Live Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions

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:00:11. > :00:16.hello and welcome to live coverage from the House of Commons. The main

:00:17. > :00:27.business is an emergency debate on the state of the UK steel industry,

:00:28. > :00:32.Tata securing a deal to sell to a UK-based investment firm, in a move

:00:33. > :00:38.that could safeguard 4000 jobs. We will then move to a backbench debate

:00:39. > :00:42.regarding support for those infected with contaminated blood, followed by

:00:43. > :00:44.a debate on a private transport for London bill, dealing with the

:00:45. > :00:53.interests of an individual or company. You can join me for a

:00:54. > :00:58.round-up of the day at 11pm. First, questions to the Foreign Secretary

:00:59. > :01:00.and his ministers. The first question comes from David Warburton,

:01:01. > :01:26.about the forthcoming EU referendum. Order, order. Questions to the

:01:27. > :01:34.Secretary of State for foreign and common affairs. David Warburton.

:01:35. > :01:37.Question number one. Other governments respect the fact

:01:38. > :01:44.this is a decision for the British people. More and more of our friends

:01:45. > :01:49.and allies around the world are telling us that they value this

:01:50. > :01:59.country's ambition of the European Union. It would be a courtesy to the

:02:00. > :02:05.House to tell members what the front bench knows, namely that the

:02:06. > :02:10.minister is on foreign business... I apologise for not making that

:02:11. > :02:16.clear, my colleague is on to several countries.

:02:17. > :02:22.We look forward to his imminent return.

:02:23. > :02:25.Does he agree that regardless of the outcome of the referendum the

:02:26. > :02:27.threats that we face mean that bilateral relationships with other

:02:28. > :02:34.European countries will remain vital? And that European

:02:35. > :02:40.relationships remain unimpaired to keep us as safe as we can be from

:02:41. > :02:44.external threats. I agree that it is important we

:02:45. > :02:50.maintain strong, bilateral relationships in intelligence

:02:51. > :02:57.sharing between relevant agencies, air and in Europe and around the

:02:58. > :03:04.world. But also strength and intelligence sharing of information

:03:05. > :03:07.between our police forces. The recent renegotiation confirmed that

:03:08. > :03:10.national security responsibility rests solely with national

:03:11. > :03:14.governments but it is also the case that EU membership enhances our

:03:15. > :03:20.ability to cooperate with other countries to combat terrorism and

:03:21. > :03:24.keep people safe. What contingency planning is under

:03:25. > :03:33.way with our European and Nato allies for a new provocation from

:03:34. > :03:36.President Putin after the referendum? He is hoping and praying

:03:37. > :03:41.that we will leave the European Union and there is a widespread view

:03:42. > :03:46.that he is planning a fresh provocation after the referendum

:03:47. > :03:52.whatever the result. Given the recent history of Kremlin activity

:03:53. > :03:58.in the Ukraine and Georgia, and the pressure being brought to bear on

:03:59. > :04:05.the Baltic states, we are right to be on our guard. This is a matter of

:04:06. > :04:16.prime concern that the forthcoming Wausau sonnet -- Wausau summit. It

:04:17. > :04:21.is important that later plans for a hybrid aggression from the Kremlin

:04:22. > :04:28.that may involve information, the use of energy, and soft power, as

:04:29. > :04:32.much as conventional hard power. Our EU partners will see the referendum

:04:33. > :04:37.is some of a question about our solidarity with them. What lesson

:04:38. > :04:47.with our Italian partners draw from our lack of absolute solidarity with

:04:48. > :04:52.the Italians over the case of Julio Reggini?

:04:53. > :04:56.My honourable friend will want to know that the minister saw the

:04:57. > :05:00.ambassador very recently and emphasised to him that the

:05:01. > :05:09.government wants to see a full and thorough investigation, because of

:05:10. > :05:12.Mr Reggini's nationality it is a case where the Italian authorities

:05:13. > :05:17.are in the lead but we remain in very close contact with them and

:05:18. > :05:23.give every possible assistance to try to secure an outcome that gives

:05:24. > :05:26.some answers to the family. Last week the Prime Minister

:05:27. > :05:31.described European discussions as abrasive and difficult. He was not

:05:32. > :05:36.talking about other countries, not even talking about debate across the

:05:37. > :05:42.floor of the House or within the Conservative Party but within his

:05:43. > :05:45.own cabinet. What does that fractious disunity do to the

:05:46. > :05:52.credibility of government policy regards Europe and beyond?

:05:53. > :06:00.I think our counterparts beyond Europe who are all robust democracy

:06:01. > :06:05.is recognise that the question of our membership of the EU has divided

:06:06. > :06:10.politicians of all parties for many years, of which it is possible for

:06:11. > :06:15.people on both right and left to come to opposite point of view and I

:06:16. > :06:18.think what the Prime Minister has agreed, a firm government position

:06:19. > :06:24.to support membership but with license for those ministers who sent

:06:25. > :06:38.to express their percent in a private capacity, is a fair outcome.

:06:39. > :06:42.-- their dissent. The people of this country are

:06:43. > :06:52.crying out for a debate which rises above the internal divisions of the

:06:53. > :06:56.Conservative Party. That is what we are having at the

:06:57. > :07:00.moment and win the electoral commission designates the remaining

:07:01. > :07:04.organisations for remain and leave and we will see that debate continue

:07:05. > :07:11.and I hope that the right Honourable gentleman and his party would play a

:07:12. > :07:20.constructive part in that debate. Bearing in mind that we have just

:07:21. > :07:24.had a referendum in the Netherlands, overwhelmingly rejecting extending

:07:25. > :07:30.membership to the Ukraine, how will our government recalibrate policy on

:07:31. > :07:37.that? The Dutch vote was a consultative

:07:38. > :07:40.referendum. To ratify the association agreement. It is a

:07:41. > :07:44.matter entirely for the Dutch government and Parliament. The

:07:45. > :07:49.United Kingdom remains a very strong supporter of the efforts being made

:07:50. > :07:52.by Ukraine to defend its national sovereignty and integrity in the

:07:53. > :07:59.face of Russian aggression and to take through much needed far

:08:00. > :08:03.reaching reforms that will benefit everybody in Ukraine.

:08:04. > :08:16.Does the Minister agree that the only thing that Nigel Farage, George

:08:17. > :08:26.Galloway, and Putin have in common is they all wish to leave the

:08:27. > :08:29.European Union? Does say a lot? There are indeed some strange

:08:30. > :08:36.bedfellows in that camp. None of those gentlemen are people I would

:08:37. > :08:44.want to take advice from on whether best interests of the British people

:08:45. > :08:49.lie. The government believes that the EU

:08:50. > :08:53.- Turkey agreement will make a genuine difference to migration

:08:54. > :08:57.flows into Europe and through the Balkans. It disrupts the business

:08:58. > :09:02.model of smugglers and breaks the link between getting in a boat and

:09:03. > :09:05.settling in Europe. We will continue monitoring the impact on the ground

:09:06. > :09:10.and help countries in the region to manage the pressure they currently

:09:11. > :09:14.face. Can he confirm the government will

:09:15. > :09:17.continue to support Greece managing the pressure on its borders? And

:09:18. > :09:25.avoid the distressing scenes we have seen in the Balkans.

:09:26. > :09:29.Yes, we have so far allocated more than ?90 million to crease for

:09:30. > :09:33.urgent aid like food, water, medical assistance. And we are also giving

:09:34. > :09:40.support to organisations that are helping their government managed

:09:41. > :09:47.arrivals and monitor borders. -- Greece. So far this year we have

:09:48. > :09:50.offered screening and debriefing expertise to help them beef up the

:09:51. > :10:00.creek capacity to manage the very large numbers of asylum claims they

:10:01. > :10:05.will need to process. -- Greek. I understand that the UK Government

:10:06. > :10:12.has also contributed to judges but that the shortfall of expertise is

:10:13. > :10:20.still 2500 members of staff. What more can we do to support the

:10:21. > :10:23.Greeks? Because we are not members of the

:10:24. > :10:29.Schengen area there are some forms of assistance that we are prohibited

:10:30. > :10:36.from and in the rules. -- prohibitive from providing under the

:10:37. > :10:39.rules. But we continue to discuss with them and our other European

:10:40. > :10:45.partners how best we can help to manage these pressures, it is in all

:10:46. > :10:52.of our interest that European countries come together to manage

:10:53. > :10:59.this crisis and to ensure that migrants are treated humanely but

:11:00. > :11:06.also fairly. And that if they do not have well founded asylum claims,

:11:07. > :11:09.that they can be returned. If a migrant claims asylum in Greece

:11:10. > :11:15.and then makes their way to the UK, we are unable to send that

:11:16. > :11:19.individual back to Greece because they are asylum system is deemed

:11:20. > :11:23.unfit for purpose. What steps will the Minister take with EU

:11:24. > :11:30.counterparts to ensure that Greece brings its asylum and detention

:11:31. > :11:33.system to a requisite standard? Somebody who is not a Greek national

:11:34. > :11:44.in the circumstances described it would need a Visa in order to enter

:11:45. > :11:47.the United Kingdom from the countries from which asylum seekers

:11:48. > :11:52.are coming to crease. The whole nature of the assistance we are

:11:53. > :11:55.giving to Greece is to manage the situation in the region so that we

:11:56. > :12:07.do not face the kind of pressure that my friend describes.

:12:08. > :12:14.There are thousands of Yazidi women who have been tortured and raped by

:12:15. > :12:16.Isis who cannot come through the Balkans and access the psychological

:12:17. > :12:21.and medical support they need in the region. Will we follow the example

:12:22. > :12:25.of Germany and admit some of these women so they can access the medical

:12:26. > :12:30.support they need? And really talk to the Home Office about allowing

:12:31. > :12:36.some of these women access to the UK so that we can assist them?

:12:37. > :12:42.The first thing to say to the honourable lady is that each asylum

:12:43. > :12:49.claim has to be considered according to international law. And judged on

:12:50. > :13:00.that basis. But this country is giving very strong financial and

:13:01. > :13:06.political support to Turkey and Jordan, who are bearing the brunt of

:13:07. > :13:14.supporting very large numbers of refugees from Syria, including

:13:15. > :13:17.Yazidi women, about who she is concerned, and she is right to be

:13:18. > :13:24.concerned, but the best way would we can offer them the help they need is

:13:25. > :13:30.to ensure that the money is provided to give them assistance in the first

:13:31. > :13:33.safe country they get too rather than encourage them to make a

:13:34. > :13:43.perilous journey in the hands of people smugglers.

:13:44. > :13:54.Thank you. Britain has helped create the global coalition. The last

:13:55. > :14:01.meeting took place in Rome this year with both myself and the Foreign

:14:02. > :14:13.Secretary at ending. As reports emerged of the genocide, I would --

:14:14. > :14:22.the government condemned this and pledged to bring people to... Does

:14:23. > :14:33.the Minister agree that a similar statement against Daesh would be

:14:34. > :14:37.welcome? My friend makes a valid point, we are now witnessing a

:14:38. > :14:45.systematic and horrific attacks against Westerners, and others,

:14:46. > :14:53.based on their ethnicity. -- Christians. I believe acts of

:14:54. > :14:59.genocide have taken place but it is a matter of legal rather than

:15:00. > :15:02.political interpretation. We are not prosecutor, judge or jury. Such

:15:03. > :15:07.matters are determined in international courts and the UN

:15:08. > :15:17.Security Council. But we are helping gather evidence to hold Daesh to

:15:18. > :15:24.account. Daesh is a particular threat to civilians in Syria, as is

:15:25. > :15:30.the pursuit mint of communities across the country. With the Syrian

:15:31. > :15:34.regime continuing to block trucks, aid is not reaching them. Does he

:15:35. > :15:39.welcomed news that the world food programme was able to deliver 20

:15:40. > :15:42.tonnes of aid and does that demonstrate that the Foreign Office

:15:43. > :15:47.and Ministry of Defence should examine again the possibility of it

:15:48. > :15:51.drops to besieged communities in Syria? I pay tribute to the work the

:15:52. > :15:58.Honourable lady does in this field. She is right to recognise the extra

:15:59. > :16:03.work being done to get aid to these difficult areas and that is one of

:16:04. > :16:08.the focuses that is taking place. We must make sure that those who have

:16:09. > :16:17.been caught up in this horrendous war are able to receive the aid that

:16:18. > :16:22.they require. Tackling Daesh online is as important as tackling them on

:16:23. > :16:25.the battlefield. What more can the government do to ensure that social

:16:26. > :16:29.media is closed down to poisoning the minds of young people and is

:16:30. > :16:38.opened up to promote tolerance, fearless and opportunity? The

:16:39. > :16:44.difference between this terrorist group and Al-Qaeda is this terrorist

:16:45. > :16:50.group will use the Internet to recruit, to fund themselves, to

:16:51. > :16:54.encourage people to fight. That is why we formed the coalition

:16:55. > :17:01.strategic communications group and in London we have formed a group to

:17:02. > :17:06.make sure the wee stop the movement of funds and fighters and challenge

:17:07. > :17:14.the poisonous ideology that Daesh put out on the Internet. Yesterday

:17:15. > :17:19.the Association of police sergeants and inspectors met and carried out

:17:20. > :17:24.an assessment of their ability to face terrorism. They said their

:17:25. > :17:31.capability was imperfect. Could the minister indicate that he will host

:17:32. > :17:39.a conference with officers and draw up a plan to make sure that threat

:17:40. > :17:49.does not permeate our border? It is a little bit of my beat -- off my

:17:50. > :17:53.beat, but I would argue we have been at the forefront of sharing best

:17:54. > :18:01.practice and recognising what happens when extremism embeds

:18:02. > :18:08.itself. If there are lessons to be learned and better coordination then

:18:09. > :18:13.we should look into it. As a result of recent Russian action in Aleppo,

:18:14. > :18:16.the International peace agreement is effectively dead, so what further

:18:17. > :18:21.action can that group of countries which my right honourable friend

:18:22. > :18:30.mentioned earlier take two more effectively tackle Daesh? I don't

:18:31. > :18:37.agree with his analysis, Russia is playing an important role in the

:18:38. > :18:47.cessation of hostilities, given the influence Russia has over the Assad

:18:48. > :18:53.regime. Aleppo is Syria's largest city and there is an awful lot of

:18:54. > :18:58.frustration because of the lack of humanitarian aid that is getting in.

:18:59. > :19:10.This is something the UN envoy is focusing on. Daesh is trying hard to

:19:11. > :19:14.radicalise sub-Saharan Africa. What efforts is Her Majesty's government

:19:15. > :19:27.making to ensure that East African countries like Kenya do not fall

:19:28. > :19:36.prey to this malignant cancer? The honourable gentleman is right to not

:19:37. > :19:40.only focus on the challenges in the Middle East, but further afield.

:19:41. > :19:47.Unless we can encourage local police forces to recognise, we will see

:19:48. > :19:54.extremism permeate in other places such as sub-Saharan Africa. That's

:19:55. > :20:00.exactly what we're doing our local programmes, making sure they have

:20:01. > :20:05.the strength and capability to recognise when groups try to

:20:06. > :20:10.penetrate into these areas. Progress is rather slow today and I'm keen to

:20:11. > :20:20.accommodate as many questions. A short sentence by way of question

:20:21. > :20:24.and reply usually suffices. The government believes the UK will be

:20:25. > :20:29.safer by remaining in a reformed European Union. If we leave we will

:20:30. > :20:33.lose preferential access to the European single market but also the

:20:34. > :20:41.53 markets outside the European Union with which the EU has free

:20:42. > :20:45.trade agreements. The EU has preferential trade agreements with

:20:46. > :20:52.53 countries including nations like Vietnam and Korea. Talks with

:20:53. > :20:57.Indonesia and the Philippines starts soon. Would my right honourable

:20:58. > :21:05.friend explained whether in the case of accident we would be easily able

:21:06. > :21:12.to replicate those arrangements? Can I congratulate my honourable friend

:21:13. > :21:18.on the work he does as trade envoy? The record shows that alternative

:21:19. > :21:22.trade agreements would take years to negotiate and there would be no

:21:23. > :21:28.guarantee whatever that we could obtain terms as good as we enjoyed

:21:29. > :21:33.through the European Union today. They don't like to hear this but

:21:34. > :21:38.would the Minister confirm that he listened to the wise words of David

:21:39. > :21:45.Miliband on Radio 4 this morning, and isn't it a fact what he said is

:21:46. > :21:48.absolutely true? Are international trading partners are postponing

:21:49. > :21:57.investment decisions and ceasing to fire. I have to say, I missed this

:21:58. > :22:06.morning's interview but I do agree with what he says. What I hear

:22:07. > :22:11.direct from business in this country is that they are concerned about the

:22:12. > :22:16.uncertainty, that some have postponed decisions and many more

:22:17. > :22:20.would consider reducing the levels of employment in this country

:22:21. > :22:27.reducing the levels of investment in this country if there were a

:22:28. > :22:31.decision to quit the European Union. Does the Minister really believe the

:22:32. > :22:49.guff and propaganda he is spouting? I would point my honourable friend

:22:50. > :22:53.to the fact that the government's case that we are better off

:22:54. > :22:56.remaining in the EU is supported by the overwhelming majority of

:22:57. > :23:00.business leaders in this country and trade union leaders in this country

:23:01. > :23:07.and I just wish he and others who advocate leaving the EU for once,

:23:08. > :23:16.with a coherent and consistent description of the alternative. The

:23:17. > :23:22.government, as we know, is in favour of the European partnership and

:23:23. > :23:30.trade. The EU referendum gives the opportunity to display that. When

:23:31. > :23:35.will he be inviting and welcoming other European leaders to the UK

:23:36. > :23:42.with a strong message that it is better remaining in the EU? Both

:23:43. > :23:46.those leaders have made it clear that they believe the United Kingdom

:23:47. > :23:51.contributes a huge amount to the political and economic weight of the

:23:52. > :23:56.European Union and they want to see us fought to stay within the EU.

:23:57. > :24:02.They are clear that this is a decision for the British electorate

:24:03. > :24:11.to take and they respect that fact. Our vision of the UK outside the EU

:24:12. > :24:17.is one of most free trading nations around the world. My question to the

:24:18. > :24:22.Minister is this. Does he agree that the government is playing with fire

:24:23. > :24:26.because the more it wades in in favour of remaining, the more the

:24:27. > :24:33.referendum will be seen as being unfair, creating further

:24:34. > :24:36.uncertainty? The government is not going to be silent or neutral on an

:24:37. > :24:44.issue that we believe is central to the future prosperity and security

:24:45. > :24:54.of the United Kingdom. I'm glad my honourable friend the -- believes

:24:55. > :25:00.this, he is yet to see how this would involve agreement to European

:25:01. > :25:03.rules even though we did not have a say and contributing to the EU

:25:04. > :25:09.budget, the situation where in Sweden are in. Given the claims some

:25:10. > :25:15.have made about free trade deals outside the EU, is the Minister for

:25:16. > :25:27.Europe aware of any trading partner that wishes the UK to leave the EU?

:25:28. > :25:33.None. The key point is that we have a free trade agreement with the

:25:34. > :25:40.European Union and other nation states but a question that must be

:25:41. > :25:46.answered is, why do so many of the states that have said we should stay

:25:47. > :25:51.in the European Union are the other side and seem to think we have some

:25:52. > :25:55.sort of agreement with? The consistent message we are hearing

:25:56. > :26:03.from friends, allies and partners not just in Europe butt around the

:26:04. > :26:09.world is that they want to see us stay in the European Union. I am

:26:10. > :26:11.still waiting for the advocates of quitting to come up with a friendly

:26:12. > :26:21.international leader who support their case. More cars are

:26:22. > :26:27.manufactured in one city in the North of England than Italy makes in

:26:28. > :26:34.a year and the vast majority are exported to Europe. Early assessment

:26:35. > :26:39.suggests any deal would place a 10% tariff on every single car

:26:40. > :26:42.manufactured in the UK and sent to Europe and over time that would

:26:43. > :26:47.damage manufacturing and jobs in the UK. Can the Minister confirm the

:26:48. > :26:53.possibility of a 10% tariff on every car manufactured in the UK? That is

:26:54. > :26:56.indeed the case. If we were outside the single market then we could

:26:57. > :27:14.expect that tariff. In an appeal to speed up a few

:27:15. > :27:18.moments ago. The member concerned made a mess of it unfortunately

:27:19. > :27:26.ended not speed up at all, we must do so now.

:27:27. > :27:30.Number five, Mr Speaker. Tackling honour killings remain

:27:31. > :27:34.central to foreign policy objectives and we work closely with affected

:27:35. > :27:40.countries including governments such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

:27:41. > :27:47.I support the work that the UK Government has done with the

:27:48. > :27:51.government of Cameroon in tackling this appalling practice. Does the

:27:52. > :27:56.Minister agree that unless we seek to find ways to prosecute honour

:27:57. > :28:02.-based crimes in the country of origin that we will struggle to

:28:03. > :28:06.pursue prosecutions in the UK? I pay huge tribute to his work in

:28:07. > :28:12.this area. He has called debate here and in other forums to make sure we

:28:13. > :28:15.recognise important role the international community must do in

:28:16. > :28:23.regards to female genital mutilation. These are abhorrent

:28:24. > :28:29.crimes as he says, and we work with government across countries where

:28:30. > :28:33.these practices exist. In my constituency we do amazing

:28:34. > :28:38.work highlighting the so-called honour -based violence which is a

:28:39. > :28:42.scandal. We have trained police officers. Can the Minister tell me

:28:43. > :28:51.what he does to work with foreign government to make sure they also

:28:52. > :28:54.claim that their police? -- train. We have doubled our commitment to

:28:55. > :29:00.the Magna Carta funded to promote better understanding in these areas.

:29:01. > :29:08.We are finding that governments, state, actually have laws, but they

:29:09. > :29:11.are not applied. That is where we must work closely with governments

:29:12. > :29:16.to make sure they follow through on laws that are already in existence.

:29:17. > :29:24.Number six, Mr Speaker. Thank you. I visited the region in

:29:25. > :29:28.February. Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The two

:29:29. > :29:34.state solution is the only credible way to resolve the conflict. We

:29:35. > :29:37.continue to work closely with international partners to preserve

:29:38. > :29:42.the viability of that solution and encourage a return to meaningful

:29:43. > :29:47.negotiation. Thank you for that answer. In 2016

:29:48. > :29:52.there has been an acceleration of evictions and property destruction

:29:53. > :29:54.on the West Bank. With these continuing actions the Israeli

:29:55. > :29:59.government is showing complete contempt for the notion of a two

:30:00. > :30:03.state solution. A fact recognised by president Carter. When will the

:30:04. > :30:09.government update UK policy to reflect the reality on the ground in

:30:10. > :30:12.this area? During my meetings with the Deputy

:30:13. > :30:17.Prime Minister and Prime Minister, they remain committed to the two

:30:18. > :30:20.state solution, but he is correct to recognise there are measures

:30:21. > :30:24.happening, events taking place, which are taking us in another

:30:25. > :30:30.direction. We need to insure that people are able to come back to the

:30:31. > :30:42.table and that we can make progress. There is no other solution. We

:30:43. > :30:53.cannot go on with the status quo. Hezbollah, currently constructing a

:30:54. > :30:56.base to fire missiles into Israel. We need to make sure that we were

:30:57. > :31:07.the international coalition to prevent such things taking place.

:31:08. > :31:13.Iran is starting to make incremental steps. But unless they control

:31:14. > :31:17.Hezbollah and have an influence that they will find that this nuclear

:31:18. > :31:25.deal has little control. We have seen the extension of

:31:26. > :31:30.fishing rights for Gazans with the cooperation of Israel, and secondly,

:31:31. > :31:34.the naming of a basketball tournament after a terrorist who

:31:35. > :31:37.killed 36 people. Which of those initiatives do you think is more

:31:38. > :31:49.likely to bring about a two state solution? We need to see grassroots

:31:50. > :31:52.initiative on a low level such as the extension of fishing rights

:31:53. > :31:58.which I have been pressing for. But there are also oil and gas reserves

:31:59. > :32:04.which will help the economy. But at the same time when we see basketball

:32:05. > :32:07.courts, or schools, or Street, being named after terrorists, it does not

:32:08. > :32:13.suggest the Palestinians are as serious as they should be.

:32:14. > :32:16.Israel is demolishing Palestinian homes and other structures is three

:32:17. > :32:24.times the rate it was doing so last year. I was in the region along with

:32:25. > :32:30.the honourable members who saw it for ourselves. Given the fact that

:32:31. > :32:34.many of these structures are supported and funded by the EU, what

:32:35. > :32:38.is the government going to do, not simply to express concern, but to

:32:39. > :32:44.hold Israel to account? What mechanisms are available?

:32:45. > :32:49.Again, the honourable gentleman highlights one of the challenges we

:32:50. > :32:52.face. We have worked closely with Israel to change the approach they

:32:53. > :32:59.are taking on this issue of administrative detention. We have

:33:00. > :33:04.funded and facilitated independent reports on the challenges we

:33:05. > :33:10.actually face. And I raised this very matter with the Deputy Foreign

:33:11. > :33:13.Minister. I will continue to press Israel to move forward, again, this

:33:14. > :33:18.takes us back, it is a retrograde step.

:33:19. > :33:28.Can the Minister tell me if he was able to visit...

:33:29. > :33:35.Question number seven. Thank you. More familiar territory

:33:36. > :33:39.for me. Officials met with over 500 members of the community, the public

:33:40. > :33:44.consultation will be published in January, we received over 800

:33:45. > :33:50.responses, I recognise that we are being urged to announce a decision

:33:51. > :33:54.soon and we very much hope to do so. Does the Minister agree that the ?60

:33:55. > :34:02.million cost estimate for resettlement of the Chagos island is

:34:03. > :34:06.at 0.002% of the international development budget is a price the

:34:07. > :34:14.government must pay this year, so that the Chagos islanders can return

:34:15. > :34:18.home? Every day they are not allowed to is a day of shame for the

:34:19. > :34:22.country. Perhaps if I can outline some of the

:34:23. > :34:31.costs. The initial cost are estimated at ranging from ?55

:34:32. > :34:38.million, and ?256 million for a 500 person resettlement and Diego Garcia

:34:39. > :34:44.and the outer islands. Operating costs would be between five 5p per

:34:45. > :34:54.year on a potentially open-ended and escalating basis. -- ?5,000,000-

:34:55. > :34:57.?18.5 million. Will we commit the resources

:34:58. > :35:00.desperately needed to recognise the human rights of persons that have

:35:01. > :35:06.suffered for so long, and are so many different governments?

:35:07. > :35:13.Following the detailed KPMG report and subsequent consultation, we are

:35:14. > :35:16.looking very closely, and the honourable member will forgive me if

:35:17. > :35:20.we do not come to a conclusion on my feet at the dispatch box and go

:35:21. > :35:28.through due process, but try to do so as quickly as possible.

:35:29. > :35:33.Question number eight, Mr Speaker. Ministers have frequent discussions

:35:34. > :35:37.with both EU and non-EU partners about migration and refugees. Our

:35:38. > :35:42.focus is on a durable solution to the crisis tackling the causes as

:35:43. > :35:49.well as the consequences and we continue to play a leading role.

:35:50. > :35:52.The Libyan government recently requested help preventing illegal

:35:53. > :35:57.migrants departing their coast. When will we be in a position to start

:35:58. > :36:00.returning those intercepted in the Mediterranean, back to the North

:36:01. > :36:05.African coast, rather than allowing them to make landfall in Europe?

:36:06. > :36:10.We are ready to respond positively to request for support and

:36:11. > :36:13.assistance from the new Libyan government to tackle criminal gangs

:36:14. > :36:18.of people smugglers and prevent tragic deaths at sea. We have yet to

:36:19. > :36:23.have a specific request in the way he describes but we are ready to

:36:24. > :36:29.take action if we get one. What is the current assessment of

:36:30. > :36:33.political progress in Tunisia? What is the British government doing to

:36:34. > :36:40.support the progress? I don't mind if the Shadow Minister for the

:36:41. > :36:45.Middle East and since. We continue to support the

:36:46. > :36:52.democratic evolution of Tunisia and we are working actively to support

:36:53. > :36:56.their authorities in getting control of their borders so that there can

:36:57. > :36:59.be checks against the risks of terrorist moving across borders as

:37:00. > :37:07.well as, of course, in order to disrupt the work people smugglers.

:37:08. > :37:13.As we successfully gauged Syria and northern Iraq, what is the threat of

:37:14. > :37:21.them moving to Libya, and what assessment does the Minister make of

:37:22. > :37:25.that? It is a very serious threat. That is why we give such a high

:37:26. > :37:29.priority to international work to establish a proper system of

:37:30. > :37:33.government in Libya. We very much welcome the work that has led to the

:37:34. > :37:37.creation of a government of National Accord. We are working actively with

:37:38. > :37:42.European and international partners to ensure the new government has the

:37:43. > :37:48.support it needs. Many on this side of the House agree

:37:49. > :37:56.there should be a strategy in which the UK is involved in taking

:37:57. > :37:58.measures to strengthen countries preventing those fleeing their

:37:59. > :38:02.country, however we believe that there should be far more than by the

:38:03. > :38:05.UK to allow more people in, and that actually, one would strengthen the

:38:06. > :38:12.other, doesn't agree? Now I don't. We have given a

:38:13. > :38:15.commitment on which we are delivering to resettle 20,000

:38:16. > :38:19.vulnerable Syrian refugees from camps in the region during the

:38:20. > :38:24.lifetime of this Parliament. But we have also, let's not forget, pledged

:38:25. > :38:33.?2.3 billion in Germanic care and assistance to support refugees. --

:38:34. > :38:36.in humanitarian care. We are trying to deter them from taking the

:38:37. > :38:43.appalling risk putting themselves in the hands of the people smugglers.

:38:44. > :38:49.The government view is that the UK will be stronger, safer, better off,

:38:50. > :38:53.remaining in a reformed EU. More British people are in work than ever

:38:54. > :38:57.before and nine out of ten people in work in this country are UK

:38:58. > :39:03.nationals. Erebus, based near my constituency,

:39:04. > :39:06.employs 50,000 people directly, and 100,000 in associated businesses,

:39:07. > :39:10.and has taken the unprecedented step of writing to all its employees,

:39:11. > :39:16.urging them to vote yes to stay in Europe, of course, I quote they do

:39:17. > :39:19.not know what leaving looks like. Will the Minister endorsed the

:39:20. > :39:28.decision, and tell the House what alt looks like? I think a bus is

:39:29. > :39:31.typical of a large number of advanced manufacturing countries

:39:32. > :39:38.that benefit from the European market. And we also give business

:39:39. > :39:42.opportunities to a host of small enterprises through their supply

:39:43. > :39:48.chains. That reinforces my view that it would be a severe blow to

:39:49. > :39:52.employment and hopes of growth to leave the EU.

:39:53. > :39:57.Given that the cross departmental nature of this question, will you

:39:58. > :40:00.agree with me that the Prime Minister should go before the

:40:01. > :40:04.liaison committee to deal with all of these cross departmental

:40:05. > :40:08.questions? The Prime Minister agreed with the

:40:09. > :40:12.liaison committee that he should make three appearances during the

:40:13. > :40:17.course of 2016, the next being scheduled to take place before the

:40:18. > :40:21.summer recess. He has also been at this dispatch box on many occasions

:40:22. > :40:25.to answer questions about European policy. Mike honourable friend has

:40:26. > :40:30.taken ample opportunity of those events.

:40:31. > :40:38.I doubt that will satisfy the liaison committee. Mr Ian Blackford.

:40:39. > :40:48.It is not just those in employment but pensioners who suffer the

:40:49. > :40:52.consequences of any Brexit. What we say to put this pensioners who may

:40:53. > :40:57.be caught up in it if we do choose to leave the European Union?

:40:58. > :41:01.It is the case that this pensioners and other expatriates who are

:41:02. > :41:06.resident in other EU member states get certain rights and benefits as a

:41:07. > :41:10.consequence of our EU membership. We cannot guarantee that in the event

:41:11. > :41:15.of a British withdrawal of the negotiations on an exit would lead

:41:16. > :41:21.to those rights and benefits being retained.

:41:22. > :41:26.In the Minister's publicly funded glossy brochure of which I have a

:41:27. > :41:29.copy, claiming to set out the facts, the government says that EU

:41:30. > :41:33.membership magnifies our ability to get our way on the issues we care

:41:34. > :41:39.about. Can he explain how that squares with the fact that the UK

:41:40. > :41:48.has been outvoted every times it has voted against you -- against an EU

:41:49. > :41:51.measure? I suggest Mike Honourable friend

:41:52. > :41:56.checked the footnotes to the leaflet published online, so that everybody

:41:57. > :42:03.can see the basis on which those statements are made but we have been

:42:04. > :42:06.successful in roughly 87% of votes in the Council of ministers. Most

:42:07. > :42:14.outside observers say we have a better track record than other men

:42:15. > :42:19.the state of getting our own wife. -- other member states, of getting

:42:20. > :42:23.our own way. Surely it must be the case that if

:42:24. > :42:28.we left the European Union and we gained control of settling our own

:42:29. > :42:34.trade deals, we would be able to make trade deals much faster than

:42:35. > :42:41.the EU. And there would be more opportunities as a result of that.

:42:42. > :42:54.I am glad my honourable friend speaks for that faction of the

:42:55. > :43:03.Brexit which supports TDI PD -- TTIP. But the head of the Chamber of

:43:04. > :43:08.Commerce has made it clear that they are not terribly interested in

:43:09. > :43:15.giving priority to a country with only 65 million people. Level of

:43:16. > :43:19.fighting in Yemen has reduced in recent weeks and I'm pleased to

:43:20. > :43:28.welcome the cessation of hostilities which was brought into place on the

:43:29. > :43:31.10th of April. We have finally got a fragile ceasefire in the region but

:43:32. > :43:36.not before thousands have been killed and millions displaced. There

:43:37. > :43:44.have been wide accusations of serious war crimes, will the British

:43:45. > :43:48.government support a full investigation into these

:43:49. > :43:53.activations? I'd join her in welcoming the cessation of

:43:54. > :43:59.hostilities and I would add to that... A number of organisations

:44:00. > :44:05.have been created including an independent enquiry, the appropriate

:44:06. > :44:13.body to look into the human rights issues. Also, the Saudis themselves

:44:14. > :44:22.have organised a committee to analyse when mistakes were made. Can

:44:23. > :44:30.I ask him what steps he and the government are taking to support the

:44:31. > :44:34.UN sponsored peace talks in Kuwait? We participated fully in bringing

:44:35. > :44:41.together what has been a very complex situation. Often, people

:44:42. > :44:48.knuckled it down to one of three sides but Al-Qaeda is in Yemen.

:44:49. > :44:51.Brexit is there as well. There are many militias looking at which way

:44:52. > :44:56.the wind will blow. I have spoken on a number of occasions to the UN

:44:57. > :45:04.envoy to encourage this ceasefire and I hope when it commences we will

:45:05. > :45:13.see real progress. Already there has been an attack since Sunday. Will he

:45:14. > :45:21.confirm that he will be in Kuwait and do all he can to make sure the

:45:22. > :45:27.ceasefire holds? I cannot confirm at this moment if I will be attending

:45:28. > :45:38.but he is right to outline the breaches taking place, 15 Yemeni

:45:39. > :45:45.soldiers were killed by Al-Qaeda. It is important that we make sure these

:45:46. > :45:51.talks do work and the international community comes in to offer support.

:45:52. > :45:54.Could I push the Minister on the answer he gave about the Saudi

:45:55. > :45:59.Arabia investigation into the conduct of the coalition campaigning

:46:00. > :46:04.Yemen? Can the Minister say whether he has faith that the investigation

:46:05. > :46:08.will be thorough, independent and transparent? Does he expect the

:46:09. > :46:14.international findings to be published? What follow-up will the

:46:15. > :46:17.UK take if allegations of war crimes are substantiated? Will you outline

:46:18. > :46:20.steps the government have taken to ensure that liaison officers

:46:21. > :46:26.supporting the Saudi military campaign have not been unwittingly

:46:27. > :46:30.involved in potential war crimes? As I said in this chamber a number of

:46:31. > :46:36.times, we have one of the most robust systems of arms export

:46:37. > :46:45.licences in the world. We have been working closely with the Yemeni

:46:46. > :46:48.authorities and also the Saudis. We have frank conversations with them

:46:49. > :46:58.privately to make sure this committee will work. Mr Speaker, my

:46:59. > :47:06.right honourable friend is currently in Vietnam's holding meetings with

:47:07. > :47:11.Vietnamese ministers. This follows a visit to China where he pressed the

:47:12. > :47:23.Chinese authorities for action to bring greater stability to world

:47:24. > :47:32.steel markets. In the wake of the recent visit by the Indian Promina

:47:33. > :47:37.start, can the right honourable friend highlight the benefits of

:47:38. > :47:43.trade to these countries? The honourable friend is right to draw

:47:44. > :47:53.attention to the current visit. We have incredibly good relations with

:47:54. > :48:04.India, and he is absolutely right to point out the soft power that we

:48:05. > :48:10.have. These are part of the jigsaw which helps us do business and

:48:11. > :48:16.project British values right around the world. The pro-Minister said

:48:17. > :48:24.yesterday that all of Britain's overseas territories and

:48:25. > :48:31.dependencies have agreed to provide full access to tax authorities. Why

:48:32. > :48:37.will they not be public access to these registers given the Prime

:48:38. > :48:42.Minister wrote to the overseas territories in April 2014 to say

:48:43. > :48:50.that making this information open will help tackle crime? If openness

:48:51. > :48:57.is good enough for the UK then why should we accept a different

:48:58. > :49:01.position in overseas territories? It is disappointing that the shadow

:49:02. > :49:03.Secretary of State does not congratulate the overseas

:49:04. > :49:11.territories on the enormous progress they've made in terms of tax

:49:12. > :49:18.transparency and opening up for law enforcement agencies. As is superb

:49:19. > :49:25.progress. It is not an international standard and what we need to move

:49:26. > :49:31.towards is eliminating or practices across the globe. And whilst there

:49:32. > :49:39.are states in the US where you can open up companies and not have full

:49:40. > :49:48.public registers, I think it is only further to say -- only good to say

:49:49. > :49:57.congratulations. We want a greater degree of transparency. I welcome

:49:58. > :50:02.the progress, I was just asking why they will not meet the same

:50:03. > :50:07.standards that Britain has set. I remember is of the European Union

:50:08. > :50:11.helps us in terms of money-laundering and tax evasion. It

:50:12. > :50:17.will oblige all member states to keep registers of members and make

:50:18. > :50:26.them open to the tax authorities and others with a legitimate interest.

:50:27. > :50:36.Does this show that leaving the EU could hinder the fight against

:50:37. > :50:43.criminality in Europe? I agree with the right honourable gentleman but

:50:44. > :50:47.there are many ways we benefit in the action we take against crime

:50:48. > :50:54.through this kind of European co-operation. What I hear from the

:50:55. > :50:58.European police service is that almost all serious crime has an

:50:59. > :51:03.international dimension and countries need to work together to

:51:04. > :51:09.tackle that. Whether we choose to opt in to individual measures really

:51:10. > :51:15.does give us the best of both worlds. What more can be done to

:51:16. > :51:21.protect vulnerable people from being indoctrinated to become suicide

:51:22. > :51:26.bombers? The Koran actually forbids suicide and if you look at the

:51:27. > :51:32.profile of suicide bombers it is sold as a fast track to Paradise,

:51:33. > :51:40.two people with scant knowledge of the Koran. If we are genuinely to

:51:41. > :51:46.defeat extremism there needs to be greater emphasis placed on the duty

:51:47. > :52:00.of God in this life as well as the next. The Minister will be aware of

:52:01. > :52:08.reports but Libya paid $1.5 billion to the US for victims of terrorism.

:52:09. > :52:16.Why has the UK not received similar support? The Minister did indicate

:52:17. > :52:27.he would support those victims. What support is in place? It is for a

:52:28. > :52:35.previous government to explain. What I have done with meetings in Belfast

:52:36. > :52:42.and her in London is -- here in London is met with victims and

:52:43. > :52:50.facilitated a visit to Tripoli when security measures allow it. Could

:52:51. > :52:54.the Minister update the hosts on the support we have been able to give to

:52:55. > :53:02.the government of the Ivory Coast following the terrorist attack in

:53:03. > :53:08.March? Last week I visited the scene of the attack. I laid a wreath on

:53:09. > :53:16.behalf of Her Majesty's Vermont and I met with the president to discuss

:53:17. > :53:21.how we can prevent radicalisation of young people in his country. We

:53:22. > :53:33.offer condolences, support and solidarity. Developing countries

:53:34. > :53:41.whose three times as much to tax evasion as they gain in aid. Will

:53:42. > :53:45.the Minster agreed that the Prime Minister's anti-corruption Summit

:53:46. > :53:50.next month would be an appropriate deadline at which to insist that all

:53:51. > :53:56.the Crown dependencies adopt public registers of beneficial ownership?

:53:57. > :54:00.We should congratulate the Prime Minister, this is the first

:54:01. > :54:05.International conference on anti-corruption. On the issue of

:54:06. > :54:16.beneficial ownership we have made great progress. There are many other

:54:17. > :54:20.issues. Having come from Ghana there are many other issues that need to

:54:21. > :54:28.be tackled. It is not the only issue for that conference. The huge morsel

:54:29. > :54:34.ban is crumbling and may collapse. It will be covered in 70 foot of

:54:35. > :54:38.water and hundreds of lives will be threatened. Could the Minister tell

:54:39. > :54:47.us what is under way to maintain the integrity of that structure? This is

:54:48. > :55:05.one of those serious things that Barack is facing. A tsunami could

:55:06. > :55:11.take out the city of Mosul. They need alerts in place and already we

:55:12. > :55:21.have taken portions at the embassy. When did the Minister last make

:55:22. > :55:26.representations on the plight of minorities? I raised this with the

:55:27. > :55:31.Foreign Minister when he visited in March and I have regular meetings

:55:32. > :55:40.with the ambassador in waiting here in London. Can the Minister provide

:55:41. > :55:47.the hosts with an update on the Havana process, bringing an end to

:55:48. > :55:56.the conflict between rebels and the Colombian military? I don't think we

:55:57. > :56:01.need to get too hung up on the actual date. What is important is

:56:02. > :56:06.the result. This is the big prize to which all have been working for some

:56:07. > :56:14.considerable time. We congratulate the negotiating team under President

:56:15. > :56:17.Santos. I'm pleased to say we have been helping the process in terms of

:56:18. > :56:28.offering advice and financially with an EU trust fund. Last week the

:56:29. > :56:39.Secretary General of the UN said there is a greenhouse effect in

:56:40. > :56:47.terms of extremist groups coming to Brexit in light of the Syrian

:56:48. > :56:50.conflict. It is not just at the moment, when the Bali bomb to place

