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172350

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to speed up payment of the sums pledged in Cairo for the reconstruction of Gaza; and whether they will ask Israel to contribute.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p>At the Gaza Reconstruction Conference, the UK pledged £20 million for early recovery assistance. DFID has already disbursed £5 million and will provide the remainder in 2015/16. We urge other donors to deliver their pledges. The UK continues to press the Government of Israel to meet its obligations as an occupying power under International Humanitarian Law, including by facilitating the entry of reconstruction materials into Gaza.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 20/01/2015 11:56:11 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

172351

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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 are making to the government of Israel concerning (1) the removal of two military bases in the West Bank in order to allow for the expansion of existing settlements, (2) the Israeli air attack on a cement factory near Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on 20 or 21 December, (3) the elimination of delays and full normal opening of the Tulkarm Crossing-point for Palestinians with permission to work in Israel, (4) approval for the construction of 243 houses on West Bank land illegally annexed to Jerusalem, and (5) Israeli naval vessels firing live ammunition at Palestinian fishermen off Gaza, damaging several boats.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text While we have not raised these specific issues, we have repeatedly condemned Israel’s announcements to expand settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly bring up the issue of settlements with the Israeli National Security Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence contacts. We are aware of an attack by the Israeli Defence Forces against “Hamas terror infrastructure” in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza after a rocket was fired into Israel from Gaza on 19 December. Our Ambassador discussed this matter with the Israeli Ministry of Defence. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly meet with the Israeli authorities – including the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories/Ministry of Defence and the National Security Adviser - to urge them to ease restrictions on Gaza, including the movement of commercial goods, and persons from and to the Gaza Strip. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv is looking into the situation faced by Gazan fishermen and will consider Government action on this issue. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/01/2015 14:16:58 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

172352

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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 representations they are making to the government of Egypt about full reopening of the Rafah Crossing, in particular for urgent medical cases, students, and other priority categories.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>We are concerned about the closure of the Rafah Crossing and the impact that has on urgent medical and other priority cases in Gaza. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the importance of reopening the Rafah crossing when he met the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 27 October and again on 18 November. We continue to raise this issue in our contacts with the Egyptian government.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/01/2015 14:17:37 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169312

registered interest
date	10/12/2014
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they assess the effectiveness of the various United Nations agencies trying to meet the urgent needs of refugees and displaced people in northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria; and in particular whether they consider that enough authority is locally devolved.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>DFID closely monitors the effectiveness of UN agencies in meeting the urgent needs of displaced people in Northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria, including through our field team. The UK is supporting the UN to scale up operations – including through funding key staff positions in agency field offices – to strengthen the UN’s presence at a local level.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 18/12/2014 12:43:19 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169313

registered interest
date	10/12/2014
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	Russia
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss with the government of Russia the issues of freedom of expression and variety of opinions in the media there, in the light of the proposed closure of the last independent television station in that country.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>A law banning commercial advertising on paid cable and satellite television channels in Russia will come into force on 1 January 2015. Commentators have suggested that this law will make it difficult for independent television station, Dozhd, to survive. Increasing pressure on independent journalists and news outlets in Russia, including Dozhd, is of great concern. We regularly make our concerns clear in bilateral interactions at all levels. Most recently, I raised concerns about restrictions on the freedom of expression in Russia with the Russian Ambassador on 25 November. In October, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) also raised concerns about this issue with the Russian Ambassador, highlighting the negative impact of restrictive legislation on the freedom of the media.</p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 22/12/2014 16:54:50 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169085

registered interest
date	09/12/2014
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	Bahrain
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 Bahrain about (1) individuals who have died in custody since 2011, in particular Mr Hassan Sheikh who died on 26 November, (2) Mr Ahmed al-Mouswi, who alleged he was tortured while in custody, and (3) the individuals arrested in November 2014 for attempting to hold an unofficial referendum.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Our Ambassador in Bahrain publicly raised the UK’s concern about the death of Hasan al-Shaikh at Bahrain’s Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre. Investigations by both the Special Investigations Unit of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman are ongoing.</p><p>We understand Mr Al Mouswi has been accused of a number of terrorist related charges. We urge any detainee who alleges to have been mistreated and/or tortured to contact the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman, the National Institute for Human Rights and the Prisoner and Detainee Rights Commission.</p><p>The unofficial referendum was called for by the Bahraini proscribed organisation, the 14 February Youth Coalition, who have been responsible for a number of bomb attacks in Bahrain. We understand investigations into those connected with the campaign are being investigated.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/12/2014 15:42:31 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169086

registered interest
date	09/12/2014
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	Syria
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 Daesh controls a border crossing between Turkey and Syria; and what representations they are making to the government of Turkey on the matter.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The situation on the Turkish-Syrian border remains dynamic. We understand that Turkey has closed a number of border crossings with Syria following the occupation of the Syrian side by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). We have regular discussions with the Turkish government about the threat posed by ISIL. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed cooperation against ISIL when he met Prime Minister Davutoğlu and President Erdoğan during a visit to Turkey on 9 December.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/12/2014 15:46:32 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169087

registered interest
date	09/12/2014
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Syria
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 an embargo against relief aid and supplies for the Kurdish majority cantons of northern Syria; and what steps they are taking to ensure aid supplies reach those in need.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>Delivering humanitarian assistance in Syria continues to pose significant challenges. The UK is working closely with our partners on contingency planning and is continuing to push all parties to allow the safe, unhindered delivery of aid.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Northover question first answered 18/12/2014 12:38:41 answering member 2539 label Biography information for Baroness Northover
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

169088

registered interest
date	09/12/2014
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	Iran
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will impose sanctions on Mr Mohamed Beheshtifar and ban him from entry into the United Kingdom, following his reported involvement in attacks on women in Basij in Iran.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>We were shocked to learn of the stabbing of six women in Fars Province in Iran at the end of November, and are aware that Mohamad Beheshtifar has been arrested on suspicion of his involvement in the attacks. We will continue to follow the case closely.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/12/2014 15:47:11 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

168453

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements to the procedures of the Detained Fast Track for the better protection of applicants they have introduced since the decision of the High Court on 9 July 2014.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3483
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>In July 2014 the High Court upheld the principle of a Detained Fast Track (DFT) process as lawful. However, the Court found that the DFT process as operated carried an “unacceptable risk of unfairness” with regard to vulnerable applicants within the system. This was primarily because they were not guaranteed access to lawyers sufficiently soon after induction to enable instructions to be taken and advice to be given before the substantive interview. The Home Office took immediate steps to address this and other criticisms of the process.</p><p> </p><p>Screening:</p><p>The judgment observed that the current asylum screening process did not do enough to identify and exclude from DFT vulnerable people or those with particularly complex claims. We have since changed the questions asked in the screening interview to help address this issue and there is an ongoing review of the screening process that incorporates discussions and input from external stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>Detention Centre Rule 35:</p><p>Detention Centre Rule 35 requires doctors in immigration removal centres to issue reports to Home Office officials with responsibility for authorising, maintaining and reviewing detention, if they have concerns about issues of particular vulnerability. Those issues include particular ill-health, suicide risk and concerns that the detainee may have been a victim of torture. Whilst acknowledging that a Rule 35 report issued by a medical practitioner relating to possible torture concerns may sometimes reflect only the detainee’s own claim and so not require automatic release, the judgment nonetheless concluded that the evidence did not show the process to operate as well as it should.</p><p>Releases can and do result from Rule 35 reports and a recent sampling exercise has reconfirmed this position and identified some other issues for improvement. We have already taken steps to improve awareness of existing process requirements. We have consulted external partners on improvements to the operation of Rule 35 and further measures will introduced in the coming months to ensure that the process operates as effectively as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Access to legal representation:</p><p>The judgment stated that in some cases, legal representatives were allocated to asylum applicants too late in the DFT process, which was considered significant enough to carry a high risk of unfairness for those who may be vulnerable. On the 14th and 15th of July the Home Office implemented new arrangements, that ensured that legal representatives were are allocated to asylum claimants that require them (around 50% of asylum claimants arrive with a lawyer already) on the day of induction to DFT or, where that is not possible, no later than 2 working days after induction. In addition we are now ensuring that there are 4 clear working days between the allocation of a lawyer and the asylum interview except where the asylum claimant and lawyer advise that they want an earlier interview.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 18/12/2014 15:17:54 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton