Live Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions House of Commons


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press and police. Do join me at 11pm for a round-up in both houses of

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Parliament. First, questions to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and

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his team of Ministers. Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State

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for foreign and affairs. Question one, Mr Speaker. Happy New

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Year to you. The humanitarian situation in Yemen is one of the

:00:30.:00:33.

most serious crises in the world, and UNESCO says there are 19 million

:00:34.:00:37.

people in need of help in that country. The UK is providing

:00:38.:00:42.

support. We are spending over ?100 million to provide assistance. We

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all agree that a political solution is the best way to end this

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conflict. I met with foreign Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Amman,

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the United Arab Emirates and the United States on eight under

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December, in Riyadh, as long the macro well as the UN envoy, and I

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hope to bring all parties back to the table. The humanitarian

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situation in Yemen is deteriorating, and the UN estimates that 80% of the

:01:10.:01:13.

population in Yemen is in need of humanitarian aid. Around 22 million

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people. According to the governance's own figures, British

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aid has reached less than 5% of those people. Whilst it is welcome,

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it is nowhere near enough. This is a major emergency, affecting people

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not only in Yemen, but also in my constituency. What plans does the

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Minister had to increase the people in Yemen supported by British

:01:37.:01:43.

support? She raises an important aspect of this very sad conflict.

:01:44.:01:50.

Whilst we are denied a political solution, it is the people of Yemen

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that are suffering. Because of this is the ability to get aid into the

:01:56.:02:00.

country. The main access to the majority of the country is through a

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port which is currently in boozy hands. The cranes are out of action,

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and it is there that we need to get more access through. Dash-macro

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Houthi. We need to prepare the cranes so a greater size of ship can

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get in and then equipment and support can be distributed across

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the country. I wholly endorse the remarks made by

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the honourable lady. In addition, the UN reports there may be up to

:02:33.:02:37.

370,000 starving children in Yemen. In addition to our own age, what

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discussions has my honourable friend had with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf

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states to provide significant humanitarian aid? It is fair to say

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that Saudi Arabians, and members of the coalition, whilst the headlines

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are about the military campaign that takes place on they are doing huge

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amounts to provide support for refugees in their countries, and

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also to provide humanitarian aid. Often this is done outside the

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auspices of the United Nations. During the United Nations General

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Assembly, my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State 40

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fit, held a conference to make sure that we can bring countries together

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to support Britain and our work to get aid into and across the country.

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Mr Speaker, can I thank him for his personal efforts, and that of the

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Foreign Secretary, in trying to broker a ceasefire. But that is the

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key. We need a ceasefire in the same way as Turkey and Russia managed to

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do for Syria. Have there been any further discussions with the United

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States about getting this back onto the agenda of the Security Council?

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I know the Foreign Secretary was in America at the end of last week. Was

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this raised with them, and when can we get this back for discussion at

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the UN? I think there is a further question down the line, which

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focuses on a UN Security Council resolution. Just touching on that

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now, this is our ambition, to gain a resolution which will be along the

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lines of what the road map is discussing. We met our 19th of

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December, we did confirm the direction of travel that we want to

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go. He will know because of his understanding of the country, it is

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not so simple as to suggest this is the Houthis against resident howdy

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on those on that side, but it is a complex tribal structure which

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requires the buying of many parts of the country in order to make sure

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that ceasefire and the station of hostilities can last. Can he confirm

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media reports that Iran is now publicly backing the Saudi led

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coalition attempts to bring security back to Yemen? I can confirm that

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the Foreign Minister for Oman was at the discussion, as well as a

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representative from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the key

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nations providing support, and I pictured beautiful work that Oman

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has done in bringing the Houthis to the table to attain this ceasefire.

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In accurate information has been provided to Parliament on a number

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of times. The Minister said previously he acted immediately, but

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a new Freedom of information request reveals that the Minister and former

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Foreign Secretary knew as early as the 28th of June last year that

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Parliament had been misled, but this was not corrected until the 21st of

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July. Does the Minister believe that the ministerial code was complied

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with? I am guessing from the question he puts forward that this

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is in relation to the sale of munitions. He did not explain this

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or the context, so maybe if we meet afterwards, then he can give me a

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follow-up question, or he can come to the debate on Thursday when we

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will discuss Yemen in more detail. Mr Speaker, last month the Defence

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Secretary informed the House that the Saudi government had given

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assurances they would no longer use UK manufactured last bombs. Can I

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ask the Minister if he has confirmation from the Saudis that

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they have now disposed of these weapons? They have confirmed that

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that is their intention, and hopefully for the debate on Thursday

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I will be able to ensure that that has actually happened. I will go

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further than that to say that, prior to the visit by the Prime Minister

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for the conference, I invited all of the GCC nations to sign the

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convention on cluster munitions so they can join other countries around

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the world in condemning these horrific weapon systems. 40 million

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people in Yemen, more than half the population, are today going hungry.

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In the capital residents scavenge rubbish dumps for food. Can the

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Minister tell us what progress he is making towards brokering the

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ceasefire so these people can get the help they need? This goes back

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to the original question and it is vital that we get full access to

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Sanaa. I'm fortunate, this is in the hands of the Houthis. We are unable

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to utilise the airport, which would be the best way to get into the

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country because of disagreements taking place. The sooner we can get

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all parties back around the table, then we can get this cessation of

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hostilities in place and gain that important aid into the country,

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including the capital. Let me first say that I think it would be fitting

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that the House ought to welcome the fact that, whatever else 2016 port,

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it was the first year in almost four decades when no member of our Armed

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Forces was killed in operations. Sadly, Mr Speaker, this is not

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because we live in a more peaceful world. In Yemen the conflict is as

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fierce as ever and the suffering of their children is worse than ever.

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It is the worst crisis in the world. One child dies every ten minutes

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from a lack of food. I have here the UK's draft UN resolution, which

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could bring an end to that conflict and allow the delivery of

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humanitarian relief, but there was not a single words that any

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reasonable party could disagree with, so I ask the Minister this

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question. Three months from its first appearance. Why is the UK

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still sitting on this draft resolution? Mr Speaker, the way that

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the UN resolutions are drafted is that they need to be made sure that

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they are workable, and that means that all parties must sign up and

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agree to it, otherwise it is simply just a piece of paper. For us to

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make sure that the UN resolution can stand on what we are actually

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saying, and can be enforced, you then need the parties to come round

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the table and have that cessation of hostilities. As she is right, we

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work towards the drafts, we don't increment them and will are sure

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that resolution can work in actors. I thank the Minister for that answer

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but we have heard this before. I know that the Ministers don't listen

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to their ambassadors any more these days, but this is what our UN

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ambassador said back in November. Asked what it would take to achieve

:09:46.:09:51.

a permanent ceasefire he said, "The UK will continue to support those

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efforts, including the use, if necessary, of our draft Security

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Council resolution." That was 50 days ago. 50 days of continuing

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fighting, and still we have the same old delay in tactic from this

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government. I ask again, when Bull the Foreign Secretary pull his

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finger out, present this resolution, and end what is a terrible proxy

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war? I'm sorry to use these words, but

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she is now illustrating that she does not have a grasp of the UN

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process itself and what is going on on the ground in Yemen. To suggest

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that any of us on this side of the page do not listen to our

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ambassadors, that is to mislead the House. I would invite... Order. Of

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one thing we should be clear, the Minister has a grasp of

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Parliamentary protocol. You cannot accuse somebody of misleading the

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House. Both words of wrong and both must be withdrawn. Minister. I

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withdraw those remarks. If I had inadvertently, would that work, so?

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Inadvertent leak disingenuously misleading the House. Disingenuous.

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If someone is disingenuous, there can be nothing inadvertent about it.

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I would have thought he was well educated enough to recognise that.

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Do get it right, man! The point has been made. Sorry to test your

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patience, but it is important to understand that we take the words of

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our ambassadors seriously. I spoke to Matthew Rycroft only a few days

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ago. We are the pen holders at the UN Security Council and I want to

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make sure that there is a phone call between him and the honourable lady

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so he can explain the processes of the United Nations so she becomes

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aware that we will not get a Security Council resolution passed

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until we get the cessation of hostilities in place. Progress apart

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from anything else has been clay seal. Far, far, far too slow. We

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need to speed up. Mr Speaker, the Foreign Secretary raised the case to

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do with this last year in November. Our commissioner is raising this as

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well, including discussions with North Cyprus. We will continue to

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post to see those guilty of the murder of George Lowe brought to

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justice. Can I thank the foreign office for its hard work in trying

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to secure justice for both George Lowe and Ben Barker. Natural justice

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demands that people should not be able to simply walk away from

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custody when they are accused of murder. Northern Cyprus has allowed

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this to happen with one of the suspects, and it is feared the other

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will follow. Can he reassure the families that every effort can be

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made to make Northern Cyprus halal, decency to prevail? The House will

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not be aware of this. This has been a delicate carries and I commend the

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work he has done in order to work with the families. I assure him that

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the Minister from Europe is fully engaged, as our FCO officials to

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provide support for both families. He will realise that because it

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involves North Cyprus, we cannot speak to widely of what discussions

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are taking place. I assure him we're working hard to make sure justice is

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seen to follow. This has been a complicated case, but they have been

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too many complicated cases involving British National is in the various

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different parts of Cyprus. Is not the truth of the matter that until

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we get a proper settlement of Cyprus so we no longer have a divided

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island, a divided city, there will be no long-term justice either for

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the people of this country in Cyprus or for the people of Cyprus. I hope

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the former Minister for Europe will join me in congratulating the two

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leaders that are coming together this week. I think my right

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honourable friend is going to Cyprus in order to push forward what will

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be money mental discussions that will take place. It will be provide

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that important solution. I hope that then cases such as this will be

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resolved faster. With permission, I will answer this question together

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with question 13. We are concerned by reports about the detention of

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activists in Colombia, often without trial or access to legal

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representation. The premise to raised our concerns with the

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President -- the Primus to raised concerns with the President.

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Will the Minister urged the Colombian government to release all

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civil society prisoners as soon as the? We do welcome the arrival of

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the new amnesty Bill. We believe this will lead to a new benefit for

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all citizens in the wider region as part of the Colombian peace process.

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We look forward to all aspects of that law, particularly in regards to

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disarmament and reintegration. The transition zones are an important if

:15:36.:15:41.

not crucial aspect of the peace agreement. Yet we are hearing

:15:42.:15:45.

reports of living quarters not even started, food so rotten that people

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are suffering with severe food poisoning, possibly even lethal food

:15:48.:15:55.

poisoning. Indeed water is in scarce supply. Considering this is where

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the troops are supposed to be gathering, will we put pressure on

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the Colombian authorities to ensure these transition areas are completed

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and properly stocked? We do of course have read these matters --

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raise these matters often and I will relate that back. The United Kingdom

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has supported the Colombian government throughout the difficult

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recently concluded and very welcome peace process and pledged continuing

:16:30.:16:35.

support through the UN and EU. Can the Minister outline what

:16:36.:16:43.

specifically will be supported and for the people be included in the

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discussions on how these funds are allocated? My honourable friend is

:16:48.:16:52.

right, 2016 was a historic year for Colombia and the peace deal ended

:16:53.:17:00.

the longest running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. There is a

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contribution of ?7.5 million of a trust fund with a big percentage of

:17:04.:17:15.

that going towards de-mining. There is now a paramilitary presence

:17:16.:17:23.

in several of the Colombian departments. Can we ensure that the

:17:24.:17:28.

proliferation of paramilitaries and private armies is counted and the

:17:29.:17:33.

articles of the peace process are upheld? I can confirm that we are of

:17:34.:17:40.

course concerned by reports of violence against tumour rights

:17:41.:17:43.

defenders which has increased in 2016. Of course, these attacks have

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increased in areas where they are written -- withdrawing.

:17:49.:18:03.

Mr Speaker, despite the signing of the partnership for the peace

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agreement, there were extrajudicial killings. The Saudi led coalition

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was formed following the alleged at request of the President as set out

:18:21.:18:26.

in the UN resolution to 216, added is in this context that the UK

:18:27.:18:39.

supports this. It beggars belief that the Saudi coalition is

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routinely targeting air strikes at cattle markets, dairy farms, food

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factories and other agricultural infrastructure. Can the minister

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explained why they are doing that and why we are supporting them? Mr

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Speaker, we are not supporting them doing that, as she can imagine. We

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are working very closely with the Saudi Arabians and the coalition to

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make sure that their standards of protocols to meet international

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standards that we expect, should we be involved ourselves. Much of the

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information from the battlefield is very unclear indeed, and we do

:19:18.:19:22.

enforce transparency in a way that Saudi Arabians and many other

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coalitions have never seen before. Does my honourable friend agree that

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since the Saudi led coalition intends to restore the legitimate

:19:33.:19:36.

government in the Yemen, it is clearly right and proper that we

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should support them? My right and will friend, he knows the region

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well. He is absolutely right. I will make it very clear that the

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coalition has made errors, it has made mistakes. It has not endured

:19:49.:19:53.

sustained warfare in this manner before. It is having to meet

:19:54.:19:56.

international standards like never before. It is having to provide

:19:57.:20:00.

reports on when it makes mistakes, it has never done that before. It

:20:01.:20:04.

has not had the experience of writing a report before. It is now

:20:05.:20:07.

wanted to meet those standards, wanting to work with the

:20:08.:20:11.

international community and we need to make sure that when errors are

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made, it puts it stand-up in the same way we do or the Americans did

:20:16.:20:21.

in Afghanistan a few months ago. Given that Saudi Arabia has admitted

:20:22.:20:26.

using illegal cluster bombs in Yemen, what consequence or sanction

:20:27.:20:29.

is being considered or planned by the UK government against Saudi

:20:30.:20:35.

Arabia given this breach of humanitarian law? If I may attempt

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to correct the honourable gentleman, they are not illegal because this

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country has not signed up to the Munitions Convention. Therefore, it

:20:49.:20:54.

is in their right, indeed any country's right to use these

:20:55.:20:56.

munitions if they wish. As I mentioned earlier, I have encourage

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them not only to make sure that they have actually destroyed all cluster

:21:01.:21:05.

munitions that we sold to them in the past but get rid of their entire

:21:06.:21:10.

Arsenal of cluster munitions and signed the convention. Has the

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minister spoke to the coalition about the long-standing threat from

:21:16.:21:21.

Al-Qaeda and Daesh in Yemen which threatens not only them but our

:21:22.:21:26.

security at home? In all of our discussions with Saudi Arabians,

:21:27.:21:33.

learning to conduct warfare in the standards we expect, the absence of

:21:34.:21:41.

a solution allows integration of the body such as Daesh. And also

:21:42.:21:51.

Al-Qaeda. The port was run by that terrorist organisation, and there

:21:52.:21:53.

are more terrorist attacks plotted in the peninsulas by Al-Qaeda then

:21:54.:21:59.

any other wings of Al-Qaeda itself. It is important we were called out

:22:00.:22:02.

coalition friends to make sure we defeat extremism in Yemen. Can I

:22:03.:22:09.

endeavour to make a better case for Britain's policy in the Yemen

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tragedy and the minister did in his earlier replies. Could he make clear

:22:13.:22:18.

the value to our security and also to our dynamic aerospace industry of

:22:19.:22:21.

our relationship with the Saudis and the Gulf states and also because as

:22:22.:22:31.

of the UK and the international community of the expansionist

:22:32.:22:45.

approach of the Saudi regime. They are important ally. Their security

:22:46.:22:50.

is our security. They are not used to conducting such sustained warfare

:22:51.:22:53.

and they need to learn. We are standing with them to make sure they

:22:54.:22:56.

are learning lessons and make sure that we work towards peace in Yemen

:22:57.:22:59.

for all of the reasons we have discussed in the chamber today.

:23:00.:23:08.

Number five, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, thank you. I have indeed spoken to

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the Israeli prime and -- Prime Minister on this matter on December

:23:19.:23:25.

23. I raised illegal settlements. I probably spoke for a large majority

:23:26.:23:28.

of people in this House when I said that I am a strong, passionate

:23:29.:23:33.

supporter of the state of Israel. But I also believe that the

:23:34.:23:37.

continued expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank is by

:23:38.:23:47.

no means conducive to peace. I thank him for his response. Could he

:23:48.:23:54.

further advise what assessments his government has made of the Israeli

:23:55.:24:02.

government's intent to comply with the resolution on illegal

:24:03.:24:05.

settlements? That is clearly a matter for the Israeli government. I

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will repeat our position that we believe that settlements in the West

:24:13.:24:19.

Bank are illegal and the 20th cent expansion we have seen in a

:24:20.:24:23.

settlements since 2009 is a threat to the peace process, and that is

:24:24.:24:30.

why we resolved as we did. Of course, there has been a certain

:24:31.:24:33.

amount of argument about that and a certain amount of pushback from the

:24:34.:24:38.

Israeli government. But you will find there is a wide measure of

:24:39.:24:44.

international support. It is in no way diminishing the Government's

:24:45.:24:48.

strong support for a Jewish homeland in Israel. Is there anything in the

:24:49.:24:56.

substantial analysis presented by Secretary Kerry on the 28th of

:24:57.:25:03.

December following resolution that the Foreign Secretary doesn't agree

:25:04.:25:14.

with? Let me just repeat my point which is that I think that John

:25:15.:25:22.

Kerry was completely right to draw attention to the illegal settlements

:25:23.:25:26.

and he was right to draw attention to the substance of the resolution

:25:27.:25:32.

to 334. I would remind the House that the UK was closely involved in

:25:33.:25:36.

the drafting of that resolution. It was an Egyptian generated resolution

:25:37.:25:43.

and we only supported it because it contained a new language, pointing

:25:44.:25:47.

out the information of terrorism that Israel suffers everyday, not

:25:48.:25:54.

least on the Sunday, when there was an attack injuries. I was glad that

:25:55.:25:58.

that resolution identified that aspect of the crisis in the Middle

:25:59.:26:02.

East. I think John Kerry was absolutely right to point out the

:26:03.:26:08.

rounded nature of that resolution. May I paid to beauty to John Kerry,

:26:09.:26:13.

who is shortly to step down as Secretary of State, for his tireless

:26:14.:26:20.

work for peace, not just in Israel, Palestine, but across the wider

:26:21.:26:21.

Middle East. "The Cessation of activities is

:26:22.:26:46.

essential for a resolution". Given the meetings the Foreign Secretary

:26:47.:26:50.

has had with members of the incoming administration in the US, does he

:26:51.:26:54.

think that is a view that is shared by President elect Trump? I think it

:26:55.:27:03.

is a widespread view in Washington and across the UN Security Council

:27:04.:27:10.

that settlements are illegal, and that's why the resolution went

:27:11.:27:13.

through as it did without any opposition. To answer the right

:27:14.:27:20.

honourable gentleman's question directly, frankly speaking it is too

:27:21.:27:26.

early to say exactly what the administration to be will decide on

:27:27.:27:30.

this matter, but he can rest assured that the British Government will

:27:31.:27:34.

continue to make the point that we have, not because we are hostile to

:27:35.:27:41.

Israel, on the contrary, because we wish to support the state of Israel.

:27:42.:27:46.

Let me try to get this right. The British ambassador is summoned

:27:47.:27:53.

formally in Israel because of the way the UK voted at the UN Security

:27:54.:27:58.

Council, but meanwhile in the UK, and employee of the Israeli embassy

:27:59.:28:03.

is caught on film conspiring with a British civil servant to take down a

:28:04.:28:06.

senior Minister in his own department, the chairman of the

:28:07.:28:09.

foreign affairs select committee and other members of this House, the

:28:10.:28:12.

Israeli ambassador makes a couple of phone calls and all is forgiven. Can

:28:13.:28:16.

be Foreign Secretary enlighten us on the thinking behind this? I

:28:17.:28:20.

certainly can enlighten the House in the sense that, as my right on a

:28:21.:28:26.

friend points out, the Israeli ambassador made a very full apology

:28:27.:28:32.

for what had taken place, and the gentleman in question, the diplomat

:28:33.:28:38.

in question, no longer seems to be a functionary of the embassy in

:28:39.:28:46.

London. Whatever he may exact have been doing here, his cover can be

:28:47.:28:49.

said to have been well and truly blown, and I think we should have

:28:50.:28:57.

said the matter closed. Progress is lamentably slow. One question is

:28:58.:29:01.

will be cut off because there are people lower down big paper who must

:29:02.:29:07.

be reached. If a UK embassy official had been caught on film in Tel Aviv,

:29:08.:29:13.

talking about taking down an Israeli Minister, they would have been

:29:14.:29:16.

booted out of the country without further ceremony, so why did that

:29:17.:29:19.

not happen in this case question what is the Foreign Secretary showed

:29:20.:29:25.

even a tiny bit of resolve in such matters, perhaps Israeli diplomats

:29:26.:29:28.

would not talk about him in such disparaging terms. Divide audible

:29:29.:29:37.

gentleman seems to have been failing to pay attention, which is that the

:29:38.:29:41.

Israeli diplomat in question is no longer doing his job here in London,

:29:42.:29:46.

whatever his job is, he is no longer doing it here in this city. The

:29:47.:29:51.

Israeli ambassador has made a full apology for the matter in question.

:29:52.:29:55.

I am happy to consider the matter closed. Will the Secretary of State

:29:56.:30:01.

agreed to meet with me and colleagues to discuss our graves

:30:02.:30:06.

concerned about resolution 234 for which my constituents believe will

:30:07.:30:10.

make these harder to achieve in the middle east? I am grateful, we are

:30:11.:30:20.

happy to offer exactly such a consultation with colleagues, and I

:30:21.:30:26.

know that my honourable friend the Minister has already undertaken to

:30:27.:30:30.

do just that. I am sure that the whole House will join me in

:30:31.:30:35.

condemning the horrific attack on Sunday on Israeli soldiers in

:30:36.:30:39.

Jerusalem. Mr Speaker, we will never achieve a lasting peace in the

:30:40.:30:43.

Middle East until the state of Israel, its soldiers and civilians,

:30:44.:30:47.

are free from the threat of terror. No, Mr Speaker, will be achieve that

:30:48.:30:51.

lasting peace and to all sides accept a two state solution, and

:30:52.:30:55.

until a viable Palestinian state can be built free from illegal

:30:56.:31:03.

settlements. In these allegedly frank discussions with the incoming

:31:04.:31:06.

Tom administration on Sunday, was the Foreign Secretary frank about

:31:07.:31:11.

those points to, and if so, what response did he receive? The answer

:31:12.:31:15.

is yes to the first question, and the answer to the second is wait and

:31:16.:31:17.

see. Where is the next fellow?

:31:18.:31:38.

Question seven. First of all, let me repeat the condolences that we have

:31:39.:31:41.

offered, I am sure many members will want to join me in offering to the

:31:42.:31:47.

people of Germany in the terrible attack they sustained on December

:31:48.:31:52.

19, and we continue to work with our German counterparts to strengthen

:31:53.:31:56.

our mutual security will stop we have superb relations with Germany,

:31:57.:32:04.

and it is vital, both going through the Brexit process and beyond that

:32:05.:32:07.

we deepen and intensified that friendship.

:32:08.:32:12.

May I associate myself with my right on both and's expression of

:32:13.:32:16.

condolence to the people of Burlington. Given that Germany is a

:32:17.:32:20.

net exporter to the United Kingdom, I would not want its economy

:32:21.:32:23.

affected to the imposition of tariffs must what extra is being

:32:24.:32:27.

done to build diplomatic relations for the benefit of future reciprocal

:32:28.:32:29.

free trade between our two countries? I am grateful because as

:32:30.:32:35.

my honourable friend will know very well there is now a big operation

:32:36.:32:40.

going on by UK TI, by British diplomacy, to point out the salient

:32:41.:32:46.

fact that German investment in this country is responsible for about

:32:47.:32:51.

344,000 jobs here in the UK. UK investment in Germany is responsible

:32:52.:32:56.

for 222,000 jobs. It would be the height of insanity to imperil either

:32:57.:33:01.

of those sets of investments. Mr Speaker, the Foreign Secretary

:33:02.:33:05.

spoke of the relationship with Germany as being a very good and

:33:06.:33:11.

very special one, but isn't it the fact that many leading Germans are

:33:12.:33:15.

concerned about Britain leaving the EU and the impact that has on the

:33:16.:33:21.

security of Europe, particularly our commitment to Nato, given the

:33:22.:33:25.

instability that we see in Russia? Well, I think the right on gentleman

:33:26.:33:33.

asked and astute question. Of all the countries in Europe that care

:33:34.:33:37.

about our departure, I would say it is certainly the Germans that have

:33:38.:33:41.

been most psychologically and emotionally affected by the

:33:42.:33:44.

referendum result. That is why I think my honourable friend's friend

:33:45.:33:57.

is so astute. We contribute 25% of the EU's defence expenditure, but

:33:58.:34:02.

that will continue because we may be leaving the EU, but we are not

:34:03.:34:07.

leaving Europe. Our commitment to your's defence is undiminished.

:34:08.:34:16.

Question eight. Thanks to our historical

:34:17.:34:19.

connections, our shared economic interests that include foreign

:34:20.:34:24.

policy, defence, security, trade and culture, we have exceptionally

:34:25.:34:26.

strong relationships with our GCC nations. This was reflected in the

:34:27.:34:32.

warm reception the Prime Minister received when she attended the GCC

:34:33.:34:35.

summit in November, and established a new UK GCC strategic partnership.

:34:36.:34:43.

So does the Minister agree with me that Britain has a unique

:34:44.:34:47.

competitive advantage in securing a free-trade agreement with the GCC

:34:48.:34:52.

due to those desired sectors, our long-standing friendship, and also

:34:53.:34:58.

the GCC's own desire for economic diversification? My honourable

:34:59.:35:00.

friend is absolutely right, and that is one of the reasons why the

:35:01.:35:03.

Chancellor visited the region a couple of weeks ago, to enforce

:35:04.:35:07.

those exact points. I am sure that once the Brexit discussions have

:35:08.:35:10.

moved forward that one of the first areas that will be consolidating in

:35:11.:35:15.

the trade agreement will be with GCC nations.

:35:16.:35:23.

In December, the spokesman for the Prime Minister said this was not the

:35:24.:35:29.

governor's view, so whose view was the Foreign Secretary expressing?

:35:30.:35:34.

Further to our relationships with the GCC nations, these are countries

:35:35.:35:38.

that are advancing, these are very new. Saudi Arabia only became an

:35:39.:35:42.

independent country in modern times in 1932. It is because of this close

:35:43.:35:47.

relationship that we have in a wide variety of sectors and the trust

:35:48.:35:51.

that we have, that we are encouraging these countries to

:35:52.:35:53.

advance in government systems as well. The diplomatic stature of the

:35:54.:36:02.

GCC has risen to six only -- significantly into recent years, not

:36:03.:36:15.

least due to... With regard to the impasse in Middle East states, does

:36:16.:36:20.

he believe the time is now right for Arab states and GCC to make an

:36:21.:36:25.

approach and initiative to move this process forward? I know this is

:36:26.:36:30.

something that is close to his heart and he worked hard on this when he

:36:31.:36:34.

was the Minister for the middle east, and he is right, that as the

:36:35.:36:39.

GCC grows in Powys and strength, and in its authority, it has an

:36:40.:36:43.

important role to play in arguably what is one of the longest concerns

:36:44.:36:46.

that has been running since the occupation began of the occupied

:36:47.:36:54.

territories, a visitor years ago, and in this year that we mark the

:36:55.:36:59.

declaration, I hope this is the year that we make progress.

:37:00.:37:08.

The GCC countries have in excess of 100,000 troops, they are up against

:37:09.:37:13.

a rebel group in Yemen who have been involved in killings, who are trying

:37:14.:37:15.

to overthrow the country, who are involved in torture and the report

:37:16.:37:21.

puts the number of child soldiers in the rebel group at 30%. Isn't that

:37:22.:37:26.

the biggest challenge, and shouldn't we be supporting the GCC? I agree

:37:27.:37:32.

that it is one of the biggest challenges. We forget that this is

:37:33.:37:35.

their neighbourhood. This is their backyard. This is where they want to

:37:36.:37:39.

make sure that they have security, in the same way that we want

:37:40.:37:43.

regional security, wherever that may be. Certainly near where we live and

:37:44.:37:47.

work and want to raise families. That is the same in GCC nations, and

:37:48.:37:51.

it is something I will explore more when we have this debate on

:37:52.:37:53.

Thursday. Question nine.

:37:54.:38:04.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have as you can imagine, regular

:38:05.:38:07.

consultations about the future shape of our diplomatic nations with the

:38:08.:38:13.

rest of the EU, but the honourable lady should understand that we may

:38:14.:38:19.

be leaving the EU but we are not leaving Europe we will continue to

:38:20.:38:22.

collaborate on all the issues that are vital in macro fight the

:38:23.:38:29.

important to us. I welcome that answer. Free movement is a key issue

:38:30.:38:35.

for our discussions with our EU counterparts. Has the Government

:38:36.:38:38.

considered therefore that in order to get the best possible access to

:38:39.:38:43.

the European single market, proposing a managed migration

:38:44.:38:46.

system, which still gives preference to EU workers, welcoming those with

:38:47.:38:50.

high skills but limiting the numbers of lower skilled workers coming into

:38:51.:38:56.

work? I hope she will forgive me that this would come under the

:38:57.:38:59.

category of giving a running commentary on our negotiations. We

:39:00.:39:06.

cannot do that and the right honourable lady on the front bench

:39:07.:39:10.

says Brexit means Brexit and she is perfectly right.

:39:11.:39:19.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. With my right honourable friend agree that, given

:39:20.:39:24.

the trade ties she has already mentioned, and the fact that we are

:39:25.:39:28.

your's largest dispense contributor, we shouldn't has to make deals on

:39:29.:39:32.

immigration and free movement in order to secure a good trade

:39:33.:39:35.

agreement with our allies and friends in Europe. May I begin by

:39:36.:39:42.

congratulating my right honourable friend on his well-deserved

:39:43.:39:46.

knighthood in the New Year's honours list, and I think he speaks very

:39:47.:39:52.

good sense. I hesitate to... In fact I will agree with him completely

:39:53.:39:57.

without being convicted of giving a running commentary on our

:39:58.:39:59.

negotiations, so thank you very much.

:40:00.:40:03.

Has the Foreign Secretary given any commentary at all to his own

:40:04.:40:08.

officials such as Sir Ivan Rogers, who left the service because he said

:40:09.:40:12.

that he had not been given any sense of what the negotiating objectives

:40:13.:40:17.

were of the Government. Could you perhaps give a clue as to what the

:40:18.:40:24.

Department intends to do? I must tell the right honourable gentleman

:40:25.:40:28.

that if you consult the speeches of the Prime Minister more closely, he

:40:29.:40:35.

will discover a wealth of information about our negotiating

:40:36.:40:39.

position, but I do not honour since he has not bothered to do that, I do

:40:40.:40:42.

not propose to enlighten him. Except to say that Sir Ivan Rogers did an

:40:43.:40:49.

excellent job, he always gave me very good advice. I think his

:40:50.:40:55.

reasons for stepping down early work persuasive. Said Tim Barrow as

:40:56.:41:00.

anyone has worked with him, and people on both sides of the House

:41:01.:41:06.

will have done, we'll know he is an outstanding public servant with

:41:07.:41:11.

long-standing experience of UK representation in Brussels, and will

:41:12.:41:14.

do a superb job in the forthcoming talks.

:41:15.:41:19.

I'm sure my honourable friend will agree that not only diplomatic

:41:20.:41:24.

relationships are important but relationships to members of this

:41:25.:41:27.

House and European partners are important. Membership of the Council

:41:28.:41:33.

of Europe, of all-party groups, has never been more important. Can he

:41:34.:41:36.

give the assurance that his Department will assist in every way

:41:37.:41:40.

to make sure that bilateral relationships exist between mems of

:41:41.:41:45.

this House and Europe will be encouraged? I'm happy to give that

:41:46.:41:52.

assurance to my honourable friend. As he will know, there are

:41:53.:41:55.

Parliamentary bodies of one party or another that have links with sister

:41:56.:41:59.

parties across the continent and we will do everything we can to promote

:42:00.:42:08.

that in the years ahead. On behalf of these benches, can I pay tribute

:42:09.:42:12.

to the long and distinct wish career of Sir Ivan Rogers? He served

:42:13.:42:19.

successive governments with great distinction and most of the

:42:20.:42:21.

Secretary of State's predecessors had the good sense to appreciate it.

:42:22.:42:25.

Pity he couldn't until the just now when Mike honourable friend managed

:42:26.:42:32.

to press him. In his resignation letter, Sir Ivan said that contrary

:42:33.:42:36.

to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen. Can the

:42:37.:42:42.

Secretary of State explain who Sir Ivan had in mind? I think I have

:42:43.:42:50.

given my views about Sir Ivan. I'm happy to repeat them which I think

:42:51.:42:58.

is that he is an amazing public servant. I must say that it is vital

:42:59.:43:06.

for officials to continue to give their unvarnished views of matters,

:43:07.:43:09.

such as the ease of negotiating free-trade deals. It isn't

:43:10.:43:16.

necessarily going to be simple, but there is no reason to think why it

:43:17.:43:19.

can't be done speedily and there is no reason to think why we can't have

:43:20.:43:24.

fantastic free-trade deals, not least with the United States of

:43:25.:43:26.

America. Question ten, Mr Speaker. I am grateful to the right or lady.

:43:27.:43:42.

We're using every forum at our disposal to try to encourage both

:43:43.:43:46.

sides to get to the negotiating table. It is deeply frustrating. I

:43:47.:43:52.

John honourable members on both sides who condemned the appalling

:43:53.:43:59.

attack and murder of four Israeli soldiers at the weekend. All I can

:44:00.:44:04.

say is I've repeat what we said. The only way forward has got to be a two

:44:05.:44:10.

state solution, and that was why it was important to restate the

:44:11.:44:15.

Government's position in the resolution. The general secretary of

:44:16.:44:22.

the UN has warned about Iran's activities, bombing Hezbollah in

:44:23.:44:26.

Lebanon from their base in Syria. What can the Foreign Secretary do to

:44:27.:44:32.

combat this minutes to the prospects of any peace in the region? I think

:44:33.:44:39.

it is important to recognise that Iran is a malign influence across

:44:40.:44:46.

the region, and we must be vigilant about what they are doing. On the

:44:47.:44:52.

other hand, you have got to engage with Iran and the JCP OA wraps since

:44:53.:45:08.

Asa Tatchell way forward -- represents a substantial way

:45:09.:45:14.

forward. What effect does he think the current global of Palestinian

:45:15.:45:17.

violence is going to have on the peace process? Is my honourable

:45:18.:45:28.

friend will know, the level of violence has been down by comparison

:45:29.:45:40.

with 2015, but it is still too high. It is a board that the resolution

:45:41.:45:43.

that has been discussed this morning did have that balance in it, and

:45:44.:45:46.

there was that language in it, pointing out the threat that Israel

:45:47.:45:51.

faces, and it is important that we stress that. And that we encourage

:45:52.:45:56.

Palestinians to understand there can be no hope of peace unless they get

:45:57.:46:04.

their extremists under control. I'm pleased the borrowed secretary is

:46:05.:46:07.

using every forum to bring peace will stop will he therefore be

:46:08.:46:11.

attending the Paris conference, and what new initiative for the UK

:46:12.:46:14.

government be putting forward back? I can certainly assure the right

:46:15.:46:19.

honourable gentleman that the UK government will be attending the

:46:20.:46:25.

Paris talks. We will be be enforcing our message, which is that we think

:46:26.:46:31.

both sides must get round the table and negotiate, and that is the only

:46:32.:46:36.

way forward, and that it would be folly now to abandon a two state

:46:37.:46:41.

solution. A one state solution is not in the interests of Israel.

:46:42.:46:47.

Number 11, Mr Speaker. The Government regularly receives

:46:48.:46:52.

reports of sectarian attacks on Christian and other minority groups

:46:53.:46:57.

in the Middle East was to work with all governments and North North

:46:58.:47:07.

African governments to tackle this violence. The persecution of

:47:08.:47:15.

Christians across the Middle East is way to -- is way too common. I

:47:16.:47:29.

welcome the work that has been done such as he has done to promote those

:47:30.:47:35.

charities. I look forward to reading their report which is due out

:47:36.:47:40.

tomorrow. They do make -- they have a major contribution to the thoughts

:47:41.:47:51.

of governments. Will the governor to ensure we do every thing we can to

:47:52.:47:55.

make sure that this is recognised as genocide in the International

:47:56.:48:00.

courts? I have said in this House that I do believe that acts of

:48:01.:48:06.

genocide have taken place. It is not my view that counts. It is whether

:48:07.:48:11.

we can legally prove that. As we have debated, it is important that

:48:12.:48:14.

we collect the evidence. I'm sure the House will be delighted to know

:48:15.:48:18.

that it has been confirmed that the Foreign Secretary joint other

:48:19.:48:21.

countries including Iraq at the General assembly to launch the work

:48:22.:48:26.

to be done to collect the evidence to make sure that we can hold those

:48:27.:48:32.

that are actually conducting these activities to account. I could not

:48:33.:48:35.

be for grateful to the Minister. Mr Speaker, thank you. I have come

:48:36.:48:52.

back this morning from the United States, where I have been discussing

:48:53.:48:58.

these issues with the incoming administration. It was clear that

:48:59.:49:04.

there is a wide measure of agreement tween us over the challenges that we

:49:05.:49:09.

face, and I can assure the House that Arab embassy in Washington is

:49:10.:49:20.

engaging and the primer stuff's -- Prime Minister's office are engaging

:49:21.:49:27.

with the incoming administration to build on those areas of agreement.

:49:28.:49:34.

What talks specifically with regard to security and trade did my right

:49:35.:49:37.

honourable friend had with congressional leaders?

:49:38.:49:48.

I have the House, there was a huge fund of goodwill for the United

:49:49.:49:57.

Kingdom on Capitol Hill. And a very large measure of understanding that

:49:58.:50:01.

now is the time to do a free-trade deal. They want to do it, they want

:50:02.:50:05.

to do it fast, and that understanding with most vivid on the

:50:06.:50:13.

part of the incoming administration. Order, topical questions. As the

:50:14.:50:22.

fellow manifested himself? Rebecca Powell is. Topical mother to, Mr

:50:23.:50:28.

Speaker. -- topical number two. We will build a stronger working

:50:29.:50:48.

relationship with the US administration. As I have said, I

:50:49.:50:52.

have just returned from the US to further that ambition. As this is

:50:53.:50:58.

the last SCO questions before the end of the Obama administration, let

:50:59.:51:03.

me repeat formally my thanks to John Kerry for his tireless dedication.

:51:04.:51:10.

Illegal trading in wildlife is now the fourth most lucrative

:51:11.:51:15.

transnational crime and has a hugely destabilising effect on habitats and

:51:16.:51:20.

many communities. On this note, can the Minister tell me what his

:51:21.:51:23.

Department is doing to help combat the poaching of illegal ivory

:51:24.:51:27.

trading in Africa? Thank you. We have made it clear in

:51:28.:51:33.

this government that combating illegal wildlife trade is our

:51:34.:51:37.

priority, one of our priorities. We have a dedicated team in London,

:51:38.:51:43.

working with my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for

:51:44.:51:53.

DEFRA. As the lady will know, the Secretary of State came back from a

:51:54.:51:56.

highly successful conference in Hanoi on ivory trade. We are

:51:57.:52:11.

supporting without funds... Let me tell the right honourable lady who

:52:12.:52:21.

mocks the elephants... The number of elephants are damaging by 8% every

:52:22.:52:26.

year. It is thanks to the efforts of this government that that issue is

:52:27.:52:31.

being raised up the international agenda again. We are spending

:52:32.:52:34.

considerable sums of money to support those who are combating the

:52:35.:52:39.

poachers. All questions and answers need to be extremely brief,

:52:40.:52:42.

irrespective of how distinguished those who put them are or judge

:52:43.:52:52.

themselves to be. Mr Alex Salmond. When the right honourable gentleman

:52:53.:52:59.

was a columnist, he was a supporter of some aspects of President Putin's

:53:00.:53:04.

policies. When he became Foreign Secretary, he became hostile to

:53:05.:53:08.

foreign policy in Russia. He is pursuing a twin track policy which

:53:09.:53:11.

means we will be supportive and hostile at the same time. At what

:53:12.:53:16.

time during his visit to Trump Towers did he decide to blizzard was

:53:17.:53:25.

the best policy? -- duplicity was the best policy. I have never said I

:53:26.:53:34.

was a supporter of President Putin's activities in Syria. It is important

:53:35.:53:40.

to understand that although Russia is doing many bad things, and what

:53:41.:53:45.

they have done with cyber warfare, there is no doubt they are up to no

:53:46.:53:49.

good, but it is also important for us to recognise that there may be

:53:50.:54:00.

areas where we can work together, that is what we should do. Does my

:54:01.:54:07.

right honourable friend agree that until the divisions between the

:54:08.:54:13.

Sunnis and Shias are short, there cannot be peace and prosperity in

:54:14.:54:19.

the region? What role does Britain play in that process? It is such a

:54:20.:54:22.

fundamental question because very cold war feel between them and yet

:54:23.:54:29.

the difference is actually almost insignificant. They agree on the

:54:30.:54:33.

centrality of the Prophet Muhammad. The big issue is about succession,

:54:34.:54:39.

whether it was the cousin and son-in-law, or whether it was the

:54:40.:54:41.

father-in-law. She is absolutely right. When these two sides

:54:42.:54:47.

reconcile, peace and prosperity will improve and all of... As I had been

:54:48.:54:55.

advised, we don't need a lecture in each of these cases. We need a pithy

:54:56.:55:02.

question and a pithy reply. On Sunday, the Foreign Secretary met

:55:03.:55:08.

with Donald Trump's chief strategist, a man whose website is

:55:09.:55:13.

synonymous with anti-Semitism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, hero

:55:14.:55:18.

worship of Vladimir Putin and the promotion of extremist far right

:55:19.:55:20.

movements across the world. Can I asked you for an secretary, how did

:55:21.:55:29.

he and Mr Bannon get on? I don't wish to embarrass any member of the

:55:30.:55:35.

incoming administration by describing the regular or otherwise

:55:36.:55:42.

of our relationship. But the meetings were productive. There was

:55:43.:55:46.

a wide measure of agreement between the UK and the incoming head

:55:47.:55:49.

ministrations about the way forward. We intend to build on those areas of

:55:50.:55:53.

agreement. When the Russian air force skirts

:55:54.:56:07.

along British air force, RAF pilots fly typhoons to see them. Does my

:56:08.:56:12.

right honourable friend believe that our sanctions against Russia are

:56:13.:56:16.

hitting the target is just as effectively as our RAF pilots? I am

:56:17.:56:22.

very grateful because I think it is important for the house to keep in

:56:23.:56:25.

mind the importance of these sanctions. I have to save the

:56:26.:56:33.

support for sanctions against Russia, for incidents over Ukraine,

:56:34.:56:37.

is not as strong as it should be in other parts of the EU and the UK is

:56:38.:56:41.

in the lead in keeping the pressure on. Following his trip to America,

:56:42.:56:47.

how confident is the Foreign Secretary that we might have a US-

:56:48.:56:52.

UK free trade agreement on the table within the next couple of years? Is

:56:53.:56:57.

there an appetite for it to be based on mutual admiration rather than

:56:58.:57:06.

single opposition? My enthusiasm is nothing compared to our friends on

:57:07.:57:11.

the other side of the Atlantic. We will get a good deal, but it's got

:57:12.:57:14.

to be a good deal for the UK as well. The Minister tell me what it

:57:15.:57:22.

is doing to ensure lessons of the past are learned and proper

:57:23.:57:25.

stabilisation and reconstruction planning is in place for Mosul once

:57:26.:57:32.

the city is liberated? We do not learn the lessons of the lessons

:57:33.:57:42.

were not learnt in 2013 when the moderate Sunni voices were not

:57:43.:57:47.

listen to. Extremism is flourishing across north-east Africa and the

:57:48.:57:53.

Middle East unless we engage with those moderates. Planning needs to

:57:54.:58:00.

be done before the guns fall silent. Did he make it clear that the United

:58:01.:58:06.

Kingdom will not share intelligence with his Administration if his

:58:07.:58:09.

administration is to use it down in a association with a revived US

:58:10.:58:18.

torture programme? -- in association. We do not discuss

:58:19.:58:23.

intelligent berry-macro intelligence matters or the operational nature.

:58:24.:58:35.

Does my right honourable friend share my concern that a prompt 's

:58:36.:58:41.

statement was not issued over the murder of Israeli soldiers. Refusal

:58:42.:58:52.

to meet face-to-face is the major problem with a two state proposal?

:58:53.:58:58.

The resolution has been characterised as a settlement

:58:59.:59:03.

resolution. It also contains valuable language about terrorism,

:59:04.:59:09.

but there can be no lasting solution for that part of the world unless

:59:10.:59:15.

there is better leadership of the Palestinians and unless they

:59:16.:59:21.

renounced terror. Next week the new president is due to be sworn in

:59:22.:59:25.

except the current president is refusing to budge. The people of

:59:26.:59:30.

Gambia have voted to end 22 years of civil liberties and human rights

:59:31.:59:34.

abuses at the hands of the president. But the Foreign Secretary

:59:35.:59:38.

during his counterparts around the world in telling him that he has

:59:39.:59:42.

eight days to get out of office? Not in so many words, but I did have the

:59:43.:59:48.

chance to congratulate the president elect. The will of the Gambian

:59:49.:59:54.

people should be recognised and the current president should step down.

:59:55.:59:58.

What agreement will they be on policy towards Russia between the

:59:59.:00:02.

British government and the new Administration, given the new

:00:03.:00:05.

administration's indebtedness to President Putin through the leaking

:00:06.:00:13.

and hacking of democratic National committee and the Hillary Clinton

:00:14.:00:20.

each campaign chairman's mouse? First of all, I make no comment on

:00:21.:00:27.

the efficacy, the electoral efficacy of the hacking of the DNC e-mails

:00:28.:00:31.

except to say that it is pretty clear it did come from the Russians.

:00:32.:00:36.

The point we have made to the incoming administration and indeed

:00:37.:00:44.

on Capitol Hill is justice, that as I said earlier on, we think that the

:00:45.:00:50.

Russian states, the Putin Kremlin is up to all sorts of very dirty

:00:51.:00:58.

tricks, such as cyber warfare, but it would be folly for us further to

:00:59.:01:04.

demonise Russia or to push Russia into a corner. So a twin track

:01:05.:01:07.

strategy of engagement and vigilance is what is required. The Foreign

:01:08.:01:13.

Secretary referred to the Middle East process. Secretaries of State

:01:14.:01:20.

Clinton and Kerry failed to get a bilateral agreement between

:01:21.:01:26.

Palestinians and Israelis. Is it not time to go to the international

:01:27.:01:31.

sphere in the sense of the Arab initiative originally in Jude oost

:01:32.:01:36.

by Saudi Arabia in 2002. The only way forward is both sides to get to

:01:37.:01:41.

the negotiating table and recognise that a two state solution is way

:01:42.:01:47.

forward. Does the Foreign Secretary share the concern on both sides of

:01:48.:01:52.

the house at President Erdogan Ozma latest power grab following the

:01:53.:01:57.

retrograde steps he has already taken to Islam miz ath formally

:01:58.:02:03.

secular Turkish society? It is important to recognise that the

:02:04.:02:08.

Turkish state, the Turkish government was the victim of a

:02:09.:02:16.

violent coo in which... And attempted coo in which hundreds of

:02:17.:02:21.

people died. It was entirely wrong of many governments in the EU to

:02:22.:02:27.

instantly condemn Turkey for its response instead of seeing that

:02:28.:02:31.

there is a balance to be struck. Turkey is vital for our collective

:02:32.:02:36.

security. The last thing we need to do is push them away and push them

:02:37.:02:42.

into a corner. Last month a UK Government spokesperson told Sky

:02:43.:02:45.

News that the government is aware of an alleged air strike on a school in

:02:46.:02:54.

Yemen using UK supplied weapons. Can the Minister update us on the

:02:55.:03:02.

progress on this? I don't know the details of that particular report, I

:03:03.:03:07.

have not seen it. I am happy to meet outside the Chamber to discuss it. I

:03:08.:03:12.

will give her a reply in due course or I can give her a public reply in

:03:13.:03:21.

the debate were having on Yemen on Thursday.

:03:22.:03:32.

Well scholarships for students to study in the US continue? We have

:03:33.:03:42.

made additional funding available to ensure 40 scholars to study at

:03:43.:03:57.

university this September. What role can the British government play in

:03:58.:04:10.

the situation in Zimbabwe? Our relationship has been strained

:04:11.:04:13.

because of the current leadership. She speaks of a six-month period,

:04:14.:04:18.

but who knows what will happen? We are working with neighbouring

:04:19.:04:23.

countries to provide support for the people who are suffering more than

:04:24.:04:25.

ever before under the current President's regime. Improving trust

:04:26.:04:35.

and intelligence sharing is vital to the situation in Libya? Would it be

:04:36.:04:48.

prudent to reinstate flights to Sharm el Sheikh? It is true that the

:04:49.:04:53.

loss of UK tourist business to Egypt has been very severe and we are

:04:54.:04:59.

working very hard with our Egyptian counterparts to get the reassurances

:05:00.:05:03.

that we need in order to restore those rights which we all want to

:05:04.:05:07.

happen. Earlier this morning the Minister said that the government

:05:08.:05:12.

only supports UN security resolutions when it knows it can

:05:13.:05:16.

enforce them. So if the Israelis continue with the settlements

:05:17.:05:20.

programme, what steps will be Foreign Secretary take to enforce

:05:21.:05:31.

resolution 2334? The honourable lady will no very well but we are working

:05:32.:05:36.

with our international counterparts to persuade both sides to get to the

:05:37.:05:45.

table, both of the Palestinians to drop the violence and recognise the

:05:46.:05:49.

existence of the state of Israel and show leadership, but also to

:05:50.:05:53.

understand that a two state resolution is the only way forward.

:05:54.:05:56.

It is the best thing for this government to do. Many of my

:05:57.:06:03.

constituents are concerned that the recent UN vote marks a change in the

:06:04.:06:09.

UK's Dalston was Israel? Can the Foreign Secretary confirmed that is

:06:10.:06:21.

not the case? The state of Israel is well-known and is just about the

:06:22.:06:25.

only democracy in that part of the world. It is a free and liberal

:06:26.:06:30.

society, unlike many others in the region. I passionately supports the

:06:31.:06:35.

state of Israel and I think it was important that the government in

:06:36.:06:47.

that resolution 2334 stop by UK policy over settlements and

:06:48.:06:53.

underscored our horror regarding the violence against the people of

:06:54.:07:02.

Israel. Does he find his counterparts somewhat surprised to

:07:03.:07:07.

find a genuine British eccentric holding the position which she

:07:08.:07:13.

holds? Go on, the eccentric! I honestly cannot speak for the

:07:14.:07:21.

response of my counterparts. All I can say is, he can take it in

:07:22.:07:31.

whichever way he chooses, but there was a wide measure of agreement on

:07:32.:07:34.

both sides of the table over some of the problems that our societies

:07:35.:07:42.

face, both in America and in the UK, and in the need for some fresh

:07:43.:07:48.

thinking and the huge potential of the UK and the US to solve those

:07:49.:07:53.

problems. I doubt that the proposition that the Foreign

:07:54.:07:56.

Secretary is an exotic individual will be a subject to -- will be

:07:57.:08:08.

subject to division of the house. We are awaiting another judgment over

:08:09.:08:24.

my constituent Billy Evans. All the situation be derailed because of

:08:25.:08:32.

Brexit? I raised this matter in October when I was in India with the

:08:33.:08:37.

Minister for external affairs. The Prime Minister also raised it. We

:08:38.:08:44.

are pressing for a speedy due process to take place. As she knows,

:08:45.:08:48.

we are awaiting the outcome of the appeal process. My right honourable

:08:49.:08:53.

friend was an outstanding Mayor of London and during his time he was

:08:54.:08:58.

the first champion of the City of London and he was a believer in the

:08:59.:09:01.

value of the single market. Could my right honourable friend now tell us

:09:02.:09:06.

and assure us that in his negotiations, rather his meetings

:09:07.:09:15.

with the incoming trump administration, he ... I think the

:09:16.:09:29.

right honourable lady will find that the City of London has been through

:09:30.:09:40.

all sorts of situations that would lead to its extinction, as some

:09:41.:09:47.

proper sized. The City of London has gone from strength to strength and

:09:48.:09:52.

Canary Wharf alone is now a bigger financial centre than the whole of

:09:53.:09:59.

Frankfurt. I have no doubt, and by the way, this opinion was shared by

:10:00.:10:02.

our friends and counterparts in Washington, I have no doubt that

:10:03.:10:07.

that commercial and financial dominance of the City of London in

:10:08.:10:13.

this hemisphere will continue. Further to the question from the

:10:14.:10:22.

honourable lady from the SNP, we will be looking for more than some

:10:23.:10:29.

twiddling. Does he have a concrete proposal to get those men home? We

:10:30.:10:35.

take the matter seriously and we have raised it on a number of

:10:36.:10:37.

occasions and will continue to do so. We can't interfere in the legal

:10:38.:10:43.

process of another country, but we are doing everything we can to urge

:10:44.:10:47.

a speedy process and making sure the men get help in prison as well.

:10:48.:10:56.

Finally, an immensely patient member of the house. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

:10:57.:11:05.

What support is Her Majesty's Burrnett giving to the welcome moves

:11:06.:11:08.

towards a settlement in the Democratic

:11:09.:11:13.

I had the pleasure of visiting the country last year and I was

:11:14.:11:19.

concerned there was a delay in elections taking place or by the

:11:20.:11:23.

President not recognising that his time is up, something that by

:11:24.:11:27.

honourable friend will be aware of. I am pleased to see political

:11:28.:11:30.

dialogue is being developed and we are only programme to make sure

:11:31.:11:35.

elections are returned to the country very soon to make sure we

:11:36.:11:41.

enforce that to happen but offer our support and assistance to this

:11:42.:11:44.

important country. I am sorry to disappoint remaining colleagues but

:11:45.:11:49.

this Question Time session probably enjoys a greater demand than any

:11:50.:11:53.

other but I am afraid supply is finite. Two hours, the Minister

:11:54.:12:02.

chanters from a sedentary position, he is a member of the executive and

:12:03.:12:07.

if the government wants to take the proposition might be substantial

:12:08.:12:11.

support for it. I tried to expand the envelope but there are limits,

:12:12.:12:15.

if we don't have a longer session, people will have to be brief in

:12:16.:12:19.

questions and answers. Urgent question. John McDonnell. I would

:12:20.:12:25.

support two hours, Mr

:12:26.:12:26.

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