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Written Question
Iran: Education
Thursday 18th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what criteria informed the decision to direct £16 million of UK aid to improving educational links with Iran between 2013 and 2017, (2) what projects the grants were used on, (3) how the projects were monitored, and (4) what plans they have to publish the results of such monitoring.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Between 2013 and 2017, the total FCO bilateral spending on Iran was approximately £4.4 million. These funds were spent on developing long-term people-to-people educational and cultural links between our two countries, including supporting English teachers, artists and Chevening scholars. Chevening supports exceptional young people all over the world to reach their potential, and remains open for applicants in Iran. Given these projects were run by a combination of British Council, Chevening and the FCO, these programmes were monitored and evaluated in line with standard FCO and British Council processes. The British Council do not currently operate or fund programmes in Iran.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 18 Jan 2021
Nagorno-Karabakh

"My Lords, following the recent ceasefire, Turkey suggested that it might deploy peacekeepers to the region. Does my noble friend agree that it is a prerequisite of a peacekeeper that they should enjoy the confidence of both sides? This is clearly not the case. What discussions have my noble friend …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 02 Nov 2020
Nagorno-Karabakh: Genocide Emergency Alert

"My Lords, the present Turkish Government are very sensitive to allegations of an Armenian genocide 100 years ago. Does this not underline the need for Turkey, a valued member of NATO, to be unambiguous in its dealings with the current conflict, not only by ensuring that arms are not supplied …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Fri 25 Sep 2020
Belarus: Presidential Elections

"My Lords, I return to the point raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy, about our support for NGOs and civic society. Like many noble Lords, I have seen difficult issues in Belarus—sometimes difficult and controversial historical issues—addressed by those organisations. They play an enormously important part in ensuring that …..."
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View all Lord Pickles (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Belarus: Presidential Elections
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 27 Jul 2020
Terezin Declaration

"My Lords, will my noble friend join me in paying tribute to our ambassador in Warsaw, Jonathan Knott, for his persistent commitment to restitution? His meeting last week with the Speaker of the Polish Parliament helped pave the way for the withdrawal of the Bill on Warsaw property rights from …..."
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View all Lord Pickles (Con - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Terezin Declaration
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 24 Feb 2020
Syria

"My Lords, I, for one, do not regret voting for military action in Syria when President Assad started to murder his population. The failure of both Houses to support that action has largely said to the murderer Assad that he can do what he wants. One can only get someone …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 30 Jan 2020
Middle East Peace Plan

"My Lords, surely Her Majesty’s Government should be not neutral on this issue but on the side of peace. The period since the Oslo accords has been littered with missed opportunities, generally involving the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to engage. Everyone in this House with any influence on the Palestinian Authority …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 07 Jan 2020
Middle East: Security Update

"My Lords, my noble friend has announced a number of reviews; I wonder if I could suggest an additional review. Given that he has rightly identified the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a source of instability in the region and that it has consorted with a terrorist organisation both in …..."
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Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 20 Jun 2019
Anti-Semitism

"My Lords, I draw attention to my entry in the register of interests as a member of organisations involved in post-Holocaust issues and countering anti-Semitism. I congratulate my noble friend Lady Berridge on securing this debate. It comes at a very apposite time, in that it coincides with the first …..."
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Written Question
Palestinians: Refugees
Wednesday 5th June 2019

Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's working definition of a Palestinian refugee is in alignment with the UK's policy towards the Middle East Peace Process.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK recognises the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) unique mandate from the UN General Assembly, to protect and provide essential services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The UK continues to adhere to UNRWA's definition of a Palestinian refugee: those whose 'normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict'. We are clear that the status of Palestinian refugees must be agreed as part of wider peace negotiations. Meanwhile, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting the UNRWA across the Middle East. This is in line with our longstanding position on the Middle East Peace Process, which includes supporting a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for Palestinian refugees.