Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take steps to retain Taiwan's place at future assemblies of the World Health Organisation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government was disappointed that Taiwan was not permitted to observe the World Health Assembly this year. We will continue to make the UK position clear ie, that we support Taiwanese participation in international organisations where there is precedent for involvement, where Taiwan can contribute to the global good, and where there is no pre-requisite of nationhood for participation. Given the global reach and often rapid spread of global health emergencies it is of particular importance that all relevant administrations be invited to engage in the World Health Assembly to ensure that discussions on Global Health Security can benefit from their experience and expertise.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the RRS James Cook has been operating in the coastal waters of the Western Sahara; what was the nature of its research; and what instruments it deployed.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The RRS James Cook is part of the Government funded national sustained observational programme called RAPID. This long-term programme’s aim is to monitor the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the North Atlantic at the latitude of 26 degrees north. The MOC determines the Atlantic ocean’s transport of heat, freshwater, carbon, and other environmental properties. It is central to understanding the role of the thermohaline circulation in global climate change. The RRS James Cook recovered and redeployed a number of oceanographic moorings fitted with conductivity and temperature sensors, which were distributed at a range of depths on moorings.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Saharawi authorities have made enquiries about the activities of the RRS James Cook in their territorial waters; if so when they will receive replies; and whether scientific data obtained by the vessel will be shared with the Saharawi authorities, pursuant to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Sahrawi representatives contacted the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on 3 March 2017 about the work of RRS James Cook in the eastern Atlantic. The UK regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and supports UN-led efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution to all parties, which provides self-determination for the Sahrawi people. As a non-self governing territory under Article 73 of the UN Charter, rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea should be provided by the administering power and for the benefit of the people of the territory with a view to promoting their well being and development. The NOC will share information with Morocco, who are the de facto administering power.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had or plan to have with the government of Mauritius following their decision to deny the right of return to the Chagos people.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have continually sought the views of the Mauritian Government in regards to the Chagossian resettlement review. The British High Commissioner to Mauritius met representatives of the Mauritian Government on 16 November to explain our decision against resettlement and the support package of approximately £40 million for Chagossians, including those living in Mauritius. The Government will continue to make efforts to work closely with Mauritius to develop cost-effective programmes which will make the biggest improvement in the life chances of those Chagossians who need it most.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (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 2 August (HL1270) concerning resettlement of the Chagos Islands, whether the remaining work is now completed and when an announcement on possible resettlement will be made.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have consulted a range of stakeholders as we work towards a decision on the question of resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Government is still considering its policy in this area and will announce developments to Parliament and the public by the end of the year.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the resolution from Mauritius at the forthcoming UN General Assembly calling for the matter of the resettlement of Chagos islanders to be referred to the International Court of Justice.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We are not aware of any plans by Mauritius for a resolution at the next UN General Assembly regarding the resettlement of Chagos islanders to be referred to the International Court of Justice (ICC). On 17 May the Prime Minister of Mauritius expressed to the Mauritian Parliament his intention to seek a referral by the UN General Assembly to the ICC this autumn, in order to obtain an advisory opinion in relation to sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). We would not support any such resolution as we are in no doubt about British sovereignty over BIOT.Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the comments by Lord Mance in the Supreme Court’s judgment in <i>R (on the application of Bancoult (No 2)) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs </i>[2016] UKSC 35 that a refusal to allow resettlement of the Chagos Islands could be judicially reviewed as potentially "irrational, unreasonable and/or disproportionate", what steps they plan to take to reach a reasoned decision on the issue of resettlement as quickly as possible.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
In the last Parliament, the Cabinet asked for further detailed work to understand the uncertainties around cost and demand for resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence, have refined uncertainties around costs, and a 12 week public consultation was carried out to clarify demand. The results of the consultation were published in January 2016. Officials are now carrying out remaining work on the options available before the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), takes a final decision on the policy. There is no date yet when an announcement on possible resettlement will be made. Developments will be announced to Parliament and the public in due course.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the steps taken by the government of Germany in respect of acts committed by their colonial troops against the Herero and Nama people in South-West Africa in 1904–1908; whether they intend to take similar steps; and whether they will support requests for compensation.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government has not made any assessment of the steps taken by the Government of Germany in respect of this matter. The issue of compensation is a bilateral matter between the governments of Germany and Namibia.
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the elections in Tanzania, particularly with respect to the devolved assembly in Zanzibar, and what representations they have made to the government of Tanzania or the Commonwealth Secretariat regarding the elections.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Despite some problems, the national elections in Tanzania were peaceful and generally well organised. We have extended our congratulations to President Magufuli on his victory. We are however deeply concerned at the decision to nullify the elections for the Zanzibar Presidency and Parliament. We have conveyed our concerns to the Government of Tanzania on a number of occasions including at senior levels, most recently during a meeting last week between the Tanzanian High Commissioner to London and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge).
Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Germany regarding the return of items, including human skulls, taken from German South-West Africa in the early twentieth century and exported to European institutions.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Government has not held discussions with the German Government on this matter.