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1126295

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	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	Christianity: Religious Freedom
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a departmental, or cross-governmental strategy, was devised to prevent or ameliorate the global persecution of Christians between 2003 and 2018; and if so, whether they will place a copy of the relevant documents in the Library of the House.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>There has been no cross-government strategy on the global persecution of Christians between 2003 and 2018, however the promotion of human rights has and remains at the heart of our foreign policy and we regard freedom of religion or belief as a universal human right. In my role as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, I regularly raise the importance of this issue with international counterparts. We condemn instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief, including Christians, wherever it happens and whatever the religion or belief.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2019 12:42:47 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126683

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	Leah Sharibu
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, following her sixteenth birthday.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15700
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK is committed to supporting the Nigerian Government in their attempts to secure the release of the remaining girls taken from Chibok, Leah Sharibu taken from Dapchi, and all others abducted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa. The Prime Minister raised the plight of the abducted school girls with the President of Nigeria during his official visit to the UK in 2018. We continue to use Ministerial visits, such as the Foreign Secretary's visit last month, and public messaging to ensure that the girls' plight is not forgotten. Our officials in Abuja will continue to engage regularly and offer their support to the Government of Nigeria and other organisations working to securing their release.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL15701 question first answered 24/05/2019 11:43:17 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126684

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	Nigeria: Abduction
	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 protests in Nigeria demanding the release of the Chibok schoolgirls who have been held in captivity for over 1,500 days; and when they last raised their captivity, and that of Leah Sharibu, with the President of Nigeria.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15701
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK is committed to supporting the Nigerian Government in their attempts to secure the release of the remaining girls taken from Chibok, Leah Sharibu taken from Dapchi, and all others abducted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa. The Prime Minister raised the plight of the abducted school girls with the President of Nigeria during his official visit to the UK in 2018. We continue to use Ministerial visits, such as the Foreign Secretary's visit last month, and public messaging to ensure that the girls' plight is not forgotten. Our officials in Abuja will continue to engage regularly and offer their support to the Government of Nigeria and other organisations working to securing their release.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL15700 question first answered 24/05/2019 11:43:17 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126685

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Eritrea
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum claims were made in each of the past three years by Eritreans; whether more illegal migrants were smuggled into the UK last year from Eritrea than from any other country; and what assessment they have made of religious persecution in Eritrea as a driver of Eritrean migration.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15702
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes data on the number of applications for asylum in the UK, broken down by nationality, in its quarterly Immigration Statistics release. The number of applications made by Eritreans in each year are available in table as_01 (Main Applicants; Asylum, volume 1).</p><p>Latest edition available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781299/asylum1-dec-2018-tables.ods" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/781299/asylum1-dec-2018-tables.ods</a></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> Total applications </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,230</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,085</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2,158</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Home Office is unable to report on whether more illegal migrants were smuggled in to the UK last year from Eritrea than from any other country, as the method of entry for those who entered the UK clandestinely and subsequently claimed asylum, is recorded on individual Home Office files and to obtain this information would require a manual trawl and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.</p><p>All asylum and human rights applications from Eritrean nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eritrea-country-policy-and-information-notes" target="_blank">Country Policy and Information Note Eritrea: Religious groups</a> published in February 2018 (available on Gov.uk) outlines our position.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name Eritrea_-_Religious_Groups_-_CPIN_-_v3.0.pdf title Eritea Religious Groups 2 file name Asylum1 -Dec 2018 Tables.xlsx title Asylum 1 - Dec 2018 Tables question first answered 24/05/2019 13:38:16 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126994

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Human Trafficking
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their assessment in the Department for International Development's Pakistan Report 2018 that there is a "significant modern slavery problem amongst the poor, minorities, women and children" in Pakistan and their policy to provide assistance to "target the poorest and most vulnerable", what steps they are taking to provide direct support to Christian women reportedly being trafficked to China as brides.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK Government’s approach to tackling modern slavery and trafficking in Pakistan is to reduce the permissive environment through community-based activities, and to strengthen the legislative framework for more effective prevention and control. Our programmes do not directly target specific sub groups of marginalised people eg; Christian women, but we do target marginalised communities from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds, including Christian women who are at risk of this terrible practice.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 29/05/2019 15:41:03 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126995

