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79643

	registered interest
	date	28/07/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols GC 460–4) on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, how many of the Commission’s recommendations that pertain specifically to Her Majesty’s Government have been implemented thus far; and whether there are any recommendations that they do not intend to implement.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The Commission of Inquiry made nineteen recommendations to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) (para 1220, (a) – (s)); six for China and other States in the context of trafficking and forced repatriation of refugees (para 1221 (a) – (f)); one relating to inter-Korean relations (para 1222); two directed at states, civil society organisations, foundations and business enterprises (1223 and 1224) and ten to the international community and the United Nations (1225 (a) – (j)).</p><p>The recommendations relating to trafficking and forced repatriation do not apply directly to the UK. However, we have been clear with the Chinese government and others that we believe that people who have escaped from the DPRK are entitled to protection and should be allowed safe passage to resettlement in third countries.</p><p>Para 1223 relates to people-to-people dialogue and contact in areas such as culture, science, sports, good governance and economic development. As one of the few countries with a presence on the ground in Pyongyang, the UK can play a particular role in implementing this recommendation. We already seek to expose North Koreans to the outside world through the British Council English language training programme and other engagement activities.</p><p>Para 1224 recommends that states and others should support the work of civil society organisations to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK, including efforts to document violations and to broadcast accessible information into each country. The UK has previously funded projects with South Korean non-governmental organisations related to documenting violations in the DPRK. We have also worked with international and domestic organisations within the DPRK to improve the treatment of disabled people. Our focus on direct engagement complements that of others, like the US, who support broadcasts into the DPRK.</p><p>With regard to the recommendations for the international community and the United Nations, my noble friend, the former Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Baroness Warsi), set out in detail in her reply on 23 July (Official Report, column GC461) the UK’s position on the recommendations for the UN Security Council (para 1225(a)) and our commitment to ensuring that the international community takes action in response to the Commission’s report (para 1225(f)). The recommendations in para 1225 (b) and (c) have been taken forward through the UN Human Rights Council and those in (d), (e) and (g) are primarily for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Secretariat. We are currently exploring the prospects for taking forward para 1225(h), which recommends forming a human rights contact group. Para 1225(i) relates to provision of humanitarian assistance. The UK does not have a bilateral aid programme in the DPRK, but agrees fully with points made in this recommendation about how such assistance should be provided. Para 1225(j) recommends the convening of a high-level political conference to consider a final peaceful settlement to the Korean War. A comprehensive resolution of the situation on the Korean peninsula will require the DPRK to address the international community's legitimate security concerns.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:02:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

79814

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols 460–4GC) to the debate on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Embassy in Pyongyang use teaching programmes in North Korean universities and colleges and children's care homes to challenge the indoctrination of children that was documented in the Commission Report; and if so, how.
	tabling member printed	Lord Eames
	uin	HL1703
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>The primary focus of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Council funded teacher training programme in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is on training teachers of English, although the programme also includes an element of direct teaching to university and middle school students. The programme uses a mixture of standard British Council English language materials and materials developed together with DPRK teachers specifically for the North Korean context. This includes, for example, a module on English for International Law, based on texts from the UN including the UN Charter. The DPRK would not agree to any programme that explicitly challenged their ideology, but through the programme North Korean teachers and students develop a better understanding of the UK and its values. They also experience an approach to learning based on questioning and reaching individual conclusions, rather than dictation and rote learning.</p><p>While our Embassy in Pyongyang has funded some projects aimed at improving nutrition in children’s homes and childcare centres, we do not have any teaching programmes for these groups.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:03:00 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2793 label Biography information for Lord Eames

79815

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Warsi on 23 July (HL Deb, cols 460–4GC) to the debate on the Commission of Inquiry Report on human rights in North Korea, what bilateral steps have been taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to end sexual violence in North Korea; whether experts from its Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative have entered into dialogue with the government of North Korea; and what assessment they have made of whether any projects explicitly designed to improve the rights of women in North Korean society have ever been implemented in North Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Eames
	uin	HL1704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/08/2014 answer text <p>We have been clear with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that we find its appalling human rights record unacceptable and have called on it to take action in response to all of the Commission of Inquiry’s findings, including those relating to sexual and gender-based violence. We have also worked with the South Korean based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Citizens Alliance (NKHR), to fund a project on North Korean refugees and women’s rights in the DPRK and to increase the NGO’s capability in this field. The report produced through this project was submitted to the Commission of Inquiry and formed part of the evidence for their report.</p><p>We do not have a full audit of projects undertaken by other Embassies, UN Agencies or NGOs. With regard to UK projects within the DPRK, it is only possible to undertake projects with a willing North Korean counterpart. We have not previously undertaken projects specifically designed to improve women’s rights or sexual and gender-based violence. To date experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative have not held discussions with the Government of DPRK. The DPRK recently accepted a number of recommendations from its 2009 Universal Periodic Review, including some that related to equality and women’s rights. This creates a potential opportunity for engagement. We are currently considering how we might exploit this most effectively.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 18/08/2014 10:02:36 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2793 label Biography information for Lord Eames

89929

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Palestinians
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 29 July (HL1376), and in the light of the discovery of tunnels from Gaza into Israel, what assessment they have made of the measures put in place by the United Nations to avoid the diversion of materials imported into Gaza, in particular concrete, from humanitarian use.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Deech
	uin	HL1771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>The discovery of a number of tunnels reaching Israel during Operation Protective Edge is deeply concerning. The UN implement a strict controls system with the Government of Israel for the import of construction materials for use in humanitarian projects in Gaza, in order to mitigate the risk of transfer of materials for use other than that intended. Given the recent conflict in Gaza which has left more than 108,000 people homeless, there is an urgent need for legitimate construction work in Gaza and we are talking to the UN and Israel to support a way forward that addresses Israel’s security concerns whilst meeting the clear humanitarian need.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 11:24:08 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3756 label Biography information for Baroness Deech

89946

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Turkey
	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 Popat on 11 August (HL1600), whether their assessment is that British Christian and Jewish visitors to Turkey do or do not have freedom of worship in those countries.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL1788
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>It is our assessment that British Christian and Jewish visitors to Turkey do have freedom to worship there. The Turkish government is continuing to improve protections for all religious minorities in Turkey and we welcome this.</p><p>We and our EU partners assess however that more needs to be done to entrench freedom of religion for all in Turkey and we will continue to encourage the Turkish authorities to make further progress, as part of our wider human rights dialogue.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 09:44:08 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

89947

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Gibraltar: Spain
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 30 July (HL1323), why they accept that the European Commission has a locus in the matter of the border between Spain and Gibraltar; and whether they consider that locus to apply to action by the European Commission concerning incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters by Spanish vessels from Spanish territorial waters.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL1789
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>Gibraltar forms part of the EU and the EU provisions on the free movement of workers, capital and services apply to Gibraltar. Spain is entitled to establish checks at the border with Gibraltar, but these checks must be proportionate and non-discriminatory in order to remain in compliance with EU law. Pursuant to its role as guardian of the EU treaties the European Commission has an important role to play in assessing whether Spain has complied with these EU law obligations. We have made consistently clear to the Commission that we believe Spain has breached EU law in this area and the Commission recently agreed that the checks giving rise to waiting several hours to cross the border were disproportionate.</p><p>Incursions by Spanish state vessels into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters raise issues under the international law of the sea rather than under EU law. The UK robustly defends its sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by challenging all unlawful incursions and by making formal protests to the Spanish government.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 09:42:41 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

89948

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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: Iran
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the latest situation in Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty.
	tabling member printed	Lord Clarke of Hampstead
	uin	HL1790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>We rely on the UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) for information about the situation at Camp Liberty, as they monitor the adherence by all parties to applicable human rights standards. On 31 August UNAMI reported that the provision of life support systems such as water, electricity and food continue to be well in excess of basic humanitarian standards.</p><p>There are no residents now at Camp Ashraf. The final group of residents were transferred to Camp Liberty on 11 September 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 11:18:25 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3413 label Biography information for Lord Clarke of Hampstead

89949

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Iran
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to review their relationship with the government of Iran, including considering firmer sanctions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Clarke of Hampstead
	uin	HL1791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>Since the election of President Rouhani in 2013, we have been working to improve the UK-Iran relationship for the benefit of both countries. We intend, following Iran’s assurances that UK staff in Iran would be safe and able to carry out their functions, to reopen our Embassy in Tehran as soon as practical arrangements allow. A global diplomatic presence is a key component of UK foreign policy. Nevertheless, there will continue to be range of issues on which the UK and Iran disagree. Restored embassies will enable us to better understand these differences and to work more effectively to tackle them.</p><p>Along with our E3+3 partners, the UK remains committed to reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran which ensures that their nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Failure to reach a settlement would lead to the re-imposition of sanctions suspended under the interim deal and consideration of further sanctions pressure.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 11:13:11 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3413 label Biography information for Lord Clarke of Hampstead

89955

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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 statement by the then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, that "there seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes," by Israel in Gaza; and whether they have made any representations to the United Nations about that statement.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
	uin	HL1797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>The Government has taken note of the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are clear that there must be meaningful investigations into possible violations of international humanitarian law by all sides, including those abuses committed by Hamas and other militant groups. We call on all parties to cooperate with the UN Commission of Inquiry, which must be balanced and impartial. We have not responded directly to the UN on this statement but we have commented publicly on a number of the issues raised in it. The UN Commission of Inquiry has yet to complete its work, so it would be wrong to pre-determine its findings.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 11:21:20 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin

89972

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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 how many Palestinian civilians, at the time of the latest ceasefire, had been (1) killed, and (2) injured, as a result of Israel’s military action in Gaza; how many of those casualties were children; and what were the comparable figures for Israeli civilian casualties from Palestinian military action in the same period.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL1814
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p>According to UN figures, the number of Palestinian civilians killed as a result of Israel’s military action in Gaza was, by the time of the 26 August ceasefire, 1,462. 495 of them were children. The UN does not provide exact figures for the number of injured Palestinian civilians. However, it estimates that over 5,000 women, children and elderly Palestinians were injured.</p><p>According to Israeli government statistics, seven civilians in Israel were killed by rocket/mortar fire from militant groups in Gaza. Six of these were Israeli (including one child) and one was a Thai national. 126 were injured. Further casualties from Hamas rockets were thought to have been prevented by the Israeli Iron Dome system.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/09/2014 11:12:11 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner