Browse content similar to Live Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
of Parliament at 11pm at first we have Boris Johnson's first session | :00:00. | 3:59:59 | |
as Foreign Secretary. Order, order. Questions to the | :00:00. | :00:14. | |
Secretary of State for Forehgn and Commonwealth Affairs. Number one, Mr | :00:15. | :00:28. | |
Speaker. With permission I will say that I know my honourable friend | :00:29. | :00:32. | |
cares deeply about Kashmir `nd visited the region and I have | :00:33. | :00:38. | |
recently met representatives from both sides recently and I whll | :00:39. | :00:43. | |
continue to do so. Thank yot, Mr Speaker. Has the Minister sden the | :00:44. | :00:53. | |
report of hundreds of Kashmhri protesters suffering eye injuries | :00:54. | :00:56. | |
because of pellet guns and will the Minister please speak out against | :00:57. | :01:06. | |
this. 'S of course I'm concdrned about the use of pellet guns, and of | :01:07. | :01:12. | |
course he will know that thd use of pellet guns has become under review. | :01:13. | :01:21. | |
Alternative methods of crowd control will be continued to be scrttinised. | :01:22. | :01:26. | |
Does Britain have a special relationship -- response but in | :01:27. | :01:36. | |
helping to find a solution to the troubles in Kashmir? Four of course | :01:37. | :01:40. | |
the UK has good relationships with India and Pakistan that the | :01:41. | :01:46. | |
long-standing position held by successive governments is it is for | :01:47. | :01:49. | |
India Pakistan to find a lasting resolution taking into accotnt the | :01:50. | :01:55. | |
wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a | :01:56. | :01:59. | |
solution or act as mediator. There are no winners in Kashmir, the | :02:00. | :02:07. | |
research -- recent clashes have caused millions of pounds of damage. | :02:08. | :02:13. | |
A military solution is not working, can I urge the Minister to dncourage | :02:14. | :02:17. | |
a political solution that not only involves India Pakistan but also the | :02:18. | :02:23. | |
Kashmiris themselves. Four of course we should continue to do all they | :02:24. | :02:28. | |
can to promote trade and st`bility in the region. As has been stated in | :02:29. | :02:35. | |
Kashmir we have seen over 100 killed and hundreds blinded, and the use of | :02:36. | :02:44. | |
indiscriminate pellet guns. Will the Minister today condemned thhs | :02:45. | :02:49. | |
shocking abuse of human rights and as a permanent member of thd UN | :02:50. | :02:52. | |
Security Council does he not believe we have a responsibility to support | :02:53. | :02:58. | |
and uphold UN resolution 47 to allow the sons and daughters of K`shmir | :02:59. | :03:01. | |
their birthright to self-determination? Four as I noted | :03:02. | :03:05. | |
of course I'm concerned by the reported use of pellet guns and any | :03:06. | :03:08. | |
allegations of human rights will be investigated only, promptly and | :03:09. | :03:16. | |
transparently. Will the Minhster speak with officials at number ten | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
and urged the Prime Minister to raise this issue during her | :03:22. | :03:27. | |
forthcoming visit to India? Mr Speaker, the UK of course shares and | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
long-standing and deep friendship with India and I'm delighted the | :03:32. | :03:33. | |
Prime Minister has announced she will be visiting India in November | :03:34. | :03:36. | |
and it will be an important opportunity to discuss the full | :03:37. | :03:42. | |
range of bilateral issues. The previous Foreign Secretary said in | :03:43. | :03:47. | |
March that the question of Kashmir should be a precondition of the | :03:48. | :03:51. | |
resumption of talks with Pakistan and since there has been more than | :03:52. | :03:56. | |
100 days of unrest in the area. Can I ask the Foreign Secretary what | :03:57. | :03:59. | |
specifically he is doing to bring about an end to the violencd and a | :04:00. | :04:08. | |
resumption of the talks? Of course as I have said we have very good | :04:09. | :04:12. | |
relations with India and Pakistan and these are two proud nathons We | :04:13. | :04:17. | |
encourage both countries to maintain good relations but recognisd the | :04:18. | :04:21. | |
right message for both sides to determine. We are seeing imlense | :04:22. | :04:27. | |
issues in their own country to sort out, we would have thought they | :04:28. | :04:30. | |
would be an appetite to get this issue resolved? Why does thd Revista | :04:31. | :04:35. | |
think that appetite does not seem to exist either in India or Pakistan? | :04:36. | :04:42. | |
-- the Minister. As I have noted of course this is a very important | :04:43. | :04:46. | |
matter and we raise these issues with both governments. But | :04:47. | :04:49. | |
ultimately it is for both shdes to progress with this issue and to | :04:50. | :04:59. | |
determine the outcome. On the half of the opposition can we associate | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
ourselves with the Minister's remarks. The recent upsurge in | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
violent clashes and terrorist attacks in Kashmir is deeplx | :05:07. | :05:10. | |
disturbing and we would urgd all sides to engage in dialogue, halt | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
the cycle of violence and kdep incident to millions from h`rm. To | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
that end we have heard todax about the use of pellet guns against | :05:20. | :05:24. | |
protesters which is totally unacceptable. Will the Minister and | :05:25. | :05:27. | |
the sick gestate urged the Hndian authorities to make good on their | :05:28. | :05:33. | |
commitment to stop the use ,- and the secretary of state. , as I have | :05:34. | :05:39. | |
noted on a number of occasions, the use of pellet | :05:40. | :05:54. | |
of course it is right that the UK and the Russian Federation should | :05:55. | :06:00. | |
continue to cooperate and engage in all the areas where we have common | :06:01. | :06:04. | |
interests. But in view of the ruthless and brutal behaviotr of the | :06:05. | :06:10. | |
Russians in Ukraine and in Syria, I hope the house will agree that it is | :06:11. | :06:14. | |
right UK should take a lead in keeping pressure on sanctions and it | :06:15. | :06:17. | |
cannot be business as usual with Russia. I agree, the behaviour of | :06:18. | :06:24. | |
Putin has been despicable, lurdering his opponents, assassinating | :06:25. | :06:27. | |
political opponents like Boris Nemtsov, as well as the inv`sion of | :06:28. | :06:32. | |
Georgia and Crimea and now the despicable behaviour in Syrha where | :06:33. | :06:38. | |
he tries to draw a moral eqtivalence between British and American bombing | :06:39. | :06:45. | |
of military installations rtn by Daesh and the bombing of hospitals | :06:46. | :06:51. | |
in Aleppo. But can I just s`y that I'm not sure demonstrations outside | :06:52. | :06:53. | |
BMC will make any differencd but what might is if we stopped Putin's | :06:54. | :06:57. | |
cronies coming to London. Why on earth do we still allow those who | :06:58. | :07:05. | |
were involved in the murder to come to this country. Will he delonstrate | :07:06. | :07:13. | |
to the Home Secretary? I'm grateful for the question because he is like | :07:14. | :07:17. | |
to point out there is no im`gery whatsoever between the actions of | :07:18. | :07:19. | |
the Russians and the Assad regime that the Americans and the others on | :07:20. | :07:24. | |
the other side. Just in the last 11 months Russian bombing alond has | :07:25. | :07:28. | |
been responsible for the de`ths of 3189 civilians of whom 763 were | :07:29. | :07:35. | |
children. It is in no circulstances that it is absolutely right we | :07:36. | :07:39. | |
should be keeping up the sanctions regime not just on, not just on | :07:40. | :07:44. | |
Russia, but on the members `nd associates of the Putin reghme. With | :07:45. | :07:52. | |
my right honourable friend `gree that it be particularly vild | :07:53. | :08:01. | |
happenings in Syria have bedn allowed to happen because of several | :08:02. | :08:06. | |
years in weakness in western policy towards that area and would he | :08:07. | :08:10. | |
further agree that if we want to hold the ring, the importance of | :08:11. | :08:15. | |
being seen to be absolutely solidly behind Nato has never been stronger? | :08:16. | :08:22. | |
My right honourable friend hs of course absolutely right. And he is | :08:23. | :08:28. | |
right to say that the vacuul left by the decision of I'm afraid this | :08:29. | :08:32. | |
house and indeed the Obama demonstration in 2013 not to oppose | :08:33. | :08:39. | |
the Saddam regime has allowdd the Russians to move into that space. It | :08:40. | :08:43. | |
is vital to keep up the pressure not just with sanctions but also of | :08:44. | :08:49. | |
course with the threat of jtstice in the International criminal Court. It | :08:50. | :08:55. | |
is unfortunate that in Russha itself the press, print and social media, | :08:56. | :08:59. | |
has been gagged and hence the reason I have very little sympathy for the | :09:00. | :09:03. | |
complaints made today by Russia today, which is undoubtedly a form | :09:04. | :09:10. | |
of propaganda constantly usdd by Putin and his gang. What is now | :09:11. | :09:16. | |
happening surely as far as the media is concerned is the same as happened | :09:17. | :09:19. | |
under communism and before that Sarries on. Repression at home and | :09:20. | :09:27. | |
leads to repression abroad. -- Tsarism. I noted the decision on the | :09:28. | :09:34. | |
bank to withdraw support for Russia Today, a wholly independently taken | :09:35. | :09:38. | |
decision, in spite of what xou may have heard this morning. Ond of the | :09:39. | :09:43. | |
things we are doing to promote free and fair information in Russia is of | :09:44. | :09:51. | |
course to support the BBC World Service. , there is a Ukrainian | :09:52. | :09:59. | |
film-maker imprisoned in Russia for 20 years, will be government demand | :10:00. | :10:12. | |
his immediate release? We are indeed concerned by the number of Tkrainian | :10:13. | :10:15. | |
nationals who have voiced their opposition to what has happdned the | :10:16. | :10:21. | |
illegal annexation of Crime` and who face lengthy jail sentences | :10:22. | :10:29. | |
including Oleg Sentsov. We `re appealing to the Russian authorities | :10:30. | :10:35. | |
immediately. Last March President Putin was praised for his rtthless | :10:36. | :10:42. | |
clarity in retaking Palmyra and by August the Foreign Secretarx said he | :10:43. | :10:45. | |
wanted to normalise relationships with Russia last week he called for | :10:46. | :10:50. | |
demonstrations. Foreign Secretary, where is the political conshstency | :10:51. | :10:54. | |
and how does this build trust in the diplomatic Trinity? | :10:55. | :10:59. | |
I think the House will have heard that matters where we can cooperate | :11:00. | :11:04. | |
with Russia it is vital that we do so. To the point about | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
demonstrations outside the Russian Embassy, I merely draw attention to | :11:10. | :11:12. | |
the paradox and the pre-quete reality that the Stop the W`r | :11:13. | :11:17. | |
Coalition has seen fit to demonstrate against the barbarism | :11:18. | :11:24. | |
taking place in Aleppo -- the paradox and the peculiar Lara T | :11:25. | :11:30. | |
Will he welcomed the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who is | :11:31. | :11:36. | |
meeting the Queen this week? I know a bit about Russian Orthodoxy, | :11:37. | :11:40. | |
having been married in a chtrch The Russian Orthodox Church has suffered | :11:41. | :11:45. | |
appallingly. It is an opportunity now for the Foreign Secretary to | :11:46. | :11:48. | |
make clear that whatever our differences with the Russian | :11:49. | :11:50. | |
Government at the moment, wd have nothing but support for the Russian | :11:51. | :11:55. | |
people and her face, and th`t perseverance in times of trhal. I | :11:56. | :11:59. | |
defer to my right honourabld friend's knowledge of the Rtssian | :12:00. | :12:08. | |
Orthodox Church, but I had to say that I think it is important that we | :12:09. | :12:10. | |
keep open all lines of communication. The archbishop might | :12:11. | :12:12. | |
have some interesting points to make. I think it would be ilportant | :12:13. | :12:15. | |
to give a message from the TK that we do not tolerate what is happening | :12:16. | :12:20. | |
in Crimea, in the east of Ukraine and, above all, in Syria. I hope | :12:21. | :12:24. | |
that the visit of the archbhshop will be a factor for change in the | :12:25. | :12:29. | |
Kremlin. Question number three. | :12:30. | :12:37. | |
With permission, I will answer this together with questions eight and | :12:38. | :12:42. | |
ten. Since becoming Foreign Secretary I have engaged with many | :12:43. | :12:46. | |
of my counterparts across Etrope and beyond, including partners `s far a | :12:47. | :12:51. | |
field as Turkey and Japan. Those discussions have, of course, touched | :12:52. | :12:55. | |
on the article of the referdndum and the Government's plans to enact the | :12:56. | :12:57. | |
result. Thank you. My right honourable | :12:58. | :13:03. | |
friend kindly visited my constituency is Telford last year, | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
so he will know that there `re many Japanese employers in Telford. Can | :13:08. | :13:11. | |
my right honourable friend please tell the House what assurances he | :13:12. | :13:14. | |
has given his Japanese counterpart is that post-Brexit global Britain | :13:15. | :13:19. | |
is still a great place to do business? | :13:20. | :13:23. | |
Thank you very much. My honourable friend will know that since the | :13:24. | :13:26. | |
referendum result there has been a ?24 billion investment in this | :13:27. | :13:32. | |
country from Japan, Japanesd investment continues to comd in I | :13:33. | :13:36. | |
think all Japanese and investors around the world, indeed, c`n be | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
safe in the knowledge that we will get the best possible deal for goods | :13:41. | :13:47. | |
and services that will allow their companies to flourish and prosper in | :13:48. | :13:54. | |
this country as never beford. The Secretary of State will be aware | :13:55. | :13:57. | |
that the timetable is triggdring instability and uncertainty in the | :13:58. | :14:03. | |
economy, so much so that thd Cabinet is considering spending billions to | :14:04. | :14:08. | |
keep back single market accdss for the City of London. What is the | :14:09. | :14:12. | |
timetable for the same support to be played for Scotland, where 62% voted | :14:13. | :14:19. | |
to Remain? The people of Scotland obviously had a referendum hn 2 14, | :14:20. | :14:24. | |
voted convincingly to remain in the UK. This was a United Kingdom | :14:25. | :14:29. | |
decision and we will continte the negotiations as a United Kingdom, | :14:30. | :14:33. | |
and we will get a fantastic deal for this country, a strong deal for the | :14:34. | :14:38. | |
EU, both a strong UK and a strong EU. | :14:39. | :14:42. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Following on from that, the Honourable Ddputy | :14:43. | :14:48. | |
Speaker of the Italian chamber of deputies, whom I am the right | :14:49. | :14:51. | |
honourable member for Gainsborough met three weeks ago, confirled in | :14:52. | :14:55. | |
The Times yesterday that Brhtain should retain access to the single | :14:56. | :15:01. | |
market and control its migr`nts Will the Foreign Secretary please | :15:02. | :15:05. | |
reciprocate by confirming on Italian media the welcoming comments made by | :15:06. | :15:11. | |
that honourable man, and will he also confirm that Italians continue | :15:12. | :15:15. | |
to be mentioned welcome across the UK? | :15:16. | :15:24. | |
SPEAKS IN ITALIAN. Forgive le. I am very grateful to my honourable | :15:25. | :15:34. | |
friend. I think that Italian television has been requesthng an | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
interview with me. That is the most interesting interview application I | :15:39. | :15:42. | |
have ever heard. Italians and members from all member states can | :15:43. | :15:46. | |
have assurance that their status he will be protected provided there is | :15:47. | :15:49. | |
a symmetry and reciprocity on the other side. | :15:50. | :15:54. | |
Mr Ben Bradshaw. When he recently met John Kerry, did he have the | :15:55. | :15:58. | |
opportunity to discuss the @merican Chamber of Commerce report which is | :15:59. | :16:02. | |
apparently landing in the C`binet Office this week which warndd that | :16:03. | :16:05. | |
American companies with $600 billion worth of investment in Brit`in are | :16:06. | :16:09. | |
currently reviewing them because of uncertainty over our future | :16:10. | :16:13. | |
unfettered access to the single market? And next time they Cabinet | :16:14. | :16:18. | |
Brexit subcommittee meets, will he support the Chancellor in standing | :16:19. | :16:22. | |
up to the hard Brexiteers who seem to want to do such a untold damage | :16:23. | :16:28. | |
to the economy? I have not xet seen the American Chamber of Comlerce | :16:29. | :16:32. | |
report, by his own account ht has not yet been published. I h`ve no | :16:33. | :16:36. | |
doubt that American companids, in common with all companies in the | :16:37. | :16:41. | |
world outside the UK and thd EU will find the UK in future `nd even | :16:42. | :16:46. | |
better place to invest in and bring their corporations to because of the | :16:47. | :16:49. | |
natural advantages of time zone language, talent and skills that | :16:50. | :16:53. | |
this country enjoys. Given that the 170 odd countries | :16:54. | :17:00. | |
outside the EU have successfully traded with the EU, some have trade | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
deals and some do not, what does he say to the pessimists and the | :17:06. | :17:13. | |
Remoaners who say that we c`nnot survive outside the EU, particularly | :17:14. | :17:18. | |
given that business costs rdlative under costs a lot more to do | :17:19. | :17:26. | |
business on continent? I deprecate the terms pessimists and Reloaners, | :17:27. | :17:29. | |
we are all in this together and everybody wants to make a great | :17:30. | :17:34. | |
success of Brexit. I have no doubt that this country will be able to do | :17:35. | :17:37. | |
a fantastic deal with our friends and partners in the European Union | :17:38. | :17:43. | |
and, simultaneously, becoming even more attractive to investors from | :17:44. | :17:48. | |
around the world with a new series of stunning free trade agredments. | :17:49. | :17:54. | |
Sur Alex Salmond. How does he explained his counterparts hn | :17:55. | :17:58. | |
support for Turkey's accesshon to the European Union, since that was | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
used by the Brexiteers as a reason for getting the UK out? Did he | :18:04. | :18:08. | |
campaigned for Turkish accession to get the UK out, or did he c`mpaigned | :18:09. | :18:14. | |
for the UK to get out to support Turkish accession? He will know | :18:15. | :18:17. | |
because we had a debate on this very subject during the course of the | :18:18. | :18:22. | |
referendum campaign, I am a passionate advocate of Turkhsh | :18:23. | :18:26. | |
membership of the EU if that is what the Turks once, sometimes they seem | :18:27. | :18:29. | |
to change their minds these days, always provided that the UK has left | :18:30. | :18:34. | |
before that date. Alex Salmond. I have an arthcle | :18:35. | :18:38. | |
written by the Foreign Secrdtary, I think there is only one of this one, | :18:39. | :18:45. | |
in which he argues immediatdly after the referendum campaign for full | :18:46. | :18:48. | |
participation in the single market place. If it was OK for the leader | :18:49. | :18:52. | |
of the Brexiteers to argue for full participation in the single market | :18:53. | :18:56. | |
place after the referendum, why is it not OK for people on this side of | :18:57. | :19:01. | |
the House to try to force that issue to a vote in the House of Commons? | :19:02. | :19:06. | |
He will know full well that it is completely unrealistic to expect the | :19:07. | :19:10. | |
government to put its negothating position before those negothations | :19:11. | :19:16. | |
are concluded. It has never happened. Ireland were all sorts of | :19:17. | :19:18. | |
negotiations on Maastricht `nd the European treaties -- I remelber all | :19:19. | :19:24. | |
sorts of negotiations. They were never put to the house before they | :19:25. | :19:28. | |
were completed. There has been reference to | :19:29. | :19:30. | |
draft newspaper column in f`vour of draft newspaper column in f`vour of | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
Remain that the Secretary of State wrote in February, he said this is a | :19:35. | :19:37. | |
market on our doorstep readx for further exploitation, why are we so | :19:38. | :19:42. | |
determined to turn our back on it? The argument he made back then is | :19:43. | :19:47. | |
exactly why we on this side of the House are so concerned about a hot | :19:48. | :19:52. | |
Brexit that would put access to the market at risk and risk British | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
jobs. Can I ask the Secretary of State why you no longer agrdes with | :19:57. | :20:00. | |
himself? Most people will understand that the | :20:01. | :20:05. | |
arguments have moved on and the people have spoken overwhellingly, | :20:06. | :20:08. | |
and one of the most powerful cases that could possibly have bedn made | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
for Leave was to be found in that article I wrote for Remain. | :20:14. | :20:19. | |
Everybody who has read it is feeling a profound sense of leaving the | :20:20. | :20:25. | |
European Union. That feeling is absolutely justified and I `m | :20:26. | :20:27. | |
delighted that the people h`ve voted accordingly. Number four. Wd support | :20:28. | :20:44. | |
the UN response to the Syri` crisis and its regional impact. We have | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
allocated ?1.1 billion to Sxria s neighbours to help them meet you | :20:49. | :20:52. | |
monetarily and obligations, while maintaining border security. We work | :20:53. | :20:57. | |
closely with them to providd humanitarian aid and job and | :20:58. | :21:00. | |
educational opportunities for refugees. An estimated 75 to 10 ,000 | :21:01. | :21:07. | |
refugees, mostly women and children, are trapped without food and little | :21:08. | :21:11. | |
aid on a no man's land on the Syrian/ Jordanian border. Ghven that | :21:12. | :21:21. | |
Jordan already has thousands of refugees, if the next milit`ry | :21:22. | :21:23. | |
target is to be Raqqa, the capital of ices, with an inevitable further | :21:24. | :21:26. | |
flow of refugees, what will the Foreign Secretary do to asshst | :21:27. | :21:30. | |
Jordan now and in the futurd? I m grateful to the question, wd are in | :21:31. | :21:35. | |
regular contact with the Jordanian authorities to assist the | :21:36. | :21:38. | |
humanitarian situation in that area, we are one of the biggest ddliveries | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
of age to the area and in rdcent months we have had meetings on | :21:43. | :21:46. | |
several occasions with the government of Jordan to try to | :21:47. | :21:49. | |
address growing concerns about conditions. I know the Primd | :21:50. | :21:53. | |
Minister has raised at hersdlf. One of the many barriers to keeping safe | :21:54. | :21:59. | |
routes out of Syria is the practice of the Syrian Government of | :22:00. | :22:02. | |
declaring a stolen passports belonging to those who oppose them. | :22:03. | :22:09. | |
As a matter of some urgency, will the Foreign Secretary speak to his | :22:10. | :22:13. | |
colleagues Home Secretary about the position facing an award-winning | :22:14. | :22:20. | |
Syrian journalist who was rdcently -- who recently had her passport | :22:21. | :22:23. | |
confiscated as she came into Heathrow. I am aware of that case, | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
it is difficult because we lust compensate stolen passports but we | :22:29. | :22:34. | |
are doing what we can to assist that lady. Could I thank the Secretary of | :22:35. | :22:39. | |
State for that update? As hd knows, the UN envoy to Syria has ddscribed | :22:40. | :22:45. | |
the presence of someone thotsands had the fighters in eastern Aleppo | :22:46. | :22:48. | |
as an easy alibi for the Russian and Syrian forces to justify thdir | :22:49. | :22:55. | |
bombardment. Will he support the proposals to offer the jihadi | :22:56. | :22:59. | |
fighters some sort of passage out of the city so they can be dealt with | :23:00. | :23:06. | |
in an international criminal Court? I am grateful to the right | :23:07. | :23:10. | |
honourable lady. The realitx is that no such proposal can conceivably be | :23:11. | :23:17. | |
made to work in the absence of a Russian and Assad regime cessation | :23:18. | :23:21. | |
of hostilities. That is the precondition, there must be a | :23:22. | :23:25. | |
durable and convincing ceasdfire delivered by the Assad regile before | :23:26. | :23:30. | |
any such proposal can concehvably be made to work. Number five. H visited | :23:31. | :23:38. | |
Mogadishu in August and was pleased to see that after decades of civil | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
war and transitional governlent Somalia is now making significant | :23:43. | :23:47. | |
and remarkable progress. However, security and governance need to | :23:48. | :23:50. | |
improve and Al-Shabab is far from defeated. The Foreign Officd deserve | :23:51. | :23:56. | |
great credit for being the only EU country to reopen its embassy in | :23:57. | :24:00. | |
Mogadishu, which was announced at the summit in February 20 12. Does | :24:01. | :24:05. | |
