Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

147342

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Pakistan
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 President of Pakistan and the Pakistan High Commissioner in London about the burning to death in Kot Radha Kishan of a Christian couple following allegations of blasphemy.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>We were shocked by this brutal killing and immediately issued a statement condemning this act. It is essential the authorities investigate these atrocious murders and bring those responsible to justice. We regularly raise the misuse of blasphemy laws with representatives of the Pakistani government. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised this with the Pakistan High Commissioner on 28 October. We will continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels in Pakistan.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:27:57 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147343

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
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 case for providing overseas aid to members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria; and whether they consider that such Christian communities benefit from adequate protection from their governments against ISIL and other Islamic fundamentalists.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text The UK Government is horrified by the barbaric acts of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which is seeking to stoke sectarian conflict across the Middle East. Across Syria and Northern Iraq ISIL have launched a campaign of violence and terror and carried out appalling atrocities. They have attacked people of every faith and of none. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled ISIL advances. We are working closely with the Iraqi government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. The Syrian regime is seeking to heighten sectarian tension and fear within Christian, and other minority communities, painting the opposition as solely Islamic extremists, with Assad trying to paint himself as the only defender of the Syrian Christians. He is not; he continues to create the conditions for extremism in Syria by prosecuting a war he can’t win, destroying communities and the social fabric of the country. In the long run the only way to secure the position of Syria’s minority communities is to find an inclusive political solution to the crisis. The UK is determined to support the moderate opposition, who are working for an inclusive political settlement, and are committed to protect all of Syria’s communities and resist, extremists and authoritarian regimes. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:52:23 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147345

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking and intend to take in the future to ameliorate the situation of members of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Iraq and Syria in the light of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in those countries.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2749
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of communities on the basis of their religion, belief or ethnicity. We are concerned about the growing number of reports of Christians, and other minority groups, being targeted in Syria with many having already fled to camps in Lebanon, Turkey or Jordan. The UK has committed a total of £700 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Of this, £314 million has already been allocated to help ensure refugees from Syria are supported in neighbouring countries. We are supporting non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups in Syria, with a view to a future political settlement. We are also funding training for Syrian activists to document abuses to a criminal law standard with the aim that this documentation could be used in a future process of accountability. In Iraq we have committed £23 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have fled Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) advances. Following lobbying from the UK and other international partners, a resolution was passed at the Human Rights Council in September, mandating the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to despatch a mission to investigate and report on ISIL abuses. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), met the Archbishop Athanasius of the Syriac Orthodox Church in London on 29 July to discuss the situation for religious groups in the region and issued a statement condemning reported threats against Christians in Iraq and Syria. We continue to encourage influential religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:28:15 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147346

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further representations they intend to make to the governments of Middle-Eastern states and Turkey to dissuade them from funding organisations and campaigns which target Christian communities in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL2750
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is a brutal terrorist organisation that has targeted Christians and other communities in Iraq and Syria. Our partners within the Middle East, including Turkey and the Gulf states, have made clear by their current actions that they are fully committed to taking action against ISIL. We are aware of reports that individual citizens from the region may be providing support to ISIL and other extremist groups, but there is no evidence to suggest that the governments we engage with are involved. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discusses these issues regularly with his counterparts, including during the visit of the Qatari Emir on 29 October. We will continue to make representations to our allies, including from the Middle East, to also ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2170 on tackling ISIL’s access to resources. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:57:51 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

147353

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to encourage both Israel and Palestine to ratify the Rome Statute.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2757
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK is a strong supporter of international law and the International Criminal Court. However, we do not believe that such an action by either side at this point in time would serve to end the conflict, and it is likely to make a resumption of negotiations more difficult.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:53:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

147354

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by Amnesty International <i>Families Under the Rubble</i>, what steps they intend to take to ensure that Israel is held accountable for human rights violations carried out during Operation Protective Edge.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2758
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>There must be a robust process of accountability given the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza. Israel has confirmed plans to form their own investigative committee which we understand will be mandated to investigate the proportionality of Israel Defence Forces actions. To be credible, the committee must be independent, transparent and rigorous, and must draw on lessons from the past to examine how Israel can in future exercise its right to self-defence without such heavy civilian loss of life. We are also calling on all sides to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council, which must itself be independent and balanced in its approach.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:55:26 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

147355

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether conditions for an enduring ceasefire in Gaza have been settled; what they are; and whether they are being met.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>Israel and Hamas are maintaining an uneasy truce in Gaza. The 26 August ceasefire committed the parties to convene talks to cover a range of outstanding issues including the disarmament of militant groups and easing of restrictions.</p><p>The last round of talks was postponed. The conditions for an enduring ceasefire have therefore not yet been settled or met.</p><p>Progress has, however, been made on some aspects of work which are necessary to get Gaza back on its feet, although huge challenges remain. On 16 September, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Robert Serry, agreed a new UN-Palestinian Authority-Israel mechanism to facilitate the reconstruction of Gaza.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 16:56:21 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

147356

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
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 Israel concerning reports of its firing on agricultural land and fishing boats during October.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2014 answer text <p>We are not aware of incident(s) in October involving Israel Defence Forces (IDF) firing on fishermen or over agricultural land in Gaza, but continue to monitor the situation. The IDF has demarcated a 6-mile radius at the western nautical border.</p><p>The demarcation of the northern border is not as clear to fishermen and this border area is the site of many incidents. During Operation Protective Edge, we raised our concern with the IDF several times over incidents in which fishermen were reportedly shot. The IDF maintained that the Israeli Navy fired only warning shots into the air when the fishermen ventured over the nautical border.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 21/11/2014 13:59:05 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

147357

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they intend to give to the European Union’s new High Representative Federica Mogherini to achieve her goal of establishing a Palestinian State.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK fully supports the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini’s position on the urgency of moving forward with the peace process and on the importance of the establishment of a Palestinian state. The UK has been a long-standing supporter of the two state solution and is committed to seeing a sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state - living in peace and security, side by side with Israel. The UK, along with the EU, believes that a negotiated solution is the best way to achieve this on the ground. The EU has an important role to play and we will continue to work closely with EU partners and the High Representative to support the parties in finding a way to resume the peace process.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/11/2014 17:03:35 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

147358

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 20 October, what assessment they have made of the position of (1) Bahrain, and (2) Israel, in respect of the obligation to respect human rights as being an essential element of any trade agreement with the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL2762
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text <p>The EU’s negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Bahrain, were suspended in 2008. Bilateral trade issues are discussed at the biannual UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meetings, which also include a substantial discussion of human rights and reform issues. Bahrain continues to make steady progress with its political reforms, and the UK will continue to encourage Bahrain to do more.</p><p>The EU-Israel Association Agreement provides an important framework to discuss the EU’s human rights concerns, and work with Israel to address these. The EU regularly raises its concerns with Israel in meetings at all levels through the structures of the Association Agreement, including through an informal human rights working group and regular political level meetings. At the same time, as the terms of the agreement make clear, any upgrade in relations between the two parties depends on progress towards a two state solution.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/11/2014 14:32:40 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge