a view to a future political settlement. We are also funding training for Syrian activists to document abuses to a criminal law standard with the aim that this documentation could be used in a future process of accountability. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) advances. Following lobbying from the UK and other international partners, a resolution was passed at the Human Rights Council in September, mandating the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to despatch a mission to investigate and report on ISIL abuses. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the Archbishop Athanasius of the Syriac Orthodox Church in London on 29 July to discuss the situation for religious groups in the region and issued a statement condemning reported threats against Christians in Iraq and Syria. We continue to encourage influential religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:28:15 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47765

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of children in armed conflict in the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; which parties in those countries they consider to be using child soldiers; and what action they are taking to co-ordinate international action to secure the demobilisation of child soldiers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6713
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text The British Government recognises that parties to conflict who commit grave violations against children, including recruitment and use, are named in the annexes of the annual reports of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. This applies to the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the five countries in question, the Governments of Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently listed for the recruitment and use of children. The latter two have signed action plans with the UN to end this practice. There are also non-state armed groups listed for recruitment and use of children in all the countries in question, except South Sudan. The UK actively participates in the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to hold perpetrators to account as well as working with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and non-governmental organisations to urge those Governments who have not already done so, to enter into time-bound action plans with the UN. The Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), is leading a campaign to raise awareness and help prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and children from becoming victims of sexual violence. He continues to raise the issue with a number of counterparts in countries where there are reports of children being recruited into armed groups and forces, including in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147346

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further representations they intend to make to the governments of Middle-Eastern states and Turkey to dissuade them from funding organisations and campaigns which target Christian communities in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is a brutal terrorist organisation that has targeted Christians and other communities in Iraq and Syria. Our partners within the Middle East, including Turkey and the Gulf states, have made clear by their current actions that they are fully committed to taking action against ISIL. We are aware of reports that individual citizens from the region may be providing support to ISIL and other extremist groups, but there is no evidence to suggest that the governments we engage with are involved. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discusses these issues regularly with his counterparts, including during the visit of the Qatari Emir on 29 October. We will continue to make representations to our allies, including from the Middle East, to also ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2170 on tackling ISIL’s access to resources. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:57:51 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool