Contributions
1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsI would be very wise to take what the noble Lord says seriously, and I do note it. At the moment we are engaged in a five-month consultation with African nations and others to…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsThat was very well put. I could have mentioned the Commonwealth; it is a vital multinational grouping, as the noble Lord says. I work closely with many Caribbean nations where the…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsMy Lords, I could not have put that better myself. It was a very helpful summary of where we are. On aid, we are committed to the 0.5%. We have an ambition to get back to where we…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsMy Lords, in line with our manifesto commitment, the Foreign Secretary launched a five-month consultation to inform the UK’s new approach to the African continent during his visit…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSudan: US Determination of GenocideThat is a really important point. Last summer my right honourable friend the Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds, visited South Sudan on one of her first visits after her…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSudan: US Determination of GenocideMy Lords, what is happening in Sudan is abhorrent, and we should all condemn it in the strongest possible terms. When it comes to genocide, the noble Lord opposite will be aware…14 Jan 2025HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsI think it was Tony Blair who said that our international development spend is the strongest soft power asset that we have. He had a point. We work multilaterally because that is…14 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWhere I agree with the noble Baroness is that the hostages ought to be released, and released immediately. They ought to be at home with their families, and she is right to raise…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI thank the noble Baroness for her Question. The suffering that we are seeing in Gaza is intolerable. The UK is committed to alleviating this. We announced £112 million for the…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI am grateful to the noble Baroness. We were quick to reinstate aid to UNRWA. She is quite correct to point out that October and November 2024 were the worst months since 2023 for…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationMy Lords, the situation here is desperate and urgent. Although I have no doubt that the things the noble Lord describes, highlights and brings to this Chamber’s attention do…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI am the first to commend the noble Lord on the work that he did in office. My right honourable friend Anneliese Dodds was in the region in December having just those…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe are very clear—noble Lords have heard me and others say this repeatedly—that Israel has a clear right to defend itself. There is no moral equivalence with the horrific attack…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe take our advocacy role seriously, and we are glad to undertake it. We do make the points about humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and the access that we need to…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThis is a really important question. The situation as it stands at the moment, as my noble friend will know, is that it is best for people who need medical treatment to be treated…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationIn pointing out that those acts are war crimes, the noble Lord is absolutely right. What I do not think is right is for me, at this Dispatch Box, to proclaim who is or is not…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI am not sure what a genocidal attitude is, but I will into what the noble Baroness has highlighted. I was not aware of that letter, but I will look into it for her.06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe are providing £112 million to the Occupied Territories, and £41 million specifically for UNRWA, because we understand that it is desperate. We want the conflict to stop, we…06 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI take the noble Lord’s question as a suggestion of his concern that the aid gets to where it is needed. That is the spirit in which I take his question, and I thank him for that.…06 Jan 2025HANSARDChina: Human Rights and SecurityMy Lords, I convey my gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for securing this debate. I pay tribute to his work on China, as vice-chair of the Hong Kong APPG and as a member of…19 Dec 2024