Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether reported antisemitic content in the Palestinian Authority’s school curriculum is in breach of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government is deeply concerned about the allegations of incitement in Palestinian Authority’s school textbooks. The International Development Secretary reiterated our concerns in a call to the Palestinian Authority’s Education Minister just last month.
In order to assess the concerns highlighted in this question, the UK took the lead in calling for an independent review of Palestinian textbooks, as a result of which an independent review of the alleged incitement to violence and hatred in the textbooks is underway with the support of our European partners. We expect interim findings in Spring 2020 and full findings later in the year.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK aid supports the Palestinian Authority’s production of school textbooks.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not fund textbooks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our education funding to the PA contributes to the salaries of carefully vetted education public servants, including teachers. Following allegations of incitement in the Palestinian Authority’s school textbooks, the UK secured agreement from our European partners to lead an independent review of the textbooks, which is underway. We expect interim findings by June 2020 and full findings later in the year.
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 - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of the UK’s contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2015–16, and (3) 2017–18.
Answered by Lord Bates
The amount of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for the requested years is given in the table below. This data is published each year in the Statistics on International Development (SID) publication and is presented on a calendar year basis. Figures for 2018 will be released this autumn.
£ (millions) | 2010 | 2011 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
Total UK ODA to UNRWA per calendar year | 29.1 | 35.0 | 64.0 | 54.4 | 51.0 |
Source: Statistics for International Development 2009-2017
ODA figures are produced only on a calendar year basis in line with the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, Development Assistance Committee definitions.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expected funding requirements of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030.
Answered by Lord Bates
UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has made no formal assessment on expected funding based on population projections in (1) 2020, (2) 2025, and (3) 2030. Our future funding commitments will be reviewed at regular intervals; UNRWA budgeting models are agreed by the general assembly every two years and were most recently approved for 2019. UNRWA’s current Medium-Term Strategy extends to 2021. The UK has been a consistent top five donor to UNRWA. A long-term solution requires a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for Palestinian refugees. Until that happens the UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees. We recognise that UNRWA will continue to face funding challenges and are having proactive discussions with them about how to ensure the continued delivery of their essential services, recognising strides that they have already made in cost savings initiatives.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have issued to UK citizens intending to travel to Malaysia; and what advice they have issued to athletes intending to travel to the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On Sunday 27 January 2019, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships. British nationals can find our latest travel advice on the GOV.UK website. We keep this travel advice under constant review and make regular updates.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the International Paralympic Committee about the proposed ban on Israeli athletes attending the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The International Paralympic Committee announced this week the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships would no longer be held in Malaysia.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, whether the Law Officers are able to review or challenge a decision of the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service not to follow-up the court judgment of April 2015 on election offences in Tower Hamlets with criminal prosecutions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The police are operationally independent and ministerial responsibility lies with the Home Office. I do not have oversight of their work.
I am accountable to Parliament for the work of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It too operates independently of government.
If the police approach the CPS for a decision as to whether an individual should be charged with any offence they will consider firstly whether there is a realistic prospect of conviction and, if so, whether a prosecution is needed in the public interest. In this case the police did not ask the CPS for a charging decision although the CPS has given investigatory advice.
There is a protocol which governs the relationship between the Attorney General and the CPS https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/15197/Protocol_between_the_Attorney_General_and_the_Prosecuting_Departments.pdf. Paragraph 4c makes clear that the Law Officers will not be consulted about prosecution decisions in cases relating to political parties or the conduct of elections.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what processes there are by which (a) local residents, (b) victims of crime and (c) others can challenge a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute a criminal case; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
Victims of crime can challenge a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision not to prosecute their case, under the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme. A local resident may be eligible if the individual comes within the scheme’s definition of ‘victim’.
Further guidance about the VRR scheme can be found here: http://www.cps.gov.uk/victims_witnesses/victims_right_to_review/index.html
The CPS also operates both Feedback and Complaints schemes to deal with concerns about legal decisions which do not fall within the scope of the VRR scheme.
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the additional costs to the NHS if Israeli-owned or Israeli-based companies were banned from supplying generic medicines to the NHS.
Answered by David Mowat
We do not routinely collect information on where pharmaceutical manufacturers are based, or whether they have connections with particular countries. Any company with the necessary regulatory authorisations can supply medicines to the National Health Service. However, some 100 million prescription items for medicines used in the community in England are estimated to come from companies based in Israel. This includes some medicines where one of these companies will be the main supplier. Banning these supplies would most likely cause significant shortages of some medicines important for patient health and have a significant impact on competition and in all likelihood increase prices paid by the NHS.