:00:13. > :00:17.Urging question, Mr Alistair Carmichael. Thank you Mr Speaker.
:00:18. > :00:20.Does the Secretary of State for defence what to make a statement on
:00:21. > :00:24.the announcement that the Royal Navy will join naval forces and
:00:25. > :00:28.interception and returned of migrants and refugees in the
:00:29. > :00:35.Mediterranean? Secretary of State for defence, secretary Michael
:00:36. > :00:38.Fallon. The scale of the migration challenge, Mr Speaker requires Nato,
:00:39. > :00:41.the European Union and other European countries across Europe to
:00:42. > :00:46.work together to address both its symptoms, the constant flow of
:00:47. > :00:49.migrant and the conditions we see them face, and because of injury and
:00:50. > :00:54.beyond. We must also work with local civilian authorities to tackle the
:00:55. > :00:58.gangs that profit from smuggling I grant. The United Kingdom has
:00:59. > :01:03.already been engaged for several months with the home office ship
:01:04. > :01:07.deployed in the region since November, with a detachment of
:01:08. > :01:11.border force officers. On the 11th of February, Nato defence ministers
:01:12. > :01:15.took the decision to deploy Nato ships, that are to enable Turkish
:01:16. > :01:22.and Greek Coast Guard to intercept the migrant boat and disrupt the
:01:23. > :01:26.smugglers business model. Nato s standing Maritime group to arrive in
:01:27. > :01:31.the region within 48 hours of that decision, and has been conduct gang
:01:32. > :01:35.and the sober reconnaissance and surveillance of illegal crossings
:01:36. > :01:38.since then. The Nato secretary-general outlined in the
:01:39. > :01:41.gaming yesterday evening, the discussions between Nato, Turkey and
:01:42. > :01:46.Greece have now agreed that Nato vessels can now operate in Greek and
:01:47. > :01:51.Turkish territorial waters. We have therefore decided that the UK
:01:52. > :01:59.contribution is to send our at a man's pay and a maritime wildcat
:02:00. > :02:03.helicopter to the Aegean Sea. Their roles will be to support the Nato
:02:04. > :02:15.monitoring and surveillance task. They will work alongside three
:02:16. > :02:18.border force boats, which of one is on the way to the region and the
:02:19. > :02:22.other expected to start operations later this month. Together they will
:02:23. > :02:27.support the Turkish and Greek Coast Guard and the you Frontex mission.
:02:28. > :02:31.The Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, is it ending today s EU Turkey summit
:02:32. > :02:37.on migration. Venture beating to the Eland Nato missions to counter
:02:38. > :02:41.smuggling is only part of the government s wider approach to
:02:42. > :02:44.tackling the root causes of irregular migration. The United
:02:45. > :02:49.Kingdom is leading the way in tackling these issues at their
:02:50. > :02:53.source providing significant amounts of aid to assist in stabilising
:02:54. > :02:58.troubled regions and lessening the need for people to leave. Meantime,
:02:59. > :03:02.this Royal Navy deployment is an important part of the international
:03:03. > :03:07.effort to assist the Turkish and Greek authorities in reducing this
:03:08. > :03:15.criminal and dangerous people trafficking. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:03:16. > :03:19.Can I thank the Secretary of State for that answer and in particular
:03:20. > :03:22.thank him for coming here to make this payment today. What he
:03:23. > :03:26.describes is a series of tactics, many of which I think we'll find
:03:27. > :03:30.broad support in this house. But, it does seem to me that taken together,
:03:31. > :03:37.they do not add up to a strategy. It is referred to today in the press of
:03:38. > :03:43.being a war against people joggers. If we are to win that war, I feel
:03:44. > :03:46.what we need to do is to cut off the supply to the people joggers of
:03:47. > :03:52.those who are desperate enough to pay to use them and of course that
:03:53. > :03:56.means in the getting piece in the countries of origin, but in short to
:03:57. > :04:00.medium term surely that means a series of essays and legal route
:04:01. > :04:07.into Europe, expansion of the refugee families in and introduction
:04:08. > :04:11.of humanitarian visas. Can the Secretary of State tell me today
:04:12. > :04:16.what will happen to those seeking refuge who are intercepted in the
:04:17. > :04:22.Aegean Sea? Will they be taken back to Turkey? And does that not been
:04:23. > :04:27.run contrary to the principle of non-refinement, which is at the
:04:28. > :04:31.centre of international refugee law? Will be done to keep under review
:04:32. > :04:38.the Wiley questioned that is of Turkey as a safe entry to which
:04:39. > :04:42.people can be returned. Aware of the reports from human rights watch,
:04:43. > :04:46.describing people being sent from Turkey back to Syria? And what
:04:47. > :04:53.impact does the government think that this action will have on the
:04:54. > :04:56.flow of refugees elsewhere? The Secretary of State, I'm sure, will
:04:57. > :05:00.be aware that last year, 35,000 people came to Europe through
:05:01. > :05:05.Russia. What will be the impact on that land route if the sea route is
:05:06. > :05:14.to be closed down? And what will this mean for the deployment of
:05:15. > :05:16.resources elsewhere in the Mediterranean, in particular
:05:17. > :05:21.assisting those travelling from Libya to Italy. The Secretary of
:05:22. > :05:25.State will be aware that the guard cutters were the plate on that route
:05:26. > :05:29.last year. Will they be available to help those who get into difficulty
:05:30. > :05:36.on that route which has seen many more deaths by drowning man that in
:05:37. > :05:41.the Aegean Sea? Victor beaker, if this is to be a war against people
:05:42. > :05:46.trafficking then I feel that with all wars there'll be innocent
:05:47. > :05:50.victims, and the end of the victims, it seems to me, will be those were
:05:51. > :05:54.desperate enough to undertake the journey across the Aegean Sea,
:05:55. > :05:58.across the land route and across other parts of the Mediterranean.
:05:59. > :06:02.Will the Secretary of State in Germany and a sturdy house that
:06:03. > :06:08.these people will be uppermost in the government s concerns. I'm
:06:09. > :06:13.grateful to the right honourable gentleman, there are of course
:06:14. > :06:15.already and a civic and of this people trafficking. Several hundred
:06:16. > :06:21.have drowned this winter, several thousand drowned this year. Last
:06:22. > :06:26.year, and it is in all our interest to reduce the number of people, who
:06:27. > :06:30.attempt this dangerous crossing. He's right, we have to work at
:06:31. > :06:37.cutting off the supply, much further back and we have done that I think
:06:38. > :06:41.through our contribution to the reconstruction of Syria and our aid
:06:42. > :06:46.programmes on the boat in Pakistan and Afghanistan. And much further
:06:47. > :06:54.south and east and west Africa. So far as the creation of safe route is
:06:55. > :06:57.concerned, I'm not convinced that establishing some routes as safer
:06:58. > :07:01.than others will do anything to reduce the flow will stop on the
:07:02. > :07:06.contrary, I think we need to increase the capacity, particularly
:07:07. > :07:10.of the Turkish authorities and the Turkish coast guard to be able to
:07:11. > :07:14.intercept these boats before they set off on what is a very very
:07:15. > :07:20.dangerous crossing. He asked me as that the vaguely about interception.
:07:21. > :07:23.The position is that if a boat in distress can be intercept it in
:07:24. > :07:28.Turkish waters, I the Turkish authorities, perhaps alerted by the
:07:29. > :07:32.helicopters that are now deploying from the international forest then
:07:33. > :07:39.there is a greater chance the Turkish coast Guard will be able to
:07:40. > :07:42.return that particular boat to the Turkish side. If they are
:07:43. > :07:47.intercepted and international Greek waters they are more likely to be
:07:48. > :07:53.taken to the Greek reception points. So far as the affect on the
:07:54. > :07:59.alternative route that opened up last summer from Libya to Italy is
:08:00. > :08:05.concerned, HMS Enterprise is still on station in the Iranian Sea and
:08:06. > :08:10.indeed just yesterday rectitude around 100 people. What's important
:08:11. > :08:15.in this I think, is to begin to establish a policy of return so
:08:16. > :08:20.there is less incentive for migrants to attempt these extremely dangerous
:08:21. > :08:30.crossing and less incentive is for the criminal gangs to make money out
:08:31. > :08:34.of them doing so. If it is now established European union policy
:08:35. > :08:38.and UK policy that illegal migrants should be returned, why aren't the
:08:39. > :08:41.instructions to personnel on our bows to the BK people back to where
:08:42. > :08:46.they have come from a page not have equal papers or are genuine asylum
:08:47. > :08:50.seekers. My right honourable friend, the prime minister isn't Brussels
:08:51. > :08:56.today discussing the entire issue of returns with European Union and
:08:57. > :09:04.other countries who are attending that particular meeting. It is
:09:05. > :09:08.unlikely that RFA Mounts Bay itself is going to be involved in rescuing
:09:09. > :09:14.from both in distress, of course there is the law of the sea of place
:09:15. > :09:17.to the vet obligation on her but she will be further off the coast and it
:09:18. > :09:22.is more likely that a helicopter is going to be able to identify those
:09:23. > :09:26.that are closer to shore and in immediate distress that can then be
:09:27. > :09:27.picked up by the Turkish or Greek authority of and returned under
:09:28. > :09:43.their law. Gratitude to the whole house as they
:09:44. > :09:49.join the Nato deployment, this crisis demonstrates how British
:09:50. > :09:53.Armed Forces play a critical role in peace and stability around the world
:09:54. > :09:59.and in Britain. People trafficking is the worlds second largest form of
:10:00. > :10:05.crime, taking advantage so of the most desperate people. We must deter
:10:06. > :10:12.the victims from undertaking those journeys. The role RHF will plays a
:10:13. > :10:17.small role and it is a reminder of how the world has been reduced by
:10:18. > :10:25.a... I will asked the Secretary of State whether... Kenny tells whether
:10:26. > :10:40.he believes the border force on the AGN are there not because of the
:10:41. > :10:42.reduction enable capacity... How quickly does he think a new class
:10:43. > :10:50.will be available to replace the other forgets. It demonstrates the
:10:51. > :10:56.role in which we must enhance our global security. Does he believe
:10:57. > :11:01.that the role we play may bring the refugee camps to the streets of
:11:02. > :11:04.Britain? Mr Speaker, once again we saluted British servicemen and women
:11:05. > :11:10.who are making the world safer and error, the government must make sure
:11:11. > :11:13.that we strategy in place to make sure that air, sea and land bridge
:11:14. > :11:16.and can always answer the call. And land Britain can always answer the
:11:17. > :11:23.call. I'm grateful to the honourable gentleman and we send our good
:11:24. > :11:27.wishes to the captain of Mounts Bay, 200 Marines embarked on her and the
:11:28. > :11:33.helicopter squadron that is accompanying Mounts Bay. So far as
:11:34. > :11:39.the sufficiency is concerned. There are five Nato ships stationed at the
:11:40. > :11:46.moment. A German ship that is a flagship of the group, a Greek ship,
:11:47. > :11:52.Canadian, Italian and Turkey ship. We will be making it six, spread out
:11:53. > :11:57.across the Aegean Sea. Of course there are 22 other members of Nato
:11:58. > :12:01.and I hope they too will be considering what contribution they
:12:02. > :12:07.can make. Mounts Bay is a substantial ship and has the lab
:12:08. > :12:14.form to contribute significantly to the survey ends, particularly of the
:12:15. > :12:19.middle part of the Aegean and it will be operating on waters just
:12:20. > :12:25.west of kiosk. As far as the relevance of the ship strategy is
:12:26. > :12:31.concerned, we are developing a strategy as he knows it might of the
:12:32. > :12:37.strategic Defense review and we will complete later this year. As far as
:12:38. > :12:45.his attempt to bring in Nato and European Union membership into this
:12:46. > :12:49.today, let me be clear with him, the mission in the sea between Libya and
:12:50. > :12:58.Italy is a European union mission, because it employs that in many the
:12:59. > :13:05.legal authorities that the European Union can add in dealing with the
:13:06. > :13:08.new Libyan government. The group deployed, the force deployed in the
:13:09. > :13:13.Aegean is a Nato mission because of course it involves a ship with a
:13:14. > :13:18.Turkish Navy and is dealing largely with migraines from Turkey, which is
:13:19. > :13:23.a member of Nato. Perfectly illustrating that we need to be
:13:24. > :13:29.members of both Nato and the European Union. And that being
:13:30. > :13:35.members of both gives us the best of both worlds.
:13:36. > :13:44.Thank you Mr Speaker. I think my right honourable friend for his
:13:45. > :13:46.statement and indeed the world maybe Ford their commitment to this
:13:47. > :13:50.mission, demonstrating that we have an important role to play in
:13:51. > :13:54.European defense and security. But my right honourable friend, by
:13:55. > :13:58.making is clear that this is a Nato mission, underlines the point that
:13:59. > :14:02.it is Nato that provides the security of our continent and not
:14:03. > :14:10.the European Union. As the government seems to pretend. This is
:14:11. > :14:14.a Nato mission, not the proposal of Germany, because Germany was leaving
:14:15. > :14:22.this particular maritime standing crew. But the equally important
:14:23. > :14:28.mission in Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Libya is a European Union
:14:29. > :14:33.mission. Their other examples of European Union missions in Bosnia,
:14:34. > :14:43.off the Horn of Africa that have been equally effective in saving
:14:44. > :14:48.lives. We welcome the decision by the government to bond with Nato in
:14:49. > :14:54.trying to tackle this truly level of human trafficking in the
:14:55. > :14:57.Mediterranean. But this has to be, you believe, a 2-pronged approach,
:14:58. > :15:06.one that involves stopping the trafficking, but also rescuing the
:15:07. > :15:11.dissembling of the refugees. People of my constituency have shown such
:15:12. > :15:16.support and compassion to those refugees who have wound up in their
:15:17. > :15:21.community. The Scottish Government have given refugees the best
:15:22. > :15:36.possible chance to integrate as fully as possible. As this... The
:15:37. > :15:40.need to take in a desperate children becomes more of a priority. And
:15:41. > :15:44.looking at the Brickyard too bigger picture when will the Secretary of
:15:45. > :15:47.State update this house as he promised he would do under
:15:48. > :15:54.government's military shoji and Syria? -- strategy. On the first
:15:55. > :15:59.Bolelli welcome the contribution that Scotland is making. I am sure
:16:00. > :16:08.he will want to know that some of the Marines on board Mounts Bay are
:16:09. > :16:12.bred from Scotland. And I am glad that he welcomes this particular
:16:13. > :16:19.mission. As sparse as question on refugees is concerned, he will know
:16:20. > :16:24.that we have already counted to take refugees from the camps in Syria and
:16:25. > :16:29.indeed taking unaccompanied children that the UNC HR can identify further
:16:30. > :16:35.west in Europe. We have played a leading part in that. As indeed we
:16:36. > :16:43.have in the reconstruction conference that is taking place for
:16:44. > :16:47.the future of Syria. As far as military operations in Syria are
:16:48. > :16:54.concerned we will regularly up date the information available on the
:16:55. > :17:01.ministry of defense website. I am very happy to answer any additional
:17:02. > :17:04.questions that he has. Thank you Mr Speaker and I welcome of course is
:17:05. > :17:15.that Jerry is a's statement on the role of the Navy and many... I would
:17:16. > :17:19.like to understand, is this latest comment purely about moving bodies
:17:20. > :17:22.back to coastlines or how to integrate the resettlement of
:17:23. > :17:26.refugees in the chaos at our European neighbors find themselves
:17:27. > :17:33.in? The purpose, the primary purpose of this mission, is to provide
:17:34. > :17:38.monitoring, surveillance -- survey ends and... Which will better enable
:17:39. > :17:44.the Turkish and wreak postcards to intercept boats and disrupt the
:17:45. > :17:48.business model of the criminal traffickers. -- Greek Coast Guard.
:17:49. > :17:54.And where they can intercept in either Turkish agreed waters they
:17:55. > :18:03.are able to better rest of those on board before they get too far out to
:18:04. > :18:06.sea in the more dangerous areas. Obviously, people are risking their
:18:07. > :18:14.lives by making such a dangerous journey for the EU and Nato... But
:18:15. > :18:18.for those who have RAD arrived, there are 30,000 of them now at the
:18:19. > :18:22.Macedonian border in terrible weds and damp, cold conditions.
:18:23. > :18:27.Children's with bronchitis, he has said that the Berdych government
:18:28. > :18:32.will not do anything to take any of them. -- Britain. Where does he
:18:33. > :18:37.think that they should go? The British Government is taking
:18:38. > :18:41.refugees from Styria as we have Artie made clear and to some of
:18:42. > :18:45.those have arrived here in the United Kingdom and my right
:18:46. > :18:50.honourable friend the Prime Minister is urging his European counterparts
:18:51. > :18:55.to get to grips with the problem of those who have arrived within
:18:56. > :19:01.savaging of area and make sure that they are not being shuttled from one
:19:02. > :19:10.spends to the next. And that year a more sensible policy. Thank you, Mr
:19:11. > :19:15.Speaker. May I ask my right honourable friend about the rules
:19:16. > :19:22.for interception? For instance, what would happen if the people on these
:19:23. > :19:29.makeshift crops refused to get on board a Royal Navy vessel or indeed
:19:30. > :19:34.some of the people traffickers opened higher on our sailors or
:19:35. > :19:41.Marines? On the first point, certainly it has been our experience
:19:42. > :19:47.so far last year that migraines in boats that are sinking or in
:19:48. > :19:51.distress are very much welcome of the presence of the world maybe in
:19:52. > :19:56.her eager to get on board the ships that we have deployed. They know
:19:57. > :20:02.then that they are going to be saved. The traffickers themselves,
:20:03. > :20:09.take great care not to be on these vessels. They have been launched by
:20:10. > :20:15.those who are being smuggled. Where they can be identified, this is
:20:16. > :20:20.where the monitoring and survey -- surveillance... They can be charged
:20:21. > :20:27.and prosecuted as indeed they are not being in some parts of Turkey.
:20:28. > :20:31.Can I welcome the deployment, as he knows, million migrants have been
:20:32. > :20:38.through the EU and the Lasher, 885,000 degrees and Europe told is
:20:39. > :20:43.that 90% of those who entered have come as a result of assistance from
:20:44. > :20:49.criminal gangs. We're in this place because of the failure the EU, in
:20:50. > :20:53.particular Frontex to do with these gangs properly. There has been
:20:54. > :20:58.alternative the business model that he has described. Does he agree with
:20:59. > :21:02.me that the critical country here is Turkey. And the issue is to stop the
:21:03. > :21:07.boat leaving in the first place? What is keyed to that is giving
:21:08. > :21:14.Turkey the resources that the EU promised of the 3 billion to help
:21:15. > :21:19.with this problem? I agree with almost all that. It is important
:21:20. > :21:25.that the union follows through on its commitment of financial help. It
:21:26. > :21:30.is important we build up the capacity to help our Coast Guard. I
:21:31. > :21:32.hope that this deployment will build up a picture of the information and
:21:33. > :21:37.intelligence that the Turkish Coast Guard need so that they can start to
:21:38. > :21:43.intercept these vessels before they have left Turkish borders and can be
:21:44. > :21:48.returned to Turkey and that will be the clearest possible signal to
:21:49. > :21:51.those who are paying a large sum of money that this journey will be
:21:52. > :21:58.futile and they can then discourage them from making it. Is my right
:21:59. > :22:01.honourable friend satisfied that Turkey is doing enough at the moment
:22:02. > :22:07.to help itself? And tens of thousands of plastic injuries being
:22:08. > :22:10.imported by Turkey from China to allow this trade to continue,
:22:11. > :22:15.similarly there are blackjack is being sold is Mia, why isn't the
:22:16. > :22:23.Turkish government doing something about this. Of course attackers
:22:24. > :22:27.government can do more, but so can other governments in Greece, the
:22:28. > :22:33.Greek government there is a lack of capacity in both Greece and Turkey
:22:34. > :22:38.to do with what is now a migration on a substantial scale. We all need
:22:39. > :22:46.to help, the European Union needs to get a group of its migration policy
:22:47. > :22:50.and that Turkey will need help. But it too needs to be more robust in
:22:51. > :22:56.dealing with these migration routes. We have decided, as a government,
:22:57. > :23:02.with the largest navy in Europe that we too often be helping where we
:23:03. > :23:10.can. I welcome the deployment and I wish the crew of Mounts Bay and the
:23:11. > :23:14.-- all the best. What is the legal status of immigrants that they are
:23:15. > :23:19.picked up by Mounts Bay, particularly if they claim asylum?
:23:20. > :23:26.This is an issue we faced when we were in office in terms of operation
:23:27. > :23:32.off the coast of Somalia. The legal position is that they cannot claim
:23:33. > :23:38.asylum on board Mounts Bay if Mounts Bay is not in UK territory waters.
:23:39. > :23:42.It is not as easy as the honourable gentleman might ankle. But we are
:23:43. > :23:48.working with other governments to develop a policy that will ensure
:23:49. > :23:53.that those were picked up in international waters can be returned
:23:54. > :23:56.to Turkey, at present the position is if they are picked up in Turkish
:23:57. > :24:00.waters of the Turkish Coast Guard that obviously they can be taken
:24:01. > :24:03.back to Turkey. As I have said, currently in their picked up in
:24:04. > :24:12.international waters and the boundary there is complex and indeed
:24:13. > :24:15.disputed in the islands of the Eastern Aegean Sea. Their picked up
:24:16. > :24:24.in Greek or international waters, at the moment they will be taking the
:24:25. > :24:29.place of safety in Greece. This is a very lucrative trade for people
:24:30. > :24:33.smugglers, there not the capacity in Turkey for them to do it on their
:24:34. > :24:37.own. Aogo be sure that this is not a revolving door of migrants who are
:24:38. > :24:40.actually being taken back to Turkey, allowed to stay there for a while
:24:41. > :24:45.and then back again on the boat and trying their luck several times stop
:24:46. > :24:50.what assurance can would be that that is not occurring? The best
:24:51. > :24:54.assurance I can give is that we are determined to try and help Turkey
:24:55. > :25:02.break this business model. In ensuring those who smuggle it said
:25:03. > :25:07.women were unaccompanied children out on insecure boats, onto what is
:25:08. > :25:13.a short but dangerous sea crossing, that they can be identified and will
:25:14. > :25:18.be charged and prosecuted for the Turkish courts. In that we can
:25:19. > :25:28.eventually, therefore, discourage the flow from the beginning. And
:25:29. > :25:36.2014, we fail to finance properly the Frontex operations, the single
:25:37. > :25:40.lack of strategy and emergency... Mounts Bay was announced two months
:25:41. > :25:42.ago, and I am not sure what they are saying that we have not heard
:25:43. > :25:47.before. On the specific point, can we invite the Secretary of State to
:25:48. > :25:52.put in writing his understanding of the position picked up by Mounts
:25:53. > :26:00.Bay. It is my understanding is closer to the other member than what
:26:01. > :26:03.he has just enunciated. As far as the deployment and Mounts Bay is
:26:04. > :26:10.concerned, it was announced late last night following the agreement
:26:11. > :26:13.of the Secretary-General that was reached between Nato, Greece and
:26:14. > :26:18.Turkey. She is not right on that. It is not the aim of Mounts Bay to pick
:26:19. > :26:26.up large numbers of migrants. She will be further offshore than that.
:26:27. > :26:30.As I said, the object is that she will be able to deploy her
:26:31. > :26:35.helicopter and help with the rest of the Nato standing unit and help the
:26:36. > :26:42.Turkish and Greek coast guards and the Frontex operation. Help them
:26:43. > :26:48.build up their proper of where these migrants are setting off from and
:26:49. > :26:51.hope -- help them be intercepted before they get out into
:26:52. > :26:59.international waters. I am happy to write to her about it precisely, the
:27:00. > :27:01.legal point that she raised. I visited the point of embarkation and
:27:02. > :27:05.arrival and spoke to migrants and refugees I found them to be
:27:06. > :27:10.generally well informed and to respond to clear signals went
:27:11. > :27:14.government gives them. The migrants I spoke to were under the strong
:27:15. > :27:18.impression, they are generally unlikely to be turned around in the
:27:19. > :27:22.Mediterranean and were turned back to Turkey. On the experience of the
:27:23. > :27:25.migrants I spoke to, surely my honourable gentleman will agree with
:27:26. > :27:28.me that it is essential that Europe is brave and intercept as many
:27:29. > :27:34.crowds as possible and returns them to Turkey because it will be heard
:27:35. > :27:38.by migrants, refugees and the people smugglers. They will take notes and
:27:39. > :27:45.it is the only sure way to deter the trend. I agree with my honourable
:27:46. > :27:50.friend. The signals that are sent are picked up very quickly and very
:27:51. > :27:55.clearly and by large numbers of young men who are further down the
:27:56. > :28:02.chain in Pakistan, Afghanistan or indeed in Iraq. And as we have seen
:28:03. > :28:09.over the Libyan coast line, further south in Africa itself. What has not
:28:10. > :28:15.happened so far is that has not been any policy of returns. No one has
:28:16. > :28:19.actually been sent back. And we need to start with those who are
:28:20. > :28:25.intersecting in Turkish waters and get them sent back to Turkey so that
:28:26. > :28:34.we start to stem the flow. On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting with
:28:35. > :28:38.oasis center in Cardiff in my own constituency and with a group
:28:39. > :28:42.supporting some of those making those dangerous journeys. I also met
:28:43. > :28:48.with the UN humanitarian coordinator who raise concerns with me about the
:28:49. > :28:56.widening instability, driving factors making people make this
:28:57. > :29:00.journey. His attention being paid to those conflicts and instability as
:29:01. > :29:11.well as in Syria and Iraq? The honourable member is right, when I
:29:12. > :29:16.visited the ship after she had just started operation, she had Artie
:29:17. > :29:22.picked up at least 20-25 different nationalities. That is why it is
:29:23. > :29:27.important to help tackle this much further back, at a source, doing
:29:28. > :29:34.what we can to stabilize these regions to grow their economies and
:29:35. > :29:37.to give young man every incentive to stay behind them build a light there
:29:38. > :29:41.rather than to set out on these very hazardous journeys. We are
:29:42. > :29:48.contributing, substantially, to development in Africa, both on the
:29:49. > :29:55.east and West. We have laterally announce peacekeeping measures to
:29:56. > :30:01.serve sedan and Somalia. -- said I'm. I welcome the deployment and I
:30:02. > :30:05.ask is that the jury of State whether the capability exists on the
:30:06. > :30:08.Royal Navy ship to gather evidence in particular about the
:30:09. > :30:13.seaworthiness of the boats and statements for many people that are
:30:14. > :30:17.picked up, so that those can be used in future prosecutions to tackle
:30:18. > :30:28.these criminal gangs that traffic them with yellow yes. Mounts Bay in
:30:29. > :30:33.other units deployed there are well able to gather the information that
:30:34. > :30:36.my honourable friend refers to. The key here is that Iniesta be brought
:30:37. > :30:39.together and brought to the attention of the Turkish authorities
:30:40. > :30:46.so that they can start to beer down more heavily on this particular
:30:47. > :30:50.operations and to get the masterminds behind these criminal
:30:51. > :31:00.gangs and get them charged and prosecuted to start to reduce the
:31:01. > :31:04.flow. I appreciate that Mounts Bay is going to be on an observation and
:31:05. > :31:10.deterrence mission, the chances are be involved in picking up migrants.
:31:11. > :31:13.Can I ask what personnel will be there from the Home Office and what
:31:14. > :31:18.training will be given to the staff in relation to working with
:31:19. > :31:22.vulnerable children, isolated children and burnable adults who may
:31:23. > :31:27.well be picked up and we don't want them to be returned back into the
:31:28. > :31:30.hands of people traffickers. Goes to put on the border for us do have
:31:31. > :31:46.that kind of training. Mounts Bay will be operating in deep
:31:47. > :31:53.waters, it is less likely that Mounts Bay will be picking up large
:31:54. > :31:58.numbers of migrants. It is Mounts Bay's helicopter that will be
:31:59. > :32:08.identifying the boats in distress much closer to the shore and working
:32:09. > :32:13.closely perspective Coast Guard. The EU Naval force concentrates on
:32:14. > :32:18.Somali piracy, but it claims in its mandate to other EU nations, can he
:32:19. > :32:23.explain for what reasons EU Naval force has not been able to meet this
:32:24. > :32:28.ask without Nato support. When does he expect that you too expensive the
:32:29. > :32:37.point that it is capable of deploying British naval power
:32:38. > :32:40.without Nato? The maritime standing group two which operates in the
:32:41. > :32:46.Eastern Mediterranean says it was the logical group to deploy to the
:32:47. > :32:52.GN and it happens to comprise as well a Greek and eight Turkish ship
:32:53. > :32:56.which is equally important when operating in the Aegean waters as
:32:57. > :33:03.well as the Canadian, German and Italian vessel. It is the Nato group
:33:04. > :33:11.in this instance that was ideally placed. As he says, that you may
:33:12. > :33:16.will force commanded from... Is bearing down on piracy of. It has
:33:17. > :33:25.been a very successful mission and that is an EU mission, to enable the
:33:26. > :33:31.Pirates to be prosecuted you need legal instruments available to the
:33:32. > :33:33.European Union which would not be available to Nato. Another
:33:34. > :33:42.illustration of how disease. Be members of both the European Union
:33:43. > :33:44.and of Nato. I welcome this announcement by the defense
:33:45. > :33:50.secretary, Kim asking whether he foresees the need to have additional
:33:51. > :33:59.deployment of Royal Navy ships in the Mediterranean to assist those
:34:00. > :34:02.that aren't in there, including the two border force cutters. In respect
:34:03. > :34:08.of those two cutters, what assessment has been made on the
:34:09. > :34:12.impact of policing our own waters as well, which is obviously of equal
:34:13. > :34:17.importance to people living in the United Kingdom? We will certainly
:34:18. > :34:21.keep our deployment under review. As I said, we have Mounts Bay and the
:34:22. > :34:29.three border force cutters in the Aegean Sea. HMS enterprise and the
:34:30. > :34:39.Iranians see helpings of police the root between Libya and Sicily. We
:34:40. > :34:43.are able to do that if for understanding commitments we made
:34:44. > :34:50.both in the balls and in home waters. The border force cutters
:34:51. > :34:54.have the systems of military personnel on board supplementing the
:34:55. > :35:01.border force and adding force protection as well. Chancellor
:35:02. > :35:07.Merkel's unilateral and ill-advised announcement that Germany's borders
:35:08. > :35:11.were open and everyone was welcome usually compounded the migration
:35:12. > :35:17.problem by creating a huge pool factor. To my routable Fran Kilby
:35:18. > :35:22.house would assurance he has had from the German Chancellor but she
:35:23. > :35:30.will not repeat this mistake. -- can my honourable friend. The German
:35:31. > :35:34.Chancellor is in Brussels today engaging with my right honourable
:35:35. > :35:40.friend the Prime Minister, in a search for better control of
:35:41. > :35:44.migration policy. As far as the legal basis for what is happening
:35:45. > :35:50.inside Europe at the moment, that is the Schengen area which we are not a
:35:51. > :35:56.part of. We still have control of our own borders. That is not of
:35:57. > :36:00.thought was of the responsibility, the humanitarian responsibility, to
:36:01. > :36:03.help where we can. That is the thought was is one of the larger
:36:04. > :36:09.countries in Europe in continuing to call on the European countries to
:36:10. > :36:19.get some grip of the migration crisis. With more refugees being
:36:20. > :36:22.sent back to Turkey, and must accept the Jerry is state again, questions
:36:23. > :36:30.posed by my right honourable friend which is among what protection is in
:36:31. > :36:34.place for the refugees going back to Turkey that they will be sent back
:36:35. > :36:41.to Syria. Is he confident that Turkey is a country where refugees
:36:42. > :36:44.can safely be returned to? We certainly abide by international
:36:45. > :36:50.obligations under the refugee convention, which means that we
:36:51. > :36:55.could not return any individual to a country where they might be in
:36:56. > :37:03.danger of persecution or inhuman treatment. Which is why those picked
:37:04. > :37:08.up in international waters or in Greek waters will not be returned to
:37:09. > :37:12.Turkey. In the first instance, there are discussions going on with the
:37:13. > :37:15.Turkish government to be sure that anyone who is returned to Turkey,
:37:16. > :37:24.from outside Turkish waters can be dealt with safely. In associate
:37:25. > :37:31.myself with tributes that are being paid so Royal Navy Marines and
:37:32. > :37:33.border force percentile, with the secretary of state agreed that it is
:37:34. > :37:36.not just those people we should be thinking, but also their loved ones
:37:37. > :37:40.and families the people that leave at home. Vicki sure that separation
:37:41. > :37:43.is that short as possible, will further support can we provide on
:37:44. > :37:50.the policing front to go after these criminal gangs that prey on human
:37:51. > :37:57.weakness and people's desperation? My honourable friend is right to
:37:58. > :38:01.draw the House's attention to the hidden heroes, the families who
:38:02. > :38:08.stand behind our service men and women and who of course cannot know,
:38:09. > :38:12.because it is the nature of service life how these unexpected
:38:13. > :38:16.deployments are likely to arise and opt it will not know just how long
:38:17. > :38:22.they are expected to last. That's often. As far as the one
:38:23. > :38:28.intelligent, there is increasing cooperation with counterterrorism
:38:29. > :38:31.and intelligence sharing with the authorities in Turkey. Turkey itself
:38:32. > :38:36.has been subject to terrorist attacks from Daesh. And has every
:38:37. > :38:45.interest in cooperating with us. My right honourable friend has
:38:46. > :38:49.fielded many questions on the terrible situation off the coast of
:38:50. > :38:52.Turkey but has also been pointing out that there is a migration
:38:53. > :38:58.challenge from North Africa across the Mediterranean. Can you say was
:38:59. > :39:02.that the Italian naval forces and Coast Guard are taking to enhance
:39:03. > :39:08.their ability to intercept refugee boats? My honourable friend is right
:39:09. > :39:13.to draw these house s attention to the other route which opened up
:39:14. > :39:19.significantly last summer and is beginning to open up again as the
:39:20. > :39:24.season moderate. It is a longer route, a much more dangerous route.
:39:25. > :39:31.In answer to his specific point, yes, the Italians are bearing the
:39:32. > :39:38.brunt of the naval effort. South of Sicily, they are there with the most
:39:39. > :39:40.ships and they are committed to continuing to develop the reception
:39:41. > :39:49.centres in the processing of those migrants that are rescued and taken
:39:50. > :39:52.to Sicily. Does my right honourable friend agree with me that this Royal
:39:53. > :39:57.Naval deployment shows the importance of the type 26 global
:39:58. > :40:03.combat ship programme, not least because these frigates will have the
:40:04. > :40:06.flexibility to embark passionate and play a really important role in
:40:07. > :40:11.future military and efforts, and not least of course because David Brown
:40:12. > :40:17.gear systems in my constituency which he's visited are in the
:40:18. > :40:25.obliging. I recall my visit to David Brown and his D gearing systems
:40:26. > :40:35.already been designed and produced. He's right about the usefulness of
:40:36. > :40:38.the forthcoming type 26 frigates. What's important above all in this
:40:39. > :40:42.particular operation of course is the ability of a ship to carry a
:40:43. > :40:48.helicopter and that is what the Mounts they will bring to this
:40:49. > :40:54.particular operation, but I note his point in respect to the future
:40:55. > :41:00.development of the type 26 designed. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I recently
:41:01. > :41:05.spent a day at the as part of the Armed Forces to learn more about the
:41:06. > :41:09.crucial break up -- work of the Royal Navy and of our armed forces.
:41:10. > :41:12.Can my right honourable friend outline the work and role of the
:41:13. > :41:19.Royal Navy to date in helping to tackle the migration crisis? The
:41:20. > :41:23.Royal Navy has been engaged on the Libyan route, last summer. One ship
:41:24. > :41:30.was first on the scene and rescued several thousand migrants and helped
:41:31. > :41:36.them to be resettled in Italy. HMS Enterprise is on station Mir now.
:41:37. > :41:44.Continuing that particular task. She rescued around 100 migrants
:41:45. > :41:49.yesterday, and in the Aegean, Mounts Bay is on station as I said west of
:41:50. > :41:55.keels, I imagine it will not be too long before her helicopter is
:41:56. > :42:02.involved in physically saving lives as the Royal Navy has done already
:42:03. > :42:07.and has done for the centuries. The Royal Navy deployment announced
:42:08. > :42:09.today will turn up heat on the traffickers and help towards keeping
:42:10. > :42:13.migrants and asylum seekers say. Does my right honourable friend a
:42:14. > :42:17.groove that our ability to take these steps alongside our other
:42:18. > :42:21.commitments underscores why it is right to increase defence spending
:42:22. > :42:26.for each year of this Parliament? Yes it does and the Royal Navy
:42:27. > :42:30.itself was the biggest beneficiary of the increase in defence is
:42:31. > :42:34.bending that my right honourable friend and out in his July budget
:42:35. > :42:40.and which we gave more details of in the strategic defence review. It is
:42:41. > :42:45.worth the house noting that defence expenditure will start to rise again
:42:46. > :42:51.in three weeks' time, the first time or six years and will then go on
:42:52. > :42:54.rising every year of this Parliament because we are putting the public
:42:55. > :43:05.finances in order from what we inherited and because we are running
:43:06. > :43:10.a strong economy. A model village on the Greek border with Macedonia have
:43:11. > :43:13.hundreds of stranded refugees awaiting a decision at the EU summit
:43:14. > :43:17.which could determine their fate. It has been reported a young boy has
:43:18. > :43:21.been killed after he was accidentally electrocuted at the
:43:22. > :43:25.camp. Does the Minister accept that the human cost of this crisis is too
:43:26. > :43:29.high and that it clearly shows that much more needs to be done to tackle
:43:30. > :43:36.this problem, simply by deploying ships to the Aegean Sea? Clearly
:43:37. > :43:39.lives have been lost already. Thousands have drowned in the
:43:40. > :43:44.Mediterranean last year, several hundred have drowned already this
:43:45. > :43:51.winter. But I hope the honourable a would not decry the contribution not
:43:52. > :43:54.we are making, the Royal Navy saved lives last year and will be saving
:43:55. > :44:08.lives through this operation this year. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I think
:44:09. > :44:12.my right honourable friend for his characteristic courtesy in coming to
:44:13. > :44:16.the house and person to answer the urgent question. There is a very
:44:17. > :44:21.adjusting case study between the European Union and Nato that Nato
:44:22. > :44:25.manages to get on and save lives in a problem for which the EU at least
:44:26. > :44:29.have to take a large share of the blame, exacerbated by the
:44:30. > :44:35.consequences of Chancellor Merkel s incision. And it was -- while Nato
:44:36. > :44:40.is there actively doing things, the best and those mealy-mouthed meeting
:44:41. > :44:48.of ministers that can be providing Dave European Union does not think.
:44:49. > :44:52.I think my honourable friend s views on this are fairly well-known and I
:44:53. > :44:56.to tell him that sadly I do not entirely share them. But to me, it
:44:57. > :45:02.does not really in the end matter under whose auspices this mission is
:45:03. > :45:10.organised. The European union mission is there between Libya and
:45:11. > :45:14.this happens to be a Nato mission. What's more born I think is that the
:45:15. > :45:18.mission takes place, that we do get involved in saving lives under whose
:45:19. > :45:26.ever auspices of the mission happens to be organised. Thank you, Mr
:45:27. > :45:32.Speaker. Does my right honourable friend agree that the fact that Nato
:45:33. > :45:37.has had to be called upon to try to protect the Greek border is further
:45:38. > :45:42.evidence the European Union is incapable of securing its own
:45:43. > :45:44.borders and people will be well advised to bear this in mind when
:45:45. > :45:50.they vote in the referendum on the 23rd of June? My honourable friend
:45:51. > :45:54.and I may not agree on everything that people should have to bear in
:45:55. > :46:00.mind when it comes to the referendum, both recent and Turkey
:46:01. > :46:07.are members of Nato. And if that is why I think this mission has a
:46:08. > :46:10.greater chance of success under Nato auspices. I hope other countries
:46:11. > :46:16.also will join it and I hope that despite what my honourable friend
:46:17. > :46:19.said earlier, I hope all of -- there will be a successful outcome to
:46:20. > :46:23.discussions in Brussels today and that the union will rise to the
:46:24. > :46:29.challenge of coping with what is a quite extraordinary migration
:46:30. > :46:32.crisis. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Over the last few months I have been
:46:33. > :46:36.meeting both Marines and serviceman on ships of women who have been
:46:37. > :46:39.involved in the rescued and some of the details they show our are
:46:40. > :46:42.breaking therefore it is welcome they are bringing their
:46:43. > :46:45.professionalism to this deployment. With the Minister agree with me that
:46:46. > :46:51.it's absolutely vital we do break this link between being smuggled in
:46:52. > :46:54.a dangerous unseaworthy boat to Europe and be resettled and that is
:46:55. > :46:59.vital to smashing the business model these criminal gangs profit from? I
:47:00. > :47:05.absolutely agree with that, there are clearly people smugglers in
:47:06. > :47:10.Turkey who are making huge amounts of money from this operation. And
:47:11. > :47:13.you have no care at all as to whether those that they've pushed
:47:14. > :47:20.off in these unstable boats are going to make it safely to the Greek
:47:21. > :47:28.island that they are sailing to. The sooner we can start to disrupt this
:47:29. > :47:51.particular evil trade be better. Quarter. -- order.
:47:52. > :48:01.Parliament is all about getting inside. Which party do you join? Are
:48:02. > :48:05.you left or right? But what if you just aren't a political animal more
:48:06. > :48:10.see yourself above the party system? Well, in the House of Lords there is
:48:11. > :48:14.a third way. Those who pick that different path said here. Right
:48:15. > :48:18.across the middle of the chamber. They are known as the cross benches,
:48:19. > :48:24.the PMs who do not belong to any political party. They're not a small
:48:25. > :48:28.group, there's over 180 of them, so they are a force to be reckoned
:48:29. > :48:31.with. They regularly meet to discuss the coming debates but don't take a
:48:32. > :48:38.collective view or have a party whip, so they can often click and
:48:39. > :48:39.vote for away from the same issue. They do not have a leader, but