Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their plan and timetable for ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year to enable ratification of the BBNJ Agreement.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the article in the Nature Scientific Reports journal Radiological hazard assessments of radionuclides in building materials, soils and sands from the Gaza Strip and the north of Sinai Peninsula, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment they have made of the likely cause of the 24 samples from Gaza containing enriched uranium.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Nature Scientific Reports article does not provide sufficient information to make a qualified determination as to the potential source of the enriched uranium traces it reports were found. The dose rates and level of radiological hazard of the samples referred to in the article are stated as being within recommended global limits. The UK has not tested the samples referenced in the article.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the article in the Nature Scientific Reports journal Radiological hazard assessments of radionuclides in building materials, soils and sands from the Gaza Strip and the north of Sinai Peninsula, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment they have made of the discovery of enriched uranium in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Nature Scientific Reports article does not provide sufficient information to make a qualified determination as to the potential source of the enriched uranium traces it reports were found. The dose rates and level of radiological hazard of the samples referred to in the article are stated as being within recommended global limits. The UK has not tested the samples referenced in the article.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with international partners to establish a UN investigation into the mass poisoning of school children in Iran.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We continue to monitor closely reports of mass poisonings of school girls across Iran. On 3 March 2023 I, as Minister for the Middle East, called on the Iranian authorities to investigate these incidents urgently. I underlined it is essential that all girls can exercise their human right to education without fear. The authorities have announced a number of arrests in connection the incidents; we expect Iran to now be transparent about what has happened and show it is holding those genuinely responsible to account. The UK will continue working alongside our international partners to ensure the facts are established.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to address famine and food insecurity in Afghanistan; and what plans they have to provide resources to help mitigate the electricity shortage in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is taking a leading role in the humanitarian response to support the people of Afghanistan. Over 28 million people are estimated to be in humanitarian need in 2023, including an estimated 19.9 million people who are acutely food insecure. Since April 2022, we have disbursed £228 million in aid for Afghanistan. This includes £95 million to the World Food Programme (WFP). Through WFP, the UK aims to support over 4 million people with food assistance this financial year. UK aid is prioritised in line with the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan.