Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they have provided to religious minorities in areas of Syria (1) controlled by the Free Syrian Army, and (2) under Kurdish control.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK has pledged £2.46 billion since the crisis began, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Inside Syria, UK aid has provided 19.7 million food rations that feed one person for a month, over 8.5 million relief packages and over 6.7 million health consultations. UK aid is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity. We prioritise reaching the most vulnerable – which often includes minority communities – regardless of their location. To avoid the risk of discrimination, information on the religion of those receiving UK aid is not sought or recorded
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of UK aid to refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan, and the Lebanon is focused on minority communities from Syria and Iraq.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the crises in this region. UK aid is helping people in desperate need inside Syria and Iraq, as well as supporting refugees in host countries in the region, and host countries to accommodate them. Our aid is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity. We prioritise reaching the most vulnerable, which often includes minority communities. To avoid the risk of discrimination, information on the ethnicity and religion of those receiving UK aid is not sought or recorded. The vast majority of refugees in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon are hosted within communities, and are not in camps.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to avoid the radicalisation of young refugees who are receiving UK-funded aid and education in refugee camps.
Answered by Lord Bates
All DFID education programmes are analysed to ensure that they do not inadvertently promote intolerance, exacerbate grievances or contribute to feelings of frustration due to unmet expectations, for example, on employment. Where possible, such programmes aim to contribute to resilience to radicalisation, for example by supporting the development of critical thinking, providing psychological support, and equipping young people with relevant vocational and technical skills.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of trade between Scotland and Israel in 2015; and what steps they are taking to further strengthen ties between Scotland and Israel.
Answered by Lord Price
The value of trade in goods between Scotland and Israel was £75 million in 2015 (Source: HM Revenue and Customs Regional Trade Statistics database). This does not include services, which will make this figure considerably higher.
Israel is an important trading partner for the UK and we are committed to further strengthening our important trade relationship.