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78857

registered interest
date	17/07/2014
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	Central African Republic
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there are adequate civilian protection experts deployed at the same time as troops for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2014 answer text <p>The British Government is deeply concerned about the situation in the Central African Republic and has been working closely with the UN and other partners to ensure the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) deploys with the expertise it needs to carry out its mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 2149. MINUSCA is mandated to prioritise the protection of civilians as soon as it deploys in September, with specific protection for women and children, including through the deployment of Child and Women Protection Advisers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 30/07/2014 11:10:56 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

78248

registered interest
date	15/07/2014
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	Thailand
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the British Embassy in Bangkok has raised with the government of Thailand the prosecution of journalists from Phuketwan for reporting on abuses against the ethnic Rohingya from Burma.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1143
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p>Our Ambassador to Thailand has raised our concerns about these charges with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Thai Navy on several occasions over the last few months.</p><p>These discussions built on our wider dialogue with Thailand about the plight of Rohingya, which has been led by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire).</p><p>The UK is a staunch defender of the freedom of the media, and it is the responsibility of States to adhere to international protocols governing the treatment of refugees. Protection and assistance should be provided to those who seek shelter within their borders. We will continue to follow this case closely.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 24/07/2014 14:25:42 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

78249

registered interest
date	15/07/2014
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	Thailand
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether representatives from the British Embassy in Bangkok will attend court hearings and other key meetings in the case of British citizen Andy Hall; and, if not, why not.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1144
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2014 answer text <p>Consular officials at our Embassies do not normally attend court hearings. They do so in exceptional circumstances, for instance at key points in murder/manslaughter cases to support families, and on a case-by-case basis in cases where the death penalty could be imposed, or we have serious fair trial concerns. When officials do attend their role is to provide welfare support. We cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country and we cannot act as legal representatives for British nationals. Our staff are not legally trained and they therefore cannot comment on proceedings or provide interpretation.</p><p>A political officer from our Embassy in Thailand attended Mr Hall’s hearing on 2 July to observe proceedings. Mr Hall has also met officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to discuss forced labour concerns in Thailand. Consular officials will continue to support him as appropriate, and a decision on whether we will attend future hearings or other key meetings will be made when required. The Embassy has no role in accompanying Mr Hall to meetings related to his legal dispute.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 28/07/2014 11:13:32 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65928

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any discussions were held at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict concerning the situation in Burma.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>During the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict I chaired a roundtable on the role of faith leaders and communities in tackling sexual violence. Participants included two religious leaders from Burma. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw separately during the Global Summit. They discussed a series of bilateral issues and Mr Swire raised a range of human rights concerns. Mr Swire welcomed the Burmese government’s attendance at the Summit and urged them to follow-up quickly with a credible action plan to tackle sexual violence that involved the military. Mr Swire also hosted an event for Burmese civil society, in which he welcomed the attendance of Burmese civil society and religious leaders at the Global Summit.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 14:32:03 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65929

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps are being taken to incorporate discussion of torture, sexual violence and other war crimes and crimes against humanity and other human rights violations in the military training provided to the Burmese army by the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL856
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>Our defence engagement with Burma is focussed on the core principles of democratic accountability, international law and human rights. UK provision of defence training to the Burma Army is limited to non-combat related academic courses. This has included a course entitled “Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context” (MDWSC). The MDWSC covers the UK model of democratic accountability, the importance of good governance in defence and the significance of professionalism in a nation’s Armed Forces, including observation of human rights obligations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 13:25:37 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65930

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to persuade the government of Burma to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and what is their assessment of Burma’s position in respect of the Covenant.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL857
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text We have had a number of discussions with the Burmese government on the importance of Burma ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). At the request of the Burmese government, our Embassy in Rangoon recently funded an experts’ visit to Burma for the purpose of identifying steps that would need to be taken and issues that would need to be considered in reaching the decision to ratify the ICCPR. We hope this will lay the foundations for further action in the coming months. answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 13:26:19 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65816

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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: Iran
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or the United Nations Assistance Missionfor Iraq last visited Camp Liberty in Iraq; and what is their assessment of the safety of the residents of that camp.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p>We do not keep records of visits by external agencies to Camp Liberty, though the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq continues to monitor conditions at Camp Liberty regularly. They report that the provision of life support systems such as water, electricity and food continue to meet basic humanitarian standards. The Government of Iraq is responsible for security at Camp Liberty, and we do not make assessments of the safety of the camp's residents.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 10/07/2014 13:28:50 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65819

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of reports of the use of torture in the conflict zones of Burma; and whether they consider that any such actions should be categorised as a war crime or a crime against humanity.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL811
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned by reports of the use of torture in conflict zones in Burma. We remain one of the most vocal and active members of the international community in supporting those calling for human rights in Burma. We regularly raise our strong concerns regarding any violations of human rights with senior members of the Burmese government and military, amongst others. We strongly support work being led by international partners, including the UN, to help Burma better understand the UN Convention Against Torture, and the steps that need to be taken as part of ratification. <br><br>It is the policy of the Government that any judgment on whether war crimes have occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi grouped question UIN HL812 question first answered 14/07/2014 10:42:57 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65820

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to urge the government of Burma to end torture in that country, to investigate reports of continuing use of torture, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned by reports of the use of torture in conflict zones in Burma. We remain one of the most vocal and active members of the international community in supporting those calling for human rights in Burma. We regularly raise our strong concerns regarding any violations of human rights with senior members of the Burmese government and military, amongst others. We strongly support work being led by international partners, including the UN, to help Burma better understand the UN Convention Against Torture, and the steps that need to be taken as part of ratification. <br><br>It is the policy of the Government that any judgment on whether war crimes have occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi grouped question UIN HL811 question first answered 14/07/2014 10:42:58 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

65821

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to discuss with the Burmese authorities the creation of an independent inquiry, with Burmese and international participation, into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in that country.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>We have made clear to the Burmese government our strong concerns over the human rights situation in the country, particularly in Rakhine state and the ethnic border regions. Our priority is to seek an end to all human rights violations. We have been firm that as part of this process the culture of impunity must be properly tackled, which we believe is best achieved through a clear, independent and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/07/2014 10:41:18 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool