But it was as that Minister that I suddenly realised that there was an illogic to the case I was making to myself as I prepared for this contribution. Praise of that kind would of course lead to an encouragement to accept amendments and a willingness that the tradition of this Chamber since Magna Carta meant that we should be open to accepting the wisdom of the people assembled here. I myself, who have returned from a leave of absence precisely because I felt that I should either resign entirely as a Peer or return to this House for perhaps the most important and historic decision that I would participate in during our lifetimes, find it strange to be told that we have no role but to nod the Bill through.
In that sense, as the blood goes back to the boots in the House of Commons, we have a right—not to overrule the other House; I am with all those who have said today that we must acknowledge the referendum result and allow Article 50 to proceed—to demand that cooling-off period in the other House. Its constitutional health is improved when occasionally it is forced to reconsider and think again.
Despite the references to patriotism and the people’s will that we have heard so often in recent days and in our debate today, it is perhaps worth recalling, as I am sure historians such as the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, will, that the Bill was not passed in the people’s interest, it was passed in the interest of party. It is a crisis of parties that has got us into the situation we face today. An almost equally divided electorate finds itself irrevocably tipped towards a hard British path in such circumstances, rather than that of compromise and the middle way of a moderate Brexit. I acknowledge the logic of the noble Lord, Lord Finkelstein, in saying that a moderate Brexit is a hard thing to do, but I suspect that when a country is split like this, we are looking more for a Norway solution than for a hard Brexit.
Nevertheless, as we move towards that extreme solution, we need to remember that it is because of the exigencies of party, not people: a ruling party which, for reasons of internal party management under the previous Prime Minister, divided this country on an issue of their own making: Europe. It has now recovered unity, but at a terrible cost to country. On the other Benches, a party divided and perhaps fatally weakened by the referendum has put up the white flag in the other place. In such circumstances, where party has trumped country, is it so unreasonable to ask that in this House we at least demand that there is a proper, final vote in this Parliament on the terms of Brexit?
I acknowledge that other important issues, such as the rights of Europeans living in this country—a terrible human case though it is—may not belong in the Bill and may be better treated elsewhere. But, on the issue of ensuring that Parliament is not reduced to a yes or we are out vote, a rock or hard place call, a deal or no deal reduction of Parliament to a game show—on that I think we can insist on the right to a final vote. That must be a real vote, with the choice to stay in if the deal is not up to the standards that both Houses demand.
Can we allow this party-political game to trash the rights of other groups such as the families of EU residents here? No, those issues may not be for today—but on this, let this House really be this House and make the amendments that need making, stand up for Parliament, principle and decency—and indeed, I would say, for people and country.
Debate adjourned until Tuesday 21 February at 11 am.
House adjourned at 12.13 am.
]]>Lobbying efforts have resulted in real progress in the form of commitments announced at the NATO summit in Strasbourg on 3 and
In 2008, a France-UK summit launched the UK-France (now multinational) Helicopter Initiative with the aim of helping finance equipment upgrades and crew training to improve the availability of helicopters to NATO, EU and UN operations. The initial focus was on the ISAF operation in Afghanistan, therefore increasing burden-sharing among the partner nations in Afghanistan.
The fund has so far generated €27 million, and this has helped enable the commitment of an additional 17 helicopters for Afghanistan, starting with an initial deployment of Czech helicopters at the end of this year, plus plans for Bulgarian and Hungarian deployments thereafter. Other Eastern European NATO allies are also considering helicopter deployments. The Prime Minister raised this issue at the last NATO summit in April 2009, and the UK continues to engage with EU and NATO opposite numbers to gain their support for this initiative.
]]>UK strategy in Afghanistan incorporates public diplomacy and outreach such as bilateral visits by prominent Muslim opinion-formers, in order to break down Afghan misconceptions about UK life and the myths around UK motivations for intervening in Afghanistan. In June this year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided funding for a group of Helmand MPs to visit the UK to develop their understanding of the role of the UK's Muslim Community. The delegation's engagements included meeting British Muslim scholars and opinion-formers, visiting British mosques and Muslim faith schools. Also at the invitation of the Government, a group of Afghan religious leaders are visiting the UK in July in order to see first-hand demonstrations of Islam's compatibility with democracy. Their engagements include meetings with the Friends of Islam All-Party Parliamentary Group, the Society of Afghan Residents in the UK, and a visit to the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in London.
The UK works hard to explain foreign policy to domestic and international public in order to address inaccurate perceptions. We do this through media and public diplomacy work, including putting Arabic and Urdu-speaking spokespeople forward to media outlets such as Al-Jazeera, and speeches, interviews and articles by Ministers and ambassadors.
]]>I spoke to President Kiir on
I am saddened and troubled to learn of the kidnapping and murder of Russian human rights defender, Natalia Estemirova. I share the indignation expressed by the European Union, President Medvedev and human rights advocates at this shocking crime. I extend my deepest sympathies to her family and colleagues.
Natalia Estemirova's work in the field of human rights was internationally renowned. We welcome the announcement that a criminal investigation will be led by the Russian Prosecutor-General. We stress the need for a full and thorough investigation, and hope that it will bring to justice those responsible for her murder.
Our ambassador in Moscow conveyed personal condolences to the head of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Memorial, Natalia Estemirova's employer. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will make representations to the Government of the Russian Federation about Natalia Estemirova's murder. We will press the Russian Government for a full, transparent investigation, which should be conducted at the highest level. We will also continue to press the Russian Government to ensure a safe working environment for NGOs in the region.
We continue to raise concerns about the safety of human rights defenders and journalists in Russia at every opportunity, including at the bilateral human rights consultations which were held in Moscow on
The EU presidency issued a statement on the murder of Natalia Estemirova on
We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Pakistan about the situation of religious minorities, both with our EU partners and bilaterally in London and through our high commission in Islamabad, and will continue to do so. The most recent EU demarche called upon the Government of Pakistan to promote tolerance, to protect effectively freedom of belief and freedom of expression and to reform discriminatory legislation, in particular blasphemy laws.
Although there are no plans to visit Bahmani Wala, officials from the high commission in Islamabad will continue to monitor developments closely. We note that a compensation package has been announced for those affected by the attack.
]]>Bilaterally, both in London and through our high commission in Islamabad, officials regularly raise the treatment of minorities with their Pakistani interlocutors and will continue to do so. My honourable friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Gillian Merron, met Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minister for Minority Affairs, during her visit to Pakistan in February 2009. She raised concerns about the difficulties faced by religious minorities in Pakistan and the misuse of blasphemy legislation.
]]>The most recent EU demarche,
My honourable friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Gillian Merron, met Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minister for Minority Affairs, during her visit to Pakistan in February 2009. She raised concerns about the difficulties faced by religious minorities in Pakistan and the misuse of blasphemy legislation.
]]>This includes analysing the extent to which common law provisions may need to be replicated in statute law, the creation of one or more new criminal offences, and whether the UK required any reservations or declarations upon ratification. It is now clear that primary legislation would be necessary to permit ratification if the Government decide to pursue this course of action. This would be introduced when parliamentary time allowed.
We currently have no plans to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. The Government believe that migrants are entitled to the same human rights as other citizens. We are proud of our record in protecting migrants under national and international law.
]]>The Caspian basin is a region of growing importance for world energy markets. Kazakhstan is set to become one of the world's top 10 oil producers. The UK will potentially be a major importer of central Asian gas. The diversification of supplies to ensure energy security, for example, by the development of a southern corridor bringing gas from the Caspian region via Turkey to the EU, is a key priority.
We remain concerned about human rights and shortcomings in democratic values and the rule of law in many parts of the region. We regularly raise these concerns in our dialogue with central Asian governments and continue to work with EU, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other international partners to support real reform in these areas.
Central Asia is important to our efforts in Afghanistan as well as to combating drugs, the spread of religious extremism and international terrorism. With EU and other partners, we are monitoring the risk posed to regional stability by water management issues because of competing demands between upstream and downstream states.
We fully support the EU's Strategy for Central Asia. This aims to support the development and consolidation in central Asia of stable, just and open societies that adhere to international norms. It includes good governance, the rule of law, human rights, democratisation, education and training, and regional security and energy issues as key areas for co-operation.
]]>We are working to support further reform in Turkmenistan in contacts with the Turkmen authorities and stand ready to help the process in whatever way we can. In addition, the EU has a comprehensive and results-oriented annual human rights dialogue with Turkmenistan, which includes a focus on the need for further progress in Turkmen promotion and protection of human rights.
We are also looking to work more closely with the Ashgabat-based UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia and encourage substantive progress towards its core objectives (that include drug trafficking, terrorism and organised crime; environmental degradation, water and energy management; and issues relating to Afghanistan).
]]>The Department for International Developments programme is worth about £6 million this financial year and is focused on private sector and rural development, good governance and improving the effectiveness of the international aid effort. DfIDs programmes also include some regional HIV/AIDS work. In 2008, the UK also provided significant emergency support in response to a major winter energy and humanitarian crisis.
]]>The Department for International Development runs a programme worth some £7 million per year that has key themes of governance, service delivery, accountability and some regional HIV/AIDS work.
]]>Our main priorities are to support good governance, democracy and human rights. We raise our concerns in a critical but constructive dialogue with the Uzbek authorities in Tashkent and in discussions with the Uzbek embassy in London. In addition, the EU has a comprehensive and results-oriented annual human rights dialogue with Uzbekistan, which includes a focus on the need for further progress in Uzbek promotion and protection of human rights.
Regional security is also a priority given the potential for instability in the Ferghana Valley (straddling the Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Tajik borders). There are several factors that may contribute to unrest there: growing poverty, a fall-off in remittances, and the relocation of extremists from Pakistan/Afghanistan into central Asia. We believe that Uzbekistan could have an important and positive influence in Afghanistan and more broadly.
]]>Good governance and regional security issues will also feature prominently in the coming months as Kazakhstan assumes the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. We look forward to further progress on the governance and human rights commitments set out by Foreign Minister Tazhin at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid in 2007. We have made it clear that the UK stands ready to help to ensure that Kazakhstan has a successful OSCE chairmanship.
]]>The Prime Minister announced that the membership of the Committee of Inquiry consists of highly respected, entirely non-partisan experts in their fields. The committee members were consulted before agreeing to join the inquiry. There was also consultation with the Opposition on the membership. As a Privy Counsellor Committee of Inquiry, it will be a completely independent inquiry.
]]>