Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement in Colombia since the election of President Gustavo Petro.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK has been a leading international advocate of Colombia's peace process. Supporting the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords remains a top priority. We are proud to lead on the peace process at the UN Security Council, and are the second largest UN Trust Fund donor.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the view espoused by President Gustavo Petro of Colombia that the 'war on drugs' has failed and that a new strategy, potentially involving legalisation, is required.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
It is estimated that the drugs trade costs the UK £22 billion per year. The UK's ten-year plan to combat illicit drugs recognises that the effective control of these substances is a crucial tool in mitigating the harm that they cause, alongside preventing their misuse and supporting people with drug addiction in finding a route to recovery. We are committed to working bilaterally with international partners, including Colombia, to disrupt the supply chains that feed European and UK markets and we are firmly committed to our international obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support President Gustavo Petro of Colombia in his attempts to negotiate with the remaining armed groups who were not part of the 2016 agreement.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government has spent over £69 million to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia. We are committed to continuing to offer firm and active support for peace in Colombia, both the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement and the current administration's ambition to achieve a more comprehensive and lasting peace across the whole of Colombia.
Our funding is supporting the Colombian Government's rural development and reintegration programmes, transitional justice mechanisms, and strengthening the security and participation of the communities in conflict-affected areas. Significant progress has been made on peace and security in Colombia. Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund programme, we will continue to support programmes that help to protect former FARC combatants and other groups affected by violence.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, if any, to the government of Peru about the threats from illegal loggers to (1) leaders, and (2) members, of the Wampis community; and what plans, if any, they have to press for them to be protected.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government monitors human rights in Peru closely. We hold regular discussions on them with the Peruvian Government, including raising prominent cases with the authorities and with civil society stakeholders.
The safety of environmental defenders in the Peruvian Amazon region is a particular priority for our human rights work in Peru. Officials in our Embassy to Lima met with the Peruvian Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on 13 July to raise concerns about threats to the Wampis community and human rights defenders, as well as the problem of illegal logging. We are monitoring the Peruvian Government's response and will continue to hold an active dialogue with them on these issues. Our Ambassador to Lima has travelled within Peru to meet environmental defenders and indigenous peoples, and Embassy representatives are in close contact with organisations representing human rights defenders.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in delivering on the commitments made in the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since its announcement on 2 November, the Government has received additional endorsements of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, taking the number of countries to 142 (responsible for over 90% of the world’s forest estate).
The Government is continuing to engage with countries to convert this political commitment into strong action. This will include through meetings of the G7 and G20, and at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Trees are at the forefront of the Government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. For example, under the England Trees Action Plan, supported by an intended £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund, an unprecedented number of trees will be planted and protected.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK companies carrying out extractive activities in Colombia support (1) smallholder farmers, (2) indigenous peoples, and (3) local communities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
As set out in the FCDO Annual Human Rights Report, we expect British businesses to respect local and international law wherever they operate. The UK was the first country to create a National Action Plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This plan sets out the expected conduct of UK businesses, including compliance with relevant laws and respect for human rights; treating the risk of causing human rights abuses as a legal compliance issue; adopting appropriate due diligence policies; and consulting those who could potentially be affected. The UK also supports multilateral mechanisms, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, which sets out recommendations to help ensure companies respect the human rights of local communities.
Colombia is an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country and since 2020, UK funding has supported engagement between small-scale and large-scale mining companies in Antioquia to address security and human rights risks, and supported the development of guides for joint risk assessments between extractive companies, public security forces and communities to help prevent community-corporate conflicts.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to protect the human rights of local communities in which UK companies trading at the London Stock Exchange carry out extractive activities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In relation to the extractives sector, the UK Government works through a number of international mechanisms including support to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which enables businesses to operate responsibly in conflict affected and high risk areas and as a member of the Kimberley Process to help stem the flow of conflict diamonds. The UK is also a member of the Voluntary Principles for Security and Human Rights which promote a set of principles to guide companies in the extractives sector to maintain the safety and security of their operations in a manner that reduces the risk of human rights abuses including in local communities.
More broadly, the Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The UK is signatory to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multi-National Enterprises, which adopted the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many military armoured vehicle 'rollovers' have taken place which resulted in (1) death, or (2) serious injury, in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
In the last 10 years there have been 18 separate military armoured vehicle ‘rollover incidents resulting in two deaths and 31 serious injuries.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why NHS dental practices have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what assessment they have made of adequacy of the operation of such practices that have now reopened.
Answered by Lord Bethell
On 25 March NHS England and NHS Improvement issued guidance advising National Health Service dental practices to suspend all routine dentistry to meet the Government’s social distancing measures and to contain the spread of COVID-19. All NHS practices were required to offer telephone advice, triage and if required, painkillers or antibiotics. Practices then triaged patients who needed urgent face to face care into over 600 urgent dental centres set up across England.
All practices were able to open for face to face care from 8 June. Dentists have been free to restart the full range of face to face dentistry as far as they believe they can safely deliver this following Public Health England guidance on infection protection control procedures and appropriate levels of personal protective equipment. The letter offering guidance on this and a subsequent standard operating procedure guidance are attached.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group's recent offer of a 90-day ceasefire, what steps they are taking to help achieve a negotiated end to the conflict in Colombia.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK remains extremely concerned about the continued activity of illegal armed groups in Colombia, including that of the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the impact that their violence has on ordinary Colombians.
At a UN Security Council meeting on 14 April, we noted the unilateral ceasefire declared by the ELN on 30 March, and hoped it would facilitate efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic as well as potentially representing a positive step towards peace. We regret that this ceasefire was not renewed by the ELN.
We are aware of the request for a bilateral 90-day ceasefire made by the ELN in a statement on 7 July, and the Colombian Government's response. In our Permanent Representative's statement at the UN Security Council on 14 July, we encouraged all conflict parties in Colombia to create the conditions necessary for a cessation of hostilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK, alongside international partners, has continued to urge the ELN to end its campaign of violence, free all the hostages that it holds, and play a part in bringing an end to this conflict.