:00:09. > :00:15.Hello and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage from the
:00:15. > :00:19.House of Commons. In an owl we have an urgent question on the
:00:19. > :00:21.Government's way strategy. That will be followed by his statement
:00:21. > :00:27.from the Health Secretary on the Government's agreement to change
:00:27. > :00:32.its controversial plans for the NHS in England. The revisions stem from
:00:32. > :00:37.an independent review. The main business in the Chamber today will
:00:37. > :00:42.be the committee stage of the Armed Forces Bill. Every five years, new
:00:42. > :00:46.legislation has to be passed to renew the legal basis for the Army,
:00:46. > :00:51.Navy and RAF. Do join me for a round-up of the day in both houses
:00:51. > :00:54.of parliament in The Record at 11 o'clock tonight. First, we have
:00:54. > :00:58.questions to the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and his ministerial
:00:58. > :01:08.team. We will be crossing to the House of Commons in a few moments
:01:08. > :01:21.
:01:21. > :01:26.Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and
:01:26. > :01:32.Commonwealth Affairs, Margaret Curran. Christian number one.
:01:32. > :01:37.Speaker, with permission I will answer a question 12 with this one.
:01:37. > :01:41.Membership by the UN is one option under consideration by President
:01:41. > :01:44.Abass. We believe Israelis and Palestinians should return to
:01:44. > :01:49.negotiations and will only make a statement on UN membership at the
:01:49. > :01:53.appropriate time. Can I thank the Secretary of State for his answer.
:01:53. > :01:58.Time and time again, you have said if you are in favour of an
:01:58. > :02:03.independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Surely, the time
:02:03. > :02:06.is now right to show solidarity with the Palestinians, support them
:02:07. > :02:11.at the United Nations and prove once and for all we are on the
:02:11. > :02:14.Palestinians' sighed. We have learnt a great deal of support to
:02:14. > :02:18.the Palestinians at the United Nations and as the honourable lady
:02:18. > :02:21.will know we voted in February for the Palestinian resolution on
:02:21. > :02:26.settlements. We bedded the opposite way to the United States on that
:02:26. > :02:33.occasion which is unusual for this country -- we voted the opposite
:02:33. > :02:37.way. We strongly support a state based on 1967 borders. We have to
:02:37. > :02:42.remember the real way to a viable and secure estate is through
:02:42. > :02:47.negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and it is to those
:02:47. > :02:51.negotiations we want both parties to return. Mr Speaker, I am
:02:51. > :02:57.disappointed with the Foreign Secretary's answer. We will wait
:02:57. > :03:01.for ever. President Obama made self determination the focus of his
:03:01. > :03:05.speech to the Middle East and reference to the people who are
:03:05. > :03:09.struggling for freedom in the Arab world. Does this not also apply to
:03:09. > :03:12.the Palestinians and would UN membership take it a step forward?
:03:12. > :03:17.The honourable lady would have to be disappointed with the position
:03:17. > :03:20.of all European countries because we have all withheld the decision
:03:21. > :03:26.on the question of Palestinian membership of the United Nations.
:03:26. > :03:31.It is vital to remember that the way to a secure Israel and a viable
:03:31. > :03:35.and prosperous Palestinian state is through negotiations between the
:03:35. > :03:40.two. She's quite right to be frustrated and exasperated at the
:03:40. > :03:45.length of time negotiations have taken. However, there is no other
:03:45. > :03:48.way to lasting peace than through those negotiations. Will the
:03:48. > :03:53.Foreign Secretary impress upon the Israeli government that the only
:03:53. > :03:56.manner by which they can avoid an overwhelming vote in favour of a
:03:56. > :04:02.Palestinian state at the General Assembly would be if the Israeli
:04:02. > :04:07.Prime Minister is able to give an unequivocal commitment in support
:04:07. > :04:10.of the two state solution as proposed by President Obama and to
:04:10. > :04:15.seek to enter into meaningful negotiations towards that end?
:04:15. > :04:20.agree with that. I think my right honourable friend was right. It is
:04:20. > :04:26.very important now for Israel to show a readiness to negotiate in
:04:26. > :04:30.light of the president's speech and in light also of what could happen
:04:30. > :04:34.at the United Nations in September. Indeed, one of the advantages for
:04:34. > :04:37.the United Kingdom's and other EU nations, of considering our
:04:37. > :04:41.position on this over the next few months, is it will maximise the
:04:41. > :04:46.pressure on both Israelis and Palestinians to be prepared to
:04:46. > :04:49.enter such negotiations. Does my right honourable friend agree that
:04:49. > :04:54.an essential feature of state could is identifiable and recognised
:04:54. > :05:00.borders? Therefore can he confirm there will be no compromise on the
:05:00. > :05:05.principle that any settlement must be based on the borders of 1967?
:05:05. > :05:09.right honourable friend on air that what the President of the United
:05:09. > :05:14.States has said about the 1967 borders and what we have always
:05:14. > :05:17.said his we mean 1967 borders with mutually agreed swaps of land. I do
:05:17. > :05:23.not think we can be as categoric as my right honourable friend was
:05:23. > :05:28.trying to be. But based on those borders, there would be subject to
:05:28. > :05:34.agreement, a good deal of latitude around them. What is the Secretary
:05:34. > :05:38.of State's current assessment of moves towards Palestinian unity?
:05:38. > :05:42.Does the reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas make it
:05:42. > :05:49.more or less likely that the United Kingdom will support UN membership
:05:49. > :05:55.for Palestine? The stance we take on that, come September, if it
:05:55. > :05:58.comes to that point, will depend on many things. It is very important
:05:58. > :06:03.that the reformed Palestinian Authority, and we still wait to see
:06:03. > :06:07.many of the appointment to it, are halved non- violence, that they are
:06:07. > :06:13.committed to a negotiated to state solution and they uphold the
:06:13. > :06:19.previous agreements of the PLO. Those will be factors by which we
:06:19. > :06:23.judge the Palestinian approach. Peace cannot be imposed on the
:06:23. > :06:28.parties to the conflicts, no vote in the United Nations will ever
:06:28. > :06:33.create a Palestinian state. Mark my words, the words of President Obama.
:06:33. > :06:37.Isn't it the case that moving too quickly towards an individual state
:06:37. > :06:41.had, and what we should be doing is seeking the two parties to
:06:41. > :06:46.negotiate together towards an agreement? My honourable friend
:06:46. > :06:50.will have heard that I have, in answers to these questions, placed
:06:50. > :06:55.our own emphasis on that. There is a need to return to negotiations by
:06:55. > :06:58.both sides and now President Obama has made his speech about 1967
:06:58. > :07:08.borders, I hope Palestinians will take that approach and we have
:07:08. > :07:11.already talked about the Israeli approach. Question number three.
:07:11. > :07:16.Speaker, with permission, I will answer a number 7 with this
:07:16. > :07:21.question. Thanks to the international navies and the self-
:07:21. > :07:27.defence measures used by large sectors of industry, there will be
:07:27. > :07:31.no hijacks -- there are no hijacks of the area since 2010. However,
:07:32. > :07:37.piracy continues to pose a threat to shipping and seafarers in the
:07:37. > :07:42.Indian Ocean. We are not complacent and Britain is playing a leading
:07:42. > :07:52.role in the counter piracy operations at sea and we are
:07:52. > :07:58.leading work to put in place penal punishments to deal with this.
:07:58. > :08:01.is aware of the role of many British service personnel in the
:08:01. > :08:05.shipping of Somalia but does he agree that fundamentally, it is
:08:05. > :08:09.only when Somalia has a high degree of law and order, which it does not
:08:09. > :08:15.have at the moment, that the problems will be properly solved?
:08:15. > :08:20.Mr Speaker, that is exactly why we are putting so much effort into
:08:20. > :08:24.helping to rebuild this failed state. DFID have a four year
:08:24. > :08:29.programme for Somalia. That will focus on building regional,
:08:29. > :08:33.judicial and penal structures, struggling -- strengthening the
:08:33. > :08:37.police, strengthening the coastguard and trying to find
:08:37. > :08:42.alternative livelihoods. This problem will only be solved on the
:08:42. > :08:50.land. I would like to thank the Minister for his response. One of
:08:50. > :08:54.the issues is we do need to have a deterrent for piracy. Currently,
:08:54. > :08:58.the British Chamber of Commerce is stating that 80 % of those who are
:08:58. > :09:01.captured are actually then released. What measures can we put in place
:09:01. > :09:08.and would he be able to expand on the international agreements that
:09:08. > :09:13.we need to counter piracy? Speaker, I share my honourable
:09:13. > :09:18.friend's concerns because catch and release encourages further piracy.
:09:18. > :09:21.I recently visited the EU naval headquarters and the Armed Forces
:09:21. > :09:25.Minister made it very clear that both the Royal Navy and other
:09:25. > :09:29.navies I doing all they possibly can, not just to capture pirates
:09:29. > :09:33.but to gather sufficient evidence so they can be put on trial in
:09:33. > :09:38.courts in the region. That is why I am working hard with the Foreign
:09:38. > :09:45.Secretary with regional countries to build that vital penal and
:09:45. > :09:49.judicial capacity. I regret that the Minister's reply is rather
:09:49. > :09:54.complacent. At a conference in Singapore last month, the Defence
:09:54. > :09:59.Secretary would have heard several defence ministers expressed alarm
:09:59. > :10:05.at the considerable rise in piracy in the Indian Ocean. Suggestions
:10:05. > :10:11.have included greater convoys and more importantly, changed and
:10:11. > :10:13.toughened rules of engagement and also possibly exclusion zones. The
:10:13. > :10:17.international community is united on the need that this must be
:10:17. > :10:22.brought to a head. As a major maritime nation, when will the
:10:22. > :10:24.Government get a grip and take a lead to combat this menace,
:10:24. > :10:29.particularly in getting international agreement and change
:10:29. > :10:34.rules of engagement? Mr Speaker, I can understand the honourable
:10:34. > :10:40.gentleman's frustration. As I have explained, there has not been a
:10:40. > :10:44.successful hijack in the Gulf of Aden this year and we are having
:10:44. > :10:47.significant success has. The EU agreed in May to amend its
:10:47. > :10:52.operation planned to deliver more robust action. I cannot discuss
:10:52. > :10:55.this publicly but that is that largely the result of evidence from
:10:55. > :11:02.the Foreign Secretary and I can assure him we are very much on the
:11:02. > :11:07.case. Question number four. welcome Croatia's progress towards
:11:07. > :11:11.EU membership and the arrest of Bosnian Serb Ratko Mladic. We are
:11:11. > :11:15.seriously concerned by the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina
:11:15. > :11:18.where there remains a need for sustained EU focus. They also
:11:18. > :11:24.remains major work to be done on the dialogue between Serbia and
:11:24. > :11:32.Kosovo, to resolve the issue over Macedonia's name and ensuring a
:11:32. > :11:36.functioning political dialogue in Albania. At the recent NATO
:11:36. > :11:41.parliamentary assembly, the noble Lord Sewell reported a draft report
:11:41. > :11:46.on Kosovo which described a dire economy with weak institutions,
:11:46. > :11:50.ethnically divided with corruption and organised crime and poor
:11:50. > :11:53.relations with its neighbours. It has not been universally recognised
:11:53. > :12:03.as a state. Does the Foreign Secretary believe that Kosovo will
:12:03. > :12:04.
:12:04. > :12:09.one day be a viable European I do believe it will be. We have
:12:09. > :12:14.been encouraging other nations to recognise Kosovo. It is important
:12:14. > :12:19.work now takes place on economic development, the rule of law, in
:12:19. > :12:29.particular with regard to the IMF programmes. It is important to
:12:29. > :12:39.comply with the IMF. Could I welcome the arrest of red comb that
:12:39. > :12:43.
:12:43. > :12:48.Not Britain's finest hour of foreign policy. As we move forward
:12:48. > :12:53.in the Balkans, when he moves forward in urging responsible for
:12:53. > :13:03.Serb politicians to recognised Kosovo, to stop the blocks to
:13:03. > :13:03.
:13:03. > :13:08.Kosovo joining international institutions. Serbia will not allow
:13:08. > :13:14.it to progress. A I went to Belgrade last summer up to discuss
:13:14. > :13:19.these issues with the President and urged him in to enter into an EU
:13:19. > :13:21.facilitated dialogue with Kosovo. That was the essential first step
:13:22. > :13:25.towards what the right honourable gentleman is talking about. He
:13:25. > :13:30.agreed to do that and I now urge both governments to engage with
:13:30. > :13:36.each other constructively with goodwill on both sides, dialogue
:13:36. > :13:41.can help move both states to EU accession. Would my right
:13:41. > :13:46.honourable friend agree with me that the scourge of organised crime
:13:46. > :13:55.in the Balkans is one of the biggest obstacles to good politics
:13:55. > :13:59.developing there? Yes, absolutely. It will be extremely important to
:13:59. > :14:05.tackle those things in order to maintain that the European
:14:05. > :14:10.prospective of the Western Balkan countries. That is why, for
:14:10. > :14:20.instance in Croatian accession negotiations, is of such vital
:14:20. > :14:20.
:14:20. > :14:23.importance. Can I ask the Secretary of State if he believes that the
:14:23. > :14:27.membership of Croatia of the European Union would act as an
:14:27. > :14:34.effective catalyst for other member states? Would you like to offer a
:14:34. > :14:38.timescale on this? We hope it will be an encouragement to other states.
:14:38. > :14:43.We hope they will also have drawn the lesson that it is important to
:14:43. > :14:47.me to the conditions of EU membership. That is vital for the
:14:47. > :14:51.accession process to have credibility. We are in the closing
:14:51. > :14:54.stages of negotiation of EU accession. There had been a
:14:54. > :14:57.positive recommendation from the commission and it will be discussed
:14:57. > :15:07.at the European Council next week. To discussed dates ahead of that
:15:07. > :15:10.
:15:10. > :15:16.would be premature. Demands for greater political, social and
:15:16. > :15:20.economical parties will continue. Through our Arab Partnership
:15:20. > :15:24.Initiative, the review of the European neighbourhood policy we
:15:24. > :15:30.are working with partners in the region to support those who seek
:15:30. > :15:35.political and economic reforms. I thank the Secretary of State for
:15:35. > :15:41.his answer. Could I ask him, given recent months we have seen a number
:15:41. > :15:46.of occasion worth government access to the internet during protests has
:15:46. > :15:54.been limited come up what moves have the British Government taking
:15:54. > :15:58.to organise peaceful demonstrations online. We do, wherever we can, we
:15:58. > :16:01.also has -- always support access to the internet. One of the
:16:01. > :16:05.measures set out in our draft resolution before the United
:16:06. > :16:11.Nations Security Council on Syria is seeking freedom of access to the
:16:11. > :16:15.Internet. We do sometimes also take practical measures in order to try
:16:15. > :16:19.to maintain access to the internet or give people advice as to how
:16:19. > :16:26.they can do so. I do not want to give any technical details of that
:16:26. > :16:32.as it would make it easier for them. The flow of information from
:16:32. > :16:36.organisations like the BBC World Service, the Foreign office has had
:16:36. > :16:40.a look at the Budget for the BBC World Service, when are we likely
:16:40. > :16:44.to get an answer on that? Government has taken full note on
:16:44. > :16:48.the debate that has taken place in this House two or three weeks ago
:16:48. > :16:52.calling for a review of that position. We're looking at this
:16:52. > :16:57.subject along with the World Service also looking at their
:16:57. > :17:03.allocation of priorities. I think by early July will be able to come
:17:03. > :17:07.back to the House. Mr Speaker, given the popular protests in North
:17:07. > :17:15.Africa and the Middle East, this side of the House has been arguing
:17:15. > :17:21.that the European Union's external action of the Budget should be read
:17:21. > :17:23.balanced. Following the announcement of which the Foreign
:17:23. > :17:28.Secretary spoke, can he tell us if he feels the European Union
:17:28. > :17:32.contribution is adequate to the challenge and the risks? And what
:17:33. > :17:36.proportion of that money is actually new money? It is really
:17:36. > :17:40.the money available for development and economic partnership that is
:17:40. > :17:46.the crucial thing rather than the budgeting of the external action
:17:46. > :17:52.service. The proposal published on 25th May by the commission set out
:17:52. > :17:58.a plan which included 750 million euros of additional resource for
:17:58. > :18:05.the EU to work with the economies of North Africa. That is subject of
:18:05. > :18:11.further discussion at the European Council next week. Let me ask about
:18:11. > :18:14.one country in particular, Libya. On 13th April this year the Foreign
:18:14. > :18:18.Secretary told us the United Nations should take forward lead
:18:18. > :18:24.planning for our early recovery of peace building in Libya. Last
:18:24. > :18:27.Tuesday, a tour this House that Britain is in the lead of post
:18:28. > :18:33.conflict planning. Given his statement last week that planning
:18:33. > :18:37.is only at an embryonic stage, can the Foreign Secretary tell us who
:18:37. > :18:45.is responsible for post conflict planning? Is that the United
:18:45. > :18:48.Kingdom, the United Nations or the European Union? The Right
:18:48. > :18:58.Honourable of Gen Tom Allen is bringing together several
:18:58. > :19:01.
:19:01. > :19:10.conflicting subjects. -- the right honourable gentleman. They are
:19:10. > :19:15.doing a lot of that work for post Colonel Gadaffi. We are in the lead
:19:15. > :19:18.in that looking, in detail, at stabilisation response.
:19:18. > :19:25.Destabilisation response team has been there, they are now writing
:19:25. > :19:29.their report, but we have been working with Italy, and Turkey. The
:19:29. > :19:34.UN will have that responsibility for co-ordination of Humanitarian
:19:34. > :19:43.Assistance and for the future, but Britain has taken the lead on
:19:43. > :19:47.putting people on the ground and doing the thinking. Will the
:19:47. > :19:57.Foreign Secretary take up the case of the young woman who is in prison
:19:57. > :19:58.
:19:58. > :20:03.for a reading a poem about freedom? Yes, of course we take up and we
:20:03. > :20:07.expressed to the Bahrain authorities the need for universal
:20:07. > :20:12.respect for human rights. Including for due process. That is what we
:20:12. > :20:19.look to them to bring about in the judicial process. I have strongly
:20:19. > :20:27.expressed that a view myself to the Crown Prince of Bahrain. Question
:20:27. > :20:31.number six, Mr Speaker. We have made direct representations on a
:20:31. > :20:34.number of occasions and of course we continue to condemn the
:20:34. > :20:38.imprisonment of opposition politicians in Belarus as well as
:20:38. > :20:47.the persecution and harassment of civil society leaders and human
:20:47. > :20:52.rights defenders. The President's administration is responsible for a
:20:52. > :20:55.series of enterprises and those profits are kept within the
:20:55. > :20:59.presidential administration including the KGB. Due to these
:20:59. > :21:05.clear, close financial links between state oppression and these
:21:05. > :21:10.enterprises isn't it time that the UK looked at prohibiting British
:21:10. > :21:15.trade and investment with these companies? As the honourable lady
:21:15. > :21:18.knows, we together with our European Union partners have agreed
:21:18. > :21:27.at a set of sanctions targeted against leading members of the
:21:27. > :21:31.regime in Belarus. There is also a review of the possibility of
:21:31. > :21:38.additional economic sanctions. Not every EU country has expressed
:21:38. > :21:40.itself in favour of that. We also have to take account of the need to
:21:40. > :21:46.get the balance right between harming the regime and are not
:21:46. > :21:51.trying to impoverish a a people who are already oppressed. The Minister
:21:51. > :21:56.will be aware that in light of its economic failures, Belarus has
:21:56. > :21:59.requested for the �5 billion bail- out from the IMF. What discussions
:21:59. > :22:05.has he had with the Treasury that Britain will not support a bail-out
:22:05. > :22:13.package unless it comes with a firm commitment from the Belarus regime
:22:13. > :22:18.to recognise the basic rights of freedom of its civilians.
:22:18. > :22:25.honourable friend puts her. Well. As she rightly says, the economy of
:22:25. > :22:28.the Belarus is in a a dire state. The economic as well as the
:22:28. > :22:33.internally repressive policies of the Government are making a bad
:22:33. > :22:40.situation worse for the people of that country. We are considering,
:22:40. > :22:44.both internally within the United Kingdom and with international
:22:44. > :22:54.partners, what our approach might be in the event that Belarus were
:22:54. > :22:55.
:22:55. > :22:57.to apply for a further help from the IMF. No. Eight, Mr Speaker.
:22:58. > :23:02.believe the relationship between the interim government and the
:23:02. > :23:06.growing number of political parties in Tunisia is a stable one as we
:23:06. > :23:09.head to elections in October. There are challenges, partly the
:23:09. > :23:15.technical arrangements for a nationwide election and partly the
:23:15. > :23:21.economic challenges the company -- country faces. We believe the
:23:22. > :23:31.building blocks for a democracy will be in place. I am grateful, Mr
:23:31. > :23:36.Speaker. Given the unique history of Tunisia as probably being the
:23:36. > :23:42.most progressive country in North Africa, it could act as a beacon of
:23:42. > :23:48.hope, yet there are reports of interference from fundamentalists
:23:48. > :23:54.in the Tunisian, or the proposed Tunisian process. What further help
:23:54. > :23:58.can the Government gave to the democratic forces within Tunisia?
:23:58. > :24:01.The honourable gentleman's caution is well-balanced and understood. It
:24:01. > :24:08.is right to recognise the good things that are happening, he is
:24:08. > :24:11.right about the background of Tunisia. We have already committed
:24:11. > :24:15.about �1.5 million of the original �5 million of the Arab partnership
:24:15. > :24:19.to work in capacity building, strengthening political
:24:19. > :24:22.institutions and working on issues like that as we head towards the
:24:22. > :24:26.election. There will be more money available through the partnership
:24:26. > :24:31.but we are looking to swap expertise and build up the
:24:31. > :24:35.embryonic political parties in the areas we would -- he would expect
:24:35. > :24:40.us to be involved. Can I congratulate the Foreign office to
:24:40. > :24:45.set up the fund to enable parties are Peter's to help the emerging
:24:45. > :24:50.political forces in Tunisia to march towards democracy. It is
:24:50. > :24:53.important not to overlook the moderate states alongside who have
:24:53. > :24:59.not had a revolution, but are doing the right thing and moving towards
:24:59. > :25:03.democracy. We should be supporting them as well. Yes, and my
:25:03. > :25:08.honourable friend is absolutely right and we will do. Relationships
:25:08. > :25:12.with Morocco and Jordan are a good. They have put themselves in a
:25:12. > :25:18.position where they appear to be ahead of the curve by responding to
:25:19. > :25:23.the aspirations of that people in an appropriate manner. We are
:25:23. > :25:27.looking to WFD to deliver quite substantially in relation to their
:25:27. > :25:33.obligations. It is a heavy responsibility to help political
:25:33. > :25:36.parties develop and play an important part. The Minister will
:25:36. > :25:41.also be aware of the growing humanitarian pressures on the
:25:41. > :25:45.border between Tunisia and Libya. What offers of assistance at the
:25:45. > :25:50.technical our financial have been offered to address issues of clean
:25:50. > :25:54.water and sanitation access in that region? We are very conscious of
:25:55. > :25:59.these pressures. Most of them are being absorbed by the Tunisian
:25:59. > :26:08.people themselves. It is remarkable how many families have taken into
:26:08. > :26:12.their own homes those who have been fleeing from neighbouring Bolivia.
:26:12. > :26:16.-- neighbouring area. Millions of pounds have been committed to this
:26:16. > :26:22.and we will continue to support and assist them. Number nine, Mr
:26:22. > :26:25.Speaker. The Foreign and Commonwealth office does not
:26:25. > :26:28.provide financial assistance for legal costs of British citizens
:26:28. > :26:34.arrested overseas. We provide information about the local legal
:26:34. > :26:38.system, including whether a legal- aid system is available. We can
:26:38. > :26:40.also provide a list of local, English-speaking lawyers and we
:26:40. > :26:46.work with non-government organisations he may be able to
:26:46. > :26:50.offer support. The Minister will be aware of the plight of and it --
:26:50. > :26:56.constituent of mine, Stephen scarlet he remains in prison in
:26:56. > :27:00.Senegal today despite the fact that his sentence ended this year. His
:27:00. > :27:04.family has been unable to get any financial support tonight it --
:27:04. > :27:14.navigate the local system. Does he not agree with me that in such
:27:14. > :27:19.
:27:19. > :27:23.extreme cases, the needs of these I understand the distress felt by
:27:23. > :27:28.the man and his family at the length of time the case is taking
:27:28. > :27:33.to resolve and he has been assisted by the British Embassy in back car
:27:33. > :27:36.and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as a whole. However, the
:27:36. > :27:44.responsibility for ensuring Mr Scarlett receives the best outcome
:27:44. > :27:48.lies with his lawyer. There are three groups which insist British
:27:48. > :27:55.citizens and we are aware that Fair trials International have offered
:27:55. > :28:05.their services to Mr Scarlett's family. Question Number Ten. Mr
:28:05. > :28:05.
:28:05. > :28:11.Speaker, DFID Spence �73 million in Israel and the occupied Palestinian
:28:11. > :28:15.territories on a range of measures promoting peace through the
:28:15. > :28:20.conflict prevention pull and through economic development. This
:28:20. > :28:25.year the Foreign Office is spending �70,000 on the co-existence
:28:25. > :28:31.projects which range from language development two courses and work
:28:31. > :28:36.inside Israel itself to help bind communities together. According to
:28:36. > :28:40.answers to ministerial questions in January, only 1% of EU aid to the
:28:40. > :28:44.Palestinians goes on civil society projects. What is the Government
:28:44. > :28:48.doing to ensure a greater proportion of EU aid is spent on
:28:48. > :28:53.developing co-existence projects which are so vital to the peace
:28:53. > :28:58.process? The honourable gentleman is right in terms of the proportion
:28:58. > :29:02.being spent which I picked out for the answer which I have just given
:29:02. > :29:07.him. I think sometimes it is difficult to separate category by
:29:07. > :29:11.category in that I expect an amount of work which goes into promotion
:29:11. > :29:16.of Palestinian economic developments, some �30 million, for
:29:16. > :29:20.example, goes into work which feeds into prosperity issues and co-
:29:20. > :29:24.existence issues. We are very open in the Foreign and Commonwealth
:29:24. > :29:27.Office to more applications coming in on these types of projects and I
:29:27. > :29:33.will certainly be looking to see what more we can do to encourage
:29:33. > :29:38.what he has spoken about. Will the Government make it clear to the
:29:38. > :29:45.Israeli government that an attack on any future humanitarian flotilla
:29:45. > :29:54.would be met by international condemnation? We are talking about
:29:54. > :29:58.co-existence projects and joint business initiatives. I believe, Mr
:29:58. > :30:02.Speaker, we would be right in saying we would be looking to the
:30:02. > :30:05.reopening of the crossing in Gaza to help both economic development
:30:05. > :30:08.and encourage the co-existence that would be necessary because the
:30:08. > :30:14.greater the economic development in the West Bank and Gaza, the more
:30:14. > :30:19.opportunity there is for both and the less need there is for anyone
:30:19. > :30:27.to be attempting a flotilla to bring produce in law-making eight
:30:27. > :30:32.point. Question number 11. totally deplore any company
:30:32. > :30:35.operating anywhere in the world that ignores basic human rights. It
:30:35. > :30:39.is especially important that companies that the highest possible
:30:39. > :30:44.standards when operating in failed states or conflict zones. That is
:30:44. > :30:47.why we support the excellent work carried out by the UN's expert on
:30:47. > :30:52.human rights, and we particularly welcome the final version of his
:30:52. > :30:56.guiding principles which deals with the subject. I wonder if he might
:30:56. > :31:01.go little further, giving the effect that legal protections could
:31:01. > :31:07.have on the lives of ordinary people in countries like Korea,
:31:07. > :31:10.Indonesia, Mexico, indeed, it even the Israeli occupied Palestinian
:31:10. > :31:14.territories, where they have been cases of abuse, torture and
:31:14. > :31:18.killings where citizens have protested against large-scale
:31:18. > :31:22.private sector projects. Will the Government indicate to the House
:31:22. > :31:29.that they are supporting the recommendations of Professor John
:31:29. > :31:34.Roby who recommended the Government explore greater protections for
:31:34. > :31:39.victims of abuse in conflict situations. I had the chance to
:31:39. > :31:44.meet the professor the other day and I am working very hard to
:31:44. > :31:48.ensure the guiding principles are actually incorporated and endorsed
:31:48. > :31:54.by the UN's human Rights Council in Geneva because that will give them
:31:54. > :31:58.extra cloud and accountability. Question number 13. I last met
:31:58. > :32:03.Secretary Clinton on the eve of President Obama's visit and we had
:32:03. > :32:08.a range of discussions including the situation in Afghanistan.
:32:08. > :32:13.he tell us that the discussions touched on the prospect of British
:32:13. > :32:19.troops remaining in Afghanistan post 2014 and how many and with
:32:19. > :32:24.what remit exactly? Yes, such matters are included in our talks
:32:24. > :32:31.but are also a matter of our public policy position. As we have said,
:32:31. > :32:35.British troops will not be engaged in a combat role after 2015, nor in
:32:35. > :32:40.anything like the numbers they are today. We have set out our
:32:40. > :32:46.intentions in line with the prospect and aims for transition to
:32:46. > :32:50.Afghan security control throughout Afghanistan by 2014. Given that it
:32:50. > :32:55.is highly unusual to set the withdrawal date in the middle of a
:32:55. > :32:59.counter insurgency campaign, has my right honourable friend received
:32:59. > :33:04.any indication from the Americans that they are considering the
:33:04. > :33:09.retention of a long-term strategic base or bridgehead area in the
:33:09. > :33:17.region, so that real pressure can be exerted on both sides to reach
:33:17. > :33:22.an appropriate settlement? long-term relationship, the
:33:22. > :33:25.relationship after the insurgency, if you like, and after a transition
:33:25. > :33:29.in 2014 between United States and Afghanistan, is subject to
:33:29. > :33:34.negotiation at the moment between the United States and Afghanistan.
:33:34. > :33:37.It is not possible at the moment to give a precise answer to the
:33:37. > :33:41.question of my honourable friend but it is matter to say it -- it is
:33:41. > :33:45.possible to say such matters are under discussion. Last week,
:33:45. > :33:50.members of the Home Affairs Select Committee visited the borders of
:33:50. > :33:55.Greece and Turkey and the detention centre where we were told 15,000
:33:55. > :33:58.afghanis had crossed the border between Turkey and Greece last year.
:33:58. > :34:04.Could the Foreign Secretary, in his discussions with the Americans,
:34:04. > :34:10.talk about the mass migration, the illegal migration, of hundreds of
:34:10. > :34:13.thousands of afghanis from Afghanistan into Western Europe?
:34:13. > :34:16.think the right honourable gentleman makes an important point.
:34:17. > :34:20.It underlines the need to bring stability to Afghanistan in the
:34:20. > :34:24.future so that those who wish to be in Afghanistan can have their homes
:34:24. > :34:30.and livelihoods there. I will certainly give attention to the
:34:30. > :34:34.point he raises. Given that the Taliban will not be beaten, and
:34:34. > :34:38.that the situation does not seem to be getting a better, does the
:34:38. > :34:42.Foreign Secretary agree or can I press upon the Foreign Secretary
:34:42. > :34:46.again, the need for the Americans to open meaningful unconditional
:34:46. > :34:49.talks with the Taliban. The Americans need to realise that as
:34:50. > :34:55.week proved in Northern Ireland, you can talk and fight at the same
:34:55. > :34:59.time. I think that well -- that point was well understood.
:34:59. > :35:03.Secretary Clinton called for a political surge alongside the
:35:04. > :35:08.military said and that is very much in line with the approach of our
:35:08. > :35:11.own country as well. Of course, that is the case. At the same time,
:35:11. > :35:16.the other thing that is changing and my honourable friend should
:35:16. > :35:21.give credit for, is the huge expansion and intensive training of
:35:21. > :35:28.the Afghan security forces and that bodes well for the longer term.
:35:28. > :35:32.Question number 14. We are deeply concerned by reports that a number
:35:32. > :35:37.of protesters have been killed and injured. We recognise Israel's
:35:37. > :35:41.right to defend herself. Any response must be proportionate,
:35:41. > :35:45.avoiding legal use of force and the right to process -- protest must be
:35:45. > :35:50.respected. I call on all parties to do what they can to protect the
:35:50. > :35:54.lives of civilians and avoid provocative acts. I thank the
:35:54. > :35:58.Secretary of State for his answer but what does this incident tell us
:35:58. > :36:04.about wider involvement in Syria and the handling of protest and
:36:04. > :36:08.unrest? I'm not sure what this instant tells us in itself about
:36:08. > :36:12.international involvement in Syria. Certainly, I believe Iran is
:36:12. > :36:16.engaged in giving direct support to Syria in the suppression of
:36:17. > :36:20.peaceful protest, both in terms of advice and technical equipment to
:36:20. > :36:25.enable them to do so. An extraordinarily hypocritical
:36:25. > :36:29.position given Iran's support for protest elsewhere in the Arab world.
:36:29. > :36:34.I cannot say this is connected with this particular incident but since
:36:34. > :36:39.the area of the Golan Heights is under direct control of the Syrian
:36:39. > :36:42.authorities, people can draw their own conclusions. Does the Foreign
:36:42. > :36:46.Secretary agree that the recent incidents at the Syrian Israeli
:36:46. > :36:50.border were organised by the Syrian government in an attempt to
:36:50. > :36:55.distract attention from their brutal internal dealing with their
:36:55. > :36:58.own rebellions? I don't think I want to add to what has said a
:36:58. > :37:02.moment ago about that. It is a remarkably convenient distraction
:37:02. > :37:06.from the point of view of the Syrian government. This requires
:37:06. > :37:11.both sides, both Israel in its response to such provocations and
:37:11. > :37:17.Syria in any role it may play in such provocations, to exercise much
:37:17. > :37:22.greater restraint. On the point of fact, have there been any Syrian
:37:22. > :37:27.protests on the Israeli border? I thought the protests were in the
:37:27. > :37:34.Golan Heights which last time I look, where Syrian territory,
:37:34. > :37:40.illegally occupied by Israel. than hikes are occupied territory -
:37:40. > :37:44.- Thurgoland heights but the territory on the other side that no
:37:44. > :37:52.one can dispute it is under the operational control of Syria and
:37:52. > :37:57.that is the point I am making. Question number 15. When I went to
:37:57. > :38:01.Benghazi I was impressed by the progress being made, the sense of
:38:01. > :38:05.optimism and the plans for a democratic future. The Gaddafi
:38:05. > :38:08.regime is isolated and on the defensive. Through a combination of
:38:08. > :38:13.military, economic and diplomatic means, we are ramping up the
:38:13. > :38:16.pressure for a genuine political solution for the Libyan people.
:38:16. > :38:20.thank the Foreign Secretary for that answer. Does he not agree with
:38:20. > :38:24.me that the further defections from the high level of the Gaddafi
:38:24. > :38:28.regime, a further loss of ground to the opposition forces and the
:38:28. > :38:33.growing authority of the transitional camps all point to a
:38:33. > :38:38.squeeze on the Gaddafi regime? my honourable friend sums up the
:38:38. > :38:43.situation very well. All of those are increasing pressures on the
:38:43. > :38:46.regime. A high-level defections included a number of generals, the
:38:46. > :38:50.head of the state owned National Oil Corporation and we believe
:38:50. > :38:55.there are many others who would defect if they could safely do so
:38:56. > :38:59.or of their families would not be under threat if they did so.
:38:59. > :39:04.Certainly, the morale of the regime is much reduced from some weeks or
:39:04. > :39:09.months ago. As I saw for myself, the morale and organisation of the
:39:09. > :39:12.National Transitional Council has improved considerably. With the
:39:12. > :39:16.Foreign Secretary confirm once and for all that Britain's military,
:39:16. > :39:19.economic and political involvement in Libya is for regime change and
:39:19. > :39:24.because of that it has been possible for any traction to be
:39:24. > :39:27.brought about by the EU, NATO and Britain, to bring about an urgent
:39:27. > :39:35.political solution and a ceasefire to save any more lives before the
:39:35. > :39:39.war get worse? Our military role is defined by a UN Resolution 1973. It
:39:39. > :39:44.is our implementation of that resolution that has saved thousands
:39:44. > :39:48.of lives. If we had not had that resolution, I know the honourable
:39:48. > :39:53.gentleman is an opponent of that resolution, if we had not had it,
:39:53. > :39:56.far more people would have died so far in this situation in Libya. If
:39:56. > :40:00.it is additionally true that we believe Colonel Gaddafi should go.
:40:01. > :40:06.But that is the belief of the vast majority of nations in the world,
:40:06. > :40:10.even so many around Africa as well and even Russia at the G8 Summit.
:40:10. > :40:15.And as I saw in Benghazi, of vast numbers of Libyans as well.
:40:15. > :40:18.Question Number 16. The Syrian government continues to use
:40:18. > :40:24.unacceptable violence against pro- democracy protesters. Syrian
:40:24. > :40:29.security forces have launched an offensive. There are reports of a
:40:29. > :40:33.military build up in other towns in Syria including overnight in
:40:33. > :40:37.eastern Syria. There are credible reports that more than 1,000 people
:40:37. > :40:41.have been killed since the beginning of protests. This
:40:41. > :40:44.violence is unacceptable and it should stop. I thank the Foreign
:40:45. > :40:49.Secretary for that answer but ask him as well if there has been any
:40:49. > :40:56.progress in getting the Red Cross to access civilians who have been
:40:56. > :41:01.attacked by the military in Syria? That is a good question. Sadly, the
:41:01. > :41:04.answer is no. My right honourable friend discussed this with the
:41:04. > :41:08.President of the International Committee with the Red Cross a few
:41:08. > :41:12.days ago and one of the things we have called on the Syrian
:41:12. > :41:16.government to grant his humanitarian access. This remains a
:41:16. > :41:21.prime consideration and something I will discuss tonight with the
:41:21. > :41:26.Turkish Foreign Minister what more can be done in working with Turkey,
:41:26. > :41:29.Syria's closest and most important neighbour, in terms of diplomatic
:41:29. > :41:39.relationships, in order to try to be swayed the Syrians to grant such
:41:39. > :41:42.The United Kingdom has a strong relationship with Japan
:41:42. > :41:47.encompassing long-standing commercial, cultural and official
:41:47. > :41:50.ties. These relations have been enhanced in recent months with the
:41:50. > :41:55.visit of the Japanese Foreign Minister to London and the Business
:41:55. > :41:59.Secretary to Japan. I plan to visit Japan next month to for the develop
:41:59. > :42:03.the relationship. I thank the Minister for his response. Can the
:42:03. > :42:08.Minister of date the House on what the UK is doing to support British
:42:08. > :42:12.businesses that work in and with Japan, particularly ensuring that
:42:12. > :42:16.supply chains operate effectively? The honourable member makes a
:42:16. > :42:21.valuable point. There are literally thousands of people in Britain
:42:21. > :42:27.whose jobs depend on either direct inward investment of Japan or in
:42:27. > :42:31.related jobs associated with direct inward investment. About 17,000
:42:31. > :42:38.Britons work in Japan. We constantly turn our attention to
:42:38. > :42:48.how we can deepen the commercial relations between our two countries.
:42:48. > :42:48.
:42:48. > :42:52.They are the third and the sixth biggest economy is in the world. In
:42:52. > :42:55.addition to the many situations we have already discussed, I am
:42:55. > :43:00.concerned by the worsening situation in sedans. We call upon
:43:00. > :43:04.all parties to cease hostilities and returned to the negotiations.
:43:04. > :43:12.We're working with the African Union very closely to support the
:43:12. > :43:15.peace negotiations currently under way us. Can I asked the Foreign
:43:15. > :43:20.Secretary, further to that, when he would expect those negotiations to
:43:20. > :43:27.resume and what action the British Government intends to take?
:43:27. > :43:32.special representative is involved, intimately involved in those
:43:32. > :43:38.negotiations. I spoke to the former President a few days ago who is
:43:38. > :43:43.leading the conduct of those negotiations. I have also spoken to
:43:43. > :43:49.the south Sudanese president and to the Foreign Minister -- Foreign
:43:49. > :43:54.Minister of the North. We are highly active in trying to push for
:43:54. > :44:00.a solution, including working with Ethiopia us. It is not possible to
:44:00. > :44:03.say when that will happen, but real progress needs to be shown before
:44:03. > :44:10.the ninth of of July which is the date for the independence of south
:44:11. > :44:14.Sudan. The whole House will be aware of reports that over 5,000
:44:14. > :44:19.Syrian refugees have registered on the border of Turkey and many more
:44:19. > :44:22.are poised to flee the country. I welcome the statement the Foreign
:44:22. > :44:26.Secretary has just made informing of the House that he will be
:44:26. > :44:30.speaking to the newly elected Turkey government on the situation
:44:30. > :44:37.in Syria. How hard will he be pressing for that country to step
:44:37. > :44:42.up its regional leadership role in relation to Syria, in particular.
:44:42. > :44:49.will of course be doing that and the Prime Minister has already
:44:49. > :44:53.spoken to the Prime Minister of Turkey. Turkey plays ace -- strong,
:44:53. > :45:00.leading a regional role and has made many efforts in recent weeks,
:45:00. > :45:04.despite their own election campaign, to persuade them regime that to
:45:04. > :45:08.adopt a different course. I am sure they will want to redouble their
:45:08. > :45:18.efforts given the situation on their border. I would strongly
:45:18. > :45:19.
:45:20. > :45:25.encourage them to do so. The whole House will share the concern of
:45:25. > :45:31.many British nationals at the spread of violence and unrest in
:45:31. > :45:41.the Sudan and welcomed the Secretary of State updating us on
:45:41. > :45:43.
:45:43. > :45:48.the situation as it presently stands. Just to add to what my
:45:48. > :45:52.honourable friend said, we are keen to see action that p 5 a level and
:45:52. > :45:58.we are keen to see the issue raised with the Security Council hopefully
:45:58. > :46:02.this week. My constituent was evacuated from Libya as part of the
:46:03. > :46:10.British evacuation, with his pregnant Libyan wife. They have now
:46:10. > :46:14.receded bill for the birth of their child from the NHS for �1,255. Is
:46:14. > :46:22.this any way to treat a family fleeing Gadaffi, and will he
:46:22. > :46:26.undertake to look into this here and in Wales? Clearly, I am unaware
:46:26. > :46:32.of the circumstances precisely described by the honourable
:46:32. > :46:37.gentleman. I will happily look into it. It may refer to regular UK
:46:37. > :46:42.status, and then behave by certain benefit regulations about being
:46:42. > :46:50.ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. At this stage, I would be
:46:50. > :46:55.very happy to have a look at the circumstances. I would like to ask
:46:55. > :47:00.the Minister what measures we will be putting in place to support the
:47:00. > :47:07.French at the G20 on Sid security? It is one of the issues that really
:47:07. > :47:14.links foreign policy with prices in my supermarkets for my constituents.
:47:14. > :47:18.We welcome the French presidency's aim to tackle high acid prices.
:47:18. > :47:22.Prices since 2010 have pushed 44 million people across the world
:47:22. > :47:26.into poverty. They are being driven by a shortage of supply and
:47:26. > :47:32.increase in demand. I would urge countries like Sudan to start
:47:32. > :47:36.producing food again, not least for their own people. The Secretary of
:47:36. > :47:40.State will be aware of a case of my constituents who is one of a number
:47:40. > :47:46.of British citizens who, for more than 20 years, has been trying to
:47:46. > :47:50.secure equal pay under their European up like so like Italy. I
:47:50. > :47:55.wonder if he would take up this case again and tried to bring the
:47:55. > :48:02.Surrey side go to a conclusion. I intend to visit Italy within the
:48:02. > :48:08.next week and this is one of the items that will be on the agenda.
:48:08. > :48:11.With the Foreign Secretary please confirm the UK's policy towards the
:48:11. > :48:19.use of predator drones, and in particular its legal and moral
:48:19. > :48:26.basis. Our policy is that the use of drones is a matter for the
:48:26. > :48:30.governments of the United States and Pakistan. Will the Foreign
:48:30. > :48:40.Secretary join me in welcoming the release of the Iranian trade
:48:40. > :48:40.
:48:40. > :48:46.unionist? Despite this encouraging step, two others are still in jail
:48:46. > :48:49.in Iran, possibly for belonging to a trade unions. With the Foreign
:48:49. > :48:54.Secretary agree to meet with me and other interested politicians on
:48:54. > :48:59.this issue? This is another example of the appalling human rights
:48:59. > :49:02.record of the Iranian government. Either I, or one of my ministerial
:49:02. > :49:07.colleagues, will meet the honourable gentleman if that is
:49:07. > :49:11.acceptable to him. Iran's human rights record has deteriorated
:49:11. > :49:17.steadily, even throughout this year. There are more journalists in
:49:17. > :49:24.prison in Iran than anywhere else. It has an appalling record of a
:49:24. > :49:27.human rights abuse and the instance he gives is another one. Would my
:49:27. > :49:34.right honourable friend comment on the worrying situation in south
:49:34. > :49:39.Sudan and the considerable increase in violence in the disputed states?
:49:39. > :49:43.The states are subject to talk to day between the presidents of north
:49:44. > :49:48.and south Sudan and the former President of South Africa and the
:49:48. > :49:55.President of Ethiopia. I share my honourable friend's concerns. That
:49:55. > :49:59.is why we have called on all parties to end this and respect the
:49:59. > :50:06.humanitarian responsibilities and to allow access to larger needed
:50:06. > :50:11.international assistance. Minister will be aware of the
:50:11. > :50:15.legislation passed in March in Egypt restricting the right to
:50:15. > :50:18.strike and criminalisation of protests. Will the Government
:50:18. > :50:26.raised concern with the Egyptian authorities about restrictions on
:50:26. > :50:31.the right to protest? Yes, this is the kind of issue that I discussed
:50:31. > :50:38.with Egyptian authorities when I visited Cairo last week. Clearly,
:50:38. > :50:43.we want to see a much more normal state of affairs. We hope that the
:50:43. > :50:47.onset of elections and greater political Sweden will bring that
:50:47. > :50:53.about. People having the basic rights, including those to which
:50:53. > :50:57.you are fair. Europe's stands united in condemnation of the
:50:57. > :51:01.atrocities perpetrated by the Syrian regime, but progress in
:51:01. > :51:04.getting the Security Council to similarly declared the combination
:51:04. > :51:08.of these abuses is slow. The support of countries like Brazil,
:51:08. > :51:13.said Aberdare and India could reduce the likelihood of a Russian
:51:13. > :51:17.or Chinese of veto. Can the Minister say what steps the
:51:17. > :51:21.Government is taking to strengthen ties between the Britain and the
:51:21. > :51:29.emerging powers, not just in terms of trade but also shared interests
:51:29. > :51:33.like human rights. Yes, my honourable friend is right up to
:51:33. > :51:38.draw the conclusion to elevate these relations. A good example of
:51:38. > :51:42.this is the UK, South Africa bilateral forum which we held on
:51:42. > :51:46.Thursday. This included four said African Ministers with their
:51:46. > :51:49.counterparts from the UK, discussing a whole range of issues,
:51:49. > :51:54.emphasising in particular the shared values between our country
:51:54. > :52:00.and a country like South Africans. We will take forward a that work in
:52:00. > :52:05.the years ahead. Ministers met last week with our constituents who took
:52:05. > :52:09.the time to have tea with us about overseas aid. Many members of
:52:09. > :52:14.Parliament for many years have been concerned with aid in return for
:52:14. > :52:21.trade. Could the Secretary of State say that his department would never
:52:21. > :52:26.get involved in a conversation about a commitment of overseas aid
:52:26. > :52:33.in return for privatisation of public utilities for a contracts
:52:33. > :52:37.for British companies? It I think he may want to answer this question
:52:37. > :52:41.at the Department of International Development to get the thought of
:52:41. > :52:45.answer, but as he knows, across the House we are in favour of
:52:45. > :52:51.development aid being given on its merits and not for the kind of the
:52:51. > :52:55.deals are arrangements he is talking about. Mr Speaker, the
:52:55. > :52:59.recent elections in Nigeria exceeded international expectations
:52:59. > :53:03.as a fair process and a true democratic choice. Will the
:53:03. > :53:06.Minister encourage the Nigerian government to extend that she the
:53:06. > :53:12.business sphere by tackling corruption and supporting
:53:12. > :53:20.entrepreneur ship as this is the best way to Secure at a secure
:53:20. > :53:26.economic future for the Nigerian people. I was struck by the
:53:26. > :53:33.President's determination to root out corruption and put in place a
:53:33. > :53:37.road map before or oil and power sector reform. Can the Minister of
:53:37. > :53:42.dip a house on progress that has been made on getting Palestinian
:53:42. > :53:47.leaders to recognise the right of the state of Israel to exist?
:53:47. > :53:57.the moment, Hamas does not recognise the right of Israel to
:53:57. > :54:00.
:54:00. > :54:05.exist. The criteria we applied to the new Palestinian authority are
:54:05. > :54:09.those which I set out to the House earlier and set out last week,
:54:09. > :54:14.including accepting the previous agreement of the PLO. What
:54:14. > :54:19.discussions were had with Barack Obama concerning recent US calls
:54:19. > :54:22.for the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Was he persuaded to
:54:22. > :54:27.support democracy in the South Atlantic as well as the Middle
:54:27. > :54:31.East? It there has been no discussion with Barack Obama on his
:54:31. > :54:36.recent visit of the Falcon Islands and the position of the United
:54:36. > :54:44.Kingdom remains absolutely the same, as it has found under successive
:54:44. > :54:49.governments since 1982. Ahead of Channel 4's screening of the
:54:49. > :54:52.killing fields of Sri Lanka, what reasoned assessment has the
:54:52. > :54:56.Secretary of State made of the credibility of the Sri Lankan
:54:56. > :55:02.government's lessons learnt and reconciliation commission and its
:55:02. > :55:06.new deadline to report to November of this year? I spoke to this
:55:06. > :55:11.morning to the Foreign Secretary of shrill Lanka. He had an opportunity
:55:11. > :55:16.to update me on some positive measures that had been taken. I was
:55:16. > :55:19.in a position to remind him of the importance of a credible and
:55:19. > :55:23.independent investigation of the various allegations which are now
:55:23. > :55:29.very much on the table from the UN and others. It is essential that
:55:29. > :55:34.those are dealt with. We note the new timetable to report his
:55:34. > :55:37.November. However long this takes, it will not be possible for surely
:55:37. > :55:45.go to move forward unless it has addressed some of the horrors of
:55:45. > :55:49.the past. The Foreign Secretary will be aware of the large and
:55:49. > :55:54.growing Serbian expatriate community in London. What positive
:55:54. > :55:59.message can we send them about the prospect of the easing of visa
:55:59. > :56:03.requirements in the future, and also the Halle and when Serbia
:56:03. > :56:10.could eventually joined the European Union? As my honourable
:56:10. > :56:14.friend knows, these requirements are at a matter for the Home office.
:56:14. > :56:20.And they will be considered by Home office Ministers when the next
:56:20. > :56:24.review the visa waiver scheme. The message to Serbia is this country
:56:24. > :56:28.supports Serbia's ambitions to join the European Union and wishes the
:56:28. > :56:31.President every success in taking through the very demanding
:56:31. > :56:39.programme of reforms that will be needed for them to meet the
:56:39. > :56:44.conditions of entry. Is the Foreign Secretary aware of the reasons why
:56:44. > :56:48.his German counterpart went to Benghazi and said that the German
:56:48. > :56:53.government was now recognising the transitional government in
:56:53. > :56:57.Benghazi? Does this represent a welcome shift of Germany's position
:56:57. > :57:06.given they abstained on the Security Council resolution of
:57:06. > :57:11.Injury any has been supportive. Although they abstained in the
:57:11. > :57:13.Security Council in March they have been part of the contact group, the
:57:13. > :57:18.German Foreign Minister attended the London conference, which I
:57:18. > :57:21.hosted, at the end of March. Although Germany has not made a
:57:21. > :57:25.military contribution to the NATO effort they have been helpful in
:57:25. > :57:31.many other ways and given political support to what we are doing. What
:57:31. > :57:35.he points out is further evidence of that consistent approach.
:57:35. > :57:43.too many parts of the world freedom of religion and belief does not
:57:43. > :57:46.exist or is being undermined. Would my honourable friend establish an
:57:46. > :57:51.advisory commission on freedom of relig ligious belief to advise the
:57:51. > :57:56.government on these important issues? I have already established
:57:56. > :58:01.a human rights advisory group which, at its second meeting last week,
:58:01. > :58:05.that meeting we had a specific discussion about this very subject,
:58:05. > :58:10.about freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and so on. The Foreign
:58:10. > :58:13.Office paper will go on to be discussed at a conference, to be
:58:13. > :58:18.held shortly. This is an important subject in which the Foreign Office
:58:18. > :58:22.and many other people are now engaged. The Foreign Secretary said
:58:22. > :58:26.earlier that he had a conversation with the Crown Prince of Bahrain,
:58:26. > :58:32.that he is in favour of dialogue. It's very well saying that, both
:58:32. > :58:36.here and the United States, the same time the government in Bahrain
:58:36. > :58:43.is crushing dissidents and also locking up those people who should
:58:43. > :58:49.be part of the dialogue. Yes, she makes a powerful point. The point I
:58:49. > :58:51.would make in return is, yes, we should be highly critical and we
:58:51. > :58:56.should condemn human rights' abuses in Bahrain, but it is very
:58:56. > :59:01.important for us to play what role we can in encouraging the most
:59:01. > :59:05.constructive, the most moderate figures, on both sides, to make a