Contributions
1,800 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDemocratic Republic of the Congo: M23 GroupMy Lords, the United Kingdom condemns the recent M23 and Rwandan Defence Force advances in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as an unacceptable breach of DRC’s sovereignty.…25 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsMy Lords, as my noble friend is very much aware, successive UK and US Administrations have taken a different view on the ICC. For example, the UK, as she rightly points out, is a…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsMy Lords, I am going to repeat what I said. The ceasefire and the return of the hostages were negotiated with the United States with the support of the United Kingdom, and the…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsMy Lords, the Government have repeatedly expressed their support for the independence of the International Criminal Court, including, most recently, last week, by joining a…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsOf course, I agree that where states fail to properly investigate, the ICC has a right to step in. In this case, as the noble Lord pointed out, Israel has undertaken a due and…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsThe noble Lord is absolutely right. The ICC is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. We urge…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsAs the noble Baroness will recall, I absolutely made clear the position of the Government in relation to forcible removal of Gazan citizens, or Palestinians, from Gaza. I made…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsLet me begin by repeating what I have said before: we believe in international law, we support the ICC and we support the Rome treaty. We are absolutely committed to these and we…11 Feb 2025HANSARDInternational Criminal Court: US SanctionsThe United Kingdom Government are deeply concerned about reports that Hamas has delayed the next hostage release. We want to see the continuation of ceasefire negotiations and…11 Feb 2025HANSARDGovernment of Syria: Freedom of Expression, Religion and BeliefMy noble friend makes a good point. We are concerned by increased tensions in northern Syria and the impact that this may have on civilians and stability in the region. Turkey has…10 Feb 2025HANSARDGovernment of Syria: Freedom of Expression, Religion and BeliefI said last week that we have a special envoy who has visited Syria. We are in close contact with the interim authorities. We are working closely with our allies in the region and…10 Feb 2025HANSARDGovernment of Syria: Freedom of Expression, Religion and BeliefMy Lords, the interim Syrian President has stated that he will form a transitional Government who are representative of Syria’s diversity and has pledged to protect religious…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI have made it absolutely clear on previous occasions, and I repeat, that there is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza. We will continue to work with Israel, the…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesAs my noble friend said, on 28 January, the Minister for Development announced that further £17 million in funding to ensure that healthcare, food and shelter reach tens of…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesThe right reverend Prelate is right. The United Nations and other partners are continuing to monitor and update figures for the volumes and types of aid currently entering Gaza…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI reassure the noble Baroness that we see the ceasefire as the first step in ensuring long-term peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region, bringing…10 Feb 2025HANSARDGovernment of Syria: Freedom of Expression, Religion and BeliefLet me focus on the thrust of the noble Baroness’s question. She is absolutely right that this should be Syrian-led, Syrian democracy; that is what we are focused on. We are…10 Feb 2025HANSARDGovernment of Syria: Freedom of Expression, Religion and BeliefI follow the work of the committee and I congratulate the noble Lord on his chairmanship. One thing he knows we have been absolutely committed to is accountability, not just for…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesThe noble Lord makes a valid point. One of the reasons given for no access was the conflict and the troops, but now that we have a ceasefire, we can ensure that there is proper…10 Feb 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI join the noble Earl in welcoming the release so far of 21 hostages, including British national Emily Damari and, of course, the UK-linked Eli Sharabi. The Prime Minister spoke…10 Feb 2025