28/03/2017

:00:07. > :00:20.We will lead the Scottish Parliament to rejoin MPs in Westminster as they

:00:21. > :00:24.continued their debate on Yemen. The airport at Sana cannot leave. I

:00:25. > :00:27.would ask the government to speak to the Saudis and remove a blockage so

:00:28. > :00:32.people can get in and out by air so these people can be treated when

:00:33. > :00:35.they need to be. All of these delays are costing lives, they are leaving

:00:36. > :00:40.people with long-term health problems as a result of severe

:00:41. > :00:46.malnutrition. People are less able to fight off disease and their

:00:47. > :00:50.immune system is susceptible to cholera. A suspected 22,000 cholera

:00:51. > :00:57.cases in the past six months alone with 100 people at least dying as a

:00:58. > :01:01.result. Tragically, Unicef estimates 63,000 children died in 2016 from

:01:02. > :01:09.preventable diseases linked to malnutrition. That is more than

:01:10. > :01:12.children born in Scotland last year. That is a generation, the future of

:01:13. > :01:19.Yemen hangs in the balance. The government must do more. Can I thank

:01:20. > :01:23.the backbench committee for allowing us to hold this important debate and

:01:24. > :01:27.my right honourable friend from Leicester East for organising it. It

:01:28. > :01:32.really is a forgotten conflict or perhaps an ignored conflict in the

:01:33. > :01:37.UK would be a better term. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is on a

:01:38. > :01:42.knife edge. Yemen has always been desperately poor, 90% of food and

:01:43. > :01:46.goods are imported into Yemen and yet it is surrounded by huge wealth.

:01:47. > :01:53.There is no reason why it shouldn't be a functioning country. It has

:01:54. > :01:57.reserves of oil and Gas UK but the inability to export them has

:01:58. > :02:06.crippled its foreign exchange reserves. The central bank has no

:02:07. > :02:10.power to sustain the economy. They are 1.5 million public sector

:02:11. > :02:17.employees paid sporadically, if at all and the GDP has contracted a

:02:18. > :02:22.further 35%. A war economy is now in place with tribal leaders making a

:02:23. > :02:26.fortune while people starve. The international community must be

:02:27. > :02:29.ready to rebuild confidence in the financial institutions as part of

:02:30. > :02:34.any settlement of the conflict and guarantee the restoration of the

:02:35. > :02:37.Yemen economy. I can understand why the coalition has fought to keep

:02:38. > :02:41.their own people say from attacks, there were four SCUD attacks into

:02:42. > :02:44.Saudi territory and these are increasing. But we have to come to

:02:45. > :02:49.the point where the continue fighting is stirring up more

:02:50. > :02:53.problems for the future. There is no doubt the country will be continue

:02:54. > :02:57.to be used as a base by terrorist if the conflict is to continue. There

:02:58. > :03:02.are growing signs the groups involved in Syria and Iraq see Yemen

:03:03. > :03:06.as a long-term safe haven. Al-Qaeda has claimed 76 attacks this year and

:03:07. > :03:12.in southern and eastern Yemen, killing 11 Yemen the security forces

:03:13. > :03:19.yesterday. So I disagreed the Al-Qaeda are on our side. As my

:03:20. > :03:22.right honourable friend said earlier. There could be immense

:03:23. > :03:32.threat to the stability of the region in the future. I will give

:03:33. > :03:36.way. Thank you very much. In attacking Al-Qaeda, they were

:03:37. > :03:40.attacking an element that was fighting the 50s, so they are

:03:41. > :03:45.attacking an element that in that instance was on our side of the

:03:46. > :03:49.conflict. In that case, but they are still attacking the Yemeni security

:03:50. > :03:55.forces and they are a grave danger to the rest of the region. We are

:03:56. > :03:59.already supplying a which is limiting the impact of the

:04:00. > :04:02.humanitarian crisis, but I want to ask the British government to be a

:04:03. > :04:07.peace broker and end the crisis. My honourable friend recently visited

:04:08. > :04:11.and they said they are happy to engage with the British government

:04:12. > :04:15.to work on a peace process. So let's challenge them to see if they mean

:04:16. > :04:22.it, whether they will understand the UN Security Council 2000 216 which

:04:23. > :04:27.requires them to lay down their arms and withdraw. We have lots of

:04:28. > :04:31.expertise in this area and a long history of engaging with everyone in

:04:32. > :04:34.this area. On the humanitarian front, I would urge the government

:04:35. > :04:39.to continue to work the flow of aid. We have helped ease the blockade on

:04:40. > :04:43.the port for supplies of humanitarian aid, fuel and food but

:04:44. > :04:48.the coalition has recently refused access of mobile cranes supplied by

:04:49. > :04:52.the world food programme which would improve the availability of the port

:04:53. > :04:56.to unload essential supplies. This is a UN body and the coalition must

:04:57. > :05:00.accept the role of the UN as an impartial agent in this crisis. That

:05:01. > :05:04.includes acceptance of the role of the UN inspection and verification

:05:05. > :05:08.mechanism. I know they have doubts about this and are concerned weapons

:05:09. > :05:12.are still being brought in. Can the Minister report back to the House

:05:13. > :05:17.and whether the verification mechanism is working in a timely

:05:18. > :05:22.fashion on what evidence is there evidence that me-macro weapons are

:05:23. > :05:26.being smuggled. Can we reassure the coalition weapons are not being

:05:27. > :05:32.smuggled. The cranes need to be put to work. Other ports must be used to

:05:33. > :05:36.bring in more aid. Can the minister call on the coalition to support the

:05:37. > :05:40.rehabilitation of port infrastructure and get the cranes

:05:41. > :05:44.working? Can the Minister also say if there is any indication that the

:05:45. > :05:49.coalition, backed by the US will be attacking her dado, because I know

:05:50. > :05:56.that is of concern. But most importantly, can the government

:05:57. > :06:02.demand a ceasefire and leave the country of Yemen to peace. I have to

:06:03. > :06:05.reduce the time limit to three minutes and remind the House it is

:06:06. > :06:15.not compulsory to take an intervention and thus increase one's

:06:16. > :06:19.speech time limit. Mr Clive Lewis. I am very glad to be able to speak in

:06:20. > :06:26.this place about the current situation in the Yemen. By which the

:06:27. > :06:32.liam-macro wish to pay tribute... Minister. Sorry to interrupt, I

:06:33. > :06:36.observed the point, when this debate ends, we have an adjournment debate,

:06:37. > :06:41.which I understand, the House will get more than its 30 minutes. Is it

:06:42. > :06:46.not possible we can use our allocation and did up the time and

:06:47. > :06:49.the 30 minutes before the House disburses today? I have every

:06:50. > :06:54.sympathy with what the Minister has said. This is a vitally important

:06:55. > :06:58.debate, I am not going to take up time in fully answering the

:06:59. > :07:03.Minister's point of order, but the House had decided on the timetable,

:07:04. > :07:06.the backbench business committee gave 90 minutes for this debate and

:07:07. > :07:08.I am powerless to change that. But the Minister makes a very good

:07:09. > :07:22.point. Mr Clive Lewis. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I

:07:23. > :07:26.would like to pay tribute to those members, Leicester East, and Glasgow

:07:27. > :07:31.Central, for securing today's debate. I pay tribute to them not

:07:32. > :07:35.just out of politeness but for choosing Iraq is a topic for debate.

:07:36. > :07:37.They have brought into our public arena and urgent discussion it is

:07:38. > :07:44.clear the Government would rather not have. At the very least this

:07:45. > :07:47.should be deeply embarrassing to our Government, and I see this not to

:07:48. > :07:52.secure a petty political point but to highlight the fact it is the role

:07:53. > :07:55.of elected members to speak up when the Government is acting wrongly on

:07:56. > :07:59.the international stage. That is the essence of our democracy. Madame

:08:00. > :08:09.Deputy Speaker, as we have heard from members today, there is an

:08:10. > :08:15.imminent crisis in Iraq, a disastrous -- there is an imminent

:08:16. > :08:21.crisis in Yemen, a famine. As the member said already, the "Slick

:08:22. > :08:26.Willie" Shaw are not starving. They are being starved. This is a famine

:08:27. > :08:31.that can be stopped as soon as we can find the political will to stop

:08:32. > :08:34.it -- the Yemeni are not starving. We have defined this political will

:08:35. > :08:40.is a matter of urgency. Madame Deputy Speaker, it is the particular

:08:41. > :08:50.responsible do that here in the UK because as a permanent member of the

:08:51. > :08:54.UN security council, and of course because we also have close political

:08:55. > :09:00.ties with neighbouring states, it is clear that we have been gifted an

:09:01. > :09:03.opportunity to set the international agenda and it is nothing short of

:09:04. > :09:07.our absolute moral duty to do so. Let me begin by acknowledging that,

:09:08. > :09:12.and notwithstanding the good intentions in the motion debated

:09:13. > :09:15.today we cannot pass the resolution that would give effect to an

:09:16. > :09:20.immediate ceasefire in Yemen, however much we might wish for that.

:09:21. > :09:26.Madame Deputy Speaker, we must call for an immediate ceasefire and throw

:09:27. > :09:29.our weight behind that call. We can certainly recognise all major

:09:30. > :09:33.parties to this war must be part of the solution the United nations

:09:34. > :09:36.security council resolution has stated needs to be replaced by a

:09:37. > :09:43.realistic alternative that will bring everyone to the negotiating

:09:44. > :09:47.table. We can and must recognise the importance of independent witnesses

:09:48. > :09:51.on the ground, and the urgent need for reliable data relating to food

:09:52. > :09:57.insecurity is so that relief can be well targeted. Clearly needing

:09:58. > :09:59.assurances from both sides about the protection of humanitarian workers.

:10:00. > :10:05.These are credible and achievable political goals. Thank you, Madam

:10:06. > :10:08.Deputy Speaker. Firstly I would like to congratulate my right honourable

:10:09. > :10:12.friend from Leicester East as well for bringing this debate. I think it

:10:13. > :10:15.is the second time in 6-8 weeks we have been here to debate this issue

:10:16. > :10:19.and I am delighted to debate it. I think last time I opened up by

:10:20. > :10:25.saying the most important thing is not about arms sales but it is about

:10:26. > :10:28.the people suffering in Yemen, it is about a ceasefire, peace, for all

:10:29. > :10:35.our weight behind trying to achieve something that will benefit people

:10:36. > :10:40.on the ground, not just talking, talk bandied around for

:10:41. > :10:44.self-promotion. I think recently the panel of experts have released a new

:10:45. > :10:51.report, an updated report. In January. I would like to, in the

:10:52. > :10:57.three automatic minutes, I will not get to see a great deal, but they

:10:58. > :11:01.have said this by any one side is no longer realistic or a possibility.

:11:02. > :11:07.We have to recognise there are three sides in this. As long as this goes

:11:08. > :11:10.on, Islamist terrorists are profiting from this conflict as well

:11:11. > :11:14.as the misery and suffering of people on the ground. I think it is

:11:15. > :11:23.important to remember, and the UN panel of experts continues to

:11:24. > :11:26.support the democratically elected president Hadi, and support the

:11:27. > :11:32.resolution which condemns the coup and cold case trick-mac for

:11:33. > :11:39.meaningful peace talks. -- and calls for meaningful peace talks. I think

:11:40. > :11:44.my right honourable friend from Leicester East big point this out,

:11:45. > :11:55.and the Houthi said. They just do not seem willing or able to come to

:11:56. > :11:59.the table so far -- the Houthi side. But it is important they come to the

:12:00. > :12:04.table because that is the road map to peace. I think the situation we

:12:05. > :12:08.have on the ground, the problem is they see both sides have committed

:12:09. > :12:13.terrible atrocities, that some of the coalition attacks may amount to

:12:14. > :12:21.war crimes, although having spoken with some of the Saudis, and don't

:12:22. > :12:25.forget they are involved in Iraq and Syria, the operators Nato standards,

:12:26. > :12:28.and they openly admit they have made mistakes, but nonetheless some

:12:29. > :12:33.atrocities have occurred and the UN panel of experts recognises that, by

:12:34. > :12:36.the coalition, but the equally recognise that as many if not more

:12:37. > :12:40.atrocities have been committed by the Houthis and have been described

:12:41. > :12:44.as violations of international humanitarian law, violations of

:12:45. > :12:49.human rights laws, which were widespread, including the use of

:12:50. > :12:52.mortar bombs, into densely populated residential areas, attacks on horse

:12:53. > :12:57.bottles, forcible disappearance of individuals in detention, torture

:12:58. > :13:01.and murder, and I can see the clock will run down -- taxon hospitals. I

:13:02. > :13:06.will say I am grateful for the debate but we must press and I asked

:13:07. > :13:12.the Minister to press for meaningful peace talks. Thank you, Madam Deputy

:13:13. > :13:16.Speaker. Can I begin by thanking the backbench member for granting this

:13:17. > :13:19.important debate on Yemen and also to the members for Leicester East,

:13:20. > :13:23.Portsmouth South and Glasgow Central. I want to pay tribute to

:13:24. > :13:26.the right honourable member for Leicester East. Yemen has been

:13:27. > :13:32.called the forgotten conflict. He spoke passionately about his country

:13:33. > :13:38.of birth. It will never be the case in this House while he is sitting

:13:39. > :13:42.there. This is it obviously very confidently did. Clearly once the

:13:43. > :13:46.Houthis captured parts of Yemen the essentially launched a coup d' tat

:13:47. > :13:49.against the new president, Hadi, and it became evident the country would

:13:50. > :13:52.descend into civil war. There is a natural instinct and well

:13:53. > :13:55.established principle in international law that where there

:13:56. > :13:59.is conflict and humanitarian situation develops it is not only

:14:00. > :14:02.right to intervene but an international responsibility to

:14:03. > :14:06.protect civilians in certain circumstances. In a single attack in

:14:07. > :14:11.March last year, which involved a Saudi air strike on a crowded

:14:12. > :14:14.village market, with 106 civilians including 12 children killed, and we

:14:15. > :14:18.must face up to the fact there is a very realistic chance it weapon used

:14:19. > :14:22.to cause mass destruction and grief was sold to Saudi Arabia by the UK.

:14:23. > :14:27.Although we have heard the UK has given evidence and support to Saudi

:14:28. > :14:29.forces to help them comply with obligations and international law,

:14:30. > :14:38.the message is clearly not getting through. Saudi Arabia has designated

:14:39. > :14:44.the entirety of Yemen a military target. The convention is signed up

:14:45. > :14:47.to by both the UK and Saudi Arabia which designates legitimate military

:14:48. > :14:50.targets. Well the definition includes a wide range of

:14:51. > :14:55.infrastructure, military, industrial and communities and targets, it does

:14:56. > :15:04.not include hospitals, or a village markets. They targeted those

:15:05. > :15:08.illegally, recklessly killing civilians in cities, schools and

:15:09. > :15:13.hospitals as well, it is a clear breach of international law. This is

:15:14. > :15:17.a position supported by the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.

:15:18. > :15:20.Turning war in peace is never easy, Madame Deputy Speaker, but the UN

:15:21. > :15:25.can be a fantastic vehicle when properly used. We must take the

:15:26. > :15:29.Civil War in Yemen and seriously encourage our counterparts on all

:15:30. > :15:34.sides of the conflict, with the exception of terrorist groups like

:15:35. > :15:37.Daesh, to stop the armed conflict and get around the negotiating

:15:38. > :15:40.table. Brokering a ceasefire is the first step towards this. It is

:15:41. > :15:47.something we could and should play a role in. I am really grateful but

:15:48. > :15:52.would he not accept having the UN monitor the port movements, would

:15:53. > :15:56.that not help to relieve the humanitarian problem? I fully accept

:15:57. > :16:00.they have invited the Saudis into the government but what I am

:16:01. > :16:03.concerned with is when the Saudis are using civilians as targets and

:16:04. > :16:07.they are being hurt, then we do have a humanitarian catastrophe on our

:16:08. > :16:12.hands. Can we just be absolutely clear about this point. The Saudis

:16:13. > :16:18.or preventing the replacement from getting into Hudayda, despite the

:16:19. > :16:20.fact that international development urgently needs these to unload

:16:21. > :16:27.vessels carrying aid and medicine and food. Except that point from the

:16:28. > :16:31.honourable gentleman. Clearly ceasefires is simply the beginning

:16:32. > :16:35.of a long peacemaking process. Any ceasefire needs to be enforced to be

:16:36. > :16:41.successful. Without enforcement ceasefires our tendency to fall

:16:42. > :16:46.apart. This can be seen in Syria to some extent and in Ukraine. UN

:16:47. > :16:50.peacekeepers are specifically intended for this very purpose and

:16:51. > :16:53.could be deployed in Yemen to enforce a ceasefire agreement. I can

:16:54. > :16:58.see Madame Deputy Speaker speaker coming to her chair. I will end

:16:59. > :17:01.here. This will be difficult given the wider geopolitical forces

:17:02. > :17:04.involved but the necessity of agreement among the UN security

:17:05. > :17:07.Council is there. It is something we strive towards and encourage and

:17:08. > :17:13.support. Too many people have died, Madame Deputy Speaker. We cannot

:17:14. > :17:18.oversee another famine like we are seeing in Yemen at the moment. Thank

:17:19. > :17:20.you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I congratulate my right honourable

:17:21. > :17:24.friend from Leicester East for bringing this debate to the House

:17:25. > :17:27.today. What we're seeing in Yemen today is a humanitarian crisis is

:17:28. > :17:32.being referred to as one of the worst the world has ever seen. Over

:17:33. > :17:38.the past 18 months the war and destruction has killed over 10,000

:17:39. > :17:41.people, with at least 1200 of those being children. According to the

:17:42. > :17:44.office of the High Commissioner for human rights the majority of these

:17:45. > :17:56.deaths are from coalition air strikes. 3 million people have

:17:57. > :17:59.severe valued -- malnutrition with a more requiring urgent help. This is

:18:00. > :18:04.one of the worst crises. The Red Cross warned there are only three or

:18:05. > :18:08.four months left to avoid famine. We are used to statistics and figures

:18:09. > :18:11.in this House but may I remind my honourable friend is that each and

:18:12. > :18:15.every single one of these people is a mother, a father, brother or

:18:16. > :18:18.sister, a husband or wife or a child? These are the innocent

:18:19. > :18:23.victims caught up in the forgotten war. This conflict is making this

:18:24. > :18:31.enormous catastrophe worse. Every day that it continues, and both

:18:32. > :18:33.sides are feeling. -- failing to facilitate the flow of vital

:18:34. > :18:37.humanitarian aid, and failing to conduct any kind of credible

:18:38. > :18:43.investigation that meet international standards in Yemen. I

:18:44. > :18:47.have many Yemeni people in my constituency, many of them have

:18:48. > :18:51.family in Yemen. Who are being cut up in the destruction. They are

:18:52. > :18:55.absolutely terrified for their relatives. Last week my right

:18:56. > :18:59.honourable honourable friend, from Leicester East, joined me at an

:19:00. > :19:02.event in Sheffield with the local Yemeni community. I commend his huge

:19:03. > :19:06.commitment to shedding light to the crisis and his work on the issue.

:19:07. > :19:09.Madame Deputy Speaker, over the weekend we had the two-year

:19:10. > :19:13.anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in Yemen but I must say

:19:14. > :19:18.that if current political will remains as it is, this conflict will

:19:19. > :19:23.continue. We must take action now. There must be an immediate ceasefire

:19:24. > :19:27.and humanitarian aid must be adequately brought in and

:19:28. > :19:31.distributed. If the conditions for this are not met huge numbers of

:19:32. > :19:35.Yemenis will continue to suffer and die. The coalition insists the only

:19:36. > :19:42.target military targets, but I suggest the evidence from the Saudi

:19:43. > :19:52.led coalition and the civilians in the resulting ... As been suggested

:19:53. > :19:56.by human rights organisations, they are blatant breach of international

:19:57. > :20:01.Manichaean laws. Madame Deputy Speaker, the UK's approach to the

:20:02. > :20:06.war in Yemen is a total contradicts and I urge the Government and the

:20:07. > :20:10.Council to adopt a new resolution on Yemen -- breach of international

:20:11. > :20:14.law. We must the ceasefire as soon as possible. Alongside that

:20:15. > :20:20.humanitarian access must be prioritised and this must be

:20:21. > :20:28.established to avoid greater disaster. The humanitarian situation

:20:29. > :20:32.in Yemen is incredibly serious and continues to spiral out of control.

:20:33. > :20:38.A report by Unicef yesterday makes harrowing reading and, I quote,

:20:39. > :20:50.malnourished children across Yemen are teetering on life and death.

:20:51. > :20:56.Cemeteries are full of unmarked graves. 80% of all children in the

:20:57. > :21:01.country are in need of humanitarian assistance. That is a moral outrage.

:21:02. > :21:06.Quoting international development budgets in response to serious and

:21:07. > :21:11.repeated concerns over the UK's Arms trade with Saudi Arabia is also an

:21:12. > :21:15.outrageous way for any supposedly responsible government to act. The

:21:16. > :21:18.Saudi led coalition has destroyed much of the infrastructure in Yemen,

:21:19. > :21:24.as we have heard, especially with air strikes in the port of Hudayda,

:21:25. > :21:27.leading to one of the six loading crates still remaining functional,

:21:28. > :21:30.seriously hampering efforts to get aid into the country. Good

:21:31. > :21:34.intentions can't for absolutely nothing. What good is it if we

:21:35. > :21:38.allocate an aid budget yet continue to support those who are making it

:21:39. > :21:46.near impossible to get aid to those who need it? Almost 10 million wee

:21:47. > :21:48.ones need assistance and not only are we not doing enough to help, we

:21:49. > :21:54.are actively preventing help. Why are we ignoring the brittle and

:21:55. > :22:01.impending prospect of a famine that will have been shamefully and

:22:02. > :22:03.utterly complicit in creating the international -- in creating?

:22:04. > :22:06.International development line will not watch any more. Why is the UK

:22:07. > :22:10.Government so keen to continue selling weapons, that it is unable

:22:11. > :22:15.to even try to convince its Saudi ally to stop the bombing? Why are we

:22:16. > :22:20.not leading ceasefire negotiations at the UN? There are clear breaches

:22:21. > :22:25.of international humanitarian law on all sides of the conflict. Yet this

:22:26. > :22:27.Government continues with its policy of implausible deniability about its

:22:28. > :22:40.allies, and its collusion The UK Government insistence the

:22:41. > :22:47.Saudis should be able to investigate themselves would be laughable if it

:22:48. > :22:53.wasn't so improper. I don't have a lot of time, so unfortunately I have

:22:54. > :22:56.to end by saying the government appears totally incapable of

:22:57. > :23:01.changing direction or doing the right thing, so it sticks to its

:23:02. > :23:05.line and ignores the consequences. This is real life with millions of

:23:06. > :23:09.children starving and this cannot continue. We need to see action if

:23:10. > :23:15.we are to prevent a catastrophe. The government cannot and must not wait

:23:16. > :23:18.another moment. Let the show real leadership and bring about an end to

:23:19. > :23:25.the widespread suffering to the people of Yemen. I want to put it to

:23:26. > :23:33.the Minister whose esteem has never been higher in this House, but

:23:34. > :23:39.tomorrow is the last chance the UK has of influencing the course of

:23:40. > :23:44.events, materially in Yemen. Because in my view, it seems there is a lot

:23:45. > :23:49.of building up to ensure the conflict and the bombing will get

:23:50. > :23:53.worse and not less. The United States, since the arrival of the

:23:54. > :23:59.Trump regime has changed its stance. The level of US bombing in the Yemen

:24:00. > :24:07.has increased than it ever was. The Trump regime has changed the Obama

:24:08. > :24:13.regime's position on supplying precision weapons to the Saudi air

:24:14. > :24:18.force. The Saudi air force had almost run out of precision weapons

:24:19. > :24:23.and the fear is the Saudis will use the resupply to intensify the

:24:24. > :24:28.bombing. Yesterday, the Washington Post had a very reputable report

:24:29. > :24:32.that the Defence Secretary is asking permission from the White House to

:24:33. > :24:39.change the rules of conduct, the United States forces to intervene

:24:40. > :24:47.with the Saudi led coalition in order to occupy the port of Hudayda.

:24:48. > :24:52.The Saudis don't have the material basis to undertake such an invasion,

:24:53. > :24:57.it would have to come from the US Marine carriers in the Gulf. That

:24:58. > :25:01.could only end up in a situation, where far from reducing the

:25:02. > :25:05.conflict, it will increase and the humanitarian crisis will get worse.

:25:06. > :25:10.I want to add one thing that has not been mentioned so far, they have

:25:11. > :25:14.announced over a quarter of a million African refugees who have

:25:15. > :25:20.poured into Yemen in the last two years, over 100,000 in the last,

:25:21. > :25:24.despite the conflict and famine in Africa, making the situation on the

:25:25. > :25:28.ground in Yemen even worse. I would ask the minister at what discussions

:25:29. > :25:31.have there been with the Trump regime regarding this

:25:32. > :25:36.intensification of American military involvement in Yemen and what steps

:25:37. > :25:39.is the UK Government going to take to intervene now, while it has the

:25:40. > :25:43.chance in the UN, to get the ceasefire before the conflict

:25:44. > :25:55.becomes even more bloody and the humanitarian crisis becomes even

:25:56. > :26:00.worse? Summing up from these benches is a tall order today and I have

:26:01. > :26:03.colleagues can forgive me for not fitting in all of their excellent

:26:04. > :26:08.contributions we have heard in this debate. But looking back over my

:26:09. > :26:14.notes, I noticed the 23rd of March marked a year almost to the day

:26:15. > :26:19.since the committee on arms, export control first met to discuss this

:26:20. > :26:28.issue. As a member of that committee, it is with some sadness I

:26:29. > :26:32.speak more than a year on from that, with the situation in Yemen growing

:26:33. > :26:36.worse. During that time, those on these benches have been consistent

:26:37. > :26:41.in their position that the government must suspend all arms

:26:42. > :26:47.sales immediately to Saudi Arabia until a full, independent and

:26:48. > :26:53.transparent enquiry into the humanitarian law to these alleged

:26:54. > :27:00.activities has been put in place. I would like to offer some time, if

:27:01. > :27:03.that's possible. We have had a very straightforward, honest and

:27:04. > :27:09.consistent position throughout this whole sorry saga. Quite simply, it

:27:10. > :27:13.is an atrocious humanitarian situation that cannot be allowed to

:27:14. > :27:18.get any worse I continued Saudi offensive. If this government has

:27:19. > :27:22.any leveraged at all, which they claim they do, with the regime in

:27:23. > :27:28.Riyadh, they must stop the bombing now and bring peace to the people of

:27:29. > :27:31.Yemen. This should also be an opportunity for the government to

:27:32. > :27:34.reflect on how their decision to allow arms sales and the military

:27:35. > :27:40.and security systems they offer Saudi allies has affected the

:27:41. > :27:45.humanitarian situation. I would also said the damning indictment of the

:27:46. > :27:49.UK foreign policy has become so reliant on this one bilateral

:27:50. > :27:53.relationship, not only in terms of the options it gives the UK in the

:27:54. > :27:58.region, but how it is important to maintain this current level of arms

:27:59. > :28:02.exports. The stories we have heard the day of the humanitarian crisis

:28:03. > :28:06.in Yemen is extremely distressing and on the ground, there are

:28:07. > :28:13.increasingly distressed stories coming back from the NGOs who are

:28:14. > :28:20.there trying to help. It is not just 12, it is Save the Children, Oxfam,

:28:21. > :28:24.amnesty International, the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres.

:28:25. > :28:30.They have come back with plans and they have similar themes. All these

:28:31. > :28:37.agencies are looking to permit rapid and unimpeded access to deliver

:28:38. > :28:42.humanitarian aid. They are asking to build on the current spending and

:28:43. > :28:46.funding commitments. I don't want previous speaker talked about the

:28:47. > :28:51.six or 7% of funding that has been given. They are asking for the

:28:52. > :28:57.support from the human rights Council to conduct an investigation

:28:58. > :29:06.on the Leader of the House and independence and international

:29:07. > :29:13.enquiry. They want to intensify efforts to support the UN led peace

:29:14. > :29:17.talks. Lastly, not to sell or transfer arms to any party involved

:29:18. > :29:21.in the Yemeni conflict. We are also at the stage of the point where we

:29:22. > :29:27.see desperate tactics employed by the Houthi rebels, including the

:29:28. > :29:34.plan to attack Saudi warships in the red Sea. The UK contribution in this

:29:35. > :29:39.is significant, we have allowed weapons to be exported, but more

:29:40. > :29:43.significantly, the number of UK personnel who are advising the Saudi

:29:44. > :29:49.Armed Forces on a number of issues and what they are doing is a mystery

:29:50. > :29:54.and it is unclear, as the MoD refuses to tell us. When I visited

:29:55. > :30:02.Saudi last year it was clear the British Embassy work keen to press

:30:03. > :30:05.upon us the personnel were playing a vital part with our Saudi

:30:06. > :30:09.counterparts. This must be something that gets to the heart of the

:30:10. > :30:13.narrative used by the government. Because for my part, I would

:30:14. > :30:17.appreciate the answers to some questions, namely the war is being

:30:18. > :30:24.fought in mostly by mercenary so how can we be confident there is no UK

:30:25. > :30:35.citizens involved putting actions along the purview of the MoD. Why is

:30:36. > :30:42.the government not buying back the stockpiles of cluster munitions? The

:30:43. > :30:47.cluster munitions sold legally by the UK to Saudi in the 1980s brings

:30:48. > :30:52.by the length of this relationship. There is no doubt the UK Government

:30:53. > :30:58.has been involved with Saudi Arabia from the start. UK engineers have

:30:59. > :31:03.extracted oil, built roads, UK nurses have stuffed the hospitals

:31:04. > :31:08.and teachers, their schools. How is it the UK has so little leverage

:31:09. > :31:13.edge over that regime, why must we also hear about the carrot and not

:31:14. > :31:18.the stick. Germany and the Netherlands have banned the sale of

:31:19. > :31:25.material to Saudi Arabia. Indeed it is the government's rejection of the

:31:26. > :31:28.Dutch UN led rejection of war crimes which first brought this

:31:29. > :31:33.government's priorities into question. I can only hope it is not

:31:34. > :31:38.the size of this relationship that has skewed priorities in Whitehall.

:31:39. > :31:42.I have no doubt the defence sector is an important one for our national

:31:43. > :31:49.economies and the local economy in Fife, but with highly skilled jobs

:31:50. > :31:54.and applications of technology, we must look again at the high

:31:55. > :31:58.standards of licensing these products need to obtain in order to

:31:59. > :32:06.be sold worldwide. I don't think anyone on those benches here do not

:32:07. > :32:11.understand that complex situation. We are expected to believe that on

:32:12. > :32:17.one hand the role of the UK is playing is significant that the UK

:32:18. > :32:21.has leveraged over the Saudi regime, but these personnel are not in the

:32:22. > :32:25.country on anything more than an advisory role. I hope the minister

:32:26. > :32:30.will take the time to enlighten us today on where these people stand.

:32:31. > :32:33.What is the role of Saudi, if it is a significant one, then we are tired

:32:34. > :32:38.of not being given the proper answers. If it is not, please stop

:32:39. > :32:43.telling us we are able to affect matters within the Saudi kingdom.

:32:44. > :32:49.There are other questions my colleagues have brought up in the

:32:50. > :32:55.debate today. The member for West and East, a fighter for Yemen. The

:32:56. > :33:00.member for Liverpool and Derby talked about the 5000 people who

:33:01. > :33:08.have lost their lives. 1500 of them children. The member has asked about

:33:09. > :33:12.other nations not paying their way. With your influence, Minister, you

:33:13. > :33:17.can bring more pressure to bear on the nations not paying any money to

:33:18. > :33:22.help Yemen. Not enough independent people to declare the famine exists

:33:23. > :33:26.and ?3.3 billion worth of arms sales which dwarfs the figure we offer an

:33:27. > :33:32.international aid. The honourable member for Portsmouth South again,

:33:33. > :33:39.always speaks on these matters with distinction, looking for a country

:33:40. > :33:43.in Yemen to return to be successful and to be a functioning country.

:33:44. > :33:49.That is what we all want but in order to do that, we must stop arms

:33:50. > :33:56.sales now to allow peace to take place. Another member highlighted

:33:57. > :34:06.the half a million children who are suffering from malnutrition. Again,

:34:07. > :34:10.the issue here is about seizing arms sales, let's get on a path to peace

:34:11. > :34:16.and make sure the people of Yemen have a fighting chance to rebuild

:34:17. > :34:20.their country in the future. May I start by thanking the sponsors of

:34:21. > :34:23.this debate, particularly my honourable friend from Leicester

:34:24. > :34:26.East and the member for Portsmouth South who were both born in Yemen

:34:27. > :34:31.and they bring a depth of knowledge and passion to these debates, which

:34:32. > :34:35.we are very grateful for. We have tended to see Yemen through the

:34:36. > :34:39.prism of British involvement in this conflict in the form of arms sales

:34:40. > :34:43.and other military support to the Saudi led coalition. I don't intend

:34:44. > :34:47.to dwell on those issues today, although I am sure they will be

:34:48. > :34:52.raised again, not least because we await the judgments on legality on

:34:53. > :34:57.the sale of arms to Saudi in the next few weeks. When we look at

:34:58. > :35:01.Yemen today, what we see is a humanitarian catastrophe, the

:35:02. > :35:06.world's worst, according to the United Nations. We should not forget

:35:07. > :35:09.that before the start of this four, Yemen was a destitute nation,

:35:10. > :35:14.surrounded by wealthy mate neighbours with a desolate landscape

:35:15. > :35:18.which meant it relied on imports for 90% of its food. Now Yemen is

:35:19. > :35:24.engulfed in a famine in all but name. It is not just 90% of the

:35:25. > :35:29.country's food is imported, but the most of those imports need to go

:35:30. > :35:34.through the port of Hudayda, the red Sea port which has been raided by

:35:35. > :35:39.air strikes which have destroyed the cranes and it makes it impossible to

:35:40. > :35:44.unload cargo. Even if the supplies could get as far as the port and get

:35:45. > :35:47.through the roadblocks, paperwork and the searchers, it is unlikely

:35:48. > :35:51.they would get any further because another effect of the Saudi air

:35:52. > :35:54.strikes is they have systematically destroyed the roads and bridges that

:35:55. > :35:59.make it possible to get the supplies from one place to the other. The

:36:00. > :36:04.other 10%, the small amount of food be Yemeni people themselves produce,

:36:05. > :36:07.for most part that has gone as bombs have struck factories and food

:36:08. > :36:15.markets, poultry farms and even fishing boats. Jane McCord Rick has

:36:16. > :36:21.said, who is the UN humanitarian coordinator, that I mention of this

:36:22. > :36:26.war has become a tactic. It is an all-encompassing, surprise that is

:36:27. > :36:33.causing everybody to failure. Another member of the United

:36:34. > :36:36.Nations, in January told the Security Council that a viable

:36:37. > :36:43.proposal for peace was on the table and within reach.

:36:44. > :36:50.My first question is what happened to that proposal? Where has it gone?

:36:51. > :36:52.Was it in connection to the ceasefire resolution we were told

:36:53. > :36:58.the UK would introduce six months ago? Can the Minister to us what

:36:59. > :37:01.happened to that resolution? The last we debated this matter, the

:37:02. > :37:04.right honourable gentleman told us the British Government was in the

:37:05. > :37:09.process of re-drafting the resolution, and I wonder how that is

:37:10. > :37:13.now going. Do we have an up-to-date resolution? When the Security

:37:14. > :37:16.Council meets tomorrow, under the British chairmanship, to discuss the

:37:17. > :37:20.humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which I understand was pressed for by the

:37:21. > :37:24.Russians, we will be chairing the meeting and we should be putting

:37:25. > :37:31.forward the peace resolution. Are we going to? I fear not. I have been

:37:32. > :37:34.told the UK is in fact increasingly stepping back on the diplomatic

:37:35. > :37:38.front for fear of upsetting the Saudis on the one hand and the

:37:39. > :37:43.Americans on the other, because the new administration in America, I am

:37:44. > :37:47.told, from sources, my sources on the 38th floor, that the new

:37:48. > :37:50.administration is now considering stepping up its support for the

:37:51. > :37:57.coalition military campaign. If that is right could you confirm that the

:37:58. > :38:03.Saudi have been given the rest of the year to stabilise yemen, in the

:38:04. > :38:06.words used? and to reassert the government's authority over the

:38:07. > :38:12.entire country? surely that cannot be the case. we all know in military

:38:13. > :38:16.approach alone will not work. May I also ask about the role of Stephen

:38:17. > :38:21.O'Brien, a member of this House, and indeed many members you know him. He

:38:22. > :38:27.is the UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and is

:38:28. > :38:31.important obviously in this regard -- many members here know him. He

:38:32. > :38:36.said we are facing the worst humanitarian crisis since 1945, the

:38:37. > :38:41.crisis in Yemen. Can you confirm Mr O'Brien is not leaving his post and

:38:42. > :38:45.that the rumours he is not -- that he's leaving not out of choice,

:38:46. > :38:49.because of Saudi objections, are wrong. If he can confirm that I

:38:50. > :38:53.would appreciate it. If this forgotten war becoming the new

:38:54. > :38:59.Syria? Is it a multilayered civil war being fought by major powerful

:39:00. > :39:02.nations, either directly or through proxies, where the victims are

:39:03. > :39:10.civilians who suffer unbearable and insufferable torment? And they are

:39:11. > :39:15.also being starved. I urge the Minister to ensure that Britain once

:39:16. > :39:18.again takes up a proactive role in relation to Yemen, because it is a

:39:19. > :39:22.permanent member of the security Council, because it is currently the

:39:23. > :39:27.president, because it is that pen holder, because it has a closed

:39:28. > :39:31.listenership with Saudi Arabia, one of the major parties in this, and

:39:32. > :39:35.what the people of Yemen need more than anything else at the moment is

:39:36. > :39:36.peace, and we have some power in this conflict. We can do something

:39:37. > :39:50.about it tomorrow. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I

:39:51. > :39:54.briefly make the point that I just wish there was more time to respond

:39:55. > :39:59.to what I think has been a very good debate. I have eight minutes to do

:40:00. > :40:03.my best to give justice to what I thought was an excellent debate. A

:40:04. > :40:05.reminder that the House actually does take these matters very

:40:06. > :40:11.seriously, and I join others in paying tribute to the right

:40:12. > :40:14.honourable member for Leicester East and others who put forward this. I

:40:15. > :40:19.will do my best to rattle through his point and as usual I will give

:40:20. > :40:24.members more details. I make the point as I did before. I find it

:40:25. > :40:28.bizarre we are passing for and Aaron to adjournment debate which normally

:40:29. > :40:34.lasts 30 minutes. -- that we are pausing. But I will focus on the

:40:35. > :40:38.right Hadi's points. -- the right Honourable member's points. It is

:40:39. > :40:43.the scale of the tragedy that is well known to us all. 70% of the

:40:44. > :40:48.population are no needing humanitarian assistance, and in

:40:49. > :40:50.answer -- no needing. In answer to the honourable lady, Britain

:40:51. > :40:56.continues to play a leading role, and swift by the prejudice or

:40:57. > :41:00.interest of any other countries whatsoever -- and suede. We are the

:41:01. > :41:03.pen holder, as she said, we are determined to do that job without

:41:04. > :41:09.prejudice or influence from other nations, for what we see is best. We

:41:10. > :41:14.shall leadership at the UN as well as the number of nations around the

:41:15. > :41:22.Middle East that are looking towards this, who met recently in February.

:41:23. > :41:28.I met if you are clad and we did discuss what other parameters we

:41:29. > :41:32.need in place for a ceasefire to actually work and then for our UN

:41:33. > :41:34.resolution to be supported -- I met Ishmael Ahmed. Many right honourable

:41:35. > :41:37.member 's have mentioned the importance of the port of Hudayda

:41:38. > :41:41.and this cannot be underestimated. Looking at the country there are two

:41:42. > :41:45.critical access points, one in the South in the port of Aden and the

:41:46. > :41:47.other half we the Red Sea, the port of Hudayda itself, and the

:41:48. > :41:52.population there is 3 million people. If the civil war going on

:41:53. > :41:58.their moves into that area, it will devastate that city displacing

:41:59. > :42:02.probably about half the people who live there, 1.5 million people,

:42:03. > :42:06.causing absolute mayhem, furthering the prospect of famine and indeed

:42:07. > :42:12.actually leading to a refugee crisis as well. Not only that, but it will

:42:13. > :42:15.flatten the port itself and if we are frustrated with the amount of

:42:16. > :42:22.aid getting through the port at the moment, it will be even worse if the

:42:23. > :42:26.battle were to commence in that urban populated area. So we do call

:42:27. > :42:30.upon the coalition and the Houthis to recognise that the world is

:42:31. > :42:33.watching and they do need to come back to the table. This will not be

:42:34. > :42:36.sorted by military solution. It will be sorted by a political one and it

:42:37. > :42:41.is very important that is recognised. A lot has been said

:42:42. > :42:47.about these cranes and can I just make it clear that firstly that old

:42:48. > :42:52.cranes were bombed a number of years ago, and the new cranes, yes, they

:42:53. > :42:56.were not going to go and they are no sitting in Dubai and the reason they

:42:57. > :42:59.have been moved to Dubai is to keep them out of harm's way because no

:43:00. > :43:02.one knows what will happen to the port of Hudayda because it is

:43:03. > :43:07.unclear where the battle is going so I just reiterate the point how

:43:08. > :43:10.unhelpful and wrong it will be for us not to work towards a peaceful

:43:11. > :43:15.solution. The right honourable member I think was right to say this

:43:16. > :43:19.is not intractable. There is a power for peace. There are an awful lot of

:43:20. > :43:23.plates spinning in the Middle East, no doubt about it, but Yemen I

:43:24. > :43:26.genuinely believe is one that can be solved but we do need the will of

:43:27. > :43:30.the Yemeni people as well. My right honourable friend for Sutton

:43:31. > :43:35.Coldfield who I have a huge amount of respect for, he made at helpful

:43:36. > :43:41.visit I think, although not endorsed, to go there, but in his

:43:42. > :43:47.own way he went there and he shared his findings. He spoke about and

:43:48. > :43:51.paid tribute to UN agencies which I join him in doing, and he also spoke

:43:52. > :43:54.about the difference in strategy between different departments. I

:43:55. > :43:58.make it very clear there is one clear strategy but, yes, I can see

:43:59. > :44:03.the dilemma on the one side, being determined to get aid into the

:44:04. > :44:05.country, then another side, this procrastinated war which this

:44:06. > :44:09.coalition is pushing, and they are not doing a particularly good job

:44:10. > :44:13.about it. I have been critical of their actions before. They are not

:44:14. > :44:17.used to sustained warfare and have made mistakes. We debated that here,

:44:18. > :44:23.and made it very clear to them on as I said before, that this is not the

:44:24. > :44:28.way this war is going to end. But we certainly support Saudi led efforts

:44:29. > :44:32.to restore stability and check the advance of the Houthis, because this

:44:33. > :44:37.is what started all this in the first place. Let's not forget that

:44:38. > :44:44.Houthis through and would have been taken at the port of Aden had a

:44:45. > :44:47.coalition not answer the call of President Hadi to stand up to his

:44:48. > :44:51.legitimacy. He spoke about weapons... I am afraid I don't have

:44:52. > :44:57.time. He spoke about weapons getting in, and I am afraid they are, Mr

:44:58. > :45:01.Deputy Speaker, getting in by land and sea, not much by the Port of

:45:02. > :45:05.Hudayda, but smaller boats are getting in providing arms right up

:45:06. > :45:09.and down the Red Sea and indeed the land corridors as well. The UN

:45:10. > :45:13.mechanism is not working as well as it could do because it is unable to

:45:14. > :45:17.capture all those boats moving in. My right honourable friend made

:45:18. > :45:23.something I have to contend with, and we can discuss this after. I

:45:24. > :45:26.don't agree somehow that because Al-Qaeda is fighting the Houthis

:45:27. > :45:30.that we should somehow have some form of alignment with them.

:45:31. > :45:34.Al-Qaeda's track record shows we cannot entertain any alliance

:45:35. > :45:38.whatsoever. They have brought in and harm to the Middle East and indeed

:45:39. > :45:46.to Europe as well. I will briefly give way. I should make it

:45:47. > :45:49.absolutely clear, Mr Deputy Speaker, nobody regards Al-Qaeda with greater

:45:50. > :45:54.abhorrence than me. The point I was making was that in this particular

:45:55. > :45:59.conflict there are some very uneasy alliances against the Houthis. I

:46:00. > :46:01.apologise, and all she wanted me to give way, but I think it is

:46:02. > :46:08.important my right honourable friend put that on the record. It is very

:46:09. > :46:11.important indeed. Mr Deputy Speaker, many have called for a ceasefire and

:46:12. > :46:17.that is fully understandable given where we actually want to go. But

:46:18. > :46:21.for this to work in practice, Mr Deputy Speaker, there are parameters

:46:22. > :46:25.that need to be in place. We need to have withdrawal lines, we need the

:46:26. > :46:30.decommissioning of heavy weapons or agreement of that decommissioning.

:46:31. > :46:33.We need buffer zones ready or in place or agreed and we need policing

:46:34. > :46:38.mechanisms to manage any violations taking place otherwise it could get

:46:39. > :46:43.out of control and then again the ceasefire is actually breached as

:46:44. > :46:47.well. In my discussions with not only the UN envoy, but indeed other

:46:48. > :46:50.countries, we spoke about the parameters of what a ceasefire would

:46:51. > :46:57.look like, and the process needed. And they are built around firstly

:46:58. > :47:01.the sequenced security steps including withdrawals, secondly

:47:02. > :47:04.agreed rules and appointments, in essence a transition leadership.

:47:05. > :47:13.Thirdly, the resumption of discussions based on resolution 2216

:47:14. > :47:18.and the initiative, then signing a detailed agreement, and certainly

:47:19. > :47:20.the finalisation of an actual road map, then the drafting of the

:47:21. > :47:25.Constitution which takes you to the elections as well. This is the

:47:26. > :47:29.ballpark design which the UN envoy is trying to promote and it is the

:47:30. > :47:34.detail which is unfortunately causing problems for all

:47:35. > :47:37.stakeholders to actually sign. But I absolutely make it clear that we are

:47:38. > :47:41.absolutely committed at the UN to try to pursue this. And to ensure

:47:42. > :47:46.that ceasefire eventually comes around. The role the USA has played

:47:47. > :47:51.has been mentioned as well and I will be visiting the USA very soon

:47:52. > :47:54.to make sure they are committed. Rex Tillerson, the new Secretary of

:47:55. > :47:57.State, worked in Yemen for many years and knows the area very well

:47:58. > :48:02.indeed. I make it clear the additional military support they are

:48:03. > :48:06.giving is not designed for them to have more munitions, it is actually

:48:07. > :48:09.designed to give them better intelligence gathering so that less

:48:10. > :48:13.mistakes can be made, but more to the point it is important that the

:48:14. > :48:19.United States works with us and indeed others to actually deter

:48:20. > :48:24.further military action, and to focus on getting that political

:48:25. > :48:31.agreement in place. Mr Deputy Speaker, the UN Security Council

:48:32. > :48:36.resolution 2216 was cleared, in unblocking the political process

:48:37. > :48:39.required, the Houthis and forces loyal to the former president, for

:48:40. > :48:43.them to hand over their weapons. Despite consistent demands from the

:48:44. > :48:46.international community, the Houthi Alliance has refused to discuss

:48:47. > :48:52.these issues with the UN special envoy. They also have taken a series

:48:53. > :48:56.of unilateral steps that have undermined peace efforts, including

:48:57. > :49:00.the establishment of a supreme political Council and a shadow

:49:01. > :49:05.government to rival that of President Hadi's. This, Mr Deputy

:49:06. > :49:08.Speaker, is unacceptable. We do not recognise the rival government and

:49:09. > :49:13.the Yemeni parties must engage with the peace party process in good

:49:14. > :49:17.faith and meet obligations as set out in the UN proposals. Mr Deputy

:49:18. > :49:20.Speaker, in conclusion this government is gravely concerned

:49:21. > :49:23.about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. And we are taking a leading

:49:24. > :49:26.role in the international response. That means not only providing

:49:27. > :49:32.substantial humanitarian aid, but also means using all diplomatic

:49:33. > :49:36.means available to us to support efforts to reach a political

:49:37. > :49:40.agreement and the press for a solution to the economic crisis. But

:49:41. > :49:45.ultimately, as I have said before, it is the Yemenis themselves whom

:49:46. > :49:50.must reach a compromise. The Yemeni people need and deserve peace and we

:49:51. > :49:54.continue to work with international partners to support efforts to

:49:55. > :49:58.secure it. Thank you. Mr Deputy Speaker, with the leave of the

:49:59. > :50:04.House, that's has spoken with one voice today. 45 members have

:50:05. > :50:09.attended the debate over the last 90 minutes. We could have had another

:50:10. > :50:13.90 minutes to discuss this war. It may be a forgotten war outside but

:50:14. > :50:18.it is not forgotten in the House of Commons. And the voice of this House

:50:19. > :50:23.is very clear. We want peace in Yemen, we want a ceasefire, an

:50:24. > :50:29.immediate ceasefire, and we want the aid to come into Yemen to avoid the

:50:30. > :50:34.famine that has been predicted, and we need to start tomorrow. We place

:50:35. > :50:38.that motion in the hands of the minister. We wish it well, and they

:50:39. > :50:42.ask him to come back with better news for us.

:50:43. > :50:50.The question is as on the order paper, as many of that opinion say

:50:51. > :50:56.aye. The contray no. The ayes have it. I would like to put motions five

:50:57. > :51:02.to 12 together. I beg to move. Motions 5 to 12. As many of that

:51:03. > :51:10.opinion say aye. The contrary no. The ayes have it. Before I call the

:51:11. > :51:16.minister to move motion No 13 on the the form, I should inform the House

:51:17. > :51:22.that Mr Speaker has considered the instrument and has not certified it,

:51:23. > :51:32.minister to move. Question is as on the order paper. The ayes have it.

:51:33. > :51:38.Now petition. I rise to present a petition opposing the closure of the

:51:39. > :51:43.DWP office which could result in over a hundred job losses that would

:51:44. > :51:50.affect mainly women workers. The petitioners request the House of

:51:51. > :51:54.Commons urges the Government to ensure that Ansley DWP office is

:51:55. > :52:15.kept open so there are no job losses. Petition. Proposed closure

:52:16. > :52:32.of Annesley DWP office. The question sorry. This House do now adjourn.

:52:33. > :52:37.Thank you. 70 years ago this year, the Burn mining disaster happened in

:52:38. > :52:43.my constituency. It was the worst disaster in shale mining history. 50

:52:44. > :52:54.men went on shift, but only 38 came out alive. One miner's body was

:52:55. > :53:01.brought up, but 14 men were cut off by debris and fire. 15 men from my

:53:02. > :53:14.constituency died in this accident. Earlier this year the towns of west

:53:15. > :53:21.Calder and Seafield paid trib tribute and stories were told by

:53:22. > :53:25.local school-children. Standing in west Calder square that day when

:53:26. > :53:31.tributes were paid, hearing the children recounting the stories of

:53:32. > :53:39.men of burn grange was such a powerful and beautiful trib United.

:53:40. > :53:45.I would like to -- tribute. I would like to pay thanks to the community.

:53:46. > :53:50.I'm proud to have the opportunity to read the names of men again today.

:53:51. > :53:56.The men who lost their lives working for their families and their

:53:57. > :54:08.communities in an industry is that marked by the binges around my

:54:09. > :54:16.constituency. John McGarty, John Livebody, married two of a familiar.

:54:17. > :54:31.I Anthony Gogan. Married. Two of a family. David Muir. Single. George

:54:32. > :54:37.Easton. Married. Three of a family. Henry Cowie, single. William

:54:38. > :54:51.Ritchie, 50, married, three of a family. John Fairly, single. Thomas

:54:52. > :55:01.Heggie, two of a family. William Finlay, married. Three of a family.

:55:02. > :55:07.Samual Pake. William Carroll, married two of a family. David

:55:08. > :55:12.Carroll 38, married. Five of a family. I cannot imagine how the

:55:13. > :55:16.local mining community felt when the pit sirens wailed to warn of

:55:17. > :55:23.disaster. The families running to pit to wait for news and a week that

:55:24. > :55:29.lasted for days. Before they could claim the bodies, today I pay

:55:30. > :55:38.tribute to them and their sacrifice. My grand father went down the pit

:55:39. > :55:45.along the run in eastern colliery in Bathgate. Accidents he told me were

:55:46. > :55:53.part of the job. And I grew up with stories of him hauling himself

:55:54. > :56:00.through crevices at 5, foot #5shgs foot 5, he was sent down the wee

:56:01. > :56:07.nooks that others couldn't fit in. Once the tow rope broke with a

:56:08. > :56:10.loaded tub full of coal and knocked him unconscious, leaving a gash in

:56:11. > :56:13.the back of his head. The truth was, he should never have been where he

:56:14. > :56:18.was, but it was a path well trodden by the miners around him. He

:56:19. > :56:22.survived fine. But he never went that same route again. The scar on

:56:23. > :56:27.his head was a mark shown many times to me as a child and was a remind

:56:28. > :56:32.tore him, he said, that he was one of the lucky ones. I would give way.

:56:33. > :56:37.I congratulate the honourable lady on bringing this forward. It is a

:56:38. > :56:44.need for safety. Does she agree it is essential that Government works

:56:45. > :56:48.with the representatives of industries safety group to develop

:56:49. > :56:53.and lead and implement a strategy that working with these group is the

:56:54. > :56:58.best way to promote health and safety in mines in the United

:56:59. > :57:03.Kingdom. I completely agree with the honourable gentleman. That work with

:57:04. > :57:10.members who work in that community is so vital. And West Lothian

:57:11. > :57:17.council local history library has collected information about the

:57:18. > :57:21.disaster which became part of the scheme. Many communities in the UK

:57:22. > :57:27.do work like this and it is so vitally important that the young

:57:28. > :57:31.people and communities around us remember their industrial heritage.

:57:32. > :57:37.I thank my honourable friend for giving way and I would like to

:57:38. > :57:41.congratulate her for securing this debachlt may I take this opportunity

:57:42. > :57:50.to remember the 207 people who lost their lives at the High Blantyre

:57:51. > :57:54.coalfield on 22nd October 1877. Many local women were widowed and

:57:55. > :58:01.children left without a father in the worst mining disaster in the

:58:02. > :58:14.history of Scotland. Would she agree this provides a lesson from the past

:58:15. > :58:21.on why health and safety should be paramount. I would be delighted to

:58:22. > :58:25.give way. I congratulate her bringing this debate. You have a key

:58:26. > :58:29.note, we must never forget sacrifices that people made and it

:58:30. > :58:33.is important that children and people living within the communities

:58:34. > :58:40.in these later years understand this. In my constituency we are

:58:41. > :58:45.coming up to the 60 anniversary of the the Cairns colliery disaster,

:58:46. > :58:49.where 17 men lost their lives. I want to pay tribute to them and

:58:50. > :58:53.their families and it is important that communities never forget. Thank

:58:54. > :59:00.you. I join him in paying tribute to those lost in his constituency. I

:59:01. > :59:08.welcome such fitting tributes men and their families. It will remain a

:59:09. > :59:23.reminders of sacrifices those men made. The five sisters, the binges,

:59:24. > :59:28.and the binges of Broxburn were serialised by the BBC.

:59:29. > :59:37.Constituencies across the UK have reminders in museums and galleries

:59:38. > :59:41.like Mill Farm and that the Newtongrange that I remember

:59:42. > :59:45.visiting as a youngster, when my grandfather was ill. I asked my mum

:59:46. > :59:49.whether he would be well enough to visit. He was not, but the stories I

:59:50. > :59:53.brought back meant a great deal to him. There have been thousands of

:59:54. > :59:57.deaths in mines, but safety has improved and it has been 50 years

:59:58. > :00:07.since the last mining accident in the UK at the colliery in Wales,

:00:08. > :00:13.where 31 lost their lives. As recently as 2014, the worst accident

:00:14. > :00:19.killed 301 people in Turkey. Four years before, many of us remember

:00:20. > :00:27.the 29 men killed at the pipe river mine disaster in New Zealand and in

:00:28. > :00:37.November 2010, 29er out of 31 miners at the mine in the USA were killed.

:00:38. > :00:43.On January 30th 2000 there was a spill in Romania, 100,000 tonnes of

:00:44. > :00:50.contaminated water broke into the rivers. Although there was no human

:00:51. > :00:58.fatality, it killed up to 80% of aquatic life and it saw the accident

:00:59. > :01:03.hailed a as the worst since Chernobyl. Although the industry has

:01:04. > :01:07.been tainted by issues with health and safety, we have learned a huge

:01:08. > :01:14.amount from accidents such as the one in Burn Grange, to the pit

:01:15. > :01:20.closures and attacks on trade unions in the Thatcher era and the miners'

:01:21. > :01:23.strike. It was strikes that drove my grandmother's family to Glasgow. We

:01:24. > :01:28.remember them today and always. As a result of that strike, mining is no

:01:29. > :01:32.longer as much part of industrial landscape, but health and safety is

:01:33. > :01:35.crucial for those left working in the industry, wherever they are in

:01:36. > :01:42.the world and I do believe that we have come a long way in health and

:01:43. > :01:47.safety improvements, but more need to be done in mining and other

:01:48. > :01:50.dangerous industries. Because many went from our pits into other

:01:51. > :01:54.industrial work, like oil and gas. And it is so important to remember

:01:55. > :02:00.that men and women in the industries have and still do work in some of

:02:01. > :02:04.the most challenging environments. Health and safety is paramount and

:02:05. > :02:10.one such worker who Fopped that path was -- followed that was path was

:02:11. > :02:20.the father of my office manager, who worked in a pit in Edinburgh and was

:02:21. > :02:26.the last of a breed of coal miners. He told me how he was caught in a

:02:27. > :02:33.roof fall and he said going down the leg of a platform where you're often

:02:34. > :02:40.alone and sur rouvended by many -- sur rournded by many -- surrounded

:02:41. > :02:45.by many toxic gases was the most hostile environment he has been in.

:02:46. > :02:49.I was involved in the emergency response of a helicopter going down

:02:50. > :02:53.in 2013. The company I worked for lost a colleague and I spent time

:02:54. > :02:58.with his family and working with many and other companies to review

:02:59. > :03:02.health and safety and emergency response and do our best to ensure

:03:03. > :03:08.an accident could not happen again. The work and the continued

:03:09. > :03:13.improvement of our health and safety xerveg Health and Safety Executive

:03:14. > :03:20.is vital. Piper alpha is the worst accidents in the North Sea and many

:03:21. > :03:27.lessons were learned, including by the health and safety Executive. We

:03:28. > :03:32.all owe a debt of gratitude to those who worked in the pits. And their

:03:33. > :03:38.work and legacy leaves a mark on our landscape and in our lives. We must

:03:39. > :03:43.remember them. I want to ask the minister what she will do and what

:03:44. > :03:50.her Government will do to ensure communities blighted tz by the loss

:03:51. > :03:58.of these industries will get greater invest to embrace the future.

:03:59. > :04:07.Despite goals to become a low carbon economy, we depend on fossil fuels

:04:08. > :04:15.and we are increasing our reliance on imported energy. Coal and other

:04:16. > :04:19.solid fuels make up 10% of the UK's energy imports from countries like

:04:20. > :04:23.Australia and the United States. I have to say we have to look at some

:04:24. > :04:27.of the health and safety practices in those countries and raise

:04:28. > :04:35.concerns. Because you know some of these are subject to international

:04:36. > :04:43.sanctions, over Ukraine for example, which is providing close to half the

:04:44. > :04:52.coal and Columbia. The company response for Russian import coal

:04:53. > :04:58.exports coal and nearly a quarter comes to the UK. Russia's safety

:04:59. > :05:08.record not without blemish and several accidents have happened in

:05:09. > :05:17.Russia. Notably... The mine disaster of 2007 which killed at least 106

:05:18. > :05:21.miners and last year a methane leek triggered two explosions and 26

:05:22. > :05:28.people lost their lives. Over 60% of Russian coal is extracted in one

:05:29. > :05:33.area of Siberia and the human rights of people are being violated and

:05:34. > :05:40.Columbia's health and safety record is appalling. An explosion in

:05:41. > :05:46.January 2011 killed 21 and another at the same mine in 2007 killed more

:05:47. > :05:54.than 30. During the decades long civil war the industry has grown to

:05:55. > :06:03.where it ranks as the fourth largest exporter of coal in the world.

:06:04. > :06:12.This has come at the terrible cost, including the dispossession of

:06:13. > :06:16.communities. Coal not only polluted the air and water but the country's

:06:17. > :06:22.politics as well, but just one company providing support for

:06:23. > :06:27.militias involved in human rights abuses. We should not be condoning

:06:28. > :06:31.dereliction of duty towards these mining communities, but while we

:06:32. > :06:34.still do import coal, we should do it from responsible sources and I

:06:35. > :06:40.would like to ask the Minister if she will review her coal imports,

:06:41. > :06:44.and the countries they come from. In addition we should be doing more to

:06:45. > :06:49.develop and support our renewable sectors to meet our own power needs.

:06:50. > :06:54.In my constituency that Banks Group is a property and mining firm, truly

:06:55. > :06:59.diverse, with a clear vision on the future of renewables. It does

:07:00. > :07:06.pioneering work in redeveloping land used for mining, and they are

:07:07. > :07:09.responsible for the Northumberland the restoration which is also known

:07:10. > :07:15.as the Lady of the North. In partnership with North Lanarkshire

:07:16. > :07:21.Council, the renewable project will ensure ?69 million of economic

:07:22. > :07:26.benefit for the area well ?1.74 million in jobs and training fund to

:07:27. > :07:31.support 400-450 local unemployed people into work, further education

:07:32. > :07:33.or workplace training. It is this sort of ambitious forward thinking

:07:34. > :07:38.and environmentally friendly initiatives inessential as we work

:07:39. > :07:41.towards low-carbon goals. My final request, and I know I am asking a

:07:42. > :07:49.lot of the minister, is to ask she sets up specific funds for the

:07:50. > :07:52.communities of former coal and shale mining areas to help them provide

:07:53. > :07:55.for the future. In my constituency work has been done in engaging with

:07:56. > :07:59.local schools, but economically it could and should support the areas

:08:00. > :08:06.that have never recovered from their heavy industries being taken away

:08:07. > :08:10.and damaged so irreparably. At the time they got little or no support

:08:11. > :08:13.from the then Conservative Government. They have sacrificed

:08:14. > :08:16.more than they should and indeed provided for the whole country. We

:08:17. > :08:22.owe them our gratitude and support and I call on this Government to do

:08:23. > :08:25.all it can to ensure those former mining communities thrive and

:08:26. > :08:32.develop new industry where the old ones once stood so valiantly. Thank

:08:33. > :08:37.you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I want to start by thanking the

:08:38. > :08:41.honourable member for securing this debate and her passionate speech on

:08:42. > :08:46.an issue which is important to her and her constituents, and to this

:08:47. > :08:50.Government and this House. It gives us the opportunity today to

:08:51. > :08:56.recognise the bravery of those workers at the mine who, in

:08:57. > :09:01.providing for their families and securing resources for our country,

:09:02. > :09:05.paid the ultimate sacrifice. The honourable member and her

:09:06. > :09:09.constituents have rightly mark the 70th anniversary of that appalling

:09:10. > :09:17.disaster with honour and dignity for the men who did not come home to

:09:18. > :09:21.their families on the 10th of January 1947, and, if I may, one of

:09:22. > :09:26.the most moving parts of the tribute she paid was reading out the names,

:09:27. > :09:34.but also the ages of those impacted by this, and I think we get the

:09:35. > :09:40.impression from that that this is really how this does affect the

:09:41. > :09:51.whole community. It is often a job that people will be in for a life,

:09:52. > :09:54.and ages ranging 24-50 I think give a sense of that, and I thought that

:09:55. > :10:00.was a very moving part of her speech. I think she has done a

:10:01. > :10:08.tremendous job in paying tribute to all those killed and all those

:10:09. > :10:12.affected by that disaster, but all those who also work and have worked

:10:13. > :10:16.in that profession and the communities that support them. It is

:10:17. > :10:19.a rare occasion when we read out the names of people killed in such

:10:20. > :10:27.tragedies in this place, but I think it is very fitting that she has done

:10:28. > :10:31.that, and I also understand from the clerks that she tabled this debate

:10:32. > :10:36.to try to get it to fall as close as she could to the anniversary and

:10:37. > :10:43.things never work out perfectly, but I think that her constituents and

:10:44. > :10:47.many others will appreciate that. And it is important that we do that

:10:48. > :10:55.and have done that today. Before I go on to speak about some of the

:10:56. > :10:59.UK's safety record and the other issue the honourable lady races, I

:11:00. > :11:03.would like to just touch on some of the international tragedies that

:11:04. > :11:11.have also occurred. She mentioned some. There are sadly many others,

:11:12. > :11:19.1995, when 104 miners died falling down a shaft in South Africa. 2006,

:11:20. > :11:26.when 65 coal miners were killed in a gas explosion in northern Mexico.

:11:27. > :11:36.2007, at least 90 killed in Ukraine's worst mining disaster. And

:11:37. > :11:41.in 2011, 52 people killed in south-western Pakistan after a gas

:11:42. > :11:47.explosion in a deep coal mine. The reason why I think it is important

:11:48. > :11:50.that we remember this is an international issue is that the

:11:51. > :11:55.Health and Safety Executive and the considerable expertise it has, 50%

:11:56. > :12:01.of the inspectorate that looks after this issue as well as others are

:12:02. > :12:09.from the mining industry, and have worked in the mining industry for

:12:10. > :12:13.much of their career. But they have ambitions to export their expertise.

:12:14. > :12:16.The Health and Safety Executive's latest business plan is clearly

:12:17. > :12:23.trying to do more of that, and I think that is one of the things we

:12:24. > :12:27.do have a good record on, we have huge expertise. That is one thing we

:12:28. > :12:36.can do and make a huge contribution, particularly in developing nations,

:12:37. > :12:39.who often when disaster strikes, it is unimaginable there. So I would

:12:40. > :12:42.think that is important and I would encourage them to do that. They are

:12:43. > :12:45.doing a huge amount of work in this area already. Just imagine a couple

:12:46. > :12:50.of recent things they have done, they have been reading some work in

:12:51. > :12:57.Australia and ventilation -- leading some work. On engineering safety in

:12:58. > :12:59.Russia, as well, which the honourable lady particularly

:13:00. > :13:04.referred to, that country, in her speech. I would also pay tribute, as

:13:05. > :13:11.the honourable lady did, to all those who also step in when disaster

:13:12. > :13:16.strikes, and often provide support and expertise to the rescue and

:13:17. > :13:19.recovery when such disasters strike. I am particularly proud of this

:13:20. > :13:26.because the combined International rescue services that are contributed

:13:27. > :13:32.to by the UK's bluelight services train and drill in my constituency

:13:33. > :13:34.annually for such events, and her debate today affords me the

:13:35. > :13:44.opportunity to pay tribute to them as well. Bernard Greenidge and other

:13:45. > :13:48.incidents led to the introduction of a great deal of legislation in the

:13:49. > :13:52.latter half of the 20th-century -- Burngrange. Were a number of

:13:53. > :13:57.recommendations contained in the official report of that particular

:13:58. > :14:04.explosion and fire for improving health and safety in mines,

:14:05. > :14:07.including the use of safety lamps, how explosives should be stored and

:14:08. > :14:13.handled safely, the need for adequate ventilation and the

:14:14. > :14:15.sampling of the atmosphere. Health and safety regulation in this

:14:16. > :14:20.country has improved greatly over the last 70 years. Learning from

:14:21. > :14:24.previous experience in order to try to prevent as far as possible

:14:25. > :14:28.disasters and other incidents that can lead to loss of life, injury or

:14:29. > :14:36.ill-health. At the time the Health and Safety Executive introduced the

:14:37. > :14:41.act in 1974, there were 651 fatalities to employees. The

:14:42. > :14:47.comparative number today is 105. So that is progress made, but clearly

:14:48. > :14:58.still more needs to be done. In 2014, following an extensive review,

:14:59. > :15:01.the Hotels Regulation act replaced all previous legislation relating to

:15:02. > :15:08.health and safety in undergrowth mines. Some 45 sets of regulations

:15:09. > :15:10.and -- underground mines. Importantly, they provided a

:15:11. > :15:16.comprehensive and simple goal setting legal framework to ensure

:15:17. > :15:20.mine operators provide all the necessary protection for Mineworkers

:15:21. > :15:24.and others from the inherent hazards in mines. The regulations contain

:15:25. > :15:29.requirements relating to the key organisational aspects for safe

:15:30. > :15:33.management of the mine, and to the key physical hazards inherent to

:15:34. > :15:39.underground mining. The principal major hazards of which are unique to

:15:40. > :15:45.that particular sector. In addition to the industry specific

:15:46. > :15:50.regulations, mine operators must comply with, there is also the

:15:51. > :15:55.health and safety at work act, the management of health and safety work

:15:56. > :16:01.regulations 1999, the Dangerous Substances And Explosive Act, 2002,

:16:02. > :16:05.and the control of substances hazardous to health regulations,

:16:06. > :16:10.also of that same year. There are around 2000 workers still involved

:16:11. > :16:15.in underground mining, and they deserve the high standards of health

:16:16. > :16:20.and safety. As the honourable member pointed out, often that will mean

:16:21. > :16:26.working in partnership with other organisations, and I thank him for

:16:27. > :16:32.his intervention as well. The Health and Safety Executive has a

:16:33. > :16:34.regulatory intervention plan for every underground mine in Great

:16:35. > :16:38.Britain, no matter whether it is still active or whether it is their

:16:39. > :16:46.for heritage and tourism purposes. This reflects the specific inherent

:16:47. > :16:49.hazards of mines and the previous health and safety performance of

:16:50. > :16:52.those mines. Those that are bearing the greatest risk and have the

:16:53. > :17:02.tourist record received the most attention. -- and have the poorest

:17:03. > :17:05.rigour. Inspectors base their regulars on these plans and a

:17:06. > :17:12.proactive. I understand the Scottish Parliament has tabled a motion to

:17:13. > :17:16.particularly Mark workers' Memorial Day, and I don't know whether the

:17:17. > :17:21.honourable lady might be tabling a similar motion in this Parliament,

:17:22. > :17:25.but that is on Friday the 28th of April, and it does afford us another

:17:26. > :17:32.opportunity to remember all of those who work in these important but

:17:33. > :17:36.dangerous industries, and for us to remember and pay tribute to what

:17:37. > :17:42.they do and those that... I wonder whether at this point the Government

:17:43. > :17:52.representative that is speaking on behalf of this motion would just try

:17:53. > :18:00.and recall that these same miners we are talking about, many of them, the

:18:01. > :18:05.miners who went down the pit, they were the very people that the

:18:06. > :18:10.previous Tory Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, called the enemy within.

:18:11. > :18:16.Does the honourable lady believe that this is an opportune time, when

:18:17. > :18:20.we are speaking about all those people who lost their lives,

:18:21. > :18:27.including those 81 in my constituency at Crest well, where

:18:28. > :18:36.they were consumed by flames, and they had to be locked in. They

:18:37. > :18:41.couldn't get them out, and those 18 people who fell down the shaft at

:18:42. > :18:46.the colliery in Derbyshire to their death, they were the same people

:18:47. > :18:51.that the previous Tory Prime Minister called the enemy within.

:18:52. > :18:56.And I think at this moment it would be right and proper for this

:18:57. > :19:02.Government to say that that wasn't the reality about these people who

:19:03. > :19:09.went down the pit day after day. Surely, this is the time to see it.

:19:10. > :19:16.Well, I hope that in what I have said today and what I will go on to

:19:17. > :19:24.say that I have paid tribute to those people. My maternal

:19:25. > :19:30.grandfather was a miner, and I have spoken about the hazards that people

:19:31. > :19:34.face in those professions and other professions, without whose serve as

:19:35. > :19:44.the country could not continue its industrial projects. We all then a

:19:45. > :19:47.great deal -- we owe them a great deal. I would say to the honourable

:19:48. > :19:54.gentleman that on the politics of these matters we would probably

:19:55. > :19:57.disagree, but I think it is the purpose of the debate that the

:19:58. > :20:01.honourable lady has tabled today that we paid tribute to those that

:20:02. > :20:13.work in these professions and we remember in particular those who

:20:14. > :20:16.lost their lives, particularly at Burngrange, but at other disasters

:20:17. > :20:18.around the world. I am sure that will not have satisfied the

:20:19. > :20:22.honourable gentleman but I will move onto the other point is the

:20:23. > :20:27.honourable lady has raised. Quite rightly, the honourable lady has

:20:28. > :20:32.touched on what we can do through our policies and other Government

:20:33. > :20:38.departments to encourage good practice and to encourage other

:20:39. > :20:41.countries to take health and safety as loosely as we do in the UK. I

:20:42. > :20:46.think in my department, which is responsible for the Health and

:20:47. > :20:50.Safety Executive, there are some considerable opportunities that come

:20:51. > :20:53.with the Health and Safety Executive's moves to export its good

:20:54. > :21:03.practice and I think that is important. Certainly, I will ask my

:21:04. > :21:08.counterparts at the Department of beans to -- at the Department to

:21:09. > :21:12.update the honourable lady on how they are developing their energy

:21:13. > :21:17.strategy to take into account the very valid points the honourable

:21:18. > :21:24.lady raises, and on the other matter of regeneration for these

:21:25. > :21:31.communities, because where I think I am in danger of perhaps agreeing

:21:32. > :21:36.potentially with the honourable member, and things that were not

:21:37. > :21:42.what the Matt Dunn well in the past, it was ensuring regeneration of

:21:43. > :21:45.those areas, industries where entire communities had been dependent on

:21:46. > :21:49.them were collapsing -- what was not done well in the past. Where that

:21:50. > :21:55.happens you want swift intervention and you want investment, and one of

:21:56. > :22:00.the privileges of the first ministerial post I held which was a

:22:01. > :22:04.local government was working with local enterprise partnerships on

:22:05. > :22:12.getting particular investment into those areas, and part of the recipe

:22:13. > :22:20.of success in rebuilding those particular areas was the mining

:22:21. > :22:23.heritage. Many projects that were... Whether they were creating business

:22:24. > :22:32.parks around energy, whether they were creating a tourist offer, quite

:22:33. > :22:36.often it would come back to the mining heritage of those particular

:22:37. > :22:39.areas, so I think that- very well with the important point is the

:22:40. > :22:44.honourable lady has raised about heritage today, and remembering that

:22:45. > :22:46.and giving it the status it should have as part of our nation's

:22:47. > :22:54.history. I will ask the department of local

:22:55. > :22:58.government to write to the the honourable lady to update her on the

:22:59. > :23:04.funding that has gone into former coal mining areas. I will again

:23:05. > :23:10.thank, I will take an intervention. Just before she closes, in terms of

:23:11. > :23:15.funding, she may be aware that the UK Government pulled funding for the

:23:16. > :23:19.cold field communities trust. Is that not something the Government

:23:20. > :23:24.should look at and one final point in terms of mine workers that have

:23:25. > :23:29.survived, she may be aware the Government takes 50% of the annual

:23:30. > :23:32.returns from the mine workers' mention pot. Maybe the Government

:23:33. > :23:40.should reconsider that. The honourable gentleman refers to the

:23:41. > :23:46.trust which was closed and wound up. However, there were other sources of

:23:47. > :23:51.funding made available through the usual funding channels and much of

:23:52. > :23:58.that has been directed into those particular communities. I know that,

:23:59. > :24:03.because I was at the department looking at how those funds had been

:24:04. > :24:12.allocated. But I think that whether it is mining, or whether it is other

:24:13. > :24:16.industries, that are not providing - the support to those communities,

:24:17. > :24:21.wherever they are, we need to have a strong plan and a strong vision for

:24:22. > :24:27.those communities. What is it that is going to replace that? We

:24:28. > :24:34.shouldn't leave people without that. I thank the honourable lady and she

:24:35. > :24:39.has made some positive points. On the matter of distribution of funds,

:24:40. > :24:44.would she consider it appropriate for those former mining communities

:24:45. > :24:53.to be considered alongside the city growth plans and city growth deals.

:24:54. > :24:59.It would seem an ideal criteria to apply. Often it is outside of city

:25:00. > :25:03.centres where the worst areas of deprivation are? I think the

:25:04. > :25:09.honourable lady makes a good point, that if one aspect of what makes a

:25:10. > :25:14.community strong and economically viable is removed, then other parts,

:25:15. > :25:19.education system, attracting teachers in, all sorts of things,

:25:20. > :25:24.then start to become harder. I think it is vital and I know it from my

:25:25. > :25:30.own constituency that there is a clear vision and proposition for how

:25:31. > :25:37.the economy is going to not only grow, but also be stable and that

:25:38. > :25:41.might mean diversification and a different approach to some of the

:25:42. > :25:46.strengths and assets of a particular community. But I think that is the

:25:47. > :25:51.key to success. That is what not only attracts public money and

:25:52. > :25:58.investment, but also private investment as well. That what is the

:25:59. > :26:01.communities need. I will intervene. The minister has failed to answer

:26:02. > :26:07.the point about the money that the Government takes from the mining

:26:08. > :26:13.workers' pension scheme. Can we have an assurance that there are no deep

:26:14. > :26:17.mine pits left in Britain, just a few private mines and a bit of

:26:18. > :26:22.opencasting, can we now have an assurance that the government will

:26:23. > :26:28.cease from taking that money out of the pension scheme, so the miners

:26:29. > :26:34.that she's talking about would get an even better pension? Well, the

:26:35. > :26:39.honourable gentleman raises a serious point that deserves a

:26:40. > :26:46.serious answer and if I could ask him, given the limits that I have in

:26:47. > :26:53.this adjournment debate, if he would write to the pensions minister.

:26:54. > :26:56.Well, I would I'm sure I don't need to encourage the honourable

:26:57. > :27:02.gentleman to keep going, but if he is not satisfied with an answer he

:27:03. > :27:06.should write again. But I am not able I'm afraid to add anything to

:27:07. > :27:11.what the pensions minister will have already told the honourable

:27:12. > :27:20.gentleman. I will unless there are any other interventions, tank all

:27:21. > :27:25.members fo - thank all the members, particularly the honourable lady

:27:26. > :27:31.from Livingston who has given a great service to those who lost

:27:32. > :27:36.their lives in that tragedy. The question is the House should

:27:37. > :28:25.adjourn. The I have as have it. Order. -- The ayes have it.

:28:26. > :28:30.My lords I will repeat a statement made by my honourable friend the

:28:31. > :28:37.Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the other place. The

:28:38. > :28:41.statement is as follows. Since the Northern Ireland Assembly election

:28:42. > :28:47.on 2nd mar, I have been encouraged in talks with the political parties

:28:48. > :28:49.and the Irish Government. In line