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Tag: Speeches

  • Lisa Nandy – 2021 Comments on New Israeli Government

    Lisa Nandy – 2021 Comments on New Israeli Government

    The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 14 June 2021.

    The approval of a new coalition government offers an opportunity for change in Israel and a chance to kickstart a meaningful process towards a peaceful two state solution.

    As a priority the international community must reach out to the new Israeli government and the new US President to urge a renewal of negotiations, the protection of human rights, adherence to international law, and the importance of a two state solution, based on a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable, sovereign and recognised Palestinian state.

    Whilst we are pleased the current ceasefire in Gaza is holding firm, the cycle of violence over the past few weeks only highlights diplomatic failures of the past.

    This conflict continues to cost lives and bring needless suffering to millions of people. There is now a new opportunity to address this and work with Israeli allies, Palestinian leaders and Arab neighbours to start a dialogue about how we move away from conflict towards a more peaceful Middle East.

  • James Heappey – 2021 Comments on Help for People on St. Vincent

    James Heappey – 2021 Comments on Help for People on St. Vincent

    The comments made by James Heappey, the Armed Forces Minister, on 12 June 2021.

    Recent events on St Vincent were a tragedy, but disasters like this are precisely why we have Royal Navy assets deployed to the Caribbean – to provide vital relief and assistance to people there when needed in times of crisis.

    Our servicemen and women were able to act quickly and decisively when this request came in, delivering these essential supplies to where they needed to be within hours.

  • Boris Johnson – 2021 Comments on the G7 and the Environment

    Boris Johnson – 2021 Comments on the G7 and the Environment

    The comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 12 June 2021.

    Protecting our planet is the most important thing we as leaders can do for our people. There is a direct relationship between reducing emissions, restoring nature, creating jobs and ensuring long-term economic growth.

    As democratic nations we have a responsibility to help developing countries reap the benefits of clean growth through a fair and transparent system. The G7 has an unprecedented opportunity to drive a global Green Industrial Revolution, with the potential to transform the way we live.

  • Gavin Williamson – 2021 Comments on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

    Gavin Williamson – 2021 Comments on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme

    The comments made by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 13 June 2021.

    The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has become synonymous with service and personal achievement. This expansion into more schools is a fitting tribute to Prince Philip who did so much to give young people opportunities to develop skills and abilities while making a difference to society.

    We know from those who have achieved The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award that it helps to build the resilience, perseverance and discipline needed to overcome life’s obstacles.

    I’m pleased to be working with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to help make it more accessible to schools and pupils in some of the most disadvantaged areas of England, levelling up their opportunities to get involved in these life-changing activities.

  • Humza Yousaf – 2021 Comments on NHS Dental Services in Scotland

    Humza Yousaf – 2021 Comments on NHS Dental Services in Scotland

    The comments made by Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Health Minister, on 10 June 2021.

    The remobilisation of the NHS is one of our number one priorities and the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that NHS dental services emerge from this pandemic well-placed to care for the oral health of the population.

    This new funding is an important step in ensuring the continued remobilisation of NHS dental services and to ensure more patients can be seen safely. We will also continue to fund free PPE for the dental sector and, from July, we will increase it by up to 50 per cent.

    We are continuing to work with the sector to provide much-needed support to fully remobilise dental services.

  • Humza Yousaf – 2021 Comments on Expanding Vaccine Rollout to International Students

    Humza Yousaf – 2021 Comments on Expanding Vaccine Rollout to International Students

    The comments made by Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Health Secretary, on 11 June 2021.

    There is a huge amount of work going on to ensure that everyone is able to get vaccinated. This is crucial to the success of the programme and our efforts to bring the virus under control.

    Based on the latest data, we estimate there could be around 65,000 international students studying in Scotland in the next academic year. I am pleased to confirm they will be included in our national vaccination programme.

    Of course many will be from countries where there is a mature vaccination system and they will already be fully or partially vaccinated. However, some may not yet have been vaccinated or may still require a second dose and we are currently working with the Universities and Colleges Scotland as well as local health boards to firm up plans for these students.

    We continue to urge everyone to take up their appointment for a vaccine when it is offered and remember the second dose offers greater and longer protection against the virus.

  • Mairi Gougeon – 2021 Comments on the Seafood Industry and Brexit

    Mairi Gougeon – 2021 Comments on the Seafood Industry and Brexit

    The comments made by Mairi Gougeon, the Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary, on 11 June 2021.

    Six months on from Brexit and the seafood sector is still trying to work through the red tape and barriers to trade imposed by a damaging and last minute deal.

    At this crucial point, where we are starting to see some hope of recovery there remains a strong need for a forum where Ministers from the UK and Scottish Governments, and industry, continue working together to minimise the impact of changes to import regulations.

    Given the significance of seafood to our national economy and our coastal communities, we are continuing to do all we can to protect the livelihoods of those working in the industry.

    We have provided support through the Seafood Producers Resilience Fund to more than 800 vessels and 26 aquaculture businesses impacted by COVID-19 and Brexit.

    Funding has also been used to support ports and harbours who have lost landing fees, while welfare advice and Brexit advisers to assist businesses navigate through the new processes have also been made available.

  • Preet Gill – 2021 Comments on Donating Surplus Vaccine Doses

    Preet Gill – 2021 Comments on Donating Surplus Vaccine Doses

    The comments made by Preet Gill, the Shadow International Development Secretary, on 11 June 2021.

    It’s taken the government months to finally begin setting out a plan to donate surplus doses of Covid-19 vaccines to low-income countries. Once again, this Conservative government has gone heavy on rhetoric and light on detail.

    To limit deaths and the chances of new variants we need to speed up the proposed timeline and produce a sustainable, fully-funded strategy. Failure to do so would be unforgivable.

    That’s why, in addition to donations from wealthy countries, Labour has set out a 10-point plan to produce and distribute enough coronavirus vaccines for the whole world and put in place the tools we need to fight future pandemics.

  • Bill Esterson – 2021 Comments on Trade Safeguards on Steel

    Bill Esterson – 2021 Comments on Trade Safeguards on Steel

    The comments made by Bill Esterson, the Shadow International Trade Minister, on 11 June 2021.

    This is a deeply disappointing – if sadly unsurprising – recommendation from an organisation that is fundamentally flawed in its composition and its remit and has simply not given sufficient weight to the implications of this verdict for steelworkers, their families, and the communities that rely on that industry.

    The Government will say their only option is now to accept this recommendation, but that is simply not true. They must instead accept Labour’s offer to work together in the national interest and come forward with emergency legislation, which we will support, to amend the regulations and allow Britain’s steel safeguards to be maintained in full.

    That is the only responsible and acceptable course of action to protect the British steel industry and the tens of thousands of jobs it supports.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Breach of FOI Guidelines

    Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Breach of FOI Guidelines

    The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, on 12 June 2021.

    What we are seeing revealed here is something deeply dangerous and corrosive to our democracy: evidence of a government department breaching the FoI guidelines, categorising information according to its sensitivity and the person requesting it, and taking advice on handling requests from the secret Cabinet Office Clearing House.

    It is patently obvious that none of those things are being done in the interests of transparency and integrity; but what we need to know now is whether they are being done to circumvent or delay the government’s obligations under the law, and whether the system in place at the Department for International Trade is in widespread use in other government departments.

    In addition, it is now all the more urgent that the Cabinet Secretary accepts Angela Rayner’s demand for an independent investigation into whether Michael Gove broke the Ministerial Code when he denied the existence of all these practices in his evidence to Parliament last December.