Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conversations they have held, if any, with the government of Russia in relation to the prospects for peace and security in the South Caucasus.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government has suspended all engagement with the Russian authorities except on a very limited number of issues including the Ukraine crisis. As such, the UK Government currently has no plans to engage directly with the Government of Russia on the situation in the South Caucasus.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the assertion made, and (2) the evidence in support presented, by the government of Azerbaijan that the Armenian military fired into Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory during September 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government is aware of these assertions. In calls with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 and 17 September respectively, the Minister of State for Europe, Minister Docherty, reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the assertion made, and (2) the evidence in support presented, by the government of Azerbaijan that the Armenian military has (a) laid landmines in Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, and (b) made incursions into Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, since the end of 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government is aware of these assertions. In calls with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 and 17 September respectively, the Minister of State for Europe, Minister Docherty, reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that arms sales from Turkey to Azerbaijan are having on stability in the South Caucasus.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government has not made a formal assessment of the impact that arms sales from Turkey to Azerbaijan have had on the stability of the South Caucasus. We continue to engage with the Government of Turkey on supporting international negotiation efforts to secure stability and security in the South Caucasus.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the clashes along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan which began on 12 September; and what representations they have made to the governments of those countries in relation to (1) the exercise of restraint, and (2) the observation of agreements which ended the 2020 Nagorno–Karabakh war.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government condemns the recent violence along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In calls with the Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov on 15 and 17 September respectively, the Minister of State for Europe, Minister Docherty, reinforced the need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to substantive negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties. The UK will continue to work with both parties in the coming months to support efforts to secure regional stability and security.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further consultation opportunities they will provide for those involved in the education of SEND students within further education colleges to inform the development of policy following the SEND green paper consultation.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The department will continue to work with partners, including further education providers, to design a national Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) improvement plan. This will be published later this year and will set out in detail how we will deliver improvements to the SEND and AP system, including in further education. In autumn, the department will establish a National SEND and AP Board to lead improvements in the system across education, health, and care. We will set out the board’s role and membership, including how we will ensure the voices and lived experiences of children, young people and their families are at the heart of the board discussions.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure sufficient funding for arts and humanities subjects in higher education in the (1) short, and (2) long, term; and what assessment they have made of (a) the potential shortfall in funding after the cessation of funding from the European Research Council ceases, and (b) general pressures on funding for arts and humanities subjects in higher education.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The government recognises the importance of the creative arts to the economy and the UK’s soft power. High-quality provision in a range of subjects is critical for our workforce and our public services and is culturally-enriching for our society.
For the 2022/23 academic year, the Office for Students has increased the high-cost subject funding rate per student for performing and creative arts and media studies to £125.76, a rise of 3.51%, and for archaeology to £264.50, a rise of 4.75%, from the previous year. The department has also increased funding for world-leading specialist providers, including 11 providers specialising in the arts, by an additional £5 million in the 2022/23 financial year, on top of the increase of £10 million provided in the 2021/22 financial year. The department wants to ensure that such providers receive additional support, and that grant funding is used effectively to support students, including those with an interest in the cultural and creative sectors.
UK Research and Innovation is also providing significant investment over the current Spending Review period, with funding for the Arts and Humanities Research Council totalling £207 million for the 2022/23 to 2024/25 financial years.
Research England has published its funding decisions for university research and knowledge exchange, expected to be £8 billion over the Spending Review period. Proportional allocations across disciplinary areas have been maintained, recognising the significant contribution to culture and quality of life from the arts and humanities.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the humanitarian resettlement of Guantanamo Bay detainees, including by signalling support for countries willing to receive those detainees cleared for transfer.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close. We will continue to engage with the US Government on this issue, as we do on a range of national security issues, and in the context of our joint determination to tackle international terrorism and combat violent extremism.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representation they have made to the government of the United States of America to close the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close. We will continue to engage with the US Government on this issue, as we do on a range of national security issues, and in the context of our joint determination to tackle international terrorism and combat violent extremism.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the (1) Syunik, and (2) Gegharkunik, provinces.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and bilateral engagement in Baku and Yerevan, UK officials continue to urge the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities to settle all outstanding matters including the peaceful negotiation of their borders. Although not a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, the UK continues to support its work to facilitate discussions on issues such as border tensions.