Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance and expectations relating to political activity apply to (1) teaching unions, and (2) staff, in educational settings to ensure that they do not enable harassment or discrimination against Jews and Zionists.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no place for antisemitism in our society.
On 18 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. It will examine whether institutions have the right systems to identify and address antisemitism and prejudice effectively. The review will be launched as soon as possible.
The department has already committed £7 million to support programmes that build confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across schools, colleges and universities.
Teachers should not promote partisan political views and should present issues in a factual, balanced way so that pupils can learn how to think critically and independently. We have published guidance for schools on political impartiality, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.
Universities must have strong systems to prevent and address harassment. Under Condition E6, providers must implement clear policies for preventing, investigating and responding to harassment of all kinds. If the Office for Students finds a breach of E6, it can use a range of sanctions, including financial penalties and de-registration.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to tackle the causes of antisemitism and anti-Zionist intimidation and harassment in schools and universities; and what the timetable is for those actions.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no place for antisemitism in our society.
On 18 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. It will examine whether institutions have the right systems to identify and address antisemitism and prejudice effectively. The review will be launched as soon as possible.
The department has already committed £7 million to support programmes that build confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across schools, colleges and universities.
Teachers should not promote partisan political views and should present issues in a factual, balanced way so that pupils can learn how to think critically and independently. We have published guidance for schools on political impartiality, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.
Universities must have strong systems to prevent and address harassment. Under Condition E6, providers must implement clear policies for preventing, investigating and responding to harassment of all kinds. If the Office for Students finds a breach of E6, it can use a range of sanctions, including financial penalties and de-registration.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what enforcement-related action they will take in relation to educational institutions that fail to protect Jewish and Israeli pupils, staff and students.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no place for antisemitism in our society.
On 18 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. It will examine whether institutions have the right systems to identify and address antisemitism and prejudice effectively. The review will be launched as soon as possible.
The department has already committed £7 million to support programmes that build confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across schools, colleges and universities.
Teachers should not promote partisan political views and should present issues in a factual, balanced way so that pupils can learn how to think critically and independently. We have published guidance for schools on political impartiality, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.
Universities must have strong systems to prevent and address harassment. Under Condition E6, providers must implement clear policies for preventing, investigating and responding to harassment of all kinds. If the Office for Students finds a breach of E6, it can use a range of sanctions, including financial penalties and de-registration.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the Palestinian Authority through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative about reports of sexual violence against Israeli hostages in Gaza; and what support, if any, they have provided to Palestine to strengthen the prevention of sexual violence.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided on 19 December in response to Question HL12164.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports alleging torture and unlawful killing of civilians by Hamas in Palestine following the October ceasefire; and what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority about compliance with international law, including the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is concerned by reports of torture and unlawful killings of civilians in Gaza following the ceasefire. We condemn all such acts, and reiterate that international humanitarian law must be upheld by all parties. We urge full compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Protecting civilians is essential, and we support all efforts to uphold their fundamental rights.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the viability of an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine; and what contribution the UK will make to it.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
It was announced on 9 December that the UK will host a key peacebuilding conference on 12 March next year, bringing together international experts and civil society organisations from the Middle East, to map existing peace-building work and support the establishment of an International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine. Discussions will focus on the practical steps that the Peace Fund can best support, and the best practice that can be learned from other similar initiatives, including the International Fund for Ireland that helped support dialogue and reconciliation between unionist and nationalist communities more than a decade before the Good Friday Agreement. The fund will support activities that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to reduce violence, build trust, and create the conditions for a lasting and just peace.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Leader of the House what was the cost of answering Questions for Written Answer about Israel and Gaza in the past two years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
In the past two years the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Department have received 323 Questions for Written Answer from Members of the House of Lords on Israel and/or Gaza. There would be a disproportionate cost in seeking to identify the exact cost of answering each question, the maximum total cost to the Department to answer all 323 is up to £274, 550.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the findings of the report published on 20 November by the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, Module 2, 2A, 2B, 2C Report: Core decision-making and political governance, what assessment they have made of the advisability of lockdowns in a future pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government remains committed to learning the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic and to better prepare the country for future pandemics.
The Government will consider the findings and recommendations in the Module 2 report in detail and respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have offered support in improving prison conditions through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo following reports of rapes at Makala Prison.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In total, the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) has supported over 1,000 survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to rebuild their lives, and access justice, and we continue to raise human rights violations and prison conditions with the Government of DRC, including the mass rapes that took place at Makala prison in September 2024.
In her role as a supporter of PSVI, the Duchess of Edinburgh raised the ongoing investigation into those rapes during her visit to the DRC in October, and secured a commitment from Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa, that the DRC Ministry of Justice will be pursuing accountability in these cases.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Somalia through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative about evidence of sexual violence by the Somali National Army; and what support, if any, they have provided to the government of Somalia to prevent further sexual violence.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Somalia, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), and regularly raises these concerns with the Somali Government. Through the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), the UK provides funding to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in Somalia to strengthen the capacity of Somalia's national security sector to prevent CRSV.