Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the reports that northern Gaza has been compulsorily cleared.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are deeply concerned about the situation in northern Gaza. That is why we, alongside France and Algeria, co-convened an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on 16 October, where we underlined that northern Gaza must not be cut off from the south and there must be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza contrary to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), nor any reduction in the territory of Gaza. Israel must comply fully with IHL and ensure sufficient aid reaches all parts of Gaza. As the Prime Minister said in Berlin on 18 October, the world will not tolerate any more excuses from Israel on humanitarian assistance. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press Israeli leaders to take all steps to avoid civilian casualties and we continue to work with our international partners including at the UN to put pressure on Israel to show the world it is complying with IHL.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Iraq about the proposed legislation to reduce the age of child marriage.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is analysing the proposed amendments to Iraq's Personal Status Law and its implications for women and children's rights. As we privately engage with a range of Iraqi interlocutors to discuss this, we are emphasising the importance of any amendments' compatibility with Iraq's international obligations.
We would condemn any legislative change that would violate international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Iraq about women’s rights.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Countering rollback and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of our programming and policy work in Iraq. The UK centres its women, peace and security work within a context-sensitive and 'do no harm' approach. We continue to engage with and convene local women's rights organisations and activists. We engage regularly with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government on these topics, in particular advocating for legislation to further protect women.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the result of the recent election in Georgia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State Stephen Doughty MP made clear in a statement on 27 October our support for the findings of the preliminary report of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election monitoring mission. That report notes that the election day itself was well-organised and administered in an orderly environment. However, it highlighted concerns, including breaches of voter secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process. Elections were not to the standard expected of an aspiring member of NATO. Allegations of irregularities must be investigated thoroughly and independently.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation regarding the frozen funds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible, in line with the UK's unilateral declaration. The government is fully committed to that position, as part of our iron-clad support for Ukraine. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are doubling down on our efforts to reach a resolution.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of United Nations buildings in Gaza that have been destroyed during the last 11 months.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The September 2024 UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) damage assessment shows two-thirds of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023. Schools, warehouses and offices run by UN agencies have been severely affected along with much of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip, hindering efforts to preserve access to basic services - safe drinking water, shelter and healthcare. We remain deeply concerned over aid workers' safety in Gaza. Israel must take concrete steps to improve deconfliction at all levels of its command-and-control structures, so the UN and its humanitarian partners can operate safely and effectively.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the UK sanctions list was last reviewed; and whether they will make the review public.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The government keeps all sanctions designations under review and, under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, a Minister may instigate a reassessment of a designation at any time.
The UK sanctions list is updated publicly on gov.uk every time a decision is made to make, vary, or revoke a designation. These updates are also publicised through the FCDO's sanctions e-alert subscription system.
The UK Sanctions List (UKSL) can be found here:
[https://docs.fcdo.gov.uk/docs/UK-Sanctions-List.html]
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with (1) the European Union, or (2) the government of Egypt, about receiving Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government firmly rejects any suggestion of the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
The UK's position is clear: Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will and must be part of a future Palestinian state. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. This is the only viable option to ensure peace.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the forcible expulsion of the Palestinian population from Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government firmly rejects any suggestion of the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
The UK's position is clear: Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will and must be part of a future Palestinian state. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. This is the only viable option to ensure peace.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any plans of the government of Israel to rehome Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the Sinai.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government firmly rejects any suggestion of the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.
The UK's position is clear: Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will and must be part of a future Palestinian state. We support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. This is the only viable option to ensure peace.