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1129539

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
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	Israel: Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a UK representative will participate in the Peace to Prosperity economic workshop organised by the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with the United States on 25 to 26 June, to discuss the potential for economic investments of a Middle East peace agreement.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK has been invited to the economic workshop in Bahrain and we expect to participate. The UK’s longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process is clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/06/2019 13:13:28 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1129540

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
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	Ethiopia: Politics and Government
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 political situation in Ethiopia, following recent bouts of inter-ethnic fighting and the ongoing tensions caused by rising ethnic nationalism in that country.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is concerned about the violence and resultant displacement of people in a number of regions of Ethiopia. We are further concerned by the conditions of recent returns. Conflict and displacement present a real risk to the welcome reforms that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to institute.</p><p>I raised our concerns and offered assistance in my visits of October 2018 and March 2019. Our Ambassador and senior official have raised concerns with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Peace. DFID is currently supporting humanitarian agencies to respond to the needs of IDPs and host communities affected by this crisis, including through support to Ethiopia's humanitarian fund.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/06/2019 13:09:19 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1129541

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the British Council The Shape of Global Higher Education, published on 1 May, what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK retains its pre-eminence in global higher education, particularly in the light of the increasing access to education systems in other countries for overseas students.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>In March 2019, the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade published the International Education Strategy, which can be found here and is also attached: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Developed in co-operation with providers across the education sector, this strategy sets out an ambition to increase the value of our education exports to £35 billion per year, and to increase the number of international higher education students in the UK to 600,000 per year, both by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy also sets out actions to support the higher education sector to deliver on this ambition. These include the appointment of an international education champion to help build links with priority countries and unlock barriers to international exchange and partnership. In addition, the strategy sets out actions to ensure that international students have the best possible experience studying in the UK, and that doing this maximises their employment opportunities.</p><p>The government will be working closely with institutions, Universities UK International and the British Council to develop partnerships, deliver trade missions, to provide forums to develop sustainable mutually beneficial transnational education programmes and to develop annual updates to the strategy.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 18/06/2019 15:50:08 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name HL16026_International Education Strategy.pdf title HL16026_pdf
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1129542

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
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	Qatar: Diplomatic Relations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have called for dialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis between Qatar and the Arab Quartet countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt which began in June 2017; and what steps they have taken to support the Gulf Cooperation Council in its efforts to resolve the crises.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>We continue to urge all sides to take steps to de-escalate and engage with Kuwaiti mediation efforts to find a resolution to the ongoing dispute. Substantive progress can only happen when all countries involved are willing to discuss demands that are measured and realistic. We remain firmly committed to our strategic partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and continue to make clear during engagements with Gulf partners that GCC unity matters to long-term regional security and stability.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/06/2019 13:12:09 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1129543

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Nuclear Weapons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Renata Dwan, Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, warned on 21 May that the risk of nuclear weapons being used is at its highest since World War Two, and that the world should take this threat more seriously.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>Today's security climate is challenging, with the threats faced by the United Kingdom increasing in scale, diversity and complexity. However, Her Majesty's Government does not believe that the risk of nuclear war is greater today than it was during the Cold War.</p><p>While the operation of an independent, minimum, credible nuclear deterrent continues to be necessary to protect the United Kingdom from the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, the UK has taken a number of unilateral actions that build confidence and reduce international tensions. Our negative security assurances, as set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, are designed to give Non-Nuclear Weapons States in compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty confidence that nuclear weapons will not be used against them. Further, since 1994, UK Trident missiles have not been targeted at any State; our Vanguard class submarines are at several days' notice to fire; only the Prime Minister has the authority to launch nuclear weapons maintaining political control at all times; and the UK has been transparent about its nuclear capability, including missile and warhead numbers.</p><p>The Government is committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and continues to work internationally, within the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, towards achieving the conditions in which all nuclear weapons possessor states are willing to relinquish their nuclear weapons.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 11/06/2019 15:17:19 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1129544

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
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	Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have discussed with the government of Zimbabwe reports by human rights and civil society organisations in that country of a crackdown against activists, including the recent case of seven activists who were detained on treason charges in May at Harare International Airport on their return from the Maldives.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL16029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>​We continue to raise our serious concerns regarding the arrests of civil society activists in Zimbabwe. Our Ambassador in Harare raised the case of the seven activists with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Moyo on 30 May. Embassy officials have also attended court hearings. The UK provides extensive financial and technical assistance to civil society organisations in Zimbabwe who support Zimbabwean citizens in holding the state to account.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 17/06/2019 14:17:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1128001

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities comply fully with the Children and Families Act 2014 in the cases of children with education, health and care plans; and what action they are taking to ensure that there are no disincentives, both in terms of funding and concerns over their position on league tables, for schools to be inclusive and to accept children with special educational needs.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL15886
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/05/2019 answer text <p>To ensure local authorities comply fully with their obligations under the Children and Families Act (2014), including on education, health and care plans, we introduced new local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspections by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in 2016. All local areas will be inspected by 2021. These inspections do not give a pass/fail judgement. They instead identify areas of strength and where improvement is required, including asking an area to produce a Written Statement of Action if there are significant concerns. Where we have concerns with a local area’s performance, we work with partners, including NHS England, to support and challenge the area to improve.</p><p> </p><p>The inspection reports have proved a catalyst for local change, both where Written Statements of Action have been required and where they have not. Local authorities and their health partners have embraced the process and used inspection findings to prioritise areas for improvement.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of ensuring schools are inclusive, the Children and Families Act (2014) reinforced the presumption of mainstream education for children with SEND. The attached SEND Code of Practice provides detailed guidance to schools about how to support children with SEND. The new Ofsted common inspection framework, introduced from September 2019, emphasises the need for leaders to offer high-quality, inclusive education and training to all.</p><p> </p><p>We launched a call for evidence on how the special educational needs funding system operates in May 2019 to help us understand how the current available funding is distributed, and what improvements to the financial arrangements could be made in future.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 31/05/2019 10:27:09 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL15886_SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf title HL15886_PDF
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1128002

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Buses: Exhaust Emissions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of buses in the UK are currently zero-emission; what percentage of new bus orders are zero-emission; and whether they have a target for the number of zero-emission buses by 2025; and if so, what is that target.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL15887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government believes that it is right to reduce NOx and carbon emissions on the UK bus fleet. That is why it has provided over £240 million so far to help fund the cleanest buses, and in February 2019 announced the winners of a £48 million scheme which will fund a further 263 zero emission buses. Currently 17% of the UK bus fleet is low emission and 1% is zero emission. In 2018 4.2% of all new bus orders were for a zero-emission bus. Whilst there is no target for the number of zero emission buses by 2025 the Government is committed to the decarbonisation of the UK bus fleet.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 04/06/2019 13:07:42 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1128003

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
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	Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the government of Saudi Arabia its decision to execute 37 men convicted of terrorism on 23 April; and whether they have sought further clarification of the terrorist offences for which those executed were convicted.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL15888
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>We are very concerned by the 37 executions in Saudi Arabia on 23 April. The Foreign Secretary raised this matter directly and asked for more information from the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Minister Al Jubeir. The British Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country, including in Saudi Arabia. We regularly raise human rights concerns, including the use of the death penalty, at the highest levels with the Saudi Arabian authorities. We consistently and unreservedly condemn torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to challenge it wherever and whenever it occurs.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/06/2019 15:59:18 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1128004

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
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	Aras Amiri
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what further information they have on the case of Aras Amiri, the British Council worker whose sentence to 10 years in prison in Iran for spying was reported on 14 May; and what action they are taking to ensure her safety and wellbeing.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL15889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>​We remain very concerned about reports of Aras Amiri's sentence. We are still continuing to work closely with the British Council to understand the situation further and to provide what support and advice we can, recognising that unfortunately, as a mono-Iranian national, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no formal or practical ability to request consular access. We regularly raise human rights with the Iranian authorities at all levels and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record on all human rights issues.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 30/05/2019 15:56:26 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian