Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the UN Security Council to ensure genocide committed by Daesh is brought to the attention of the International Criminal Court.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor set out some of the complicated issues involved in the ICC investigating Daesh in her press statement of 8 April 2015. We continue to discuss with international partners, including those on the UN Security Council all legal possibilities for investigating Daesh. On 21 July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), announced that the United Kingdom will work with our international partners to drive a global campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued for holidaymakers to advise them to take out appropriate winter sports insurance cover.
Answered by James Duddridge
For details of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s communications work on travel insurance in general I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029.
An important part of this work is underlining to British nationals intending to travel overseas the need to take out insurance that is right for their trip, including for any winter or extreme sports activities. We produce specific guidance for travellers on winter sports holidays and we are currently running a ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign focusing on this issue, working in partnership with the Association of British Travel Agents and British four-time Winter Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott. The headline message of the campaign is for those taking a winter sports holiday to take out appropriate travel insurance. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/winter-sports-stay-safe-on-the-slopes and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/winter-sports-a-third-left-on-thin-ice-without-appropriate-insurance.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to increase public awareness of the need for holidaymakers to take out travel insurance.
Answered by James Duddridge
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2016 to Parliamentary Question 21029. Encouraging the take-up of adequate travel insurance through our ‘Know Before You Go’ communications campaign which will remain a priority in 2016.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Nigerian government combat (a) Boko Haram and (b) other terrorist groups.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are fully committed to help Nigeria combat Boko Haram and fight terrorism. The UK is providing a substantial and increasing package of UK military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria. This includes increased counter-terrorism cooperation and capacity building, training and advice to units deployed against Boko Haram, £5 million to support a regional taskforce for the North East, as well as humanitarian and development aid to support communities affected by the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the threat posed by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
We welcome the recent successes achieved by the Nigerian armed forces against Boko Haram. However, despite being pushed back from key population centres in North East Nigeria, the group remains a threat to stability, launching regular suicide bomb attacks both in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. It is estimated that over 20,000 people have been killed, over 2.2 million have been displaced and at least 4.6 million have been affected by the insurgency. The UK is supporting President Buhari and the Government of Nigeria in their stated commitment to defeat Boko Haram.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Faisal bin Hassan Trad's appointment as Chair of a panel of independent experts on the UN Human Rights Council.
Answered by David Lidington
The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia has served on the United Nations Consultative Group since 1 January 2015. His appointment as Chair was an internal decision made by the United Nations Consultative Group, which is a subordinate body of the Human Rights Council. The group is currently made up of five ambassadors, serving in their personal capacity, from each of the five regional groups in the UN. The UK’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva is not part of this Consultative Group and the appointment was not a decision of the Human Rights Council. It is standard procedure for the chairmanship of the Group to rotate during the course of the year.