:00:15. > :00:27.Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and
:00:28. > :00:32.Commonwealth Affairs. We oppose the use of the death penalty in all
:00:33. > :00:35.circumstances and advocate global abolition. The Government supports
:00:36. > :00:40.programmes around the world to promote abolition and Eamonn Tory on
:00:41. > :00:48.executions in those countries where the death penalty is still on the
:00:49. > :00:51.statute book. Can I ask if he will resent a new strategy for the
:00:52. > :00:59.abolition of the death penalty following on from the 2010, 2015
:01:00. > :01:06.strategy and will it include Saudi Arabia? We oppose the death penalty
:01:07. > :01:11.in every country including Saudi Arabia and other states where that
:01:12. > :01:16.is still part of the criminal law. The abolition of the death penalty
:01:17. > :01:21.remains integral to all human rights work that this department does. I
:01:22. > :01:25.welcome the fact that the trend is for reducing the number of
:01:26. > :01:28.executions and the number of states carrying out executions. When he
:01:29. > :01:32.joined me in expressing concern in areas where that is not the case and
:01:33. > :01:38.does he agree that if it is wrong to take a life, it is wrong for the
:01:39. > :01:45.state to take a life in revenge? That is certainly my view and it is
:01:46. > :01:49.the Government's position to oppose capital punishment. We need to
:01:50. > :01:53.bearing in mind that while capital punishment exists, it means it is
:01:54. > :01:56.potentially a risk for a British citizen anywhere in the world who
:01:57. > :02:06.might be found guilty of a criminal offence. Does he share my horror
:02:07. > :02:08.that on the top five countries which execute people come remains the
:02:09. > :02:12.United States of America, despite a reduction in the number of
:02:13. > :02:18.executions last year? Where did the last speak to his American
:02:19. > :02:25.counterpart about their record in executing people? As I am sure she
:02:26. > :02:29.knows, in the US, this is largely a matter for state legislature 's and
:02:30. > :02:38.state governments rather than the ferret -- Federal Government. We to
:02:39. > :02:43.take up, when appropriate, the particular cases with the relevant
:02:44. > :02:48.authorities. Belarus is the only country still executing its
:02:49. > :02:53.citizens. Does my right honourable friend share my concern that in the
:02:54. > :02:57.last three months, two Belarus citizens have been sentenced to
:02:58. > :03:00.death? If they want to become a full member of the Council of Europe,
:03:01. > :03:11.they should abide by international laws and the European ledgers --
:03:12. > :03:16.European legislation is? We, in all our dealings with the Government
:03:17. > :03:22.there, we make clear the need for them to move to international and
:03:23. > :03:29.European standards on capital punishment, but also to take action
:03:30. > :03:32.to improve what is frankly still a dismal human rights record in that
:03:33. > :03:40.country. Further to the answer from the honourable member from Slough,
:03:41. > :03:48.is he aware of the organisation that drugs companies exported to the
:03:49. > :03:55.state of Arkansas for use in lethal injections? They say they don't
:03:56. > :04:00.export for this purpose but go on to say any sales usually occur through
:04:01. > :04:04.the use of distributors. It seems an obvious loophole. Why is nobody
:04:05. > :04:09.closing it? I will look into the particular case at -- that he
:04:10. > :04:21.describes and try to him in due course. -- and write to him in due
:04:22. > :04:27.course. Humanitarian assistance was sent to besieged communities in
:04:28. > :04:32.Syria. The first deliveries of aid have now been made and yesterday
:04:33. > :04:35.there was an announcement of agreement between Russia and the
:04:36. > :04:40.United States on the detailed arrangements for the sentenced --
:04:41. > :04:46.for the hostilities which will come into force on midnight on Saturday.
:04:47. > :04:51.If that is implemented by all the parties, this could be an important
:04:52. > :04:58.step towards a lasting political settlement in Syria. The bombing of
:04:59. > :05:03.two hospitals and other health facilities in northern Syria is
:05:04. > :05:07.completely unacceptable and a clear breach of international humanitarian
:05:08. > :05:12.law. Does the Minister agree that those responsible must be brought to
:05:13. > :05:16.justice and that this reinforces the need for United Nations Security
:05:17. > :05:23.Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court?
:05:24. > :05:31.The Honourable Lynne de -- Lady raises an incident that has caused
:05:32. > :05:36.widespread outrage. It requires a resolution of the United Nations
:05:37. > :05:40.Security Council, one veto holding member of whom is the Russian
:05:41. > :05:46.Federation. It is unlike -- it is unlikely that we will succeed going
:05:47. > :05:50.down that route. Turkish policy towards Syrian Kurdish forces seems
:05:51. > :05:55.inconsistent with our own, inconsistent with the prospect of
:05:56. > :05:59.supporting Syrian peace talks and inconsistent with the opportunity to
:06:00. > :06:07.form a united front against die -ish. This Syrian Kurds are an
:06:08. > :06:16.important part of the equation and have to be brought into any enduring
:06:17. > :06:23.solution. Turkey has a problem with links with the PKK and other Syrian
:06:24. > :06:27.groups. PKK is a terrorist group designated in Turkey and indeed in
:06:28. > :06:36.the UK. There are overlaying conflicts here. It is a major
:06:37. > :06:41.complicating factor. What we have seen is very disturbing evidence of
:06:42. > :06:44.coordination between Syrian Kurdish forces, the Syrian regime and the
:06:45. > :06:48.Russian air force which are making us distinctly uneasy about the
:06:49. > :07:02.Kurds's role in this. The bombings are driving the refugee
:07:03. > :07:06.crisis and destabilising and weakening Europe. Now is not the
:07:07. > :07:12.time to even talk about weakening the EU sanctions against the Putin
:07:13. > :07:18.regime. I agree with the honourable gentleman that now is not the time
:07:19. > :07:25.to send Russia any signals of compromise or pulling back. The only
:07:26. > :07:32.language Putin accepts is that of confrontation. We have to stand up
:07:33. > :07:39.and be counted, how ever inconvenient that might be for some
:07:40. > :07:42.that have to be counted. Whether we like it or not, Russia is a
:07:43. > :07:47.prerequisite to the successful talks if they are going to be successful.
:07:48. > :07:51.The American Secretary of State has a close working relationship with
:07:52. > :07:56.the Russian Foreign Minister, talking to him nearly every week.
:07:57. > :07:59.Whether the Foreign Secretary will speak to the Russian Foreign
:08:00. > :08:03.Secretary and what is he doing to improve his personal relationship
:08:04. > :08:11.with him? Our relationships are difficult. I spoke to Sergei Lavrov
:08:12. > :08:17.on the 11th of February in Munich where he and I had some prolonged
:08:18. > :08:23.and robust exchanges around the table during that evening. I do
:08:24. > :08:28.speak regularly to the US Secretary of State and am aware of the
:08:29. > :08:31.discussions he is having with our mutual Russian counterpart. The
:08:32. > :08:38.problem is that Russian policy on Syria is not made in the Russian
:08:39. > :08:41.Foreign Ministry comment is made inside a tiny cabal around President
:08:42. > :08:47.Putin around the heart of the Kremlin. What dialogue has the
:08:48. > :08:51.minister had with French counterparts as a result of the
:08:52. > :08:55.Syrian crisis regarding the safety and protection arrangements for
:08:56. > :09:01.unaccompanied children refugees that are at grave risk and due to be
:09:02. > :09:05.disbursed from the jungle camp? I have had discussions with my former
:09:06. > :09:13.French counterpart who retired the week before last and indeed my new
:09:14. > :09:18.French counterparts. The issues relating to would-be migrants
:09:19. > :09:22.accumulated around Calais after the Home Secretary and she has very
:09:23. > :09:32.regular discussions with her counterpart. The Russians are a key
:09:33. > :09:36.part to establishing a meaningful political settlement in Syria. Would
:09:37. > :09:40.he agree that it doesn't mean we give in to the Russians across the
:09:41. > :09:43.rest of Europe and that the Nato commitment in the Baltic states is
:09:44. > :09:49.just as important a counterbalance whatever partnerships we use the
:09:50. > :09:57.Russians for in Syria? We are dealing with a raised level of
:09:58. > :10:01.Russian assertiveness in many areas. In the Baltic, in Ukraine and now in
:10:02. > :10:08.the Middle East. We have to be robust in all areas. He is right
:10:09. > :10:12.that Russia holds the key to the situation in Syria. I have said in
:10:13. > :10:16.this house before that there is one person in the world who has the
:10:17. > :10:20.power to bring the misery in Syria to an end by picking up the phone
:10:21. > :10:27.and making one phone call and that person is Vladimir Putin. The whole
:10:28. > :10:31.house will welcome the ceasefire agreement which is so badly needed.
:10:32. > :10:35.However, there have been promises from Russia before. They have been
:10:36. > :10:40.claiming to be attacking terrorist groups when they have been attacked
:10:41. > :10:44.in moderate opposition forces and civilians. Can the Foreign Secretary
:10:45. > :10:45.set out how breaches of the ceasefire agreement will actually be
:10:46. > :10:52.assessed? She has put her finger on the
:10:53. > :10:58.problem. The ceasefire agreement will allow continued operations
:10:59. > :11:04.against Daesh and associated terrorist groups submitted by the UN
:11:05. > :11:08.Security Council, and nobody would disagree with that. The problem is,
:11:09. > :11:13.the Russians claim that the date, all of their action has been against
:11:14. > :11:17.those groups. So on the face of it, the Russians could be entering onto
:11:18. > :11:22.this arrangement on the basis of not changing their behaviour. This
:11:23. > :11:31.cessation of hostilities will fail before it has got off the ground if
:11:32. > :11:34.that is their intention. Can the Foreign Secretary explain what
:11:35. > :11:37.consideration has been given to a UN resolution to strengthen the
:11:38. > :11:44.ceasefire agreement and support the peace talks? Yes, first of all,
:11:45. > :11:48.there is an arrangement agreed between the Russians and Americans
:11:49. > :11:53.for investigating alleged breaches of the ceasefire, and there is a
:11:54. > :11:59.commitment on both sides to working out a coordination cell between US
:12:00. > :12:04.and Russian sides to try to identify legitimate targets that can be
:12:05. > :12:10.structuring the ceasefire. In terms of UN dimensions to this, we are
:12:11. > :12:16.looking at that, we would welcome a UN resolution behind the ceasefire,
:12:17. > :12:22.we already have the resolution 2254 which we did on the 18th of December
:12:23. > :12:32.in New York, but that can only happen if the Russians are prepared
:12:33. > :12:40.to work with us. Number three. Mr Speaker, Daesh is presently being
:12:41. > :12:45.defeated in Iraq, as the competence of Iraqi security forces improves,
:12:46. > :12:48.specifically writing to Kurdistan, we are providing the peshmerga with
:12:49. > :12:56.air power, logistical support and training. I thank him for that
:12:57. > :13:03.answer. Report suggest that 45% of Kurdish forces are composed of
:13:04. > :13:07.women. A commander recently said, we do this not to protect ourselves but
:13:08. > :13:11.to change the way of thinking of the army, not only to gain power but to
:13:12. > :13:15.change society and develop it. What steps is the government taking to
:13:16. > :13:21.ensure their participation in regional diplomatic talks, post
:13:22. > :13:25.Daesh? Can I just paid should be to be quite she has given and the work
:13:26. > :13:30.she has done in pioneering the role that women can play. This is
:13:31. > :13:38.something of the UN envoy recognises and is trying to include the bosses
:13:39. > :13:44.of women. We have British training taking place in northern Iraq and we
:13:45. > :13:52.have training teams that will be training female units in the
:13:53. > :13:55.peshmerga itself. What is the minister's current assessment of the
:13:56. > :14:02.relations between the government of Turkey and the Kurdistan regional
:14:03. > :14:10.government? It is important Russian ship that they are developing, not
:14:11. > :14:16.just for economic reasons, but as he has just outlined, the there are
:14:17. > :14:19.concerns by Turkey because of the role and involvement and influence
:14:20. > :14:26.of the PKK, we will be monitoring that carefully. Since the breakdown
:14:27. > :14:30.of the peace process in summer last year, they have been reports of an
:14:31. > :14:35.escalation of violence and reports of a breach of human rights in
:14:36. > :14:42.south-eastern Turkey, in the Kurdish areas. There have been the deaths of
:14:43. > :14:46.hundreds of innocent civilians, curfews, imprisonment of democratic
:14:47. > :14:54.re-elected politicians who would be key interlocutors in future
:14:55. > :15:02.negotiations. Can he assure me that it will form part of the peace
:15:03. > :15:07.process talks in Syria? I'm grateful for her question, it is something I
:15:08. > :15:13.was able to raise during my visit to the north of Iraq, at the end of
:15:14. > :15:16.last year. We are concerned about the reports of human rights abuses
:15:17. > :15:28.and it's something we need to make sure is not overlooked. Question
:15:29. > :15:38.number four. Mr Speaker... The pleasure is entirely mutual! Let me
:15:39. > :15:42.say to the Minister of State, I much appreciate his courtesy in notifying
:15:43. > :15:46.me of his travel plans, I know he has only recently got off a plane so
:15:47. > :15:52.we're delighted to have him here, especially in view of the fact of
:15:53. > :15:58.which he has previously informed the house, that he is responsible for
:15:59. > :16:05.three quarters of the world! You have just stolen my first line
:16:06. > :16:09.again. On this important subject, I would repeat, for India and
:16:10. > :16:14.Pakistan, they need to find a lasting resolution to the situation
:16:15. > :16:19.in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is
:16:20. > :16:26.not for the UK to prescribe a solution. And tragically, this house
:16:27. > :16:30.has a great deal of respect for UN resolutions, and I'm sure that the
:16:31. > :16:35.Minister will be aware that in 1948 the UN Security Council passed
:16:36. > :16:40.resolution 47, instructing the government of India and Pakistan to
:16:41. > :16:45.prepare for a plebiscite to decide the future of Kashmir. Now almost 70
:16:46. > :16:49.years have passed, thousands of Kashmiri men, women and children
:16:50. > :16:53.have been slaughtered and atrocities are committed on a daily basis and
:16:54. > :16:57.there is still no sign of any action to allow these people to vote on
:16:58. > :17:02.this most important issue. Does he agree with me that the people of
:17:03. > :17:04.Kashmir should have the right of self-determination and will he give
:17:05. > :17:14.an assurance that the British government... I hope she is near the
:17:15. > :17:19.end of the sentence? Finish the sentence. That the British
:17:20. > :17:26.government will do everything in its power to make this happen. We don't
:17:27. > :17:30.intend to support an international conference or put the site on
:17:31. > :17:35.Kashmir, our long-standing position is this is a matter for India and
:17:36. > :17:39.Pakistan to find a resolution. We are acutely aware of the human
:17:40. > :17:47.rights allegations in Kashmir, this was discussed when Prime Minister
:17:48. > :17:56.Modi was here in 2015, and we continue to monitor the situation
:17:57. > :18:00.closely. Many of my constituents, who are of Kashmiri origin and
:18:01. > :18:07.heritage, take the view that this entire problem was left behind by
:18:08. > :18:12.the UK will be ruled in that area. Does not the Minister feel that
:18:13. > :18:15.there is a real obligation on the UK to actually take a more proactive
:18:16. > :18:25.role in this, and do something positive to bring about a resolution
:18:26. > :18:30.to this long-running problem? We are talking about two sovereign
:18:31. > :18:34.countries, India and Pakistan, it is not for the UK to come between them
:18:35. > :18:40.other than to urge them to talk and to ask them, good moves and
:18:41. > :18:42.communications between the leaders, they are discussing the subject
:18:43. > :18:48.among other things and that we very much welcome. I would say that this
:18:49. > :18:54.has been going on for decades and decades and the UK does have some
:18:55. > :18:58.expertise in building more peaceful settlements. Isn't there a bit more
:18:59. > :19:01.that the UK could do to promote confidence building measures between
:19:02. > :19:06.India and Pakistan and are very least raise this as a priority with
:19:07. > :19:13.the youth special representative so that our allies know it's more of a
:19:14. > :19:16.priority? I just said to the Right Honourable gentleman, we do things
:19:17. > :19:21.as best we can without getting directly involved and we welcome the
:19:22. > :19:28.fact that on the 25th of November they visited each other, the
:19:29. > :19:33.leaders, but I would repeat again, he knows full well the long-standing
:19:34. > :19:38.position of the government and when he was in government, it was no
:19:39. > :19:47.different, this is a matter for the Indians and Pakistanis to resolve.
:19:48. > :19:51.Number five. The UK is committed to strengthening engagement with the
:19:52. > :19:55.Commonwealth, the Prime Minister, the member for Whitney, led a strong
:19:56. > :20:01.delegation to the Commonwealth summit in November where Lord Maud
:20:02. > :20:09.and I promoted trade opportunities within the Commonwealth. The
:20:10. > :20:13.reticence in British manufacturing and engineering is not only a
:20:14. > :20:18.testament to this government's determination to rebalance the
:20:19. > :20:23.economy but has also contributed to 62% employment in my constituency.
:20:24. > :20:29.Does he agree with me that our historic links, especially trade
:20:30. > :20:31.links with other Commonwealth countries, are vital to the
:20:32. > :20:36.continued success of these sectors and the jobs they support? I'm
:20:37. > :20:39.pleased to hear the figures coming in from my honourable friend's
:20:40. > :20:48.constituency, they can be echoed around the country, I would say we
:20:49. > :20:51.are an open, free trading state, we trade around the world and trade
:20:52. > :20:55.within the Commonwealth is extremely important and we need to do more to
:20:56. > :21:00.promote it to stop it clear that trading between two Commonwealth
:21:01. > :21:05.countries is 19, 20% cheaper than trading outside the Commonwealth, it
:21:06. > :21:13.is something we need to do. We need to engage trading ministers more
:21:14. > :21:18.formally. Last year, Prime Minister Modi and our Prime Minister
:21:19. > :21:23.designated next year as the year of culture between India and the United
:21:24. > :21:26.Kingdom. Will they join me in welcoming the British Curry
:21:27. > :21:31.Festival, taking place in New Delhi in March of this year, when British
:21:32. > :21:36.chefs from Leicester, London and Reading, will be going to Delhi to
:21:37. > :21:39.make curry there? That he not agree this is a real example of good
:21:40. > :21:46.relations between Commonwealth countries? At the risk of seeking to
:21:47. > :21:54.curry favour with the right honourable gentleman... We must all
:21:55. > :21:58.wish our curry chefs every successfully travelled to India and
:21:59. > :22:05.hope that they have a speedy return, because we would all miss our curry
:22:06. > :22:13.wedding at home. -- -- were they not at home. It was this point, as well
:22:14. > :22:18.as talking about trade between the UK and Commonwealth countries, the
:22:19. > :22:23.functioning of the Commonwealth will surely be enhanced if there is more
:22:24. > :22:26.trade between Commonwealth countries, and to what extent can
:22:27. > :22:33.the UK play a role in trying to enhance that ensure trade,
:22:34. > :22:39.particularly in areas where we have substantial representation? It's as
:22:40. > :22:43.well to remember that we are an equal partner within the
:22:44. > :22:48.Commonwealth, we don't run it, and we wish Baroness Scotland every
:22:49. > :22:54.success in so doing, and we want... She has the universal support of
:22:55. > :23:00.this house, clearly! We want her to refocus the Commonwealth, we want to
:23:01. > :23:03.spend more time... There are similar issues going on elsewhere in the
:23:04. > :23:10.world but we want to spend more time boosting trade, and getting rid of
:23:11. > :23:15.tariffs and promoting intra- Commonwealth trade, and that we can
:23:16. > :23:24.do. I know the business and investment Council is doing a great
:23:25. > :23:30.job, business will play a large role in the Commonwealth conference in
:23:31. > :23:33.2018. Can I ask is serious question about the Commonwealth and the
:23:34. > :23:42.dramatic relations. How may members of the Commonwealth don't have an
:23:43. > :23:46.extradition agreement with this country? Increasingly be find people
:23:47. > :23:50.commit ghastly crimes, they need to Pakistan and we can't get them back
:23:51. > :23:57.to face justice. What is he doing about that? I say that is a very
:23:58. > :24:00.wide-ranging accusation and if he will write to me or come and see me
:24:01. > :24:10.on a specific case, I will be happy to look at this, we deal with these
:24:11. > :24:14.things on a case-by-case basis. Mr Speaker, with permission I will
:24:15. > :24:18.answer this question together with question 14. The conduct regulations
:24:19. > :24:22.which said that the detailed framework of how the referendum poll
:24:23. > :24:27.will be administered have now been agreed by both Houses of Parliament.
:24:28. > :24:30.The date of the referendum must now be agreed by Parliament in the
:24:31. > :24:38.further statutory instrument, laid before both houses in draft
:24:39. > :24:43.yesterday. A record number of people registered to vote in the Scottish
:24:44. > :24:46.independence referendum, 97% of the adult population. What efforts as
:24:47. > :24:54.the UK Government taking the match that success? This, as he will know,
:24:55. > :25:00.is the responsibility of the electoral commission, and they are
:25:01. > :25:01.planning a campaign to raise awareness of the need to register in
:25:02. > :25:13.good time for the referendum. Can the Minister give comfort to
:25:14. > :25:17.those Scottish students who are studying across Europe and can he
:25:18. > :25:23.provide the House with details of what contingency plans are in place
:25:24. > :25:27.should there be a no vote in the EU Referendum Bill? My advice to
:25:28. > :25:33.Scottish students studying in universities elsewhere is to ensure
:25:34. > :25:37.that they are registered to vote so that their votes to count along with
:25:38. > :25:42.everybody else in the referendum. You put your finger on one of the
:25:43. > :25:47.uncertainties about eight potential access from the EU because it is,
:25:48. > :25:52.after all, treaties that give British citizens the right to live,
:25:53. > :25:57.study and work in other EU countries. The Minister may recall
:25:58. > :25:59.that in response to my amendments to the Finance Bill, the Government
:26:00. > :26:11.promised to negotiate with the European Commission for zero VAT for
:26:12. > :26:14.sanitary products. As the Prime Minister used his recent
:26:15. > :26:21.negotiations to raise this issue and what progress has been made? The
:26:22. > :26:28.question of value added tax was already part of the EU system before
:26:29. > :26:36.the United Kingdom ever joined the European communities in the 1970s.
:26:37. > :26:40.There is a review of the current EU directives on value added tax that
:26:41. > :26:44.is due to take place this year and that is the appropriate forum in
:26:45. > :26:49.which to raise this issue and it is something the Government hopes to
:26:50. > :26:53.secure the reforms about which she is speaking. A successful UK
:26:54. > :26:59.Government has signed up to a range of agreements with regards to
:27:00. > :27:05.protecting our environment, and ensuring EU wide energy markets. The
:27:06. > :27:10.removal of environmental controls would be a backward step. I am sure
:27:11. > :27:14.the Minister for Europe will agree with me that a membership of the EU
:27:15. > :27:20.is vital in promoting the interests of people in Scotland and across the
:27:21. > :27:25.UK. However, the Minister will be aware that the Justice Secretary
:27:26. > :27:33.said last week, that our membership of the European Union prevents us to
:27:34. > :27:40.change law and stops us from choosing critical decisions which
:27:41. > :27:46.affect all of our lives. Can he confirm... Finish the sentence, very
:27:47. > :27:51.quickly. Can he confirm how his Government's plans have been
:27:52. > :28:02.constrained by European legislation or regulations? Like every member
:28:03. > :28:08.state of the EU, there will be particular issues that come up,
:28:09. > :28:14.particular measures where we find some of the ruling irksome. On
:28:15. > :28:17.balance, as the Prime Minister set out clearly yesterday, the
:28:18. > :28:21.Government is convinced membership of a reformed European Union will
:28:22. > :28:26.make the British people more prosperous, more secure and more
:28:27. > :28:30.influential in the world than any of the alternatives so far proposed. It
:28:31. > :28:36.is important that voters have the full fax at their disposal when
:28:37. > :28:39.making a choice in June. Can the Minister confirmed to the House that
:28:40. > :28:44.the Government has calculated the cost of implementing the proposals
:28:45. > :28:47.agreed at the EU Council last week, in particular those relating to the
:28:48. > :28:56.administration of the new benefits rules. What will be savings to the
:28:57. > :28:59.Treasury be? Some of this will be a matter for the implementation of
:29:00. > :29:04.regulations that will now follow both at European level and at
:29:05. > :29:09.national level. The answer to the honourable lady's question will
:29:10. > :29:13.depend upon what the level of benefits and tax credits is at the
:29:14. > :29:19.appropriate time in the UK. Those matters will become clear as time
:29:20. > :29:23.goes on. I wish the Minister great success in trying to alter the level
:29:24. > :29:29.of VAT on sanitary towels but could he confirm that if the British
:29:30. > :29:33.people decided to leave the European Union, could he confirm that will be
:29:34. > :29:39.up to the British Government to decide the level of VAT on sanitary
:29:40. > :29:46.towels and other products? That would depend upon the nature of the
:29:47. > :29:51.subsequent relationship because the reason why value-added tax has since
:29:52. > :29:58.before our membership of the EU, been something dealt with at EU
:29:59. > :30:02.level, is because the price at which goods are sold as a direct impact
:30:03. > :30:07.upon the notion of a single market and free trade within Europe will
:30:08. > :30:10.stop the issue that my honourable friend raises would have to be
:30:11. > :30:21.tackled in the course of negotiations about such a future
:30:22. > :30:27.relationship. As the House is aware, all prices are hovering around $30 a
:30:28. > :30:31.barrel, the lowest in 13 years and this is a consequence of lower
:30:32. > :30:38.global demand, continued production and the resilient production in the
:30:39. > :30:42.USA. Countries are taking action and they are diversifying their
:30:43. > :30:46.economies and removing subsidies. In reference to Russia, around half of
:30:47. > :30:56.the Government revenues have come from oil and gas and the GDP has
:30:57. > :31:01.declined by 4% last year. Clearly, foiling -- falling oil prices are
:31:02. > :31:07.having an effect on many countries. I was part of a delegation visiting
:31:08. > :31:11.Saudi Arabia last week. What encouragement is our Government
:31:12. > :31:15.doing to other countries to help and support them diversify and what
:31:16. > :31:22.opportunities does the Minister Seif British companies to assist in that?
:31:23. > :31:26.There are enormous opportunities as my honourable friend outlined is not
:31:27. > :31:33.just in Saudi Arabia but across the golf -- golf. We are working to
:31:34. > :31:37.diversify to help these countries with renewables, green energy and
:31:38. > :31:41.also Saudi Arabia has expressed an interest in opening up tourism.
:31:42. > :31:50.These are important aspects that Britain can play an important role
:31:51. > :31:55.in. I will is the eight and nine together. Britain was a driving
:31:56. > :32:00.force between -- behind the creation of the global coalition. We hosted
:32:01. > :32:04.the first meeting in January 2015 in London. I discussed the campaign
:32:05. > :32:08.against Daesh with other international partners including at
:32:09. > :32:19.a coalition small group meeting in Rome earlier this month. The Army in
:32:20. > :32:24.-- the Kurdish army has been battling since 2014. When he paid
:32:25. > :32:33.tribute to the Peshmerga and Seymore as to what role they may play no
:32:34. > :32:37.liberation. I am happy to pay tribute to the Peshmerga. They have
:32:38. > :32:41.proved themselves to be a resilient fighting force and the most
:32:42. > :32:45.effective force operating against Daesh. The UK's training and
:32:46. > :32:53.providing equipment to the Peshmerga. I had an opportunity to
:32:54. > :33:00.meet with the President of the KR G2 talk about the liberation of Mosul
:33:01. > :33:05.and be the role the Peshmerga might pay -- play. The Kurdish regional
:33:06. > :33:11.Government is more open to the idea that the Peshmerga will play a role
:33:12. > :33:21.in the liberation of Mozilla. They have also agreed to Iraqi security
:33:22. > :33:27.forces being based in the KR G in order to prepare for the assault on
:33:28. > :33:34.Mosil. It is more likely that we will see a successful assault on
:33:35. > :33:38.Mosil sooner rather than later. Seeking a solution in Syria has gone
:33:39. > :33:44.hand-in-hand with our humanitarian aid in the region. When he set out
:33:45. > :33:48.how increased diplomatic cooperation will improve and assist our
:33:49. > :33:52.humanitarian aid in the region, specifically neighbouring countries
:33:53. > :33:59.such as Jordan and Lebanon? We hosted a successful Syria and
:34:00. > :34:02.regional conference on the 4th of February raising $11 billion in a
:34:03. > :34:07.single day. The real significance of that meeting was that we moved on
:34:08. > :34:10.from the idea of simply collecting money and distributing it, to
:34:11. > :34:16.working with host countries in the region, to ensure that refugees are
:34:17. > :34:20.able to access the labour market, can get education for their children
:34:21. > :34:24.and can access health care, making them less likely to feel the need to
:34:25. > :34:33.decamp and become regular migrants heading towards Europe. King
:34:34. > :34:43.Abdullah of Jordan asks that we reach out to areas like Bosnia which
:34:44. > :34:49.may be the next trouble spots. Are we making any progress? We should be
:34:50. > :34:52.very much focused not only on those countries that are already facing
:34:53. > :35:00.this challenge, but the countries that are next in line for the
:35:01. > :35:02.challenge, seeking to enforce them. The Prime Minister's of all Western
:35:03. > :35:07.Balkan countries were in London yesterday and I had been Minister to
:35:08. > :35:13.meet the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina over. We're
:35:14. > :35:21.working closely with them to ensure the resilience and the European
:35:22. > :35:25.trajectory of that region. On the issue of Daesh fighters returning
:35:26. > :35:29.home to countries within Europe, whatever its have been made in terms
:35:30. > :35:34.of diplomatic coordination to ensure there is a more common response
:35:35. > :35:38.among countries in Europe to ensure we keep our citizens here safe and
:35:39. > :35:43.prevent these people coming back to wreak havoc through terrorism on
:35:44. > :35:48.towns and cities in the UK? Different countries in Europe have
:35:49. > :35:53.different domestic legislation around this issue. We have some of
:35:54. > :35:59.the most robust measures available to us to deal with returning
:36:00. > :36:02.fighters. It is precisely because of the importance of exchange of
:36:03. > :36:07.information between European partners, that the Prime Minister
:36:08. > :36:14.was able to confirm that we believe Britain is safer and more resilient
:36:15. > :36:26.against the threat of terrorism by its cooperation with EU. If
:36:27. > :36:39.operations against Daesh are successful... Thank you, I hope the
:36:40. > :36:44.gentleman will not be deflected. What is the threat of them moving to
:36:45. > :36:50.Libya and has the Foreign Secretary made an assessment of that
:36:51. > :36:58.eventuality? There is clearly a risk that as Daesh is defeated in Iraq
:36:59. > :37:05.and Syria, the embryonic presence in Libya, particularly around one area
:37:06. > :37:10.could be a base for operations 100 miles off the coast of Europe. That
:37:11. > :37:13.is why we are working with our partners and allies to encourage the
:37:14. > :37:19.formation of a Libyan Government of National cord that we can work with
:37:20. > :37:27.to start stabilising the country and pushing back on those Daesh
:37:28. > :37:30.footholds in Libya. Could the Secretary of State say how far ahead
:37:31. > :37:35.we are in terms of bringing about that coordination and bringing a
:37:36. > :37:39.stable authority within Libya to take on Daesh? We have seen an
:37:40. > :37:44.increasing Daesh activity and there is still a lot of disconnect between
:37:45. > :37:48.different bodies in Libya. What progress has been made? There is
:37:49. > :37:55.progress being made among European partners and with the US preparing
:37:56. > :37:58.the support we can give to a Government of National cord in Libya
:37:59. > :38:03.when and if it is formed. The problem is that several months after
:38:04. > :38:06.we first expected to happen, it still not been formed. We are
:38:07. > :38:10.working closely with the parties in Libya and with the regional powers
:38:11. > :38:15.who have influence, particularly Egypt, to encourage Prime Minister
:38:16. > :38:20.-- the Prime Minister to get that Government formed an approved so we
:38:21. > :38:24.can engage. There is a strong commitment by the European partners
:38:25. > :38:31.to engage once that Government is created.
:38:32. > :38:38.Much does get said during the election of cycles and we were
:38:39. > :38:43.concerned by some of the statements that have been made during the
:38:44. > :38:49.Israeli election. I was in Israel last week and I can confirm that I
:38:50. > :38:56.had meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He remains committed to
:38:57. > :39:00.the two state solution. It has been over 20 years since Oslo and there
:39:01. > :39:04.are more than 350,000 illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied
:39:05. > :39:10.West Bank. 300,000 Israeli settlers in east Jerusalem and the Government
:39:11. > :39:13.continues to announce the building of more illegal settlements. Does he
:39:14. > :39:25.believe this will aid the priest process and if not, what is he doing
:39:26. > :39:29.about it? -- peace process. This is unhelpful and takes us into the
:39:30. > :39:33.wrong direction. Through my visit, I visited some of the settlements
:39:34. > :39:36.developing there and while announcing when new settlements have
:39:37. > :39:39.slowed down, we are seeing the existing settlements are starting to
:39:40. > :39:45.grow and that happens without people seeing this. We have an area to the
:39:46. > :39:52.north of Jerusalem and if that continues to grow in the method that
:39:53. > :39:55.it does, it will link up towards the north of Jericho. It will
:39:56. > :40:00.essentially say there are no two state solutions. We need Israel to
:40:01. > :40:04.show it is committed to this and stop the settlements. On the issue
:40:05. > :40:09.of words, something that is rubbished is the issue of incitement
:40:10. > :40:13.and the increasing amounts of incitement we're seeing from the
:40:14. > :40:17.Palestinian Authority 's and media. Some has been referenced by those
:40:18. > :40:22.committing knife attacks on innocent civilians. Last week I said -- spent
:40:23. > :40:26.a visit to a school in Brussels where I had appalling stories of
:40:27. > :40:32.anomie -- anti-Semitism in Europe where people deliberately conflate
:40:33. > :40:35.Jews and Israel. The Minister condemned not only the incitement
:40:36. > :40:37.we're seeing outside of the Palestinian Authority, but the
:40:38. > :40:43.attacks which we are seeing in Europe as a result of this?
:40:44. > :40:53.I agree that what we are seeing, Israelis, subject to brutality and
:40:54. > :40:59.murder, is unacceptable and Israel has the obligation to defend its
:41:00. > :41:05.citizens. But we are seeing is the anti-Semitism there, the reaction
:41:06. > :41:09.often through websites, reappearing in Europe or closer to home and we
:41:10. > :41:13.have been working hard with international colleagues, to make
:41:14. > :41:23.sure that we stamp out anti-Semitism, no matter where full.
:41:24. > :41:27.A clear majority of Israelis support the setting up of a Palestinian
:41:28. > :41:36.state but as the Minister agree that actions like how mass, mounting
:41:37. > :41:47.attacks on Israel from Gaza, makes it less attainable? She is right,
:41:48. > :41:51.what we are seeing is some of the developments, it is like deja vu,
:41:52. > :41:56.we're going round again, the rebuilding of the tunnels
:41:57. > :42:00.themselves, the missiles start to fly, where does it take us? This is
:42:01. > :42:03.not a confidence building measure, in the same way that building
:42:04. > :42:08.settlements is not a confidence building measure. We need to make
:42:09. > :42:12.sure we empower the Palestinian Authority so it has the ability to
:42:13. > :42:22.look after and take responsibility for the governments of Gaza, that is
:42:23. > :42:26.the way forward. I'm sure there is a big contrast in the growth of
:42:27. > :42:36.extremism, Israeli authorities deal with Jewish extremism, they
:42:37. > :42:39.investigate, prosecute and condemn. Whereas violent extremists, so far
:42:40. > :42:44.as the Palestinian Authority, the name schools after them, sporting
:42:45. > :42:51.events after them, they glorify them on television. Will they take the
:42:52. > :42:54.opportunity to condemn absolutely the attitude of the Palestinian
:42:55. > :43:01.Authority and urge them to cease this senseless encouragement to
:43:02. > :43:06.violence? He makes a powerful argument, and it's important that we
:43:07. > :43:08.actually see that there are affirmative actions on both sides to
:43:09. > :43:14.reduce tensions, but I raise the specific matter of inflaming, of
:43:15. > :43:21.using words, health Minister in the Palestinian Authority was unhelpful
:43:22. > :43:25.in the comments she made recently in condemning the attacks taking place.
:43:26. > :43:30.This takes us into the wrong direction. We should be doing
:43:31. > :43:35.things, making steps that encourage others to act in consequence of
:43:36. > :43:43.that. I wish we had more time but we haven't. Question number 11. I had
:43:44. > :43:47.productive discussions at the joint ministerial Council with other
:43:48. > :43:50.overseas Territory leaders in December, we agreed progress on in
:43:51. > :43:56.permitting central registers, a system should be kept under
:43:57. > :44:01.continuous and close review, discussions are ongoing but I want
:44:02. > :44:04.to see significant progress ahead of the anti-corruption Summit being
:44:05. > :44:09.hosted by the Prime Minister in May. Will he confirm that the overseas
:44:10. > :44:14.territories and Crown dependencies will be at the summit and will we do
:44:15. > :44:18.our part to make sure that we secure commitment from them to clean up
:44:19. > :44:24.their act and make company on this public? Final in bytes for the
:44:25. > :44:31.summit have not yet gone out of the discussions are ongoing, -- invites.
:44:32. > :44:36.The director is currently visiting the Cayman Islands and British
:44:37. > :44:42.Virgin Islands, thrashing out some of the details. Does the Minister
:44:43. > :44:46.expect those registers will be publicly available all of close to
:44:47. > :44:56.one, to gain access to relevant authorities? I am sorry, I was
:44:57. > :45:00.strong to follow his question as to whether they would be open or
:45:01. > :45:07.closed. They will be open registers available for law enforcement
:45:08. > :45:10.agencies to interrogate, not publicly open registers. That is a
:45:11. > :45:15.long-term aspiration but initially we want to get that access for law
:45:16. > :45:23.enforcement agencies, which will create greater transparency and
:45:24. > :45:28.reduce corruption. In April 2014 the Prime Minister said that, I believe
:45:29. > :45:31.the beneficial ownership and public access of a central register is key
:45:32. > :45:35.to improving the transparency of company ownership and vital to
:45:36. > :45:40.meeting the urgent challenges of tax evasion. Nearly two years have
:45:41. > :45:43.passed and there still appears to be no time table for transparency
:45:44. > :45:48.arrangements in regard to the financial centres, why is this?
:45:49. > :45:54.There has already been much progress. I think she dismisses that
:45:55. > :46:00.progressed to regulate. There are checkpoints, last week we were
:46:01. > :46:03.speaking with overseas territory leaders, there are people there at
:46:04. > :46:08.the moment and we hope to crystallise some of these
:46:09. > :46:11.improvements before them summit in May on corruption, which was brought
:46:12. > :46:17.by the Prime Minister and will be held in London, demonstrating their
:46:18. > :46:24.commitment to this important issue. Can the Minister told the house the
:46:25. > :46:28.exact date by which he expects overseas territory financial centres
:46:29. > :46:31.to ensure proper transparency arrangements, or are we going to
:46:32. > :46:37.continue to hear more excuses for inaction in the years to come? This
:46:38. > :46:43.is an area of direction rather than an ultimate direction, and we will
:46:44. > :46:47.constantly be asking the international community to do more
:46:48. > :46:52.to create greater transparency but it is crucial that the international
:46:53. > :46:54.community, whether the Crown dependencies, overseas territories,
:46:55. > :46:59.are moved together on this, because we want to eliminate the problem of
:47:00. > :47:05.corrupt money rather than shift it from territory to territory. It is
:47:06. > :47:15.the best bit quickfire questions, quickfire answers. Number one. The
:47:16. > :47:19.Foreign Office's mission is to protect our values through our
:47:20. > :47:24.diplomacy and the Prime Minister's deal with the EU but offers the
:47:25. > :47:30.basis for Britain's feature prosperity and future in Europe. The
:47:31. > :47:33.crisis in Syria, the result in migration to Europe, the levels of
:47:34. > :47:38.Russian aggression and the Terror is the threat from Islamist extremism
:47:39. > :47:43.remain the principal threats to the security of the UK and UK citizens
:47:44. > :47:48.around the world. I should recommend this to the register of interests,
:47:49. > :47:53.as we know from Northern Ireland, conciliation is only possible if
:47:54. > :47:59.both sides want it to move forward. Will he recognise efforts made by
:48:00. > :48:02.the Sri Lankan sides in building a strong democracy and unite the
:48:03. > :48:08.island, and will he encourage them to continue? I was in Franco last
:48:09. > :48:13.month and I was able to meet the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and
:48:14. > :48:19.travel to the north -- I was in Sri Lanka. I have spoken to the High
:48:20. > :48:23.Commissioner in Geneva, who has been there, he was there in February, we
:48:24. > :48:30.are looking forward to his update on Sri Lanka at the UN human rights
:48:31. > :48:34.Council in June. As events in the Ukraine and Middle East have
:48:35. > :48:38.reminded us, nations committed to peace, security and democracy need
:48:39. > :48:41.to stand together in the face of aggression. Our membership of the US
:48:42. > :48:45.is one of the most important ways in which we do this and the Foreign
:48:46. > :48:50.Secretary knows that ending our alliance with the Ewart sent a
:48:51. > :48:55.dangerous signal, including two Daesh and President Putin. Why does
:48:56. > :48:58.he think that's his cabinet colleagues cannot see this and are
:48:59. > :49:05.intent on a course of action that would weaken's voice in the world
:49:06. > :49:07.and undermine our security? Each person in this country will have to
:49:08. > :49:11.make up their own mind about the questions before them in the
:49:12. > :49:15.forthcoming referendum and I have always said this is a balancing
:49:16. > :49:19.equation, there are pluses and minuses in every international
:49:20. > :49:23.relationship but I agree that on the question of Britain's security and
:49:24. > :49:26.influence in the world, there is no doubt we are stronger, safer and
:49:27. > :49:33.more influential as part of the European Union. I'm grateful to the
:49:34. > :49:37.Foreign Secretary for that reply. The report of the UN human rights
:49:38. > :49:42.Council enquiry on Syria, published this month, found that, "Flagrant
:49:43. > :49:46.politicians of human rights and international humanitarian law
:49:47. > :49:53.continued unabated. " The ceasefire is needed but it will only relieve
:49:54. > :49:58.suffering if it is adhered to. What a CSS are the prospects for ensuring
:49:59. > :50:01.that Russia respects the ceasefire by ending its attacks on the Syrian
:50:02. > :50:09.people and if it does not, what further pressure can be put on
:50:10. > :50:13.President Putin to do so? The issue is going to be this, the Russians
:50:14. > :50:17.will say that they are complying with the ceasefire, and they will
:50:18. > :50:23.say that continued attacks, air strikes, are justified by the terms
:50:24. > :50:29.of the ceasefire and that they will be a Mrs D to pour over individual
:50:30. > :50:36.attacks by the US and Russia in the coordination sought to identify what
:50:37. > :50:40.happened. The big picture is this. Unless the level of Russian air
:50:41. > :50:43.strikes tragically decreases, this ceasefire will not hold because the
:50:44. > :50:49.moderate armed opposition cannot lay down their weapons and will not,
:50:50. > :50:56.while they are being annihilated from the air by the Russian
:50:57. > :50:59.aircraft. The Tanzanian electoral commission announced the general
:51:00. > :51:02.election results in Zanzibar at the end of last year and there has been
:51:03. > :51:07.increased electoral violence in Zanzibar as we head to the poll on
:51:08. > :51:12.March 20. What representations on making the 10th union government to
:51:13. > :51:20.make sure we do not return to the violence of the thousand and 2001?
:51:21. > :51:23.-- the Tanzanian government. We are concerned by the decision to annul
:51:24. > :51:28.the elections for the Zanzibar Presidency and the house of
:51:29. > :51:32.representatives on the 28th of October. Our position will set out
:51:33. > :51:36.in the statement by the British High Commissioner on the 29th of October
:51:37. > :51:38.and we have raised these concerns at the highest level, including the
:51:39. > :51:45.Foreign Secretary in his telephone call to the then Prime Minister, my
:51:46. > :51:49.telephone call to be Foreign Minister in December and my right
:51:50. > :51:53.honourable friend in his meeting with the same individual in January.
:51:54. > :51:59.I hope to visit Tanzania in the coming months and raised these pods
:52:00. > :52:04.personally. Given his response to earlier questions rating the benefit
:52:05. > :52:07.to the UK of remaining in the Yukon is it not a real concern that many
:52:08. > :52:17.of his colleagues in the government would put our security at risk by
:52:18. > :52:20.Brexit? This is a referendum in which members of Parliament will
:52:21. > :52:25.each have one vote, along with every member of the UK electorate. In my
:52:26. > :52:31.experience, there are deeply held views both for and against petition
:52:32. > :52:39.on the ship in both my party and the Honourable Lady's party. My view is
:52:40. > :52:42.clear that this country is going to be more prosperous, more secure,
:52:43. > :52:49.more influential in the world through continued EU membership.
:52:50. > :52:56.Given the ongoing Russian incursion into Georgian sovereign territory,
:52:57. > :53:02.but he absolutely condemn the situation in the southern Caucasus,
:53:03. > :53:09.and does he think the situation in South city must now be regarded as
:53:10. > :53:14.the new norm? We should be alert to Russia's aggressive actions in
:53:15. > :53:18.former Soviet Union countries, wherever they are, not just in
:53:19. > :53:23.Ukraine and arguably we were too slow to recognise what was happening
:53:24. > :53:27.in Georgia was the beginning of a new mention the Russian foreign
:53:28. > :53:33.policy, we should have resisted it robustly and we should push back
:53:34. > :53:38.wherever we can. Can he confirm whether or not his discussions with
:53:39. > :53:42.the US about Libya have included the possibility of UK military action
:53:43. > :53:48.and can confirm there will be none without approval from this house?
:53:49. > :53:53.Have a long established convention which he knows that before
:53:54. > :53:59.committing UK come back forces to combat, in all situations where it
:54:00. > :54:03.is possible, other than the direct emergency, or where considerations
:54:04. > :54:06.of secrecy make it impossible, the Prime Minister is committed to bring
:54:07. > :54:13.the issue to the house and allowing the house and opportunity to
:54:14. > :54:18.discuss. What have they made of the securities situation in Burundi and
:54:19. > :54:23.what steps have been taken to bolster Her Majesty's government's
:54:24. > :54:28.presents there? In response to the crisis, we have stepped up military
:54:29. > :54:34.and support to people fleeing Burundi, abiding money, the
:54:35. > :54:39.parliamentary under Secretary of State for International Development
:54:40. > :54:44.has decided to recruit a full-time coordinator, based in Bujumbura,
:54:45. > :54:49.this will be good news, they have been pressing the government to do
:54:50. > :54:53.this and we will commit on both sides of the house. On the 4th of
:54:54. > :54:58.January the Secretary of State told the house that China's claim to be
:54:59. > :55:03.treated as a market economy should be judged through the prism of
:55:04. > :55:06.steel. Given that 70% of the Chinese steel industry is owned by the
:55:07. > :55:09.Chinese government, can the Secretary of State confirm that
:55:10. > :55:15.China should empathic they not be granted market economy status? What
:55:16. > :55:19.I said in January, he will find if he checks the record, is I had come
:55:20. > :55:25.back from China, where I had conveyed the message to the Chinese
:55:26. > :55:28.that there claim to market economy status and the consideration of the
:55:29. > :55:32.claim would be judged through the prism of their actions in the nation
:55:33. > :55:36.to steal, they gave me assurances then and in October that they are
:55:37. > :55:41.seeking to address overcapacity in the Chinese market will stop we have
:55:42. > :55:44.just had discussion about this this morning and I've learnt that there
:55:45. > :55:48.protests going on in China about loss of steel jobs just as there are
:55:49. > :55:53.in the UK and other places throughout Europe. The reality is we
:55:54. > :55:54.have a massive surplus of steel capacity throughout the world and we
:55:55. > :56:05.have to address it. Following the action against Daesh,
:56:06. > :56:17.what are the plans to make a permanent memorial? There is a
:56:18. > :56:22.migration and a concern that Daesh is moving out under pressure in Iraq
:56:23. > :56:25.and Syria to other parts of the world, including Libya. He is right
:56:26. > :56:31.to make the connection between what happened in Libya, the terrorist
:56:32. > :56:37.attack that took place killing many Britons. We all hold a memorial
:56:38. > :56:46.service on the 12th of April to mark this event. A recent UN report
:56:47. > :56:50.suggested Saudi Arabia's military operation Yemen is targeting
:56:51. > :56:55.civilians. Is the minister confident that the UK Government is fulfilling
:56:56. > :57:03.its obligations under the arms trade treaty in relation to Saudi Arabia
:57:04. > :57:08.in this case? We have discussed the expert's panel for the UN on this
:57:09. > :57:13.report. We are looking at the report in detail. It was done by satellite
:57:14. > :57:16.evidence. The experts didn't visit the country itself and we have to
:57:17. > :57:22.bear that in mind. We have passed the information on and are
:57:23. > :57:26.discussing it with Saudi Arabia. I had a letter from the ambassador
:57:27. > :57:29.this week confirming that every effort is made to follow human
:57:30. > :57:43.rights law in the support of the President and UN resolution 2216.
:57:44. > :57:50.Immigration controls in Calais are governed by the Treaty of Le
:57:51. > :57:53.Touquet. He will also know that the treaty can only be broken if the
:57:54. > :57:56.British or the French choose to do so and it has nothing to do with
:57:57. > :58:04.whether we are members of the European Union or not. We ask, which
:58:05. > :58:08.ever person said it, to stop talking this nonsense, that if we leave the
:58:09. > :58:15.EU, we are suddenly going to find a massive refugee camp in the heart of
:58:16. > :58:21.Kent? The Treaty of Le Touquet is certainly vital to this country's
:58:22. > :58:25.border security of the 100,000 people who have been stopped from
:58:26. > :58:31.entering the UK in the past five years, roughly a quarter were
:58:32. > :58:38.stopped at Calais. We cooperate closely with the French Government
:58:39. > :58:40.but I fear my honourable friend underestimates the extent of
:58:41. > :58:45.domestic French opposition and protest against the controls, that
:58:46. > :58:52.if we left the EU, the stock of goodwill towards the Treaty of Le
:58:53. > :58:57.Touquet would be severely depleted. On the Foreign Office website, there
:58:58. > :59:03.is advice to companies thinking of doing business with illegal Israeli
:59:04. > :59:05.settlements. It says financial transactions, investments,
:59:06. > :59:09.procurements as well as other economic activities in Israeli
:59:10. > :59:15.settlements and tell legal and economic risks. We do not encourage
:59:16. > :59:18.or office opposed to such activity. Does the Government give the same
:59:19. > :59:23.advice to public bodies including loud -- local councils with regard
:59:24. > :59:30.to their procurement assistance? We are clear with local authorities
:59:31. > :59:34.that they should not be bound by -- that they are bound by procurement
:59:35. > :59:38.rules. We do not support boycott movements and the Minister for the
:59:39. > :59:43.Cabinet Office was in Israel last week and made that abundantly clear
:59:44. > :59:49.them. With the US wishing to continue for a further 20 years, is
:59:50. > :59:53.military presence on Diego Garcia, what discussions are the Foreign
:59:54. > :00:04.Office planning to have with Washington about facilitating
:00:05. > :00:07.bringing them back? We made it clear we wanted the US presence to
:00:08. > :00:12.continue but the Government has not held discussions with the US about
:00:13. > :00:16.continuing that arrangement. I very much welcome his discussions if you
:00:17. > :00:20.weeks ago at the Foreign Office as part of the all-party group visit to
:00:21. > :00:26.the Foreign Office. I will continue to liaise with him when the
:00:27. > :00:34.Government does come to a conclusion following the report and following
:00:35. > :00:37.the consultation. Following on from yesterday's dropping the value of
:00:38. > :00:41.sterling, implication does the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
:00:42. > :00:48.office anticipate for Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of the
:00:49. > :00:53.uncertainty around the referendum? Uncertainty always has a cost to
:00:54. > :00:58.business. Business hates uncertainty and the markets will reflect that
:00:59. > :01:03.uncertainty. That is why it is right to hold the referendum at the
:01:04. > :01:09.earliest possible date, 23rd of June, so people can get on with
:01:10. > :01:11.their business. When I canvassed the streets of Newark for local
:01:12. > :01:18.elections, people asked me what the views of my local councillors are
:01:19. > :01:23.refuse collection or potholes. I rarely hear them ask their views on
:01:24. > :01:26.foreign policy. What my right honourable friend agree that foreign
:01:27. > :01:30.policy is set by the Foreign Secretary and by the Government and
:01:31. > :01:34.debated in this house, not by our town halls and we should all
:01:35. > :01:40.therefore support the Government's action against boycotts and
:01:41. > :01:44.sanctions? One of my colleagues has reminded me he is not the only one
:01:45. > :01:51.who pounded the patents of Newark. Everybody on these benches did so.
:01:52. > :01:56.Foreign policy is a matter for the Government of the United Kingdom and
:01:57. > :01:59.is the business of this Parliament and it is important we have a single
:02:00. > :02:02.foreign policy which is clearly projected so Britain's position in
:02:03. > :02:08.the world is understood and strengthened. Demand always
:02:09. > :02:17.massively exceeds supply at Question Time. We haven't time but I am
:02:18. > :02:23.allowing time for one last question. , Press the Foreign Secretary
:02:24. > :02:27.further on and they gave to my honourable friend from Sheffield
:02:28. > :02:33.South East? Is there anything in the rules which feted as a public
:02:34. > :02:41.institutions ability to act on the advice that his website puts out my
:02:42. > :02:45.honourable friend quoted? Public bodies in this country are bound by
:02:46. > :02:51.the EU procurement directive in their purchasing activity and must
:02:52. > :02:54.follow those rules. I am sorry to disappoint colleagues. There is huge
:02:55. > :03:07.interest in what the Foreign Office does and says. We'll have to leave
:03:08. > :03:08.it there for today. Urgent question. To ask the Secretary of