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Human Trafficking
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of a rise in number of Pakistani Christian girls being targeted by traffickers for exploitation in China, what assessment they have made of how the AAWAZ II Programme is (1) working effectively to minimise this trafficking stream, especially within the Punjab region, and (2) measuring its efficacy in reducing the prevalence of such trafficking within this targeted population group.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15756
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>The AAWAZ II Programme will address a range of modern slavery issues, including child labour and forced and early marriage. An assessment of the programme’s effectiveness in addressing modern slavery has not yet been carried out as a range of activities are still under design. Once all baselines have been established the programme will be tracking progress through annual reviews and its monitoring and evaluation framework.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 29/05/2019 15:48:43 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126996

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Pakistan: Higher Education
	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 impact of the treatment of the Principal of the Edwardes College, Peshawar, and his family and the attempts to intervene in the administration of the College by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor on religious minorities and educational opportunities in Pakistan.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15757
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of this case. The British Government regularly raises its concerns about discrimination against minority communities with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. I raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, during my visit to Islamabad in February.</p><p>At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in November 2017, the UK called on Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities and establish an independent National Commission for Minorities. The Government will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 28/05/2019 14:40:54 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1127409

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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	Shizam Riasat
	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 human rights and freedom of religion or belief implications of the case of the 16 year old Pakistani Christian girl Sheeza Riasat who was abducted from her parents’ home near Gujranwala, Pakistan on 12 February and forcibly converted and married; and what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about that case.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is concerned about the case of Sheeza Riasat. The Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan.</p><p>We welcome the recent decision by the Pakistan Senate to pass the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2019. The Bill was recently introduced to the National Assembly.</p><p>The UK regularly raises concerns about the protection of vulnerable groups, including religious minorities, women and children, with the Pakistani Government. Officials at the British High Commission in Islamabad have raised the issue of forced marriage with the National Commission for Human Rights.</p><p>During my visit to Pakistan on 18 and 19 February, I met faith leaders to discuss issues faced by religious minorities, including the issue of forced marriage. I also raised our concerns about child protection, the treatment of minority communities and the issue of forced marriage with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during the same visit.</p><p>We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations to vulnerable groups, including religious minorities and women and girls, and to uphold the rule of law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL15821 question first answered 04/06/2019 12:56:58 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1127410

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
	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 government of Pakistan about kidnappings and forced conversions of under-age girls who are members of a religious minority; and what were the outcomes of any such representations.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15821
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is concerned about the case of Sheeza Riasat. The Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan.</p><p>We welcome the recent decision by the Pakistan Senate to pass the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2019. The Bill was recently introduced to the National Assembly.</p><p>The UK regularly raises concerns about the protection of vulnerable groups, including religious minorities, women and children, with the Pakistani Government. Officials at the British High Commission in Islamabad have raised the issue of forced marriage with the National Commission for Human Rights.</p><p>During my visit to Pakistan on 18 and 19 February, I met faith leaders to discuss issues faced by religious minorities, including the issue of forced marriage. I also raised our concerns about child protection, the treatment of minority communities and the issue of forced marriage with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during the same visit.</p><p>We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations to vulnerable groups, including religious minorities and women and girls, and to uphold the rule of law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL15820 question first answered 04/06/2019 12:56:58 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1127411

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
	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 impact of Pakistani girls, who are members of a religious minority, being removed from schools by their parents as a result of the number of abductions and forced conversions on the literacy rate of girls in Pakistan; and what steps they intend to take to help resolve this problem.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>​Education is an integral part of the UK's approach to improving human rights. The education of girls continues to be a priority for UK development assistance in Pakistan. Under the Punjab Education Sector Programme, we are working with a local partner organisation to reintegrate young and adolescent girls who have left school prematurely back into mainstream schools or vocational education. Within less than a year, over 4000 girls have benefitted from this intervention so far.</p><p>The British Government supports other programmes designed to improve human rights and opportunities for women, religious minorities and marginalised groups. For example, the Department for International Development's AAWAZ II programme works with communities to promote rights of children, women, youth and religious minorities, protect them from exploitation, and prevent discrimination and intolerance. It also funds interventions in support of ending child marriage.</p><p>During my visit to Pakistan in February, I raised our concerns about child protection, the treatment of minority communities and the issue of forced marriage with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari.</p><p>We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations to vulnerable groups, including religious minorities and women and girls.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/06/2019 13:02:16 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool