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1177887

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining
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 Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL664), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what assessment they have made of reports of children working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what measures they are taking to assess the dangers to children working in such mines; and what action they plan to take to help eliminate child labour and promote safe working conditions in those mines.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>The British Government is deeply concerned by continued reports of children working in the artisanal mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). UK officials monitor trends in child labour in mining in DRC, including by working closely with partners such as the UN Joint Human Rights Organisation who report human rights abuses in DRC. The UK is fully committed to seeing an end to such practices by 2030 as laid out in the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. UK officials have raised our concerns about child labour with the DRC Government. In addition, as an active member of the Voluntary Principles Initiative, a multi-stakeholder initiative focussed on improving human rights adherence in the extractives sector, the UK has pressed the DRC Government and local actors in the mining sector to adhere to the principles of the Initiative. In DRC, the British Government has provided funding to the &quot;Effective Approaches to Ending the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Fragile Contexts&quot; programme, which brings together a consortium of NGOs, local partners, private sector and media development agencies to develop innovative approaches to ending child labour. This includes tackling supply and demand issues which result in child labour in fragile states. The UK has also funded work by the Carter Centre, working with civil society and mining companies, to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/02/2020 17:23:45 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1177888

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining
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 Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL665), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what assessment they have made of reports that the families of children working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are seeking compensation for forced labour, unjust enrichment, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wages promised but not paid, and the loss of assets, educational and business opportunities.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>We are aware of the calls for compensation for forced labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and continue to monitor the situation. We do not comment on ongoing legal cases, but the British Government remains concerned about reports of modern slavery and child labour in DRC, and UK officials have raised these concerns with the government. The UK is working to prevent forced labour and child labour in DRC by focusing on improved transparency and governance in the mining sector, working with civil society and mining companies, including through programmes with the Carter Centre. The UK expects responsible businesses to respect human rights across their operations and in their international supply relationships. We actively encourage all states to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These principles underline: the duty of a state to protect human rights; the responsibility of businesses to respect human rights; and the importance of access to remedy for victims of abuses, which is rights-compatible, transparent, equitable and predictable.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/02/2020 15:25:08 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1177889

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining
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 Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL666), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what plans they have to impose sanctions and use UK aid to help combat child labour in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and whether they plan to require UK companies sourcing cobalt to establish an independent verification system that would ensure that their supply chains are free from exploitation, unsafe working conditions, slavery and child labour.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>Under the Modern Slavery Act, all large businesses operating in the UK with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish an annual transparency statement detailing what steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their business and supply chains. EU and UN sanctions regimes are in place to tackle human rights violations and abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UK will continue to impose EU sanctions during the Transition Period. In 2018, the UK increased the amount of Official Development Assistance spent internationally on modern slavery to over £200 million. This will be used to tackle the root causes by creating jobs and livelihoods, changing business and recruitment practices, building capacity for law enforcement, and protecting victims. There will be a particular focus on the most vulnerable including children, women and girls. In DRC, the UK has contributed to &quot;Effective Approaches to Ending the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Fragile Contexts&quot; programme, which brings together a consortium of NGOs, local partners, private sector and media development agencies to develop innovative approaches to ending child labour. This includes tackling supply and demand issues which result in child labour in fragile states. As an active member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UK encourage states and those working in the industry to implement the OECD's Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas. Through project funding, we have supported the OECD to disseminate, and encourage the use of, this guidance and run capacity-building projects to implement it.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/02/2020 15:33:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1177891

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Iraq: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq about Article 26(2) of the National Identity Card Law which prescribes that children born to one Muslim parent must be registered as Muslim; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that policy on children born following rape perpetrated by Daesh fighters against those belonging to religious minorities.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>We have concerns with Article 26 of the National Identity Card Law as it limits an individual's freedom of religion. We have made clear our concerns to the Government of Iraq. Children born of sexual violence under Daesh remain particularly vulnerable and present significant protection challenges. We continue to engage with the Government of Iraq on the importance of ensuring all children in Iraq, including those born of rape, have access to identification documents so they can attend school and access healthcare.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/02/2020 15:23:50 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1177892

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	North Korea: Oil
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 the government of China shipped more than 10,000 tons of oil to North Korea in the last four months of 2019; and whether they intend to highlight those reports at the next UN Security Council meeting.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>The British Government is committed to upholding sanctions on North Korea and is working with international partners to curtail North Korea's nuclear and missile capability. The UK is concerned about North Korea's evasion of UN sanctions, including via ship-to-ship transfers of unrefined petroleum. We think it highly likely that North Korea has breached the cap in oil imports permitted under UN Security Council resolutions. We have raised our concerns with UN Security Council members, including China. Sanctions must remain in place until North Korea denuclearises.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/02/2020 15:33:50 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1177913

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Bahrain: Detainees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, at their meeting with the Director General of the Muharraq Governate Police, Brigadier General Fawaz Al Hassan, at Muharraq Security Complex in Bahrain in July 2019, they raised allegations that activists Ebtisam Al Saegh and Najah Yusuf were sexually assaulted and tortured by National Security Agency staff at that security complex whilst Brigadier General Fawaz Al Hassan was in post.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL1536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>British Embassy Officials regularly meet Bahraini officials to discuss a range of issues. They did not discuss allegations relating to Ebtisam Al Saegh and Najah Yusuf at the meeting in July 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/02/2020 15:24:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

1177914

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Bahrain: University of Huddersfield
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports published in The Times and The Yorkshire Post that facilities at the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain have been used for the torture of political prisoners, whether they have had any discussions with the University of Huddersfield about its provision of an MSc in Security Science exclusively to students at that Academy.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL1537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>The British Government consistently and unreservedly condemns torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and it is a priority for us to combat it wherever and whenever it occurs.</p><p>We urge all allegations of this nature to be reported to the appropriate national oversight body whose duty it is to carry out full, independent investigations into these allegations and we continue to encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 26/02/2020 17:58:29 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

1177915

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Bahrain: Police
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports published in The Times and The Yorkshire Post that facilities at the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain have been used for the torture of political prisoners, whether they have any agreement with the Royal Academy of Policing, in particular any agreement to (1) fund, or (2) provide training to, that Academy; and if so, whether those reports affect this relationship in any way.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL1538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>The British Government takes note of a number of sources of information on Bahrain. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently provide funding to the Bahrain Royal Academy of Policing.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/02/2020 17:20:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

1177916

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Bahrain: Police
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) they, or (2) any of their affiliates, have met with any representatives from the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain; and if so, (a) when any such meetings took place, and (b) who attended.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL1539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>British Embassy officials meet with their Bahraini counterparts on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/02/2020 17:17:52 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

1177917

registered interest
date	11/02/2020
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	Bahrain: Prisoners
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 allegations in the report published by eight UN Special Rapporteurs on 1 November 2019 that officials from the National Institute for Human Rights in Bahrain “dismissed” complaints made by female prisoners and “threatened” an inmate with being returned to prison if she spoke to “anyone from abroad” about her experience; and what assessment they have made of the efficacy of any UK funding to that body.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL1540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>The British Government takes note of a number of sources of information on Bahrain, including publications and statements from non-governmental organisations. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies in Bahrain to carry out thorough and swift investigations into allegations of human rights violations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/02/2020 17:19:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven