House of Lords

Session 2019-21 Wednesday No. 31 4 March 2020

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD)

HOUSE OF LORDS

WRITTEN ANSWERS

Written Answers ...... 1

[I] indicates that the member concerned has a relevant registered interest. The full register of interests can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/register-of-lords-interests/ Members who want a printed copy of Written Answers and Written Statements should notify the Printed Paper Office. This printed edition is a reproduction of the original text of Answers and Statements, which can be found on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/writtenanswers/. Ministers and others who make Statements or answer Questions are referred to only by name, not their ministerial or other title. The current list of ministerial and other responsibilities is as follows.

Minister Responsibilities Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal Earl Howe Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Lord Agnew of Oulton Minister of State, Cabinet Office and Treasury Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development Lord Ashton of Hyde Chief Whip Baroness Barran Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Baroness Berridge Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade Lord Bethell Whip Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Whip Waldrist Lord Callanan Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Earl of Courtown Deputy Chief Whip Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Baroness Goldie Minister of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development Lord Keen of Elie Advocate-General for Scotland and Ministry of Justice Spokesperson Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay Whip Baroness Scott of Byfleet Whip Baroness Stedman-Scott Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions Baroness Sugg Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development Lord True Minister of State, Cabinet Office Baroness Vere of Norbiton Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport Baroness Williams of Trafford Minister of State, Home Office Viscount Younger of Leckie Whip

Written Answers 4 March 2020 Page 1

Written Answers Month BN (O) applications received in 2017 January 1,734 Wednesday, 4 March 2020 February 1,573 March 1,798 Bahrain: Human Rights April 1,558

Asked by Lord Scriven May 1,820 To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the June 1,742 Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 July 1,906 February (HL1680), what specific monitoring is done to track improvements in the human rights situation in August 1,797 Bahrain for programmes in that country. [HL1793] September 1,669 Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Government October 1,871 takes note of a number of sources of information to track and assess the human rights landscape in Bahrain, November 1,526 including private engagement, statistical data, and public December 1,413 reports. Month BN (O) applications received in 2019 Our assistance is designed to support Bahrain-led January 2,139 reform in areas including human rights. It is provided in line with international standards and fully complies with February 1,753 our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security March 2,581 and Justice Assistance process. Programmes are routinely monitored by officials and evaluated, by officials, on a April 2,957 regular basis to ensure that they are on track for delivery. May 3,492 June 5,532 British National (Overseas): Passports Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool HMS Vanguard To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been received for British National Asked by Lord West of Spithead (Overseas) passports in each of the last three years, To ask Her Majesty's Government when HMS broken down by month. [HL1704] Vanguard will re-join the Fleet; and what is the final Baroness Williams of Trafford: The figures provided cost of the present refit and refuelling. [HL1828] for 2019 can only be reported up to the end of June 2019 Baroness Goldie: I am withholding details of when as these figures are reported within the Home Office HMS VANGUARD will re-join the Fleet as disclosure transparency figures and cannot be published separately at would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, this time . effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. I am also Month BN (O) applications received in 2018 withholding the estimated cost of the present refit and January 1,779 refuelling, as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. February 1,464 March 1,677 Identity Cards: Religion April 1,642 Asked by Lord Hylton May 1,765 To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions June 1,681 they have had with governments of countries that July 1,866 require religious affiliation to be stated on identity cards or other official documents about such a requirement. August 1,726 [HL1934] September 1,337 Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK opposes the October 1,911 requirement that religious affiliation should be stated on November 1,780 identity cards or other official documents. In Myanmar for example, the UK has supported the recommendations December 1,821 of the Rakhine Advisory Commission's to reform the

Page 2 4 March 2020 Written Answers

1982 Citizenship Law, and has urged the Myanmar close co-operation between them to achieve justice for the Government to fully implement them. This would ensure victims of Daesh's crimes. Through advanced witness that citizenship, and ID cards, are not linked to ethnic or protection and support UNITAD is expanding its religious status. Defending and promoting Freedom of engagement with witnesses and survivors. We are Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a longstanding human rights committed to ensuring that those responsible for war priority for the British Government. We actively promote crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity are brought the importance of FoRB and tackling discrimination on to justice in accordance with due legal process. The UK the basis of religious identity through our diplomatic will continue to work closely with international partners activity both bilterally, and through multilateral fora such in addressing the issues associated with foreign terrorist as the UN. fighters and in the pursuit of justice of those who have participated in terrorism overseas. Iran: Baha'i Faith Asked by Baroness Whitaker Israel: Palestinians To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment Asked by Baroness Tonge they have made of reports that Iran’s Baha'i minority To ask Her Majesty's Government what are being prevented from obtaining identity cards under representations they have made to the government of new rules, thereby depriving them of basic civil rights. Israel concerning the shooting of a 15 year old [HL1834] Palestinian child near Kufr Qaddum on 30 January and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports reports that there was a delay to his transportation to that Iran's Baha'i community are being prevented from hospital. [HL1815] obtaining identity cards under new rules, depriving them Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: While we have not of accessing many basic services. We remain concerned raised the case in question, we remain concerned at about the continued harassment and mistreatment that the reported instances of excessive use of force by Israeli Baha'i and other minority religious groups face. We forces. We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of support the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of necessity and proportionality when defending its Human Rights in Iran's assessment that discrimination legitimate security interest. We urge the Israeli authorities against the Baha'is in Iran is sanctioned by a lack of to thoroughly investigate every alleged instance and bring constitutional recognition. We regularly call upon Iran to those responsible to justice. We have also stressed the cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil importance of the Israel security forces providing its international and domestic obligations to protect appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian freedom of religion or belief to all Iranians. population, in particular the need to protect children. We did so most recently at the UN Security Council on 21 Islamic State: Prosecutions January. Free movement of patients and medical personnel is vital to the effectiveness of care. Delays to Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool treatment can endanger the health and lives of patients. To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the authorities in Nuclear Power Stations: Coastal Areas Kurdistan lack sufficient resources to detain, investigate and prosecute suspected Daesh fighters; what assistance Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb they will offer to address those issues; and what steps To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Office they will take to establish an international or regional for Nuclear Regulation has a threshold beyond which tribunal to prosecute Daesh fighters. [HL1699] the construction of new nuclear power stations would Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK assesses that the be disallowed on a specific section of coastline as a effective prosecution of Daesh fighters in Iraq presents a result of Met Office projections for (1) sea levels, or (2) significant challenge to Iraq's judicial systems, including the frequency of storm surges. [HL1764] in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. We are working directly Lord Callanan: The independent Office for Nuclear with the judicial systems of the Government of Iraq and Regulation (ONR) considers nuclear site licence the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRI) to build their applications and related regulatory matters on a case-by- capacity, as called upon by UN Security Council case basis. In order to ensure the impact of climate change Resolution 2379 on Daesh Accountability. We have and the adequacy of project specific mitigations are fully identified areas where we can share expertise and will and properly considered, the ONR does not prescribe continue to work closely with Iraq's judiciary to ensure thresholds in advance. The regulator requires appropriate due process and compliance with international law. safety margins and considers the latest official climate Our Embassy in Baghdad has regular discussions with change predictions, prepared with the Meteorological the Government of Iraq and the UN Investigative Team Office and the Environment Agency. for the Accountability of Daesh (UNITAD), encouraging

Written Answers 4 March 2020 Page 3

Palestinians: Trade The Department aims to publish these statistics in the second half of 2020 and this work is ongoing. Asked by Baroness Tonge To ask Her Majesty's Government what Prime Minister: Official Engagements representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the prevention of Palestinian Asked by Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield agricultural exports via Jordan by Israeli authorities. To ask Her Majesty's Government how many [HL1816] engagements the Prime Minister has undertaken in his Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is concerned capacity as Minister for the Union since the December about the impact of recent Israeli trade restrictions on the 2019 general election. [HL1933] Occupied Palestinian Territories. The British Government Lord True: As Minister for the Union, all the strongly supports the principle of free trade. UK engagements my Rt Hon friend the Prime Minister carries businesses should be free to import Palestinian products out are undertaken in that capacity. Details are published without barriers. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel has quarterly on the gov.uk website. raised this issue with the Government of Israel, most recently on 12 February. We welcome the agreement reached by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Trade Agreements: USA Authority, on 20 February, to lift their respective trade Asked by The Marquess of Lothian restrictions. We urge both sides to ensure implementation of this agreement. To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister will meet the President of the United States to Poverty: Statistics discuss a trade deal between the UK and the USA; and when it is proposed that formal trade negotiations will Asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham commence. [HL1767] To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are Viscount Younger of Leckie: Now that our negotiating planning to adopt the Social Metrics Commission's objectives for a UK US Free Trade Agreement have been measurement of poverty across all departments published, we are in a position to negotiate and are in following the Department for Work and Pensions' discussions with the United States about when those commitment in May 2019 to develop experimental negotiations will commence. statistics using that Commission's measurement; and The Prime Minister values the UK’s relationship with whether they have any further information on this issue. the United States, our closest defence and security ally [HL1353] and largest single trading partner. He speaks regularly to Baroness Stedman-Scott: In May 2019 the the President and will discuss the progress of negotiations Government announced that it would develop a new in his discussions with the President over the coming experimental poverty statistic. months.

Index to Answers

Written Answers ...... 1 Bahrain: Human Rights ...... 1 British National (Overseas): Passports ...... 1 HMS Vanguard ...... 1 Identity Cards: Religion ...... 1 Iran: Baha'i Faith ...... 2 Islamic State: Prosecutions ...... 2 Israel: Palestinians ...... 2 Nuclear Power Stations: Coastal Areas ...... 2 Palestinians: Trade...... 3 Poverty: Statistics ...... 3 Prime Minister: Official Engagements ...... 3 Trade Agreements: USA ...... 3