This House of Lords Library briefing provides background information in advance of the second reading of the Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill in the House of Lords on Friday 10 June 2016.
Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (133 KB , PDF)
The Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist). The Bill received its first reading in the House of Lords on 23 May 2016, and is scheduled to receive its second reading on 10 June 2016. The Bill seeks to make provisions enabling the Government to use frozen assets that are owned by persons involved in supplying terrorist organisations in the UK to compensate UK citizens who are victims of those organisations.
For a number of years, the victims of IRA attacks carried out using materials supplied by the former Gaddafi regime have been seeking compensation. The House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is currently investigating the role of the UK Government in seeking compensation for the victims of such attacks. In addition, a Westminster Hall debate held on 23 February 2016 considered the issue of whether Gaddafi’s frozen assets could be used to compensate the victims of the IRA Canary Wharf bombing in 1996.
Asset Freezing (Compensation) Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (133 KB , PDF)
The Labour government has called for an “improved and ambitious relationship” with Europe, including a new UK-EU security pact and stronger bilateral partnerships with partners including France, Germany and Joint Expeditionary Force allies. This briefing outlines some of the actions proposed and undertaken by the UK government to improve ties since the July 2024 general election.
While international attention has largely been focused on the Middle East and Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan continues. The UN has characterised the conflict as the “world’s largest hunger crisis”. As peace negotiations stall, concerns are rising not only for the people of Sudan but also about the conflict spreading to neighbouring states.
This briefing provides a summary of a recent report by the international children’s rights charity Save the Children entitled ‘Stop the war on children: Let them live in peace’, as well as UK government policy in this area. It has been prepared ahead of Baroness Anelay of St Johns’ (Conservative) upcoming debate on 12 September 2024 on the government’s assessment of the impact of international conflict on children and the recommendations proposed in Save the Children’s report.
