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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

105781

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	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	Religious Freedom
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advisory Group on freedom of religion or belief; and when the group is expected to next meet.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The Advisory Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, comprised of civil society experts on this topic, is a Sub-Group of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Group on Human Rights. It operates under my Chairmanship and directly informs Foreign and Commonwealth Office policy and activities in this area; and reports to the main Advisory Group. The Sub-Group has met twice so far, on 24 March and 14 October 2014. It is next expected to meet in the Spring.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 11/11/2014 16:08:11 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147342

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Pakistan
	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 President of Pakistan and the Pakistan High Commissioner in London about the burning to death in Kot Radha Kishan of a Christian couple following allegations of blasphemy.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2746
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>We were shocked by this brutal killing and immediately issued a statement condemning this act. It is essential the authorities investigate these atrocious murders and bring those responsible to justice. We regularly raise the misuse of blasphemy laws with representatives of the Pakistani government. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised this with the Pakistan High Commissioner on 28 October. We will continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels in Pakistan.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:27:57 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147343

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	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 case for providing overseas aid to members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria; and whether they consider that such Christian communities benefit from adequate protection from their governments against ISIL and other Islamic fundamentalists.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2747
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text The UK Government is horrified by the barbaric acts of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which is seeking to stoke sectarian conflict across the Middle East. Across Syria and Northern Iraq ISIL have launched a campaign of violence and terror and carried out appalling atrocities. They have attacked people of every faith and of none. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled ISIL advances. We are working closely with the Iraqi government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. The Syrian regime is seeking to heighten sectarian tension and fear within Christian, and other minority communities, painting the opposition as solely Islamic extremists, with Assad trying to paint himself as the only defender of the Syrian Christians. He is not; he continues to create the conditions for extremism in Syria by prosecuting a war he can’t win, destroying communities and the social fabric of the country. In the long run the only way to secure the position of Syria’s minority communities is to find an inclusive political solution to the crisis. The UK is determined to support the moderate opposition, who are working for an inclusive political settlement, and are committed to protect all of Syria’s communities and resist, extremists and authoritarian regimes. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:52:23 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147345

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking and intend to take in the future to ameliorate the situation of members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria in the light of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in those countries.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We are concerned about the growing number of reports of Christians, and other minority groups, being targeted in Syria with many having already fled to camps in Lebanon, Turkey or Jordan. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Of this, £314 million has already been allocated to help ensure refugees from Syria are supported in neighbouring countries. We are supporting non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups in Syria, with a view to a future political settlement. We are also funding training for Syrian activists to document abuses to a criminal law standard with the aim that this documentation could be used in a future process of accountability. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) advances. Following lobbying from the UK and other international partners, a resolution was passed at the Human Rights Council in September, mandating the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to despatch a mission to investigate and report on ISIL abuses. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the Archbishop Athanasius of the Syriac Orthodox Church in London on 29 July to discuss the situation for religious groups in the region and issued a statement condemning reported threats against Christians in Iraq and Syria. We continue to encourage influential religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:28:15 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147346

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further representations they intend to make to the governments of Middle-Eastern states and Turkey to dissuade them from funding organisations and campaigns which target Christian communities in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is a brutal terrorist organisation that has targeted Christians and other communities in Iraq and Syria. Our partners within the Middle East, including Turkey and the Gulf states, have made clear by their current actions that they are fully committed to taking action against ISIL. We are aware of reports that individual citizens from the region may be providing support to ISIL and other extremist groups, but there is no evidence to suggest that the governments we engage with are involved. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discusses these issues regularly with his counterparts, including during the visit of the Qatari Emir on 29 October. We will continue to make representations to our allies, including from the Middle East, to also ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2170 on tackling ISIL’s access to resources. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:57:51 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

155377

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that state contracted companies from the United Kingdom which implement projects inside North Korea abide by relevant International Labour Organisation Conventions on labour standards, respect human rights, and comply with United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; and whether they conduct monitoring and evaluation of their funded projects in North Korea.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2835
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text <p>All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) programme expenditure, not least activity taking place in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), undergoes a formal approval process. Approval requires the proposal to be agreed by a board, based on an assessment by our Embassy, who must agree that the activity meets our objectives for the country in question and that the implementing organisation will be an effective partner. In line with departmental guidance, projects undertaken in all countries are subject to monitoring and evaluation to ensure the expenditure met FCO priorities and was delivered in an efficient, effective, sustainable and impactful manner. This monitoring takes place on expenditure in the DPRK.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:45:27 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

155378

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the publication of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report into violations of human rights in North Korea, what discussions and representations they have made to the government of Switzerland about the freezing of North Korean assets in Switzerland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2836
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text <p>We remain in regular contact with Switzerland regarding our policy on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), not least to improve the human rights situation. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK recommended that the UN Security Council introduce targeted sanctions on human rights grounds. While we are appalled by reports of ongoing human rights violations, the pervasive culture of impunity and the lack of accountability, we will want to ensure any new sanctions regime has a clear impact on the human rights situation in the DPRK without any unintended negative effects on the general population, and be sure any proposals are both legally and politically deliverable in the EU following recent successful legal challenges.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:46:33 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

155379

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	Sudan
	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 systematic rape of women and girls occurred on 31 October and 1 November in Tabit village, North Darfur, and of the role United Nations Mission in Darfur forces reportedly played in those events.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2837
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text We remain deeply concerned by the recent reports of a mass rape at Tabit village in North Darfur. We have called on the Government of Sudan to allow the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) unhindered access so that the UN can conduct a full investigation into these alleged appalling crimes. We note that UNAMID was granted access to Tabit on 9 November, but are concerned by reports that their investigations took place under the close observation of Sudanese security officials. It is important that UNAMID now continue with a thorough and impartial investigation and that all relevant information is included in future public communications. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 25/11/2014 16:34:13 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

155686

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	North Korea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded project "Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world" in the light of the findings of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry in respect of the control of media content in North Korea by that country's Publication and Broadcasting Department, the level of editorial freedom, the pre-determined and centrally controlled nature of stories and the availability of internet access.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2870
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text <p>The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) maintains extremely tight control over media and restricts access to foreign broadcasting. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded project ‘Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world’ is an on-going media project being delivered by the Thomson Foundation, an independent UK organisation with a proven track record of working in a number of countries, including now, for the first time, in DPRK. The project aims to expose participants to the UK media, instructing them on international reporting practices and the development of technical skills to build websites using a variety of international sources. <br><br>A pilot workshop was held in Pyongyang between 13-22 October, comprising 46 DPRK participants. The next and final stage of the project will be a study tour to the UK, which is planned to take place in early 2015, and which will be undertaken by some participants from the October workshop, to see how multimedia websites work at British media companies.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 27/11/2014 14:47:56 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool