Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1249814

registered interest
date	09/11/2020
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	United Arab Emirates: Detainees
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 United Arab Emirates about the release of 18 Yemenis and one Russian, who are currently detained and at risk of forced repatriation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10043
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK remains committed to the promotion of universal freedoms and human rights. The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the UAE at senior levels and continues to encourage the UAE to uphold international human rights obligations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 17/11/2020 15:13:46 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1660652

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
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	Armed Conflict: Bank Services
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 potential humanitarian implications arising from restricted access to banking services in conflict zones; and what steps they are taking to ensure the availability of legitimate financial channels in such areas, with a view to continuing essential humanitarian work.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2023 answer text <p>The UK is committed to enabling the delivery of essential humanitarian work in conflict and humanitarian crises. One step we have taken to ensure the availability of legitimate financial channels was securing landmark UN Security Council Resolution 2664, which provides a humanitarian exception for all UN sanctions regimes.</p><p>We work to ensure UK sanctions do not have unintended adverse consequences on humanitarian delivery though regular engagement with partners across Government and the humanitarian and financial systems, including through the Tri-Sector Group.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2023 15:20:35 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1660653

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
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	Armed Conflict: Bank Services
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 reliance upon, and the success of, "hawala" banking systems in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what steps they have taken to ensure these systems are protected as vital tools for local humanitarian actors and ordinary citizens to safely and securely transfer funds.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2023 answer text <p>Money Service Businesses (MSBs), including <em>Hawala</em>, play an important role in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. MSBs are often the only way of transmitting money, including remittances, to remote communities where formal banking services are limited. International standards on MSBs are set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which are implemented in full by the UK. Government guidance sets out clearly that hawala banking in the UK is legal and that many are regulated. In some cases, hawala are the only means of transferring funds into high-risk jurisdictions but the risks associated with their use need to be appropriately managed. Overall, we recognise that hawalas are an important tool for tackling poverty and promoting financial inclusion during conflict and humanitarian crises.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2023 15:18:39 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1660654

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
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	Sanctions: Humanitarian Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, while UN Resolution 2664 provides crucial sanctions exemptions for humanitarian work, what steps they are taking to ensure that there are (1) legislative models, and (2) regulatory policies, in place so that case-by-case assessments can be made to protect humanitarian and aid work in jurisdictions that are sanctioned.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2023 answer text <p>The UK was pleased to support UN Security Council Resolution 2664, which was implemented in UK domestic law in February, and we will continue to work to mitigate any unintended negative humanitarian impacts of sanctions.</p><p>The UK does not target food or medicines and UN and UK sanctions provide for a range of humanitarian exceptions and licensing grounds. The licensing bodies prioritise humanitarian licence applications to ensure case-by-case assessments of humanitarian activities can be made at pace and the UK also uses General Licences to respond to humanitarian crises, for example following the recent earthquakes in Syria.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2023 15:17:18 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1660655

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
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	Syria: Turkey
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessments they have made of the implications of closing the North-West Syria "Bab al-Hawa" border crossing upon local humanitarian actors, for whom the channel between Syria and Turkey is crucial for aid delivery; and what steps they are taking to ensure it remains open for this purpose.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2023 answer text <p>Over two months after Russia's veto of life-saving aid access into North West Syria, aid can now begin to enter North West Syria again through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing. While Russia is content to play politics with humanitarian aid, the UK will not abandon the 4 million people in urgent need. This year, the UK has committed up to £150 million to the Syria crisis. We are using our position on the UN Security Council to call on the Syrian regime to allow immediate, unhindered and sustainable aid access to prevent further humanitarian deterioration.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2023 15:17:52 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1251612

registered interest
date	12/11/2020
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	Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to comply with the United Nations Framework on Reparations; and what plans they have to establish an inquiry into reparatory justice.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10267
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2020 answer text <p>We are not aware of a &quot;United Nations Framework on Reparations&quot;, and can find no reference to such a framework in the UN's document database. There is a framework called: &quot;Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law&quot;. As implied by its title, this addresses reparation for individuals for gross or serious violations of human rights law or international humanitarian law. These bodies of law are not retroactive. If a UK citizen's rights are violated, they have recourse to remedy and reparation through the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), which gives further effect to the European Convention on Human Rights. In particular, section 8 HRA states that &quot;In relation to any act (or proposed act) of a public authority which the court finds is unlawful, may grant such relief or remedy, or make such order within its powers as it considers just and appropriate&quot;. There are no plans to establish an inquiry into section 8 HRA.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/11/2020 16:18:04 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1662173

registered interest
date	19/09/2023
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	Overseas Students: West Africa
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making to ensure students from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are able (1) to begin planned studies, or (2) continue to be able to study, in the UK following the coups in those nations.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10308
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2023 answer text <p>Despite ongoing political instability, we continue to award Chevening scholarships to successful candidates from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to study for post graduate degrees in the UK. For the academic year 2023-2024 we have two scholars from Niger and two from Mali. All scholars receive support with their visa applications and travel arrangements from the Chevening Secretariat.</p><p>The UK also continues to provide support for education in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso through the Education Cannot Wait Fund, a multilateral fund which supports the provision of education interventions targeting children in emergencies, and through Global Partnership for Education which supports the transformation of education systems globally, including in Burkina Faso and Mali.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/10/2023 15:38:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1662175

registered interest
date	19/09/2023
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	Libya: Floods
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that 20,000 pregnant women in the Libyan city of Derna are in urgent need of healthcare, what specific assistance they are providing to women and girls there.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2023 answer text <p>The FCDO is closely monitoring the impact of Storm Daniel on Eastern Libya and utilising humanitarian needs assessments to inform our response. The UK has already delivered over 5,000 emergency shelter items, over 800 portable solar lanterns, over 2,000 water filters and over 1,000 hygiene kits. These items will be distributed by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN's International Organization for Migration to those in need, including women and girls affected by the devastating flooding. We will continue to coordinate with partners on the ground to understand the humanitarian health needs, including for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/10/2023 15:29:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1254034

registered interest
date	19/11/2020
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	Human Rights: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the report by the World Benchmarking Alliance 2020 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, published on 16 November; and what steps they plan to take, if any, to address the findings of that report.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government welcomes the fourth iteration of Corporate Human Rights Benchmark report. It is disappointing to see that only a minority of companies demonstrate a willingness to take human rights seriously and go beyond creating policies and commitments, to taking practical steps in addressing human rights violations.</p><p>The UK Government is already taking action to advance this agenda, ensuring that companies comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UK Government has also been a founding supporter of the World Benchmarking Alliance and continues to support their work.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/11/2020 12:07:54 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1255619

registered interest
date	25/11/2020
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	Saudi Arabia: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister raised (1) human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, including (a) the continued potential use of the death penalty for those who allegedly committed crimes as minors, and (b) the continued detention of women activists arrested in 2018 for campaigning for the right to drive, and (2) the case for ensuring unimpeded access for human rights groups to Yemen, in his discussions with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on 24 November.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL10690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Our close relationship with Saudi Arabia allows us to raise our concerns about human rights, including on political detainees and use of the death penalty, in private and in public. The Prime Minister addressed the issue of women's rights and further developments needed in that area in his recent discussions with the Crown Prince.</p><p>The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. This is especially the case for juveniles and for crimes other than the most serious. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised the death penalty with Dr Awwad al Awwad, President of Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission, during his virtual visit in July. I raised the death penalty in a call with Dr Awwad in June.</p><p>We have consistently raised concerns over the continued detention of women's rights defenders at senior levels with the Saudi authorities. The UK signed a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September, calling for the release of women's rights defenders. I raised women's rights defenders during my call with Dr Awwad in June. The Minister for the Middle East most recently raised the women's rights defenders' cases with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 16 November.</p><p>We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen, which is a human rights priority country for the UK. We call on all parties to facilitate unhindered access for humanitarian actors and agencies and ensure that humanitarian workers are able to conduct their work safely and without harm.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/12/2020 16:29:13 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle