Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration the House of Lords Commission has given to the operation of the House in the event of (1) London entering Tier 3 of the COVID-19 restrictions, and (2) a 'circuit-breaker' lockdown across England lasting two or more weeks to address the pandemic.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The House of Lords Commission met on Monday 2 November to consider the implications of the restrictions announced by the Prime Minister on 31 October. On Tuesday 3 November the Lord Speaker, together with the other members of the Commission, wrote to all members of the House to set out the decisions taken at that meeting.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are to provide COVID-19 testing facilities within the Palace of Westminster or the Parliamentary Estate; and if there are any such plans, what advice will be provided to members in the House of Lords on the frequency with which they should, or must, be tested.
Answered by Lord Laming
The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.
We have sought advice from Public Health England in developing a policy on testing. Our policy remains that we adhere to applicable Government and PHE guidance, which is that anyone who is symptomatic should seek a test. That guidance also suggests testing of key workers who are self-isolating or whose household contains someone exhibiting the three main COVID-19 symptoms. The Parliamentary authorities have put in place a limited capacity for delivery of these tests. The testing is in order to maintain the resilience of the operation of the Chamber and committees. As testing is only availability in these limited circumstances, there is no advice on the frequency of testing.
No one should come onto the Estate if they have symptoms, for any reason.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to establish the continuation of existing rights for British citizens who are currently resident in EU countries under EU freedom of movement rules; and whether any such negotiations and agreements will take place with (1) the EU, or (2) individual countries.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Withdrawal Agreement that the UK concluded with the European Union (EU) provides certainty for UK nationals living in the EU about their citizens' rights going forward.
Under the agreement, UK nationals who are already lawfully resident in an EU Member State by the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020, will be able to remain in their Member State of residence and can continue to live and work broadly as they do now for as long as they remain in scope of the agreement.
The Government has set out its approach to the negotiations in 'The Future Relationship with the EU: The UK's Approach to Negotiations'. The Government wishes to see a future relationship with the EU based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals for the benefit of all our peoples.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on their ability to make representations to other countries about human rights abuses in the face of possible threats by such countries in relation to trade deals and other agreements.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK has a long tradition of protecting and promoting human rights in our bilateral relations and multilateral fora. The UK supports the promotion of these values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. We are committed to upholding the UK's high standards. We are exploring all options in the design of future trade agreements.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the (1) strength of, (2) organisation of, (3) activities of, (4) external links of, and (5) threats posed by Boko Haram in West Africa.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We welcome the successes achieved by the Nigerian armed forces against Boko Haram, pushing the group out of key towns in North East Nigeria. However, Boko Haram continues to present a serious threat to security in North East Nigeria and the wider region. We estimate that over 20,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram, over 2.4 million people displaced and over 17 million affected by the Boko Haram insurgency across the Lake Chad basin. In March 2015 Boko Haram pledged allegiance to Daesh, since then there has been a split between factions within Boko Haram.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of (1) the percentage of the buildings in Ramadi that are (a) unharmed by the violence in Iraq, (b) damaged, but still usable, and (c) damaged or destroyed to the extent that they are no longer usable; and (2) the proportion of the housing in Ramadi that is no longer habitable by modern standards.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UN and other agencies have not yet been able to undertake an assessment of damage to buildings and infrastructure in Ramadi as a result of the remaining threat from Daesh and improvised explosive devices inside the city. The most recent analysis by the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme, published online by the UN Institute for Training and Research, indicates that between July 2014 and 19 December 2015 some 4,696 buildings have been damaged inside the city.