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Anum Qaisar – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

The speech made by Anum Qaisar, the SNP MP for Airdrie and Shotts, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

I pay my respects to both Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed in recent violence. Ramadan Mubarak; today marks the start of Ramadan and I, like many Muslims, am fasting. Yet Muslims and those of other faiths or no faith in the occupied Palestinian territories have seen a significant increase in human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli authorities.

More than 1,000 Palestinians are at imminent risk of forcible transfer from Masafer Yatta, an action that would amount to a war crime. The situation is rapidly deteriorating and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, lands in the UK today on a state visit. During talks, the UK Government must call for a de-escalation of violence.

Amnesty International concluded last year that Israel is

“committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.”

Will the UK Government raise those concerns with the Prime Minister? The Finance Minister recently stated:

“There is no such thing as a Palestinian people”,

and said he wanted to see the Palestinian village of Huwara wiped off the map. Will the Minister put on record her disgust at that type of language?

The Israeli Government continue to push for the development of illegal settlements, despite promising not to do so. If that construction does not stop, will the UK Government commit to suspending trade deal talks with Israeli counterparts until we can ensure human rights are safeguarded?

The UK Government must acknowledge the systematic and calculated discrimination against Palestinians in occupied territories carried out by the Israeli military and authorities. Will the Government finally halt their approval of the sale of arms to Israel and support the need for an independent investigation by the International Criminal Court into human rights violations?

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera has escalated her killing to the ICC after the Israeli defence force refused to investigate her killing and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said:

“No one will investigate IDF soldiers and no one will preach to us about morals in warfare”.

Do the Government accept that, unless they urgently support the ICC investigation, they are turning a blind eye to blatant military impunity for murdering Palestinians?

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

I am happy to repeat that the UK condemned the Israeli Finance Minister’s comments calling for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be wiped out, and his recent comments denying the existence of the Palestinian people. We have condemned that absolutely, and I think that has been heard clearly.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will visit the UK tomorrow, and has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister. He will have a short meeting with the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary. I know that the Prime Minister will raise the issues that concern us—as all good, trusted friends and partners do. We are confident and always do so with all our partners, including Israel.

The hon. Lady mentioned the anniversary of the death of respected Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. It seems extraordinary that we are already a year on. The UK is committed to working with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to advance that peaceful two-state solution. We voted no on the resolution pertaining to referral to the ICC because we consider that is not helpful to bringing the parties back to dialogue.[Official Report, 27 March 2023, Vol. 730, c. 6MC.] As I set out in my answer to the urgent question, we continue to work with all parties to help find a way forward. We hope that the continuing role of talks will help to move that forward.

10/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 7 April 1923

7 APRIL 1923

A £2 million road scheme was proposed to connect Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the Ministry of Transport agreeing to pay for half of the cost.

Thomas Derrig, an anti-Treaty member of the Dail, was shot and badly wounded whilst trying to escape from a CID escort in Dublin.

A car carrying Lord Waterford was shot at in Waterford, but he was unharmed during the attack.

The British Museum denied that they had in their collections a mummy which had supernatural powers following comments made by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

09/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 6 April 1923

6 APRIL 1923

Frederick Thomson was appointed as the Solicitor General for Scotland.

The death was announced of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who had become known for funding the archaeological investigation of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

The French and Belgian Governments announced that they planned to seize stockpiles of fuel currently located in the Ruhr Valley.

09/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister – We must fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement [April 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 April 2023.

The Prime Minister will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week.
Prime Minister will take part in a number of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in the coming days.

He will welcome President Biden to Belfast on Tuesday – the President’s first visit to Northern Ireland since taking office.

The UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit later this year to encourage inward investment and growth.

The Prime Minister will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week as the people of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK prepare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

President Biden will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, where the Prime Minister will meet him off Air Force One. The President will then undertake a programme of engagements including a meeting with the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday 19th April the Prime Minister will travel to Belfast again to address Queen’s University’s ‘Agreement 25’ conference and host a special Gala Dinner to commemorate the anniversary.

Monday marks a quarter of a century since the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was signed, transforming the political and economic of Northern Ireland, and serving as a framework for peace and prosperity.

The United States greatly supported the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement process and has played a pivotal role in boosting prosperity in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years. The Prime Minister will use President Biden’s visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s successes and encourage further long-term investment.

The United States is one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, putting £1.5 billion into its economy over the last decade and creating 13,000 jobs. This includes tech giants such as Microsoft establishing themselves there. Around 1,000 US-owned businesses operate in Northern Ireland and in 2022 businesses in Northern Ireland exported goods worth over £1 billion to the United States.

In the last few months the economic links between the US and Northern Ireland have grown further, with companies like semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed announcing a major R&D partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. Wolfspeed is based in North Carolina, a US state the UK signed a state-level trade agreement with in July last year.

As part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to bring more inward investment into Northern Ireland’s thriving economy, he will announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year.

The Summit will connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses, showcasing the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. The Summit will profile Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths, with a special focus on financial & professional services, life & health sciences, technology, green manufacturing and the creative services.

Bolstered by its place within the UK, Northern Ireland has a diverse and thriving economy. Northern Ireland received almost £20bn in inward investment in 2020, with companies from around the world recognising its growth potential, talent and expertise. Belfast is the biggest hub for technology companies in the UK after London and Northern Ireland is home to more than 100 cyber security companies.

The UK Government is also supporting growth in Northern Ireland through investment in infrastructure and education to foster Northern Irish talent and expertise. The UK Government provides around £15 billion a year to Northern Ireland and through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund we are providing new community and neighbourhood infrastructure and improving facilities for families in every council in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister said:

“The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation’s history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland.

“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.

“Northern Ireland – like the rest of the UK – is teeming with opportunities, talent and ingenuity. The biggest thing we can do to improve people’s standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland, is economic growth. That’s something I’m relentlessly focused on delivering.”

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit will be led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland. It will take place on 12th and 13th September 2023 in Belfast.

The event is a key part of the UK’s overall programme to mark the remarkable progress in Northern Ireland over the last quarter century and will support our vision for a prosperous 25 years ahead.
09/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on illegal sale of vapes [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 April 2023.

Bold new measures to combat rising levels of youth vaping expected to be announced.
- A new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to be formed to enforce rules on vaping and tackle illegal sales of vapes to under-18s
- Call for Evidence also launched to identify opportunities to stop children vaping
The government is expected to unveil tough new measures to combat the illegal sale of vapes to under-18s as part of its plans to reduce smoking and tackle youth vaping.

In his speech at Policy Exchange on Tuesday 11 April, Health Minister Neil O’Brien is expected to announce a new ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ – backed by £3 million of government funding – to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

Working across the country, the enforcement squad led by Trading Standards will share knowledge and intelligence across regional networks and local authorities.

It will undertake specific projects such as test purchasing in convenience stores and vape shops. It will also produce guidance to help build regulatory compliance, and will have the power to remove illegal products from shops and at our borders.

The minister is also expected to announce the launch of a Call for Evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes, while ensuring they remain available as a quit aid for adult smokers.

It will explore topical issues such as the marketing and promotion of vapes and the environmental impact of disposable products.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and support them to quit. We remain committed to our ambition to be smokefree by 2030.

However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products.

The new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on those businesses who sell vapes to children – which is illegal – and get them hooked on nicotine. Our Call for Evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes.

Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13.0%, the lowest on record, thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services. In 2021-22, £68 million of funding from the public health grant was spent on stop smoking services by local authorities, and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop smoking service.

In addition, £35 million was committed to the NHS last year so that all smokers admitted to hospital will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services.
09/04/2023
Rishi Sunak – 2023 Easter Message

The Easter Message issued by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 9 April 2023.

Easter Sunday gives us a chance to reflect on the considerable contribution Christian communities make to our national life – offering support and a sense of belonging to so many across the country.

Christianity and its values of tolerance, compassion and charity are embedded in our history and national fabric. Its values are British values.

I would like to wish all those celebrating today a very happy Easter.

09/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : People who will play historic roles at the heart of the Coronation Service announced [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 9 April 2023.

Details of individuals with historic claims to take part in the Coronation have been revealed.
Participants announced refer to the 13 roles that are subject to historic claims for the Coronation Service

People chosen because they have successfully proved their historic claim to take part

Recipients of honours from all walks of life invited to attend Westminster Abbey on the day

The names of 13 individuals and organisations who will play important historic ceremonial roles in the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort on May 6 have been announced.

All claims were considered by the Coronation Claims Office, within the Cabinet Office, which took advice from senior legal, ceremonial and ecclesiastical experts.

Those chosen showed evidence that their claim related to a historic customary service performed at previous Coronations.

In addition, those chosen to take on the roles proved that they are the established office holders or the holders of the relevant title or land to perform the task.

Those who will have roles in the Coronation Service are as follows:

The Earl of Erroll

Barons of the Cinque Ports

Clerk of the Crown in Chancery (Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice)

The Lord Great Chamberlain

Lord Hastings

The Earl of Loudoun

The Bishop of Durham

The Bishop of Bath and Wells

The Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St Peter

The Lord Mayor of London

The Earl of Dundee

The Lord Lyon King of Arms & Heralds and Pursuivants of Scotland

The Walker Trust (Anglican Archbishop of Edinburgh)

The news comes after it has been announced that people from all walks of life who have been awarded British Empire Medals for their service to the community have been invited to attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.

In addition, 400 young people representing charitable organisations, nominated by The King and The Queen Consort and the UK Government, will have the opportunity to watch the Coronation Service and Procession from St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said:

These roles are steeped in history – in some cases dating back 800 years – so it will be wonderful to see these centuries-old traditions played out on Coronation Day.

Those given Coronation roles will be at the heart of this historic ceremony, but of course the entire nation will have its part to play in events up and down the country, in what promises to be a weekend to remember.

The historic roles in the Coronation ceremony include:

The Lord Great Chamberlain – One of the Officers of State, the Lord Great Chamberlain had traditionally played a major role in Coronations. For the Coronation in May, the Lord Great Chamberlain will take part in the investing of The King with the regalia – the Crown Jewels.

The Dean and Chapter of the Collegiate Church of St Peter will hold the ceremony and instruct the monarch in the forms, rites and ceremonies.

The Earl of Erroll will also bear a silver baton or staff as Lord High Constable of Scotland, while the Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Bath and Wells will be Bishop Assistant to The King, the Earl of Dundee will carry the Quartering of the Standard (Scotland) in Procession, The Lord Lyon King of Arms & Heralds and Pursuivants of Scotland will be part of The King’s procession and the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, will record the proceedings.

The Barons of the Cinque Ports, a historic group of representatives of 14 coastal towns in South East England, will also attend the ceremony, as will a member of the Walker Trustees – the Anglican Bishop of Edinburgh, who previously performed the role of Usher of the White Rod.

Those selected through the Coronation Claims process are only a small proportion of the people participating in the Coronation. Other participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
09/04/2023
Michael Gove – 2023 Statement on Building Safety – Responsible Actors Scheme and Developer Remediation Contract

The statement made by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 24 March 2023.

On 14 March, I announced that 39 developers had signed the developer remediation contract. By signing the contract, they made binding commitments to fix or pay to fix life-critical fire safety defects in all buildings in England over 11 metres that they had a role in developing or refurbishing over the past 30 years. This amounts to an irreversible commitment to making safe at least 1,100 buildings at a cost of over £2 billion.

Update on responsible actors scheme

Last week, I also told the House that there will be consequences for companies that do not sign the contract. I warned that they will be prohibited from commencing developments in England or gaining building control sign-off on their developments, unless they sign and adhere to the contract. I said that we would lay regulations this spring to establish a responsible actors scheme. The regulations will recognise the positive action of responsible developers and will make sure that eligible developers who do not sign and comply with the contract will be unable to be members of the scheme, and therefore be subject to prohibitions. I will lay regulations that will, with Parliament’s consent, bring the scheme into operation before the summer recess.

Today, I am publishing the key features of the responsible actors scheme on gov.uk and placing a copy of the information in the libraries of both Houses. The key features document sets out how the scheme will work, the likely eligibility criteria and membership conditions for the first phase of the scheme, how developers will apply to join the scheme and the prohibitions that will be imposed on eligible developers that fail to sign the contract and comply with its terms.

