Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Armenian Churches in areas returned to Azerbaijan have been labelled as 'Caucasian Albanian'; what discussions they have with the government of Azerbaijan about such reports; and what discussions they have had with the government of Russia about ensuring that Armenian culture is protected in line with the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, made on 9 November 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has made no assessment of the mentioned reports. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has emphasised to both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments, most recently in December, the importance of protecting all cultural heritage sites. The UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan also raised this issue with representatives of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration on 17 November. The protection of cultural heritage affected by conflict and the prevention of acts of destruction remains a priority for this Government. While we have not discussed this specific issue with the government of Russia, we continue to underline our support for the Co-Chairs of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group in reaching a lasting settlement to the conflict and for the important work of international organisations addressing the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported rise in the number of abortions among women with two or more children.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department has made no such assessment. However, the Department has commissioned the King’s Fund to undertake a piece of work to provide insights into factors contributing to changing patterns of abortion uptake in England.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate any link between the ‘two-child limit’ restricting the amount that families can receive in social security benefits and the reported rise in the number of abortions among women with two or more children.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
DWP has made no such plans or assessment.
This is an uncertain time for families which is why DWP have taken unprecedented steps to support incomes and help with living costs. The support available through the welfare safety net reflects the fact that the majority of households in Britain (85%) have two or fewer children.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the study by the British Pregnancy Advice Service Forced into a corner: the two-child limit and pregnancy decision making during the pandemic, published on 3 December; and what plans they have to review the ‘two-child limit’ restricting the amount that families can receive in social security benefits.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
DWP has made no such plans or assessment.
This is an uncertain time for families which is why DWP have taken unprecedented steps to support incomes and help with living costs. The support available through the welfare safety net reflects the fact that the majority of households in Britain (85%) have two or fewer children.
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 address the humanitarian needs of people in Armenia who have been displaced by the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 30 October the Foreign Secretary announced £1 million in funding to the ICRC to support their humanitarian efforts in the region. We are working with international partners and NGOs to understand needs in the region and what further support we can provide. The UK Government is supporting the wider international response by funding additional monitoring and analysis of the humanitarian situation through organisations such as the Humanitarian 2 Humanitarian network and supporting additional posts within the UN offices in-country. We continue to urge both sides to ensure the safety and security of all displaced persons including through recent calls between the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas and the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. The UK Government is keeping the situation under close review, coordinating with local and international partners and will continue to explore opportunities to support partners to deliver an effective international response.
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 provide for the protection for minority communities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are monitoring the situation closely and are engaging with both the Armenia and Azerbaijani Governments to highlight the importance of protecting all civilians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, including minority groups.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; and what representations, if any, they have they made to UNESCO for the protection of these sites.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is concerned by reports that both sides in the recent conflict have desecrated and destroyed cultural heritage sites. We have not made an assessment of the vulnerability of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh but have urged both parties to respect the cultural heritage of the region. We support UNESCO's efforts to assess the impact of fighting on sites of cultural significance. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September. The Minister welcomed the news of the peace deal. She noted that a peaceful settlement was essential to securing the stability of the region; this included the protection of all cultural heritage sites. The British Ambassador to Azerbaijan also raised this issue with representatives of the Presidential Administration on 17 November.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Coventry (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Azerbaijan-Armenia ceasefire brokered by the government of Russia on 9 November, and (2) the prospects for a more long-term peace settlement in the region.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas has been in regular contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers since the outbreak of hostilities in September, where she has urged engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure a sustainable, long-term, peaceful settlement.
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 assist with (1) demining, and (2) reconstruction, efforts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 30 October the Foreign Secretary announced £1 million in funding to the ICRC to support their humanitarian efforts in the region. We are working with international partners and NGOs to understand needs in the region and what further support we can provide. The UK Government is supporting the wider international response by providing funding to additional monitoring and analysis of the humanitarian situation through organisations such as the Humanitarian 2 Humanitarian network and supporting additional posts within the UN offices in-country. We continue to urge both sides to ensure the safety and security of all displaced persons, including through recent calls between the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas and the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. The UK Government is keeping the situation under close review, coordinating with local and international partners and will continue to explore opportunities to support partners to deliver an effective international response.
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 work with the governments of (1) Indonesia, (2) Malaysia, and (3) Thailand, and appropriate UN agencies, to provide (a) financial assistance, and (b) humanitarian support, for Rohingya communities in those countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK co-hosted a virtual donor conference on "Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response" on 22 October, in conjunction with the US, EU and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The conference brought together governments from across the world, including Association of South East Asian Nations member states, to support the humanitarian response for Rohingya displaced across the region. In total, countries announced $600 million in new and existing funding. The UK pledged £47.5 million of new funding at the conference, which included £10 million of support for Bangladesh to help the country respond to coronavirus and natural disasters.