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1199360

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Care Homes: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the number of COVID-19 related deaths in care homes in England and Wales between 10 April and 29 May as documented by the Office of National Statistics; (2) what assessment they have made of the statistics published by the Data Analysis Bureau and Person Centred Software that, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 per cent of care home staff have been tested and 62 per cent of care homes have not had any staff receive tests; and (3) what plans they have to review their statement on 15 May that they would ensure the testing of residents and employees at all care homes in England by the beginning of June.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL4897
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2020 answer text <p>To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet <em>Testing – note for House of Lords</em> which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 29/07/2020 15:25:28 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell attachment 1 file name Testing - note for House of Lords.pdf title Testing information factsheet
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1204165

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 (1) cases, and (2) deaths, there have been in the UK since 23 March; what steps they have taken to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in prisons; what measures are in place to mitigate the risks of suicide, particularly among young offenders; whether those measures include extending the amount of time prisoners may spend out of their cell each day; and how many low risk prisoners have been released early to reduce overcrowding in cells during the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5740
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government acted quickly to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in prisons by implementing restricted regimes to comply with national social distancing guidance and limiting inter-prisons transfers. Prisons are also implementing a ‘compartmentalisation’ strategy to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals. Latest public health advice suggests these measures have contained the spread of the virus and minimised the number of deaths.</p><p>As of Friday 12 June, we are aware of 495 prisoner and 963 prison staff COVID-19 cases across England and Wales. These figures reflect the total cumulative number of recorded positive cases – not the number of live cases – of COVID-19, and includes individuals that have since recovered. Figures are subject to revision as more information becomes available.</p><p>As of Friday 12 June, 23 prisoners and 9 members of prison staff have sadly died having tested positive for COVID-19 or having shown symptoms. It is a matter for the coroners to determine cause of death.</p><p>The restricted regimes introduced to protect prisoners and staff from COVID-19 mean that prisoners are spending longer in their cells than normal which raises new and different risks to safety and the mental health of prisoners. The Government takes its responsibilities for these issues very seriously.</p><p>To this end, the Government is supporting prison Governors to devise and implement local safety and welfare plans designed to mitigate these safety risks. Prisons across the estate are giving prisoners access to educational and entertainment material intended to support their wellbeing. Prisoners confined to their cells continue to access healthcare and time in the open air, where possible. They also have access to telephones, extra phone credit and, where available, video calls to contact their loved ones. We continue to make the Samaritans phone service available, and are working with the Samaritans to ensure that the listener peer support scheme continues to function effectively.</p><p>Within the Youth Custody Service (YCS) there has been a focus on delivering essential activities such as regular phone calls (with young people having been allocated additional free phone credits), access to showers and education materials, and time in the fresh air, as well as activities children can undertake in small groups or in their rooms, including workouts and access to entertainment.</p><p>‘SECURE STAIRS’ -the integrated framework of care jointly led by NHS England and NHS Improvement and the YCS, provides the foundations as to how the YCS works with children - has been adopting an approach that underlines the importance of connectivity, whilst adhering to the guidance on physical distancing.</p><p>The YCS is continuously assessing the situation, and is keen to expand the regime as soon as it is safe and sustainable to do so.</p><p>On 4 April, the Government announced the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme. This scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the national approach to managing public services during this challenging period. As of Friday 12 June, 113 offenders have been released under this scheme. Our plans for early release form one part of a package of measures to create headroom in the estate to allow us to fully implement compartmentalisation. We are also working to expedite remand cases and temporarily expanding the estate through the installation of single occupancy units.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 30/06/2020 16:19:25 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1202057

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2020
	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	UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how many military personnel are involved in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); how many of MINUSMA military personnel are from the UK; where in Mali MINUSMA is deployed; what is the total cost of MINUSMA; and how the effectiveness and success of MINUSMA will be assessed.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5446
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2020 answer text <p>MINUSMA's mandate in Mali is country-wide. Further information on the forthcoming UK deployment to MINUSMA can be found at GOV.UK/Government/News/uk-to-deploy-250-troops-to-mali-on-peacekeeping-operations and at peacekeeping.un.org.en.mission/minusma.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/07/2020 14:02:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1199359

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Care Homes: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how much in total of the Infection Control Fund has been used by care homes to provide personal protective equipment for staff; what steps have been taken to ensure expeditious testing for care home staff and residents before 6 June; how many such staff and residents are yet to be tested; and why.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL4896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities so they can address pressures on local services caused by the pandemic, including in adult social care.</p><p> </p><p>On 15 May we published details of an additional £600 million Infection Control Fund for Adult Social Care. This funding is to support adult social care providers in England reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and to support workforce resilience. As part of the grant conditions, local authorities have been asked to report later this month on the measures taken, such as steps taken to isolate residents within care homes and support staff who are self-isolating.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 22/06/2020 10:41:35 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1200999

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2020
	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	China and Hong Kong: Press Freedom
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how they are using their Defend Media Freedom campaign to raise and address the curtailing of media freedom and attacks on journalists in China and Hong Kong; and what plans they have to introduce Magnitsky-like sanctions against those responsible for abuse of journalists in China and Hong Kong.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5342
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>Media freedom is vital to open societies and journalists must be able to investigate and report without undue interference. We must oppose attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation. We are monitoring individual cases of concern around the world, and we are working with international partners on how best to support media freedom, including raising our concerns where appropriate.</p><p>The UK has publicly raised the issue of media freedom in China, including priority cases such as the sentencing of citizen journalist and rights activist Huang Qi in 2019. British diplomats have attempted to attend trials of civilian journalists and rights activists in China to show support.</p><p>In Hong Kong, media freedom is guaranteed under the Joint Declaration and Basic Law. In our six-monthly reports to Parliament on Hong Kong, we have regularly highlighted the importance of freedom of the press and set out our views on specific incidents of concern. We did so in the most recent report on 11 June. We will continue to raise the need to uphold Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, as the Foreign Secretary did with State Councillor and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 8 June.</p><p>We have announced our intention to establish a UK autonomous Global Human Rights ('Magnitsky-style') sanctions regime. The regulations will come into force in the coming months. It is not appropriate to confirm who might be designated under the sanctions regime before the designations are in place. To do this could reduce the impact of the designations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/06/2020 12:46:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1175305

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	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	Syria: Armed Conflict
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports by Doctors Under Fire that more than 100 women and children have been killed in Russian and Syrian airstrikes in Idlib since 18 January; and (2) Doctors Under Fire's call for the imposition of a no-fly zone to deter helicopters using barrel bombs.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL776
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned about the killing of civilians, including women and children, in Idlib, north-west Syria, during the ongoing offensive by the Syrian regime and Russia. We are using our position in the UN Security Council to call on Russia and the regime to respect previously agreed ceasefires in Idlib and their obligations under international humanitarian law. We are also continuing assistance to the White Helmets. We do not consider imposing a no fly-zone over Idlib to be a realistic option.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/02/2020 14:06:53 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1204168

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	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	Eritrea: Coronavirus and Malnutrition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) of widespread starvation in Eritrea, in particular in Southern and Northern Red Sea regions, and (2) that COVID-19 has been used by the Eritrean regime to target Red Sea Afar people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5743
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned that the people of Eritrea are facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 and the desert locust outbreak have impacted existing humanitarian need as a result of lasting effects of war and climate change. Humanitarian and development programmes in Eritrea are being adapted to address current food security challenges. DFID funds life-saving activity in Eritrea, including providing £4m to UNICEF in 2019-20 to help treat malnutrition in under-fives and provide access to safe hygiene and sanitation services.</p><p>We are also aware of reports that the Government of Eritrea is targeting the Red Sea Afar people during the COVID-19 pandemic. We raise our concerns about human rights in Eritrea with the Government at every opportunity, and we will continue to make clear that measures taken by them to tackle COVID-19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed. Eritrea remains a priority country for the FCO under our annual human rights reporting, and we will continue to monitor the situation there.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 24/06/2020 10:55:17 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1175329

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	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	Rwanda: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by Human Rights Watch of homeless children subjected to violence and other abuse in a transit centre in Kigali; what discussions they have had with the government of Rwanda about its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and what discussions they have had about these reports with the governments of other Commonwealth countries in advance of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL777
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>​We are concerned by the Human Rights Watch report on the Gikondo transit centre. We urge the Government of Rwanda to abide by its international human rights obligations including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Rwanda ratified in 1991. The Prime Minister raised human rights and the importance of adhering to Commonwealth values when he met President Kagame during the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January. The British High Commission in Kigali regularly raises human rights concerns with the Government of Rwanda. The next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting presents a valuable opportunity to ensure the Commonwealth is working towards a fairer future for all our citizens.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/02/2020 14:53:52 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1200317

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Autism and Learning Disability: Death
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by the Care Quality Commission that there were 386 deaths linked to learning disabilities and autism between 10 April and 15 May, representing a 134 per cent rise compared with the same period in 2019.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5155
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>We have commissioned Public Health England to undertake a detailed analysis of the numbers of deaths of people with a learning disability. This will draw on data published by NHS England and by the Care Quality Commission to assess the impact of COVID-19 on this group of people.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 18/06/2020 11:14:32 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1175347

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	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: Violence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of (1) executions of Christians in Plateau State in Nigeria; and (2) targeted killings and kidnappings by Boko Haram and Fulani extremists; whether they discussed these issues with President Muhammadu Buhari at the UK–Africa Investment Summit; and what response they received.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL780
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>We are appalled by and condemn the escalating levels of violence, including executions, instigated by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in Northern Nigeria. The targeting of Christians, including those from Plateau State, has tragically increased in recent months, although the indiscriminate nature of the groups’ attacks continues to have a devastating effect on all communities. The UK is providing a comprehensive package of support to help tackle the crisis in the North East, including £300 million of humanitarian support over five years (2018-2022).</p><p>We welcome President Buhari’s condemnation of recent attacks in Plateau State. The British High Commission engages closely with the federal government, state government, international partners and the National Economic Council to help uphold the Nigerian Constitutional right to freedom of religion, address the drivers of intercommunal violence and push for solutions that meet the needs of all communities affected. To this end, the British High Commissioner visited Plateau State in December 2019 and met with the Governor, Christian and Muslim faith leaders, as well as Fulani communities. They all reported the tragic impact of the violence and discussed the complex root causes. The Prime Minister raised concerns about increasing levels of violence across Nigeria and discussed UK support with President Buhari at the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/02/2020 14:56:42 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool