Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of President Putin's role in Russian military decisions to attack (1) civilian targets, and (2) nuclear facilities, in Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
As the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Putin provides direction and leadership of the Russian Armed Forces and is accountable for their actions.
The targeting of civilians and any civilian objects is not only abhorrent, but also a blatant violation of international law, and should not continue under any circumstances. These allegations only strengthen the need for an International Criminal Court investigation into Russian war crimes and for the world to stand together in defence of International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to removing Russian diplomats from the UK.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will continue to consider options in concert with our allies. Having Russian representatives in the UK allows us to deliver clear and tough messages directly to Putin's Government, as the FCDO summoning of the Russian Ambassador and the MoD summoning of the Russian Defence Attaché demonstrated.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attacks by Russia on civilians in Ukraine; and what plans they have, if any, to seek to initiate proceedings at the International Criminal Court in respect of those attacks.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Russia's use of indiscriminate force against innocent civilians, in its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, must be investigated and those responsible must be held to account. The UK led efforts to bring together allies on 2 March to expedite an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. With 37 countries joining the UK, it is the largest referral in the history of the ICC. As a founder member of the International Criminal Court, the UK is willing to provide the necessary technical assistance to support successful convictions.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) killing, and (2) forced expulsion, of civilians in Ukraine, during Russia’s invasion of that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Russia's assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. Ukraine has already suffered horrific attacks and innocent people have lost their lives. Russia's invasion will have a massive human cost, and the potential for large-scale loss of life, displacement, and destruction to vital civilian infrastructure including schools and hospitals - in freezing conditions.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the government of Russia has targeted civilians, including children, in its invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ukraine has suffered horrific attacks, including missiles and air strikes which have torn through apartment blocks. Innocent people including children have lost their lives. Russia's actions are a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, and show flagrant disregard for its commitments under the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk Agreements.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make the theft of pet dogs a specific criminal offence.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government recognises the distress pet theft causes and will consider the evidence and what more could be done to prevent these cruel crimes. That is why we launched the Pet Theft Taskforce on 8 May. The Taskforce will:
Further information about the Pet Theft Taskforce, including its full terms of reference, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taskforce-launched-to-investigate-reported-rise-in-pet-thefts
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking any steps to advance the use of environmentally considerate methods of clearing unexploded ordnance from the sea floor.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Defra recognises the significant impact underwater noise from unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance by detonation can have on vulnerable marine species. Many UXOs lie in areas designated for planned windfarm projects, on cable routes and in areas used by other marine industries, and must be removed to allow safe working conditions.
The Government is aware of, and is investigating, a number of alternative methods to remove UXOs from the seabed. However, these methods have not yet been scientifically proven to be effective in the marine environment and could disturb the ordnance but not fully detonate it, posing health, safety and environmental concerns. Our priority is to ensure any new methods are effective in the marine environment, adhere to relevant health, safety and environmental considerations and are based on robust evidence.
The Government is working closely with scientists, industry and regulators to collect the necessary evidence to enable the safe use of these alternative methods in the marine environment. Once sufficient evidence is available, and on the advice of the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, the Marine Management Organisation (as the regulatory authority) will be able to make licensing decisions around the use of such techniques.
The Environment Secretary recently met Joanna Lumley and the StopSeaBlasts Campaign, who advocate for the use of alternative UXO clearance methods, to discuss ways in which we can work together to reduce the impact that clearing unexploded bombs can have on marine mammals.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create a national monument to commemorate those who have lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
Whilst the Government's immediate focus is on protecting the lives and livelihoods of the nation, building a fitting and a permanent memorial to the loved ones we have lost is something the Government is considering very carefully.
We will set out the Government’s proposed approach to this important matter in due course.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to recognise the strategic role of the RAF Regiment in defending RAF airfields and bases in the UK and abroad as part of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy; and whether that review will take into account the adoption by NATO of the RAF Regiment's standards in airforce protection.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Ministry of Defence is fully committed to its part in supporting the successful delivery of the Government's ambition for the Integrated Review. It is too early to discuss specific capabilities, but I can assure you that this country will continue to have the world class Armed Forces that it needs and deserves.
We will continue to strengthen cooperation with our allies on security and intelligence, underpinned by the NATO alliance.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are not providing funding for the continued upkeep of the site of the memorial at Ver-sur-Mer to those under British command who lost their lives at the D-Day landings and in the Battle of Normandy.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer may be eligible for support through the Memorial Grant Scheme which is administered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The scheme makes grants towards the VAT incurred by charities and faith groups in the construction, repair and maintenance of public memorial structures, including war memorials. The scheme has a fixed budget of £0.5m per year for this spending period. More detail can be found here- http://www.memorialgrant.org.uk/.