Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the endorsement of the presidents of Somalia, Egypt and Eritrea, on 10 October, of the deployment of Egyptian troops to Somalia, (2) the threat that such a deployment would pose to Ethiopia’s dam on the Blue Nile, and (3) the concomitant risk of conflict between Egyptian and Ethiopian troops.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK, alongside partners, continues to urge all stakeholders and regional actors to avoid escalation and any action that threatens stability in the wider Horn of Africa. We hear downstream nations' concerns about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and we continue to urge all parties to reach a mutually acceptable agreement through negotiation and dialogue. To further address the rising tensions in the Horn of Africa, we have tabled a debate on 29th October in the House of Lords.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the UK–German Cultural Commission has had regarding youth mobility and school trips since its reinstatement in 2023.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK successfully hosted the UK-Germany Cultural Commission on 7 May. The Minister for Europe co-chaired the event at Lancaster House with German Foreign Office Minister of State Katja Keul, where - together with a range of UK and German cultural organisations - they celebrated the strong links between the two countries. They also discussed a range of topics, including mobility between the UK and Germany, and opportunities for young people.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to engage in dialogue through the UK–German Cultural Commission to facilitate youth mobility and school trips between the UK and Germany.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK successfully hosted the UK-Germany Cultural Commission on 7 May. The Minister for Europe co-chaired the event at Lancaster House with German Foreign Office Minister of State Katja Keul, where - together with a range of UK and German cultural organisations - they celebrated the strong links between the two countries. They also discussed a range of topics, including mobility between the UK and Germany, and opportunities for young people.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many staff within (1) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and (2) the Security Services, were either (a) dismissed, or (b) forced to resign, as a result of bans on homosexuality among serving officers between 1967 and 2000.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office do not hold this information centrally and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why neither Which? nor any other specific and independent consumer voice has been included in the membership of the Domestic Advisory Group established under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The membership of the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) consists of a range of stakeholders and consumer organisations are an important element. They are currently represented through Citizens Advice.
The Government welcomes views on the implementation of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement through a variety of channels including the regular engagement with departments.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the UK Representation to the EU can function effectively without a resident head of the organisation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
All three senior officials mentioned live and work in Brussels and as such the Representation has a resident head.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Permanent Representative to the EU has relocated full-time to Brussels; and, if not, whether this was the expectation when he was appointed.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
All three senior officials mentioned live and work in Brussels and as such the Representation has a resident head.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether the Deputy Permanent Representative and Director General of the UK–EU Partnership have relocated to Brussels.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
All three senior officials mentioned live and work in Brussels and as such the Representation has a resident head.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 24 February 2014 (HL5333) concerning the enforced extraction of a two per cent tax on the Eritrean community in the United Kingdom by the Eritrean Embassy, and in the light of the report made against the Eritrean Embassy on 3 March by members of the Eritrean community at the West End Central Police Station that the tax was still being extracted, what action they intend to take to take to ensure that no such tax is extracted by illicit or coercive means.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are aware of the report made to the Metropolitan Police on 3 March. A decision on any further action is a matter for the police. The collection of taxes by governments from their citizens overseas is not illegal in international or UK law. However, UN Security Council resolution 2023 makes clear that Eritrea must not collect such taxes “using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and other illicit means”. Where those required to pay such taxes to Eritrea allege they have been subject to actions that are in breach of the resolution, we advise them to report the matter to the police, who are the appropriate authorities to investigate such allegations in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken following the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's <i>Diversity and Equality Report </i>(April 2014), which showed that staff with a disability reported higher experiences of discrimination, bullying or harassment than overall averages.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Following the 2013 Staff Survey results, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s Human Resources Committee formed a Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination (BHD) Action Group (chaired by a Director General, and made up of representatives from Human Resources, staff associations and Posts overseas). This group has worked towards developing a better working culture, encouraging staff to tackle or raise a concern as soon as possible and dispelling any perception that concerns will not be taken seriously and acted upon. We will continue to reinforce the message that managers are required to treat seriously all concerns raised; to be initially neutral; and to take action as appropriate. Advice on our Intranet has been streamlined, made more user-friendly, and is accessible to all staff. There is also a ‘Respect Toolkit’ offering further guidance on BHD issues, and we are developing the role of our global network of ‘First Response Officers’ who can help support and advise individuals over BHD related concerns. These actions are not specific to staff with disabilities but cover all staff raising concerns about BHD. The 2014 staff survey results are currently being analysed and we will again act on the outcomes of that analysis.
The FCO’s Human Resources Directorate has a dedicated Disability Support Team. This team is responsible for providing advice and support to disabled colleagues and their line managers, and for raising disability awareness and confidence across our organisation. The Team work with contracted experts who help to raise awareness and provide support materials across the disability spectrum. This includes providing one-to-one support, and support at team and departmental level as required. Currently we are also running a number of regular “all staff drop-in awareness sessions” which each have a focus on an individual disability. We are also working closely with Civil Service colleagues on a more joined up approach to disability support across the Civil Service.