Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) engage with the Zimbabwean authorities on a political settlement, (b) share lessons learnt from other peace processes and (c) support civil society engagement.
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking in the UN Security Council to (a) encourage international support for a political settlement in Zimbabwe and (b) help ensure civil society organisations can participate effectively in steps towards a settlement.
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to encourage Organ on Politics, Defence and Security of the South African Development Community to support a political settlement in Zimbabwe.
Tony Lloyd: My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech, and she is absolutely right to ask why the UK abstained in the vote at the United Nations. She makes the point that we can never find out what arms exports have left this country and gone to Israel. Is it not time we had transparency in the arms trade?
Tony Lloyd: Just a brief point, if I may. I fundamentally agree that the national strategy would move the situation forward, but we also need to internationalise this process. We need to at least bring together like-minded nations who would be prepared to buy in to exactly the same framework.
Tony Lloyd: I begin by thanking the hon. Members for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) and for Argyll and Bute (Brendan O’Hara) for their comments about the reception two days ago, which was actually hosted by IPU, the chair of which is with us today— the right hon. Member for Staffordshire Moorlands (Karen Bradley)—and myself as chair of the APPG on human rights. I want to make a quick reflection. I...
Tony Lloyd: I beg to move, That this House has considered the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on Genocide. It is a pleasure, as ever, to serve with you as Chair of the proceedings, Ms McDonagh. It is a long time since I have engaged in this art form. I will begin by expressing my regret that the hon. Member for Henley (John Howell) cannot be with us...
Tony Lloyd: I will pass the Minister’s words on to the hon. Member; I think we would all agree on that. On a happier note, we meet today to celebrate the fact that it is now some 75 years since two important universal documents appeared. The universal declaration of human rights was brought into being on 10 December 1948, and, of course, there was the equivalent declaration on genocide. I shall not...
Tony Lloyd: Some identical twins differ more than others; that is all I will say. Nevertheless, he will speak on that declaration with great knowledge. The only thing that I will say about the genocide declaration is that it is sometimes very narrowly interpreted as being concerned solely with the partial extermination—the killing—of populations when, in fact, it is much broader than that. It is very...
Tony Lloyd: I have also visited Rwanda and met the same President the Minister will have spoken to. I recognise where Rwanda has come from, but I also recognise that in any journey we expect progress. The US Department of State’s critique is real and we ought to take it into consideration, in particular when we seek, by statute, to declare Rwanda to be a “safe” country. We can argue about the...
Tony Lloyd: Well, I am a Mancunian and we have different views on these things. I shall be leaving London sometime this evening, and not to go to Kigali. What we must acknowledge is that a debate is taking place in the Minister’s party about the relevance of international law. I hope it will conclude that, as a nation, we are better protected when we are a part of collective security and collective...
Tony Lloyd: The United States Department of State’s annual country report on Rwanda says that among its human rights issues are unlawful killing, arbitrary killing, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and torture by the Rwandan Government. By what token does the Home Secretary judge that Rwanda is a safe country? Should he not, actually, hang his head in shame?
Tony Lloyd: If every humanitarian pause is simply a prelude to the further bombing of Gaza by Israel, what will be left other than a refugee camp and a wasteland, and who does the Minister think will govern that?
Tony Lloyd: What steps he is taking to reform the private rented sector.
Tony Lloyd: The Secretary of State moved with admirable speed after the death of Awaab Ishak to ensure that social landlords honour their obligations to tenants in terms of mould and safety, but those in private rented accommodation do not have that protection. Can the Minister tell the House, and the world, why private tenants are put at risk in that way?
Tony Lloyd: Although drug testing makes sense, it is also important that we have drug and alcohol treatment facilities, which are still very patchy across the country. Will the Home Secretary comment on what can be done to improve that patchiness?
Tony Lloyd: It does seem now as if this war will be much longer than we had all hoped. In that context, political leadership will change. While it is important that NATO maintains its present position, NATO leadership may change over time. What steps can be taken, including by our Ministry of Defence, to make the case across the world that the defence of Ukraine is in the global interest, not simply the...
Tony Lloyd: If she will make an assessment of the impact of the mandatory code of practice for the involuntary installation of prepayment meters on vulnerable households.
Tony Lloyd: The Minister will be aware that the ban on the involuntary installation of prepayment meters will be lifted soon. That will mean families with children over two years old and pensioners under 75 who are still vulnerable will potentially face the higher cost of prepayment meters. There is the possibility, of course, that when they run out of tokens they will be cut off. Is that right?