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1144877

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
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	Sudan and Syria: Politics and Government
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 31 July (HL17137), what considerations led them to adopt the positions that “the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy” and that they “have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with its security forces”; whether they have applied similar considerations in developing their position on Sudan; and, if so, how those considerations were applied to their decision to engage in strategic dialogue with the regime there.
tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
uin	HL17711
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The basis for reaching the conclusion that the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy is the clear evidence of the atrocities the regime has committed against the Syrian people, as documented by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria and other independent bodies. These atrocities include, but are not limited to, the repeated use of chemical weapons; repeated violations of international humanitarian law including attacks on civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals; and systematic use of torture, including sexual violence, and summary execution against those suspected of opposition to the regime. As the regime's security forces have played a major role in directing and committing these atrocities, we have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with them.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">The UK policy towards Sudan has been one of clear and public condemnation of human rights abuses, alongside a very limited process of engagement to explain to the Sudanese Government what needed to change in order that Sudan could progress and their relations with the international community could improve. As the protest movement gathered pace in 2018 and 2019, we publicly supported the calls of those protestors and pressured the government to heed those demands. Our approach has been described by many in the protest movement, and those now in government, as well judged and critical.<ins class="ministerial"> </ins></ins></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Our engagement with Sudan's former regime sought to maintain pressure on the then Sudanese authorities to make democratic reforms. The Strategic Dialogues also enabled us to have frank and constructive exchanges on pressing issues such as increasing protections for human rights and macroeconomic reform; the resolution of conflict and matters related to UN peacekeeping; and, to address shared threats including terrorism, modern slavery and illegal migration. We repeatedly raised our deep concern, both publicly and directly on a range of issues, including the response to the protest movement. The UK, alongside Troika partners (US and Norway) and Canada, made clear in a statement of 8 January that the (then) Government of Sudan's actions and decisions towards protestors would impact our approach to future engagement.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">Following the overthrow of Omar al Bashir, an agreement was reached between the Transitional Military Council and Forces of Freedom and Change who represented the protestors. The UK welcomes the appointment of a civilian led government and Prime Minister Hamdok's agenda of freedom, peace and justice for all in Sudan. We are engaging with him and the newly formed government on how best we can practically support these ambitions towards Sudan's democratic transition. In addition to supporting the reforms and changes that the people of Sudan deserve, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need across Sudan.</ins></ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:24:04 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:21:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133944 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1144071

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Eritrea: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Eritrea about (1) ending indefinite conscription, and (2) parliamentarians who have been detained since 2001; and what additional aid, if any, was allocated to Eritrea as a result of international sanctions being lifted.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL17559
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We continue to be concerned by reports that indefinite conscription is ongoing in Eritrea. We raise human rights in Eritrea regularly, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July, and when our Ambassador in Asmara saw the same advisor in August. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">In a statement at the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council on 12 July the UK welcomed the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, which we co-sponsored. The UK also urged Eritrea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and to reform national service, implement the constitution, respect freedom of religion or belief, and release all those in arbitrary detention – including, but not exclusive to detained parliamentarians; journalists; and those observing banned religions. </ins></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial"><ins class="ministerial">No additional aid has been allocated as a result of sanctions being lifted. The Department for International Development (DfID) has funded life-saving activity in Eritrea for several years, including providing £3.24m to UNICEF in 2018-19 to help treat malnutrition in under-fives and provide access to safe hygiene and sanitation services. DFID has extended this funding to UNICEF Eritrea until March 2021.</ins></ins></ins></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:22 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:53:35 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133916 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1144072

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Hong Kong: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to secure the support of Commonwealth countries to provide Hong Kong citizens with a second citizenship and potential place of abode should China resile on its commitment to one country, two systems.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL17560
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We maintain that the best solution for all the people of Hong Kong, including the British national (overseas) passport holders that live there, is full respect for the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework which is set out in the Joint Declaration.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Joint Declaration remains fully valid. It is a legally binding international treaty registered with the UN. Its objectives clearly apply to both signatories – The People's Republic of China and the UK. It remains in force, and remains acutely relevant to the conduct of life in Hong Kong. We expect China to abide by its obligations and to uphold the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Whilst we will continue to raise the situation in Hong Kong with a wide range of international partners, it is for individual countries to decide their own policy on citizenship issues.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:06 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:52:47 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133917 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1144074

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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: Yazidis
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received the information sent to them by Lord Alton of Liverpool concerning allegations made by the Clarion Project, that young Yazidi girls kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS in Iraq, and now held in Iran, have been put up for sale; and what action they are taking to (1) highlight that issue, and (2) seek the rescue of these girls.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL17562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We have received the letter that you sent regarding the allegations made by Clarion Project, and will be responding shortly. We remain deeply concerned by the situation faced by Yazidi women who were abducted and enslaved by Daesh in Iraq and Syria. The UN calculates that up to 3,000 Yazidi women are still missing, mostly in Iraq. The UK continues to support efforts to reunite families with their loved ones. I discussed the need for justice and support for Yazidi women and other victims of Daesh's crimes with Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mohamed Al-Hakim, on 25 June.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:28:15 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:19:51 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133922 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1144117

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Geneva Conventions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how violations of the Geneva Convention should be addressed; and whether any such assessment includes provision for the handling of erring Parties.
tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
uin	HL17605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Under the Geneva Conventions, States Parties must enact legislation to provide effective penal sanctions for those that commit, or order to be committed, grave breaches of the Conventions. States Parties must also search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, grave breaches of the Conventions, and ensure that they may be prosecuted before their courts, regardless of their nationality, or extradited, as appropriate. For the UK, the domestic criminal framework has been in place since the Geneva Conventions Act 1957. The UK works closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross and in particular with the British Red Cross to promote compliance with the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law (IHL).</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">When there are allegations of violations of the Geneva Conventions around the world, we have actively influenced decisions in the international arena to take action against perpetrators and to hold them to account. Our leading role in establishing and supporting the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia are examples where grave breaches of the Conventions were proven and persons held accountable. The UK also supports the work of the International Criminal Court, which investigates and prosecutes individuals within its jurisdiction alleged to have committed the gravest crimes of concern to the international community.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">More recently The UK has repeatedly called on the Syrian regime to abide by the Conventions and has taken a leading role to hold Syria to account. Since 2016, we have committed almost £1 million to the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to support the preparation of legal cases for serious crimes committed in the Syrian conflict. Following UK-led lobbying, on 1 August the UN Secretary General announced a new Board of Inquiry to investigate attacks on civilian infrastructure during the recent violence in Northwest Syria.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Geneva Conventions are cornerstones of IHL but contemporary conflict brings challenges for IHL in a number of areas, such as new technologies and the classification of conflicts. To examine these challenges and to mark 70 years of the Conventions, the UK with the strong support of the British Red Cross, will hold an expert conference in October 2019.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:30:40 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:59:32 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133905 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1144119

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Sudan: Food Supply
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 Transitional Military Council, or relevant governing body, in Sudan about food insecurity in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
uin	HL17607
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Our Embassy in Khartoum closely monitors the concerning humanitarian situation across Sudan, and specifically in the conflict-affected States. An estimated 8.5m in Sudan are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, with 6.3m categorised as crisis level food insecure. Specifically, 778,000 people in South Kordofan and 162,000 in Blue Nile are categorised as being crisis level food insecure. On 25 August, our Ambassador in Khartoum directly discussed the food security and humanitarian situation with Prime Minister Hamdok and with Mohamed Hasan Al-Ta'yushi, a civilian member of the Sovereign Council, which has succeeded the Transitional Military Council. He also raised the issue of ensuring full humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan with both the Prime Minister and Al-Ta'yushi. The UK is one of the largest humanitarian donors in Sudan delivering life-saving aid to those affected by conflict and natural disasters. We will work with the new Government of Sudan, when appointed, and international partners to address the humanitarian needs of those affected by years of conflict, political marginalisation and economic neglect across Sudan, especially in the conflict-affected States including South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. I also reiterated UK support to the new Prime Minister in the margins of UNGA High Level Week. </ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:30:34 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:17:06 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133907 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1144176

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Israeli Settlements
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Foreign Secretary raised concerns over settlement building with Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz during their meeting in London on 28 August, further to the government of Israel's approval of more than 2,000 settlements in the Occupied West Bank last month.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL17664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We regularly raise our concerns on this issue with the Government of Israel and urge it to reverse its policy of settlement expansion. The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:22:47 question first ministerially corrected 07/10/2019 11:22:25 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133941 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1144208

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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	Jerusalem: Palestinians
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 Israeli authorities intend to extend the closure of Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem and prohibit any cultural or political activities by Palestinian organisations held there.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL17696
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property; the construction of illegal Israeli settlements; removal of residency rights from Palestinians; possible unilateral changes to the municipal borders; and severe difficulties of access to Jerusalem for Palestinians from the West Bank or even for those residents of Jerusalem who live beyond the Separation Barrier.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:28 question first ministerially corrected 01/10/2019 10:54:00 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon previous answer version 133915 answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge