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167633

registered interest
date	03/12/2014
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	Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage the Geneva Convention summit to discuss the situation in Palestine and human rights.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>The UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and compliance with international law. We are considering our position on the conference. It is important that any conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions takes a balanced and non politicised approach. It should consider any violations, including attacks emanating from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and action by all parties (i.e. Israel, Hamas and other militant groups).</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 16/12/2014 14:19:38 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

167634

registered interest
date	03/12/2014
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 are taking to discourage incitement to violence and to promote religious tolerance in Jerusalem.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text We have urged both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to exert their influence to discourage incitement and promote religious tolerance in Jerusalem. It is vital that the longstanding status quo in respect of access to and governance of the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif be preserved. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 16/12/2014 14:31:28 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

167204

registered interest
date	02/12/2014
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	Bangladesh
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they and the European Union High Representative on Foreign Affairs respectively have made to the government of Bangladesh about its Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill 2014.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL3305
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government is aware that the Government of Bangladesh has approved the draft Foreign Donations Act (FDA) to go to Parliament. We are following the development of the new legislation closely. The Government, EU and other like-minded partners raised our concerns over restricting civil society with the Government of Bangladesh during the drafting of the Act. This included the Department for International Development (DfID) Country Representative leading a delegation to report donors’ concerns over aspects of the Act.</p><p> </p><p>During the meeting between the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and the Bangladesh Prime Minister in July, both agreed on the importance of an open society and political system in which democratic political participation and media freedoms are respected. Most recently in October, the former DfID Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), set out UK concerns on the FDA during her visit to Bangladesh, stressing that the Act risked penalising genuine donor and civil society activity.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 10/12/2014 14:29:02 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

167222

registered interest
date	02/12/2014
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 British Embassy officials are attending the trials in Thailand of British citizen Andy Hall.
tabling member printed	Baroness Goudie
uin	HL3323
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>Officials from our Embassy in Bangkok attended three days of Mr Hall's recent criminal defamation trial, including the opening and closing day, in order to observe proceedings. We also encouraged officials from other EU Member States to attend. We are pleased to note that one case of criminal defamation against Mr Hall has been dismissed.</p><p>Officials, both in Bangkok and London, are in regular contact with Mr Hall, and will continue to monitor Mr Hall’s case closely, ensuring that his case is raised with the Thai authorities where appropriate and reminding the authorities of their obligations to ensure international human rights standards are upheld.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 16/12/2014 14:09:29 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	3575 label Biography information for Baroness Goudie

167234

registered interest
date	02/12/2014
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	Government Departments: Disabled Staff
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken following the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's <i>Diversity and Equality Report </i>(April 2014), which showed that staff with a disability reported higher experiences of discrimination, bullying or harassment than overall averages.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
uin	HL3335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>Following the 2013 Staff Survey results, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s Human Resources Committee formed a Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (BHD) Action Group (chaired by a Director General, and made up of representatives from Human Resources, staff associations and Posts overseas). This group has worked towards developing a better working culture, encouraging staff to tackle or raise a concern as soon as possible and dispelling any perception that concerns will not be taken seriously and acted upon. We will continue to reinforce the message that managers are required to treat seriously all concerns raised; to be initially neutral; and to take action as appropriate. Advice on our Intranet has been streamlined, made more user-friendly, and is accessible to all staff. There is also a ‘Respect Toolkit’ offering further guidance on BHD issues, and we are developing the role of our global network of ‘First Response Officers’ who can help support and advise individuals over BHD related concerns. These actions are not specific to staff with disabilities but cover all staff raising concerns about BHD. The 2014 staff survey results are currently being analysed and we will again act on the outcomes of that analysis. <br><br>The FCO’s Human Resources Directorate has a dedicated Disability Support Team. This team is responsible for providing advice and support to disabled colleagues and their line managers, and for raising disability awareness and confidence across our organisation. The Team work with contracted experts who help to raise awareness and provide support materials across the disability spectrum. This includes providing one-to-one support, and support at team and departmental level as required. Currently we are also running a number of regular “all staff drop-in awareness sessions” which each have a focus on an individual disability. We are also working closely with Civil Service colleagues on a more joined up approach to disability support across the Civil Service.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 16/12/2014 14:13:14 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

167248

registered interest
date	02/12/2014
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	Israel
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 Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s recent suggestion that Israel should offer economic incentives to encourage the transfer of Israeli Arabs to a Palestinian state.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text The British Government has not made an assessment of this suggestion. We are clear with the Israeli authorities that we believe it is important that all Israeli citizens receive equal rights and treatment under Israeli law, including the Arab-Israeli minority. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 16/12/2014 14:18:39 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

166835

registered interest
date	01/12/2014
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	UN Human Rights Council
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the report by the United Nations Association-UK <i>The UK's role on the UN Human Rights Council: Priorities for the UK's 2014–16 term</i>.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL3253
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>We welcome the contribution made by UN Association-UK (UNA-UK) to the discussion on the UK’s role in the Human Rights Council.</p><p>The Government shares much of the analysis contained in the report. We have already achieved or are working towards delivering on a number of the recommendations. For example, we champion the independence of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; the majority of UK funding to the Office of the High Commissioner is not tied to specific conditions; and we engage with UN human rights mechanisms and support civil society engagement.</p><p>We share the ambitions stated in the report to strengthen the UN human rights mechanisms, lead by example and stimulate change on the ground; though we do not agree with the proposed methodology in every instance. For example, the recommendation to lengthen the mandates of country specific Special Rapporteurs to three years could in some cases undermine the efforts of countries to address their domestic human rights concerns quickly. We will continue to work closely with civil society, including UNA-UK, on our priorities for our second year on the Human Rights Council. The UK will be standing at the November 2016 Human Rights Council elections for the consecutive (2017-2019) term.</p><p>As I said during the launch of the UNA-UK foreign policy manifesto, as the Minister responsible for global human rights policy, I see my role as setting direction for the years to come through the promotion and protection of human rights bilaterally and in multilateral fora, including in the Human Rights Council.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/12/2014 17:18:22 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

166836

registered interest
date	01/12/2014
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	Kenya
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with the government of Kenya about the requirement for United Kingdom citizens to have a visa to enter Kenya; and what steps they take within (1) the European Union, and (2) the Commonwealth, to encourage consistency in visa requirements for citizens of countries within those organisations.
tabling member printed	Lord Ashcroft
uin	HL3254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text The British Government has not recently discussed visa requirements for UK citizens visiting Kenya with the Kenyan government. British nationals require a visa to enter Kenya, which can be purchased on arrival. Within the EU, the European Commission only seeks coherence in visa requirements for Member States party to the Schengen Visa Code. The UK is not party to this code. Within the Commonwealth the UK is taking part in discussions which seek to facilitate the movement of Commonwealth citizens between member states. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 10/12/2014 14:11:13 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2568 label Biography information for Lord Ashcroft

166842

registered interest
date	01/12/2014
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	Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will next publish a report on progress in implementing the commitments agreed and announced by United Kingdom Ministers at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict held in London in June.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL3260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict had two primary objectives: to agree practical action to tackle impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war, and to begin to shift global attitudes to these crimes. The Summit resulted in a number of practical outcomes and commitments, including the launch of the new International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, various national action plans and strategies to address the issue, and the provision of additional support to survivors and organisations working with them. Our focus is now on implementing these outcomes.</p><p>The report from the Summit was published online on 10 December. It includes details of the commitments made at the Summit. We will continue to update Parliament on progress.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/12/2014 16:40:09 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

166844

registered interest
date	01/12/2014
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	Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Scottish Government concerning implementing the commitments agreed and announced by United Kingdom Ministers at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict held in London in June.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL3262
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2014 answer text <p>There have been no discussions between UK Ministers and the Scottish government about the implementation of commitments agreed and announced by UK Ministers at the June Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 10/12/2014 14:11:45 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale