Vol. 749 Wednesday No. 66 6 November 2013 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Introduction: Lord Allen of Kensington ........................................................................213 Questions Syria: Refugees ..............................................................................................................213 Carbon Monoxide Detectors ........................................................................................215 Nuclear War: International Conference.......................................................................218 Living Wage...................................................................................................................220 Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill Order of Consideration Motion ....................................................................................222 Defence: Aircraft Carriers and UK Shipbuilding Statement........................................................................................................................227 Energy Bill Report (3rd Day)..........................................................................................................238 Health: Birth Defects Question for Short Debate............................................................................................284 Energy Bill Report (3rd Day) (Continued) ....................................................................................297 Grand Committee Children and Families Bill Committee (9th Day)..............................................................................................GC 61 Written Statements......................................................................................................WS 17 Written Answers ...........................................................................................................WA 41 £4·00 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative Con Ind Conservative Independent DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Lab Labour Lab Ind Labour Independent LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2013, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 213 Introduction: Lord Allen of Kensington[6 NOVEMBER 2013] Syria: Refugees 214 Lord Bach (Lab): My Lords, in relation to Jordan House of Lords and what the noble Lord has asked about, the Jordanian Government need particular help because a substantial Wednesday, 6 November 2013. number of refugees in Jordan are actually with host families rather than in refugee camps. This means that 3pm the Jordanian Government need more help because Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Norwich. UNHCR aid is not as forthcoming as it would be in refugee camps. The Jordanian Government need more Introduction: Lord Allen of Kensington money in order that those refugees with host families are adequately looked after, particularly—here I repeat 3.08 pm what the noble Lord who asked the Question said—with Sir Charles Lamb Allen, Knight, CBE, having been created regard to drinking water and the price of it. What special Baron Allen of Kensington, of Kensington in the Royal help, beyond what the Minister has already stated, is Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was introduced and to be given to Jordan itself because of the particular took the oath, supported by Baroness Jay of Paddington and difficulties that that country has at the present time Lord Bragg, and signed an undertaking to abide by the and because of what we owe to that country ourselves? Code of Conduct. Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, I have already Syria: Refugees announced that the Government are giving specific Question aid to the Jordanians to support a number of activities. We are well aware that drinking water is a particular 3.13 pm problem. As the noble Lord rightly points out, a number Asked by Lord Selkirk of Douglas of refugees in Lebanon and Turkey, as well as in To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they Jordan, are not in refugee camps but have been taken will pursue a dialogue with the governments of in by local families. That is a good thing in many ways Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq in order to ascertain but it does of course increase the strain on local the top priorities for those countries with regard to communities. the present and future needs of refugees remaining in those countries who have fled the war in Syria. Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (LD): My Lords, I declare an interest as the president of UNICEF Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): My Lords, the situation UK and in that capacity I thank the Government for in Syria is worsening. There are more than 2 million their generosity, not just to UNICEF but also to many refugees in neighbouring countries, which is creating a other charities in helping with the terrible suffering of growing regional crisis. The UK’s total funding for Syria children, who of course suffer most in these circumstances. and the region is now £500 million, the largest total The last case of polio in Syria was 14 years ago, in sum the UK has ever committed to a single humanitarian 1999, but this terrible disease is now taking hold, crisis. This reflects the scale, despair and brutality of especially among the children of the refugee population. the situation. The Prime Minister and the Foreign In past conflicts it has been possible to arrange agreements Secretary regularly raise the issue with their counterparts for immunisation between the warring parties. I wonder from Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, the four whether the Government have pursued this matter countries where refugees are now mainly to be found, with both the Syrian Government, who seem perfectly and they will continue to do so. prepared to do this, and the rebels. Are the Government pursuing this opportunity? Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Con): The Minister’s statement is extremely welcome. Does he accept that using aid in a country such as Jordan—for example, to Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, as my noble improve water supplies and sanitation and to supplement friend will be aware, alongside the United Nations the very hard-pressed health provision, education and Security Council resolution on chemical weapons there other basic services—undoubtedly helps to reduce was a United Nations Security Council presidential both tension and the increasing scope for friction statement on humanitarian access. That has not yet between the refugees and the often vulnerable local been fully accepted by the Syrian regime. There are communities who have so generously welcomed them? many difficulties for humanitarian agencies and their staff in getting visas to enter the country and, as he Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, we do understand rightly said, there are also difficulties in some of the that. The sheer scale of the number of refugees now in rebel-held areas. Lebanon and Jordan in particular is such that it has the full potential to destabilise their societies and, Baroness O’Loan (CB): My Lords, as I prepare to therefore, their political systems. Of the £500 million go on Saturday to Jordan and the refugee camps, I ask that we have so far committed, £167 million is going to the Minister, bearing in mind that there are in excess the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, of 2.5 million Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Iraq and, in addition to humanitarian aid, Britain alone and thanking the Government for the money is providing more than £15 million to support stability and resources they are putting in, whether there is in Lebanon and Jordan, including support