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100609

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which languages have been studied by civil servants and diplomatic staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School; and how many civil servants and diplomatic staff have studied each language.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>Since the Language Centre opened on 19th September 2013 a total of 45 different languages have been studied there either full or part-time by 813 students. Of those students, 779 are Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff and 34 are from other government departments (OGDs) (including staff from the following departments: Ministry of Defence, Cabinet Office, the Department for Business, Innovation &amp; Skills, Home Office, Ministry of Justice, UK Trade and Investment, the Department for International Development, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the House of Commons). An additional 60 FCO staff have trained at the Institut Francais. Staff across the Civil Service can also access the FCO Language Centre library to continue to develop their own language skills outside formal study and 58 OGD staff have taken advantage of this offer so far.</p><p>It is important to note that when more appropriate, staff from OGDs also receive language training outside of the FCO Language Centre through use of the Civil Service-wide contract with Language Services Direct (the company that run the FCO Language Centre) or at the Institut Francais if French is required. Since September 2014, 113 OGD students have received language training on their own premises via the FCO contract.</p><p>The table below provides a breakdown of the languages that have been taught at the FCO Language Centre:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Albanian</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Arabic</p></td><td><p>186</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Azeri</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bosnian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bulgarian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Burmese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cambodian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Czech</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Danish</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dari</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dutch</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Farsi</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Finnish</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>French</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Georgian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>German</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greek</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hebrew</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hindi</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Indonesian</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Italian</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Japanese</p></td><td><p>33</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Korean</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Macedonian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mandarin</p></td><td><p>93</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Norwegian</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pashto</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Polish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Portuguese</p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Romanian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Russian</p></td><td><p>84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Serbian</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sinhalese</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovak</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Slovene</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Spanish</p></td><td><p>153</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swedish</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tajik</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Thai</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tigrinya</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkish</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turkmen</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Urdu</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Uzbek</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vietnamese</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>813</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:51:51 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100610

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect to see an increase in the numbers of United Kingdom civil servants capable of fulfilling the language requirements for applications to the European Civil Service; and if so by how many, and by when.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2341
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government is working to increase the number of applicants to the European Civil Service and to increase civil service language training. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) supports all UK applicants, including civil servants, through the EU recruitment process, including advice on how to pass the recruitment tests in a foreign language. The European Fast Stream programme has been re-structured for 2014 and the training updated. As part of this, the language training provided to participants has been revised and tailored to offer more effective preparation for the Commission’s entry exam known as The Concours. There is also language training offered to civil servants through the FCO language centre. Some Government Departments also offer training in-house in different languages.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:54:59 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100611

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Civil Servants: Languages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how civil servants from all departments with the wish or the potential to benefit from a course at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Language School are identified.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2342
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text Full-time language training is available to all staff on appointment to one of the 674 designated ‘speaker’ roles based across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s network of posts overseas. Appointment is made following an advert, application and selection by interview for a position. All positions (including speaker roles) in the Senior Management Service are also advertised across the Civil Service. A number of positions (including speaker roles) in the delegated grades are also advertised across the Civil Service via ‘Interchange’. All FCO staff (or staff from other governmental departments (OGDs) if on Interchange) and their spouses/partners posted to non-speaker roles in a foreign country also have the option of taking up language training to reach a basic level (Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) – A2 Confidence foreign language proficiency) to help settle into a new posting overseas. FCO staff who wish to develop skills in a foreign language can also attend a rolling programme of part-time lunchtime or evening classes in 12 languages. Where there is space in these classes, OGD staff are offered places based on language learning needs analyses by Departments. Language Services Direct (the company who run the FCO Language Centre) also provide part-time classes to a number of OGDs (the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Cabinet Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for International Development, Members of Parliament, UK Hydrographic Office) on their own premises or at Language Services Direct premises (HM Revenue and Customs). Language Services Direct also run a bespoke training package for staff from both the FCO and across the Civil Service wishing to apply for positions within EU institutions. A number of OGDs also appoint staff, following their own internal appointment processes, to their own ‘speaker’ roles overseas and are able use the Language Centre for training, or receive training at their own premises from Language Services Direct. To-date over 130 OGD staff have been trained either full-time or part-time at the Centre or at their own premises. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:56:28 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

100984

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Church Schools
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the implementation of the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) 2014, requiring the active promotion of protected characteristics as set down in the Equality Act 2010, what provision will be made to enable Christian schools to teach traditional Christian values and views about marriage; and what measures they have taken to ensure that any such provisions are not overridden.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Eaton
	uin	HL2440
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 do not require the active promotion of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act.</p><p> </p><p>The Regulations require that schools actively promote principles which encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics. This is a crucial distinction. It is right to respect other people, even if one does not agree with them or their way of life. This is a fundamental part of preparation for life in modern Britain.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is absolutely clear that the changes make no difference to the existing legal obligations that schools have under the Equality Act 2010. All schools are already required to abide by the Act and their obligations are not altered by the changes to the standards. The changes do not fetter the views of individual teachers or censor the discussion of relevant matters. A teacher who, for instance, disagrees with same-sex marriage because of their Christian faith will not be prevented from expressing that view by these changes. Since the changes make no difference to schools’ existing legal obligations under the Equality Act there is no question of the ability of schools to teach traditional Christian values being overridden.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 05/11/2014 17:55:38 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4184 label Biography information for Baroness Eaton

100584

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Afghanistan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the United Kingdom intends to ensure that at the London Conference on Afghanistan, due to take place on 24–25 November, Afghan women in attendance will be able fully to participate in the Conference’s deliberations.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead
	uin	HL2321
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>As co-hosts of the London Conference on Afghanistan (LCA), the UK government has agreed the overall invitation list in partnership with the Afghan Government. However, decisions on civil society attendees have been made by Afghanistan civil society themselves (rather than the UK or Afghan Government) through a democratic process in Kabul. At least 45% of these elected, sponsored attendees are Afghan women who are scheduled to contribute fully to the civil society event and its outcomes<em>. </em>The make-up of the official Afghan government delegation is for the Afghans themselves to decide, however we will be encouraging them to ensure that this includes female Afghan representatives.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 05/11/2014 17:49:18 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
	tabling member	3895 label Biography information for Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

100570

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Pakistan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the efforts of the Pakistan security services in clearing the tribal areas of that country of Tehrik-e-Taliban in Pakistan and Al-Qaeda terrorists.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
	uin	HL2307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government of Pakistan has been carrying out a counter-terrorism operation in the tribal area of North Waziristan since 15 June. Its stated objective is to remove all militant groups and dismantle terrorist infrastructure.</p><p>It is for the Government of Pakistan to determine how to tackle the prolonged and deadly insurgency they face. The UK supports Pakistan as it tackles terrorism and violent extremism, and we will stand together to tackle terrorism and the extremism that sustains it. We expect all concerned to act in accordance with international law and take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian casualties.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:48:26 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

100640

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Kashmir
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received reports about exchanges of fire on the Line of Control in Kashmir and on the working border between India and Pakistan; and whether they have provided any advice to India and Pakistan in order to resolve outstanding matters, including the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
	uin	HL2371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned about the incidents which took place in recent weeks on both sides of the Line of Control and the International Border in Kashmir. We hope that both sides can take steps to reduce tensions. The longstanding position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:58:33 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

100641

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	Kashmir
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to encourage the dialogue between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
	uin	HL2372
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We have followed developments in the region and officials from our High Commissions in both Delhi and Islamabad discuss the situation in Kashmir with both governments. The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:58:54 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

100557

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to propose to Parliament that the United Kingdom join the United States in air attacks on the Daesh besiegers of Kobani.
	tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
	uin	HL2294
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>Reports from Kobane continue to be deeply concerning and we are monitoring the situation closely. We strongly support the coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria by the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said, the Government will return to Parliament for a separate decision if we propose to take military action against ISIL in Syria. As the Prime Minister has made clear, if there were a critical British national interest at stake or there were the need to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, we would act immediately and explain to Parliament afterwards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 05/11/2014 15:45:27 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

100595

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department of Health
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health
	answering dept sort name	Health
	hansard heading	Ebola
	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 research report by the Keenan Research Centre at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto which estimates that three ebola carriers fly out of the most affected countries each month and that their preferred destination is London; and whether they have any plans to further increase ebola testing at airports.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL2332
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The report makes a number of assumptions, including that exit screening procedures were not in place in the major affected countries. Since the report was published in August exit screening in the three most affected countries is now in place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Screening is now in operation in Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester airports and at St Pancras (Eurostar). The purpose of screening is to identify, and give advice to, passengers coming from high risk areas who will be spending time in the United Kingdom. This is to provide them with relevant advice on the nature of the virus, what to be aware of, and what action to take should they begin to display any symptoms.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 05/11/2014 15:52:37 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra