Contributions
216 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPresident of the European CommissionI will look closely at the case that the noble Baroness raises. The Windsor Framework was a very good piece of negotiation that has helped to get the institutions back up and…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceThe noble and gallant Lord is absolutely right that the BBC is an incredibly strong voice in terms of media freedom, our values and the things that we stand for. What has been…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service is funded in two ways: there is money from the Foreign Office and money from the licence fee, and that is settled and fixed until the end of this coming…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceDocuments published online suggest that 10 BBC Persian staff have been tried in Iran in absentia and convicted of propaganda against the Islamic Republic. That is completely…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceObviously it is right that the BBC World Service is operationally and editorially independent, but that does not mean we cannot have views on what it does and says. For instance,…12 Mar 2024HANSARDPresident of the European CommissionWe have taken quite a forward view. We think there is a moral and political case for doing this, and we do not see the supposed economic damage that would be done as a strong…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceObviously, it would be a bit unfair on my government colleagues to announce at the Dispatch Box exactly what view I will take in these internal discussions, but I strongly support…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service provides high-quality news to global audiences, especially where free speech is limited. Its emergency services, including a pop-up service in Gaza, and…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceI think we have a policy of using culture as a diplomatic weapon. The Foreign Office is very comfortable with that. We should do that, and the suggestions that my noble friend…12 Mar 2024HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian AidI am very familiar with the noble Lord’s service in a number of our embassies in the Middle East and his long experience in that part of the world. I say to him that we have said…12 Mar 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceI always listen carefully to the noble Lord, because he has great experience in this. The fact that some of the money comes from the licence fee is not such a bad thing. It is…12 Mar 2024HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian AidIt is our legal position, and has been for some time, that Israel is the occupying power in Gaza; that was the case before 7 October. After the evacuation of Gaza in 2005, it was…12 Mar 2024HANSARDHaitiI can certainly give the noble Lord the assurance that we should always try to learn the lessons of history, particularly when we are trying to help with fragile states. This is…12 Mar 2024HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian AidWe have repeatedly made points about the need to open crossings and allow more aid in. I can give the latest figures to the House. They are slightly more encouraging. The average…12 Mar 2024HANSARDPresident of the European CommissionI am grateful for the noble Lord’s question. I spent some time in Germany last week making exactly this argument. It is obviously a sovereign decision for Germany, and so, just as…12 Mar 2024HANSARDPresident of the European CommissionI do not think we should rule out different ways of working with the EU, but the Ukraine situation shows how the current arrangements can be made to work well. I have always said…12 Mar 2024HANSARDPresident of the European CommissionThe noble Lord is completely right that Ukraine needs our help, and needs it urgently. We are continuing to discuss with allies the best legal basis for making progress. We…12 Mar 2024HANSARDHaitiI know that my noble friend has considerable experience, having done this job in the Foreign Office for many years. We will certainly talk with colleagues and friends in Caricom…12 Mar 2024HANSARDHaitiI am afraid that I cannot give an update on exact timings. As the noble Lord knows, the UN has given backing through a Security Council resolution to the existence of this force,…12 Mar 2024HANSARDHaitiThe noble Lord is certainly right that the failure to hold elections is one of the contributing factors to the chaos that we now see. After the assassination of the former…12 Mar 2024