Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which detention centres for migrants and refugees in Libya are (1) routinely visited by United Nations agencies, and (2) receive international aid, irrespective of who operates those centres.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We continue to monitor the abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya and the inhumane conditions in detention centres. The UK supported the mandate for the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya to asses human rights abuses, including violations in detention centres. We continue to urge the interim Government of National Unity to take steps to end the exploitation and abuse of migrants and to implement a better functioning system that respects human rights. We support the UN's call for detention centres across Libya to be closed, and call on all parties to engage with the UN and the humanitarian community so that all migrants and refugees can be evacuated safely in accordance with international human rights law.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of success that they or United Nations agencies are having in reaching refugees fleeing genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Access into Sudan remains extremely limited, including almost no access to parts of Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan states. We continue to work with the UN, neighbouring states, donors and humanitarian agencies to coordinate the effective delivery of aid in Sudan and urge the parties to the conflict to abide by their commitments under international humanitarian law. It is essential that lifesaving humanitarian aid is allowed to reach those in harder-to-reach areas, such as Darfur. The Minister for Development and Africa [Andrew Mitchell] announced that the UK will provide £21.7 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan. This follows an earlier announcement of £5 million to help meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad. This aid will provide assistance such as safe drinking water, food, medical care and shelter to people in need, as well as supporting Gender Based Violence protection services. The UK also continues to fund and provide support to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR), a UN body that provides a crucial role in monitoring and reporting on human rights violations. OHCHR have deployed staff to neighbouring countries' borders to interview survivors of the violence, with a view to collecting witness testimonies and preserving these for possible future accountability mechanisms, should they be established.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide further opportunities for non-governmental organisations to comment on the UK’s plan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of one of the largest consultation exercises run by the UK Government, the department consulted with individuals, businesses, business associations, non-governmental organisations and public sector bodies on the UK potentially seeking accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and received almost 150,000 responses.
We continue to engage with a range of stakeholders about CPTPP, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We have offered briefings on specific issues to various NGOs and responded in writing where they have expressed an interest in issues related to the agreement, and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made by international agencies which the UK supports with conflict resolution in Abyei, on the South Sudan border.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is engaged with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and welcomed the UNISFA mandate being renewed for 12 months by the UN Security Council in November. The UK raised our stance on ongoing intercommunal violence in Abyei at the UN Security Council on 9 May, and called on the Government of South Sudan to remove its forces from Abyei without delay. It is essential that UNISFA is able to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians, and support law and order, local peacebuilding and community dialogues.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to re-assess the UK’s contribution to humanitarian programmes in South Sudan in the light of the civil war; and whether they intend to make up any shortfall.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is still a leading donor in South Sudan and remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable South Sudanese people through interventions such as emergency food aid and daily water and sanitation provision. For this financial year, the Minister for Development and Africa announced £143 million in humanitarian aid for East Africa, including £18.9 million for South Sudan. The UK Government also funds education, health and peacebuilding programmes that help build resilience in South Sudan, and funds the placement of technical experts in both the ceasefire and peace agreement implementation monitoring mechanisms which are crucial for securing a peaceful transition to democracy in South Sudan.