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1646837

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2023
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	UNRWA: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other donor countries about providing new funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) following UNWRA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini’s forecast on 20 June of likely cuts to UNWRA's service provision.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL8727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2023 answer text <p>We are longstanding supporters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), providing essential humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees across its five zones of operation. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. We are aware of UNRWA's financial challenges and frequently raise this with MENA regional partners at ministerial level<ins class="ministerial">.</ins><del class="ministerial">, most recently with the Government of the United Arab Emirates.</del> To that end, the UK Government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its sustainability.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/07/2023 15:25:12 question first ministerially corrected 13/07/2023 10:37:33 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 85846 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1643202

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2023
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Kosovo: Politics and Government
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) political, and (2) security, situation in Kosovo, following the recent unrest in that country; and what discussions they have had with (a) EU partners, and (b) NATO partners, regarding that situation.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL8352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We condemned the unprovoked attack on NATO troops in northern Kosovo on 29 May and remain in close contact with NATO Allies and fellow Kosovo Force (KFOR) contributors. Alongside international partners we are taking immediate steps to de-escalate and return to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary reiterated these messages when he spoke to the Kosovo Prime Minister on 8 June, as did the Prime Minister's Envoy, Lord Peach when he spoke to President Vucic on 7 June. I discussed the current tensions with Kosovo's Foreign Minister on 8 June.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Following the violent protests which started on 26 May, the situation in northern Kosovo has calmed but remains tense. We condemned the unprovoked attack on NATO troops on 29 May and remain in close contact with NATO Allies. We are urging immediate steps to de-escalate, and a return to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary reiterated these messages when he spoke to the Kosovo Prime Minister on 8 June and Serbian Prime Minister on 13 June, as did the Prime Minister's Envoy, Lord Peach when he spoke to President Vucic on 7 June. I [Lord Ahmad] discussed the current tensions with Kosovo's Foreign Minister on 8 June.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/06/2023 15:13:47 question first ministerially corrected 22/06/2023 15:22:06 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 83241 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

911056

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Officers: Recruitment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many more prison officers are currently needed in the UK; how they plan to recruit the necessary prison officers; and what success the Unlocked programme has had in contributing to increasing recruitment.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL8219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2018 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Following their introduction in July 2015, there have been 222 applications and 205 orders made for Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders, up to 31 December 2017.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">In this period no breaches of an FGM Protection order have been dealt with in the criminal courts. In the Family Courts, proceedings for breach would be dealt with as a contempt of court matter and are not recorded separately. The information could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Statistics on FGM Protection Orders are publicly available as part of the Family Courts Statistics Quarterly series at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly. The next publication of Family Court Statistics Quarterly is due on 28 June 2018. This will provide data up to the end of March 2018.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">As part of the Prison Safety and Reform White Paper published in November 2016, the Government committed to an increase of 2,500 Prison Officers by the end of 2018.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Between the end of October 2016 (the closest data point in time to when the commitment was made) and the end of March 2018, the number of Band 3 to 5 prison officers (headcount) increased from 18,713 to 21,824; a net increase of 3,111.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">It is anticipated that 90 per cent of the new recruits will be on the landings by the summer and all of them will be operational by the end of the year.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The first cohort of 52 graduates from the Unlocked scheme, which encourages the brightest graduates to consider a career in HMPPS, entered the HMPPS workforce in August last year – 15% higher than had been anticipated. Due to the popularity of the programme, up to 115 candidates will be recruited for the 2018 cohort. They are due to join the service in July 2018.”</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Under the Prison Safety and Reform agenda, Governors have been given greater responsibility for workforce planning and determining their local organisational structure. This includes the number of officers they employ and Governors can implement changes to shift arrangements and resource deployment providing they remain within the agreed funding envelope.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">This empowerment of the Governor’s position is intended to enable them to make best use of resources to support prison safety and develop strategies to reduce reoffending. HMPPS does not set workforce planning arrangements for Scotland and Northern Ireland, as this is a matter for devolved Governments.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The recruitment drive continues across the prison estate, with the same urgency that has secured this remarkable influx of new staff.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 07/06/2018 13:56:34 question first ministerially corrected 18/06/2018 10:30:43 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie previous answer version 61928 answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1606944

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2023
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	BBC Arabic Service
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they had any metrics in place to quantify the soft power advantage of the BBC Arabic radio service during its 85 years of broadcasting; what assessment they have made of any loss of soft power to the UK following its closure on 27 January; and whether they have had any discussions on the matter with the BBC in 2023.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL6799
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The FCDO values the work of the BBC World Service in promoting UK values globally. As the world's most trusted international broadcaster, it is a vital tool in providing accurate and impartial news to 365 million people globally each week. The FCDO engages regularly with the BBC and the Foreign Secretary periodically agrees with the BBC their objectives, priorities and targets, which include metrics relating to audience reach. However, the BBC remains operationally and editorially independent of Government, decisions about delivery of services are for them to take.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Though BBC Arabic radio has closed, the service remains available on TV and digital platforms, which are fast becoming the most popular form of engagement. BBC Arabic is funded by the Licence Fee, with some additional support from the FCDO through the 'World2020 programme'. As stated in the Integrated Review Refresh, the UK Government is working to bring soft power into its broader foreign policy approach. This includes providing a one-off £20 million uplift to the World Service to protect all 42 language services, recognising its crucial role in supporting UK soft power and countering harmful disinformation.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">The FCDO strongly values the important work of the BBC World Service in providing accurate and impartial news to 365 million people globally each week.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The FCDO engages regularly with the BBC. The BBC and the Foreign Secretary periodically agree objectives, priorities and targets, which include audience reach metrics. However, the BBC remains operationally and editorially independent of Government and service delivery decisions are for them to take. Though BBC Arabic radio broadcasting has ceased, the service remains available via TV and digital platforms, reflecting audience trends. BBC Arabic is funded by the Licence Fee, with some additional support via the FCDO-funded 'World2020 programme'.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">As stated in the Integrated Review Refresh, the UK Government is working to bring soft power into its broader foreign policy approach. This includes providing a one-off £20 million uplift to the World Service to protect all 42 language services, recognising its crucial role in supporting UK soft power and countering harmful disinformation.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/04/2023 10:35:10 question first ministerially corrected 06/04/2023 10:52:41 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 67663 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1668166

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Poverty
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle destitution in the UK, particularly destitution experienced by children.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL52
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. We will spend around £276bn through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2023/24 including around £124bn on people of working age and children, and around £152 billion on pensioners. Of this, around £79 billion will be spent on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions.</p><p> </p><p>From April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, and in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels also increased by the same amount.</p><p> </p><p>In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000 fewer children, 1 million fewer working age adults and 200,000 fewer pensioners.</p><p> </p><p>With almost one million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting people, including parents, to move into and progress in work. This approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless households were 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty, after housing costs, than those where all adults work.</p><p> </p><p>Through the ambitious package announced at the Spring budget we are delivering measures that are designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives.</p><p> </p><p>To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues.</p><p> </p><p>To support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain. We estimate that around 1.4m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work.</p><p> </p><p>To further support parents into work, on 28<sup>th</sup> June 2023, the maximum monthly amounts that a parent can<del class="ministerial">HL52</del> be reimbursed for their childcare increased by 47%, from £646.35 for one child and £1,108.04 for two or more children to £950.92 and £1,630.15 respectively<strong>.</strong> Importantly, we can now also provide even more help with upfront childcare costs when parents move into work or increase their hours. This means that a parent who needs this additional financial help can now be provided with funding towards both their first and second set of costs (or increased costs), upfront, thereby easing them into the UC childcare costs cycle.</p><p> </p><p>This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 15/11/2023 14:27:00 question first ministerially corrected 15/11/2023 16:10:23 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie previous answer version 743 answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1547531

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2022
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Democratic Republic of Congo: Ceasefires
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following an escalation in military activity in the past month; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of a ceasefire.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL3944
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2022 answer text <p>The escalation in fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is having grave humanitarian consequences, has been raised with both the President of DRC and the Foreign Minister of Rwanda; <del class="ministerial">I [</del>the Minister for Africa<del class="ministerial">]</del> also recently spoke to the Rwandan Foreign Minister. We welcome agreement on a ceasefire as agreed at the Luanda summit in Angola on 23 November. It is vital that all parties implement it to secure a real de-escalation on the ground in Eastern DRC. We urge all sides to do everything they can to ensure armed groups respect the terms of the ceasefire and engage with the regional political processes, in order for an enduring political solution to be found.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 09/12/2022 14:37:32 question first ministerially corrected 13/12/2022 11:57:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park previous answer version 40981 answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1144177

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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: Nuclear Power
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the Foreign Secretary made during his discussions with European partners in Helsinki at the informal meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Gymnich) on 29 to 30 August on how to preserve the Iran nuclear deal and to protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL17665
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed with our European partners our common commitment to preserving the Iran nuclear deal (JCPoA) as the best way of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. We are deeply concerned by Iran's steps to reduce compliance with the JCPoA, including its recent announcement on suspending limits on nuclear research and development, and urge Iran to uphold the agreement in full. This third step away from its commitments under the nuclear deal is particularly disappointing at a time when we – and our European and international partners – are working hard to de-escalate tensions with Iran, which includes our coordinated action to protect international shipping and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:23:49 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:46:18 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133942 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1144176

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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	Israeli Settlements
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Foreign Secretary raised concerns over settlement building with Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz during their meeting in London on 28 August, further to the government of Israel's approval of more than 2,000 settlements in the Occupied West Bank last month.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL17664
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We regularly raise our concerns on this issue with the Government of Israel and urge it to reverse its policy of settlement expansion. The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:22:47 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:22:25 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133941 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1144174

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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 intend to take as a result of the report of the UN Group of Independent Eminent International and Regional Experts Yemen: Collective Failure, Collective Responsibility published on 3 September, which details multiple violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen, and concludes that many of those "may result in individuals being held responsible for war crimes" and calls on the international community to "stop turning a blind eye to these violations and the intolerable humanitarian situation" and to refrain from providing arms that could be used in the conflict.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL17662
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">This UN report underlines the deeply concerning human rights situation in Yemen and the importance of reaching a political solution to the conflict. The UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to bring a diplomatic solution to the appalling conflict in Yemen. We operate one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. The Government takes alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) extremely seriously. Whenever the UK receives reports of alleged violations of IHL, we routinely seek information from all credible sources, including from international organisations.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:31:59 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:46:54 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133940 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1144173

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Private Rented Housing: Older People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tenants over the age of 60 currently live in private rental accommodation; whether this proportion of older people in private rental accommodation is increasing, and if so, how rapidly; and what plans they have, if any, to take action to increase security for older tenants, including repealing section 21 of the Housing Act to prevent landlords from being able to evict tenants at short notice without giving a reason.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL17661
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del><ins class="ministerial">The latest English Housing Survey for 2017-18 estimates that there are 379,000 households where the Household Reference Person is 65 years and older, the age range for which data is collated by the annual English Housing Survey. The proportion of people aged 65 or over in the private rented sector has remained broadly stable at 8-9 per cent since 2014/15.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We know that security of tenure is a concern for many in the private rented sector, including older renters. That is why the Government announced in April that it proposes to create new rules around ending a tenancy by reviewing. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. These proposals are currently subject to consultation until 12 October and accompanied by a package of court reforms to make the system faster and simpler. The Government’s proposed measures will provide greater certainty for tenants and make the housing market fit for the 21st century.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/09/2019 16:39:42 question first ministerially corrected 02/10/2019 11:45:48 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie previous answer version 135498 answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian