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349511

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
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	Mesothelioma: Compensation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with regard to the compensation payments awarded under the Mesothelioma Act 2014, what is their estimate of (1) the difference between the actuarial calculations on which they based their assumptions for payments of compensation and the payments now being made by insurance companies; and (2) how much such companies will save in each of the next 10 years compared with the original legislative assumptions.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>No actuarial calculations were carried out in relation to the payments that would be made by the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme. The tariff table, which sets out the rate of payment according to age at diagnosis, is based on an average of similar payments made under civil compensation.</p><p> </p><p>The Impact Assessment published in March 2014 estimated that £93.7m would be paid out by the Scheme in the first year of its operation, and £412.4m would be paid out over the first 10 years.</p><p> </p><p>Initial application volumes were lower than anticipated so the amount levied on the insurance industry for the period 2014/15 was £32m. It is too early to estimate what the application volumes will be over the next 10 years given volumes received to date. As this is a demand led scheme, the calculations for the levy are done afresh each year. An upturn in applications to the Scheme would result in a higher levy rate in future years.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 13:31:33 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

349512

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: SOCO International
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in the light of reports into the activities of Soco International in Virunga national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which allege breaches of bribery and corruption laws.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL381
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2015 answer text <p>We are aware of allegations of serious wrongdoing made against Soco International, its employees and agents connected to its activities in the Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We expect all companies to act appropriately and encourage anyone with evidence of fraud, bribery or corruption to pass this to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).</p><p>Allegations of bribery and corruption, and incidents of violence, intimidation and threats directed at environmental activists, fishermen and local residents campaigning against oil exploitation in the Virunga National Park have been inadequately investigated by the DRC authorities. We have called upon the DRC authorities to undertake a full investigation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/06/2015 15:19:25 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

349142

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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	Eritrea: Human Rights
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 report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea accusing Eritrea of crimes against humanity.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government note the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea published on 8 June. We are carefully reviewing their findings and look forward to discussion of the report at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 23 June. We are disappointed the Commission has not been granted access to Eritrea. We continue to call on the Government of Eritrea to honour its international human rights obligations and cooperate fully with the whole UN human rights system, including the Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/06/2015 10:42:22 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

349143

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Eritrea: Refugees
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 United Nations estimate that in total 360,000 refugees have fled Eritrea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p>We are concerned by the United Nations report that 360,000 refugees have fled Eritrea, particularly given that they report the numbers of people leaving increased sharply towards the end of 2014, and given the vulnerability of refugees leaving by land and by sea. Our Ambassador in Asmara closely monitors events in Eritrea and Foreign Office and DFID staff work closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees throughout the Horn of Africa.</p> answering member printed Baroness Verma question first answered 18/06/2015 16:47:56 answering member 3790 label Biography information for Baroness Verma
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

349144

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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	Eritrea: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to press the United Nations Security Council to refer Eritrea to the International Criminal Court, in the light of the report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2015 answer text <p>The UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in Eritrea does not recommend referral of Eritrea to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Report recommends that the international community continues to engage closely on the human rights situation in Eritrea, including on countering irregular migration, human smuggling and trafficking. The UK is already fully engaged on this through the African Union-EU ‘Khartoum Process’. The UK will also continue to press Eritrea to improve its human rights record through a range of channels including via the UN Human Rights Council and Special Rapporteur, EU Article 8 Dialogue, and through regular bilateral diplomacy.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/06/2015 15:23:27 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

349145

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
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	Eritrea: Refugees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the safety of the Eritrean refugees abducted by ISIS in Libya on 3 June.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK is aware of reports that 86 Eritrean nationals were abducted in Libya on 3 June by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. We have no further information at this time about what has happened to them. We have seen appalling acts of terror inside Libya, including the targeting of others because of their faith. This strengthens our determination to work with our international partners to counter the terrorist threat in Libya and the region, and to support UN efforts to find a lasting political solution.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/06/2015 14:19:39 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

347893

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: North Korea
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Immigration, James Brokenshire, on 26 March (HC228701), and in the light of the ongoing practice of the United Kingdom of deporting North Korean asylum seekers to South Korea, what assessment they have made of the statement by the government of South Korea in a letter to the Secretary of State in 2010, cited in the judgment of the Upper Tribunal in <i>GP and others (South Korean Citizenship) North Korean CG </i>[2014] UKUT 391(IAC) that North Korean refugees must "desire to live in the Republic of Korea" before they can be considered South Korean nationals or be offered protection and settlement support.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL179
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>The July 2010 letter written by the South Korean Embassy in London to the Home Office was fully considered by the Upper Tribunal in the case of GP and others.</p><p>In paragraph 104 of its determination the Upper Tribunal noted firstly that the subsequent United Kingdom-South Korea Readmission Agreement entered into between the two countries on 10 December 2011 provides a mechanism for the issue of travel documents which is not dependent on the genuineness of the individual’s wish to live in South Korea; and secondly, the question of refugee status is an objective test which requires the person to demonstrate that they have cooperated by seeking to establish whether they can avail themselves of protection from another State of which they may be a citizen.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 08/06/2015 14:22:52 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

347894

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
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 what assessment they have made of (1) the circumstances of the more than 230 Assyrian Christian hostages taken by Da'esh in the north of Syria in February; (2) the capture by Da'esh of around 35 predominantly Assyrian villages along the Khabur river in the Hassake Governorate; and (3) how many people remain unaccounted for following those captures.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL180
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>We understand that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are still holding more than 200 Assyrian Christians who were abducted in February from villages along the Khabour river in Hassakeh Province of North-East Syria. We believe that, in another act of appalling barbarity, ISIL executed at least 15 of the hostages, and that 23 Assyrian Christians have since been released following the payment of ransom money by the families, and another two freed when the area was liberated at the end of May. We remain concerned for the remaining hostages, most of whom are women, children and elderly people. We support the UN Security Council Statement condemning the abductions and demanding the Christians immediate release.</p><p>The UK is committed to defeating ISIL, an organisation that has no place in today’s world. We will continue to work with the Global Coalition of more than sixty countries to ensure that ISIL no longer poses a threat to the people of the region, to international stability or to our own national security.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 09/06/2015 12:46:19 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

347895

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
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, in the light of the successful removal of Da'esh from the 35 villages along the Khabur river that had previously been captured, what steps they are taking to assist the clearing of mines and unexploded ordnance, to consolidate stability, and to create safe havens to enable the return of residents.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>While the UK is not carrying out any mine clearance operations in Syria, we fully recognise the widespread and severe civilian suffering caused by the conflict. The UK has given over £800m to the humanitarian response, more than we have given to any previous humanitarian crisis. Some of this has been targeted to provide humanitarian support to the Hasakah Governorate as and where security constraints have allowed.</p><p>Although safe havens can be effective in some situations, they are not currently feasible in Syria. Without all parties agreeing on their establishment there would need to be sufficient military capability to guarantee the safety of individuals. That is not currently present in Syria.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 09/06/2015 12:46:48 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

347896

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	IVF
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other governments regarding the decision of the United Kingdom to permit germline modifications for the purposes of preventing the transmission of mitochondrial disease; and what, if any, concerns were raised during those discussions.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government has had no discussions with other international governments about Parliament’s decision to pass the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015. Although a matter reserved to the Westminster Parliament, the Government has kept the Devolved Administrations informed about the development of these regulations. Information is not routinely collected by the Department about other countries’ approaches to addressing mitochondrial disease.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has made no formal assessment of the statement by Mr John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, however we understand that his comments were not in relation to mitochondrial donation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Prior of Brampton question first answered 16/06/2015 14:12:57 answering member 127 label Biography information for Lord Prior of Brampton
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool