Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker, further to his Written Answer on 6 March (HL5909), in what circumstances would it be necessary for a member to declare their membership of the Freemasons.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The Code of Conduct states that members must declare “any interest which is a relevant interest in the context of the debate or the matter under discussion”. The test of relevant interest is “whether a reasonable member of the public” might think that the “member’s actions in Parliament will be influenced by the interest”. Members must decide whether to declare an interest on a case-by-case basis. The Registrar of Lords’ Interests is available to advise in case of doubt, and a member who acts on the Registrar’s advice in determining what is a relevant interest fully satisfies the requirements of the Code of Conduct in that regard.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the government of Saudi Arabia the question of the continued detention of women who campaigned against the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia; and if so, what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is very concerned about the arrests and detentions of the women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor have raised our concerns with the Saudi authorities. We continue to raise our concerns at all levels, most recently in July. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised our concerns during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia on 16 July.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Spain about the provision of an access point from the Spanish side of the border into Gibraltar Airport.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not intend to provide a running commentary on official-level discussions. However, the UK's well-known and longstanding positions on a range of issues are clear, including support for the 2006 Cordoba Agreement.
The UK continues to engage constructively with the Government of Gibraltar and our European partners, including Spain, to address the practical implications arising from our EU exit. We are confident all sides are committed to finding a mutually agreeable resolution benefitting everyone living and working in the region.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reverse the decline in hedgehog numbers.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There are a range of factors that have contributed to the decline of hedgehogs. As set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, we are committed to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat to provide benefits for species such as the hedgehog. Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide funding to restore, extend and link important habitats and boost food resources for a range of species including hedgehogs.
We continue to support the work being done by non-governmental organisations, such as the British Hedgehog Protection Society, including the creation of hedgehog havens and campaigns encouraging local communities to work together to look out for the hedgehog and make gardens as welcoming as possible.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised again with the government of Saudi Arabia the bombing of civilians in Yemen, following the promise by the government of Saudi Arabia that it would act on alleged violations of humanitarian law; and if so, what response they have received from them.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise our concerns with Saudi Arabia over alleged violations of international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary most recently raised the issue with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister on 26 April. Saudi Arabia has announced an investigation into the most recent incidents involving civilian casualties which took place in Taiz and Hajjah on 21 and 22 April.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Saudi Arabia about that country's proposals to reform women's rights and about the position of women in society.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 7 March, the Prime Minister raised women's rights with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The UK is a firm supporter of the ongoing reforms in Saudi Arabia to allow women to participate more fully in Saudi society. These include the upcoming end on the ban on women driving and attending events in sports stadia. We regularly raise our concerns on the remaining barriers, including the guardianship system.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he intends to review whether Peers should declare their membership of the Freemasons and other similar organisations with secret ceremonies.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
While the House of Lords Code of Conduct does not require members to register membership of the Freemasons or similar societies, it may in some circumstances be necessary for them to declare it in the course of proceedings. This is the same position as in the House of Commons. There are currently no plans to review the matter.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 October (HL1818), what were the outcomes of their conversations with the government of Saudi Arabia on human rights.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly and robustly raise human rights cases with Saudi Arabia, including through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Report in which Saudi Arabia is listed as a Human Rights Priority Country due to the death penalty, women's rights and the restrictions on freedom of expression and belief. We believe that, together with our international partners on human rights, we have been able to influence gradual but positive change in women's rights. We welcome recent developments such as the Royal Decree permitting women to obtain driving licenses from June 2018 and greater female participation in the workforce.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia regarding the impact of Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen on civilians; and what response they have received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK takes allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations extremely seriously; when they occur, we encourage the Saudi-led Coalition to ensure they are thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL and that lessons will be acted upon.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with Saudi Arabia the bombing of civilians in Yemen; and if so, what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with Saudi Arabia. The UK takes allegations of IHL violations extremely seriously; and we encourage the Saudi-led Coalition to ensure they are thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that lessons will be acted upon. The Saudi-led Coalition has the best insight into its own military procedures and is able to conduct the most thorough and conclusive investigations. The Coalition Joint Incidents Assessment Team has since announced the findings of a total of 36 investigations with the most recent being released on 12 September 2017.