:56:51. > :56:52.Barack 21 registered terrorist groups and today that number is over

:56:53. > :57:18.50. There are other groups try to get

:57:19. > :57:22.support internationally, we must wake up and grasp the scale of the

:57:23. > :57:29.problem. Is it not unfortunate that the BBC

:57:30. > :57:33.still refuses to do so? I congratulate my honourable friend

:57:34. > :57:39.who got an award in your presence, Mr Speaker, for his campaign on this

:57:40. > :57:46.issue. I am puzzled, why they continue, at the BBC, to use the

:57:47. > :57:51.term Islamic State. I don't know what more we need to do, perhaps

:57:52. > :58:00.right to points of view. I'm sure the whole House will join

:58:01. > :58:03.in with my condemnation of the abuses documented by the UN and

:58:04. > :58:08.Misty International by the South Sudanese forces, deliberately

:58:09. > :58:15.suffocating men and boys in containers, our government soldiers

:58:16. > :58:26.to rate women in view of wages. -- to rape, in lieu the wages. Can the

:58:27. > :58:31.Minister tell me what he's doing to promote the peace?

:58:32. > :58:35.I made representations to the President during the African union

:58:36. > :58:40.meeting. The UK Government secured an agreement at the UN on a new

:58:41. > :58:44.commission of human rights. The South Sudan government must now

:58:45. > :58:54.fulfil its commitment to cooperate with the commission, charged with

:58:55. > :58:58.investigating an rapes, and attacks on civilians, that may constitute

:58:59. > :59:02.war crimes. Many of my constituents have expressed concern about the

:59:03. > :59:08.possible admission of Turkey to the EU. Is it still government policy to

:59:09. > :59:13.support Turkish ambition, and are they prepared to reconsider their

:59:14. > :59:17.position? Is the Prime Minister said the other

:59:18. > :59:26.day, Turkish membership of the EU is not on the cards for many years

:59:27. > :59:31.indeed. Not least there would have to be a Cypriot settlement before

:59:32. > :59:38.Cyprus lifted its block on a number of negotiating chapters so I doubt

:59:39. > :59:46.we will face it in the life of this Parliament, the next, possibly the

:59:47. > :59:50.one after that... The recently elected MPs are acutely aware of the

:59:51. > :59:56.scale of the task they face in building democracy in their country.

:59:57. > :00:00.On my recent visit I was quite touched at the extent to which they

:00:01. > :00:06.appreciated the support of the UK Parliament for the work that they

:00:07. > :00:09.have to do. On that note, can I ask what dialogue the government is

:00:10. > :00:16.engaged in to promote freedom of expression and political rights in

:00:17. > :00:35.Burma? I am glad that the Honourable lady called it, Burma, unlike

:00:36. > :00:45.Myanmar, which the BBC still insist on calling it. It is very early days

:00:46. > :00:54.but we continue to support Burma on human rights, the peace process, the

:00:55. > :00:57.ceasefire. And I hope you say the efforts of Honourable members who

:00:58. > :01:00.have taken the effort to go and try to teach some of the new politicians

:01:01. > :01:05.are there the basic elements of how to run a democratic government. It

:01:06. > :01:10.is a long way to go but I believe we're going in right direction.

:01:11. > :01:14.This government and the previous Labour government has deliberately

:01:15. > :01:20.undermined authoritarian regimes such as Saddam Hussein, Colonel

:01:21. > :01:27.Qaddafi, and then unleashed totalitarian ones as a result. Will

:01:28. > :01:31.we now accept that President Assad is not good to go, except the real

:01:32. > :01:41.politic, and broker a deal between Russia, and the anti-- Daesh forces,

:01:42. > :01:45.to try to get some sort deal? It is for Syrians to decide who

:01:46. > :01:50.should run the country and the majority do not accept that

:01:51. > :01:53.President Assad should be part of the long-term future. He should have

:01:54. > :01:59.no part in the long term of the country at all.

:02:00. > :02:02.Will the Minister give us an assessment of how far away we are

:02:03. > :02:09.from a stable government in Libya, and what the strength is of Daesh?

:02:10. > :02:15.There is real talk of a ground force to push them out of the country.

:02:16. > :02:20.I am pleased that the Prime Minister and the presidency council has taken

:02:21. > :02:23.place in Tripoli. It has taken a long time to get the National

:02:24. > :02:27.Congress and House of Representatives to agree to support

:02:28. > :02:32.the Prime Minister. These are important steps but he is right to

:02:33. > :02:37.recognise that Daesh has a foothold and that is why the sooner we all

:02:38. > :02:42.decisions are made the international community can come in to provide the

:02:43. > :02:47.support and make sure that Daesh does not gain a long-term foothold.

:02:48. > :02:53.Our board to China have more than doubled since 2010. Will the

:02:54. > :03:00.Minister join me in congratulating firms and encourage others to follow

:03:01. > :03:02.their lead? I congratulate all the companies in the constituency of the

:03:03. > :03:09.honourable member who trade with China, despite the recent set back,

:03:10. > :03:12.it is still doing extremely well, bilateral relations have been reset

:03:13. > :03:16.following the successful state visit of the President, the Foreign

:03:17. > :03:23.Secretary has just been in Beijing, and we do both encourage British

:03:24. > :03:26.companies to trade more in China, it is a huge market, and all others, as

:03:27. > :03:31.local members of Parliament, should do everything we can to encourage

:03:32. > :03:37.small enterprises to trade with China, and equally the UK still

:03:38. > :03:43.continues to attract huge Chinese investment into our infrastructure

:03:44. > :03:55.which of course provides and jobs. Demand has exceeded supply. We must

:03:56. > :03:59.now move on. A point of order, shall . I have made the Minister aware of

:04:00. > :04:03.my intention to make this point of order. In an answer to my written

:04:04. > :04:07.parliamentary question asking for the number of deaths that have

:04:08. > :04:11.occurred in child and adolescent mental health units since 2010, the

:04:12. > :04:17.Minister for community and social care said that there had been only

:04:18. > :04:21.one such death recorded by the Sea QC. However freedom of information

:04:22. > :04:23.requests have found that at least nine young people have tragically

:04:24. > :04:34.died in England while receiving inpatient care. The minister said in

:04:35. > :04:35.an interview with panorama that he