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1134518

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	Libya: Freezing of Assets
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department first became aware that HM Treasury had received tax receipts derived from the interest on frozen Libyan assets held in UK banks; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	North Down
tabling member printed	Lady Hermon
uin	269000
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>It is the Government's long-standing policy that designated persons are not exempt from tax as a consequence of having their assets frozen. The Government's response of 24 June to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report (into Government support for UK victims of IRA attacks that used Qadhafi-supplied Semtex and weapons) set out the releasable information the Government has about tax receipts derived from the interest on frozen Libyan assets held in UK banks. The Government's response says:</p><p><em>&quot;As stated in the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation's letter to the Committee of 23 April 2019, OFSI's responsibilities do not include tracking tax liabilities on frozen assets. HMRC, as the department responsible for safeguarding the flow of money to the Exchequer is responsible for any records of tax liability. HMRC has reconsidered how we can help the Committee within the legal constraints governing our ability to share information. We have concluded that we can use aggregated information to answer the Committee's questions, provided that information cannot be tied back to individual persons or companies as a result. HMRC receives payments of tax from a small proportion of the entities designated under the Libyan regime. Around £17 million has been received in total since the start of the 2016-17 tax year. HMRC currently receives around £5 million each year.&quot;</em></p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/07/2019 16:10:36 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	1437 label Biography information for Lady Hermon

1134597

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	Syria: Conflict Resolution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to support a peaceful conclusion to the conflict in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>​The British Government continues to believe that only a negotiated political settlement will end the Syria conflict, as we reiterated at the UN Security Council on 27 June. We fully support the efforts to this end of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who the Foreign Secretary hosted in London in March. The UK Special Envoy for Syria discussed the situation with Mr Pedersen and international counterparts from the Syria Small Group on 23 June. We are also using our role at the UN Security Council to put pressure on the regime and Russia to end their ongoing offensive in Idlib.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/07/2019 16:34:24 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134598

registered interest
date	25/06/2019
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	USA: Iran
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a diplomatic resolution to the stand-off between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	269140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>We are concerned by the risk of unintended escalation between the United States and Iran. We are also concerned by the potential of further tension as a result of the failure of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We continue to call on the US to preserve the gains that the Iran nuclear deal has brought, avoiding actions that would prevent the remaining parties from meeting their commitments to uphold the deal. We remain in close co-ordination with international partners to find diplomatic solutions to de-escalate tensions, and specifically advising Iran – using our diplomatic relationship – that escalation is not in their interest,as I did during my Tehran visit in June.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/07/2019 16:08:32 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1133789

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
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	Egypt: Prisoners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Egypt about (1) establishing an immediate independent inquiry into the circumstances of the collapse in court of the former President Morsi and his death soon after, and (2) guaranteeing that family and legal visits will be allowed to all prisoners held on remand and during long trials.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL16540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>​I have been following recent developments in Egypt carefully and have been receiving regular updates. I note the international attention former President Morsi's death has attracted and await with interest the results of the independent medical report ordered by the Egyptian Prosecutor General into the causes and circumstances.</p><p>Prison conditions is one of our human rights priorities in Egypt. We raise the issue of family visits regularly with the Egyptian authorities, most recently in May.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:27:58 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1133803

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
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	Commonwealth: Diplomatic Service
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Since taking up the role in June 2018, the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited the following Commonwealth countries: Rwanda, Kenya, India, Barbados, Saint Lucia, South Africa and the Seychelles. The Commonwealth Envoy has called on all Commonwealth High Commissioners in London, and is in regular contact with them (including at frequent meetings of the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors and Executive Committee).</p><p>Outside of the Commonwealth he has travelled to New York: for a Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers' Meeting, a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting and other Commonwealth-related meetings; Dubai, for Commonwealth meetings at the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and to consolidate Commonwealth members' support for the re-election of the British Deputy Secretary General of the ITU; and to Addis Ababa, for a UN conference on implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (for which the UK is supporting several Commonwealth countries), and to discuss Commonwealth-African Union collaboration.</p><p>He has also visited: Brussels, to meet the Ambassador of a Commonwealth government which is not represented in London; and Geneva, for a Commonwealth Health Ministers' Meeting, discussions with the International Trade Centre (which is implementing the UK-funded She Trades Commonwealth Project) and the ITU (re the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation), a discussion with Commonwealth member representatives about increasing collaboration, and to visit the Commonwealth Small States Office, to which the UK has provided specific financial support.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:28:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133804

registered interest
date	20/06/2019
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	Commonwealth Secretariat: Reform
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 progress made in reforming the Commonwealth Secretariat.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>At CHOGM 2015, Heads of Government mandated the Secretary-General to convene a high-level group (HLG) to review the full governance arrangements of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure that its governance is streamlined and integrated in order to improve oversight, efficiency and transparency. This mandate was reiterated by Heads at CHOGM 2018, who asked Foreign Ministers to make decisions in response to the HLG's findings. Reform and strengthening of the Commonwealth Secretariat is a priority for our period as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. We have worked with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to support the fulfilment of the mandate set by Heads.</p><p>An HLG, convened by the Secretar- General, first met shortly before CHOGM 2018. Since then, the HLG has submitted two reports. The first - covering roles and responsibilities, funding, and arrangements for the appointment of Secretaries-General - was submitted in early September 2018, and discussed by Foreign Ministers when they met in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. At that meeting, Foreign Ministers instructed the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors (of which the UK Commonwealth Envoy is a member) to agree recommendations in the light of that report by 30 November 2018. The Board fulfilled that instruction, unanimously agreeing a set of recommendations through a thorough, transparent and inclusive process. At the end of December 2019, the HLG produced a second report, focused on the Secretariat's collaboration with accredited Commonwealth organisations and other partners. Through a further thorough, transparent and inclusive process the Board of Governors unanimously agreed a set of recommendations in response to that second HLG report.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary, as current Chair of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, has recommended that they adopt the recommendations. A few of them have some outstanding questions. We hope that those can be resolved, and the recommendations adopted, soon. Once implemented, they will make a significant difference to the effective governance and operation of the Commonwealth Secretariat and its collaboration with member states and Commonwealth organisations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:29:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1133464

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
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	Egypt: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt about the imprisonment and treatment of former President Morsi before his death in court; and what is their current assessment of the state of human rights in Egypt.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL16499
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>​We have been following recent developments in Egypt carefully and have been receiving regular updates. We await the results of the independent forensic report ordered by the Egyptian Prosecutor General into the causes and circumstances of former President Morsi's death.</p><p>Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK, and we monitor the situation closely. We continue to voice our concerns, including in our recent statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March and in our Human Rights Report, released on 5 June. In particular, prison conditions are one of our three human rights priorities in Egypt. We raise access to medical care and solitary confinement regularly with the Egyptian Government.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/07/2019 16:29:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

1133476

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
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	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which programmes they are funding to support the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 broken down by (1) the budgeted amount, (2) the current level of actual expenditure, and (3) the expected timeline for disbursing that funding.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>At the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Leaders agreed a range of actions to deliver a future that is fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable, and more secure. The Government has allocated approximately £526.7 million to programmes and projects to support delivery of these ambitious commitments. As of 31 March, £187.1 million had been disbursed. The remaining funds are expected to be disbursed over varying timeframes with completion dates ranging from March 2020 to March 2025.</p><p>A list of UK-funded programmes and projects has been placed in the Library of the House. Furthermore, the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) on 15 May to provide an update on delivery of CHOGM commitments. This report can be accessed via the FAC's website.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/07/2019 15:36:20 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn