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47826

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
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
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 of the recent arrival at Port Sudan of land cruisers, tanks and heavy artillery to be delivered via the Sudanese authorities to Malian fighters in Western Darfur in camps around al-Geneina and Kutum.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6768
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text <p>We have not seen any reports of a recent arrival at Port Sudan of land cruisers, tanks and heavy artillery to be delivered via the Sudanese authorities to Malian fighters in Western Darfur in camps around al-Geneina and Kutum. The UK remains deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Darfur. We continue to monitor developments in Darfur and call for all sides to immediate cease the violence.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47765

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 use of children in armed conflict in the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; which parties in those countries they consider to be using child soldiers; and what action they are taking to co-ordinate international action to secure the demobilisation of child soldiers.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6713
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text The British Government recognises that parties to conflict who commit grave violations against children, including recruitment and use, are named in the annexes of the annual reports of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. This applies to the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the five countries in question, the Governments of Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently listed for the recruitment and use of children. The latter two have signed action plans with the UN to end this practice. There are also non-state armed groups listed for recruitment and use of children in all the countries in question, except South Sudan. The UK actively participates in the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to hold perpetrators to account as well as working with the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and non-governmental organisations to urge those Governments who have not already done so, to enter into time-bound action plans with the UN. The Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), is leading a campaign to raise awareness and help prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and children from becoming victims of sexual violence. He continues to raise the issue with a number of counterparts in countries where there are reports of children being recruited into armed groups and forces, including in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47408

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
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 recruitment of child soldiers by the government of Chad; whether they have raised concerns about the presence of Chadian soldiers in the Central African Republic; and whether they are part of the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6640
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised concerns about the conduct of Chadian troops in Central African Republic with Chad President Iddris Deby Itno when they met on 13 February. The Government take any allegations of wrongdoing by national armies very seriously.</p><p>Chad is making progress to tackle the issue of child soldiers in close cooperation with the UN, although there is still work to be done, particularly on birth registration and recruitment processes. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), pressed the Chad Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki, for further progress when they met on 28 January at the African Union (AU) summit and 2 April at the EU-Africa Summit.</p><p>Chad has announced that it is withdrawing its troops from the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) in agreement with the AU. The UK is not part of MISCA, but has provided £2million to MISCA to cover some essential MISCA costs including food, fuel and water. The UK is also providing logistical support to French and EU deployments and £23 million in humanitarian aid to the ongoing crisis.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47409

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider that the holding of elections in the Central African Republic on 15 February 2015 will support the development of good governance; what assessment they have made of the impact such elections will have on disenfranchised Muslim refugees who have fled the country and are in refugee camps beyond its borders; and whether they have made representations about the inclusion of Central African Republic citizens in the election process.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text <p>Preparations for elections, which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), discussed with the Head of the Central African Republic (CAR)'s Transitional Government, Catherine Samba-Panza, on 2 April, are at a very early stage. The primary focus of the international community is to stabilise CAR and protect its civilians. However, progress on the political front, including through the establishment of a strong, democratic government that represents its whole population, will be vital if long-term peace and security are to be achieved in CAR.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47410

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
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 of the kidnapping of two Italian priests and a Canadian nun by unidentified gunmen in the Maroua district of Cameroon, and of the identity of the perpetrators; and what information they have of the spread of Boko Haram's influence and activity in Cameroon.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6642
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2014 answer text <p>We are very concerned about kidnappings in Cameroon, which follow two similar incidents in 2013. We are aware of the growing evidence of Boko Haram having a presence in Cameroon, and discuss this regularly with the Government of Cameroon and other partners in the region. Our Travel Advice reflects the threat from kidnapping in Cameroon and other countries in the region. We have advised against all travel to the Far North Province of Cameroon since March 2013.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 25/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47411

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
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 of the removal of crosses from churches in the province of Zhejiang including the cities of Hangzhou and Zhoushan; when they last raised the issue of religious freedom and, in particular, the detention and imprisonment of the Bishop of Shanghai, with the government of China; and what response they received.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2014 answer text <p>We have concerns about restrictions on freedom of religious belief in China, and raise them regularly with Chinese counterparts. We are aware of particular cases such as that of Bishop Ma Deqin, who is reportedly being kept under house arrest at the Sheshan seminary in Shanghai, and raise them publicly through our Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

46667

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
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 report, Asbestos in Schools, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health; what assessment they have made of the view of the Committee on Carcinogenicity of the vulnerability of children to asbestos; what recent figures they have for the incidence of asbestos-related diseases in children and teachers; and when they intend to publish their response to the evidence submitted to their review of policy on asbestos management in schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6545
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education is currently reviewing its policy on asbestos management in schools and intends to publish the outcome of the review by the end of June.</p><p>The scope of the review includes the conclusions of the Committee on Carcinogenicity's statement on the relative vulnerability of children and the recommendations from the report “Asbestos in schools: the need for action” produced by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health. The Health and Safety Executive publishes figures on asbestos related deaths – including occupational information – on its website. We do not know of any figures detailing the incidence of asbestos related diseases in children.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

46668

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of North Korea's launch of two mid-range missiles, its statement that it "would not rule out a new form of nuclear test for bolstering up its nuclear deterrence" and China's decision to support the United Nations Security Council's condemnation of those developments.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6546
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2014 answer text <p>We are extremely concerned that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired two medium range missiles into the Sea of Japan, in a further clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094. We are also concerned by the DPRK's statement implying that they are considering further missile or nuclear tests.</p><p>We urge the DPRK to comply with all of its obligations under relevant UNSCRs and to refrain from any further provocations that would only further destabilise the peninsula.</p><p>We welcome China's support in in the UN Security Council condemning North Korean provocations, and we encourage all countries to call on the DPRK to abide by its international obligations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

46669

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
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 officials in the North Korean Workers' Party who were associated with Jang Song-thaek have been sentenced to death; and what recent representations the United Kingdom Ambassador to North Korea has made to the authorities there about the use of capital punishment, torture and political prison camps.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6547
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of media reports that 200 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) government officials believed to be close Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in December 2013, have been sentenced to death. Personnel changes within various organisations suggest the purge of those related to Jang Song-thaek is continuing. However, the lack of transparency means we are unable to confirm what has happened to those who have been removed from their positions. The UK is appalled but not unsurprised by reports of executions in DPRK. During meetings with DPRK authorities we regularly raise concerns about the horrific human rights situation. Our Ambassador in Pyongyang raised these concerns during a meeting with a Vice-Minister from the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January and we have raised them with other officials in March.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

46670

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom Ambassador to North Korea has raised with the authorities there the terms of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution (A/HRC/25/L.17) condemning "long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross" human rights violations in North Korea; and whether they have made representations to those countries which abstained or voted against the Resolution to give further thought to the findings of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry and to encourage support for the work of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6548
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2014 answer text <p>We regularly raise concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic <br>of Korea (DPRK) during our meetings with the DPRK authorities. We have raised the Commission of Inquiry report and will be raising the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (UNHRC) in our next meetings. The UK played a key role in ensuring a strong Resolution and will continue to work with partners to ensure the matter remains in the spotlight. It is unfortunate that some UNHRC members chose to either abstain or vote against the Resolution and, as we made clear in the UK statement at the time of the vote, we consider that doing so was a failure in their responsibility to help resolve the crisis and improve the lives of the North Korean people. Nevertheless, the resolution was passed with a significant majority and provides a solid platform for ongoing work in this area, not least through increased support for the Special Rapporteur. We are pleased that it includes a provision encouraging all states who have relations with the DPRK to use their influence to encourage the DPRK to take immediate steps to end all human rights violations. In our bilateral contacts with these states we will be encouraging them to act in accordance with this provision.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 14/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool