Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to right enduring inequalities in the Commonwealth in the light of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
At CHOGM 2024 in Samoa, the UK announced a series of initiatives aimed to address inequality. This included the new UK Trade Centre of Expertise, which will drive export-led growth across the Commonwealth by providing support to developing countries, increased technical assistance to small states to help them unlock access to climate finance, and continued funding for Commonwealth and Chevening scholars to create opportunities for future generations. The UK also announced increased support to protect and promote the rights and inclusion of LGBT+ persons and persons with disabilities in Commonwealth countries. I engaged civil society extensively during CHOGM, attending The Commonwealth Equality Network's reception to launch their CHOGM Shadow Report as well as participating in the Commonwealth Youth, Women's and People's Forums.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK’s international reputation for respect for freedom of religion of the retention by the British Museum of the Ethiopian tabots and the inability of members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church who seek their return to the places from which they were forcibly removed to access them.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government has not made an assessment, and has not raised the return of contested sacred objects with British Museum trustees.
The British Museum operates independently of the government. Decisions relating to the care and management of its collections, including the Ethiopian tabots, are a matter for its trustees.
The British Museum has a longstanding and cordial relationship with senior members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, both in Ethiopia and in London. The museum recognises the significance of the tabots and has held meaningful talks with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on this issue. The tabots are housed in a special location in the museum which is maintained in consultation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and overseen by a committed curatorial and conservation team. The tabots are available to be visited by Ethiopian Orthodox priests and prelates which is reflective of Church practices.
The museum’s stated ambition is to lend the tabots to an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the UK where they can be cared for by the clergy within their traditions.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last raised with the trustees of the British Museum the return of contested sacred objects in its collection forcibly removed from their places of origin.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government has not made an assessment, and has not raised the return of contested sacred objects with British Museum trustees.
The British Museum operates independently of the government. Decisions relating to the care and management of its collections, including the Ethiopian tabots, are a matter for its trustees.
The British Museum has a longstanding and cordial relationship with senior members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, both in Ethiopia and in London. The museum recognises the significance of the tabots and has held meaningful talks with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on this issue. The tabots are housed in a special location in the museum which is maintained in consultation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and overseen by a committed curatorial and conservation team. The tabots are available to be visited by Ethiopian Orthodox priests and prelates which is reflective of Church practices.
The museum’s stated ambition is to lend the tabots to an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the UK where they can be cared for by the clergy within their traditions.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks of causing offence and damaging the UK’s reputation overseas arising from the continued retention in public collections of human remains acquired during the colonial period; and what plans they have to repatriate human remains to the nations from which they were acquired where requested.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Museums which have public collections are independent of government and decisions related to their collections are for their trustees to make.
The Human Tissue Act 2004 allows national museums to remove human remains from their collections provided that they are reasonably believed to be remains of a person who died less than 1,000 years before the day the relevant section came into force.
DCMS issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums in 2005 which encouraged museums to establish an advisory framework to assist in determining repatriation claims and provided a set of criteria which need to be taken into account in assessing claims.
A number of museums have returned human remains over the last few years, including the Pitt Rivers museum to Aboriginal communities in Australia, the Natural History Museum to the Moriori community in New Zealand, and the National Army Museum returning locks of hair of Emperor Tewodros II to Ethiopia.
It is for businesses and auction rooms to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004. Those who sell or purchase human remains may also be subject to their own professional standards and codes of conduct.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks of causing offence and damaging the UK’s reputation overseas arising from the sale of human remains acquired during the colonial period in public auctions; and what plans they have to prohibit those sales.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Museums which have public collections are independent of government and decisions related to their collections are for their trustees to make.
The Human Tissue Act 2004 allows national museums to remove human remains from their collections provided that they are reasonably believed to be remains of a person who died less than 1,000 years before the day the relevant section came into force.
DCMS issued Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums in 2005 which encouraged museums to establish an advisory framework to assist in determining repatriation claims and provided a set of criteria which need to be taken into account in assessing claims.
A number of museums have returned human remains over the last few years, including the Pitt Rivers museum to Aboriginal communities in Australia, the Natural History Museum to the Moriori community in New Zealand, and the National Army Museum returning locks of hair of Emperor Tewodros II to Ethiopia.
It is for businesses and auction rooms to decide whether to prohibit sales of human remains, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004. Those who sell or purchase human remains may also be subject to their own professional standards and codes of conduct.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the role of (1) music, and (2) dance, in the school curriculum.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
Music and dance are both important parts of a rich and broad school curriculum, underpinned by the existing national curriculum programmes of study for music from age 5 to 14 and for physical education (PE) from age 5 to 16, which incorporates dance.
The government recently announced the independent expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review. This will seek to deliver a broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.
The Review will ensure that the new curriculum provides breadth of opportunity for every child and young person, including supporting their cultural development and allowing them to develop their creativity.
The government will also take more immediate action by launching a National Music Education Network to help parents, teachers and children to find courses and classes. In addition, the department will enable children to be more active by protecting time for PE. We will also support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16 and ensure accountability measures reflect this.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Cameroon, and (2) France, about inter-communal violence between the Anglophone and Francophone communities in Cameroon; and what is their assessment of the role of the churches in peace-making in that country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK Government has been tracking the conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, and continue to urge for all perpetrators to be held to account for violence against civilian communities. The Deputy Foreign Secretary raised our human rights concerns with senior government officials during his visit to the country in April 2023. He also set out the UK's commitment to supporting the country to find a peaceful resolution through inclusive dialogue. Our High Commission in Cameroon supports this, including through regular engagement with international partners. We welcome the work of the recent fifth session of the Follow Up Committee to implement the recommendations of the Major National Dialogue in August 2023, including engaging religious leaders.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the operations of foreign mercenaries and other non-state armed groupings in the Sahel region of Africa and what support they have given to regional governments and institutions to counter their activities.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK has repeatedly raised concerns about non-state armed groups in the Sahel with partners in the region. Russia and its proxies capitalise on instability and poverty to exploit resources and gain influence. This has resulted in a destabilising focus on hard security, human rights abuses and disinformation, leading to the UK announcing 13 sanctions against Wagner in Africa in July 2023. The UK takes approaches conflict and stability holistically, working closely with international partners. In 2024, the UK will provide around £245m to the Sahel, primarily to meet humanitarian needs and support local level conflict prevention programmes in Mali and Niger.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threats to democratic governance in the Sahel region of Africa, and whether they intend to take measures to strengthen civil society in the region.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK condemns recent restrictions to democratic space in the Sahel and, in coordination with our international partners, we regularly raise our concerns with governments in the region. The UK remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance and supporting access to basic services for the people of the Sahel region. In doing so we seek to build resilience and address the root causes of insecurity and poverty, including by supporting inclusive political dialogue and engaging civil society actors.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of fire safety in high-rise dwellings in any international meetings; and what proposals, if any, have been brought forward to share lessons learned and to co-ordinate an international response to improve fire safety between member states of (1) the UN, and (2) the Council of Europe.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Government regularly looks at construction practices in other jurisdictions, seeks to learn from any significant incidents and, where appropriate, are always willing to share our experiences with other countries and collaborate further. We should be mindful though that construction practices and methods can be quite different across different countries and so the actions and mechanisms that the UK has put in place would not necessarily be directly transferrable. Experts from the UK participate in both the CEN and ISO committees which facilitate the sharing of international standards. The UK is a member of the Inter-jurisdictional Regula-tory Collaboration Committee (IRCC) which promotes effective international collaboration concerning ‘best current practice’ building regulatory systems.