The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with US Secretary of State on the killing of Yazidis by Daesh.
Mr Philip Hammond
I frequently discuss Daesh with US Secretary of State Kerry, including their appalling brutality towards both Muslims and minorities, such as the Yazidis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of injured children trying to leave Syria being turned away at the Jordanian border.
Mr Philip Hammond
We are aware that there are large numbers of refugees being denied access to Jordan at the Jordan/Syria border. Whilst recognising their legitimate security concerns and the need for proper vetting, we have discussed with the Government of Jordan the necessity of prioritising admittance for the sick and injured, including children. Jordan has shown remarkable generosity as host to over 630,000 registered refugees from the Syria conflict. The UK is firmly committed to supporting Jordan. We have contributed over £330 million to help Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis. As co-hosts of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference held in London this year we helped secure over $12 billion of commitments of further support for those inside Syria and Syria’s neighbours Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey which are bearing the humanitarian weight of the crisis.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in countries on the UN Security Council on referring crimes by Daesh to the International Criminal Court.
Mr Philip Hammond
I frequently discuss Daesh, including the atrocities it has committed, with my international counterparts from countries who are on the UN Security Council. The Government is committed to working with our partners on the Security Council in the wider international community to ensure that Daesh is held to account for its appalling crimes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 27 April 2016 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, when he expects the government of Saudi Arabia to publish its inquiry into alleged breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen.
Mr Philip Hammond
Saudi Arabia is conducting a number of investigations into specific allegations of breaches of International Humanitarian Law. On 31 January Saudi Arabia held a press conference where they announced the result of the investigation into the MSF hospital incident on 26 October in Sa’ada. They also announced more detail of how they investigate allegations of IHL breaches and apply lessons learnt from these investigations. It is important that these investigations are thorough and conclusive. We would encourage them to publish their findings where appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of people unlawfully executed in Libya by Daesh.
Mr Philip Hammond
It is clear from reports and testimonies from local residents that Daesh have carried out many savage executions and brutal punishments in Libya against innocent civilians and those who have had the courage to oppose their vile oppression. We utterly condemn their barbaric acts of terror inside Libya, including the targeting of others because of their faith. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that ICC jurisdiction over Libya prima facie extends to such crimes.
We are engaging with the new Libyan government and working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh in Libya.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-09-06.
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff his Department (a) employs and (b) plans to employ in the next 12 months; and how many such staff will be located in (i) London, (ii) Brussels and (iii) elsewhere.
Mr David Jones
The new Department for Exiting the European Union will be made up of staff and officials from various departments across Government. The Department has already started drawing together expertise from a wide range of departments where there is specific relevant knowledge.
The overall size and scope of the Department, including staffing and budget, are now under consideration. The Department now has over 200 staff in London, plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is still growing rapidly with first class support from other government departments.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on the admission of Shaykh Hamza Sodagar into the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Mr Robert Goodwill
We do not routinely comment on individual cases.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-11.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the annual (a) percentage change and (b) change to the nearest million pounds in tax revenue to HM Treasury in the event of the UK leaving the EU without securing any preferential trade agreements and reverting to standard World Trade Organisation rules from current trading relationships.
Mr David Gauke
As the Prime minister has said, we want the best outcome for Britain. That means pursuing a bespoke arrangement which gives British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market, and enables us to decide for ourselves how we control immigration.
The parliamentary question asked by Hilary Benn, the Labour MP for Leeds Central, in the House of Commons on 13 December 2022.
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) (Lab)
What recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the operation of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP)
How many hours his Department has spent on negotiations with (a) EU member states and (b) the European Commission on the Northern Ireland protocol in the last month.
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (James Cleverly)
Fixing the Northern Ireland protocol is a top priority for this Government. Since September I have been in regular contact with Vice-President Šefčovič. We last spoke on 1 December and I will be seeing him for further talks this week. My officials have also been working with our counterparts in the EU on a regular basis to try to resolve the issues, which we recognise—and we are impressing this upon them—are causing serious, genuine and damaging friction in relationships between the various communities in Northern Ireland.
Hilary Benn
I am grateful to the Foreign Secretary for that answer. It was reported recently that the Prime Minister has assured President Biden that an agreement will be reached with the EU in time for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. We also read that the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is on ice while the negotiations continue. Can the Foreign Secretary assure the House that if an agreement with the EU is reached—and we all hope that will happen—the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill will be dropped?
James Cleverly
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill exists for a reason. The commitment that I made to Maroš Šefčovič in the conversations that I had with him and others was that we would not either artificially accelerate that process or artificially hinder or retard it. We have always said that our preferred option is through negotiations. We speak regularly, the tone is positive, and I think that there is now an understanding that the concerns that we have raised, and that have been raised particularly by the Unionist community in Northern Ireland, are not confected but real, and that any agreement would need to address them.
Ian Paisley
Is it not the case that there has not been one hour of actual negotiations, because the EU has not extended its mandate to allow for any changes whatsoever in the operation of the current protocol? That being the case, does the Foreign Secretary not believe that the EU will smell weakness in this Government if they take their foot off the pedal with the protocol Bill in the other place? I encourage him to press on with the Bill.
James Cleverly
I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the UK negotiating team are very conscious of the frustrations, particularly in the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. But we have also made the point to our interlocutors in the EU that, across communities in Northern Ireland, there is a recognition that the protocol is not working, that it needs to be addressed, and that the relationships between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK—of which Northern Ireland is a part—all have to function properly. That is the underpinning of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement and that is what we seek to achieve through our negotiations.
Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)
One needs only to visit the port at Belfast and see the potential for new facilities there to realise the interruption there could be to the vital east-west trade routes that Northern Ireland relies on. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that it is vital that the Government are clear that we do not take anything off the table in getting to an agreement? Even though we want an agreement, we still need all the options to be on the table, to ensure that we get what we need for the United Kingdom.
James Cleverly
The United Kingdom’s position has been consistent. We recognise that the way the protocol is working is undermining community cohesion in Northern Ireland and disrupting business flows, particularly east-west between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. These issues have to be addressed. That is, I think, something that the EU negotiating team understand, and we will continue negotiating in good faith. However, as I say, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill exists for a reason, and we want to ensure that we get a good working resolution that is sustainable for all the communities in Northern Ireland.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Foreign Secretary.
Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab)
For 18 months we have been at an impasse on the Northern Ireland protocol. Instead of negotiations, we have had cheap rhetoric and threats to break agreements. With a UK Government showing determination and diplomatic skill, and an EU willing to be flexible, these problems would be easily resolvable. Is the real problem that the Prime Minister is in the pocket of the European Research Group, too weak to stand up to his Back Benchers, and putting his party before Northern Ireland?
James Cleverly
The right hon. Gentleman needs to keep up. We have had very well-tempered negotiations between the UK and EU negotiators. He will find in our public reporting of those negotiations that there has been a high degree of mutual respect. He says that there is an easy resolution. If he believes that, all I would say is that we are waiting to hear it. If it were easy, it would have been done already.
Mr Speaker
Let us hear from the SNP spokesperson.
Alyn Smith (Stirling) (SNP)
I say to the Foreign Secretary that if politics goes wrong for him, he has a great career in stand-up ahead of him.
This discussion is not happening in a vacuum. The Foreign Secretary will be aware of a poll in The Irish Times yesterday that showed that 54% of the people of Northern Ireland are in favour of EU membership. I want to see a negotiated outcome over the protocol; we all do. There are things with the protocol that need to be addressed, and we all agree on that, but the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is not the way to do that. Surely he must recognise that it is the biggest block to progress in these talks, and that now is the time to scrap it.
James Cleverly
I am the one who has been in the conversations with the EU. I know that it does not particularly like the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, but, nevertheless, the conversations that I have had with my direct interlocuters and that our officials have been having with their opposite numbers in the EU system have been progressing. As I have said, there are still a number of serious issues that need to be resolved, but we are working in good faith. The Bill exists for a reason and it is important that it is there.
I welcome the hon. Gentleman highlighting the fact that there is pretty much universal agreement now that the protocol needs to be changed, because that is what is driving an increased degree of community tension and disruption in Northern Ireland.
While I am on my feet, let me welcome the hon. Gentleman resuming his place.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-10-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of allegations that the Saudi-led coalition is impeding and preventing commercial vessels from docking at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen.
Mr Philip Hammond
Intense fighting and insecurity on the ground in Yemen has resulted in restrictions being placed on commercial and humanitarian shipping. This is exacerbating the difficulty of distributing food and fuel to those who need it, making the humanitarian situation even worse.
The most important action to address the humanitarian situation, beyond a ceasefire, is to open up access for commercial and humanitarian goods. All parties to the conflict have a responsibility to ensure that any restrictions do not impede humanitarian access, and to facilitate immediate access to life-saving supplies, both into and within Yemen. The UK supports the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which is now being established to address commercial shipping needs and we urge that this is implemented as soon as possible.