Contributions
1,991 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI think the hon. Gentleman is right to call for mediation. At the moment, it feels as though there is little movement in that direction. We support it. I know that the Germans and…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for the work that she has done in this area, both as a Back-Bench MP and as a Select Committee Chair, particularly on human rights and…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI thank the hon. Gentleman and welcome both the substance of what he said and the spirit of solidarity, which is now unbroken across the House. He asked about our reaching out to…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI have not heard that criticism—it is certainly not one that has been directed at me. I can reassure the hon. Lady, as I hope I have done through the statement, that we stand…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsMy hon. Friend is right, and the first liberty that any despot or dictator goes for is freedom of speech, or freedom of expression, because those are the liberties that guard all…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI thank my hon. Friend and pay tribute to him and the work of his Committee. I had a detailed discussion on this with Heiko Maas, my German opposite number, at Chevening, along…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI thank the shadow Foreign Secretary for her statement and her support. It is powerful for all Members, on all political sides in the House, to stand in solidarity with the people…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsThe hon. Lady is right to worry about the predatory approach of Russia, which has always regarded Belarus as a client state. We are watching that very carefully, along with our…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsWith permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the situation in Belarus. As the House will recall, on 9 August Belarus held presidential elections that…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI think it is true to say that, particularly in eastern and central Europe—I think in particular of Czechoslovakia, where my father came from—the trade union movement has been…24 Sept 2020HANSARD Belarus: Presidential ElectionsI am not quite sure what action the hon. Gentleman would propose. We can certainly talk to our partners, including those in the ILO, but the fact is, with an election having been…24 Sept 2020HANSARDIsraelI thank the hon. Lady. We do talk regularly to our E3 and wider European colleagues—we consider all the different permutations—but I think the positive here is that, through…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIsraelI thank my hon. Friend the Chair of the Select Committee. Lawyers will always have different views on the precise permutations, but I think the position on snapback in relation to…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIsraelFirst, we need to see an end to the targeting of civilians and the firing of improvised explosive devices by Hamas into Israel. That is unlawful and totally unacceptable. I share…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIntegrated Review of PolicyThe integrated review was formally launched in February 2020. It was paused because of covid and then recommenced in June. We expect it to conclude in the autumn. Ministers have…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIntegrated Review of PolicyI entirely agree with the hon. Lady’s passion and commitment on the subject. Of course, we have already introduced Magnitsky sanctions, which allow us to target the perpetrators…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIntegrated Review of PolicyI thank my right hon. Friend. I share his commitment to making Britain an even stronger force for good in the world. We have engaged far and wide. We are engaged with the Foreign…08 Sept 2020HANSARDIntegrated Review of PolicyI thank the hon. Lady. She should not assume any foregone conclusion. It is precisely because the consultation is open that we have not stipulated any particular thing with the…08 Sept 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend and hugely welcome all his efforts in this regard. We are taking forward all these strands—from media freedom to the Magnitsky sanctions, to the work that…08 Sept 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsSince the last oral questions session, on 25 August I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to press for a new dialogue and to reinforce the UK’s commitment to a…08 Sept 2020