Contributions
1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean Territory: NegotiationsThat is an important question from the noble Lord. Yes, the agreement will mean that it will not be possible for other foreign states to operate from the other islands, which has…09 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryMy Lords, on 3 October, the UK and Mauritius reached an historic political agreement that will ensure the operational effectiveness of the joint US-UK military base on Diego…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryMy noble friend is right that the history of the Chagos Islands is a very unhappy one, and the Chagossians have been appallingly treated over many decades. The history is that…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryMy Lords, we have engaged for a long time with Chagossian communities. This was a decision made between Governments, and the noble Lord will know that it is Governments who…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryFar be it from me to comment on things that get said during Tory party leadership elections. However, I think it would help if I explained why the legal decisions have been made…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryI am not quite clear where the noble Earl is going with that, but it gives me the opportunity to state not only self-determination for the Isle of Wight but the unequivocal and…08 Oct 2024HANSARDCommonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill [HL]My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Collins of Highbury, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time. As I said during—08 Oct 2024HANSARDCommonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill [HL]That the Bill do now pass.08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryMy Lords, the easiest way to put this is that there is no easy time to make this kind of decision. Noble Lords will be aware that the previous Government took part in 11 rounds of…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryNoble Lords may or may not be aware that there is no single Chagossian voice on these issues; Chagossians live here in the UK, but many also live in Mauritius itself and in the…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryThe agreement, which noble Lords will be able to look at in detail in the treaty, will allow for Chagossians to return to the outer islands. There has been a lot of old nonsense…08 Oct 2024HANSARDCommonwealth Parliamentary Association and International Committee of the Red Cross (Status) Bill [HL]With trepidation, I ask whether now is the moment for a speech. I believe it is. As I said during Second Reading in July, this is an important Bill which provides two significant…08 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryMy Lords, we never reveal the cost of basing our military assets overseas—we never have, we never will, and I do not think other nations do either. There are very good reasons for…08 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaThe United Kingdom’s position is consistent and clear that, notwithstanding our long-term relationship with Somaliland, it is absolutely an issue for Somalia to resolve. I cannot…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaAs the noble Baroness will know, the African Union has been very helpful in trying to support the resolution of these issues—specifically on security in Somalia in relation to…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaWe completely understand why Egypt and Sudan would be concerned about access to water through the Nile and the dam, but the only way that this gets resolved is through dialogue…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaThat is a very important point and is what I have been trying to get across—that you cannot separate some of these disputes, whether long-standing or more recent. As the noble and…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaAs the noble Lord indicated, we are concerned about many aspects of the increase in tensions, including in Somalia, Eritrea and Egypt. We applaud the work of UN security forces so…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaMy noble friend is right to raise this and we are deeply concerned about the prospect of escalation. We support any moves to encourage dialogue and de-escalation. In August, my…07 Oct 2024HANSARDEthiopia and SomaliaMy Lords, tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia remain heightened and are affecting the region’s prospects for growth and stability. Further escalation is a concern. Alongside…07 Oct 2024