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made big concessions with regards to the cost of this, already committing | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
more than ?1.1 billion and there will be no further concessions. | :00:00. | :00:09. | |
Order. After yesterday's shocking events I know that the whole house | :00:10. | :00:14. | |
will want me to express our heartfelt condolences to the | :00:15. | :00:15. | |
families Yesterday an act of terrorism tried | :00:16. | :02:16. | |
to silence our democracy. But today, we meet as normal. As generations | :02:17. | :02:23. | |
have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to | :02:24. | :02:29. | |
deliver a simple message - we are not afraid our and our resolve will | :02:30. | :02:33. | |
never waiver in the face of terrorism. | :02:34. | :02:36. | |
And we meet here in the oldest of all Parliaments, because we know | :02:37. | :02:44. | |
that democracy and the values it entails will always prevail. Those | :02:45. | :02:48. | |
values, free speech, liberty, human rights and the rule of law are | :02:49. | :02:53. | |
embodied here in this place. But they are shared by free people | :02:54. | :02:59. | |
around the world. A terrorist came to the place where | :03:00. | :03:03. | |
people of all nationalities and cultures gather to celebrate what it | :03:04. | :03:10. | |
means to be free. And he took out his rage indiscriminately against | :03:11. | :03:14. | |
innocent men, women and children. Mr Speaker, this was an attack on free | :03:15. | :03:20. | |
people everywhere. And on behalf of the British people, I would like to | :03:21. | :03:25. | |
thank our friends and allies around the world, who have made it clear | :03:26. | :03:28. | |
that they stand with us at this time. | :03:29. | :03:36. | |
What happened on the streets yesterday afternoon sickened us all. | :03:37. | :03:41. | |
While there is an on-going police investigation, the House will | :03:42. | :03:44. | |
understand there are limits to what I can say. Having been updated by | :03:45. | :03:47. | |
police and security officials, let me set out what at this stage I can | :03:48. | :03:50. | |
tell the House. A single attacker drove his vehicle | :03:51. | :04:02. | |
at speed into innocent pedestrian to be crossing Westminster Bridge, | :04:03. | :04:07. | |
killing two people and -- injuring 40 more. In addition to 12 Britons | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
admitted the hospital we know that the victims include three French | :04:13. | :04:17. | |
children, two Romanians, for South Koreans, one German, one Polish | :04:18. | :04:25. | |
person, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two | :04:26. | :04:29. | |
Greeks. We are in close contact with the governments of the country of | :04:30. | :04:34. | |
those affected. The injured also included three police officers who | :04:35. | :04:37. | |
were returning from an event to recognise their bravery. Two of | :04:38. | :04:42. | |
those three remain in a serious condition. The attacker then left | :04:43. | :04:48. | |
the vehicle and approached the police officer at carriage Gates, | :04:49. | :04:52. | |
attacking that officer with a large knife before he was shot dead by an | :04:53. | :04:57. | |
armed police officer. Tragically, as the hosts will know, 40 years to | :04:58. | :05:03. | |
roll PC Keith Palmer was killed. PC Keith Palmer had devoted his life to | :05:04. | :05:08. | |
the service of his country. He had been a member of the Parliamentary | :05:09. | :05:14. | |
and it to protection command for 15 years and a soldier in the Royal | :05:15. | :05:18. | |
Artillery before that. He was a husband and a father, killed doing a | :05:19. | :05:26. | |
job he loved. He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be | :05:27. | :05:32. | |
forgotten. I know the whole house Paul Jordan me in sending our | :05:33. | :05:36. | |
deepest condolences to his family and to the families and friends of | :05:37. | :05:40. | |
all those who have been killed or injured in yesterday's awful | :05:41. | :05:44. | |
attacks. I know also that the house will wish to thank all those who | :05:45. | :05:50. | |
acted with such speed and professionalism yesterday to secure | :05:51. | :05:53. | |
this place and ensure we are able to meet as we are doing today. Mr | :05:54. | :05:58. | |
Speaker, 7:30pm last night I chaired a meeting of the government's | :05:59. | :06:02. | |
emergency committee, Cobra, and will have further meetings with security | :06:03. | :06:08. | |
officials today. The threat level to the UK has been set at severe, | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
meaning attack is highly likely, for some time. This is the | :06:14. | :06:18. | |
second-highest threat level. The highest level, critical, means there | :06:19. | :06:22. | |
is specific intelligence that an attack is imminent. As there is no | :06:23. | :06:27. | |
such intelligence, the independent joint terrorism analysis Centre has | :06:28. | :06:30. | |
decided that the threat level will not change in the light of | :06:31. | :06:36. | |
yesterday's attack. The whole country will want to know who was | :06:37. | :06:40. | |
responsible for this atrocity and the measures we are taking to | :06:41. | :06:44. | |
strengthen security including here in Westminster. After all | :06:45. | :06:49. | |
counterterrorism investigation is already underway. Hundreds of police | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
and security officers have been working through the night to | :06:54. | :06:58. | |
establish everything possible about this attack, including its | :06:59. | :07:01. | |
preparation, motivation and whether there were any associates involved | :07:02. | :07:05. | |
in its planning. And while there remain limits on what I can say at | :07:06. | :07:10. | |
this stage, I can confirm that overnight the police have searched | :07:11. | :07:14. | |
six addresses and made eight arrests in Birmingham and London. It is | :07:15. | :07:19. | |
still believed that this attacker acted alone and the police have no | :07:20. | :07:25. | |
reason to believe there are imminent further attacks on the public. His | :07:26. | :07:32. | |
identity is known to the police and MI5 and when operational | :07:33. | :07:36. | |
considerations like he will be publicly identified. What I can | :07:37. | :07:41. | |
confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago | :07:42. | :07:46. | |
he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent | :07:47. | :07:50. | |
extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was | :07:51. | :07:56. | |
not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior | :07:57. | :08:02. | |
intelligence of his intent or of the plots. Intensive investigations | :08:03. | :08:07. | |
continue. As Acting Deputy Commissioner Keith Rowley said last | :08:08. | :08:12. | |
night working assumption was that the attacker was inspired by | :08:13. | :08:17. | |
Islamist ideology. We know the threat from Islamist terrorism is | :08:18. | :08:23. | |
very real, but while the public should remain utterly vigilant, they | :08:24. | :08:27. | |
should not and will not be cowed by this threat. As acting Deputy | :08:28. | :08:34. | |
Commissioner Keith Rowley made clear # Rowley made clear, we are stepping | :08:35. | :08:40. | |
up policing around the country to protect the public and this will | :08:41. | :08:43. | |
mean increasing the number of patrols in cities across the country | :08:44. | :08:47. | |
with more police and more armed police on the streets. Since June | :08:48. | :08:49. | |
2013 hour police, security and 2013 hour police, security and | :08:50. | :08:54. | |
intelligence agencies have disrupted 13 separate terrorist plots in | :08:55. | :09:02. | |
Britain. Following the 2015 strategic defence and Security | :09:03. | :09:06. | |
review we protected the police budget for counterterrorism and | :09:07. | :09:09. | |
committed to increase cross government spending on | :09:10. | :09:12. | |
counterterrorism by 30% in real terms over the course of this | :09:13. | :09:15. | |
Parliament and over the next five years we will invest an extra ?2.5 | :09:16. | :09:21. | |
billion in building our global security and intelligence network, | :09:22. | :09:26. | |
employing over 1900 additional staff at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, and more than | :09:27. | :09:32. | |
doubling our global network of counterterrorism experts working | :09:33. | :09:35. | |
with priority countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and | :09:36. | :09:43. | |
Asia. In terms of security here in Westminster, we should be clear that | :09:44. | :09:47. | |
an attacker attempted to break into Parliament and was shot dead within | :09:48. | :09:53. | |
20 yards of the gates. If his intention was to gain access to this | :09:54. | :09:56. | |
building we should be clear that he did not succeed. The police have | :09:57. | :10:06. | |
rightly did their job. But, as is routine, the police together with | :10:07. | :10:10. | |
the house authorities are reviewing the security of the parliamentary | :10:11. | :10:14. | |
estate, coordinated with the Cabinet Office who have responsibility for | :10:15. | :10:18. | |
the security measures in place around the government's secure zone. | :10:19. | :10:24. | |
All of us have a responsibility for the security and safety of our staff | :10:25. | :10:27. | |
and advisers available for members who need it. Yesterday we saw the | :10:28. | :10:34. | |
worst of humanity but we will remember the best. We will remember | :10:35. | :10:38. | |
the extraordinary efforts to save the life of PC Keith Palmer, | :10:39. | :10:43. | |
including those by my right honourable friend the member for | :10:44. | :10:48. | |
Bournemouth East. We will remember the exceptional bravery of our | :10:49. | :10:53. | |
police, security and emergency services who once again grant | :10:54. | :10:57. | |
towards the danger even as they encouraged others to move the other | :10:58. | :11:02. | |
way. On behalf of the whole country, I want to pay tribute to them for | :11:03. | :11:07. | |
the work they have been doing to reassure the public, treat the | :11:08. | :11:10. | |
injured and bring security back to the streets of capital city. But | :11:11. | :11:15. | |
they have lost one of their own in yesterday's attack, even makes their | :11:16. | :11:19. | |
calmness and professionalism all the more remarkable. A lot has been said | :11:20. | :11:27. | |
since Terror struck London yesterday, much more will be said in | :11:28. | :11:32. | |
the coming days. But the greatest response lies not in the words of | :11:33. | :11:36. | |
politicians but in the everyday actions of ordinary people, for | :11:37. | :11:42. | |
beyond these walls today, in since repeated in towns and cities across | :11:43. | :11:46. | |
the country, millions of people are going about their days and getting | :11:47. | :11:50. | |
on with their lives. The streets are as busy as ever, the office is full, | :11:51. | :11:55. | |
the copy shops and cafes bustling. As I speak, millions will be | :11:56. | :11:59. | |
boarding trains and there appears to travel to London and the for | :12:00. | :12:02. | |
themselves the greatest city on earth. It is in these actions, | :12:03. | :12:07. | |
millions of acts of normality that we find the best response to | :12:08. | :12:13. | |
terrorism. Our response that denies our enemies their victory, that | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
refuses to let them win. That shows we will never give in. A response | :12:18. | :12:25. | |
driven by that same spirit that truth a husband and father to put | :12:26. | :12:30. | |
himself between us and our attacker and to pay the ultimate price. A | :12:31. | :12:35. | |
response that says to the men and women who propagate this hate and | :12:36. | :12:42. | |
evil, you will not defeat us. Let this be the message from this House | :12:43. | :12:48. | |
and this nation today, our values will prevail. I commend this | :12:49. | :12:57. | |
statement to the house. Colleagues, I am advised that we have been | :12:58. | :13:04. | |
joined today by French Foreign Minister -- the French Foreign | :13:05. | :13:07. | |
Minister, he is accompanied by a number of his colleagues and by the | :13:08. | :13:13. | |
Deputy Foreign Secretary, the member for Rutland. Sir, we appreciate your | :13:14. | :13:18. | |
presence and you're very fitting display of solidarity with us. Mr | :13:19. | :13:28. | |
Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you. I join with you and welcoming our | :13:29. | :13:32. | |
colleagues from France today and I would like to associate myself with | :13:33. | :13:37. | |
the Prime Minister's remarks. What happened yesterday within metres of | :13:38. | :13:41. | |
where we sit was an appalling atrocity. The police are still | :13:42. | :13:46. | |
piecing together what took place and what lay behind it. | :13:47. | :13:57. | |
To stay united in our communities and not allow fear or the voices of | :13:58. | :14:07. | |
hatred to divide us. Today, we are united by our humanity and by our | :14:08. | :14:15. | |
democratic values. And by that human impulse of solidarity. To stand | :14:16. | :14:21. | |
together in times of darkness and adversity. Mr Speaker, I express my | :14:22. | :14:28. | |
condolences to the family and friends of police officer Keith | :14:29. | :14:31. | |
Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and of our | :14:32. | :14:37. | |
democracy. We thank the police and security personnel who keep us safe | :14:38. | :14:42. | |
every day on this estate. We especially pay tribute to the | :14:43. | :14:47. | |
bravery of those who took action to stop the perpetrator of yesterday's | :14:48. | :14:52. | |
assault. The police and security staff lost a | :14:53. | :14:57. | |
colleague yesterday and continue to fulfil their duties, despite their | :14:58. | :15:01. | |
shock and their grief for their fallen colleague, which many | :15:02. | :15:03. | |
expressed to me late last night when I was talking to them. | :15:04. | :15:08. | |
We see the police and security every day. They are our colleagues. They | :15:09. | :15:12. | |
are fellow workers. They are friends, they are neighbours. As the | :15:13. | :15:17. | |
Prime Minister said, when dangerous and violence incidents take place, | :15:18. | :15:21. | |
we all instinctively run away from them for our own safety. The police | :15:22. | :15:25. | |
and emergency services run towards them. We are grateful for the public | :15:26. | :15:31. | |
service yesterday, today and every day that they put on their uniforms | :15:32. | :15:35. | |
to protect us all. I want to also, Mr Speaker, to | :15:36. | :15:41. | |
express our admiration to the honourable member for Bournemouth | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
East, whose efforts yesterday deserve commendation. He used his | :15:46. | :15:50. | |
skill to try and safe life. Innocent people were killed yesterday, | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
walking across Westminster Bridge. As many millions of Londoners and | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
tourists have before them. And as all of us in this chamber have. | :16:00. | :16:05. | |
As the Prime Minister said, the injured include people of ten | :16:06. | :16:09. | |
nationalities. We send our deepest condolences to | :16:10. | :16:13. | |
their loved ones and the loves ones of those still in a very critical | :16:14. | :16:18. | |
condition, including the French school children, so welcome in our | :16:19. | :16:22. | |
capital, visiting yesterday from Brittany. We send our sympathies to | :16:23. | :16:27. | |
them and to the people of their town and their community. | :16:28. | :16:33. | |
We thank all the dedicated National Health Service staff working to save | :16:34. | :16:38. | |
lives, including all those from St Thomas' Hospital, who rushed out of | :16:39. | :16:41. | |
that hospital straight over to the scene of the incident to try and | :16:42. | :16:46. | |
support and save lives. Many people, Mr Speaker, would have been totally | :16:47. | :16:50. | |
traumatised by yesterday's awful events. Not just all of us here, but | :16:51. | :16:57. | |
watching on television, worried for the safety of their friends and | :16:58. | :17:02. | |
loved ones. So, I ask in this House, and the country, please look after | :17:03. | :17:06. | |
each other. Help one and other and think of one and other. It is by | :17:07. | :17:13. | |
demonstrating our values solidarity, humanity and love that we will | :17:14. | :17:18. | |
defeat the poison and division of hatred. | :17:19. | :17:21. | |
Thank you Mr Speaker. First of all may I join The Right Honourable | :17:22. | :17:29. | |
gentleman in expressing our gratitude to the support and | :17:30. | :17:32. | |
solidarity which the French Government have shown us at this | :17:33. | :17:35. | |
difficult time. Like a number of other countries on the continent, | :17:36. | :17:39. | |
France itself has felt the horror and trauma of terrible terrorist | :17:40. | :17:43. | |
attacks and we're grateful to the French Government for the support | :17:44. | :17:47. | |
that they have shown us. The Right Honourable gentleman is absolutely | :17:48. | :17:50. | |
right in his description of our police officers. Every day when they | :17:51. | :17:55. | |
put on that uniform, they don't know what they're going to confront in | :17:56. | :18:00. | |
the course of their duties that day. It's a fact often forgotten when | :18:01. | :18:03. | |
people see the police officer walking on the streets that actually | :18:04. | :18:08. | |
they do put their lives on the line for our safety and security. They | :18:09. | :18:12. | |
show enormous bravery and we are grateful to them all. We are also | :18:13. | :18:17. | |
grateful, as The Right Honourable gentleman said, to all those from | :18:18. | :18:20. | |
the emergency services, from those in the hospitals who and others who | :18:21. | :18:24. | |
rushed forward to give aid and support to those who had been | :18:25. | :18:28. | |
injured at a time when they knew not what else might be happening in the | :18:29. | :18:31. | |
vicinity and whether they might themselves be in danger. | :18:32. | :18:35. | |
And then finally, as The Right Honourable gentleman says, at this | :18:36. | :18:39. | |
time it is so important that we show that it is our values that will | :18:40. | :18:44. | |
prevail, that the terrorists will not win. That we will go about our | :18:45. | :18:50. | |
lives, showing that unity of purpose and the values that we share as one | :18:51. | :18:56. | |
nation, going forward and ensuring that the terrorists will be | :18:57. | :18:58. | |
defeated. Mr Speaker, I join with my Right | :18:59. | :19:07. | |
Honourable friend in everything she said in respect of the deaths and | :19:08. | :19:13. | |
injuries which have taken place. Now very well it has been little | :19:14. | :19:32. | |
short of a miracle that over the course of the last few years we have | :19:33. | :19:38. | |
escaped so lightly from the evil that is, I am afraid present in our | :19:39. | :19:44. | |
society and manifestos itself in these senseless and hideous acts of | :19:45. | :19:52. | |
violence and evil. We have been very fortunate in that our Security | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
Services have been immensely diligence and helpful in preventing | :19:57. | :20:00. | |
such attacks. But she may agree with me that the House is going to have | :20:01. | :20:05. | |
to simply be resolute in accepting that such attacks cannot always be | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
prevented and that we have a society to accept that we are going to have | :20:10. | :20:16. | |
to fight this evil with rational democratic principals in order to | :20:17. | :20:20. | |
get rid of it and that there are in reality no short cuts that will ever | :20:21. | :20:21. | |
enable us to do that. I agree with my Right Honourable | :20:22. | :20:31. | |
friend. In a sense he refers to the number of plots that have been, the | :20:32. | :20:36. | |
fact a number of plots have been disrupted in recent years. It is | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
easy to forget that when the threat level is at server, that means an | :20:41. | :20:46. | |
attack is highly lightly. It is not -- likely. We live in an open | :20:47. | :20:51. | |
democracy. It is not possible to ensure, as he says that we can | :20:52. | :20:57. | |
prevent any attack from taking place, but we can work as part of | :20:58. | :21:03. | |
our Security Services do and police do to try and prevent attacks taking | :21:04. | :21:07. | |
place. They have been doing a good job and they continue to do a good | :21:08. | :21:12. | |
job in keeping us safe and will do so into the future. But if we are to | :21:13. | :21:17. | |
defeat this evil, then my Right Honourable friend is right, we will | :21:18. | :21:24. | |
defeat this evil through our dewho cracksy and -- de-- democracy and | :21:25. | :21:29. | |
values. May I associate myself with | :21:30. | :21:43. | |
everything that has been said by the leader of the Labour Party and you | :21:44. | :21:47. | |
Mr Speaker. Today, of all days we are reminded that notwithstanding | :21:48. | :21:50. | |
our differences on political and constitutional issues we are as one | :21:51. | :21:56. | |
in our dedication to democracy, the rule of law and harmonies of people | :21:57. | :22:01. | |
of all faiths and none. May I begin personally by wishing the Prime | :22:02. | :22:04. | |
Minister and the Home Secretary well, as they work very hard on our | :22:05. | :22:09. | |
behalf with the security and intelligence services to deal with | :22:10. | :22:14. | |
the aftermath of the appalling indiscriminate terrorist attack | :22:15. | :22:19. | |
yesterday. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of PC Keith | :22:20. | :22:23. | |
Palmer and all other casualties. We are all hugely grateful to all | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
police, all security and all intelligence staff and first | :22:29. | :22:31. | |
responded who ran towards danger without concern for their own safety | :22:32. | :22:37. | |
and I include in that the member for Bournemouth East. Today is not a day | :22:38. | :22:42. | |
for detailed questions. Will the Prime Minister accept, on behalf of | :22:43. | :22:45. | |
the Scottish National Party, and no doubt every member of this House, | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
our huge debt of gratitude to all police and security agency staff who | :22:51. | :22:53. | |
are working so hard to keep everyone in the country safe? Does she agree | :22:54. | :22:59. | |
with me that no terrorist outrage, no terrorist outrage is | :23:00. | :23:03. | |
representative of any faith or of any faith community and we recommit | :23:04. | :23:08. | |
ourselves to strengthening the bonds of tolerance and understanding. And | :23:09. | :23:16. | |
finally, is it not best to follow the advise of Brendan Cox, who has | :23:17. | :23:21. | |
said in the days to come, I hope we will remember the love and bravery | :23:22. | :23:28. | |
of the victim, not just the hatred and coward of the attacker? May I | :23:29. | :23:33. | |
thank The Right Honourable gentleman for his words. I think he's | :23:34. | :23:36. | |
absolutely correct. Now is a time for us to come together, to promote | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
those values of tolerance and understanding that he has referred | :23:42. | :23:46. | |
to. To recognise that what motivates the terrorist is a wrapped ideology | :23:47. | :23:50. | |
and a desire to destroy the values that we share and the values that | :23:51. | :23:58. | |
we, that underpins our democracy of human rights of tolerance and of | :23:59. | :24:01. | |
understanding and of democracy itself. And we should be absolutely | :24:02. | :24:06. | |
at one in ensuring that those values prevail and finally, as he says, we | :24:07. | :24:12. | |
should remember the bravery of the victims and the bravery of those who | :24:13. | :24:14. | |
keep us safe day in and day out. Mr Speaker, may I commend my Right | :24:15. | :24:25. | |
Honourable friend's powerful statement. I add my prayers to those | :24:26. | :24:30. | |
of hers for those who have died and who are suffering and also | :24:31. | :24:35. | |
particularly for Keith Palmer, our wonderful and brave police officer. | :24:36. | :24:42. | |
We have faced such threats before by those of twisted and violent | :24:43. | :24:48. | |
iedsologies as the broken -- ideologies as the broken stones | :24:49. | :24:52. | |
bears the meant to time and again. They have failed. They will always | :24:53. | :24:57. | |
fail because we are a beacon of freedom in this place and that is | :24:58. | :25:00. | |
why they target us. As they fail, may I urge my Right Honourable | :25:01. | :25:05. | |
friend to ensure that as we extoll our righteous defiance in the face | :25:06. | :25:13. | |
of such evil, we also lace it with compassion, tolerance and hope. | :25:14. | :25:17. | |
I absolutely share the thoughts that my Right Honourable friend has set | :25:18. | :25:23. | |
out. He is right, this place is a beacon of freedom and we should | :25:24. | :25:29. | |
never forget that. We should be absolutely resolute in our | :25:30. | :25:32. | |
determination to defeat this evil. We should also be optimistic and | :25:33. | :25:36. | |
hopeful for our democracy and our society in the future. | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I thank the Prime Minister for her statement | :25:44. | :25:50. | |
and her early sight of it. I can I thank her for her words from ten | :25:51. | :25:54. | |
Downing Street last night, which were defy yapt and which she did | :25:55. | :25:59. | |
speak for us all. We know that the police keep us safe. Yesterday, in | :26:00. | :26:05. | |
the most shocking of ways we saw how true that is. In my prayers are | :26:06. | :26:10. | |
Keith Palmer, his family and all the victims of yesterday's outrage and | :26:11. | :26:14. | |
they will continue to be there. I am, we are, beyond thankful to the | :26:15. | :26:20. | |
police, to the NHS, to the emergency services, actually to the staff of | :26:21. | :26:24. | |
this House in keeping us safe and being utterly dedicated to their | :26:25. | :26:29. | |
roles. Those who attack us hate our freedom, our peaceful democracy, our | :26:30. | :26:33. | |
love of country. Our tolerance, our openness and our unity. As we work | :26:34. | :26:38. | |
to unravel how this unspeakable attack happened, will she agree with | :26:39. | :26:45. | |
me that we must not either in our laws or by our actions curtail | :26:46. | :26:52. | |
values. Indeed we should have more of them. I thank the honourable | :26:53. | :26:55. | |
gentleman for his comments. He is right, of course, as others have | :26:56. | :27:00. | |
said, that we should ensure that our values, those values of democracy | :27:01. | :27:06. | |
and tolerance, of freedom prevail. It is factually those -- exactly | :27:07. | :27:09. | |
those values the terrorists try to attack. It is our way of life they | :27:10. | :27:13. | |
wish to destroy. That is why it is so important that out there, those | :27:14. | :27:18. | |
millions of it is zeps are going about -- of citizens are going about | :27:19. | :27:22. | |
their lives, showing in the smallest of ways, but each and every one of | :27:23. | :27:27. | |
them a defiance of the terrorists. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Whilst the | :27:28. | :27:33. | |
dreadful events of yesterday took place in the boundaries of my own | :27:34. | :27:36. | |
constituency, I know the Palace of Westminster is close to the hearts | :27:37. | :27:41. | |
not j US to the hearts of the 650 of us, but to the millions of country | :27:42. | :27:45. | |
men and those who live abroad. May I thank the Prime Minister for | :27:46. | :27:51. | |
speaking so very eloquently for the nation both on the steps of Downing | :27:52. | :27:56. | |
Street and in the House today. She reminds us the greatest tribute that | :27:57. | :28:01. | |
we can pay to those murdered ensures we go about our business as normally | :28:02. | :28:06. | |
as possible and maintain the values and the liberties that our | :28:07. | :28:09. | |
forefathers fought so hard to win on our behalf. | :28:10. | :28:15. | |
I absolutely agree. It is so important that we continue to show | :28:16. | :28:24. | |
that we are spies and in every action in those freedoms and | :28:25. | :28:28. | |
liberties because it is that that the terrorists wish the attack. | :28:29. | :28:33. | |
Those freedoms and liberties were hard-fought. There are parts of this | :28:34. | :28:36. | |
palace where there have been arguments in the past about those | :28:37. | :28:41. | |
freedoms and liberties. We must ensure that they remain and that we | :28:42. | :28:46. | |
show in our actions and deeds and words that they remain at the heart | :28:47. | :28:53. | |
of our democracy. Harriet Harman. Can I thank the Prime Minister for | :28:54. | :28:56. | |
her words here today held her words on the steps of Downing Street | :28:57. | :29:01. | |
yesterday at this very difficult and important time, she spoke for us | :29:02. | :29:08. | |
all. We are so proud of the bravery of PC Keith Palmer, so sad for his | :29:09. | :29:12. | |
grieving family, but so grateful for what he did to keep us safe. I would | :29:13. | :29:19. | |
like to add my tribute to all the police here in Westminster and the | :29:20. | :29:24. | |
Parliamentary staff who acted with such calmness and professionalism | :29:25. | :29:29. | |
yesterday. I would like to pay tribute to the emergency trauma team | :29:30. | :29:31. | |
at Kings College Hospital who are at Kings College Hospital who are | :29:32. | :29:37. | |
caring for the injured. This was an horrific crime and it has cost lives | :29:38. | :29:43. | |
and caused injury, but as an act of terror it has failed. It has failed | :29:44. | :29:48. | |
because we are here and we are going to go about our business. It has | :29:49. | :29:53. | |
failed because despite the trauma that they witnessed outside their | :29:54. | :29:58. | |
windows, our staff are here and getting on with their work. It feel | :29:59. | :30:02. | |
because I is the Prime Minister so rightly said, we are not going to | :30:03. | :30:08. | |
allow this to be used as a pretext for division, hatred and Islam | :30:09. | :30:13. | |
phobia. This democracy is strong and this Parliament is robust. This was | :30:14. | :30:19. | |
an horrific crime, but as an act of terror it has failed. The right | :30:20. | :30:26. | |
honourable lady speaks very well and I utterly agree with the word she | :30:27. | :30:31. | |
has spoken. Sir Peter Bottomley. Some of us were present 38 years ago | :30:32. | :30:38. | |
when a man was martyred. We can't dam at community because of the | :30:39. | :30:43. | |
actions of a single person. The message I got from the a man in | :30:44. | :30:47. | |
Worthing was that we will always be with those who work for peace. Can I | :30:48. | :30:54. | |
suggest that we... Can we make sure that we work together and disappoint | :30:55. | :30:59. | |
them? He makes a very important point. The Metropolitan Police are | :31:00. | :31:08. | |
bringing a number of faith leaders together to show the importance of | :31:09. | :31:12. | |
that coming together of faith leaders. They are of course working | :31:13. | :31:17. | |
with communities up and down the country both to reassure, because | :31:18. | :31:21. | |
there will be communities concerned about the possible reaction that | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
might take place, to reassure those communities. The job of the police | :31:27. | :31:32. | |
is to keep us all safe. Ed Miliband. Can I join others in commending the | :31:33. | :31:36. | |
Prime Minister for her statement last night and today? In her tone | :31:37. | :31:41. | |
and substance she has spoken for the whole country and I commend her for | :31:42. | :31:47. | |
it. Can I echo those who have said that we must not allow in the coming | :31:48. | :31:51. | |
days and weeks anyone to try and divide our country on the basis of | :31:52. | :31:57. | |
faith or nationality after these attacks. The reality is, that across | :31:58. | :32:04. | |
London, across the country we are a country united against these | :32:05. | :32:09. | |
attacks. That is who we are. The right honourable gentleman is right. | :32:10. | :32:12. | |
The country is united. People from all faiths and none are going about | :32:13. | :32:17. | |
their business in defiance of the terrorists. They have a clear | :32:18. | :32:21. | |
message, they will not be cowed and that is a message that this House | :32:22. | :32:26. | |
gains very clearly today, that this country will not be cowed by these | :32:27. | :32:33. | |
terrorists. Theresa Villiers. I also sent my sympathies to those burrito | :32:34. | :32:37. | |
or injured in yesterday's horrific attack and as we reflect on what | :32:38. | :32:41. | |
happened, is it time to consider whether the police who guard | :32:42. | :32:47. | |
sensitive sites known to be of interest to terrorists like | :32:48. | :32:50. | |
Parliament or airports should routinely carry personal protection | :32:51. | :32:53. | |
weapons, even when those officers are not part of the units formerly | :32:54. | :33:02. | |
tasked with armed response? Over the nearly 20 years that I have been in | :33:03. | :33:08. | |
this House, the level of security on the Parliamentary estate has been | :33:09. | :33:11. | |
enhanced significantly and the number of armed officers on the | :33:12. | :33:14. | |
Parliamentary estate has been an Hans Stuck never complete. As to | :33:15. | :33:19. | |
whether individual officers undertaking particular duties are | :33:20. | :33:22. | |
routinely armed, that is an operational matter for the police | :33:23. | :33:26. | |
themselves. They are the best able to judge the circumstances in which | :33:27. | :33:34. | |
it is best for individuals to have those arms. We have seen a | :33:35. | :33:38. | |
significant increase in the number of armed response vehicles and | :33:39. | :33:42. | |
counterterrorism barons officers. It is a sad reflection of the threat | :33:43. | :33:46. | |
that we face is that it has been necessary to do that, but we have | :33:47. | :33:50. | |
been doing that. The question that my right honourable friend | :33:51. | :33:53. | |
specifically raises is an operational matter for the police. | :33:54. | :33:59. | |
Nigel Dodds. Can I commend the Prime Minister for her words last evening | :34:00. | :34:02. | |
and today when she spoke for all of us and the entire country. PC Keith | :34:03. | :34:09. | |
Palmer was and is at his colleagues are the reason why we are here today | :34:10. | :34:14. | |
and any other day. He embodied the rule of law that we stand for. He | :34:15. | :34:19. | |
stood in harms way for all of us and we remember and pray for his family | :34:20. | :34:23. | |
and all those victims who suffered yesterday and the bereaved. We must | :34:24. | :34:30. | |
remember the bravery and always will of the emergency services, the | :34:31. | :34:34. | |
police, the security forces and our own Parliamentary staff and the | :34:35. | :34:38. | |
goodness and decency of ordinary members of the public who rushed to | :34:39. | :34:42. | |
help people, including our right honourable friend, the member for | :34:43. | :34:45. | |
Bournemouth East. We must uphold the values of this place, our democratic | :34:46. | :34:51. | |
values. We have learnt in Northern Ireland that the way to overcome | :34:52. | :34:55. | |
terrorism is by working together politically and in every other way | :34:56. | :35:01. | |
to ensure that democratic values, the rule of law, human rights are | :35:02. | :35:05. | |
all upheld in every way that they can. We must rededicate ourselves to | :35:06. | :35:10. | |
that in the future. I absolutely agree. We are able to be here today | :35:11. | :35:15. | |
because of the bravery of police officers. He also refers rightly to | :35:16. | :35:21. | |
the emergency services and others, the members of the public, and the | :35:22. | :35:26. | |
staff of this House and this Parliament who went about their job | :35:27. | :35:30. | |
to ensure that everybody was safe yesterday. As he has said, and he | :35:31. | :35:35. | |
has referred to the experience in Northern Ireland, the way to defeat | :35:36. | :35:39. | |
terrorism is by working together and upholding our democratic values. As | :35:40. | :35:44. | |
a backbencher it seems to me that both the Prime Minister and the | :35:45. | :35:48. | |
leaders of the opposition parties have set exactly the right tone | :35:49. | :35:52. | |
today and prove that it is values that unite this kingdom. When this | :35:53. | :35:58. | |
chamber was completely destroyed in the war, Mr Churchill and Mr Attlee | :35:59. | :36:03. | |
decided not a single day would pass without us carrying on our work. The | :36:04. | :36:08. | |
Prime Minister has shown today, and her opposite number, that the best | :36:09. | :36:11. | |
way to defeat terrorism is to prove that we will not be moved from our | :36:12. | :36:18. | |
values and our place. He is absolutely right. He refers to a | :36:19. | :36:22. | |
specific example in the past when once again Parliament upheld our | :36:23. | :36:28. | |
democracy and showed our values in the face of evil. We continue to do | :36:29. | :36:37. | |
it today. Alan Johnson. The Prime Minister is dealing with this | :36:38. | :36:41. | |
outrage in a calm and assured way. Does she agree with me that an | :36:42. | :36:47. | |
effective counterterrorism strategy designed to prepare, protect would | :36:48. | :36:53. | |
be inadequate without the strand of prevent? In that vein, will she | :36:54. | :37:00. | |
assure the house that across all 43 constabularies there will be | :37:01. | :37:04. | |
neighbourhood policing teams invisible to an contactable by the | :37:05. | :37:10. | |
public, which is a crucial strand in feeding information on terrorism to | :37:11. | :37:15. | |
the counterterrorism organisations? He is right. As he will know from | :37:16. | :37:20. | |
his experience, our counterterrorism strategy embodies those four pillars | :37:21. | :37:24. | |
within it, including the pillar of prevent. The action that has taken | :37:25. | :37:31. | |
to prevent terrorism and violent extremism will come in many forms. | :37:32. | :37:36. | |
What is important is that individuals within communities do | :37:37. | :37:40. | |
feel that they are able to give information when they are concerned | :37:41. | :37:45. | |
about somebody within their community or concerned about | :37:46. | :37:48. | |
somebody perhaps in their family and what is happening to them. It is | :37:49. | :37:53. | |
important that the are of those opportunities for them. There will | :37:54. | :37:56. | |
be a variety of means, some through pleasing some other means, where | :37:57. | :38:00. | |
they can give that information not just to the protection of assault | :38:01. | :38:03. | |
but also to the benefit of individual concerned. May I commend | :38:04. | :38:09. | |
the Prime Minister on her fitting statement. When police officers died | :38:10. | :38:15. | |
they leave behind husbands, wives, sons and daughters. The police | :38:16. | :38:19. | |
dependents trust was set up to support the dependents of police | :38:20. | :38:22. | |
officers killed or injured on duty following the brutal murder of three | :38:23. | :38:27. | |
police officers in Shepherd's Bush in 1966. With the Prime Minister | :38:28. | :38:32. | |
join me in encouraging people to donate to the trust? I am very happy | :38:33. | :38:41. | |
to encourage people to do exactly as my honourable friend has suggested. | :38:42. | :38:45. | |
It is a valuable organisation providing help and support to those | :38:46. | :38:50. | |
who we have all said, the families who are left behind have to live for | :38:51. | :38:56. | |
ever with what for us has been an act of bravery, but for them is a | :38:57. | :39:07. | |
tragedy and a trauma. Yvette Cooper. I would like to welcome the Prime | :39:08. | :39:11. | |
Minister's words as she speaks for all of us today. She is right to say | :39:12. | :39:17. | |
this was an attempted attack on parliament and democracy that have | :39:18. | :39:22. | |
failed because of the bravery of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life | :39:23. | :39:27. | |
doing a job with others to keep people safe. It was also an | :39:28. | :39:32. | |
attempted file and cowardly attack on freedom by mowing down people who | :39:33. | :39:36. | |
were just walking along a bridge. As our hearts go out to them, which she | :39:37. | :39:42. | |
agree that that attack on freedom also feels, not just because of | :39:43. | :39:47. | |
communities's resilience and determination, but because of the | :39:48. | :39:51. | |
unique partnership we have in this country between the police and | :39:52. | :39:54. | |
communities of all faiths and across all parts of the country, and that | :39:55. | :39:59. | |
partnership working will be crucial to us making sure that the | :40:00. | :40:07. | |
terrorists never win. The right honourable lady is right. It was a | :40:08. | :40:10. | |
cowardly attack. Parliament has particularly focused on the attempts | :40:11. | :40:18. | |
to attack us here in Parliament but the mowing down of innocent men | :40:19. | :40:21. | |
women and children, who were just going about their business in a | :40:22. | :40:26. | |
variety of ways, but many of them had come here as tourists to enjoy | :40:27. | :40:31. | |
the great delights of this wonderful city was an absolutely cowardly and | :40:32. | :40:35. | |
appalling act and treat you need to ensure, we have a unique bond | :40:36. | :40:38. | |
between our police and their communities, and that is important | :40:39. | :40:42. | |
that that partnership and Bond continues. Can I commend the Prime | :40:43. | :40:52. | |
Minister's statement and commend the Prime Minister for her reassuring | :40:53. | :40:55. | |
dignity and resolve that she has shown? She has shown why she is | :40:56. | :41:01. | |
proving to be a superb Prime Minister and we are proud to have | :41:02. | :41:05. | |
her as our Prime Minister. Of course our hearts go out to the victims and | :41:06. | :41:09. | |
the honour of the police who risk their lives every day to keep us | :41:10. | :41:14. | |
safe, and unfortunately too often give up their lives to keep us safe. | :41:15. | :41:18. | |
Can the Prime Minister assure us that she will meet that the police | :41:19. | :41:23. | |
forces up and down the country and the security services will always | :41:24. | :41:27. | |
have the resources that they need in order to carry out their job of | :41:28. | :41:34. | |
keeping us all safe? I thank him for his comments. Indeed, as I | :41:35. | :41:40. | |
indicated, we have taken steps to enhance the resources available for | :41:41. | :41:44. | |
our security and intelligence agencies and to protect the | :41:45. | :41:48. | |
resources available for our police forces, particularly working in the | :41:49. | :41:52. | |
counterterrorism area. We have looked in recent times to increase | :41:53. | :41:58. | |
the number of armed response vehicles available, and that is not | :41:59. | :42:01. | |
just about armed response vehicles here in London but another part of | :42:02. | :42:06. | |
the country as well. Of course we constantly look at making sure that | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
our response is appropriate, but we are very conscious of the jobs that | :42:11. | :42:16. | |
our police do day in and day out and we give them the support that they | :42:17. | :42:23. | |
need. I speak for my party and also commend the Prime Minister on the | :42:24. | :42:27. | |
word she has given today. All of us here today, this is not a show of | :42:28. | :42:35. | |
defiance, it is a show of respect for the dead and injured. Respect | :42:36. | :42:41. | |
our duty, respect to Chrissy and duty to our constituents. One man | :42:42. | :42:46. | |
cannot shut down as city and one man cannot lock down democracy. The she | :42:47. | :42:51. | |
also agreed that we must not react to such a warped ideology with | :42:52. | :42:59. | |
unworthy responses? What is absolutely appropriate is the | :43:00. | :43:02. | |
response that this House is Sean today. It has shown gratitude for | :43:03. | :43:07. | |
the bravery of our police and emergency services, it has shown | :43:08. | :43:10. | |
respect and concern for those who have been thick ones of the terrible | :43:11. | :43:23. | |
attacks that took place -- victims. We have also shown normality, which | :43:24. | :43:26. | |
is important as we work to defeat terrorism. I thank the Prime | :43:27. | :43:33. | |
Minister for her statement. Over 25 years, I have seen the police play | :43:34. | :43:39. | |
many roles across the Palace of Westminster. One is to give advice | :43:40. | :43:44. | |
to members of the public on where to go, another occasions, none of us | :43:45. | :43:47. | |
could have passed carriage Gates without seeing members of the public | :43:48. | :43:51. | |
having photographs taken with the police. It is one of the things that | :43:52. | :43:56. | |
they do. Another thing that they do is protect our democracy, which we | :43:57. | :43:59. | |
saw yesterday with brutal consequences. I am very proud of the | :44:00. | :44:06. | |
police and everything that they do in defending our democracy. Keith | :44:07. | :44:13. | |
Palmer was one of us. The police to protect us are one of us. I hope | :44:14. | :44:21. | |
that at some stage... I mean the tributes to keep the police is that | :44:22. | :44:24. | |
we are here today and the proceedings are going on. The arch | :44:25. | :44:28. | |
has been spoken about before, which is a lasting memorial to those who | :44:29. | :44:33. | |
paid the ultimate sacrifice for our democracy and I do hope that at the | :44:34. | :44:39. | |
appropriate time with discussion with the family, that we too may be | :44:40. | :44:42. | |
able to look at a lasting memorial to Keith in order that each and | :44:43. | :44:48. | |
every one of us, there are people putting their lives on the line for | :44:49. | :44:50. | |
our democracy today. If I may reflect on his earlier | :44:51. | :45:03. | |
remarks, I think it is a particular characteristic of policing here in | :45:04. | :45:07. | |
the United Kingdom that our police are able to have that link and that | :45:08. | :45:11. | |
bond with members of the public at the same time as their doing that | :45:12. | :45:14. | |
very difficult job of keeping us safe. We see it so often in, when | :45:15. | :45:22. | |
major events take place, Royal Weddings, the Olympics and so forth. | :45:23. | :45:25. | |
He's right, we see it day in, day out n this parliamentary estate. | :45:26. | :45:29. | |
