Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of recent reports of creeping annexation of Georgian territory by Russia.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK continues to be concerned by ongoing reports of Russian supported borderisation (building fences and putting up “border” signs) along the Administrative Boundary Line with the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A recent example occurred in July 2015 when so-called border signs were moved closer to the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line. Regular reporting by the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia provides valuable updates on the constant, low-level borderisation process by Russian and South Ossetian personnel.
The UK has a clear policy of non recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s claims to independence, and recognises Georgia’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty over these two regions. We reject any actions which will increase tensions and the isolation in communities living along the Administrative Boundary Lines and call on Russia to fulfil all of its 2008 ceasefire commitments, including removing its troops from South Ossetia to pre-conflict positions.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of Georgia’s suitability to become a member of NATO.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK supports the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)’s Open Door policy and welcomes the membership aspirations of all countries currently seeking to join the Alliance. Allies declared at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in 2008 that Georgia will one day become a member of NATO. Georgia is a highly valued partner of NATO. Georgia co-operates with NATO through a number of mechanisms which provide Allies with on-going assessments of Georgia’s progress. In 2008, the NATO-Georgia Commission was established to serve as a forum for political consultations and practical co-operation to help Georgia achieve its goal of membership of NATO. At the NATO Summit in Wales, the Alliance also agreed a ‘Substantial Package’ of support for Georgia to strengthen defence capabilities, and interoperability with the Alliance, and provide a new “enhanced partnership” status. Separately Allies agreed to establish Defence Capacity Building Missions in Georgia and Moldova. The UK has contributed £1,750,000 to a new Trust Fund to help facilitate these. Allies will next assess Georgia’s progress in advance of the next NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on 2 December.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of international investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms.
Answered by Lord Livingston of Parkhead
The effectiveness of individual Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions depends upon the specific terms of the relevant investment protection treaty, of which there are over 3000 in force worldwide. Over the life of all these agreements investors have filed over 560 claims. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), by the end of 2012, of concluded arbitration cases, 32% had found in favour of the claimant, 41% in favour of the state and 26% were settled. In the absence of any protections provided by an investment treaty and ISDS provisions, foreign investors would, in many of these cases, have had no equivalent legal mechanism through which to have their claim considered objectively by an independent judicial body.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's $50 billion ruling in July 2014 in favour of GML Ltd, the former majority shareholders of Yukos, against Russia.
Answered by Baroness Verma
This is a commercial dispute in which the UK Government has no involvement. It is not for us to comment.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the operation of the New York Convention.
Answered by Lord Livingston of Parkhead
The New York Convention allows parties who have chosen to resolve their disputes through international arbitration a route to achieving recognition and enforcement of an arbitral award in the courts of other signatory states. This has helped the development of international commerce by allowing for a broadly effective dispute resolution mechanism with awards that can be enforced widely, even where it would be impossible to enforce a foreign court judgement. While particular jurisdictions have invoked exceptions if they do not recognise or do not wish to honour an award, on the whole the operation of the New York Convention has been effective in ensuring the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Russia's commitment to international law and conventions.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Russia’s actions in Crimea and the east of Ukraine are a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and are in direct contravention of international law, including the UN Charter. We are also concerned by Russia’s selective application of human rights conventions, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These ongoing violations demonstrate Russia’s disregard for international law.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answered by Baroness Verma
A key provision of the Energy Charter Treaty lies in the protection it offers to foreign energy investments. It protects foreign investors against non-commercial risks such as discriminatory treatment, direct or indirect expropriation, or the breach of individual investment contracts. It is the only multilateral Treaty providing legally binding cover for energy investment related matters. There is evidence of over sixty known investor-state disputes based on the provisions of the Treaty.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the report of the inquiry by Sir John Jenkins into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Wallace of Saltaire - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
I refer the noble peer to the answer I gave on 13 October, Official Report, Column WA13.
Asked by: Baroness Falkner of Margravine (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to complete their inquiry into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood; and whether they intend to publish their complete findings.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), asked Sir John Jenkins to complete the review of the Muslim Brotherhood before Parliament rises and will make public its findings after the Government has considered them.