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93722

registered interest
date	16/10/2014
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	Libya
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the last ministerial visit to Libya took place; and what plans they have for future visits.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2146
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text The former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), visited Tripoli in March 2014. The former Minister of State at the Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Sir Alan Duncan), visited on 22 June. Our Embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed since 6 August due to ongoing fighting and instability in Libya. The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Libyan Political Transition, Jonathan Powell, visited Libya on 11 October in support of efforts being led by the UN to agree a ceasefire and political settlement. Until such time as the security situation improves, there are no plans for Ministerial visits to Libya. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 23/10/2014 15:07:54 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92820

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
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	Libya
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to restore full British diplomatic activity in Libya.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2056
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Our Embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed since 6 August, due to ongoing fighting and instability. The safety and security of our staff is paramount: we will re-open the Embassy in Libya when the security situation has improved sufficiently to keep our staff safe. A small team of British diplomats focused on relations with Libya are currently working from our Embassy in Tunis, as well as a team in London. Our core diplomatic activity also includes the work of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Jonathan Powell, who is continuing to work with the UN on the ground in Libya to pursue mediation efforts to agree a negotiated political settlement, which offers the best hope of stability for the country.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 21/10/2014 14:21:21 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92821

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
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	Islamic State
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on the external funding of ISIL; and what discussions have been held with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia, and (2) Qatar, on the external funding of ISIL.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)’s main sources of revenue come from oil sales and extortion. Other sources have included foreign donors, kidnap ransom payments, and money stolen during its advances in recent months.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our strategy to combat ISIL the UK led work on UN Security Council Resolution 2170 which was adopted unanimously on 15 August. It condemns ISIL, the al-Nusra front and other terrorist groups listed under Al-Qaida sanctions. The resolution urges members to take measures to choke ISIL’s sources of finance.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with countries in the Middle East to counter the threat from terrorists and extremists across the region. Combating ISIL and degrading its financial support is a priority and we continue to discuss these issues with our partners, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with all our international partners to intensify efforts to stem ISIL’s funding flows.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/10/2014 16:05:26 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92822

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
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	Sahel
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 threat posed by Islamists across the Sahel.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>Terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and surrounding regions continue to pose a threat to British nationals and interests in the region. Active groups include Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Murabitun. They aspire to establish Islamic law in the region and to attack Western interests. A group linked to Al Murabitun claimed responsibility for an attack on the UN peacekeeping Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on 3 October in which nine peacekeepers were killed. On 7 October another peacekeeper was killed in a rocket attack on a MINUSMA base. We are committed to working with our partners to strengthen the capacity of MINUSMA and the affected nations to counter this threat.</p><p> </p><p>Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice gives our most accurate assessment of the threat from terrorism to British nationals in the countries across the Sahel. Travel Advice on the Sahel is included in the page for each country in the region and is available on our website at: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We encourage all individuals and organisations to take that advice into account when travelling.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/10/2014 15:55:05 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92823

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Army Reserve
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many army reservists have been recruited in the last 12 months; and what was the target number of such recruits during the same period.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK Armed Forces Quarterly Personnel report, which is published by Defence Statistics, shows Reserve trained and untrained strength figures, as well as movements into the Future Reserves 2020 population, at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-quarterly-personnel-report-2014. Target figures for recruiting and trained strength were set out in the written ministerial statement and paper that the former Defence Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) released in the other place on 19 December 2013, (Official Report, column 124WS).<br><br>The trained strength of the Army reserves Future Reserves 2020 population as at 30 June 2014 was 19,290, against the March 2015 target of 19,900.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Astor of Hever attachment 1 file name 19 December 2013.doc Future Reserves 2020.doc title Hansard Extract 19 December 2013 2 file name Quarterly-Personnel-Report_july14_final[1].pdf title UK Armed Forces Quarterly Personnel Report -2014 question first answered 27/10/2014 16:37:22 answering member 3428 label Biography information for Lord Astor of Hever
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92824

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
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	Islamic State
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they first became aware of the development and growth of ISIL in Syria before its incursion into Iraq.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) grew out of Al Qaida in Iraq [AQ-I] which has been operating there since 2003.</p><p>Press reporting from 2012 stated that AQ-I fighters were travelling over the border into Syria as the country emerged as the primary “jihadi theatre.” But ISIL’s presence in Syria was publicly announced by a declaration from Al Qaida in Iraq (AQ-I) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of its merger with Al Nusrah Front (ANF) in April 2013. The merger was subsequently rejected by the ANF.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/10/2014 15:43:01 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92825

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	East Coast Main Line
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the East Coast Railway line; and in particular to increase speed between London and (1) Newcastle, and (2) Edinburgh.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL2061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government has significant plans for the East Coast Main Line and the InterCity East Coast franchise. The competition for the franchise is expected to provide a number of material improvements for passengers, many of which are set out in the Prospectus and Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the franchise. These include the delivery of the new state-of-the-art Class 800/801 trains from the Intercity Express Programme, which will both improve the environment for passengers and reduce journey times.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Rail Investment Strategy for the period 2014-2019 includes £240million for improving the East Coast Mainline with the aim of providing a material reduction in journey times between London and Edinburgh by 2020. The ITT for the new franchise seeks to build on this by specifying that the maximum journey time between London and Edinburgh reduces from 4hours 26 minutes in 2013, to 4 hours 17 minutes in 2020 to ensure that benefits from our investments in the IEP fleet and infrastructure are delivered. It does not specify a reduction in journey times to Newcastle but it is expected that these will also reduce to achieve the overall reductions to Edinburgh. As the ITT sets out our minimum requirements for the franchise, we expect that bidders will strive to improve upon these times.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 27/10/2014 16:20:31 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

91874

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water Supply
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the amount of water in the United Kingdom that is lost through leakage between source and consumer; and what steps are being taken to end the current position where the consumer pays for such losses through price.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL1932
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2014 answer text <p>The most recently available figures estimate that across England and Wales around 3.1 billion litres of water leaks each day. Ofwat, as the economic regulator, agrees maximum leakage targets with water companies and has the powers to issue penalties to companies that fail to meet these. In the last decade Ofwat has entered into legal agreements with water companies that have missed their targets, committing them to investing more than £230m in improvements on leakage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government and Ofwat have worked together to raise the issue of leakage and have worked with the water companies to reduce total leakage by one third since its peak in the mid-90s. Over the next five years, across England and Wales, companies are proposing further work to reduce leakage further. Innovative changes in leak detection technology and large scale programmes of customer engagement have allowed companies to improve their understanding of the problems across their networks and how their customers expect them to respond, allowing the companies to take a much more proactive approach to leakage reduction. Companies are obliged to publish and explain their annual leakage figures on their websites and outline what steps they intend to take to meet their targets in future.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In its current price review Ofwat has made it clear that it expects to see companies achieve a balance between keeping customers’ bills down and reducing leakage where it makes sense, such as in water stressed areas where customers are willing to pay.</p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 14/10/2014 16:13:33 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

91875

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Iraq
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance was given by British armed forces in the training of Sunni fighters in Iraq during the so-called Sunni Awakening between 2005 and 2008.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL1933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>The information is not held centrally. A review of readily available sources has not indicated that any such training was undertaken. A wider search could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Lord Astor of Hever question first answered 16/10/2014 16:05:42 answering member 3428 label Biography information for Lord Astor of Hever
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

91876

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
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 (1) have made, and (2) intend to make, to the government of Israel about the full lifting of the blockade on Gaza.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL1934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>Our ambassador in Tel Aviv most recently raised the issue of Gaza with the Israeli National Security Adviser on 15 September. They discussed Israel permitting the transfer of goods to the West Bank, and exports to Israel. Since the 26 August ceasefire our Ambassador has also made the case to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Middle East Peace Process negotiator, his Cabinet Secretary, his National Security Advisor, his Chief of Staff, and his Trade, Finance and Justice Ministers, that the opening up of transfers/exports from the private sector in Gaza and a broader lifting of restrictions would address one of the fundamental drivers of instability in Gaza.</p><p>Our officials in Tel Aviv will continue to lobby Israeli officials in future meetings on the issue of movement and access in Gaza.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2014 13:43:01 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian