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1727906

registered interest
date	06/09/2024
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Private Education: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of their policy on charging VAT on independent schools with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and in particular with (1) Article 2 of the First Protocol, and (2) Article 14 of the ECHR.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by private schools in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has considered the policy’s interaction with Human Rights law, and is confident that it is compatible with the UK’s obligations under the Human Rights Act.</p> answering member printed Lord Livermore question first answered 18/09/2024 13:43:58 answering member 4559 label Biography information for Lord Livermore
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1727763

registered interest
date	05/09/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	North Korea: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to incorporate the specific demand from the 2024 United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, particularly the call for an end to human rights violations across the entire penal system in that country, into any future bilateral engagements with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>The UK continues to regularly call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) government, through multilateral and bilateral channels, to address its appalling human rights record and acknowledge the many reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations, and to uphold its human rights obligations. The UK was pleased to co-sponsor the Human Rights Resolution on the DPRK, which was adopted by consensus on 4 April. This resolution called for an end to human rights violations across the penal system. The UK uses the Universal periodic review process to raise priority human rights concerns, and we are preparing for the DPRK's later this year. Member states do not disclose their submissions in advance, though they will be published shortly afterwards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Chapman of Darlington question first answered 16/09/2024 11:30:59 answering member 3972 label Biography information for Baroness Chapman of Darlington
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1726571

registered interest
date	02/09/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	China: Development Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy in relation to the provision of development aid to entities within China; and what is the total of UK aid provided to the China in the past 10 years.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>Total UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend to China between 2014-2022 was £356.6 million, including FCDO ODA spend such as Chevening scholarships and British Council activity. In a Written Ministerial Statement in April 2021, the FCDO committed to cut ODA funded programmes in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year, which it delivered. Final data for 2023 UK ODA spend will be available when the next Statistics for International Development is published on 26 September 2024.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 16/09/2024 11:52:42 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1726573

registered interest
date	02/09/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the independence of the UK higher education sector has been compromised by a reliance on funding from China.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL560
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>The government has made significant strides to protect our values against those who do not respect the UK’s fundamental rights and freedoms, or whose strategic intent is hostile to UK interests. The department has committed, in the Integrated Review Refresh, to review the full set of legislative and other provisions designed to protect our academic sector, in order to identify what more the department could or should be doing.</p><p> </p><p>The department recognises the potential for overseas interference in our higher education (HE) sector and we are committed to ensuring ways to increase transparency, improve HE providers’ overall resilience and economic security, whilst respecting the autonomy of universities.</p><p> </p><p>A key part of the department’s International Education Strategy is diversification. Our universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation or a single country. The Office for Students, the regulator of HE in England, monitors the risk of over-reliance on overseas income at a sector level.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Smith of Malvern question first answered 16/09/2024 14:56:39 answering member 269 label Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1724733

registered interest
date	30/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Afghanistan: Hazara
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation facing the Hazara community in Afghanistan, particularly with regard to the findings of the 2022 Hazara Inquiry and the February report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan; and what consideration they have given to initiating proceedings before the International Court of Justice against Afghanistan for its failure to prevent and punish the crime of genocide, as per Article 1 of the Genocide Convention.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL474
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/08/2024 answer text <p>The Hazara Inquiry report has done much to raise awareness of the situation of Hazaras in Afghanistan. In line with the report's recommendations, we continue to monitor and document discrimination and abuses against Hazaras. The previous Government also welcomed the Special Rapporteur's February report and noted its recommendations. While the Government currently has no plans to initiate a case against Afghanistan at the ICJ, we continue to consider all available accountability measures.</p><p>More broadly, officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers and Afghan officials on human rights abuses in Afghanistan.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 09/08/2024 11:34:11 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1724734

registered interest
date	30/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Darfur: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation in Darfur, particularly with regard to the findings of the Darfur Inquiry published in April 2023 and subsequent concerns raised, including by the UN Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, about the serious risk of genocide there.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL475
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/08/2024 answer text <p>The UK condemns in the strongest terms the escalating violence across Sudan, particularly in Darfur. We continue to call for those responsible to be held to account. On 13 June, the UNSC adopted a UK-led resolution demanding a halt to the Rapid Support Forces' siege of El Fasher and calling on the warring parties to immediately end hostilities and to allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. The UK continues to support the ICC Prosecutor's continuing investigation into the allegations of atrocity crimes committed in Darfur since 1 July 2002, including consideration of the atrocities committed in the ongoing conflict.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 08/08/2024 10:19:15 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1724735

registered interest
date	30/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tigray: Humanitarian Situation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in Tigray since the end of the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia; and how they are monitoring the situation now that no other international or regional mechanisms are reporting on it.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2024 answer text <p>The humanitarian indicators in Tigray remain worrying, with 3.8 million of the region's estimated population of 6 million needing humanitarian assistance this year. This is why the UK has increased funding for Ethiopia this financial year (2024/25) and adapted our programming to mitigate the most severe humanitarian outcomes, with an increased focus on lifesaving nutrition, health and water and sanitation programming for the most vulnerable populations, including in Tigray. We continue to engage with established systems for monitoring humanitarian need and response plans led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). We are also investing in improving data and evidence to enable the humanitarian community to make informed decisions on the humanitarian response.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 05/08/2024 10:56:33 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1724736

registered interest
date	30/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Ethiopia: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Ethiopia’s adequacy of draft transitional justice policy in safeguarding human rights; and how they are supporting their counterparts in Ethiopia to ensure that justice and accountability for the Tigray War are prioritised as a pathway to the peaceful co-existence of communities.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2024 answer text <p>We welcome the approval of the national transitional justice policy by the Ethiopian Government's Council of Ministers. The nationally owned policy and recently published roadmap are encouraging steps towards accountability and justice. The test of the policy will be will in the implementation. The UK has continually called for a credible, inclusive, and survivor-centred approach to transitional justice and for all human rights violations and atrocities in Ethiopia to be investigated and perpetrators to be held to account. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, we support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in northern Ethiopia to lead the recovery from conflict and advance women's leadership and inclusion in regional and national dialogue, accountability and peacebuilding processes.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 05/08/2024 10:07:10 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1724737

registered interest
date	30/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tigray: Humanitarian Situation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of reports that more than 2 million people are now at risk of starvation in Tigray and what action are they taking to support the affected communities.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL478
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2024 answer text <p>We remain concerned about high levels of humanitarian need across many parts of Ethiopia, including in the north. Climate shocks, conflict, disease outbreaks and high inflation are driving humanitarian need in Ethiopia, including in Tigray. The humanitarian community is targeting 3.8 million people in Tigray with food assistance over the July-September lean season to stave off hunger. A UK co-led pledging conference in April helped increase humanitarian funding by securing $610 million from international development partners. This includes £100 million from the UK, which will provide lifesaving support for hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, including over 435,000 children and mothers suffering from malnutrition, and more than 230,000 needing access to emergency healthcare. This includes UK support to the government of Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme which is strengthening food security and resilience for 8 million people living in extreme poverty across Ethiopia.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 05/08/2024 11:28:56 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1723941

registered interest
date	29/07/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sudan: Peace Negotiations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are supporting efforts by the United States to encourage the warring parties in Sudan to enter ceasefire talks; and if so, what progress has been made in those talks, and in finding a resolution to the conflict.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2024 answer text <p>The UK is supporting the US and other international partners in pressing the parties to agree to enter ceasefire talks. The Foreign Secretary publicly welcomed the planned talks co-hosted by the US, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland on 14 August and urged the parties to participate. We continue to use all diplomatic levers, including using our position as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to press the warring parties to attend talks and commit to a permanent ceasefire, safe, unrestricted humanitarian access, and protection of civilians.</p> answering member printed Lord Collins of Highbury question first answered 02/08/2024 13:59:14 answering member 4222 label Biography information for Lord Collins of Highbury
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool