Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have takenunder the Global Human Rights sanctions regime since 6 July 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Global Human Rights sanctions regime gives the UK a powerful tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. Since it was established on 6 July 2020, we have designated 72 individuals and 6 entities under this sanctions regime. The full UK Sanctions List is available on GOV.UK website (www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list), which provides details of those individuals and entities designated under sanctions regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. We will continue to consider targets globally, guided by the objectives of the Global Human Rights sanctions regime and the evidence.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK embassies and high commissions been tasked to report movements of personnel from ex-Soviet states to regions where economies are dependent on (1) artisanal mining, and (2) logging.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
UK Embassies and High Commissions have not been asked to monitor and report these issues.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review, in cooperation with (1) the government of the USA, (2) the governments of Commonwealth countries, (3) the EU and its Member States, and (4) the government of Switzerland, UK (a) legislation, (b) practice, and (c) capability, to interdict (i) transfers of funds, and (ii) the movement of goods, derived from locations where there is evidence that human rights abuses have taken place.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We work closely with our partners across the globe to tackle human rights violations and abuses. On 6 July 2020 the government introduced the Global Human Rights sanctions regime which gives powers to impose asset freezes and/or travel bans on individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. The rights included are: an individual's right to life; right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and right to be free from slavery, not to be held in servitude or required to perform forced or compulsory labour. As required by Section 30 and 32 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018, the Government will report annually to Parliament on all sanctions regulations.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that British personnel working on (1) UN, (2) EU, and (3) African Union, (a) military, (b) humanitarian, and (c) hybrid missions, are supported in reporting (i) observations, and (ii) allegations, of human rights abuses, including the use of child labour; and what steps they take to ensure that any such reports are passed to the highest levels of the relevant international oversight bodies.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We work bilaterally to raise specific cases of concern as appropriate and take regular action on the international stage, including through the Human Rights Council to press countries to improve their record on human rights. The UK Government also has an Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) policy, which provides a rigorous assessment framework to assess whether UK engagement may directly or significantly contribute to a violation of human rights or international humanitarian law, prior to any justice or security sector assistance being provided.
In UN peacekeeping, training on human rights is central to preventing violations and abuses, and should remain an essential prerequisite by field missions and at UN Headquarters level. In this regard, the UK ensures British military and police personnel deployed to the UN receive training on all core UN modules, including identifying human rights violations and abuses, actions to take if human rights abuse and violations are observed, and their duties as peacekeepers to protect and promote the rights of children.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for UK security of any North Korean biological weapons programme, as described in a report from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School published in October.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are aware of the report. It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on matters relating to intelligence or national security.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 19 September (HL1756), how many British nationals they estimate are long-term residents in Italy; how many UK consular offices there are in Italy; when those consular offices ceased renewing passports for British nationals; how many renewals there were in the last year during which this service was provided; and how many emergency travel documents the Rome or Milan offices have issued in the past year.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consular offices remain in Italy at which UK citizens can renew their passports, and what plans they have for those that still provide this service.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
British nationals cannot renew full validity passports at consular offices in Italy. Passport applications are made online and documentation is sent to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the UK. British nationals can get an Emergency Travel Document at the British Embassy in Rome or at the British Consulate General in Milan when they have an urgent need to travel and meet the necessary criteria.
Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK citizens work for (1) the European Commission, and (2) the European Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The latest figures from October 2015 published by the European Commission state that there are 1000 British citizens working in the European Commission as Permanent Officials and Temporary Agents, and 142 as Contract Agents. There are 194 British citizens working in the European Parliament, excluding political staff.Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants are seconded to the European Commission.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
There are a total of 156 UK secondees working across the EU institutions, as either Seconded National Experts or National Experts in Professional Training. 127 of them are currently working in the European Commission.Asked by: Lord Moonie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans they have to evacuate United Kingdom nationals from Ukraine; and when any such plans were last updated.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our Embassy in Kyiv has a Crisis Management Plan in place to support the possible evacuation of British nationals from Ukraine. The plan was most recently updated on 30 May 2014.