Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hussein-Ece, on securing this debate and for her excellent speech. I have always been fascinated by Turkish history and culture. I recently spoke and presented an award at an event to celebrate the achievements of the Turkish community in Britain. Last year, I visited Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where I met government...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I care about international development and the achievement of millennium development goal 5. When I attended the sixth Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership meeting in Brussels recently, I successfully tabled an amendment to the final declaration calling for greater efforts to improve maternal health and to reduce maternal mortality. I feel that it is pertinent to draw attention to...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, what is being done to arrange for halal meat to be served to Muslim prisoners?
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the United Kingdom's international aid budget is currently spent through international bodies; and whether they have any plans to change this proportion.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response. Is she satisfied that these multilateral bodies to which we contribute are assiduous in ensuring that we gain value for money as a result of the contribution made? What more can be done to guarantee that our foreign policy priorities are reflected in the distribution of funds through this mechanism?
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to increase membership of the leisure security industry among small and medium-sized enterprises.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the rise in fraudulent insurance claims. To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they will put in place to tackle fraudulent insurance claims. To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms they will put in place to give companies additional support in detecting cases of insurance fraud. To ask Her Majesty's...
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support they will give to victims of forced marriages.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the medical difficulties associated with cousin marriages. To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to initiate any dialogue with community leaders about the health risks of cousin marriages.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to give extra medical support to children born of parents from the same extended family. To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage better relations between the medical profession and those groups within society among whom same-cousin marriages are prevalent.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Howell for his initial remarks, which were very relevant. Sir Winston Churchill was the first to speak about the benefits of creating a Council of Europe, so it is fitting that the Council was established by the treaty of London. The Council of Europe was founded upon the principles of upholding democracy and civil liberties. Since its creation, the...
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidelines they will provide for event stewards ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support they will give to the leisure security industry to tackle under-age drinking.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to the leisure security industry to ensure that stewards are trained ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, this debate is of crucial importance to our country. The first duty of any Government is to protect their territory and defend their citizens. We have been waiting a long time for a strategic defence review and the Government are to be congratulated on having completed this review within just five months. Undoubtedly, not every decision that the Government have had to make will...
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I also express gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, for securing this debate. Effective diplomacy is paramount in dealing with the emerging and existing challenges facing our nation, including tackling the effects of climate change, promoting free trade and protecting human rights. It is important not just to focus on our historic relationships but to seek avenues for building...
Lord Sheikh: To Ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to proposals for a ban on the niqab in the United Kingdom.
Lord Sheikh: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Massey, for securing this debate. Human trafficking is probably the world's third largest illegal trade. I have raised the issue of human trafficking on a number of occasions in your Lordships' House, as it is a topic about which I feel strongly. This abhorrent practice is equivalent to modern-day slavery. Victims of trafficking are lured from their...
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa in public are not subject to discrimination.
Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how often women who wear the niqab or burqa are refused entry to public buildings.