Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consult the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on ways to prevent compulsory deportations of Syrians from Turkey and Lebanon.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the full range of issues relating to Syrian refugees in not just Turkey and Lebanon, but also across the region. Whilst we hope that Syrian refugees will ultimately be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. The UK continues to work with UNHCR to ensure that any returns adhere to international standards and are safe, voluntary and dignified.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to help prevent the potential suspension from September of all United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) services to registered Palestinian refugees, because of financial pressures on its budget; and what is their assessment of the capacity of other United Nations agencies to sustain essential services.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) voting to renew the agency's mandate until June 2026, providing essential humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees across its five zones of operation. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. Given the impact of the global pandemic on the economy and public finances, the UK moved to a target of spending 0.5 per cent of GNI on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2021. This was a difficult - but temporary - decision and the then Chancellor indicated during his budget speech on 27th October 2021 that the UK is currently on track to return to 0.7 per cent of GNI spend on ODA by financial year 2024/25. We are aware of UNRWA's immediate financial challenges and have pledged £10 million to UNRWA for this financial year. I, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon as The Minister of State for the Middle East, frequently raise UNRWA's financial situation with Middle East and North Africa regional partners at ministerial level, and the Minister of State for Development and Africa has also raised this with with Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSRelief at the Riyadh humanitarian forum in February. To that end, the UK government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its continued financial viability.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what practical steps they are taking to achieve the closure of migrant detention centres in Libya and the repatriation of detainees.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We continue to monitor the abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya and the inhumane conditions in detention centres. The UK supported the mandate for the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya to asses human rights abuses, including violations in detention centres. We continue to urge the interim Government of National Unity to take steps to end the exploitation and abuse of migrants and to implement a better functioning system that respects human rights. We support the UN's call for detention centres across Libya to be closed, and call on all parties to engage with the UN and the humanitarian community so that all migrants and refugees can be evacuated safely in accordance with international human rights law.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that, despite protests, minarets and domes are to be removed from two mosques in Yunnan province, China; and what discussions they have had, or intend to have, with the government of China concerning threats to the freedom of all religions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environment for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners. We are aware of reports of religious sites being altered or destroyed, against the wishes of worshippers.
We work within international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened, including the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.
For example, in October 2022 we raised China's severe restrictions on religious practice in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) alongside 49 other countries. At last month's UN HRC we made a statement urging China to reverse its ongoing, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.
More generally, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with the Chinese Vice President in May 2023.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility with human rights of the reported "sinicization" of mosques and churches in China.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environment for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners. We are aware of reports of religious sites being altered or destroyed, against the wishes of worshippers.
We work within international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened, including the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.
For example, in October 2022 we raised China's severe restrictions on religious practice in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) alongside 49 other countries. At last month's UN HRC we made a statement urging China to reverse its ongoing, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.
More generally, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with the Chinese Vice President in May 2023.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how tall the proposed structure for the Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens will be; and whether it will exceed the height of the existing Buxton Memorial.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Page 66 of the Design and Access Statement Part 1, which was submitted to the public inquiry and is available on the Westminster City Council website, shows that the memorial will be 10 metres high; and lower than the Buxton Memorial, which is 13.5 metres high, westminster.gov.uk.
No existing large trees will have to be felled to make way for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many existing large trees would have to be felled to make way for the proposed Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Page 66 of the Design and Access Statement Part 1, which was submitted to the public inquiry and is available on the Westminster City Council website, shows that the memorial will be 10 metres high; and lower than the Buxton Memorial, which is 13.5 metres high, westminster.gov.uk.
No existing large trees will have to be felled to make way for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkey about their alleged violation of the 1987 agreement concerning water flow on the river Euphrates, leading to acute shortages of water for drinking and irrigation in the provinces of (1) Hasakah, (2) Raqqa, (3) Deir ez Zor, and (4) Aleppo, and consequent risks of (a) cholera, (b) hepatitis, and (c) typhoid fever.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is monitoring water supply issues in north east Syria, which are limiting 5 million people's access to water. We have raised the humanitarian issue of water availability with all parties in the region, including Turkey, and we are working with our partners to prioritise our funds for the most acute needs.
The UK also continues to monitor health across Syria closely, and responded specifically to the Cholera outbreak with a £2 million contribution to UNICEF's response announced in November 2022 to help prevent the spread of cholera, including in north east Syria.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Turkey concerning reports that drone strikes used by that country have caused (1) deaths, and (2) injuries, in north and east Syria.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly engage the Turkish Government on regional stability, including in Syria. Most recently, I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] represented the UK's position to Turkish counterparts in Istanbul on 9 June. The UK is closely monitoring the situation in northern Syria. We recognise Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourage restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their current practice not to show incoming Ministers the recent letters to their predecessors, in particular when these have not been sent replies; and whether they will review this matter.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence. It is current practice to show incoming Ministers letters when a response has not yet been issued.
Individual departments are responsible for maintaining their own performance records when new Ministers are appointed to the department.