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Order, questions to the Secretary of State for foreign and form -- | :00:09. | :00:15. | |
questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth | :00:16. | :00:18. | |
Affairs. With permission I will answer this question together with | :00:19. | :00:22. | |
question 15. Russia is failing to fulfil its commitments under the | :00:23. | :00:28. | |
Minsk agreements. Ceasefire violations at the Donbas continue | :00:29. | :00:33. | |
and must end. Russia must stop supporting the separatist. The | :00:34. | :00:36. | |
European Council decides sanctions should be clearly linked to the full | :00:37. | :00:41. | |
meditation on the Minsk agreements. We support the continued application | :00:42. | :00:45. | |
of this robust approach and we expect the European Union will | :00:46. | :00:49. | |
extend Tier three stanchions for a further six months this summer. | :00:50. | :00:53. | |
There are separate sanctions in place relating specifically to | :00:54. | :00:57. | |
Crimea and our strong view is that they must remain in place while | :00:58. | :01:00. | |
Russia's illegal annexation continues. More than 9000 people | :01:01. | :01:07. | |
have died as a result of hostilities in Ukraine. Given the recent | :01:08. | :01:13. | |
tensions including over supply of electricity to the Crimea. Can the | :01:14. | :01:16. | |
Foreign Secretary tell the House what more can be done to reach peace | :01:17. | :01:23. | |
in the region? I regret that I have to say to my honourable friend that | :01:24. | :01:27. | |
it is a long haul of maintaining pressure on Russia through isolation | :01:28. | :01:32. | |
from the international community and maintaining the EU sanctions which | :01:33. | :01:38. | |
are in place. At the moment we have no other tools which are likely to | :01:39. | :01:45. | |
prove effective. I understand the need for sanctions because of the | :01:46. | :01:49. | |
aggression of Russia towards the Ukraine but one of the problems is | :01:50. | :01:54. | |
dairy products and milk are very much involved in no sanctions and | :01:55. | :01:57. | |
this is having a dramatic affect on the downward price of dairy | :01:58. | :02:03. | |
products. Is there anyway the dairy side of the sanctions can be taken | :02:04. | :02:11. | |
away? The sanctions that my honourable friend refers to our | :02:12. | :02:15. | |
Russian counter sanctions that have been imposed against EU producers. I | :02:16. | :02:19. | |
am pleased to tell the House that despite the sanctions measures | :02:20. | :02:25. | |
Russia has taken on Metallica -- in retaliation against EU agricultural | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
producers, in 2015, agricultural exports were up by 6% showing that | :02:31. | :02:38. | |
our producers are able to address the challenge of Russian sanctions | :02:39. | :02:41. | |
and find alternative markets elsewhere. Does he accept on the | :02:42. | :02:48. | |
Ukraine that Russian bombing of Syrian civilians to provoke refugees | :02:49. | :02:54. | |
and tilt the balance in favour of Grexit is a strategy to fragment | :02:55. | :03:00. | |
European resolve in terms of Ukraine? -- Brexit. There is a | :03:01. | :03:13. | |
Russian strategy. It is probably a step too far to suggest that | :03:14. | :03:18. | |
Russia's engagement in Syria is only designed to apply pressure over | :03:19. | :03:21. | |
Ukraine. Russia has important and historical equities in Syria and is | :03:22. | :03:28. | |
seeking to defend its interests. Overall, Russia's behaviour both in | :03:29. | :03:34. | |
Syria and Ukraine gives us deep cause for concern about the | :03:35. | :03:37. | |
established security setting that we are used to living with. Did he read | :03:38. | :03:47. | |
the Sunday Times on Sunday where it expresses deep concern about the | :03:48. | :03:51. | |
threat from Russia and the way Russia is using cyber methods of | :03:52. | :03:57. | |
preparing to use them against Europe and against our allies. Would he | :03:58. | :04:01. | |
take action to make sure that this country of ours is prepared to match | :04:02. | :04:08. | |
up to it and will he suck up to the European Union to do so? I did not | :04:09. | :04:15. | |
read the article but I am very familiar with that author's views on | :04:16. | :04:19. | |
the subject and familiar with the problem. We are taking action to | :04:20. | :04:30. | |
strengthen our cyber defence and to create a UK offensive cyber | :04:31. | :04:33. | |
capability. We are still the only nation that has publicly declared | :04:34. | :04:37. | |
the fact that we are developing an offensive cyber capability for | :04:38. | :04:43. | |
retaliatory purposes if we are attacks. The Foreign Affairs | :04:44. | :04:47. | |
Committee was in Russia last week and I agree with the six -- with the | :04:48. | :04:57. | |
view that we are in a deep freeze. Russia appears to be strategically | :04:58. | :05:03. | |
stuck in its position in international relations. Do we not | :05:04. | :05:07. | |
need to be thinking about ways how we might get Russia out of this | :05:08. | :05:11. | |
position even if it is only a substantial investment in people to | :05:12. | :05:20. | |
Peter will -- people to people? Although our relationships are in a | :05:21. | :05:23. | |
difficult phase at the moment and we have suspended boat -- business | :05:24. | :05:29. | |
relations we maintained our links with Russia and cultural do continue | :05:30. | :05:35. | |
including at ministerial level. Russia has its own agenda. I think | :05:36. | :05:43. | |
from the point of view of the Kremlin, it is not so obvious to me | :05:44. | :05:46. | |
that they will regard their current strategy as failing and in need of | :05:47. | :05:52. | |
revision. Russia is ensuring that those countries that it regards in | :05:53. | :05:56. | |
its near abroad are able to make free choices about their future and | :05:57. | :06:00. | |
I judge that be the number one priority for Kremlin. Does he | :06:01. | :06:06. | |
believe there is scope for expanding the EU sanctions to include the | :06:07. | :06:12. | |
Russians involved in the murder of... And the procreation of $100 | :06:13. | :06:16. | |
billion worth of shareholder's money in relation to this. It is a matter | :06:17. | :06:28. | |
before the courts and there has been a recent decision in this case. We | :06:29. | :06:33. | |
have looked at the options for expanding sanctions to cover other | :06:34. | :06:37. | |
areas but we found the individuals that could be targeted already | :06:38. | :06:44. | |
effectively covered by other measures or would not be affected by | :06:45. | :06:47. | |
the kind of sanctions that we could impose. At the moment we do not see | :06:48. | :06:57. | |
any prospect of expanded sanctions. Returning to the original question, | :06:58. | :07:02. | |
would he agree that there can be no question of either EU sanctions or | :07:03. | :07:04. | |
Council of Europe's sanctions been lifted until 90 is released and | :07:05. | :07:14. | |
intervention has ceased and the future of Crimea is determined? That | :07:15. | :07:23. | |
is our position and we need to maintain a consensus within the | :07:24. | :07:26. | |
European Union around renewal of sanctions and that is work that we | :07:27. | :07:31. | |