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. As we mourn those who were so cruelly | :45:30. | :45:36. | |
cut down yesterday, give our grateful thanks to the police and to | :45:37. | :45:42. | |
the emergency and Security Services for their ex-empry courage and | :45:43. | :45:46. | |
devotion to duty and show as a country, by our determination to | :45:47. | :45:49. | |
carry on, that we will not be cowed as the Prime Minister put it so | :45:50. | :45:54. | |
eloquently. Does she agree that we will need to show the same | :45:55. | :45:59. | |
determination to stand up against anyone who seeks to so division or | :46:00. | :46:05. | |
to stir up hatred in the wake of these cowardly attacks? I agree with | :46:06. | :46:09. | |
The Right Honourable gentleman. We must be very clear that the voices | :46:10. | :46:13. | |
of evil and hate will not divide us. That should also be a clear message | :46:14. | :46:19. | |
from this House today. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Whilst our | :46:20. | :46:25. | |
hearts go to all those people who were wounded and murdered yesterday, | :46:26. | :46:30. | |
and to all the people who saught to help them, with our indulgence, Sir, | :46:31. | :46:34. | |
I would like to turn to PC Keith Palmer, who I first met 25 years ago | :46:35. | :46:43. | |
as Gunner Palmer, at 100 regiment, Royal Artillery. He was a strong, | :46:44. | :46:50. | |
professional public servant. And it was a delight to meet him here again | :46:51. | :46:55. | |
only a few months after being elected. | :46:56. | :47:02. | |
Would my Right Honourable friend, the Prime Minister, in recognition | :47:03. | :47:08. | |
of the work that he did and the other police officers and public | :47:09. | :47:11. | |
servantseser in the House do -- servants here in the House do, | :47:12. | :47:18. | |
consider recognising his gallantry and sacrifice formally | :47:19. | :47:29. | |
with a posthumous recognition. He has spoken about an individual he | :47:30. | :47:39. | |
knew and he bears witness to the tremendous public service Keith | :47:40. | :47:41. | |
Palmer gave this country in so many ways and having served in our Armed | :47:42. | :47:48. | |
Forces and then come here to this place and pay the ultimate sacrifice | :47:49. | :47:54. | |
here at our heart of democracy. I can assure my honourable friend that | :47:55. | :47:58. | |
the issue that he's raised is of course one that will be considered | :47:59. | :48:00. | |
in due course. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. | :48:01. | :48:09. | |
Obviously yesterday we saw absolutely the best of security, | :48:10. | :48:13. | |
policing and emergency services. But I would just make a small plea going | :48:14. | :48:20. | |
forward, yesterday we also saw the cammed atry that got people through | :48:21. | :48:24. | |
the lock down. We had staff stuck in offices all over the estate. As we | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
go forward, if people could take the bravery and determination of | :48:31. | :48:33. | |
yesterday, but remember to talk among themselves, support their | :48:34. | :48:38. | |
staff and not bury any feelings of fear from yesterday, but to let that | :48:39. | :48:42. | |
out, so that there is absolutely no scar remnant within this place, as | :48:43. | :48:47. | |
we go forward. The honourable lady I think has made | :48:48. | :48:51. | |
a very important point. It is all too easy for us to come to this | :48:52. | :48:55. | |
chamber to rightly show our gratitude for the bravery of those | :48:56. | :49:00. | |
who protect us. But to forget that for all those staff who were caught | :49:01. | :49:04. | |
up in this, this could have lasting impacts. I think it is important | :49:05. | :49:11. | |
that we do make and I understand that there are moves afoot to ensure | :49:12. | :49:16. | |
that the staff, certainly as I said in my statement, that they are able | :49:17. | :49:20. | |
to access help and support for them and their staff should they wish to | :49:21. | :49:25. | |
do that but allowing people to talk about what happened is often the | :49:26. | :49:29. | |
best remedy. Mr Speaker, can I thank the Prime | :49:30. | :49:33. | |
Minister for her statement this morning and indeed her message last | :49:34. | :49:38. | |
night in Downing Street? Can I also, as a former Metropolitan Police | :49:39. | :49:43. | |
officer, pass my condolences personally to Constable Palmer's | :49:44. | :49:47. | |
family and to the other pedestrians and everybody involved yesterday. As | :49:48. | :49:52. | |
someone who actually served on the counter terrorist command in the 19 | :49:53. | :49:58. | |
# 0s here in London when the IRA, the National Liberation Army and | :49:59. | :50:01. | |
other Middle Eastern groups were bombing London, I know only too well | :50:02. | :50:05. | |
the challenge faced by police. I know the Prime Minister's been asked | :50:06. | :50:09. | |
about resourcing, but I can re-enforce that, please, by asking | :50:10. | :50:13. | |
that in the area of counter-terrorism, that the Met | :50:14. | :50:18. | |
Police, indeed all police fors and indeed the Security Services | :50:19. | :50:21. | |
generally have, and should want for nothing. | :50:22. | :50:25. | |
Yes. I can reassure my honourable friend that we did do this major | :50:26. | :50:30. | |
exercise through the refresh of the Strategic Defence and Security | :50:31. | :50:33. | |
Review, of looking at the resources that should be available for | :50:34. | :50:36. | |
counter-terrorism, across all aspects of dealing with | :50:37. | :50:40. | |
counter-terrorism, that is of course about the intelligence agencies and | :50:41. | :50:44. | |
about the police. But also the other parts of Government which has a role | :50:45. | :50:47. | |
to play in counter-terrorism too and extra resources are going in, as I | :50:48. | :50:51. | |
indicated in my statement. Of course, we do want to ensure that | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
all those who are involved in acting against terrorism have the support | :50:57. | :51:00. | |
that they need to do the job that we want them to do. | :51:01. | :51:04. | |
Could I associate myself with the Prime Minister's words and those of | :51:05. | :51:10. | |
my Right Honourable friend, the Leader of the Opposition. Will she | :51:11. | :51:16. | |
accept that this is not about the personal security of us as Members | :51:17. | :51:21. | |
of Parliament, or the security of this building. PC Keith Palmer died | :51:22. | :51:29. | |
defending the values, as the Prime Minister put it, free people | :51:30. | :51:33. | |
everywhere. Isn't the proper response over the coming days, as | :51:34. | :51:40. | |
more facts emerge, that we stand firm for those self-same values of | :51:41. | :51:42. | |
free people everywhere? The honourable gentleman is right. | :51:43. | :51:49. | |
As he said, it is not just about individuals in this House but indeed | :51:50. | :51:52. | |
this billing. It is about what we stand for and we should stand | :51:53. | :52:00. | |
absolutely firm for those values. Can I start off by commending the | :52:01. | :52:04. | |
Prime Minister on a very powerful speech and particularly the tone | :52:05. | :52:08. | |
with which it was delivered? Yesterday, we saw an attack on this | :52:09. | :52:15. | |
centre of democracy. And also an attack on citizens of ten countries. | :52:16. | :52:20. | |
The message that we need to take away from here is that this | :52:21. | :52:25. | |
ideology, this evil ideology is not only an attack on western countries, | :52:26. | :52:29. | |
and the values that we hold so dear, but it is an evil that seeks to | :52:30. | :52:34. | |
destroy the way of life across the globe and I hope that the message | :52:35. | :52:39. | |
will go out to all decent and civilised countries that we must all | :52:40. | :52:45. | |
redouble our resolve to deal with this evil. | :52:46. | :52:50. | |
I say to my honourable friend that I have been struck by the number of | :52:51. | :52:55. | |
messages I have received, a number of foreign leaders who I am spoken | :52:56. | :52:58. | |
to, who have been absolutely clear at this time that we stand together, | :52:59. | :53:03. | |
as he says, in defiance, but also in ensuring that we will defeat this | :53:04. | :53:09. | |
evil. The immense bravery of all concerned | :53:10. | :53:15. | |
yesterday. Should we not recognise, unfortunately, terror attacks are | :53:16. | :53:17. | |
likely to continue for years to come and this country is not unique, | :53:18. | :53:23. | |
needless to say in Europe, yet alone elsewhere on having such onslaughts | :53:24. | :53:28. | |
against them. But arise from what the Prime Minister said, can I tell | :53:29. | :53:33. | |
here that during the sustained IRA bombing, I didn't receive during all | :53:34. | :53:38. | |
of those years, as a Member of Parliament, I didn't receive any | :53:39. | :53:42. | |
letters at all, or anyone come to my surgery telling me that we should | :53:43. | :53:47. | |
change our policy in combatting terrorism. I have to say it | :53:48. | :53:54. | |
illustrates once again our people are simply not a pieceless. ... The | :53:55. | :54:04. | |
British people want to see us stand in defiance of the terrorists, | :54:05. | :54:08. | |
defeating the terrorists and show it is the values of democracy and the | :54:09. | :54:13. | |
rule of law, the values of free people everywhere that underpin our | :54:14. | :54:16. | |
way of life. I think people recognise that and they want to see | :54:17. | :54:23. | |
this House endorsing that. I support all that the Prime Minister has said | :54:24. | :54:27. | |
and done and my thoughts are with all those who have been affected by | :54:28. | :54:33. | |
this evil act. The assistant Police Commissioner in 2016 said two people | :54:34. | :54:37. | |
a day are being turned away from extremism and it is often members of | :54:38. | :54:43. | |
the individual's own community who are alerting the authoritieses and | :54:44. | :54:47. | |
it is communities who defeat terrorism. What further steps are we | :54:48. | :54:51. | |
taking to engage with all of our communities so we can work together | :54:52. | :54:55. | |
to defeat nonviolent extremism, which often them leads to violent | :54:56. | :54:59. | |
extremism? And my honourable friend is right, | :55:00. | :55:03. | |
that it is important that we defeat that extremism and deal with it at | :55:04. | :55:09. | |
that earlier stage and there is lot of work being done within | :55:10. | :55:11. | |
communities, working with communities. Obviously there is work | :55:12. | :55:16. | |
that the police do to encourage people within communities to come | :55:17. | :55:19. | |
forward with information when it is possible to do so, when they have | :55:20. | :55:24. | |
those concerns. And that is important. People need | :55:25. | :55:28. | |
to have the confidence of feeling they can do that. And it is | :55:29. | :55:36. | |
important to create the environment within communities when people feel, | :55:37. | :55:38. | |
recognise where there are those trying to destroy our way of life | :55:39. | :55:43. | |
and they actually feel able to take action about that. But my honourable | :55:44. | :55:47. | |
friend is right, bringing communities together is an important | :55:48. | :55:50. | |
part of the work that the Government is doing on a number of fronts. | :55:51. | :55:55. | |
THE SPEAKER: I had intended to call another Birmingham member, who has | :55:56. | :55:58. | |
sadly left the chamber. In the absence of that honourable member | :55:59. | :56:04. | |
lets hear the voice of Jack Dromey. Can I thank the Prime Minister for | :56:05. | :56:08. | |
her leadership at a bleak moment for our country. As the brave guardian | :56:09. | :56:15. | |
of Parliament, Keith Palmer, fought for his life yesterday, The Right | :56:16. | :56:18. | |
Honourable member for Bournemouth East fought to save his life. Can I | :56:19. | :56:21. | |
say about The Right Honourable member, he is one of Parliament's | :56:22. | :56:24. | |
finests. -- finest. | :56:25. | :56:32. | |
In backing our police to defeat terrorism, does she believe we | :56:33. | :56:36. | |
should heed their wise words that to demonise and divide is to playwright | :56:37. | :56:41. | |
into the hands of the evil that is terrorism? We should not be in any | :56:42. | :56:48. | |
attempt, making any attempt to demonise individual communities. | :56:49. | :56:52. | |
What we should recognise is it is individuals who are terrorists, that | :56:53. | :56:59. | |
they are adhering to a warped ideology, a warped ideology of evil. | :57:00. | :57:03. | |
That is true whatever the origin of the terrorism, because there are | :57:04. | :57:06. | |
different ideologies and this House has been struck before, as we know, | :57:07. | :57:12. | |
and has felt terrorism of a different sort hitting at a member | :57:13. | :57:16. | |
of this House. So, we must ensure that we do not demonise communities | :57:17. | :57:21. | |
but we work with them to identify and to isolate those who wish to do | :57:22. | :57:23. | |
us harm. In the wake of yesterday's evil, | :57:24. | :57:33. | |
tragic, but unfortunately not unwholly unexpected attack on this | :57:34. | :57:36. | |
place, as the Prime Minister said, there will be a review of the | :57:37. | :57:40. | |
response of our excellent police and Security Services. Does my Right | :57:41. | :57:46. | |
Honourable friend agree with me that in an open and free democracy, such | :57:47. | :57:50. | |
as ours, there'll be a balance between our security and public | :57:51. | :57:54. | |
access and the transparency of our democracy? If that balance is not | :57:55. | :57:59. | |
maintained, then unfortunately then the terrorists would have won. | :58:00. | :58:07. | |
It is a balance. We live in an open and free democracy and we want | :58:08. | :58:13. | |
members of the public to have access to their representatives and this | :58:14. | :58:18. | |
place. That is part of how we operate. It is important that as we | :58:19. | :58:23. | |
look ahead and ask that question if there is anything more that needs to | :58:24. | :58:27. | |
be done, we recognise that we should not in any way destroy the values | :58:28. | :58:31. | |
that underpin our democracy because if we do that then, as you say, the | :58:32. | :58:38. | |
terrorists will have won. For the first time in the size I want to | :58:39. | :58:47. | |
agree with every member in what they have said. Can I add thanks to two | :58:48. | :58:52. | |
more groups of people? The staff at Westminster Abbey who received | :58:53. | :58:58. | |
people who were left from this House, and the firearms officer who | :58:59. | :59:04. | |
actually acted in a way that he had been trained to, but probably never | :59:05. | :59:10. | |
expected to. We owe him our thanks. The Prime Minister knows better than | :59:11. | :59:16. | |
any of us that this sort of attack, it looks like a lone wolf kind of | :59:17. | :59:22. | |
attack, is the hardest for our security services to prevent. Its | :59:23. | :59:31. | |
prevention is best achieved by us celebrating our values, the values | :59:32. | :59:38. | |
which meant that amongst the big -- are amongst the victims... What can | :59:39. | :59:44. | |
she do to help to ensure that everybody in Britain of any religion | :59:45. | :59:49. | |
is given the opportunity to learn about those values and celebrate | :59:50. | :59:53. | |
them, because I think that is the best way to keep us safe in the | :59:54. | :59:57. | |
future. May I joined the right honourable lady in commending as she | :59:58. | :00:03. | |
has said the staff of Westminster Abbey who played a role in | :00:04. | :00:07. | |
supporting people from Parliament yesterday, but also she says the | :00:08. | :00:14. | |
fire officers, who acted, we know, had to make a split-second decision | :00:15. | :00:18. | |
about what to do. This is not an easy job. It is difficult. They are | :00:19. | :00:23. | |
trained to do it but when the point becomes it is a difficult decision | :00:24. | :00:29. | |
to take. We are grateful that he did that and with the consequences that | :00:30. | :00:34. | |
we know. It is important that we celebrate those values. It is an | :00:35. | :00:38. | |
important element of us countering the extremists, to ensure that the | :00:39. | :00:44. | |
values that we share our champions but resolutely put forward. It is | :00:45. | :00:48. | |
for all of us, the right honourable lady asks what I would do, but I | :00:49. | :00:52. | |
think it is for everyone in this House as we both about business as | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
Members of Parliament to encourage that celebration of the values that | :00:58. | :01:05. | |
we share. Can I commend my right honourable friend for the resolute, | :01:06. | :01:08. | |
brave and courageous way she stood up for our country and how proud we | :01:09. | :01:13. | |
are of horror. Does she agree with me that one terrorist will not | :01:14. | :01:19. | |
destroy our country, ten terrorists will not destroy our country, 10,000 | :01:20. | :01:24. | |
terrorists will not destroy our country, in fact no amount of | :01:25. | :01:27. | |
terrorists will ever destroy our way of life, because it will be an temp | :01:28. | :01:37. | |
two destroy freedom and democracy. My honourable friend is absolutely | :01:38. | :01:42. | |
right. Terrorism will not destroy our way of life, it will not win. We | :01:43. | :01:48. | |
uphold those values of freedom and democracy. They are what the | :01:49. | :01:52. | |
terrorists are trying to attack and what they dislike, but we must | :01:53. | :01:57. | |
ensure that we uphold those values and, as he said, no number of | :01:58. | :02:01. | |
terrorists will defeat this place or defeat those values. PC Keith Palmer | :02:02. | :02:12. | |
did not return home from work yesterday to his family so the rest | :02:13. | :02:15. | |
of us in this House could. We should never forget that sacrifice. And | :02:16. | :02:21. | |
every single day we should pass our thanks to the staff and security of | :02:22. | :02:26. | |
the size and the emergency services. Will she join me in cherishing what | :02:27. | :02:32. | |
happened yesterday with the staff coming together all supporting each | :02:33. | :02:37. | |
other. That in itself is a way to save the terrorism that will never | :02:38. | :02:42. | |
win. I joined the honourable gentleman in doubt. The way people | :02:43. | :02:46. | |
came together and show that camaraderie, supporting each other | :02:47. | :02:51. | |
at Bob was a difficult and uncertain time for individuals within this | :02:52. | :02:55. | |
Parliamentary estate. It was a very important message to the terrorists. | :02:56. | :03:01. | |
It is reported that what happened yesterday was an act of Islamic | :03:02. | :03:05. | |
terror. Will the Prime Minister agree with me that what happens was | :03:06. | :03:14. | |
not Islamic just... Both are converged -- both are perversions of | :03:15. | :03:18. | |
religion. I absolutely agree. It is wrong to describe this as Islamic | :03:19. | :03:25. | |
terrorism, it is Islamist terrorism, Opera version of the great faith. I | :03:26. | :03:34. | |
would like to pay tribute to the Prime Minister and which are well | :03:35. | :03:38. | |
and her Cabinet well in the deliberations as we go forward. | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
Kammy echo everything said about those who have been killed and their | :03:44. | :03:48. | |
families and the victims. Can I ask the Prime Minister that every effort | :03:49. | :03:52. | |
will be made to support those victims and their families, and also | :03:53. | :03:56. | |
the police officer whose role it was to stop the terrorist in the end. I | :03:57. | :04:01. | |
can assure the honourable gentleman that that support will be available | :04:02. | :04:07. | |
to stop for those who have been affected by the attacks, for those | :04:08. | :04:11. | |
who have been injured and the bereaved families, the Metropolitan | :04:12. | :04:14. | |
Police have in place a support arrangement. I have also asked the | :04:15. | :04:22. | |
government to look at what further support can be available for victims | :04:23. | :04:25. | |
and a wider sense. There are people who might not have been physically | :04:26. | :04:31. | |
injured, but there may be other scorers. It is important to provide | :04:32. | :04:37. | |
that support. Parliament is a very different place this morning. It | :04:38. | :04:42. | |
made me realise that millions of people live with the after-effects | :04:43. | :04:50. | |
of terrorism. In my summing up in Westminster Hall to the Foreign | :04:51. | :04:52. | |
Office minister yesterday I said that they understand his experience | :04:53. | :04:56. | |
of terrorism is something that is not known to the rest of us. I can | :04:57. | :05:01. | |
repeat that assertion this morning about his experience yesterday | :05:02. | :05:04. | |
afternoon. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that we should use the | :05:05. | :05:11. | |
honour system to honour those who made a contribution yesterday, | :05:12. | :05:13. | |
including the honourable member from Bournemouth East. Proper | :05:14. | :05:19. | |
consideration will be given to the issue that they honourable friend | :05:20. | :05:23. | |
raises. If I may just say about my right honourable friend them member | :05:24. | :05:28. | |
from Bournemouth East who I spoke to yesterday evening, I think we should | :05:29. | :05:31. | |
all recognise that not only did he show huge professionalism in putting | :05:32. | :05:39. | |
his past training to the hope that he had of rescuing the life of PC | :05:40. | :05:46. | |
Keith Palmer, but it was in the middle of a terrorist attack and | :05:47. | :05:50. | |
right honourable friend is somebody who knows the trauma and tragedy of | :05:51. | :05:53. | |
losing somebody in a terrorist attack. I associate myself with the | :05:54. | :06:05. | |
statement of the Prime Minister and paid tribute to all of those who | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
were involved is, we are thinking of the victims and their families. As | :06:10. | :06:14. | |
the sister of a police officer in uniform, none of us really know when | :06:15. | :06:17. | |
they go out the front door in the morning what they will face, so I | :06:18. | :06:22. | |
have to say that yesterday heads all of us as it did particularly hard, | :06:23. | :06:26. | |
for those of us who have family in uniform. I am pleased to hear that | :06:27. | :06:30. | |
she will beginning of -- giving all the support he can to the families | :06:31. | :06:34. | |
of the victims and all those affected. When I was Home Secretary | :06:35. | :06:41. | |
there were two events that always brought home the commitment and | :06:42. | :06:45. | |
bravery and dedication of police officers. One was the national | :06:46. | :06:48. | |
police service Memorial Day when the police recognised those who have | :06:49. | :06:52. | |
fallen, and the other was the police bravery awards, when groups of | :06:53. | :06:56. | |
police officers are recognised for brave acts they have undertaken. | :06:57. | :07:03. | |
What has always struck me was the matter of fact way in which our | :07:04. | :07:07. | |
police officers would, whatever they had done, whoever they had dealt | :07:08. | :07:14. | |
with, whatever action they had had to take, whatever injuries they had | :07:15. | :07:18. | |
suffered, with just say they were doing their job. We owe them a very | :07:19. | :07:26. | |
great deal. Can I thank the Prime Minister for the tone with which it | :07:27. | :07:29. | |
has reacted. She has genuinely spoken for the nation in this | :07:30. | :07:35. | |
moment. Yesterday, many of us were gathered in Westminster Abbey in | :07:36. | :07:42. | |
lockdown. In a stunning moment, people from left, right, Hindu, | :07:43. | :07:45. | |
Muslim, Christian Pearce gathered in Westminster Abbey in the sanctuary. | :07:46. | :07:51. | |
Could I encourage the Prime Minister and support the others who reminded | :07:52. | :07:56. | |
us today that this is not an act of faith, it is an act of of faith and | :07:57. | :08:03. | |
it is by coming together that we will defend the values that we | :08:04. | :08:09. | |
cherish. It shows the importance of all of our faith is working together | :08:10. | :08:13. | |
and recognising the values that we share. As he says, this act of | :08:14. | :08:20. | |
terror was not an act of faith, it was a perversion, I warped ideology | :08:21. | :08:24. | |
which leads to an act of terrorism like that and it will not prevail. | :08:25. | :08:31. | |
My prayers are with all those injured, those who lost their lives | :08:32. | :08:37. | |
and their families and particularly PC Keith Palmer, who made the | :08:38. | :08:41. | |
ultimate sacrifice. This attacker and people like him are not of my | :08:42. | :08:47. | |
religion, North are they of my community and we should condemn all | :08:48. | :08:51. | |
of those who pretend to be other particular religion because they are | :08:52. | :08:55. | |
not. If they were of our religion they would not carry out acts like | :08:56. | :09:00. | |
this. We must stay united and show that they cannot win and that we are | :09:01. | :09:06. | |
here to stay. May I commend the honourable gentleman for those | :09:07. | :09:08. | |
comments and for the stand he has consistently taken on this issue of | :09:09. | :09:13. | |
terrorism. He has been very clear that this is not of his religion, it | :09:14. | :09:20. | |
is a perversion, it is a warped evil mentality that leads to these acts | :09:21. | :09:25. | |
of terror. Should I join in saluting my honourable friend, the member | :09:26. | :09:35. | |
from Bournemouth East for his bravery yesterday? It is a measure | :09:36. | :09:42. | |
of his character that he stands below the bar today. These words | :09:43. | :09:51. | |
were penned on a public notice board in the underground yesterday. My | :09:52. | :09:54. | |
judgment is that he or she speaks for the whole country irrespective | :09:55. | :09:59. | |
of race or creed when they wrote, all terrorists are politely reminded | :10:00. | :10:03. | |
that this is London and whatever you do to us, we will drink tea and | :10:04. | :10:14. | |
jolly well carry on. I think that is a wonderful tribute and in a very | :10:15. | :10:22. | |
simple way I think has encapsulated everything that everybody has said | :10:23. | :10:28. | |
in this House today. Like many members in the 16 years I have been | :10:29. | :10:31. | |
a member here I have walked every day through the carriage Gates said | :10:32. | :10:35. | |
a small prayer for the safety who stand there to protect us and from | :10:36. | :10:40. | |
now on we add a prayer with the soul of PC Keith Palmer. Amongst the | :10:41. | :10:45. | |
bravery and professionalism that we saw yesterday, I say this as a | :10:46. | :10:50. | |
former teacher who took children are many school trips, the actions of | :10:51. | :10:53. | |
the teachers put those injured and those who were here during the | :10:54. | :10:58. | |
lockdown who the children educated, entertained and calm on a day on a | :10:59. | :11:04. | |
school trip that they saw, witnessed unheard of things that they should | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
never have to see. The honourable gentleman is right. It must've been | :11:10. | :11:13. | |
particularly difficult for those children who were here and being | :11:14. | :11:18. | |
caught up in this. We should commend the work of their teachers in | :11:19. | :11:21. | |
offering them that reassurance, but we must also recognise the role of | :11:22. | :11:27. | |
the French teachers, of the French group. The last thing you expect | :11:28. | :11:31. | |
when you bring a group of young people to visit another country is | :11:32. | :11:35. | |
that something terrible like that is going to happen. Of course, they | :11:36. | :11:40. | |
will have acted to support and will be continuing to support the other | :11:41. | :11:43. | |
members of that group who have been through this trauma. As we were | :11:44. | :11:51. | |
evacuated from the south yesterday, I met several stoical school groups | :11:52. | :11:54. | |
who have been involved with visits that had been organised by the | :11:55. | :11:59. | |
Parliamentary education service. Does she agree that such visits, as | :12:00. | :12:04. | |
promoted by you, Mr Speaker, are vital and help provide an antidote | :12:05. | :12:09. | |
to hatred and intolerance estimate yes, I absolutely agree. I think | :12:10. | :12:13. | |
they are important in helping to promote the values that we share. | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
The member for Slough asked me earlier about how we can ensure that | :12:18. | :12:21. | |
we are promoting those values and I think the work that Parliament does | :12:22. | :12:24. | |
in bringing in schoolchildren and showing them the work of Parliament | :12:25. | :12:28. | |
and the values of our democracy is an important part of that. My | :12:29. | :12:37. | |
thoughts are with PC Keith Palmer's family and the families of all those | :12:38. | :12:42. | |
who were victims of the attacks. We are so grateful to the emergency | :12:43. | :12:45. | |
services and everyone who protected us and the wider public. The Prime | :12:46. | :12:50. | |
Minister speaks with the whole country in her message of unity, but | :12:51. | :12:55. | |
does she agree with me that the painstaking work begins now in the | :12:56. | :13:01. | |
days ahead for all of us in our constituencies in providing rear | :13:02. | :13:07. | |
students -- in providing reassurance and containing that unity because it | :13:08. | :13:13. | |
is in the days after that we have to be vigilant against those who tried | :13:14. | :13:19. | |
to exploit these kinds of attacks and cause backlashes and intolerance | :13:20. | :13:24. | |
against different communities. The role of the media is absolutely | :13:25. | :13:28. | |
critical in ensuring that we maintain our resilience and that | :13:29. | :13:32. | |
sense of defiance and solidarity. The honourable lady is right. As she | :13:33. | :13:44. | |
says it is in the days afterwards that some may try to sow division in | :13:45. | :13:51. | |
our communities. We all to make sure that doesn't happen. | :13:52. | :13:55. | |
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank the Prime | :13:56. | :13:59. | |
Minister for her statement to offer condolences to all affected. As a | :14:00. | :14:04. | |
former Armed Forces family I know at this #250i78s it's more important -- | :14:05. | :14:09. | |
times it is more important to show our resolve. Although trauma may not | :14:10. | :14:16. | |
impact straightaway, it can have a long-term impact and effects. We | :14:17. | :14:20. | |
must reach out in compassion for that is what sets us aside from | :14:21. | :14:24. | |
terrorists. The honourable lady makes a very | :14:25. | :14:28. | |
good point. I think over time, sadly with a number of incidents, we have | :14:29. | :14:31. | |
come to learn more about the importance of providing that | :14:32. | :14:36. | |
support. That it isn't just about an immediate reaction, but for some the | :14:37. | :14:41. | |
impact of an attack can kick in quite a while later and that's why | :14:42. | :14:45. | |
we're looking at the support available for victims. | :14:46. | :14:51. | |
I hope she'll agree with me saying that Great Britain's police force is | :14:52. | :14:54. | |
the greatest in the world and for those of us who served as police | :14:55. | :15:02. | |
officers, I pay tribute to PC Keith Palmer, who was stood serving this | :15:03. | :15:08. | |
House, protecting this House. When duty called | :15:09. | :15:22. | |
In terms of protective security, work will be done with the | :15:23. | :15:28. | |
parliamentary estate to see if anything more needs to be done. The | :15:29. | :15:34. | |
best way of defeating the terrorist is through intelgenerals, is through | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
finding information for the potential of attacks takes place in | :15:39. | :15:44. | |
advance and preventing them. Since June 20 13, 13 tlis plots have been | :15:45. | :15:52. | |
dis-- terrorist plots have been disrupted. The services work day in, | :15:53. | :15:58. | |
day out, to keep us safe and they continue to do so. Everyone who | :15:59. | :16:00. | |
works For those who work alongside with | :16:01. | :16:12. | |
our families on site it is a concern. I wonder if there are words | :16:13. | :16:21. | |
for the nursery. Many of us can say that looking after a toddler in one | :16:22. | :16:31. | |
confined space is not easy. They did keep in touch with parents. Their | :16:32. | :16:36. | |
steadfastness was ex-emly and much appreciated. I am very happy to | :16:37. | :16:41. | |
commend the work of the staff in the nursery. It must have been very | :16:42. | :16:46. | |
difficult with very young children in what was a difficult | :16:47. | :16:49. | |
circumstance. I am sure they did an excellent job. I am happy, as I say, | :16:50. | :16:55. | |
in commending the work they did. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I joined in | :16:56. | :16:59. | |
all the tributes which have been paid. Those of us who were locked | :17:00. | :17:04. | |
down in the House will want to pay tribute to your deputy and to the | :17:05. | :17:09. | |
leader of the House for keeping calm and carrying on. Keeping us | :17:10. | :17:15. | |
informed. And a tribute to the Hansard reporters who kept democracy | :17:16. | :17:18. | |
going and recorded three hours. I would join the honourable | :17:19. | :17:30. | |
gentleman in commending the actions of both the chairman of ways and | :17:31. | :17:33. | |
means and my Right Honourable friend, the leader of the House | :17:34. | :17:36. | |
yesterday, who I think very calmly was able to reassure members of this | :17:37. | :17:40. | |
House at a time when nobody actually knew everything about what was | :17:41. | :17:44. | |
happening. There was only very limited information available. | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Yesterday showed us the worst of humanity, but | :17:50. | :17:54. | |
it also showed us much, much more, the best of humanity, whether that | :17:55. | :17:59. | |
was The Right Honourable member from Bournemouth East, the actions of PC | :18:00. | :18:03. | |
Palmer or the firearms #5u6 ser who shot down the person who wanted to | :18:04. | :18:09. | |
terrorise all of us and our country and our democracy. I have been | :18:10. | :18:14. | |
touched in the last two days by the number of people from my constituent | :18:15. | :18:19. | |
who have contacted me of Christian faith, of Jewish faith, of Muslim | :18:20. | :18:23. | |
faith and of no faith. I particularly want to pay tribute to | :18:24. | :18:26. | |
the chairman of the mosques in Leeds, who contacted me to say that | :18:27. | :18:31. | |
his thoughts and prayers and of all the Muslim community in Leeds are | :18:32. | :18:36. | |
with us at this difficult time and there will be prayers across our | :18:37. | :18:40. | |
country in the days ahead. I join the honourable lady. I think | :18:41. | :18:45. | |
all faith communities across the country will be coming together and | :18:46. | :18:48. | |
will, as she says, be remembering those who have suffered as a result | :18:49. | :18:54. | |
of those attacks. But also in their coming together, ensuring that they | :18:55. | :18:58. | |
again show how, because they do, they represent those values that we | :18:59. | :19:01. | |
have talked about that are so important to our way of life. | :19:02. | :19:06. | |
The Prime Minister has been absolutely exemplary in this, as she | :19:07. | :19:11. | |
was on Hillsborough, many my view. I congratulate her on that. The member | :19:12. | :19:15. | |
for Ribble Valley earlier was absolutely right when he said that | :19:16. | :19:18. | |
Keith was one of us. And I think one of the things we saw yesterday was | :19:19. | :19:22. | |
that the parliamentary family is big. It includes cooks and cleaners | :19:23. | :19:28. | |
and Clarks and door keepers and all sorts of people who make our | :19:29. | :19:33. | |
democracy function, who are in many ways more important than we are. We | :19:34. | :19:39. | |
have, when an MP dies in action, a shield is put newspaper this | :19:40. | :19:44. | |
chamber, or when they are killed in a terrorist incident, they have a | :19:45. | :19:47. | |
shield put newspaper this incident and sadly I hope soon there'll be | :19:48. | :19:56. | |
one for Jo Cox. Whatever medals there may be in the future, Keith's, | :19:57. | :20:03. | |
Keith had a shield in this chamber because he was our shield and | :20:04. | :20:06. | |
defender yesterday. I say to The Right Honourable gentleman I think | :20:07. | :20:10. | |
it is appropriate that PC Keith Palmer and the bravery that she | :20:11. | :20:14. | |
showed and his act of sacrifice should be recognised in an | :20:15. | :20:18. | |
appropriate way. Obviously The Right Honourable gentleman will recognise | :20:19. | :20:22. | |
what that is a matter for the House authorities. . Thank you, Mr | :20:23. | :20:28. | |
Speaker. Yesterday on Westminster Bridge and new palace yard many | :20:29. | :20:34. | |
members attempted to give life-saving aid to those who had | :20:35. | :20:39. | |
been injured. Many of us ask would we have the skills to deliver that | :20:40. | :20:43. | |
aid. Will the Prime Minister join with me in encouraging those who | :20:44. | :20:49. | |
seek to obtain those skills do so and perhaps contact St John's | :20:50. | :20:52. | |
Ambulance to take those lessons? My friend makes a very important point | :20:53. | :20:56. | |
and good point. I would join him in that encouragement. I think there | :20:57. | :20:59. | |
are, probably the vast majority of members of this House would not have | :21:00. | :21:03. | |
had the skills to be able to act in that way. It is a very good message | :21:04. | :21:08. | |
that maybe more of us should go out and acquire those skills. | :21:09. | :21:17. | |
A key aim of any terrorist is to exploit the completely natural and | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
inevitable sense of public interest and grieve and sympathy to sow | :21:23. | :21:33. | |
disunity beyond the fact of terror itself. In building on her | :21:34. | :21:37. | |
commendable words of the resolution of the British people, does she | :21:38. | :21:41. | |
think that we should also take time to reflect in this chamber and | :21:42. | :21:46. | |
outside it, including in the media about how we can balance the public | :21:47. | :21:54. | |
interest and the, people's feelings of grieve, seeking not to give | :21:55. | :22:00. | |
oxygen or publicity to the, whatever cause it is that a terrorist seeks | :22:01. | :22:07. | |
to promote. This question of the oxygen of publicity is an important | :22:08. | :22:12. | |
one. I think we should all reflect on the point that the honourable | :22:13. | :22:17. | |
gentleman has made. He references the actions of the media. We have | :22:18. | :22:21. | |
talked about a number of people caught up in this yesterday. There | :22:22. | :22:24. | |
were many journalists who were caught up either on the periphery of | :22:25. | :22:29. | |
the parliamentary estate or in the parliamentary estate and continuing | :22:30. | :22:34. | |
and doing their best to do their job in reporting faithfully what was | :22:35. | :22:39. | |
happening. But I think how these matters are addressed, how these | :22:40. | :22:44. | |
matters are reported is an important consideration, as he says. We want | :22:45. | :22:49. | |
to ensure it isn't possible for people to use these actions either | :22:50. | :22:57. | |
to encourage others or to try and soe division. I would like to add my | :22:58. | :23:03. | |
gratitude to those already expressed. Yesterday two of my | :23:04. | :23:06. | |
constituents were caught up in the attacks. One of whom was eight | :23:07. | :23:10. | |
months pregnant and they have asked me to pass on their gratitude and | :23:11. | :23:15. | |
thanks to the House staff and the police for the consideration with | :23:16. | :23:19. | |
which they were treated during the five-hour lock down. Would the Prime | :23:20. | :23:23. | |
Minister agree with me that just as we go about, continue to go about | :23:24. | :23:28. | |
our daily work, so those we represent must continue to see this | :23:29. | :23:33. | |
House as their House. And must be encouraged to come here to see and | :23:34. | :23:38. | |
participate in the democracy which puts our values into action. | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
I think that is a very important point. | :23:43. | :23:45. | |
It is part of our democracy that members of the public, that the | :23:46. | :23:48. | |
constituents that we represented are able to come to this place, are able | :23:49. | :23:53. | |
to learn about this place, but are able to access their elected | :23:54. | :23:57. | |
representatives here and we should ensure that will always continue. | :23:58. | :24:03. | |
My honourable friend has already mentioned the House of Commons staff | :24:04. | :24:08. | |
who were showing exemplary behaviour in the face of adversary yesterday. | :24:09. | :24:13. | |
I want to pay tribute to the manager, who was reassuring and calm | :24:14. | :24:17. | |
and dealt with parent who had very small babies on site. It is every | :24:18. | :24:23. | |
parent's worst nightmare. They demonstrated how they stayed calm | :24:24. | :24:29. | |
under a terrorist attack. People who commit terrorism in the name of | :24:30. | :24:32. | |
Islam do not speak to the Muslims in this country, do not speak for the | :24:33. | :24:36. | |
Muslims in this City and certainly do not speak for me. | :24:37. | :24:39. | |
I am grateful to the honourable lady for her words. Again for the warm | :24:40. | :24:44. | |
way in which she has spoken of the action of the members of the House | :24:45. | :24:47. | |
of Commons staff who were looking after the small children in the | :24:48. | :24:51. | |
nursery. But she's very right. Absolutely right, the terrorists do | :24:52. | :24:55. | |
not speak in the name of the faith. They have a warped ideology. | :24:56. | :25:04. | |
The murderer who used both his car and also a knife as indiscriminate | :25:05. | :25:08. | |
weapons of murder yesterday cared not what the faith of the people he | :25:09. | :25:13. | |
killed was nor the nationality. Doesn't it say everything about why | :25:14. | :25:18. | |
our values will prevail and the values of murder will not? After the | :25:19. | :25:22. | |
police had shot him, they attempted to save his life. | :25:23. | :25:27. | |
I think it absolutely does show those values that underpin our way | :25:28. | :25:31. | |
of life that that was the first thought that they did try to save | :25:32. | :25:35. | |
the individual's life. That is what the police do. It's what they have | :25:36. | :25:41. | |
done in previous incidents as well. And as he says, I think that shows | :25:42. | :25:48. | |
the value are absolutely at the heart of our society. | :25:49. | :25:55. | |
Can I commend the Prime Minister for her strength of character and for | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
her leadership at this time? Cometh the hour, cometh the woman. I thank | :26:00. | :26:03. | |
you woman. Prime Minister, at this moment in | :26:04. | :26:06. | |
time, of course we are all very aware of the review that will take | :26:07. | :26:11. | |
place, the review will make recommendations and make | :26:12. | :26:16. | |
enhancements. Could I ask the Prime Minister what assurance, seek an | :26:17. | :26:20. | |
assurance they will be conveyed to the Parliament to the Northern | :26:21. | :26:24. | |
Ireland Assembly, and further co-operation with the Republic of | :26:25. | :26:27. | |
Ireland, which is very important for us in Northern Ireland, that it will | :26:28. | :26:30. | |
enhanced and strengthened? Thank you. | :26:31. | :26:36. | |
I tanning the honourable gentleman. Any lessons learned here in this | :26:37. | :26:41. | |
parliamentary estate, you must represent there are other | :26:42. | :26:44. | |
parliamentaries and assemblies across the United Kingdom. It is | :26:45. | :26:47. | |
important that we ensure those messages are shared. | :26:48. | :26:54. | |
Mr Speaker, this morning I spoke with the Imam of Swansea University | :26:55. | :27:02. | |
mosque, who wanted to share his deepest sorrow and condolences with | :27:03. | :27:05. | |
Keith Palmer and all the bereaved families and to say that Islam is | :27:06. | :27:09. | |
the Arabic word for peace. These acts were not carried out in the | :27:10. | :27:15. | |
name of Islam, that extremists, whether they are Islamic | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
fundamentalists or right wing terrorists are trying to divide our | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
communities and we should stand united shoulder-to-shoulder against | :27:25. | :27:28. | |
all terror. Will she send a message to Muslims in Swansea and throughout | :27:29. | :27:33. | |
Britain that we will stand shoulder-to-shoulder to defend our | :27:34. | :27:39. | |
values, o democracies our human rights in a land we all share? This | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
terror was done as a result, as I said earlier, as the resilt ouf a | :27:46. | :27:51. | |
warped ideology. All acts of terror are evil, which are underpinned by | :27:52. | :27:55. | |
warped ideology, of different sorts, but it has within it, whatever that | :27:56. | :28:00. | |
ideology, it is an attempt to divide us and to destroy our way of life | :28:01. | :28:04. | |
that drives the evil acts of the terrorists. So, we stand together | :28:05. | :28:09. | |
with the Muslim community and with other communities around this | :28:10. | :28:14. | |
country and say that united us is greater than what divides us. We | :28:15. | :28:20. | |
must be very clear that we share the values of democracy, the values of | :28:21. | :28:24. | |
the rule of law, of freedom, these are what make the society in which | :28:25. | :28:26. | |
we all live. I thank all colleagues for what they | :28:27. | :28:36. | |
have said and the way they have said it. Business statement, the Leader | :28:37. | :28:44. | |
of the House, David Livingstone. Mr Speaker, with permission, before I | :28:45. | :28:50. | |
announced the business, I would just like to update colleagues on one to | :28:51. | :28:54. | |
practical matters following on from the terrorist attack yesterday. | :28:55. | :28:59. | |
all, the security checks and the all, the security checks and the | :29:00. | :29:07. | |
rules on access to the palace remain for the time being, more restrictive | :29:08. | :29:12. | |
to those to which we have become accustomed. I hope that honourable | :29:13. | :29:14. | |
members on | :29:15. | :29:15. |