Results 1-20 of 4,882 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:William Hague

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East Peace Process (18 June 2013)

William Hague: During my recent visit to Israel, I raised our serious concerns about settlement activity at the highest levels, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu. We are working to ensure that settlement produce is correctly labelled so that consumers can make an informed choice. However, I do not believe that imposing a ban on settlement goods will promote peace.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East Peace Process (18 June 2013)

William Hague: The hon. Gentleman is right to say that settlement activity is steadily making a two-state solution impossible. That is why time is running out for a two-state solution, which was the case I made to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders on my visit to Israel and the occupied territories. We are taking up with other European countries the commitment of the EU High Representative to prepare...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East Peace Process (18 June 2013)

William Hague: We are encouraging both sides into negotiations. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), was also in Israel and the occupied territories a few days ago, and spoke to President Abbas, as I did. We encourage the Palestinians to enter negotiations without pre-conditions; we also encourage Israel to...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East Peace Process (18 June 2013)

William Hague: The question before us is not so much about what would be within the law as about what best promotes peace. We are at a critical stage—we are often at a critical stage in the middle east peace process, but this is one of those truly critical stages where the coming days or weeks will determine whether Israelis and Palestinians come back into negotiations on a two-state solution. That is...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Middle East Peace Process (18 June 2013)

William Hague: Yes, that is true. I absolutely agree, as other hon. Members have said, that settlements on occupied land are illegal. That is why the previous Government and my predecessor proposed and introduced the guidelines on settlement produce. This Government have continued support for them and, as I have said, we are discussing how to apply them across the EU. I believe we are taking the policy...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: No decision has been made on participation. Our priority remains to see a diplomatic process in Geneva that succeeds in reaching a negotiated end to the conflict, but we will have to be prepared to do more to save lives and pressure the Assad regime to negotiate seriously if diplomatic efforts are to succeed.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: It is of course important that the conference in Geneva brings together sufficient groups and powers to agree a sustainable settlement of the conflict in Syria, but it is also important to have the ability to start from common ground. That is what was agreed at Geneva last year—that a transitional Government should be created, with full Executive powers, formed from regime and...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: It is a cross-party matter. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and I have made the position clear, so I do not think that the right hon. Gentleman needs to look at “a senior Tory source”. There is no Tory more senior than the Prime Minister. [Interruption.] Occasionally, one or two might think they are, but there are no Tories more senior than the Prime Minister and he has...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: My hon. Friend must bear in mind that the change happening in Syria is not one that was activated here in the United Kingdom—it started in Syria. It came from the people of Syria themselves, as it has in many other countries, where many people want economic opportunity and political dignity for their own countries. The situation we face now is that the crisis is getting worse. We need a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: I do not know many other ways of having votes in this place on a specific issue than having a motion that talks about that issue. I was expanding on the right hon. Gentleman’s question to try to cover all eventualities. Of course we have a vote on an issue of that kind in the House of Commons. [Interruption.]

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: My hon. Friend makes a valid point, but it is possible to argue that in both directions. As I said a moment ago, it is important to have at Geneva sufficient groups and sufficient powers to be able to make a workable and sustainable settlement of the conflict in Syria, but there is a balance between that and including those powers or groups that would make a settlement to the conflict...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Geneva Conference on Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: We have not taken any decision about that, as the right hon. Gentleman knows. As he also knows, I have said in the House before that if we did so, it would be in certain circumstances: in conjunction with other countries, in carefully controlled circumstances and always in accordance with international law and our own national law. But we have taken no such decision to do so. We are clear...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: The humanitarian situation in Syria is dire. More than 93,000 people have been killed and 6.8 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. That includes at least 4.25 million internally displaced people and 1.6 million refugees. We have committed £171 million to provide food, health care, water and shelter for refugees inside and outside Syria.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: There are many aspects to the problems in Syria. I was explaining to the media yesterday that our biggest effort is on the humanitarian side. The United Kingdom is one of the biggest national donors to help with the humanitarian situation. We are working on a further substantial increase in our humanitarian assistance, because the UN has called for another $5.2 billion over the next six...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: Our Government, of whom my right hon. and learned Friend is a vigorous supporter at all times, are indeed doing that, not only through the financial assistance I have described, but by sending specific support and equipment to Jordan to help ensure people are safely taken to camps as quickly as possible. We have also sent to the Syrian border some of the experts I have assembled on preventing...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: The G8 is going on now, as the hon. Gentleman knows. As I mentioned a moment ago, one of the priorities of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is to agree at the G8 that the G8 together will supply a large share, a large slice of the new UN appeal for $5.2 billion. On my many visits to the middle east region, including the Gulf, of which there will be more shortly, I strongly encourage...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Syria (18 June 2013)

William Hague: Yes, absolutely. I have visited centres for Syrian refugees in Beirut, where, as my hon. Friend rightly says, people are not in camps, although they are given vouchers, for instance, so that they can buy food locally. I pay tribute to the hospitality of the Lebanese people. The United Kingdom is, for instance, funding the construction of border observation posts for the Lebanese armed forces...

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (18 June 2013)

William Hague: The Prime Minister, together with President Obama and European Commission President Barroso, last night formally announced the launch of negotiations at the G8. This was fitting, given the UK’s leading role in getting the TTIP under way. This is a once-in-a-generation prize: the biggest bilateral trade deal in history.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (18 June 2013)

William Hague: This is a top priority for the Government. Interestingly, not only would such a deal bring the benefits that my hon. Friend mentions to the EU, as well as similar benefits to the United States; it is also estimated to benefit the rest of the world, outside Europe and the United States, to the tune of £85 billion.

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (18 June 2013)

William Hague: rose—