We welcome independent reporting such as Refugees International's and are appalled by the reports of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence committed by all sides during the conflict in Northern Ethiopia. The United Kingdom condemns sexual violence unequivocally and without exception and stands with all victims and survivors. We continue to call for the Government of Ethiopia to develop and implement an inclusive and credible Transitional Justice policy, to ensure accountability for atrocities and human rights violations including gender-based violence and have offered support to the Government of Ethiopia on this. Through our human rights and peacebuilding programme, the United Kingdom is helping to build the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to deliver justice and accountability for victims, including survivors of gender-based violence. Our humanitarian programming also involves work to improve the availability and accessibility of services for survivors.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1547", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Benyon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Benyon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-21T10:19:37.427Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Tigray: Armed Conflict"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement published by Refugees International on 27 November concerning the war in Tigray, which stated that \"between 40 and 50 per cent of women experienced gender-based violence\"; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to bring those responsible to justice.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL903"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676099", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676099/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In conjunction with our partners, we have immobilised approximately $280 billion of the Russian Central Bank\u2019s (CBR) foreign currency reserves globally. The CBR\u2019s assets are not subject to an asset freeze but have been immobilised in the UK as it is prohibited to provide financial services in respect of these assets. HM Treasury is working closely with relevant authorities to map the scale and nature of these assets.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Government will legislate to require persons to inform HM Treasury if they hold any foreign exchange reserves or assets in the UK on behalf of the Central Bank of Russia, Russian Ministry of Finance or Russian National Wealth Fund.<\/p>
<\/p>
Separately, the Government has imposed asset freezes against designated persons under the Russia Sanctions regime. Between February and October 2022, £18.39 billion in frozen funds were reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to this regime.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Vere of Norbiton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-18T13:01:29.85Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Assets: Russia"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total value of Russian state assets in the UK.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL904"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676100", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676100/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The World Bank is in the process of updating their March 2023 Rapid Damage Needs Assessment (RDNA). We expect the latest assessment to be ready ahead of the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin. Based on the 2023 RDNA, the World Bank calculates total recovery and reconstruction needs at $411 billion. The UK is committed to helping Ukraine rebuild to emerge from the war with a modern economy resilient to Russian threats.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-20T16:59:38.7Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Ukraine: Reconstruction"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ask the World Bank to update their March 2023 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment of the cost of rectifying war damage in Ukraine.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL905"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676101", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1676101/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Russia should pay for its aggression in Ukraine. We are working with partners to identify all possible options for seizing Russian linked assets in the UK that could be used to pay for reconstruction. We are pursuing this at pace and must ensure that measures are compliant with international law. We have reinforced our approach by introducing new legislation to enable sanctions to remain in place until Russia pays for damage it has caused. Our international partners have frozen a significant volume of assets but, like the UK, are yet to fully test the lawfulness of a new asset seizure regime.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-20T17:01:45.27Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Russia: Freezing of Assets"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to permit the seizure of Russian state assets, and the repurposing of those assets to rectify war damage in Ukraine and to assist in Ukraine\u2019s self-defence.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL906"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }