Contributions
1,953 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Sudan UpdateI can assure the hon. Gentleman and the House that I remain in regular contact with my Egyptian opposite number. I have spoken to him directly a number of times during this…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and for his praise of the work that officials across Government have done on this. I do not want to pre-empt any decisions by Cobra. We…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateAs I have said in response to previous questions, the issuing of visas is a Home Office function, but its officials work in close co-ordination—often physically close—with…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. That action is happening in parallel with our evacuation options. I have spoken directly to one of the generals and spoken through…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateMy right hon. Friend the Minister for Development and Africa is right that we will endeavour to continue to support British nationals in their evacuation when, or if, the…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateUltimately, the processing of visas is a Home Office function. We are working closely with the Home Office, but I am not able to give her those details. The prioritisation that we…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateMy hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. This country has a long-standing reputation for and tradition of hospitality and generosity to those from around the world who…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateWith permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement to the House on the situation in Sudan. Thirteen days ago, intense fighting broke out in Khartoum. The conflict…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateI thank the right hon. Gentleman, particularly for his kind and thoughtful words about the military and other officials on the ground who are supporting British nationals in their…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateI think the right hon. Lady meant to say that there are no current safe and legal routes established from Sudan. She said in her question that there were no safe and legal routes,…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateThe hon. Lady has raised an incredibly important point. I cannot express the level of frustration I feel with what seems in many instances to be proactively and intentionally…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateI can assure the House that I have a very productive bilateral relationship with my German opposite number. We speak regularly and have been in pretty constant text communication…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateThe airhead at Wadi Saeedna is one of our preferred options; that is why we made the commitment to be one of the three framework nations to facilitate the use of that airbase. The…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateI am grateful to my honourable friend for echoing those words of support for our officials both on the ground and at home. It is completely inappropriate that people who have…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateIt is inevitable that comparisons will be made between this operation and the evacuation from Kabul, but they are fundamentally different. The operation we have conducted—both the…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateThe short answer is that we have, as a pre-emptive measure, diverted a Royal Navy vessel towards Port Sudan; that decision was made a number of days ago. We do not envisage that…27 Apr 2023HANSARD Sudan UpdateThe eligibility criteria have been part of our travel advice throughout this situation. I completely understand the point that the hon. Gentleman is making, but, as I said…27 Apr 2023HANSARDTrade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership CouncilThe Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council met today, 24 March 2023, in London, with delegates attending in person and by video conference. The meeting was…24 Mar 2023HANSARDWithdrawal Agreement Joint CommitteeThe Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee met today, 24 March 2023, in London with delegates attending in person and by video conference. The meeting was co-chaired by my right…24 Mar 2023HANSARDThe UK's International Technology StrategyThis is a joint statement with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. Today we have laid before the House the UK’s international technology strategy.…22 Mar 2023