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760013

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last raised with the government of Pakistan (1) the anti-Ahmadiyya laws set out in Penal Code Article 298, and (2) that government's obligations to protect freedom of religion or belief; and whether they intend to encourage the government of Pakistan to invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to make a country visit to Pakistan.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2017 answer text <p>The UK Government remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief. We regularly raise concerns about the protection and persecution of minority communities, including Ahmadiyya Muslims, the blasphemy laws and the protection of freedom of religion or belief to the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance we attach to religious tolerance and safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), discussed the protection of religious minorities with Kamran Michael, former Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights, during a visit to Pakistan in January 2017.</p><p>We continue to urge Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations, including engaging with the UN and other international bodies, and to ensure that the rights of minorities are respected.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2017 16:08:39 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760014

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Taimoor Raza
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about the case of Taimoor Raza who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for allegedly breaking the blasphemy laws on social media; and what representations, if any, they have made on his behalf.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2017 answer text <p>We are aware of the case of Taimoor Raza, a Pakistani national who was sentenced to death on 10 June 2017 after allegedly making blasphemous remarks on social media. We understand Mr Raza has submitted an appeal to the High Court.</p><p>The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. While we have not raised Mr Raza's case directly with the Pakistan authorities, we have repeatedly called upon the Government of Pakistan to end capital punishment and, at a minimum, commit to publicly renewing the previously imposed moratorium on the death penalty. We regularly raise our concerns about freedom of expression and the misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government at a senior level.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary raised misuse of the blasphemy laws during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), discussed the death penalty and the importance we attach to freedom of expression with Kamran Michael, former Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights, during a visit to Pakistan in January 2017. The Government will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to the death penalty and freedom of expression and religion.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/09/2017 14:38:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760015

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Schools
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the meeting of Lord Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne with the Minister of State at the Department for International Development, Rory Stewart MP, about the role of school textbooks and the school curriculum in Pakistan in describing non-Muslims, what progress has been made in promoting inclusive educational approaches in that country.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>DFID’s education programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces continue to support provincial governments in the ongoing process to update and revise textbooks. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab lower secondary textbooks are now the focus. Through the Ilm Two programme DFID is directly supporting the production of additional reading materials that specifically focus on religious tolerance and inclusion. DFID is also engaged with Federal Government consultations on a new draft National Curriculum which is in its early stages. The Federal Government has also agreed minimum standards for educational quality which were adopted by provinces this year. These standards set the quality criteria for learners, curriculum, textbooks<strong>,</strong> teachers and assessment and form the basis for the current textbook reform.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 21/09/2017 12:01:46 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760016

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Minority Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about proposals in Pakistan to establish (1) a National Council for Minorities’ Rights, and (2) a dedicated police unit to protect religious minorities; and whether they have encouraged such developments.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1572
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>The Action Plan for Human Rights, published by the Pakistan Ministry of Human Rights in 2016, contains proposals for a range of measures to improve human rights in Pakistan, including a National Commission for Minorities and security arrangements for protection of places of worship of minorities. We have encouraged implementation of the Action Plan.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/09/2017 15:02:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760017

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Marriage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged the government of Pakistan to enact laws recognising the legality of Christian marriages.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry of Human Rights in Pakistan is currently reviewing the Christian Marriage Act 1872 and Christian Divorce Act 1862. We have discussed the review with the then Minister for Human Rights, Kamran Michael, and regularly raise minority and women's rights with the Government of Pakistan.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/09/2017 14:57:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760018

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Pakistan: Overseas Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much overseas aid they have given to Pakistan in each of the past five years; and of that, how much has specifically been committed to the promotion of (1) the protection of minorities, and (2) freedom of religion or belief.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>The DFID Annual Report includes the following figures for aid spend in Pakistan for the last five years;</p><p> </p><p>2012-13 £203.1 Million</p><p>2013-14 £253 M</p><p>2014-15 £249 M</p><p>2015-16 £336.2 M</p><p>2016-17 £422.1M</p><p> </p><p>£39.5 million has been committed to the Voice and Accountability programme (AAWAZ) which aims to ensure that democratic processes are more open, inclusive and accountable to citizens in Pakistan. It focuses on three areas:</p><p> </p><p>1- Women’s and minority rights, their political participation and decision making;</p><p>2- Tolerance and prevention of violence (inter-faith, sectarian and gender-based)</p><p>3- Increasing the accountability and responsiveness of the state to citizens’ demands for improved service delivery (particularly on health and education).</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 21/09/2017 12:02:54 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760019

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Community Transport: Licensing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment of the effect on individuals and communities unable to access conventional bus services of their proposals to require community transport operators to hold a conventional PCV operator's licence.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
uin	HL1575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2017 answer text <p>Not all community transport operators are required to hold a PSV operator’s licence. This only applies to operators who do not fit into one of the relevant exemptions to EU Regulation 1071/2009, which has applied in the UK since 2011.</p><p> </p><p>We will consult on the issue and use of section 19 and section 22 permits later this year. The consultation will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment focussing on the potential effects for operators who use permits.</p><p>We are working with community transport and local authority organisations to understand better the potential impacts.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 20/09/2017 13:03:13 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

760020

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Amazon: Taxation
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 conclusions of the report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research Bookselling Britain that bookshops pay 11 times more tax than Amazon, and whether they have plans to address this.
tabling member printed	Lord Hain
uin	HL1576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2017 answer text <p>The UK levies corporation tax on companies based on the profits generated by their economic activity undertaken in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has announced a number of recent changes to reinforce that principle, including a restriction to the deductibility of corporate interest expense, which is due to increase receipts by around £1bn per annum.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also continues to consider, at both a domestic and international level, whether the existing tax rules deliver that principle for new digital business models. For instance, the UK actively supports the OECD’s Task Force on the Digital Economy, which has been mandated to explore these issues.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 25/09/2017 09:59:44 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	567 label Biography information for Lord Hain

760021

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Bookshops: Closures
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many bookshops have closed in the UK since 2010.
tabling member printed	Lord Hain
uin	HL1577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/10/2017 answer text <p>In 2016, there were 2,005 retail units specialised in selling books in the UK, compared to 2,055 in 2010 (ONS business counts).</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 04/10/2017 11:40:02 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	567 label Biography information for Lord Hain

760022

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Police and Prison Officers: Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether pay increases during this financial year for police and prison officers will be paid for from existing budgets.
tabling member printed	Lord Hoyle
uin	HL1578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2017 answer text <p>As the Chief Secretary to the Treasury set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 12<sup>th</sup> September, pay awards for 2017/18 for police and prison officers will be funded within existing budgets.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 20/09/2017 10:38:25 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	1000 label Biography information for Lord Hoyle