To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the details of their plan to host an international conference on Somalia in London on 23 February 2012.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the details of their plan to host an international conference on Somalia in London on 23 February 2012.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there will be a conference in London on Somalia hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and, if so, who will be invited, what will be the agenda, and what will be the objectives and target outcome.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there will be a conference in London on Somalia hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and, if so, who will be invited, what will be the agenda, and what will be the objectives and target outcome.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of Al-Shabab’s recent disruption of the work of non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies in southern Somalia on humanitarian relief work and the alleviation of famine in the Horn of Africa.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of Al-Shabab’s recent disruption of the work of non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies in southern Somalia on humanitarian relief work and the alleviation of famine in the Horn of Africa.

Lords question for short debate on what is their response to the Report of the European Union Committee on Money Laundering: Data Protection for Suspicious Activity Reports (HL 82 2010-11).

Lords question for short debate on what is their response to the Report of the European Union Committee on Money Laundering: Data Protection for Suspicious Activity Reports (HL 82 2010-11).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the international community of piracy off the coast of Somalia in terms of (a) financial losses borne by shipping companies and (b) expenditure on military and naval operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the international community of piracy off the coast of Somalia in terms of (a) financial losses borne by shipping companies and (b) expenditure on military and naval operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is taking steps to reduce instances of kidnapping of British citizens in (a) Somalia and (b) other developing countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is taking steps to reduce instances of kidnapping of British citizens in (a) Somalia and (b) other developing countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of British citizens being kidnapped in Somalia in each of the last 10 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of British citizens being kidnapped in Somalia in each of the last 10 years.

My Lords, this is an opportunity for me to share with the House what a joy it is to serve on this committee under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Hannay. He is a tough chairman, a firm chairman, never short of his own ideas; but it is really...

My Lords, this is an opportunity for me to share with the House what a joy it is to serve on this committee under the chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Hannay. He is a tough chairman, a firm chairman, never short of his own ideas; but it is really...

My Lords, dinner hour debates in your Lordships' House are often a welcome interlude between two lengthy sessions devoted to the House’s primary function of rigorously scrutinising and, where necessary, amending the contents of the Government’s legislative programme, an interlude during which we can look at wider horizons and examine...

My Lords, dinner hour debates in your Lordships' House are often a welcome interlude between two lengthy sessions devoted to the House’s primary function of rigorously scrutinising and, where necessary, amending the contents of the Government’s legislative programme, an interlude during which we can look at wider horizons and examine...

Asked By To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Report of the European Union Committee on Money Laundering: Data Protection for Suspicious Activity Reports (6th Report, HL Paper 82).

Asked By To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the Report of the European Union Committee on Money Laundering: Data Protection for Suspicious Activity Reports (6th Report, HL Paper 82).

My Lords, I am sure that the whole House will very much appreciate the sensible comments of the noble Lord, Lord Hannay of Chiswick. It has been some time between the publication of the report in January and this debate. Perhaps there is an important point there about the need...

My Lords, I am sure that the whole House will very much appreciate the sensible comments of the noble Lord, Lord Hannay of Chiswick. It has been some time between the publication of the report in January and this debate. Perhaps there is an important point there about the need...

My Lords, as always, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, and to other noble Lords who have spoken, particularly the noble Lord, Lord Judd, and my noble friend Lord Dykes who are members of the committee. I am grateful that we have had an opportunity to debate...

My Lords, as always, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, and to other noble Lords who have spoken, particularly the noble Lord, Lord Judd, and my noble friend Lord Dykes who are members of the committee. I am grateful that we have had an opportunity to debate...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, and his committee for this report. It is clear from what he said that there has been some helpful progress over the past few months, and I hope that the Minister will be able to provide an update...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, and his committee for this report. It is clear from what he said that there has been some helpful progress over the past few months, and I hope that the Minister will be able to provide an update...

The noble Lord is moving on from the question of Somali piracy, so I must draw his attention to the fact that he has not answered the main point that I made. One can have two views about whether it is meaningful to say that there is no direct evidence...

The noble Lord is moving on from the question of Somali piracy, so I must draw his attention to the fact that he has not answered the main point that I made. One can have two views about whether it is meaningful to say that there is no direct evidence...

I am sorry; I am just coming to the end. I just was saying that I still find it very odd—it would be helpful if the Minister would reply on this point—that the Government do not consider that an SAR should be filed in such circumstances.

I am sorry; I am just coming to the end. I just was saying that I still find it very odd—it would be helpful if the Minister would reply on this point—that the Government do not consider that an SAR should be filed in such circumstances.

My Lords, the noble Lord would never expect any obfuscation from me. He is a very distinguished former civil servant from the Foreign Office, a department which also has never obfuscated in any way whatever. I would prefer it if he would wait for a response from my honourable friend...

My Lords, the noble Lord would never expect any obfuscation from me. He is a very distinguished former civil servant from the Foreign Office, a department which also has never obfuscated in any way whatever. I would prefer it if he would wait for a response from my honourable friend...

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to promote greater international military co-operation on pre-emptive action to prevent piracy off the coast of Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to promote greater international military co-operation on pre-emptive action to prevent piracy off the coast of Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage parties in Somalia, including the Kenyan armed forces, to facilitate humanitarian access in South Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage parties in Somalia, including the Kenyan armed forces, to facilitate humanitarian access in South Somalia.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what grants they have made to the Somali Diaspora UK and the Council of Somali Organisations; and whether they will consider applications for assistance from United Kingdom Somaliland organisations.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what grants they have made to the Somali Diaspora UK and the Council of Somali Organisations; and whether they will consider applications for assistance from United Kingdom Somaliland organisations.