Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt regarding recent reported increases in prosecutions and raids on the LGBTQ community in Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to raising the issue of protection of the human rights of LGBT people and to supporting the legal, cultural and social change required to make equality a reality for LGBT people the world over.
We are very concerned about the current situation for LGBT people in Egypt, especially in light of the recent crackdown. The Egyptian Government is well aware of our position and we call on the Government of Egypt to uphold and protect the rights of all its citizens irrespective of religion, belief or sexual orientation.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific measures they are taking to support the Free Syrian Army to ensure the re-introduction of safe drinking water to Raqqa.
Answered by Lord Bates
Humanitarian organisations are currently unable to enter Raqqa City as it is an active conflict zone. DFID funded partners – United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations – are supporting those displaced by the fighting with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, food and shelter. To increase access to water, our partners are providing safe drinking water and chlorine for water purification, and repairing the water network in the nearby town of Tabqa.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons have been learned from the integration of recent Syrian refugees, in particular in relation to the provision of (1) housing, (2) National Insurance numbers, and (3) support in finding employment; whether those lessons are being deployed to ensure effective integration and support for successful non-Syrian asylum seekers; and if so, how.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The ability to plan for the arrival in the UK of those refugees who have been resettled in this country because they are fleeing the conflict in Syria has meant that we are able to provide appropriate support upon arrival. This involves planning for their accommodation and providing caseworker support to access public services, including the service provided by DWP. A pilot to provide bespoke employment support is also in place. Additional funding has been made available by the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions to provide increased levels of English for Speakers of Other Languages tuition, which will also significantly improve the chances of finding employment. We will evaluate the results of the programme, including the employment pilot, to see what lessons may be learnt.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the recommendations of the report Refugees Welcome? by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, what measures they have taken to improve the experience of successful asylum seekers.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
We are working to ensure that asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation who are granted refugee status are able to access the mainstream benefits system smoothly if they continue to need support to cover their living needs.
In particular, we have established a new process that provides additional support to refugees during their transition on to mainstream benefits. That support involves offering a prompt appointment with the Department for Work and Pensions’ “vulnerable persons” service, and further assistance to ensure they receive the first payment of any benefit they are entitled to before their Home Office support comes to an end.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government when was the last occasion on which British officials raised with the Iranian authorities the issue of Iran's refusal to recognise dual nationality.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Iran does not recognise dual nationality. Therefore under Iranian law dual nationals are treated as Iranian citizens. Nevertheless, we continue to request consular access to our dual nationals at every opportunity.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government, following the capture of Mosul by the government of Iraq, how they will be working with the government of Iraq to aid the return of those who fled the city when it was captured by Isil.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK works with the Government of Iraq (GOI) to aid the return of those who fled Mosul through the GOI Joint Coordination and Monitoring Centre (JCMC) in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC) in Erbil. These institutions work together with other partners, including the UN, to coordinate humanitarian support for Iraqis who are still displaced as well as those who are returning home. Through the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation, the UK is supporting the Government of Iraq’s efforts to enable people to return home – for example, by restoring water infrastructure in East Mosul. 90% of East Mosul’s residents have now returned to their homes.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
Her Majesty's Government how many people have dual British-Iranian citizenship; and of those, how many are resident in (1) the UK, (2) Iran, and (3) elsewhere.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
Information on the number of British nationals with dual nationality is not held.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of LGBTi rights in Turkey.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We take a strong interest in the situation of minority groups in Turkey, including the LGBTI community, and encourage the Turkish authorities to safeguard their welfare and to maintain non-discrimination. We work closely with Turkish civil society organisations active in this area.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey following the cancellation of the Istanbul Pride March by the Istanbul authorities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly encourage Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, including in the areas of freedom of expression and assembly. Our Embassy in Ankara and Istanbul Consulate were proud to fly the rainbow flag during Turkish Pride Week as a symbol of our support.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq regarding the return of refugees from religious minorities to Iraq.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We engage regularly with the Government of Iraq at all levels on ensuring the safe return of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including those from religious and ethnic minorities. We are working with the Government of Iraq and local authorities to improve the situation on the ground so that it is safe for people to return. That includes clearing Daesh from all remaining territory and addressing the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).