are continuously engaged upon and I am confident sanctions will be | :07:32. | :07:35. | |
rolled over the summer. We have to make the case again every six months | :07:36. | :07:43. | |
for continuing those sanctions. With permission I will answer this | :07:44. | :07:46. | |
question along with question seven. I would like to start by expressing | :07:47. | :07:50. | |
my concerns as to the families of those who lost loved ones and homes | :07:51. | :07:57. | |
in the cyclone over the weekend. I welcome the leadership shown of the | :07:58. | :08:00. | |
Government of Bangladesh. I raise concern about human rights, violence | :08:01. | :08:07. | |
against LG BT people and my right honourable friend raises with the | :08:08. | :08:13. | |
Prime Minister of Bangladesh using -- during his visit there in 2015. | :08:14. | :08:20. | |
Extrajudicial killings, disappearances of political | :08:21. | :08:23. | |
opponents and fraudulent elections. Bangladesh is becoming a failed | :08:24. | :08:27. | |
state. Does the Minister not think it is time to start applying some | :08:28. | :08:34. | |
form of sanctions to get them to hold a proper general election as | :08:35. | :08:38. | |
soon as possible? I was appalled by the senses -- murder of the LGB Team | :08:39. | :08:49. | |
Leader. The honourable member is right. Extremist related murders of | :08:50. | :08:58. | |
religious groups of contrary to Islam and have increased since 2015 | :08:59. | :09:04. | |
and this is something we are discussing regularly. The Secretary | :09:05. | :09:09. | |
of State or the minister has said that he has talked to the | :09:10. | :09:12. | |
Bangladeshi Government but does he really think that the Government is | :09:13. | :09:16. | |
taking sufficient steps to tackle the issue of violence against LB GT | :09:17. | :09:25. | |
people? I don't. We have leveraging Bangladesh and we are the largest | :09:26. | :09:31. | |
grant aid donors. We gave ?162 million. Our voice does have some | :09:32. | :09:36. | |
influence there. In the past year our human rights and democracy | :09:37. | :09:39. | |
programme provided safety training for bloggers and we have promoted | :09:40. | :09:44. | |
the rights of groups and there is more to do. We are not shy from | :09:45. | :09:49. | |
pushing the Bangladesh Government in the right direction but it takes | :09:50. | :09:50. | |
time and persuasion. Last month, a law student was killed | :09:51. | :10:03. | |
for blood in, I have no religion. Can my right on the French race this | :10:04. | :10:08. | |
weather is Bangladesh counterparts and assure rights are protected -- | :10:09. | :10:14. | |
right honourable friend. It wasn't only the murder on the 9th of April, | :10:15. | :10:23. | |
as she said, but also of another woman in the east of the country on | :10:24. | :10:27. | |
the 23rd of April. This is an all too familiar occurrence in that | :10:28. | :10:33. | |
country, there is a disagreement. The Prime Minister blames the | :10:34. | :10:35. | |
opposition parties of destabilising the country, and the victims for | :10:36. | :10:39. | |
insulting Islam was up we think the problem goes beyond that. And | :10:40. | :10:45. | |
inability of the government of Bangladesh to deal with protection | :10:46. | :10:49. | |
of human rights, and the absence of effective opposition to the | :10:50. | :10:53. | |
government in Bangladesh, doesn't that require the UK Government, | :10:54. | :10:58. | |
which continues to provide aid to Bangladesh, to have a timetable for | :10:59. | :11:03. | |
intervention to ensure that democracy and human rights will | :11:04. | :11:07. | |
continue in that country and not fall under a single party state? I | :11:08. | :11:12. | |
don't think he is suggesting we should tie our aid helping some of | :11:13. | :11:17. | |
the most Wistar people in the world of political progress, but I'd take | :11:18. | :11:22. | |
his mind. There is more we can do, we are trying with the role of the | :11:23. | :11:26. | |
new Commonwealth Secretary. It should be like that, the Bangladesh | :11:27. | :11:30. | |
are of the Commonwealth and we want them to take more action in | :11:31. | :11:33. | |
Bangladesh, which is not heading in the right direction at the moment. | :11:34. | :11:41. | |
70 to 80 women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh abroad | :11:42. | :11:47. | |
each day. Enforcement is failing to deal with prostitution. What | :11:48. | :11:52. | |
discussions are you having to see that the laws prevail in buying the | :11:53. | :11:56. | |
best? We have done a lot with the human trafficking, with the act, | :11:57. | :12:02. | |
we've done a lot on the supply chain because there are concerns about | :12:03. | :12:06. | |
that as well. There's something we continue to raise, not just in | :12:07. | :12:09. | |
Bangladesh but other countries, it is something we want to raise. It is | :12:10. | :12:14. | |
all too common, and something we take. I am delighted to hear the | :12:15. | :12:21. | |
Minister is so concerned about the recent killings of liberal activists | :12:22. | :12:26. | |
in Bangladesh, and he's mentioned the brutal murder on the 25th of | :12:27. | :12:33. | |
April, the editor of the country's first and only LGBT magazine. He | :12:34. | :12:36. | |
mentioned the appalling fatal machete attack on a blogger on April | :12:37. | :12:44. | |
the sex. My question is, surely the government Bangladesh has been slow | :12:45. | :12:50. | |
to -- April the 6th. What will he do to put pressure on Bangladesh to | :12:51. | :12:54. | |
make sure these murders are dealt with properly? The government would | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
argue that one of the victims of these crimes was actually a cousin | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
of the former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, is this is something | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
they are taking seriously, but I do believe Bangladesh has a problem, | :13:08. | :13:11. | |
I've alluded to that, and we will continue to talk to our counterparts | :13:12. | :13:15. | |
on a range of issues, some of which are of concern. | :13:16. | :13:24. | |
Britain, along with other countries, has been appalled by the actions | :13:25. | :13:33. | |
against Yazidi in northern Iraq, and it has pondered us to take action in | :13:34. | :13:37. | |
the formation of the international Coalition against them, which | :13:38. | :13:43. | |
includes over 60 countries. I thank the Minister for his response. Many | :13:44. | :13:48. | |
Yazidi women and girls who have suffered slavery at the hands suffer | :13:49. | :13:55. | |
trauma but struggled to get support. What steps has the UK Government | :13:56. | :14:02. | |
taken to promote access to mental health care for all of these | :14:03. | :14:09. | |
victims? The honourable lady is right to point to the important of | :14:10. | :14:13. | |
support we need to provide, not just to the Yazidi, but it also | :14:14. | :14:19. | |
minorities. There are a number of programmes on human rights and | :14:20. | :14:25. | |
proceed, and we are the largest donor to approve fund to provide | :14:26. | :14:28. | |
this assistance that is required immediately. As the Minister has | :14:29. | :14:37. | |
made clear, the key threat to the Yazidi population is the control of | :14:38. | :14:41. | |
territory. When he welcomed the news that a major result has been | :14:42. | :14:47. | |
launched, and this liberation of towns will be the way these threats | :14:48. | :14:53. | |
are put to an end? My honourable friend is right. We are able to | :14:54. | :14:58. | |
remove the territory they have held. The Lodz was one of the cities to | :14:59. | :15:07. | |
fall to them. It will show they are finally being removed from the | :15:08. | :15:14. | |
territory. Once we have defeated Isis, there is a huge amount of work | :15:15. | :15:19. | |
on support to do, providing support to the people who have suffered so | :15:20. | :15:25. | |
much under these atrocities. The Yazidi people have given two choices | :15:26. | :15:32. | |
in 2014, convert or die. Will the government accept what happened was | :15:33. | :15:36. | |
genocide, and urged the Iraqi government to work with the criminal | :15:37. | :15:39. | |
court to bring murderers and rapists to justice? She raises an important | :15:40. | :15:48. | |
point, Britain will step forward with other countries to make sure we | :15:49. | :15:53. | |
provide airdrops and safe passage, which are critical to the support | :15:54. | :16:00. | |
for the Yazidi. We debated this question at length in this chamber, | :16:01. | :16:05. | |
and whilst I support her views, along with the European Parliament | :16:06. | :16:09. | |
views and this parliament itself, who voted on this matter, it is not | :16:10. | :16:12. | |
for us to make those judgments, it is for the International Criminal | :16:13. | :16:17. | |
Court. We are hoping to collect the evidence, to make sure that when the | :16:18. | :16:20. | |
time is appropriate we can bring these people to justice. Does the | :16:21. | :16:25. | |
Minister agree that the money this country spends sporting refugees in | :16:26. | :16:31. | |
Iraq and Syria can support a far greater number of people far better | :16:32. | :16:35. | |
than attempting to try relocate refugees into the UK, and it is | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
right the focus of our effort is to support the people in the region? My | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
honourable friend raises an important point. The Yazidis have | :16:45. | :16:54. | |
not grown, they want to stay together and stay in the area. For | :16:55. | :17:00. | |
every 20 people, every one person we are able to support, we can support | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
over 20 people in location. Clearly on a different standard but it does | :17:06. | :17:09. | |
mean our money can go much further, and we can pride ourselves on being | :17:10. | :17:13. | |
one of the larger supporters in Syria and Iraq. The Minister has | :17:14. | :17:19. | |
just repeated the arguments against referring the genocide of the CD | :17:20. | :17:23. | |
people to the UN Security Council, which he made to the House on the | :17:24. | :17:30. | |
20th of April -- Yazidi people. The Minister's oddments have been | :17:31. | :17:35. | |
challenged with the local noble Lord pointing out that article eight of | :17:36. | :17:39. | |
the prevention of genocide explicitly gives the UK Government | :17:40. | :17:43. | |
the power to make such a referral, so can I pressed the Minister to | :17:44. | :17:48. | |
respect the will of this House and refer this matter to the UN Security | :17:49. | :17:55. | |
Council without further delay? I join with the spirit of what she | :17:56. | :18:00. | |
says, but we have to work within the mechanics of how we make this | :18:01. | :18:04. | |
actually work. We took the initiative in 2014 to bring the | :18:05. | :18:11. | |
situation to the International Criminal Court in 2014. Our efforts | :18:12. | :18:19. | |
would be towed by two members, which will happen again if we can't | :18:20. | :18:22. | |
provide the necessary evidence, which is what we are doing. We will | :18:23. | :18:27. | |
hold those people to account, but we must honour the process. I agree | :18:28. | :18:31. | |
with the spirit in which she wants it done. We encourage all countries | :18:32. | :18:43. | |
to respect freedom of the media. In relation to concerns about freedom | :18:44. | :18:47. | |
of accession in the middle east, we set out these concerns in our annual | :18:48. | :18:50. | |
human rights report which was published in April. It is now four | :18:51. | :19:04. | |
years since the arrest of a man, whose wife was sentenced to 100 | :19:05. | :19:10. | |
lashes. Giving it has been British engineers who have extracted Saudi | :19:11. | :19:15. | |
Arabia oil, given our massive cooperation on matters of defence | :19:16. | :19:20. | |
and foreign policy, on the people around the world is right to have | :19:21. | :19:25. | |
expected a bit more progress than the government has obtained so far? | :19:26. | :19:30. | |
He and I have debated these matters both publicly and privately for a | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
long time, and we don't make a distinction between our ability and | :19:35. | :19:38. | |
right, our duty and determination to raise these matters both in public | :19:39. | :19:43. | |
and in private. The Foreign Secretary has done this on a number | :19:44. | :19:50. | |
of occasions, as have I. It is for the court process to follow it in | :19:51. | :19:55. | |
Saudi Arabia, as I've explained. We must encourage and advancement in | :19:56. | :20:01. | |
the society in Saudi Arabia, but it won't happen overnight. Whilst | :20:02. | :20:07. | |
encouraging press freedom, what more can the Foreign Office do to tackle | :20:08. | :20:13. | |
Daesh's misuse of Internet to ensure free speech is not twisted? She | :20:14. | :20:20. | |
raises a powerful point and we have raised it here. The tool in which | :20:21. | :20:27. | |
Daesh exploits to its ability and the way future extremists will | :20:28. | :20:31. | |
exploit is the Internet, to reach every home, every corner of the | :20:32. | :20:36. | |
globe. We need to make sure we can counter those messages. They are | :20:37. | :20:39. | |
sending false messages of hope, promising a fast track to paradise. | :20:40. | :20:44. | |
We have formed this eject communication cell in the Foreign | :20:45. | :20:48. | |
Office, which is bringing together expertise from around the country to | :20:49. | :20:53. | |
make sure we can counter those Daesh messages. Has the Minister made | :20:54. | :21:02. | |
representations to the Minister in Turkey of action against press | :21:03. | :21:07. | |
freedom? And also the suspension of immunities which will open MPs to | :21:08. | :21:12. | |
the fences, which is insulting the president. Whether the plans not to | :21:13. | :21:19. | |
insult the Prime Minister, and to confirm that a country would not be | :21:20. | :21:29. | |
eligible for European membership? I concur in saying that a free and | :21:30. | :21:34. | |
fair media environment makes for a healthier society, and we would | :21:35. | :21:38. | |
encourage constructive debate happened whether it is. It is a | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
vital component to a fair and functional society. On his specific | :21:43. | :21:47. | |
point, my right honourable friend has raised these issues with the | :21:48. | :21:53. | |
Turkish government. Thinking about the importance of setting an | :21:54. | :21:57. | |
example, can the Minister can see circumstances where a minister in | :21:58. | :22:02. | |
the last Coalition Government finding a Scottish newspaper was to | :22:03. | :22:05. | |
publish some inconvenient information about Libya, would have | :22:06. | :22:09. | |
moved to try and suppress that addition of the newspaper? | :22:10. | :22:20. | |
We never intervened with the media in a manner which he is talking | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
about, unless there is a matter of state security involved. Press | :22:26. | :22:31. | |
freedoms are being withdrawn in Turkey. But the Minister outline the | :22:32. | :22:42. | |
government position here? Turkey is covered by my right honourable | :22:43. | :22:45. | |
friend, the Minister for Europe, and I will ask him to write to my | :22:46. | :22:51. | |
honourable friend. Very prudent as it related to press freedom. Would | :22:52. | :23:00. | |
the Minister agree press freedom in Turkey has been declining for many | :23:01. | :23:04. | |
years, despite the fact he is responsible? He must know that the | :23:05. | :23:10. | |
president has been cracking down on his opponents, even when they put | :23:11. | :23:19. | |
the mildest criticism of it in the press, and now that immunity of MPs | :23:20. | :23:23. | |
has been lifted in Turkey, human rights will decline even further. We | :23:24. | :23:29. | |
don't want to see the intimidation of journalists or the blocking of | :23:30. | :23:32. | |
the Internet or interference in people's ability to speak freely, | :23:33. | :23:37. | |
where ever it hit be, and we will continue to make that case from this | :23:38. | :23:45. | |
place. Will my honourable friend 's share my view that an edible | :23:46. | :23:51. | |
journalist writer and exponent of freedom in the Middle East was to | :23:52. | :23:57. | |
Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia? Now the government has | :23:58. | :24:02. | |
prevented the export of his robes and dagger, can he tell the House | :24:03. | :24:05. | |
where they will be available from the public to see them as an | :24:06. | :24:08. | |
inspiration to a greater understanding of the middle east and | :24:09. | :24:12. | |
also to encourage greater freedom in that part of the world? Can I | :24:13. | :24:19. | |
congratulate him on weaving in an important aspect of our history with | :24:20. | :24:27. | |
other Vince today's question? -- with the relevance of today's | :24:28. | :24:33. | |
question. This was a gift given to Lawrence of Arabia by a man after | :24:34. | :24:44. | |
his fantastic attack, where he accidentally shot his camel, but he | :24:45. | :24:49. | |
continued on, another camel was able to take him. I would like to see... | :24:50. | :24:59. | |
I would like to see the garment and gown and indeed the robe and dagger | :25:00. | :25:02. | |
on display in the Foreign Office. I'm not sure we'll be successful, | :25:03. | :25:08. | |
but it will stay in the UK. We are glad the Minister is spending his | :25:09. | :25:11. | |
time in the Foreign Office so profitably and is becoming so learn | :25:12. | :25:12. | |
it. Since agreement was reached between | :25:13. | :25:21. | |
the EU and Turkey to control migration to Europe we have seen a | :25:22. | :25:25. | |
significant reduction in the number of migrants arriving in Greece and | :25:26. | :25:28. | |
transiting through the Western Balkans. The root cause of migration | :25:29. | :25:34. | |
is putting people through the Balkans and that has been the Syrian | :25:35. | :25:40. | |
war. This country must never be part of an area that could allow people | :25:41. | :25:46. | |
to be pushed to the UK. I agree with my honourable friend's points. We | :25:47. | :25:52. | |
must not be part of the Shenyang area and thanks to the special | :25:53. | :25:56. | |
arrangements, we have negotiated with the EU and are able to enjoy | :25:57. | :26:01. | |
the benefits without being forced take to take part in the passport | :26:02. | :26:06. | |
free area. Although the Syrian civil war is clearly the immediate cause | :26:07. | :26:11. | |
of the flow of refugees that Europe faced primarily last year, | :26:12. | :26:17. | |
statistics show 50% of those arriving in Greece are actually not | :26:18. | :26:22. | |
from Syria or the surrounding area but have come from further afield. | :26:23. | :26:26. | |
What started as an exodus from the Syrian Civil War and the Daesh | :26:27. | :26:31. | |
occupation has become a wider movement of people. We have started | :26:32. | :26:39. | |
to see the measures introduced by our European partners working with | :26:40. | :26:43. | |
those countries in the former Yugoslavia such as the civil | :26:44. | :26:47. | |
protection mechanism. It is starting to have an impact in the region but | :26:48. | :26:53. | |
what more work can be done in terms of sharing information amongst Euro | :26:54. | :26:59. | |
poll to ensure we tackle the scourge of smuggling across eastern and | :27:00. | :27:05. | |
central Europe? Sharing of information between European | :27:06. | :27:10. | |
security agencies and Bordeaux police is the key to breaking the | :27:11. | :27:16. | |
business model of the smugglers. That is one of the key elements to | :27:17. | :27:20. | |
solving this problem. These people are being exploited by organised | :27:21. | :27:24. | |
criminal gangs who are taking their money off of a very little in return | :27:25. | :27:31. | |
and we need to nail them. On migration to Europe, there has been | :27:32. | :27:36. | |
discussion about potential new EU member states. Article 49 of the | :27:37. | :27:39. | |
treaty deals with countries applying to join the EU. It says and I quote, | :27:40. | :27:44. | |
the applicant should address its application to the Council which | :27:45. | :27:49. | |
shall act unanimously. It is clear therefore that each existing member | :27:50. | :27:54. | |
state has a veto. This weekend a serving member of the Government | :27:55. | :27:58. | |
went on national television and denied this. Given that one of the | :27:59. | :28:02. | |
seven principles of public life as holders of public office should be | :28:03. | :28:06. | |
truthful, will the Foreign Secretary take this opportunity to confirm the | :28:07. | :28:10. | |
correct position as the Prime Minister has already done on Sunday? | :28:11. | :28:17. | |
I am happy to do so as we have been saying. Every single member state as | :28:18. | :28:25. | |
a veto on the accession of any new member state. In our case, any | :28:26. | :28:29. | |
proposal to expand the European Union would require the approval of | :28:30. | :28:36. | |
this house and I can assure the House that those safeguards | :28:37. | :28:40. | |
remaining employees are undiluted and all of my colleagues in the | :28:41. | :28:43. | |
Government should be fully aware of that situation. I condemn all | :28:44. | :28:54. | |
violence and efforts to insight radicalised people to commit | :28:55. | :28:57. | |
violence in the Middle East. On my most recent visit to the Palestinian | :28:58. | :29:03. | |
territories I raised this issue with the Palestinian Authority and urge | :29:04. | :29:07. | |
them to do more to tackle this issue and make clear their opposition to | :29:08. | :29:19. | |
violence. Last week the fat policy killed many in a shooting attack in | :29:20. | :29:25. | |
Israel's main airport in 1972. They said they were proud of every | :29:26. | :29:29. | |
fighter who had joined the mighty revolution against Israel. Does the | :29:30. | :29:33. | |
Minister agree that a solution which we want to see less upon the | :29:34. | :29:38. | |
Palestine authority is starting to teach its young people about | :29:39. | :29:45. | |
peaceful coexistence? He makes an important friend -- point and it is | :29:46. | :29:50. | |
important that the President condemns events when they take | :29:51. | :29:54. | |
place. I did notice a disjoint between elderly leadership and the | :29:55. | :29:59. | |
youth that feel disenfranchised and taking matters into their own hands. | :30:00. | :30:05. | |
I looked into the claim and I understand it was placed upon a | :30:06. | :30:09. | |
Facebook website and therefore wasn't attributed to a particular | :30:10. | :30:13. | |
minister as we have seen in the past. Nevertheless it should be | :30:14. | :30:19. | |
condemned. Will the Minister agree that the expectation that you can | :30:20. | :30:24. | |
carry on living in your own home would not be regarded as a sign of | :30:25. | :30:29. | |
radicalisation. He will know that in the last week he has received a | :30:30. | :30:32. | |
number of Parliamentary questions from myself and others concerning | :30:33. | :30:37. | |
the fact that over 90 Palestinian people have lost their homes in the | :30:38. | :30:47. | |
village. He has condemned that but the Foreign Office has not raise | :30:48. | :30:50. | |
that case with the Israeli authorities. Isn't it time that we | :30:51. | :30:56. | |
do raise that case specifically, not least because those structures are | :30:57. | :31:06. | |
EU funded? I concur with what the honourable gentleman is saying. I | :31:07. | :31:10. | |
visited one of the camps as well. I make it clear that it is different | :31:11. | :31:16. | |
to those based in the Palestinian territories. It is an internal issue | :31:17. | :31:25. | |
of making sure these people that are reliant on farming and need the the | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
same amount of space if there is a requirement for them to be moved. I | :31:30. | :31:44. | |
raised this when we opened the new embassy. Sombre song phone was | :31:45. | :32:08. | |
highlighted in this case. Into the disappearance of Sombath, their | :32:09. | :32:12. | |
whereabouts is still unknown. Could he update the House on what the | :32:13. | :32:16. | |
Government is doing about discussions | :32:17. | :32:27. | |
with Loas. On the issue of Sombath Somphone, the Government agreed to | :32:28. | :32:38. | |
establish a transparent investigation into the disappearance | :32:39. | :32:43. | |
following a recommendation and Loas review of human rights last year. We | :32:44. | :32:48. | |
will not cease in pursuing this case and the others to which my | :32:49. | :33:01. | |
honourable friend alludes. I am pleased to see the honourable | :33:02. | :33:06. | |
gentleman is here. It has been a long year for Yemen and I very much | :33:07. | :33:13. | |
welcome hostilities which began on the 10th of April and the UN led | :33:14. | :33:15. | |
talks which began in June wait. -- Kuwait. Many were trying to be | :33:16. | :33:33. | |
recruited into the Yemen army. What steps can we take to stop the | :33:34. | :33:40. | |
beautiful city of Yemen where I was born, being destroyed by this civil | :33:41. | :33:44. | |
war that is going on between the various forces? Can I pay tribute to | :33:45. | :33:54. | |
the regular way that he raises these matters. He has a huge expertise in | :33:55. | :33:59. | |
the area of Yemen and I am pleased he is able to hold the Government to | :34:00. | :34:04. | |
account in what we are doing in this important area of the Middle East. | :34:05. | :34:08. | |
He is right to point out that there are events taking place by the | :34:09. | :34:13. | |
hardliners wanting to throw the talks and cessation of hostilities | :34:14. | :34:16. | |
of track and we encourage both sides to stay firm and a commitment to a | :34:17. | :34:21. | |
political solution, not least because of the humanitarian | :34:22. | :34:26. | |
catastrophe that is taking place. A series of patients with given with | :34:27. | :34:37. | |
regard to cluster munitions. Did the Minister or any UK personnel | :34:38. | :34:39. | |
operating in Saudi Arabia or Yemen have any knowledge that these | :34:40. | :34:44. | |
cluster ammunitions were being used and what action is he taking? Bases | :34:45. | :34:51. | |
more of a question for the Minister of defence but from our | :34:52. | :34:56. | |
understanding, we are not aware at all of this. What he is talking | :34:57. | :35:08. | |
about is probably three decades old and very dangerous to go near. The | :35:09. | :35:14. | |
report on Iran's nuclear activities concluded Iran is complying with its | :35:15. | :35:21. | |
obligations under the JCP 08. We have working with businesses to take | :35:22. | :35:23. | |
advantage of commercial opportunities and ensure Iran seeks | :35:24. | :35:29. | |
to address barriers within the international banking system to both | :35:30. | :35:35. | |
objectives. -- joint comprehensive plan of action. They are routinely | :35:36. | :35:46. | |
harassed, detained and receive sentences totalling 193 years is | :35:47. | :35:50. | |
simply manifesting their faith. What is the Government doing to ensure | :35:51. | :35:55. | |
the new dawn in relations shines a light on their freedom? Iran's human | :35:56. | :36:02. | |
rights record remained shocking as does the record of interfering in | :36:03. | :36:04. | |
the affairs of its neighbours in the Gulf. It is a narrowly targeted | :36:05. | :36:12. | |
agreement designed to shut down Iran's capability to produce a | :36:13. | :36:17. | |
nuclear weapon. It has been effective in delivering that | :36:18. | :36:21. | |
outcome. We will continue to make representations and I spoke with the | :36:22. | :36:24. | |
Iranians Foreign Minister in Vienna last week on some specific human | :36:25. | :36:32. | |
rights cases that affect dual national British citizens. We will | :36:33. | :36:35. | |
continue to make such representations. The Foreign | :36:36. | :36:39. | |
Secretary refer to Iran's interference in the affairs of | :36:40. | :36:43. | |
neighbouring countries. He mentioned the Gulf. Can he say something about | :36:44. | :36:47. | |
our Government's attitude to Iran's interference in other countries in | :36:48. | :36:54. | |
the region, particularly its role in Iraq and in helping Assad in Syria? | :36:55. | :36:59. | |
The honourable gentleman is right. Iran is a significant player in the | :37:00. | :37:03. | |
politics of Iraq and stop generally not in a way that is helpful and | :37:04. | :37:08. | |
also is a significant backer of the Assad regime in Syria. Ground forces | :37:09. | :37:15. | |
are taking part in action in defence of the regime. Iran is also a member | :37:16. | :37:21. | |
of the International Syria support group and as such it is incumbent | :37:22. | :37:26. | |
upon Iraq as well as Russia to apply pressure on Assad to deliver on the | :37:27. | :37:29. | |
commitments that they have made in the Vienna format. Question 11. The | :37:30. | :37:40. | |
recent activities of Hamas in Gaza including attempts to rearm and | :37:41. | :37:44. | |
rebuild tunnel infrastructure undermine efforts to improve the | :37:45. | :37:48. | |
situation in Gaza and harm prospects for the Middle East peace -- peace | :37:49. | :37:54. | |
process. Groups in Gaza must permanently and rocket fire and | :37:55. | :38:00. | |
other attacks against Israel. In April, two new terror tunnels built | :38:01. | :38:06. | |
by Hamas to launch attacks on Israeli civilians were discovered. | :38:07. | :38:09. | |
Does the Minister believe Hamas is planning new attacks on Israel? As I | :38:10. | :38:18. | |
said in my first comment, I believe this is a worrying development and | :38:19. | :38:23. | |
we would seek to place pressure on Hamas and those close to Hamas to | :38:24. | :38:26. | |
recognise that this will take us back to where we were two years ago | :38:27. | :38:31. | |
unless there is a direction of travel. Does the Minister place any | :38:32. | :38:36. | |
significance on the founding charter of Hamas which is clearly a stream | :38:37. | :38:42. | |
of the most visceral anti-Semitism which includes approving references | :38:43. | :38:48. | |
to the protocols of Zion on? I have many conversations about the | :38:49. | :38:53. | |
challenges that we face in the Middle East, not least in Gaza and | :38:54. | :38:58. | |
the West Bank will stop number of commentators said we need to speak | :38:59. | :39:02. | |
with Hamas, we need to get them to the table. Until they do change | :39:03. | :39:07. | |
their constitution, and they do not recognise the state of Israel, it | :39:08. | :39:11. | |
will be impossible for us to move forward. The FCO facilities | :39:12. | :39:19. | |
management contract covers pest control activities. However the | :39:20. | :39:23. | |
continued presence of mice in the FCO main building has given my | :39:24. | :39:28. | |
officials pause for thought. After careful consideration, we appointed | :39:29. | :39:37. | |
a cat last month to complement the work of our contractor. I am pleased | :39:38. | :39:42. | |
to report that he has settled in perfectly and is performing | :39:43. | :39:48. | |
satisfactorily. I'm following my excellent example worth five years | :39:49. | :39:52. | |
we have had a first-class cat which has done the necessary its name is, | :39:53. | :39:55. | |
order. I am sure the House will welcome the | :39:56. | :40:04. | |
statement from the Prime Minister and the arrival of the rodent | :40:05. | :40:10. | |
killer, but there is a serious point here. Can I asked my right | :40:11. | :40:14. | |
honourable friend whether the cat has been security cleared or not? He | :40:15. | :40:21. | |
may recall the Chancellor's cat had access to the Foreign Office, number | :40:22. | :40:25. | |
Ten Downing Street, and it was believed she might have been got at | :40:26. | :40:31. | |
by a foreign power. Has he been positively vetted and scanned the | :40:32. | :40:38. | |
bow books? And can hear this year the House and the malt paranoid | :40:39. | :40:47. | |
elements that he isn't a long-time mole working for the EU commission? | :40:48. | :40:55. | |
He is definitely not a mole. I can categorically assure my honourable | :40:56. | :41:06. | |
friend 's that the cat has been regularly vetted. As for being a | :41:07. | :41:12. | |
sleeper, he is definitely a sleeper. I'm told in my office, but unlike | :41:13. | :41:19. | |
the Chancellor's cat, his attendance record has been 100%, and my experts | :41:20. | :41:23. | |
tell me it rules out the possibility of him being a commission employee. | :41:24. | :41:30. | |
I should also tell the House that while the cat has so far only caught | :41:31. | :41:39. | |
three mice, his Twitter account has attracted 8158 followers, would rate | :41:40. | :41:43. | |
of growth which implies he will overtake me. | :41:44. | :41:54. | |
Ministers raised human rights concerns with our Egyptian | :41:55. | :41:59. | |
counterparts, and the Prime Minister discuss these issues during his | :42:00. | :42:05. | |
visit to the UK in November. I raise our concerns with the Egyptian | :42:06. | :42:11. | |
ambassador, most recently on the 17th of May. And Irish national who | :42:12. | :42:20. | |
has been in custody for 1000 days facing a possible death penalty for | :42:21. | :42:28. | |
being caught up in a pro-democracy demonstration, is just one person | :42:29. | :42:34. | |
who is facing a concerted crackdown by Egyptian authorities against | :42:35. | :42:38. | |
those who defend human rights. Wilbur minister take every effort | :42:39. | :42:42. | |
was speaking to the Egyptian government to place upon them the | :42:43. | :42:48. | |
view that we hope it unacceptable? If I can just move to another | :42:49. | :42:56. | |
subject and pay my condolences to Egypt for the loss of the aircraft. | :42:57. | :43:02. | |
I think the whole house will want to share its ports and prayers on yet | :43:03. | :43:08. | |
another disaster that has taken late in this country. Terrorism is | :43:09. | :43:13. | |
important, and he touches on an area where people will be watching -- | :43:14. | :43:23. | |
tourism. I did raise the matter when I met the ambassador on the 17th of | :43:24. | :43:31. | |
May, and will continue pressing for greater expression in the country. | :43:32. | :43:36. | |
Can I also share the condolences that the Minister has just express? | :43:37. | :43:41. | |
Human rights in Egypt are deteriorating rapidly, and the case | :43:42. | :43:46. | |
of the Cambridge University student, tortured and killed or whilst in | :43:47. | :43:53. | |
Egypt happened in the year of cooperation. Does the Minister | :43:54. | :43:57. | |
except battling an academic marks a fundamental attack on freedoms, and | :43:58. | :44:02. | |
will the Minister explained what the murder of a British base academic | :44:03. | :44:06. | |
was not raised by the Prime Minister's special envoy on a visit | :44:07. | :44:09. | |
specifically discussing academic cooperation? I think we debated | :44:10. | :44:17. | |
these matters in detail in Westminster Hall, which was | :44:18. | :44:20. | |
productive indeed. She will be aware, as the House will be as well, | :44:21. | :44:27. | |
that the student is an Italian, and therefore it is appropriate and ripe | :44:28. | :44:32. | |
for the Italians to lead on this. We been working with the Italians and | :44:33. | :44:35. | |
provided support to them, as they pursue this matter, and have raised | :44:36. | :44:39. | |
it with the Egyptian officials as well. | :44:40. | :44:48. | |
My priorities for 2016 other campaign against Daesh in Iraq and | :44:49. | :44:55. | |
Syria, managing our relations with Russia and seeking to protect the | :44:56. | :45:00. | |
real -based international system, as well as ensuring Britain's continued | :45:01. | :45:05. | |
membership and leadership in the European union. After the Prime | :45:06. | :45:13. | |
Minister's blizzard to Jaffna, human rights Council passed a motion. When | :45:14. | :45:23. | |
this resolution comes back before the UN in June, while our government | :45:24. | :45:28. | |
do what ever it can to ensure Sri Lanka lives of two as promises, | :45:29. | :45:34. | |
because progress has been slow to nonexistent? I'd like to stop by | :45:35. | :45:38. | |
offering my heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka who've been | :45:39. | :45:45. | |
affected by the terrible floods and landslides? I expressed this message | :45:46. | :45:50. | |
personally to the Foreign Minister. The UN High Commissioner for human | :45:51. | :45:54. | |
rights will give his assessment at the next meeting of the United | :45:55. | :46:00. | |
Nations human rights in Geneva. I will visit Geneva to discuss with | :46:01. | :46:03. | |
him how we can support the government to deliver against its | :46:04. | :46:07. | |
commitments. There is still much more to be done, and UK will support | :46:08. | :46:12. | |
and encourage the Sri Lankan government to deliver against its | :46:13. | :46:19. | |
commitments. Amnesty International reported this week that unexploded | :46:20. | :46:26. | |
British made B L 755 cluster submunitions have been found in | :46:27. | :46:31. | |
Yemen. We know what these weapons can do, especially to children, who | :46:32. | :46:35. | |
mistake them for toys. Amnesty reports that on the 1st of March, | :46:36. | :46:41. | |
two children were herding goats when they found some other cluster bombs. | :46:42. | :46:46. | |
They played with them until one went off, killing the eight-year-old and | :46:47. | :46:53. | |
severely injuring an 11-year-old. Does the Foreign Secretary regard | :46:54. | :46:58. | |
the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas as a breach of international | :46:59. | :47:04. | |
humanitarian law? As the honourable gentleman knows, UK has long since | :47:05. | :47:10. | |
given up the use of cluster munitions, their use is illegal | :47:11. | :47:16. | |
under British law. And the weapons that are being described here are | :47:17. | :47:25. | |
decades old, decades, but the MoD is visually investigating the | :47:26. | :47:29. | |
allegations that have been made, and I believe there is an urgent | :47:30. | :47:33. | |
question on the subject to be heard shortly. I'm grateful for that | :47:34. | :47:39. | |
reply, and as the host knows, we are a signatory to the convention | :47:40. | :47:43. | |
banning munitions, but Saudi Arabia is not. It is alleged this | :47:44. | :47:49. | |
particular type of bomb was designed to be dropped from one specific jet, | :47:50. | :47:55. | |
the UK manufactured Tornado used by the Saudi air force. Under the | :47:56. | :48:01. | |
cluster munitions convention, member states should make best efforts to | :48:02. | :48:07. | |
discourage states not party to the convention from using cluster | :48:08. | :48:10. | |
munitions, so what steps has to write on all gentleman taken -- | :48:11. | :48:24. | |
right honourable gentleman, and will he now commit to suspending arms | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
sales to Saudi Arabia and to make in the strongest possible | :48:31. | :48:34. | |
representation that they may cease the use of cluster munitions in this | :48:35. | :48:40. | |
conflict? I think we need to be careful, there is no evidence yet | :48:41. | :48:45. | |
that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions, he's right, Saudi Arabia | :48:46. | :48:49. | |
is not a signatory to the convention banning cluster munitions, but nor | :48:50. | :48:54. | |
is the United States. We have made clear that we cannot support the use | :48:55. | :48:58. | |
of cluster munitions in any circumstances. To do so would be | :48:59. | :49:02. | |
unlawful for ministers and officials in this country, and we believe we | :49:03. | :49:08. | |
have an assurance from Saudi Arabia that cluster munitions have not been | :49:09. | :49:14. | |
used in this conflict. The Ministry of Defence is visually investigating | :49:15. | :49:18. | |
these allegations, and I'm sure my defend colleagues will have more to | :49:19. | :49:25. | |
say in response to this. What specific commitment can the | :49:26. | :49:30. | |
government make to supporting organisations in peace building | :49:31. | :49:34. | |
efforts in light of the need to foster and strengthen social | :49:35. | :49:40. | |
cohesion among the Burundi community? Through the conflict | :49:41. | :49:49. | |
stability and security phones, we are seeking to reduce conflict. | :49:50. | :49:57. | |
We're working with the Burundi people in general, the human rights | :49:58. | :50:02. | |
commission of the country, the court system. In December, I met human | :50:03. | :50:09. | |
rights organisations to hear their details concerns and I addressed the | :50:10. | :50:13. | |
UN County, Crow Council in March. I'm pleased to report talks have | :50:14. | :50:22. | |
started, and I look forward to hearing how that goes. Last year, | :50:23. | :50:31. | |
Nepal suffered a major earthquake and had many injured people. In the | :50:32. | :50:39. | |
meantime, the world has contributed hugely to rebuild the nation. At the | :50:40. | :50:44. | |
same time, Britain, Nepal has adopted a new constitution. What | :50:45. | :50:50. | |
support the government has given to Nepal to help with their new | :50:51. | :50:58. | |
constitution? I thank him for that question. The Constitution | :50:59. | :51:01. | |
amendments were a significant moments. And they resolved | :51:02. | :51:09. | |
long-standing differences. We reached a critical situation which | :51:10. | :51:14. | |
meet the concerns of all. I discussed this with Nepal's Deputy | :51:15. | :51:19. | |
Prime Minister in London on the 27th of April. What assessment has the | :51:20. | :51:28. | |
Minister of Africa made of the IMF's outlook, and the opportunity to | :51:29. | :51:34. | |
tackle extremism in the region? As a region, sub-Saharan Africa has seen | :51:35. | :51:43. | |
uninterrupted growth. The outlook for sub-Saharan Africa project is a | :51:44. | :51:48. | |
growth rate of 3% on average across the continent. Kenya, we wonder, | :51:49. | :51:52. | |
Tanzania and Senegal are expecting to grow in excess of double at that | :51:53. | :51:58. | |
figure, with the Ivory Coast grown from 8% to a potentially staggering | :51:59. | :52:04. | |
10% growth annually. Africa continues to offer great progress | :52:05. | :52:12. | |
for Britain. What progress has in some made in the continued detention | :52:13. | :52:20. | |
of the British citizen in Nigeria, of the indigenous people? Is the | :52:21. | :52:25. | |
Minister confident he is receiving all of his rights? I have continued | :52:26. | :52:33. | |
representations with the Nigerian government on this issue and other | :52:34. | :52:36. | |
issues and will continue to do so. I've also met with a series of | :52:37. | :52:42. | |
members of Parliament, and we are happy to continue to do so. The | :52:43. | :52:47. | |
British Government recognises Nigeria as a geographic ever it | :52:48. | :52:51. | |
which holds together as one country, not as separate countries. The 26 of | :52:52. | :52:57. | |
June will mark one year since the attack on holiday-makers on the | :52:58. | :53:01. | |
beach, resulting in the loss of 38 lives. What is the Minister doing to | :53:02. | :53:08. | |
assist families in mark on this anniversary in peace? And what will | :53:09. | :53:12. | |
the government do to assist the tradition government in promoting | :53:13. | :53:19. | |
security over the economy? -- Junior Jehan government -- Junior We are | :53:20. | :53:32. | |
doing all we can to support those Britons are affected by the bombs, | :53:33. | :53:36. | |
whether they be those families of the bereaved, those injured or | :53:37. | :53:40. | |
indeed those who saw things and need the psychological support, and we | :53:41. | :53:44. | |
held commemoration services in April. As the project which is dizzy | :53:45. | :53:52. | |
heights, the Prime Minister and certain members are making it clear | :53:53. | :53:57. | |
a potential disastrous consequences of Scotland and the UK leaving the | :53:58. | :54:03. | |
EU. Given this, can the Secretary of State confirmed by this government | :54:04. | :54:08. | |
has taken our country in search a precarious situation? If she's | :54:09. | :54:12. | |
asking why we are holding a referendum, because the British | :54:13. | :54:17. | |
people are entitled to have their say on this important issue, and for | :54:18. | :54:22. | |
40 years their voice has been ignored. Because we have a | :54:23. | :54:25. | |
Conservative government, they will now have their say on June 23. I | :54:26. | :54:30. | |
hope we as politicians will listen to what they say and will accept | :54:31. | :54:37. | |
their verdict. As chairman of the all-party Parliamentary group to the | :54:38. | :54:39. | |
Philippines, will my right honourable friend jointly in | :54:40. | :54:45. | |
congratulating the president on his victory, wishing him well and | :54:46. | :54:48. | |
finding the niche you convenient time to meet him? | :54:49. | :54:54. | |
I congratulate them for their show of democracy. They have received a | :54:55. | :55:03. | |
strong mandate from the electorate. The Foreign Secretary visited the | :55:04. | :55:07. | |
Philippines in January of this year and plans for further visits will be | :55:08. | :55:12. | |
made after the new Filipino Government takes office on the 30th | :55:13. | :55:18. | |
of June. Can the Secretary of State say how remaining in the EU gives a | :55:19. | :55:23. | |
stronger control in finding solutions to image -- issues like | :55:24. | :55:25. | |
population migration caused by conflict and climate change? Clearly | :55:26. | :55:33. | |
working with our partners in the European Union on these complex and | :55:34. | :55:38. | |
long-term issues reinforces our ability to have effects. I can say | :55:39. | :55:43. | |
to the House that in my nearly two years as Foreign Secretary I have | :55:44. | :55:49. | |
visitors over 70 countries in six continents and in no one of those | :55:50. | :55:52. | |
countries has anyone suggested to me that Britain's voice will be more | :55:53. | :55:57. | |
influential if we were outside the European Union. Quite the opposite. | :55:58. | :56:03. | |
By being in the European Union our influence is augmented, not | :56:04. | :56:09. | |
diminished. In 2010, the Prime Minister said, "I'm here to make the | :56:10. | :56:13. | |
case for Turkey's membership of the EU and fight for it." Is the Foreign | :56:14. | :56:20. | |
Secretary really claim that we should take it from that that the | :56:21. | :56:25. | |
Government intends to Peto Turkey's possession to the EU and if there is | :56:26. | :56:29. | |
no remote prospect of them joining the EU, why so much -- why is so | :56:30. | :56:38. | |
much of the taxpayer's money helping them? Turkey apply to join the EU in | :56:39. | :56:45. | |
1987 and as the Prime Minister observed yesterday on the current | :56:46. | :56:49. | |
rate of progress, they will be decades if not more before Turkey | :56:50. | :56:54. | |
gets anywhere near membership of the European Union. There is a benefit | :56:55. | :57:00. | |
to us and having turkey on a European facing path. Being under | :57:01. | :57:05. | |
pressure to improve the situation around human rights, compliance with | :57:06. | :57:08. | |
the rule of law in Turkey and if we don't maintain a path, we will not | :57:09. | :57:14. | |
have that on average. We have a veto. Ultimately we have a veto. We | :57:15. | :57:20. | |
have a veto over the terms and conditions on which any applicant | :57:21. | :57:24. | |
country is able to join the European Union. We have been clear that can | :57:25. | :57:30. | |
be no question of further accessions to the European Union and access to | :57:31. | :57:34. | |
free movement within the European Union until an applicant country has | :57:35. | :57:43. | |
reached the average level of GDP per Capita across the European Union. No | :57:44. | :57:49. | |
more poverty gradient in the European Union. The honourable | :57:50. | :57:53. | |
gentleman from Shipley cannot be vetoed. He never has been and he | :57:54. | :57:59. | |
never will be. Regarding your questions about the Middle East and | :58:00. | :58:04. | |
deploring extremism wherever it may be found. Is it not a matter of | :58:05. | :58:09. | |
grave concern that the new defence minister is extremely right-wing, | :58:10. | :58:14. | |
ultra-nationalists and to set last year that what he described as | :58:15. | :58:20. | |
disloyal Israeli Arabs should be beheaded, isn't an illustration far | :58:21. | :58:27. | |
Israeli Government has gone in next extremism and rejection of any idea | :58:28. | :58:33. | |
of a two state solution? That should be condemned. It is a matter of | :58:34. | :58:38. | |
grave concern and the polarisation of use in Israel Palestine makes it | :58:39. | :58:45. | |
harder and less likely that will be able to achieve the solution which | :58:46. | :58:49. | |
this house and most of the world ardently craves. In answer to my | :58:50. | :58:58. | |
written Parliamentary question, the economic Secretary to the Treasury | :58:59. | :59:05. | |
reported that on the 16th of January, ?657 million of frozen | :59:06. | :59:09. | |
uranium assets were unfrozen and therefore returned to Iran or a | :59:10. | :59:13. | |
rainy and citizens. What is the Government doing to monitor those | :59:14. | :59:16. | |
funds and ensuring they spent correctly are not handed over to | :59:17. | :59:22. | |
terrorists or funding action against British troops? We are committed to | :59:23. | :59:26. | |
the unfreezing of Iranian assets. Some who were opposed to the JCP owe | :59:27. | :59:32. | |
a agreement suggested $150 billion could fly back to Iran. Today we | :59:33. | :59:38. | |
think they have managed to achieve $11 billion. There are international | :59:39. | :59:45. | |
agreements in place to monitor and prevent money laundering, financing | :59:46. | :59:49. | |
of terrorist organisations and those applying to run or any other | :59:50. | :59:56. | |
country. What is the Foreign Secretary's assessment of the | :59:57. | :00:00. | |
growing violations against freedom of the press in Tunisia? As I said | :00:01. | :00:09. | |
earlier, Tunisia is going through a difficult period at the moment. They | :00:10. | :00:14. | |
have been subjected to a number of terrorist attacks. We have almost | :00:15. | :00:18. | |
doubled the size of our amnesty and are doing our best to ensure we are | :00:19. | :00:22. | |
providing the support. I will be happy to discuss in more detail some | :00:23. | :00:25. | |
of the challenges that are related to the freedom of the press with | :00:26. | :00:27. | |
her. The UK last provided cluster | :00:28. | :01:03. | |
munitions to Saudi Arabia nearly 30 years ago. The final delivery was in | :01:04. | :01:09. | |
1989. We ratified the Convention on cluster munitions on | :01:10. | :01:10. |