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1127413

	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	Nigeria: Churches
	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 900 churches in Nigeria have been destroyed by Boko Haram; and what assessment they have made of whether such activity is part of a campaign to eradicate Christianity in the north of that country.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of the statement by the Christian Association of Nigeria in January 2017 which claimed that 900 churches have been destroyed by Boko Haram since 2009. We are unable to substantiate these numbers given the challenges of obtaining precise data in north east Nigeria. Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation with a vile ideology and history of attacking civilians, both Christian and Muslim. The majority of Boko Haram's victims have been Muslims. The UK condemns attacks on civilians, including on the basis of their religious belief. The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue of freedom of religious belief and UK support to combat extremists with the Nigerian Vice President during his visit to Nigeria in April. He also met with a wide range of religious leaders to discuss how the UK can support their work to promote interfaith dialogue and long-term peace, and visited North East Nigeria.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 30/05/2019 15:56:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1127414

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	North Korea: Food Supply
	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 UN World Food Programme's food security anylsis, published on 3 May, which states that North Korea’s food situation is critical and is set to worsen and that South Pyongan Province faces a severe food security crisis.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2019 answer text <p>Limited availability of official data from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) makes comprehensive analysis of the situation difficult. DFID is currently the fourth largest donor to the World Food Programme (WFP). DFID provides both multi-year core funding (£40 million a year) and non-core funding. WFP can use these resources to respond rapidly to food insecurity where needs are greatest. DFID continues to track and monitor humanitarian risks around the globe.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 03/06/2019 14:55:16 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	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

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

1126294

	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	Iraq: Christianity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 5 February (HL13010), what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Development Studies The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East, published in 2017, that estimates that in 2003 there were approximately 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, and that in 2017 that number was between 200,000 and 250,000.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>While we are unable to confirm the exact numbers, we are gravely concerned about the decline in the numbers of Christians in Iraq in recent years as also cited in the independent interim report of the Bishop of Truro into the Persecution of Christians. We assess that a number of factors have resulted in this decline, including conflict and insecurity in Iraq and the particular threat posed by Daesh. We continue to engage with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the need to protect the rights of Christians and other religious minorities. However, during a recent meeting with the Iraqi Foreign Minister on the 17 May and the Archbishop of Erbil on 21 May I heard of the steps being taken to reopen churches and the increased number of church services being help in Iraq.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/05/2019 12:01:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

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