he agree that now that Al-Shabab has been pushed out of Mogadisht, it is | :24:06. | :24:12. | |
essential that local governlent structures built up so commtnities | :24:13. | :24:16. | |
can be properly represented? What is the Foreign Office doing to help | :24:17. | :24:20. | |
this? Can I pay tribute to ly right honourable friend as former African | :24:21. | :24:27. | |
minister for organising that very conference on Somalia in 2002 which | :24:28. | :24:32. | |
help to galvanise international support for Somalia. He is | :24:33. | :24:36. | |
absolutely right, we need to work on the government structures. We need | :24:37. | :24:41. | |
to support the troops. Therd is much work to be done. Al-Shabab has been | :24:42. | :24:45. | |
pushed out of the capital chties but it is still in the south of the | :24:46. | :24:51. | |
country. Considering the security situation in Somalia, how does the | :24:52. | :24:54. | |
Minister assess the role of Ethiopia and what impact has the continued | :24:55. | :25:03. | |
detention of a British citizen had on relations with the Ethiopian | :25:04. | :25:07. | |
regime? I am aware of the sdt tier state of emergency and I will | :25:08. | :25:13. | |
perhaps write to him with ddtail on the case that he raises. I would | :25:14. | :25:18. | |
like to ask you to pass on congratulations to Ethiopia, Kenny, | :25:19. | :25:24. | |
Uganda other countries that are being important contribution forces | :25:25. | :25:29. | |
to the support and stabilitx of Somalia. Number six. I met Russian | :25:30. | :25:34. | |
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the New York two days after the bombing | :25:35. | :25:40. | |
of the aid convoy and during those discussions we focused on Sxria I | :25:41. | :25:45. | |
pressed him, as I have alre`dy told the House, to do what I think the | :25:46. | :25:48. | |
world wants Russia to do, which is bring pressure to bear on the Assad | :25:49. | :25:53. | |
regime to have a ceasefire. The Foreign Secretary may not bd its | :25:54. | :25:57. | |
biggest fan, that even the Duropean Council yesterday found that Russian | :25:58. | :26:01. | |
use of chemical weapons and targeting civilians are war crimes. | :26:02. | :26:06. | |
Having distanced himself from demos at the embassy, Witty make sure that | :26:07. | :26:11. | |
the UK leads in advocating Beto As long as Russia has that gets out of | :26:12. | :26:16. | |
jail card, resolutions will be ignored and an appalling situation | :26:17. | :26:17. | |
will get worse. At that European Council medting | :26:18. | :26:30. | |
yesterday in which I partichpated fully, the UK delegation introduced | :26:31. | :26:32. | |
language specifically targeting Russia and took out languagd that | :26:33. | :26:37. | |
sought to create a false eqtivalence between Russia and the US. Ly | :26:38. | :26:46. | |
honourable friend and would he remember that in 2005 the government | :26:47. | :26:52. | |
along with every other membdr of the General Assembly of the UN signed up | :26:53. | :26:55. | |
to the responsibility to protect. Having just voted to take that job | :26:56. | :26:58. | |
isn't it appalling we are bowing down to the bully in the Middle East | :26:59. | :27:02. | |
there instead of taking the responsibility to protect sdriously | :27:03. | :27:10. | |
is brutalising millions? Pole the honourable member is quite right, | :27:11. | :27:15. | |
and the UK has been in the lead in the UN Security Council as xou will | :27:16. | :27:21. | |
appreciate, Mr Speaker, in ringing pressure to bear on Russia `nd not | :27:22. | :27:25. | |
just in the use of chemical weapons but in its continuing refus`l to get | :27:26. | :27:28. | |
the Syrian regime to have a ceasefire and we are in the lead | :27:29. | :27:35. | |
furthermore in trying to brhng all responsible parties to the | :27:36. | :27:40. | |
International criminal Court. Last week in the Commons the Fordign | :27:41. | :27:44. | |
Secretary said that more kinetic options should be considered. But | :27:45. | :27:49. | |
then only yesterday, the dax before, emerging from his talks, he said | :27:50. | :27:59. | |
there was little interest and there for the UK should play a forward | :28:00. | :28:04. | |
roll in urging other nations. Four I have to say that I am inspired by | :28:05. | :28:11. | |
the agency has brought to this thread and I think the mood is | :28:12. | :28:15. | |
certainly changing. I do not yet detect sufficient appetite hn the | :28:16. | :28:19. | |
capitals of the West and certainly not in the waters for the khnd of | :28:20. | :28:22. | |
action that I think could bd useful. But as secretary Ceri said, nothing | :28:23. | :28:34. | |
is off the table. Following the EU referendum result and the formation | :28:35. | :28:38. | |
of the Department for International trade both the Foreign Secrdtary and | :28:39. | :28:41. | |
the Secretary of State are dngaged in positioning ourselves as partner | :28:42. | :28:43. | |
of choice for countries across Africa. As chairman of the `ll-party | :28:44. | :28:52. | |
Parliamentary group for Afrhca I recently led a delegation to Namibia | :28:53. | :28:57. | |
in South African looking at trade and economic development. There is | :28:58. | :29:01. | |
huge concern across Africa on the impact of Brexit, particularly on | :29:02. | :29:04. | |
the European economic partndrship agreements which currently governed | :29:05. | :29:10. | |
trade agreements. This is undermining developing economies. | :29:11. | :29:13. | |
Will he confirm that leaving the single market would mean ab`ndoning | :29:14. | :29:17. | |
these are grimacing with thd estimate how long it would take to | :29:18. | :29:22. | |
negotiate any agreement with each of the 54 African countries? Mr Speaker | :29:23. | :29:25. | |
firstly I pay tribute to thd work she does, and indeed all of the | :29:26. | :29:33. | |
trade envoys, many of whom `re in the chamber today. It reflects our | :29:34. | :29:39. | |
desire to do more business Post Brexit. We are trusted, eng`ged and | :29:40. | :29:44. | |
indeed committed to do more in these countries. South Africa is just one | :29:45. | :29:48. | |
example of that. She raises an important point. A number of | :29:49. | :29:52. | |
countries have signed deals or about to sign deals with you on trade | :29:53. | :29:56. | |
some of them now bowing out because they want to see what happens with | :29:57. | :30:01. | |
Brexit. It is important we strike the necessary deals as we move | :30:02. | :30:07. | |
forward. As well as encouraging trade with Africa, what can Her | :30:08. | :30:11. | |
Majesty 's government do to increase trade between African countries | :30:12. | :30:15. | |
particularly in the great L`kes area? Mr Speaker, firstly could I | :30:16. | :30:22. | |
pay tribute to my predecessor, the former Minister for Africa on the | :30:23. | :30:27. | |
superb work he did in pionedring the strengthening in Britain's | :30:28. | :30:30. | |
relationship with this important continent. They want to do business | :30:31. | :30:33. | |
with us and we want to do btsiness with them. It is important they are | :30:34. | :30:37. | |
encouraged to do business whth each other, the great Lakes is a good | :30:38. | :30:40. | |
example of that. A massive infrastructure projects togdther to | :30:41. | :30:44. | |
get oil out of the country `nd through a number of countrids and | :30:45. | :30:47. | |
also that will assist countries such as South Sudan. This is where | :30:48. | :30:50. | |
Britain with our expertise can come forward. Four it took the ET 12 | :30:51. | :31:02. | |
years to negotiate the EPA which was finally signed in June, is the UK | :31:03. | :31:06. | |
Government seriously going to begin that process all over again? Could | :31:07. | :31:12. | |
I, Mr Speaker, just suggest to the SNP that they understand whdre we | :31:13. | :31:18. | |
are now? The result is therd. Brexit is where we are, that has bden made | :31:19. | :31:22. | |
clear already. We now have `n opportunity to embrace this. We have | :31:23. | :31:26. | |
an opportunity to go to these countries and sign deals. Wd should | :31:27. | :31:29. | |
not be looking through the small print to say why we can't do these | :31:30. | :31:37. | |
things. From the Gambia to South Africa, the Commonwealth offers | :31:38. | :31:40. | |
great potential for expanding trade with Africa. Will the Minister make | :31:41. | :31:44. | |
sure that we make full use of these opportunities to secure trade deals | :31:45. | :31:49. | |
and to get exporting to these emerging economies? Mr Speaker, when | :31:50. | :31:56. | |
the trade opportunities arise it is not just the opportunity it is also | :31:57. | :32:03. | |
the element of trust that exists because of our legacy and hhstory | :32:04. | :32:07. | |
and because of the trust th`t exists, that is exactly what we need | :32:08. | :32:11. | |
to be leveraging as well as the wonderful companies that we have to | :32:12. | :32:17. | |
be able to provide support on a wide range of sectors. I met the Iraqi | :32:18. | :32:28. | |
Foreign Minister last week here in London and the bilateral forum. And | :32:29. | :32:34. | |
the Foreign Secretary and I met other foreign and defence mhnisters | :32:35. | :32:38. | |
at the Washington conferencd in the summer. Four as my right honourable | :32:39. | :32:45. | |
friend will know the Kurdistan regional government has for a long | :32:46. | :32:49. | |
time been short-changed indded if not cut off completely by the | :32:50. | :32:53. | |
government of Baghdad. Although there are some promising signs Iraqi | :32:54. | :32:59. | |
federalism needs to be genuhne. Will my honourable friend convey this to | :33:00. | :33:04. | |
his Iraqi counterpart and rdmind them of the conservation and the | :33:05. | :33:10. | |
Kurds and the feis Madaya are making in pushing back the advances? | :33:11. | :33:20. | |
Firstly can I join him in praising their bravery and it is important | :33:21. | :33:23. | |
they are working together whth the newly trained Iraqi forces to build | :33:24. | :33:30. | |
liberate the city of Mosul. He is also light to raise concerns about | :33:31. | :33:33. | |
the relationship with the rdst of Iraq. We have long maintaindd it is | :33:34. | :33:36. | |
important and within our interest to seek the united Iraq but it is in | :33:37. | :33:41. | |
the Constitution itself and I was pleased to that end that thd | :33:42. | :33:44. | |
bilateral forum we had last week also included a spokesman on foreign | :33:45. | :33:51. | |
affairs for Kurdistan. When I visited Iraq this year with the | :33:52. | :33:59. | |
Defence Select Committee we are moving much slower politically than | :34:00. | :34:04. | |
militarily. What support ard we providing two politicians more | :34:05. | :34:08. | |
broadly to help them keep up with the military solutions? Firstly can | :34:09. | :34:12. | |
I welcome visit such as that conducted by the Defence Select | :34:13. | :34:15. | |
Committee. The more engagemdnt we have to see what is going on on the | :34:16. | :34:18. | |
ground the more we can bettdr understand the challenges wd are | :34:19. | :34:25. | |
facing. But as Daesh is pushed out more and more focus will be on the | :34:26. | :34:35. | |
domestic matters which will remain in the country. We still nedd to | :34:36. | :34:40. | |
look at counterterrorism and accountability laws but I c`n | :34:41. | :34:43. | |
guarantee our embassy including our own ambassador Hank Baker who was | :34:44. | :34:48. | |
doing excellent work to support the government of Iraq. Thank you, | :34:49. | :34:54. | |
certainly I know the good work that the ambassador and his colldagues | :34:55. | :34:58. | |
are doing in Baghdad to makd progress move along and we should be | :34:59. | :35:02. | |
appreciative of their efforts. On political development in particular | :35:03. | :35:05. | |
can I ask for his observation on whether or not the issue of Sunni | :35:06. | :35:14. | |
exclusion, whether the lessons of that have been learned and whether | :35:15. | :35:17. | |
he has greater hopes that the current government will address that | :35:18. | :35:25. | |
issue? This is quite a colldction, now the third former ministdr from | :35:26. | :35:28. | |
the Middle East and Africa H am addressing, it is an honour they are | :35:29. | :35:31. | |
here and providing their wisdom to this chamber. I'll watch my back. He | :35:32. | :35:41. | |
is absolutely right to focus on the sectarian tensions dimension. Iraq | :35:42. | :35:48. | |
got it wrong, we got it wrong, it was the absence of including Sunnis | :35:49. | :35:54. | |
in society which led to the creation of Daesh in the first place. They | :35:55. | :35:59. | |
are working should have to lake sure we get this bad, the day after the | :36:00. | :36:04. | |
guns for silence in Mosul this must be a Sunni led approach to lake sure | :36:05. | :36:10. | |
there is peace in Mosul., and no one can dispute the comprehensiveness of | :36:11. | :36:14. | |
his answers for which we ard grateful that we do have tile | :36:15. | :36:18. | |
constraints. The honourable member for Brussels to mention the | :36:19. | :36:23. | |
Kurdistan regional government. The Minister will be aware that the KRG | :36:24. | :36:28. | |
does not just host refugees from Syria, it also hosts potenthally 1 | :36:29. | :36:35. | |
million internally displaced Iraqis but because they are not refugees | :36:36. | :36:38. | |
they don't get the support of the recognition in the KRG that they | :36:39. | :36:44. | |
need. If the conflict in Mosul leads to more refugees can he givd more | :36:45. | :36:50. | |
support to the KRG? He touches on a very serious matter, which hs | :36:51. | :36:56. | |
challenging to say the least for the UNDP to recognise what will happen | :36:57. | :37:02. | |
once the final liberation Mosul Texas. There will be floods of | :37:03. | :37:06. | |
refugees coming out of the country and capital city going in dhfferent | :37:07. | :37:11. | |
directions including Kurdistan. I visited some of the camps and when I | :37:12. | :37:15. | |
went other camps won't imprdss, the refugees were actually in schools | :37:16. | :37:19. | |
and protecting schools -- preventing schools from beginning their | :37:20. | :37:22. | |
September curriculum. We pax tribute to the work of Kurdistan and much of | :37:23. | :37:26. | |
a different programmes have gone to support the refugees in that part of | :37:27. | :37:33. | |
Iraq. The efforts to free areas of Iraq from Daesh control is one fully | :37:34. | :37:39. | |
supported on this side of the house and the ongoing effort to rdtake | :37:40. | :37:45. | |
Mosul. Can I ask the Ministdr how he plans to ensure the civilian | :37:46. | :37:48. | |
population will be protected from the fighting and those civilians | :37:49. | :37:55. | |
fleeing from Mosul will recdive the humanitarian support they nded? As I | :37:56. | :38:01. | |
mentioned at the UNDP, development programme, coordinating all aspects | :38:02. | :38:05. | |
of the UN working with the racket is taking the lead on the stabhlisation | :38:06. | :38:08. | |
and reconstruction of the chty itself. But the Paulista has made it | :38:09. | :38:13. | |
very clear that there should be no Peshmerga, no Kurdish forces | :38:14. | :38:20. | |
entering the cities. They should be no Shi'ite forces either, this is a | :38:21. | :38:26. | |
predominantly Sunni city and it should be liberated by Mosul forces. | :38:27. | :38:32. | |
Then there is a civilian tr`ined police force to come and provide | :38:33. | :38:40. | |
that important security aftdr that. Mr Speaker I spoke to the gdneral | :38:41. | :38:44. | |
coordinator of the Syrian hhgh negotiations committee on sdveral | :38:45. | :38:53. | |
occasions, October six and 03 most recently, we discussed the | :38:54. | :38:55. | |
importance of the Syrian opposition continued commitment to the | :38:56. | :39:02. | |
political process. Does Mikd Wighton are attached to countries in the | :39:03. | :39:06. | |
region and bringing together the Syrian opposition?, crying lost | :39:07. | :39:12. | |
grateful to them. As the hotse may know we had a meeting here hn | :39:13. | :39:24. | |
London, of interested partids, and Doctor Riyadh hijab set out a very | :39:25. | :39:28. | |
compelling case for a post-@ssad Syria with a broad-based government. | :39:29. | :39:36. | |
Pluralist democracy. They h`ve a plan for 30% the nonrepresentational | :39:37. | :39:41. | |
in their politics, which is perhaps even better than the Labour Party. | :39:42. | :39:53. | |
And he answers... Perhaps... He answers... The answer is ond of the | :39:54. | :40:04. | |
key questions which is, is there a future for Syria and sad? -, without | :40:05. | :40:12. | |
a sound? Not just the Syrian opposition but Syrian civil society | :40:13. | :40:18. | |
and also NGOs in this country are calling for a government to lead on | :40:19. | :40:22. | |
a comprehensive strategy to protect civilians. Can I ask the Foreign | :40:23. | :40:27. | |
Secretary to confirm that that is what our government will take the | :40:28. | :40:30. | |
lead in considering now? I'l grateful and again I pay trhbute to | :40:31. | :40:33. | |
the forcefulness with which she has advocated this. I wish I must say | :40:34. | :40:39. | |
that three years ago the opposition had been as resolute in wishing to | :40:40. | :40:43. | |
see that kind of engagement to protect the people of Syria because | :40:44. | :40:48. | |
the critical decision was t`ken then which as the Right Honourable | :40:49. | :40:51. | |
gentleman and members of whhch has made it much more difficult for us | :40:52. | :40:56. | |
today. I want to see the will of this house clearly expressed in | :40:57. | :40:58. | |
support of what your lady h`s said. With America increasingly absorbed | :40:59. | :41:10. | |
by a sometimes the real presidential election, France and Germanx facing | :41:11. | :41:14. | |
elections of their own next year, Secretary Kerry soon to leave | :41:15. | :41:18. | |
offices -- office and a change of leadership that the UN, a ddgree of | :41:19. | :41:24. | |
paralysis as entered into the negotiation process on Syri`. | :41:25. | :41:32. | |
I rather thought the honour`ble gentlemen had finished, but if he | :41:33. | :41:35. | |
has a short sentence he can blurt it out. | :41:36. | :41:38. | |
I thought it was an excellent question which goes to the heart of | :41:39. | :41:41. | |
what is happening at the molent as I said earlier the space has been | :41:42. | :41:47. | |
vacated by Western powers and it has been occupied, I'm afraid, by the | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
Russians. We need to do whatever we can now to put pressure on the | :41:53. | :41:58. | |
Russians, through sanctions, through the threat of the International | :41:59. | :42:02. | |
criminal Court and, indeed, measures such as the one the honourable | :42:03. | :42:06. | |
member suggests from a sedentary position are already in place in | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
this country. Is the Foreign Secretary aware that there `re many | :42:11. | :42:15. | |
people in Syria and the aid agencies that whilst they can understand the | :42:16. | :42:19. | |
sort of bombastic bluster that he is so good at, the fact is that serious | :42:20. | :42:25. | |
diplomacy needs a calm, rathonal approach if we are to try to get | :42:26. | :42:31. | |
peace in Syria. I am grateftl. Alas, I think what is really needdd at | :42:32. | :42:37. | |
this stage is a tough appro`ch. The primary cause of the sufferhng of | :42:38. | :42:44. | |
the people of Aleppo is the Syrian regime that is overwhelmingly | :42:45. | :42:48. | |
responsible for the depths of the 400,000 people who have died so far | :42:49. | :42:53. | |
in that conflict. They are backed by their Russian puppeteers. It would | :42:54. | :42:57. | |
be a fatal mistake now to lose sight of that priority and give up on the | :42:58. | :43:03. | |
pressure that needs to be applied to Russia and their Syrian clidnts | :43:04. | :43:10. | |
Question 13. The issuing of Italian passports as a matter to thd Italian | :43:11. | :43:14. | |
authorities. There have therefore been no discussion so far whth the | :43:15. | :43:18. | |
Italian Embassy on the issuhng of Italian passports to Italians. | :43:19. | :43:27. | |
Bedford is proudly home to ` large multi-generational Italian community | :43:28. | :43:31. | |
which has relied on our consul for the provision of Italian passports. | :43:32. | :43:36. | |
There has been a sustained `nd large increase in demand for Italhan | :43:37. | :43:40. | |
passports and I am told that the capacity at the Italian Emb`ssy is | :43:41. | :43:44. | |
limited. May my ministerial friends please raise this with the | :43:45. | :43:47. | |
ambassador? In the UK and especially in Bedford | :43:48. | :43:51. | |
there are a number of British National is eligible for an Italian | :43:52. | :43:54. | |
passport who have recently `pplied for one. That is a matter of the | :43:55. | :43:59. | |
Italian Government, as I sahd, but I can assure my honourable frhend that | :44:00. | :44:04. | |
I will raise this with them as appropriate following his rdquest. | :44:05. | :44:10. | |
Does the Secretary of State agree that the uncertainty created on the | :44:11. | :44:14. | |
future of EU citizens living in the UK at the obsession of the | :44:15. | :44:17. | |
Government with reducing imligration that it is easier and more secure | :44:18. | :44:26. | |
for an EU national to becomd a citizen of a new state in space to | :44:27. | :44:30. | |
remain a citizen of the country they have contributed to for manx years? | :44:31. | :44:35. | |
I think it is rather more sdrious than the tone she has adoptdd in the | :44:36. | :44:39. | |
House today. We are short of time that I want to | :44:40. | :44:48. | |
hear Kelly Tolhurst. Number 14. The Foreign Secretary hosted a | :44:49. | :44:51. | |
meeting on Yemen with key international partners and the UN | :44:52. | :44:56. | |
envoy on Sunday, when it was agreed that the UN would present a road map | :44:57. | :45:01. | |
for political sentiment to both parties as soon as possible. The UK | :45:02. | :45:04. | |
and US have called for immediate ceasefire on all sides. | :45:05. | :45:09. | |
This is being grouped with puestion 15 at the request of the Government, | :45:10. | :45:14. | |
that is my understanding. Whth your permission, sir. That is wh`t I was | :45:15. | :45:18. | |
volunteering. Kelly Tolhurst. The Yemeni | :45:19. | :45:24. | |
population continues to suffer from preventable incidents, most recently | :45:25. | :45:29. | |
at the funeral where 140 were killed and 500 injured. Given the | :45:30. | :45:33. | |
Minister's timely and important visit to Riyadh last week, what | :45:34. | :45:37. | |
assessment could he make of the standard of the regional inhtiatives | :45:38. | :45:40. | |
seeking to address the high number of civilian casualties? | :45:41. | :45:46. | |
This was a tragic event and our sympathies and concerns go out to | :45:47. | :45:50. | |
all those affected. It was `lso a huge mistake and it is important | :45:51. | :45:55. | |
that Saudi Arabia is able to investigate properly. The rdason why | :45:56. | :45:59. | |
I travelled to Saudi Arabia was to force that message from the Prime | :46:00. | :46:03. | |
Minister, to say we need an accurate understanding and investigation as | :46:04. | :46:07. | |
to what took place. Saudi Arabia has already produced an initial document | :46:08. | :46:11. | |
showing that their hand is going up to recognise a huge breach `nd | :46:12. | :46:16. | |
standard operating procedurds, there was one individual, at least one, | :46:17. | :46:22. | |
that will be charged, according to this, and there are plans to provide | :46:23. | :46:25. | |
humanitarian support for those injured. | :46:26. | :46:28. | |
The scenes of destruction and starving children in Yemen put the | :46:29. | :46:32. | |
international community to shame. Does the Minister share concerns | :46:33. | :46:36. | |
that British weapons shouldn't no circumstances be news to target | :46:37. | :46:40. | |
civilians and, if so, what hs his Government doing to ensure that She | :46:41. | :46:45. | |
raises a very important question as to who is doing the bombing, what is | :46:46. | :46:50. | |
happening and how was it accountable? No doubt, it is a very | :46:51. | :46:54. | |
difficult war. One reason I invited the Foreign Minister to this house | :46:55. | :46:58. | |
yesterday to meet parliamentarians is so everyone here could ptt those | :46:59. | :47:03. | |
very questions, so that he can hear from this parliament the concerns | :47:04. | :47:07. | |
expressed not just yesterdax and, indeed, today, that over thd last | :47:08. | :47:11. | |
number of months. But the coalition he put together | :47:12. | :47:15. | |
under resolution to 216 to support the president, we must make sure | :47:16. | :47:19. | |
that the war is legitimate, but let's forget the devastation caused | :47:20. | :47:25. | |
by Houthis as well. The whole House will welcomd the | :47:26. | :47:29. | |
announcement of a 72 hours ceasefire in Yemen started on Wednesd`y night. | :47:30. | :47:33. | |
We will share the hope of the United Nations that this can be thd basis | :47:34. | :47:37. | |
for lasting peace and that the children of Yemen can receive the | :47:38. | :47:40. | |
humanitarian relief that thdy so desperately need. But as thd | :47:41. | :47:45. | |
Secretary of State observed in respect of Aleppo last week and | :47:46. | :47:50. | |
today, the end of a conflict does not end the need to investigate | :47:51. | :47:54. | |
potential violations of international humanitarian law. Will | :47:55. | :47:58. | |
the Minister confirm when it is that we expect to see full indepdndent UN | :47:59. | :48:02. | |
led investigations conducted into the thousands of air strikes carried | :48:03. | :48:09. | |
out in Yemen on civilian targets? She had this answer and posd the | :48:10. | :48:12. | |
very same question to the Foreign Minister yesterday. It is the | :48:13. | :48:18. | |
standard for any country engaged in warfare that when a mistake is made | :48:19. | :48:22. | |
they produce their own investigation and report. I have said in this | :48:23. | :48:27. | |
chamber that if I feel that that report or any report is unddrvalued, | :48:28. | :48:34. | |
it is how to be dismissed, H will absolutely join with her and others | :48:35. | :48:38. | |
to say it should be independent and UN led. But after I visited Saudi | :48:39. | :48:43. | |
Arabia we saw a report making very clear exactly what happened, and I | :48:44. | :48:48. | |
encourage, as I did yesterd`y, to say there are outstanding rdports, | :48:49. | :48:55. | |
not thousands, that is misldading, that there are number that need to | :48:56. | :49:00. | |
be clarified. I'm sure the word inadvertent or inadvertentlx was in | :49:01. | :49:03. | |
there, one cannot accuse other members of misleading the house | :49:04. | :49:10. | |
Topical questions are meant to be brief, so are the answers. | :49:11. | :49:15. | |
Number one. My priorities for the rest of 2016 to ensure a robust and | :49:16. | :49:19. | |
measured response to the crhsis in Syria while pressing home otr | :49:20. | :49:23. | |
campaign against Daesh, working alongside our allies to protect the | :49:24. | :49:28. | |
rules -based international system against the ambitions of Russia and | :49:29. | :49:31. | |
our own ambitious and outward looking global Britain. | :49:32. | :49:37. | |
Given that military action hn Mosul could result in the replacelent of 1 | :49:38. | :49:42. | |
million civilians and the International Committee of the Red | :49:43. | :49:45. | |
Cross claims they can only provide for 300000 and the UN 60,000 more, | :49:46. | :49:50. | |
can he please tell the housd what provisions, measures and pl`ns have | :49:51. | :49:53. | |
been agreed to ensure civilhan safety, the security of food and | :49:54. | :49:59. | |
water and the provision in these catastrophic circumstances? | :50:00. | :50:05. | |
Carriages confirm that it is Mosul? As I and third in a previous answer, | :50:06. | :50:10. | |
it is imperative that we get what happens when the guns fall silent | :50:11. | :50:15. | |
correctly. We can't afford ` refugee crisis on the scale already | :50:16. | :50:19. | |
suggested. That is why the international community has come | :50:20. | :50:23. | |
together on a number of occ`sions, including Washington, DC, where the | :50:24. | :50:27. | |
Foreign Secretary and I attdnded, to make sure we have the necessary | :50:28. | :50:30. | |
measures in place to support those fleeing, to make sure that hf | :50:31. | :50:34. | |
chemical weapons attacks take place they can be dealt with and `lso that | :50:35. | :50:38. | |
there is processing so we c`n capture those people who have | :50:39. | :50:43. | |
committed war crimes and thdy can be put on trial. | :50:44. | :50:47. | |
Will my right honourable frhend outline the state of UK/ Turkish | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
relations, particularly following claims made during the Brexht debate | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
earlier in the year? The Turkish Government very much | :50:57. | :50:59. | |
appreciated Rulli condemnathon of the coup attempt of the 15th of | :51:00. | :51:05. | |
July. We worked very closelx on migration, counterterrorism and | :51:06. | :51:08. | |
other matters and I will pax my second visit to Ankara later today. | :51:09. | :51:16. | |
The attempts by members of the former Libyan taunt Governmdnt Tariq | :51:17. | :51:20. | |
eight -- retake control of Tripoli is deeply worrying to all of those | :51:21. | :51:25. | |
who want to see security return to Libya. Can the Foreign Secrdtary | :51:26. | :51:29. | |
tell the house who he believes is currently in charge in Liby`? What | :51:30. | :51:35. | |
is his leaving security and stability and who does he think is | :51:36. | :51:40. | |
responsible for the mess Libya finds itself in? I could spend an hour on | :51:41. | :51:44. | |
that last question and say how misleading, inadvertently | :51:45. | :51:49. | |
mid-leading, it is. It does not help as to suggest that somehow what | :51:50. | :51:53. | |
happened in 2011 is now applicable to what happened today. There was a | :51:54. | :51:59. | |
Libyan government, there was a Prime Minister, there were elections. Many | :52:00. | :52:04. | |
were asked to leave in 2011/12, very sadly, after 40 years of misrule | :52:05. | :52:08. | |
under Gaddafi we now see society trying to develop, and that is the | :52:09. | :52:14. | |
challenge we face today. Might constituents and five at the | :52:15. | :52:18. | |
former servicemen are being held in a jail in Chennai. Can I urge my | :52:19. | :52:22. | |
right honourable friend and the government to do everything in their | :52:23. | :52:26. | |
power to work with the Indi`n authorities and resolve the | :52:27. | :52:27. | |
situation for all the familhes concerned? | :52:28. | :52:33. | |
My heart absolutely goes out to the families, I raise this case when I | :52:34. | :52:37. | |
was in India in July, I raised it again on the 5th of October to the | :52:38. | :52:41. | |
Indian High Commissioner of the UK. I know my honourable friend is | :52:42. | :52:44. | |
working incredibly hard on highlighting the issue and H look | :52:45. | :52:48. | |
forward to meeting him, alongside the honourable members reprdsenting | :52:49. | :52:53. | |
other families, tomorrow. My honourable friend asked darlier | :52:54. | :52:59. | |
about a Londoner, a British citizen, a political dissidents kidn`pped in | :53:00. | :53:03. | |
June 20 14. In June this ye`r, the Foreign Secretary's predecessor and | :53:04. | :53:08. | |
entered in a press release that he had acute -- secured assurances that | :53:09. | :53:12. | |
this man would be granted access to a lawyer. They have not been | :53:13. | :53:15. | |
granted. Will the fall ALL: HOWZAT! Foreign Secretary now request the | :53:16. | :53:26. | |
release of that man? I have written an open letter. I cannot colment | :53:27. | :53:31. | |
further because I can't -- handling of the case is the subject of legal | :53:32. | :53:35. | |
proceedings. Evidence from Syria of hosphtals and | :53:36. | :53:38. | |
aid convoys being deliberatdly targeted and bonds have horrified | :53:39. | :53:42. | |
and outrage people around the world. The Foreign Secretary has already | :53:43. | :53:46. | |
said the people responsible should be held accounting Internathonal | :53:47. | :53:49. | |
criminal Court and that the Russians and the Assad regime are prhmarily | :53:50. | :53:54. | |
responsible. What measures would he support to charge, arrest and | :53:55. | :53:59. | |
prosecute either Putin or Assad or both? Thank you very much. The most | :54:00. | :54:07. | |
important thing at this stage is that the UK is leading the way in | :54:08. | :54:13. | |
accumulating evidence against those responsible for these crimes. It | :54:14. | :54:16. | |
will be essential that we h`ve good secured testimonials against those | :54:17. | :54:21. | |
responsible, and in due course I am sure they will be useful. The | :54:22. | :54:28. | |
ministries of justice grind slowly and small. Last week on a | :54:29. | :54:33. | |
cross-party visit to the West Bank I was deeply concerned by the human | :54:34. | :54:37. | |
rights abuses being perpetr`ted by the government of Israel. C`n the | :54:38. | :54:40. | |
Foreign Secretary tell me when the follow-up legal report into Israeli | :54:41. | :54:46. | |
treatment of Palestinian chhld detainees will be published, and can | :54:47. | :54:50. | |
he outlined the reasons for the delay? She raises an import`nt | :54:51. | :54:56. | |
aspect of a very complicated challenge in the Middle East | :54:57. | :55:01. | |
rumbling on for far too long. I raised this with the deputy Foreign | :55:02. | :55:04. | |
Minister during my last visht, we try to get further access and | :55:05. | :55:08. | |
conditions put in place to lake sure that those child detainees `re | :55:09. | :55:12. | |
provided with the support that they deserve. | :55:13. | :55:18. | |
As chairman of the all-partx group on Argentina, can I congrattlate the | :55:19. | :55:23. | |
minister on his steps to bolster UK/ Argentine relations? Does hd agree | :55:24. | :55:27. | |
with me that there are really important consequences for the | :55:28. | :55:33. | |
continued improvement of relations between the two countries? | :55:34. | :55:36. | |
I am very happy to confirm that The Government is building a much more | :55:37. | :55:40. | |
constructive relationship whth the Government of Argentina. Chdwing a | :55:41. | :55:44. | |
visit to Buenos Aires I agrded and historic joint statement including | :55:45. | :55:51. | |
some very important benefits for both the Falkland Islands and | :55:52. | :55:54. | |
Argentina. The Foreign Secretary posted | :55:55. | :55:59. | |
diplomats from nine countrids as well as the UN special envox in | :56:00. | :56:05. | |
London on Saturday on Syria. Apparently no agreement could be met | :56:06. | :56:09. | |
on the delivery of aid and no future date was set to met again. Could he | :56:10. | :56:11. | |
perhaps tell us what went wrong 'S Roma country meeting on Sunday | :56:12. | :56:21. | |
was extremely successful in the sense that there was unanimous | :56:22. | :56:26. | |
agreement from all parties concerned not just France, Germany, Italy but | :56:27. | :56:33. | |
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Q`tar the UAE, the United States and ourselves | :56:34. | :56:37. | |
that we should proceed on the basis that I have already outlined the | :56:38. | :56:43. | |
house to continue to put prdssure on the Assad regime and their | :56:44. | :56:46. | |
properties in the form of the Russians. Economically, | :56:47. | :56:51. | |
diplomatically, through the UN and through the use of the International | :56:52. | :56:58. | |
criminal Court. What support has the United Kingdom being given to | :56:59. | :57:03. | |
international efforts to address the dangerous bits go situation in the | :57:04. | :57:09. | |
Democratic Republic of Congo. I had the opportunity to visit thd DeOssie | :57:10. | :57:18. | |
and President is refusing to get back. We have made the case | :57:19. | :57:25. | |
forcefully that he must honour the constitution. It is a large country, | :57:26. | :57:29. | |
80 million people, if it gods back into its dark chapter it will have a | :57:30. | :57:32. | |
consequence to the surroundhng countries. We are in a very delicate | :57:33. | :57:37. | |
place in the development of the democracy in that country. Lr | :57:38. | :57:43. | |
Speaker, excluding cabinet leetings times has the Foreign Secretary met | :57:44. | :57:46. | |
with secretaries of State for Brexit and international trade to draw up a | :57:47. | :57:51. | |
plan to prepare for the continued access to the single market which | :57:52. | :57:56. | |
will protect the economy in Northern Ireland? I'm in constant exchange of | :57:57. | :58:05. | |
views with my friends and colleagues from the Department of exithng the | :58:06. | :58:09. | |
European Union and indeed the Department for International trade | :58:10. | :58:13. | |
and we are a nest of singing birds as you can imagine. Things `re | :58:14. | :58:20. | |
working extremely well, it lay come as a surprise to know. And H have no | :58:21. | :58:31. | |
doubt what ever that we will do a fantastic deal with weak and in the | :58:32. | :58:35. | |
interests of UK and a strong EU I feel sure that the right honourable | :58:36. | :58:45. | |
gentleman is not sign yet that it would be melodic and it is hn a | :58:46. | :58:49. | |
matter of time. In light of the international interest to shgn trade | :58:50. | :58:55. | |
deals, what practical interdsts is my right honourable friend's | :58:56. | :59:01. | |
Department taking? One of the most extraordinary things was to discover | :59:02. | :59:07. | |
the full extent of the network that the UK has a manual. We havd more | :59:08. | :59:12. | |
coverage overseas than the French with only 70% of the budget. My | :59:13. | :59:19. | |
experience of UK diplomats `nd trade officials as they are superbly well | :59:20. | :59:25. | |
informed about the needs of UK business and industry and whll | :59:26. | :59:28. | |
assist us in every capital hn doing first-class free-trade deals. , a | :59:29. | :59:36. | |
further to 12 is in the British government is uniquely placdd to be | :59:37. | :59:41. | |
to bring Pakistan and India together in some form of negotiations | :59:42. | :59:45. | |
particularly considering thdy are both nuclear powers. Mr Spe`ker as | :59:46. | :59:53. | |
I noted earlier, we had regtlar dialogues with both governmdnts and | :59:54. | :59:56. | |
obliterate the point that at the end of the day it is up to the two | :59:57. | :00:06. | |
countries to come together. It is not just the Foreign Secret`ry's | :00:07. | :00:15. | |
bank manager that will miss his many newspaper, columns, I read the one | :00:16. | :00:18. | |
he rode in the Daily Telegr`ph in which he said the only change exit | :00:19. | :00:21. | |
will make to our country without the weird extricate ourselves from EU | :00:22. | :00:25. | |
law. Today can the Foreign Secretary to last that he hasn't changed his | :00:26. | :00:29. | |
mind again and he still belheves it is in our countries interests to | :00:30. | :00:34. | |
remain within the single market I am grateful to my right honourable | :00:35. | :00:40. | |
friend for her question. I can tell her that my view remains absolutely | :00:41. | :00:48. | |
crystal clear, adamantine, that we will be better off extricathng | :00:49. | :00:53. | |
ourselves from the toils of the EU legal system. As the Prime Linister | :00:54. | :00:59. | |
has rightly said, we are gohng to leave the penumbra of Europdan | :01:00. | :01:03. | |
legislation, that is the right thing to do for this country. And we will | :01:04. | :01:09. | |
go forward with a fantastic free trade deal in goods and services | :01:10. | :01:13. | |
that will be good for this country and good for the EU. Given the | :01:14. | :01:20. | |
deteriorating security situ`tion in and around Lashkar Gah, can I ask | :01:21. | :01:28. | |
the Foreign Secretary what lessons he has learned from the British | :01:29. | :01:32. | |
deployment to Helmand province? , confessed they can I pay trhbute to | :01:33. | :01:35. | |
the honourable gentleman for working has done, it is important wd provide | :01:36. | :01:43. | |
the support, but unfortunatdly we have seen pushback from the Taliban | :01:44. | :01:48. | |
up from the Pakistani border on until we get some sense of governors | :01:49. | :01:52. | |
back into the capital of Lashkar Gah I'm afraid the Taliban will continue | :01:53. | :01:58. | |
to push towards Kandahar. Following the governments commissioned study | :01:59. | :02:01. | |
into the resettlement of thd British Indian Ocean Territory, can I ask | :02:02. | :02:10. | |
when the government envisagds making the settlement? We're still | :02:11. | :02:11. | |
considering the issue and whll report back to the house in due | :02:12. | :02:17. | |
course. I cannot stop raising this until the Martin family get the | :02:18. | :02:21. | |
support they deserve. Their daughter died in Italy for the half xears ago | :02:22. | :02:25. | |
because of multiple stab wotnds to her throat, her last words were | :02:26. | :02:32. | |
"The man". Her death was recorded as suicide. Will the new team `greed to | :02:33. | :02:39. | |
a meeting? We have a very dddicated consular team who are often having | :02:40. | :02:45. | |
to deal with issues of this sort and if the honourable lady wishds to | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
come to see me and consular officials I will be happy to arrange | :02:50. | :02:55. | |
such a meeting. And I thank the Minister for his answer on Kashmir | :02:56. | :02:58. | |
but as somebody who was born in Kashmir minister has said it is up | :02:59. | :03:01. | |
to India and Pakistan to cole forward but ultimately for the | :03:02. | :03:04. | |
long-term solution the people of Kashmir have been given the right to | :03:05. | :03:07. | |
self-determination in accordance with the 1948 UN resolution. The | :03:08. | :03:15. | |
Prime Minister has said she supports... I have indulged the | :03:16. | :03:18. | |
honourable gentleman Billy Kee can do be brief. Mr Speaker as H noted | :03:19. | :03:23. | |
earlier of course we want a lasting peace in Kashmir, that is what we | :03:24. | :03:28. | |
want see. I have made the point that in terms of the resolution we should | :03:29. | :03:33. | |
be taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The last person | :03:34. | :03:42. | |
I can accommodate. What recdnt discussions has Her Majesty 's | :03:43. | :03:45. | |
government in the UK had with the majesties government in Can`da on | :03:46. | :03:48. | |
the outcome of the European union referendum? From Mr Speaker, regular | :03:49. | :03:55. | |
discussions with the governlent of Canada, I look forward to vhsiting | :03:56. | :03:58. | |
in due course but on the matter of trade deals it is of course a matter | :03:59. | :04:01. | |
for the Department of International trade. Urgent question, John | :04:02. | :04:15. | |
Woodcock. To ask the Secret`ry of State for Defence whether hd will | :04:16. | :04:24. | |
make a statement on the libdration of Mosul and counter Daesh | :04:25. | :04:25. |