Extracts from
PMQs
(Buckingham) (Con): Abigail Mor
Edan is four years old. Released from Hamas captivity last
weekend, Abigail is an orphan, after her parents were brutally
executed in front of her during Hamas’s rampage on 7 October. To
secure the freedom of Abigail and some other hostages, Israel is taking a huge
risk, releasing convicted terrorists, including would-be suicide
bomber Israa Jaabis, imprisoned for detonating a gas cylinder in
her car in 2015. Hamas also seem to have broken the ceasefire, by
activating three explosive devices. What steps is my right hon.
Friend the Prime Minister taking to continue his welcome,
steadfast support for Israel in its fight against
not only Hamas, but other Iran-backed terror groups?
The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an
important issue. My thoughts and the thoughts of the whole House
will be with Abigail.
As I have said before, we support Israel’s right to defend
itself, to go after Hamas and to free hostages, to deter further
incursions and to strengthen its security for the long term. We
welcome the extension to the agreement to pause fighting,
increase humanitarian aid and release further hostages.
Negotiations are ongoing and highly sensitive, but this has been
a welcome first positive step. We will continue to hold Iran to
account for any further escalation from these groups, as well as
continuing to work with partners to disrupt and deter Iran’s
destabilising activities in the middle east.
(Gillingham and Rainham)
(Con): The Government have rightly responded to the shocking and
unacceptable rise in antisemitism, and we saw extra funding in
the autumn statement. I note that 44% of religiously aggravated
offences last year were against the Muslim community, yet in the
autumn statement there was no funding to deal with Islamophobia.
The Government’s independent adviser on Islamophobia role has
been left vacant for over one year. As the Prime Minister knows,
we discussed these matters over a year ago, yet no action has
taken place. Prime Minister, enough is enough with regards to
tackling anti-Muslim hatred. Will the Government now finally take
action?
The Prime Minister: We will not tolerate anti-Muslim hatred in
any form, and expect it to be dealt with wherever it occurs. I
actually recently met Tell MAMA, a service that provides support
to victims of anti-Muslim hatred, which we have in fact supported
with over £6 million of funding since its inception. We are in
regular dialogue with it. We have also doubled the funding for
protective security measures through the protective security for
mosques scheme, and we will continue to do everything we can to
keep our Muslim community safe.
Oral answer (Lords)
on Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to proscribe
the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist
organisation.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office () (Con)
My Lords, the Government continue to take the threat of the IRGC
very seriously and to condemn its actions. The Government will
always consider the full range of powers available—including our
robust counterterrorism powers, such as the proscription tool,
where appropriate—to address the threat posed by Iran and the
IRGC.
(Lab)
My Lords, there is a compelling case for proscribing the IRGC.
Scotland Yard says that since the start of 2022, Iran has made 15
attempts to kidnap or even kill British and UK-based people. The
director-general of MI5 has warned of Tehran projects posing a
threat to the UK. Would not such a proscription be in the
interests of national security at home and abroad, as well as
peace and security in the Middle East, as highlighted by the
current conflict? With the USA and the UK’s Countering Extremism
Commissioner now calling for the proscription of the IRGC, what
possible reason is there for the Government to delay in outlawing
a terrorist organisation that threatens security both at home and
abroad?
Noble Lords
Hear, hear!
(Con)
My Lords, I recognise the strength of feeling in this House, and
in the other place, on this subject. Let me explain what the
Government have done. The Home Office is leading work on
countering Iranian state threats in the UK, making full use of
the breadth and expertise of government and our extraordinary and
courageous police, security and intelligence agencies. On 1
November, the Security Minister announced in the other place that
the Prime Minister has asked him to lead the Defending Democracy
Taskforce to build further resilience within our institutions in
order to safeguard against physical, personnel and cyber
threats.
The National Security Act will provide another significant
toolkit in the fight against individuals working for state
entities such as the IRGC; it criminalises a wide range of
hostile activities conducted by, for or on behalf of foreign
powers. Materially assisting a foreign intelligence service in
any activity in or related to the UK will be a crime.
We continue to make use of any and every opportunity to call out
Iran’s malign activity—I apologise for the long answer but there
is a lot to say. More than 350 Iranian individuals and entities
have been sanctioned for activities, including human rights
violations. Since January 2023, we have sanctioned more than 140
Iranian individuals and entities in response to the regime’s
human rights violations. That is being strengthened.
(CB)
My Lords, is there not a much simpler and shorter answer to the
question from the noble Lord, : the Foreign Office?
(Con)
It is a shorter answer, I will certainly give the noble Lord
that. The Government keep the list of proscribed organisations
under review. We do not comment on whether a specific
organisation is or is not being considered for proscription. This
position has been informed by several considerations, including
to avoid creating an expectation that the Government will
proscribe a certain organisation, to reduce the risk of an
organisation taking evasive action before the proscription order
comes into force, and to manage the risk of any subsequent
decision being vulnerable to challenge on procedural grounds. The
Government will always consider the full range of powers
available to tackle threats on our soil.
(Con)
My Lords, not a single Member of this House, I would think,
believes that there is any answer to this question other than
“yes”. Can my noble friend please go back to his department and
tell the Secretary of State that what we want to hear is that
this organisation has been proscribed?
(Con)
As I said earlier, I fully understand the strength of feeling in
both this House and the other place, as does the Home Secretary.
I am well aware that 67 cross-party parliamentarians wrote to the
Prime Minister requesting proscription in early November. The
Home Secretary is due to respond to that.
(LD)
My Lords, one of the very worst features of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard is its persecution of young women. Can the
Minister explain why the Government still have not put in place a
safe and legal route for persecuted Iranian women to seek asylum
in the UK?
(Con)
My Lords, this subject comes up frequently. As noble Lords will
be aware, we work with all the relevant UN agencies to ensure
safe and legal routes for people such as that.
(CB)
My Lords, I very strongly support the Question of the noble Lord,
. This Government proscribed
Hamas as a terrorist organisation. The Iranian regime runs Hamas;
it tells them what to do; it commands them what to do. Can the
Minister, without any further delay, as the noble Lord, , said, proscribe the Iranian
regime as a terrorist organisation, which is of course what it
is?
(Con)
My Lords, we are very clear that Iran poses an unacceptable
threat to Israel We have long
condemned Iran’s destabilising activity throughout the region,
including its political, financial and military support of
several militant and proscribed groups, including Hamas,
Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. As I said earlier,
we are committed to working with the international community to
ensure that Iran abides by international laws and norms and is
held to account for its destabilising activities in the
region.
(Lab)
My Lords, I understand that these are fine judgments. The
suppression of terrorist organisations can often diminish our
operational intelligence, so it is not an easy decision. However,
the last time I intervened on this subject was in 2010 in the
House of Commons. The Government have had 14 years to review the
situation, which the Minister told us was constantly under
review. Can he tell us anything that has happened during those 14
years which suggests that we should do other than ban this
organisation?
(Con)
I pay tribute to the noble Lord’s extensive experience in this
area and his perspective on it. These are obviously finely
calibrated judgments. I am afraid that I will not speculate on
what information has been considered over the past 14 years; it
would be unwise of me to do so.
My Lords, it is clear that the Iranian regime does support groups
such as Hamas and Hezbollah, including via the IRGC. The Minister
will have heard the strength of feeling in this House. However,
US officials have confirmed reports that Iran did not have prior
notice of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7
October. What assessment has been made of the true extent of the
links between the IRGC and Hamas, and what recent conversations
have the UK Government had with Iran to chart a course towards
peace in the region?
(Con)
The right reverend Prelate asks a difficult question in terms of
conversations, security and intelligence. I will avoid those
subjects, but there are extensive and ongoing conversations with
all our international partners to ensure that Iran is held to
account on the world stage, and that includes the US.
(CB)
My Lords, on the question of the possible involvement of the IRGC
on the appalling weekend of 7 October, is the Minister aware of
reports at the time of Farsi having been spoken during the
intrusion from Gaza into Israel If that is
correct, the implication is plain that the relationship between
Hamas and the IRGC is a very strong and rather distressing
one.
(Con)
I am afraid I am not aware of those reports of Farsi having been
spoken, but as I have acknowledged, we are aware that Iran funds
some of the groups that are under discussion, including Hezbollah
and Hamas.
(Con)
My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord, , and I too asked this question
on 15 November in the King’s Speech debate on foreign affairs and
defence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a death cult
run by psychopaths who think nothing of the rape, torture and
beheading of civilians in Iran should they dare to dissent. It is
they who pull the strings of Hamas and other terrorist groups and
who share responsibility for the attack on Israel on 7 October.
Can my noble friend tell us when the United Kingdom will join the
European Union, the United States of America and other countries
in proscribing them as such?
(Con)
My Lords, I am afraid I have to say to my noble friend, as I have
already said a couple of times, that the Government keep the list
of proscribed organisations under review. We do not comment on
whether a specific organisation is or is not being considered for
proscription.
(Non-Afl)
My Lords, the IRGC has a violent and deep hatred of
Jews, Israel Christianity
and the West. On that alone, it should be proscribed. However,
proscription is not where it stops. Hamas has been proscribed for
some considerable time. When will we see more action on what is
happening on the streets of the United Kingdom with those who are
supporting Hamas?
(Con)
My Lords, that is an operational matter for the police, as has
also been discussed at the Dispatch Box on a number of occasions.
I point to last weekend’s protests, which passed off much more
peacefully, it would seem, than some of their predecessors. It is
probably too early to say this, but things look to be heading in
the right direction regarding the noble Baroness’s question.
