10 2019-05-07 16 To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they welcome the decision of the Pakistan Senate to pass a bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 1929 to set the minimum marriage age at 18 years in Pakistan; and whether they will consider ways in which UK aid to Pakistan could be used to facilitate the effective enforcement of that legislation. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Alton of Liverpool HL15529 Pakistan: Marriage false House of Lords 2 Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool 2019-05-21T13:09:16.637Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon <p>The UK welcomes the decision by the Pakistan Senate to pass the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2019.</p><p>The UK provided £282 million to Pakistan for the financial year 2018-19 under the AAWAZ I: Voice and Accountability Programme to promote the rights of children, youth and women. Of this, around £400,000 was spent on preventing forced and early marriages. The Department For International Development (DFID) is considering ways in which UK aid could be used to facilitate the effective implementation of the legislation once the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill is passed by the National Assembly, working with government institutions and communities to help end child marriage. DFID has set aside funding for interventions in support of ending child marriage under its AAWAZ II programme.</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 women and girls, and to uphold the rule of law.</p> Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office false Foreign and Commonwealth Office HL15539 Baroness Helic Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 Biography information for Baroness Helic 2019-05-07 Daphne Caruana Galizia To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Maltese Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government about the progress of the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2 2019-05-20T13:16:04.163Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-20 <p>The Home Secretary raised the issue with his counterpart last November and it was raised again by our High Commissioner with both the Home Affairs and Justice Ministers in March this year. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary discussed the case with the Maltese Foreign Minister on 13 May.</p> Baroness Helic 2019-05-21T13:16:38.24Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 <p>​No British Government ministers have met with the family but we have made clear, both in public and with the Maltese Government, our support for justice to be served. We would consider any written request for a meeting if received.</p> HL15540 Daphne Caruana Galizia false To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any Government ministers have met the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia to offer support to efforts to achieve justice in her case. 2 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 Daphne Caruana Galizia false 2 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Maltese Governor’s commitment to (1) bring the murderers of Daphne Caruana Galizia to justice, and (2) uphold its obligations to guarantee and safeguard freedom of expression in Malta as required by the European Convention on Human Rights. HL15542 2019-05-20T13:18:04.227Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-20 <p>​The Maltese Government has provided reassurances both in public and private that all efforts are being made to ensure justice will be served in this case. Three suspects have been arrested and will stand trial. The police investigation, supported by Europol, continues to pursue lines of enquiry to identify those behind the murder. On freedom of expression, last year’s Media and Defamation Act, aims to strengthen legal protections for journalists in Malta. The Maltese Government has also expressed early interest in joining the Foreign Secretary’s Media Freedom Conference in July, as a further demonstration of Malta’s resolve to work with international partners to increase the protection of journalists and of freedom of expression.</p> Baroness Helic false Baroness Helic To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia at the (1) EU Foreign Affairs Council, and (2) Commonwealth Secretariat; and if so, what the outcomes of those discussions were. Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-20T13:18:30.763Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-20 <p>​As there are ongoing police and judicial processes taking place in Malta, the UK Government has not therefore raised the case at the EU Foreign Affairs Council or with the Commonwealth Secretariat.</p> 2 Daphne Caruana Galizia HL15543 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 2 2019-05-07 Foreign and Commonwealth Office To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the extension of Israeli laws, jurisdiction and administration to the Golan Heights; what were the outcomes of any such discussions; and what assessment they have made of whether that extension prejudices the possibility of peace in Syria. Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-21T15:42:21.927Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 <p>We have been clear to our Israeli counterparts that the UK views the Golan Heights as territory occupied by Israel. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter. The UK did not recognise Israel's annexation in 1981 and we have no plans to change our position. On 26 March we reiterated our firm position on this matter at a meeting of the UN Security Council.</p> Lord Hylton Biography information for Lord Hylton false Foreign and Commonwealth Office 16 HL15546 Israel: Golan Heights 16 Lord Hylton 2019-05-21T13:17:02.897Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 <p>The UK is gravely concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate the Bedouin population from the E1 area, which the UN has said could constitute forcible transfer. We have also expressed our strong opposition to the proposed demolition of Khan al-Ahmar. We regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities</p> Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 2 HL15547 To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the permanent protection and improvement of Bedouin villages in Israel and the West Bank, in particular Khan al-Ahmar. Foreign and Commonwealth Office false Israel: Bedouin 2019-05-21T13:17:33.217Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 <p>We understand 203 Palestinian children were in Israeli military detention at the end of December 2018. It remains our assessment that the transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel is in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. We continue to make representations on this important issue to the Israeli authorities as well as to ensure proper access for parents and legal advisers to Palestinian children under arrest by the Israeli authorities.</p> HL15549 Foreign and Commonwealth Office false 16 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Foreign and Commonwealth Office HL15548 Israel: Palestinians 2019-05-07 Lord Hylton To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of Palestinian children detained in prison in Israel; whether, and to what extent, they consider such detentions to violate Article 147 of the Geneva Convention; and whether they intend to call for penal sanctions under that Convention against persons who commit unlawful deportation, transfers or confinement. 2 HL15549 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 2019-05-21T13:17:33.267Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-21 <p>We understand 203 Palestinian children were in Israeli military detention at the end of December 2018. It remains our assessment that the transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel is in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. We continue to make representations on this important issue to the Israeli authorities as well as to ensure proper access for parents and legal advisers to Palestinian children under arrest by the Israeli authorities.</p> HL15548 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Hylton Israel: Palestinians 2 Foreign and Commonwealth Office false To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to ensure proper access for parents and legal advisers to Palestinian children under arrest by Israel. 16 Biography information for Lord Maginnis of Drumglass To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, submitted to the UN Security Council on 16 April; and what assessment they have made of the preparedness of the Greek Cypriot political community to agree a solution on the basis of political equality with the Turkish Cypriot community within the framework of UN parameters following the rejection of the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot electorate and the failure of the Crans-Montana talks. false Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Maginnis of Drumglass 16 HL15554 2 Cyprus: Peace Negotiations Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-07 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019-05-20T13:19:14.493Z Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon false 2019-05-20 <p>​The UK is grateful for the ongoing work of the Secretary General and his good offices on the island, as we are to Ms Jane Holl Lute for her ongoing consultations with the parties. We endorse the Secretary-General's view that prospects for a settlement remain alive, as reaffirmed in his April report. We echo his calls for the leaders to engage constructively, creatively and with the necessary sense of urgency. We also welcome the UN Security Council's recent call for the two sides to agree terms of reference as a basis for meaningful result-orientated negotiations.</p> 0 4373 1