Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for recognising the actions by the Young Turk and Kemalist regimes against Pontic Greeks between 1914 and 1923 as a genocide.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's longstanding position is that determining whether a situation amounts to genocide is an issue for competent national and international courts after consideration of all of the available evidence, rather than a decision by Governments or non-judicial parties. For this reason, the UK has not made an assessment of this case.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - 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 21 June (HL820) and their position that they will “recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace”, what assessment they have made of the case for recognising Palestine as a state now in order to facilitate negotiations between the government of an internationally-recognised state of Palestine and the government of Israel on an agreed border; and whether they will now recognise the state of Palestine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Any decision to recognise a Palestinian state will rest on an assessment of the prospects for peace, and what best supports progress towards a two-state solution. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. The UK priority is working with the parties and other international actors to encourage a durable ceasefire and to urge them to address the drivers of conflict.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case for recognising Palestine as a State, (2) the benefits for the peace process of the government of Israel negotiating with a Palestinian state instead of different factions, and (3) the effectiveness of international aid for Gaza being directed to a Palestinian state rather than to factions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. We continue to work closely with international partners to strongly advocate for a two-state solution and encourage a return to meaningful negotiations between both parties.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1902 for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; whether they received any representations from the government of Ethiopia before construction work on that Dam began; and if not, what steps they intend to take.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the government of Ethiopia’s decision to begin filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in July 2020 without the agreement of other countries through which the River Nile runs, and (2) the possibility of further such unilateral actions; what representations they will make to the government of Ethiopia to prevent further unilateral actions being taken in relation to the GERD; what assessment they have made of the status of the multilateral negotiations on the GERD led by the African Union; and what plans they have to raise issues regarding the management of the Nile in the United Nations Security Council.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security implications of increasing unemployment in Sharm el Sheikh arising from the continued ban on flights between Sharm el Sheikh and the UK.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are not aware of any indications to date that the UK and Russian suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh is having a negative impact on the security situation there. We are conscious of the economic impact which flight suspension and the resulting drop in tourism continues to have. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security environment can be sustained. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 19 September (HL1630), when flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh will resume.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government has not yet concluded that it is right to lift the restrictions on direct UK flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh. The security of British nationals is the Government's top priority. Our security experts take account of many factors in providing advice on whether it is safe to fly to certain destinations.
UK aviation security experts have worked closely with their Egyptian counterparts on the ground, sharing their expertise in establishing effective security arrangements. We continue to work in partnership in a spirit of cooperation, and are grateful for Egypt's close engagement and partnership. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security environment can be sustained.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen ties, and build a partnership, with Egypt to fight terrorism and promote peace and British interests in the region.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK is building ties with Egypt both at the political level and through cooperation and assistance in a number of areas including through work on security, the economy, governance and education. The former Prime Minister (The Right Hon. David Cameron), invited President Sisi to London in November 2015 and the Prime Minister spoke to President Sisi on 3rd of August to discuss future cooperation.
The UK plans to spend £50m from 2016 to 2020 inclusive to support the country’s continued stability, protect ordinary Egyptians, tackle radicalisation and safeguard tourists and British nationals. UK cooperation includes supporting scientific innovation through the seven year £25m Newton Mosharafa fund, funding which will be matched by the Egyptian government. We are also fostering interfaith understanding through the UK – Al Azhar Religious Studies Scholarship which provides opportunities for future religious leaders to undertake doctoral studies in the UK. And we are working closely with the Egyptian authorities to provide technical assistance on financial reform.
The UK and Egypt have a shared interest in the fight against terrorism, and we are committed to working together in a number of areas to combat the terrorist threat. These include aviation security and the protection of tourist resorts. The UK armed forces have also provided their Egyptian counterparts with counter-IED and close protection training. The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and Foreign Minister Shoukry signed a Memorandum of Understanding during President Sisi's visit to the UK in November 2015. This committed the Home Office and Egyptian Ministry of Interior to a regular high-level dialogue to increase cooperation across a wide range of areas, including counter-terrorism, illegal migration and organised crime.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the Egyptian economy and tourism industry of their continued advice against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Prior to the downing of Metrojet 9268, tourism accounted for around 12% of Egypt’s GDP.
The Egyptian Tourist Minister stated in November that flight suspensions following the Metrojet attack have resulted in direct losses estimated at upwards of $280m a month. This figure includes the impact of flight suspensions by a number of countries including Russia, which has suspended flights to the whole of Egypt. 865,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2015 accounting for around 1% of Egypt’s GDP. British tourists continue to visit Egypt, for example popular resorts such as Hurghada. We expect that our current suspension of direct UK flights to and from Sharm el Sheikh will mean that the overall numbers are significantly lower this year. We are cooperating closely with the Egyptian government on Aviation Security and have agreed a Joint Action Plan to resume flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Asked by: Lord Stone of Blackheath (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of Egypt's latest parliamentary election laws.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The new parliamentary law, passed by interim President Adly Mansour, includes many changes to the structure of the Egyptian parliament. The law increases the number of parliamentary seats to 567, with 420 seats being elected by single member constituencies and 120 elected through party lists.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised the parliamentary elections and the need for political inclusiveness with former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy on 14 May. On 3 June, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement urging Egypt's leaders to ensure that the transition leads towards accountable and democratic governance, underpinned by strong and accountable institutions.