Developers who want to be part of the scheme will need to sign the developer remediation contract and comply with its terms. In its first phase, the scheme will focus on larger residential property developers and developers who developed multiple tall residential buildings known to have life-critical fire safety defects. Over time, I intend to expand the scheme to cover even more of those who developed unsafe 11 metre-plus residential buildings and should pay to fix them.

Eligible developers will be invited to join the scheme by a statutory deadline or provide evidence that they do not in fact meet the eligibility criteria. Any eligible developer who chooses not to join the scheme, or who is expelled from the scheme as a result of a material or persistent breach of its conditions, will be added to a list of developers who will not be permitted to carry out major development or secure building control sign-offs.

The message to those developers who have yet to sign the contract, their shareholders and investors could not be clearer. The responsible actors scheme is coming. Only developers who behave responsibly will be trusted to build the homes of the future. Any eligible developers who fail to do the right thing will need to find a new line of work.

Update on signatories to the developer remediation contract

At the time of my statement of 14 March, 11 developers had yet to sign. I named those companies and called on their directors to reflect on their future and do the right thing. Today, I can confirm that 4 of those 11 companies have since signed the contract: Ballymore, Lendlease, London Square and Telford Homes. The 7 developers who have yet to sign the contract are: Abbey Developments, Avant, Dandara, Emerson Group (Jones Homes), Galliard Homes, Inland Homes and Rydon Homes. Some of those companies have told us that they remain committed to protecting leaseholders and taxpayers from having to pay, and claim that they will sign the contract in coming days.

As I made plain last week, I will write to local authorities and building inspectors to explain the consequences for those companies that remain non-signatories at the point that the regulations creating the responsible actors scheme come into force. I will suggest action that local authorities may want to take to be prepared for implementation of the scheme, to ensure that any companies that do not wish to act responsibly do not profit from that behaviour—and that the public is protected as a result.

Given possible market sensitivities, I notified the London stock exchange about the key features document.

09/04/2023
James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee

The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

The 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 hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič. A joint statement was agreed and published on gov.uk.

The Committee welcomed the agreement of the Windsor framework and adopted the new arrangements set out within the framework. The adoption of this agreement restores the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through a new green lane; it gives the elected representatives of Northern Ireland a veto over new laws that apply there; and it protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union through fixing practical problems including on pets, parcels and medicines and ensuring that UK decisions on tax and spend benefit people and businesses in Northern Ireland as they do in Great Britain.

The Committee addressed other important issues including the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK. Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing to support these citizens and welcomed the efforts made over the past year to do so, including additional funding provided by both sides to external organisations.

The Committee also received an update on the work of the withdrawal agreement specialised committees since the last meeting on 21 February 2022 and adopted the withdrawal agreement annual report for the year 2021 pursuant to article 164(6) of the withdrawal agreement.

The Committee adopted one decision laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor framework.

The Committee also adopted two recommendations:

on market surveillance and enforcement,

on article 13(3a) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland

Both the UK and EU made five joint declarations relating to the Windsor Framework:

Joint declaration No 1/2023

Joint declaration on the application of Article 10(1) of the Windsor framework

Joint declaration on Article 13(3a) of the Windsor framework

Joint declaration No 2/2023

Joint declaration on the VAT regime for goods not being at risk for the Union’s internal market and on the VAT arrangements for cross border refunds.

The UK made five unilateral declarations and the EU made unilateral declarations noting these:

Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on involvement of the institutions of the 1998 agreement (annex I to the decision No 1/2023 laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor framework)

Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on market surveillance and enforcement, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union

Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on export procedures for goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union

Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on the democratic consent mechanism in article 18 of the Windsor framework, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union.

Unilateral declaration by the United Kingdom on strengthening enforcement action for goods moved in parcels from another part of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland, noted by the unilateral declaration by the Union.

09/04/2023
James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council

The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

The 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 co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and European Commission vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Representatives from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive attended, as did representatives from the Crown dependencies of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. 27 EU member state representatives also attended. A joint statement was agreed and published on gov.uk.

The Partnership Council discussed implementation of the TCA and cooperation in a range of areas including energy, regulation, security and Union Programmes.

The Partnership Council supervises the operation of the TCA, providing strategic direction to the work of the Trade Partnership Committee and 18 specialised committees.

The UK restated its commitment to co-operating with the EU through the Trade and Co-operation Agreement Partnership Council.

09/04/2023