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78248

registered interest
date	15/07/2014
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	Thailand
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the British Embassy in Bangkok has raised with the government of Thailand the prosecution of journalists from Phuketwan for reporting on abuses against the ethnic Rohingya from Burma.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1143
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p>Our Ambassador to Thailand has raised our concerns about these charges with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Thai Navy on several occasions over the last few months.</p><p>These discussions built on our wider dialogue with Thailand about the plight of Rohingya, which has been led by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire).</p><p>The UK is a staunch defender of the freedom of the media, and it is the responsibility of States to adhere to international protocols governing the treatment of refugees. Protection and assistance should be provided to those who seek shelter within their borders. We will continue to follow this case closely.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 24/07/2014 14:25:42 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

77276

registered interest
date	10/07/2014
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	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 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' report <i>Woman Alone</i>: <i>The fight for survival by Syria’s refugee women</i>; and of its assessment of the situation of Syrian refugee families in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan which are headed by women.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1010
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK welcomes the publication of this report, which highlights the distressing reality for women and girls affected by the crisis in Syria. Our assessment is that it accurately describes many of the hardships faced by refugee women who have become heads of their households as a result of the conflict, but also their resilience and bravery in the face of such hardships.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 24/07/2014 14:21:57 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

77277

registered interest
date	10/07/2014
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, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 9 July (WA 49), whether they consider that the inability of three reviews to find evidence to suggest any of the techniques evaluated are unsafe constitutes evidence that such techniques are safe; and if so, what is the purpose of the recommended experiments that should be completed before the techniques could be used in clinical practice.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1011
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p>All three reviews have found no evidence to suggest any of the techniques evaluated are unsafe.</p><p> </p><p>The experiments recommended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority convened Expert Panel’s June 2014 report are designed to contribute towards the decision as to when mitochondrial donation should be offered in treatment.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 24/07/2014 14:29:24 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65927

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Hereditary Diseases
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 1 April (WA 178), whether they intend to issue a clarification of the differences between the figures for the number of babies born with mitochondrial disorders in their press releases on 28 June 2013 and 27 February 2014; whether the updated disease estimate for the United Kingdom based both on data from the 2011 census and observational epidemiological studies from the north-east of England is closer to their stated figure of one in 6,500 or one in 200; what was the corresponding frequency of children in either the north-east of England or the United Kingdom as a whole that were diagnosed with each of the mitochondrial diseases listed in Annex D of the consultation document entitled "Mitochondrial Donation" over the last ten years for which data are available; and how those figures compare to available data on population frequencies for mutations within the nuclear POLG1 and POLG2 genes.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>The Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University have estimated that there are initially 10-20 women per year, of child-bearing age, who carry faulty mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and who might decide that mitochondrial donation is the best reproductive option, as noted in my Written Answer of 1 April 2014.</p><p> </p><p>It is estimated that at least 1 in 200 children in the United Kingdom are born with faulty mtDNA, as stated in the consultation documentation released 27 February 2014. Whereas the figure of 1 in 6,500 babies, as stated in the press release of 28 June 2013, is an estimation of those thought to go on to develop a more serious mitochondrial disorder. Serious cases can result in fatal liver failure, stroke-like episodes, blindness, muscle disease, diabetes and deafness.</p><p> </p><p>Calculating the overall incidence of mitochondrial disease is extremely difficult. The figure of 1 in 200 is based on epidemiological data from the UK and Australia. This disease estimate in the UK is based on observational epidemiological studies from the north east of England which are currently being updated using the data from the 2011 census.</p><p> </p><p>The table of disorders caused by unhealthy mtDNA attached as Annex D in the consultation document ‘Mitochondrial Donation’ was derived from existing published tables, such as the 2011 report by the Expert Panel convened by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to review safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques. There is currently no published information of the exact numbers of cases of each of the conditions in Annex D.</p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 21/07/2014 16:51:16 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65928

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any discussions were held at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict concerning the situation in Burma.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>During the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict I chaired a roundtable on the role of faith leaders and communities in tackling sexual violence. Participants included two religious leaders from Burma. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw separately during the Global Summit. They discussed a series of bilateral issues and Mr Swire raised a range of human rights concerns. Mr Swire welcomed the Burmese government’s attendance at the Summit and urged them to follow-up quickly with a credible action plan to tackle sexual violence that involved the military. Mr Swire also hosted an event for Burmese civil society, in which he welcomed the attendance of Burmese civil society and religious leaders at the Global Summit.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 14:32:03 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65929

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to incorporate discussion of torture, sexual violence and other war crimes and crimes against humanity and other human rights violations in the military training provided to the Burmese army by the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL856
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>Our defence engagement with Burma is focussed on the core principles of democratic accountability, international law and human rights. UK provision of defence training to the Burma Army is limited to non-combat related academic courses. This has included a course entitled “Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context” (MDWSC). The MDWSC covers the UK model of democratic accountability, the importance of good governance in defence and the significance of professionalism in a nation’s Armed Forces, including observation of human rights obligations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 13:25:37 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65930

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to persuade the government of Burma to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and what is their assessment of Burma’s position in respect of the Covenant.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL857
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text We have had a number of discussions with the Burmese government on the importance of Burma ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). At the request of the Burmese government, our Embassy in Rangoon recently funded an experts’ visit to Burma for the purpose of identifying steps that would need to be taken and issues that would need to be considered in reaching the decision to ratify the ICCPR. We hope this will lay the foundations for further action in the coming months. answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 13:26:19 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65816

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Iraq: Iran
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the United Nations Assistance Missionfor Iraq last visited Camp Liberty in Iraq; and what is their assessment of the safety of the residents of that camp.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p>We do not keep records of visits by external agencies to Camp Liberty, though the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq continues to monitor conditions at Camp Liberty regularly. They report that the provision of life support systems such as water, electricity and food continue to meet basic humanitarian standards. The Government of Iraq is responsible for security at Camp Liberty, and we do not make assessments of the safety of the camp's residents.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 10/07/2014 13:28:50 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65817

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	In Vitro Fertilisation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 28 January 2013 (WA 269), what conclusions were reached by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's small panel regarding assessment of the effects of pronuclear transfer on tissues with different energetic requirements or numbers of mitochondria; whether it was ultimately evaluated using stem cell lines from the reconstructed embryos or by induced pluripotent stem cells; whether the relevant findings were published in peer-reviewed journals; and, if so, which.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL809
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2014 answer text <p>The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the conclusions reached by the Expert Panel on this issue are outlined in its reports of April 2011, March 2013 and June 2014, which can be found on the HFEA's website at:</p><p> </p><p>www.hfea.gov.uk/6896.html</p><p> </p><p>Section 4.9 of the 2014 report outlines the panel's recommendation for research in this area and Annex B details the evidence reviewed. This can be found on the HFEA's website at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.hfea.gov.uk/8807.html" target="_blank">www.hfea.gov.uk/8807.html</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 17/07/2014 11:47:12 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65818

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	BBC Media Action
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding has been provided to BBC Media Action by the Department for International Development; whether the criteria for funding allocation include consideration of projects in closed countries with least access to news; and how much has been allocated to projects seeking to reach the people of North Korea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL810
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>DFID does not have a bilateral programme with North Korea. Since 2011 DFID has provided £46.2m funding to BBC Media Action under a five year grant agreement.</p><p>The grant covers activities in eleven DFID priority countries, ten of which have been classified by ‘Freedom House' as ‘partly free' or ‘not free'. The criteria for country funding include the contribution to the grant's results framework, and fit within the UK aid programme. Whilst North Korea scores extremely badly on freedom of information and media, it is not one of the countries that DFID has prioritised in terms of focusing development resources to achieve poverty reduction.</p><p>DFID funded activities have reached 130 million people across 11 countries, mainly fragile states, with TV and radio programmes that are improving knowledge about key governance and health issues.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 17/07/2014 15:21:26 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool