Live Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions House of Commons

Hello and welcome to the BBC's

Parliament live coverage of the

House of Commons. In one hour's

time, we will have an urgent

question about pay at the BBC, this

follows the resignation of the BBC's

China editor, Carrie Gracie. After

yesterday's free shot full, there

are a handful of ministers just

getting to their feet. One of them

will be making a statement on the

transparency of the parole board.

The main business of the day will be

the second reading of the trade

Bill. Please join me for a round-up

of all the daily's events in

Parliament at 11pm tonight. First,

questions to the Foreign Secretary,

Boris Johnson.

Question number one,

Mr Speaker.

Boris Johnson.

I will

answer the questions together

tackling illegal wildlife. Trade of

the massive priority for this

Government and to that end, we will

host a high-level conference in

London in October this year to drive

further progress. I can assure the

house that this issue is raised

consistently by this Government at

all levels with our friends and

partners around the world.

I am

grateful for the answer. Can you

deal at a bit more about what action

the thinking globally to assure that

the appalling ivory trade is

reduced, and whether he thinks

national plans play an important

part in that?

I am grateful, Mr

Speaker, for that question, because

the UK Government has been a reader

for many years now in calling for an

end to the illegal trade in ivory,

which does so much damage, not only

to the population of elephants, but

also of course encourages

criminality of all kinds across the

African continent. I am proud to say

this Government is currently

consulting on an all-out ivory ban.

The results of that consultation

will be announced shortly. I'll to

have good news for the house.

I

commend my Right Honourable Friend

for all be worried he is doing in

this area, but can I draw his

attention to a shocking

investigation in the Mail on Sunday

that highlighted the continuing

illegal trade of tigers. Does he

agree these findings deserve urgent

attention to ensure this magnificent

species can enjoy a safe future?

I

commend the excellent journalism of

that publication. In highlighting

what is taking place... At least in

rat respect. -- in that respect. It

is an abdominal trade that I think

should be condemned by all right

thinking people across the house and

the UK Government not only calls on

the Government there to stop this

appalling trade, but stands ready to

give any support and help that we

can.

You may be as interested as I

am in the oceanic environment and I

want to talk about whales, because

30,000 whales have been killed since

the introduction of the

International whaling ban and

nations like Japan and Denmark

actually take a very controversial

view to participating in that. What

can your Department do to make

whaling history?

I congratulate my

honourable friend, and upon as

Member for that important question.

On what we are doing to protect

wills which are of course mammals

rather than fish. The UK has been in

the lead over many decades in

calling for an end to illegal

whaling and we only support whaling,

we only condone whaling I should

say, we only condone whaling where

it is clearly demonstrably necessary

for subsistence...

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Reports from the UN and

others have shown the links between

not just the illegal wildlife trade,

but also the illegal timber trade in

financing illegal terrorist rips.

This this only minister's waiter and

what will he be doing to insure that

these links are broken?

Excellent

question, because of course the

illegal wildlife trade is intimately

connected not just with the illegal

timber trade but drug running, gun

trafficking and human trafficking.

The illegal trade in ivory is

estimated to be worth about $20

billion per annum and yet the

Government has cut to the border for

is that it is now looking at

recruiting volunteers to fill the

gap. What confidence can be housed

have that this illegal trade will be

tackled if the Government is not

prepared to put resources into the

border for is that it is now looking

at recruiting volunteers to fill the

gap. What confidence can be housed

have that this illegal trade will be

tackled if the Government is not

prepared to put resources into the

tour de force?

-- into the Border

Force. I have every confidence in

our Border Force and their ability

to police the traffic of illegal

items such as ivory, and it should

be evident I hope to everybody

coming from another country with

such an illegal item in their

possession that they threw the risk

not only of prosecution, but of

jail.

According to WWF, ivory

putting in South Africa increased

last year. Work support has he

offered to be South African

counterpart to help end this once

and for all Clubb

once and for all?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have not

held full discussions for the

Secretary of State for Defence on

the subject, however we feel deep

respect for anybody who has served

in the Armed Forces underscores the

Government has been pleased to put

£770 million from the fund into

supporting veterans but at home and

abroad.

Of course, we very much

welcome to that.

Of bowling there

are 600 living in considerable

poverty in Zimbabwe. With the

Minister agree with me that although

the financial responsibility is out

of the Government, the moral

responsibility also lies with us and

with that in mind, will he commit to

meeting with the Secretary of State

to discuss with these people and

pressing the new president in

Zimbabwe to actually face up to his

responsibilities to the civil living

in this country?

I will absolutely

commit to meet with the Secretary of

State for Defence on the subject. We

met also had the Right Honourable

Member for Mid Sussex on the

subject. The prime responsibility

for looking after veterans of these

lovely and I realise that the

Government of Zimbabwe, so we will

also reason is cost directly with

the president of Zimbabwe.

This

question related to military

personnel. What legal advice to

military personnel receive who are

involved in drum strikes. We read in

the Guardian today that drum strikes

have doubled. What legal advice to

military personnel receive in

relation to that?

The most ingenious

attempts, but is not really

irrelevant.

She can have a go later if she

wants.

We will be having a summit of

the common mouth later in April this

year. That will provide a fantastic

opportunity for us to showcase an

institution. An institution that has

stood the test of time, brings

together 52 of the fastest growing

economies in the world. I must say

the most remarkable institution and

an opportunity to pay tribute to Her

Majesty the Queen for a long years

of unrelenting service.

With the

summit taking place in April, then

we agree this represents a major

opportunity to patch together a

trading alliance. India should be

playing a major role in furthering

this mission.

You are absolutely

right and it's a very good thing

that the Prime Minister will be

coming and of course India will be

playing a major role in the events.

Last time I checked, there were 54

members of the Commonwealth. Many

people from common mouth countries

are very worried that the diminished

role of Britain worldwide as we

leave the European Union. What does

he say about that? Many people are

worried we will use our space in the

Security Council.

Our position is

absolutely secure. The only thing

threatening our position on the

Security Council is the

unilateralist design meant policies

that used to be adopted by the party

and the reader of the party

opposite, because it is the

retention or prevention of an

independent nuclear deterrent that

guarantees our membership, as you

know full well.

On the notion of the

Commonwealth, Mr James Dudley.

To

make the notion about 52 versus 54

could we increase the number? I

think the Gambia by the time that we

get to this will already be in,

making it 53. Could we also adds

Zimbabwe to that list?

I thank my honourable friend, here's

a great expert on these matters. The

proper solution is for those

countries to apply... The Gambia is

a long way down the track only hope

to welcome them back. For Zimbabwe,

the price of Commonwealth membership

is something that those people to

aspire to.

That's a wonderful thing.

Among the important issues of human

rights, poverty, quality, security

and so on that the summit will

discuss, how much time does he

expect the Commonwealth countries to

devote to the colour of their

passports?

Not much on that. The one

thing that will be absolutely

crucial is 12 years of solitude

full-time education for every girl

in the world. That will be the core

of Commonwealth summit.

The fourth

jog, can I asked the Foreign

Secretary to get the list of

chronology of the countries where UK

pensioners overseas to get inflation

increases, how many of those are

Commonwealth countries and shouldn't

we hang our heads in shame that have

the pensioners overseas in

Commonwealth countries there has

been no change?

I asked him to do

something about that. I happily

accede to Mill Road honourable

friend 's request.

It Will the issue

of tax avoidance and tax evasion be

raised in the Commonwealth heads of

government meeting?

Almost

certainly, yes.

Question five, Mr

Speaker.

As we create new

partnership with the we must build

stronger bilateral relations with

the member states and of the same

time maintain positive relations

with the EU institutions themselves.

Considerable effort is being made to

ensure that the Foreign Office and

the country is well placed to do

just this.

Last month the Foreign

Secretary warned that the UK would

become our vessel state if we could

not diverge from EU tariffs and

standards but he also accepted that

the divergence would have

consequences for the UK. Kiddie

spell out what those consequences

would be?

As we move on to phase two

of the discussions and negotiations

all of these matters will be in the

frame and I'm sure that we will be

able to negotiate an agreement that

is in the long-term interests of the

UK.

The honourable member who is

responding at the moment has done

enormous amounts simply reasserting

the bilateralism across Europe this

last year. Can he assures that the

resources he requires that he needs

to make sure that our position is

ready proposed EU membership will

not continue the rest of the world

so we do not rob Peter to pay Paul

or Bill bilaterals up the cost of

global Britain?

He makes a fair

point. We have created 50 new

diplomatic positions embassies but

it is not a question of simply

reducing the number of staff outside

Europe by that same number. The

money to fund these changes will be

for adjusting some of our processes

and for some front line staff saving

in Asia, the Americas and Africa. We

are also bidding for extra money

from the charity -- from the

Treasury for 100 pupils to support

the process of leaving the EU.

My

friend from Warrington so vast a

clear question but it didn't get a

clear and serve. The Secretary of

State said there would be trading

consequences for the UK if we

diverge from the EU tariff and

rules. Can he ask him what are they?

It is perhaps slightly below my pay

grade to say that I preferred my

honourable gentleman to the answer I

give moments ago but I do. These are

matters for the negotiations will be

discussed in phase two of those

negotiations which are now

beginning.

Perhaps the most

important bilateral relationship the

United Kingdom has within EU member

state is the location of British

immigration controls in France. Will

the Minister in sure that post

principally to all that we can to

maintain this important

relationship?

My honourable friend

has put his finger on a very

important issue and I think it is an

essential part of our relations with

France which need to continue

smoothly and I have little doubt

that it will be discussed to some

extent have a UK Bram Som at which

will take place later this month.

Can I congratulate the Foreign

Secretary on surviving yesterday's

Downing Street situations. The

Foreign Affairs Committee was told

that there would be to the FCO's

work to Asia, Africa and the

Americas. What impact does he

believe that has on his department's

ambitions for a global Britain?

I am

confident that all the combined

efforts across Whitehall and many

departments, that it will not enter

efforts to be champions of global

Britain and all ministers in all

departments are making sure that

global Britain is a reality.

It is

good to hear that he doesn't believe

that cuts the elsewhere in the world

will have an impact. With increasing

numbers of people thinking that the

government is handling negotiations

with the UK badly and given that is

a view shared many couples around

the world, does he agree that the

appointment of the new Deal Minister

is the latest sign of a state

hurtling towards retreat and

isolation?

No, I don't do much of

the last 18 months championing this

country across Europe and elsewhere,

throughout the 77 countries

represent an employer to say that

the British flag flies high and has

great respect and all those

countries.

Number six, Mr Speaker.

With permission I will answer

questions six, 15 and 23 together.

We have consistently made clear our

concern about Iran's destabilising

and destructive activity in the

region, their ballistic missile

programme that remain sanctioned by

both the EU and the UN, and about

the reported uranium weapons

supplies to people in the Yemen but

should be a violation of the UN

Security Council resolution 200 and

21. We have set out those concerned

with great clarity.

Iran's support

the terrorist groups across the

region, its culpability in the

destruction in Syria and its

devotion to wipe the Jewish state of

the map obviously need to be

condemned by all, but words are not

enough. Back to will Britain take to

counteract Iran's destabilising

activities?

We... I have never

personally clear to the Iranian

leadership at all levels the big

concern we have in this country

about the very issues that the right

honourable lady raises. In

particular the supply, the alleged

supply of weaponry to the group, the

breaches of their obligations under

two to 31. We are blazing this not

just with the Iranians but with our

partners in order to put pressure on

Iran to desist from those

activities.

My constituent is still

in prison in Iran after 20 months.

Despite a lot of attention on her

case before the festive period, her

husband, Richard, still spend

Christmas without his wife. When I'm

out of the Foreign Secretary he said

he would leave no stone unturned to

secure her release, but I would ask

what steps he has taken to fulfil

that promise.

She and I have

discussed this case on several

occasions. The best thing I can tell

the house is that work continues

assiduously at all levels on all our

consular cases in Iran. It is not a

particularly helpful to secure the

result that we both want to get into

detailed commentary at this stage of

about hi we are doing.

More than a

year since we re-establish

diplomatic ties of the union

government, run continues to

continue its weapon programme,

continues to fund regional terrorist

groups. What positive fruit can we

expect this year from Arcos retires

with the Arabian regime?

My right

honourable friend makes an excellent

point. I would simply remind the

house of the virtues of our

approach, which is on the one hand

to be extremely tough with the

Iranians for what they are doing

wrong and as I say they remain are

highly disruptive and destabilising

force, but also to do what we can

have the same time not just to

confront but to engage with the

forces of reform in Iran that do

exist and that need encouragement

and that could be imperilled. That

is one of the reasons why we

believe, and I know this is shared

by many in the house, that we

believe the JCP away, the Iran

nuclear deal, is valid, is something

that represents a considerable

diplomatic achievement and should be

safeguarded.

What steps is the

Foreign Secretary taking to combat

the growing influence of Iran in

both Syria and Lebanon with weapons

focused on Israel, a state that

which is TMI alert?

Again, I think

the right honourable lady is

absolutely right to protect the

disruptive hand, the destabilising

agency of Iran in the region and

certainly in the supply of arms to

Hezbollah, weapons to other groups.

What Iran is up to is well

chronicled and together with our

friends and partners we are working

out the UN and elsewhere to bring

the maximum pressure on the Iranians

for them to cease and desist their

activities.

Maybe correct a new

doctrine, that we have learnt the

lessons of military interventions in

Iraq, Libya and Syria and never

again will we temp two use military

force to remove unpleasant per Terry

and regimes and placed them with

disastrous totalitarian movements?

I

think my right honourable friend

makes an excellent point and the

house must bear in mind that of

course the must push back on a

disruptive behaviour, and this

government will continue to do that,

but we must be intellectually honest

and recognise that collectively over

the last 20 years or so Western

Front policy has helped to create

the conditions allow us in which

every main influence has been

capable of expanding.

Mr Speaker,

let's be clear, no peaceful protest

should ever be met with violence and

no peaceful protesters should ever

be locked up and charged with

crimes, some of them capital crimes.

Can the Foreign Secretary also made

clear today that the Arabian

regime's actions over the last

fortnight cannot and must not be

used as an excuse by the White House

to introduce, reintroduce sanctions

following method's deadline and

jeopardise the Iran nuclear deal?

I

agree very much with the sentiments

with which the honourable gentleman

began and I think it is vital that

the people of Iran and the

government of Iran should understand

that we in this country support the

right to peaceful demonstration

within the law. That is a message we

communicated very clearly. I also

believe that it is important that

the JCP over a should continue and

that that agreement, which prevents

the Iranians from acquiring nuclear

weapons in exchange for greater

economic partnership with the West

world, that agreement remains just

four, remains valid and we continue

to urge friends in the White House

not to throw it away.

Does the

Foreign Secretary Sea, as I do, some

parallels and similarities between

the situation in Iran now and the

situation in the former Soviet Union

in its declining years and would he

therefore agreed that the

combination of deterrence,

containment and constant pressure

over human rights issues is the

right combination to achieve

hopefully our similar outcome less

Chamakh I do agree with my right

honourable friend.

Our approach must

be extremely circumspect and guarded

and tough, but we should also be in

the business where we see reformers,

where we see progressives in around,

as there were with Mikhail Gorbachev

and others, expressed the hopes of

many people in their country in a

different way, whether reformers in

around capable of taking that

company board in a different

direction, then they deserve

encouragement.

Question number

seven.

I will take questions number

seven, ten and 11 together. My

apologies. These issues on human

rights arrays directly by all

ministers in all interactions with

counterparts. I have raised them

nine times in the last four months.

It also support civil society

organisations on the ground and

ensure that we support through

multilateral and international

organisations human rights.

In Egypt, the treatment of the LGBT

community continues to deteriorate.

They are now considering a Bill to

punish same-sex relationships with a

maximum ten year prison sentence.

What recommendations would you make

in these developments?

These are

alarming developments and indeed the

transition from what was believed to

be an Islamist Government to a

nationalist Government appears to

have coincided with a crackdown on

these issues. The Foreign Secretary

has raised it directly with them and

we will continue to do so with every

interaction with the Egyptian

Government.

We saw again the perils

of the sea crossing from Libya to

Europe. Amnesty are saying that

20,000 people are being held in

detention centres, subject to

torture, and unlawful killings. What

is the Government doing to put

pressure on the authorities to allow

rescue ships access to Libyan waters

and ensure that people are not

trapped in their country and

refugees are able to exercise their

right to asylum?

This is an issue we

are very focused on and aware of. A

lot of are focused at the moment is

on the detention centres which he

reads. We are working to improve

those conditions.

From experience, I

know that the Foreign Secretary at

welcomes opposition even if his

minders haven't always, but on two

recent allegations I heard of this

centre facing difficulties. The

other of child D10 ease in Israel

and Bangladesh sometimes being

disappeared. Is it not time to place

greater emphasis on human rights

with these key allies or do arms

sales proceeds away our ability to

be a critical friend?

Ministers are

very aware of both these issues.

These are raised continually in our

interactions with those governments.

We try to do it sensitively bovine

material level and a diplomatic

level and we believe we can make

progress on both issues.

Can I ask

my honourable friend whether the

issue of religious freedom is raised

at every opportunity? Particularly

in countries where people are

persecuted for their faith or indeed

lack of it?

Absolutely. Religious

freedom is critical in a world where

religious and sectarian violence

appears to be increasingly dominant.

We do so through support through

civil society organisations.

There

are many countries where appalling

human rights abuse takes place,

whether that be persecution of

minorities or destruction of

settlements. Should we make support

conditional in terms of direct

support for

conditional in terms of direct

support for, the use all their

effort to tackle this?

This is a

very important question. Our belief

is that we need to do the things

simultaneously. We need to use our

political relationships actively in

order to drive human rights

improvement and change, but at the

same time, we have an obligation to

marginalise people in these

countries and we need to continue to

provide support to them.

Since May,

at least 21 questions have been

given long prison sentences in Iran

for practising their faith. Does the

Minister raise the issue of human

rights and freedom?

He certainly

did.

Mr Speaker, happy New Year. Can

I welcome the Foreign Secretary back

to his place I hope the Prime

Minister today recognises how

important it is today that he

continues to have the support of his

talented French bench team in

ensuring that his work is done

properly. -- front bench team. On

Boxing Day, the Saudis launched two

separate areas strikes killing a

total of 68 civilians and at least

eight children. The UN humanitarian

coordinator showbiz showed they are

taking out attacks on civilians.

Does the Foreign Secretary and the

Minister agree with this judgment

against both sides?

We continue to

press very strongly as the secretary

is aware. We have made some progress

although it is too early to be

complacent, but it remained a very

difficult situation and we need to

continue pushing and happy New Year

to be Shadow Foreign Secretary

commented.

I thank the Minister for

that answer, but surely when the

Saudis are allies and create a

restrictive indiscriminate, they are

just as indefensible. Mayor asking

me wider question about this, which

is how we are going to end the

conflict? We have a proposal from

the former Minister for the Middle

East and he wrote in the Sunday

Telegraph this weekend urging a more

interventionist UK role. He said we

must be "Less risk averse, wanted by

experience in Iraq and Afghanistan."

He said it is, and I quote," calling

out to be stabilised by a third

party." Does he agree with his

colleague's proposal and who does he

propose that third party should be?

At the moment, we don't believe that

it should be a third party. We made

a lot of progress. Some of her

colleagues have made a lot of

progress in a recent visit and we

will watch closely over the next 30

days. We absolutely agree that these

errors strikes must be investigated

objectively.

Is seeking to speed up

progress, I look to Sir Desmond with

enormous confidence.

This will

deliver a marine protection across

nearly 4 million square colour

matters of the Earth's oceans and

seas around our overseas territories

by 2020. We are also working to the

economies programme to enable small

island states to conserve and to use

their maritime resources only

sustainable manner.

How will it be

enforced?

LAUGHTER

A very succinct. This is a wholly

good news story. I think the BBC

blue planet series has inspired

millions of viewers and we are

getting this into practical effect.

I can make it very clear to my Right

Honourable Friend that we are

working with our overseas

territories to insure that each of

our marine protected areas is backed

by a robust legislation, effective

monitoring, and the very strong

enforcement my Right Honourable

Friend would wish to see.

When it

comes to improving global

conservation, it is third world

countries who want to be affected

but don't have the resources. What

resources are made available to

those countries to carry out the

drop as well?

I am not entirely

clear, but there are international

treaties and international treaty

obligation and I hope collectively

the world can get together to make

sure the objectives we all have

insure our properly put into effect.

Number nine, please, Mr Speaker. The

honourable friend will recognise

that the UK strive to protect

cultural helmeted and religious

rights when they are threatened by

conflict which that the data will

regularly are. As recently as

September, the United Kingdom was

instrumental in adopting an

investigative team to collect

evidence of crimes committed by

diet. More recently still, in

December, the UK ratified the Hague

Convention for the collection of

intellectual property.

We read the

focus much attention on the

persecution of Christians in the

Middle East. Canny minister assures

that he will raise with his

counterpart in African nations such

as Nigeria and can you be

persecution of Christians in those

countries which is on an even larger

scale?

The honourable gentleman will

recognise that I replica

recognise... These are issues

prevalent in those areas. Beasley

part of the world that I represent,

I do my best at every opportunity to

represent the interests of

questions. I wrote a letter to all

of High Commissioners and

ambassadors prudently asking for

their own plans for how they were

going to insure minorities in places

from Nepal to India and elsewhere

are going to be properly dealt with.

The crackdown by the Miami my

military continues to have

consequences. It is positive that

the General Assembly has taken a

strong stands, but dissent from

China, Russia and other countries is

preventing an international

approach. What influence can be used

to convince China in particular of

the need for action in this crisis?

That is the hub of the matter. We

cannot get one through because it

would be blocked by China and

Russia. We are doing our best

constantly to have compositions with

our Chinese and Russian

counterparts. A repeat of the

greatest issue both the Birmingham

defence minister and the Minister

for the officer of the State when I

was attending the assembly in Asia

and European foreign ministers

conference. -- Bernie 's defence

minister.

How is he addressing the

very serious issue of the Bangladesh

and Myanmar authorities pushing for

plans to repatriate the raw hinder

population despite the evidence that

most will hinder have concerns of

further persecution. What is the

Government's position on the

repatriating of the raw ... There

can be no question at the moment of

being a safe and dignified return

from Bangladesh to Burma. I was in

Thailand last week and I spoke with

the chairman of the new standing

committee that will oversee the

understanding between those two

countries in order to look at this

whole issue of returns. The reality

is that we want to see people being

able to return. The fact is that at

the moment that isn't going to be

possible, but we do want the

pressure on both sides as a result.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. As

the Minister has acknowledged, the

terrible human rights abuses of the

Rohingya refugees are continuing. He

knows that the Miami my Government

has banned the special and that the

fact-finding mission is impossible.

He has said previously that any

return of refugees must be safe,

voluntary and dignified. Does he

think there is any action that the

British Government can take to

prevent the return of these refugees

until those conditions are

fulfilled?

There is very little that

can be done other than with

cooperation at international level.

We are part of the committee trying

to oversee the Sunday have had

meetings in Myanmar Twohig at

practical steps that can be taken to

try and use this path. The reality

is, these are massive national

international problems. We have

tried to do as much as we can

through the United Nations, but the

realities of the situation is...

Well, the Right Honourable Lady

talks about introducing sanctions. I

think all those with the benefit of

high site can say that the sanctions

were lifted to early. We need to get

this through the United Nations and

the reality is, almost certainly

they would be vetoed. We are trying.

We are constantly having a

conversation with our Chinese and

Russian counterparts about these

matters.

Ministers are not helped if

ministry frontbenchers chunter on a

protected places. We need to try to

speed up. Alan Brown.

Thank you, Mr

Speaker. I will answer this question

and question 17 together. We remain

seriously concerned with the seizing

of Palestinian property by the

Israelis. Is real's treatment of

Honourable Palestinian minors held

in detention remains a human rights

priority. We raised our concerns

with the Israeli authorities in our

last visit and will continue to do

some.

Following on from those

concerns, the reality is that the

Israeli Prime Minister has voted

for... New laws must consider the

possibility of application to try

occupied territories. When with the

UK's approach change and join other

EU countries in calling for

compensation for AIDS and stop

trading with illegal settlements?

The whole issue around settlements

brings into question the whole point

of pursuing a two state solution

because none of these issues will be

dealt with unless we make progress

in relation to that. In the

meantime, we continue to support

those who are concerned about

demolitions and settlements. We

continue to make the case there is

real but these are barriers to

peace. Unless there is a conclusive

settlement soon, then these issues

will get worse.

Question number 17.

I want to ask the Minister if he

shares my outrage at the continued

detention of 16-year-old ahead to

meet me in Israel. It is an

violation of Article 76 of the

fourth Geneva Convention. Will he

raise our concerns about this issue

with the Israeli government?

I know

the family. It is a very unhappy

incident rounds and when you look at

the incident, the truth is the

soldiers shouldn't be there and the

young woman shouldn't have needed to

do what she did. It is sad that the

young people who ought to be friends

are caught up in a situation which

because of that they to deal

comprehensibility with what is

happening on the West Bank and

Israel, we can come to a settlement.

We have indeed made representations.

It is important that Israel follows

through the law, but the whole issue

when you see it on the video tells

you shouldn't be happening and we

should be working hard to a

settlement for this issue to these

young people don't have to continue

to do what they are doing.

The

biggest current obstacles to the

advancement of the Middle East peace

process is the long-standing issue

of Palestinian incitement. What

steps is he taking to assist the

Palestinian leadership in becoming a

viable partner or peace with Israel?

There are many obstacles on the way

to peace. One of them remains

incitement and monks some in the

Palestinian community. Efforts are

being made for reconciliation

between Fatah and Kamaz have to

conclude with a process that has led

to acceptance of Quartet principles

and that will provide a further step

forward, we hope.

Does he agree with

me that the only way to resolve the

issue of land borders is through the

resumption of direct peace talks

without preconditions?

Yes, Mr

Speaker, and effort are continually

being made to move forward in

relation to the peace process. We

wait to see proposals put forward by

the US envoys very soon but sooner

or later the Palestinians and

Israelis have to sit down together

because only they can come to the

answer that they need. Number 13, Mr

Speaker. Thank you. Our

long-standing policy in support of a

two state solution is clear. We

support a negotiated settlement

leading to a safe and secure Israel

living alongside a viable and

sovereign Palestinian state based in

1967 borders with agreed land swaps,

Jerusalem as the share capital of

both states and the just, fair and

realistic settlement for refugees.

I

am pleased my right honourable

friend agrees that the two state

solution is the best way forward but

the Israeli Justice Minister is on

record saying that there is not and

never will be a Palestine state, so

would my right honourable friend is

therefore join me in expressing

concern at the impact these comments

have on the prospects of peace and

outline how the UK can lead on

engagement with those who have this

view?

There are many statements made

about whether or not there will be a

resolution to issues between the

Palestinians and Israelis on both

sides and the United Kingdom is not

responsible for those. What I could

say is that all the polling done in

both Israel and Palestine suggests

that people want to see a two state

solution, as I indicated before. We

will continue to work but that can

be hoped that those in the

Palestinian areas and in Israel will

also continue to work with a just

peace.

The Minister must surely

acknowledge that comments like this

by the Israeli government do not

give the impression that they are

serious about peace. Does he agree

that the calls for how Mass for acts

of violence and bridge against

Israeli people in the wake of the

relocation of the US embassy was

wholly contemptible and should be

thoroughly condemned by everyone in

this House?

The danger and the

difficulty of making statements

which are seen to be provocative has

been seen in the responses in recent

weeks. The United Kingdom is right

in calling on all sides to refrain

both from those provocations to use

renewed interest in the issues

between Israel and the Palestinians

as they pressure to push the peace

because that is the only thing that

will deal with these issues in the

future.

Question 14.

Our relations

with India remain excellent. The UK

shares are long-standing and the

adventure but India covering

economic and commercial ties,

defence and security and the living

bridge in the people to people

links, which I saw recently on their

visit to India only three months

ago.

This April the Prime Minister

will be here once again. The last

visit had an opportunity for a joint

address to both Houses of Parliament

and an opportunity to interact with

the Indian Dyas for in this country.

Plans are therefore similar

arrangements to use this opportunity

once again?

I very much agree with

my honourable friend. There is no

doubt that India will play a vital

role in mid April. We are working

closely with the Indian colleagues

to develop a full agenda for areas

of mutual interest but they hope

that we are able to do something

here in parliament, but figured as a

matter for you Mr Speaker, but also

elsewhere within the community in

London and beyond weather are a

significant number of Indian

Kasparov.

Given that the republic of

India is a Commonwealth member has

now held by constituent from

Dumbarton in custody without charge

for two months, can the Minister

tell the host of their government's

partnership approach to large

Commonwealth states is nothing short

of a Faustian pact in which we

sacrifice our defence of due process

to arbitrate tension on the altar of

free marketeer is?

I really don't

think that is the case at all. He

has been a steadfast constituency MP

on this matter. We have met in the

House of Commons and I very much

respect the way in which he has

worked very hard on the half of the

family. I recognise this is a very

difficult and distressing time for

the family. Conjurer staff have

visited him in a number of

occasions, and I can confirm there

will be a further visit this

Thursday. I will continue to meet

the family and we are keeping them

informed at every stage.

Topical

questions.

Number one topical, sir.

My priorities for the New Year are

to take forward but's response of

the crisis in Yemen, where we

support Saudi Arabia's right to

defend the security while insisting

millions receive the aid that they

desperately need. In April,

Commonwealth leaders will gather in

London from one of the biggest

summit this country has ever posted,

demonstrating the unrivalled

networks of friendships of the

global Britain and later in the year

we will co-host the summit on

tackling illegal wildlife trade.

Happy New Year to you. I recently

met ministers from Madagascar, among

them the president, who voiced a

request for them to become a member

of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth

countries in Africa seemed to be

doing much better politically and

financially than others. What

measures is he taking for Madagascar

to the close relationships with the

Commonwealth after Brexit?

I am

delighted to hear the news from

Madagascar. I hope that if he is

correct that Madagascar will proceed

that, but procedures must be

followed with the Commonwealth

secretary, as he would expect. I

gather that there are several

countries in Africa now queueing up

to join the Commonwealth.

President

Hollande's biographer has said that

the President was by goalie interest

in the state visit is the

opportunity to, and pickled, trump

the Queen. Trumpalise the Queen. Can

he save Her Majesty from whatever

that is, Trumpalise the Queen, and

cancel the visit?

I think Her

Majesty the Queen is well capable of

taking this American president or

any American president in her

stride, as she has done over six

remarkable decades. She has seen

them come and she has seen them go.

If she seeks advice on whether or

not to invite the President of the

United States to visit this country,

might I invite her to ask the person

next door to her who said only last

year I think we have to welcome the

American president to Britain, we

have to work with him. Those were

the words quite rightly of the right

honourable lady.

The fire and fury

took about the trump presidency has

reheated some to bunt claims about

the role of British intelligence.

Although the ordinary stance of the

British Government is neither to

confirm nor deny, but, right

honourable friend take this

opportunity, as the intelligence

chiefs have, to slay these myths?

As

my honourable friend rightly says we

do not normally comment on these

matters, but in this particular case

GCHQ made clear that these

allegations were nonsense, utterly

ridiculous and should be ignored.

UK

humanitarian workers have told us

that ten hospitals and Syria have

been directly targeted by Russian

and Syrian forces over the last few

weeks. These attacks are against the

can -- the Geneva Convention and

have left hundreds of children

needing humanitarian help. Can he

indicated he will follow through on

his previous pledge to donate

British groups to UN peacekeeping

forces? Can he asked President Putin

to desist from doing these? Can he

ensure that the Geneva processes

reenergised?

The attacks of the

Christmas period were deeply

distressing. I spoke to some of the

medical agencies involved in getting

those with medical issues out of

eastern foot in order to seek

treatment and the overwhelming need

is for proper humanitarian access to

the area. The Geneva process, which

is underway, being driven forward,

breaches its next by date of this

month, it must keep going to try and

CNN to this conflict which is the

only thing that will relieve the

suffering. The United Kingdom is

right behind that.

Can he update the

house as to what will the Foreign

Office played in ensuring the

opening of the Yemeni seaport?

Following my right honourable friend

the Secretary of State for

International Development's visit to

Djibouti and Riyadh in December, the

Saudi authorities announced that the

coalition would open the port for 30

days from the 20th of December. Over

nine ships have docked, fuel, food

and call. That process is continuing

with more ships having been cleared.

We have been able to make sure that

the board remains open after that

time and we are working with others

to ensure that is the case.

It has

been nine months since Kirsty

Maxwell tragically fell to her death

from a balcony in Benidorm and still

the family do not know what happened

to the close on her body when she

died or the circumstances of her

death. The Minister has been very

helpful in trying to assist but we

are no further forward. Will he put

more pressure on the Spanish

authorities and to a full-scale

review of what support families to

have lost loved ones abroad?

We have

been working very close on this

tragic cultural issue. I am happy to

offer her a further meeting and

proceed every possible step we can

take to go into the details are more

depth.

Chris Green. He has gone.

Andrew Berry. The Foreign Secretary

has commented on the immeasurable

contribution by the RAF in battling

terrorism in the Middle East. Never

again should Britain with all we can

offer be reduced to standing on the

sidelines while extremists and

despots kill hundreds of thousands

with impunity.

I think that they

honourable friend speaks for many in

this House who now regret what

happened in 2013 and our failure to

stand by the red lines... Many more

deaths have subsequently in Sudan

have otherwise taken place.

William

Hague describe the UN human rights

Council periodic review as a

valuable mechanism for holding

countries accountable for their

human rights record. Will the

Foreign Secretary agree with me that

the periodic review meeting on the

23rd of January provides an

opportunity to hold Israel to

account for its treatment of

Palestinian children held in Israeli

military custody -- custody and will

he do so?

The questions are simply too long.

If we had brief questions and brief

answers, far more colleagues would

get in.

The council will indeed be

used by the United Kingdom to offer

a statement to Israel and I know the

issues he raises are covered in a

number of different ways in terms of

our representation to Israel.

Violence in Iran has escalated. Does

the Minister share my concern that

many Iranians may have been arrested

for taking to the streets to protest

a regime that brutalises women and

other minorities.

We believe that

the of the people of Iran to

demonstrate peacefully in accordance

with the line that is the point I

will continue to continue to make to

my Iranian counterparts later this

week.

Following ministerial

appointments in the general

election, canny Minister provides

assurance to the house that the

Department for it international

element hasn't become a part of the

Foreign Office and that giving aid

and will be the primary focus.

Many

people will say it as light of this

Government reforms and activities as

one Government and that is what we

are doing.

The uranium people pride

themselves on their educational

attainment. How has banning teaching

English language in these schools

help future generations? Nott it

does nothing to help future

generations of Iranians to ban the

teaching of English. It is something

we deeply discouraged. Research

conducted by the international State

crime and should have found examples

of format of the six stages of

genocide being carried out in the

Rohingya state against the Rohingya

people. What has the Foreign

Minister done for the extermination

of the other two stages?

Iwobi

honourable lady will be assured that

we are keeping abreast of the issue

about genocide any sort of apparel

to the ICC. It is obviously

difficult, because Burma is

currently not a Member. We are

working with other countries to

ensure that the very real concerns

she expresses are put into place.

Head of a Emmanuel Macron first

visit here as president next week,

will my honourable friend continued

the importance of the relationship

between the UK and France and does

he agree that this relationship

should get stronger not weaker after

Brexit?

My honourable friend is

absolutely right, the relationship

between Britain and France is of

huge and historic importance and has

been intensifying over recent years,

particularly in defence and security

cooperation. I hope you will be

pleased by some of the developments

and announcements being made.

Will

he update the house on what

discussions he has had with the

Government of Mauritius if any?

Referring to the question of

decolonisation of islands.

As I am

sure you know, we believe this case

to be without merit and we will

continue to contest it.

With my

honourable friend and his colleagues

continue the very important support

to the political process and support

to be democratic of Congo in 2018?

We certainly shall.

Why is the

Government taking legal advice on

suing the European Union for

appearing to treat Britain as a

third country from March 2019 and

that is the express intention of UK

Government policy?

I am sure the

honourable gentleman and his

constituents would want, we intend

to get a superb new relationship, a

deep and special partnership with

our friends and partners in the EU

and that is the objective of the

negotiations now.

Canny Foreign

Secretary confirmed that the United

States remains our closest ally and

that the special relationship rests

on more than we do wanted, close

military alliances and a shirt view

of the world? Book-mac I could not

have that have that it better

myself.

-- I could not have that it

better myself. It was the right

thing to invite the president of the

United States to this country.

Steady on. On that point, President

Trump, who is apparently, like,

really smart, and a stable genius to

boot, what does President Trump have

to say or tweaked for any invitation

to the UK for any wedding or

otherwise to be withdrawn?

I think

that... If I understood the

honourable gentleman's question

correctly, he wishes to present the

invitation to the President of the

United States? I don't believe that

is sensible. The United States is

our closest, most important security

and indeed begin on partner and will

continue to be so.

Given events in

Iran, is it not time that their

assets were frozen worldwide.

I

appreciate the sentiment the

honourable gentleman expresses and

they clearly do not represent the

forces of progress to which I was

alluding earlier on in Iran. We are

keeping them under continuous

review.

The situation in Kashmir is

a human outrage on a regular basis.

Tension between Pakistan and India

is threatening world peace. Can we

bring Pakistan and India together

and move the peace process forward?

I hope that provide that

opportunity. Both India and Pakistan

are a long-standing friends to the

UK. And the issue of Kashmir, we do

not intervene because it is an issue

for those two countries to

determine.

The plight of the

Rohingya people continues to shock.

So many of them are unaccompanied

children. That has the Foreign

Secretary what discussions he has

had with his counterparts in

Bangladesh to enjoy these vulnerable

children are protected?

We have

regular competitions. I am seeing

the Bangladesh High Commissioner for

the UK in May office this afternoon

and this will be literally the first

thing on our agenda.

The number of

UK nationals who have been deported

back to the UK on suspicion of

terrorism.

I am very happy to do

that.

I am sorry, we are very short

time. I wouldn't want the honourable

gentleman to feel excluded.

The

Muslim Brotherhood is a

well-financed organisation. Before

Christmas, the Foreign Secretary

made a similar long delays that he

would scrutinise their visa

applications into the United

Kingdom. What actions have happened

as a result of that?

Act until the

honourable gentleman that in

addition to looking harder at their

visa applications, we are also

looking hard at the engagement of

the Muslim Brotherhood and its

associate in charities in this

country, but I'd be very happy to

supply further details of what we

are doing in respect of the Muslim

Brotherhood visas to the honourable

gentleman.

Order. If it appertains

to the exchanges, because I think I

heard the honourable lady

corruptible but at ago, I think that

would be if their characterisation.

If she wishes to erupt on her feet

rather than from her seat, that

would be good. Emily Thornberry.

I

need to correct the record to say

that I've never thought it was a

good idea to invite the president of

the United States to the United

Kingdom. I got the invitation was

issued in undue haste and once it

had been issued, it's very difficult

to withdraw it.

The Foreign

Secretary is beetling into the box.

If the right honourable gentleman

wishes to stand up at the box, we

are happy to hear it.

I am not sure

in order. I must redirect the Right

Honourable Lady to her words on the

14th of May 2017 on the Andrew Marr

programme in which you said, "I

think we have to welcome the

American president to Britain. We

have to welcome him."

Order. I think

honour is served. The Shadow Foreign

Secretary has offered us hope and

the Foreign Secretary with some

alacrity has Beatles back to the box

in order to respond and I think