Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 17 December (HL12096), whether the adoption of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration would not make any criticism of immigration a criminal offence; and if so, what plans they have to mitigate any such impact on freedom of speech.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government is supportive of the United Nations’ Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, both as a step forward in international co-operation to tackle irregular migration and as a framework to help us deliver our commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary of State announced the UK’s support for the Migration Compact at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018, and Minister Burt attended the intergovernmental launch event in Marrakesh in December 2018.
Well-managed migration is in everyone’s interests. But uncontrolled migration erodes public confidence, damages economies, and places people on the move in situations of great vulnerability. The UK is taking significant steps to tackle uncontrolled migration both in our domestic policy work and in our ODA-funded programmes by:
The Global Compact for Migration supports delivery of these efforts within the international system and enhances cooperation between states without affecting the sovereignty of all countries to control their own borders. The Compact will not in any way create legal obligations for States, nor does it seek to establish international customary law or further interpret existing treaties or national obligations. It does not establish a ‘human right to migrate’ or create any new legal categories of migrant. The GCM emphasises that migrants are entitled to the same universal human rights as any human being and does not create any new ‘rights’ for migrants.
The Compact commits to protecting freedom of expression for the press and public. The freedom of the media to debate all issues of importance to society, including the issue of migration in all its aspects, is fundamental to a liberal society and the UK Government attaches the highest importance to this. The UK reiterated the importance of this when the UN adopted the Global Compact in December 2018.
It also includes proposals which will help the UK make a strong contribution to the delivery of the global Sustainable Development Goals. This includes those relating to orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people; and those intended to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, and child labour.
The final draft of the Compact is available online at:
https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/files/180711_final_draft_0.pdf
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to adopt the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration; and if so, what assessment they have made of the impact of such an adoption, particularly in relation to whether doing so would make any criticism of immigration a criminal offence; and whether they have any plans to mitigate any such impact on freedom of speech.
Answered by Lord Bates
Well-managed migration is in everyone’s interests. But uncontrolled migration erodes public confidence, damages economies, and places those on the move in situations of great vulnerability. The UK is taking significant steps to tackle uncontrolled migration both in our domestic policy work and in our ODA-funded programmes by:
Addressing the root causes of migration, through our targeted assistance for livelihoods, healthcare, education and economic development;
The Global Compact for Migration is one way in which we are working to ensure that UK migration priorities are embedded throughout the international system. It is a step forward in international co-operation to tackle irregular migration and helpful framework to help us deliver our commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Compact is not legally binding. It creates a framework that will allow countries to work together to make migration more beneficial for everyone. It protects every State’s right to determine its own immigration policies, including in areas such as asylum, border controls and returns of illegal migrants.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to classify the cost of armed intervention to achieve regime change as overseas aid.
Answered by Lord Bates
No - the use of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for general military activities is circumscribed; ODA can only be used in well-defined training on a limited list of topics consistent with development objectives, for example in human rights and humanitarian law.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what amount from the European Union development aid budget was included towards the United Kingdom's 0.7 per cent of gross national product aid budget target in 2013–14.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Lords)
The UK Government has committed to a target of 0.7% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a percentage of Gross National Income, which is measured and reported on a calendar year basis. During 2013, the most recently reported year, £813m of the UK contribution to the EU budget was attributed as ODA.
Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether part of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Union development aid budget should be counted in the calculation of the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for overseas aid.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The majority of the External Assistance Budget of the European Commission is deemed to be official development assistance eligible, and therefore is included in the calculation of the 0.7 per cent of gross national income.