09/02/2017

:00:00. > :00:00.support, they are often from vulnerable areas and we ensure that

:00:00. > :00:10.the local authorities have that. We should be proud of our response.

:00:11. > :00:16.Before we proceed to business question, I would like to congreat

:00:17. > :00:20.late the member from new port West on his 82nd birthday and on reaching

:00:21. > :00:23.the mid-point of his parliamentary career.

:00:24. > :00:26.Business question. Valerie Vaz.

:00:27. > :00:35.Can I ask the leader of the House to tell the House the forthcoming

:00:36. > :00:41.business? Mr Speaker, perhaps just before I

:00:42. > :00:45.answer the lady's question, I would associate myself with your

:00:46. > :00:46.congratulations to the honourable gentleman, the member for Newport

:00:47. > :00:59.West. Monday the 20th fabric, remaining

:01:00. > :01:02.stages of the conflict builds, followed by the consideration of

:01:03. > :01:12.amendments to the high-speed rail bill. Remaining stages of the

:01:13. > :01:22.criminal finance bill, the uprating order 2017 and the draft guaranteed

:01:23. > :01:28.minimum pension. Wednesday the 22nd of February, motions relating to the

:01:29. > :01:32.police grant and local government finance reports. Thursday 23rd

:01:33. > :01:37.February, opposition day allotted half day. There will be a debate on

:01:38. > :01:41.a motion in the name of the Democratic Unionist Party, followed

:01:42. > :01:47.by business to be nominated by the backbench business committee. Friday

:01:48. > :01:52.the 24th, Private member 's bills. The of the week commencing the 27th

:01:53. > :01:56.of February will include on the Monday, estimates date, first

:01:57. > :02:04.allotted day to be confirmed by the liaison committee. I should also

:02:05. > :02:10.like to the House that on the 23rd and 27th of fabric, business will be

:02:11. > :02:13.as follows. Thursday the 23rd, debate on publicly accessible

:02:14. > :02:16.amenities for disabled people, followed by a debate on the second

:02:17. > :02:24.report from the transport committee on the road traffic law enforcement.

:02:25. > :02:33.Monday 27th of February, debate on and each petition relating to

:02:34. > :02:36.attacks on NHS medical staff. Can't add that the leader of the house for

:02:37. > :02:40.his statement and can I add my birthday wishes to the honourable

:02:41. > :02:45.member, my predecessor, and to say that I did buy his book and I found

:02:46. > :02:50.it very, very handy when I first came into the house. Good eye asked

:02:51. > :02:56.the leader of the House will they be business questions on Thursday 20th

:02:57. > :03:00.of July, or will that the allocated as a pre-recess adjournment date?

:03:01. > :03:06.Could the leader of the House also say whether there is going to be any

:03:07. > :03:11.progress on a debate in government time on restoration and renewal? In

:03:12. > :03:17.absence of the member for Gateshead, I noticed the leader of the house

:03:18. > :03:21.has appointed an opposition day on the 23rd of February. Will it be a

:03:22. > :03:24.regular occurrence and can he ensure that the debate is listed by the

:03:25. > :03:29.backbench committee could also have eight-day allocated to them? Mr

:03:30. > :03:34.Speaker it was 15 years ago the Maastricht Treaty was signed this

:03:35. > :03:37.week and in the same week in responding and respecting the

:03:38. > :03:42.referendum we have voted to trigger Article 50 and leave the EU. In July

:03:43. > :03:46.the Prime Minister said Brexit means Brexit. On this side we asked, what

:03:47. > :03:51.does that mean and do you have a plan and a white paper? Seven months

:03:52. > :03:56.later we have a speech at Lancaster house, a month later we have a White

:03:57. > :04:02.Paper, which is the speech with a few grass. Can I ask the leader of

:04:03. > :04:07.the house, on page nine it states that the government will afford a

:04:08. > :04:14.White Paper on the great repeal bill. Is that a further White Paper

:04:15. > :04:18.and can he ensure that if it is published, it won't be done on the

:04:19. > :04:22.day of the Queen 's speech? There is a prospect of losing 32,000 jobs and

:04:23. > :04:27.services if we leave the single market. And we have a statement on

:04:28. > :04:31.what the government will do to secure those job and secure London's

:04:32. > :04:39.place as the number one financial centre. The eeb budget is mentioned

:04:40. > :04:45.twice, both times at section 8.5 one. Will the government be

:04:46. > :04:52.revealing more words on the budget and more importantly, figures in a

:04:53. > :05:05.statement. And can we have a definition of frictionless

:05:06. > :05:10.negotiations which appears 12 times. And is the vote that we just had

:05:11. > :05:17.frictionless, which really means meaningless? It was a sad day when

:05:18. > :05:22.the government voted down all the amendments said the Prime Minister

:05:23. > :05:27.cwah said the bill was an amended. The Prime Minister delivered for her

:05:28. > :05:31.party, but not for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. The

:05:32. > :05:34.government will want to take notes in negotiations because the Serious

:05:35. > :05:39.Fraud Office has found that Rolls-Royce admitted it use

:05:40. > :05:44.multi-million pound rights to secure export orders and received financial

:05:45. > :05:49.support from the government's the agency in 1991 when it paid a $2

:05:50. > :05:55.million bribe to win a contract in Indonesia. There is a review. Can we

:05:56. > :06:00.have a statement to ensure what safeguards there will be as the

:06:01. > :06:04.government negotiates trade deals around the world. At Prime

:06:05. > :06:06.Minister's Questions yesterday the Leader of the Opposition asked the

:06:07. > :06:10.Prime Minister treatise whether a special deal was offered to sorry

:06:11. > :06:14.for social care. The Prime Minister was dismissive and did not answer

:06:15. > :06:19.the question. If there was no special deal for Surrey, why did the

:06:20. > :06:23.Prime Minister not confirm this? I and other members want a memorandum

:06:24. > :06:31.of understanding to secure our libraries and social care, so could

:06:32. > :06:35.we have a statement on sorry gates? Turning to house matters, the member

:06:36. > :06:41.for Barnsley Central has had his child poverty Bill talked up again.

:06:42. > :06:45.I previously raised the issue of bills been taught out. It makes

:06:46. > :06:52.parliament look petty. How can we move forward? Another government

:06:53. > :06:59.response on the 16th of January says they don't accept this, but how can

:07:00. > :07:01.we move forward? There are many hard-working members who have worked

:07:02. > :07:10.hard on the bills and the woman to hard on the bills and the woman to

:07:11. > :07:19.come through. Could we have a debate on EDM 190, signed by 201 members,

:07:20. > :07:27.including from the front bench. When a person refers to a senator as

:07:28. > :07:33.poker hunters, when cries of lock her up I shouted out when no offence

:07:34. > :07:41.has been committed, when a person has consistently questioned the

:07:42. > :07:48.birthplace of a president, when a president talks about America first,

:07:49. > :07:52.but took his business anywhere but America, when a person forgets there

:07:53. > :07:59.were Native Americans before he arrived in the US, then I, born in

:08:00. > :08:05.Yemen of Indian heritage, who may or may not be directly affected by the

:08:06. > :08:11.travel ban, and others, welcomed the support for us and the reputation of

:08:12. > :08:13.Parliament. So could be leader of the house confirmed that the

:08:14. > :08:17.government will not support any attempt to act on the letter to the

:08:18. > :08:23.Prime Minister about comments made in a point of order in this Chamber?

:08:24. > :08:25.And also confirmed that the House of Lords will not be threatened with

:08:26. > :08:34.abolition when dealing with Article 50 legislation. It was on Monday Her

:08:35. > :08:38.Majesty ascended to the throne 65 years ago and this house

:08:39. > :08:43.congratulates her on that Sapphire milestone. Could I asked the leader

:08:44. > :08:46.of the housework abrogation who issues an invitation for a state

:08:47. > :09:04.visit? The Prime Minister day without with anyone? -- leader of

:09:05. > :09:11.the house tell are two issues an invitation for a state visit? Can I

:09:12. > :09:21.associate myself wholeheartedly with the honourable Lady's words about

:09:22. > :09:29.Her Majesty's Sapphire Jubilee. That particular anniversary is a time for

:09:30. > :09:36.reflection as her accession was possible because of the death of a

:09:37. > :09:40.much loved father. Anyone in this house, no matter what views they

:09:41. > :09:46.have on our constitutional arrangements, or want to share in

:09:47. > :09:51.the tributes to Her Majesty's selfless service to the United

:09:52. > :09:55.Kingdom over all those years. The arrangements for state visits have

:09:56. > :10:00.not changed under this government, they are exactly the same now as

:10:01. > :10:05.they were on the Prime Minister 's Blair and Brown. On the subject of

:10:06. > :10:09.restoration and renewal, I'm not in the position to announce a specific

:10:10. > :10:13.date. I can say to the honourable lady that the government's intention

:10:14. > :10:19.will be that there should be a debate in government time before the

:10:20. > :10:26.Easter recess. On her question about the arrangements for business and in

:10:27. > :10:33.particular backbench business on Thursday 23rd, I am conscious that I

:10:34. > :10:37.owe something of an apology to the chairman of the committee. It is

:10:38. > :10:44.always difficult to accommodate the various pressures for time and date

:10:45. > :10:53.that had been planned for an opposition half day have been lost

:10:54. > :10:58.as a result of the Supreme Court judgment and the bill that we have

:10:59. > :11:01.been debating early this week. The government has therefore agreed that

:11:02. > :11:07.we will protect the time for the remaining backbench business

:11:08. > :11:11.committee on Thursday 23rd and I will use my best endeavours to make

:11:12. > :11:18.sure that we reinstate the time that we have lost four backbench business

:11:19. > :11:24.committees as soon as possible. Now, she asked me about trade deals and

:11:25. > :11:31.of course one of the things that has changed very markedly since those

:11:32. > :11:33.days to which she referred is that Parliament has enacted the bribery

:11:34. > :11:41.act and that has made a very profound difference the duties that

:11:42. > :11:43.are imposed upon the directors and managers of the United Kingdom

:11:44. > :11:49.companies when they do any sort of business overseas and in addition to

:11:50. > :11:54.that, the terms of the International development act mean that aid and

:11:55. > :12:00.help for the poorest in the world cannot be used to lubricate a trade

:12:01. > :12:04.deal in the way that once might have been the case. She asked about the

:12:05. > :12:09.White Paper on the great repeal bill. That is indeed a separate

:12:10. > :12:15.distinct White Paper. I can't give her an exact date, but I'm conscious

:12:16. > :12:18.that the Secretary of State will no there will be an appetite in the

:12:19. > :12:28.House for members to read and I this white paper before we get onto

:12:29. > :12:37.debates about that repeal Bill. -- read and digestive. -- digester. She

:12:38. > :12:49.asked about Surrey County Council and social care. Clearly she missed

:12:50. > :12:51.the public statements that were made by the Department of local

:12:52. > :12:56.communities and local government yesterday. There is no secret deal.

:12:57. > :13:02.Surrey County Council has asked if it can participate in one of the

:13:03. > :13:07.pilot projects for the proposed 100% return of business rates to local

:13:08. > :13:16.government responsibility. That is not possible in the 2017-18

:13:17. > :13:19.financial year, but they, as any other local council, including the

:13:20. > :13:27.honourable lady's, can apply to be considered in the 2018-19 financial

:13:28. > :13:33.year. There is no memorandum of understanding, there is no secret

:13:34. > :13:39.documents. Now she asked me about private members bills. I mean, the

:13:40. > :13:44.reality is that there is not and there never has been under any

:13:45. > :13:50.government some automatic right for legislation that is proposed to

:13:51. > :13:57.become law, and even with government bills, when a government enjoys a

:13:58. > :14:00.small majority, governments have to think carefully about what

:14:01. > :14:05.legislation they bring forward on how to make sure that they secure

:14:06. > :14:10.Parliamentary support. I take note of the strong feelings that have

:14:11. > :14:16.been expressed in the early day motion led by her honourable friend

:14:17. > :14:19.the member for Cardiff South. Members across the house are

:14:20. > :14:23.entitled to have strong opinions, not just of what happens in this

:14:24. > :14:28.country, but on what happens anywhere else in the world. So far

:14:29. > :14:35.as the government is concerned, like previous governments of different

:14:36. > :14:41.political parties, whatever view any of us as individuals might have on

:14:42. > :14:46.any particular leader of another country, the reality is that

:14:47. > :14:52.governments have two deal with other governments in the world as they

:14:53. > :14:57.exist, and particularly with elected governments who can claim a mandate

:14:58. > :15:03.from their own people. I would just say that the results of the election

:15:04. > :15:12.in the United States is a matter for the United States, but despite the

:15:13. > :15:16.bitterness and the hard-fought nature of the presidential election

:15:17. > :15:24.campaign that Presidents Carter and Clinton, as well as President George

:15:25. > :15:28.W Bush and Secretary hill to -- secretary Hillary Clinton or

:15:29. > :15:33.attended President Trump Ozma inauguration and there was no

:15:34. > :15:37.challenge to the legitimacy of the constitutional process involved in

:15:38. > :15:42.that election. On the question of the House of Lords, the House of

:15:43. > :15:46.Lords has a valid function under our constitutional arrangements in terms

:15:47. > :15:50.of scrutinising and reviewing legislation coming up from the House

:15:51. > :15:53.of Commons, as I'm sure they will do on the bill we have been debating

:15:54. > :15:57.and as they have done on every other bill. There will also bear in mind

:15:58. > :16:04.the reality of the referendum and the popular mandate that lies behind

:16:05. > :16:10.the Article 50 decision. Finally, she did asked me at some length

:16:11. > :16:18.about Europe. I simply had to say this to her.

:16:19. > :16:25.Her front bench supported the decision to have the referendum. Her

:16:26. > :16:31.front bench supported the notion that endorsed the Prime Minister's

:16:32. > :16:37.timetable for triggering Article 50 before the end of March this year.

:16:38. > :16:42.Her front bench last night supported the third reading of the unamended

:16:43. > :16:53.bill. And therefore, I have to say, it is a little bit rich then for the

:16:54. > :16:59.opposition front bench to be giving us lectures or posting tweets to say

:17:00. > :17:07.the real fight begins now when they have been endorsing true their --

:17:08. > :17:13.through their voices a and approach what the Government is taking. Could

:17:14. > :17:19.we have a debate on how local councils review school catchment

:17:20. > :17:23.areas? Is the leader of the House appear in my area the council are

:17:24. > :17:27.seeking to tear up the catchment areas, meaning parents who have

:17:28. > :17:33.invested in local housing in order to access the school will have to

:17:34. > :17:38.look elsewhere in the future and fundamentally change the way their

:17:39. > :17:43.children get to school? Can we have an urgent debate to make sure these

:17:44. > :17:51.children are not disenfranchised today or in the future? I think my

:17:52. > :17:54.honourable friend may wish to seek an adjournment debate through the

:17:55. > :17:58.usual procedures. This are always difficult decisions. I think many of

:17:59. > :18:03.us know that from time to time, because of changes in population, to

:18:04. > :18:07.take the most obvious example, local authorities do need to review

:18:08. > :18:12.catchment areas and those proposals are always subject to a period of

:18:13. > :18:20.public consultation. I am sure that my honourable friend, as always will

:18:21. > :18:26.be extremely forceful in representing the interests of his

:18:27. > :18:31.constituents. Can I thank the Leader of the House for announcing the next

:18:32. > :18:40.week. Can say say happy birthday to the member. He's the third shadow

:18:41. > :18:45.leader of the House. It has been a thoroughly miserable, frustrating,

:18:46. > :18:51.depressing couple of weeks. I think it showed this House at its absolute

:18:52. > :18:54.and outeder worse. The Article 50 bill, rammed through Parliament at

:18:55. > :18:59.break-neck speed. No amendments accepted. Very few amendments

:19:00. > :19:06.considered. No report stage programme. No third reading debate

:19:07. > :19:12.held. It was more like a medieval course than an advanced democracy.

:19:13. > :19:16.Why was this rushed through at such a speed when we could have taken

:19:17. > :19:22.time to consider the many amendments tabled? Massive disrespect not just

:19:23. > :19:25.to this House but the many constituents who paid close

:19:26. > :19:33.attention last week. The bill now goes on its way down to a friends

:19:34. > :19:36.down the corridor. Unelected friends have been threatened with abolition

:19:37. > :19:42.if they dare mess with this Government's bill. I am sure they

:19:43. > :19:46.are now quaking if they don't do their patriotic duty, as the

:19:47. > :19:51.Secretary of State said. I offer nothing other than encouragement to

:19:52. > :19:55.these fine tribunes who will pick up the case. For us, it is very much a

:19:56. > :20:01.win-win, whatever an outcome is here. Can I say to their Lordships,

:20:02. > :20:05.reach for these barricades and take on this Government. Mr Speaker, we

:20:06. > :20:09.need a debate about respect of devolved Parliaments in the nations

:20:10. > :20:12.of the UK. It was not just this House voting on Article 50 this

:20:13. > :20:20.week. The Scottish Parliament also voted. The overwhelming majority of

:20:21. > :20:25.members rejected it. Just as every single Scottish Member of

:20:26. > :20:30.Parliament, bar one. We have to be driven off this cliff edge with a

:20:31. > :20:34.hardest of hard Brexit even though Scotland wants nothing to do with

:20:35. > :20:42.this madness. Time is running out for Scotland's voice to be heard. I

:20:43. > :20:47.am sure the leader of the House saw the poll, it is gently placing here

:20:48. > :20:48.we have options to consider, if Scotland's voice is to continue to

:20:49. > :20:57.be ignored. The leader of the Mr Speaker, I mean I felt at times

:20:58. > :21:03.with the honourable gentleman's praise to the house that I could

:21:04. > :21:09.sort of visualise the core Ron nets that are descending on him there. I

:21:10. > :21:16.felt there was some hidden ambition that was finally shining through.

:21:17. > :21:20.Can I say to him two things in response: First of all, the

:21:21. > :21:26.allocation of five days for a debate on this two-clause bill, that did no

:21:27. > :21:32.more than authority the Prime Minister to trigger Article 50, was

:21:33. > :21:37.a, seems a perfectly reasonable allocation of time. It was an

:21:38. > :21:42.allocation of time that had certainly even this week has allowed

:21:43. > :21:46.something like half the members of the honourable gentleman's party to

:21:47. > :21:51.participate in proceedings, either through speeches or interventions.

:21:52. > :21:54.My impression, listening to some of the contributions from his benches

:21:55. > :21:59.was that the atmosphere was far from being all doom and glooj. The

:22:00. > :22:03.honourable je -- glam. The honourable gentleman entertained us

:22:04. > :22:08.for an hour earlier this week and seemed to be enjoying himself

:22:09. > :22:13.immensely at that time. The reality is though, as I said

:22:14. > :22:20.earlier, Mr Speaker, is that this bill has been brought forward, in

:22:21. > :22:25.response to a very clear referendum decision by the electorate of the

:22:26. > :22:30.United Kingdom. And I think that does mean that this

:22:31. > :22:38.is a very different type of bill from the bills that the House has

:22:39. > :22:44.debated previously, to ratify various EU amending treaties over

:22:45. > :22:49.the years. He asked, he complained about the alleged sort of lack of

:22:50. > :22:55.respect and attention being paid to Scotland. As the Prime Minister

:22:56. > :22:59.said, yet again, yesterday, the United Kingdom Government is

:23:00. > :23:06.determined to work with the Scottish Government as well as with the

:23:07. > :23:11.Government in Cardiff and in Belfast, to ensure that the

:23:12. > :23:15.interests of every part of the United Kingdom are represented in

:23:16. > :23:21.the negotiations on which we are about to embark. That commitment is

:23:22. > :23:24.sincere. It is very strongly felt by the Prime Minister herself and it is

:23:25. > :23:33.something that she's impressed on every member of the Cabinet. Local

:23:34. > :23:39.concerns have been raised in Cambridgeshire, not least as the

:23:40. > :23:44.excellent forensic work of my neighbour, into funding decisions

:23:45. > :23:49.taken by the greater Cambridgeshire Local Enterprise Partnership. May we

:23:50. > :23:54.have a debate in Government time to ensure there's proper transparency

:23:55. > :24:01.and aaccountability so decisions are fair, properly scrutinised and their

:24:02. > :24:10.et think Kaysy is properly tested? I think it is important that members

:24:11. > :24:14.who I think on the whole do a good job in providing a forum for

:24:15. > :24:20.bringing local business and local authorities together and for trying

:24:21. > :24:24.to leverage private sector investment to, along with public

:24:25. > :24:30.sector investment to support infrastructure projects. The members

:24:31. > :24:34.do also have regard to the fact they are the kos todayians of public

:24:35. > :24:38.money. They need to make sure they have proper rules on accountability

:24:39. > :24:42.and transparency that would be expected with anybody who is in

:24:43. > :24:45.receipt of taxpayers' money. My honourable friend may have the

:24:46. > :24:48.opportunity to raise these issues further at CLG questions on Monday

:24:49. > :24:58.27th of this month. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the

:24:59. > :25:02.leader of the House arrange for an urgent debate on social care

:25:03. > :25:08.funding? As part of that, will he ensure and speak to the DCLG and ask

:25:09. > :25:13.them to publish any contact there's been between Surrey and DCLG

:25:14. > :25:18.ministers or aides so that debate can be informed. My local

:25:19. > :25:21.Nottinghamshire authority is incan des send, as I am sure other

:25:22. > :25:25.authorities are about the way it appears that Surrey has been offered

:25:26. > :25:34.a sweet heart deal and they have been left to fend for themselves.

:25:35. > :25:41.There's no sweet heart deal and Nottinghamshire is welcome to apply,

:25:42. > :25:47.as Surrey wished to, to participate in the full return of business rate

:25:48. > :25:53.finance to local authorities in the 2018/19 financial year. The, I think

:25:54. > :25:58.the CLG statement yesterday ga if a full account of what has happened. I

:25:59. > :26:03.think that a, there's been a lot of fuss and complaint about this, when

:26:04. > :26:04.actually there's less of a story than the honourable gentleman

:26:05. > :26:13.believes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can we have a

:26:14. > :26:20.debate on Armed Forces charities? I am very honoured to be the President

:26:21. > :26:25.of Huddersfield Royal Air Force's association. If parliamentary

:26:26. > :26:30.business had been different today I would have been at the crematorium

:26:31. > :26:36.this afternoon for the funeral of tref ver Burgin. OBE. He was a

:26:37. > :26:39.bomber pi lot in the Second World War and flew over Europe. He had a

:26:40. > :26:46.successful 40-year career as a teacher. Last year he celebrated his

:26:47. > :26:51.platinum wedding anniversary to Kathleen L the leader of the house

:26:52. > :26:58.please pass on the condolences of every member of this House. He was a

:26:59. > :27:03.very enthusiastic and popular member of the Royal Air Force Association

:27:04. > :27:10.in Huddersfield. I thank my friend for that question.

:27:11. > :27:22.I think that there is no-one in the future -- in the chamber who would

:27:23. > :27:26.dissent tribute to the Trevor Burgin. It was good my honourable

:27:27. > :27:31.friend was able to talk about his late constituent's career of service

:27:32. > :27:35.because that does remind us that behind the statistics and behind the

:27:36. > :27:39.generalities there are stories of true heroism and of a lifetime of

:27:40. > :27:46.public service and commitment. I think all of us in our

:27:47. > :27:51.constituencies are aware that Armed Forces charities do incredibly

:27:52. > :27:58.important good work. Often quietly and unsung, in reaching out to

:27:59. > :28:01.people who are still scarred by both the, by physical and mental

:28:02. > :28:06.consequences to their health of their time in service.

:28:07. > :28:13.Over 30 members are seeking to catch my eye now. May I just advise the

:28:14. > :28:19.House that 36 members wish to speak in the first of the two backbench

:28:20. > :28:24.business debates and 12 wish to contribute to the second. Therefore,

:28:25. > :28:28.if I am to have any chance of accommodating that later backbench

:28:29. > :28:31.interest, we need to be moving on close to 12. 30. Short questions and

:28:32. > :28:38.answers, please. . Thank you. Last week I visited an

:28:39. > :28:42.institute outside Cambridge where 1100 people are transforming our

:28:43. > :28:48.understanding of the human genome. Over 235% of them are none EU

:28:49. > :28:51.nationals. The senior managers impressed upon me the dwravety of

:28:52. > :28:55.that situation. Many of those -- gravity of the situation. Many of

:28:56. > :29:03.those are poorly played and would not work through the visa system.

:29:04. > :29:06.Can we please have a discussion on this?

:29:07. > :29:13.The honourable gentleman makes a point about his and other scientific

:29:14. > :29:19.institutions. As the Prime Minister said, the Government regards the

:29:20. > :29:24.securing of an early deal to secure the position, both of EU residents

:29:25. > :29:28.already here and British nationals in other European countries is a

:29:29. > :29:39.primary objective. We want that sorted as quickly as possible.

:29:40. > :29:44.. Thank you. Would he find time in Government time for a debate should

:29:45. > :29:52.the other place seek to delay beyond the end of March the passage of our

:29:53. > :29:57.accession to Article 50, for this House to discuss the possibility of

:29:58. > :30:00.either the abolition or full-scale reform of the other place?

:30:01. > :30:10.Well, I'm, I am more optimistic than my Right Honourable friend, because

:30:11. > :30:17.I think that there is an awareness in the House of Lords that as an

:30:18. > :30:22.unelected chamber that there are conventions that apply to how they

:30:23. > :30:27.scrutinise and deal with legislation and while I don't want to take

:30:28. > :30:31.anything away from their proper constitutional role, I think members

:30:32. > :30:37.of the House of Lords have been congis sent of the fact this is the

:30:38. > :30:42.elected House and we voted by a huge majority. And behind that vote lay

:30:43. > :30:48.the bigger vote of the people of the United Kingdom as a whole.

:30:49. > :30:55.Can we have a debate on the legal definition of the word normally,

:30:56. > :30:59.please? In the Scotland act 2016, clause two states it is recognised

:31:00. > :31:04.that the Parliament of the United kingdom will not normally legislate

:31:05. > :31:09.with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish

:31:10. > :31:18.Parliament. This government continues to ignore the wishes of

:31:19. > :31:23.the Scottish Parliament over things such as Article 50, can we find out

:31:24. > :31:34.what else the government intends to ride roughshod over in terms of the

:31:35. > :31:41.devolution agreement? The ears of every lawyer in the country will

:31:42. > :31:46.have pricked if we are to have a debate I would normally. I repeat,

:31:47. > :31:50.the government has been absolutely consistent in saying that the

:31:51. > :31:53.interests of the entire United Kingdom, from fair Isle to the

:31:54. > :32:02.series, will be fully represented in how we approach these negotiations.

:32:03. > :32:07.-- to be silly islands. Last month I hosted a reception by rural England

:32:08. > :32:13.which welcomed the report which was called the state of rural services

:32:14. > :32:18.2016. The report considers the impact of oral challenges. For

:32:19. > :32:24.instant, health, education, transport and broadband. Last week I

:32:25. > :32:33.chaired a meeting on the impact of losing our services. For all

:32:34. > :32:41.residents are becoming frustrated. -- rural. Would my honourable friend

:32:42. > :32:55.got a debate to consider funding to rural services? We have questions on

:32:56. > :33:05.the 27th of February and the first and 2nd of March. There will be a

:33:06. > :33:07.review of the fair funding formula to see whether authorities

:33:08. > :33:14.throughout the country are getting their fair share. Whilst the

:33:15. > :33:18.Department for Work and Pensions office in my constituency will not

:33:19. > :33:22.face immediate closure, the jobs there will be relocated to Cardiff

:33:23. > :33:25.in the next three years. Before that happens in those jobs are lost from

:33:26. > :33:36.my local community, can we have a debate as to whether the strategy --

:33:37. > :33:39.as to the strategy of the Department of Works and pensions relocating

:33:40. > :33:46.their offices. The principle behind the changes has to be the right one,

:33:47. > :33:51.that the department stops paying out unnecessarily rent on property that

:33:52. > :33:55.is partly empty, uses a smaller estates, particularly given the

:33:56. > :34:06.significant fall in unemployment, and uses paving is -- savings to

:34:07. > :34:12.help people who are finding difficulties getting back to work.

:34:13. > :34:16.This weekend the report of the defence subcommittee chaired by my

:34:17. > :34:21.honourable friend for Plymouth will be published. It is entitled, who

:34:22. > :34:34.guards the guardians and sets out in detail circumstances whereby a

:34:35. > :34:37.charlatan was able to abuse legal aid to hound British soldiers who

:34:38. > :34:43.served bravely in Iraq and did nothing wrong. Can we at the

:34:44. > :34:47.earliest opportunity have a statement as a result of

:34:48. > :34:49.consultations between the MoD, the Northern Ireland Office and the

:34:50. > :34:53.Department of Justice as to what will be done in terms of legislation

:34:54. > :34:58.to make sure nothing like this can happen again to form a service

:34:59. > :35:02.personnel who served in Northern Ireland. As the Prime Minister made

:35:03. > :35:05.clear yesterday this is an issue that we take very seriously and I

:35:06. > :35:11.can assure my right honourable friend that when the report is

:35:12. > :35:16.published that ministers from those departments that he has mentioned

:35:17. > :35:22.all want to study that closely and to consult with our honourable

:35:23. > :35:26.friend for Plymouth about the potential implications on policy.

:35:27. > :35:32.It's actually a month ago I asked about the new line on the HS2

:35:33. > :35:38.running through Derbyshire which means there will be two HS2 lines

:35:39. > :35:48.running through Derbyshire, a fast track and a slow track. It will

:35:49. > :35:55.bring disruption on the village of Newton, which will result in them

:35:56. > :35:58.losing their homes. I called upon the Secretary of State for Transport

:35:59. > :36:09.to intervene and had no reply. Can we have a statement about this? How

:36:10. > :36:18.far will be government take it without consulting the people of

:36:19. > :36:23.Newton? Sort it out! Mr Speaker, I know only well the impact that the

:36:24. > :36:27.HS2 proposals have upon those communities who live close to the

:36:28. > :36:31.designated route. I will undertake to the honourable gentleman to

:36:32. > :36:37.ensure that the Secretary of State for Transport is reminded about his

:36:38. > :36:41.enquiring, about this matter. It is right that the people he represents

:36:42. > :36:49.should get a proper response from HS2 Limited and I want to make

:36:50. > :36:53.certain that that happens. The Leader of the House will recall last

:36:54. > :36:56.week I spoke about the mounting excitement in Cleethorpes in

:36:57. > :37:02.anticipation of the visit from the Northern Powerhouse Minister. You'll

:37:03. > :37:07.appreciate that it's now at fever pitch with the visit, only 24 hours

:37:08. > :37:11.awake, and people are talking about a parallel career path with the last

:37:12. > :37:18.frontbencher to visit Seaview Street which was my honourable friend the

:37:19. > :37:22.member for Maidenhead. More seriously, Mr Speaker, be Seaview

:37:23. > :37:28.Street traders won an award in the British high street awards. Up and

:37:29. > :37:35.down the country traders are facing difficulties. Could we have a debate

:37:36. > :37:39.to discuss the future of our high streets? I can't offer the debate in

:37:40. > :37:46.government time. I think this is an important issue, it affects many

:37:47. > :37:51.communities. The growth of online sales means there are challenges

:37:52. > :37:54.faced by small retailers and it is important that retailers are able to

:37:55. > :37:59.learn from those high streets that are successful and innovative in

:38:00. > :38:07.managing to keep their customers. I think that the will now be a whole

:38:08. > :38:10.swathe of my ambitious and trusting ministerial colleagues who will be

:38:11. > :38:17.making a beeline for Cleethorpes at the earliest opportunity. Can we

:38:18. > :38:22.have a statement on the shock and disappointment being felt across

:38:23. > :38:26.Scotland at the failure of former England captain David Beckham to

:38:27. > :38:30.gain a knighthood? This is particularly the case since he had

:38:31. > :38:34.been advised that his support for the better together campaign in 2014

:38:35. > :38:47.would play well with the establishment and in turn-up is

:38:48. > :39:00.nightfall. -- in turn, help his knighthood. Surely the Leader of the

:39:01. > :39:04.House can bend one for Beckham? I wasn't quite sure whether the right

:39:05. > :39:09.honourable gentleman was speaking on behalf of Mr Beckham, or perhaps

:39:10. > :39:19.there was another motive there. Atherton yearning for the knighthood

:39:20. > :39:26.himself, but I can honestly say to him that this is not a matter for

:39:27. > :39:31.me. The Leader of the House will know I am keen to have another

:39:32. > :39:38.debate on International women's a which is forthcoming in March, but

:39:39. > :39:52.meanwhile it is lesbian and gay and transgender month. Can we have a

:39:53. > :40:03.debate around Brexit as Hampshire County Council starts to slide the

:40:04. > :40:10.rainbow flag? The United Kingdom had a very strong and proud tradition of

:40:11. > :40:15.human rights and liberal values before we entered the European Union

:40:16. > :40:18.and that will continue after we have left the European Union and I think

:40:19. > :40:25.that my honourable friend only has to look at another non-EU country in

:40:26. > :40:35.Europe, like Norway, to see that there is no bar to a liberal

:40:36. > :40:39.approach to individual rights as a result of being apart from the

:40:40. > :40:45.European Union. Currently it is possible for the widowed parent of a

:40:46. > :40:50.newborn baby to receive up to ?119,000 over 20 years, but if a

:40:51. > :40:55.partner dies after the 6th of April 2017, bereavement payments will be

:40:56. > :41:00.limited to ?9,800 over 18 months. Can we please have a debate in

:41:01. > :41:06.government time to discuss these reforms which will cause severe

:41:07. > :41:13.hardship to grieving families. There will be questions to the Secretary

:41:14. > :41:16.of State for Work and Pensions on our first day back, so I think the

:41:17. > :41:21.honourable lady will have an opportunity then. Mr Speaker, I

:41:22. > :41:31.don't know whether you have attended a speedway meeting, but it has

:41:32. > :41:41.always attracted a family audience. Racing has taken place in my

:41:42. > :41:50.constituency, but as a consequence of a disagreement, one of the local

:41:51. > :41:58.teams will start the season 25 miles away. Can we have a debate on this?

:41:59. > :42:03.If my honourable friend wants to draw the attention of the Minister

:42:04. > :42:07.of sport, I'm sure she will want to know what is happening in the

:42:08. > :42:13.Speedway world in the Midlands. This is a matter for the government is an

:42:14. > :42:21.independent governing bodies of the sport rather than something where

:42:22. > :42:26.Minister should be intervening. I should say to be honourable member

:42:27. > :42:30.for Bolsover but before I came into the Chamber this morning, I did

:42:31. > :42:38.select for the first Thursday when we return from the half term recess

:42:39. > :42:44.his proposed subject matter for the end of Day adjournment debate.

:42:45. > :42:48.Thursday the 23rd of February. Mr Ian Murray. I wonder if we could

:42:49. > :42:52.have a statement from the Leader of the House himself, in fact he could

:42:53. > :42:56.do it now, on how the government brings bills forward to this house?

:42:57. > :43:03.It's quite clear because the government did not programme in

:43:04. > :43:10.certain stages to the EU withdrawal bill and obviously they did not

:43:11. > :43:19.intend to accept enquiries from members. The Ulissi intended to ride

:43:20. > :43:24.roughshod over the process and it makes the last three days a sham.

:43:25. > :43:29.There was provision for a report stage. Whether there would be

:43:30. > :43:36.debating time will depend as always on whether amendments were carried

:43:37. > :43:47.on maps -- or not come and also how long the house would debate the

:43:48. > :43:51.report. The member for Newport West has been an outstanding

:43:52. > :43:57.parliamentarian and I want to wish birthday. I was once his

:43:58. > :44:07.constituents and his antics drove me to run for parliament, so I must

:44:08. > :44:11.thank him. This parliament works because we have two houses and

:44:12. > :44:16.sometimes the other place as agreed with this house and annoys the

:44:17. > :44:20.government. That is no reason to threaten it with abolition. Can we

:44:21. > :44:26.have a statement from the Leader of the House confirming that? That

:44:27. > :44:29.government's position is we respect the constitutional role of the House

:44:30. > :44:36.of Lords and as I said earlier the House of Lords itself accepts that

:44:37. > :44:47.as an unelected house it needs to abide by certain conventions. Thank

:44:48. > :44:55.you to you and other members for the kind comments. I'm less happy that I

:44:56. > :45:03.will carry the burden of a life that are responsible for the honourable

:45:04. > :45:09.member's political career. We should have a debate in this house on

:45:10. > :45:13.procedure during division so we can enjoy the singing of the Scottish

:45:14. > :45:20.National party choir. The only bright spot in yesterday's evening's

:45:21. > :45:24.bleak mean-spirited chauvinism was hearing those glorious words of the

:45:25. > :45:47.European anthem. Looking forward to the great

:45:48. > :45:51.European ideal on which this government is trampling now, the

:45:52. > :46:05.idea that day will come when all humanity will be one family. Hear,

:46:06. > :46:11.hear! It rightly is awash man who highlights the importance of singing

:46:12. > :46:15.and I think my advice to honourable ladies and gentlemen on the Scottish

:46:16. > :46:21.National Party bench would be that we have an all-party, and staff as

:46:22. > :46:26.well as members Parliamentary choir that the crypt every Monday evening,

:46:27. > :46:28.and I know many SNP members will be welcome to join those who already

:46:29. > :46:45.participate. I am not shoo how to follow that. We

:46:46. > :46:51.have heard of the ?30 million investment, all of which is good for

:46:52. > :46:55.jobs in Corby. We must never be complacent. Can we have a statement

:46:56. > :47:00.from ministers on real news rather than fake news on the number of jobs

:47:01. > :47:04.created and investment into the UK industry since 23rd June? My

:47:05. > :47:11.honourable friend makes a very good point. I think that the additional

:47:12. > :47:16.investment projects that have been announced in the United Kingdom

:47:17. > :47:21.since the referendum are a tribute to the underlying strengths of the

:47:22. > :47:27.economy of this country and that is a strength which this Government is

:47:28. > :47:32.determined to build further. On behalf of The Right Honourable

:47:33. > :47:36.member for Gateshead who is indisposed with a prolapsed disk, I

:47:37. > :47:41.am sure that the whole House will wish him a speedy delivery, but on

:47:42. > :47:44.behalf of the Backbench Business Committee we were placed in a

:47:45. > :47:48.position on our meeting on Tuesday, I know that the chairman has writ on

:47:49. > :47:54.the the leader about this particular issue. We believed that we had the

:47:55. > :47:58.full day on 23rd. We allocated two debates for the 23rd. And that has

:47:59. > :48:03.left us in a very difficult position. Can I say that the budget,

:48:04. > :48:10.I understand, will be on 8th March and then there'll be a succession of

:48:11. > :48:17.day's debate on that. Even if we fill every Thursday between now and

:48:18. > :48:24.then, we will not get all of our allotted days on the business

:48:25. > :48:32.committee. We have on 2nd March, we have prual le kated Welsh affairs

:48:33. > :48:36.and a debate on International Women's Day which falls on the day

:48:37. > :48:40.of the Budget. Can I ask my Right Honourable friend to ensure that we

:48:41. > :48:45.get the second of March as a backbench business day and that on

:48:46. > :48:50.23rd February, the protected time is sufficient for a proper debate on

:48:51. > :48:55.theish shoo u we chosen for debate which is -- the issue we have chosen

:48:56. > :48:59.for debate, child referees in Greece and Italy. If I may, because there

:49:00. > :49:03.was a terrible incident in my constituency yesterday where a young

:49:04. > :49:09.man was stabbed at Queensberry station. That meant the whole

:49:10. > :49:12.station was closed, not only with passengers inconvenienced but this

:49:13. > :49:16.was a gang fight. Can we therefore have a statement at some stage of

:49:17. > :49:20.what action the Government is going to take to combat knife crime so

:49:21. > :49:27.that no other individuals suffer this terrible fate? On the points

:49:28. > :49:34.about the Backbench Business Committee, as I said earlier, what

:49:35. > :49:39.has happened as regards is terrible. I am sorry that of that decision. I

:49:40. > :49:44.can give assurance that the protected time will be allowed for a

:49:45. > :49:47.full debate on the subject the committee continues to recommend. I

:49:48. > :49:54.will do my best to try and ensure that the time that was lost to refer

:49:55. > :50:01.the debate is made up as rapidly as possible. I will take into account

:50:02. > :50:06.the remarks about March 2nd. I know how important the annual St David's

:50:07. > :50:12.Day debate is for all members. On his point about the constituency

:50:13. > :50:17.case, I think that the sense of shock which came through in my

:50:18. > :50:21.honourable friend's question will have been shared right across the

:50:22. > :50:26.House. I will make sure that the Home Secretary is alerted to this

:50:27. > :50:31.particular case, but he will know that the pen atties for knife --

:50:32. > :50:37.penalties for knife crime have been increased and the police are doing

:50:38. > :50:40.their utmost to combat that kind of crime he described.

:50:41. > :50:47.THE SPEAKER: We need one-answer questions from now on. 41 years ago

:50:48. > :50:53.ten Protestants were murdered by the provisional IRA at king's mill. A

:50:54. > :50:57.man was charged because his hand print was found on a vehicle

:50:58. > :51:01.involved in that atrocity. This morning, the public prosecutor has

:51:02. > :51:07.said to the families that is not sufficient evidence to prosecute the

:51:08. > :51:10.alleged IRA man. At the same time of soldiers being dragged through the

:51:11. > :51:14.courts in Northern Ireland. When we will get equity in prosecutions in

:51:15. > :51:18.Northern Ireland? As the Secretary of State has made clear that he's

:51:19. > :51:23.working to try and address the issue of the way in which souleder --

:51:24. > :51:29.soldiers have been unfairly singled out. The service is independent of

:51:30. > :51:33.directions, I cannot comment on this particular case. Anybody who knows

:51:34. > :51:39.about Northern Ireland will know the scars of the king's mill massacre

:51:40. > :51:44.still remain to this day. Residents in my constituency have been let

:51:45. > :51:47.down by a house builder not completing their houses to the

:51:48. > :51:51.standard. This week they have been let down because there was no

:51:52. > :51:56.provision for a new houses ombudsman. Can this will raised with

:51:57. > :52:01.the relevant Housing Minister? I will make sure the minister is

:52:02. > :52:04.alerted. I would say on Monday 27th February there'll be questions to

:52:05. > :52:10.local Government community ministers where she may raise this point

:52:11. > :52:16.again. My constituent, Mr Christopher

:52:17. > :52:21.Bronsdon is an anomaly in the civil service pensions arrangement by

:52:22. > :52:24.which short-service employees leafing service lose their

:52:25. > :52:29.contribution to the pension pot. People like him have lost ?100

:52:30. > :52:34.million in recent years as a result. Can we have a debate on this issue.

:52:35. > :52:39.The best advice is to apply for an adjournment debate. If he wants to

:52:40. > :52:44.write to me with details I will pass it on to ministers. I was pleased

:52:45. > :52:47.that Surrey County Council spoke out about the scandal in social care

:52:48. > :52:51.funding. If it is bad there, think how much worse it is in Hull. The

:52:52. > :52:57.third most deprived area in the country. Forecasting a ?45 million

:52:58. > :53:03.shortfall in social care funding by 2020. After the revelations of

:53:04. > :53:07.yesterday, can all the Members of Parliament outside the stock broker

:53:08. > :53:12.belt be given the telephone phone number of Nick, so we can all text

:53:13. > :53:18.him to get the best deal we need for our areas. Better get through to the

:53:19. > :53:26.right Nick! That sometimes proves quite tricky! Nobody pretends there

:53:27. > :53:30.is not a serious challenge for our country in terms of social care. It

:53:31. > :53:34.is a serious challenge. That's why the Government has increased funding

:53:35. > :53:40.through the better care fund and social care present. In the mead

:53:41. > :53:46.unanimous term we need to make sure the most successful local

:53:47. > :53:50.authorities are able to de deacceptate their through those who

:53:51. > :53:53.are not doing so well and that health and social care work more

:53:54. > :53:57.closely together. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The

:53:58. > :54:04.international trade secretary told me earlier, that investors in the US

:54:05. > :54:07.are reluctant to invest in Scotland because they fear Scottish

:54:08. > :54:12.independence. How much money are we talking about? What projects? What

:54:13. > :54:16.is the UK Government doing to ensure Scotland is open for business? I

:54:17. > :54:20.think, as I said earlier to my honourable friend, the member for

:54:21. > :54:25.Corby t track record of the United Kingdom since the referendum, has

:54:26. > :54:30.been that we continue to attract investment here from all around the

:54:31. > :54:33.world. If there are particular difficulties in attracting

:54:34. > :54:38.investment to Scotland, then the honourable gentleman might look, for

:54:39. > :54:42.example, at the recently approved budget by the Scottish Government

:54:43. > :54:51.which has made Scots the highest taxed people anywhere in the United

:54:52. > :54:57.Kingdom. A prison was taken to an unknown

:54:58. > :55:02.location by agents from Iran's intelligence agency on January 4th

:55:03. > :55:05.during a family visit in the prison. In a statement a British

:55:06. > :55:09.parliamentary commission warned about the threat to his life and

:55:10. > :55:14.called for international action for his release. Will the leader of the

:55:15. > :55:20.House agree to an urgent statement in this matter because time is of

:55:21. > :55:24.the essence? To the good fortune of the honourable gentleman, the man

:55:25. > :55:29.with the responsibility to the Middle East, he is on the front

:55:30. > :55:34.bench. He would have heard the remarks and will want to respond to

:55:35. > :55:36.him. With industrial action today the

:55:37. > :55:40.human rights commission and the chair of the economics advising the

:55:41. > :55:47.Joint Committee on Human Rights they are at their limits of what they can

:55:48. > :55:51.do can we have a debate about the funding of the human rights

:55:52. > :55:56.commission, so that victims of hate crime are protected? I mean, the

:55:57. > :56:01.honourable gentleman may wish to seek an adjournment debate. The

:56:02. > :56:04.qualities commission is, operates at arm's length from ministers. They

:56:05. > :56:09.have to take their own decisions about how they live within their

:56:10. > :56:12.means in the way every public authority has to live within its

:56:13. > :56:19.means. Can we have a debate in Government

:56:20. > :56:24.time to allow the House to reflect on the full input of what the

:56:25. > :56:28.supreme has said in respect of the convention so the important

:56:29. > :56:34.questions about the future are not left to contend along with other

:56:35. > :56:38.frictions and fictions of the great repeal bill? There'll be questions

:56:39. > :56:41.to the Secretary of State for Scotland on Wednesday 1st March,

:56:42. > :56:46.when there'll be opportunities for this matter to be raised. And I am

:56:47. > :56:51.absolutely certain that when we get, after the Queen's Speech, to the EU

:56:52. > :56:53.repeal bill, that there'll be ample opportunity then for all these

:56:54. > :57:02.questions to be debated. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can we have a

:57:03. > :57:07.Government statement on the intended timetable of the joint ministerial

:57:08. > :57:11.council for European negotiations given the Brexit committee were told

:57:12. > :57:17.recently as yesterday that committee has not begun to consider the

:57:18. > :57:21.article of 50, that some reports suggest might be submitted four

:57:22. > :57:27.weeks from today. While the joint ministerial committee meetings are

:57:28. > :57:31.important, the contacts between UK ministers and their counterparts in

:57:32. > :57:36.the three devolved administrations and between UK Government officials

:57:37. > :57:38.in all relevant departments and officials in the devolved

:57:39. > :57:43.administrations continue on a daily and weekly basis. So, that the

:57:44. > :57:47.consultation, the understanding of the particular priorities of the

:57:48. > :57:49.devolved administrations is part of the mainstream work of UK Government

:57:50. > :58:00.departments. Mr Speaker, yesterday at the

:58:01. > :58:07.Scottish Affairs Committee the Jobcentre closure plans were called

:58:08. > :58:12.illogical. An aquality assessment on greater detail. On the stake closure

:58:13. > :58:17.plans and the moratoriums and closures that members across this

:58:18. > :58:20.House and across these island have confidence in that this Government

:58:21. > :58:27.actually knows what it is doing? I suppose it is a forlorn hope that

:58:28. > :58:30.the honourable lady, members of her party might actually take some

:58:31. > :58:33.pleasure in the massive falls in unemployment and the growth of

:58:34. > :58:37.employment that we have seen in this country, inclieding in Scot wland

:58:38. > :58:41.and -- including in Scotland and Glasgow. It cannot be right for the

:58:42. > :58:45.Department for Work and Pensions to be spineding money unnecessarily on

:58:46. > :58:50.buildings that are -- on spending money unnecessarily on building that

:58:51. > :58:54.are not occupied to give additional advice and support to people,

:58:55. > :58:57.perhaps with disabilities or long-term unemployed, who want and

:58:58. > :59:05.need that additional support to get back into employment.

:59:06. > :59:11.Yesterday TSB bank announced the closure of a canvass branch line.

:59:12. > :59:18.All three branches would have vanished. Can we have a discussion

:59:19. > :59:29.about the Post Office to delive day-to-day banking facilities on the

:59:30. > :59:34.capability of an? That may be a good debate for a backbench debate or for

:59:35. > :59:39.an adjournment debate if the lady is fortunate enough in the ballot.

:59:40. > :59:43.Thank you. Not only did the Scottish Parliament vote against Article 50.

:59:44. > :59:47.It dealt with all votes and amendments less than five minutes.

:59:48. > :59:52.Does he agree if we had electronic voting in this House, it would not

:59:53. > :59:57.only would we have, not only would we have more time for debate, even

:59:58. > :00:04.if we had less time to sign the oh to joy? Call me old fashioned. I

:00:05. > :00:08.think it is quite a good idea that people should be present in

:00:09. > :00:13.Parliament in order to vote. When you move to electronic voting and

:00:14. > :00:18.you can vote remotely I think that disconnects the decisions about

:00:19. > :00:23.voting from the debate itself. Thank you, Mr Speaker. May we have

:00:24. > :00:28.an important debate on mobility payments to assist children who

:00:29. > :00:33.require palliative care? There is a cutoff that children must be aged

:00:34. > :00:43.three, that I am campaigning to change. The honourable lady makes an

:00:44. > :00:48.interesting point. I am not aware of the details of this particular

:00:49. > :00:51.issue. If she would like to give me some more detail I will take it up

:00:52. > :00:56.with the appropriate minister. She may wish to seek an adjournment

:00:57. > :01:00.debate from you, Mr Speaker. Can we have a statement on the Government

:01:01. > :01:05.definition of a marriage-like relationship? My constituent is

:01:06. > :01:10.under imminent threat of deportation because the Home Office do not

:01:11. > :01:15.recognise Robert's relationship with his fiancee, Chloe. As committed

:01:16. > :01:20.Christians that I have not cohabited before their marriage. Can this

:01:21. > :01:28.statement be considered urgently by the Government?

:01:29. > :01:36.Individual cases are of course subject to an independent system of

:01:37. > :01:44.appeals under our immigration and asylum rules. And ministers do not

:01:45. > :01:49.intervene in the way in individual cases. And those rules do provide

:01:50. > :01:54.for tests to try and distinguish between people who are living

:01:55. > :01:59.together as a matter of convenience, and sadly that does sometimes

:02:00. > :02:03.happen. And those where it is a genuine and committed relationship

:02:04. > :02:05.within marriage or without. I courage her to write to the

:02:06. > :02:14.Immigration Minister but that particular case. Thank you, fair

:02:15. > :02:19.trade fortnight is just around the corner, it could be marked with a

:02:20. > :02:24.debate on how fair trade policy affects the poorest people. I think

:02:25. > :02:29.UK support for free trade can be enormously beneficial to people

:02:30. > :02:34.living in poor countries. Because it means that they should be able to

:02:35. > :02:39.get ready access to customers, in our country, without tariffs will

:02:40. > :02:47.other regulations getting in the way. And trade, and enterprise, has

:02:48. > :02:51.shown its self again and again over the decades as the best long-term

:02:52. > :02:55.guarantee of economic growth and prosperity for people in poorer

:02:56. > :03:04.countries all around the world. Order. I will come to the points of

:03:05. > :03:09.order but forgive me if I say this first. I have received a report from

:03:10. > :03:16.the tellers in the no lobby yesterday for division number 157 on

:03:17. > :03:21.the EU notification of withdrawal bill, in respect of amendments

:03:22. > :03:29.number 86. They have informed me that the number of those voting no,

:03:30. > :03:43.was erroneously reported as 327, instead of 337. The ayes were 288

:03:44. > :03:46.and the noes were order. Point of order Louise Hage stock and I can't

:03:47. > :03:51.quite believe that I'm having to raise concentric scare in his house

:03:52. > :04:00.again. But after the scandal around it, HMRC revealed that they would

:04:01. > :04:03.never again use a private group to deal with tax credits. Today the

:04:04. > :04:08.government have written a ministerial statement to say that

:04:09. > :04:13.they are transferring tax error and fraud to the DWP and they will be

:04:14. > :04:17.seeking an outside provider. This is a disgrace will you turn on

:04:18. > :04:20.government policy, is there anything you can do to ensure that they

:04:21. > :04:24.minister comes to this hazard explains why this U-turn has

:04:25. > :04:31.happened and ensure that they are properly held to account. Ministers

:04:32. > :04:36.are responsible to their own statements and responsible for their

:04:37. > :04:39.subsequence adherents, I don't seek to adjudicate. The short answer is

:04:40. > :04:44.that it isn't for me to say that a minister must come here today, we

:04:45. > :04:50.have scheduled business that is very heavily subscribed. The honourable

:04:51. > :04:54.lady, with her usual persistence and indefatigability has put her concern

:04:55. > :04:57.on the record and it would have been heard on the Treasury bench. Knowing

:04:58. > :05:02.the honourable lady as I have come to do over the last 21 months, I

:05:03. > :05:06.rather doubt that she will let the matter rest. She may well think

:05:07. > :05:10.about it over a period of several days when we are in recess and if

:05:11. > :05:14.she is dissatisfied with what is said, or as the case may be not said

:05:15. > :05:22.by government, doubtless she will return to it when we return. Point

:05:23. > :05:30.of order Mr Peter Grant. Thank you Mr Speaker, yesterday, the Minister

:05:31. > :05:34.of repeatedly referred to yesterday and repeatedly said that it gave

:05:35. > :05:38.members the opportunity to vote for or against a trade deal. The wording

:05:39. > :05:42.of the motion on which the house divided makes no reference

:05:43. > :05:46.whatsoever to support or opposition to the trade deal. I accept that the

:05:47. > :05:55.Minister is acting in good faith. Can he advise me whether there are

:05:56. > :05:59.some people, so that the record of the proceedings correctly mark what

:06:00. > :06:02.was divided on yesterday. The honourable member has made his own

:06:03. > :06:06.point in his own way and it is on the record for all including his

:06:07. > :06:10.constituents to see. Moreover I understand that at the end of the

:06:11. > :06:12.European committee be, there was a vote on an amendment moved by the

:06:13. > :06:21.honourable member Full Squad is the West. -- for Swansea West. That vote

:06:22. > :06:25.was 7-5 against the amendment and indeed the record shows that the

:06:26. > :06:29.honourable member photo kill and South Persia was in demonology of

:06:30. > :06:36.five. Thereafter the motion was passed unopposed -- and the

:06:37. > :06:42.honourable member was in the minority of five. I'm not sure that

:06:43. > :06:54.there was anything else that I can add, I'm not seeking to be but use,

:06:55. > :07:00.but he can try again. Very well briefly. The motion that it was

:07:01. > :07:05.divided on was not the same motion that we divided on on Monday

:07:06. > :07:09.evening. The motion as described by the Minister were different to the

:07:10. > :07:15.terms of the motion which the house actually divided, the third division

:07:16. > :07:18.make no reference to support for or opposition to what was described by

:07:19. > :07:23.the Minister on a number of occasions. It is fair to say that

:07:24. > :07:28.this chair is not responsible for what I might say textual exegesis, I

:07:29. > :07:31.have not looked at the text of the amendment, and I haven't compared

:07:32. > :07:36.and contrast it that text with the words uttered from the Treasury

:07:37. > :07:40.bench by the Minister this morning. Clearly the honourable gentleman has

:07:41. > :07:44.made such a close study, and may well have profited by it. I did

:07:45. > :07:49.there is anything further I can do today, what I will say is that the

:07:50. > :07:52.honourable gentleman is in sense in gauging in a debating point, perhaps

:07:53. > :07:58.a legitimate one with the Minister, and at least today it seems that he

:07:59. > :08:05.would have had the last word. Hopefully says somebody from a

:08:06. > :08:09.sedentary position. Even that the record has just had to be corrected

:08:10. > :08:12.to reflect what is perhaps understandable human error in the

:08:13. > :08:15.division lobbies last night and given the intense number of votes

:08:16. > :08:20.that we can expect when the great repeal bill comes forward, does that

:08:21. > :08:24.not suggest that electronic voting might actually help avoid some of

:08:25. > :08:29.these human errors, and can you perhaps tell us Mr Speaker whose

:08:30. > :08:33.decision ultimately would it be, to introduce electronic voting in this

:08:34. > :08:36.house? The honourable gentleman never misses an opportunity, that

:08:37. > :08:45.would be the decision for the house. There does be absolutely care about

:08:46. > :08:47.that. A change could be agreed, only, by the house, and equally the

:08:48. > :08:55.house could agree not to do so. If there are no

:08:56. > :08:59.further points of order, and the appetite at least today has been

:09:00. > :09:03.satisfied, we come now to the backbench motion on Israeli

:09:04. > :09:09.settlements in the occupied Alice Tinney and territories. As things

:09:10. > :09:12.stand, I must warn colleagues, that it would seem almost inevitable,

:09:13. > :09:20.that there should be a five-minute limit on back bench speeches because

:09:21. > :09:24.approximately 35 or 36 colleagues wish to contribute. The motion in

:09:25. > :09:28.the first instance will be moved by Sir Desmond Swain. I beg to move the

:09:29. > :09:33.motion on the order paper in my name and in the name of other honourable

:09:34. > :09:39.members. Given the investment that we have made in a two state

:09:40. > :09:45.solution, my question to the Minister is, aside from standing on

:09:46. > :09:53.the touchline is, watching the players on the field and shouting

:09:54. > :10:01.advice, what more can we do, whilst our friend and ally, pursues a

:10:02. > :10:06.policy on settlements which is bound so proceeding, to deliver a

:10:07. > :10:10.situation where the two state solution becomes actually

:10:11. > :10:17.geographically and economic the unworkable. Now yesterday my right

:10:18. > :10:20.honourable friend the member for Congo are rightly challenged the

:10:21. > :10:33.Prime Minister on the need, for face to face negotiations. And he is also

:10:34. > :10:37.a champion, of the case for greater investment, in strategies and

:10:38. > :10:40.projects to bring about the integration of Palestinian and

:10:41. > :10:47.Israeli citizens. And he's right about that as well. If we take our

:10:48. > :10:52.diffident ploy using Jerusalem who travel in daily on a tortuous

:10:53. > :10:59.commute, from the areas around Bethlehem. These are young people in

:11:00. > :11:06.their mid-20s, to mid-30s. The only interaction that they ever have with

:11:07. > :11:13.an Israeli subject, is when during the journey, they are challenged, to

:11:14. > :11:20.show their papers under what I would call the operation of the pass laws,

:11:21. > :11:25.which exist to ensure that their ability to live, stay and work in

:11:26. > :11:29.their own city is restricted. Now I understand entirely, how we got to

:11:30. > :11:36.that dreadful situation. We got there because of the obscenity of

:11:37. > :11:40.suicide bombing. And no government, Israel could not possibly have

:11:41. > :11:46.tolerated the wholesale slaughter of its innocent citizens in that

:11:47. > :11:49.respect. The key question for us, having got to this dreadful

:11:50. > :11:56.situation, how do we get back from it? It is one thing to demand quite

:11:57. > :12:02.properly, face to face negotiations, but on the other hand, at the same

:12:03. > :12:08.time, to pursue a policy in respect of illegal settlements, which

:12:09. > :12:15.actually makes those negotiations so much more difficult, particularly

:12:16. > :12:19.so, when those, when that policy is driven by an increasingly strident

:12:20. > :12:24.ideology. I will give way when I had developed my argument. An

:12:25. > :12:30.increasingly strident ideology. On Monday night, when the bill was

:12:31. > :12:39.passed in the car Knesset, retrospectively, legalising 4000

:12:40. > :12:43.homes in illegal settlements, the Minister for culture welcomes that

:12:44. > :12:50.results saying" it was the first step towards full Israeli

:12:51. > :12:58.sovereignty over Jude dear and Samaria. " He chose his words

:12:59. > :13:04.carefully. And I might say Mr Deputy Speaker, when President Trump was

:13:05. > :13:08.elected, the interior Minister no less -- Judea and Samaria. The

:13:09. > :13:13.Interior Ministry welcomes that saying "We are witnessing the birth

:13:14. > :13:19.pangs of the Messiah, when everything has been flipped to the

:13:20. > :13:24.good of the Jewish people." Mr Speaker gave a rather different

:13:25. > :13:29.gloss on the election of Mr Trump on Monday, but nevertheless, it is

:13:30. > :13:32.clear, it is absolutely clear, that a significant proportion of the

:13:33. > :13:40.Israeli political establishment, are in thrall to an increasingly

:13:41. > :13:50.strident settler movement that regards Palestine as a biblical

:13:51. > :13:55.theme park. Judea and Samaria. Now the more strident, more aggressive,

:13:56. > :13:57.out riders of the settler movement, I'm not people that you would

:13:58. > :14:03.necessarily welcome as your neighbour. -- are not people.

:14:04. > :14:08.Particularly I refer to what is happening in Hebrew on. If we set

:14:09. > :14:12.aside some of the ruses that I used to acquire property, nevertheless

:14:13. > :14:17.when the settlers moving. It is actually the Palestinian neighbours,

:14:18. > :14:24.who have too wrecked grills and meshes and fences over their windows

:14:25. > :14:30.-- Haft to direct. To exclude the projectiles and the Rec use. And the

:14:31. > :14:36.reaction of the security forces, to protect their newly resident

:14:37. > :14:41.citizens, is to impose an exclusion zone, too cordoned off and sanitise,

:14:42. > :14:47.the access and the areas around those properties. And sober seeding,

:14:48. > :14:52.Palestinians find that they are excluded from the heart of their

:14:53. > :14:58.city and indeed from the area of their own homes. It has all of the

:14:59. > :15:06.appearance of what we used to describe has petty apartheid. Now

:15:07. > :15:14.when Senator Kerry explained at the turn of the year, why the United

:15:15. > :15:20.States would no longer pursue its policy of exercising the veto, in

:15:21. > :15:28.respect of UN resolution 2334, he said that if the two state solution

:15:29. > :15:32.was abandoned, Israel could no longer be both a democracy, and a

:15:33. > :15:46.Jewish state. It would have to accommodate

:15:47. > :15:49.Palestinian citizens and all the civil rights and political rights

:15:50. > :15:57.within the state of Israel. I carefully. Didn't John Kerry also

:15:58. > :16:00.say, and this is a direct quote, this is not to say that the

:16:01. > :16:04.settlements are the whole or even the primary cause of the conflict,

:16:05. > :16:08.of course they are not, nor can you say that if the settlements were

:16:09. > :16:14.suddenly removed you'd have priest without a broad agreement, you would

:16:15. > :16:17.not. That's what he said and the honourable gentleman could have

:16:18. > :16:20.submitted a more balanced motion that reflect the wide-ranging...

:16:21. > :16:28.He's sneering, but they more balanced notion to the two state

:16:29. > :16:31.solution that I want to see. I certainly wasn't sneering. I accept

:16:32. > :16:38.entirely that's what John Kerry said. The motion could not frankly

:16:39. > :16:43.be more anodyne. I see my honourable friend wishes to intervene. I'm very

:16:44. > :16:46.grateful. Is now not that I'm more than ever that the United Kingdom

:16:47. > :16:53.government has to be entirely consistent and remind the world

:16:54. > :16:57.without any qualification that settlements and occupied Palestinian

:16:58. > :17:02.territory are illegal without qualification? I absolutely agree.

:17:03. > :17:08.Does my right honourable friend still wish to intervene? In a

:17:09. > :17:12.moment? Very well. I returned to the point that I made with respect to

:17:13. > :17:16.John Kerry, the key question I return to is the one that I put to

:17:17. > :17:23.the minister at the start. What do we do? What can we do? Well, I was

:17:24. > :17:32.delighted by the activism of the United Kingdom government in respect

:17:33. > :17:40.of the security resolution... Not yet, to 334, as a consequence of

:17:41. > :17:44.that. I was of course this made by the subsequent inactivity of Her

:17:45. > :17:48.Majesty 's government in respect of the Paris conference. But it comes

:17:49. > :17:53.back to the question of what do we do every time there is some other

:17:54. > :17:59.outrages announcement in respect of settlements? What we do, and I'd

:18:00. > :18:06.heard the minister... I will not give way. I've heard the Minister

:18:07. > :18:10.Sayed from the dispatch box, we make representations at the highest

:18:11. > :18:14.level. And I've said it myself at that dispatch box. And of course we

:18:15. > :18:18.do make those representations and I'm certain that the Prime Minister

:18:19. > :18:22.will have made those representations on Monday to the Prime Minister. I

:18:23. > :18:30.last made those representations to Israeli politicians in a meeting in

:18:31. > :18:33.the Canas it with the chief negotiator with the Palestinians and

:18:34. > :18:37.Deputy Prime Minister, and halfway through the meeting, he stormed out,

:18:38. > :18:48.announcing that I had launched a brutal assault. Well, as you know Mr

:18:49. > :18:53.Deputy Speaker, I am a pussy by comparison to my honourable friend

:18:54. > :18:58.on the front bench, the member for East Bournemouth, who is a terrier.

:18:59. > :19:02.And I am absolutely convinced that his representations will be much

:19:03. > :19:10.more robust than mine. But so long as they remain representations,

:19:11. > :19:16.exactly that, the government of Israel will continue to act with

:19:17. > :19:23.absolute impunity. So the question to the Minister is, what do we do

:19:24. > :19:32.beyond representations? What else exists in his armoury to escalate

:19:33. > :19:37.the situation? And that, of course I accept, is an extraordinarily

:19:38. > :19:41.difficult question because Israel is our friend, our ally, a democracy, a

:19:42. > :19:52.nation where we have huge commercial interests is, and with which we

:19:53. > :19:59.share vital intelligence agendas. I'm afraid he missed his

:20:00. > :20:08.opportunity. Can I make one suggestion? One gentle suggestion as

:20:09. > :20:14.I conclude to my honourable friend? He might consider giving effect to

:20:15. > :20:21.this house's instruction that we should recognise the Palestinian

:20:22. > :20:25.state. Now, I've heard, I have heard my honourable friend say that we can

:20:26. > :20:31.only do this once, and therefore we need to choose the moment where that

:20:32. > :20:36.will make the maximum impact, and I agree with him. But he needs to

:20:37. > :20:41.consider this. It would be truly absurd if we were to delay that

:20:42. > :20:50.recognition until after the point at which the reality of any such

:20:51. > :20:55.Palestinian state could actually be delivered. The question is as on the

:20:56. > :20:59.order paper and what I would suggest to members is, we will have to start

:21:00. > :21:04.with a five-minute limit and if we can be tight we will get everybody

:21:05. > :21:08.in on the same amount of time. Richard Burton. Thank you for

:21:09. > :21:11.scheduling this debate and I congratulate the honourable

:21:12. > :21:16.gentleman for the way he introduced it. Look, these debates always bring

:21:17. > :21:21.out sharply differing opinions on both sides, that's inevitable. But

:21:22. > :21:28.there is one thing on which there has always been, in my experience,

:21:29. > :21:31.consensus in this house, across the Chambers, and that is that the best

:21:32. > :21:36.way to peace between Israel and Palestine is a two state solution

:21:37. > :21:44.where both peoples have equal rights to sovereignty in viable and

:21:45. > :21:48.contiguous states. Now of course fall, lasting peace involves more of

:21:49. > :21:54.dealing with settlements, of course it does. But the reason settlements

:21:55. > :21:59.are the focus of today's debate, and rightly so, is because the continued

:22:00. > :22:01.expansion of settlements, the infrastructure around, the

:22:02. > :22:05.accompanying demolitions that precede them is creating, as the

:22:06. > :22:10.honourable gentleman said, a new physical reality in the West Bank

:22:11. > :22:13.that is destroying the possibility of a viable Palestinian state ever

:22:14. > :22:18.being established. It's making physical changes to the map of the

:22:19. > :22:22.West Bank, carving it up into different segments, separate from

:22:23. > :22:26.each other, and in the end it resembles a Swiss cheese. It does

:22:27. > :22:32.not resemble anything that at the end of the day could be a reliable,

:22:33. > :22:37.contiguous state. I give way. I am grateful to my honourable friend for

:22:38. > :22:40.giving way. Does he agree that this policy of ongoing settlement

:22:41. > :22:45.expansion is not only an intolerable infringement on the right of the

:22:46. > :22:48.Palestinians, it is also a long-term threat to the stability and security

:22:49. > :22:53.of Israel postmark and people who care about the security of Israel in

:22:54. > :22:56.the longer term and its future as a democratic and a Jewish state ought

:22:57. > :23:02.to be opposing these policies and supporting the progressive voices in

:23:03. > :23:06.Israel? My honourable friend is absolutely right and I am

:23:07. > :23:10.particularly pleased that he also mentioned progressive voices that

:23:11. > :23:14.exist in Israel, could they do exist. One of the most insidious

:23:15. > :23:19.things happening at the moment our actions being taken by some of the

:23:20. > :23:24.Israeli right, sadly supported by the Israeli government, to silence

:23:25. > :23:27.those voices. Some organisations are breaking the silence, they have the

:23:28. > :23:33.guts and integrity to stand up and say this is wrong. Now, we know that

:23:34. > :23:36.the footprint of settlements, 6000 new unit announced in the last few

:23:37. > :23:41.weeks, the footprint of settlements now makes up over 42% of the

:23:42. > :23:45.landmass of the West Bank. And we know that whatever the numbers, and

:23:46. > :23:48.the honourable gentleman made this point, whatever the numbers, the

:23:49. > :23:56.reality is that every single settlement built on occupied land is

:23:57. > :24:00.an awful under the Geneva Convention. This echoes the point by

:24:01. > :24:04.the honourable gentleman, if settlement building does not stop,

:24:05. > :24:10.the two state solution that will inevitably follow means that the de

:24:11. > :24:17.facto annexation of the West Bank by Israel, we saw another move towards

:24:18. > :24:23.that in the last week with the regularisation law retrospectively

:24:24. > :24:29.declaring illegal Israeli settlements on expropriated private

:24:30. > :24:34.Palestinian land. I commend the Attorney General of Israel for

:24:35. > :24:38.declaring that unconstitutional. But the direction of travel is clear.

:24:39. > :24:42.With this law and the massive expansion of settlements that is

:24:43. > :24:51.taking place mean that whatever Israel calls it in theory,

:24:52. > :24:57.annexation is happening in practice. Are we in his view now beyond the

:24:58. > :25:01.point where a viable Palestinian state could be set up were there to

:25:02. > :25:06.be agreement to do that? Or does he think there are still perhaps

:25:07. > :25:10.grounds for some optimism? I still think that the long-standing policy

:25:11. > :25:15.of this house to support the two state solution is right. But the

:25:16. > :25:21.chances of it are disappearing, let's make no mistake about that.

:25:22. > :25:24.And I'm afraid I can't give way any more as there isn't time. I'm sure

:25:25. > :25:28.the honourable lady will have her chance a little bit later. But this

:25:29. > :25:33.is what John Kerry was getting at, if you end up with de facto

:25:34. > :25:37.annexation of the West Bank, that gives Israel a choice. Either it can

:25:38. > :25:41.say that everybody living there should have a vote and equal rights

:25:42. > :25:45.equal to its own citizens or it says that they do not. If it says they do

:25:46. > :25:50.have those rights then the future of Israel with a Jewish majority is at

:25:51. > :25:56.an end. If it means that they do not have those rights then Israel can no

:25:57. > :26:02.longer claim to be a democracy. Not only that, but if you have to factor

:26:03. > :26:05.annexation while maintaining systems of laws and controls that

:26:06. > :26:09.discriminate against the majority of people that live there and denied

:26:10. > :26:14.basic democratic rights, what term can you use describe what you are

:26:15. > :26:18.left with but a form of apartheid? And if you go there today and look

:26:19. > :26:21.at the reality of life for Palestinians on the West Bank, it is

:26:22. > :26:25.difficult to come away with the impression that what is happening

:26:26. > :26:31.there already is a creeping culture of apartheid. Is it any wonder,

:26:32. > :26:33.therefore, that if you talk to Palestinians today, particularly

:26:34. > :26:37.young Palestinians who have never experienced anything but the

:26:38. > :26:44.grinding weight of occupation, they increasingly tell you that what they

:26:45. > :26:48.regard as the international community constantly going on about

:26:49. > :26:51.the two state solution is a cruel deception on them and their lives

:26:52. > :26:55.and they say actually we are getting to the stage, we don't care how many

:26:56. > :27:00.states they are, we just want to be ensured that we have equal rights

:27:01. > :27:04.with everybody else. So we are left with choices, I think, about what we

:27:05. > :27:07.do about this. The honourable gentleman is quite right to put this

:27:08. > :27:10.to the Minister. We can either continue with the mantra that we

:27:11. > :27:18.support a two state solution in theory all we can do something. So I

:27:19. > :27:22.have two questions for the Minister. Firstly, what actions, not just

:27:23. > :27:26.words, is the UK Government prepared to take to differentiate Israeli

:27:27. > :27:32.settlements in the occupied West Bank from Israel itself? And as

:27:33. > :27:37.settlements are illegal should there not be a clear message from the

:27:38. > :27:42.government that any trade preferences either before Brexit or

:27:43. > :27:47.after Brexit do not apply to settlements, and that that will be

:27:48. > :27:51.enforced, that UK businesses should not collude with illegality through

:27:52. > :27:58.any financial dealings with settlements or through the import of

:27:59. > :28:03.settlement goods to the UK? And I conclude on this, and it echoes the

:28:04. > :28:06.point made by the honourable gentleman, five years ago the then

:28:07. > :28:10.Foreign Secretary William Hague said, we reserve the right to

:28:11. > :28:14.recognise a Palestinian state bilaterally at the moment of our

:28:15. > :28:21.choosing when it can best help bring about peace. In October 2014 this

:28:22. > :28:25.house asked the government to act on that. So will the Minister agree

:28:26. > :28:30.with me that when the two state solution that we all support is now

:28:31. > :28:37.under threat like never before that now is the time to act on that

:28:38. > :28:44.bilateral recognition? We have to ask ourselves if not now then when?

:28:45. > :28:47.And if not now, aren't those Palestinians who believe that we

:28:48. > :28:55.talk a good story but we do nothing to end their misery actually right?

:28:56. > :28:59.Thank you, and I congratulate the two honourable gentleman who have

:29:00. > :29:06.introduced this debate. Secretary Ceri's speech after resolution 2334

:29:07. > :29:13.was outstanding in its depth and balance. And friends of both Israel

:29:14. > :29:17.and Palestine must address the central charge of Kerry that the

:29:18. > :29:24.status quo is unsustainable and is both a threat to a democratic Israel

:29:25. > :29:29.and a viable Palestinian state. The argument that resolution 2334, John

:29:30. > :29:36.Kerry's speech, the Paris conference and even this motion are hollow

:29:37. > :29:41.words and simply serve to harden enchanters are self-serving

:29:42. > :29:44.nonsense. Reiterating basic tenets of international law and ceaselessly

:29:45. > :29:49.searching for peace cannot be dismissed in this way. I shared

:29:50. > :29:54.Kerry's analysis that settlements are not the whole or even the

:29:55. > :29:59.primary cause of the conflict. I welcome his work on securing

:30:00. > :30:03.Palestinian acknowledgement that the reference in the Arab peace

:30:04. > :30:08.initiative included the concept of land swaps, and he is right that

:30:09. > :30:13.even if the settlements were removed you would not have peace without a

:30:14. > :30:16.border agreement. Since Oslo, Palestinians have been betrayed by

:30:17. > :30:22.two decades of factional eyes leadership, by the international

:30:23. > :30:26.community and disastrous consequences of the implementation

:30:27. > :30:29.of the Oslo process, historically by their Arab neighbours, in a

:30:30. > :30:32.catastrophic way that they first advance their own interests ahead of

:30:33. > :30:39.Palestinian cause and also historically by Britain. In our

:30:40. > :30:43.failure to deliver the second half of the Balfour declaration. It is

:30:44. > :30:47.also true that over 100 years of Palestinian leaderships they have

:30:48. > :30:51.never missed an opportunity for missing an opportunity. Today those

:30:52. > :30:56.encouraging violence are again betraying the opportunity to present

:30:57. > :31:02.the Palestinian cause with legal and moral authority.

:31:03. > :31:07.But while admitting the enormity of these issues, one shouldn't belittle

:31:08. > :31:12.the Cirrus Miss of the settlement issue. Settlements are in legal

:31:13. > :31:18.under international law for a reason. I'm very grateful to the

:31:19. > :31:21.distinguished chair of the foreign affairs select committee to allow me

:31:22. > :31:26.to intervene but I wonder if he would just comment on what message

:31:27. > :31:29.it sends out to the international community, that UN resolution after

:31:30. > :31:33.UN resolution has been ignored and what they can do to make sure that

:31:34. > :31:39.we can action the one that has just been passed. I agree with the

:31:40. > :31:43.honourable gentleman, such a distinguished addition of the

:31:44. > :31:47.foreign affairs, has he knows we have an outstanding quarry into the

:31:48. > :31:50.British policy towards the Middle East peace process and we will

:31:51. > :32:00.engage in detail, over the months ahead. I thank the honourable

:32:01. > :32:03.gentleman for giving way, having been in Gaza a Kohlschreiber century

:32:04. > :32:07.ago when he is slow process started, are we not in a situation where if

:32:08. > :32:12.we do not recognise and enforce international law, we send a message

:32:13. > :32:16.to other countries in the world that if you cover something in concrete,

:32:17. > :32:25.we will let you get away with it and we will pay the price for it. I

:32:26. > :32:31.agree with the honourable lady, we are dealing with a catastrophe. With

:32:32. > :32:35.its implications, of the settlements. We should not belittle

:32:36. > :32:39.the issue. Settlements are illegal under international law for a

:32:40. > :32:44.reason, you can't conquer someone else's territory and then colonise

:32:45. > :32:50.it. The end of that era was codified in the Geneva convention and

:32:51. > :32:56.-- in 1949. Our experience has been decolonisation, that it should have

:32:57. > :33:00.happened over the last 50 years at the hands of a nation born out of

:33:01. > :33:06.the moral authority of the appalling treatment of the dues in Europe over

:33:07. > :33:10.centuries, that culminated in the Holocaust, is deeply troubling for

:33:11. > :33:14.the admirers of the heroic generation that founded the state of

:33:15. > :33:19.Israel. We rightly talk about all that should be celebrated in Israel,

:33:20. > :33:25.which is often described as a beacon of our shared values in a troubled

:33:26. > :33:28.region. But the truth is that Palestinians, the Arab world, the

:33:29. > :33:34.wider international community, including R.N. Population,

:33:35. > :33:43.increasingly see Israel through the clouded prism of settlements. I will

:33:44. > :33:48.at the end of my honourable friend allows me at the time. Within Israel

:33:49. > :33:53.there is no consensus on settlements and the recent regularisation law

:33:54. > :33:57.has raised a particularly rancorous debate, it was the son of a former

:33:58. > :34:01.Prime Minister and daily cooed member of the car Knesset who dubbed

:34:02. > :34:10.the law as the robbery law. While the head of the Zionist union called

:34:11. > :34:13.it a threat to Israel. And we might also remember that parliaments can't

:34:14. > :34:21.make legal what international law prescribes. He is making good

:34:22. > :34:24.points, does he agree with me that the expansion of illegal settlements

:34:25. > :34:27.is the despair of many people who wish Israel well and plays precisely

:34:28. > :34:32.into the hands of those who believe that there is a cynical intent never

:34:33. > :34:38.to pursue a two state solution. I wholly agree with my honourable

:34:39. > :34:43.friend. And it is stress is me, that the recent signals from the

:34:44. > :34:48.government, briefing against the Kerry speech, not participating in

:34:49. > :34:52.the Paris conference, receiving an Israeli premier who has just resided

:34:53. > :34:58.over the regularisation law and is indeed domestic trouble. Despite the

:34:59. > :35:02.formal reiteration of the British position on settlements, suggests

:35:03. > :35:06.that it doesn't fully appreciate the seriousness of this obstacle to

:35:07. > :35:11.peace, and the threat to the values of a nation, that how history of

:35:12. > :35:17.personal, economic and security relationships makes a firm friend

:35:18. > :35:21.and ally. Friends should not allow each other to make profound and

:35:22. > :35:28.damaging mistakes. Which is why I support this motion. Thank you Mr

:35:29. > :35:31.Deputy Speaker, before I addressed this motion I want to start by

:35:32. > :35:37.condemning the rocket attack on Israel last night when Islamic State

:35:38. > :35:41.fired for rockets from the Sinai peninsular into Eilat and I expect

:35:42. > :35:46.the whole house will want to join me on to that. Three weeks ago I

:35:47. > :35:49.produced a ten minute ruling in support of and its national funding

:35:50. > :35:53.for Israeli - Palestinian peace and at the outset I made clear my

:35:54. > :36:00.opposition to the continuing settlement building in the West

:36:01. > :36:03.Bank, a policy that as I said threatens the viability of a future

:36:04. > :36:07.Palestinian state, the case of which is an arguable, does immense damage

:36:08. > :36:14.to Britain's standing in the world and it will put at risk that which

:36:15. > :36:17.is most precious about Israel's character, its Jewish and democratic

:36:18. > :36:21.character. But I also make clear that settlements are not the only or

:36:22. > :36:27.even the principal opposition to peace. As the former US secretary of

:36:28. > :36:31.state John Kerry who has been much quoted said today in his final

:36:32. > :36:37.speech on the Middle East, the core issues can be resolved, it is with

:36:38. > :36:41.leadership on both sides, committed to finding the solution. In the end

:36:42. > :36:45."I believe that negotiations did not fail because the gaps are too wide

:36:46. > :36:49.but because the level of trust was too low. I don't believe that

:36:50. > :36:53.settlement building in the West Bank does anything to contribute to

:36:54. > :36:58.raising those levels of trust, in fact quite the reverse but let us be

:36:59. > :37:02.clear, trust has to be built and earned by both sides, it is

:37:03. > :37:07.unfortunate that today's motion makes scant recognition of that

:37:08. > :37:09.fact, so let me outline some of the factors beyond settlement building

:37:10. > :37:17.that contribute to that lack of trust. I'm very grateful, last month

:37:18. > :37:23.I had the privilege to be on a delegation to Israel and Palestine,

:37:24. > :37:32.and we met a group of young Palestinians and young Israelis who

:37:33. > :37:35.are working together, on IT and technology, and that is surely the

:37:36. > :37:41.way forward to build the trust that she talks about. I absolutely agree

:37:42. > :37:48.with my honourable friend, I have also visited that project and it is

:37:49. > :37:52.inspiring and coexistence is building trust. I don't believe

:37:53. > :37:57.trust is built, when the Palestinian Authority pumps out and unrelenting

:37:58. > :38:02.stream of anti-Semitic incitement. Children's programmes that teach

:38:03. > :38:04.their young audiences to dues, the naming of schools, sports

:38:05. > :38:08.tournaments and streets after so-called martyrs and the payment of

:38:09. > :38:14.salaries to convicted terrorists or when it suggests that as the person

:38:15. > :38:18.is state media regularly does, that all this row is occupied territory

:38:19. > :38:23.and when it continues to insist a right to return for the descendants

:38:24. > :38:33.of Palestinian refugees to pre-1967 Israeli territory. I don't believe,

:38:34. > :38:36.that trust has been built by the experience of Gaza, a territory that

:38:37. > :38:42.Israel unilaterally withdrew from 12 years ago only to see it come under

:38:43. > :38:46.the control of Hamas. A group that is committed to the creation of a

:38:47. > :38:53.Palestinian Islamist state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean

:38:54. > :38:57.Sea. Who use Gaza... I wonder whether, she has been talking about

:38:58. > :39:03.trust, I wonder how she would assess the evacuation of settlements, of

:39:04. > :39:10.settlers, 8000 of them from Gaza to be greeted by almost 20,000 rockets.

:39:11. > :39:15.The honourable gentleman makes his point himself, and we all know that

:39:16. > :39:23.to be greeted by a thousand rockets as gauge do anything but create

:39:24. > :39:27.trust. And of course Hamas use it as a base, Gaza to indiscriminately

:39:28. > :39:32.fire rockets into Israel, which is what I think he's referring to and

:39:33. > :39:37.to build tunnels to carry out terrorist attacks. I would give it

:39:38. > :39:41.away any further. And it which is treatment of women, its political

:39:42. > :39:45.opponents, LGBT community and journalists, shows absolutely no

:39:46. > :39:49.respect for basic human rights of Palestinian people. Nor is trust

:39:50. > :39:53.built when those international institutions which might be expected

:39:54. > :39:56.to foster a settlement and promote the values of peace and

:39:57. > :40:02.reconciliation, show that they cannot act as honest brokers. The UN

:40:03. > :40:07.General Assembly that ended its 20 16th annual legislative session with

:40:08. > :40:14.20 resolutions against Israel. And only six resolutions on the rest of

:40:15. > :40:19.the world combined. That included three on Syria, one each on Iran,

:40:20. > :40:25.North Korea and Crimea. 20 on Israel. There is no balance there.

:40:26. > :40:29.The UN human rights Council which in its first decade of existence

:40:30. > :40:36.adopted 135 resolutions, 68 of them attacking Israel. More than half. Or

:40:37. > :40:39.Unesco which has denied the Jewish people's deep historic connection

:40:40. > :40:44.with Judaism's holiest sites in Jerusalem. As supporters of a two

:40:45. > :40:48.state solution, we should commit ourselves to building with and

:40:49. > :40:54.between histories and Palestinians. We should do that in both words and

:40:55. > :40:58.our actions. In Dow words, we should seek to avoid emotive language which

:40:59. > :41:04.feeds a narrative convict him and villain. We should recognise and

:41:05. > :41:08.encourage a need for compromise and we should never fail to acknowledge

:41:09. > :41:12.the complexities of a conflict which has endurance for decades and whose

:41:13. > :41:18.roots run deep. In our actions we should steer clear of simplistic

:41:19. > :41:21.solutions, such as the BDS movement. A movement which by seeking to

:41:22. > :41:27.delegitimise and demonise the world's only Jewish state, is both

:41:28. > :41:32.morally wrong and does nothing to further the cause that it claims to

:41:33. > :41:36.support. We should give knowing coachman to those who denies

:41:37. > :41:39.Israel's right to exist and refuse to announce violence. Hamas and

:41:40. > :41:45.Hezbollah are no friends to the cause of two state solution. And we

:41:46. > :41:49.should do all that we can to assist those in both Israel and Palestine

:41:50. > :41:52.who are working for peace and reconciliation. That is why I

:41:53. > :41:55.believe that the greatest contribution that Britain can make

:41:56. > :42:01.towards building strong constituencies for peace in Israel

:42:02. > :42:04.and Palestine, is by increasing our support for coexistence work. People

:42:05. > :42:08.to people projects that bring together it is radius and

:42:09. > :42:13.Palestinians at the grassroots level, and backing the establishment

:42:14. > :42:16.of an international fund for Israeli and Palestinian peace. The absence

:42:17. > :42:23.of such constituencies is all too apparent. While 59% of Israelis and

:42:24. > :42:28.51% of Palestinians still support a two state solution, he's already

:42:29. > :42:33.slim majorities are fragile and threatened by fear and distrust

:42:34. > :42:38.between the two people. So after two decades, there is now a significant

:42:39. > :42:42.body of evidence indicating the impact that coexistence projects can

:42:43. > :42:45.have, despite the challenging environment in which they exist.

:42:46. > :42:50.Those participating in such programmes report higher levels of

:42:51. > :42:55.trust, high levels of cooperation, more conflict resolution values,

:42:56. > :43:00.less oppression and loneliness. These are the kind of measures that

:43:01. > :43:04.we should be supporting, I call on the government to support

:43:05. > :43:11.international fund for history and Palestinian peace. Thank you Mr

:43:12. > :43:14.Deputy Speaker, I have no doubt that today we would see an impassioned

:43:15. > :43:19.debate and we have already got off to a good start and we can see quite

:43:20. > :43:22.clearly used from both sides of this particular issue. I think it is

:43:23. > :43:26.right however to begin by emphasising that as other members

:43:27. > :43:30.have said, is ready settlements are not by a long stretch the main

:43:31. > :43:34.obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The number ten

:43:35. > :43:40.spokesman said in December, that it is far from the only problem in this

:43:41. > :43:44.conflict. And the people of this rail deserve to live free from the

:43:45. > :43:51.threat of terrorism, which they had to cope with for far too long. Mr

:43:52. > :43:56.Deputy Speaker, it seems to be the narrative that the conflict we see

:43:57. > :44:00.today started in 1967 when it's regained control of West Bank and

:44:01. > :44:05.Gaza. And I ask these members to consider why then was the violence

:44:06. > :44:09.in this region, why did it predates the existence of the settlement. It

:44:10. > :44:17.is worth recalling that the West Bank and Gaza were occupied prior to

:44:18. > :44:21.1967, not by Israel but by Jordan and Egypt respectively. During these

:44:22. > :44:27.occupations they refused to grant citizenship to Palestinian refugees,

:44:28. > :44:30.where is the condemnation of Jordan and Egypt? Nor did they surrender

:44:31. > :44:37.the territory for a Palestinian state, where is that condemnation of

:44:38. > :44:39.Egypt and Jordan? The international outcry was deferred until Israel

:44:40. > :44:45.occupied the disputed land at which point it became unacceptable for

:44:46. > :44:49.that occupation to take place. From that point onward it was

:44:50. > :44:54.unacceptable, prior to that no condemnation. I wish to make the

:44:55. > :44:58.point that legality is not subjective, it is often said that

:44:59. > :45:04.Israeli settlements are illegal. But stating this repeatedly does not

:45:05. > :45:11.make it true. Please bear with me, for a moment. The West Bank and Gaza

:45:12. > :45:15.remain as they have always been, disputed territories. Under

:45:16. > :45:20.international law. It has never been a Palestinian state. So the

:45:21. > :45:25.territory remains odourless, that is a strong argument for some. It is

:45:26. > :45:32.not so one that I necessarily ascribed to -- remains without an

:45:33. > :45:36.owner. The whole point of the chamber, is that we achieve exposes

:45:37. > :45:39.argument and discuss them and not seek merely to rehearse in trench

:45:40. > :45:41.positions, otherwise what is the point of a debate. I will give way

:45:42. > :45:52.to the gentleman. I was simply going to say that I

:45:53. > :45:59.think he's making an important point. The truth is that in 1947 a

:46:00. > :46:05.Palestinian state was proposed but not established by other Arab

:46:06. > :46:09.countries who chose to invade Israel at the moment of the establishment.

:46:10. > :46:14.A Palestinian state could have been established at any point in the next

:46:15. > :46:17.20 years by Egypt who was controlling Gaza, or Jordan who were

:46:18. > :46:21.controlling the West Bank. I think is completely right to make this

:46:22. > :46:25.point. I am grateful for the intervention. When people criticise

:46:26. > :46:29.Israel for demolishing tunnels and building walls and erasing

:46:30. > :46:34.buildings, they make no comment when Egypt does exactly the same. The

:46:35. > :46:39.international community is silent on Egypt and only vocal on Israel. And

:46:40. > :46:43.as the honourable member for Enfield North said, where is the balance? I

:46:44. > :46:47.made the point about the view that some people believe that settlements

:46:48. > :46:51.are not illegal because the land is odourless, I don't subscribe to that

:46:52. > :46:56.view, but the reason it is important to make it is because people hold

:46:57. > :47:03.that the very firmly, it is a divisive issue. As the honourable

:47:04. > :47:06.member for Enfield North said, it is a fundamental issue of building

:47:07. > :47:09.trust and unless you can build trust and deal with the issue of disputed

:47:10. > :47:16.lands then that trust deficit is going to continue. I think the

:47:17. > :47:20.honourable member for giving way, and on the issue of trust would he

:47:21. > :47:27.not agree with me that the issue of trust was almost ended as far as

:47:28. > :47:31.Israel was concerned when, as a result of removing all settlements

:47:32. > :47:38.from Gaza, the only result was a torrent, avalanche of rockets and

:47:39. > :47:43.missiles as a result? My honourable and long-time friend makes a good

:47:44. > :47:46.point. Everybody talks about Israel giving up land for peace, they have

:47:47. > :47:55.given land, they did not get peace. I have to say I wholly support, I

:47:56. > :48:01.wholeheartedly hope and support a two state solution and that it can

:48:02. > :48:06.be established with trust on both sides, but only two parties can

:48:07. > :48:11.decide on borders and other status issues and those two parties are

:48:12. > :48:19.Israel and the Palestinians. Accordingly I welcome the fact that

:48:20. > :48:24.direct peace talks remain the best way to secure a solution. Direct

:48:25. > :48:27.talks between the two parties involved, not European conferences

:48:28. > :48:34.excluding one of the parties. And as I said before the two state solution

:48:35. > :48:38.we also bought should be the end -- we all support should be the end and

:48:39. > :48:41.not the start of the process. I strongly believe that debates like

:48:42. > :48:48.this need to focus on the whole and complex picture and not just one

:48:49. > :48:53.particular aspect. Likewise, Mr Deputy Speaker, I do not believe

:48:54. > :48:57.that the UN Security Council resolution 2334 helps advance peace

:48:58. > :49:00.as it focuses on Israeli settlements and only serves to reward

:49:01. > :49:08.Palestinian intransigence and unilateralism. On particular

:49:09. > :49:12.concerns of my constituents, 2334 defines east Jerusalem as

:49:13. > :49:19.Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 including the Western Wall, the

:49:20. > :49:22.Judaea and holiest sites, and this area includes the holy sites of

:49:23. > :49:26.Christianity where Jesus practised his ministry. This definition

:49:27. > :49:32.implies that both dues and Christians visiting their holiest

:49:33. > :49:44.sites are acting illegally and that is an affront to both alike. I'm

:49:45. > :49:48.trying to reflect the concerns, I will not give way, I'm trying to

:49:49. > :49:51.reflect the concerns of my constituents. Honourable members may

:49:52. > :49:54.not like the views of my constituents but it is my job to

:49:55. > :50:00.represent my constituents in balanced debate, whether or other

:50:01. > :50:04.honourable members dislike it or not, that is the purpose of a

:50:05. > :50:11.constituency MP and that is what I seek to do. I have already said,

:50:12. > :50:15.Israel has given up land for peace, it has not had the piece, and it is

:50:16. > :50:19.important that this government continues to support, nudge and

:50:20. > :50:26.cajole our ally to take the right course. But acting unilaterally, a

:50:27. > :50:31.premature declaration of statehood for the Palestinians would put back

:50:32. > :50:34.peace and not pursue it. If we support the Balfour declaration we

:50:35. > :50:44.must stand alongside our ally, Israel, and make it work. Thank you.

:50:45. > :50:47.Ian Paisley. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I do believe the point that

:50:48. > :50:53.has been made and that is the best way to resolve this apparent

:50:54. > :50:56.intractable problem is the way that peace processes have been resolved

:50:57. > :51:01.around the world and that is by face-to-face negotiations by the

:51:02. > :51:06.people on the ground and not by grandiose schemes which play to

:51:07. > :51:11.certain galleries and certain outside influences. And I think that

:51:12. > :51:18.that's an important starting point for any peace process that could

:51:19. > :51:23.ultimately work. Settlements are a symptom of the conflict in Israel,

:51:24. > :51:27.they are not the cause. And if anyone thinks that they are the

:51:28. > :51:33.cause of the conflict they do not understand what has happened in that

:51:34. > :51:36.land. History shows that the unilateral removed meant of

:51:37. > :51:41.settlements in the past, the evacuation of settlements in the

:51:42. > :51:47.past did not generate peace at all, but in fact inspired more rocket

:51:48. > :51:52.attacks and the deaths of more innocents in other settlements,

:51:53. > :51:56.that's what they actually did. And instead of being part of a peace

:51:57. > :52:00.process, the unilateral removed meant of settlements would be a

:52:01. > :52:06.peace by peace process, a step-by-step process towards more

:52:07. > :52:10.attacks on innocent people. So let's stop the hand-wringing, let's stop

:52:11. > :52:17.the pretence that it unilateral move on a settlement will make peace, it

:52:18. > :52:22.actually work, and for some, not in this chamber, but for some it is

:52:23. > :52:27.cover for more aggression and foremost, I believe, it is misguided

:52:28. > :52:36.view on what is happening on the ground. You can't negotiate away

:52:37. > :52:40.settlements in advance. I thank the honourable gentleman for giving way

:52:41. > :52:47.and I support the point that he's making. Would he like to contrast

:52:48. > :52:52.the failure of Israel's unilateral decisions to remove settlements from

:52:53. > :52:59.Gaza in relation to securing peace and compared that with the agreement

:53:00. > :53:04.that was made with Egypt in 1979 when Israel withdrew and demolished

:53:05. > :53:08.its settlements as part of an agreement, an agreement which has

:53:09. > :53:13.lasted to this day? The right honourable lady who has much

:53:14. > :53:17.experience and knowledge of the area makes a vital point. In fact if you

:53:18. > :53:22.look at the history of the area, Israel has a very good track record

:53:23. > :53:29.of agreeing concessions on territory whenever peace is made, that was the

:53:30. > :53:35.history in 1979, whenever they made an agreement, what did they do?

:53:36. > :53:39.Israel gave up critical, Sinai, 91% of the territory that they won in

:53:40. > :53:45.1967, they gave that up once peace was agreed, as part of that piece

:53:46. > :53:51.they again moved into the settlement in Sinai and destroyed it completely

:53:52. > :53:54.and removed it. In Jordan, what was the attitude of the Israelis?

:53:55. > :53:57.Whenever they got a settlement they redeployed both sides to their

:53:58. > :54:02.respective sides and agreed to the international boundaries, so I think

:54:03. > :54:08.the point made by the honourable lady is supported by facts on the

:54:09. > :54:13.ground at the end of a peace process. You cannot, and I have been

:54:14. > :54:16.part of a peace process, you cannot make a major concession at the

:54:17. > :54:22.beginning of a peace process and think it starts at that point, you

:54:23. > :54:29.make the concessions at the end on the basis of an agreement, that's

:54:30. > :54:33.what needs to take place. I think the honourable gentleman for giving

:54:34. > :54:39.way. Can he just tell the house whether he agrees that Israeli

:54:40. > :54:43.settlements are illegal and actually while it is not the only factor it

:54:44. > :54:49.is critical to ensuring that we address that and we acknowledge

:54:50. > :54:54.that. Second point in relation to Gaza is that 800,000 children are

:54:55. > :54:59.living in, as the former prime ministers described it, one of the

:55:00. > :55:03.world's biggest open prisons. These are major humanitarian issues that

:55:04. > :55:07.we need to confront and address. To be absolutely clear I am not

:55:08. > :55:11.dismissing any of the major humanitarian issues, I have absolute

:55:12. > :55:15.sympathy and absolute concern and passion for the needs of Israeli and

:55:16. > :55:19.Palestinian children, Israeli and Palestinian men and women, that they

:55:20. > :55:24.live in a new, harmonious, peaceful countries. What we have to get to

:55:25. > :55:30.the point of how do we get to that solution of countries? And the only

:55:31. > :55:33.objective, the terms of reference for any negotiation should be the

:55:34. > :55:40.starting point, and where we want to get to is a piece fell, -- peaceful

:55:41. > :55:44.secure Israel side-by-side with a sovereign Palestine. That is a two

:55:45. > :55:48.state solution and the only way you will achieve that is by face-to-face

:55:49. > :55:53.negotiations by the practitioners on the ground. Most members will have

:55:54. > :55:59.had the opportunity in the last day or so to walk through the upper

:56:00. > :56:07.committee corridor and see the project which shows women from

:56:08. > :56:11.across Israel and Palestine of different races, different creeds,

:56:12. > :56:15.different backgrounds are asked to do one thing, and that is to paint

:56:16. > :56:18.an olive tree. And all of those different women have given very

:56:19. > :56:23.different perspectives. But they've painted the same thing in all its

:56:24. > :56:28.glory. And the important issue of that experiment shows that if you

:56:29. > :56:31.put the people together on the ground and allow them to negotiate

:56:32. > :56:37.and do something face-to-face you will ultimately get to a solution.

:56:38. > :56:41.So the message that we should send out today is very clear and

:56:42. > :56:44.unequivocal. Only Israelis and Palestinians sitting down together

:56:45. > :56:52.face-to-face can actually sort this out and achieve peace in a much

:56:53. > :56:55.tortured and battled region. Due to the number of interventions we are

:56:56. > :57:03.going to have to go down to four minutes already. Thank you. And I'd

:57:04. > :57:09.like to give credit to everybody who has spoken, I think every speech has

:57:10. > :57:13.added to the debate and I'm very grateful that this has cross-party

:57:14. > :57:18.support bringing this debate forwards. I'd also like to say that

:57:19. > :57:23.so far I don't think we've been straitjacket by polarised views. I

:57:24. > :57:27.don't think that if you criticise Palestine that means you are an

:57:28. > :57:30.apologist for the occupation, I don't think it means if you

:57:31. > :57:36.criticise Israel policies you are against Israel or anti-Semitic. And

:57:37. > :57:42.I deplore Hamas support for terrorism and I deplore the building

:57:43. > :57:51.of settlements and outposts beyond the Green line. The motion says on

:57:52. > :57:53.our monitors occupied Palestinian territories, Israeli settlements,

:57:54. > :57:56.doesn't give credit to the full motion and with the two state

:57:57. > :58:00.solution and asking for our government to take a more active

:58:01. > :58:08.role means it it is a very important debate. Very important debate in

:58:09. > :58:10.this year. It is a year of sad anniversaries. Anniversaries of

:58:11. > :58:16.occupation in that area, anniversaries of a blockade. And

:58:17. > :58:23.vitally for us and our government today the Centenary of the Balfour

:58:24. > :58:28.declaration which did commend the establishment of a national home for

:58:29. > :58:32.the Jewish people. As the member for Reigate said, it also says it

:58:33. > :58:37.clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice

:58:38. > :58:42.the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish population

:58:43. > :58:50.in Palestine, and that's where our role is critical. It is correct that

:58:51. > :58:57.the settlements are illegal. I know there is some dispute about the

:58:58. > :59:02.Geneva Convention. However we do have the International Court of

:59:03. > :59:06.justice, Red Cross and United Nations security council claiming it

:59:07. > :59:12.is illegal. We have President Obama and of course Secretary of State

:59:13. > :59:15.John Kerry saying in December, even Ronald Reagan claimed the

:59:16. > :59:18.settlements were illegal. I'm grateful to the honourable lady for

:59:19. > :59:22.giving way, she is making a good speech. Does she agree that the

:59:23. > :59:28.government is to become rich related for supporting resolution 2334 and

:59:29. > :59:32.will she be looking to the Minister to say what action the government is

:59:33. > :59:40.planning to take to enforce 2334 -- element is to be, wretch related. I

:59:41. > :59:46.appreciate the intervention and as is the problem with so many

:59:47. > :59:51.resolutions, 2336 and also 2442 and 181, guess I would commend to the

:59:52. > :59:59.Minister to tell us what actions, very much so. Also, as we know, the

:00:00. > :00:04.settlements have been increasing. Over 100 settlements and worryingly

:00:05. > :00:10.the outposts as well, over 100. Increasing in population, increasing

:00:11. > :00:14.the number and increasing in the geographical area that they are

:00:15. > :00:19.coming up against. I will in a moment. And of concern, as anybody

:00:20. > :00:24.who has seen the images of settlements in the area just by

:00:25. > :00:28.Jerusalem, even one area as it is called, which may actually split the

:00:29. > :00:32.Palestinian West Bank north and south, already as people have said

:00:33. > :00:37.since 1947, Gaza and the West Bank had separated. And yet this year

:00:38. > :00:45.there is danger of even more fractionation in the area.

:00:46. > :00:53.Does the Honourable Lady agree with me that the regularisation last

:00:54. > :00:57.Monday by the Israeli government makes the two state solution even

:00:58. > :01:00.more difficult. Now we have a situation where previously

:01:01. > :01:07.settlements were illegal and now they are legal under Israeli law? I

:01:08. > :01:15.absolutely agree with the honourable member, this is why this debate is

:01:16. > :01:22.critical and while at you agree with the other members talking about

:01:23. > :01:24.trust, I believe that many Israelis and Palestinians have wonderful

:01:25. > :01:35.projects and I also have witnessed many. But there is a problem, where

:01:36. > :01:40.settlements, and outposts are in land that is all so private

:01:41. > :01:47.Palestinian land. I have been in the region in a conflict period, and I

:01:48. > :02:01.have witnessed, many events, but the only time I saw and Uzi being fired

:02:02. > :02:05.at a school was by a secular and not anybody in military uniform.

:02:06. > :02:09.Therefore it is critical, Howard government has failed part of that

:02:10. > :02:14.bow declaration, and I am keen to hear what the minister says in reply

:02:15. > :02:19.to honourable members who have talked about, yes now is the time,

:02:20. > :02:23.to recognise a Palestinian state. But also, even if all of the

:02:24. > :02:30.settlements and outposts were dismantled today, they would not be

:02:31. > :02:34.peace because negotiations have to proceed about matters of Borders

:02:35. > :02:42.Andrew Samantha refugees right to return and also Israeli bases. Thank

:02:43. > :02:45.you. And I want to say today that I oppose anything that stands in the

:02:46. > :02:49.way of the creation of the two state solution which I believe in and have

:02:50. > :02:54.campaigned for in all my life but it is wrong to suggest as this motion

:02:55. > :02:58.does that settlement is the only barrier or even the biggest barrier

:02:59. > :03:01.to this process, you have got to look at the absence of the

:03:02. > :03:07.Palestinian Authority to. The denial, or that is troublesome right

:03:08. > :03:14.to exist. Incitement to violence by its media and senior officials. And

:03:15. > :03:19.by its Ministry of education. On that point would my honourable

:03:20. > :03:23.friend agree, is that they distinguish between legitimate

:03:24. > :03:28.criticism of this rail, Andy digitalised and novice rail which is

:03:29. > :03:33.questioning its very right to exist? That is completely right, and that

:03:34. > :03:35.is why the Palestinian authorities denying his rubble smack right to

:03:36. > :03:41.exist is not something that builds trust that we have heard this

:03:42. > :03:46.afternoon. Nor is the incentivising of terrorism through the payments of

:03:47. > :03:50.salaries to convicted terrorists. Does anybody seriously believe Mr

:03:51. > :03:55.Deputy Speaker that the settlements are a bigger barrier to the peace

:03:56. > :04:00.process, and Hamas is not at the moment. They are terrorism and

:04:01. > :04:04.extremism. Setting goals of explicit rejection of not just Israel's right

:04:05. > :04:09.to exist but the very idea of a peace process that would involve the

:04:10. > :04:13.surrender of Islamic land. This is an organisation that spends millions

:04:14. > :04:18.and uses building materials, hospital schools and homes on

:04:19. > :04:22.tunnels and terror. It pioneered suicide bombing in the Middle East,

:04:23. > :04:28.it then celebrated murder of Israelis in bars and restaurants.

:04:29. > :04:32.Now it is not the case, not at the moment, it is not the case as has

:04:33. > :04:37.been suggested during this debate, that settlements make the prospect

:04:38. > :04:42.of a two state solution impossible. It is not the case of that. I don't

:04:43. > :04:46.defend the settlement building. The house should recognise both that

:04:47. > :04:52.Israel has shown its willingness to evacuate before, from Sinai in 1982

:04:53. > :04:58.as we have heard, as part of the camp David accords. And when it

:04:59. > :05:03.withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The house should also recognise. I

:05:04. > :05:09.wonder whether he should congratulate Israel, in the last

:05:10. > :05:16.month they removed 50 families from some land? He's completely right to

:05:17. > :05:20.raise it, because it has not been discussed by any of the people who

:05:21. > :05:26.have spoken in this debate before. It is also important for the house

:05:27. > :05:30.to recognise that 75% of the settlers are Ron 6.3% of land so

:05:31. > :05:35.when people talk about the West Bank being concreted over, they are

:05:36. > :05:39.factually wrong. It is not true. I am not giving away any more, I have

:05:40. > :05:45.given way twice, so this issue can be dealt with through land swaps,

:05:46. > :05:52.that was accepted as a principle for building a peace process, in all

:05:53. > :05:59.recent negotiations. And a plan under which this could have been

:06:00. > :06:04.achieved. Now I say this, because I want to argue that with compromise

:06:05. > :06:10.with creativity, with concessions on both sides, the right of both

:06:11. > :06:16.Israeli and Palestinian people write to determination and peace has been

:06:17. > :06:19.secured. There are considerable other challenges, Jerusalem,

:06:20. > :06:23.security, refugees. But it is rude important to recognise as well, as

:06:24. > :06:28.has not been sufficiently recognised in this debate so far that the

:06:29. > :06:31.majority is on both sides still favour a two state solution. And

:06:32. > :06:35.that none of these issues are insurmountable. If there is a

:06:36. > :06:39.willingness on both sides to negotiate and to compromise and to

:06:40. > :06:51.make concessions. The truth Mr Deputy Speaker is this, there is no

:06:52. > :06:53.alternative that will end the bloodshed so instead of one-sided

:06:54. > :06:55.and simplistic motions, instead of calls, for grand international

:06:56. > :06:59.jesters, unilaterally imposed, on the peoples of this run and

:07:00. > :07:01.Palestine. Incidentally grand gestures that suggest, which are

:07:02. > :07:06.actually counter-productive to the cause of police, what they do

:07:07. > :07:11.suggest to the Palestinian Authority, and the leadership of the

:07:12. > :07:15.Palestinians, that there is a reach to the Palestinian state that can be

:07:16. > :07:20.opposed from outside that doesn't involve face to face direct talks

:07:21. > :07:24.and negotiations which is the only way that this issue is going to be

:07:25. > :07:32.solved. The truth is that there is no alternative, that will end the

:07:33. > :07:37.bloodshed. Now we should be doing everything that we can to promote

:07:38. > :07:40.direct negotiations between the two sides to build trust instead of

:07:41. > :07:44.boycott, sanctions and other measures which tried people further

:07:45. > :07:47.and further apart. I want Britain to support organisations and the one we

:07:48. > :07:55.heard about early in Jerusalem, that bring

:07:56. > :07:59.Israelis and Palestinians working together and building the

:08:00. > :08:02.foundations for the two viable states peacefully alongside each

:08:03. > :08:06.other. I think it would have been good if more members had been in

:08:07. > :08:10.strangers dining room yesterday to hear about the weak side project and

:08:11. > :08:15.what the women, Jewish, slim and Christian women in Israel and in

:08:16. > :08:18.Palestine are doing to work together to create the building blocks for

:08:19. > :08:23.peace. I want Britain to be doing more to promote economic developers,

:08:24. > :08:26.trade and investment in the West Bank. Encouraging brilliant projects

:08:27. > :08:32.like I have seen, the new city in the West Bank. And I want to see

:08:33. > :08:39.Britain pushing internationally for Gaza. Madam Deputy Speaker these

:08:40. > :08:42.talks have produced results in the pass, they have come close to a

:08:43. > :08:45.breakthrough on several occasions since and they will have to do so

:08:46. > :08:50.again because the any way in which this conflict will be resolved is by

:08:51. > :08:56.people on both sides, negotiating, compromising and working together

:08:57. > :08:58.towards a two state solution. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a

:08:59. > :09:03.great pleasure to follow the honourable member for Dudley North

:09:04. > :09:08.on this. It cost like him and like his honourable friend, I have been

:09:09. > :09:14.fully involved in six visits to Israel and the West Bank over the

:09:15. > :09:17.last three years. With organisations, that encourage the

:09:18. > :09:25.cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. I do that here,

:09:26. > :09:29.chairing events here, where the organisations that do that, come

:09:30. > :09:35.forward, and describe what they are doing. And I have on several

:09:36. > :09:44.occasions, been in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, to see safer child is out. A

:09:45. > :09:50.print organisation goes out of its way to treat Palestinian children,

:09:51. > :09:55.that have problems with hearts. It is fine surgery, that requires a

:09:56. > :10:03.great deal of skill. Now why is there not, yes I will give way. I

:10:04. > :10:12.thank my rubble friend, he mentions it, but also children and other

:10:13. > :10:23.children are saved at St John's heart. I thank durable gentleman,

:10:24. > :10:27.the number of people who are treated by the Israeli doctors there is

:10:28. > :10:33.phenomenal and it sets a print example for the whole of the region.

:10:34. > :10:37.I'm grateful for giving way, I just want to emphasise this point, the

:10:38. > :10:42.honourable gentleman find me is laughing and steering in his usual

:10:43. > :10:49.way. He ought to listen to this, it is an important point com you coming

:10:50. > :10:53.to these debates and you hear this binary, mandatory Speaker they can

:10:54. > :10:58.shout as much as they like but I am going to speak. Order, no one can

:10:59. > :11:03.shout as much as they like, the honourable member will be heard. Mad

:11:04. > :11:07.and empty speaker the truth is, you coming to these debates in a binary

:11:08. > :11:11.and simplistic and polarise debate when the truth about Israel and

:11:12. > :11:14.Palestine is that people on the ground are working together,

:11:15. > :11:17.cooperating, talking, building the peace process that we want to see

:11:18. > :11:20.and it is about time that people listen to that argument and it is

:11:21. > :11:23.about time that people listen to that argument instead of laughing at

:11:24. > :11:26.it. I do thank the honourable gentleman very kindly for his

:11:27. > :11:36.comments because I was about to come onto that. I've given way twice, I'm

:11:37. > :11:41.not giving way to gain. Order, we are having very short speeches, the

:11:42. > :11:45.interventions had been longer than the speeches, let us allow Mr Hull

:11:46. > :11:52.to make his speech top blue thank you very much, the point I was

:11:53. > :11:57.making, here we have a wonderful example of cooperation. Between the

:11:58. > :12:02.Israelis and the Palestinians and here we are fictional one issue. On

:12:03. > :12:09.settlements. Settlements are not as we have heard, I would be the first

:12:10. > :12:12.to admit that settlement expansion is counter-productive, but we have

:12:13. > :12:19.heard from Speaker after speaker that settlements are not the cause

:12:20. > :12:23.of conflict, they are not the cause of violence, and that long predates

:12:24. > :12:31.the existence of settlements, in this part of the world. If that is

:12:32. > :12:36.the case, why Pawi discussing this on picking settlements have?

:12:37. > :12:41.Settlements are one of the five status issues, which includes

:12:42. > :12:46.settlements, borders, the status of Jerusalem, security and includes

:12:47. > :12:51.Palestinian sovereignty. There are a whole range of issues that need to

:12:52. > :12:57.be addressed, if this is to be moved forward. And I was able in a recent

:12:58. > :13:03.meeting of the Council of Europe to expand upon this for a little

:13:04. > :13:10.longer, than I have got left now. In particular in relation to the

:13:11. > :13:16.activities of Hamas in Gaza, where of course, the Israelis pulled out

:13:17. > :13:24.8000 Israeli settlers, including their dead. And have been greeted by

:13:25. > :13:28.almost 20,000 rockets, launched at them. The interesting thing about

:13:29. > :13:33.Gaza which I think has already been mentioned by one of my rubble

:13:34. > :13:39.friends, is that the restrictions on Gaza have been implemented by Egypt

:13:40. > :13:42.as well as Israel. And I spoke to Anwar Sadat, the leader of the

:13:43. > :13:47.reform and development party of Egypt who said that we are not going

:13:48. > :13:56.to sort out the problems of Gaza, until terrorism in Egypt stops.

:13:57. > :14:03.Settlements for example in East Jerusalem, account for 1% of the

:14:04. > :14:06.territory. So this motion today calls for the internationalisation

:14:07. > :14:10.of the peace process, and I do think that is very productive, what is

:14:11. > :14:15.required, the question has been raised on a number of occasions,

:14:16. > :14:19.what is required, what should we do. The thing that is required is direct

:14:20. > :14:24.peace talks between Israel and Palestinians without preconditions.

:14:25. > :14:28.Unfortunately the Palestinian side, comes up with preconditions every

:14:29. > :14:33.time. And those preconditions usually involve the release of yet

:14:34. > :14:39.more terrorists. But if you look at Israel's record of the settlements,

:14:40. > :14:45.in 2010, there was a ten month moratorium, but the Palestinians

:14:46. > :14:50.only allowed nine months to slip by, before they resumed peace talks. So

:14:51. > :14:59.they didn't take it seriously. In 2017 with a month ago, Israel

:15:00. > :15:06.evicted 50 families at home. In 2005, we saw the situation in Gaza.

:15:07. > :15:14.And in 2008, we saw, a fantastic offer from Israel, to withdraw from

:15:15. > :15:20.94% of the West Bank. The issue that needs to be discussed, is really how

:15:21. > :15:25.this fits in, with land swaps. And that is an issue that needs to be

:15:26. > :15:29.dealt with, face to face in negotiations between the two

:15:30. > :15:33.parties. Because at the moment all that his role has got is a denial of

:15:34. > :15:35.its right to exist and intensification of violence and

:15:36. > :15:39.demands for release of yet more terrorists.

:15:40. > :15:43.I don't think anybody should ignore the fact this is happening because

:15:44. > :15:47.the Palestinians are scared of their own elections and that is because

:15:48. > :15:53.polling suggests that they are going to lose whether they are the

:15:54. > :15:58.Palestinian Authority or whether they are hammer, and sadly, sadly,

:15:59. > :16:06.they are going to be succeeded by organisations that are in favour of

:16:07. > :16:10.Isis. Thank you, I'd also like to thank the honourable member for

:16:11. > :16:15.securing this important debate. This isn't the first time I have raised

:16:16. > :16:21.this issue in Parliament and sadly I'm sure it will not be the last. In

:16:22. > :16:24.2012 when I was the chair of Labour friends of Palestine in the Middle

:16:25. > :16:29.East I had the privilege of visiting the West Bank for the second time

:16:30. > :16:33.and saw first-hand the degrading and inhuman way Palestinians were

:16:34. > :16:36.treated by the Israelis who had demolished or stolen their homes. I

:16:37. > :16:42.also saw the effect this had on Palestinian businesses. It is

:16:43. > :16:49.indescribable suffering experienced and the sense of loss by the

:16:50. > :16:52.Palestinian people. This is a loss which is illegal under international

:16:53. > :16:57.law, a theft of land which continues to be denounced by world leaders

:16:58. > :17:04.across the globe and condemned, quite rightly, by the United

:17:05. > :17:08.Nations. Above all else these perpetual land grabs are not only

:17:09. > :17:14.immoral and illegal but also a barrier to peace. Whilst the

:17:15. > :17:20.Palestinians must also provide assurances that Israel will be able

:17:21. > :17:26.to live in peace, be Israelis must to come to peace talks in good

:17:27. > :17:29.faith. How can Palestinians take a peace offer seriously with in the

:17:30. > :17:36.settlements continue to be built? How can they trust Israel to

:17:37. > :17:39.recognise a Palestinian state when their homes are being demolished?

:17:40. > :17:44.How can Palestinians believe that there is a genuine two state

:17:45. > :17:52.solution based on the 1967 borders when Israel continues its

:17:53. > :17:55.encirclement of East Jerusalem? The settlements must stop in order to

:17:56. > :18:03.give any framework for peace a chance. And Britain must be at the

:18:04. > :18:07.forefront of this effort. We all know that Britain has a moral

:18:08. > :18:10.responsibility to the Palestinian people given our role in the region

:18:11. > :18:16.and our betrayal of the people who lived under our mandate after the

:18:17. > :18:24.First World War. Given that the new president in the White House, our

:18:25. > :18:30.country, its leadership has to provide a more important role. Many

:18:31. > :18:34.in this house may be sceptical that the US has ever been an honest

:18:35. > :18:39.broker in this conflict. However, despite strong ties with Israel the

:18:40. > :18:42.US has condemned settlements and aggression previously. Trump's view

:18:43. > :18:47.of the conflict appears to be a world apart from the former

:18:48. > :18:53.Secretary of State, John Kerry's. I will make progress. Trump has made

:18:54. > :18:57.potentially inflammatory remarks about moving the US Embassy to

:18:58. > :19:01.Jerusalem and has selected a pro-settlement real estate lawyer as

:19:02. > :19:08.the US ambassador to that country. So emboldened is the Israeli right

:19:09. > :19:12.within days of the Trump inauguration, the Israeli government

:19:13. > :19:17.announced its plans to build a further 2500 housing units in the

:19:18. > :19:23.West Bank. I'm grateful to my honourable friend. Does he agree

:19:24. > :19:28.that in order to make it clear to the Israelis how unsatisfactory the

:19:29. > :19:32.situation is, we should adopt the same policy as we have adopted

:19:33. > :19:37.towards the Russians over their invasion of Crimea and introduce

:19:38. > :19:47.personal sanctions on those people who promote and benefit from the

:19:48. > :19:51.settlements? I appreciate my honourable friend and I agree there

:19:52. > :19:54.has to be consistency in terms of British foreign relation attitudes

:19:55. > :20:02.towards different countries across the world. Let me start to conclude.

:20:03. > :20:04.I am glad that Britain, alongside the EU, denounced this awful

:20:05. > :20:09.regulation or in terms of these further housing units being built.

:20:10. > :20:15.It allayed some fears I have that Britain is turning its back on the

:20:16. > :20:20.safeguarding of human rights. But I worry that in this post Brexit

:20:21. > :20:24.world, such values will be sidelined if the government seeks to secure

:20:25. > :20:27.trade deals. I know that trade was on the agenda at the Prime

:20:28. > :20:30.Minister's meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister and I'm sure there

:20:31. > :20:36.are many benefits which can be brought about by this new trade

:20:37. > :20:40.working group. Can the Minister assure me and colleagues that the UK

:20:41. > :20:44.opposition to these new settlements in the West Bank will be made

:20:45. > :20:48.forcefully? Can the Minister assure us that increased trade with Israel

:20:49. > :20:53.will not benefit those making a living out of the illegal

:20:54. > :21:00.occupation? It is small steps like this which could make a difference.

:21:01. > :21:02.Let me conclude, Madam Deputy Speaker, Britain must live up to its

:21:03. > :21:07.responsibilities to the Palestinians. The aid we give makes

:21:08. > :21:13.a difference and must continue. So must our criticism of illegal

:21:14. > :21:16.settlements. Condemnation must get louder if the United States

:21:17. > :21:24.administration chooses to completely turn its back on the Palestinian

:21:25. > :21:27.people. Bob Blackman. Thank you, my pleasure to follow the honourable

:21:28. > :21:32.member for Rochdale who gave an elegant speech. This motion before

:21:33. > :21:37.us today is a curate 's egg, good in parts but actually at the heart of

:21:38. > :21:43.it is a false assertion. As has been said by honourable members, the only

:21:44. > :21:46.that this crisis in the Middle East will be solved is by face-to-face

:21:47. > :21:53.negotiations between the leaders of the Palestinians and the state of

:21:54. > :21:58.Israel. And as we all know, this area of the world has had a long

:21:59. > :22:04.history of being occupied by empires down through the ages. The Ottoman

:22:05. > :22:08.Empire ruled the area until such time as the First World War, and

:22:09. > :22:14.then the British mandate came in. The reality is that the West Bank

:22:15. > :22:20.was annexed by Jordan in 1950. So to call this occupied territory is of

:22:21. > :22:24.course to suggest that a country existed, but it has never existed,

:22:25. > :22:32.and that is the real dilemma in this whole problem. I absolutely think

:22:33. > :22:35.that the United nations resolution should not have been supported by

:22:36. > :22:40.the United Kingdom government and it was wrong to do so, it was in the

:22:41. > :22:46.dying days of President Obama's presidency in a deliberate swipe at

:22:47. > :22:50.Israel and I think history will show that was the case. But I

:22:51. > :22:53.congratulate my right honourable friend the Prime Minister for

:22:54. > :22:58.distancing herself from John Kerry's one-sided speech. This is a unique

:22:59. > :23:04.point in history because it is the first time a British government has

:23:05. > :23:07.distanced itself from a serving Secretary of State to our greatest

:23:08. > :23:11.ally in the world. I congratulate the government for not sending

:23:12. > :23:19.individuals to the Paris conference which attempted to internationalise

:23:20. > :23:24.the solution to the problem. And I would ask the Minister on the front

:23:25. > :23:28.bench one particular issue, and that is, what is his view of the Oslo

:23:29. > :23:33.accords and the agreements the Palestinians made with the Israeli

:23:34. > :23:38.government? Because under those agreements it was quite clear that

:23:39. > :23:44.the elements could take place in area C of the West Bank, and that

:23:45. > :23:51.was permitted and agreed by the Palestinians. So to call this

:23:52. > :23:55.illegal is incorrect. Equally, we've heard the United Nations resolution

:23:56. > :24:01.2334 of course would prevent Jewish and Christian 's from celebrating at

:24:02. > :24:09.the Western Wall and the greatest sights of Christianity. Before 1967,

:24:10. > :24:11.the Western Wall was out of bounds to Jewish people and therefore the

:24:12. > :24:16.same thing would happen again were this to be implemented. The Green

:24:17. > :24:21.line was never ever an international line, there have never ever been an

:24:22. > :24:27.international agreement on the exact borders of any state or potential

:24:28. > :24:31.state of Palestine. And I would also just mentioned which has not been

:24:32. > :24:37.mentioned thus far, and that is the plight of the 2.3 million Jewish

:24:38. > :24:41.refugees who were forced out of Arab countries and have had to flee for

:24:42. > :24:44.their lives. Some have gone to Israel, some to the United States

:24:45. > :24:51.and others to other parts of Europe. Those people are never mentioned.

:24:52. > :24:54.When housing developments are put out by the Israeli government to

:24:55. > :24:58.house people who are refugees from Arab states who are Jewish, we

:24:59. > :25:04.should not condemn them, we should congratulate them for providing

:25:05. > :25:08.those facilities. He is making some very personal points, does he agree

:25:09. > :25:12.that the whole point of this debate is that concessions need to be made

:25:13. > :25:16.on both sides and it would be people Ellie unfortunate if people got the

:25:17. > :25:19.perception that everything would be solved if Israel did this or that,

:25:20. > :25:24.it is substantial concessions on both sides that are needed. I thank

:25:25. > :25:27.my honourable friend. Clearly the concern I have and many honourable

:25:28. > :25:30.members have is that the Palestinians are trying to

:25:31. > :25:37.internationalise the issue, taking their case to the United Nations,

:25:38. > :25:44.seeking assistance from outside, and not getting the real issue which is

:25:45. > :25:50.face-to-face talks with Israel to resolve the problems are so that we

:25:51. > :25:54.come to a conclusion and a secure state of Palestine. We should always

:25:55. > :25:58.remember that the green line represents an area which will be

:25:59. > :26:06.indefensible from the state of Israel in the case of a war. And

:26:07. > :26:12.would... The honourable member is making a powerful speech and giving

:26:13. > :26:17.a historical analysis that has been somewhat lacking. Would he agree in

:26:18. > :26:24.trying to internationalise the process rather than accepting it has

:26:25. > :26:28.to be face-to-face talks. We missed with the Palestinians into believing

:26:29. > :26:31.that peace can be found for them without them having to make any

:26:32. > :26:36.comment rise whereas the honourable gentleman has just said and many of

:26:37. > :26:41.us agree, comp ice and trust building on both sides is required?

:26:42. > :26:44.I think the honourable lady for the intervention and clearly we have to

:26:45. > :26:49.build trust and experience between all sides. One of the concerns I

:26:50. > :26:53.have, and I had the experience of going to Israel on six occasions, I

:26:54. > :26:59.have also had the opportunity of visiting the West Bank and Jordan

:27:00. > :27:03.with the Palestinian return centre. The reality is that the Jordanians

:27:04. > :27:08.actually did not build trust amongst the Palestinians at the time, they

:27:09. > :27:11.refuse to give them status, refused to give them title to their land.

:27:12. > :27:18.The issue that remains therefore, one of difficulty in resolving those

:27:19. > :27:22.particular land issues. What we have to do is build trust by joint

:27:23. > :27:27.projects, the honourable lady has outlined, by bringing people

:27:28. > :27:32.together so that they negotiate and build trust between the peoples

:27:33. > :27:35.rather than separating them. It is quite clear that the security

:27:36. > :27:40.barrier around Jerusalem, everyone would like to see removed. But it

:27:41. > :27:45.can only be removed, for example, when there is trust between the

:27:46. > :27:50.Israelis and Palestinians. And once that is achieved we can all achieve

:27:51. > :27:59.that dream a two state solution with proper viable borders, proper

:28:00. > :28:04.security for both states. Thank you. It is extremely important that we

:28:05. > :28:10.recognise and reaffirm the importance of two states, Israel and

:28:11. > :28:14.Palestine in resolving this tragic conflict between two peoples both

:28:15. > :28:19.legitimately seeking self-determination. And together

:28:20. > :28:24.with that must be a very clear understanding from the Palestinians

:28:25. > :28:31.that Israel, has a majority Jewish state, is there to stay as part of

:28:32. > :28:36.the Middle East. It is not, as they too often suggest, an imposition

:28:37. > :28:44.from outside the area. The origins of the settlement which I do not

:28:45. > :28:50.support are often not known about or misunderstood. In 1967, Israel

:28:51. > :28:56.survived a defensive war and found it was then ruling Gaza, previously

:28:57. > :29:01.under the control of digit, and the West Bank, previously under control

:29:02. > :29:08.of Jordan. There were strong government in Israel at the time to

:29:09. > :29:14.trade that land for peace, for recognition. And it is tragic that

:29:15. > :29:21.the Arab league cartoon conference held in 1967 stridently declared to

:29:22. > :29:30.Israel, no recognition, no peace, no negotiation. And that gave the green

:29:31. > :29:33.light to the movement that followed. It is a really important point she

:29:34. > :29:38.is making and she is showing why comparisons between Israel and

:29:39. > :29:42.Russia are utterly fatuous. Because what happened in 1967 is that Israel

:29:43. > :29:46.was invaded, Israel managed to deal with that invasion and that's when

:29:47. > :29:50.the West Bank and Gaza came under Israel's control and that has been

:29:51. > :29:55.the issue that both sides ought to be sitting down and trying to

:29:56. > :30:02.resolve. I agree with the comments of my honourable friend. Settlements

:30:03. > :30:06.are the problem, but they are not the only problem and they are most

:30:07. > :30:11.certainly not the only barrier to peace. In Sinai in 1979 in an

:30:12. > :30:17.agreement with Egypt which survives to this day, Israel withdrew not

:30:18. > :30:29.just from Sinai but also from its settlements there. In Gaza in 2005,

:30:30. > :30:34.Israel unilaterally withdrew 8000 settlers and soldiers from Gaza,

:30:35. > :30:41.demolishing its settlements and tragically that has not led to

:30:42. > :30:46.peace. In every attempt to make peace with Palestinians and others,

:30:47. > :30:51.a solution has been found to settlements, whether to do with land

:30:52. > :31:04.swaps or settlements becoming part of the Palestinian state.

:31:05. > :31:14.The key issue about settlements on the West Bank is

:31:15. > :31:21.But the key issues changing the physical barrier, rather than the

:31:22. > :31:26.policy barrier. And the scale of the challenge on the West Bank, it is

:31:27. > :31:29.not just 8000 settlements, it is 400000 and therefore the vast

:31:30. > :31:33.political investment and it is difficult for Israel to deliver it

:31:34. > :31:40.and becomes more difficult every day as the settler interest becomes

:31:41. > :31:44.greater. I agree that the settlement policy is certainly not helpful, it

:31:45. > :31:46.has developed because of the intransigence of the Palestinians

:31:47. > :31:54.and failure to reach an agreement until now. While I except that

:31:55. > :31:56.settlements are a problem, they are not an insoluble problem. And they

:31:57. > :32:05.are most certainly not the only problem. Can I comment I think is a

:32:06. > :32:12.critical problem and a critical barrier to resolving the situation,

:32:13. > :32:16.and Alison Simon. And that is deliberate incitement that comes

:32:17. > :32:20.from the Palestinian Authority, from Hamas, and of course, that itself is

:32:21. > :32:36.explicitly anti-Semitic and talks about people ruling the world, and

:32:37. > :32:43.statements, that they will kill every Jew around the bush. And I

:32:44. > :32:47.draw the honourable member 's attention to the power seeing

:32:48. > :32:51.campaign of incitement to violence and if we look simpler what has

:32:52. > :33:01.happened in the 12 months after October 2015 had not finished yet.

:33:02. > :33:06.On terrorism basis, and 69 stabbings and shootings, 54 car ramming is, 46

:33:07. > :33:12.Israeli civilians killed and 650 injured. That is on the streets of

:33:13. > :33:21.this rail. Terrorism, individuals sometimes young, sometimes as young

:33:22. > :33:27.as 12 and 13, fired up with hatred, not included, pulling a 30 rod boy

:33:28. > :33:31.off his bike and stabbing him, but another teenage boy. Dad since

:33:32. > :33:33.Teichmann tanned that comes from the creation of hatred. And there are

:33:34. > :33:41.also by the Palestinian authorities.

:33:42. > :33:47.Namely schools after terrorists. For example, after one, who was the

:33:48. > :33:53.organiser of the 1978 coastal Rd massacre. Attacking a school bus

:33:54. > :34:00.where 37 people were killed including 12 children. That is just

:34:01. > :34:04.one example, of the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, the

:34:05. > :34:12.Palestinian Authority honouring terrorists. Calling them martyrs and

:34:13. > :34:17.encouraging others to do the same. Or I could talk about the case of

:34:18. > :34:22.Daphne Maier, who was murdered in her home. 30 rod Noah was stabbed

:34:23. > :34:27.and critically injured, when he was riding his bike in the north of

:34:28. > :34:32.Jerusalem. Three other people who were killed as they rode on a bus,

:34:33. > :34:37.in southern Jerusalem. And victims, of what President Abbasi himself

:34:38. > :34:45.actually called, a peaceful uprising. If that does not make the

:34:46. > :34:52.point enough. I remind honourable member is that just last month,

:34:53. > :34:58.effect on board the martyrdom of something, the first Palestinian

:34:59. > :35:05.female suicide bomber. Who use the cover as a volunteer of the Red

:35:06. > :35:12.Crescent, to enter, Israel and she used an explosive belt so that her

:35:13. > :35:17.her pure body would explodes into pieces in her Zionists faces. She

:35:18. > :35:20.did indeed kill an Israeli and murdered over a hundred other

:35:21. > :35:26.people. I'm sorry that time is running out, these acts are

:35:27. > :35:31.horrendous, and I would ask every candle honourable members to

:35:32. > :35:36.consider the role of incitement and the stirring up of hatred, creating

:35:37. > :35:41.a massive barrier to peace. The solution to all of this is for both

:35:42. > :35:47.peoples Israelis and Palestinians to sit together in direct talks and

:35:48. > :35:53.agree a compromise, he negotiated agreement so that there is a secure

:35:54. > :36:01.Israel and a secure Palestine, a homeland for Israelis, for dues and

:36:02. > :36:06.for Palestinians. It is a great pleasure to follow the ladies for

:36:07. > :36:09.Liverpool Riverside, she clearly knows a huge amount about this

:36:10. > :36:14.subject and I believe that she's right about the level of disgusting

:36:15. > :36:17.incitement that takes place from the Palestinian side. On the other side

:36:18. > :36:22.however I would have to say that some of the language and behaviour

:36:23. > :36:25.of the extremist Jewish settlers, particularly in places like Hebron

:36:26. > :36:28.is equally vile, and were never going to find a resolution to use

:36:29. > :36:36.conflict unless we deal with both sides of the argument. Madam Deputy

:36:37. > :36:40.Speaker, I have been to Israel, West Bank and Gaza several times. I have

:36:41. > :36:43.had the peculiar privilege standing in Gaza, looking out over to Israel

:36:44. > :36:49.and standing in this role looking out over to Gaza. My late uncle

:36:50. > :36:54.served, with British forces, in mandate Palestine after the end of

:36:55. > :36:57.the Second World War. And the Northamptonshire Regiment was

:36:58. > :37:00.instrumental in liberating Palestine, now Israel, from the

:37:01. > :37:07.Ottoman Empire, in the First World War. There were three huge battles

:37:08. > :37:11.in Gaza, six men from the town of Bessbrook in my constituency were

:37:12. > :37:16.all killed on the same day, in the First World War, in the third Battle

:37:17. > :37:19.of Gaza. I had a privilege of laying a wreath on their behalf in the

:37:20. > :37:27.Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the middle of Gaza city. I thank the

:37:28. > :37:30.honourable member, does the honourable member agree with me that

:37:31. > :37:34.it is extraordinary that during all of the conflicts and intifada is,

:37:35. > :37:41.that the British cemeteries in Gaza had been well maintained? Yes and

:37:42. > :37:44.the elderly gentleman who maintains the Commonwealth War Graves was

:37:45. > :37:46.awarded the MBE which he was extraordinarily proud of. I believe

:37:47. > :37:51.he has been looking after the grateful something like 60 years. My

:37:52. > :37:53.point in saying that is that Britain's connection with this

:37:54. > :37:58.region goes back an awfully long way. And for the best part of 30

:37:59. > :38:03.years after the First World War, we did our best, to try to come to a

:38:04. > :38:10.reconciled solution between Arabs and dues. As a nation, we failed and

:38:11. > :38:14.that is why we pulled out in 1948. We're not going to solve a problem

:38:15. > :38:19.of Israel and the Palestinians this afternoon. What we are being asked

:38:20. > :38:23.to do is to agree or to oppose a motion on Israeli settlements. Yes

:38:24. > :38:29.it is not the only issue, but it is the only issue on the order paper

:38:30. > :38:36.before us this afternoon. And I support Her Majesty 's government 's

:38:37. > :38:41.opposition, to Israeli settlements. I wonder if he agrees that it would

:38:42. > :38:47.be helpful if the British government made it clear, that British folks

:38:48. > :38:49.should not be trading with those illegal settlements? I certainly

:38:50. > :38:54.agree that Her Majesty 's government sand her minister will address this

:38:55. > :38:58.to the very pertinent question asked by my right honourable friend the

:38:59. > :39:02.member for new Forest. What more is her mashed is government going to

:39:03. > :39:10.do, to let the Israeli government know that we are actually opposed to

:39:11. > :39:14.settlements. And we mean it. What more are we going to do than just

:39:15. > :39:18.shout on the touchline. What evidence is there that sanctions and

:39:19. > :39:23.boycotts that right people further apart is going to achieve anything

:39:24. > :39:28.at all? Surely what we should be arguing for is trade and investment?

:39:29. > :39:32.Personally I'm not in favour of boycotts whatever the issue is,

:39:33. > :39:37.although investment but I'm in favour of Her Majesty 's government

:39:38. > :39:41.having a robust method of action against the Israeli government to

:39:42. > :39:44.make sure that they are clear what our policy is. I voted for the

:39:45. > :39:50.recognition Palestine, and I would do that every day of the week. I am

:39:51. > :39:54.a friend of Israel, I think Israel is a fantastic country, it has

:39:55. > :40:07.brought many benefits to the world, we heard about saving child's heart,

:40:08. > :40:09.the work that Israeli surgeons are doing to help honourable children

:40:10. > :40:11.who come from all nations including Muslim nations from around the

:40:12. > :40:13.world, Israel is a leader in the high-tech industry, in medicine.

:40:14. > :40:17.Many NHS medicines come from Israel and it is a key ally for us in a

:40:18. > :40:21.very rough and dangerous part of the world. But our friend and ally

:40:22. > :40:28.Israel finds itself now in the 50th year of a military occupation of two

:40:29. > :40:32.and a half million people. And speaking as a candid friend, surely

:40:33. > :40:40.it is our duty to say to Israel, you cannot go on like this. And

:40:41. > :40:43.honourable ladies and gentlemen who has spoken this afternoon in favour

:40:44. > :40:47.of international talks and in favour of bilateral talks, I don't mind

:40:48. > :40:52.particularly what the talks are so long as they start talking to each

:40:53. > :40:57.other. Clearly, ultimately we have to end up with bilateral talks. But

:40:58. > :41:01.it is wrong to say that international talks is a diversion,

:41:02. > :41:04.which the State of Israel is established as a result of

:41:05. > :41:11.international action through the United Nations. So I think we have

:41:12. > :41:15.to be realistic, as friends of both the Israelis and the Palestinians,

:41:16. > :41:20.we had to say for goodness sake, how long does this have to go on.

:41:21. > :41:26.Nowhere in the history of the world has there been 50 years of military

:41:27. > :41:31.occupation. And both Israel and Palestine could have a fantastic

:41:32. > :41:35.future, both are very entrepreneurial countries, both have

:41:36. > :41:39.got a lot of get up and go. Both have very civilised and educated

:41:40. > :41:43.peoples and they could be leaders to the world in how two conflicting

:41:44. > :41:49.peoples come together in reconciliation, and develop a

:41:50. > :41:52.wonderful future for themselves. I think Her Majesty 's government, in

:41:53. > :41:55.the hundredth year of the Balfour declaration actually has a bigger

:41:56. > :41:59.role to play in this than it might realise and it should seize this

:42:00. > :42:06.opportunity to knock heads together and say, how can we Britain help

:42:07. > :42:10.kudos our friends to come together. -- help our friends. It would be

:42:11. > :42:14.obvious to the house that every speech so far would be well in

:42:15. > :42:25.excess of four minutes, so now we have two reduce the time limit to

:42:26. > :42:31.three minutes. Thank you for that. I want to put on record my declaration

:42:32. > :42:37.of interest, in the register of members interests. I went to the

:42:38. > :42:42.West Bank last year, it was paid for by factor UK, and organised by

:42:43. > :42:46.travel to Palestine. It is very clear that the settlements are in

:42:47. > :42:53.breach of international law, -- Fatah UK. The international guys, we

:42:54. > :42:58.shouldn't have any argued about that, that the settlements are

:42:59. > :43:01.illegal and work from there. The honourable member for Kettering is

:43:02. > :43:05.actually right, the resolution before us is about the settlements

:43:06. > :43:07.and we should concentrate, on that that is what we are talking about

:43:08. > :43:12.today. I wouldn't say they are the only barriers to peace but they are

:43:13. > :43:15.a barrier. Removing the settlements would not create a peaceful

:43:16. > :43:20.agreement but nevertheless while the settlements are there, you're not

:43:21. > :43:24.going to get a peace agreement. And certainly, while settlements are

:43:25. > :43:30.continuing to be built. Israelis say they want the talks to begin without

:43:31. > :43:34.preconditions. But they don't, they want the preconditions that they can

:43:35. > :43:37.carry on building settlements while negotiations take place, that is

:43:38. > :43:41.fundamental, until the Israelis say they will stop building settlements

:43:42. > :43:45.and then we will negotiate while those settlements are being built,

:43:46. > :43:48.would at least be an important settlement forward. That is an

:43:49. > :43:53.important point to make. The problem of the settlements being a barrier,

:43:54. > :44:00.they actually fragment the land which Palestine will form as a

:44:01. > :44:02.state. They make it possible to four major practical entity, when you

:44:03. > :44:10.have got settlements dotted around it. That is the problem, you can

:44:11. > :44:13.partially deal with it by land swaps and the Palestinian Authority does

:44:14. > :44:18.not explicitly rule out land swaps. But the more settlements that

:44:19. > :44:22.happen, on the ground, the hard and eventual peace agreement will be to

:44:23. > :44:30.formulate. That is the reality. I will give way once. I wonder if he

:44:31. > :44:35.agrees with me, that given that settlements in the West Bank are

:44:36. > :44:41.illegal, there will be no peace unless Israel starts to recognise

:44:42. > :44:44.and adhere to international law. You can't have a peace agreement with

:44:45. > :44:48.one side not recognising international law and that goes

:44:49. > :44:51.without saying. The impact of settlements on the economy of

:44:52. > :44:55.Palestine, also has to be understood. Talking to Palestinian

:44:56. > :45:02.people, who described their journeys to work, a distance of six or seven

:45:03. > :45:06.miles, taking two or three hours, because of the checkpoints which

:45:07. > :45:10.exist, by and large to protect the settlements and Israeli interests,

:45:11. > :45:15.that is the reality of everyday life for Palestinian citizens, and damage

:45:16. > :45:19.to the economy. Talking to the Mayor of Hebron, who explains that their

:45:20. > :45:27.city wants to expand and needs to expand. It can't because the area

:45:28. > :45:31.outside Hebron, is in area C. Which is controlled by the Israelis and

:45:32. > :45:43.the Israelis do not allow the Palestinians to building area C.

:45:44. > :45:49.Go to the checkpoint and see the hatred between young Palestinians

:45:50. > :45:53.held up at gunpoint, strip-searched in the street, and Young Israeli

:45:54. > :45:57.soldiers of the same age, it actually brutalises both sides and

:45:58. > :46:05.so is the seed of hatred for years to come. And look at the racism. I'm

:46:06. > :46:07.sorry, it is racism. When people are treated differently about whether

:46:08. > :46:11.they can build on a piece of land because of their race, whether they

:46:12. > :46:16.can get through a checkpoint easily or have to go to a different

:46:17. > :46:20.checkpoint because of their race, or whether, most fundamentally, they

:46:21. > :46:23.can have access to water, because Israeli settlements have access to

:46:24. > :46:26.water seven days a week in the summer but Palestinians have to put

:46:27. > :46:32.water tanks on their roof because they don't get the same axis. What

:46:33. > :46:35.could be more discreet in a tree? I say to the government, yes, you

:46:36. > :46:43.supported the resolution, what are you going to do it? Tommy Sheppard.

:46:44. > :46:47.Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. This is the longest-running conflict in

:46:48. > :46:51.the modern era and its solution seems further away than ever, but I

:46:52. > :46:58.think it's very intricate ability is a reason why we should commit

:46:59. > :47:01.ourselves to moving forward. Every time the international community has

:47:02. > :47:05.considered competing claims from this region they have arrived at the

:47:06. > :47:10.same conclusion, and that is two states living side-by-side, one

:47:11. > :47:15.Jewish and character, one Arab in character, in peaceful coexistence

:47:16. > :47:18.is the solution to aim for. That was true 100 years ago, it was true when

:47:19. > :47:23.the fledgling UN decided what to do after the mandate in the late 40s

:47:24. > :47:26.and it was true when the Palestinians and Israelis met in

:47:27. > :47:32.Oslo under international support in the last round of peace talks. There

:47:33. > :47:36.are two fundamental truths for people who believe in that two state

:47:37. > :47:42.solution. The first is that one state exists and one state does not.

:47:43. > :47:45.So trying to create and bring into existence the state of Palestinian

:47:46. > :47:49.is the world's unfinished business and that is something we should

:47:50. > :47:54.support. The second fundamental truth is this, you cannot have a two

:47:55. > :47:59.state solution whilst one state is in military occupation of the lands

:48:00. > :48:04.designated the other. So at some stage the occupation will have to

:48:05. > :48:09.end if there is to be a two state solution. In Oslo it was agreed that

:48:10. > :48:14.the occupied territories, as everybody knows, would be divided

:48:15. > :48:18.into zones, the new Palestinian Authority taking responsibility for

:48:19. > :48:24.urban areas, the Israeli occupying force responsible for 62% of landing

:48:25. > :48:28.area C. But that was envisaged as a transitional arrangement. People

:48:29. > :48:33.thought when we had the Oslo accord that by the end of the decade, by

:48:34. > :48:35.the end of the century, that land and that responsibility which

:48:36. > :48:43.transferred to the Palestinian Authority as it emerged and become a

:48:44. > :48:46.fully fledged Palestinian state. Not only has that not happened, but the

:48:47. > :48:56.actions of the Israeli government since have made it even further away

:48:57. > :49:00.than it was 25 years ago. I wonder if he will agree there is an

:49:01. > :49:04.enormous power imbalance between Israel, a state with the fourth

:49:05. > :49:08.largest and strongest army in the world and Palestine which is not a

:49:09. > :49:11.state and does not have an army. Palestinians have already conceded

:49:12. > :49:17.78% of their land, international pressure is needed now ignoring

:49:18. > :49:22.resolution 2334 is not the way forward. I do agree with that which

:49:23. > :49:25.is why people who talk about face-to-face talks really ought to

:49:26. > :49:30.consider that this is something of a David and Goliath situation, and any

:49:31. > :49:35.conflict where that exists and peace has been achieved it has been with

:49:36. > :49:38.an international framework and that was true with the Good Friday

:49:39. > :49:42.agreement in Northern Ireland as well. So we need to listen to the

:49:43. > :49:49.Palestinians when they appeal for our help and support to try to

:49:50. > :49:53.achieve a resolution. The Oslo agreement, the fact is that the

:49:54. > :49:58.Israeli government of the last 25 years have, in contravention of the

:49:59. > :50:02.fourth Geneva Convention, moved half a million of their own civilian

:50:03. > :50:06.population into an area in which they are in military occupation.

:50:07. > :50:09.That is why people call the settlements illegal. At some stage

:50:10. > :50:12.they will have to be dealt with and yes there will need to be land swaps

:50:13. > :50:16.and yes some of the settlers may wish to choose to be Palestinian

:50:17. > :50:20.citizens and some may wish to choose to take advantage of relocation

:50:21. > :50:25.schemes to go into Israel proper, but it's going to have to be dealt

:50:26. > :50:29.with. And the fact is that every brick that is late, every new

:50:30. > :50:37.apartment built puts a solution further away. This is why this

:50:38. > :50:41.resolution calls upon the Israeli government to review its policy to

:50:42. > :50:45.put a cessation on settlement building so that peace talks can

:50:46. > :50:49.begin. If you want peace talks you have to have a ceasefire. Stopping

:50:50. > :50:58.building settlements would be the equivalent. The first of my point is

:50:59. > :51:00.that we implement the resolution particularly with regard to

:51:01. > :51:12.differentiation of the occupied territories and Israel proper. The

:51:13. > :51:15.second is that... I'm out of time. The honourable gentleman will have

:51:16. > :51:25.to find another way of making his other points. Thank you Madam Deputy

:51:26. > :51:30.Speaker. My support for resolution 2334 which calls for peace,

:51:31. > :51:34.denounces violence in all its forms and crucially condemns the building

:51:35. > :51:41.of illegal settlements by the Israeli government. Although I

:51:42. > :51:46.recognise there are many issues, I will concentrate my remarks on the

:51:47. > :51:50.illegal settlements which are being constructed by the Israeli

:51:51. > :51:53.government and which are clearly obstructing the peace process, a

:51:54. > :52:02.process that I'm sure all members will agree we need to resume

:52:03. > :52:07.urgently. Madam Deputy Speaker, surprisingly one or two members have

:52:08. > :52:11.cast doubt on a very clear position here which is whether or not the

:52:12. > :52:16.settlements are actually illegal. So for the sake of clarity let me stand

:52:17. > :52:21.some authority. Settlements are declared as illegal under

:52:22. > :52:25.international law by numerous UN resolutions, by the Geneva

:52:26. > :52:28.Convention, by the International Court of Justice, the US State

:52:29. > :52:33.Department, the Royal statute, article two of the UN Charter, by

:52:34. > :52:37.the Hague regulations and indeed, most importantly, by this house and

:52:38. > :52:44.ministers from all parties. There illegality was also reaffirmed by

:52:45. > :52:48.the current resolution 2334 which let us run and also faced no

:52:49. > :52:54.opposition at the vote. I could go on and cite other examples but I am

:52:55. > :52:59.limited with time. However we look at this, what cannot be contended is

:53:00. > :53:06.that the settlements are illegal. The second point is the ongoing

:53:07. > :53:11.construction of illegal settlements where that obstructs the peace

:53:12. > :53:15.process. The two state solution is the only viable option for the

:53:16. > :53:20.region but if we continue to see Palestinian land is appear under

:53:21. > :53:24.illegal settlements the two state solution will be dead and the hopes

:53:25. > :53:30.for Palestinians and Israelis alike will be dead with it. The solution,

:53:31. > :53:35.Madam Deputy Speaker, is a two state solution, not a one and a bit state

:53:36. > :53:41.solution. And Palestinians will not negotiate, this is not what they

:53:42. > :53:45.were promised under UN agreements, nor will they negotiate a deal of

:53:46. > :53:53.who gets the land while at the same time Israel is taking chunks after

:53:54. > :53:56.chunk of the very same land away. Madam Deputy Speaker, time not

:53:57. > :54:00.permitting, what is paramount for the region and its peace is peace

:54:01. > :54:03.between Israel and Palestine. What I want to see as I hope do we all, but

:54:04. > :54:08.illegal settlements have to stop before we can reach that point or

:54:09. > :54:14.even get back to the path to it. So can I ask the Minister to condemn

:54:15. > :54:18.the further illegal settlements announced since resolution 2334 and

:54:19. > :54:27.could he tell me what concrete steps this covenant is doing to move

:54:28. > :54:30.forward? Thank you. Like many in this house who are determined to see

:54:31. > :54:34.a peaceful resolution in the Middle East, I welcome this timely debate

:54:35. > :54:39.to reaffirm our support for lasting peace and to commend the government

:54:40. > :54:46.on signing resolution 2334 last year. Like the Palestinians have

:54:47. > :54:53.done since 1993I also recognise Israel's existence. However, these

:54:54. > :54:57.last two weeks have seen this vision placed in further risk by acts of

:54:58. > :55:00.the Israeli government, a democracy that does not live up to the values

:55:01. > :55:07.it espouses. The passing of a regulation Bill was described as the

:55:08. > :55:15.robbery law flies in the face of this resolution. The UN resolution

:55:16. > :55:17.could not set out more clearly the international view of settlements

:55:18. > :55:23.and settlement expansion in occupied Palestine. Madam Deputy Speaker, we

:55:24. > :55:27.as a country have been very clear that settlements are an obstacle to

:55:28. > :55:33.peace. They have no legality and are against international law. We have

:55:34. > :55:37.tolerated Israel changing physical reality on the ground, we must never

:55:38. > :55:43.tolerate any attempt to change legal positions. We have committed

:55:44. > :55:47.ourselves to a number of essential positions that we call on both sides

:55:48. > :55:53.to act on the basis of international law. We reiterate the position that

:55:54. > :55:57.settlements are a flagrant dilation of international law and an obstacle

:55:58. > :56:02.to peace, and we accept no change to the 1957 border that is not agreed

:56:03. > :56:09.by both sides and will do everything to encourage peace. By passing a

:56:10. > :56:13.regulation Bill that flies in the face of everything we declared at

:56:14. > :56:17.the UN, for a government to legislate in a land not under their

:56:18. > :56:22.rule of their parliament, where people of that land have no

:56:23. > :56:28.representation is a travesty. It is a signal that the UN and

:56:29. > :56:32.international efforts have no impact on the current government. Many have

:56:33. > :56:36.spoken in condemnation of this law which the UN special envoy to the

:56:37. > :56:39.Middle East described as crossing a thick red light, and by a former

:56:40. > :56:42.Israel the Minister as evil and dangerous, against the basic

:56:43. > :56:48.principles of democracy and Israeli law. Even the Attorney General will

:56:49. > :56:54.likely argue against it. Finally, whilst icon graduate the honourable

:56:55. > :56:58.member for New Forest West for declaring this debate, I support the

:56:59. > :57:02.motion put forward. It is high time that we move beyond combination and

:57:03. > :57:08.hollow words of support. We must support movements towards

:57:09. > :57:13.accountability and demonstrate commitment to the rule of law. Only

:57:14. > :57:18.then can we shake the different future for these children and

:57:19. > :57:22.generations to come. Celebrating at the moment is disheartening, that is

:57:23. > :57:28.celebrating Israel because it was legally asked to remove occupants

:57:29. > :57:38.from the order, that was not to be celebrated. Andy Slaughter. May I

:57:39. > :57:45.refer, I visited the West Bank last year, I disagree with members who

:57:46. > :57:52.have criticised the motion today because it does not deal with

:57:53. > :57:55.settlements. I do believe that settlements are not the only issue

:57:56. > :58:01.but they are the most important issue. It is a relatively anodyne

:58:02. > :58:07.motion in that sense which I hope everybody can support. Firstly, the

:58:08. > :58:16.tragedy of Palestine is the occupation. The length of the

:58:17. > :58:20.occupation. And the settlements are the embodiment of occupation. And

:58:21. > :58:27.everything else which is run the occupied territories flows from the

:58:28. > :58:30.settlements. So the barrier, 85% of which is in occupied territory and

:58:31. > :58:35.is there to protect the settlements and it has been said settlements

:58:36. > :58:43.only occupy 1.5% of the land, they control 42.7% of the land. 60% of

:58:44. > :58:46.the land is land that Palestinians themselves are not allowed to build,

:58:47. > :58:53.the checkpoints, the detention without trial, the appalling settler

:58:54. > :58:55.violence, there are more attacks by settlers on Palestinians than there

:58:56. > :59:03.are by Palestinians on settlers in the West Bank. It has been described

:59:04. > :59:09.as petty apartheid, separate legal systems and military law for

:59:10. > :59:17.Palestinians controlled by the defence Minister, a settler himself,

:59:18. > :59:22.somebody who is on record as having said that Palestinian citizens of

:59:23. > :59:27.Israel should have their heads chopped off, that is the person in

:59:28. > :59:34.charge of the West Bank. We are at a crucial point here. 6000 new settler

:59:35. > :59:37.units declared since Donald Trump went into the White House and as

:59:38. > :59:46.we've heard the burglary law as it was described, 4000 illegal outposts

:59:47. > :59:50.now legitimised. So in the very short time I have, let me make one

:59:51. > :59:53.point if I may, we know that despite the alternative facts we have heard

:59:54. > :59:58.this afternoon, we know settlements are illegal. What is the government

:59:59. > :00:04.going to do about the settlements? Why can we not stop trading with

:00:05. > :00:09.settlements if they are illegal? Let's not confuse that with that

:00:10. > :00:12.issue. Why can we not insured there are clearer guidelines for business

:00:13. > :00:16.to stop them doing that? Why can we not prevent a transaction as was

:00:17. > :00:22.done with Crimea and why can we not have a database on all of those

:00:23. > :00:26.issues? I would be grateful for specific answers from the Minister

:00:27. > :00:29.today. Of course we are looking for condemnation of this, but we are

:00:30. > :00:42.also looking for action from the British government. I apologise,

:00:43. > :00:46.when I spoke I permitted touring attention to my entry in the

:00:47. > :00:50.register of interests concerning a recent trip to Israel, I would like

:00:51. > :01:04.to correct that I also, went with the delegation

:01:05. > :01:13.last year to is throne and Palestine. I thank the honourable

:01:14. > :01:18.gentleman. Any other points? I also wish to draw attention to the

:01:19. > :01:29.register of interests, I went on a trip to Israel and the West Bank

:01:30. > :01:33.last year as a guest of Fatah UK. Is it required Madam Deputy Speaker if

:01:34. > :01:36.you have visited Israel or Palestine, in the last year and have

:01:37. > :01:45.registered that in the Registry, is it required that we make that

:01:46. > :01:51.declaration here? It is a matter for individual members as to how and in

:01:52. > :01:57.what manner they declare matters where they may have personally

:01:58. > :01:59.benefited, financially or otherwise from an outside organisation, who

:02:00. > :02:06.might have an interest in the current debate. But it is very much

:02:07. > :02:10.a matter for individual members as to whether they wish to make these

:02:11. > :02:14.points or not. Of course the rules are very strict as to what is the

:02:15. > :02:23.register of members interests as the honourable lady has said. Hearing

:02:24. > :02:28.your guidance, I would declare that I have is to Israel and Palestine on

:02:29. > :02:32.a number of occasions, over the last year. All of which have been

:02:33. > :02:37.supported and financed by the Labour friends of Israel, from which I have

:02:38. > :02:46.made no personal gain whatsoever. I thank the old lady. -- the

:02:47. > :02:50.honourable lady. Can I draw your attention to my register of members

:02:51. > :02:56.interests, regarding visiting the West Bank last year, co-organised by

:02:57. > :03:04.the Council for British understanding and paid for by a

:03:05. > :03:09.foundation. Is there anybody else who would like to register their

:03:10. > :03:12.travel experiences? Having heard what you said, I didn't realise we

:03:13. > :03:16.were required to do this, I did say my speech that I have been doosra

:03:17. > :03:24.recently, given everybody else is this. I I should draw attention, I

:03:25. > :03:30.visited Israel recently, met politicians in Israel and Palestine,

:03:31. > :03:33.that trip was funded by Labour friends of Israel stop by the

:03:34. > :03:42.honourable gentleman did mention that, I remember him saying it. We

:03:43. > :03:45.have taken up and in tyre speech time, it is right that honourable

:03:46. > :03:51.member should behave honourably in these matters. Mark Kendrick. Madam

:03:52. > :03:55.Deputy Speaker, as has become the fashion, I would like to declare my

:03:56. > :04:01.visits to Palestine and Israel over the last 15 years financed by

:04:02. > :04:05.various organisations. Madam Deputy Speaker it is clear that this debate

:04:06. > :04:10.is quite narrow in terms of focus but very important nevertheless,

:04:11. > :04:15.that is that it is on the idea settlements. The number of

:04:16. > :04:19.honourable gentleman have tried to trivialise settlements. But while it

:04:20. > :04:24.may not be the most important issue they are a very important issue

:04:25. > :04:28.indeed. We only need to draw ourselves, our attention, two

:04:29. > :04:36.resolutions 242 and 338, from the United Nations, dated 67 and 73. The

:04:37. > :04:39.key phrases, basically the withdrawal of Israeli Armed Forces

:04:40. > :04:44.from territories occupied in the recent conflict. And clearly, I

:04:45. > :04:52.would like to make some progress if you don't mind. So clearly, by

:04:53. > :04:56.making reference, two Israeli Armed Forces, it is clear that they will

:04:57. > :05:00.not be withdrawn as long as settlements exist, in the West Bank.

:05:01. > :05:05.So it goes without saying that settlements in body, as a crucial

:05:06. > :05:12.part of the problem in this respect. When I first visited Palestine,

:05:13. > :05:16.something like 14 or 15 years ago, there was something like 15,000

:05:17. > :05:20.settlers in the West Bank. When I last visited, that increase to about

:05:21. > :05:25.half a million. And I understand the latest figures are about 600,000. So

:05:26. > :05:29.we can see that the situation is changing on the ground extremely

:05:30. > :05:34.quickly. And because it is changing extremely quickly on the ground,

:05:35. > :05:37.then the longer that this dispute and conflict continues. And clearly

:05:38. > :05:44.the situation on the ground will get to the point, where it will be a two

:05:45. > :05:47.state solution, will be out of reach, because obviously, so much

:05:48. > :05:51.land will have been taken, there will be very little land left great

:05:52. > :05:55.contiguous state and I would hope that this government would

:05:56. > :06:02.recognise. Settlements, were the main focus as we know of resolutions

:06:03. > :06:08.to 334, passed on December the 23rd. And we also know that the policy of

:06:09. > :06:13.the US, the UN, and UK Government repeated endlessly by ministers in

:06:14. > :06:18.this house, is settlements are illegal, under international law,

:06:19. > :06:21.and an obstacle to peace. How anybody can say, that settlements

:06:22. > :06:26.are not part and parcel of the solution to this problem, I do not

:06:27. > :06:32.know. As for no preconditions before there are talks, clearly, they're

:06:33. > :06:36.right UN resolutions, those UN resolutions are not preconditions,

:06:37. > :06:39.those UN resolutions referred to international law. And the

:06:40. > :06:44.discussions and direct talks would take place on that basis. I urge the

:06:45. > :06:47.government to recognise Palestine and apply pressure where it can to

:06:48. > :06:55.the United States and elsewhere to see that a two state solution is

:06:56. > :07:02.still viable. Thank you Mr Speaker, I thought it was further down there,

:07:03. > :07:04.my apologies. As I have reflected, settlements are actually a legal

:07:05. > :07:12.international law and they are a physical barrier to the peace

:07:13. > :07:19.process. Through the settlement, Palestinians Rashid and I'd access

:07:20. > :07:24.to 50% of the land, and many others, I have visited Palestine. For the

:07:25. > :07:28.register of men's interests. I have seen a systemic development in our

:07:29. > :07:32.post and settlements, which are intended to control the Palestinians

:07:33. > :07:37.and at worst it is a process for complete annexation of the West

:07:38. > :07:41.Bank. The network settlements, outposts and checkpoints, associated

:07:42. > :07:45.security buffer zones, patrol by the IDF means that Israel can control

:07:46. > :07:53.access to natural resources including Grace and grounds, water

:07:54. > :07:58.supplies and movement of animals. The settlement, is settled up nice

:07:59. > :08:02.and bright at the top of the hill which is possible due to the water

:08:03. > :08:09.supplies. Meanwhile, there is a Bedouin village, connected. The

:08:10. > :08:12.water supply for the settlement runs through the Bedouin village. They

:08:13. > :08:16.have not had access to the water supplies and the school in the

:08:17. > :08:22.village is part funded, but it has got a demolition order. That is the

:08:23. > :08:25.intimidation by Israel. Forced movements of people is illegal,

:08:26. > :08:29.sometimes it gets dressed up as moving people for a better

:08:30. > :08:34.lifestyle. We have seen examples of that in history and it is a false

:08:35. > :08:42.premise, we have seen by Native Americans and Scottish highlanders.

:08:43. > :08:47.That is is getting done two people and not for people. Also others that

:08:48. > :08:53.had been subjected demolitions, I was able to see the water system

:08:54. > :08:59.ruined by debris, including cardboard forced into it. I saw

:09:00. > :09:04.caves and inhabits, forced into it. And the subsistence crops, and no

:09:05. > :09:09.longer can access it. The water for the animals and spending 30% of

:09:10. > :09:13.their income on water that is they used to access for free. I mention

:09:14. > :09:18.the school and the demolition order, handing it over. As you know, there

:09:19. > :09:22.is the impunity in terms of demolition because international

:09:23. > :09:27.committee has not acted, the UK has never asked for redress for

:09:28. > :09:30.demolitions, it is time that it changed, 180 structures have been

:09:31. > :09:36.part funded for EU funding which the UK contributes to, and there has

:09:37. > :09:41.been owed redress. And the connection yesterday, I got a letter

:09:42. > :09:44.that said a ?5 million project in Hebron, suffered demolitions I want

:09:45. > :09:47.to ask the Minister, when it asked that ?5 million back and when we get

:09:48. > :09:58.to take action against on demolition. -- against Israel. Thank

:09:59. > :10:02.you Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank the members, and hand ported this is.

:10:03. > :10:07.These are fateful times and as we move into a centenary year in the

:10:08. > :10:10.Balfour declaration, it is chilling to see the president of the United

:10:11. > :10:13.States openly promote those with hideous anti-Semitic views or in

:10:14. > :10:17.France to watch the rise of a presidential candidate whose party

:10:18. > :10:20.has for decades traded in the despicable sewers of anti-Jewish

:10:21. > :10:25.sentiment. This makes it all the more important that we in Britain

:10:26. > :10:29.uphold our principles and speak out with a clear voice when our allies

:10:30. > :10:32.threaten them. So the departure from our stead fast commitment to a

:10:33. > :10:38.peaceful two state solution in recent months, has sent dangerous

:10:39. > :10:42.signals to the rest of the world. As the UN human rights Council found,

:10:43. > :10:48.while fenced areas of settlement cover only 3% of the West Bank, in

:10:49. > :10:51.reality 43% of the territory is allocated to local and regional

:10:52. > :10:56.settlement councils, if that control is legalised, legitimised and

:10:57. > :11:02.expanded, it represents one of the most grievous blows to the prospects

:11:03. > :11:05.for peace for decades. It was therefore frankly astonishing, when

:11:06. > :11:10.our Prime Minister chose to use a balanced speech by the outgoing US

:11:11. > :11:15.Secretary of State, to signal a divergence with the position of our

:11:16. > :11:19.closest ally. Senator Kerry spoke of a government more committed to

:11:20. > :11:24.settlements that ever before. And the systematic consolidation of

:11:25. > :11:28.control, over the West Bank, that is leading towards the inevitability of

:11:29. > :11:32.one state, and the near extinction of the prospects for peace. The

:11:33. > :11:37.outgoing Obama administration reacted with a understandable shock,

:11:38. > :11:40.to the criticism that stems not from the Foreign Office but from the

:11:41. > :11:45.Prime Minister herself. They said we are surprised by the UK Prime

:11:46. > :11:49.Minister's office statement given that Secretary Ceri's remarks were

:11:50. > :11:53.in line with UK's: standing policy and its vote at the United Nations.

:11:54. > :11:58.This criticism and the warm embrace of a new president in the US

:11:59. > :12:02.determined to support existing settlements, I have no doubt

:12:03. > :12:06.emboldened the Israeli government, which has announced for the first

:12:07. > :12:09.time in decades, thousands of new buildings in the occupied

:12:10. > :12:13.territories. Our absence from The European Council in Malta when the

:12:14. > :12:16.decision was taken to postpone a scheduled summit in late February

:12:17. > :12:20.with a Prime Minister of Israel underscored our diminishing

:12:21. > :12:24.influence. I can ready have been a time in the postwar world, when our

:12:25. > :12:30.moral voice has been quite so weak. So I urge the government today, not

:12:31. > :12:33.to jettison our historic role and credibility as a partner to peace

:12:34. > :12:36.for the sake of a quick trade deal, I urge the Minister to do what the

:12:37. > :12:42.Prime Minister could not, and condemned the land regularisation

:12:43. > :12:49.hack that seeks to legitimise the illegitimate and will do untold

:12:50. > :12:53.damage in the long search for peace. Mr Speaker I'm grateful to be called

:12:54. > :12:56.and to speak and I'm grateful to follow the Honourable Lady, the

:12:57. > :13:00.member for New Forest West, made most of the points that needed to be

:13:01. > :13:04.made on the settlements, and those who have followed have added

:13:05. > :13:08.significantly from both perspectives, on this conflict. I

:13:09. > :13:12.have had nearly a hundred e-mails from constituents asking me to

:13:13. > :13:14.support this event, so on the half of them I would like to send my

:13:15. > :13:18.thanks to the backbench business committee for affording the

:13:19. > :13:23.opportunity, and for the sponsors for securing this debate. Like other

:13:24. > :13:27.colleagues who have contributed, we all want to see eight state

:13:28. > :13:32.solution, but that seems more a mote than ever. I do look for to

:13:33. > :13:36.listening to the minister, not only outlining or rather repeating the

:13:37. > :13:41.UK's government support for peace, but more than that, explaining how

:13:42. > :13:45.it intends to contribute, to the task of helping to bring the two

:13:46. > :13:49.sides together. As the Honourable gentleman, from North Antrim and

:13:50. > :13:54.others have said, face-to-face talks have got to be the only way forward.

:13:55. > :13:58.Settlement building by the Israeli governor does seem to be totally

:13:59. > :14:02.contrary to any peace process, and is outlined with a briefing

:14:03. > :14:06.circulated, by the all-party group for Britain and Palestine chaired by

:14:07. > :14:11.my honourable friend from Birmingham Northfield, it says the influx of

:14:12. > :14:14.settlers into the West Bank and East Jerusalem significantly increases

:14:15. > :14:17.tensions in the region which includes violence, perpetrated by

:14:18. > :14:22.and against settlers, freedom of movement restrictions, detention or

:14:23. > :14:28.prosecution of Palestinian adults and children in military courts.

:14:29. > :14:30.House demolitions, age appropriation, restrictions on

:14:31. > :14:36.agriculture and the economic activity. All matters, in this

:14:37. > :14:39.debate. These decisions by the Israeli government, not only do not

:14:40. > :14:45.help the desperate situation there, but I do believe make it worse.

:14:46. > :14:48.However I do recognise, the provocation and it is important to

:14:49. > :14:55.emphasise that provocation is not one-sided. As has been said, 2017 is

:14:56. > :15:00.a very significant year historically, anniversaries of Bal

:15:01. > :15:04.four, and other events. Is it too much to hope that history will come

:15:05. > :15:10.to bear down on those involved to restart talks. I don't overestimate

:15:11. > :15:15.our role, but the UK is a significant player both historically

:15:16. > :15:18.and diplomatically, as eloquently articulated by the Honourable

:15:19. > :15:23.gentleman from Kettering. I look forward to the Minister and our

:15:24. > :15:30.colleague, outlining how best UK will play its part. In conclusion,

:15:31. > :15:35.we all want Tusi Pisi. But as many have said, it seems far, far-away.

:15:36. > :15:40.And in my view, the settlement building is not helping.

:15:41. > :15:46.at a time when we have seen rising anti-Semitism in Europe and rising

:15:47. > :15:50.hate crime post Brexit even in this country, this debate should not be

:15:51. > :15:58.an excuse for Israel bashing or demonising all Palestinians as

:15:59. > :16:01.terrorists. Israelis are in a small country surrounded by hostile

:16:02. > :16:06.neighbours, its people should live free from fear of rocket attacks in

:16:07. > :16:10.peace and security. Crucially, as we said to PMQs yesterday, as part of a

:16:11. > :16:16.two state solution alongside a viable Palestinian state. We are

:16:17. > :16:19.talking specifically today about settlements and even since I spotted

:16:20. > :16:23.the title of this debate, the issue seems to be settlements popping up

:16:24. > :16:29.everywhere. We had 400,000 dwellers at the time of the recognition

:16:30. > :16:31.debate. Even on homeland, the US still on Sunday, there was a

:16:32. > :16:37.storyline where Saul went to visit his sister he grew up alongside in

:16:38. > :16:41.America, she is now living in a West Bank settlement and he says to her,

:16:42. > :16:46.how can you live knowing that you're very presence here makes peace less

:16:47. > :16:51.possible? Mr Speaker, my interest in speaking in this debate was spurred

:16:52. > :16:54.by the fact that I was on a cross-party delegation with people

:16:55. > :17:00.on both sides who are here today to the holy land last month to see for

:17:01. > :17:02.myself, I wanted to share some of the observations. While we were

:17:03. > :17:13.there we went to the Connecticut. We met with Israeli think tank 's,

:17:14. > :17:16.we met with Palestinians including Christians, this is not just a

:17:17. > :17:24.Moslem Jewish issue. Some had lived elsewhere. One came from Argentina

:17:25. > :17:29.to meet us. Some of them had lived in Salford, one in America, they all

:17:30. > :17:33.moved, these people came back in the late 90s thinking peace was around

:17:34. > :17:38.the corner, and now it feels to them that there has been stalemate since

:17:39. > :17:42.those Oslo accords. We went to places like Hebron, places I have

:17:43. > :17:45.known about as long as I can remember, a little town of

:17:46. > :17:49.Bethlehem, whenever I hear that him I will not be able to get out of my

:17:50. > :17:55.mind the separation barrier with the Banksy graffiti on it. William

:17:56. > :17:59.Blake's Jerusalem. We saw the armed guards there, it is a very

:18:00. > :18:09.militarised place. Those are images I will never be able to see. I was

:18:10. > :18:16.getting e-mails from constituents who were worried about the UN 2334

:18:17. > :18:19.delegitimising Israel but I was also getting them from constituents angry

:18:20. > :18:27.at the destruction of two Bedouin villages. And we spoke, and this was

:18:28. > :18:32.happening just down the road. It was an eye opening experience like

:18:33. > :18:35.nothing I had seen before. While we were there, there were calls to

:18:36. > :18:41.pardon an Israeli soldier who shot and injured Palestinian teenager in

:18:42. > :18:49.the head. When we got back we saw on the news... Now reached her time,

:18:50. > :18:54.I'm afraid to say. The honourable lady may have other opportunities.

:18:55. > :18:59.I'm sorry but that is the situation. The honourable lady is not required

:19:00. > :19:04.to stand, I know she was interested in speaking from a sedentary

:19:05. > :19:07.position? I am grateful, thank you. According to the UN a quarter of

:19:08. > :19:11.households in occupied territories have insecure access to food with an

:19:12. > :19:15.estimated 1 million in need of health and nutrition assistance.

:19:16. > :19:19.Overall the UN estimate that 2 million people in the occupied

:19:20. > :19:25.territories will need some form of humanitarian help in 2017. They

:19:26. > :19:30.summarise the situation as a systematic style of Palestinian

:19:31. > :19:33.rights and man-made humanitarian crisis that has gone on for too

:19:34. > :19:40.long. The government confirmed that in the past year 1010 Palestinian

:19:41. > :19:48.homes were destroyed, dismantled, skated in area C and East Jerusalem

:19:49. > :19:55.last year. The highest in East Jerusalem since 2000. Leaving 1476

:19:56. > :20:00.people, including 696 children displaced and vulnerable. These

:20:01. > :20:03.figures are, I'm sure we'd all agree, very disturbing, and speak to

:20:04. > :20:08.the pain and trauma of many, many families. But in addition to

:20:09. > :20:15.dismantling Palestinian homes, the Israeli authorities also demolished

:20:16. > :20:19.274 humanitarian structures which effectively our tents, shelters,

:20:20. > :20:25.Goldings that our housing the homeless. A situation the UN said

:20:26. > :20:32.was unprecedented. It is unprecedented, but it is also

:20:33. > :20:35.intolerable and inhumane. The disregard for human rights does not

:20:36. > :20:39.apply in just the Gaza and the West Bank. Recently I asked a series of

:20:40. > :20:49.questions about the Bedouin amenities in Israel, in particular

:20:50. > :20:53.one specific village. It appears a forced demolition is taking place,

:20:54. > :20:59.condemned as an ugly episode of discrimination mirroring Israel's

:21:00. > :21:01.unlawful settlements. As we've heard the Australian Parliament passed a

:21:02. > :21:06.law that legalised 1000 Israeli settlement building is in direct

:21:07. > :21:12.contravention of both international law and previous decisions. The

:21:13. > :21:16.Minister knows that the US president has expressed strong support for

:21:17. > :21:20.Israel, even going so far as to suggest the United Nations

:21:21. > :21:24.resolution 2334, a clear and straightforward reaffirmation of

:21:25. > :21:27.intervals would not have been passed if it had been put after his

:21:28. > :21:32.inauguration. Does the Minister think that Israel's recent

:21:33. > :21:36.acceleration of it illegal settlement policy is in anyway

:21:37. > :21:40.linked to the new United States president? Is their geopolitical

:21:41. > :21:44.cover for settlement expansion provided by the US? If so what can

:21:45. > :21:47.he do about it? Today the government response has been to express

:21:48. > :21:52.concern. They have expressed concern for a long time about the continued

:21:53. > :21:57.settlement policy. In answer to my question about the forced demolition

:21:58. > :22:01.of Bedouin homes, just this week they expressed their official

:22:02. > :22:07.concern about the land regularisation bill that passed

:22:08. > :22:11.through the Israeli parliament. Stephen Kinnock. Thank you, I'd like

:22:12. > :22:15.to thank and congratulate honourable members for securing today's debate.

:22:16. > :22:19.Little did we know when this debate was granted quite how prescient it

:22:20. > :22:23.would be. Just as the Israeli Prime Minister was flying back, but unless

:22:24. > :22:33.it was passing the so-called regularisation bill which legalises

:22:34. > :22:38.over 50 illegal units, and the expropriation of almost 2000 acres

:22:39. > :22:43.of private Palestinian land, in short it legalises the illegal. I

:22:44. > :22:46.guess after alternative factor in Washington we now have alternative

:22:47. > :22:50.facts on the ground as defined by the government of Israel. Mr

:22:51. > :22:55.Speaker, this debate isn't about being pro-Israel of pro-Palestine,

:22:56. > :22:59.it's about standing up for the values and norms that we hold dear.

:23:00. > :23:03.It is about upholding the rule of law and not shirking our

:23:04. > :23:05.responsibilities. Settlements fanned the flames of discontent and

:23:06. > :23:11.grievance, driving us further from peace, they undermine the legal

:23:12. > :23:15.authority of Israel, destroying the trust required to reach any

:23:16. > :23:18.meaningful peace agreement and they undermined the territorial integrity

:23:19. > :23:23.of a future Palestinian state and the prospect of a viable two state

:23:24. > :23:25.solution. The continued expansion of illegal settlements doesn't just

:23:26. > :23:30.hurt Palestinian people, it hurt Israel as well because there can be

:23:31. > :23:36.no security for Israel without peace and there can be no peace without

:23:37. > :23:42.I think of the father I met in a hospital in the wake of the 2014

:23:43. > :23:46.Gaza for nursing his four-year-old son who just lost both his legs in a

:23:47. > :23:51.rocket attack. I think of the Bedouin unity, the residents living

:23:52. > :23:56.in perpetual fear of military demolition and harassment. I think

:23:57. > :24:01.of the 13,000 children from the refugee camp in East Jerusalem

:24:02. > :24:05.crossing multiple checkpoints, facing harassment just get to school

:24:06. > :24:08.each day. I think of the quarter of a million children across

:24:09. > :24:12.Palestinian territories who the UN identifies as in need of

:24:13. > :24:14.psychosocial support and child protection interventions. I think of

:24:15. > :24:20.a ten-year-old Gaza and child who will have already witnessed three

:24:21. > :24:23.wars. What does the future hold for these children? What hope can we

:24:24. > :24:30.offer them? When you boil the issues down to their essence, the presence

:24:31. > :24:32.of almost 600,000 Israeli settlers on land internationally recognised

:24:33. > :24:39.as occupied is what drives this conflict. And it should be stepping

:24:40. > :24:46.up as a critical friend, that means ending direct support for

:24:47. > :24:50.settlement. In line with the UK guidelines we should prohibit trade

:24:51. > :24:54.with companies and financial communities composite with

:24:55. > :24:57.settlements and prohibit dealings with charities involved in

:24:58. > :25:01.settlement projects. We must be consistent in our alignment with the

:25:02. > :25:06.universal principle of prohibiting trade with illegally annexed

:25:07. > :25:10.territories. This is why we must do all in our power to halt and reverse

:25:11. > :25:17.settlements and that is why we must support this notion. I must say that

:25:18. > :25:20.the windups need to begin no later than caught a pass three and I think

:25:21. > :25:27.there are eight people still wanting to contribute. I am grateful for the

:25:28. > :25:31.backbench committee allowing this debate. I visited Israel and

:25:32. > :25:34.Palestine three years ago and saw the construction of settlements

:25:35. > :25:39.first-hand. I also want to thank my constituents who wrote to me on this

:25:40. > :25:44.issue and supported this debate. I believe fundamentally in the two

:25:45. > :25:47.state solution, this is what we must give as the international community

:25:48. > :25:52.to progress in efforts to secure long-term peace. But we know that

:25:53. > :25:56.Israeli settlements are illegal, contrary to international law and

:25:57. > :26:00.indeed undermine the prospect of the viability of the state of Palestine.

:26:01. > :26:06.Settlements are a barrier to trust and they are a barrier to peace. I

:26:07. > :26:08.want to make two brief points today. Firstly on the need for renewed

:26:09. > :26:13.international talks and the need to focus on the issue of children and

:26:14. > :26:18.education in Palestine as well. Secondly to recognise the

:26:19. > :26:20.contribution of associations like the Britain Palestine twinning

:26:21. > :26:25.Association, those organisations here and in the Middle East do good

:26:26. > :26:28.work. Vista speaker, Palestinians and Israel must know that with so

:26:29. > :26:34.many other security issues in the world that they are not forgotten.

:26:35. > :26:38.Political solutions remain a distant hope, the prospect and welfare of

:26:39. > :26:41.children are of great concern. In Gaza there is an alarming rise in

:26:42. > :26:45.malnutrition amongst children because they cannot get food they

:26:46. > :26:48.need. A rise of kidney disease amongst children because water is

:26:49. > :26:53.not drinkable. Because there are not enough schools for children, many

:26:54. > :26:57.schools are operating double or triple shifts, starting at 6am and

:26:58. > :27:02.finishing at 6pm. Parents worried about children going to school in

:27:03. > :27:06.the dark are making them stay in the dark, particularly in the education

:27:07. > :27:09.of girls. From the West Bank I have heard that children cannot get to

:27:10. > :27:13.school safely. Around 30,000 children in Jerusalem cross a

:27:14. > :27:18.checkpoint every day just to get to school. The increase in demolition

:27:19. > :27:21.is of course affecting whole communities and is particularly

:27:22. > :27:25.traumatic for children who have seen homes destroyed and schools, too.

:27:26. > :27:29.The children of Palestine and Israel will be the leaders of tomorrow we

:27:30. > :27:36.will need to work with solutions for how they live side-by-side. I also

:27:37. > :27:38.want to recognise the work of associations like the Britain

:27:39. > :27:42.Palestinian twinning Association in the UK who recently held their

:27:43. > :27:46.annual meeting in Hounslow, whose work forms an important connection

:27:47. > :27:50.between young people here and in Palestine, building those cultural

:27:51. > :27:53.and education links that keep positive contact with the outside

:27:54. > :27:57.world. I want to close my remarks with questions for the minister, on

:27:58. > :28:02.the basis of the UK Government condemnation of Israeli illegal

:28:03. > :28:06.settlement building is unchanged, what steps will Her Majesty 's

:28:07. > :28:14.government take to ensure that action is taken to stop settlements

:28:15. > :28:17.with the Prime Minister's stated determination to expand them, and

:28:18. > :28:20.strengthen advice to British business is about engaging with

:28:21. > :28:23.other businesses that support settlements so that we do everything

:28:24. > :28:28.we can to stop settlements in the illegal enterprise that comes from

:28:29. > :28:32.them. Thank you Mr Speaker, I would like to start by saying I have

:28:33. > :28:39.absolutely nothing to declare but my recent trip to Israel and Palestine

:28:40. > :28:45.territories. Countries I've been visiting since the first Gulf War.

:28:46. > :28:50.Back then Palestinian Democrats warned of the rise of fundamentalist

:28:51. > :28:53.Hamas. They argued that Israel failed to support an independent

:28:54. > :28:58.Palestinian state, extremism would rise. The centre ground would lose

:28:59. > :29:04.and peace would be harder to attain. In my previous role as a journalist

:29:05. > :29:10.I interviewed the late, great Edward sighed and they had a series of

:29:11. > :29:13.reasonable demands. He spoke of reconciliation and renounced the use

:29:14. > :29:16.of violent rhetoric. They wanted to see a homeland for Palestinian

:29:17. > :29:21.people and acknowledgement of the great injustices committed towards

:29:22. > :29:25.them as we know so many driven from their homes and into refugee camps

:29:26. > :29:29.when Israel was created. And crucially both wanted reassurance

:29:30. > :29:37.that Israeli territorial expansion would end. When I first visited

:29:38. > :29:42.Israel and Palestine, the separate populations was around 200,000.

:29:43. > :29:47.Today, 20 years later, there are more than 600,000 settlers. Now,

:29:48. > :29:51.people come from all across the world to live in Israel, for lots of

:29:52. > :29:57.reasons. Those seeking a better life in illegal settlements, the

:29:58. > :30:02.appropriation of Palestinian land and homes and while Palestinian

:30:03. > :30:07.farmland is barren and dry, many settlements have swimming pools with

:30:08. > :30:12.illegally funnelled water. They consume six to ten times more water

:30:13. > :30:17.per head than the Palestinians. Israel's policy of creating facts on

:30:18. > :30:21.the ground is brutal and determined to establish so many settlements on

:30:22. > :30:25.the West Bank that a contiguous Palestinian state becomes

:30:26. > :30:30.impossible. We must consider the consequences of this for Israel

:30:31. > :30:34.itself. If a viable two state solution dies and Palestine is

:30:35. > :30:38.subsumed into greater Israel stretching from the Mediterranean to

:30:39. > :30:42.the dead Sea, what happens to the five to 6 million Palestinians in

:30:43. > :30:48.the Jewish state with no government of their own? An abiding memory of

:30:49. > :30:52.my first trip to Israel and Palestine was taking tea in a

:30:53. > :30:59.refugee camp. Some of the eldest brought out there British mandate of

:31:00. > :31:02.Palestine, and keys to long appropriated house is. They told me

:31:03. > :31:04.they trusted British honour and British law and asked why we remain

:31:05. > :31:17.so silent in the face of injustice. Can you explain to me, he asked,

:31:18. > :31:23.when the evil committed against innocents in Europe 60 years ago,

:31:24. > :31:27.you turned a blind eye to the injustice of my family's expulsion

:31:28. > :31:31.from our home to provide compensation for people in whose

:31:32. > :31:35.oppression we played no part? This goes to the heart of the issue, we

:31:36. > :31:47.cannot turn a blind eye to theft any longer. We cannot allow bitterness

:31:48. > :31:50.to pass to another generation. I visited the West Bank in Jerusalem

:31:51. > :31:55.in January and a draw attention to what will soon appear on my register

:31:56. > :31:58.of interest to the support and thanks to the Britain and Palestine

:31:59. > :32:03.communication centre, the President's office, and the

:32:04. > :32:06.Palestinian mission. Can I say every Palestinian we met, authority

:32:07. > :32:10.member, elected city leader, political activist, young people,

:32:11. > :32:16.all subscribe to the two state solution and wanted help in the

:32:17. > :32:20.ensuing this can happen. When I saw as other colleagues all settlements

:32:21. > :32:25.marching over hills, over expert both visited land, usually

:32:26. > :32:31.illegally, -- expropriated land. The march of the fence on the wall

:32:32. > :32:35.through fields, the destruction and the occupation of the old city of

:32:36. > :32:45.the brawn, and closed businesses there. -- of Hebron. Settlements are

:32:46. > :32:49.the issue, but if you want to address stonethrowing and violence

:32:50. > :32:52.by posting in children, you want to look at the brutalisation they and

:32:53. > :33:00.their families have been subjected to for decades. Mr Speaker, we

:33:01. > :33:03.visited the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian

:33:04. > :33:06.affairs, who showed us their accurate, factual information,

:33:07. > :33:14.showing that 43% of the West Bank is out of bounds to Palestinians, a

:33:15. > :33:17.Swiss cheese of disjointed errors of Palestinian land and they are

:33:18. > :33:22.effectively excluded from the rest, even if they have historic ownership

:33:23. > :33:28.over any of that land. Hours after meeting with Theresa May on Monday,

:33:29. > :33:33.recently, the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu returned to Israel to vote

:33:34. > :33:37.on the law that allows the Israeli state to seize land privately owned

:33:38. > :33:41.by Palestinians in the West Bank and grant the properties to be used

:33:42. > :33:45.exclusively by Jewish settlements. Whilst the decision on 24th of

:33:46. > :33:52.January did indeed order 40 or 50 families to be moved from the

:33:53. > :34:00.outpost, in the same week and was given the 2500 new dwellings inside

:34:01. > :34:02.the West Bank and 566 new settlement dwellings inside Jerusalem, taking

:34:03. > :34:16.over thousands of acres of Palestinian land.

:34:17. > :34:30.As a the Israelis living there do have the right to vote. Israeli

:34:31. > :34:31.civil law applies to settlers Palestinians should not be made to

:34:32. > :34:42.go they should be an international

:34:43. > :34:47.negotiation, and this government Kello our government should play a

:34:48. > :34:51.major part. I was privileged to visit the West Bank for the first

:34:52. > :34:53.and only time last year with the council for Arab British

:34:54. > :34:57.understanding and the award-winning charity, human appeal. As the

:34:58. > :35:00.honourable member feeling central said earlier it was a real

:35:01. > :35:04.eye-opener. I had no idea of the size and scale of the settlement of

:35:05. > :35:07.the West Bank. When you go there and see for yourself how big they are

:35:08. > :35:12.and how well service they are and how well entrenched they are, the

:35:13. > :35:17.reality of how difficult it is going to be move them becomes very plain.

:35:18. > :35:23.As a lawyer I was particularly struck about the abuses of human

:35:24. > :35:27.rights in the West Bank. And no problem. I want to take that little

:35:28. > :35:35.time I have to make it quite clear that under international law these

:35:36. > :35:40.settlements are illegal. The international community continue --

:35:41. > :35:44.considers the establishments of the settlements as a legal under

:35:45. > :35:47.international law because the fourth Geneva Convention prohibits

:35:48. > :35:52.countries from moving population in the territories occupied in a wall.

:35:53. > :35:56.That is a legal fact. I am aware that the state of Israel maintains

:35:57. > :36:00.that the settlements are consistent with international law because it

:36:01. > :36:04.doesn't agree that the forthcoming June -- Geneva Convention applies.

:36:05. > :36:08.However the weight of international opinion is against them on that. The

:36:09. > :36:11.following organisations have all affirmed that the fourth Geneva

:36:12. > :36:17.Convention does apply, and therefore the settlements are legal. United

:36:18. > :36:21.stations security -- new nation Asian school together, the General

:36:22. > :36:23.Assembly, International Committee of the Red Cross the international

:36:24. > :36:27.court of justice and the high contracting parties. This is a

:36:28. > :36:32.matter of the rule of law. I have been to the Israeli Embassy and as a

:36:33. > :36:36.lesbian woman they have come at how fantastic Israel is on gay rights,

:36:37. > :36:40.and it is on LGBT rights, but the point of view on right is that they

:36:41. > :36:45.are universal. Palestinians have the same rights as Israelis and

:36:46. > :36:48.international law, or at least they should have, but at present they

:36:49. > :36:53.don't. And no matter how important it is that there should be a state

:36:54. > :36:56.of Israel, and I believe it is important, and no matter how much of

:36:57. > :36:59.a good friend Israel may be to the United Kingdom, it is imperative

:37:00. > :37:03.that as Democrats and people who believe in the rule of law that we

:37:04. > :37:11.speak the truth in these issues, and we don't let the Israeli government

:37:12. > :37:15.get away with distorted facts, when it comes to the fact and matter of

:37:16. > :37:25.the Lou -- the rule of law. I have very little time but I

:37:26. > :37:31.two additional asks he did not get to mention, firstly to the Minister

:37:32. > :37:35.give us a timetable for recognition of the state of Palestine by the

:37:36. > :37:38.United Kingdom, and could he also say what the British government will

:37:39. > :37:44.do to support peace groups within the state of Israel that are

:37:45. > :37:49.striving to achieve peace? The settlements are illegal and they

:37:50. > :37:52.must be central to any talks. A number of members have suggested

:37:53. > :37:56.direct negotiations should take place. I would question whether that

:37:57. > :38:00.is something that is feasible now. There is no trust whatsoever between

:38:01. > :38:05.the two partners, and those would be very unequal tasks, unequal talks

:38:06. > :38:08.something the Israelis themselves acknowledge that they have many of

:38:09. > :38:13.the Trump cards in those negotiations. What is the UK

:38:14. > :38:20.contribution to this peace process? I'm voters of pointed by the Prime

:38:21. > :38:23.Minister's position taken on John Kerry's speech, a depressing bold

:38:24. > :38:26.farce, I found. Particularly confusing given that the Foreign

:38:27. > :38:31.Secretary had said about the Paris conference that his intention was

:38:32. > :38:35.that we should go the to be reinforcing our message. The

:38:36. > :38:38.government intended that as -- attended that as an observer, so

:38:39. > :38:42.unless our message was we had nothing to say it is very hard to

:38:43. > :38:46.see how the government were in a position as an observer to reinforce

:38:47. > :38:50.our message. The Liberal Democrat support a two state solution and we

:38:51. > :38:54.believe it will be achieved partly through international corporation,

:38:55. > :38:59.like the Paris conference. There are unilateral actions that should be

:39:00. > :39:06.taken, something John Kerry has underlined. For the Palestinians,

:39:07. > :39:09.yes, we do want them to clamp down on violent and any glorification of

:39:10. > :39:14.violence, but equally there must be unilateral actions from the

:39:15. > :39:17.Israelis, and I'm afraid you are full actions were soon from the

:39:18. > :39:22.Israelis so far have a negative nature and many members have...

:39:23. > :39:30.Happy to give way. On the question of unilateral actions and the

:39:31. > :39:36.significance, do we understand, can my right honourable friend imagine

:39:37. > :39:42.any sustainable settlements existing as they do? Indeed, I thank him for

:39:43. > :39:46.that intervention and I am just sorry that he won't have an

:39:47. > :39:51.opportunity to make a greater contribution today. As I said, the

:39:52. > :39:55.land registration Bill is a example of the very counter-productive

:39:56. > :40:04.initiative, as is the expansion in a silly. I hope we'll hear from the

:40:05. > :40:10.Minister of concrete -- in area C. So far the tone down press releases

:40:11. > :40:21.that we have had from the government I'm afraid have made no difference

:40:22. > :40:32.Mr Speaker, it is clear that whilst the illegal settlements are not the

:40:33. > :40:34.only problem, every attempt to legitimise their illegality is

:40:35. > :40:40.rightly seen as a slap in the face to the Palestinians and a della --

:40:41. > :40:43.demonstration of bad faith by the Israeli government, as is any

:40:44. > :40:47.instance of Palestinian violence against Israel, that will clearly

:40:48. > :40:52.also be seen as a demonstration of bad faith. But the fact is each

:40:53. > :40:56.illegal settlement expansion strengthens Israel's hand and makes

:40:57. > :41:01.a two state solution, which many senior Israeli politicians clearly

:41:02. > :41:05.dismiss, increasingly impossible. Ministers say that Palestinian

:41:06. > :41:09.recognition will be appropriate at a time when it will have the most

:41:10. > :41:15.impact. That time is now. If ministers wait any longer, posting

:41:16. > :41:22.in recognition will be pointless as a one state solution will have been

:41:23. > :41:26.imposed. As other people have been declaring interests, I spent two

:41:27. > :41:29.weeks last Easter with medical aid for Palestinians as a breast surgeon

:41:30. > :41:34.working in east Jerusalem and working in teaching in Gaza. As many

:41:35. > :41:39.people in the chamber now, I worked for 18 months in 91 and 92 as a

:41:40. > :41:45.surgeon in Gaza, and so I still know the place quite well. I would echo

:41:46. > :41:48.the honourable member for Henley's comment about Israeli doctors

:41:49. > :41:51.treating people from all communities. That is absolutely true

:41:52. > :41:59.but often we could not get patients to Israeli doctors in the Havasu

:42:00. > :42:02.hospital because of curfews. I had patients dying in Amazon says

:42:03. > :42:06.because of curfews, it can-year-old boy turned back fast to try to look

:42:07. > :42:12.at how to get through the night, even though we did not have the

:42:13. > :42:16.equipment. When I was there last Easter, having worked there during

:42:17. > :42:18.the start of the Oslo accord I was relieved pressed to see that a

:42:19. > :42:27.quarter of the Centurion we are further from peace than we were. By

:42:28. > :42:29.the end of the Madrid peace conference, despite the violence

:42:30. > :42:33.that had happened on the day, I saw young men on armoured cars with

:42:34. > :42:36.olive branches. They believe their lives were going to change, and a

:42:37. > :42:41.quarter of a century later, the international community have let

:42:42. > :42:47.them down. There are 1.8 million people living in the tiny strip of

:42:48. > :42:52.Gaza. It is becoming unviable. It is pouring sewage into the sea, the

:42:53. > :42:55.water is undrinkable, and it is described that it will be non-viable

:42:56. > :43:02.by the mid-20s. The West Bank has been turned into the same situation

:43:03. > :43:06.by the expansion of settlements. It isn't just the settlements, it is

:43:07. > :43:10.the walls separating people from their farmland or the source of

:43:11. > :43:13.water. Set of rules that don't allow them to cross the road even to get

:43:14. > :43:19.to their olive groves or their water source. So what is the vision for

:43:20. > :43:23.the West Bank, is it that Palestinians will simply live on

:43:24. > :43:28.reservations, as happened to Native Americans centuries ago? What is the

:43:29. > :43:33.vision for that outcome that even the Israeli government want? The

:43:34. > :43:39.only thing we have is international law, and if we do not stick to

:43:40. > :43:43.international law, we will have no position of right for other people

:43:44. > :43:47.that do the wrong thing. It has been said there should not be

:43:48. > :43:51.international players, aged just be the Palestinians and Israelis. This

:43:52. > :43:54.is a totally unbalanced conversation. Northern Ireland have

:43:55. > :43:58.the UK Government, the Irish government and the American

:43:59. > :44:02.government to bring it to success, and we need to be involved. Everyone

:44:03. > :44:07.has stood up and said they believed in a two state solution, so how

:44:08. > :44:12.bizarre is it that we only recognise one of those states. If we do not

:44:13. > :44:21.take action to avoid profit from settlement and avoid annexation by

:44:22. > :44:24.concrete, we will be answerable. As joint vice-chair of the APPG on

:44:25. > :44:29.human rights I approached today buzz back to bed with human rights at the

:44:30. > :44:36.forefront of my mind. I and my party supporter EU solution of a two state

:44:37. > :44:40.solution to reach its sustainable negotiated settlement under

:44:41. > :44:44.international law. There can be no justification for any impediment to

:44:45. > :44:48.progress and the peace versus such as indiscriminate rocket attacks on

:44:49. > :44:56.Israel or the continued expansion of illegal settlement of the occupied

:44:57. > :45:00.territories. Israeli settlements have been established in clear

:45:01. > :45:07.violation of this law. The UN human rights Council rubbish and an

:45:08. > :45:11.independent fact-finding commission and edits 2013 report stated that

:45:12. > :45:15.the impact of settlement on the human rights of the Palestinians as

:45:16. > :45:20.manifested in various forms and ways. The illegal settlements also

:45:21. > :45:25.critically interfere with the ability of the Palestinian people to

:45:26. > :45:28.exercise their fundamental right to self-determination, and it is not

:45:29. > :45:34.just the settlements, it is the associated infrastructure built on a

:45:35. > :45:39.expropriated Palestinian land that has a substantial impact. The SNP

:45:40. > :45:42.have time and time again called on the UK Government to use its

:45:43. > :45:46.influence to help to revitalise the peace process, and find a way to

:45:47. > :45:52.break through the political deadlock. So I asked the minister

:45:53. > :45:58.today, and I know the Minister has a keen personal interest in the area:

:45:59. > :46:03.Will the UK Government recognise a state of Palestine on the basis of

:46:04. > :46:09.the pre-1967 borders, affirming the equal rights of both people to live

:46:10. > :46:12.in sovereign independent and secure states? The situation worsens over

:46:13. > :46:16.territory and as it does the likelihood of a peaceful resolution

:46:17. > :46:23.fades. The time is right for the UK to recognise Palestine, and their

:46:24. > :46:25.right to self-determination. The UK has not only amoral but a legal

:46:26. > :46:37.duty. Due to the fact that the

:46:38. > :46:41.Palestinians are prohibited from exercising their fundamental right

:46:42. > :46:45.to self-determination. Please, such action has to be taken, a tougher

:46:46. > :46:51.stance needs to be taken today, and I hope that the minister will take

:46:52. > :46:56.all views expressed on board. I am well known as a friend of Israel and

:46:57. > :47:04.as a friend you are honest, open and truthful. With that in mind there

:47:05. > :47:08.must be fairness to all. I think 2334 has adversely affected the

:47:09. > :47:11.Jewish right to freedom. We all know that the matter of settlements and

:47:12. > :47:15.peace in the Middle East is a complex issue. Hailing from Northern

:47:16. > :47:18.Ireland I have been involved in a peace process and having gone

:47:19. > :47:25.through that we know the complex issues. Appeasement cannot be the

:47:26. > :47:28.answer for Israel or Palestine, working together is the only answer

:47:29. > :47:34.and that is hard to do in the situation and I speak from

:47:35. > :47:40.experience. It is clear that Jewish negotiators have tried to bring

:47:41. > :47:43.about some semblance of peace. For some people their description of the

:47:44. > :47:47.negotiation is to demand things their way or no way and that leads

:47:48. > :47:51.back to violence. I have a very real fear that we are pushing Israel into

:47:52. > :47:59.a place that they don't want to be and where we do not want them to be

:48:00. > :48:03.either. I remember seeing Israeli women and children on the streets

:48:04. > :48:09.defending their historic homeland. I do not wish to see Israel again

:48:10. > :48:14.pushed into place where there is no option or where their options are

:48:15. > :48:17.restricted. I know the heart of the Israeli people is simple, they wish

:48:18. > :48:28.to be allowed to return home and peace. There is no doubt in my mind

:48:29. > :48:32.there is a historic right. I fully understand the concern that the