(Ilford North) (Lab): A peace
plan without Palestinian participation is not a peace plan—it is an
annexation plan. Can the Secretary of State assure us that the
Government will not accept either this plan or any unilateral
annexation plan, and perhaps take the step now to recognise an
independent Palestinian state before there is no state left to
recognise?
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and
First Secretary of State (): I certainly agree with
the hon. Gentleman that any annexation unilaterally would be
contrary to international law, damaging to peace efforts, and
cannot go unchallenged, but the answer is to get both sides
around the negotiating table. That is why not only the UK but the
French, the Italians, EU High Representative Josep Borrell,
Japan, India South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman have all
called for the parties, based on this initiative, to come back to
talks.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab): The National Federation of Indian Women
estimates that 13,000 teenage boys from Jammu-Kashmir have been
detained following the revocation of article 370 on 5 August.
Will the Secretary of State support a fact-finding delegation
from the all-party group on Kashmir to the region, given that so
many of the UK’s Kashmiri diaspora still have family members
there?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs ( ): The Foreign Secretary
raised this issue with the Foreign Minister for India. Perhaps I
could write to the hon. Lady afterwards.
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP): My constituent, Jagtar Singh Johal, has
been incarcerated in the Republic of India for 830 days. Will the
Foreign Secretary consider meeting me and Jagtar’s family to
assure them that while he is pursuing a free trade British
agenda, he will not sacrifice our commitment to openness,
transparency and due process in any future free trade agreement?
The Minister for Africa (): We take allegations of
torture and mistreatment very seriously and we raise them with
the Indian authorities. I know that the hon. Gentleman recently
met Lord Ahmad on 23 October and 19 December. I am happy to
arrange another meeting with Lord Ahmad or to have a meeting with
him myself.
(Strangford) (DUP): Can the
Minister outline the discussions that he has had with our
Commonwealth ally, India about its industry and climate change
and how we can help it to be sustainable, environmentally
friendly and reduce emissions while carrying on with its
industry?
: My hon. Friend is right
not just to ask that specific question, but to do so in that
tone. As COP26 beckons, we want to see increased ambition right
across the world in terms of nationally determined contributions
to get emissions down. We also want to work with big developing
countries such as India and China, with the technology and the
innovation that the UK is particularly adept at providing, to
help them to transition to a greener economy.
